《The Returner》
Chapter 1: Stop spreading false rumours, please (1)
Chapter 1: Stop spreading false rumours, please (1)
(TL: Well, here it is, my next trantion project!! I hope you enjoy it, as much as I have TLing this series.)
Thend was truly vast.
A massive, white fortress exuding an austere and noble aura stood firm in the middle of this stunning greenndscape C the Holy Land of the God of Light, Latrel.
Many pilgrims thanked their benevolent deity for all of his blessings while they crossed the sea of green to seek out this Holy Land. When theyid their eyes upon the majesty of the white fortress, they could certainly sense the mighty awe of their god.
So, it wasnt an exaggeration to call this piece ofnd a ce of peace and divine blessing, filled to the brim with happiness and piety of the believers.
...That was, if today was any ol regr day.
Currently, there was an air of uncertainty whirling about this paradise, where the God of Light, Latrel, usually called home.
Outside the white walls of the fortress symbolising Latrel, countless soldiers decked out in white-coloured gear were stoically taking guard. To see so many soldiers standing in line while wearing armours that seemed to be shrouded in holy light, was indeed truly a grand sight to behold.
And in front of these gathered soldiers, Knights wearing full body armour that shone in pure silver light, rode on white steeds that seemed to have not one speck of blemish on their perfect hides.
These magnificent men and women were none other than the Holy Knight Order of Latrel, the agents of the God of Lights will.
If there was one odd thing about this situation, then it would be the fact that all these men and women, who possessed overwhelming martial might and would normally be seen traversing the vastnds to spread the name of their god Latrel, were all gathered here.
If one looked through history books, Latrels Holy Knights had never ever gathered en masse like this at a single location in several hundreds of years. making this event quite vexing, indeed.
That wasnt the only strange thing, though.
Besides therge army of Latrel, anotherrge army wearing deep scarlet armour could be seen.
And the size of this army didnt lose out to that of the Latrels own white soldiers.
They were the Knights serving the God of Sun, Dran, as well as the divine soldiers that served the Sun God himself.
That wasnt the end.
A brown army symbolising the God of Earth, Gabein.
A red army symbolising the God of Fire, Faro.
A blue army symbolising the God of Water, Bhgeucoate.
The grand armies of all 12 churches existing on the continent of Berafe, which means allnds united as one, had gathered here.
Even the regr soldiers, from the various Divine Kingdoms, exorcists and sorcerers that formed the very core of numerous Magic Kingdoms, as well as an army consisting purely of the Barbarian horde who were normally looked down upon in Berafe, were all present and correct.
It was a cacophony of colourful soldiers filling up the seemingly endless in.
This was the might of Berafe.
This was everything that Berafe could offer.
It was thergest alliance of humanity ever, something never before seen in the history of this world.
If one were to understand the significance of this gathering, then that person would be ovee with many profound emotions.
However... within the eyes of a certain old man who managed to bring together all these disparate forces, rather than pride, one could spy his deep-seated anxiety, instead.
All the preparations have beenpleted.
This old man turned his head towards another old man wearing a red robe and slightly nodded his head.
At the same time, all those who were waiting for the old man stood up from their seats of honour.
Are theying?
Soon......
It was a simple answer.
But the expressions of the two old men who heard it got harder as they nodded their heads.
They were lightly biting their lips. They were praying to their respective gods while crossing their hearts. They were frowning deeply all the while openly disying their hostility.
And there was uncertainty.
Also, a slight hint of terror.
Their eyes focused on the old man.
This old man C he was the first servant and the one true voice of Latrel, thergest religion on the continent.
He was Pope Dioreh the First of the Latrels church. The man responsible for this unprecedented union of humanity in history did not shy away from their gazes and met them all, one by one.
And looking at him, the Popes of other religions as well as kings and emperors of many nations gravely nodded their heads.
The gaze of Dioreh the First was then redirected to the far distance, towards the end of the ins, the end of his eyesight, to the horizon.
Anxiety that didnt fit his stations was slowly creeping into his eyes.
A truly powerful army has amassed here.
The Pope of the Drans church, Veresigurl spoke, his voice trembling slightly.
The humanity will never lose.
That is a matter of course!!
Aggressive voices of agreement called out from here and there. Dioreh the First steeled himself while listening to their calls.
Every possible preparation that could have been made, had already been made.
He had gathered the remaining strength of humanity to this ce as the will of his god had dictated.
The factionalism between different religions, the conflicts between different nations C these typical yet still serious issues continued to trouble him
It was a hard and painful process, but Dioreh the First was able toplete what was initially deemed impossible. He relied on his unshakeable faith to get this job done.
However, what was this anxiety that didnt want to go away, no matter what?
How could he possibly exin this cautiously blooming buds of anxiety flowering in his heart?
Y, your Holiness!!
It was then, a hurried voice reached him.
T, there ites!! Your Holiness, over there!!
At the end of the pointed finger, at the ce where the blue sky and the green fields seemed to meet.
A spot on the once-wless horizon began to dye in darkness.
That thing approaching the fort while blotting out the sky and thend was akin to an unstoppable tidal wave.
Dioreh the First let out a bitter chuckle after seeing that slow but steadily approaching thing.
That was pure darkness.
That was the sum of all despair.
That was the representation of true suffering.
Seeing the fields blessed by Latrels grace bing dyed in ck, even Dioreh the Firsts heart darkened.
Oh, dear god....
....My god...
The distant, countless number of metallic giants, seemingly filling up the horizon, apanied by the innumerable number of horrifying evil creatures rushing in behind them.
Above their heads, demonic creatures with colourful wings flew around in the sky like storm clouds, casting dark shadows on the in.
The roars and cries of the vast army of monsters, and the metallic ngs from the movement of the giants,bined to create a dissonant orchestra of solemnness.
Those who could see, would see only the despair from this spectacle.
Those who could hear, would realise their fate from this spectacle.
The restlessness borne out of those with eyes and ears soon became a powerful wave that managed to shake the world.
The metal giants stopped their march.
The monsters let out horrifying screeches as they stood right behind the giants, facing the army of humanity. The noises they made suggested that they could attack at any moment.
It was a sight so overwhelming, ones soul might have been crushed just by its pressure alone.
The Pope of the Drans church, Veresigurl, cried out.
Everyone, look!
At the ce he was pointing at...
From there, the roars of the evil monsters began subsiding.
From there, silence and stillness spread out among the seemingly endless roars and cries of the monsters, and soon, all of it came to a stop.
And this sight was far more terrifying than the festival of roarings and growlings. All those frenzied evil creatures and demons all held their breaths and began kowtowing on the ground.
Complete silence.
A total, chilling silence descended on the world.
As if the spectacle of before was nothing more than just an illusion, a silence so eerie one could hear ones own heartbeat reigned over the entirety of the vast in.
*SFX for sounds of metal scrapping on the floor (I think.)*
Breaking this silence, everyone could hear gloomy metallic screeches. Two of the metal giants slowly turned to face each other, before kneeling down on one knee.
Step.
Step.
Soft footsteps could be heard.
There was no way such soft footsteps could reach him from that far, yet Dioreh the First had clearly heard them.
Monsters made way while still keeping their heads buried in the ground. The metal giants solemnly greeted their master.
From the dense forest of monsters that was parted like the Red Sea, a man slowly walked out.
How should he be described?
This man C the sight of him wearing a thick ck robe wasnt anything too strange. Only that, his face was obscured from view due to the darkness cast by the robes hood.
From the corner of the abyssal ck robe that seemingly absorbed all light, a hand peeked out, and it was reeking with deep crimson aura. And many, many jewels visibly hanging through the gaps of the robe glistened beautifully under the sunlights reflection.
In other words, it was an attire of a regr sorcerer.
However, the reason why this appearance managed to instill such unbridled terror in the heart of all the onlookers, was the ck-ish aura busy circling around the man.
Resembling mes one second, and then ck fog the next, these eerie and ominous ck aura circled around its owner and burned fiercely before dissipating away.
As a person who served the God of Light, Dioreh the First knew instinctively just what that aura was C that was the origin of all evil, the mes of Hell. It should not even exist in this in of existence.
Dioreh the Firsts heart tightened. That man in front was the cause of all this.
The man who wrought the end of the world.
The king of the dead.
The despair of all living things.
The man who swallowed whole the nations of the living, and took away the breaths of all who lived.
The archenemy of all twelve main religions.
No, the enemy of all who lived.
The man capable of causing the 12 gods, who protected thend of Berafe, to scream out their divine messages; the man capable of causing the kings and emperors of 48 nations ruling thisnd of Berafe to put aside their differences and insecurities to unite as one, as if they no longer had any choice in the matter.
The man, capable of forcing all these disparate powers into a single location through sheer terror and despair.
Dioreh the First struggled to cry out.
Oh, hear thee, the Bringer of Apocalypse!!
His voice was amplified and resounded around the vast in.
Oh, the king of the dead, the despair of all living creatures, the ruler of ten thousand demons and millions of beasts!!
As if to reply to those words, all the evil creatures that were keeping dead still lifted up their heads and broke out in a thunderousmotion.
Immediately, Dioreh the First felt his blood run cold. Although there were millions of human soldiers between them and him, it seemed like only the sound of their roars could be heard and nothing else.
The humanity does not fear thee. The humanity will never perish. On thisnd blessed by the gods, this is where thy dark ambitions will crumble, and thy army of darkness shall return to the embrace of nature, and disappear altogether!!
We shall never surrender, even if we shed our blood and offer our lives!!
Our flowing blood will be the milk that sustains this continent, and our flesh will be the fertiliser that enriches this world!!
And our souls shall return to the warm embrace of our benevolent 12 gods and finally rest in peace!!
With the cries of Dioreh the First, the human soldiers began raising cheers as well.
Millions of them cheered out until their throats were hoarse.
Dioreh the Firsts eyes became bloodshot.
Yes, this was the power of humanity. This was the will of humans, carrying the blessings of the 12 gods.
The despair and terror that were wringing out his heart crumbled, and instead, powerful, inspiration emotions filled it up.
On thisnd, we might flicker like a dying candle. We might fall like worthless things! But!! Our unyielding will shall drive the de of faith into thy heart!! Can thee sense our undying will, evil sorcerer!! Can thee feel our undying might, the Lich who have forsaken even the death itself!!
CHOTTO MATTE!!! (TL: Lol. Its actually, No!! Stop right there! Well, I just couldnt resist.)
< 1. Stop Spreading False Rumours, Please. -1 > Fin.
Chapter 2: Stop spreading false rumours, please (2)
Chapter 2: Stop spreading false rumours, please (2)
It was then, a loud voice rang out in the vast open in. Those who were searching for the origin of this voice soon came to realise that it originated from none other than the demon himself, the Bringer of Apocalypse, standing in front of them.
The Bringer raised his hand and slowly pulled his hood back.
The face below it belonged to a still-considerably young man. His skin was slightly reddish yellow, most likely due to the influence of the darkness, but besides that, he waspletely unremarkable in any shape or form.
The short hair style was something umon in this world, but the face below it attested to the reason why he was now referred to as the Bringer of Apocalypse.
A pair of small eyes and t-ish nose under those narrow eyebrows; strange skin colour and the unexinable aura that was a humans, yet at the same time, not really.
He was a creature with a humans appearance, yet was no longer one.
The Bringer of Apocalypse shouted out loudly.
Who the f*ck is a damn Lich?! Hah? I was nning to keep my mouth shut but you treat me like a damn bag of bones!! Hey, have you ever seen a Lich with this much fatty tissue?!
Dioreh the First became utterly speechless.
Of course, he had never seen one. After all, a Lich wasnt an existence that wasmonly seen. Plus, there was no recording of a Lich with all his flesh and skin intact in the history books. Indeed, a Lich should be a skeleton wearing a ck robe, that was for sure.
Suddenly, Dioreh felt lots of pointed stares.
Slightly distorted eyes were stabbing his backside.
To receive such stares from his allies and nobles just because of a simple slip of a tongue C and it wasnt even all that important whether he was a blooming Lich or not...
Dioreh the First sheepishly cleared his throat and shouted once more.
Everyone on this continent knows of thy rejection of death with the sorcery of the demons and that thee hath lived for hundreds of years already!! Oh, thee who are no longer confined by the chains of logic, although thy exterior resembles a human, no one here mistakes thee for a human!!
Even if thee once was human, thee hath abandoned the paths of humanity already!! Can thee not recall how many kingdoms you have destroyed during thy march? Can thee not remember all the lives thee hath reaped all these years!!!
The Bringer of Apocalypse listened to the passionate ravings of Dioreh the First with indifference, and replied nonchntly.
Hey man. Stop spreading false rumours about me, please. I didnt reject death, I just cant die, thats all. Hell, Ive literally tried everything and anything to die, so what the hell do you want me to do, eh? And also, I did not destroy anyone. They just killed themselves. Seriously now, just who the f*ck was it that rushed in like a pack of wild dogs, when I just wanted to quietly pass by and head off to Latrels church headquarters? Ah? So why are you ming me for that, huh?
Dioreh the First dumbfoundedly stared at the Bringer of Apocalypse.
When someone was corralling all those metal giants and all those evil demons while saying, Were just passing by~~, who in their right minds would get up and reply, Yes, please do~, huh?!?!
Wasnt that the basic of all basicmon sense?! A bloodymon sense, man!!
Whatever. You, you look like the leader here, so lets negotiate.
Did thee say negotiate?
Me, I dont want to fight you, and I dont want to destroy this continent either, unlike what some of you have been yapping on about. All I want is...
The Bringer of Apocalypse raised his finger and pointed at the very tip of the tallest spire of the fort.
And there was a beautiful jewel on the tip of this spire, emitting five different colours of light.
The unquestionable evidence of the god Latrel caring after this blessednd, the Eye of Latrel was ced there.
Gimme that, and I shall quietly leave you guys alone in peace. I will return all these demons back to where they came from, and I will stop all the Golems, too. Hell, if you want them, Ill give you all these Golems. All you have to do, is to give me that.
Keukkeukkeuk...
Dioreh the First chuckled in a creepy and low-pitched voice.
Did thee seriously believe we do not know that thee will use the sacred Eye of Latrel to bring about the Apocalypse of this world?!
What the?! Just where the hell did you hear all this crappy rumour about me? Who was it?
The divine oracle that implored us to never hand over the Eye to thee have been received by us!! Us, all 12 churches!!
The Bringer of Apocalypse groaned out.
I bloody knew it. Thats why they were so desperate.
Thee want to steal the Eye of Latrel? Try it. But it shall not be so simple. Even if only one of us draws breath, thee shall nevery thy filthy hands on the Eye!! If our sacrifices can ensure the survival of Berafe, we shall dly offer up our lives!! And thus, thee shall never ovee our might!! Because, the divine blessings of the 12 gods are together with us!! Praise the lord Latrel!!
With the deration of Dioreh the First, millions of human warriors began making their own individual signs of worship while praising their gods.
No point in talking anymore, huh.
Well, the Bringer didnt have much hope of talks resolving all misunderstandings, even as he was on his way here. These guys in front simply didnt want to understand him, anyways.
Since he had gone through roughly the simr thing until he was sick and tired of it all, the Bringer just epted it as a normal urrence now.
Dioreh the First shouted out again.
Thee shall see the end of thy long road today, right here!! Oh, the man who rejected the providence of the gods!!
At these words, the Bringer of Apocalypse began giggling like crazy.
Dioreh the First squinted his eyes. It wasnt just because theughter of that evil and vile sorcerer was getting on his nerves, no. He acutely knew. He had met many, many people and heard their terrible ordeals and shared tears with them so, he could tell.
Although thatughter could be seen as one of ridicule, there were so many different emotions contained within it.
Delight and despair, bitterness and grief, and even, deep, profound sadness...
Hey, man. Did you know?
The Bringer of Apocalypse murmured slowly.
That... is my wish.
His voice was tranquil.
But, I realised it wont happen. Especially, in this ce. That is why, I gotta go back to where its possible again. For me to die and make all your wishes toe true, I need that Eye, see?
His voice started off quiet and calm, yet became louder and louder.
You are right, Im just a goddamn monster in this ce!! A damn demon!! A demon, who cant die and cant disappear!! Thats why, I want to go to a ce where I can!! I want to go to a ce, where I can be a human again!! So I can die, just like how all of you have been praying for!!
His voice now contained his true feelings.
In the form of a rant.
But why the f*ck do you keep getting in my way!! Huh?! Why the f*ck do you still try to stop me, right until the godd*mn end!! Im trying to die like youve always wanted, yet why do you still keep blocking me?!!! Huh?! Do you have any godd*mn idea how many hundreds of years I wasted trying to get here?! You wanna stop me? You want to try and stop me, again?
Fine. Then die. Die, and die again. I will gift you that one thing, this thing that Ive yearned for so long, to receive, but to never feel its embrace. Soon, you all will realise how nice a blessing it truly is.
The appearance of a fun-loving young man dissipated altogether.
The only thing left behind was a sight of a demon spitting out frenzied raving.
The only man to climb up to the unprecedented heights as a sorcerer, a monarch of darkness who lead millions to despair.
The worst of all heart-wrenching despair that turned the half of the continent into thend of the dead, and driving the survivors into this tiny piece ofnd so he could torment and mock them.
The man, who would bring about the end of the world.
He was the Bringer of Apocalypse.
We shall never surrender!!
Riiight. So obvious.
The eyes of the Bringer gleamed ominously.
In that case, die where you stand.
The moment he finished his sentence, every one of the once-silent demons and monsters bared their fangs.
The aggressive roarings of these creatures, no longer controlled by the Bringer of Apocalypse, exploded forth and covered the entire in.
KKKKIIIIIEEECKKK
There was no particr signal.
But, as if they had known it all along, demons and monsters spat out terrifying screams and began rushing forward. Countless creatures stumbled and perished under the mad dash yet they continued to run forward. And even the metal giants began taking one massive stride after another.
Every step these giants took crushed several demons and monsters underfoot, causing ear-piercing screams to ring out, yet the emotionless creatures simply continued on with their relentless march.
The remaining might of all humanity had gathered here. That might was powerful. That might was great. However, even this mighty force was cowering before the crazed frenzy of the evil monsters.
The white army began to waver. Soldiers unknowingly taking half a step back caused the formation to be pushed back and caused a ripple effect.
Oh, supreme and omnipotent being, here thy servants long to receive thy divine wills!! The light of the dawn that drives away the darkness of the night, grant thy favour to thy servants!!
From both of Dioreh the Firsts hands, divine white streams of light exploded out and began blessing the soldiers guarding the fortress. The other Popes also began calling out to their chosen gods and blessed the soldiers as well, leading the army to regain their spirit and make their charge against the iing waves of monsters.
And finally, the armies of humanity and armies of monsters collided.
Torn flesh and broken bones were flung about everywhere, as blood rained down on the ground.
If there existed a real hell, this ce would be it.
Do not get bogged down!! Charge!!
Several clerics and priests located here and there within the army continued to pour out divine power while covered in sweat. Evil demons became much weaker in front of these priests, and the wounds on the bodies of their allies were healed in an instant.
WUOOOOOHH!!!
In that moment, there were several men that broke off out from the standoff.
They were clothed in fur and leather from head to toe, wielding a huge battleaxe on one hand and a terrifying hammer on the other.
The Barbarian horde that once plunged the continent into chaos was now fighting for its very survival. Their axes cleaved demons in half, bones and all, while their hammers shattered the heads of demons as if they were busting watermelons.
However, the counterattacks of demons and monsters were nothing to scoff at.
Countless sharp des shot out from the ground below and sliced up the formations rear. Helplessly getting their legs and ankles cut up by these suddenly-intruding des, soldiers rolled on the ground while screaming out desperately.
Do not falter!!
Magic spells fired by the sorcerers fell where demons and monsters were gathered the most.
No matter how strong the monsters and demons were, no matter how huge the metal giants were, they were still outnumbered one to one hundred. There was no end to the human army, while the number of monsters fell drastically at the suicidal charging attacks by the unafraid soldiers.
The sky might be still dominated by the flying demons, but as far as the ground battle was concerned, humanity had the advantage.
Oh, great Latrel!! Bless thy servants!!
Receive the cleansing fire of the god Faro!!
Many wide-scale blessings descended, and fatigued soldiers regained their vigour at the same time.
Oh, great god Latrel!!
Dioreh the First shouted out without realising it.
Finally, the end to the 30-year long war of hardship wasing ever so closer. The war potential of the demons were great, but the powers of united humanity were greater. The demon army was slowly being pushed back.
Hmm?
It was then. Dioreh the First spotted the Bringer of Apocalypse finally making his move.
This man called the Bringer of Apocalypse, the worlds most vile sorcerer and a man who transcended past the death itself and had supposedly found the Truth.
The Bringer of Apocalypse, who had been standing like a stone statue and observing the situation until now, slowly lifted his hand.
ck smoke rose from his hand, which formed a huge magic circle in the air. No, not just in the air C a total of four magic circles formed around the Bringer, one in his front and two on either side, and began emitting ck beams of light.
What is that?!
It was hard to tell what type of magic they would produce, but the results would definitely terrible, solely judged from the vast sizes of each magic circle.
S, stop him!!
The best method to stop a sorcerer was attack before the chanting waspleted. All those who knew this fact didnt let the Bringer do his thing.
Rangers fired countless arrows at his direction; wizards poured their magic spells.
In the meantime, the Bringers lips slowly parted and an emotionlessmand rang out quite clearly.
Open up!!
The magic circles emitted a chilling light, and an enormous ck gate suddenly materialised. All the arrows and magic spells aimed at the Bringer of Apocalypse were sucked into the newly-appeared gate standing before him.
Dioreh the First opened wide his eyes and red at this gate. He could tell the purpose of this gate more or less after sensing the dreary aura seeping out from beyond it.
His urgent mind became a scream.
STOOOPPP HIM!!!!
Contrary to the urgency of Dioreh the First, the Bringer leisurely opened his mouth.
Devour them all.
In that moment.
From the gate, devils with grotesque shapes began pouring out like crashing tidal waves. The devils jumping out from the gate floating in the air got ttened somewhat after falling to the ground, but none gave a rats a*s about the crushed flesh and ravenously dashed forward.
And more poured out.
And more poured out.
And yet, more poured out.
Although there were more than enough monsters and demons and devils topletely cover thend, more kept pouring out. Evil creatures continued to pour out, as if the only way to end this was when the entire world was filled up with these foul creatures.
The sky was nowpletely inundated with the flying demons. These demons even began attacking one another, roaring out and got into a messy brawl. It was as if the entire sky was made up solely of these monsters.
From the front, and from the sides C even under the feet.
Monsters rushed in. No matter how many heads were crushed, no matter how many necks were cut, no matter how many lengthy legs were broken... No matter how many they killed, monsters kept rushing in.
The evil beings that could easily rip a person into pieces with nothing more than their fingertips now outnumbered humans.
It was a monster wave.
It was the unstoppable waves of demons.
Despair filled Dioreh the Firsts eyes. There were simply too many monsters to kill. And even as killings continued, more monsters poured out from the gate, their numbers ever increasing higher and higher.
Truly, would that man bring about the destruction of this world?
It was then...
< 2. Stop Spreading False Rumours, Please -2 > Fin.
Chapter 3: Stop spreading false rumours, please (3)
Chapter 3: Stop spreading false rumours, please (3)
Kaaaaaaaaaaahaaaa!!!
A massive spear of mes pierced the sky. Rays of brilliant light shone like countless stars in the sky, while white winds of storm froze and shattered just as many demonic monsters.
When thousands upon thousands of arrows pierced the sky like the ascending Imoogi, many lifeless corpses of flying demonic creatures rained down and crashed heavily into the earth below.
The Uruks!!
Run, you short-legged ones!!
The corners of Dioreh the Firsts eyes became moist with tears.
Elves decorated the skies with a beautiful parade of magic and arrows.
Dwarves and Orcs nked the hordes of evil monsters from their side.
And the mighty Dragons smacked away the flying monsters and spat out their unstoppable Breaths.
It wasnt just humanity only.
No, it wasnt just humanity that was fighting in this war!
Kwaahhaaa!!!
A Breath of purest mes bore a hole through the jet-ck clouds in the sky, and the blessed light of the sun pierced through this gap.
Dioreh the First couldnt help but think of that light as Latrels ray of hope.
The Breath from the Dragon destroyed one of the summoning gates floating in the air.
[Oh, hear me, the Immortal Soul. You shall not receive what you seek.]
The will of the huge, golden Dragon resounded out towards the Bringer of Apocalypse and then spread out even further.
Dioreh the First bit down on his lips to rein in the emotions of appreciation trembling within his heart. His eyes were already wet with falling tears.
Its not just mankind only.
To stop the advent of the end of the world, every species living on the continent of Berafe had gathered here.
The Bringer of Apocalypse deeply frowned as he looked at the skies full of Dragons and armies of Elves and others seemingly covering the entirety of thend as far as eyes could see.
Does this mean youll stand against me until the very end, Lord Affeldrich?
[You shall not receive it. You are the Bringer of Apocalypse. I can not allow the the Dimensional Key to fall into your hands.]
Right, right. I heard you enough times already. Just how many times have you told me that sh*t already? Just how many times you stood before me with that nonsensical excuse? Eh?
[Ive lost count. And do not doubt, there will be countless times more in the future. You are the Immortal Being, while I am the being who lives on the boundaries of Immortality. The enmity between you and I shall continue on, and on.]
Nope. You got that a bit wrong, see.
The face of the Bringer distorted.
And his outstretched hand was pointing at the massive golden Dragon, Affeldrich.
Everything will end here, today.
Right away, a massive ck smoke exploded out from the outstretched hand of the Bringer, encircling the golden Dragon like a coiling snake.
*SFX for a loud cry*
The roaring scream of the golden Dragon reverberated the heavens.
You should have realised this by now. The reason why someone like me, someone with infinite time on his hands and an unshakeable mind, havee here C the meaning behind my arrival at this ce. Already, everything has...
Before the sentence even finished, countless Dragons flying in the air all released their mighty Breath attack towards the Bringer of Apocalypse.
It was truly an eye-searing spectacle to see the rainbow colours of Breaths focusing only on one specific spot.
And then, there was an incredible explosion.
No one could hear anything in the aftermath.
The ginormous shock wave of the unimaginable magic attacks shook the whole continent of Berafe.
Nothing could be seen, nor be heard anymore.
By the time the awesome power of the attack began subsiding...
Everyone and everything were rooted to their spots.
Demons and devils were holding their collective breaths, while the warriors of humanity were writhing around on the ground with blood seeping out from their eyes and ears.
And thend where the Bringer of Apocalypse was standing had transformedpletely.
Now, there was an inconceivably deep, massive crater instead, as if a world-ending meteor had fallen; and surrounding its rim, stones and rocks with mirror-like smooth surfaces could be found, tempered repeatedly by the high heat, intense pressure and then by the ultra-low temperature.
But, what about the Bringer of Apocalypse?
A pile of meat that was once him could be seen at the bottom of this crater, burnt ck and squashed t.
All those demonic gates he had summoned were shattered into pieces by the impact and were cancelled, while his remains scattered into the air like ash and dust.
Seeing this scene, Dioreh the First clenched his fist tightly.
No matter how incredible an existence that man was, surely now, he couldnt have...
...Survived that?
It was then. Dioreh the First felt his back skin crawl.
A strange thing started happening on the spot where only the traces of the Bringer should have been found. From that remains which resembled nothing more than ash, white bones slowly revealed themselves one by one, which was then swiftly followed by reconstruction of blood vessels and muscle tissue. The blood began circting again, then the outer skin formed.
Soon afterwards, a pale and seemingly dead naked body was fully revealed to the world.
And so, this was it.
The man who had transcended death.
The man who couldnt die, even if he wanted to.
The man destined to forever wallow in the agony of undying life.
Before anyone coulde to their senses, the Bringer of Apocalypse had extracted another robe out from the subspace and put it on. He adjusted his essories to their correct ces, then he bared his teeth in an angry growl.
The Bringer slowly surveyed his surroundings.
The warriors of humanity, numbering in the several millions.
The rulers of the sky, Dragons.
Elves and Dwarves, reputedly been in the constant state of war against humans for millennia.
Even the Orcs, seen as monsters by everyone else, were ring at him and throwing endless stream of curses.
Plus, spotting a rising cloud of dust from the far end of the distant horizon, it seemed that this gathered force wasnt the end.
Without a doubt, it seemed that Berafe itself was trying to stop him.
Right. I knew it.
The Bringer of Apocalypse chuckled hoarsely.
This was such an interesting ce.
So, so interesting, indeed.
Forcibly dragging someone over here against his will, but trying to stop him with just about everything when he wished to return? With an absurd reasoning, to boot?
If he could forget, then he might have given up.
If he could die, then he might have chosen death.
Unfortunately, he was a man isted in this world.
He was not allowed to die, and he was not allowed to forget.
The memories he had before he fell into this world, all those countless years and decades and centuries ago, he hadnt forgotten single one of them. The memories he created in this new world were lost like grains of sand, but the things he knew and experienced in the previous world became a fossil deeply lodged in his head the moment he came here.
So, he had to return.
If he couldnt forget, if he couldnt die... then he must return.
Ill tell you this for thest time, Lord Affeldrich.
He only needed one thing.
He only wanted one single thing.
Hand over the Eye of Latrel. Then, I will quietly walk away.
Even suffering under the powerful ck magic, the golden Dragon Affeldrich did not submit.
[Even if this worldes to an end, we will never hand over the Eye to you. That item can not and must not fall into your hands.]
I thought as much C you people just dont want to listen.
[Let it go, Immortal. As long as you let it go, everything will return to order.]
You telling me to let it go?
Affeldrich could easily decipher the many hidden meanings contained within his reply. She quietly looked at the Bringer of Apocalypse.
I wanna go back.
A boy, swept up by the unfair tides of fate and lost within its maze of pain and suffering, transformed into the Bringer of Apocalypse at the end of a long, long journey.
This new world was incredibly cruel to this boy and eventually, his bizarre, inexplicable fate had caused him to stand against this world.
Even if this was the case, she could not forsake the entire world just to appease one persons sorrow. If a sacrifice had to be made, then there was only one right choice, the life of one individual.
[The incarnation of immortality, just because you are unable to die, this does not mean we wont be able to stop you. It is indeed possible to seal you away forever. We the Dragons, possessor of endless lives, will maintain the seal for eternity, and you shall never taste the air of freedom forevermore. This is our final warning. Give up.]
Well, Im done with warning you, people of Berafe.
He addressed not just Affeldrich, but the rest of Berafe as well. He dered to all those beings standing in his way.
This... is the result you have brought upon yourselves.
Both of his hands became shrouded in darkness. At the same time, the evil creatures that were keeping quiet up until now, sprang into frenzied activity.
GOHOOOOOO!!
Sensing the fluctuation of incredible magic power from the Bringer once more, Dragons spat out another round of Breaths all at the same time.
But it was only that.
All those Breaths were extinguished before they could reach the Bringer. No, rather than extinguished, they simply vanished.
Affeldrich had to swallow her words.
The Bringer of Apocalypse definitely did not block the Breathsing his way. He simply summoned a warp gate in front of every iing Breath attack and guided them all away to another area in the continent.
Although it was a ballsy but smart move, one could even argue it was a foolhardy endeavor as well. If he was off by millimetres with the locations of warp gates summoning, the Breath would collide with the gate instead and cause an almighty chain of explosion.
Wait, that didnt matter. He wouldnt have died anyway.
Easily taking care of the Breath attacks, he then gathered both of his hands to his chest. A sinister ck light shone out from his palms. At the same time, the ne hanging on his neck as well as jewels embedded in his bracelets began to resonate.
A colourful arrangement of several jewels C known as the hearts of Dragons, they began to resonate with the dark Mana oozing out from the Bringer and became dyed in darkness as well. Meanwhile, beneath the feet of the Bringer, a gaping ck hole suddenly opened up, spewing out lots of ck smoke that enshrouded the man.
[Stop!! Stop him at once!!]
Finally realising what the Bringer was about to do, Affeldrich cried out in haste.
Dragons responded to her cry and rushed towards the Bringer, but then C they stopped in mid-air, before slowly turning into stone statues. The Mana from the otherworldly dimensionsing out of the Bringer was preventing them from getting close to him.
Although it looked like a swirling ck smoke to the rest, as Dragons were beings of Mana, they knew exactly what that thing was. They knew very well just how terrifying the storm of power umting inside was.
And it werent just the Dragons who were panicking at the emergence of that evil energy.
Even the demons and devils, beings of evil themselves, ran away screaming as well.
When the ck smoke touched a monster that couldnt run away in time, the creature withered rapidly and dried up into a mummified corpse. A single strand of energy formed, which was then absorbed by the Bringer of Apocalypse.
His surroundings became thend of death in a heartbeat. Grasses dried up, trees withered and fell.
The Bringer of Apocalypse opened his tightly-closed eyes amidst all these deaths and destruction.
He lifted both of his hands into the blue sky which was now clear of flying monsters. Then, in the middle of this clear sky, a ck cloud formed.
Dioreh the First stared at this cloud with dazed eyes.
That cloud.
Could anyone call that... a cloud?
Fluffy ck smokes coagted and expanded; ck lightning struck ceaselessly. ck mes burned within, and ck hailstones began falling down.
It was the perfect darkness, where not one ray of light could escape from it.
And that darkness quickly spread out until itpletely blotted out the entire sky.
Even the humans,
Even the demi-humans...
Even the monsters...
Even the Dragons...
They all witnessed this unfolding event with dazed eyes.
Dragons, referred to as the originators of magic, couldnt even begin toprehend how this event could have been performed in the first ce. Only Affeldrich could vaguely suspect that the ck hole below the Bringers feet was connected to some unknown ce, perhaps to the origin of all evil magic.
Oh, benevolent god, Latrel!!
Dioreh the First drew the holy sign in the air.
He could feel it instinctively.
That thing was death.
An avoidable death sentence surpassing all limits of logic.
All of them were seeing death itself materialise.
I! Just!
A cry loud enough to tear his throat.
All those rage and suffering built up over the countless years finally exploded out in this very moment.
...Want to go home!!!!
The Bringer of Apocalypse lowered his hands angrily. At the same time, the ck clouds nketing the sky descended down to the ground.
You sons of bi*ches!!!
That day, the Apocalypse descended from the skies of Berafe.
< 3. Stop Spreading False Rumours, Please -3 > Fin.
(TL: Well, this is the end of the prologue chapters. Onwards, to the actual thing! Wait, actual thing has already started, hasnt it? Uh... Anyways, to the next chapter!)
Chapter 4: Ah, is that so? (1)
Chapter 4: Ah, is that so? (1)
Im going to quit.
The life of an office worker C of sorts C being an effed-up slog was the truth shared by pretty much every office worker around the world. Whether one was a low-ranked office gopher, or someone in a senior managerial position, they all had their own trials and tribtions to suffer through.
So, who would not ever fantasize about walking out of their jobs? Well, many would dream of this several times a day, but they endured simply because they had to think about their cutie-pie offsprings and beastly significant others waiting back home.
I will definitely quit.
But now, the situation was just too dang terrible to endure no longer.
The organization this guy worked for C it looked oh-so glittering and shiny on the outside, but inwardly, it was rotten to the core.
From the perspective of outsiders, he was a government employee with a pretty sweet numeration package C a dream job, indeed. But the reality was... his working hours seesawed like the swinging moods of a woman going through menopause, the pressure from his work reminded him of eternal hell, and the level of stress he suffered due to the inter-office politics was so high that his own shrink rmended he find another line of work, lest he lose thest vestige of his sanity.
Today was the same.
Seriously, he was only able to go home at 5 in the morning, so how could being told to get back to work at 11 make any sense?
No, he understood. He could very much understand why.
He could understand, since the work was demanding and constant.
But still. Ordering a man, who was finally freed from the hellish job and went home 5 in the morning after two straight days at work, to return at 11 as if that was a benevolent gesture C how the hell could that even make sense?
Today, Ill use this resignation letter. I swear.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon reached inside his jacket and fingered the resignation letter. It had been already one full year since he began carrying around this letter.
Only a week ago, he changed the envelope that had be stained with dirt and grime from his fingertips to a brand new one.
Today, he would definitely shove this letter in the face of his damnable team leader, his boss.
As he walked to his office on the empty streets, what with everyone else having gone to work already, he kind of felt low spirited, but at the same time, not that bad at all.
Just how could a street this wide have no other souls on it?
Oh well.
Those with jobs wouldve made it to their respective ce of employment by now; students wouldve started their lessons in schools a long time ago, and as for the rest, either housewivesing out to do their daily grocery shopping after earning some spare time by sending their kids to school, or the unemployed. Maybe even....
It was at this moment Choi Jung-Hoons sightsnded on a man.
With a tattered cape no one could tell where it fell from draped all over his body, this guy was on all fours, busy touching and rubbing the ground.
Ah, I forgot about the homeless, too.
Obviously, the homeless with nothing better to do would be seen loitering around this time, as well. However, the things this particr one was doing seemed a bit queer. The tips of the mans fingers busy touching the ground spasmed every now and then; then all of a sudden, his entire body began to tremble noticeably.
A seizure?!
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly pulled out his mobile phone.
If that man was ill, then he had to call for an ambnce, since, regrettably, he didnt have any emergency first aid knowledge in a situation such as this one. Also, didnt 119 service exist precisely for a moment like this? (TL: the Korean emergency number is 119.)
However, a somewhat strange moaning could be heard from the man.
Ah.... ah, ah....
Hmm...
While still holding the phone in the open, Choi Jung-Hoon continued to observe the actions of this strangely dressed man.
Although it did sound like a moaning, the voice itself sounded rather young. Of course, even young people could suffer from seizures, but Choi Jung-Hoon figured that it would be prudent to watch for a bit longer.
Doesnt look like hes a homeless.
Now that he took a closer look, that cape thing had this unmistakable whiff of made-at-home smell to it. It was kinda obvious, really, since no one would sell a cape like that anyway, so if someone wanted to wear one, then he would have to make it by himself.
This man was young.
His fashion sense was obviously peculiar.
And his clothes were all seemingly hand-made, the more Choi Jung-Hoon looked.
He didnt look ill, either.
Adding all these together, Choi Jung-Hoon could roughly guess the identity of the weird man right in front of his eyes.
This man... was a cosyer.
Not only that, a cosyer who had gone as far as a cosyer could possibly go C a man who puts on a costume not for the sake of others, but to satisfy his own deluded settings.
Probably, the current setting must be that he was being contacted by the magical energy from the depths of Hades or some such.
There had been an increase of many somewhat insane fools with the simr sort of settings after the world went to hell in a handbasket several years ago. They all wanted to possess amazing powers, but since they didnt, the only ce they could were within their own delusions.
As the guy kept on saying ah, ah, ah, was he trying to shout out Asmodeus? Or Astaroth?
Not asmon as Diablo or Beelzebub but still appropriate enough.
It seemed that this young man hade up with a pretty unique setting for himself.
Which was unfortunate, because Choi Jung-Hoons expectations werepletely off the mark.
Ah... Ah, ah!! Asphalttttttttt!!!!
The strange young man rubbed the ground nonstop, and then, proceeded to nt his face on the ground and began rubbing it passionately.
Asphalt!! Its asphalt!! Its so hard!! Hard!! Euhahahahat!!!!!
Choi Jung-Hoon watched the youth throw a seizure-like fit and smiled to himself rather warmly.
It seemed that, regrettably, he was wrong.
He then unlocked the phone and dialled the emergency number.
Hello? 119? There is a person in the middle of a street and his condition does not look so good. I think it could be a psychological issue. Please hurry to this ce and take him away. Excuse me? I should call the cops? No, wait, he hasntmitted a crime, and simply a disabled or has gone insane instead by the look of things. Yes? The police? Wait a minute, are you refusing to dispatch someone? No? Its not?
Completely disregarding whether Choi Jung-Hoon was on the phone talking or not, the youth rolled on the ground C before he suddenly shot back up and started searching around frantically. It was this moment when Choi Jung-Hoon realised just how dangerous his current situation was.
It seemed that the crazy man was busy looking for something, a target of some sort, and on top of this wide but empty street, it was only him and the madman.
Ah, I think I might be in some kind of danger here. Call the police for me as well in the meantime. And please dispatch someone at the same time C I might not be in one piece by the time you guys get here.
Thankfully, it seemed the youth didnt put Choi Jung-Hoon in his eyes. Instead, the direction where his pointed gazended at was one of the modern worlds convenient inventions, a box-shaped metal object standing next to a wall.
A v, vending machine!!!!!
The strange youth crawled towards the vending machine on all fours, and as if to reenact the scene of Gollum longingly gazing at the One Ring, he reached out and tried to rub the cold drinks behind the ss disy.
A v, vending machine!! Its C!! Sprite!! A vending machine!!!!!
This looked to be a serious illness. What if this youth went on a rampage before the emergency services arrived...?
It was then. The mad youth turned his head around and his eyes fixed on Choi Jung-Hoon.
Shudder.
Choi Jung-Hoon imperceptibly shrank back in fright. The bloodshot eyes of the mad youth ring at him seemed so bizarre and eerie. It was like looking at a wild, untamed beast.
Choi Jung-Hoon had seen his fair share of madmen at his job. Some of them were even murderers, and some of them were even beyond that.
But the light radiating from the eyes of this youth was on apletely different level altogether. Hard to tell what was so different this time, but the ripplesing from the powerful emotions in his eyes made Choi Jung-Hoon to backtrack automatically.
The face underneath the dirty hood was no more than twenty, at most. However, his eyes thatpletely did not match his young face made it impossible to estimate his true age.
The mad youth studied the top of Choi Jung-Hoons head all the way down to his feet while slowly approaching ever closer.
The way he walked was almost exactly like a predator slowly cutting off the paths of retreat of its newly cornered prey.
Gulp.
Choi Jung-Hoon took a big gulp unconsciously.
There was a voice desperately calling out to himing from his phone, but Choi Jung-Hoons mouth didnt want to move.
His head felt like it was getting all messed up.
He knew he had toe up with some kind of something, but he couldnt form one coherent thought at all.
The mad youth finally stood right before him, then revealed a row of surprisingly white teeth as he grinned.
Ahjussi.
.......
Ahjussi!!
Mmph? Mm?
A sudden bout of silence.
He seemed to hesitate slightly, before a somewhat gloomy voice leaked out from his mouth. The youths unhurried and slowly spoken wordsnded squarely in Choi Jung-Hoons ear canals.
Can you borrow me 1,300 Won so I can buy a Coke?
.......
Well?
Choi Jung-Hoon ended the call.
*
*SFX for a soda can opening*
The sound of a C can opening was as refreshing as always.
Choi Jung-Hoon took a light sip of his C and then cast his gaze at the youth next to him who was busy gulping it down.
This strange youth, impossible to figure out just where he managed to appear from, had forcibly appropriated Choi Jung-Hoons money, and then, shoved that money into the vending machine and got himself a can of C.
As if one can was not enough, he got three in a row and emptied them in one go. And now, he was leaning back against the vending machine like a smiling cat with a warm back and a full stomach, while letting out a loud burp!!
God, my hard earned money...
Although it was only 5,000 Won, precious things would always be precious regardless. If Choi Jung-Hoon was donating to a charity, fine, hed not feel this bad. But, this youth was less of a neighbour in need, and more of an unfortunate encounter, instead. (TL: theres joke here using wordy in Korean, but when TLed into English, this is the result...)
And he looks more or less okay, too...
If one were to scrutinise the youth properly, he wasnt a bad looking guy. He wasnt what some might consider handsome, but on the flip side, he wasnt an eyesore by any measure. The slightly raised eyebrows made him look a bit short tempered and a bit mean spirited, but even with that, he had fine enough facial features.
But then, why would a guy like him...
Why are you walking around wearing that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im not wearing this get-up because I wanted to, you know?
What, you being bullied at school or something? Some sort of a childish game of dare? Wear that outfit, grab a nearby person and get a can of Coke, is that it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its nothing like that. Well, lets just say things somehow turned out this way.
A clear sign of irritation was all over the strange youths face. It was like, Stop bothering me with these pointless questions as Im full and got a warm back right now. What an ungrateful b*stard he was.
People will scoff at you. You should get some proper clothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, yes. That is my n.
Suddenly, Choi Jung-Hoon felt wronged. He was worried for this bizarre youth, yet this crazy, ungrateful a*swipe still disyed his annoyance and on top of that, by using his frowning eyes and sullen expression, he was proiming these words: now youre done giving me stuff, better be on your way now; there aint a thing I am giving you, so why are you still here?
What are you doing at this time of the day? Why arent you at school? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why arent you at work?
Seeing the youth not answer his senior first and instead retort back, it was now clear this man was hopelesslycking in social etiquette.
I was on my way. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, then you should hurry. Theres no one else on the road, so doesnt that mean youre reallyte for work? But wait, now this is really weird. Why isnt there anyone else on this wide street, I wonder?
Well, the time being what it is, so... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon spoke out, before abruptly closing his mouth shut.
For real now, this was indeed way too strange C why hadnt anyone pass by on this street until now? Besides, his call to 119 just now got cut off suddenly too, so why hadnt an ambnce or some such show up yet?
Huh?
Choi Jung-Hoon had a sudden and inexplicably bad premonition.
He quickly surveyed his surroundings. If his thoughts were correct, then this could be the absolute worst of all bad situations.
And Choi Jung-Hoons gaze stopped at one particr ce.
At the distant end of the road, he saw a blurry shape. And that shape was rapidly growingrger. More correctly, the shape was approaching him and the mad youth so fast that his perception got fooled into thinking the shape was growingrger.
Were finished. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon finally understood the situation he was in. He also understood that there was no way he could run away from this ce as well. The worst situation possible had happened at the worst possible timing.
I should have quit my job yesterday...
...If he knew he was going to die like this today.
Choi Jung-Hoon sighed deeply, and then, looked at the strange youth next to him with a pair ofpassionate eyes.
By the way... what is he doing here, of all ces?
< 4. Ah, Is That So? C 1 > Fin.
Chapter 5: Ah, is that so? (2)
Chapter 5: Ah, is that so? (2)
It was possible for Choi Jung-Hoon to be here. Since he was not seen as a civilian, no one wouldve stopped him even if he had stepped into an active area of operations. The code scanners wouldnt have reacted to his presence, after all.
So, that exined how he was able to enter this areapletely unawares. While the agents were busy evacuating civilians by locating them with the code scanners and establishing a barricade, he must have missed them by a whisker. Fine.
But, what about this youth?
Regrettably, there wasnt much time left to worry too deeply about this lost youth anymore. The previously-blurry shape had gotten so close that its appearance could be deciphered properly now, and pretty soon, that thing would rush towards their position.
Choi Jung-Hoon studied the soon-to-arrive creature.
A shape of a person C no, if one was being fastidious, a shape of a giant.
Although it was as least 3 metres in height, and possessed a rough appearance of a human with two arms and two legs, no sane person would call that thing a human, not by a long shot. By ying a person, pumping that poor sucker full of banned substances and bloating him four, five times the normal size, only then would you have arrived at the rough appearance of that creature.
What was the name of that creature?
Was it... Jarchev? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was probably something simr to that. Wasnt it named after the first person who discovered it? What an evil and cruel irony, to name a monster after its victim, who had most likely been ripped to shreds by the monster.
Strictly speaking, it was not a rare entity. That monster was quitemonly seen. It wasnt enough to raise such a huge fuss about.
The problems it might cause wouldnt be too serious. Didnt they say that this monster possessed enough strength to rip apart a bear with its own bare hands, as if it was a dried up squid? And that the monster never gave up pursuit of a prey it spotted beforehand? What about the fact that, even with that hulking physique, its top speed was as fast as a cheetahs?
All of those were only minor issues.
Out of the above mentioned things, the monster seemed to have picked Choi Jung-Hoon and the youth as its targets, but even that was a minor issue.
The most important thing here was... the fact that he was going to be ripped to shreds by that monster. Considering that, everything else was a minor issue, really.
Even the strange youth seemed to agree with his notion.
Wow? What is that? Why is a thing like that here?
As if he was mystified, the youth stood up, slowly walked towards the rapidly approaching monsters direction, and stuck his head out.
Gross!! Why the hell does it look so terrible? Hey, ahjussi, what is that thing?
Its a monster. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, why is there a monster here? Since when?
Been a while. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, but thats no good. Did Ie to a wrong ce?
Choi Jung-Hoon chuckled bitterly.
Since he was about to die anyways, he put his mind at ease. This was nothing new really, since his job demanded that he put his life on the line all the time anyways.
However, this youth didnt have the same job as Choi Jung-Hoon. He also probably didnt have much experience seeing a monster, but as if he had several dozen screws loose in his head, he showed not one bit of fear even when facing a madly-dashing monster.
Dont run and just stay there. When he catches you after chasing you down, itll definitely rip you to shreds, but if you stay still, theres a chance that it might simply kill you cleanly in one shot. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wow. So it attacks people? Thats so crazy.
Youre the crazy one here, you b*stard. C Choi Jung-Hoon.
There was no more time for chit chat.
The monster got within a dozen metre or so, before kicking the ground. Itsrge body became airborne and the creature flew towards the youth. Its right arm was pulled back tightly and one could clearly see the exposed muscle tissues wiggling around in a grotesque manner. Even an elephant would die immediately after getting struck by such a mean right hook.
However, the youth didnt flinch, even after witnessing that spectacle.
Does he have something up his sleeve?
Seeing the youths leisurely posture, Choi Jung-Hoon began developing a sliver of hope, which he shouldnt have. Maybe, that youth had something going for him. Especially considering those bright eyes of his from before, which no ordinary youths should possess.
Could he be an ability user? Not only that, a high-level ability user that could take care of such a weak monster in a blink of an eye?
The youth confidently raised a finger and with a somewhat suspicious voice that contained a hint of sneer, he spoke.
Shield!!
KWAAAHAAANG!!
There was an ear-splitting explosion, and then...
Leaving the final words of shield!! behind, the body of the hapless youth was flung away, and like a stone thrown by a Major League Baseball pitcher with all his might, skipped and bounced on the surface of the asphalt floor as if it was water until his head eventually got buried in the asphalt.
It was such a spectacr, bouncy event that, rather than feeling the dread and shock after witnessing the scene of someone dying, Choi Jung-Hoon simply muttered out an exmation instead.
A human can fly around like that too, huh.
Choi Jung-Hoon then prayed for the dead. He also prayed hed die less painfully than that. Thankfully, he had learned something valuable before meeting his maker C even if one was crazy, be a nice crazy, so when one was to die, death would be nice as well.
He shouldnt even tried to stand out in the first ce...
But that youth should find sce in the fact that, soon, Choi Jung-Hoon who had witnessed that Darwin Awards-worthy final moments, would also go through evidence destruction process himself. No, was that supposed to be witness destruction, instead?
*SFX for a loud growling*
After blowing away the youth, the Jarchev turned its frenzied eyes towards Choi Jung-Hoon. He simply closed his eyes, and hoped for a painless death
It was then.
Euha, ahahahaha!!! I nearly died just now!! I really, really almost got killed!! Wow!! I could have died, you know!! Dying!! Ehehehehe!! Wow. My shield didnt activate at all. What a big shock, that was.
From the far end of the street, the voice that could only be described aspletely bonkers mad resounded out.
Choi Jung-Hoon opened his eyes in total disbelief
The youth that was bouncing around like a skipping stone on the waters surface just now was walking closer while dusting himself off.
What the... hell is going on? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did it make any sort of sense to see someone so unscathed like this youth, after being flung around and bounced on the hard asphalt many times beforending head first into the ground?
Well, he wasntpletely unscathed, though.
The youth had suffered a bloody nose. Two streams of blood dribbled down from both of his nostrils, but as if he was unaware of this, the youth was brightly smiling as he walked closer and closer in energetic steps.
It was as if... he was beyond ecstatic by the fact that he almost died after getting struck by this monster or something.
No, wait a damn minute here. What doesnt make sense in the first ce is him saying he almost died!!
Choi Jung-Hoon was right, the youth should have been killed.
If one had any morals whatsoever, as a human it was his duty to die after getting hit by that kind of an attack.
*SFX for a loud growl. Again.*
The Jarchev monster too, lost his interest in Choi Jung-Hoon and shifted its gaze to the iing youth.
Youre at a lost too, huh.
Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt sure how intelligent a Jarchev was, but if it had even the modicum of intelligence, surely it would be dumbfounded or panicking by now.
*SFX for an angry, loud growl*
Nope. Its just p*ssed off.
The Jarchev monster roared out suddenly and flew towards the youth. With an even more ferocity and speed than before, no less!
The youth stared at this scene and giggled as if he was really enjoying himself.
Hey, ahjussi, did you see just now? I almost died back there. Euahahahat!! I cant stop my nosebleed. It doesnt want to stop!!
Yes, yes, I saw it just fine. And now, Ill also see you die for real this time...
Choi Jung-Hoon ended up groaning out. He suddenly felt unhappy by the fact that his new friend apanying him down the road to King Yamas Pce was a crazy nutter.
I mean, I almost died, you see... Eii, stop bothering me!
Uttering some iprehensible stuff out, the youth grew irritated by the Jarchev monster flying towards him. Regrettably, the Jarchev monster didnt respect the irritation of the youth, and as if to finish its job properly this time, it struck with both of itsrge fists gathered together.
No, it should have struck.
But no such thing happened.
The youth simply took a step closer towards the descending Jarchev monster that had gathered both of its fists and lifted them way above its head. And then, as if he was waving a fan, the youth waved his hand towards the monsters head.
Phur-urk!!
In an instant, with a sound reminiscent of a watermelon shattering, the Jarchev monsters head blew up.
Kkhuong!
That huge body powerlessly fell down to the ground in a heap.
Argh, disgusting.
The youth spotted bits of blood and flesh stuck to his palm and freaked out a little, and started shaking his soiled hand towards the ground. And when the brain matter didnt want toe off, he squatted down next to the headless Jarchev monster and wiped his palm on the broad back of the dead creature.
Choi Jung-Hoons soul escaped as he stood there, watching all of this.
What the hell did I just see?!
Whatever it was, it was something really big.
He was so, so sure of witnessing something big just now. He saw that young man put down a scary and powerful monster with one hit, so indeed, it was a big something, alright.
But, Choi Jung-Hoons shock wasnt simply because of that alone.
He had seen a Jarchev before. He also had seen the killings of Jarchevs before, too. The problem here was, he had never, ever seen any human being so easily waste a Jarchev, as if he was simply picking his nose.
No, if he was to get technical, then there were a few people who could kill a Jarchev just as quickly. With one gesture of hand, they would burn it, freeze it, blow it away, whatever.
The difference being, one could take a guess the process on how such a result woulde about, especially if it was Choi Jung-Hoon doing the analysis. However, that youth simply waved his hand around as if to chase away an annoying fly, and the head of Jarchev was gone the next second.
Choi Jung-Hoon could not figure out just what happened between that flick of a hand and the resulting scenery.
Hey, ahjussi.
Uh? Ah... yes, sir!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Before he knew it, honorifics started jumping out of Choi Jung-Hoons mouth.
The youth quietly studied the older man for a bit, before speaking in a deliberately pained voice.
I am kind of feeling thirsty right now, after being flung around for a bit, so would you be nice enough to buy me another can of Coke?
......It would be my pleasure. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon walked personally to the vending machine and politely delivered the can to the youth. The youth smiled loosely and popped open the lid before downing the cold liquid in one go.
Choi Jung-Hoons face showed a whole bunch ofplicated emotions as he gazed at the youth. Well now, just what should he do here? Just what could he do now that might resolve this absurd situation without an incident?
What helped out the undecided Choi Jung-Hoons mind was the distant wail of sirens.
*SFX for police siren*
And they finally show up. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon sighed out while listening to the sounds of sirens fast approaching him.
They were beyondte by this point already.
Uh? Whats going on?
The youth didnt seem to understand what was happening and looked this way and that.
*SFX for a heavy machinery making way*
What arrived before their eyes were a wheeled armouredbat vehicle.
Several of these armoured vehicles that seemingly felt out of ce in this urban environment forcibly entered the street from all exits and entrances. A squadron of armoured vehicles in the middle of a regr city C it sure was a weird sight to behold.
When the hatches of the armoured vehicles opened up, many, many soldiers armed to the teeth with guns rushed out and surrounded the two men.
Ahjussi, did we do something wrong?
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head.
Well, no, not really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, whats wrong with these people?
Oh, its nothing to worry about, as long as you go with them for a little bit. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Choi Jung-Hoon pulled out a slender wallet out from his inner pocket and brought it out in the open. There was a silver badge inside the wallet, reflecting the sunlight brightly.
My name is Choi Jung-Hoon from the KSF. I need to investigate the matters that had happened to you just now. It wont take long, so please,e with us. (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL: No exnation given by the author as to what the acronym stands for, but my guess is the Korean Special Forces.)
Eh?
Under the provision of the Special Defense Law, a person of interest deemed to be an ability user can be held up to the maximum of 72 hours at the behest of an official with a level two clearance, provided there is a clear basis for the action. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Please, apany us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With the end of those words, and followed by the sounds of guns cocking, the muzzles of those scary rifles trained on the youth.
The youth looked at this sight, tilted his head slightly, and replied.
Eh?
Take him. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The youth was still tilting head in confusion, even as the soldiers were dragging him away by both of his arms.
Eh?
< 5. Ah, Is That So? C 2 > Fin.
Chapter 6: Ah, is that so? (3)
Chapter 6: Ah, is that so? (3)
The woman staring into the monitor tilted her head in confusion as well.
Are you telling me that that runt inside the room blew away a Jarchevs head and rescued you, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon?
Yes, I am. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And that hes not registered as an ability user, at all?
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, we can simply arrest his sorry a*s for resisting thepulsory register?
The situation is a bit queer, actually, for that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How so?
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a sigh.
It seems that hes been missing for over five years. He is even listed as deceased, so hes not someone who resisted registering, but someone unable to; also, even the person himself is unaware of such aw in ce, and we dont have a suitable method at the moment to deal with him. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well then, cut him loose.
But thats quite bit unsatisfactory, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And now, why?
I witnessed him kill a Jarchev with my own eyes, yet I cant figure out how he did it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why not?
I just cant exin it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This time, the woman spat out a sigh and stared at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Choi Jung-Hoon-ssi.
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Our Choi Jung-Hoon-ssi, being overworked to death. Our Choi Jung-Hoon-ssi, who so dearly wishes to go home and sleep while not giving a rats a*s at phone calls and whatever.
.......Yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yet, our Choi Jung-Hoon-ssi, who loves this line of work so much!! I finally make you go home after three days of trying, yet in this short moment, you bring in another trouble?! Are you a damn workaholic or something?
Choi Jung-Hoon facepalmed.
What the heck did she mean by workaholic??
He was a person on the brink of killing himself from overwork.
Not one man alive would be this offended if his three generations of ancestors were dragged through the proverbial mud. What made this situation so regrettable, was the fact that he had no means to retort back to this grave insult to his very being.
Holy cow. How incredulous. Its already uneptable that a KSF employee wandered into a restricted area like a drunken fool, yet you cause an incident inside the said area? And what should I even call this whole situation?
....No, hang on. Arent you supposed to console your subordinate who brushed past the deaths grip instead?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The level of dissatisfaction Choi Jung-Hoon was feeling at the moment was too dang high, but for now, he kept his mouth shut. If he started arguing unprepared with this woman, then hed waste his precious time listening to her yap on and on about useless junk while more work gets piled up on hisp.
The woman shook her head and shifted her gaze back to the monitor.
Why cant you act like how you look?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Her outer appearance, at least, left nothing more to be asked for. Hell, her messily-tossed hair somehow found their way back, causing Choi Jung-Hoon to nearly ask her what brand of shampoo she had been using.
And what about the face peeking out between her hair?
You would be hard-pressed to find more beautiful women than her, even when there was a deep frown etched on her face. And, lets not forget her body. Oh yes, of course not. Her height was the ideal 170 centimetres and where volume should be, volume amply existed, so even if she did not have that face of hers, her figure alone would still be enough to blind a man for life.
Overall, her countenance seemed a bit on the edge, but that didnt tarnish her beauty and that killer figure one bit.
But... what a waste.
Her personality is the worst. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The so-called the Captain Witch.
The personification of the legendary Lady Bathory.
The walking, talking Miss Surround Sound Speaker System.
Well, the benevolent God was truly fair in His judgement. He had blessed her with a beauty that put many famous celebs to shame, as well as a personality that would probably cause her to b*tch-p a superior military official. Thus, He had prevent the destruction of the natural bnce, somewhat.
So, what could Choi Jung-Hoon do? That ursed woman in front of his eyes just so happened to his superior officer.
Seo Ah-Young.
That was the name of the woman staring at the monitor, letting off lots of unhappy steam right now. Unfortunately, she was Choi Jung-Hoons direct superior, and the very cause for the habitually-ring ulcer that tormented him.
Seo Ah-Young groaned after looking at the monitor for a little while longer.
So, youre saying that this runt is a special special ability user, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
The runt Seo Ah-Young pointed to, mustve been bored out of his mind while waiting, since they could see him blowing on the surface of the two-way mirror and started drawing a heart on it.
He looked okay-ish from the outside, yet it seemed that there were quite a few screws loose in his head.
Most likely. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Looks like hes not sane. (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats a definitive. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Definitely sane? (Seo Ah-Young)
No. Definitely not sane. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoons gazes collided in the air. Yet, he showed not one sign of being embarrassed. Obviously, there was no problem calling a crazy person insane, after all.
So, youre telling me.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spat out yet another sigh. She was about to say something, before shaking her head. Then, she got up from her seat.
Okay, fine. Lets go. Well find out once we talk to the guy. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young tookrge strides towards the interview room.
The so-called interview room was a small enclosed space built in a huge, empty floor of a building. It was designed in such a way to contain ability users that couldnt be contained by regr walls.
Seo Ah-Young went past simple security checks to get to the rooms door, took a several sharp breaths, and pushed it open.
A youth quietly sat on the chair before looking at her with scared eyes.
What a crafty b*stard. (Seo Ah-Young)
Look at him, pretending to be all shriveled up and scared, when he was busy drawing hearts only a minute ago. Look at this rotten SOB.
But Seo Ah-Young didnt let her inner thoughts be shown on the surface. There was no need to make the subject she was about to interrogate unresponsive from the beginning, after all.
Hello there. May I ask what your name is? (Seo Ah-Young)
The youth replied innocently enough.
Its Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ah, so its Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Its a pleasure. I am Seo Ah-Young, in charge of this particr team.
Seeing Seo Ah-Youngs bright smile, the youth named Yi Ji-Hyuk also smiled.
Thanks. Its my pleasure, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a simple procedure we need to follow, so Id like to ask you a couple of questions. How old are you currently? (Seo Ah-Young)
Uhm, I am not too sure? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre unsure how old you are? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes. My sense of time is a bit out of whack, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, is that so? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shifted her gaze towards Choi Jung-Hoons direction.
Looks like he is really crazy? (Seo Ah-Young)
I told you as much, didnt I? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head and moved on.
Well, how old you are isnt really all that important anyway. Then, where do you live? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seoul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You are suppose to tell me the address, you numbskull. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young knew how to differentiate what she needed to say and what she was thinking of. Besides, his age or the current address werent important. To get the conversation going, they were merely the starters that could be skipped if need be.
Is that so. Okay, well skip unimportant questions, then. Mister Ji-Hyuk, you defeated the monster, a Jarchev. Is this correct? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied without a shred of hesitation.
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Seo Ah-Young)
I didnt do what you said I did. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs gaze shifted back to Choi Jung-Hoon once more.
W, wait a minute. Stop looking at me like that, please. I saw the whole event with both of my eyes wide open. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And so he says? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh well. That ahjussi was shaking so bad back then, and mustve seen a phantom or something. I havent done what he said I did. Not at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs gazended on Choi Jung-Hoon again.
Thats what he said. (Seo Ah-Young)
No, its the truth!! I saw it as inly as a day!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eiii, thats just nonsensical. How can a little ol me kill a monster like that, now? Did you see exactly how I allegedly killed that creature? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon described the event as he witnessed right down to the minute detail.
You swung your hand like so, and then, the Jarchevs head went Phung!! and then.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Swung his arm? Phung?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs threatening voice leaked out. If one were to measure the threat level present in her voice, a little bit more would break past being merely a voice and end up grinding him into a bloody mush.
So, so, he swung his arm this way, like that!! And... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Phung. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a soulless SFX and it shattered the final bit of persuasive energy from Choi Jung-Hoons words.
Oh well. You mustve seen some funny things, since, you know, the situation back then was really urgent and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon felt that he was wronged very badly.
Would you just look at that smug, crafty little b*stard!!
Wow, I might go crazy and jump off this d*mn building. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I cant do anything about you losing your sh*t, but I sure can shove you off this building, so you better go to a corner over there and shut it. (Seo Ah-Young)
...Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After crushing Choi Jung-Hoon with a truly terrifying facial expression, Seo Ah-Young reced that with a business-like smile and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
It seems that one of our employees has made an error, somehow. Would you like to exin what exactly happened? (Seo Ah-Young)
I was just walking there, minding my own business, then a monster suddenly ran up to me. I was standing there scared, when some other dude jumped out from nowhere and popped the monsters head like a balloon and then, he disappeared. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gestured with his hands and feet to exin his version of the events in absolute detail. Of course, absolute detail was only when viewed from his perspective.
Seo Ah-Youngs smile became even more radiant.
Ah. So, you were coincidentally taking a walk there, then you coincidentally ran into a monster, and coincidentally, a passing gentleman... No, I mean, a simple passerby rescued you. Coincidentally. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled brightly and replied.
Yes, thats correct!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In other words, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has absolutely nothing to do with the killing of the monster? (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And my subordinate saw a phantom, is that it? (Seo Ah-Young)
I think hes under a lot of stress. He wasnt even surprised at seeing a monster running towards us. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, is that so. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young halted the conversation, and picked up her phone.
Hey. Did you secure it? Hmm? You did? Connect it to here. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ending that short phone call, Seo Ah-Young resumed that business-like smile and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If the event unfolded as Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has described, then there shouldnt be any problems. We will let you go home right away. (Seo Ah-Young)
Thank you very much. In the future, please check properly so no innocent people will have to go through such an inconvenience like I have. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My sincerest apologies. I shouldve paid more attention. However, since there is the procedure to follow, there is one more thing we need to confirm. (Seo Ah-Young)
Theres more? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a much simpler one this time. You dont even have to answer. All you have to do, is to watch something with us. (Seo Ah-Young)
Watch what, exactly? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young pointed at the wall.
What are you tal...
Before Yi Ji-Hyuk could finish, the wall flickered and then, became a screen, instead.
Yi Ji-Hyuk dumbfoundedly stared at the new screen.
And on it, a footage showed a grotesque creature, a monster, dashing towards a youth wearing a weird get-up. The monster raised its arms, ready to smash, and the youth simply took a small step forward and lightly swung his hand.
And then, the monsters head went....
PHUNG!
Choi Jung-Hoon inserted the appropriate SFX that contained all of his pent-up righteous anger.
The footage stopped at that precise moment, and then, the youths face got progressively erged. At first, by one level, then by two levels... Until finally, the youths face filled up the entirety of the screen C and it was the face of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Unable to let go of his lingering resentment, Choi Jung-Hoon added one more SFX at Yi Ji-Hyuk, who was still dazedly looking at the screen.
Swung. Phung. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.........
Swung, phung. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It seemed that he was feeling really, really aggrieved at the moment.
Okay, okay!! I got it already, so stop!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young pushed Choi Jung-Hoon away slightly, then resumed that business-like smile and spoke up.
Is there anything youd like to add? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze from the screen to Choi Jung-Hoon, then to Seo Ah-Young, and then, back to the screen again, while slowly opening his mouth.
Nowadays.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nowadays?
A slightly trembling voice leaked out of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....The quality of CCTV footage is pretty nice, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was about to throw in the towel.
< 6. Ah, Is That So? C 3 > Fin.
Chapter 7: Ah, is that so? (4)
Chapter 7: Ah, is that so? (4)
Theyve been swapped to KG products, you see. (Seo Ah-Young)
KG makes the best electronics, you know. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Finally oveing the feelings of injustice, Choi Jung-Hoon threw out a rather spicyeback.
Well, then. Shall we resume our conversation? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs refreshing smile seemed to dere victory.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled a little awkwardly. However, Seo Ah-Young wasnt nning to go easy on the youth at all.
Looks like it was you who killed the monster? (Seo Ah-Young)
It wasnt me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, it looks like it, doesnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
But, it wasnt me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Anyone can tell that it was you. (Seo Ah-Young)
It wasnt me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs palm mmed the table, hard.
KWAHNG!!!
The table shook. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk got jolted. Just how did such a slender arm generate that much force, he couldnt tell. The poor table withstanding that much violence was definitely worthy of praise.
Now look here, Mister Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes?
Yi Ji-Hyuk sobered up in the blink of an eye and replied.
Its not going to go well for you if you continue behaving this way. You see, we are rather busy people, and if you just quickly admit to what you have done, then we can start on taking care of the aftermath. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly raised a hand.
What is it? (Seo Ah-Young)
I have a question. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young snorted and nodded her head.
Please, ask away. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, uh, youve been asking me whether I killed that monster or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, so? (Seo Ah-Young)
If I did kill that monster, isnt that a good thing? I mean, thats reducing the damage to the civilians, and well, a monster should be killed in any case, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, youre correct. (Seo Ah-Young)
If so, then why do I feel like Im being treated like a criminal? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dont know? (Seo Ah-Young)
Im asking you cuz I dont know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if a migraine was assaulting her, Seo Ah-Young massaged her temples and shook her head. Just how should she go about exining this? No, wait, why did this gent not know of suchmon knowledge in the first ce?
ording to thew governing all ability users, every user must be registered with the country. Those who are not registered when causing an incident out in the open are arrested and jailed. (Seo Ah-Young)
Theres aw like that now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just what were you doing until now that you dont even know of this importantw? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pretended to not hear her. If he told her the truth, then well, he would get dragged to a sanitarium for sure. So, he wasnt going to confirm their suspicions that he was indeed, quite insane.
So, whatever the case may be, the problem is that I killed a monster when Im not registered, is that the gist of it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Killing a monster isnt a problem, but its actually with you being an ability user or not. Its simple, isnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam, I get it now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young smiled in satisfaction, knowing that this matter had been resolved atst. Unexpectedly, it didnt take as long as she had feared, too.
Well, then. Let me rify something. It seems that you have your own circumstances, so its quite likely you wont be prosecuted for not registering during the required period. After all, its not like youve caused an incident, right? All you have to do is register now and receive the requisite training on the subject, so please, Id like to hear you answer without fearing for the consequences. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spoke up the words of victory.
That was you killing the monster, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
There was no way he could deny it now. She was ready to start the victory ceremony while taking in the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuks expression since he had been utterly checkmated now.
However, the many screws-loose Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled brightly and replied to her.
But, it wasnt me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You son of a... (Seo Ah-Young)
Uh-huh!! Captain, you mustnt!! Hes a civilian!! A civilian!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young forced herself to swallow back down several meaty swear words that came this close to escaping her lips, and took a deep breath. This was so strange C there was no reason for her to be this worked up over this matter at all...
Somethings really p*ssing me off here. (Seo Ah-Young)
Was it because of his smirky attitude, or his surprisingly rxed/carefree demeanor even when confined to this ce?
Or maybe.... it could be those slightly-arching eyebrows that seemed to poke all the wrong ces in her nerves.
Whew-woo, okay, fine! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young took several more deep breaths before ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk with eyes of an angry predator.
Shall we hear your reason why you walked into a restricted zone? Also, youve been listed as missing for the past five years so, Id love to hear what youve been doing until now. You can answer me on those, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah, the thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly grasped his head and tilted it this way and that. Seeing his gesture that suggested he might remember something or might not, both the bodies of Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon shivered greatly.
He wouldnt...
He wouldnt go there, right?
They could now picture the most ssic of all ssical excuses in the history of poor acting from the textbook way Yi Ji-Hyuk was moving his head around.
Uh, well, my memory is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon became utterly speechless.
Ha, haha.
Haha.
Hahahaha.
Hahahaha.
Awkwardughters were shared by the two of them. They wereughing, but their eyes were definitely not.
Ahh.... So, its amnesia. (Seo Ah-Young)
Looks like it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, to confirm, you cant remember anything from the past five years for some unfathomable reason? (Seo Ah-Young)
Wow. Are you a doctor? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But what a serious problem this is. Since he is an amnesia-suffering person, we cant torment him, as he wont be able to remember, anyways. (Seo Ah-Young)
If I can remember, I wouldve definitely been able to resolve this misunderstanding. Im very sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, is that so. (Seo Ah-Young)
When Seo Ah-Young raised her right arm in a certain manner, Choi Jung-Hoon desperately clung on to her and stopped her from moving any further.
Wait!! Wait, hes a civilian, a dang civilian!! You mustnt beat him up!! Everythings being recorded in real time in here, remember that, please!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whos gonna beat his a*s up, ah? Who? Cant you see that speck of sh*t on his cheek? Im just gonna p it off for him, thats all!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Please, calm yourself down, calm down!! Do not get worked up on this, Captain!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for heavy, repeated breathing*
Seo Ah-Young breathed in and out heavily while holding on to Choi Jung-Hoons shoulders, before shooting a nasty re at Yi Ji-Hyuk while gritting her teeth.
So, youre insisting that it wasnt you. Correct? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Definitely, absolutely, it wasnt you? (Seo Ah-Young)
But of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright, fine. Lets say it wasnt you, then. Are you admitting that youre an ability user? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back, instead.
Just what on earth is this ability user thing you keep talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The term refers to people who possesses special abilities that no normal civilian should have. (Seo Ah-Young)
In that case, nope, I am not. Because Im an ordinary civilian. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, thats your final answer? (Seo Ah-Young)
*SFX for gritting teeth fiercely.*
Seo Ah-Young shouted at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Choi Jung-Hoon-ssi!!!! Bring in the equipment!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Understood. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As soon Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly left the room, Seo Ah-Young pulled her chair right next to Yi Ji-Hyuks. Although there was a smile etched on her lips, protruding veins were pulsing on her forehead, disying the high level of her hostility.
So, lets summarise your statement. What youre saying is, you ne~~ver ever killed that monster. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But the head of that Jarchev exploded right in front of your face? How will you exin that one? (Seo Ah-Young)
I dont know. Seriously now, you people are the experts, yet you dont have a clue, so why do you expect me to have one for you? I dunno, maybe the monster self detonated or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so now the monster killed itself? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, all Im saying is that it is a possibility, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young did absolutely everything in her willpower to stop her hands from pping that stupid grin off this youths smug face. She then somehow managed to continue speaking.
But, itspletely different from what you just told us earlier on? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, yeah. See, the thing is, my mind is not stable at the moment. What did I say to you before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A passing gentleman rescued you. (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah, I mustve read one too many folktales. I really like them, you know? I speak nonsense because of them, but still. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, is that so? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young suddenly pulled out her wallet. Then, produced a business card and shoved it into Yi Ji-Hyuks hands.
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its got a contact number for aw firm. Ive utilised their services before, and they know their craft really well. They also happen to be the foremost specialists when ites to suing the government entities. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion.
Why was she giving him this card, then?
Uh, what should I do with this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive got a feeling that youll need it very soon. When the equipment arrives, we will measure your output, and when the results say that youre an ability user.... well, its going to get a lot more interesting thanpared to now, you see? By hanging you with the following charges C refusing to register, lying to an officer of thew, obstruction of justice, illegally trespassing into a restricted area, etc etc, well totally grind you into a pulp... Oh, Im sorry, youll find yourself in a bit of hot water very soon, so I was thinking that you might need a legal representation. If you dont get a capablewyer, then your life mighte to a sudden and very tragic end before you know it. (Seo Ah-Young)
Her friendly smile wasced with heavy killing intent.
Sounds like a threat to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A threat? Eiii, no it wasnt. Why would I threaten you? Besides, this doesnt even amount to threat at all. A real threatening goes something like this. Did you know that, as soon as youre registered as an ability user, you have to go through a period of reorientation process? Since I feel that Yi Ji-Hyuk-ssi will be a wonderful user in the future, I shall personally take over the reins as your tutor and make sure that you will receive a proper, straight and strict education. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spoke enthusiastically, as if the mere thought pleased her to no end.
You arent nning to murder me, yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, no way Ill murder you. However, Ive seen some people who wish for that, though? They say they would rather prefer death, but, oh well. Ah, you dont have to worry. When youre half dead from hard work, you wont even be able to mutter out something like that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah, so thats how it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice became progressively smaller.
If you cooperated from the very beginning, such a measure wouldnt have been necessary. Such a pity. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seriously, it really sounds like youve been threatening me for some time now... Is this how a government institution operates nowadays? (Yi Ji-Jyuk)
Ah, looks like you dont know this. Controlling ability users are very difficult, so this much is the epted norm now. Even the governingws are a little bit different, as well. If youre not an ability user, then Ive wronged you, so let me apologise in advance. (Seo Ah-Young)
Then, how about apologising to me in advance? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, theres no way. (Seo Ah-Young)
At the same time, the door to the interview room opened, and Choi Jung-Hoon entered while carrying a thing that kind of resembled a blood pressure monitor.
Indeed, it did look like a blood pressure monitor, yet the part that went around the body was much bigger. As if it was...
Isnt this a maternity belt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a mobile Ether measuring equipment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Looks like an electronic maternity belt to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a mobile Ether measuring equipment. (Seo Ah-Young)
No, hang on a minute. It really looks like... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please stop wasting time and put it on now. (Seo Ah-Young)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up, Choi Jung-Hoon wrapped the equipment around the youths chest.
It really looks like a maternity belt, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Another vein bulged on Seo Ah-Youngs forehead. She oh-so badly wanted to wring the little neck of the b*stard who was still acting so carefree even in this kind of situation.
This is yourst chance. If you admit to everything and apologise now, we will take into consideration your unique mitigating circumstances. (Seo Ah-Young)
Should I do that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nicer things are nice for a reason, dont you think so? (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course, Seo Ah-Young had no thoughts of doing that. No, she wanted to witness with her own two eyes, this little b*stards face when hisst ray of hope crumbled to dust, no matter what.
Eiiii, I aint gonna do that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, it seemed such an idea also popped in Yi Ji-Hyuks head as well.
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth loudly.
I should warn you now to give up, if you think you can hide your Ether emission. With the cases of ability users hiding his or her Ether emission happening frequently, thistest, cutting edge measuring equipment can even catch that out. No matter how crafty and wily your methods might be, it cannot fool this machine. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs final threats fell on Yi Ji-Hyuks deaf ears.
I aint gonna fool no one since I dont know anything, anyways. Im telling you, I really dont know whats going on here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, really? Why dont we take a goooood look, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ppeebikk....
When Seo Ah-Young pressed a button, the measuring equipments screen came to life. It bleeped and blopped noisily while the screen shed the confirmation that the measurement was taking ce, and soon, the result appeared on it.
842.
Seo Ah-Young stared at that number dumbfoundedly. Even Choi Jung-Hoons brows scrunched up real tight.
So? How is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young didnt reply, and pressed the button one more time. Once more, the machine beeped noisily, showed the same words of measurement taking ce, and this time, the number 841 showed up instead.
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked in genuine curiosity.
What does this number mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young unwrapped the equipment off Yi Ji-Hyuks chest and tried to ce it another body part of the youth, giving Choi Jung-Hoon a chance to exin.
Thats the value of Ether present within you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did the resulte out okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How should I say this... Even a normal person will show some signs of Ether emission. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now normally, an average value of Ether found in an ordinary person is around 500. However, there are some people with higher number as well, and its these folks that can use special abilities. Thats why they are called the ability users. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, so how high must one be, if its not normal value? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To be ssified as an ability user, the minimum value needs to exceed 1000. A person with Ether value higher than 1000 is then ssified as a beginner ability user. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, is that so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ppeebeebick.
This time, the number 848 showed up on the measuring equipment wrapped around Yi Ji-Hyuks pelvis. The machine got hurriedly pulled off and then, got wrapped around his thigh now.
So... since I am around 800 or so, that means Im not an ability user, no? You said the average was around 500, but there is no such thing as me being ssified as a user because my numbers a bit higher than that, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Anyone below 1000 are not ssified as an ability user. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, is that so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ppeebeebick.
The value for Ether measured on his legs were around 700. Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed off Seo Ah-Young busy trying to wrap the equipment on his other leg and sat down on the chair.
That means, Im a civilian, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ssification wise, yes, you are. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That means, I got dragged here for no reason whatsoever? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its incorrect to say there is no reason. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If I recall correctly, you said something about irrefutable evidence and a 2nd level personnel and whatnots.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I did, yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The irrefutable evidence is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, well, if you look at the screen, then.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eiii, eiii~. Im a civilian, so you cant call that footage of a civilian blowing away a monsters head an irrefutable evidence at all, can you? Isnt it more correct to say, some other unexinable something happened, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, yes, in a way, that is.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons face crumpled even further. A person with Ether value of 800 blew away a Jarchevs head? Hed be treated like an uneducated moron if he uttered this out aloud in public.
If one were topare this to a moremon sense-like urrence, itd be akin to a passing housewife throwing a punch to the side of a tiger and killing it instantly.
Sooo, in other words, without any proper proof, I got dragged in here and got showered with insults and thinly-veiled threats, am I right so far? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thuk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned back on his chair and put his feet up on the desk.
Hey, where do you think you are right now!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Give me a smoke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Seriously, todays weather is really fitting for a nice little cigarette, dont you think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons voice rose up in anger.
Hey, man, look here!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But before he could continue, Yi Ji-Hyuk cut him off.
If you dont want to, then gimme my phone call. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The image of the youth busy waving around a certain business card stabbed painfully into Choi Jung-Hoons retina.
SHINRYE LAW FIRM
Shinryew firm?! (TL: shinrye means trust/faith in Korean.)
Why on gods green earth was that card doing in that youths hands?
Known as the specialist in suing the government, they were infamous as blood sucking leeches that wouldnt hesitate to lodge an appeal to a higher court if it meant they get to bleed out even a single cent more.
Why did the business card of the tax extractors C called as such, as they seemingly enjoyed cing an oil pump on a government entity and then proceeded to extract tax money as if they were pumping out oil C end up in that youths hands?!
Out of all the otherwyers andw firms on this, why must it be them?!?!
Out of all the 1000+ graduates fromw schools around the country, why must it be them?!?!
Completely dazed, Choi Jung-Hoon slowly shifted his gaze towards the person he suspected of producing that business card in the first ce.
Shudder.
The guilty one knew her crimes and she quickly averted her gaze. Choi Jung-Hoon told himself many times that today, as soon as he left this room, he would throw his resignation letter straight to that rotten bi*chs face. To hit her with the edge, no less!!
But that was forter. Right now, this was something else. Choi Jung-Hoon rolled his brain desperately to say something to reverse this horrifying situation.
If they were pushed into retreat, then there would be no end for them. They needed to admit to some of the mistakes and must negotiate for a fair settlement. Well, he had been rolling around in this field for thest ten years or so; lobbying and making suggestions were Choi Jung-Hoons special powers!!
Choi Jung-Hoon desperately calcted all the angles and eventualities and finally found the most suitable response for this situation!!
If you have a tobo brand you prefer, I shall go buy a pack for you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep. Time to throw the towel in.
< 7. Ah, Is That So? C 4 > Fin.
Chapter 8: Ah, is that so? (5)
Chapter 8: Ah, is that so? (5)
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was generous enough.
Its cool, I say. We have a shared history and all. Just give me one on you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here it is. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon produced a cigarette from his pocket and politely delivered it Yi Ji-Hyuks hand.
And as he was about to pull out his lighter, Yi Ji-Hyuk called Seo Ah-Young out.
Excuse me, older sister? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
She was jolted out of the state of a prolonged denial while stuck inside the pits of despair, and quickly made her reply. Yi Ji-Hyuk ruthlessly hit her with the finisher.
Light it up for me, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young weakly reached out, and Choi Jung-Hoon wordlessly ced his lighter in her hands. Her arms were shaking badly, but Choi Jung-Hoon firmly grasped them.
Endure it. You lose control here, and everythings finished. Finished. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eagle-like eyes were busy minding the CCTV camera right above their heads.
Too bad, Seo Ah-Young couldnt just let it go.
Its a non-smoking area here.... (Seo Ah-Young)
How much is the fine? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its ?100,000... (TL: just over $90.)
As much as a pack of gums, eh? Well, Im sure its fine to shave that off from the damages payment, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Click.
Seo Ah-Young very politely lit the cigarette hanging loose on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips and retreated, her eyespletely soulless now. Yi Ji-Hyuk dragged the bluish smoke deeply into his lungs and slowly let it out.
Yeah, so. I told you it wasnt like that, yet why did you keep insisting that it was? Is it really okay to forcibly arrest and threaten a weak civilian like myself, eh? You havent provided me with a warm meal, even! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah. Let me get you something to eat. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, dont even bother. No need to force you to bow to me. Besides, when looking at what the scary ahujmma over there is doing, I might end up easily sucking in seolleontang through my nose instead, so how can I eat in peace now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: ahjumma is the female equivalent of ahjussi. Basically, you dont call a young woman with this term unless you dont like your life and wish to die early. Seolleongtang is a soup-type dish made from the broth of ox bones.)
Seo Ah-Youngs body trembled in fury.
*SFX for teeth grinding furiously*
The sounds of gritting teeth reverberated like a surround sound effect within this closed off small room. Even then, Yi Ji-Hyuk rxedly sucked on his cigarette.
P, please, hold on for a sec... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon grabbed and dragged Seo Ah-Young out of the interview room.
*SFX for a heavy, repeated breathing*
Why did you give him that business card in the first ce?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon!!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young tightly grasped both of his arms.
What now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That, that b*stard, can I just m my fist into that smug p*ssant face of his, just once? Pretty please? I cant? I really cant? If Ind the blow ju-st right, Im sure his teeth will remain, but Ill knock him out for good!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Have you lost your mind?! Are you gaining weighttely or something? Why are you volunteering to go on a diet of bean rice? (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL: eating bean rice means eating prison food, BTW.)
Right now, I feel like I can brave a trip to Hades pits if I can justnd one solid blow to that smug SOBs chin!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Then, brave it alone, please. Dont drag me into your mess, please!! So, why did you threaten the guy? You know we record everything via CCTV!! Theres been a lot of heat over our department, so you know well enough that if we get sued over this, itll be the end for us! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young began biting her thumb nail as if she too could feel the urgency of the situation.
We can erase the CCTV tape, cant we? (Seo Ah-Young)
You want to destroy government property, too? Holy moly. Its not enough for you to sleep in a jail cell, so you also wish to get fired to boot, as well?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahahark!! Just find me a way, Choi-raemon!!!! I really, dearly, really want to kill that SOB right now!! (Seo Ah-Young) (TL: LOL. Doraemon reference FTW.)
Cutting him loose quickly is our best and only solution. On top of that.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
On top of what? (Seo Ah-Young)
You know. Nothing good wille about antagonising that guy. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Kkheung.
Seo Ah-Young spat out a pained groan and admitted to this fact. Threats and court summons and whatnots could be ignored, in reality. If they really get sued, then in all honesty, it wouldnt cause too big an issue.
It was just that Choi Jung-Hoon was exaggerating the danger level somewhat, since the weight of the work entrusted to Seo Ah-Young, as well as her true abilities, formed a solid foundation that wouldnt be shaken up with something this small.
The real issue is that guy inside...
Choi Jung-Hoon was now more convinced than ever after seeing that CCTV footage.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was an ability user.
However, his ability seemingly had no simrity to the myriad of abilities already revealed to the world, and even the Ether measuring equipment failed to get a bead on the guy.
In that case, there were two possibilities.
Either that Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed an immense ability that broke past whats epted asmon sense to Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon, or his ability was a special one that operated differently to that of every other ability known to the world.
Whichever the case it may be, antagonising him would be unwise.
Currently, they needed every single ability user they could find. So, it would do them no good at all to sour the rtionship with a user possessing a unique ability.
Why cant we measure him properly? Why? Ah, so dang frustrating!! (Seo Ah-Young)
If his Ether value went past 1000, they couldve tied him down with many differentws and regtions. And they could gradually pull him in to their fold, but since the value was below 1000, there was nothing they could do.
Every bait they have prepared could only be used against an ability user. They might possess extra-legal authority within the restricted areas, but outside of such ces, they were worth less than a passing patrolman, no, a dang police reservist even, to regr civilians.
If they wanted to arrest Yi Ji-Hyuk, then they needed to prove that he was an ability user. And the sole proof was the value spat out by the Ether measuring equipment.
What if they argued that the value from the equipment showed that he was a civilian, but from their view, he was an ability user?
Right now, there was a lot of fuss kicked up by many human rights organisations that used them of viting many, many human rights C so, it stood to reason that they woulde for Seo Ah-Youngs blood next.
Well, of course they would. Why wouldnt they? If her arguments got epted, then that meant normal civilians could be marked as an ability user ording to her whims, and end up being controlled by the specialw governing the users.
Choi Jung-Hoon desperately soothed her.
Lets cut him loose for now. We know who he is now, so we can simply observe him from afar. If we try to hold him, we wont gain anything and our rtionship with him will only worsen. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whew. I understand. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young sighed out in defeat.
She didnt like this result one bit, but even she was well aware of the fact that there was no other way.
Right, cut him loose for now, and search for another way. I can break his a*s down after finding a way to tie him up. Thats all. (Seo Ah-Young)
Didnt someone once say that, for a wise man, or a wise woman in this case, waiting ten years to get her revenge wouldnt be considered tardy at all?
Seo Ah-Young told herself this and took another deep, deep breath. She organised her chaotic mind and entered the interview room to find Yi Ji-Hyuk and his totally disinterested face.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yep?
There has been a small misunderstanding. My sincerest apologies. I shall make sure to get you released as soon as possible. (Seo Ah-Young)
Sure. Well, I do understand. I really do. You hit a poor frog with a carelessly thrown pebble, and when whales fight, its always the weak shrimps that get squashed to mush, am I right? I mean, I got threatened because of some small misunderstanding by people in high ces and nearly got my life obliterated, but I shouldnt hold grudges over such things, right? Im just a lowlymoner, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah, hah, hah, hah.
Seo Ah-Youngughed very awkwardly. This youth possessed a heaven-defying ability to say old idioms in such an irritating way. If she were to measure the level of sarcasm inherent in his voice, just how high would he set the bar at?
It is truly regrettable that you had to endure such unnecessary troubles due to the misunderstanding of the officer involved. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eiii. No need for wordy apologies in our modern society, are there? Dont feel sorry. We have all these wonderfulws in ce, so I dont quite get whats up with all this lengthy chat. (Yi Jung-Hoon)
Fuu-woo, fuu-woo...
Seo Ah-Young began to draw in heavy breaths. They said that drawing three In consecutively would prevent a murderous heart from exploding. (TL: its a Korean idiom. Not sure what else I can do here other than TLing it directly. The Hanja word In means endurance/suppress/patience.)
Wait, why should she avoid murdering someone? Wouldnt it be better to not avoid it at all?
She was sure of one thing, though.
The longer she talked with this rotten SOB of a man in front of her, the worse it would be for her mental health.
Ill show you the exit. Please, stand up. (Seo Ah-Young)
She braced herself for the youth running his mouth off saying something aboutwsuit and stuff, yet Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up without saying a word.
This way, please. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young led Yi Ji-Hyuk out of the building altogether. Anxious Choi Jung-Hoon followed them closely behind.
As soon as they exited the building, Seo Ah-Young bowed her head slowly.
I apologise for any inconvenience caused to you. (Seo Ah-Young)
She had lost her cool back then, but now, her face was an exemry model of calmness.
Well then, be careful on your way home. (Seo Ah-Young)
However.... Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt leave right away.
Did he have something else toin about?
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes narrowed to a slit.
Shouldnt you be heading home now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply.
Although she wanted to ignore this man, it definitely looked like he had something to say, but was debating on whether he should speak up or not.
Getting anxious now, Seo Ah-Young was about to tell him to speak up, when Yi Ji-Hyuk broke the silence with a really small voice.
There is something else.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth.
If you wish to sue, then go ahead. I wont hide and meet you head on. Whatever you ask forpensation, we will honour it. I mean, how much can you ask for, anyway?
Eh-heiii!! Captain, no!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon panicked and tried to stop Seo Ah-Young.
No, wait, its not that.... I wasnt nning to sue you, its just that... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
Awkwardly hesitating for a while, Yi Ji-Hyuk finally opened his mouth unwillingly.
Can you give me taxi fare for the ride home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....................
Id like to go home, but Im as broke as a church mouse.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young spat out a long sigh.
Oh, uh, well. Taxi fare isnt that important, really. I can take a walk, instead. Ive got two healthy legs, after all. But.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice was trembling.
My clothes look a bit.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young took a sweeping look at Yi Ji-Hyuk, top to bottom. The youth was wearing the kind of shoes one might see in an anime, a huge cape thickly coated in dust, and the fabric spied from the gaps of the cape seemed to be made out of unidentifiable material.
If he walked out on the streets looking like this, no doubt hed be the centre of the attention in no time at all. Even the A-list celebs would be envious.
Choi Jung-Hoon reflexively pulled out his wallet. Then, he extracted a few ?50,000 notes and pushed it to Yi Ji-Hyuk. (TL: ?50,000 = $46)
Here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk showed how moved and grateful he was with his entire body while receiving the cash.
Thank you very much!! Ill be on my way now!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Watching the giggling Yi Ji-Hyuk walk away, Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt hold back his sigh from escaping his lips.
What a strange fellow. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You put a tail on him, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young looked on at the distant back of Yi Ji-Hyuk, so far away now hes no more than a single dot on the horizon, and gritted her teeth fiercely.
Keep a very close eye on that guy, you hear me? We dont know just whats up with that man, but whatever happens, we need to secure him. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ording to the reports, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply appeared in the middle of the restricted area. Not like Choi Jung-Hoon, whose ID was registered with the KSF so he could slip in and out of such areas unhindered, but as the word implied, he simply popped in there with no prior warning.
At a bare minimum, he could be someone with a teleport ability, or even, someone possessing a greater power than that.
I may be letting you go for now, but you just wait and watch, we will see each other very soon!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was looking forward to the day shed confront Yi Ji-Hyuk once more.
....Unfortunately, she couldnt have imagined how soon itd be before she meets him again.
By the way, how should I submit receipts for todays expense? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Receipts? (Seo Ah-Young)
The cash I gave to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. I need to submit the amount spent. After all, its an expense spent on an ability user. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What are you talking about? That man is officially not an ability user. Didnt you see the measurement values? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, wait. He is actually an ability user, isnt he? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young smiled refreshingly.
I was wondering what got into you, being so nice and all. You do your thing submitting the expense report on your own. Although, I doubt youll get your money back. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young turned on her heels and trotted back into the office building, while Choi Jung-Hoons face crumpled unsightly.
My money!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nothing seemed to go smoothly today.
< 8. Ah, Is That So? C 5 > Fin.
Chapter 9: But, I didn’t return to do this! (1)
Chapter 9: But, I didnt return to do this! (1)
So, I did make it back home, but....
Yi Ji-Hyuk counted the cash in his hands while whistling out loudly. Things did getplicated for a bit back there, but he still ended up with free cash. This was a fine profit for wasting a couple of hours being dragged around here and there, thats for sure.
Besides, he got to find out just what had been cooking on this side for free as well, so he killed two birds with one stone, indeed.
The most important fact was that, it had been only five years since he got sucked into the world of Berafe.
Only five years!!
He imagined the worst case scenario of this world in total ruins. If the time flow was the same between here and Berafe, then it wouldnt have been strange to see the mankind nuked themselves to oblivion, and for a new dominant species to emerge and rule the afterwards.
But, its been only five years!
How wonderful this was from his point of view, since, at a bare minimum, he wouldnt have to squeeze his brain dry while trying toe up with ways to eradicate some mutated cockroaches or stuff like that.
Also, it looked like he had found the correct dimension, too. Although monsters and strange stuff have been happening here, fortunately enough, his original identity was still intact.
In the end, he had escaped that hellish world of Berafe for real.
On top of that, this body of his had sustained an injury.
After experiencing nosebleed, his nose stung, even now. He hadnt fully recovered yet, in other words. This was unimaginable back in Berafe, where his body would revive in full from a handful of ashes in three seconds t.
He would be able to get hurt here, and also, die.
Yes, he had reverted back to being a human.
Unknown emotions welled up inside him.
The things that caused the most suffering during the intolerable length of time that side, werent the loneliness he felt by finding himself in a foreign world, nor was it the insatiable longing for his homeworld.
No, he overcame those pretty quickly. Probably around 150 years after he was stranded in Berafe?
What caused him endless grief was the fact that he couldnt forget, and couldnt die.
He wouldnt have gone uber-nuts insane trying to return home, if he could just forget about the things on this version of earth with the natural passing of time and/or if he was able to die, even if that meant hed be ripped apart limb from limb.
He wouldve lived in Berafe and died there eventually.
But, the forgetfulness had not been granted to him. And with the body that didnt want to die and didnt want to age, he was forced to live on forever.
He was a human who wasnt a human.
That was the Bringer of Apocalypse, Yi Ji-Hyuk, in a nutshell.
But now, he could get injured! He could die, too! He was now a human, through and through.
However.... now that he had returned with nothing but the unbending desire to return, he was at a loss. Well, he didnt return here because he wanted to do something, after all....
Okay, lets go home, for now.
He decided on what to do next.
He should head home. Home.
But, before that....
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down at his get-up.
Time to buy some new duds.
It was a wise decision.
He sought out the nearest shopping mall, and entered the shop with SPA written out in front. With his hood deeply covering his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk began picking out clothes. It felt like that all the stares he received while walking to this store were lots more than total number of stares he had received in his entire life.
Itd been more preferable to be looked at like a caged monkey in a zoo. Stares of pity, as if he was some sort of a hopeless loon, were making him cringe inside so much.
Feels like I might die from the embarrassment...
Well, he didnt deliberately choose this get-up. Oh no. Initially, when he got to Berafe, he sought to stake out his own identity so he tried to make denim by his own hands. He tried to imitate modern clothing, too. But after one year, two years, hundred years, two hundred yearster, all of that lost meaning. So, in the end, he chose to fuhgeddabout style for performance, instead!
The robe of his that others thought of as an old doormat, was a precious treasure that any self-respecting wizards in Berafe would resort to selling their own spouses to buy. It featured physical damage resistance, magic damage resistance, and on top of that, automatic correction of the Mana flow and assist in magic forms as well.
Most importantly, it possessed its own magic circuit, so even with a simple chant, he could get a magic spell activated. In other words, it was a treasure beyond the level of an artifact and into the realms of a gift from the gods.
Doesnt matter, does it? Its just a trash now.
What an unfortunate thing, the robe that showcased cheat-like powers in Berafe was no different than trash here. Mana that used to flow richly within the magic circuit now waspletely dried up. And even when he forcibly shoved Mana into the darn thing, nothing happened.
He had no idea where should he even begin mending this thing, since the veryws of this world were different from that of Berafes.
Which meant that he should change his clothes without regrets. No, rather, even if this robe was performing to 120% of its capacity, he needed to throw it away. Yi Ji-Hyuk was no longer an immortal. He might die of embarrassment and shame if any more people saw him in this rag.
Although, it was a trending fashion item back in Berafe...
He picked up a nice enough shirt and pants, some underwear and socks, even a pair of shoes as well. When he headed towards the changing room, one of the employees blocked his path.
Dear customer, you must purchase the items first!!
Since when must I pay for clothes that I want to try on first? Something like this never happened five years ago!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were fine with clothes, but socks and underpants are not. While youre on it, you should pay for the rest as well.
What the?! What do you take me for, a bum or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The employees eyes and facial expression said obviously. Yes, Yi Ji-Hyuks outer appearance did resemble a bum, sure. No, well, he was t-out broke until a few minutes ago, so technically, he was a bum.
Aaand, I cant even beat this guy up now...
Yi Ji-Hyuk licked his lips.
He might have made a killing if it werent for the Latrels Eyepletely destroying all of his magic essories like the dragon heart and stuff; only possessions he had on himself were the robe with its broken magic circuit, and the other items of clothing that had lost their resistance to magic.
That was why he couldnt use any magic whatsoever back when dealing with that monster known as the Jarchev. If he hadnt learned body fortification technique back in Berafe while wandering aimlessly, he might have be a headless corpse by now.
After paying cash for the clothes, Yi Ji-Hyuk was finally allowed to use the changing room. The employees behind the cash register shot him a suspicious re while Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled the cash out from his pocket, but thankfully, no incidents involving policemen urred.
Once he was finished changing, and tied theces of his shoes, he began worrying about how to dispose these junk clothes from Berafe.
They were too useless to take with him, but it also felt somewhat regretful to simply chuck them away in a trash can.
In the end, Yi Ji-Hyuk threw all the clothing and the shoes from Berafe into a paper bag to carry them with him.
He exited the changing room and took one more look at the body-length mirror, and a handsome youth was smiling back in the reflection.
Nice.
He felt good, now that he was wearing modern clothes. While grinning like a fool, he left the store and immediately, all those stares that were trained on him as if he were some sort of ape in a cage all disappeared.
While carrying the paper bag, he headed off to the subway.
He got slightly worried about making a hash of boarding a train, yet his body seemed to know what to do and he smoothly bought a ticket C one advantage of his memories not fading even after all those years.
There was no need for him to re-limatise, at all.
His body might have been stuck in Berafe, but his memories and soul still belonged here. Everything felt so natural.
He rode on the subway just fine and finally arrived at his old suburb.
With mixed emotions, Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the old and shabby Jugong apartment building. He was always embarrassed by the fact that he had to call this ce home, yet for some weird reason, now it felt really nice seeing that old building today. (TL: Jugong is an abridged name of the Korean government entity that builds low-cost housingplexes. Houses and apartment buildings built by them are all referred to as Jugong this and that.)
He climbed on the elevator and soon, stood before the door to his familys old apartment.
Ah, I guess Im not that calm, after all.
He felt his emotions well up.
He thought that, due to his never changing memories, hed feel quite indifferent about returning home that he proverbially had left yesterday, but, judging by his emotions fluctuating like this, it seemed that all that time wasted in Berafe wasnt a childs y, after all.
If not that, maybe the restrictions ced on his memories had been lost and his experiences in Berafe were now affecting his old ones. But who the hell cares.
*SFX for a doorbell chiming*
Yi Ji-Hyuk pressed the doorbell.
Who is it?
He heard a voice of a middle-aged woman through the door. Yi Ji-Hyuk suppressed this powerful, surging tide of emotions and made his reply.
Its me, mom.
I sounded a bit shaky there, didnt I...?
But, it should be fine, right?
From moms point of view, its been five years already, so she must be really surprised, probably? What if she asks me what I have been doing until now? How should I answer her?
So many thoughts danced around in his mind, but he still felt good in this very moment. The most important fact was that he had finally returned to the loving embrace of his family.
My son?!
The door flew open and a middle aged woman dashed out.
Ivee home.
Finally, Ive returned.
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk forced back the tearsden to the brim with powerful emotions, the woman asked him loudly.
Who are you?
............
Did this ahjumma forgot the face of her own son only after five years?
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up shouting out in a voice full of disappointment and irritation.
And who are you supposed to be?
The two of them stared at each other for a while, not saying anything else.
*
They knew they would see him again.
Pretty soon, even.
That was the reason why they let him go without too much fuss. Because... a suitable excuse would arise after they had observed him for a period of time.
Seeing him as quickly as possible naturally meant that an excuse had been found quickly, which also meant that the skills of the agents observing the target were excellent as well, so it would be good either way.
Unfortunately, there was a small fly in that ointment.
Isnt this way too soon? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young massaged her temples fiercely. Her head hurt like hell. She let loose a rabbit caught in the trap after it resisted way too much, and stuck a tail on it in the meantime. But then, this rabbit walked right back in with his own two feet after not even half a day had passed by.
Seo Ah-Young red at the slightly embarrassed rabbit, no, Yi Ji-Hyuk, standing in front of her.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
........Yes, maam. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You must take us for granted or something, but in truth, we are very busy people, do you understand? Over there, cant you see Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? He can only go home every three days or so. Thats how busy we are. But, what do you expect us to do, when you just barge in here, demanding to see us and speak to us, like this? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders shrivelled even further.
So, whats the matter this time? Didnt you say you were going home? (Seo Ah-Young)
I did, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, what? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips trembled noticeably.
He trembled in embarrassment like this for a while before finally speaking up in a very weak voice.
They.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They? (Seo Ah-Young)
They moved house.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young became utterly speechless.
Choi Jung-Hoon continuously wiped the corners of rapidly-reddening eyes.
Coming home after five years of absence, and the family had moved on to an address unknown.
Of course, they thought it was only five years.
Yi Ji-Hyuk forced down his quivering shoulders and screamed inside his head.
But, I didnt return to do this!
Yi Ji-Hyuk was reminded once more how tough the life on the Earth could be.
< 9. But, I didnt return to do this! C 1 > Fin.
Chapter 10: But, I didn’t return to do this! (2)
Chapter 10: But, I didnt return to do this! (2)
Please, eat slowly. Slowly. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk with eyes of pity. Seeing the youth shove food into his mouth as if the god of hunger had taken over, he was feeling rather sympathetic here.
Looks like its been a few years since he had rice in his diet. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk had many gut-busting feasts before. During thetter half of his stay in Berafe, he had be the wealthiest man there, after all. The only sticking point was that there was no obvious way he could eat a Korean meal over that side.
Yi Ji-Hyuk literally drank the entire pot of kimchi stew. The initial takeaway portion for one person was finished real quickly, so to be on the safe side, three more portions were ordered, yet the youth hoovered them all up, and now, he was busy scraping the bottom of the pot.
Was there an ability rted to eating food? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They couldnt help but stupidly wonder if there was indeed a person out there whose sole ability was to eat food like crazy.
ng.
The thoroughly-cleaned out pot made a rather refreshingly clear noise.
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked on his finger as if something was still missing, but Choi Jung-Hoon resolutely didnt inquire if the youth needed more. A person should have morals, after all.
The door to the office opened and an employee entered while carrying a printed A4 paper. Choi Jung-Hoon received it and read the contents.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, take a look at this. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This is your parents current address. Originally, were not supposed to ess such information. Next time, please utilise the services of the local police. We only helped out this time because it might getplicated with you registered as a missing person currently. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In the case of a regr missing persons case, then it only required re-activation of his residential registration card, but Yi Ji-Hyuk was also listed as deceased as well, so the process became quite cumbersome. Choi Jung-Hoon, however, used the excuse of taking care of that process and essed all the private information avable on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What with the times like this, a person missing for over two years was treated as deceased, killed by a monster or something simr to that effect. Well, monsters that could swallow whole a person, along with any identifiable articles, popped up way too often these days, after all.
I will! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk became a well-behaved child.
You can go there now youve seen the address, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for a shake of Yi Ji-Hyuks head*
You cant? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for a nod of Yi Ji-Hyuks head*
Rather than a well-behaved child, it was more like talking to a dog which could understand basicmands, instead.
Then, how should we handle this...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon fell into a dilemma.
There would be no problem by simply handing over this piece of paper with Yi Ji-Hyuks home address written on, and push him out the door, telling him to find it himself. No one here had any reason to waste time on something this minor whatsoever C seriously, wasnt it the job of the police to help a lost child C no, a lost idiot?
However, the idiot in front of Choi Jung-Hoons eyes wasnt a normal idiot, but an idiot with special abilities. Not to mention, an idiot that his team Captain was licking her lips in anticipation for that inevitable chance.
Treating such an ability user poorly would only worsen their rtionship and that would be an unnecessary headache down the line.
Please, wait here for a moment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In the end, Choi Jung-Hoon chose to leave the decision making responsibility to someone else. But, when he went to speak to the decision maker, she simply frowned deeply and didnt even want to listen to him.
But, Captain. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh, what now?! What? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon quietly drew in his breaths. Get annoyed after listening to what I have to say first!!
Its about Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Didnt you find out his address already? (Seo Ah-Young)
I did. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, tell him and send him away. (Seo Ah-Young)
Apparently, he wont be able to find it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With the eyes that screamed she had enough of this sh*t, Seo Ah-Youngs sharp gaze pierced past the office wall and red at someone beyond it.
Cant you call the cops and tell them to give him a ride, instead? (Seo Ah-Young)
That is indeed not a bad way to handle it, but I was wondering whether we should. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh-whew. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young could understand very well what Choi Jung-Hoon was on about. They could dispense with this matter as easily and carelessly if they wanted to, but if they could be more friendly with the guy right now, then their future working rtionship would be that much more smoother.
More importantly, Yi Ji-Hyuk was being seen as a teleporter. Such an ability user was very rare, and incredibly important as well.
They could let the cops take the dude home, but that wouldnt leave a good taste in her mouth. But then, to take him home personally.... the wasted time doing that was far too precious. That was why Choi Jung-Hoon had sought her out.
Take him home, please. (Seo Ah-Young)
You mean, I should? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon found him first, so you take the responsibility. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, thats true, but regrettably, I need to attend a meeting soon. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
About what? (Seo Ah-Young)
I have to make an official statement on what had happened during this incident, maam. It shouldnt be anything serious, though. I waltzed into a restricted zone without permission due to negligence, so Ill just receive a couple of demerit points or something.
Seo Ah-Young chuckled slightly.
So, that was the reason why he came to speak to her, even though he couldve easily made the decision without doing so.
Ill take care of that, so take him home, please. Instead, buy me something for supper on your way back. (Seo Ah-Young)
That shouldnt be a problem. What would you like? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Id like a steak takeaway, and as for the drink, get me the Lemon Twist Strawberry from The Slush King. And for the dessert, the cheese box special from The Cheddar King. Also, it would be bad manners to eat alone, so buy a cup of Americano each for everyone working tonight. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Demon. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm? Did you say something (Seo Ah-Young)
No. Its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The grumbling Choi Jung-Hoon left the office while saying hed be back soon. Compared to getting his performance review affected negatively, her demands were a smaller price to pay. Much, much smaller.
But still, he felt wronged, somehow.
Im also a highly valued individual, too... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Blessed with academic records that would make him an elite wherever he went, not to mention he also passed the Civil Service Examination with flying colours, yet here he was, a shuttle for suppers and coffee.
But what could he do? This was that kind of a job. If he was to get technical here, then his bossdy was one of the most valuable manpower in the whole country, yet all she did was lots of work that seemed to have very little real world applications. Which was the sorry tale of most government entities, but still.
Choi Jung-Hoon was unable to mount any tangible protest and left the office, heading to where Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Lets get going. Ill take you home. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*
Wow, this is a nice car! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got very surprised after checking out Choi Jung-Hoons car. With the sry of a public worker, how could he afford such a luxurious foreign saloon?
You muste from wealthy stock? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon waved his hands in denial. Regrettably, he was born with a mud spoon in his mouth; he was one of those self-made men with nothing but pure talent.
My numeration package is pretty substantial. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even though youre a public worker? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I get a fair amount of... life-rted extra pay. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Holy cow, what a nice job. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled bitterly.
The so-called life-rted extra pay for facing up to scary monsters wasnt actually a lot. The reason why he got suchrge paycheck in the first ce, was because....
...Its because guys like you.
Choi Jung-Hoon was not an ability user, yet he was solely responsible for managing many users. And most of his work involved twisting around thew and civil rights. If he was to be honest here, then one little punch from an irate ability user would be enough to make him the star of his own funeral.
*SFX for a cars rm being undone*
Yi Ji-Hyuk was deposited into the front passenger seat, and soon, Choi Jung-Hoon drove out of the parking lot.
Wait, werent you heading to work on foot earlier today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I was walking to the subway station. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why a subway, when you got a nice car? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons shoulders trembled ever so slightly.
I wasnt confident of arriving home in one piece, what with the state of my mind being so and so, after three straight days at work, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, this car wasnt just any ol car, after all.
Choi Jung-Hoon worked his butt off to afford one, so he might as well get a nice car, should he not?
Yi Ji-Hyuk hid all traces of pity on his face C he got a feeling that Choi Jung-Hoon wouldnt be too happy to see such an emotion from his passenger, for some reason.
As if the car was infused with the blood, sweat and tears of Choi Jung-Hoon, it featured an excellent ride quality.
You still cant remember anything for the past five years? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep. Nothing at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where does your memory stop? Do you remember anything before the ck Monday? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
ck Monday? Whats that? I know whats a ck Friday, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, so you dont know the events of the ck Monday. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The ck Monday.
It was the term denoting the day that Gates opened up simultaneously all around the globe.
Gates opened up throughout the and monsters poured out into the world that was severely unprepared to face these creatures. Only around 100 Gates opened, yet the damage caused was incredible.
People started calling that fateful day the ck Monday, so they wouldnt forget what happened, as well as to remind everyone the battle for their survival that began on that day.
In a nutshell, its the day when the Gates first opened. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Gates? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its where the monsters pour out from. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Where monsters pour out from....
Does he mean warp gates? That means creatures originate from other dimensions.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expressions became a bit more somber.
For a small fry he ran into as soon as he returned, hitting it repeatedly with submachine guns would do the trick. If not, one of those big guns Rambo favoured.
However, if these gates Choi Jung-Hoon mentioned were really warp gates, then no one could tell for sure just what sort of monstrosity might pop out next. If examples from Berafe were used as a yardstick, then if a drake popped out from a Gate, the hand-held weapons of the modern day soldiers werent going to cut it.
What if its a fighter ne? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As far as speed was concerned, they couldnt even bepared at all. A modern day fighter jet could rip past the Mach barrier like its some kind of a paper wall. But when it came to manoeuvrability, it was quite the opposite. A living creature could suddenly drop in altitude or rise higher quickly. It was hard to imagine a fighter jet designed for maximum speed to match such agility in the air.
Jets would shoot past the target and fire air-to-air missiles, trying to take the drake down, while the flying monster would evade them, and so, that would be how the battle might unfold...
Will be a waste of time, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The problem would be that, the power of such an air-to-air missile wouldnt be able to prate a drakes scales. (TL: Uh, no, mister author, a modern day air-to-air missile packs quite a punch. Unless you dont know much about how powerful real military weapons can be... Shouldnt be using Hollywood movies as your benchmark, there. Oh wait, maybe a drake has really thick scales?)
Besides, hitting it wasnt the end of the problems, either. If a drake appeared in the middle of a city, then well C the dang thing flying and weaving around the buildings would probably render those missiles useless, leaving no other alternatives to kill the monster.
So, the military would resort to surface-to-air missiles, but they wouldnt be able to use KM-SAM ss rockets in fear of causing massive coteral damage to the surroundings, while KP-SAM would only end up tickling it. (TL: a KP-SAM Shin-Gung missile is a shoulderunched surface to air missile developed in Korea. Same for KM-SAM Cheon-Gung except that itsunched from a dedicatedunch vehicle.)
If only a measly drake could cause this much headache, then what if, seriously speaking, a real dragon crossed over?
Utter destruction, thats what.
The method to kill it, would be to nuke the hell out of it.
Honestly, he suspected whether a nuke could actually pierce past the nonsensical damage resistance of a dragon.
Also, there would only ever be one chance.
If it wasnt killed with the first strike, then the dragon would simply teleport to elsewhere and evade the second missile.
Although modern day firepower did trump that of a dragons, if said firepower couldnt hit the target in the first ce, then there was no answering that.
Wait a minute. Things are more serious than I thought.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, all the capable folks in higher ces should be doing their utmost something about this quandary, but still, the existence of gates was a serious threat nevertheless.
And he was only thinking of examples from Berafe. That Jarchev or whatever monster was something hed never seen before in Berafe, so, although one could argue that there wouldnt be stronger monsters than thating out, that wasnt a certainty at all C what if a dragon or something even worse pop out?
However!
Thats none of my business. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned against the seat with a carefree attitude.
He had suffered enough. He was very confident that there was not one person alive who had suffered more than him even after an exhaustive search throughout the entire.
But, to work again after his return to the modern world?
Eiii, what an unfunny joke that was.
Such a matter was for the good guys still willing to fight to take care of. Really, itd be akin to calling back a retired soldier enjoying his freedom after spending decades in hellish, death-filled warzones, just because there was a sign of a new war starting.
Itd be a praiseworthy effort if he didnt rampage around in anger, even.
By the way, isnt it difficult for you to limatise? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, Im not sure whats going on here at all. Gates and whatnots, monsters popping out and all that, plus other people strangely epting all of this as if its a normal thing. Feels like Im a sore thumb sticking out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The youths attitude showed how little he thought about this matter, yet the contents were of weighty subjects. Choi Jung-Hoon ended up frowning.
Is he telling the truth? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He was actually probing to see how well Yi Ji-Hyuk was sticking to that lie of convenient amnesia, yet the reaction he saw was from a person who genuinely had no idea. Folks who had lived all their lives in deep rural areas, where contact with modern world was limited at best, would behave this way after seeing soldiers entering their area in order to subjugate a monster running loose there.
They werent particrly excited about it, nor were they unnervingly calm C only showing some signs of finding this whole thing quite absurd.
I need to probe more. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
There simply wasnt enough information on this youth to begin with.
Although he was definitely an ability user, no one could tell what kind of power he possessed, and also, it was nearly impossible to find out just what he had been doing during those five years as well. No matter what avenue of investigation was taken, he was simply missing. There was not one trace of Yi Ji-Hyuk to be found anywhere.
If Choi Jung-Hoon was to follow the precedence set beforehand, then a guy like this youth was either this, or that.
Either he was an incredible ability user, or he was aplete nobody.
Only after confirming which was which, then would the correct countermeasure be cooked up ordingly. If he was the former, then he had to be pulled in no matter the method, but if it was thetter, let the lower branches of government take care of him.
However, how should I go about doing that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It wasnt possible to attack Yi Ji-Hyuk under the pretense of finding out what his true powers were, nor could he be chucked in front of a nice ol Gate, either. If the numbers from that Ether measurement came out nicely, then they couldve tested and poked him all over the ce to figure out the mystery, but, since the equipment failed to pull out a decent number, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt even be arrested, and the textbook wouldnt even apply in this case.
Isnt there another way? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for a smartphones rm*
It was then. Choi Jung-Hoons phone issued an rm. He mmed the brakes and pulled up to a curve, parking the car there. Then, pulling out the phone, he checked his messages.
Its Level 1. The location is...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...It was nearby!
Complicated emotions surfaced on Choi Jung-Hoons face.
It was fine for him to not respond. Although this was his jurisdiction, in the case of Threat Level 1, the responsibility fell not on the KSF, but to the local military defense force.
However, to ignore a Gate opening up nearby and merrily going on his way also didnt sit too well with him, either. Unfortunately, a small flicker of his professional pride was showing signs of life at this bad moment.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes?
Theres a Gate opening up nearby, and due to my professional obligation, I must go there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, is that so? Well, in that case, you should... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Would you like toe with me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks forehead creased up after hearing Choi Jung-Hoons words.
There shouldnt be any danger. Its the weakest Threat Level. Im sure the clean-up will be smooth. Ill take you home as soon as Im finished there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How long will that take? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At the longest, within three hours. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Three hours. Three.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk slid into a dilemma of sorts. Well, it wasnt all that difficult to exit this car now, call for a taxi, and tell the driver the address. Plus, he sure as hell didnt want to go to a ce where monsters would pop out and he might end up doing something annoying unexpectedly.
However, there was this one thing.
I am curious....
Yi Ji-Hyuk was curious about how these Gates operated, and also, curious about what sort of monsters might appear, as well as how they appeared.
There was a possibility that he needed to know such information if he were to live in this world from now on. Investing three hours to learn that C well, it wasnt such a bad trade, he mused to himself.
Yeah, lets. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, Im starting the car. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As if Choi Jung-Hoon was scared of Yi Ji-Hyuks mind changing at thest second, he mmed on the elerator and sped away.
At the same time, he rolled down the windows and ced something on the roof.
*SFX for a police siren wailing*
As soon as the siren went off, cars in front of them parted ways miraculously.
Oh, oh!
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up eximing out after feeling the satisfaction of the might of the Authority spreading out like an invisible aura.
When we arrive at the location, you must abide by every one of mymands. It can get dangerous. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes. Dont worry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im saying this out of caution, but please, do not try to stand out. Beginner ability users trying to show off and then causing an incident happens way too often. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eiii, what are you talking about here? Im not an ability user, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right. Yes, youre right. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon only nodded his head a couple of times.
Well see, after we get there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He had this feeling that, the more he got involved with this youth, moreplicated the situation would get. So, there was a definite need to establish their roles in this rtionship.
< 10. But, I didnt return to do this! -2 > Fin.
Chapter 11: But, I didn’t return to do this! (3)
Chapter 11: But, I didnt return to do this! (3)
The area was already under a lockdown.
The evacuation of civilians was carried out in an efficient and professional manner, while the flow of traffic was also under strict control.
Please provide your ID.
The sentry took a look at the siren ced on top of the car and asked for the identification. Choi Jung-Hoon pushed forward his badge and the ID.
After confirming the ID, the sentry performed a dignified salute, and Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head in reply before driving his car towards inner area.
Looks like these Gates pop up just about anywhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There doesnt seem to be any set pattern; sometimes, one appears in a remote mountainous area, sometimes in the middle of a street. The only saving grace is that, Gates hasnt opened in a ce where there are buildings or such, so no structures have been destroyed yet C its about that much. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, what about water? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? What do you mean? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If Gates pop up pretty much anywhere, then doesnt that mean one could appear in the middle of the ocean, or even underwater? What about one appearing up high in the sky? Maybe theyll just fall from there and go st? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A certain imaginative scene rose up in Choi Jung-Hoons mind. A Gate opened up deep underwater and countless number of monsters poured out. However, as soon as exiting the Gate, monsters hurriedly grabbed their throats and struggled before they all drowned, and then, schools of fish rushed in after a nice source of nutrients were suddenly presented to them...
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head quickly.
There has been not one report of Gates opening up in the sky. And its impossible to know if a Gate had opened somewhere in the ocean. But, judging by the fact that no monsters have showed up on a shore until now, we can infer that no Gates have opened underwater, or that the monsters ended up drowning, instead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
If those words were true, then the position of each warp gate wasnt random at all.
On top of the warp gates locations not being random, they were summoned onnd and onlynd-bound monsters popped out. Sure as hell smelt like someones calcted move to him.
Lets just confirm only. Just confirm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He harboured no thoughts of poking here and there in order to uncover a sinister plot or some such. But, it should be fine simply to confirm the Gate in front of his eyes only.
When the car entered deeper into the street, armoured personnel carriers simr to those he saw earlier in the day could be spotted. He also spotted support weaponry installed on many of the tall buildings.
Choi Jung-Hoon parked his car on the far corner and opened the door.
Please, exit the vehicle. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cant I just stay here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It shouldnt be a problem, but also, it could get more dangerous here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Iming! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk immediately unbuckled his safety belt. Well, his life was precious, after all.
Choi Jung-Hoon led Yi Ji-Hyuk and entered a tent erected behind two armoured personnel carriers.
Loyalty!
Yes. Carry on. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A soldier saluted Choi Jung-Hoon as soon as seeing him, and the KSF agent reciprocated the salute. (TL: In the South Korean army, its amon practice to say the phrase Loyalty/?? out aloud when performing a salute.)
Wow, this ahjussi must be ranked higher than I thought? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He looked like a low-level government paper-pusher the way he ran around doing errands and getting nagged on incessantly like a chump by a young girl, but after arriving on the scene, he seemed like he was overflowing with the Force right now.
Now that Yi Ji-Hyuk thought about it, the masculinity oozing from that dandy suit and wellbed hair of Choi Jung-Hoon was no joke, either.
Hows it looking? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Around one hour left, most likely.
A middle-aged soldier monitoring the situation out in front of the bank of screens replied to Choi Jung-Hoons query.
Have you called for reinforcements yet, sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its been decided not to call for help when the level is only a 1, didnt we? So, why are you here?
I was around the area, thats why, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Looks like you guys really dont have much to do.
Choi Jung-Hoon formed a bitter smile.
The Supernatural Entity Defence Command.
Also known as the De.
It was a new organisation created by the military for the express purpose ofbating monster threats with a corps of specially trained soldiers.
Not only were the methods of fighting against people and monsters, as well as training for those said methods, noticeably different, but because the old ways of cing importance on defending each region couldnt cope with the Gates that appeared in various ces seemingly at random, a new unit that didnt follow the existing structure of the military became a necessity.
However, although their goal was the same, the way to achieve that goal was the pr opposite, with the defense force that ced emphasis on firepower and the KSF that centred around ability users, leading to frequent shes, both big and small, between the two. It wasnt to the point of hatred, but well, oil and water werent meant to be mixed, after all.
So, even if the attitude of Colonel Jeong In-Soo in front showed how unweing this intrusion was, this reaction could be seen as on the side of being very moderate for a member of the De.
And he is? (Jeong In-Soo)
Colonel Jeong In-Soo pointed at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ah, we were in the area so we stopped by together. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hes an ability user? (Jeong In-Soo)
No, hes still a civilian. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The face of Colonel Jung In-Soo crumpled.
Look here, mister Choi Jung-Hoon! Are you insane? You brought a civilian into an active area of operations?! (Jeong In-Soo)
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned slightly while taking in the reaction of Colonel Jeong In-Soo. He had inserted the word still so there could be some room to wiggle around, yet, this reaction seemed to suggest that the Colonel was deliberately looking for trouble here.
It wasnt as if he couldnt oppose them, but with the KSF no longer involved, all responsibilities of handling a Level 1 situation was given to the De. So, such a reaction was understandable, since the resulting problem from dragging a civilian in, and an ident arising from that, wouldnt be pretty at all. Well, in that case, it should be fine to get rid of the room, then.
Our side will be taking all responsibilities. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Are you speaking as mister Choi Jung-Hoon, or from your side of the fence? (Jeong In-Soo)
From the KSF. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For real? (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes, really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon cleared up the matter of responsibility, Jeong In-Soo took a step back. There shouldnt be an issue if the other side were to take the responsibility.
Ill go and take a look around the Gate, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Be careful. And dont cause an incident. (Jeong In-Soo)
Haha. Dont worry. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Exiting the tent, Choi Jung-Hoon let out a soft sigh. These jarheads didnt seem to possess one iota of spirit of cooperation. The KSF hade to their rescue many, many times before, yet here they were, not even remotely grateful for that.
How obstinate and stuffy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyukined audibly. It was like he was saying the words Choi Jung-Hoon had to swallow back down, because the target of the scorn was in front.
What the, did he just put on a gamtu or something? Shouldve tucked in his stomach first, since hes a soldier. (TL: a gamtu is a hat worn by a government official in the Joseon era. Wearing it meant youve be a serious yer now, so must behave as if a pole is stuck up your bottom.)
Huh?
Hes got a pretty good timing there, doesnt he?
Maybe hes the type that will do well in the social life? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon changed his impression of Yi Ji-Hyuk from someone who might inflict a cerebral infarction on his boss out of pure stress if he became an office worker to a surprisingly sensible type that could end up under the barrage of insults and abuse after bing an office worker.
Thats because of the nervousness. Well, a battle is about to begin pretty soon, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon walked past the barricades and approached the Gate located beyond.
This is a Gate. Originally, its not something you can approach so easily and take a gander. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not really caring whatever Choi Jung-Hoon was saying, Yi Ji-Hyuk fixed his gaze on the Gate.
This, isnt this really a warp gate? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The doorway in front of his eyes was a very familiar object.
A mirror-like blue doorway.
The methods of manifesting magic were different from a school of sorcery to another school, and also, slightly different from an individual to another individual as well. However, it was still possible to figure out the process since there were some simrities in the essence of a spell.
And so, the thing in front of him was a warp gate, without a doubt. Although its form was different from any warp gates he knew, Yi Ji-Hyuk could tell its purpose with a single nce.
This, cant I cancel it by interfering with Mana? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was some merit to trying that out, but now wasnt the right time. That wasnt something he should perform in front of the others, and even if he could seed, it didnt feel right to hand over the information to those who created these gates, that there was someone this side capable of interfering with Mana.
Besides, summoning gates wasnt all that special a magic anyways; if cancelled, another one would simply pop up somewhere else. In other words, it was a fruitless endeavor.
How do you differentiate that level thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The size is used for the ssification. A Gate not exceeding 1 metre in diameter is ssified as level 1. The level changes ording to size after that. The biggest discovered so far is a level 10 Gate. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
From Yi Ji-Hyuks perspective, that was a really crude method.
A humanoid-type monsters could easily crawl out from this size of a Gate. If something like a Lich escaped from a level 1 Gate, then that one would be a Hell Gate, instead. But, he still had no desire to interfere, since the folks this side mustve their own standard of judging.
When this blue colour changespletely to the red colour, the Gate opens up fully. The remaining time is... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon turned around and gazed at the timer.
There are 15 minutes left. We should retreat now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the timer with mystified eyes.
This, how does this thing measure the remaining time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The principal is unexpectedly simple. After dividing the time taken for the changes in colour into units, it measures that and then calctes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
A Gate opens up fully when the colour changes from blue to red, so it measures the change in colour in real time to estimate when it would bepletely red. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, so you could do it that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not measuring the Mana, but the changes in colour... That sure was a simple, yet unexpected method. Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked slightly after he found himself in the middle ofing up with forms to calcte the rate of Mana coordination for the spells activation.
Looks like I still refer to magic first, whenever Im about to think of something, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He thought that he should discard the mentality of being superior to ordinary people just because he learned magic.
Well, lets leave this area. It should be fine for us observe from the back. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was buried deep in his own thoughts, Choi Jung-Hoon pulled out his ringing phone and answered it.
Hello, Captain. Im at the scene. Yes? No, I still shoulde regardless. Even if we dont have the jurisdiction, who knows what might happen? It wont do if we respond toote and get civilians hurt, so can you dispatch someone over here? Eh? Theres no one? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
While holding the phone, Choi Jung-Hoon began sweating nervously.
But, what should I do if theres no one? But, thats no good if theres no one. Howe no ones avable? Eh? You sent them out as a reinforcement somewhere? Wait a minute, our area is over here, yet, why did you send them elsewhere and leave this ce empty?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Holding on to the phone and bitterlyining for some length of time, Choi Jung-Hoon finally ended the call while breathing angrily.
Seriously, I gotta quit this damn job. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When discovering Yi Ji-Hyuk awkwardly standing to his side, Choi Jung-Hoon resumed that business-like smile at once.
What the, is he a chameleon or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The changes in Choi Jung-Hoons emotions were so colourful.
Ah, looks like they areying the mines now. Lets go back. Over there, we should get a good view. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure.
Yi Ji-Hyuk followed Choi Jung-Hoon and headed towards the rooftop of a building a bit of distance away.
This is a good view. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The Gate now almost entirely bathed in a crimson hue, as well as armoured personnel carriers and toons of soldiers surrounding it, could be seen in one view.
Behind the Gate itself, a huge concrete wall had been erected with a method Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt really tell.
And what is that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats the fast-setting concrete. We told them to use Securefoam countless times, yet here they are, still insisting on using concrete, instead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Se, cu...? What? A subus? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its Securefoam. Its hardened styrofoam. Its fast acting, and is cheaper too, yet the topic of safety keeps getting brought up. I dont understand what all the fuss is about, since we can just have the mold be a bit thicker when erecting it. Could this be corruption in the defense contracts, I wonder?
Ignoring Choi Jung-Hoon, who was busy yammering on about stuff no one else could understand, Yi Ji-Hyuk concentrated on the Gate itself.
It was then, the Gate began emitting bright rays of light.
Looks like its starting now.
< 11. But, I didnt return to do this! C 3 > Fin.
Chapter 12: But, I didn’t return to do this! (4)
Chapter 12: But, I didnt return to do this! (4)
Choi Jung-Hoon pointed towards the direction of the Gate.
Monsters start to pour out as soon as the light from the Gate dies down. This is actually something you dont see everyday, so please pay attention. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And just why is this dude so excited about? (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly while looking at the oddly excited Choi Jung-Hoon.
He sensed magic power from that superior officer, the woman named Seo Ah-Young. Although he couldnt be totally certain, she could easily take care of a group of those small fry monster things he saw this morning, a Jarchev or whatever, quite easily.
However, Choi Jung-Hoon was definitely a normal person.
Seeing a person like that getting so excited while looking at a Gate that was about to spew out monsters, now that was really not normal.
Here theye! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When the emitted light began to wane, green-coloured monsters came stampeding out of the Gate.
Fire!
The moment the order came down from themand centre, the muzzles of guns began spitting out licks of me.
*SFX for sustained gunfire*
Kkiiieeeck!!
Kyaaahack!!
Soldiers spread out wide on the frontline all fired simultaneously. Since there was that concrete wall erected behind the Gate, they could fire away without any worries.
The green-coloured monsters fell one after another as soon as they came out, with fountains of blood shooting out from all over their bodies.
Theres more of them! Its a wave, a wave! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A wave, huh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
If that much was called a wave, then, what should the demonic gates he had summoned before be called now?
If those people who fought against him in Berafe were here, they might have beaten up Choi Jung-Hoon while telling him to never run his mouth off so dang lightly.
These are Goblins, the most frequently appearing monsters. The actual scientific name is different, but everyone just calls them Goblins. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the bloodied mess of green monsters. Height of around 1.2 metres, green-coloured skin, and that crumpled face.
Not the same? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They were simr to the Goblins he knew, but the appearance was totally different. The version of Goblins he knew werent light-green short legged creatures like these, but darker green-skinned wild beasts.
However, their mannerisms seemed somewhat simr.
Just by seeing the poison blowguns rolling around the feet of dead Goblins, there was little doubt about it.
Are they distant cousins or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was the case, then it seemed that they were being summoned from a dimension with a simr ecology as Berafes. Or, there might be more than one dimension where monsters were being summoned from.
Whatever the case might have been, if those Goblins were simr to the versions Yi Ji-Hyuk knew, then it was indeed a dangerous matter with that many being summoned here. It only took around ten Goblins topletely wipe out a single vige. So, there wasnt even a need to mention what would happen if a Goblin horde that numbered past 100unched an attack.
Kyahaack!!
However, the strength of modern weapons was definitely too overwhelming.
Goblins that could be fought one on one only with a trained soldier were being ruthlessly massacred. Seeing them falling in a fountain of blood as soon as they popped out of the Gate even made Yi Ji-Hyuk feel sorry for these Goblins.
Now thats what Im talking about!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon waspletely psyched right now.
Well, the thing was C if ones safety was guaranteed, then violence could be a really enjoyable spectacle to behold. There was a reason why boxing and otherbat sports were famous, after all.
But, the Goblins didnt remain getting pummeled one-sidedly.
Piling the dead bodies into a makeshift barricade and surviving the barrage, Goblins then used the corpses as shields and rushed forward. If one were to consider the hardness of a Goblins flesh, then it was indeed difficult to damage the Goblins by piercing through the corpse shields with bullets from a rifle.
But, then again, only a momentter, the previously installed mines below the Goblins feet began exploding.
A Goblin with twisted-off ankles rolled all over the ground, yet, as if there were more mines down there, this poor sucker kept on bouncing around all over the ce.
Too bad, a mine was a one-time use item.
They couldntpletely stop the swarm of Goblins.
God damn it. Itd be so much better if its a ymore instead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You should calm down a bit... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Using a ymore in the middle of a city.... No, with friendly forces crammed in this ce, using a ymore would lead to him witnessing people getting killed by the sting from their rear, instead.
If this battle was taking ce in the middle of a field, then instead of a close formation for firing, ymore mines wouldve been installed everywhere and cleanly blow them all away. Regrettably, this was inside a city, so if ymore mines were used to refreshingly blow away the Goblins, then the dude in charge of that particr operation would also see his head refreshingly fly away, too.
When the Goblins neared the ranks of soldiers, an urgent voice called out.
Cease fire! Second unit, to the front! (Jeong In-Soo)
Along with Colonel Jeong In-Soos loud shout, shield carrying soldiers waiting at the back rushed to the front while carrying massive body bunkers. (TL: a body bunker is actually a ballistic shield, but Body Bunker moniker is far more well known. Think of Hoover instead of people saying vacuum cleaner.)
Khoong!
Huge body bunkers mmed into the ground.
Kyaaaahhh!
Goblins screamed wildly and attacked, but they couldnt prate past the body bunkers crafted specially out of hardened ceramic.
*SFX for sustained gunfire*
Towards the Goblins yet to attach themselves to the body bunkers, MG50s fixed to the rooftop of a building began firing. Fitting for a machine gun of its size, rather than fountains of blood, one could see each bullet punching through a huge hole on the bodies now.
To shoot those weak-looking Goblins with MG50s was akin to a monster genocide, thats what this was.
However, such a destructive power was a double-edged sword. The muzzles of MG50s couldnt be aimed closer to the friendly forces. Even if the bullets didnt directly hit, the shrapnel from said bullets impacting the asphalt below would surely turn a humans body into a bloody mess.
The role of fighting against the Goblins clinging on fell to the riflemen and the shield soldiers.
Endure! You sons of b*tches! Cant you endure properly?!
Ahahahck!! Sh*t!
Only a few handful of dwarfish Goblins jumped on him, but the shield soldiers body was being forced back; the body bunker scraped against the ground with ear splitting screeches.
Humans were animals thatcked physical prowess considering their body sizes. They couldnt even catch a rabbit with their bare hands, for instance.
Check properly first where youre aiming at!!
Gun muzzles peeked out between the gaps of the shields and spat lead out. Guns lifted over the heads of the shield soldiers proceeded to shoot down those Goblins trying to climb over.
Look! That sides being pushed back! Reinforce from the rear! (Jeong In-Soo)
They were fighting well, but ranks to the one side were copsing.
Choi Jung-Hoonsplexions darkened.
This, wouldnt there be casualties at this rate? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If the ranks copsed, Goblins would infiltrate into the midst of soldiers, meaning guns couldnt be used anymore. If things went south, rather than Goblins, there would be people getting killed by friendly fire, instead.
Those sons of b*tches sitting upstairs. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Swear words leaked out automatically from his mouth.
They might not enjoy an amiable rtionship, but still, this wasnt the fault of Colonel Jeong In-Soo. He had mobilised quickly just after the event broke and formed an optimal defense line, and he had concluded all preparations well before the Gate even opened.
So, the reason for the ranks copsing wasnt his fault at all. No, it was actually the limitations ced on the type of equipment that could be used within the city limits.
To put it bluntly, if that Gate opened up in the middle of a mountain, then the surrounding area wouldve be a sea of fire by now C the soldiers wouldve swept them all away with powerful weapons. Unfortunately, within the city limits, nothing more powerful than the light assault weapons and SAWs (Squad Automatic Weapons) could be used.
Well, destroying a couple of buildings just in order to defend against waves of monsters would eventually lead to the total destruction of Seoul itself in a few years, so theres that.
It was all understandable. Understandable, but still....
A human life is more precious than a building, isnt it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Or, did the jarheads not count as human beings in the first ce?
Maybe the higher-ups didnt treat these soldiers as human beings, but themander leading them certainly valued them very dearly.
Fall back to the second defensive line! Do not break the formation, you fools!! The moment you show your backs, youll all get shot in the head! (Jeong In-Soo)
Colonel Jeong In-Soos urgent voice red out from the loudspeakers. As if they had trained for this kind of situations, the riflemen positioned at the rear orderly moved to the second defensive line formed by the armoured vehicles.
However, if something was earned, then something must be lost; with the widening of the distance, the Goblins area of activity increased as well. As soon as the shield soldiers fell back, Goblins began destroying the barricades erected in front of buildings instead of giving chase, while some of them began scaling the concrete wall standing behind the Gate.
Fire, fire!! Shoot those f*ckers down from there!! You miss a single one, prepare to die afterwards!!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Goblins trying to scale the concrete wall were shot down, one by one. But, at the same time, as the guns were concentrating on one direction, several Goblins began scaling the buildings that stood as blockades between the Gate and the defensive line.
Those b*stards, damn it!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo gritted his teeth. He wanted to shoot them down as soon as possible, but the ones rushing towards the soldiers had to take priority. If he issued ipetent orders now, then that might cause the concentration of fire to be split unevenly, and then the Goblins might run past the armoured vehicles and scale the concrete wall standing there as the back barricade to infiltrate into the city.
Three of them! (Jeong In-Soo)
Soon, the Gate should close, so if they could hold on for a bit longer, they would be able to thoroughly sweep away these worse-than-manure b*stards.
And then, those three escapees would be dealt with soon enough! Ifdy luck was on his side, then those monsters would be killed within the vicinity. But if not, then hed have to catch a couple of Goblins rampaging around outside thebat zone, but dealing with only three was still within the scope of the operational management.
For now, send the request for assistance to the local police and tell them to sendbatants over to that area. We just need to avoid civilian casualties.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Thats right C as long as there were no civilian casualties. Watching these boys that were like sons to him getting hurt made him shed tears of blood, and seeing them die pained him as if his innards were twisting apart, but... But, that was the life of a soldier. Protecting the civilians was the responsibility of all soldiers.
No matter what, as long as Goblins didnt enter the civilian area, then....
It was then, Goblins scaling the wall of a building jumped to a nearby rooftop.
And then, like performing parkour, they bounced and jumped between buildings, heading towards a certain direction like crazy.
Civilian casualties.... (Jeong In-Soo)
The location those Goblins was charging at, there was a pale-faced gangling fellow wearing a fashionable ck suit, and a civilian brought along by that fellow.
That stupid son of a b*tch!! I knew hed cause a problem!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Swear words escaped out from the mouth of Colonel Jeong In-Soo.
*
Choi Jung-Hoon formed a strange expression while looking at the Goblins charging towards his direction.
It had been four years already since he began rolling around in this field. Within those four years, had there ever been a time when a monster targeted him specifically and rushed in like crazy? Even going as far as to scale and jump across several buildings?
God damn it! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
There was no time to think.
Choi Jung-Hoon nned to drag Yi Ji-Hyuk and climb down from the building, but then, his steps came to a stop.
If they were to enter the lower floors, it might seem safer for the time being, but they wouldnt be able to receive outside help. No one would detach a number of soldiers in order to save one person while ignoring the masses of monsters in front.
Even if he closed the doors shut, that wouldntst long before being ripped to shreds in the blink of an eye if the Goblins were really targeting him. And, if he ran into a Goblin while trying to get to the lower floors, then thatd be curtains, right there.
Its not like there are no options avable here... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
There was one hidden card still left. However, if he was to pull that out here, then it might get a little awkward with Yi Ji-Hyukter on, not to mention the rtionship with the De would be pretty frosty, too.
Then, what should he prioritise here?
Choi Jung-Hoon scanned left and right. He spotted snipers positioned on the windows of the opposite building. Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze downward to meet Colonel Jung In-Soos eyes, and pointed at the snipers.
Hed buy time at a more open location.
If he became the target for sure, then the movements of the charging Goblins should be more predictable, which also meant that the snipers could take out the monsters easily as well.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, this way! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon dragged Yi Ji-Hyuk towards the very ends of the railings, in order to maximise the distance.
As expected, all three Goblins were making a beeline towards his location.
Could all three be shot down with this much distance?
Pow!
The first gunshot!
From the head of one Goblin, blood rose up suddenly, then it copsed to the floor.
Two more. Two more rounds! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Pow!!
Another gunshot.
The second Goblin too, expired from an urate headshot.
Thest remaining Goblin mustve realised that it was under fire, yet it chose to increase its rushing speed, instead.
Take the shot already! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Pow!!!
Along with Choi Jung-Hoons voice, another gunshot rang out!
However, the Goblin didnt fall down. A small part of the roofs floor got caved in and dust particles rose up.
At the same time, the Goblin pounced on Choi Jung-Hoon.
God damn it!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It missed!
But, why now?!
Choi Jung-Hoon gritted his teeth and stepped forward. If Yi Ji-Hyuk was indeed an ability user, this might be resolved quickly, but if he was not, then he had to be protected.
Sacrifice himself and try to widen up some distance. With that, a skilled sniper should be able to hit only the Goblin.
Unfortunately though C the Goblinpletely ignored the resolve of Choi Jung-Hoon, jumped past him, and ran towards Yi Ji-Hyuk standing behind him.
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly shouted out.
What the?! Stop that thing!! Mister Yi Ji...
Before the words Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, run away could leave Choi Jung-Hoons mouth, he could hear an annoyed voice, instead.
Did this b*tch lose its mind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the blink of an eye, Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed the lengthy ear of the Goblin charging at him, spun around, and then, mmed the monster hard on the floor.
Kwahng!!!
A peculiar sound that shouldnt have been heard from a tachi-waza came out. (TL: Tachi-waza is a throw technique performed while standing straight in Judo. Not an expert on that martial art style, so Google it yourselves if youre curious.)
The Goblins body rebounded one metre into the air after hitting the floor.
Just how strong was the mming power that could cause a Goblin to bounce around like that?
Quietly witnessing the scene unfold with a pale face, Choi Jung-Hoon finally got to solve one of the mysteries that had been guing him for some time now.
So, hes a body enhancement type... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons misunderstandings were getting deeper.
< 12. But, I didnt return to do this! -4 > Fin.
Chapter 13: But, I didn’t return to do this! (5)
Chapter 13: But, I didnt return to do this! (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk firmly stepped on the head of the Goblin sprawled on the floor once, before climbing up on its stomach.
You think Im an easy mark? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He raised both of his fists up high, and then, proceeded to pummel the Goblins face with them.
Puk! Puk! Puk!
Take a gander at that waist.
Seeing how Yi Ji-Hyuks waist bounced about energetically everytime he smashed down with his fist, he mustve done this several times before. Seriously, his pounding skill was so good that, if he went to the nearest MMA gym right now, the instructor there might give his heartfelt apuse.
Where did a b*stard like you, that would kiss the ground and tremble in fear ten kilometres away if you saw me back in the other ce, get the balls toe at me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon was ovee with this odd feeling while listening to Yi Ji-Hyuks angry, loud rant.
Hes probably talking to the Goblin, right? (Choi Jung-Hoons internal monologue)
PukPukPuk!!!
Still not stopping his beatdown on the Goblin, Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out.
I said, just when did a weakling like you grow the balls to jump at me, ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Definitely, he must be talking to the Goblin.
Definitely, for sure....
But why am I dripping in cold sweat? (Choi Jung-Hoons internal monologue)
Whenever the fistsnded, the small body of the Goblin rose and fell.
M, mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I think its probably dead now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hearing Choi Jung-Hoons words, Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed the Goblins chin and tilted it this way and that, before clicking his tongue.
Why is it such a weakling? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres no way that things a weakling!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
An ordinary person would die as soon as running into a Goblin. Well, no matter how hard a human trained, it was still very difficult to win against a single chimpanzee with a simr physical size to a Goblin. Humans were like this against regr animals, so how wide the gap would be between a Goblin, a monster no less, and that of a human?
Even teeth couldnt sink into the hardened body of a Goblin. Its physical strength alone could break human bones and rip off flesh simply by grabbing hold.
But, to kill a Goblin with a ground & pound?
As I thought, you are an ability user. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red back as if to say, what the hell are you even on about?
But, I am not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, are you a body enhancement type? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? No, Im not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre not a body enhancement type, yet you still beat up a monster with your bare hands? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got back up to his feet and kicked the bloodied mess of the Goblin a couple of times.
No need for special abilities when handling a weakling like this one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, right. So, you dont even need abilities to do that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im telling you, Im not an user. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the middle of this, Colonel Jeong In-Soo climbed up to the roof, having taken care of the Goblin horde down on the ground.
Just what the hell happened up here? (Jeong In-Soo)
Since he was on the ground, he couldnt have seen what transpired up on the roof. All he heard was a report that said the Goblins were neutralised, and that the situation had been resolved.
Colonel Jeong In-Soo frowned deeply after spotting the dead Goblin lying sprawled on the floor.
What the, you said he was a civilian! (Jeong In-Soo)
Thats his current status. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I was wondering about what made you to bring in a civilian here, but, you shouldve mentioned that hes an ability user. I worried for nothing. (Jeong In-Soo)
Oh, sorry about making you worry. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, its fine. (Jeong In-Soo)
Colonel Jeong In-Soo took a look at the Goblins face and frowned again.
You have beaten it up real good, havent you. (Jeong In-Soo)
The good Colonels eyes then sifted towards Yi Ji-Hyuks fists, whererge drops of blood could still be seen falling down from them.
You an ability user? (Jeong In-Soo)
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Even under this kind of circumstances, Yi Ji-Hyuk remained adamant.
It kinda looks like youre. (Jeong In-Soo)
Nope, not an user. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Colonel Jeong In-Soos brows quivered.
What the?! You say youre not an ability user, even after beating a monster to a bloody pulp? Hey, didnt you beat this thing up? (Jeong In-Soo)
I did. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, youre a bloody ability user! (Jeong In-Soo)
But, Im not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This SOB is?! (Jeong In-Soos internal monologue)
When Jeong In-Soos face reddened up noticeably, Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly got in the middle between the two men.
Hahahaha!! Look, Colonel. This guy is not joking with you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, hes trying to mess with me, is that it? (Jeong In-Soo)
No, nonono. I already told you before. Hes currently a normal civilian. Even if he could kill a Goblin or a buffalo with his bare hands, a civilian is still a civilian. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell are you even talking about? Are you making fun of me? (Jeong In-Soo)
I mean, what can we do? The measurement didnt go past 1000. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What? (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo was bbergasted.
What sort of bulls*it was this?
For real? (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes. The measurement values came out to around 840. Thats why hes a civilian. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah.......
Seeing Jeong In-Soos head slowly nod in an exaggerated manner, Choi Jung-Hoon breathed out a long sigh.
This guy over here, he didnt like ability users. Like, hated them.
This guy was one of those headache-inducing individuals who went around picking fights with every ability user he met, while busy yapping on and on about them popping out of nowhere and grind everyones gears about fighting monsters and some such, while totally disregarding real soldiers and stuff.
The only reason why Choi Jung-Hoon could talk to Jeong In-Soo was simply because, he was a non-ability user. Being affiliated with the KSF, he was not seen as a civilian, but, because he happened to not be an ability user, some form ofmunication could be held between the two men.
It was unknown just what might have happened if Yi Ji-Hyuk was introduced as an ability user. So, it was the right call to reveal the truth and get past this matter smoothly. Besides, Jeong In-Soo was....
Jeong In-Soo suddenly stood up straight and saluted at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Id like to apologise. It was a misunderstanding. (Jeong In-Soo)
....Jeong In-Soo was really cordial towards civilians, after all.
Thispletely unreasonable and stuck-up man, who wanted nothing more than to cause pain in the neck and misery to every single ability user he met, would suddenly be the politest soldier anyone could ever hope to meet.
Gives me goosebumps everytime I see him. And hes not even suffering from a multiple identity disorder, either... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, uh, its alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed flustered by this sudden change.
In that case.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo stopped talking and grinned, before quickly grabbing Yi Ji-Hyuks hand.
Why dont we enjoy a cup of coffee together? (Jeong In-Soo)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soos hand gripped on tighter.
*
....So, the thing is... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hey, you. Dont you have something to do? How about going away for a bit? (Jeong In-Soo)
Id like to do that as well, but Ive been tasked to bring this gentleman back home, you see.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Where is it? Is it far? I can take him for you, instead. (Jeong In-Soo)
The thing is, the Captain told me to take a good care of this, so.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Tell her that I took him home. And if she feels shortchanged by that, then she cane and see me personally. That should do. (Jeong In-Soo)
The left side of Choi Jung-Hoons head began throbbing like hell. A migraine was developing already.
Just what the hell is this situation? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, there were no civilian casualties, and damages to nearby buildings had beenrgely avoided, but still, did it make any sort of sense for the man in charge of the operation to drink coffee with a civilian inside themand centre/tent?
And just why couldnt he ignore this absurd situation altogether, and instead behave like a total nervous wreck?
The reason was quite simple, actually.
If I knew you werent an ability user, Id have introduced myself sooner. By the way, how did you kill that Goblin? (Jeong In-Soo)
It just came at me, so I beat it up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kyah! Of course, of course. If somethingsing at you, then the correct answer is to beat the living daylights out of it. Are your hands okay? (Jeong In-Soo)
They are just fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The face of a Goblin might look full of wrinkles and all that, but its surprisingly hard. But, youre still fine after turning that into a meat paste! You must exercise a lot. (Jeong In-Soo)
Not really, I havent exercised that much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, it must be your inborn talent. A talent, I say! (Jeong In-Soo)
Would you look at his reaction now?
Such a reaction would be epted just fine on most entertainment shows on air today.
Not even caring whether Choi Jung-Hoon was watching or not, Jeong In-Soo was passionately working his schtick. At this rate, pretty soon they might end up calling each other older brother, younger brother, and go somewhere to share a bottle of soju together.
Of course, there was no way hed let that happen. How dare that man try to steal a prey he already called dibs on?
Also, why was Yi Ji-Hyuk, who was so full of sarcasm and thorns back at the KSF, behaving so well here, of all ces...?
*SFX for snack packets rustling*
*SFX for gulping down food*
*SFX for super-fast chewing*
The sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk literally sucking in cold drink and snacks entered Choi Jung-Hoons vision.
Ah, so thats the winning tactic. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Now that he thought about it, when they first met, Yi Ji-Hyuk did empty out several cans of C, and then drank kimchi stew like water, didnt he?
With that in mind, Choi Jung-Hoon took a second look and found that, although Jeong In-Soo was busy running his mouth off, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even really care and threw out one or two simple answers, choosing to devote all his attention on eating only.
*SFX for a loud burp*
Afterpletely emptying out the drinks and snacks, Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned back on the chair and formed a satisfied face.
So, may I ask just how old you are? (Jeong In-Soo)
Mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a sneaky nce at Choi Jung-Hoon.
What? Why?
Do I have to tell you your own age now, too? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
ording to the birth certificate, hes 23. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Aigoo, you have such a baby-like face. I really thought you were still a high school student. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly got up from his seat. Then, he promptly lowered his head.
Thank you for the food. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre leaving already? (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes. Its been a while since Ive been home, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aigoo, so thats how it was. In that case, since the roads could get dangerous, should I loan you an APC? (Jeong In-Soo)
And just which crazy buffoon would roll around in an APC in the middle of a city because of some danger?!
This dude is seriously not right in the head, too. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Ill take him home safely. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon interferred, Jeong In-Soos expression became openly unhappy. However, as if he realised he couldnt vacate his position right now, he took a step back.
Well, this counts as a fated encounter, how about a contact number? (Jeong In-Soo)
He doesnt have a phone. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo licked his lips and retreated peacefully. Such a clean exit seemed suspicious indeed, but it was also not enough to call out on, either.
Well, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon led Yi Ji-Hyuk out of the tent.
Jeong In-Soo quietly watched them leave, and when they had gotten far enough away, he asked the Executive Officer who was in the middle of handing out orders.
Oi, XO. (Jeong In-Soo) (TL: XO = Executive Officer)
Yes, Commander.
Can our boys fight a Goblin barehanded and win? (Jeong In-Soo)
Bare handed, you say? How many men?
One on one. (Jeong In-Soo)
Eii, thats just impossible.
You think so? (Jeong In-Soo)
Even if we gave them a sword, unless its the properly trained boys, they wont be able to kill a Goblin, sir. Those monsters arent the type to feel pain by getting hit with a humans fist, and even if stabbed by a sword, the de doesnt even go all that deep, anyway. Because of their physical strength, even the joint locks dont work. If theres a scuffle breaking out, you know very well that the arms and legs of our boys would be ripped out, instead.
Right. That is the norm. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo nodded his head exaggeratedly and spoke.
In that case, what do you think will happen if its a guy whos not an ability user but might be one? If we hand over an M60 to him, hed be exactly like Rambo, no? (Jeong In-Soo)
Being strong doesnt necessarily equate to fighting well, sir. However, itd be fun to train someone like that, surely. With enough training, not only would he kill monsters well, he would also cut off the necks of those ability user b*stards, too.
Right, that might be so. (Jeong In-Soo)
Even Jeong In-Soo knew this was a meaningless dream. The army was a ce where, rather than investing 100 into a single person in order to gain a return of 100, invest 10 on ten people to extract 80, instead. In other words, a ce that made possible for ten people to do the same job as a single elite possessing an ability of 100.
The reason for that was, if an elite got killed in action, then there would be no immediate countermeasures for that, but with investment of time and money, the strength of an army could be increased at will.
Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed incredible abilities, establishing a suitable method of training and equipment that matched him, as well as trainingbat protocol, would end up being a massive undertaking. And it was also inefficient, too. Such a thing was for the KSF to fumble about.
So, he should totally forget about this whole thing, yet, he couldnt let it gopletely.
By the way, I wonder if hes been to the army already? (Jeong In-Soo)
And so, the lingering attachment began to tighten around Yi Ji-Hyuks neck.
< 13. But, I didnt return to do this! -5 > Fin
Chapter 14: What a “soya powder” family (1)
Chapter 14: What a soya powder family (1)
(TL: A soya powder family is a Korean ng term denoting a totally dysfunctional family and all the dynamics thate with one.)
Well, then C until next time, take care. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, thank you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon waved his hand outside the cars window, and then drove away.
However, did Yi Ji-Hyuk make a mistake when he thought he saw a mysterious hint of relief briefly shing by on Choi Jung-Hoons face? Probably.
My home is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
He groaned out while gazing at the apartment building that looked even more ancient than the Jugong building from before.
They mustve been suffering a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There wouldnt be a reason for anyone to leave behind a perfectly nice home and move to an even worse ce. However, judging by the fact that they were still staying at an apartment, the financial health of the family must not had declinedpletely, it seemed.
While riding in Choi Jung-Hoons car, he got to learn about quite a few things. Well after the advent of the ck Monday hade and gone, many folks who had lost their jobs and were worrying about their livelihood, continued to appear everywhere. Some stability had finally settled on the world, yet, there were still a lot of people going through hardship at the moment.
The financial state of Yi Ji-Hyuks household before his excursion to Berafe couldnt have been described as secure, but neither was his family starving outright. His mom worked in a restaurant, while his dad was a perennial middle-level manager in a middling corporation. And also...
I wonder, has Ye-Won grown up well...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thest time he saw his little sister was when she was still a fifth year elementary schooler, so she shouldve be a high school student by now. Thinking of a little kid that kept on chasing after him while calling out Oppa, oppa, brought a smile to his lips.
He entered the foyer and climbed into the elevator. Exiting on the seventh floor, he searched for the apartment number written on the piece of paper.
Its already sote now.
What with being dragged around here and there, the time now had passed 11 in the evening. The first day of his return to this world wasing to a close. Although it sure had been a colourful day so far, it was a relief to return to the loving embrace of his family at the end of it all.
He took a quick breath and pressed the doorbell.
Ttingtong~
C Who is it?
A familiar voice came out from the inte.
Ah, its really mom this time. (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
Mom, its me.
C Who is me?
Its me, mom. Its Ji-Hyuk.
A heavy breathing could be heard from the other side of the door. Her reply couldnt he heard.
Mom, it is really me, so please open the door. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Ji, Ji-Hyuk-ah!!!!
A loud cry that bordered on screaming, and a couple of thudding footsteps, could be heard from other side of the door.
Then, the said door got flung open, and a woman leapt out from within. When she spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk, she powerfully hugged him.
My boy!!! Aigoo, its my boy!!
Mom!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even in the midst of this, Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily confirmed moms face first. Well, hed like to avoid an event simr to thest time, after all.
Aigoo, my son! We thought you had perished!!
Yep, you registered me as a deceased already. Without hesitation, even. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was slightly annoyed inside, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt show that outwardly. It was his fault for disappearing for five years beforeing back, after all. It should be more strange to say they didnt wait for him for five years, especially under the current state the world was in.
Just what were you doing until now? Just what?
Im not sure myself. Might getplicated if I tried to exin it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, no, its fine. It doesnt matter what youve been doing. Lets go in, my boy.
Mom wiped tears off her face and continued to pat Yi -Ji-Hyuks back.
This... this feels kinda strange. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He did feel good and happy after seeing his mom, but still, his emotions didnt waver enough for tears to flood out, either. No, instead, it felt like his emotions were acting up only because his head said now was the correct time to feel emotional.
This might be an obvious urrence, though. To Yi Ji-Hyuk, thest time he saw his mom was the proverbial eons ago, yet, it could also be seen as the proverbial yesterday, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuk entered the apartment, pulled in by moms hands.
His heart quivered faintly, but his mind didnt seem like so. Just how much did they suffer? While he was absent, just how bad have the situation with his family be, what with monsters appearing everywhere?
Mom, dont you worry now. Ill soon make lots of money, and then.... Then...
Eh? Whats going on? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ce was.... huge.
No, not only that. The furniture filling up the house seemed somewhat more upmarket than what he remembered, too.
Huh?!
Now that he took another look, the clothing on mom seemed luxurious as well, with all those fur bits ruffling about.
From the outside, this whole apartment looked ancient and decrepit, yet the inside was somewhat unexpectedly grand.
Yi Ji-Hyuk settled down on the couch that shined brilliantly and tried to console his mom. Mom continued to pat and stroke her sons face and back, while simultaneously wiping away her tears.
Some amount of time was needed before mom could calm down sufficiently enough. Even though her pounding heart had regainedposure, she still held onto his hands tightly and didnt let go.
And she began sobbing once more after hearing her son couldnt remember the events of the past five years. But she still patted his head while repeatedly mentioning how relieved she was when he told her that he was only able toe home after regaining his mind earlier in the day.
Mom, just how did we get this ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom wiped away the pooled tears and smiled brightly.
What do you mean, how? With money, of course! (mom)
Where did we get that money from? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You really dont remember anything, do you, son? The one thing thats avable in abundance is empty houses. You know, what with many people dying. Also, a Gate opened in the vicinity, so the prices around here are really low, you see? (mom)
Eh?
Ohoho~. Its 48 pyeong here, but cost us less than half the price of the old house. Thats why we moved. (TL: 1 pyeong = 3.3058 square metre.)
So, thats how it was.
Really, this was for the best.
Yet, why was he feeling this hollow emptiness right now?
Then, what about the furniture? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your father works for an energypany, no? (mom)
Okay.
Nowadays, thosepanies make a lot of money, you see? I cant even tell you just how high your fathers sry has be now. (mom)
Oh.....
So, even dad was doing really well.
What a relief.
He shouldve been relieved, yet why did he feel so weird right now?
Look how thin your face has be. Aigoo, my boy... (mom)
Mom, my face looks exactly the same as it was five years ago. Even if you deduct the calories I used up today, my face has not thinned even by a single millimetre. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom stroked Yi Ji-Hyuks face repeatedly, before resolutely making an announcement.
You must have suffered so much hardship, getting so thin like this. But, dont you worry about a thing anymore. Mom will take care of everything! (mom)
But, those lines werent supposed to be spoken by mom...
Those shouldve been my lines... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres nothing for you to worry about now. Just trust your mom from now on! (mom)
Even those shouldve been my lines.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How odd.
Whenever he thought about his family while still stuck in Berafe, he nned to say those words out aloud when hed eventually make his return.
He had spent many hundreds of years dreaming of what he should do, if he got to return home. Hell, he was this close to perfectly organising every solution to all the problems he might face this side.
However... even before it could properly start, Yi Ji-Hyuks Family Support Project that he had mapped out for centuries, was torpedoed already.
Wheres dad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my!! Ipletely forgot! (mom)
Mom hurriedly pulled out her phone and called someone.
Dear! Where are you?! Come home, right now, quickly!! Ji-Hyuk came back. Your son Yi Ji-Hyuk came back home!! Ng? No, Im saying, its Ji-Hyuk.... Wait, are you drinking right now, dear? (mom)
The tone of her voice was gradually rising up higher.
And Yi Ji-Hyuk found himself slowly retreating into the farthest ends of the couch, away from her.
What in the zing hell do you mean, you want to see him?! I told you, hes home right now!! Just how much did you drink that you cant even understand what Im shouting about?! You know what, donte home!! Just b****r off, you bloody idiot!!! On a day like today, you drown in liquor until you p*ss on yourself?! The moment youe home, Im going to kill you, you hear?! (mom)
And the call got ended there quite violently.
Mom quickly took several deep breaths topose herself, then a gentle smile formed on her lips and she began patting Yi Ji-Hyuks head. Somewhat thankfully, she didnt seem to notice him getting ever so slightly startled by her approaching hands.
Your father might be arriving home a bitte today. (mom)
But, you just told him to b****r off, mom... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, he couldnt say that out aloud.
Well, being a sryman, youll have to meet clients every now and then, and work can get busy sometimes, right? (mom)
Ah, so thats why you told him hed be a dead meat if hees back home. So he can remain busy.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm. Right, right. My son....
Perhaps recognising that she had shown a side of her that shouldnt be shown to her missing-for-5-years son, mom became quite embarrassed. And well, wasnt it a proper disy of filial piety to help disperse that embarrassment in moments like this one?
Mom, Im starving. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? Right, you must be hungry. Mom will ready dinner for you quickly. (mom)
Okay.
While wiping the tears away from her eyes, mom headed off to the kitchen.
What was filial piety, by the way? Its actually giving ones parents a peace of mind, really.
Satisfied now, Yi Ji-Hyuk gazed at moms departing back. However, moms thought train seemed to have headed to elsewhere.
This wont do. There are nothing but leftovers. Wait a little while longer. Mom will have to go to the shops for a bit. (mom)
Uh? Mom, Its midnight already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill go to a supermarket that opens for 24 hours. Wait for me. Ill finish shopping really quickly. For today, well just have to make do with Bulgogi and doenjang stew. Tomorrow, I promise, momlle up with something even more delicious. (TL: Bulgogi is a beef dish. Very tasty. And anyone whos read a Korean novel before should know what is a doenjang stew by now... If not, Google can exin far better than I can.)
Mom?! Its midnight, right now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wonder if the veggies are still fresh, what with hours being sote and all. Son, you can watch the house alone for a little bit, yes? (mom)
Moooom!! Its 12 in the night! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She was exactly like an unstoppable bulldozer.
Only after he had begged her that he was too hungry to wait and she should just give him whatever was left in the house, along with a promise of eating something good on the following day, mom began preparing the meal.
She only pulled out some leftover dishes from the fridge and some soup, yet it looked like a veritable feast to his eyes. It wasnt simply because his moms cooking skills or whatever, but actually, every type of cuisine from the Earth felt like a feast to Yi Ji-Hyuk at this moment.
Stuff from the other side wasnt on the level of whether he could adopt to the taste or not. He just shoved them in, that was all.
And just as he was about to eat his first spoonful while deeply moved by this sight, the front door was pushed open, apanied by the electronic door lock bleeping.
Uh? The man of this house has arrived, yet no one opens the door for him?!
It was a somewhat inebriated voice.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from his seat.
Aigoo, you foolish man!! Just how much did you drink today?! (mom)
Ohhh, is my lovely madam Park feeling lonely today? Busy talking about a son, out of the blue like that. How bout it? Wanna make another son today?
Annnnd, with the repeated sounds of her palm pping something, dads screams could be heard. Carrying an awkward expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk popped his head around the corner and showed himself.
Dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh, uh? Hang on, who are.... (dad)
Its me, Ji-Hyuk.
Yes, Ji-Hyuk is my sons name, but.... Uh? (dad)
Dad began inspecting Yi Ji-Hyuks face with a pair of reddened eyes, before he cried out in rm.
J, Ji-Hyuk-ah!!!!!!
Dad!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dad powerfully embraced him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk could feel dads thin.... no wait, surprisingly strong arms wrapping around him.
Has dad been working out? If he hugged any tighter, Yi Ji-Hyuks spine might break in half.
You unfilial son!! My son!! (dad)
Yes, dad. Ivee home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, right! Right, my son! Its fine, fine... (dad)
Dad firmly held Yi Ji-Hyuks face with both of his hands and stared long and hard, before opening his mouth.
By the way, who are you? (dad)
....................
AIGOO!!!! You stupid husband of mine!!! (mom)
And so, pinkish handprints became engraved on dads back nonstop. Along with Chwack, Chwack!!, sounds of harsh impacts.
Dads body twerked painfully every time moms hand spat out the proverbial mes. (Not real mes, obvs.) This scene reminded one of the distant past when the ves were getting mercilessly whipped by their masters.
R, right, Ji, Ji-Hyuk!! Ji-Hyuk-ah, youvee home. (dad)
Yes, dad.
Right, my boy! Just why have you onlye home now? You foolish son of mine! (dad)
Thick tears fell from dads eyes.
Something happened back then. Im truly sorry, dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, no. Everythings fine now. Youvee home, so its all good. All.... (dad)
As if it was difficult to control the overwhelming emotions, dads head dropped lower as he continuously wiped his tears away. He trembled ever so gently while rubbing his face, before raising his head again and firmly grasping Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders.
By the way, who are you and what are you doing in my house.... (dad)
Please stop!!
Please stop with this. My dad wasnt like this at all!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When dad began spouting out nonsense once more, mom wordlessly dragged her husband and deposited him into the couch.
Dear, please get me a cup of honey tea. (dad)
Better shut your damn mouth unless you want see blood. (mom)
....Yes, maam.
Moms thick killing intent seemed to be rather effective in dispersing dads intoxication.
Yi Ji-Hyuk went back to the kitchen and sat down on the dining chair. It looked increasingly likely that the joyful reunion with his dad would have to be postponed until the following morning. So, he should just finish this meal first...
*SFX for electronic door lock bleeping*
*SFX for a door being pushed open*
The front door was pushed open gantly, and yet another figure stepped in.
< 14. What a soya powder family -1 > Fin.
Chapter 15: What a “soya powder” family (2)
Chapter 15: What a soya powder family (2)
Swiiiish!!
At the same time, moms head rapidly turned towards the door.
Yah, you rotten girl, have you any idea what time it is now?! (mom)
Argh, what now? Its not thatte, so whats up?! (daughter)
A girl Yi Ji-Hyuk never saw before entered the house.
However, her attire seemed a bit suspect.
She was wearing a pair of white hotpants, but, said hotpants were really short. No matter who saw it, they would have to say, that thing might as well have been underwear, instead. And to add to this, she also wore a thin, loose-fitting blouse on top, causing a sense of fashion unbnce there. Up until to this part, one might be tempted to say, Oh, she knows how to y around a bit, doesnt she?
However...
A blonde?!
Her hair reaching down past the shoulders was golden in colour. She was a blonde. Not dyed in brte, but actual, bona fide blonde.
Definitely a hooligan. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although her face looked young, by checking out her fashion sense and that hair style, anyone could tell that she was a total lowlife scum.
And why did a kid like that barge into my home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dad! You are drunk again?! This is why I dont wannae home, seriously!! Argh, so irritating! (daughter)
Dad. She said dad....
Since that thuggish girl uttered out the word that denotes ones biological paternal parent, it means my dad is that girls old man too, and that girl also happens to be my dads daughter... And my dad is, uh, my dad, and then, Im my dads son, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, the thug-like girls eyes met Yi Ji-Hyuks.
And who the hell are you? (daughter)
The person replying to that cheeky girls grating voice was mom.
Its your Oppa! Your Oppa, Ji-Hyuk!! (mom)
My Oppa? (daughter)
The ruffian chick began scanning Yi Ji-Hyuk top to bottom.
Oppa. Mom said Oppa...
That means, this girl is my younger sibling. Mmm.... My dongsaeng... Just what happened during the five years I went missing for a dongsaeng I never had before to pop out like this? Besides, my only other dongsaeng is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: dongsaeng is a collective noun denoting a younger sibling, regardless of gender.)
Ji-Hyuk-ah, this is your sister, Ye-Won. (mom)
...Right, I only have Ye-Won as my sister.
Ye-Won. Our little Ye-Won...
Our little cry-baby Ye-Won, who kept on crying because a boy named Chang-Sik in her ss bullied her.
Our little Ye-Won, who pped in delight like a circus seal when I Brazilian Kick-ed Chang-Siks chin.
Our kind-hearted little Ye-Won, who wanted nothing more than to sleep next to her Oppa whenever it rained hard.
So, in other words, the most cutest girl in the whole world, our Ye-Won, is standing over there.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue. Lol. Hes defo confused...)
Ye-Won?
Right, this crazy, uninhibited blondie just so happens to be our kind little Ye-Won...
Just what the f*ck happened in thest five years for a gentle, sane-minded child to be a crazy b*tch?!
Really, does this world not have a god? Not even a buddha?!
Do I need to drag Latrel over to this side now?
Do I need to call Berafe and inquire whats the going rate for renting out a god of Light nowadays?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
After checking out Yi Ji-Hyuk from top to bottom in a rather disrespectful manner, Ye-Won then sneered.
Oppa? What Oppa? A guy whos been AWOL for five years suddenly appears and wishes to be treated like one? (Yi Ye-Won)
But, uh, I never said that, though?
Id like not to be treated as your Oppa from now on. No, hang on a minute. To be brutally honest with you all, Id like not to be associated with you,pletely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you f*cking with me?! Oppa, my a*s!! (Ye-Won)
This rotten kid!! Watch what you say in front of your older brother!! (mom)
And, as the somewhat moving sight of a mother and a daughter sharing their intense emotions continued to unfold, dad stopped watching it and stood up from the couch.
Aigoo, my daughter came home? Give your daddy a hug, will you dear? (dad)
Hey, you moronic husband! Just go to sleep already!! Just go!! (mom)
There just isnt a single godd*mn day in this family thats normal!! Seriously, this is so f*cking irritating!! (Ye-Won)
An utterly incoherent father, and a younger sister busy grumbling in irritation. And in the middle of them, a mother who was shouting at the both parties.
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a long look at this sight, chuckled quietly to himself, and sat back down on the dining table to finish his meal.
After taking the first spoonful of now-cold miyeok soup, he raised his head up once more and found a family of three who were busy arguing with one another, fingers wagging and all. (TL: a miyeok is a strand of edible seaweed.)
Mm. So, what was this... This situation... Mm.
What would be the perfectly apt term to describe this situation....?
That should be...
What a soya powder family this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now, that was just perfect!
Yes, it was a perfect fit indeed, yet, for some weird reason, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes were getting moist.
He wiped the rapidly-moistening eyes and silently continued eating the bowl of miyeok soup.
Whatever the case might have been, he had returned home after spending an exorbitant amount of time away.
Get out!! You stupid husband!!! (mom)
....However, he might get chased out again at this rate...
*
Choi Jung-Hoon reported back every little thing he went through, without leaving anything out.
A body enhancement type? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young tilted her head.
Are you sure about this? (Seo Ah-Young)
I am not 100% sure but, if he wasnt a body enhancement type, then itd have been physically impossible to beat up a Goblin as if it was rice cake dough. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That is true, but still.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Turning a Goblin into a meat paste wasnt all that difficult to do, if one was an ability user. Even a noob elementary user could defeat a Goblin in a one-on-one battle.
However, the story changed if one were to mount on top of a Goblin and pound it to the ground.
Without being a body enhancement type, no one would be able to do something like that. The Goblin trapped below grabbing onto legs or the waist would result in legs getting broken and waist being torn out in half, after all.
Gah-Yun-ah, whats your opinion on this? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs gaze went past Choi Jung-Hoon.
*SFX for fabric silently rustling*
In the empty space behind Choi Jung-Hoon, a silhouette of a person slowly emerged.
However, both Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon were not surprised in the slightest.
And the person who finally emerged was a young girl with a bob-cut hairstyle.
Nothing much. (Gah-Yun)
Really? (Seo Ah-Young)
The young girl called Gah-Yun nodded her head.
Ether reaction, a level of an ordinary human. When fighting Goblin, also an ordinary level of Ether reaction. Fighting style, not organised, but practical. (Gah-Yun)
But, he did kill a Goblin using an Ether reactionparable to an ordinary person, no? (Seo Ah-Young)
A momentary flux of Ether detected. The Ether operation, extremely efficient. However, considering the amount, still ordinary. (Gah-Yun)
Seo Ah-Youngs brows narrowed.
She might possess good eyes to spot talent, but this girl standing in front of her was very objective in her observation. When two opinions collided, it was usually the young girls that proved to be correct.
What about his growth potential, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
Extremely low. (Gah-Yun)
Any possibility of him hiding something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Somewhat likely. (Gah-Yun)
Exin it more. (Seo Ah-Young)
The Ether value less than 1000, difficult to detect Ether in ones body, equally difficult to train. Thus, must consider, unable to use Ether. (Gah-Yun)
Right. That is why only those with values over 1000 are treated as ability users. (Seo Ah-Young)
His Ether, 800. However, his proficiency in Ether control, above expert level. Most likely, he encountered a lucky chance, sensed Ether in body. Continuously trained, since then. (Gah-Yun)
So, does that mean he can use abilities? (Seo Ah-Young)
Impossible. (Gah-Yun)
Woooowoooowooowooo...........
Seo Ah-Young grabbed her head and shook it. Her hair came loose rather messily thanks to that.
Look like an old hag. Ugly. (Gah-Yun)
Shut up! Im still in my prime, you know?! (Seo Ah-Young)
A wilting flower. (Gah-Yun)
Get the eff out!! You little... (Seo Ah-Young)
The pen in Seo Ah-Youngs hand flew like a bullet towards Gah-Yuns direction. But the young girl simply snatched it off the air and spoke.
A problem? (Gah-Yun)
Seo Ah-Young opened the drawer on her desk and pulled out a new pen.
It feels like were missing something, somehow. (Seo Ah-Young)
Why? (Gah-Yun)
Its his attitude thats the problem. (Seo Ah-Young)
Difficult to understand. (Gah-Yun)
Seo Ah-Young nced at Choi Jung-Hoon. He nodded his head and agreed with his bosss opinion.
Anyone with only a regr level of abilities C no, even a fifth level ability user would start getting nervous the moment they step into the KSFs interview rooms. Especially so with ability users, because they dont usually get to feel the pressure of daily lives. But, with mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, although we had him confined to the room and pressured him for some length of time, he was acting like an elementary schooler out on a school field trip. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young added her own voice then.
So, the conclusion is, either hes a powerful ability user who can take the KSF very lightly, or a loon with a dozen screws missing in his head, but.... (Seo Ah-Young)
The young girl, Doh Gah-Yun tilted her head.
Possibility of him not having information on this ce, thus not being scared? (Gah-Yun)
This was the guy, while able to see a cordon of armed soldiers just past the toughened acrylic ss surrounding all around him, proceeded to draw a pair of hearts after blowing on that said acrylic ss. (Seo Ah-Young)
A certainty, his screws missing. (Gah-Yun)
It wouldve been wonderful if that was the case, but he did blow away a Jarchevs head and pounded a Goblin to death. (Seo Ah-Young)
The girl nodded her head if she understood.
Impossible to determine. (Gah-Yun)
Yeah, thats what Ive been saying. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young sighed out and asked.
If that b*stard is really somehow hiding his true abilities, then how high would his ability level be, in your estimation? (Seo Ah-Young)
Impossible to evade my detection during operation of Ether. But, if possible, then judging his level, very difficult. Estimation by reverse calction, then at minimum, above level eight. (Gah-Yun)
An eighth level, you say.... (Seo Ah-Young)
There were only a handful of the level eight users in Korea. And that was the lower end of estimation. So, it was pretty unimaginable what Yi Ji-Hyuks true ability level could actually be.
How high is the possibility? (Seo Ah-Young)
3%. (Gah-Yun)
Its a lot less than before? (Seo Ah-Young)
The higher the level, the harder it is to block the dispersion of Ether. Especially, when trying to enhance ones body, the stronger the flow. An impossible ability. 3% only after considering the situation and my potentially deceived judgement. The realistic percentage, zero. (Gah-Yun)
So, its a Nagari. (Seo Ah-Young) (TL: This is a Go-Stop card game reference. For the game itself, you can check out Wikipedia. Basically, it means whatever has been happening, its all meaningless/gone to sh*t.)
Seo Ah-Young asked Choi Jung-Hoon this time.
What about surveince? (Seo Ah-Young)
For now, everyones in ce. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young finally came to a decision after a lengthy deliberation.
We will maintain the surveince for a fortnight only. Report back to me if there is any form of movement from his side during this time period, and if we find nothing remarkable by then, we will change how we deal with this mark. Hand this matter over to the support and management department. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned slightly.
But, can the S&M department handle someone whose abilities and pretty much everything about him are aplete mystery? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Doesnt mean we can continue watching him forever, though. If hes a thorn hidden at the bottom of our pocket, then he will pop out sooner orter. (Seo Ah-Young)
That is true, indeed... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When the specialw governing ability users was first enacted, quite a few of said users criticised it for being utterly pointless. The argument was that, why would anyone suffer the disadvantages by registering, when they could simply hide their powers and carry on with their lives?
If one were to think about it logically, then their view was indeed correct. Unfortunately, the matter of the world didnt always revolve in the most logical fashion.
The unregistered ability users ended up using their powers anyways. One got p*ss drunk and started a fire, some went on crime spree, and others came up with a variety of creative ways to utilise their powers.
The issue was with how they went about using their powers. It was almost impossible for a person to live on while trying topletely forget that he or she possessed special powers.
Well, if one were blessed with a pair of wings, wouldnt that person want to experience flying, at least once?
And then, would there be anyone in this world who didnt want to fly again, after having been to the skies already?
That was the meaning behind Seo Ah-Youngs words, and Choi Jung-Hoon agreed with her.
If they watched that guy long enough, then hed slip up and use his powers in some way C and then, thered be no god dang way hed talk his way out of that one!!
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon gazed at each other and smirked. And the young girl watching the two tilted her head slightly.
An office waifu? (Gah-Yun)
Get the hell out, you dumba*s!! (Seo Ah-Young)
< 15. What a soya powder family -2 > Fin.
Chapter 16: What a “soya powder” family (3)
Chapter 16: What a soya powder family (3)
In conclusion, Seo Ah-Youngs and Choi Jung-Hoons wishes were nothing more than an impossible dream.
It was indeed true that a person possessing super powers would feel the undeniable urge to try his or her abilities out sooner orter.
Unfortunately, what this duo failed to even realise was the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt a noob ability user who had only awakened his powers mere five years ago. He was a sorcerer who had climbed to the very peak in sorcery, as well as a schr of magic who had touched upon the threshold of the Truth.
In other words, there was no freaking way he would act like a noob magician wanting so badly to show off his magic skills and whatnot.
And currently, the Nightmare of Berafe, the Bringer of Apocalypse, was staring at the dining room table,pletely dazed and speechless.
*SFX for meat sizzling on grill*
The sound of meat being grilled was one of the most enjoyable noises anyone could ever hope to hear.
However, even those anyone would feel a bit awkward after seeing meat being grilled atop a table full of a veritable feast of food this early in the morning.
Ribeyes in the morning? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks mom, madam Park Seon-Duk, couldnt catch a wink during the night due to the sheer joy she felt at her sons return after five years of absence. And then, that joy had transformed in full into the energy that spurred on the instincts of the housewife, the result now being disyed rather proudly on the dining table.
His mouth watered as he looked at the steaming bowl of samgyetang sitting pretty next to his rice bowl. (TL: samgyetang is basically a chicken stew with lots of expensive ingredients thrown in, such as high-grade ginseng. Seen as a health food more than a regr dish.)
Now, now, now. Chew slowly, and eat lots, okay? (Mom, Park Seon-Duk)
Warmth could be felt from her gentle eyes gazing at him.
But still, isnt this a wee bit too much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could ept both the ribeyes and samgyetang, sure, but just when did she find the time to cook up bulgogi and galbi-jjim? Also, that steamed whole chicken over there, didnt that, like, take a whoopa*s long time to cook? (TL: Oh, boy. Im getting hungry TLing this. You guys should know whats a bulgogi is by now; galbi-jjim is braised short ribs.)
Meat over here, meat over there. Meat everywhere.
This was a feast consisting of easy-to-digest meat dishes only.
My son, you love meat, right? (mom)
That was why Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly hoovered up the meat.
This was excessive. Excessive, indeed, yet... this was also very good.
Its meat, after all. MEAT!!
Uh? Whats all this? (Dad)
Dad finished up getting ready for work and came to the kitchen for breakfast, only for his eyes to gopletely round at the sight.
Are we having a party in the morning or something? (Dad)
Our child returned home, so isnt that a reason enough to have a party? (Mom)
Huhuh, this is....
Dad sat down on his seat. And madam Park Seon-Duk ced only a bowl of rice and soup in front of him.
After checking out the moist cooked rice and tasty-looking miyeok soup, dad cautiously asked.
What about samgyetang? (Dad)
Miyeok soup is good for your health. (Mom)
But, samgyetang is also good for me... (Dad)
Mom declined to reply any further.
Wisely enough, dad also didnt ask anymore as well. Although it did feel a bit depressing, he couldnt really expect to receive a simr sort of treatment like his son who had just returned home after going missing for five years, no?
Dad then directed his chopsticks towards the ribeyes soaked in tasty gravy, almost cooked to perfection atop the grill.
Ohh, this looks really delici... (Dad)
Then, a pair of tongs rapidly dug in front and shoved away the chopsticks, before snatching away the ribeye portion.
And the very same portion that had endlessly tempted dads palette proudly showed off its soft, sizzled sides whilending on top of Yi Ji-Hyuks rice bowl.
Eat well, my boy. (mom)
Ng, thanks mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There, there. (mom)
Dad stared at the sight with a pleased expression. But, although his mind felt all warm and fuzzy, his hands felt somewhat awkwardly empty at the same time.
Huhuh. Right, eat well, my son. (Dad)
Yes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dads chopsticks headed towards another well-cooked piece of ribeye once more.
Tak!!
However, a pair of tongs descended smoothly and shoved away his chopsticks again, picked up the very portion of meat and delivered it to Yi Ji-Hyuks bowl.
Tak!
Tak, tak!!
When the same thing happened a couple more times, dad put down his chopsticks and raised his voice in a huff.
What are you doing?! (Dad)
What!! (Mom)
I am the head of this family!! Treat me at least a little better than this!! (Dad)
Youre being noisy!! Our kid might get indigestion!! (Mom)
Groan~. (Dad)
Dads shoulders drooped noticeably. Sure, his level of importancepared to a son who had just returned after five years was far, far lower, but still, as the head of this family, couldnt he be allowed to eat one single piece of meat, at the very least?
Dad gave up on the grilled meat and instead reached out to galbi-jjim with his chopsticks.
Tak!
And.... dads despairing eyes were directed towards madam Park Seon-Duk, but her tongs remained merciless.
Dear..... (Dad)
Meat dishes arent good for relieving a hangover, so eat the soup, instead. Just the soup. (Mom)
And just who came up with the notion of meat not being good for a hangover?!
Dad was just about to start his counter argument, but then, spotted the wifeys eyes that screamed lets see what happens when you utter out one more word and he quietly poured the rice into his soup. (TL: In Korean dining culture, soup and rice dishes are supposed to bebined into one. Not always the case, but most people eat that way.)
I should drink a bit less from now on. (Dad)
How could he expect a gentle treatment after he couldnt even recognise his own missing-for-five-years son and behaved like an utter moron?
Right, Ji-Hyuk-ah. (Dad)
Yi Ji-Hyuk put his spoon down and gazed at his dad.
Mm... So, what am I supposed to say here? (Dad)
If dad were to meet his son with a clear head first, there shouldve been lots of things to say, for sure. More than likely, he might have broken down into sobs and tears. But, after putting on such a disgraceful actst night, he hadnt the foggiest clue what to say, now that his head was much clearer.
To be emotional now was a bit awkward, and to be all rational now was also a bit embarrassing as well.
So, well, this is... (Dad)
When dad remained hesitant for a while, moms eyes became more hostile.
Just speak up whats on your mind already, will you!! What are you doing, forcing your son to stop eating?! (Mom)
Ah, right, uh... Wee back, son. (Dad)
Thanks, dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lets eat. Yes. Eat. (Dad)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk resumed stuffing the food into his mouth.
Bulgogi became bulgogi noodles and got sucked in like a stream, and galbi-jjim transformed into white, spotless bones and were piled neatly to one side. And a dish of stir-fried noodles was gone without a trace after only two swishes of his chopsticks.
Couldnt you at least leave me behind something? (Dad)
Dad sucked on his spoon regretfully.
It was then, Yi Ye-Won emerged from her room, wearing the school uniform.
Eat your breakfast. (Mom)
Dont wanna. Im going to school. (Yi Ye-Won)
Just eat your dang food already, will you!! Its not even thatte anyway, so whats the rush? (Mom)
Eii, sh*t. (Yi Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won grumbled as she sat down on her seat.
Whats up with this meat party? I can see nothing but meat here. (Yi Ye-Won)
Your Oppa likes his meat, doesnt he? (Mom)
What an overkill. (Yi Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won sneaked a nce at Yi Ji-Hyuk in the middle of his bulgogi-sucking escapades. When their gazes met, he carefully slid the bulgogi dish towards her.
Want some? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah?! (Yi Ye-Won)
So, she could impart such a variety of negative emotions with a single word, huh.
Her ability to form expressions is top notch. She could even be an actress in the future. Probably. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled the bulgogi dish back.
And why was she acting so irritable since yesterday, anyways?
Yi Ye-Won mixed in her rice with soup and feigned eating it for a couple of spoons, before standing up from her seat.
Mom. (Yi Ye-Won)
What? (Mom)
Gimme pocket money. (Yi Ye-Won)
Moms eyes became super-sharp.
Why are you asking for money, when it hasnt even been that long since I gave you some? (Mom)
I spent it all up by buying supplementary textbooks, you know! (Yi Ye-Won)
Textbooks?! TEXTBOOKS?!?! You bought books??? Maybe a stray dog passing by bought those books. No way in a blue moon youll buy a dang textbook!! (Mom)
Mom?! (Yi Ye-Won)
Go to school, before I rip that hair off your scalp!! Also, didnt I tell you to dye that hair of yours? Yet why are you still walking around looking like that? (Mom)
Everyone rocks this look now, so why are you only picking on me? (Yi Ye-Won)
Just who is this everyone? Look outside! I dare you to find anyone with a canary hair like yours walking around!! (Mom)
Eiii!!! Seriously now!! (Yi Ye-Won)
Just as Yi Ye-Won abruptly turned around and headed towards the front door, dad let out a fake cough and stood up as well. And then, after sneakily checking out moms mood, he slyly handed over a couple of ?50,000 notes over to his daughter who was busy putting on her shoes. (TL: ?50,000 = around $46)
She grinned faintly and pocketed the cash; meanwhile, witnessing this scene unfold, mom began shouting again.
Why are you giving her money? Why? Are you going to take responsibility when she develops rotten habits?! (Mom)
Keuheuheuheum.
Dad continued to let out several fake coughs and avoided moms eyes.
You think youre a parent just because you gave her some cash? You cant even say anything useful about her appearance at all, yet you give her money so she can fool around even more?! Dear, are you an insane idiot, or a sane idiot?! (Mom)
Come on now, she said she doesnt have any pocket money. (Dad)
Im off now. (Yi Ye-Won)
As if she feared her money might get confiscated, Yi Ye-Won hurriedly opened the door and left. Watching that, moms eyes were set aze.
And just why would she becking in money, ah? Its all because shes wasting it away! (Mom)
Hm, hm. Ah, thats right. Ji-Hyuk-ah. (Dad)
Dad urgently changed the topic.
Dad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here, take this. (Dad)
From dads wallet, several stiff banknotes exited andnded into his hands.
But, I dont need money, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you have any cash on you? (Dad)
No. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, take it. A man is supposed to feel secure when his pockets are secure, understand? (Dad)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk remained hesitant, mom snatched the money off and pushed it into her sons pocket.
Why are you hesitating, son? Your father is giving you, so you should quietly ept it. Mom will open a bank ount in your name soon, so use this until then, okay? (Mom)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom, isnt this treatmentpletely the opposite to how you treat your daughter? (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
Dad quickly evaded nagging from his wife and left for work. Mom then carefully stared at her son for a while, before speaking out as if she had made up her mind.
Lets go. (Mom)
Mm? Go where? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Moms restaurant. (Mom)
Mom, you still work in a restaurant? (Yi Ji-HYuk)
Mom grinned softly.
Im not working in the kitchen there, you know. Its our restaurant. (Mom)
It seemed that she had opened her own ce. In only five short years, the familys house became twice as big and they owned a business now. Sadly, the family seemed to have grown more prosperous after Yi Ji-Hyuk was gone.
Huh? Now that I thought about it that way, I kinda feel a bit odd, dont I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why do I need to go that restaurant, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I am worried about leaving you alone here. I was nning to take the day off today, but since thats impossible, it cant be helped. Lets go! (Mom)
Mom, wait! Please calm down. I promise I will behave and stay at home. Id like to stay home for the time being. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wasnt such a bad development for him to go to the restaurant with his mom. But there wasnt much he could do after he arrives there, other than probably washing the dishes and stuff.
You mustnt leave the house, okay? (Mom)
I wont leave, promise. Besides, I have nowhere else to go, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, but Im still worried.... Cant we just go together? (Mom)
Nope, not going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After a lengthy negotiation, it was decided that Yi Ji-Hyuk could remain at home, only after he got a brand new smartphone from a shop near the house. Some apps or other that could pinpoint the location of the phone were downloaded and installed en masse, and then, in case he misced the phone, he had to wear it around his neck like a dog leash.
After putting secondary and tertiary safetys in ce, mom still didnt seem convinced as she checked and rechecked the phone several times, before personally escorting Yi Ji-Hyuk back home from the store.
Ive already prepared meals for you, so dont forget to eatter, okay? And mom wille home early today.... (Mom)
Mom, arent youte now? You must get to work, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Imte, by a little bit. But.... eh-whew. (Mom)
And finally, after incessantly nagging, mom opened the door and left for work.
Ahh... From now on, its my me time. Really now, it was so awkward, I had no.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a loud noise of something being dragged across*
It was then C he could hear the noise of something heavy being dragged across the floor, right outside the front door.
What could this noise possibly be?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion and opened the front door.
Eh? Mom?!
Mom was in the middle of dragging severalrge boxes of unknown origin to block out the front door.
When she met Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes, mom smiled embarrassedly.
No, well, what if you were to venture outside and lose the way back home? (Mom)
...............
Well now, mom is off to work! Please lock the door. (Mom)
Y, yes, mom..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as he closed the door, the dragging noises resumed, and soon, another noises of those boxes pressing against the door could be heard.
Right, this was indeed the love of ones parents.
She blocked the doorway, fearing that her child, lost for five years, might lose his way once more. Just how much did she worry, to do something like this....
But, why are my eyes stinging a bit right now?
Now that he was left alone at home, Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze was firmly fixed to one spot only. And it was a personalputer sitting pretty in the corner of his room, which was decorated as exactly as it was before he had left.
Kekeke.
There were three things he missed most about this world.
First, his family.
Second, the food.
And finally, hisputer!!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the amalgamation of what every bit of modern technology had to offer, and formed a mysterious smile.
Just how much did he miss hisputer?
He plugged it into the wall socket and booted it up. But, as soon as the OS booted up, all traces of said smile were wiped off Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
It, it cant be?!
A long, long timeter.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped staring at hisputer with an empty, soulless pair of eyes, and pulled out his phone to call someone.
Mom! Did you change myputer? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C We got a new one when we moved house. You dont have to say thanks. (Mom)
Oh, uh, t, thanks mom.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Again, he felt the love of his mother.
To spend money unwisely to buy a brand newputer, even after her son had gone missing for five years and was dered dead, all in the vain hope of him might returning one day C everyone said he was dead and gone, yet she alone held onto the faith that hed return home one day, alive and kicking.
It was such a moving thing, tears starteding out.
Yes, it was indeed a moving thing.
Indeed, but....
After ending the call, Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly stared at the monitor screen for a long, long time.
Finally, he reined in the turmoil of his mind and squeezed his eyes shut.
Goodbye.
Yi Ji-Hyuk silently mouthed his final goodbyes. A farewell to the dies that he was unable to forget or let go of, even during his time over at the other side.
Indeed, today was a sorrowful day of farewells.
< 16. What a soya powder family -3 > Fin
Chapter 17: What a “soya powder” family (4)
Chapter 17: What a soya powder family (4)
Mm...
Already, four days had flown by since Yi Ji-Hyuks return to the modern world.
Seo Ah-Young was frowning deeply while receiving the report on his movements so far.
He hasnt stepped outside his home at all? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes. Theres not even a hint of him wanting to leave. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even Choi Jung-Hoon seemed quite vexed by this development. Really now, they needed the target to encounter some sort of an incident, or for him to roam around outside the house in order to study his patterns and gather information.
Completely? (Seo Ah-Young)
Other than the first day when he went to a store right in front of his house to buy a phone, he has note out of his house once. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young turned her head and looked at theputer monitor.
And on it, she could see Yi Ji-Hyuk framed by the window of an apartment, busy in the middle of something with hisputer.
Doh Gah-Yun looked at that and muttered.
Illegal surveince, stalking, a criminal act. An abuse of authority. (Gah-Yun)
Please kick this kid out of here. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon became quite sombre.
And how should I aplish that, maam? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Asking a non ability user to kick out an ability user C was she thinking of buying a nice coffin for him or something?
Well, its a good thing that he hasnt caused any idents yet... But, hes a living human being, so in time, he will surely make a move on his own volition. (Seo Ah-Young)
I concur. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Agreed. (Gah-Yun)
Too bad, Seo Ah-Youngs thoughts were only half right.
*
Unexpectedly, the world hadnt changed all that much.
QUADRAKILL!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the giant words conveying information appearing on theputer monitor and formed a sinister smile.
It was a rather surprising thing to find the video game that he loved so much before his untimely send off to Berafe, had not only survived but it somehow transcended its previous small-but-rabid fanbase, to be ranked number one in terms of the amount of active users to be The Game of the People.
Of course, the graphics had improved so much to a point where it almost looked like a different game altogether, and many things had changed as well, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt encounter much difort getting back into the groove of the gamey.
No, wait C there was this one thing that did change drastically.
C WTF?! F**kface, what the hell are you doing over there? ***, ***!! You s**t!!
C Seriously, thats just too much.
C Lets do the Kal-surren. ? ? (TL: Kal-Surren is, as far as I can tell, a gaming ng term used by Korean yers in the League of Legends. Exnation at the end of the chapter.)
During the first season, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a ranker among the sparse number of the local Korean yers, yet here he was, being subjected under a barrage of abuse by the bottom dwellers of the Bronze 6th tier.
Just why are these kids ying so freaking well? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at his character lying dead and smirked slightly. Of course, this was his first time ying in five years, so there was no way itd end well. Good thing, then, his old ount wasnt deleted; he was sure of his old skills returning once he yed the game for a few more days.
Looks like my hands have gotten all warmed up now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for chewing food*
Gulp, gulp, gulp~
He finished all the potato crisps and cold drinks his mom bought, and then, headed off to the veranda to enjoy a quick smoke.
Whew-woo...
He couldnt really get to grips on by how much the world had changed. Five years were a long, as well as short, amount of time to be absent, after all. It was too short to say with certainty that something had changed a great deal, but it was also too long to say everything had remainedrgely the same.
Besides the warp gates opening and monsters pouring out from within, there hadnt been too big a change. Even those warp gates were swept away by the collective firepower of modern weapons.
This was something hed been thinking about during his stay in Berafe.
If Berafe and Earth were to wage war against each other, who mighte out as the winner?
The most realistic answer was the mutual destruction.
More than likely, Berafes knights, sorcerers, and monsters would be totally helpless in front of the modern firearms. Most threats would be taken care of by small arms fire, while something slightly stronger would be taken down with support artillery.
The thing was, the chasm of the avable firepower between Berafe, where a magician capable of flinging a fireball was treated as a high-ss noble, and that of the modern Earth, with its abundant stocks of RPG-7 grenadeunchers and stuff, was just simply far too great to bridge.
However, the situation would be a bit more uncertain, if stronger individuals entered the fray.
If a monster capable of withstanding a barrage from a tank appeared, then the Earthlings wouldnt be able to cope all that well. If 120mm smooth-bore rounds failed to make an impact, then the next logical step up was to use air-to-surface missiles. But just how effective could those be? In the end, bombers or surface-to-surface missiles would have to be mobilised, instead.
Even if such a scary monster was killed that way...
If the end Bosses from Berafe decided to join in, then that would be the end, literally. The defenses of dragons and high priests easily exceeded ones imaginations. Unless one was prepared to nuke em all to hell, it was the Mission: Impossible.
And, if the showers of nukes started falling just for the promise of that so-called mutually assured destruction, only a handful of dragons from Berafe might survive the onught, while humanity would be wiped outpletely. And, even those surviving dragons wouldnt be able to adopt to the rapidly-changing environment and go crazy.... No, they would die, too.
It wasnt that humanity was weak, no.
No matter how amazing magic could be, the miracles of science, discovered by the brightest minds of mankind were still leagues ahead. Yi Ji-Hyuk was certain of it.
But the problem was, weapons of humanity were focused on instant mass genocide and killing of the enemybatants. While they may have created weapons capable of prating tanks and underground bunkers, could those very weapons be able to damage monsters with higher defensive ability than a tank?
It would not be easy.
Thankfully, the monsters appearing right now were only at the level of getting easily mowed down by the modern firearms. Also thankful was the fact that noble beings called the ability users were on hand to kill tougher monsters as well.
In conclusion, there was nothing for Yi Ji-Hyuk to do here.
They were blocking out monsters well enough by themselves, and his parents were making enough moh for the family to livefortably. His younger sibling seemed to be living her life on her own terms, and every single one of his former friends had severed contact with him already.
He was worried that hed have to live quite a busy life as soon as he returned back home, but rather unexpectedly, a rxing life was waiting for him instead, wasnt it?
Yi Ji-Hyuk faced the breeze brushing by and grinned.
Should be fine for me to take easy for a while, right?
He too, would soon be the citizen of this world and live his life here. However, before that happened, though C it seemed he could rx for a bit. Well, it was a hellish trudge before this, so why not.
Im only taking a short break. A short one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, y some games, read some books, watch movies I missed out, read some mangas and just like that, let me dive into the deepest corners of what the modern entertainment industry has to offer. (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
Another round of the game started once more, and Yi Ji-Hyuk enjoyed it to its fullest.
Of course, there were always some people out there who didnt share his sense of enjoyment.
C WTF!! Hey, you f*ck!! Are you blind?! Cant you see the chat window?
C Hes the top Mister No Answer.
C I knew he was trouble from the Pick & Ban. Hey, lets go Open. (TL: Oh boy, all these LOL ngs. TL notes at the end of the chapter.)
C Open, what Open? The round started, like, five minutes ago.
C Five minutes and three deaths already. Look at how fast he gets killed. Hell, deliberately throwing a match wont be as fast as this slob dying.
C Hey, you!! Where the hell do you live?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly disabled the chat window.
You all wait and see!!! Ill soon shut your mouths up!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Five days after his return.
My son! Are you ying a game right now? (mom)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You hungry? Momll prepare something soon, so lets eat then. (mom)
Ng. Thanks, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, you finished all the snacks and cold drinks, too? Did they taste good? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. After five years, they taste like nectar from the gods, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, right, my child. Carry on, now. Moms going to make supper. (mom)
Ng!
Yi Ji-Hyuks hand gripping the mouse darted around quickly while mom looked at her son with a gentle smile etched on her face.
Five years ago, she really despised this very sight. But, after Yi Ji-Hyuk went missing, she came to miss it so much.
What a relief. (mom)
She was uncertain whether shed ever get to see this day again or not. Madam Park Seon-Duk wiped away the tears continuously forming at the edges of her eyes and headed to the kitchen.
*
Seven days since his return.
My son! Were you ying that video game? (mom)
Ng, mom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There, there. Are you hungry? (mom)
A little. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Momll cook you up something real quick, okay? (mom)
Ng!!
*
Ten days since his return.
My son! Are you still ying that game? (mom)
Ng, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Have you eaten something before ying? (mom)
I havent had the chance yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. I know games are fun, but your health shouldes first. Lets eat. (mom)
Ng.
*
15 days since his return.
Son, arent you already sick and tired of that game? Youre ying it again? Just what kind of a child ys the same game everytime I see him? Wait, you arent ying this game the whole day long after I leave for work, are you? (mom)
No, I also do other things. Like, reading books. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right. Still, you should do it in moderation. Moderation is the key. No matter what it is, overdoing it isnt good. (mom)
Ng. Ill remember that, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
20 days since his return.
I told you toe out and eat already! Bettere out here now, before I pull the plug on thatputer! (mom)
Ah, its nearly finished!! I told you, Ill finish this match real quick! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Quick? Real quick?! Have you any idea just how long ago it was when you said real quick? Come out here and eat your food now, or Im cutting the power off!! (mom)
Argh, really now?! And I was winning, too!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
25 days since his return.
I told you to clean out your desk! Is this supposed to be a humans bedroom? Its a pigsty!! I tidied it up in the morning before I left, yet why is your room all messed up in only half a day? Arent you a human? A human being? (mom)
Ill tidy up. Later. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That stupid video game!! At this rate, you might get sucked into the dang monitor. Crawl out and eat your food, before ying that game of yours! (mom)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
30 days since his return.
Aaaaaahhh!!! Mom, my ear!! My EAR!! Mom, ear!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you to eat your godd*mn food!! What, you love your game that much? Ah? Love this game that much?! (mom)
Mommm!! My ear! Your sons ear! Its going to fall off! Please let go of my ear!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aigoo~, my rotten fate. That wastrel of a husband is drinking away every single day, and this son of mine wants to marry hisputer aftering back home five yearster.... (mom)
Mom, my ears going to fall offffff!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And why would you need an ear, when you dont even go outside?! (mom)
Just how does that even make sense..... Ouchouchouch!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cant you at least eat first before ying?! (mom)
Aaaand, it only took one month for her precious son, returning home after going missing and suffering untold hardship for five years, to be aputer parasite that only wasted away good rice.
Ouch, mom! My ears falling off!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How dare you shout at your mom?! You want to pick out your coffin today? (mom)
But, my ear is falling off, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really, I shouldve thrown that stupidputer away or something!! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk recognised an urgent need to correct his attitude at this critical moment.
Mother. This son hasmitted a grave mistake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will you just get the hell out?! You moronic fool!! (mom)
Hul.
It took only 30 days for Yi Ji-Hyuks position to perfectly revert back to the one right before he was whisked away to Berafe.
No, hang on. Maybe, it reverted back a bit too violently.
< 17. What a soya powder family -4 > Fin.
(TL: A Kal-Surren is when a team surrenders as soon as the 20 minute time limit is up. A round of LOL can be forfeited 20 minutes after it begins, and when a team surrenders without any hesitation, its called Kal-Surren, at least by the Korean LOL yers. Apparently.)
(TL: LOLs Pick & Ban C Koreans call it the other way around, Ban/Pick, for some reason C simply refers to banning certain Champions from being selected by the opposing team, while picking the remaining ones. If youre a LOL yer/follower, then you should be familiar with the process, which, as far as I can tell, can be quiteplicated and also ys a substantial part in a team winning the round or not. If youre interested, you can Google it, but beware, your head might explode if you havent been following the eSport scene.)
(TL: As for this Open bit, even Im not sure myself. I can venture a guess and say that the team MC stumbled into wants to start the round already, or maybe itspletely something else, but Google failed me spectacrly on this one and I have no clue. And well.... Im too much of azy bone to ask around the LOLmunity...)
Chapter 18: What a “soya powder” family (5)
Chapter 18: What a soya powder family (5)
He hasnte out? (Seo Ah-Young)
......Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For the whole month? (Seo Ah-Young)
It seems that way. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young just couldnt believe it. It had been a month already since Yi Ji-Hyuk went home. And it also had been a fortnight since the surveince duty was handed over to the Support and Management department. But now, she had to hear this report about the target not leaving his house for the entirety of the month.
With a dazed face, she asked.
Is it possible for a human being to note out of his house for a whole month? Did he paint the walls with honey and gold or something? Is he a hikikomori?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Judging by his willingness to leave his room, he doesnt seem to be one of those socially withdrawn person, at least. Besides, we saw with our own eyes that hes not really that sort of a character, to begin with. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats right. Theres no way a person willing to throw down after a few verbal spats could be a hikikomori. I mean, hed seek out someone to talk to, just to loosen that annoying mouth of his. So, then. Why isnt heing out of the house? Is he a security guard or something? (Seo Ah-Young)
A guy capable of beating up a Goblin with bare hands guarding a house. One things for sure, hed protect it really well. Wasnt this, like, on the level of the military defending a key instation?
From what little info we could gather, besides the time he spent sleeping, the rest of his day is being heavily invested in... a video game and surfing the web. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A low voice of a girl leaked out from behind Choi Jung-Hoon, then.
The invasion of privacy. Breaking thew regarding the promotion of information,municationwork use, and protection of information. (Gah-Yun)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out loudly in reply.
What the heck are you even talking about? Stop making stuff up, will you?! (Seo Ah-Young)
...But, its a real, actualw, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Really? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And why would aw have such a long name like that....? (Seo Ah-Young)
Uneducated. Clearlycks enough knowledge ofws, unfitting for the actual age group. Klutz level, increasing. The probability of sessful marriage, decreased. (Gah-Yun)
Fine, fine!! Im an old spinster, okay?! Hell, have you ever tried to introduce me to a guy, even once? (Seo Ah-Young)
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon was sweating buckets trying to stop Seo Ah-Young from chucking theputer monitor at the young girl.
Responsibilities and rights of a marriage, belong to the individual in question. ming others, not logical. (Gah-Yun)
Seo Ah-Young breathed in roughly and tried to cool her boiling blood. There was literally nothing to gain from arguing with a girl with such an evil mouth. Besides, there was something else much more important.
Okay, so, let me get this straight.... Hes ying a video game and surfing the web the whole day, basically livingpletely carefree, is that right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Does he have a high ranking in that game? (Seo Ah-Young)
There had been cases where ability users fell into the deep quagmire of gaming addiction and be junkies in the process. The thing was, if the abilities earned within the game world were better than what they had in the real world, they would end up deriving greater satisfaction in the virtual space, instead.
Of course, this wasnt the case with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Well, its really difficult to stomach how terrible he is, actually. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Since Choi Jung-Hoon was also something of a gaming enthusiast himself, he was well aware of what the meaning behind Yi Ji-Hyuks current ranking was.
Then, why is he acting this way?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began pulling out her hair.
The problem wasnt him being addicted to games and browsing the web. No, the actual problem was him not leaving the house at all, not even once. Because, him not leaving the house meant that he wouldnt be able to find a chance to utilise his abilities.
It was true that a person blessed with brand-new superpowers would be very keen to use those powers. And these folks, having experienced their powers many times now, would naturally end up applying them to their everyday lives.
Not one person on the list of individuals the KSF was interested in broke this mold. But for the first time ever, someone had done exactly that.
Is he really an ability user? (Seo Ah-Young)
A non-ability user cant possibly hope to kill a Goblin with bare hands. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, but, the measuring equipment failed to produce a decent number, no? (Seo Ah-Young)
It wasnt possible for a regr civilian to fight against a monster without firearms. More importantly, an ability users Ether values would always be captured by the measuring equipment.
These two undeniable facts were colliding with each other right now.
Since this was the first time for such an event, it was difficult to figure out what to do here. Well, there werent any guidelines to follow, that was for sure.
For now, continue with the surveince. However, only for another fortnight. If we dont discover anything of interest by then, we cut him loosepletely, even if its regrettable. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, that is... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We cant afford to waste our manpower like this continuously, you know. I mean, we are running short on time and people as it is. (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats true. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Although Choi Jung-Hoon replied so, there was this lingering bitterness in his mouth. His intuition, formed from interactions with countless ability users until now, told him that Yi Ji-Hyuk was definitely no ordinary man.
If all else fails.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes shifted towards Doh Gah-Yuns direction.
Well just have to force him out, then. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seeing Seo Ah-Youngs meaningful smile, Doh Gah-Yun nodded her head.
A viinous smile. Fits character perfectly. Harmonious to evil image. (Gah-Yun)
Hey you, follow me outside!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Declined. Unwilling to fight against a buffoon. (Gah-Yun)
Youre so dead!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon groaned out internally.
All ability users are nutjobs. Every single one of them... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*
Around the same time, a certain nutjob was busy searching for some sort of an error, an exnation, around him rather than trying to find it within himself.
This is so weird. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy staring at theputer screen with a face full of questions. Already, a month had passed by since his return to this world.
He shouldve been done with adapting to all the little things by now. So, he shouldve regained most of his skills from the past as well.
But, just what on earth was happening?
Yi Ji-Hyuk could see very emotional and intense reactions against him on the monitor.
C Why dont you just quit ying altogether?! Why are you insisting on this sh*t, and making everyone go crazy here?! Are you a meser?! (TL note at the end of the chapter.)
C I cant even get mad anymore.
C Seriously, matching is all messed up. Even though Im a bottom dweller, how does it make any sense for me to be matched up with this loser?!
C Maybe he cant move his arms so hes ying with his feet? Then I might understand.
C Maybe, he doesnt even have feet so hes ying with his tongue, instead.
C Oh, so I was ying against Nick Vujicic until now! Im moved.
So weird. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly speaking, he had already piled up some amount of decent skill in the past. So, how did him utterly failing at this game right now make any sort of sense? No matter how much the current yers had gotten better, and no matter how much the game he yed in the past had evolved into something almost unrecognisable, wasnt this just way too much?
However, he had some idea as to why.
My hands have be trash. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His mind was up on the clouds, yet his hands were meandering at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
He knew exactly what to do, yet his hands werent moving as he wished.
C Ani!! (TL note at the end.)
Ani-tiating had begun. Inside this game, ani didnt mean stop. No, it simply meant that... it was now the time for deal some Geuk-deal, instead. (Sigh. TL note at the end...)
C Stop choosing a sorcerer or an assassin, and just pick a big guy and y as a meat shield, already. Cant you really figure out what role you must y after seeing your own dang skills? Anyone can see youre nothing more than a meat shield!
*SFX for blood pressure increasing suddenly*
A vein popped out on Yi Ji-Hyuks forehead.
How dare he suggest to the true sovereign, who had stepped on to the peak of all magic C and was even called the Bringer of Apocalypse back in Berafe C not to select a sorcerer character?!
Although he had rarely, if ever, chatted to anyone online, Yi Ji-Hyuk found this uneptable, so....
C Hey!! Anyone can fall into a bit of slump while ying, so whats the big deal?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...And the replies were even more swifter.
C A bit? Bit? BIT?! A BIIIIIT?!?!
C Were you living outside Korea for a long time? You seemed to not know Korean all that well.
C I told you, didnt I. He wasnt deliberately getting massacred. That was his actual skill.
C Really, can anyones skill be that rubbish? Maybe your eyes are stuck up your nostrils or something?
What rotten sons of b*itches. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk despaired at the sudden change in the Inte culture.
Was there really no god and no devil in this world?
Of course, he did learn a thing or two during the past month.
What with him being under the constant barrage of insults and abuse for the whole month, he was now properly sufficient in all the derogatory ngs, mockery, and swearing that had spread to all corners of the web during the past five years.
If there was a Trait concerning swearing words, hed be at the counter stop by now. (TL: Lol. This one is on me. A Monster Who Levels Up reference.)
C Well, looks like you dont need me here, so if you dont stop being a*sholes, Ill leave. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Pllllleeeeeeaaaaassssse!!!!!!
C Good sir, you made a wise decision. Your absence aids us in winning. We wont report you to the mods, so just nt a Ward by a well or something and stay there. (TL: Another note, at the end.)
C Finally!! Maybe we can start ying properly now!
C A geh-eedeuk! ? ? geh-eedeuk!
But, this wasnt what Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted...
C Ill do my best. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No, dont do your best and just stop already, you f*ck!
C What a disgusting tryhard.
C Dont you have any morals?
C Im just gonna throw this match.
ARGH, seriously now, these a*sholes!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk threw away his mouse.
What a group of rotten a*shats. I will learn some hacking skills and find out where you all live!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tsk.
He heard someone click her tongue so he turned around to look, only to find Ye-Won staring at him with a crumpled face as she was about to go past the open doorway.
.....What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom wants you to answer the phone. (Ye-Won)
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he looked at the phone sitting on the desk, he could see two missed iing calls. He mustve missed them while immersed in the heat of the game.
Oh, okay. Thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Won didnt reply, instead choosing to take a nce at her brother with the kind of eyes one used to look at disgusting worms, before turning on her heels to leave.
And why is she treating me like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had no idea, but he was also disinclined to find out. So, instead, he called his mom.
Hi, mom.
C Son!! You were ying that d*mn game again, werent you!
N, no way. I wasnt ying...
C Ill be asking Ye-Wonter, you hear?
I yed only one match.
C Why dont you do it in moderation before I chop off your arms and legs?
S, sure.
Was his mom ever this violent before? In his memories, his mom was gentle and kind, and then... There was a time when he distorted the truth a tiny little bit, and asked her for some pocket money to buy supplementary textbooks. She got all regretful and stuff, asking him why he did what he did while throwing a chair at....
Oh, she was like that from the beginning, his mom.
C If I hear a report of you ying more gamester today, why dont we do a science experiment together to find out how strong a LCD screen can be, okay?
Why would you experiment on that?!
C Well now, we are living in a world where even the elementary school kids are dropping bricks from the rooftops to find out more about the effects of gravity. So, its only right that my son also partakes in scientific experiments, no?
Hul.
C If you dont want to see yourputer being smashed to bits, then stop ying the game. Ill see youter.
After ending the call, Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a carefree smile.
That sure was a really adorable threat, indeed. If he was Yi Ji-Hyuk before the Berafe experience, then he might have trembled in fear, switched off theputer and grumbled alone in silence.
However, the current Yi Ji-Hyuk was a different man now.
Just who was Yi Ji-Hyuk!
He was Berafes feared Bringer of Apocalypse!!
Wasnt he a sorcerer who stood at the very top of all magic, and a conqueror who destroyed an entire world? So, such a threat didnt even manage to tickle him in the slightest.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked, and....
....Quietly exited the game.
My monitor is precious, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, he wasnt quitting today because he was caving in to moms threats. No, he was quitting because he was getting annoyed at receiving constant abuse in the game, not to mention he was also getting slightly bored with it as well. Definitely not because of moms threats.
Definitely not....
While putting his feet up on the desk, he then switched to the inte browser. It wasnt like there was nothing to do because he stopped ying that game. Well, he was only human after all, so ying the same game for one month straight was obviously not possible. So, hemenced with his second bad habit now, instead.
*SFX for nonstop chewing of snacks*
Gulp,gulp, gulp!
Yi Ji-Hyuk giggled while looking at the monitor.
His hands continued to shove potato crisps and cold drinks in his mouth, while his lips and tongue were like a pair of furiously-operating machines that crushed the said crisps and delivered them down to his belly.
Even then, his eyes remain firmly rooted to texts appearing on theputer screen.
His second bad habit was reading various webnovels.
This was his habit even before he got kicked to Berafe. However, he found himself enjoying these novels even more than before. While he was away, the trending genre had be the so-called modern fusion fantasy, where monster raids happened in the modern world. The ones Yi Ji-Hyuk loved reading the most among them were novels about the returners.
His situation being what it was, he could immerse himself into those stories the best. It was also easier to sympathise with the main characters of those novels, as well.
Others would find them nothing more than tales of pure fantasy, but for him, they were the tools of his trade, so to speak.
The genre had shifted somewhat in his mind here. These novels were stories about monster raids happening in the modern world, yet to Yi Ji-Hyuk, they somehow had be tools of learning for him.
For instance, the hero of the novel Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently reading, had finally returned to Earth from another world after 50 years of hardship on the other side. But then, he was deliberately choosing to go down the rough road even back on Earth out of some stupid reasons.
Kekekekek!!
Although they were only novels, just thinking about others suffering through untold hardships after their return to Earth C while he was kicking back and taking it easy C made him very, very satisfied, indeed. Really now, this was the only way to live, wasnt it?
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Kyahahah!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk chugged down a can of Sprite and shook his body in excitement. Now this was the cold drink. Now this was the true amalgamation of technological advancement humanity had made so far!
The thing was, no matter how high he had climbed up to the peak of magic, he still had no way to learn how carbon dioxides could be dissolved into water. He was totally clueless when it came to all things science, actually.
While he was still stuck in Berafe, he missed the bubbly drinks so much, he tried mixing in fruit essences to a certain type of limewater found in the northern regions there. The end result was catastrophic.
What he wanted to create was a fruit-voured cold drink, but what he ended up with, was a pale imitation of some sickly-sweet stuff reputedly being forced down the throat of those meless North Korean people.
If he wanted, he could have lived like a king in Berafe. He couldve amassed absolute power over there.
But, whats the point? They dont even have aputer there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A modern man enjoying his life in a backwater medieval world? A modern man, who couldnt even find something to keep himself upied in a rural vige, and couldnt live without a smartphone? Him?
There was no need to look high and low for a fantastical tale. Cuz, that s*it was the fantasy, right there.
The modern world was a paradise.
One could try out various delicious things when starving. And not to forget, there was all this culture and entertainment avable to amon man.
Besides, I have myputer, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, this wondrous creation, a fruit born out of humanitys ingenuity.
Unfortunately, it seemed that not everyone shared a simr sort of thought process as he did.
KWAHNG!!
The door to his room was violently kicked in.
M, mom?!
Mom entered Yi Ji-Hyuks room and she took a long, hard look at the surrounding areas of his desk. Unfinished packets of crisps and empty PET bottles were piled up on top of the desk in the most messy way possible, while snack crumbs were decorating the floor like fallen snow.
Is this a room of a human being, or a godd*mn pigsty?! (mom)
Well, if a pig heard her, then it might try to protest that its species were actually a lot cleaner than others might think. Too bad, there was no pig here to voice its dissatisfaction out aloud, only a lone creature that seemed to be even worse than a pig.
But, it looks fine... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are your eyes a pair of knotholes?! (mom)
Mom was trembling hard, as if she might throw that handbag in her hand at any moment, before she sighed out grandly.
Fine, well drop it. Clean your roomter, but for now, get yourself ready. (mom)
Are we going somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We are going to buy you new clothes. (mom)
But, I told you I dont really need them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont want to youe up with bullcrapter on, so just get ready, will you? (mom)
No, wait. I really dont... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, my son can be so strange sometimes. He cant seem to understand all that well, unless hes getting beaten up. Strange, no? (mom)
I shall get ready, madam Park. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. (mom)
Mom then shouted out while walking to the living room.
Ye-Won! You get ready, too! Were going out! (mom)
But, why me too?! (Ye-Won)
Looks like you dont want to buy new clothes, huh? (mom)
Ill be ready in a jiffy, mother. (Ye-Won)
Hearing the sudden shift in Yi Ye-Wons tone of voice, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only click his tongue.
Just how can anyone be that fake?
What?
Im also the same?
No way.
< 18. What a soya powder family C 5 > Fin.
(TL: A meser seems to be a Korean gaming ng term derived from another ng, mez, which is a shorthand for mesmerise, a form of crowd-control spells from MMORPGs like Everquest. A meser/mezer is the character reserved for CC duties, it seems.)
(TL: Bottom dweller. Korean raw: ??? Simhaechoong. Literally means at the bottom of the ocean. Loosely means he is a bottom ranked gamer.)
(TL: Nick Vujicic: He is a Serbian-Aussie Christian Evangelist and a motivational speaker born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterised by theck of all four limbs.)
(TL: Ani = ??. The word itself means no/stop/dont and stuff. Ani-tiating is abined word of ani and intiating. Long story short, it means its time to pour online hate on someone.)
(TL: Geuk-deal: another Korean gaming ng term. Means dealing a massive, critical damage by any means necessary in one shot. The word has found poprity outside the gamingmunity and now ismonly being used in everyday lives.)
(TL: nting a Ward: anyone familiar with strategy games might recognise this one. Basically, any weapon/base/tool used to defend and monitor a strategic point in the map is called a Ward, such as the Sentry Ward from Warcraft that can detect invisible enemy units. Here, someone is telling the MC to go nt a Ward in a well C which is not an important point and thus no one cares, so he will be out of sight for good.)
(TL: Geh-eedeuk: ???. Literally means a big profit/benefit/bonus. Also a pun, as Geh could mean a dog.)
(TL: ? ?: A Korean inte ng which means really.)
Chapter 19: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (1)
Chapter 19: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (1)
What would be the most horrifying thing a man might have to endure in his lifetime?
The final year at his high school, when the direction second half of his life could potentially take, was decided? The hellish two years spent in thepulsory military service?
Or, could it be the decades spent as a sryman aka someones ve worker?
Yi Ji-Hyuk could say, without a hint of reservation, that it was none of the above. The worst thing a man had to endure was right here.
The definition of hell was him chasing after two females on a shopping spree in a multi-story department store. Right, this was the true hell on earth.
Hell, even the demon world wasnt this horrible.
He wasnt exaggerating, oh no. He was utterly serious. Because... he actually went to the demon world before!!
This one doesnt really look that good, no? (mom)
Mom, thats because the cloth frame is too uncool, thats why. (Ye-Won)
You shouldnt say that about your own Oppa. Hes enough to be called tall and handsome, so its fine. (mom)
Mom really loves her son, doesnt she? (Ye-Won)
Wow, just listen to this girl here. Gee whiz.
Theres nothing wrong with me, though?!
I mean, I look pretty good for an average guy, dont I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm. This one is no good, this ones also not that good... (mom)
Mom... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? Whats the matter, son? (mom)
....Please, spare me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Endure for a bit longer. Well finish up soon. (mom)
Sure thing, mother. We will finish up real soon. Yes. By the way, mother... didnt you say the exact same thing, like, two hours ago?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From the moment he had to try on his twentieth article of clothing, Yi Ji-Hyuk began developing symptoms of a panic attack.
I, uh, I... am gonna go over there for a smoke break. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The smell of the cigarettes might get on the new clothes if you do that!! Also, you shouldnt smoke in someone elses store, son! (mom)
I might die, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop exaggerating. (Ye-Won)
Does this little girl think Im exaggerating here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt feel this bad when he had to descend to the depths of the 200th floor-deep Tower of Abyss. Yi Ji-Hyuk was the kind of a man who actually enjoyed the Towers pitch-ck darkness and the apanying foul odour of rotting corpses as well as disgusting smells of monsters during his descent.
Yet, that very Yi Ji-Hyuk was quivering from terror in the middle of a modern department store.
What was even more terrifying was the fact that.... these twodies hadnt even started choosing their own attires yet.
The true hell would only begin from that point on.
His heart was beating madly and it got progressively harder to breathe.
Mom, I might really die at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, fine, fine. I understand. But, try this on first. Let mepare it to the stuff from the previous stalls and see which ones better. (mom)
This is thest one, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. So, put it on quickly and let me see. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was pushed into the changing room like a cow being shoved into an abattoir. He quickly changed clothes and came out.
After sweeping her gaze up and down the length of her sons body, mom promptly made her decision.
Hmm. Its not that cool. (mom)
I told you, mom. Not cool at all. (Ye-Won)
To me, it feels like the first one we tried on was the best. (mom)
I agree. (Ye-Won)
Then, lets buy that one. (mom)
Two emotions C one of happiness at this whole ordeal finallying to an end and the other, an emptiness born out from him wondering what the purpose of him enduring all of it was for C came washing over him simultaneously. Yi Ji-Hyuk gently wiped the rapidly-moistening edges of his eyes and returned to the changing room.
Still, knowing that shopping for his clothes had indeede to an end made him feel really happy inside. At least, he wouldnt have to go through the unnecessary torture of trying on & taking off all those clothes they werent going to buy in the first ce. It was the moment of his liberation!
....Well, he did think like that for a short moment.
It only took a few minutes for Yi Ji-Hyuk to realise that, perhaps, itd been far more preferable to be stuck choosing his own clothes, instead.
Right now, mom was holding two yellow padded coats in each of her hands with a smile. And she inevitably asked him for his opinion.
Son! Which one looks more prettier to you? (mom)
Why is she asking me while holding two identical coats?!
Are they different sizes?
No wait. They have different logos, which means they are from different brands, but... were they made in the same factory? Looks like only their logos are different?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
They, uh, they look simr to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You say these are simr?! Son, please take a proper look, will you? They arepletely different. (mom)
Just how are they pletely different now?!?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You really dont have any discerning eyes, do you. Okay, how about this one, annnd this one? (mom)
Is this the spot-the-differences? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop cracking jokes, son. (mom)
Mom, I wish I was only joking here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Would mom understand how he was feeling at this moment, if he turned on his video game right now and showed her the True Shot and Power Shot, then ask her which one looked cooler?
Yi Ji-Hyuk could now acutely sense his poor brain overheating quite severely, after an analysis on a subject his scope of understanding couldnt even hope to breach, was demanded from him.
I, I need sugar. I need a sugar rush, immediately! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, before that, he wanted to escape from this windowless prison first.
Hell, even back in Berafe, where not one person seemed to possess advanced construction techniques, he still hadnt encountered a single building without a window there!
Did the modern world revert back to the stone age or something? Just why were there no windows and not one clock in this entire building?!
Mom, Im thirsty, so cant we go somewhere to get something to drink? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, we havent finished shopping, though? (mom)
But, but, if I dont drink something right now, I might copse here, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You and your exaggerations. (mom)
Mom broke out in a cheerfulughter and heartily pped Yi Ji-Hyuks back. Even under such a light pounding, his body got bent at a weird angle.
Maybe she saw something in this exchange, even Yi Ye-Won decided to provide fire support for her hapless brother.
Mom, Im also thirsty. Lets go to a cafe and get a cup of coffee or something. (Ye-Won)
Oh, you too? Okay, then. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at his younger sister with eyes brimming full of grateful tears.
Why did she look so especially wonderful today? Did she perhaps realise the peril her older brother was in, and decided to help him out?
As expected of the kindhearted Ye-Won. She was only being abrasive towards her Oppa because of awkwardness, not from an intense dislike!
Well, its not like well be finished in one or two hours anyway, so we should get some light snacks if we want to continue shopping around, right? (Ye-Won)
....What a treacherous girl.
What the hell do you mean, shop around?! Do you want to see your Oppas head go round and round?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: This is a Korean wordy C the Korean words for go round can also mean go crazy/insane as well.)
Mm, youre right. We might eat supper a bitte, too. So, lets get some early snacks, shall we? What would you like? (mom)
I want macaroons~. (Ye-Won)
Macaroons are nice. (mom)
Watching the backs of two women busy giggling to themselves while not even caring about him as they walked away, Yi Ji-Hyuk came to a sudden realisation.
It was a lot morefortable back in Berafe.
Well, at least, they didnt have a department store there.
Eff you, you ursed Earth...
*
I want a Dark Chocotte, with honey-butter bread. But, injeolmi also looks nice, so is the honey-cheese bread... Mmmm. I cant decide. Mom, what would you like? (Ye-Won) (TL: Injeolmi is a traditional Korean rice cake topped with various toppings. Google it if youre curious.)
Ill just order a Caramel Mhiato. (mom)
What about bread? (Ye-Won)
Injeolmi looks nice, and what about the Apple Cinnamon? That one looks nice too... (mom)
Mm. In that case, mom, should we order one portion of honey butter bread and injeolmi to share? (Ye-Won)
Yes, lets do that. (mom)
These two people, who were only a breath away from pulling each others hair out overing homete and all that, were currently chatting away like a pair of long-lost BFFs.
What a scary ce this was, this thing called the department store.
Son, what would you like? (mom)
Uh, C, Coke? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The eyes of two women narrowed, like very thin needles.
Why would you drink c in a cafe? Son, why are you behaving like this? (mom)
Seriously now, Im speechless. (Ye-Won)
Get something else, okay? (mom)
After getting suckered by the one-two punchboing in from both sides, the helpless Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his eyes towards the menu.
And then, btedly realised something else.
The deciphering of the cafes menu was actually far more difficult than figuring out the ancient runes of Berafe.
Really now C a menu was supposed to be designed to ease the process of figuring out what you wanted to eat. And those ancient runes were maddening enough to cause a mild-mannered Elf to rip the offending book in half, yet.... What the heck was going on here?!
Just which countrysnguage did that Frappino thinge from?!
And, what about praline? Was that a name of a person? Its a good stage name for a WWE wrestler...
What, what is a Frappino? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Won stared at her brother with a pair of criticising eyes, as if she couldnt believe he didnt know what a Frappino was.
But, what could he do? He really had no clue!
Its like a smoothie. (Ye-Won)
A smooth-y?! (Yi-Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, really now? A shake!! Its like a shake! (Ye-Won)
Ah!
So, its like a milkshake, huh.
Then, why not call it a shake-something-or-rather, instead of some weird a*s-sh*t? Just why? Just what the eff happened to the entire coffee industry in thest five years, that I cant even begin to understand a dang thing on this stupid menu?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
Well, I, uh, I want that yogurt Frappino, then! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Finally, he made his choice! Yes!
Dear customer, our sincerest apologies, but our store regretfully does not stock a yogurt Frappino. However, we do stock a yogurt smoothie. Will that be fine, sir?
....Whats the difference? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When asked, even the part-time worker behind the counter found it a bit troublesome to exin.
What the hell. Is this ce a den of demons?
Heck, a newbie sorcerer entering an artifact shop wouldnt be this troubled while browsing through the catalogues. Seriously! (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
Okay, whatever. Just give me that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So what if it was a dang Frappino whatever, or a smoothie this-and-that?
Who cares, as long as it tasted okay, right?!
Not everything in the world would turn out like a walk in a park, anyways.
Afterwards, mom ordered the drinks and breads.
Dont forget the macaroons, too~. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was sure that, after shoving all that sugary confection down their throats, these twodies wouldin bitterlyter on why their weight wouldnt go down.
But whatever, this was fine. All good.
This cafe might be located underground, but thanksrgely to the dcor being fakey wood and whatnots C instead of rows of colourful, unbought clothes C this ce had begun to show a positive effect on healing his frayed nerves already.
Of course, hed have to go upstairs sooner orter.
What a terrible thing that was.
*
And what a terrible thing this is.
A woman named Lee Mi-Rae wasining to herself while going down to the basement in an elevator.
The world had be quite convenient, thats for sure.
By how much? It seemed that nowadays, the customers knew better than Lee Mi-Rae herself, who so happened to be an employee of a certain retail store, regarding her stores avability of stock.
But, I came here after confirming online you guys have it, though?
Lee Mi-Rae could acutely feel just how much this world had changed, when she looked at the customer who barged into her store and started asking for the product and even told her its serial number.
And after continuously listening to this customers enthusiastic yappings about the process of confirming the avability of the product through inte C and then, hurrying over to this particr store to snag this particr item which only a handful remained within the country C Lee Mi-Rae was rightly feeling moved and at the same time, deeply troubled.
Moved, because shed be able to sell one more pair of shoes. And troubled, because she couldnt find that rare product anywhere in the store.
What rescued Lee Mi-Rae from this abyss of despair and confusion, was one line muttered out by the stores manager.
Dont we have a couple of things sitting pretty in the underground storage?
However, there was a big price to pay for that timely rescue.
That was why Lee Mi-Rae was being carried downstairs by the elevator.
What a wonderful world were living in now... (Lee Mi-Rae)
It was such a wonderful world that a customer managed to track down a product even the store employee Lee Mi-Rae wasnt aware of. Well, it had been transferred to storage more than a year ago, so she was meless on this one.
Thanks to that, the manager was pleased as punch, while Lee Mi-Rae was getting really tired right now.
Currently, Lee Mi-Raes head was full of thoughts of finding the product ASAP and leaving the foul-smelling underground storage/parking lot.
Argh, I really hate this smell!
Trotting in a hurry, Lee Mi-Rae headed off to the storage area, built in the corner of the underground parking lot.
She didnt know why it was built down here of all ces, but what with this ce so cumbersome to ess and all, it had morphed into a space where people threw in all their returned goods and those unsold c**p, then promptly forget about them.
Apparently, the department store created it as an experiment after realising theck of space avable on the actual shop floors, but...
What a hogwash.
If one thought about it for a second, how could storing your products in a storage that other shop owners had full ess to, make any sort of sense? Especially so, within a lethallypetitive retail environment within a department store?!
Because of this, this underground storage had be almostpletely useless.
For Lee Mi-Rae, it was already half a year since shest came down here.
Judging by the fact that it took a considerable length of time locating the person with the keys to the storage, it was a safe bet that no one else had been using it recently, as well.
Eiii...
After spotting the thick, greyyer of dust gathered on top of the lock on the door, Lee Mi-Rae couldnt help but frown deeply.
She really didnt want to touch that.
She somehow used only the fingertips to unlock the door, and while shivering ufortably at the sounds of metal grating against metal, she entered the storage.
And where was the light switch....
It was dark inside. So naturally, she looked for the light switch.
She pulled out her smartphone and used its light to illuminate the walls to locate the switch.
Ah, there it is.
With the flick of the switch, the bright light flooded into the huge storage area.
And just where is our stu...
Searching for her stores stock, Lee Mi-Rae turned around, only for the colours of confusion to enter her eyes.
In the middle of this spacious butparatively empty storage area, a certain something was floating there.
What could it be?
Then, Lee MiRae dropped her phone.
Thang!
The battery got separated from the phone as it hit the ground. Butpletely unaware of this, Lee Mi-Rae could only scream her lungs out.
KKKYAAAAAAHHHCK!!!!!
< 19. The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge -1 > Fin.
(TL: Ill be starting sponsored chapters from this week onwards, and the idea is that, as soon as the sponsorship goal has been met, Ill post an extra chapter on the following day. As for the amount, I will set it at $50, just like thest time with A Monster Who Levels Up. Although the amount might sound steep, its to prevent me from burning out too quickly. I learned my lesson from thest time, you see.)
Chapter 20: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (2)
Chapter 20: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (2)
What are you talking about? (Seo Ah-Young)
Its the department store! The department stores basement! Its underground! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs brain momentarily failed to process Choi Jung-Hoons report and it stalled.
A department store?
Okay, fine, its a department store.
But, underground?
Why would a Gate appear underground?
But, no Gates have ever appeared underground until now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats correct, but one has. Right now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, there hasnt been a case like this before, so... (Seo Ah-Young)
Captain!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon ruthlessly cut in between Seo Ah-Youngs words.
Lets worry about that at ater date. Whats important right now is that a Level 2 Gate is about to open up. And to make matters worse, its location is the basement of a department store. You must have realised what will happen if we dont respond quickly, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons advice/warning was effective in sobering up Seo Ah-Young.
There was a lot of people inside a department store.
Also, there should be an active business district surrounding the said department store, so the poption density there should be very high, too.
But, a Gate was opening up there?
How advanced is it? (Seo Ah-Young)
I have tasked a branch office near the store to take the measuring instrument, but they havent arrived on site yet. But, people checking it with naked eyes, they say its at least 90%. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
90 percent.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young muttered out.
90%.
It was impossible to learn anything from this single number.
There was a Gate that took three whole days to get from 90 to 100. And there was also another Gate that took less than a hour to reach 100 as well.
First of all, dispatch the nearest defense squadron. Also, have you located ability users in the vicinity who can be summoned to the site? (Seo Ah-Young)
We are looking at the moment. We located ten right now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons phone was constantly going off. Even now, reports regarding the orders he had given out were streaming in continuously.
Call everyone in. Dispatch our men to the site, too. Meanwhile, Ill call the De, so prepare the vehicles we will.... No, prepare a helicopter, instead. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please hurry! A real disaster will go down if we arete! (Seo Ah-Young)
As Choi Jung-Hoon ran out of the office without answering her, Seo Ah-Young picked up the phone to dial the number for the Des hotline.
Please...
*
I, I need sugar. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down at his quaking hands and felt a strong urge to absorb sugar.
Too bad, there was not one sign of his smoothie, or whatever coffee it might be, arriving any time soon, as if it was being harvested in Jamaica at this very moment.
I need SUGAR! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, youre embarrassing me! Will you shut up for a minute?! (Ye-Won)
Thats right, son. Other people are looking at us. (mom)
Mom, your son is dying right now.
Why do you find other people and their eyes more important that that, mother? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for something vibrating*
But then, the vibration pager went off and at the same time, Yi Ji-Hyuks face regained its vibrancy.
He was about to grab the pager and run towards the counter, only for his mom to grab his hand instead, to stop him. Then, she eyeballed Ye-Won.
Ye-Won, you should go. (mom)
Me? (Ye-Won)
Of course. Are you saying your Oppa should go instead? Isnt that against themon sense? (mom)
Seeing his sister remain grumbling in her seat, Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly got up from his.
It was only a cup of coffee. Who gives a flying rats a*s on who fetches it!!!
I will.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, mom snatched the pager faster than Yi Ji-Hyuk could and pushed it at Ye-Wons direction.
Go and fetch them. (mom)
Eii, what a pain. (Ye-Won)
Even though she wasining, Ye-Won still got up and headed to the counter.
And you, my son. You should stop epting her childish behaviour, too. Shes only going to push your boundaries even more. (mom)
But, its just fetching coffee, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh-muh, listen to what youre saying. Even small things like this helps you establish hierarchy. What will you do when your sister starts disrespecting you? (mom)
Mother.
I sincerely apologise.
Already, your precious daughter does not view her older brother as a human being.
But, it is all this foolish ones fault. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, when they heard Ye-Wons sharp voice.
How is this a yogurt smoothie? (Ye-Won)
Dear customer, Id like to apologise.... Our employee has made an error. We will quickly fill out the correct order.
Just what do you think youre doing? Seriously now! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk narrowed his brows.
Whats going on over there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wonder...? (mom)
While breathing quite roughly, Ye-Won came back to their table with a huff and put the tray down.
And on it, a Chocotte with injeolmi toast, as well as the honey-butter bread and a cup of Caramel Mhiato.
....Wheres mine? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, these idiots made a banana yogurt smoothie, when we ordered the yogurt smoothie. (Ye-Won)
What the, is the dang yogurt going to explode because a banana was added to it?!
I mean, they even added a fruit that I didnt order in the first ce as a bonus. Its good for my health too, so its all good. (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
So, what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told them to change it. Now normally, I wouldve asked for the money back, but well, Im feeling generous today, so I didnt. (Ye-Won)
Oh.... so thats what happened. I would have been fine with a banana whatever, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, youd be fine? We are talking about basic customer service here! (Ye-Won)
Thats right, son. They shouldnt do that. (mom)
R, right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wondered about the potential chemical reaction when a banana and a tub of yogurt meet, while reaching out towards a slice of that honey-butter bread.
*SFX for a hand being pped away*
If you want to eat, then order your own. This will be barely enough to cover us two. (mom)
I really hate those people who keep quiet when ordering stuff, but ask for a bite when the foodes out. (Ye-Won)
.............
Ah, ah! Oh, the Bringer of Apocalypse!
Oh, the Nightmare of Berafe.
It seemed that the home you have returned to after braving the aeons of time, long enough to overturn mother nature hundreds of times, wont even allow you to enjoy a piece of a stupid little honey-butter bread!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks internal monologue)
Why cant I eat even a small piece?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Mom and Ye-Won didnt even pretend to hear what he had said.
Ahhhh, my sugar, my sugar is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With a pair of desperately pleading eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the counter.
There definitely were three machines there.
Wasnt this the age of miracles where the machines did all the work?
Thats right. His thing shouldnt take that long to make. If he waited just a wee bit more, then his sugary release should eventually enter his hands....
*SFX for a loud cry of emergency sirens*
Suddenly, sirens went off pretty much everywhere.
Patrons in the cafe began standing up abruptly.
C This is an emergency broadcast. All citizens must evacuate to the nearest emergency shelter in an orderly fashion. This is not a drill. Repeat, All citizens must evacuate to the nearest emergency shelter in an orderly fashion. This is not a drill....
Lets go, son. (mom)
T, to where? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You heard that, right? Its not a drill. We need to get to a shelter now. (mom)
Huh?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With a dazed expression on his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look around.
And he could see panicking people urgently rushing outside the stores.
The Korean citizens, famous for taking their sweet time during the civil exercise drills in the past while thinking of stopping to see the fireworks, were filing out of the department store in the most orderly manner imaginable.
Hurry! (mom)
But, but, my smoothie... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think your smoothie is a problem right now? Come quickly! (mom)
Mom grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks arm and dragged him outside the cafe.
But, my smoothie.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill buy you another er. (mom)
In, in that case, take the ones weve already ordered! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop wasting time and hurry, will you? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only hold back his tears while looking at the drinks and the confectionary left unattended on the table.
Screw the dang emergency. Im the emergency right now... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you say something unimportant just now? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt even more saddened after hearing Ye-Wons blunt reaction.
*
Even before the helicopter couldnd, Seo Ah-Young jumped off andnded on the ground.
Choi Jung-Hoons face hardened, but this wasnt the time to chicken out, so he too slid out of the helicopter and hurriedly followed after his boss.
What about the evacuation? (Seo Ah-Young)
We ordered the citizens to head to the nearest shelters. The local police are in the middle of confirming the situation and directing the traffic flow. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Do we have the instrumented reading yet? (Seo Ah-Young)
Not yet. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What about the ability users? (Seo Ah-Young)
Three have arrived, and the rest are on the way. But, other than two, they wont arrive on time. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
De people said they will be here soon, so for now, create a barricade, surround the area, and continue with evacuation from the rear. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Since time was short, they didnt even bother to catch an elevator, instead choosing to run down the stairs. While running, Seo Ah-Young shouted out in irritation.
But, how can a Gate go undiscovered for so long? (Seo Ah-Young)
Apparently, its been hiding in a disused storage area. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How does that make any sense? Are we in a pier, or a shipping container yard?! Why here, of all ces.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon licked his lips.
She might be saying some things that didnt fit her station, but it wasnt as if he couldnt understand her sentiments.
Well, even he felt at a loss to exin just why a Gate would open up in a ce like this.
Of all ces, why.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Normally, a Level 2 Gate wasnt something that would prove to be problematic to contend with.
But, the real issues were that it was located in a basement, and on top of that said basement, was a ten-story department store. Those were the real problems.
If heavy weaponry were used and a couple of pirs got destroyed in the battle, then well, the people of Seoul might get to witness the grand sight of a building copsing spectacrly in the middle of their city.
And, even if thebatants were mindful with their guns, there was no guarantee that monsters would.
This is the worst case scenario. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head.
Still, no matter what the situation was, he had to do everything he could.
While running down the stairs, he shouted into the walkie talkie.
Tell them to do a thorough scan for any stray civilians. Meaning, search twice, three times if necessary. Not only the department store building itself, but to check all the surrounding buildings that might get affected in case this storees down in a heap, got it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Although he had issued this order, invariably, a stray civilian or two would be found somewhere. Every dang time.
But today, something like that must not happen.
As he lowered the walkie talkie while thinking like this, a sharp beeping noise exploded out from it, followed soon after by the most horrifying sound he could imagine.
PPPiiiiieeeeeck!!
C Its the Gate! Its opening up!! The monsters areing out!!
Even Choi Jung-Hoon ended up halting his run down the stairs unconsciously to stare at the walkie talkie dumbfoundedly.
Oh, sh*t.
The worst case imaginable had happened for real.
< 20. The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge -2 > Fin.
Chapter 21: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (3)
Chapter 21: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (3)
The main tactic of the Gate suppression operation was quite a simple one to exin.
Extermination of everything within the location.
Simply put, it was to empty the surrounding area of the Gate of people, enclose the area with soldiers, and then, before the appearing monsters could spread out, exterminate them where they stand.
This was the epted strategy many, many nations hade up with, after suffering through many trials and errors in the past five years.
The first thing to do on the list: evacuate civilians.
The second: position several ability users near the Gate, and before monsters could formrge packs, kill them as quickly as possible.
And finally, if any monsters found a gap and escaped the cordon, soldiers waiting at the rear surrounded and massacred thempletely.
These three steps formed the backbone of the strategy.
Of course, in those cases where more time was afforded to the defenders, the location surrounding the Gate would be blocked off in a dome with either strengthened concrete or styrofoam, to decrease the possibility of monsters running loose. And depending on the situation itself, variations in tactics would be introduced, such as ymores and mines being installed to initiate the first strike, etc. Still, in most cases, the three basic protocols were adhered to rather religiously.
However, this strategy was built upon two premises.
One, all Gates only appear above ground.
Two, the minimum of three days between the appearance of a Gate and it fully opening up.
It was only because these two premises that the strategy was established in the first ce. And now, with the advent of a simple-enoughplication, the KSF and the De faced the horrifying prospect of the trusted strategy bing utterly useless and pointless to follow.
A Gate had opened up underground.
That little but significant fact alone caused the discovery of its existence to be dyed, and everyone involved was about to pay the hefty price.
*
Fire!!
Sh*t!!
mmmm!!!
K7A1 full-auto rifles continuously spat out bullets and mes. (TL: I honestly do believe I know a little bit about guns, but even I struggled to remember if there was a rifle called K7A1. Turns out, there isnt one, ording to Google.)
And the monsters trying to rush out of the underground storages doorway: the Trandal, no. 7th in the Monster ssification Index. (MCI)
Also known as Builder Monkeys, these monsters were spewing blood from all the wounds inflicted by the rifles, yet they continued to rush forward regardless.
With no support provided by the encirclement of targets, the limited firepower of these rifles couldnt prate past the thick arms of the Builder Monkeys.
Euhahahck!!
A soldier with one of his legs captured by a Builder Monkey screamed at the top of his lungs.
Get away!!
The moment he got captured, he was a dead man.
There was no way to rescue that guy now. If one wanted to save him, then guns needed to fired, but imagine shooting at a monster using the hostage as a meat shield C itd end up as the soldiers killing their own ally, instead.
F*ck this!! Why did it open already?! Why!!
The soldiers knew there was no one here to answer their questions. Still, they couldnt help but cry out anyways.
*SFX for a harsh impact*
A soldier was flung away; he collided against a wall in a sickening manner and bounced off of it.
Lieutenant Colonel Gong Jung-Shik could only shout out desperately while praying that the unfortunate soldier had survived that throw somehow.
To the rear!! Rear!! Widen the gap slowly!! Focus your fire at the doorway, you idiots!! (Gong Jung-Shik)
Did this qualify as a fortunate development?
Rather unexpectedly, the number of Builder Monkeys rushing out of the storages doorway was quite low. Even if their thick skins could almost stop bullets fired from a rifle, there was no way for these monsters to endure the damage umted gradually from getting struck by hundreds of bullets.
The few Builder Monkeys were finally overpowered and fell to the floor one by one.
First toon, secure the passage to the entrance! The rest, provide support cover, ASAP! (Gong Jung-Shik)
Yes sir!!
With themand from the leader of the toon, it was split into two squadrons, and they pressed their backs against either side of the entrance.
If they could help it, they didnt want to enter the storage area, but they also couldnt stand there staring at the door forever, either. At a bare minimum, they had to confirm what the heck was going on inside.
Breach, now!
Breaching!
Two men from each squadron pointed their rifles at the entrance, while the rest entered the storage.
But...
Ahahahahck!!
Ahahck!!
The entering soldiers got thrown outside like a bunch of toys. The men providing cover outside couldnt evade in time and got struck by the flying bodies, and rolled on the ground in a messy entanglement.
mmm!!
Ahahack!! F*ck!!
Get away!!
It seemed that the soldier losing his consciousness ended up pulling the trigger inadvertently, and the rifle began emptying its load.
Although no one got hurt, no one had the time to celebrate it.
That was because the Builder Monkeys responsible for throwing the soldiers out were busy dashing out from the doorway to pounce on the remaining soldiers outside.
In an instant, the formation broke downpletely.
Lieutenant Colonel Gong Jung-Shik screamed until his voice became hoarse.
Do not engage!! Disengage, you idiots!! Retreat!! (Gong Jung-Shik)
The soldiers also knew they needed to retreat, but the Builder Monkeys possessed far greater speed and agilitypared to the mere grunts. The monsters were upon their prey before anyone could do anything.
It was now impossible to shake them loose.
In the blink of an eye, four or five soldiers became a bloody mess and got thrown away. Gong Jung-Shik grabbed the walkie talkie and began pouring out colourfully explicit words.
Hey you f*cking mutant sons of b*tches!! Will you onlye after every one of us is dead?!?! (Gong Jung-Shik)
The reply didnte from his walkie talkie, but from behind his back.
Really now, I might get my ears chewed up because Imte, but ahjussis attitude is making my position even worse, you know?
Surprised, Gong Jung-Shik quickly turned around to look, only to find a thirty-something man wearing a rather distinctive T-shirt walking awkwardly towards him.
You a Psycher? (Gong Jung-Shik)
What if Im not?
Gong Jung-Shik shouted out again.
Do something already!! (Gong Jung-Shik)
The new guy clicked his tongue and walked past Gong Jung-Shik, heading straight towards the Builder Monkeys.
Tsk. Whered you get the balls to think that you could stop them with guns in this confined space?
The new guy then grabbed both arms of a Builder Monkey that had grabbed onto a soldiers leg and was just about to tear him in half.
*SFX for bones breaking*
Right away, the arms of that Builder Monkey, each of them almost twice the size of the new guy, got broken and were bent at a weird angle.
KYAHGAHGAHGAHCK!!!
The Builder Monkey screamed in pain, and when the new guy heard it, he frowned deeply. Quite literally, he threw a punch at the monsters face.
Kwadeuk!!
The monsters face got prated, and it became limp soon after.
The new guy tossed the carcass of the Builder Monkey hanging on the end of his fist, and then, raised his finger towards the rest of monsters surrounding him now.
Cmon.
Builder Monkeys spat out weird cries as they pounced on the new guy, but he only issued a slight smirk, before weing them with his fists.
Seriously now... (Gong Jung-Shik)
Gong Jung-Shik looked at that spectacle and spat on the floor.
No matter how many times he had witnessed it, it still felt surreal to him.
The scene of those monsters that were capable of ripping apart human beings getting ripped apart in reverse and pummeled into a bloody mess by a human, still did not feel good to him, even now.
Just who is the real monster here... (Gong Jung-Shik)
If one were to dig into the actual meaning of the word monster, then those Builder Monkeys were much closer to its original definition, but from what the career military man could feel, the ability users seemed far more monstrous to him.
Lieutenant, sir!
Gong Jung-Shik broke out of his thoughts after his subordinate called out to him. He quickly shifted his gaze back to the new guy who had already turned all the Builder Monkeys into a messy pile of broken meat.
Is this all, ahjussi?
For now. However, the Gate is inside that ce and we havent figured out whats going on in there yet. (Gong Jung-Shik)
Really? Then, I should check it out.
Be careful. (Gong Jung-Shik)
Wow. I sure have lived for a long time. I mean, a career military man is being worried about my health and all.
You die, then we will be in a serious bind, too. Remember that. (Gong Jung-Shik)
Gotcha, gotcha.
The new guy chuckled heartily and walked towards the entrance of the storage. Before he entered it, though, he still found a room to throw a question out.
By the way, ahjussi. I heard this Gate is rated at Level 2, so have you seen higher ss monsters than these losers yet?
What youre seeing is every creature weve encountered so far. (Gong Jung-Shik)
But thats odd, dont you think? A Level 2 monster wouldnt just sit back pretty inside a storage like that.
The new guy tilted his head and tookrge strides towards the storage.
As soon as the new guy entered through the doorway, Gong Jung-Shik turned to ask the soldier in charge of intelligence.
Who was that? (Gong Jung-Shik)
He must be the one called Iron.
Iron? The Iron Park Sung-Chan? (Gong Jung-Shik)
Yes, sir.
With a short Ho-oh, Gong Jung-Shik looked at the doorway with renewed lights in his eyes.
If that man was the Iron Park Sung-Chan, then even he had heard of this ability users name. Since he was famous even among the countless ability users out there, it was a safe bet to assume that his abilities were definitely good enough to earn that acim.
What a relief, seeing the first user to arrive is someone even Ive heard of. (Gong Jung-Shik)
However, it seemed that Mr. Iron didnt really care about the relief felt by the soldiers gathered here.
Excuse me, ahjussi!
Only if he could change the way he addressed the Lieutenant Colonel, other people might have looked at him in a far more favourable light, but, oh well.
What now? (Gong Jung-Shik)
Uh, looks like you gottae inside and take a gander. I think the problem will get really huge from now on.
What?! (Gong Jung-Shik)
Gong Jung-Shik ran inside the storage.
His subordinates also tried to run in after him, but they failed to ount for Gong Jung-Shik abruptly stopping on the doorway, and thus ended up colliding among themselves and fell on the floor in a heap.
What the, Lieutenant?!
The intelligence chief was about to voice his dissatisfaction, but then, not only him but the rest all had to shut their mouths after spotting what the shocked Gong Jung-Shik was seeing right there.
At the spot Gong Jung-Shik was looking at...
It was the ceiling of the storage room.
And there was a massive hole in the middle of it, one big enough to drive a tank through.
Jesus, Joseph and Mary... (Gong Jung-Shik)
Gong Jung-Shiks powerless mutter was echoed by the rest of the soldiers.
What, what should we do now, sir?!
Although that wasnt something a man in charge of gathering intelligence should say, Gong Jung-Shik still felt sympathy for him.
Even he was about to sink into a panicked state of mind, too.
Before, he was expecting the worst oue, but eventually, grew suspicious of the fact that the loss of his men, as well as the number of monsters, seemed far lower than usual.
Call the KSF people and describe the situation. Call for more reinforcements from the De too, and make sure they secure the perimeter with any means possible!! Especially the subway lines C do whatever it takes to block ess to those!! If these damnable monsters enter the subway line and spread out, youll see a real hell on Earth today!! (Gong Jung-Shik)
Yes sir, understood!!!
Hurry up!! (Gong Jung-Shik)
Sir!
The Iron stared Gong Jung-Shik barking out several orders, and then, he jumped up into the hole overhead.
Im gonna just go after them for a bit, so please take care of the clean-up.
Do your best, you hear? (Gong Jung-Shik)
Gong Jung-Shik then pulled out the walkie talkie.
And just from where should he begin so he could wrestle back control of this situation?
He massaged his pounding forehead and brought up the walkie talkie to his mouth several times, only to put it back down again and again. Then, he let out a long, long sigh.
Son of a b*tch...
< 21. The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge -3 > Fin
Chapter 22: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (4)
Chapter 22: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (4)
It sure is getting stuffy in here... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right now, Yi Ji-Hyuk was being squeezed t like a dried up squid by the crowd of people pushing him on both sides.
Just hold on for a bit longer. (mom)
Moms disapproving voice sounded rather harsh.
Obviously, she wasnt feeling too pleased by this development as well.
Well, an obvious thing would stay as an obvious thing, no?
There was no way anyone would enjoy being packed into such a tight space with this many people like a can of sardines, after all.
How much longer do we need to stay here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Until the evacuation order is rescinded. (mom)
*Groan~*
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked around him for a bit.
The faces around him showed much anxiety and dissatisfaction, but not one tried to voice them out C nor were there any brave souls wanting to venture outside the emergency shelter.
Really now, things have changed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was an unimaginable feat only a few years ago.
But, after Gates opened up everywhere and monsters began pouring out, the masses mustve realised that following the governments advice/orders would increase their rate of survival just a tad more.
Could these people have been living under the strain of constant fear, all this time?
And the society was functioning as it should, somehow?
The collective desire to survive loomingrge over all else, not to mention the society atrge being stuck in a kind of a rut, had masked everything for now, but there was little doubt in Yi Ji-Hyuks mind that beneath all that, the festering wounds of deep-seated anxiety and the subsequent psychological trauma would simply be incredibly dangerous.
And when the time for all that to blow upes...
Its none of my business. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you say something? (mom)
Not really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From what he could gather, it seemed that a Gate had opened up nearby. Not only that, it mustve been at such a short notice that the authorities failed to adequately prepare themselves in time.
Then, will those yangbans show up too? (TL: A Yangban is a person of nobility in the old Joseon Kingdom. Now its used more like a snide remark to denote a variety of people C like, holier-than-thou types, or someone born with a nicer spoon in mouth, etc, etc...)
The KSF. Well, he certainly didnt have any bad impressions of them. No, they were rather interesting people, thats for sure. Just that, he had no desire to get mixed up with them, thats all.
*SFX for a baby/very young child crying*
From a distant corner, he could hear a young kid bawling his eyes out.
The kids mom was doing her best to pacify the irate child. But, there was no way a young kid would be able to endure being stuck in a stuffy ce for hours, something even adults found difficult to withstand.
The problem was, though, the adults who knew this fact were also reaching the end of their ropes as well.
Excuse me, please quieten that child down.
Too damn noisy, really!
Im sorry. Im so sorry.
The kids mom apologised and apologised to people around her, but in the end, she failed to pacify her child.
And when one kid began crying, it started a chain reaction; the sounds of more crying piped up from here and there now. To make the matters even worse, these crying kids then caused the entire shelter to plunge ever deeper into the state of panic.
Mom, just how much longer do we need to stay in here for? (Ye-Won)
Lets hold on for a little bit longer, okay? (mom)
Even Yi Ye-Won mustve felt scared, as she gripped moms hands tightly. Of course, she didnt even put Yi Ji-Hyuk in her eyes.
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
I can go home, probably, if that damn Gate gets shut down somehow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That would be the sure-fire method of leaving thisrge hall AKA the emergency evacuation shelter. Of course, that would be dependant on the condition of all the released monsters being taken care of first.
Although he knew the way, he held not one speck of desire to do something about it.
The reason for that was rather simple.
Im not crazy.
If he knew he had to put his life on the line this side as well, then in the first ce, he wouldnt have been crazy enough to go through that much pain in Berafe, all for that one chance to return to Earth.
The reason for his return?
Why, so he could enjoy a rxing life with zero conflicts, thats what.
And then, greet his eventual demise at the end of his road.
Although that did sound rather weird, he only returned to Earth so he could die of old age. So, why would he suddenly decide to confront the monsters, as if he had developed a sense of some misced altruism?
Obviously, Hell No.
Plus, there was another reason, one that was even more crucial in his decision making process.
It seemed that Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon had mistakenly believed he was concealing his true powers.
Their thoughts were, Yi Ji-Hyuk had employed some sort of special ability or technique to avoid getting his measurement taken, and that he had hidden what he could truly do...
In all honesty, he wasnt hiding anything at all, really.
His body was that of a regr person, through and through.
From the moment he went to Berafe until his return trip back home, the regr Joe Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt changed one bit.
The values averaging 800 or so was the urate reflection of Yi Ji-Hyuks current status.
The sole reason why Yi Ji-Hyuk could survive in Berafe wasnt because he was strong or anything, but only due to his ability of absolute regeneration that was pretty much the definition of perfect preservation of the original form.
Without that regenerative ability, hed have died within three hours of his arrival in Berafe.
Im gonna die here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk returned to Earth, he lost that miraculous ability to revive and regenerate. Now, he was no different from an exceedingly-unimpressive walk-in Extra no.1.
Of course, he had umted countless skills and innumerable experience during his stay in Berafe, so he was quite a bit more proficient in abat situation than a regr person, but that was about it, really.
He wasnt a suicidal lunatic who would voluntarily jump into a situation where a single little scratch might end up killing him.
And, truth be told, he couldve died for real as soon as hended back on Earth, when that Jarchev or whatever monster hit him. With his nearly depleted Mana reserve, he couldnt activate the Shield spell, and if he didnt instinctively activate the body reinforcement technique at that very moment, his head wouldve been blown away.
Back then, he was beside himself with joy at the realisation that he could die at any moment, but now that he meditated upon it, that was way too close forfort, that.
So, why should he start picking fights with monsters now? He wasnt crazy.
Yi Ji-Hyuks only wish was to spend the remainder of his life, whether it was ten years or twenty, in front of hisputer and rxedly kick back to his hearts content. That was it.
Please everyone, calm down! The situation will normalise soon!!
The officers from the local police station dispatched to this shelter were doing their best to calm the crowd.
Even though theining crowd was still full of dissatisfaction, they disyed restraint and understanding.
Post-ck Monday, the governments powers had be undeniably greater, and that alone was able to suppress the dissatisfaction of the masses somehow C on the surface, at least. Of course, stopping childrens crying was still beyond them, though.
Kids will be kids. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But the real issue wasnt with those kids, but Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
Im really thirsty and I need my injection of sugar! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only if he could drink that yogurt smoothie or whatever it was called!
So what if they had dropped in a couple of banana pieces! Its nearly this abrasive, inconsiderate little girls fault!
Whatever, he needed to acquire and absorb sugar, now!
Unfortunately, before he could search for his sugar hit, a new problem arose.
Khuoong.
A fairly soft sound of something hitting the metal door was heard by everyone.
All the attention of the anxietyden evacuees were focused there in the blink of an eye.
The shelters massive steel door C thats where that noise came from.
Khuoong!
As if a bigger impact hit the door, it vibrated slightly while raising a bit of a dust cloud.
The faces of the police officers began to pale.
The government felt a rather urgent need for emergency shelters after learning that the Gates could open in the middle of the capital city.
However, there were only a finite number of shelters built for the wartime emergency, and they were obviously far toocking in order to amodate over 15 million potential evacuees residing in the capital.
So, the politician went on a brainstorming session, and came up with a n that some had calledpletely insane: to turn all avable basements into emergency shelters.
What they did was to designate all spaces underground, such as subway stations and underground shopping malls, as shelters, since the Gates only opened above ground.
Unexpectedly, this scheme worked quite well.
First of all, it became rather easy for anyone to locate the shelters. Plus, as long as monsters didnt try to bore a hole into the ground, all the entrances to each of these spaces could be reinforced and blocked off, which was more than enough a defensive measure against the otherworldly threats.
Too bad, under the current circumstance, it had morphed into an inescapable corner for everyone, instead.
The weapons and steel barriers located by the entrance were rendered utterly useless now, and this very shelter, built underground to store emergency rations, only boasted minimum amount of defensive capabilities.
Regr human beings wouldnt be able to breach those steel doors, but, as far as the monsters were concerned...
Kwahahaha!!!
The steel door twisted and the once-sturdy steel beams broke apart like a bunch of potato crisps, flying off to everywhere.
And through the gap of the wide-open doorway, three Builder Monkeys dashed in.
Fear and despair dyed the faces of all who watched this unfold.
Kyaaaahack!!
No, no!!
S, save me!!
Just as screams began to pour out...
*SFX for three consecutive hitsnding*
Apanied by three clean impact sounds, the Builder Monkeys flew out of the doorway much faster than when they tried to rush inside.
.......
A thick silence descended on the crowd.
And at the spot where everyones gazes had focused, only Yi Ji-Hyuk stood there while frowning quite unhappily.
Yi Ji-Hyuk then hurriedly forced the open door shut, and took a look around his vicinity.
Hmm.
He spotted the boxes containing emergency rations and water to the side.
Orya!
He lifted two boxes and dropped them in front of the doors. Then, he turned around towards the crowd with a taciturn face and spoke up.
What are you all waiting for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah....!
When the police officers heard him, they hurriedly began shifting the boxes to block off the doorway as well.
Hey, why arent you all doing something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.....
And now, all grown men among the crowd rushed out to carry the boxes to block the door. When over a hundred men started moving, it only took the proverbial blink topletely block the doorway.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt stop with his imitation of a drill sergeant searching for a way for his trainees to move past the blocked pathway, and continued to nag on and on.
What the?! Are you resting now because you think a singleyer of this wall can stop those damn things? There are lots of other ways to die, so why are you trying so hard to die in this annoying fashion? Hah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His words were very disrespectful, but they werent wrong, either.
Men rushed back and began piling the remaining boxes up to form a barricade twice, three times thicker than before.
Put more in the middle, in the middle! There, move those desks here, too! Ahjussi, why are you taking a break already?! You dont want to live anymore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All these men busy moving under Yi Ji-Hyuks nagging/orders, suddenly came to a realisation.
Why am I listening to a pup like him?
What an odd thing this was.
Now that they have stopped and thought about it for a second, this young pup was busy waving his fingers and ying around, while he had moved only those two boxes in the beginning.
Questions and dissatisfaction were building up, but not even one person dared to stop moving.
Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a man whomanded an army of thousands with nothing more than his expressions.
He should be considered as the max-level OP character who had unlocked all skills and Traits regardingmanding an army, if such a thing even existed. He could order around a hundred or so men with consummate ease with nothing more than his fingers. Of course, his method would have to be a bit different from before, though.
Eh-hey!! Over there, boxes are going to fall down if you put them like that. Look, look. See? Look at them falling over. Cmon, ahjussi. Havent you been to the army yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk himself hadnt been to the army yet.
That was, if one didnt count his experience in Berafe, obviously.
However, even though Yi Ji-Hyuk was taking charge while busy pointing his fingers around, it didnt mean he was feeling good inside at the moment.
Now Ive done it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This idiot body of his seemed to possess faster reaction than his brain did.
Just as soon as he sensed something trying to breach the shelter, his body reacted even before he could formte a n, and he found himself busy kicking the monsters out by the time he had realised what he had done.
Dang it, at least, his body shouldve pretended to listen to his brain!
It wasnt as if he was chasing away annoying houseflies or something. But, how could his body subconsciously fly out and perform Samyeon-gak all on its own?! (TL: Samyeon-gak is a really cool triple roundhouse kick topped off with a somersault at the end. Theres a youtube video on it. Search ???)
It may have looked rather cool during the process, but well, he sure as hell did not like the results one bit.
S, son!! (mom)
Speaking of which...
Just how did you do that?! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a groan.
What should I say now to gloss over this one? Should I use that amnesia BS as an excuse again? Wait, I might really end up losing my memories from the resulting beatdown from mom, instead... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mom, lets take care of this one first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
R, right. (mom)
For now, lets dy everything to ter.
Dy todays problem until tomorrow!
Then, dy tomorrows problem until the day after!! Yes.
Continue dying it over and over again, till the day I die. That should solve the problem. Well, theres nothing to it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For the time being, the construction work was finished.
However.... could the hastily-repaired and barricaded door somehow stop those monkeys from entering the shelter?
Since the broken doorway looked somewhat, you know, empty, he decided to block it up, but it seemed wholly unrealistic to expect a handful of boxes filled with water bottles, to stop monsters capable of blowing away a steel door apart.
No, hang on C that might not necessarily be true. He saw a documentary a long ago, which said that four balloons filled with water could stop a bullet. So, perhaps, threeyers of boxes filled with water should be able to stop bullets fired from a rifle, at least.
If he were to estimate the amount of water in the newly-erected barricade... Each box contained around 24 litres. Since there was a total of fiveyers, the whole thing should weigh at least around four tons, even if the ration boxes wedged in between werent counted.
No matter how strong those monkeys were, they wouldnt be able to push around four tons of barricade, so he probably could breath a little bit easier for now.
Kkang! Kkang! Kkang!!
As expected, the sounds of the door being pounded on could be heard from the other side.
And well, the makeshift barricade was doing its job. Even a steel door couldnt keep them out, yet the barricade was blocking out the monkeys while only shaking around a little bit.
Looks like I can just sit tight and wait for the rescue party to arrive now, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Too bad, his thoughts proved to be very wrong in this case.
KWAHANG!!
In a single moment, apanied by a loud explosion, water boxes disintegrated into a shower of debris, shooting out towards pretty much everywhere.
Yi Ji-Hyuks body turned around in a sh to grab his mom and Ye-Won, before pushing them down to the floor.
< 22. The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge -4 > Fin.
Chapter 23: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (5)
Chapter 23: The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge (5)
A flying box full of water brushed past Yi Ji-Hyuk as he dived to the floor.
It was nothing more than that, just a simple brushing-by. Yet, he almost fainted from the impact.
Son!! (mom)
Moms desperate shouts woke him up, and he stood up while shaking his head to clear the dizziness away.
*SFX for a low growl*
From the entrance, a low growling came out. Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to take a look.
A beast stood there.
A beast that was a hybrid of an ape and a dog, now stood at the entrance.
It was so huge, its head almost managed to touch the ceiling. The overall silhouette was simr to a bear, but that animal couldnt evene close to the dangerous aura emanating from the monsters sculpted, lithe body.
*SFX for a low growl*
The surrounding became deathly quiet.
Even the people who got injured by the flying boxes, even the unruly children who had been bawling their eyes out until now C all of them were holding their breaths. Perhaps, they had all instinctively realised that they shouldnt provoke this creature....
The half-mangled corpses of the monkey monsters that tried to enter the shelter not too long ago were strewn about near the entrance. That alone attested to the horrifyingly brutal nature of this monster.
A Kodiac Monkey...
Someone muttered softly under his breath.
People stared at the creature with despairing eyes, while praying sincerely in their hearts that it would lose interest here and go somewhere else.
But, everyone here knew very well that such a thing would never happen.
To not be the first victims, those with quicker wits began retreating to a corner, perhaps nning to escape through the gap when the monster would be too busy killing other people.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk red at the monster called the Kodiac Monkey and spat out expletives.
Hah. F*ck this sh*t. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He just wanted to live quietly, yet the heavens were actively messing with him like this?
Yi Ji-Hyuk fished out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up.
Who the eff cared that this was a no-smoking zone? He was this close to exploding from all the irritation bubbling within right now.
Ah, seriously. I cant even think straight because of no nicotine and no goddamn sugar, yet this happens? Really now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a low growl*
The Kodiac Monkey fixed its gaze on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Everything about this creature was strange C the way its massive frame looked like, where observers could feel its lithe agility rather than a gori-like heftiness; the fact that the basis for such an impression was based not on any of the primate species, but from a four-legged canine-like beast, instead; and finally, no matter what, the fact that it still kinda resembled a monkey.
But, I guess you wouldnt be called a monster if you didnt look like a weirda*s motherf*cker, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk received the Kodiac Monkeys re with a rxed atmosphere. Trembling, madam Park Sun-Deok reached out with her hands.
Ji, Ji-Hyuk-ah. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even turn around while waving his hands to dissuade his mother.
Mom. Dont worry. Your son hasnt lost his mind, nor has he gone insane, either. Am I a kind of a person who would step out to die without a n, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B, but? (mom)
I hate soap operas, so Ill finish this up real fast and we will go home afterwards. My blood sugar level is way too low right now, Im hungry as hell, and also, gee whiz, Im thirsty as f*ck, too. Jesus.... I mustve be a moron or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk retrieved a bottle of water from one of the broken boxes, and drank a big mouthful.
I cant even think straight with this low blood sugar level. But there is only water here. God damn it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he didnt smoke it for long, Yi Ji-Hyuk still threw the cigarette down to the floor and stepped on it, grinding it under his foot.
Regardless of what his wishes were, what he had to do right now was as clear as a bell.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat on the floor and clenched his fists tightly.
Hey, you f*cking monkey POS. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expressions became crumpled.
You better clench your teeth real tight, cuz if you dont, you are going to lose them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right then...
POW!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks body blinked and disappeared from the position and reappeared right in front of the Kodiac Monkey, before one of the meanest right straights ever seen in the human history mmed into the monsters jaw.
*
Where are we now, progress wise? (Seo Ah-Young)
Subjugation around the immediate vicinity of the Gate has beenpleted. Those who had escaped through the hole in the ceiling are currently being cut down by the De, while those moving around in packs are being dealt with by the psychers. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And where is the ce with highest threat level? (Seo Ah-Young)
If this location with a path to the surface is broken through, then the b*stards will try to spread out into the city. And... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for a static from a walkie talkie*
The noiseing from the walkie talkie cut off Choi Jung-Hoons speech.
A Kodiac Monkey, moving towards the No.3 Emergency Shelter. Its engaged in hostile activity! I repeat, its a Kodiac Monkey, heading towards the No.3...
Even before the report from the walkie talkie came to an end, Choi Jung-Hoon was up and running already.
Where is it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was hurriedly running after him as well.
Only with Choi Jung-Hoons guidance could she ever hope to arrive there in time, since he had memorised the location of every underground shelter in Seoul. Seo Ah-Young knew this fact very well, but she still ended up asking him out of urgency.
Just follow me for now! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon found even the time required to make his reply too precious, and chose to continue running with all his might. And right behind Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon, heavily armed soldiers were following them as well.
*
KWAHNG!!
Everyone there heard an impact noise that was far too loud for a sound made by a human fist meeting a monsters face.
And the Kodiac Monkey, and its over two tons of body weight, flew off like a bullet fired from a gun.
When the wall and the body of the monster collided, the wall lost and crumbled.
Thick dust clouds rose up dramatically.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and took a leisurely stroll towards the Kodiac Monkey.
You didnt bite your tongue, did you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He knew very well what a foolish and time-wasting act it was to talk to a monster that couldnt understand human speech, but without this sort of side amusement, he wouldnt be able topletely vent the irritation in his heart.
Seriously now C there should have been several other emergency shelters within this underground shopping mall, so why on earth did this thing choose toe here and bother the heck out of him?
*SFX for a low growl*
As if it was a person, Kodiac Monkey shook his head to regain some of its bearings. Well, it did knock that hapless wall down with its body, after all.
Arent you a tough guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this thing was like that Jarchev, its head wouldve been destroyed in one shot.
Although it looked like it had suffered some damage, other than a couple of missing teeth, it wasnt wounded badly at all.
What a weakling. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, he wasnt referring to the Kodiac Monkey, but himself.
Here he was, not even able to kill a trashy mob monster with a single hit.
If the warriors of Berafe who had fought him in the past saw this scene, they would be rolling on the floor, their guts busting from the uncontroble fits ofughter.
But, it couldnt be helped, really.
Knights, warriors, martial artists C back then, he tried training in every ss suitable for close-quarter fights. But his limits were only up to second grade.
Although he earned experience after even more experience until he grew sick and tired of earning, he could only just about reach the so-called second grade, but that was about it.
That was Yi Ji-Hyuks limit. Unlike the bodies of the Berafes residents, which could grow stronger through repeated training, as well as storing Mana within themselves to grow ever more powerful, his body couldnt umte Mana no matter what, and he couldnt even put on an ounce of extra muscle on his flesh.
After doing pretty much anything and everything in order to grow stronger, he sessfully taught himself to wield Mana. But, that was still no better than the level of a newborn baby, when judged by Berafes standards. Even on Earth, Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed Ether value of just over 800, which was only a bit better than an average person.
No matter how proficient he was, there seemed to be a fundamental physical limit, a ceiling, that he couldnt exceed.
Still, to think, I couldnt even kill a trashy mob.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling frustrated.
Sure, he wanted live a life without fighting, but this sense of loss C losing what he already had C was a separate thing from his wish. Well, how can not wanting to fight even though one possesses enough power be the same as cant fight because onecks power??
What a regretful thing, then, that the muscle-brained Kodiac Monkey couldnt understand Yi Ji-Hyuks current anguish.
*SFX for a loud, furious roar*
While drool and blood gushed out from its mouth, the furious Kodiac Monkey dashed in towards unmoving Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What a strange feeling this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was refreshingly unexpected.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was, quite refreshingly, staring at the face of death via the mad Kodiac Monkey running towards him.
Sure, the probability was really, really low, but still, realising that there was a chance for him to die, well, that was an odd thing to realise in a moment like this.
For over a thousand years, he couldnt dance with thedy death. Not even once.
He couldnt die even after a dragons Breath hit him. He even revived in full as if it was a matter of course, after getting struck by a super-massive annihtion magic that utterly obliterated him right down to the electron molecules.
He was not blessed by the goddess of death.
But now... he had emerged past that and was staring down at the death itself.
His heart was beating faster and faster.
While enjoying the sensation of an indescribable excitement bubbling in his heart, Yi Ji-Hyuks lips arched upwards.
I kinda like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could die here.
Definitely, he could die.
What the hell. Nobody would understand what Im feeling right now.
Well, there should be no one out there who can understand someone like me, who has prayed for death and spent an aeon searching for it. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Thinking like this, Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly felt rather grateful to the Kodiac Monkey madly rushing towards him.
If there was one thing that proved to be somewhat regretful, then it was hisck of ability to graciously grant a painless death to this poor monster.
The front arm of the monstershed out towards Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
A sound of whip cracking in the air resounded out, as if that weighty arm broke past the sound barrier or something.
Yi Ji-Hyuk took two steps to his right and sessfully avoided making contact.
*SFX for a shorter, more urgent growl*
After destroying the ground like a piece of styrofoam, the Kodiac Monkey then began swinging its arm to its left.
As befitting its huge size, the arm could easily sweep everything away within the radius.
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply crouched and let the arm swing past above him. He could feel the sensation of his hair strands dancing from the air pressure.
Tsk.
He moved his front foot and kicked the waist of the slightly-off bnce Kodiac Monkey in rapid session.
And almost at the same time, his right foot ruthlessly stomped down on the monsters foot.
*SFX for an anguished cry of a monster*
As the Kodiac Monkey screamed out in anger and pain, Yi Ji-Hyuks smooth roundhouse kick exploded into the monsters lower tummy.
Apanied by a dull impact noise, the monsters head bowed down.
Didnt I tell you... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt voice the rest of his sentence.
Well, he did tell the monster to clench its teeth before, so...
KWAHANG!!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks right uppercut, brimming full of Mana, connected spectacrly with the jaw of the Kodiac Monkey once more.
m, m, m!!
The monsters body flew away at an acute angle, before bouncing off on the ground, rising up high into the air. Repeatedly.
Soon, the monkey monster mmed into the ground hard,ing to a stop.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
Although he had tried to prevent it from happening, the shoulder muscles couldnt withstand Yi Ji-Hyuks explosive power and were all torn up.
Hah... I cant even regenerate here, so what now... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A wound that wouldve been healed before he noticed it back in Berafe remain unhealed and aching now.
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth and walked towards the Kodiac Monkey.
*SFX for a low, somewhat panicky growl*
It must have felt it.
The Kodiac Monkeys eyes no longer disyed that haughty pride anymore. It had acknowledged Yi Ji-Hyuk standing in front as the superior being than itself.
When he slowly approached it, the monster struggled to stand and began to retreat in haste.
Thats right. Thats right. Arent you a clever one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk found this reaction of the Kodiac Monkey very much to his liking.
Too bad, that was as far as that went.
Hey, monkey, did you know? The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge.
Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed not one iota of desire to stop his punishment of this unfortunate monster.
< 23. The price for disrupting my leisure time will be huge -5 > Fin.
Chapter 24: I thought I could just go, though? (1)
Chapter 24: I thought I could just go, though? (1)
Seo Ah-Young was running out of breath.
She couldnt help but envy those body enhancement type users during situations like this. What a regretful thing it was, since she didnt possess even the slightest hint of an ability that enhanced ones physique. She could only grind her teeth and endure.
Pant, pant!!
The only reason why she wasnt voicing herints right now... was because she was fully cognisant of the fact that the survival of at least several hundred souls were dependant on how fast she could move her legs.
Its over there! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
While hearing the ragged voice of Choi Jung-Hoon, she turned around the corner.
Then, her footsteps came to a sudden halt.
T, that is... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons dazed voice followed soon after.
But, it was an understandable reaction, actually.
Choi Jung-Hoon could see a rather strange sight unfolding right in front of him.
They could see the Level 2 monster.
Separating a Level 2 from a Level 1 was fairly easy: could it be killed with firearms?
A monster would be ssified as a Level 2 if rifles could no longer hurt it. If a monster possessing a tough hide but low attacking power popped up, then such ssification system might be thrown into chaos, but for now, no creature like that had shown up yet.
To reiterate, in order to kill a Level 2 monster, one needed to call for the support of heavy armaments.
Only a mortar or an RPG could cause some sort of damage to the monster.
But now... there was a lone person, a man, busy beating the hell up a Level 2 monster at this very moment.
Just how would someone describe such a scene?
It was like a....
...A scene from a Hong Kong action movie. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon thought his description was a bitcking, actually. But, regardless, it seemed the most suitable one, too. A bitter smile crept up on his lips after he realised the irony of that.
There was no other way to describe it.
It really resembled a movie.
But, it didnt mean what he saw was as cool as it was in a movie. No, it was like a.... like a movie scene, where everything was choreographed to perfection.
Evading the monsters thrusting arm with minimum of movements, the man kicked the snapping jaws of the monster with ease, shoving it away. And before the Kodiac Monkeys head could return to its original ce, hended several straight jabs to the gut of the monster.
Evade, and repeat.
That man was evading the monsters attacks in a manner reminiscent of a beautifully choreographed scene from a movie. And, exactly like from such a movie, he was attacking back, too.
Anyone with even a modicum of fighting experience woulde to the conclusion that this whole thing was as fantastically unrealistic as humanly possible.
I might really go crazy at this rate... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon muttered helplessly while watching Yi Ji-Hyuk beat up the Kodiac Monkey.
Why did it have to be that guy?!
Just how far was he willing to go to make an utter fool out of them, so hed feel he has caused enough mental damage?
But, as Choi Jung-Hoon watched the fight unfold a bit longer, another realisation dawned on him.
That guy was proficient.
As if he had fought in that manner for thousands of times, Yi Ji-Hyuk was quite literally thrashing the monster into a pulp.
But that just couldnt be true.
That made no sense at all.
And that was precisely because all types of martial arts were created on the basis that other human beings would be your opponents.
Itd be difficult to find a flyweight boxer capable of knocking out a heavyweight opponent, but logically speaking, it could happen. The possibility of it certainly existed, for sure.
If one continuously trained, and then trained for some more, the odds would definitely be greater.
But, just who would start teaching a martial art specifically designed to fight against monsters? And who could even train in one?
However... Right at this moment, Yi Ji-Hyuk was systematically destroying the Kodiac Monkey in a calcted and efficient manner, as if he had experienced killing countless monsters prior to this day.
What the hell is going on here? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs exmation was able to encapste Choi Jung-Hoons mindset quite nicely.
Puh-urck!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks wonderfully-executed front hook kick connected with the Kodiac Monkeys temple, which in turn, caused the monster to go flying like a kite with its strings cut. It then crashed into another wall, disappearing from the sight altogether.
Uh-whew.
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed his stiff waist and groaned in pain, before pulling out another cigarette and lit it up.
Fuu-woo...
The Kodiac Monkey finally came to dead stop afternding in the underground parking outside the shelter, while managing to destroy two support pirs in the process. Meanwhile, it was gurgling out blood from its mouth, unmoving.
*SFX for a tragic whimpering of a dying monster*
Its chest was heaving up and down noticeably, its limbs twitching every now and then, but there was no other movementing from it.
Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely walked towards the monster and stood before it.
So, why did you even bother to annoy me in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The inhaled cigarette smoke circled around his lungs once before slowly escaping from his mouth.
Here, a farewell gift for ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Flick.
He flicked the cigarette and itnded on the Kodiac Monkeys face.
*SFX for mes erupting explosively*
Seo Ah-Young mustve possessed a pretty good sense of timing. Because, a flicker of a me shooting out from her fingertipsnded on the monsters body almost simultaneously as his cigarette did. As soon as it did, billowing mes erupted out and engulfed the monkey creature in a sh.
WTF?! Hey, watch it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing the sudden eruption of mes, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly stepped back with a shocked face. Then, with a hand on his chest, he took several quick breaths.
*SFX for mes burning fiercely*
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue while watching the Kodiac Monkey turn into a heap of ash.
A bit severe for a cigarette burn... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wasnt this me a bit too much...?
Whats that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began frowning as he stared at the burning Kodiac Monkeys corpse.
A certain aura was escaping from the dead monsters body.
Is that Mana?
What the Earthlings referred to as Ether, Yi Ji-Hyuk had been calling it Mana up to now.
He thought they were kinda simr initially. However, he knew now that they were slightly different from one another.
And as for what was happening right now, that wasnt strange at all.
Thats right, if one thought about it for a second, there was nothing wrong with this development. When a living thing died, Mana leaked out from its body and returned to mother nature.
But, what seemed weird to him was the fact that Mana wasnt returning to nature as it supposed to.
Why not? Is it because the world is different? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From his guesses, he posited that the Mana leaking out right now was different from the Ether thing others were talking about. To be more precise, Mana was an energy that didnt exist in this world. Perhaps that was why Mana didnt dissipate and remained floating there.
Hmm...
Now that he thought about it even more, the other monsters didnt show reactions like this one. But why did a Kodiac Monkey show such a phenomenon?
He coulde up with a theory or two, but he couldnt be sure yet.
As for that Mana...
For now, lets just leave it be. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He might cause scabs to fall off if he went around unnecessarily scratching stuff, after all.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and turned around.
And he spotted Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon.
You.......
Just as Seo Ah-Young was about to say something, Choi Jung-Hoon suddenly grabbed her shoulder real tightly.
What now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, c**p. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes were fixed to one single spot.
And that was a supporting pir, destroyed beyond repair and its torn steel beams exposed for all to see. For some weird reason.... the open gap between the top and the bottom section of this particr pir seemed to be getting smaller. Maybe... it was getting smaller for real.
Where are we right now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Quite likely, above their heads....
A whole department store!!
T, that, that, we gotta do something, that, that... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That? (Seo Ah-Young)
That pir!! That pir, pir!!!! God damn it, this ce is going to copse!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs face lost all colour as she urgently looked at the supporting pir in question. Well now, how could this ce be safe after two of the structurally important supporting pirs got smashed to bits?
Hurry!! Do something!! Anything!! If you dont want to see the repeat of Sampoong, please do something!! (Seo Ah-Young) (TL: Sampoong was a department store in Seoul that copsed back in 1995, killing over 500 people and injuring nearly a thousand. As a matter of fact, it held the record of being the deadliest building copse in history until September 11th, 2001.)
Her hands were shaking uncontrobly as Seo Ah-Young shouted into the walkie talkie.
But, what could anyone do under the current circumstances?
Could a human being support the whole buildings weight and stop it from copsing? Just how?
Yi Ji-Hyuk checked how things were unfolding, and then shrugged his shoulders again. He then abandoned them to their devices while walking towards the hole the Kodiac Monkey created. It was actually his kick that created it, but whatever...
H, hey, where do you think youre going?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, what about here? (Seo Ah-Young)
What the. You think Im a miracle worker? I gotta get out of here before the building copses. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You irresponsible douchebag!! You caused all this!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hul. I save a drowning person, and now she wants me to hand over the bag, too. Holy cow. Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont care, just do something, please! (Seo Ah-Young)
No, hang on. What can I even do here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then. A person hurriedly ran up in a sh from a far distance.
Captain!!
Mister Park Sung-Chan!! (Seo Ah-Young)
What happened here? This thing, did you kill it, Captain? (Park Sung-Chan)
No, Mister Sung-Chan. Thats not important right now... (Seo Ah-Young)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly walked up to this Park Sung-Chan and took a inquisitive look at the man, from his feet right up to his head.
....What the. Whore you? (Park Sung-Chan)
Hey, ahjussi, you must be a knight type. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh? A knight type? (Park Sung-Chan)
Arent you one of those body reinforcement types or whatever? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Sung-Chan nodded his head, not thinking too much about it.
So what? (Park Sung-Chan)
This way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh? (Park Sung-Chan)
Hurry up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed Park Sung-Chans hand and led him forward, then, pushed him under the broken pir.
Stay there and give it your all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......Hey, who the hell do you think you are?! (Park Sung-Chan)
If you dont want to be ttened like pancakes, I suggest you quickly start supporting that pir. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell? You taking a p*ss or what, you b*stard?! (Park Sung-Chan)
Just as Park Sung-Chan was about to get real angry...
Tuk.
A man ced his hand on Park Sung-Chans shoulder.
What now? Vice Captain? (Park Sung-Chan)
Choi Jung-Hoon was carrying a very friendly smile on his face.
Please, do your best and support the pir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Yes, sir. (Park Sung-Chan)
Well, there was no need to waste time and argue; as long as he was ordered, hed carry it out, no questions asked.
Park Sung-Chan warbled slightly, but he still managed to hoist the pir with all of his strength. Watching this, Yi Ji-Hyuks expressions cleared up.
Well, that got solved pretty fast.
Step.
Yi Ji-Hyuk then turned towards the KSF folks.
Choi Jung-Hoon became rather nervous for some reason. He understood very well that the man before him shouldnt hold any hostile intentions towards them. But, the weird thing was, it felt inexplicably difficult and diforting to deal with this youth.
Step.
Yi Ji-Hyuk rapidly closed the distance between them.
What does he want to say to us now?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Unfortunately, his anxiety turned out to be meaningless.
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked past and headed straight into a big hole in the wall right behind them, which led to a chaotic, messy innards of a convenience store. He then opened the door to the refrigerator.
*SFX for a c can opening*
A refreshing sound escaped as he opened a can of Coke.
Gulp, gulp.
Yi Ji-Hyuk one-shotted the entire Coke can, eximed out loudly in happiness, and then, opened up a nearby packet of crisps.
Holy cow. I thought I was going to die with such a low blood sugar level. Look at my hands shaking. Look! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Does he have diabetes or something? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, that might not be the correct action nor thought process for the current situation, but...
Chowchowchowchow~~~
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk finished the packet in one go and reached out towards the second one...
*SFX for multiple guns locking and pointing*
Several gun barrels were pointing at his head now.
With his eyes full of questions, Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the people pointing their guns at him.
What is it? I am going to pay for all these, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Oh,e on! Im not trying to dine and dash here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
What the... I too have somemon sense, okay? I know I gotta pay first before eating and all that, but take a look around! Theres no one to pay to! So, what do you want me to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt understand it. Completely could not.
Take him. (Seo Ah-Young)
As soon as Seo Ah-Youngs resolute order was issued, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly raised both of his hands to his sides in a defensive gesture, causing everyone toe to a halt.
Everyone here had witnessed him beat up a Kodiac Monkey senseless just now, so no one was brave enough to volunteer in subduing Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I dont get what the deal is here, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With a pair of determined eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk red at Seo Ah-Young.
Let me finish the grub first, okay? We are all trying to survive here, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Take him, now! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young became even more resolute in return.
Wow. Really now, not even blood, not even tears... What the? Im going, alright?! Ill walk on my own two feet, okay?! Put me down so we can talk!! No, wait a minute!! Why am I being treated like a criminal again!? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even as he was being dragged away, Yi Ji-Hyuk was yapping on and on nonstop.
Choi Jung-Hoon and Seo Ah-Young looked at him and then, slowly shook their heads in sync.
What a nutter. (Seo Ah-Young)
He sure has a particr character, that guy. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
While the duo spat out their admiration (?) of the youth, Yi Ye-Won and Park Seon-Duk alternated their gazes between Yi Ji-Hyuk being dragged away and the KSF people, before rushing to where Choi Jung-Hoon was.
Why are you dragging my son away?! (mom Park Seon-Duk)
Ah..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
His family was here, too.
While Choi Jung-Hoon was feeling quite troubled by this, Park Seon-Duk didnt wait for his reply and continued on.
Just why are you dragging him away like some criminal? Who are you people?! (mom)
When she angrily tried to grab his cors, Choi Jung-Hoon gently brushed her hands aside and pulled out his badge.
We are the KSF, maam. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk will be ced under our care for a period of time, under the authority granted to us by thew governing the safety of the ability users. We will protect him with the full might of thew, so please do not worry and wait for further instructions. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The KSF.... (mom)
As soon as she heard that acronym, Park Seon-Duk lost all her strength and plopped down to the ground.
Mom!
Yi Ye-Won quickly supported her mother.
Seo Ah-Young watched this for a bit, before she reached out to help them up.
You dont have to worry. Were not trying to harm your son. He will return home as soon as possible, after we confirm a couple of things first. Maybe, this might prove be a good opportunity for your son, as well. (Seo Ah-Young)
Even when the disbelieving eyes of Park Seon-Duk were staring at her, Seo Ah-Young continued to carry that refreshing business-like smile of hers.
As for madam Park Seon-Duk, a day that felt like an entire year was seeminglying to a close.
Hey, just how long am I supposed to support this? (Park Sung-Chan)
Oh... It seemed that Park Sung-Chans day hadnt quitee to an end just yet.
< 24. I thought I could just go, though? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 25: I thought I could just go, though? (2)
Chapter 25: I thought I could just go, though? (2)
Although detained in the KSFs holding cell, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasfortably lying on the cells bed, wasting time and doing absolutely nothing at all.
Indeed, it was somewhat regrettable that he had no ess to aputer and thus he couldnt y his game, but then again, the food served to him tasted unexpectedly nice and no one nagged him in here either.
Plus, for a person being forcibly detained against his will, they even provided the unexpected luxury of a TV as well!!
Sure, he couldnt change the channel, and even worse, the fixed channel only showed news programmes, but still, he was feeling rather gracious about that.
Why? Because, as he watched these news broadcasts, he came to a realisation that they were sometimes funnier than many entertainment shows.
If there was one thing that wasnt cool, well, all the walls here were made out of reinforced ss so his privacy was deeply affected somewhat. Actually, since all he did was do nothing butze around the bed all day, there really was nothing much to hide anyways.
They mustve had some sense of tact, considering that the bathroom was fitted with proper walls.
He was expecting to be interrogated to no end as soon as he was brought in here, but for the past three days, he wasrgely left alone.
Well, it probably was because monsters wouldnt have beenpletely subjugated even as he got locked up in here. Also, there was the small matter of paperwork to get through, too. He could more or less understand why his matter was pushed back.
Still...
They havent forgotten about me, right? But, if they did.... Oh, well. Not a problem, I guess.
When watching the TV became too monotonous, Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his phone to ess the webnovel site.
Eh?
I cant buy the chapters?
Does that mean I dont have any money left in the ount?
Yi Ji-Hyuk swapped out of the browser and went through the contacts, then finding the persons numbers he was searching for, he called it.
Mom!
C Ji-Hyuk-ah!! Are you alright?!
Ng. Nothing happened so far. I think Im still in the ce called KSF.
C I heard from those people who dragged you away. They say its nothing to worry about, but you didntmit a crime or something like that, yes?
What do you mean, memitting a crime?! Well, Ill probably go home right after they conduct some interviews with me.
C You really havent done anything bad, right?
No! Im telling you, I havent, okay!
C You uneducated son of mine! Okay, fine. But, why didnt you call the me or the house earlier than today?! You want to see your mom die of worries, is that it?! Why are you calling me only now, when youve been clearly carrying your phone around!!
Now that he thought about it...
Ah. Mom, Im sorry. I wasnt thinking straight cuz I got overwhelmed and all.
Of course, he was lying through his teeth. Who was overwhelmed here? Hah.
C Really, nothing happened so far? They are not torturing you or anything?
Mom, do I look like an idiot? I aint gonna take that lying down, you know. Nothing really happened, so dont worry about me.
C Thats my son.
By the way, mom. I dont have any cash in my ount right now and cant buy anything through the phone. Can you deposit ?10,000? Pretty please? (TL: ?10,000 = $10.)
C You call me after three days, and the first thing you ask for is money?! Aigoo.... you uneducated, unfilial child! Youre driving me up the wall!! The wall!!
As soon as her naggingmenced, Yi Ji-Hyuk ever so gently distanced his ear from the phone.
No, well, its fine if you dont...
C Ill deposit ?50,000, so get yourself something good to eat there, okay? Do you know when they will let you go?
Not sure. But it shouldnt take long. Probably.
C Dont forget to eat three meals a day, you hear?
Ng. I know. Bye, mom.
After ending the call, Yi Ji-Hyukid down on the bed again.
The world has really changed a lot, hasnt it?
If this happened five years ago, his mom wouldve raised hell while screaming why are you dragging my meless son away?! But now, his mom was obediently epting whatever the KSF had been telling her.
This could only mean that,pared to the past, the authority of the government had be that much greater.
Excuse me, ahjussi.
Yi Ji-Hyuk called out to the guard watching the door.
Yes? (Guard)
The guard asked back with a slightly testy face.
Originally, guards werent allowed tomunicate with criminals, but Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt brought here because he had done something illegal, at least to this guards knowledge, and also, there hadnt been any explicit orders issued that forbade any contact. So, it meant the guard found it a bit hard to totally ignore this youth.
Whats on the menu for dinner tonight, ahjussi? Do you know it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll be the veggie-sausage stir-fry with Kimchi stew on the side.
Holy cow. You even memorised that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My seniors forced me to....
Oh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly wiped the corners of his moistening eyes.
The unreasonable acts of hierarchy inherent in military institutions were happening in the workces as well. Just when would the chain of unreasonablenesse to an end? Sure, he hadnt been through the Korean military system yet, but still...
Feels bad saying this to you, but, uh, can you tell them to, you know, put a bigger portion for me tonight? I mean, dont get me wrong, the food tastes really great, but I cant figure out for the life of me, why you guys are giving me such tiny-a*s portions, you know? Is it because you guys dont have the budget? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Ill call and ask them.
Too bad, he didnt get to confirm whether his request got through or not...
*
...And thats because, just before dinner, Yi Ji-Hyuk was moved to the interview room, instead.
Through the hardened ss walls, he could see dozens of heavily-armed men pointing their guns at him while thick hostility oozed out from them.
But, Yi Ji-Hyuk remained unperturbed.
This wasnt because he was a man of steely heart, someone so full of confidence, knowing that he could render every single one of those soldier boys unconscious in the blink of an eye. Oh no.
No, he was just used to these sorts of treatment.
As the Bringer of Apocalypse, he had gotten so used to having people re at him with murderous intentions, it was more like an every day routine for him.
Instead, he even felt slightly nostalgic at the moment.
As if she found Yi Ji-Hyuks current attitude wholly uneptable, Seo Ah-Youngs voice was an octave colder.
Mister Yi, Ji, Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yep? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just what are you, exactly? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ive no clue what youre talking about? (Seo Ah-Young)
He was starting again.
You are an ability user, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
But, you already took my measurements, havent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A regr person fought a Kodiac Monkey and won, you going with that one now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Is there aw that said a regr guy cant win against a monster? In that case, I guess I broke thew, so what should I do now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell, you...?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon lightly tapped on Seo Ah-Youngs arm at that precise moment. It meant that she needed to calm down. She let out a long sigh, and as promised before, took a step back. Then, carrying a friendly smile, Choi Jung-Hoon sat down on the now-vacant chair.
We keep running into each other. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats not something a guy who arrested me should be saying, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What can I say? Its all a part of my job. Please understand that we dont wish you any harm. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That BS, Ill buy it. For now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon quietly observed the youth sitting in front of him.
His replies might sound rude and he might be lying through his teeth, but one thing was for sure, he did not possess any enmity towards the KSF.
No, if one were to look at this clinically, itd be very difficult to find anyone who was this cooperative after being dragged into the KSFs interview chamber.
That is, as long as we take that rude attitude of his out of the equation... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
There was no need for meaningless adjectives while chatting to this youth, he figured. Actually, such things should be avoided entirely. Such adjectives might cause the chat to derail even further and make everyone feel rather unhappy, after all.
Its not important whether youre an ability user or not. ording to our estimation, you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, possess a simr level of ability to a Level 3 user, at a bare minimum. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is that ording to thew? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its nothing more than our own educated guesses. If we were to take thewful approach, then things will getplicated. Itd be hard to prove it, as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even if they were to present video footages of Yi Ji-Hyuks fights as evidence, proving his status would still be a difficult endeavor simply because, currently, the only epted means of identifying an ability user happened to rely solely on ones Ether measurement values.
However, even if one could prove it at the end of the day, merely the fact they had to resort to such tactics to pull this person in, was a failure in itself already. He wouldnt be willing to y ball by then.
There was no need to mention all this in the open, though.
So, what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon jumped straight into the main topic.
Would you like to work for us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Our pay is unexpectedly a lot better than you might be thinking. Plus, you also receive an excellent welfare benefits as well. Not only you, but your family members are included in it, too. And in your case, you should be given an incredible position where youll get to enjoy a great deal of influence, but have to doparably little in the way of actual work. This is not a bad proposal, I believe. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As if he was thinking about it seriously, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped on his cheek.
What will be my job title, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can you rify? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If I work for you, what will I be doing, exactly? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, youd be tasked to enter the frontlines. Isnt that your specialty? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hearing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled refreshingly.
Not interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh, you want me to fight? Urgh, gimme a break. How can I fight against monsters again? Heck, even right now, my heart is shaking from fear, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you were like a duck taking to water back then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Although he was full of quips he wanted to blurt out at this moment, Choi Jung-Hoon was a grown-up man who could discern what to say and what not to say in situations like this.
Just because its nominally the frontlines, it doesnt mean things will get dangerous everytime. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You tellin me that fighting monsters isnt dangerous? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not that... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why not? Why dontcha proim that a warzone is actually a really wonderful ce full of flowers and peace, while youre at it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, its true that some amount of danger apanies each frontline, yes. But there are suitable rewards fitting the level of danger. That is why so many ability users wish to work for the KSF, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I thought that was because youd end up in a jail cell if you dont? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thats not 100% correct, not all the time... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Actually, even Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt deny that this was true.
He hurriedly suppressed the rising pangs of guilt. Not only was he a responsible member of the society, he was also a dedicated sryman, but more importantly, a loyal agent of the KSF.
For the sake of his organisation, what was the price to pay for small bits of lies now? His soul? Pah!
Well, isnt it a bit of a waste of your talent to live a life like that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not really, no. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wowsers. This must also be a form of a superpower. How can he irritate someone so much with nothing but three simple words? He wasnt even swearing. Seriously now... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
If you work for the KSF, youll receive lots of benefits... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the. What good are the benefits when youre dead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, there is really no need to think so negatively about this. The mortality rate of our agents are actually lower than traffic idents, for instance. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wow, there must be a lot~ of people wanting to work for such a wonderful agency, no? Im sure theres no need for me to throw my hat into the ring and make it unnecessarilypetitive for everyone else, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
GROAN...
Just where on Earth did this b*stard go and train to be so good at yapping his mouth off? He doesnt want to concede an inch, does he? Not even an inch!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon finally pulled out the ace up his sleeve.
Have you been to the military yet? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope. (Yi Ji-HYuk)
Ah. That means you will be receiving your draft notice, pretty soon. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont worry, they wont take me cuz Im a high school dropout. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahahaha. Looks like youre not aware of the changes due to going missing for a long time, there. Thew changed, so even if you only graduated from the middle school, youll still be drafted into the military service. No, wait, Im quite sure that thew changed even before you went missing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, so thats what happened. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon formed a smile of contentment.
If you were a man, then youd desperately try to avoid getting drafted into the military. That was simply the human nature. In the past, there had been a few brave souls who wanted to enter the military just to get the social recognition, or simply to satisfy their own manly pride. But, all that changed with the emergence of monsters.
See, the fighting force that could be called to any ce at any time for free was the military, so the number of skirmishes soldiers had to partake in naturally saw a dramatic increase. In other words, one couldnt take it easy in the army no more.
Thanks to that, the number of boys trying to escape the draft was at an all time high right now.
By working for the KSF, Yi Ji-Hyuk could avoid getting drafted, which should hold a fatal attraction to him. Using that bait, they could reel him in real tight. For sure...
But, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt seem troubled by it. At all.
In that case, Ill just go to the military, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whats the matter? I thought I could just go, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But?! Why would you choose the army?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon unconsciously jumped up from the chair, while Seo Ah-Young could only look on with an even chillier pair of eyes.
Oh well. Its only for two years, right? I can endure that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Choi Jung-Hoons line of attack wasnt too bad, in all honesty.
What he missed in his calctions was, though C the one he was attacking, Yi Ji-Hyuk, had already spent well over 50 years in a militaristic environment. In other words, he was a veteran soldier. And that was actually excluding his time spent as the Bringer of Apocalypse,manding an army full of powerful demons.
If one were topare the Korean military to that of Berafes, then itd be like apany retreat to a spa resort, since Berafes armies were choke-a-full with every imaginable unfairness and utterly disgusting, horrible working environment.
In the Korean army... they gave you three hot meals a day. They gave you a bed and a roof over your head. Hell, they even paid for your exercise routine, too!
He heard that the brass even give out game consoles to while away the down time, so how could that even be called an army?
The real military should be like the following!!
A real military would only hand over a wooden spear and throw you in front of a demonic beast as a cannon fodder. A real military would have you go on a march for ten days straight without a break or food, which in turn made you proficient at discerning whether that weed growing on the ground was edible or not C only then, could one be able to im, Ah, now I am truly the man of the world.
So, for a man of the world like Yi Ji-Hyuk, who had climbed up from the very bottom of the Berafes military system to the loftiest of all lofty heights, the Korean army was more or less like going on a paid vacation.
In the meantime, Seo Ah-Youngs knife-like stare stabbed into Choi Jung-Hoons back.
And oh boy, did it feel chilling or what...
It definitely felt like a dagger stabbing him in the back countless times.
Cold sweat drops oozed out from Choi Jung-Hoons pores, while he was subjected to that pointed stare full of poignant meanings.
If he only knew things would turn out this way, he wouldnt have talked big in the first ce.
As the situation was taking a turn for the worse, Seo Ah-Young tried another line of tactic.
You keep acting this way, then you might end up in prison for trying to illegally avoid serving in the military. (Seo Ah-Young)
Threatening me again? Nothings changed, has it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back then, that was a threat. But now, things will be different for you. No matter how bat-sh*t blind the judge might be, even he wouldnt pass you off as a regr civilian after watching the video of the things youve done three days ago. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, that sounded rather usible.
Unlike thest times CCTV footage, this one would be more like watching a big budget action movie. Probably.
Besides, you should be well aware of the fact that you are responsible for severe damages to private property. The whole department store could have copsed on top of us back then. (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, thats right. Speaking of which, is that guy doing okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............Yes, of course. (Seo Ah-Young)
On the side, Choi Jung-Hoon was sneakily wiping away his tears.
Since this was a sort-of unprecedented event, no one knew quite how to repair such a structural damage. So, even now, Park Sung-Chan was ying the human support pir with only the construction specialists to keep himpany.
However, there was no reason to advertise this fact out in the open, unless he wanted the public image of his organisation to sour even further...
Imprisonment, huh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders nonchntly.
I will get to eat three meals a day, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Sure. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well then, Ill just treat it as a time off and check the inside of a prison out, then. No biggie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?!?! (Seo Ah-Young)
In a prison, I get three meals a day, they let you exercise, they give you a bed to sleep on, and hell, they even let you take a shower too. And unlike the army, they wont even force you to do anything. Now that I think about it, going to prison is actually better than serving in the military, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young red at Yi Ji-Hyuk without saying anything.
She wanted to shout out that he should stop bluffing, yet, something felt off to her. It really looked like to her this b*stard wasnt worried aboutnding in a jail cell.
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
A prison, huh.
Oh, really now?
A modern prison was truly a holiday getaway. That story, about the incarcerated Somalian pirates praising the Korean prisons as a paradise to stay in, was definitely not some baseless rumour whispered by the disgruntled folks with axes to grind.
Heck, if one stayed in the worst prison in Berafe, Bellcatraz, for three days, he or she would rate staying in Korean prisons as renting out the luxury suite from a 7-star hotel.
And I should know, since I was stuck in that ce for eight years. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even now, thinking about that ce gave him unpleasant goosebumps.
If it werent for the fortunate incident of the country running the prison getting destroyed, which led to all the prisoners escaping, he might have ended up spending decades in that hellhole half-filled with water, where not a single ray of sunshine entered.
Actually, him staying there for eight years was a record of sorts. Before he got there, no one managed to stay alive for longer than two years in that ce.
Hmm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon decided to change his approach once more.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please feel free to speak. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont we do this the other way around? What is it that you want from us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not sure what you mean by that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What sort of conditions should we put on the table that might satisfy you? I believe we have done enough going back and forth by now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
To call this going back and forth...
Looks like this dude hasnt realised it yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
No, listen here. I have no desire whatsoever to work, guys. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At a bare minimum, we can guarantee that our organisation will treat you better than any other potential employment you findter on. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, wait. Im telling you, Im not going to work, like, ever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk became enthusiastic.
My goal in this life is to y nicely, enjoy nice things, and when the timees, expire nicely without a fuss. Thats it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, but, what about your living expenses...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
My parents earn a lot, so thats that covered. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youll have to go on your separate ways once youre married, though? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with a cocked eyebrow, as if to imply what on earth are you even talking about?
Eiii, that aint gonna happen. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon becamepletely speechless.
He couldnt see any other method of attack. Not anymore. It was simply impossible to persuade this guy.
If one was a quick-witted and calcting person, then he/she would have seized this opportunity to try negotiating for nicer benefits. But, it was not possible to persuade a guy who had given up on life already. Itd be actually easier to reel in a homeless bum than this b*stard right here.
You really dont have any thoughts of cooperating with us? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hearing Seo Ah-Youngs question, Yi Ji-Hyuks lips formed a slick smile as he nodded once. It was such a warm, gentle smile that she really wanted to ram her fist right down his throat and blow it away.
There is no guarantee that the conditions offered to you during our next meeting will be as generous, you know? (Seo Ah-Young)
We are going to meet again?! But Im really getting tired of this... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....We understand. Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, please escort this man outside the building. (Seo Ah-Young)
Only to the outside? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im sure he can find his way back home by now. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon found no particr reason to say anything back to Seo Ah-Youngs voice which was thicklyden with a barely-disguised killing intent.
So, he apanied Yi Ji-Hyuk to the front entrance.
Id like to not see you people anymore, if possible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah, me bloody too. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It felt like Choi Jung-Hoon had to constantly stop himself from blurting out what he actually wanted to say, whenever he ran into this youth.
Well, its fate bringing us together, so what can we do? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It wasnt necessarily bad to actpletely opposite to his private thoughts, though. At least, for now.
Well, then, have a nice day. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While watching Yi Ji-Hyuk walk away into the distance, Choi Jung-Hoon let out a grand sigh.
For some reason, their path kept getting crossed.
Also, knowing Seo Ah-Youngs personality of not letting go no matter what, Choi Jung-Hoon was getting rightly worried about his own future.
Ah, shoot!! I forgot!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, Choi Jung-Hoon remembered something rather important and he tried to locate Yi Ji-Hyuk, but the youth was long gone by then.
...You shouldve at least pay me back the money I loaned you, you b*stard... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How could he get so naturally embezzled like this?!
Just like Choi Jung-Hoons empty wallet, his heart felt empty as well.
*
Is he gone? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth.
I swear, I will definitely make sure to see the day hees to work in this ce! (Seo Ah-Young)
....Is there a reason for us to cling on like this? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Are you asking me that because you really dont know?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course, he knew.
Before, they thought they were trying to snag an ability user with unique powers, but after he beat the living daylights out of a Kodiac Monkey, things have changed drastically.
For that thing they were nning to achieve, Yi Ji-Hyuks presence was a must.
But, it wont be easy at all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They couldnt use the might of thew.
Sweet benefits didnt attract the target.
So, what could they do, realistically speaking?
However, there is always a way around any obstacles. (Seo Ah-Young)
Really? How? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes became innocently round as she nonchntly brushed Choi Jung-Hoon off.
Thats for you, Mister Jung-Hoon, to figure out. (Seo Ah-Young)
....And Choi Jung-Hoons shoulders drooped low.
But, you shouldnt worry too much, though. Weve done enough investigation on his background, after all. (Seo Ah-Young)
*SFX for the soft rustle of fabric*
Behind Choi Jung-Hoon, Doh Gah-Yun appeared like an apparition. But he wasnt even surprised anymore. He had seen this way too many times by now.
So? (Seo Ah-Young)
When Seo Ah-Young asked her, Gah-Yun tly replied.
Many methods to utilise. Even fatal weaknesses, located. Not difficult. (Gah-Yun)
I told you so. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began shaking her fist in the air.
You rotten son of a b*tch!! I will definitely get to witness your pathetic groveling before me very soon!! Ohohohohoho!!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
How unsightly. (Gah-Yun)
While watching the two females go at each other, Choi Jung-Hoon slid his hand inside his jacket to look for something.
Ah, how unfortunate, he had forgotten to bring it along today.
He was the sorrowful sryman named Choi Jung-Hoon, who could only resolutely tell himself hed prepare his resignation letter tomorrow, so he could finally make his escape from this mental institution for good.
< 25. I thought I could just go, though? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 26: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (1)
Chapter 26: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (1)
Im home! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aigoo~~ my son!! (mom)
Mom ran quickly to her son and hugged him urgently. Smiling, Yi Ji-Hyuk embraced her back.
Whats all the fuss, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, a fuss?! My precious son got dragged away by those scary SARD people, thats why!! (mom)
SARD? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was that how everyone else addressed KSF? Why did it have a sort of simr ring to MAFRA? (TL note at the end.)
Nothing happened to you, right? I heard that they even torture people there. (mom)
Eiii. As you can see, your son is one hundred percent fine, so you shouldnt say things like that about those guys, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, so the public perception of the KSF is the worst.
But, isnt that a bit weird? Why is their public image so bad, when its filled with only the soft as marshmallow characters? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion. If he thought about it at some length, werent they the most cordial and professional people he has met, so far?
They let him sleep, they let him eat nice food, and even left a TV on, so he could amuse himself in the meantime.
Sure, those ss walls werent cool, but considering the fact that the cell was designed to keep an ability user confined, that much should be par for the course, really.
So, what an odd thing for their public perception to be so poor.
Mom, I had a swell time staying there, if Im honest. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There, there. Its all good now. My baby. (mom)
Mom mustve been really relieved, since she couldnt stop caressing Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
So, you heard its really scary there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont even mention that, son. Countless people got snatched away by them and have disappeared over the years. I only heard rumours, but thats a ce not even reporters have ess to. (mom)
But, thats because they are handling top secret information there, thats why... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could more or less tell what the source of this unfounded fear was.
Ability users.
The truth was, humans tended to reject foreign and unfamiliar things they couldnt understand.
From the perspective of a regr person, ability users mighte across as a fundamentally different, non-human species.
Well, how many normal humans out there would try to understand and respect those beings who were capable of flying through the air, shooting mes out from their fingertips, and freely throwing lightning bolts around, as the same human species as themselves?
Outwardly, they would pretend it was all hunky-dory, while inwardly, they would fear the ability users and reject thempletely. That was how the human nature worked, and that was the way the cookie crumbled, without a question.
It was then, Yi Ye-Won peeked her head out from around the corner.
It was likely that, although she couldnt properly say it out aloud, she mustve been worried about her older brother. What an adorable little un, she was.
Freak. (Ye-Won)
Ye-Won-ah!!!! (mom)
Ye-Won quickly ran back to her room as soon as mom roared out in anger.
She reminded him of an elementary school kid who pulled a prank of lifting up the skirt of a girl he liked, and then running away in hurry.
Hahaha, what a funny kid she is.
In fact, shes so cute, I really wanna bite her to death... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Son... (mom)
Mom asked him with an anxious expression.
Son, are you... one of those ability users or a Psykers? Did I get that right? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly waved his hands in denial.
No, mom. Im a regr person. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre a regr person? (mom)
Her expression showed how badly unconvinced she was by that.
If he was talking to those dumba*ses from the KSF, he could pretty much bluff his way out of anything, but since he was with his mom, some sort of exnation seemed necessary here.
But, the thing is, Im kind of simr to that. Im not what others call the ability user, but something simr. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Simr how? (mom)
Well, its a bit hard to exin. But its like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I really dont get what youre trying to say here, though. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily pushed away his confused mom and made his way back to his room.
My sweet, sweet room! I missed you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that he could see his favouriteputer monitor glittering under the light, the feelings of him returning home really hit him where it mattered. Yi Ji-Hyuk turned theputer on, and while it booted up, he changed his clothes. And then,fortably settled down in front of it.
This is the thing I enjoy the most, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was nearly overwhelmed with happiness by his return to the modern world.
Let his praises be heard, the vast, expansive database built up by humanity...
Show your respects, the countless genre works of the web novelists, built up from their blood, sweat, and tears.... well, technically, its cigarettes and coffee but, whatever.
But, most of all...
Should I start by getting in a match or two? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who cared whether Gates opened up or his house fell into chaos?
Yi Ji-Hyuk put the bottle of Coke he bought on the way home next to theputer and loaded up the video game.
A NEET would always stay as a NEET no matter what happened...
And a bum would remain a bum, regardless of what happened.
Soon, the noises of Yi Ji-Hyuk shoving snacks down his throat and him pounding on the mouse and keyboard filled up his room.
*
That kid is still ying that game of his, even now? (dad)
It was evening, and Yi Ji-Hyuks dad, Yi Cheol-Joong came home from his work. With a pair of disbelieving eyes, he stared at the resolutely-shut door to his sons room.
Just how chaotic did the family be when Yi Ji-Hyuk got dragged away by the KSF?
But, as soon as the boy returned, he was neck-deep in gaming again.
I cant tell whether hes got balls of steel, or just empty inside his head. (dad)
Why are you implying that our child is an idiot?! (mom)
He might be our son, but there is a need to analyse him objectively, dear. (dad)
Oh, I see. So, you also wish to be analysed objectively, it seems? (mom)
Uh, no, not necessarily... (dad)
Park Seon-Duk began her sneaky but well-aimed counterattack, which caused Yi Cheol-Joong to lower his wagging tail quite swiftly.
Did he say anything about running into trouble in that ce? (dad)
In situations like this, the best form of defense was.... to change the topic altogether.
Well, I think nothing happened there, seeing that he started ying with hisputer as soon as he got back home... But, since hes not saying anything, theres no way to know for sure. (mom)
Hmmm.... (dad)
Yi Cheol-Joong heard a lot of stories about the KSF, one of them being that even the most scary ability users used to acting like a boss, woulde out of that ce as meek as a kitten. But, his son looking okay and all, even after spending three days there, it seemed that nothing untoward had happened, so that was a huge relief.
So, anyways. My son is... (dad)
Yes, he is. (mom)
...An ability user.
AKA a Psyker.
The so-called mutants, that started appearing around five years ago.
Beings that were humans, yet capable of using un-human like powers.
Heroes, and a new type of mankind, that defended the rest of humanity against the invading Gates.
Or, maybe, they were not humans but demons.
They were called by many different names, and also were subjected to various correct and incorrect criticisms. But, the truth was, no one could deny that these Psykers had be one of the most important cogs of the modern society.
Wait, didnt I hear from somewhere that Psykers make lots of money? (dad)
Dear, we have no idea whats going on with our own child, yet the first thing you think about is money? (mom)
Come on, now. It shouldnt be a problem, no? Have you ever heard of anyone bing a Psyker and things ending up bad? I sure havent. If we think about it seriously for a second, this is a good thing for our son. (dad)
Still, Im worried about him. (mom)
You should never show that in front of him, you hear? He might feel disappointed in us. (dad)
I know. (mom)
So, then.... what are we supposed to do now? (dad)
Yi Cheol-Joong and his wife could only fall into a dilemma, now that their eldest child had turned into an ability user. Truth be told, things like this didnt happen everyday, so they had no clue what to do here.
Yi Ye-Won was watching the TV in the living room while eavesdropping on her parents discussion. She stretched her limbs out and offered up her own opinion on the matter.
It doesnt really matter, though. (Ye-Won)
Ng? (mom)
Hes not gonnae out of his room anyways. (Ye-Won)
.............
Park Seon-Duk turned her head and red at the shut door to her sons room.
Why should it matter whether hes an ability user or not, when all he does is y games and waste his life away like a deadbeat loser? (Ye-Won)
You shouldnt treat your Oppa like that, you know...
I mean, youre his younger sister, so its not okay to speak about him so disrespectfully like that. (moms inner monologue)
There were lots of things Park Seon-Duk wanted to say to her daughter, but for her to actually voice them out.... Well, the pressure from the noise pollution of a video game leaking out from the doors gap was simply too great and so she gave up.
You shouldnt act like that. (mom)
You know what? Im not going to live like him. Because Im not insane. (Ye-Won)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was concentrating on his game,pletely unaware that he had just been demoted from a person who should be respected by his sibling, to a thing of mistake that other people could learn from.
Someone once said not knowing was a blessing in itself, so...
*
C Holy sh*te!! This guy is really something else!! I mean, he deliberately got hit by that non-target skill!! Shiver me timbers!!!
C Did he attach a ma to his a*s or something? Seriously, I get not evading in time even if you can see it, but why go out of your way to get killed? Why?
C Hes probs a Master Tier yer. Hes just messing around right now.
C Master Tier, my a*s!!!!
C Honestly, we shouldnt be insulting that guy, but we need to take a long, hard look at ourselves and our trashy rating that queued us up with him, instead.
C Orz.
Yi Ji-Hyuk paid them no mind and concentrated on his game.
It felt like he was finally getting somewhere!
If he persevered for a bit more, hed be able to shoot up in rank and pay back all the sorrow and suffering he was subjected to!!
C Im getting the hang of this now. I will upgrade my ranking soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Itll be faster if you reincarnate first, you moron.
C No, just record whats happening on the screen right now and watch it again. Youll want to smash your own monitor up afterwards.
C Take a look at this nutcase. We can learn from him. Hes like Gandhi, man. The bloody Gandhi, for crying out loud!
C You fool, Im the f*cking Gandhi for ying together with a sh*thead like him.
Heum... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned off the chat window.
As expected, chatting to other yers werent inducive towards his gaming progress. Indeed, a mans life was a road best walked alone, after all.
*
Son, didnt those KSF people tell you to work for them? (mom)
No, they havent. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so they didnt ask you? (mom)
Nope, they didnt. Something like that wont happen in the future anyways so you dont have to mind it, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in a rather carefree manner while his eyes were glued to theputer screen.
Really? But, thats strange... (mom)
What an odd statement, that C he was an ability user now, yet he didnt have to register? (TL note at the end.)
But, I heard registration ispulsory? Why isnt he doing it? (mom)
Mom couldnt understand it.
But the future was uncertain.
Even if such a thing hadnt happened yet, then those KSF people might try to hire her son away in the near future.
Thats par for the course. Hes my child, after all. (mom)
Sure, he might have been azy, unmotivated child that loved to y video games all day, and was also rude as heck, but her son still possessed a good head on his shoulders, didnt he?
So, there was just no way her son wouldve returned home as a deadbeat loser. Since he had spent over a month resting his weary body and soul, he should start unfolding his wings and join the ranks of society soon.
That was her thoughts. That was what mom believed.
How foolish she was.
*
Pur-Hurck!!!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling like a leaf while looking at the thrown apple that was sliding down the wall in slow motion, right after it brushed past his nose.
Didnt, I, tell, you, to, crawl, out, here, and eat, your, damn, food? (mom)
P, please, dont kill me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Grab!!
Park Seon-Duk powerfully grabbed her lovely sons head.
Get out!! Out, you rotten son of mine!! Look at the mess on your desk!! What are you trying to be, only ying games and doing nothing else?! What was that thing? You trying to be, a, a, pro gay? (mom)
No, its a pro gamer, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, that, pro gamer. You want to be a pro gamer? No wait, youre already a pro gamer, arent you? You even skip your meals because time is too precious, so you must be a real pro gamer by now!! (mom)
Ouch, mom!! My head!! Youre going to rip my hair off!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What does it matter if your hair falls off, when you dont even go outside your room, anyway!! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuks family, who were initially unsure of how to interact with him, soon returned to how things were like in no time at all, after realising he had not changed one bit.
To his dad, Yi Ji-Hyuks status was upgraded slightly from the useless son who did nothing but y games at home to the useless son with superpowers who did nothing but y games at home.
From his moms point of view, he morphed from the disappointment of a son who had lost himself to the devilish world of gaming to still a rotten son whos lost to the devilish world of gaming but now, might have some abilities hidden away.
Of course, nothing had changed in Yi Ye-Wons eyes and she still treated him as a bum and a loser, just like from the very beginning. How steadfast she was.
Get the hell out! (mom)
Mom kicked Yi Ji-Hyuk out of the house, but he turned around and pounded on the front door instead.
Moooom!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What!! (mom)
You should at least give me some money before kicking me out.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then C he heard certain ominous stepping noises from inside the apartment.
Yi Ji-Hyuk sensed that his life was in mortal danger, so he turned tail and ran away.
If she caught him, then the minimum damage hed suffer would be a lengthy stay at a local hospital.
Mom, Ill be back after sunset! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Donte back!! Just stay outside!! (mom)
And so, Yi Ji-Hyuk had to leave home for now. However, a bum like him had nowhere else to go. Since he was making a quick escape, he even forgot to bring along his wallet. So, he couldnt even go to a ce that required money.
In the end, he found himself squatting on a lonely wooden bench by the park, built for the apartment dwellers.
Come on, really now. I went through so much c**p to get back here, so why is it a problem for me to live like a bum for a while? Seriously, who would want to do anything after a thousand years of constantly doing something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From his moms point of view, it only had been five years.
But, still, he hoped that she would hold back her nagging for about a year at least.
He only yed around for a bit. That was all.
Sure, he made absolutely no ns for the future, but couldnt she be at least a bit more generous in her understanding?
Ha-ah....
Yi Ji-Hyuk bit into a cigarette and let out a long sigh.
What should I do until evening?
With his mom so incensed like that, hed have to spend the minimum of 4, 5 hours outside, if he wished to avoid the fate of being reported to the local police station as a brand new homicide victim.
But the issue was... he had no cash on him.
Seeing that he wasnt able to quickly pack in his wallet in time, more than likely, he hadnt fully limatised to the modern world just yet.
If this was before he got dragged away to Berafe, then hed probably do whatever it took to secure his wallet, even if kitchen knives and two by fours and other cooking paraphernalia were flying at his direction!
But, what use was regret to him now? It was all toote anyways.
Whats important right now, was to solve his current financial crisis.
Hey, you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke to the empty space in front of him.
Dont you have some money on you? Borrow me some, will you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no reply.
Dont worry, Ill definitely pay you back. Heck, Ill pay you as soon as I get back home. So, borrow me ?20,000, please!
A few passersby clicked their tongues while looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk busy negotiating with the proverbial thin air.
But then, the empty space began distorting slightly.
< 26. Allow me to show you what defeat truly means -1 > Fin
(TL: My sincerest apologies for messing this part up. The joke here is, SARD is Special Abilities Regtion Department, but in acronym form C ???. The full title should be ?????? but the author shortened it. MAFRA is the Korean government entity called Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, which had its name changed numerous times in the past and thus most regr Koreans call it by its shortened form which kinda sound simr to the shortened version of SARD...)
(TL: I didnt make a mistake here. Thats how it was like in the raw. Either Im not getting what the author was trying to convey, or he forgot to write another line there...)
Chapter 27: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (2)
Chapter 27: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (2)
From the rippling empty air that wavered and danced like the waters surface, a young female stepped out.
She sported a bob-cut hair and an appearance still too young to be called a woman yet. Her facial features were eye-catchingly cute, but her deadpan expression managed to pretty much conceal all that cuteness.
It was none other than Doh Gah-Yun.
And she just revealed herself in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
How? (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Ill tell you when you buy me a can of Coke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Non-logical trade. Information offered not valuable enough. (Gah-Yun)
Well, then. Forget about it. Your loss. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Doh Gah-Yuns shape disappeared again. However, a few minutester, she reappeared with a Coke can in her hand.
Why, thank you very much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Answer, first. (Gah-Yun)
What the, arent you a cold one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and lightly snatched the can away. Gah-Yun let him take it without putting up a resistance.
Well, the can only cost, like, ?1,000 anyways. She couldnt really start arguing with him because of that.
Im not an idiot, so how can I not notice you when you started following me as soon as I left my house? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My powers,plete stealth. Impossible to detect. The target suspected of possessing an unknown ability or a skill. (Gah-Yun)
Well, thats something you fools should try to figure out by yourselves. Its a bit of a high ss info to extract with a measly can of Coke, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun closed her mouth shut.
What the hell was up with this guy?
Her stealth abilities were highly rated even within the KSF. That was why she was tasked with surveince duties rather than participating in Gate suppression operations.
But, to have her cover blown in less than ten minutes after she started tailing the target!
This was the first time something like this happened in her career so far.
Correcting previous assessment. Evaluation, impossible. (Gah-Yun)
She thought that this guy was nothing more than a talkative person not worth paying much attention to. That was her initial evaluation. But, every time she saw him, a new facet to his being continued to emerge.
Her pride was wounded because of this.
She had observed countless ability users until now, yet none caused her to change her evaluation as many times as this guy had.
Just how many times did she have to change her opinions while observing Yi Ji-Hyuk until now?
Well, anyways. Can you lend me some cash or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yuns expressionless wall copsed just a tiny bit.
Why on earth was he so confident about trying to borrow money from her? It was almost as if he was asking back the seed money he invested in her start-uppany or something.
Besides, she couldnt understand his thought process of asking her for money, when this was their first time meeting each other face to face.
Dont have. (Gah-Yun)
Oh, cmon, its just ?20,000! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Even Doh Gah-Yun became somewhat at a loss, thanks to that low figure. Heck, even the thought of wouldnt it be okay to lend him that small amount of cash crept up in her head.
This sure was a sly negotiation tactic.
Dont have. (Gah-Yun)
Then, ?10,000! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yuns dumbfounded expression was now facing Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Was this really the correct time nor ce for him to negotiate on the amount of money?
After all, would she really not have the measly ?20,000 on her? Obviously she was implying in a roundabout way that she didnt want to lend him money.
Dont have. (Gah-Yun)
5,000 Won!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yuns eyes were studying Yi Ji-Hyuk as if he was a peculiar species of something.
Seeing his eyes trembling so pathetically, he must really be in a dire straits.
Well, she wouldnt mind donating 5,000 Won if she saw a Red Cross donation jar while walking on the street, so wouldnt it be okay to borrow that little amount of...
No, if I continue to refuse him, just how low will the amount fall to?
Should I bring it down to 500 Won? (Gah-Yuns inner monologue)
....What am I even thinking about right now? (Gah-Yun)
She was trying to uncover the methods he used to see through her stealth ability, and in turn, heal some of her wounded pride. Yet, here she was, busy negotiating how much money shed lend him. What just had happened?
Estimating that the target has experience in begging. Adding to the list of points to consider when evaluating the target. (Gah-Yun)
After adding one more thing to the list, Doh Gah-Yun red at him with a pair of cold eyes.
?20,000, for the method of seeing through my stealth. (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk broke out in a smirk.
As if he had heard something unbelievable, he shook his head left and right.
Maybe 20,000 Won, too little? (Gah-Yun)
This wasnt the same as giving kids spending money over the holidays, so uncovering vital info like this with only 20,000 Won seemed like aughable notion.
If today was any other day, shed never have thought like this. But being next to this man, it seemed that even her judgement was getting sloppier.
Whether he knew her inner turmoil or not, Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke up in a dissatisfied voice.
For real? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
No going back on your words, okay?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I stop?
Was it really okay to negotiate with a man like him?
This feeling, its like Im losing my own dignity talking to this man. (Gah-Yuns inner monologue)
....Real. Will give. (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk became ecstatic and shouted out.
Okay, looky here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He raised his hand above his head. And then, swung that hand down, really hard.
Swish!
The breeze created by Yi Ji-Hyuk brushed past Gah-Yuns face quite energetically.
Did you feel that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Feel? (Gah-Yun)
The wind. You know, the air moving past you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I felt it. So? (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Thats exactly it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Ng? (Gah-Yun)
Right, so I exined it too you, so, my 20,000, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A thick vein popped up on Doh Gah-Yuns forehead.
Impossible to understand! Lacking proper exnation! (Gah-Yun)
Too bad for her, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply giggled away in an irritating manner.
I definitely promised that Id exin it to you. And you told me youll give me 20,000 Won if I exined. So, I exined. And you listened to it. However, was there any part during our riveting conversation where its specified I must make you understand the exnation at any cost? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....No. (Gah-Yun)
So, can you find a logical fault in what Im saying here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yuns eyes began trembling ever so slightly.
Wasnt the art of conversation built upon the unspoken agreement and understanding between two parties involved?!
But if he was trying to argue on something so unnecessarily picky/technical, then who would want to open their mouths in front of him, afraid of being caught out in a potentially disastrous situation?
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at Doh Gah-Yuns face and shrugged his shoulders.
Oh well. Looks like youre really unhappy about this. Fine, let me give a hint. Even if you hide your body, when you move around, you still disturb the air around you. There you go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Air?
Was he trying to say that he actually sensed the ripples in the air when she moved her body?
Doh Gah-Yun stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with dumbfounded eyes.
Something like that was no longer on the level of an ability user and straight into the Animal Kingdom; more specifically, such detection ability was on par with a bat.
Not a body enhancement type? (Gah-Yun)
ording to the evaluation made by others and as well as her own observation, Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to possess two abilities C body enhancement and teleportation. But, if what he said was true, then powerful detection ability had to be added to the list as well.
Just how many abilities did this guy possess?
*SFX for opening the hand in a demanding gesture*
Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed his open palm out to her.
Money. Gimme. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
They promised, and he kept his. So, it was only correct that she kept hers.
But, what was this?
This.... this feeling of getting robbed blind, somehow.
No, this feeling was more like... back during the holidays, when she had to nt her head and knees on the floor and kowtow to her elders many, many times to earn some pocket money, only to have it sneakily stolen away by her mom, as she said something along the lines of If you keep this, theres a chance you might lose it, so let mommy hold it for you and give it back when you need it, okay?
Her face returned to her trademark deadpan, expressionless state. She reached into her wallet and pulled out a couple of banknotes.
She didnt like this one bit, but a promise was still a promise!
Take. (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly snatched the cash away.
Thank you, thank you. Looks like theres some charity still to be found in this cold, cruel world, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a shameless man...
Was there really a need to utter out that line at all?
Doh Gah-Yuns brows narrowed unhappily.
She no longer saw any merit in continuing on with this surveince.
It was a definite thing that he possessed superpowers.
Not only that, Doh Gah-Yun could sense that what this guy had, it easily exceeded her imaginations.
However, she was not confident about uncovering anything useful about this guy even if she continued with the mission.
Gah-Yun continued to observe the pleased-as-punch Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly.
A strange human being. (Gah-Yun)
He definitely possessed powers. And it was only the human nature to feel thepulsion to use that power. That was, if he was a normal person.
This guy in front of her, this man who seemingly had misced many screws in his head, it was as if he held not even the tiniest sliver of desire to do that.
This guy... he was like the natural enemy of Doh Gah-Yun.
If not, she wouldnt have revealed herself no matter how much Yi Ji-Hyuk egged her on.
What must be done now? (Gah-Yun)
Actually, it was the right thing to dere the mission as failure and return to base. The moment her position waspromised, it became impossible to continue with her mission.
But, still....
Doh Gah-Yun suddenly came to realise that she possessed this inexplicable sense of pride. She couldnt let it go like this.
It was then, something began tickling her thigh.
It was her phone, so she pulled it out from the pocket.
[The Witch]
She confirmed the caller ID on the screen and groaned out slightly. What a rotten timing for her to get a phone call from that woman.
Gah-Yun answered the call.
C What are you doing right now? (Seo Ah-Young)
My mission. (Gah-Yun)
C You gotta hold that mission for now. Please go and provide support C a Gate is opening up nearby your current position. (Seo Ah-Young)
A Gate?? But, how? (Gah-Yun)
Gah-Yun wasnt surprised by the fact that a Gate had appeared. No, it was from the fact that another one was opening up around here.
C Even Im not sure what is going on anymore. All the higher-ups are running around in full panic mode, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
The appearances of Gates had never been concentrated in a single area before. Widely epted as a fact, a Gate wouldnt open in an area where another one had popped up already less than a year ago.
However, within thest two months, three Gates had appeared within this district.
And now, another one had appeared around here?
The location? (Gah-Yun)
C I sent it to your phone. (Seo Ah-Young)
Received. Will arrive on location without dy. Also... (Gah-Yun)
C Mm?
While staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk sucking on his cigarette as if it was going out of fashion, Doh Gah-Yun continued on.
Requesting permission, to move together with the surveince target. (Gah-Yun)
C You wanna what? Wait, are you with him right now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Affirmative. (Gah-Yun)
C But, howe? Did he discover you? What happened? (Seo Ah-Young)
Without realising it, Gah-Yun was gripping the phone a bit harder.
Requesting permission. (Gah-Yun)
C Hmm.... Okay, and the official reason is? (Seo Ah-Young)
To confirm the scope of the targets abilities. (Gah-Yun)
C Okay, do it. However, be careful. That guy, dont forget hes still nominally a civilian. (Seo Ah-Young)
Acknowledged. Moving to the mission area. (Gah-Yun)
C Right. Do your best. Mister Choi Jung-Hoon should arrive there before you guys. (Seo Ah-Young)
Roger. (Gah-Yun)
Ending the call, Gah-Yun turned towards Yi Ji-Hyuk and opened her mouth in that deadpan manner.
A Gate appeared. Requesting your participation. (Gah-Yun)
Understandably, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes went extra round in confusion.
What, me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Correct. (Gah-Yun)
Me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Repeated the same word. Lacks logical meaning, thus ineffective conversation tool. (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirkedzily and leaned back against the bench.
Looky here, little girl. I think youre mistaken about something. Im a civilian, remember? Why should I go there? Well, you look like a busy person with lots of important things to do, so why dont go on your way now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yuns deadpan expression didnt even twitch once as she continued.
Offering ?30,000, for following me and staying in the operation area. (Gah-Yun)
What the?! You think Im a beggar or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
50,000. (Gah-Yun)
Listen here, its not the issue with money, alright? Im a civilian. A damn civilian! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
100,000 Won. (Gah-Yun)
Lets get going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped up from the bench.
While watching him react this way, Doh Gah-Yun began to wonder quite seriously if it was okay to add human trash to the evaluation now.
So, where is it located this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That way. (Gah-Yun)
While following after Doh Gah-Yun as she walked away, Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to shift the cogs in that dead-stiff brain of his.
What the hell. Something feels off here, doesnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The truth was, he wasnt simply fooling around all the time, ever since he returned home.
Okay, well, most of his time was indeed spent on doing c**p, sure. But, he also had been collecting whatever scraps of information he could find in between all that ying around, too. One of the things he learned was that Gates didnt appear frequently in a single area.
Could it be.... is it because of me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He needed more information to exin this in a logical fashion. But, he couldnt ignore his gut feeling that he was involved in this matter somehow. And what a regrettable thing that was C his instincts usually turned out to be spot-on almost everytime.
He was going not because of that sweet wad of cash, but his need to acquire more solid evidence.
If something went wrong while Yi Ji-Hyuk was crossing over, then there was a need for him toe up with a contingency n. Because, there could be a good chance that more Gates would pop up around his house and that would, in turn, utterly step on and crush any hopes of him enjoying a rxing lifestyle in the future.
If the reason for the Gates frequently appearing near here, was because he had crossed over andnded in this area, then he would....
....Ill just move to a new house. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? (Gah-Yun)
No, its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
He secretly made up his mind to look for a new ce to live. Well, he heard that house prices had hit the doldrumstely, so the cost shouldnt be a problem.
When someone ended up causing trouble, someone else woulde around and sort it out C thats just the way the world worked, you see.
< 27. Allow me to show you what defeat truly means -2 > Fin.
Chapter 28: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (3)
Chapter 28: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (3)
*SFX for a caring to a screeching halt*
A white luxury sedan turned around the street corner violently, beforeing to an abrupt stop.
When the drivers door opened, Choi Jung-Hoon exited with a face several shades darker than usual.
Ha-ah...
The only thing escaping from his mouth was a long, long sigh, while only expressions he could form were ones of sorrow and anguish.
Just what kind of rotten, ursed situation was this, to have Gates appear almost nonstop? Seriously, did the heavens not know the ridiculous amount of paperwork he had to go through every time a dang Gate opened?!
Looks like Ill get to see the inside of my house in a weeks time... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
His office felt more like a home to himpared to his actual house.
The bed in his house was toofortable and soft, and he couldnt fall asleep on it anymore. You see, a real bed should be like the bunk bed found tucked away in the damp corner of his office C the one that was hard as a rock against his back, hard enough to give him a severe case of back cramp when he woke up in the morning.
Loyalty!
Yes, loyalty. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Soldiers were saluting him from all sides, but Choi Jung-Hoon was in no mood to pay them attention and greeted back in a sloppy manner.
The De soldiers had arrived well before he had, and cordoned off the entire area in a water-tight formation.
Okay, so what is happening here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats what Id like to know... (The adjutant)
It was the familiar adjutant of Jeong In-Soo who started exining the situation to him.
Are all personnel in position? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Our people are getting into position as we speak. (The adjutant)
What about the Commander? Where is he? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He said he wanted to confirm something and left a short while ago. I dont know where he could be right at this moment, however. Should I hail him on them? (The adjutant)
No, its fine. I was just curious. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And the ability users? Are theying? (The adjutant)
They should be arriving soon. So, does that mean all the preparations have beenpleted? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, there is this other thing... (The adjutant)
Suddenly, the adjutant became hesitant and couldnt carry on.
Whats the matter? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I think itll be better to see for yourself. (The adjutant)
Huh?
Choi Jung-Hoon could feel the worms of worry slowly crawl up his backside.
Simply by looking at the troubled expression of the adjutant, he could tell something had gone wrong very badly somewhere.
Wait, now I remember... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Didnt his bossdy say that Yi Ji-Hyuk would be here too?
Excluding the headache-inducing Yi Ji-Hyuk, there shouldnt be any other sources of trouble within the operations area. He was dead certain of this!
Inevitably, an insistent headache began its invasion of Choi Jung-Hoons head, but he still decided to follow after the adjutant so he could see what was what.
But, after he scythed past the perfectly-arranged defensive lines set up around the Gate and arrived at the troublesome location, he had to question what he saw there was happening for real.
What the hell is this? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How could he exin the sightid out in front of him?
That, that was just...
In all honesty, one couldnt really proim that was a massive problem. No, it really wasnt on the level of someonepletely losing his sh*t over the absurdity of the situation, nor doing something utterly incredulous because of it. Not even that...
Well, it certainly wasnt that...
But, but....
What Choi Jung-Hoons eyes saw was the back of the crouching Yi Ji-Hyuk, busy doing something.
And about three steps away from that strangely-annoying backside, Doh Gah-Yun stood still, with a hint of a weird expression on her face.
Oh, so even that girl can make such an expression, huh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
To think, hed get to see the deadpan personified Doh Gah-Yuns eyebrows twitch like that. He felt quite certain that this was a sight he would never get to see again for the rest of his life.
But, besides all that C what on earth was that guy doing now?
Choi Jung-Hoon let off a fake cough, and approached Yi Ji-Hyuk.
When he got close enough, he could see the youth squatting down on a small stool usually found in amunal bathhouse, and over his slouched shoulders, a small video game console.
Yi Ji-Hyuks back shook and trembled in real time as he moved the small joystick with his fingers.
K.O!!
KO?
Perfect!
Perfect?!
*SFX for fingers pressing down on the stic buttons*
Currently, Yi Ji-Hyuk was sitting down in front of game console located out in front of a shop and busy ying an arcade-style beat em-up.
...With a dang Gate less than a couple dozen metres away.
And, with an army of heavily armed soldiers surrounding the area, to boot!!
Right then, Choi Jung-Hoon felt a strong urge to split open Yi Ji-Hyuks head with an axe.
Just what the hell is that man thinking?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Understandably so, everyone around the youth carried expressions of deep confusion and uncertainty, not knowing how to stop this nonsense from continuing on, but realising that they couldnt let this go on, either.
Choi Jung-Hoon facepalmed.
This was like a p in the face of the dedicated servants of the Korean military.
Transcending past the organisational loyalty, even Choi Jung-Hoon was beginning to feel a deep sense of sympathy for the soldiers here.
Really now, just where would they havee across such an utterly nonsensical situation like this one? Never, thats what.
One of the officers watching this situation with a stupefied face walked over to Choi Jung-Hoon and talked to him.
So, youve arrived.
Yes, sir. I see that nothing much has... No, wait. Something is happening, isnt it? For sure, its happening right now... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The officer sighed out with a haggard face.
Is he one of yours?
No, not even close. Really, he isnt!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon desperately denied it.
After all, the honour and reputation of the KSF was on the line here.
But, one of your people brought him here, so how can he be not your guy?
Its kind ofplicated, actually... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, sure, fine. I get it, so please do something about him, will ya? Im telling you right now, if the Colonel ps his eyes on that, we are all dead meat, you hear?
Yes sir, I understand 100%. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon bowed his head 90 degrees, and hurriedly went over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
However, what could he actually do here, realistically speaking?
Heu, heum!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head after hearing Choi Jung-Hoons cough.
Oh, its you again, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, it is. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Annnd, that was the end of that.
Yi Ji-Hyuk mustve thought that his greeting was sufficient enough, because he proceeded to ignore Choi Jung-Hoon from then on and re-focused his concentration back on the game.
Holy cow. Even a stray dog passing by would show more interest than you... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon breathed in deeply several times.
Remember, calm my mind!! Calmness!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon had realised from early on that he shouldnt react to everything Yi Ji-Hyuk did, otherwise his lifespan would be drastically cut short.
However.... besides Yi Ji-Hyuk being Yi Ji-Hyuk, the TV screen continued to bother him ever so slightly.
Hey, isnt that Iron Fist Tournament 6? (TL: Its Tekken, by the way...)
He yed that a lot before he started on this job...
There was once a time when, while living in Noryangjin to prepare for the Higher Civil Service Examination, he had spent countless days and nights ying the famed Iron Fist Tournament to raise his fighting spirit in a certain arcade often referred to as the Ma of all fighting games. (TL: Noryangjin-dong is a suburb in the city of Seoul, well known for its fish markets.)
Of course, they were all a distant, if pleasant, memories now.
As he was now, he couldnt even go home, so where would he even find the spare time to y video games? Hell, there was a big pile of unyed games with their original wrappers still intact, gathering dust at home.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled odiously and began performing abo.
Excuse me, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep?
Please dont answer while youre digging wax out of your ear. Please dont...
Thats a basic etiquette while talking to another person, you punk a*s SOB... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoons mind was rapidly filling up with things he wanted to retort with.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, were in the operations area. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, I also heard something like that before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If so, then why are you ying a game here, of all ces? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied while not even looking at his conversation partner.
This littledy here said she will give me money if I followed her, so I came. But, as it turns out, there isnt anything I can do. Naturally, I got bored, but then I saw this machine here, so I was like, why not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, so thats what happened. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please, cant you behave like a normal person, at least?!
Like a normal person, man!!
Is it that difficult to act like a normal human being?
I mean, all you have to do is, not do what other people are not doing!! Is it really that difficult?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon was getting rather proficient in screaming only in his head.
By the way, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please speak. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Soon, a military operation will begin. Are you nning to continue ying that game here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh? Does that mean I can leave now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Actually, I wanted to finish up and leave long ago, but this littledy hasnt given me my money yet, you see? Well, its not like Im waiting for something around here anyways, so, as soon as I get my promised cash, Ill bounce outta here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wordlessly, Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze towards Doh Gah-Yun.
Shake, shake.
Unfortunately, she denied his pleading eyes.
But, why not? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not the time yet! (Gah-Yun)
Seeing her determined reaction, Choi Jung-Hoon could only sigh out in helplessness.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, this ce will soon turn into a sea of bullets and monsters. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I also wanna stop, but it wont let me and I keep winning, as you can see. Is it because my skills are just too amazing or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah?!
Choi Jung-Hoons face reddened up considerably.
Was he really proiming publicly that he got some mad skillz, when all he did was to beat up some hapless AI opponents? Really now?
With such pathetic skills?
Choi Jung-Hoon decided to endure just one more time.
Ill give you that money myself, so how about quitting the game? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eiii, money isnt really important right now. Did you see me pulling off thatbo, right there? You might not know this, but I used to kick some a*s at this game way back when. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you kicked a*s, you say? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon smirked.
He was trying his best to endure, but even that had finally reached its limit now.
He thought he had grown past such things, yet, seeing that his soul was burning up with apetitive spirit, he obviously hadnt. For sure, his itching hands let him know that they hadnt forgotten about the Wind God just yet. (TL: LOL. Any Tekken fans reading this out there?)
Finally.... the time hade for the real man to step up, and instil fear of adults into the heart of this young pup that clearlycked respect towards his elders.
So, lets see.
There was still some time left before the Gate was scheduled to open uppletely.
After taking him to the cleaners, should Choi Jung-Hoon take charge of setting up the formation with the remaining personnel? Or, should he do that while this superbly irritating man still by his side like a some sort of a mutated leech?
He could pretty much tell which option would prove to be more effective already.
A perfect excuse had been formted, then.
Oh, so if you lose, youll stop immediately? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course. But at this rate, I aint going to lose. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, really? Well, then... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes began to shine quite dangerously.
The instinctive thirst for victory he had sealed away deep within his heart broke past his nice ck business suit, and soared high up into the heavens.
He even tossed back his neatlybed hair lightly, and loosened his necktie, too.
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if he had sensed something suspicious was about to happen, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at his new challenger, Choi Jung-Hoon, with a tense pair of eyes.
Well, then. Allow me... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And it was at this very moment when an unavoidable war between grown men began in earnest.
....To show you what defeat truly means.
*
She believed in him.
Sure, she did nag him constantly all the time, but...
She trusted his skill set. She trusted his abilities to get things done. She even believed in his maturity.
He was the best elite of the KSF currently.
He was a man who had secured the top spot within the KSF, which was full of ability users, with nothing more than his skills and acumen.
He was a man who embodied the hopes and dreams of all non-ability users out there.
Yes, he was that kind of a man.
Because he was a person like that, she could nag, get angry, and get irritated at him.
Because... he was a man with a big, big heart who could take all those in, no problem!
However, right now...
Her trust, her belief in that man... it was slowly crumbling to bits and pieces.
Utterly dumbfounded, the speechless Seo Ah-Young was dazedly staring at the scene unfolding right before her eyes.
A horrifying scene, where dozens of guys were huddling together in such a disy of camaraderie.
And in the middle of this crowd, two men glued to a small video game console that was clearly meant for kids and teenagers.
No, she could somehow understand up until that part. More specifically, she was doing her absolute best to understand it.
But... what she just could not gloss over was the fact that a man in his early thirties was screaming blue murder with a reddened face, at a guy who was almost a decade younger than him.
Hey, I told you to stop pushing my arm! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its too cramped in here, so what can I do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why do you keep on pushing my arm around? Seriously, man! Uncool! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I keep telling you, its too cramped here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, I had no idea you were such a dirty yer! Seriously now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I said, its too cramped in here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons shouts were filled with irritation and anguish.
His skills alone wouldve crushed this youth for sure. But as it turned out, the opponent yed real dirty.
Whenever a critical situation in the match arrived, hed pretend to press the button really hard and flexed his right elbow, which conveniently got in the way and pushed at Choi Jung-Hoons hand gripping the joystick!!
Just what type of gaming etiquette was this c**p!!
However, to cry foul now... lets just say that the game console in front of them was indeed a little too small for two grown-a*s men to enjoy a battle of life and death.
Its design meant their shoulders would rub against each other, and it was also true their elbows could invade each others spaces inadvertently, too.
But, if it was only this much, Choi Jung-Hoon wouldnt be this incensed right now.
This SOB here went beyond that; Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow managed to use the situation to his advantage and constantly obstructed him from controlling his character!
I told you to stop hitting my arm!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eiii, me thinks youre losing not because of that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did you say?! Without you hitting my arm all the time, Id have won already!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wow, your excuses are being updated in real time! Looks like its thetest version, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What! But its the truth, isnt it?! Why do you only push my arm away when its the critical phase in the match?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats because Im giving it my best during such moments!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wah!!! This is beyond too much!! Okay, lets swap seats, then!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders nonchntly.
I~ dont~ want~ to~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, just once! Just one time, lets swap our seats and have a go! I do really mean it this time! Just one more match! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Come on, now. Im sure you could have won a round if you stopped saying one more, one more already. Aigoo~, youre airborne again? In that case, please die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the f*ck!! Really now?! Are you going to keep ying c**p like this?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was just about around there, when something-something snapped inside Seo Ah-Youngs mind.
And that just so happened to be her reasoning. The snapped-broken reasoning transformed into the mighty roar of a lioness and exploded out from her mouth.
YOOOUUU IIDIOOOTTT!!!!!
< 28. Allow me to show what defeat truly means -3 > Fin.
Chapter 29: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (4)
Chapter 29: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (4)
The me Witchs demonic mes stylishly red up.
So, youre saying... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young tried to cool herself down with her hands acting as fans.
If she couldnt get the mes under control, then she might end up roasting the man standing right in front of her alive even before she could do something about it.
...That was the reason why you were ying a video game? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, wait, I was really nning to stop after only one round, but I had no idea this guy was such a dirty yer, I swear! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, sure. Whenever people lose, they im their opponents were ying dirty, unfair, etc, etc... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the?! But you actually yed dirty, did you not?! Are you a footballer?! Were we ying football, instead?! No, wait! This is beyond even the level of football!! I thought we were in a bloody Muay Thai ring, what with you elbowing me all the time!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, Im pretty good with a Muay Thai character, so that must be it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so thats why you performed actual Muay Thai on me, is that right? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...This second round of tit-for-tat was unfolding quite splendidly, but what an unfortunate timing this was C this argument only served to stoke Seo Ah-Youngs furious mes even more. Well, she didnt care one bit for video games, after all.
You two better shut it before I glue your faces and hands to the f*cking joysticks. (Seo Ah-Young)
...Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Roger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young then proceeded to shout even louder.
Just what the hell were you thinking?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon mped his mouth shut.
Even if he had ten mouths, he still wouldnt be able toe up with a good excuse.
Just where are we right now?! Isnt this where a Gate is about to open up? You dont even have enough leeway to manage the situation properly, yet you waste time by ying a video game?! Mister Choi Jung-Hoon! Why are you behaving like this?? Did you lose your mind because of stress? Are you actually implying to me that you wish to get fired? What were you thinking!! (Seo Ah-Young)
My apologies, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was sweating inside his mind.
If it werent for damn Yi Ji-Hyuks elbow, he wouldnt have shown such a pathetic sight to anyone right now...
Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Looks like you need to polish your skills a bit more, you know? You sucked big time just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, dear Lord.
I shall willingly step into the gates of hell right after I murder this b*stard. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Hey! You are the cause of this, you hear me! What stupidity possessed you to y a game here? What was it!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Oh, Im sorry. I apologise. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Now, that C that was very odd.
To think, the unofficial king of sarcastic remarks was apologising without a retort?
Dont you know that you are not allowed to do whatever you want within the restricted area? (Seo Ah-Young)
I genuinely didnt know. Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, that is why!! Urgh..... (Seo Ah-Young)
....So, what could she say to him now?!
Seo Ah-Youngs body began to tremble.
She wanted to get angry!
She wanted to vent some steam!
That is why! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, miss. It was all my fault. I am really sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Stop apologising!!!!
Start retorting back to me!!!!
So I can find a way to attack you!!
If you keep apologising like that, how will I be able to vent now?!?! To whom?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon!! (Seo Ah-Young)
.....Y, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont you know you shouldnt have done that? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Ah, in the end, its me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon raised his head and stared into the distant blue sky. For some reason, he was missing his mother terribly today, who had passed away a while ago.
She was really happy when Choi Jung-Hoon told her that he had passed the Civil Service Examination.
If she knew her precious son would end up being treated like this, surely she wouldnt have been as pleased back then.
...And the reason for the distant clouds looking blurry definitely wasnt because of the teardrops forming on the corners of his eyes.
Excuse me.... (The adjutant)
It was then, a saviour appeared just in the nick of time.
Whats the matter? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Switching back to the full-on responsible government official mode in the blink of an eye, Choi Jung-Hoon weed the new person, his saviour into the conversation.
Dont you dare try to gloss over this, you hear?! (Seo Ah-Young)
He couldnt hear what Seo Ah-Young was shouting about. Nope. He definitely could not hear her!
Hurry up and tell me what is happening already! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Speak up already, will you?! I need to escape from this situation ASAP! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
The rate of the Gate changing is faster than expected. (The adjutant)
What? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons expression became dignified in an instant.
How much faster are we talking about here? Please exin to us in detail. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The minimum amount of time required for a Gate to go from the initial appearance to its full activation usually took around three days, am I correct so far? (The adjutant)
Yes, thats the epted norm. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
However, we estimate it only has been around 25 hours since its appearance, yet its on the brink of activation. (The adjutant)
Hmmm.......
With a serious expression, Choi Jung-Hoon stared at the Gate.
The real problem is that, actually, this isnt a unique case... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
About a week ago, cases of Gates opening up sooner than expected began happening all around the globe and the frequency of such events was increasing at an rming rate.
Although not every Gate disyed such a behaviour, most countries had already experienced this phenomenon at least twice already.
This cannot be normal. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If this phenomenon became the new norm, then all of the military response ns humanity had cooked up would bepletely useless moving on.
Plus, there was a high probability that the equilibrium of many smaller nations, only managing to survive solely due to the support of bigger countries, would tilt to the wrong direction in a heartbeat.
However, all of that was a matter to worry aboutter on. Whats important was this Gate right here, right now.
Where are our agents? (Seo Ah-Young)
On location. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun raised her hand and pointed to a direction.
Three people revealed themselves among the cordon of soldiers.
Huh?
A muscle-bound man walking in front suddenly pointed at them in recognition and stomped his way towards in an obvious disy of rage.
It was none other than the Iron Park Sung-Chan.
Thanks to the incident back at a certain department store, he had to endure as the buildings support pir for a few days. He immediately recognised Yi Ji-Hyuk and began throwing angry words at the youth.
You son of a b*tch!! What a good timing this is! Do you have any godd*mn idea what I had to go through because of you, you b*stard?! (Park Sung-Chan)
Too bad, Yi Ji-Hyuks reply was rather on the short side.
Who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What?! Its me, me!! You, dont you remember? (Park Sung-Chan)
Do we know this guy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk inexplicably asked him, Choi Jung-Hoon found himself nodding his head almost out of reflex.
He, hes from that department store thing... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly pped his hands once as if he remembered, and nodded his head.
Ahh, so you are the guy from back then. Its a pleasure to meet you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...He really has forgotten about him. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The problem here was that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt acting like this to torment the poor guy. Seriously though C wasnt it a moral thing to do? To at least remember the poor sob you had turned into a human support pir for three days straight without even so much a warning?
Of course, that wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuks fault anyways, technically speaking, so there wasnt much to be said about that, but still.
Of course, Park Sung-Chan definitely did not share the same opinion.
Pleasure to meet me? A pleasure?!?! Hey, you smelly son of a b*tch! Do you have any godd*man idea what I had to go through during those three days because of you?! (Park Sung-Chan)
You were stuck there for three days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right! I was there for three days! Three!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Oh..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back with a really apologetic expression.
For three straight days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right!! I was stuck there for three days supporting that pir and I couldnt move a single inch!! (Park Sung-Chan)
In that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What now? (Park Sung-Chan)
What about, you know, toilet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, the surroundings became dead quiet.
Huh? No, no, wait, the toilet, uh, ah.... (Park Sung-Chan)
I mean, looking at your big physique and all, you must be a big eater, am I right? So, to not go to a toilet for three whole days, does that mean... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, no! Its nothing like that!!! (Park Sung-Chan)
....Did you use diapers? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
NOOO!! I absolutely did not wear one!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan could feel the people around him slowly back away. He desperately denied and wildly waved his hands around.
No, it was not like that!! Im telling you the truth!! Really!! (Park Sung-Chan)
You actually held all of it back? For three days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If things continued for even ten seconds more, I wouldnt even be able to stand here. (Park Sung-Chan)
Thats a relief. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips formed a relieved smile.
What the hell, that isnt important!! You sly son of a b*tch!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chans muscles quivered dangerously as he shouted out.
Argh!! You are being noisy, so go to a corner and bury your head there!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Just who.... Yes, maam. Ill bury my head there. That shouldnt be too difficult... (Park Sung-Chan)
As soon as Park Sung-Chan saw the scary, demonic expression etched on Seo Ah-Youngs face, he slinked off to a corner without a single shred of hesitation.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The sound of Yi Ji-Hyuk clicking his tongue stabbed the muscle-bound mans ears quite painfully, but he simply closed his eyes and continuously reminded himself.
I will end up in Hell if the Witch gets p*ssed off at me... (Park Sung-Chan)
He should know, since he had prior experience...
Still, what the hell is up with that b*stard? (Park Sung-Chan)
Now that he was a bit more calmer, Park Sung-Chan found a room to wonder about the identity of this youth who could rxedly click his tongue right in front of the infamous me Witch.
Unless he was a real big shot, such a thing was unimaginable.
Just as Park Sung-Chans curiosity regarding Yi Ji-Hyuk was reaching a peak of sorts, Seo Ah-Young somehow managed to wrest back control of the chaotic situation.
So, what youre saying is, you dont have a concrete time frame when this Gate might open? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. It reached around 95% not too long ago, but then, has stopped advancing since. Currently, it has not made any movements at all. (The adjutant)
Where is Colonel? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hes contacting the headquarters as we speak. (The adjutant)
Does he think the higher-ups know what to do in a situation like this? (Seo Ah-Young)
The adjutant found her retort a bit hard to answer back, so he didnt.
Seo Ah-Young frowned deeply and shifted her gaze back to the Gate.
Its red surface was rippling ever so gently. And when that rippling surface opened its mouth, many monsters would pour out in the blink of an eye.
The rate of evacuation? (Seo Ah-Young)
Everyone within the radius of 5 kilometres has been evacuated. (The adjutant)
Five? Are you messing with me right now? You think thats going to be enough? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a long sigh next to her.
Maam, you know its very difficult to do a mass evacuation in the middle of a city. Just to evacuate that 5 kilometres, not only we had to utilise the local polices help, we even resorted to using the localmunity leaders, too. And the evacuation itself is still ongoing right now. If we could, we might even end up asking ants to help us out here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, is that why you were busy ying a video game until now? (Seo Ah-Young)
..............
It was then, Choi Jung-Hoon came to a chilling realisation.
This.... She was not going to let this go, like, forever.
Until the day he managed to escape from this rotten womans oppressive rule, she would readily torment him with this incident, over and over again.
When this situation is over... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons hand tightly grasped the resignation letter within his pocket.
You lot, stand by and dont you dare to ck off. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam.
The other two ability users who had arrived alongside Park Sung-Chan replied to her while standing absolutely dead straight.
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly while he looked on from the side.
She must be a real big shot, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After getting constantly entangled in her business through various circumstances, he was beginning to think that she and her crew were actually a bit of a funny joke, but now that he saw how she carried herself around here, she mustve been a person of a really high station.
And you... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young turned her attention to Yi Ji-Hyuk and then, groaned out at a length.
Just what should she do about this man?
Seo Ah-Young began massaging her forehead almost out of reflex.
She might end up with premature wrinkles at this rate...
She havent had a single day recently where she could stop frowning. All because of him...
For now, she decided to forget about Yi Ji-Hyuk, and red at Doh Gah-Yun instead.
What were you thinking?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Doh Gah-Yun replied with her trademark deadpan expression.
Thoughts not necessary. (Gah-Yun)
What now? Are you telling me youre not thinking about anything? (Seo Ah-Young)
Doh Gah-Yun shook her head.
Need to revise. Not about no thoughts. Thoughts not necessary right now. (Gah-Yun)
What are you even talking about? (Seo Ah-Young)
Found near Gates locations, always. Always, unseen problems ur. (Gah-Yun)
Uh?
Not necessary to cause an incident. Incidents naturally ur. The certainty, 100%, when outside his home. (Gah-Yun)
Choi Jung-Hoons expression became seriously crumpled as he turned to look at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now that I think about it... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Today was the third time they saw this youth outside his house.
But, Gates appeared on all three asions, and Yi Ji-Hyuk always got entangled in them somehow.
Even today.
Its a bit... vague, though. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, the thing was,st time it was Choi Jung-Hoon who took the youth to the Gates location, while today, it was Doh Gah-Yun. So, it was slightly incorrect to say he got entangled wherever he went, actually.
What the... If we take that into consideration, doesnt that make him a walking, talking Gate generator? Or, even a bipedal Apocalypse? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course, there was no way a human being would be able to directly influence the Gates and where/when one appeared. Still, only showing up in ces where Gates did appear was a talent in itself.
A talent that was followed around by a massive heap of misfortune, to boot.
T, the Gate is showing some change!
Choi Jung-Hoons head swiveled towards the direction of the timer.
96.
The number showing up on the equipment now showed 96, changed from the previous 95.
Well, since we dont know when its going to open up, so everyone, get ready to... what the f*ck?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
97, 98, 99....
In the blink of an eye, the values continuously changed upwards.
The Gate!!Its going to open!! The Gate is opening!
Seo Ah-Young shouted out in a resolute voice.
To your positions!! (Seo Ah-Young)
All the ability users quickly stepped back.
Even the soldiers surrounding the area also retreated, just as quickly!
Eh?
While being dragged away to safety by Choi Jung-Hoon, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion.
Shouldnt those ability users or whatnots stand in front of the Gate and stop whatever came out from there?
Where is Colonel Jeong In-Soo?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Its Sir to you, got that?! Im here already, so shut up and retreat now! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo had already returned to themand post, and was shouting out his orders.
Its opening up!!
Get ready to open fire!
Apanying the nervous voices of the soldiers, the Gate began emitting a bright light, and then C the doorway to another dimension opened up.
From there, several strange formless shapes that kinda resembled clumps of water, or even air molecules, began to pop out, one by one.
What the hell are those? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young frowned and shouted out.
Choi Jung-Hoons reply was incredibly quick.
Its an unknown type!! Everyone, be careful! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, they were now facing a never-before-seen monster type.
Users, get ready! Colonel Jeong In-Soo! (Seo Ah-Young)
I know! Ready to fire! (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared as this scene unfolded, while his eyes were trembling greatly.
What the hell? Isnt that....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 29. Allow me to show you what defeat truly means -4 > Fin.
Chapter 30: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (5)
Chapter 30: Allow me to show you what defeat truly means (5)
Hey, isnt that a Braad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Braad C a type of lifeform that was created when magical energy gathered in a certain way. And, a rare monster even in Berafe.
If he were to get technical about it, this creature was actually just a wee bit closer to a fairy-like being than a true monster, though.
But, again, its slightly different, isnt it...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Even the Goblins fromst time seemed quite simr to their cousins in Berafe, yet there were still some minute differences. They were far weaker than the Berafe Goblins, for instance, and certain bits of their appearances were slightly different, too.
And it was the same story for these Braads, as well.
The overall vibe they gave off was pretty simr, yet things like the colouration, and the shapes they took, were different.
Could it be nothing more than a coincidence? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was sinking ever deeper into his thoughts, Seo Ah-Young was keeping herself busy.
Artillery, get ready to bombard the enemy! KSF Agents, provide support from the rear! Close-quarter types stay behind, and the long distance types get ready to provide assistance when needed! (Seo Ah-Young)
As soon as her orders dropped, everyone hurriedly shuffled to their positions in a slick, well-oiled manner.
Oh-ho?
Even after taking into ount her rather... particr personality, hermands proved to be surprisingly logical and simple to understand.
For a someone up the chain ofmand, that is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was amon urrence to see a big military expedition taking ce to subjugate monster hordes back in Berafe.
The most dangerous thing to watch out for during one of those excursions werent the monsters themselves, but the ipetentmanders.
If themander in charge was the type that didnt think things through, hed just throw powerful Knights at the monsters without a rhyme nor reason, then have sorcerers provide long-range support, while hed order a bunch of priests to shower them with blessings, and then finally, have themon soldiers bring up the rear.
By using a tactic like that, the battle itself would end fairly quickly. But, it would also lead to severe losses of highly-trained Knights in the process. And well, itd be really difficult to carry on fighting over and over again while the number of your best fighters kept on decreasing, wouldnt it?
So, when taking into ount such things, Seo Ah-Youngsmands weremendably spot-on.
Her orders were made to minimise the losses of the difficult-to-rece mainbat force of the ability users by relying on themon soldiers to discover the monsters attack patterns and even the methods of killing it.
Shes still young, but I wonder, where did she learn to think like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing that Colonel full of grizzled veterans aura wordlessly follow hermands, her abilities must have been acknowledged by everyone here. How odd, Yi Ji-Hyuk thought.
Commence firing! (Seo Ah-Young)
mmmm!!!
As soon as Seo Ah-Young issued her order, rifles began spitting out lead in unison.
Even the MG50s located on the rooftops of nearby buildings provided support; the asphalt on the ground exploded and spun out like dried mud.
Mm....?
Soon, though, Seo Ah-Young frowned.
What the?! Whats going on?
Its not working! Guns are ineffective!
Bullets were simply passing through the Braads bodies.
Although there had been cases in the past, where the monster didnt get wounded from a hail of bullets, there never had been a situation like today where bullets actually entered and exited straight through the monsters without causing any visible damage whatsoever.
And so, chaos spread out like wildfire in an instant within the ranks.
Seo Ah-Young shouted out quickly.
Artillery!! (Seo Ah-Young)
There was no need for her to say anything further. Mortars and RPGs rained down on the monsters.
Kwaboom!! Boom!! Kaboom!
The loud noises from multiple explosions stung the listeners eardrums.
Unfortunately, these Braads only showed some traces of splitting apart, and didnt seem damaged at all.
Thats not going to work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
If those fakey-fake Braads possessed simr sorts of characteristics as the Braads he knew, then everything this group of soldiers did was aplete and utter waste of time and energy.
Thats because... Braads werepletely resistant towards physical attacks.
Not a single physical attack would affect these suckers. The only way to kill one was to hit it with a magic spell, or purify it with holy power. That was it. Well, there were some people who managed to kill one using their Mana-infused close-quarter attack skills, but such a method wasnt the most effective way either.
So, bullets or explosives not reinforced by Mana could not damage these monsters.
They are not working!
Hurried voices came at Seo Ah-Young from all directions, but her expression did not change.
Continue firing! Long-range attackers,mence firing! (Seo Ah-Young)
From the back of the tightly-packed formation, colourful bursts of light flew out.
And the Braads floating aroundzily in the air began shaking violently after getting struck by the streams of light.
Choi Jung-Hoon, standing next to Seo Ah-Young, opened his mouth.
Looks like physical types wont be able to damage them. We should stick to attacks directly utilising Ether. And the number of the enemy units are increasing as well. We need to increase the intensity of the bombardment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Got it. Focus your attacks, long-range attackers! Colonel, issue a retreat to your men, quickly! (Seo Ah-Young)
Colonel Jeong In-Soo didnt even reply to her while he ordered his men to withdraw.
mes and lightning bolts rained down from the sky.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was observing the colourful spectacle unfolding in front of the Gate with great interest.
Its different from magic, huh. Its probably much closer to martial skills or something simr to that, I think. Hmm, in return to performing powerful attacks quickly, there must be some sort of restrictions forced on the nature of attacks itself. How interesting. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ability users that spat out mes in the beginning were still firing out only the me-type attacks, and the other one with lightning attack carried on the shooting the same thing over and over again.
Compared to the Berafes sorcerers who were capable of utilising various attacks with Mana as the spells foundation, the way these ability users fought looked quite limited to Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
But, its much quicker to activate, isnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While the said sorcerers needed some time to calcte and form magic forms and chants, the ability users of this world could simply attack without dy.
Pros and cons, in other words.
If a low-ss ability user and an equally low-ss sorcerer fought against one another, the sorcerer would certainly get killed while unable to do anything. Conversely, if a high-ss user and a veteran sorcerer fought, then that ability user would end up bing a ything of the sorcerer.
They are increasing! The number of the enemies are increasing again!
Damn it! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young brushed aside the retreating soldiers and rushed forward.
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes chased after Seo Ah-Young, his eyes gleaming brightly.
She was probably the most powerful ability user he had met so far. His instincts had ssified her as substantially strong.
So, what kind of a spectacle would a person like that show him today?
Cover her! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Seo Ah-Young entered the frontlines, Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly shouted out.
As soon as that order was heard, several muscle-bound and rather tough looking close-quarter type ability users stopped their observation of the battle and quickly surrounded Seo Ah-Young, forming a human barrier.
She then raised her arms high up, and a small-ish ball of mes came to life above her.
Brrrrrr....
Apanied by seriously loud vibrating noises, the ball grewrger andrger, and it soon grewrge enough to rival a house in size alone. The heating off of it was incredible.
Take cover!
Retreat!
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at that me and let out an exmation of admiration.
Wow. Thats pretty powerful, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With that much power, shed be treated as a high ss sorcerer in Berafe, for sure. If one took into consideration it had been only five years since ability users first made their appearance in this world, it was only right that she was treated as a genius among geniuses, since her ability was top tier, without a doubt.
However... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs giant fireball flew towards the floating Braads. As soon as those harmlessly floating monsters got struck by the ball, they began exploding one by one.
KWABOOM!!
The violent whirlwinds of mes swallowed up all the Braads out there and torn them to bits and pieces.
For sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt the need to acknowledge her strength.
The only problem was that... todays opponent was a poor match for her skill set.
A horde of regr monsters mightve been utterly destroyed by that attack. However, a Braad was a lifeform created from the coagtion of Mana.
That kind of attack wouldnt be able to end this battle at all.
Thats because, when Braads sensed danger to their existences...
Eh? Uh? Ahhh?!
They are gathering? They are forming a single monster?!
Urgent, confused responses piped up from everywhere.
About half of the gathered Braads were exterminated. The real issue was with the remaining half.
The tattered and seemingly-dead Braads began coagting into a singlerge clump.
And the new Braads popping out of the Gate also joined in, creating a ginormous clump that emitted eerie bright light.
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk was already inching away, getting ready to bolt at the drop of a hat.
Thats not good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you say something? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons sharp hearing didnt miss the low muttering of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Oh, no. Its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to pretend it was nothing, but Choi Jung-Hoon was like a predator mauling a prey to death and didnt let the matter go.
Do you know something about that monster? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, I dont, but I can easily tell whats going to happen next. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons expression was one full of question marks as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Should he listen to what this youth had to say?
That perhaps would be for the best, but the current situation wasnt so good right now. There was no time to have a nice little chat, see.
Even while they were talking, Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to smoothly back away.
The thing was, the Braadscked physical substance.
In return for their amazing physical damage resistance, Braads couldnt manifest anything physically, either. Well, they were a lifeform verging on being spirits, after all.
An Arch-Braad was able to cast some magic spells and thus could qualify as a genuine headache of sorts, but regr Braads, well, they couldnt really be seen as dangerous monsters.
No, if one were to get technical about the true definition of monsters, Braads shouldnt even be qualified, actually.
Yet, why were they seen as monsters?
You guys should be careful now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was right about then C the Braad clump began showing signs of movement.
Vuoong, vuoooowong!!
The giant, light-emitting clump of Braads suddenly floated up high into the sky, then it headed towards nearby buildings.
Get ready!
Thebatants were all adopting the wait & see approach, since they had no idea what would happen next, but...
But, thats a miscalction. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KWAREUNG!
When the Braad clump got near a building, the structure began to disintegrate and got violently sucked towards the monster.
In the blink of an eye, two buildings were sucked near the Braad, and soon, chunks of concrete as well as steel rebars circled around crazily in the air around the clump. Then, a certain shape began to manifest.
Therge concrete blocks lined up in a certain manner, and that clump of light began sliding into the gaps of the blocks as if to be glue that joined all the pieces together.
What... what the hell is this? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons shocked gasp was heard next.
What stood before them a giant creature made entirely out of concrete and steel.
A 10-metre tall Stone Golem made out of modernitys achievements revealed itself to the world.
Oh. My. God...
Everyone present here became utterly speechless, as they stared at the giant.
Everyone present here had fought against countless monsters up until now, yet, this.... this still felt utterly surreal to them. Ten metres might sound small, but hell, a giant made out of stone had appeared in the middle of city, for crying out loud!
A, attack!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon recovered his wits quickly and shouted out an order.
Then, all manners of bullets, bombs and superpowers were poured on the Stone Golem.
But... that was all.
It only felt like they were damaging the monster somewhat, since there was a physical substance, a form they could attack at. But, the Stone Golem didnt even flinch under the barrage of attacks. Not once.
Stomp! Stomp!
The Stone Golem finally began to advance forward.
Get out of its way!!
Obviously, getting stepped on by that thing would result in your rather painful death.
Realising this fact quickly enough, everyone stopped attacking and scattered away from its path. Although the frightened soldiers tripped over each other and tumbled down all over the ce, thanks to the Stone Golems rather lethargic speed, none got ttened like pancakes.
As if it held no interest in those attacking it, the Stone Golem continued to stomp its way towards a single direction.
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
As the word implied, it really was walking in a straight line.
*SFX for big things getting destroyed*
When a building got in its way, the Golem smashed into the said building and demolished it, before continuing on. What a good thing it was, to have evacuated the citizens beforehand; if there happened to be people still inside those buildings, then itd have been an absolute disaster of unimaginable proportions.
No, hang on a minute. It was already a massive disaster, right now.
Buildings were copsing, cars were exploding and flung away.... If one were to calcte the damage to private property in real time, then tax money was literally going up in mes faster than one could punch the numbers in a calctor.
Do, do something about that, please?!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuk and pleaded desperately.
What the?! Why are you asking me that? You are the government official, so why is an official asking a civilian to do something here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, but, I can tell that you knew what was going on! And, cant you see the terrible disaster unfolding before you right now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, I can see it just fine. Ive got eyes, you know. But what can the measly ol me possibly do anything about that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If, if we fail to stop that thing, soon that monster is going to enter the area outside the evacuation zone! We wont even be able to estimate the losses to human lives if that happens! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, in that case, you should really try to stop it before that happens. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk brushed aside Choi Jung-Hoons hands.
At the moment, many ability users were attacking the Stone Golem in order to block its progress with everything they had, but it was like hitting a boulder with tiny eggs.
Hell, it looked more like humans were mosquitos buzzing around the monster.
While staring at the back of that Stone Golem resolutely walking forward, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
The matters of this world were for the willing guys of this world to deal with.
For Yi Ji-Hyuk, all he had to do was to solve those annoying problems that tried to prevent him from enjoying his life.
Besides, he didnt even know where to begin, if he were to bring that thing down.
So, what could he realistically do here?
That was why...
Huh?
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyebrows began twitching nervously.
That thing, yeah, its really walking nonstop to somewhere, sure...
But, that direction, isnt it where...
In that direction, can it be.... definitely... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly pulled his phone out and called someone.
C What now?!
Mom, are you in the house right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Im getting ready to go to the restaurant now. By the way, where are you right now? Why arent youing home already? (mom)
But, mom, you chased me out, remember?
No, wait. Thats not important now, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
M, mom, you gotta get out of the house right now. Please, hurry. Ah, and also, I want to ask you... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Speak up, son.
Mom, is the apartment rented? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No, we bought it with money. Its ours.
Ahhh. So, thats how it is. So, uh, if, you know, a natural disaster or monsters happens and our building copses. What happens then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C What do you mean, what happens? (mom)
Moms voice sounded like a song sung by the spring flowers as it flowed out from the phones speaker.
C Obviously, well all be sleeping on the streets, thats what. There are temporary shelters for situations like that, but, hmm. Im sure they dont have personalputers there. But, why are you asking me that, son? (mom)
Uhm, no, its nothing, mom. Im hanging up now. Dont forget to leave the house quickly, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C If you donte home soon, consider yourself dead meat, you got that?
Roger that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and pocketed the phone...
He pointed towards the distant Stone Golem and began shouting at the top of his lungs.
Hey, you!!! You b*stard!!! Stop, stop right there!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 30. Allow me to show you what defeat truly means -5 > Fin.
Chapter 31: I will protect my own home (1)
Chapter 31: I will protect my own home (1)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was enraged.
Seriously now, didnt that monster not know what lied in that direction?
It was his home! His sweet, sweet home, for chrissakes!!
It was Yi Ji-Hyuks crib, full of snacks and ythings and happiness!!
It was Yi Ji-Hyuks shelter from the storm!!
It was a ce of his dreams, his hopes, and most importantly, hisputer!! Yes, his most belovedputer was there! In other words, it was his beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous house!!
It really didnt matter to Yi Ji-Hyuk whatever the Stone Golem chose to do, but the story drastically changed if his home was involved in that whatever.
Especially so now, when it was still unknown whether his mom had left for work or not. Not to forget, he was also unsure of the exact time his sister came back from the school, too. Obviously, this was so not on for the dang thing to head in that direction! Obviously, super uncool, dude!
Soon, though, steam was rapidly filling up his head and began leaking outside.
But, seriously now, what am I supposed to do to stop that thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was Berafe, hed destroy that Golem in one shot.
Literally, hed been able to make it disappear with the snap of his fingers.
But, here on Earth?
Uh...
Hmm.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned out.
I really dont like this, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Step, step.
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked the opposite direction to the Golem.
And his destination was where the Gate was.
The Gate itself had already dissipated after spitting out all those Braads. When he got there, he took several deep breaths as if to double down on his resolve.
Only his eyes could detect several clumps of magical energy floating around this ce.
All the energy C Mana C from the Braads killed off by Seo Ah-Young that didnt dissipate immediately remained here.
This was the exact same phenomenon back when the Kodiac Monkey was killed.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was a bit worried that there might be problems if this Mana was not identical to Mana he was familiar with.
But, what could he do? He was in a serious bind.
Drain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out with both of his hands to absorb all the residual Mana. His body felt sated as Mana filled him up.
As expected of monsters made up entirely of Mana; other monsters couldnt even hope toe close to the amount of Mana each Braad contained.
Hmm, looks like there is no difference, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that his worries over the potential side effects were unwarranted.
After sucking in every bit of the residual Mana from the surroundings, Yi Ji-Hyuk converted it into the Darkness energy that he preferred so much.
Oh well. With this much, I can probably take care of this crisis, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Compared to the amount of Mana he used to wield in the past, this was a really pitiful amount, but still, he had Mana to y around with, so that was something.
Of course, back then, he would open a warp gate to the demon world to supply himself almost endlessly with this delicious Darkness energy, so that was par for the course, really.
Well now. This feeling... its been a while, hasnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although, truth be told, it had barely been over two months...
Just by the fact that some Mana was circting within his body, he felt like vitality was overflowing within his veins.
It sure felt like he could do anything, and surely, nothing would dare to get in his way, either.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shivered in glee from the powerful, addictive sensation of liberation coursing throughout his body and he red at the distant Stone Golem.
Well, now. Shall I...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And, just like that, Yi Ji-Hyuks body went poof! and disappeared from the spot.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk reappeared on the rooftop of the building the Stone Golem was walking towards to.
Seeing the stone creature, Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in disgust.
Youve made quite a mess already, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was utter chaos unfolding down below.
Left behind in the wake of the Stone Golems determined stroll, were several demolished structures and a couple of them were even engulfed in a raging inferno.
If those Braads appeared in Berafe, such a chaos wouldnt have unfolded at all.
But, well, a modern cityscape had way too many ces that could be so wonderfully destroyed. There was also the thing about repairs for the damage being very difficult and costly, too.
Heck, a monster of such a low calibre caused this much chaos and destruction to a modern city. That... was the truth about the modern world, really.
But, it doesnt matter to... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, wait, it does matter to me, doesnt it?
If that dang thing continued to rampage around like that, then water mains, power lines and inte connections would be cut off. Also, itd be difficult for the local convenience stores to stock daily necessities, which meant that Yi Ji-Hyuks nned free lifestyle would be affected negatively.
Yep. We really need to move house. And soon, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, that was a bridge to cross at ater date. For now, he needed to take care of this b*stard, first.
Hmph!
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at the Stone Golem approaching the building and dusted his hands.
From his entire body, jet-ck fog began leaking out.
The ominous ck aura, dancing around like mes, cocooned his body and violently red up.
That was Yi Ji-Hyuks magical power exploding out like a budding flower, the sinister power that Dioreh the First christened as the Petals of Hell.
The dark energy quivered and slithered in the air, and when he pointed to a spot in the sky, this energy heeded his silentmand and began gathering there.
GUOOOOOOOH!!
And in that spot of the sky, a storm of dark magical energy whipped up viciously.
All those who were chasing after the Stone Golem detected this strange event and looked into the sky, only to freeze dead still in their tracks.
They failed to understand what was happening.
There was not one person among them that could exin just what that mass of swirling ck aura was.
However, they all instinctively realised one thing.
They should not get close to it.
They should not even think of walking towards it.
The survival instincts of humans sensed the ominous, evil aura that dark energy spat out, and urgently screamed at them, telling them to run away.
Wha... what am I looking at right now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young muttered out while her entire being trembled in fear.
Before she realised it, her hands were searching for something, anything, to grab hold onto.
Grasp...
Choi Jung-Hoon hade near her and held her hand tightly.
Please, you need to calm down. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah.... Thanks. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked a lot worse for wear with dust and dirt covering him whenpared to her, but strangely enough, he wasnt shaking in fear like Seo Ah-Young, not as badly anyways.
After calming her down, he took quick look around.
Thankfully, soldiers were somehow keeping their reasoning intact, but the KSF agents, the ability users, were all shaking in their boots, scaredpletely out of their wits.
Could it be that only the ability users are sensing something truly dangerous? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then C Choi Jung-Hoons eyes widened even more as he shifted his gaze back to the ominous tornado of ck aura in the sky.
*
What the... this might get a wee bit annoying... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but frown deeply.
Back in Berafe, he simply gathered Mana and fired out, sweeping away whatever was in front without even the slightest hint of giving a damn.
Didnt matter whether he hit his allies or not.
Well, in all honesty, his so-called allies and underlings were nothing more than just a collection of monsters and demons, anyways.
So, there was obviously no particr reason to hold back because of the possibilities of friendly fire.
However, he couldnt do that here.
If he carelessly fling the attack down now, then, all of the buildings in the vicinity would be ttened, as if a dang meteor had fallen from the sky. Or worse, he might go down in history as the worlds worst mass murderer.
So, he had to minimise the radius of the attack, and control the wild magical energy to the best of his abilities, so the coteral damage to the surroundings would be kept as low as possible. Which turned out to be a lot of work for his brain to process C even though his natural talent and the considerable experience was guiding the half of the proceedings already.
Well, at least, soldiers and the ability users who had been busy chasing after the Stone Golem, had all retreated way back, so he didnt have to worry about them getting killed inadvertently, so that was nice.
When he finalised the calction for the form of the spell, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes were set aze.
I will protect my own home.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Home. Sweet my home. (TL: this grammar faux pas is intentional. MC is thinking in English in the raw.)
He couldnt really remember whether these English words were correct or not, but regardless, he would protect his beautiful ce.
....You stupid piece of sh*t b*stard!!
When Yi Ji-Hyuks raised hand descended, the ck aura in the sky also descended and flew towards the Stone Golem.
*SFX for a loud.... uh, not sure myself, actually. Sorry.*
The tornado of dark energy descended slowly while apanied by a loud roar, before suddenly condensing in the blink of an eye, then shot towards the ground as if propelled by an explosion.
KKKWWWAAABOOOM!!
Choi Jung-Hoon screamed as he covered his ears up.
The explosion was so powerful, he thought that his eardrums were ruptured open and his body got pummeled by the ripples of air.
What mystified him more than anything else at that moment, though, was how he wasnt sent flying from the shockwaves.
Tears streaming out from his eyes, Choi Jung-Hoon somehow managed to regain his sight and looked to his front, only to find a ginormous waves of darkness pounding into the ground.
The whole thing reminded him of a scene where a Titan from the Greek pantheon stabbed its massive spear into thes surface.
His hands were trembling now.
His body was shaking uncontrobly.
Just... just what the hell was that?
He always thought that, after he saw the appearances of monsters and the ability users, the boundaries of hismon sense had expanded a great deal.
However, that.... that thing quite easily exceeded way, way past his expanded boundary, and then some.
*SFX for when a me suddenly dies out*
And like a mirage, the massive ck spear seemingly filling up the entire world simply vanished.
Unbeknownst to even himself, Choi Jung-Hoons body began walking towards the spot where that spear had stabbed into.
Not only him, though C even Seo Ah-Young did...
...As well as every ability user still standing all dazedly approached the spot as if entranced by a siren.
Were they trying to see the remains of the Golem?
They couldnt, even if they wanted to.
When they finally arrived at their destination and peered over the edge, all they could see was a humongous crater with a bottom so deep, it couldnt be seen with naked eyes.
No one could estimate just how deep this crater was, what with the shade cast by its walls hiding the bottom of the crater sopletely.
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes were trembling even harder now.
Seo Ah-Youngs facial expression was just as poor as she quickly raised her head and stared at the rooftop of a certain building.
Meanwhile, the protagonist responsible for this spectacle was in the middle of palming the living hell out of his face.
I, I really went and done iiiiittt!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not this!
I wasnt nning to do this, honest!!
I definitely did not want to cause a big mess, you know!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, but why? What did I do wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His calctions were perfect. The application of the spell was on the level of a God of Magic, even. Or something.
But then, just how did he make such a massive mistake?
ording to his calctions, the crater shouldnt even be deeper than a metre, at most. However, the bottom of the crater couldnt even be seen right now.
Did he make a mistake during the calction of the form?
No, he had absolute confidence in himself that he had constructed the correct form. Which meant that, when he activated the spell, something in this world caused the deviation to ur.
However... uncovering the reason for his mistake did not take the priority. What was important... was the aftermath!
Look at that huge crater.
Uh, if left alone, what would happen to it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shivered like a wet dog and desperately wrecked his brain.
If he was any other high-ss sorcerer, then hed be able to fill the earth back up with a simple wave of his hands, but who was he? He was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He was the Attack Magic Molppang Char personified. (TL note at the end)
Never before in his entire life had he dabbled in piffling things like the defensive or conversion magics. What he was truly proficient with were the dimensional magic that required an extreme amount of calctive ability, as well as those attack spells which, as demonstrated just now, he had reached the level of godhood already.
Ah! Right, I can use that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It didnt take too long for Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out.
Earth Wave. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for rocks and things shaking and rising up*
The deep crater rapidly began to fill up with dirt and rocks just like the way new flesh and skin would grow on a deep wound.
Filling up the dark hole in the ground in the blink of an eye, Yi Ji-Hyuk plopped down and let out a long sigh of relief.
Whew.
Well, he sorted that one out quickly enough.
So, now that was done and dusted....
Yi Ji-Hyuk sensed the gazes of the ability users on the ground and ducked his body lower.
They didnt see me, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was so far away from them, after all.
Seriously, unless they all possessed hawk-like vision, there was no way they would recognise him from this far....
*
Just now, there was a person on that rooftop, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. I also saw him. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And he was wearing blue-coloured clothing, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. I saw it clearly. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Isnt that blue colour exactly the same as the blue tracksuit Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk was wearing? (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats my thoughts exactly. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, that had to be Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. I think it is h.... No, wait. Honestly speaking, Im wishing that it wasnt him. However... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, Choi Jung-Hoon was seriously hoping that this was the case.
Because, Yi Ji-Hyuk... he was a dangerous individual.
An extremely dangerous individual, no less.
Technically speaking, from the normal peoples point of view, all ability users were dangerous individuals.
If a normal person got p*ss drunk and caused an incident, then that would be not much more than disturbing the public peace. But, if an ability user got drunk and went on a rampage, well, that would be a big disaster.
Although the KSF did its best to gag the media and swept everything under the proverbial rug, there had been several incidents like that already.
If an ability user decided to kill people, then normal civilians had no real avenue to defend themselves, nor could they run away, either.
That was why so many restrictions designed to rein in the ability users, several times more severepared to the ones on regr citizens, were an absolute necessity. Wasnt it precisely the reason why the Special Laws governing the ability users were enacted, so they could all be reined in?
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk continuously proved that he could not be held back by conventional means.
Not only was he beyond the reach of thew, he also found uncanny ways to remain unbounded by the normal rules and conventions.
He probably was unaware of this fact, but if Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt been suspected of possessing a teleport-type ability, something Seo Ah-Young was desperately hoping to add to the KSFs arsenal, hed already been thrown into a jail cell by now.
So, imagine such a person wielding that much power.
Now, that was the definition of true catastrophe.
After all, depending on what his mood was like on any given day, a city or two might disappear from the face of this.
If this fact got out, well... Not one soul would want to live within ten kilometre radius of his house.
No, wait C people might vigorously protest to the government, telling those in authority to lock him up.
However, would Yi Ji-Hyuk take that lying down?
Dear lord, let it be not him. Please. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It must not be him. That man on the rooftop must not be Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Unfortunately, though C Choi Jung-Hoon knew very well that nothing would be resolved if he tried to ignore the truth sitting right in front of him.
This is the worst. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
While trying to think of a way to resolve this situation, Choi Jung-Hoon could feel numbness rapidly filling up his head.
< 31. I will protect my own home -1 > Fin
(TL: A Molppang Char, ording to my Google research, is a character in a game that specialises in one job/ss/skill/whatever religiously. Not sure what the origin of the word is, though C however, Char is a Korean gaming ng term derived from the English word character. And now, theres a fair number of ng words incorporating the char word in it in Korea, all to denote different types of people. For instance, a seemingly OP person would be referred to as Saghi Char, which loosely trantes to Cheat Character.)
Chapter 32: I will protect my own home (2)
Chapter 32: I will protect my own home (2)
Who would be the ones to suffer the most hardship everytime the dang monsters went on a rampage?
Could it be... the soldiers?
Or, could it be... the ability users?
Or, maybe, the police officers trying to maintain the outer perimeter?
The answer was actually right here, in the KSFs offices.
This is... this is pure insanity. Thats what this is.
A man named Kim Jae-Beom was staring at the massive heap of documents piled in front of him with a pair of soulless eyes.
This pile of A4-sized documents had finally exceeded the height of hisputer monitor. What was even more scary than this was the fact that, these printed pages only formed a fraction of everything he still needed to go through inside theputers HDD.
Kim Jae-Beoms eyes were watering slowly.
He hadnt been home for four days already. At this rate, dying from being overworked was a real possibility. That life insurance policy he signed up for at the time he got hired might be bearing fruit soon, the way things were unfolding now.
No, no. Wait a minute. (Kim Jae-Beom)
His mind was going haywire after not sleeping for the past four nights or so. He almostmitted the acts of both filial and unfilial piety there.
Kim Jae-Beom shook his head, his emotions were a mess of umted fatigue, dissatisfaction and irritation.
Ah, oh... (Kim Jae-Beom)
It was then C all the unhappiness and resentment clogging up his head melted away like snow under the Spring suns rays.
Why? Simple. He just took a look.
...At that dignified appearance of a certain bureaucrat in front.
That man was boxed in by the fort-like stacks of paperwork ten times greater than what Kim Jae-Beom had to take care of, yet he had not once showed even a hint of losing himself.
Kim Jae-Beom looked at that mans elegant appearance, as he drank iced juice out from a tumbler with one hand, while the other hand rapidly sorted each document page like a true professional.
Right away, Kim Jae-Beom inwardly decided to repent for his selfish acts ofint, and then called out to this greatest sryman in the world.
Vice Captain. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youre really amazing, sir. Arent you feeling tired at all? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Huhuh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stretched his backnguidly.
The sunlight pouring in through the window acted as a bright halo that illuminated his entire being.
Well, we always end up with lots of work anyways, so this much is just another day at the office, am I right? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As expected of you, sir. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Really now, the veterans were indeed a different breed altogether to a noob like him. Someone with only two years of experience in this field of work like Kim Jae-Beom couldnt even hope to emte such a focused dedication to get the job done as well as the apanying endurance, at all.
He felt a definite need to be as good as t...
It was then, Kim Jae-Beoms eyes narrowed to a slit.
Choi Jung-Hoon pulled a certain thing out from the desks drawer and poured into the tumbler.
It was a ck ss bottle, and that blue and white logo belonged to...
What the... Wait a minute. Havent I seen that logo plenty of times before? (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
W, wait a second there, Vice Captain! Just what are you pouring into your juice right now?! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Hm? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That, isnt that the famed energy drink?
Right, that is the bottle of Bhus-F!!
What the f*ck? Has this crazy guy been mming back bottles of energy tonic out of a damn tumbler as if its fruit juice until now?! (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Vice Captain!! What are you doing?! Youre not supposed to drink it like that, you know! (Kim Jae-Beom)
This was already way beyond the substance abuse, and well into the substance addiction now!
Halo? Halo my a*s!
Upon a much closer inspection, those dark circles under Choi Jung-Hoons eyes were extending even past the poor mans chin and threatened to invade down to his neck; his rough, sagging skin was in such a bad state that it could probably substitute a sandpaper without a problem.
The hand that held the tumbler was trembling ever so faintly, and his always-neatlybed hair was in somewhat of a disheveled state as well.
Vice Captain, you might really die at this rate, you know?! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Hahahaha, stop joking around, please. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, but I wasnt making a joke, though?! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled awkwardly before taking a long swig of the iced energy drink.
He looked quite cool, but at the same time, this whole situation was just too ridiculous, as well.
Well, its not like this is the first time, anyway... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons refreshingly smiling face was quite handsome, even from the view of another man. Probably that was why it seemed so utterly ridiculous right now.
Dont worry, Mister Jae-Beom. You will be an expert at this soon enough. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Vice Captain, you, uh, are bleeding from your nose. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Mm? Did I catch a cold? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, youre not dripping snot, youre bleeding! Look, look, its going to drip onto your clothes! Vice Captain! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Hahaha. It happens often, so you dont have to worry. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What? At least, you should wipe the blood off first! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Well now, did I already take a look at this document, I wonder? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This guy has lost his dang mind. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Choi Jung-Hoon alwaysined bitterly about the amount of stress he had to endure while getting dragged around by various ability users, but from Kim Jae-Beoms point of view, well, the Vice Captain had already be an inseparable part of the system now, more or less.
Silently, Kim Jae-Beom resolutely told himself to get the eff out of this joint with whatever means possible soon if he were to enjoy a long life.
Kim Jae-Beom then spat out his dissatisfied voice at Choi Jung-Hoon and his caffeine-addled face.
Just where is our Team Captain when we have so much things to do right now? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Oh, well, she is... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon replied with a slightly regretful face.
Shes taking care of the toughest assignment at the moment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*
.....With this, I will conclude this briefing on the urgent need to establish the emergency response bureau. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young ended her presentation and raised her head.
There were three people in front of her inside the conference room.
So, let me ask you something...
A middle-aged man on the right piped up with an irritated voice.
Do you know why we have gathered today at this ce?
Seo Ah-Young didnt hesitate for a moment before making her reply.
Isnt it to hold a briefing regarding the establishment of the nationwide emergency response bureau? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, is that right? I heard that todays meeting was actually to reprimand you and your team for the disastrous handling of the recent monster incident, but, perhaps I was mistaken?
Seo Ah-Young shrugged her shoulders.
Even if you say reprimand, we did nothing wrong, so thats that. (Seo Ah-Young)
What? Listen here!
You mustve have realised it after this incident has happened! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young cut off that mans words with a low, calm voice that nevertheless contained her strong will.
Throughout the world, the way Gates appear is changing noticeably. Until now, we yed it by the books and did our best to minimise the casualties, but moving on, that will be impossible to do. The number of incidents, where several Gates open up at the same time, is constantly on the rise. The types of monsters appearing each time are also bing unpredictable and varied as well. Finally, even the time a Gate takes to open up fully is changing at every encounter. (Seo Ah-Young)
M, mm...
That is why, the methods of response we have developed and stuck to until now will not remain effective in defending us. That is why, we need a small yet well organised team of elites operating in extralegal capacity that will counter any types of Gates and incidents happening throughout the country. (Seo Ah-Young)
Dont you get that being extralegal is the real issue here? Its a huge problem! Do you have any idea how many cases of court ims have been lodged against the KSF as we speak?! Because of all the illegal things you peoplemitted, we are being used of viting human and constitutional rights!! But, youre telling us to grant you even more jurisdictional authority? And we are supposed to handle the fallout from that?
The older man sitting to the left side carried on from there.
Isnt this all because of you ability users dont know how to control yourselves?! You cant even rein them in properly! And, how difficult is it for you to block the Gates in the same manner as how you handled it thest time? If things are getting tougher, cant you just simply increase the number of soldiers? Am I wrong, huh?
Seo Ah-Young let out a long sigh.
These fools had no idea.
No, maybe they just wanted to pretend nothing was wrong.
Do you know what is protecting our right now? (Seo Ah-Young)
What? Are you trying to earn some brownie points by saying its you ability users?
Seo Ah-Young slowly shook her head.
Youre wrong. Things protecting this world are actually the Gates and the monsters. (Seo Ah-Young)
Suddenly, the conference room fell in silence.
Because, she had pointed out that one thing no one in this room wanted to acknowledge.
For now, monsters are appearing everywhere and ability users are managing to block them, somehow. And that has helped to suppress all the worries and dissatisfaction umted by them until now.
But, surely that wont continue on forever. Already, anxiety and fears of the non-ability users have reached a dangerous peak. The dissatisfaction felt by the ability users also is getting dangerously high as well. When the walls of this proverbial dam burst open... Well, instead of seeing monsters, we might end up seeing the situation where humans are ughtering other humans. (Seo Ah-Young)
Arent you getting a touchy dramatic here?
Seo Ah-Young chuckled mirthlessly.
Do you really believe that? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ke-heum.
From a normal civilians point of view, an ability user is a whole different threatpared to a regr person carrying a loaded gun. Itd be unimaginably stressful just to talk to, walk down the same streets with, and share a meal in a same ce with a being that could kill you in less than a second. Already, there are countless anti-ability user groups gathering momentum online, and we know that some of them have initiated ominous movements offline as well. However... The bigger issue here is...!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs voice progressively got louder.
...The dissatisfaction among the ability users are overflowing right now. They have been suppressed through surveince and thew, but the fact remains C the number of crimesmitted by the ability users are fast approaching the level of regr criminals. If we take into consideration those crimes that are not reported for some reason, then that number could even be higher. We have no idea when they will rise up and revolt. (Seo Ah-Young)
No, that is why...!
The middle-aged man sitting in the centre wordlessly raised his hand. His gesture stopped the other man from continuing on.
So, youre saying the only solution to that problem is to establish a new organisation? To centralise thebat force? (The man in the centre)
Yes. (Seo Ah-Young)
You want to gather the top ability users and quickly dispatch them to all corners of this country whenever a Gate appears, all the while using their powers to suppress and police other ability users, stopping them frommitting crime. Am I right so far? (The man in the centre)
Yes, youre correct. (Seo Ah-Young)
How na?ve. It is truly a na?ve approach. But, since we cant think of a more effective alternative, it is what it is. All the support you require will be provided to you. However, failure will not be tolerated. (The man in the centre)
You dont have to worry. That wont happen. (Seo Ah-Young)
Then, dismissed.
Well, then, excuse me. (Seo Ah-Young)
Watching Seo Ah-Young turn around and leave the room, the middle-aged man in the centre narrowed his eyes.
A scene of humans ughtering other humans... (The man in the centre)
To this man, that sounded like an interesting statement. And a funny one, too.
Can we really call you things human beings?
Of course, he knew not to say that aloud.
*
What a bunch of stuck-up morons. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young loudly grumbled as she entered the office.
Choi Jung-Hoon handed a cup of coffee over with a smile.
Here, take this. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Before that, please do something about that dried blood on your face first. Did someone hit you or something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yep, the work hit me. The bloody work!
The work you abandoned behind has hit me, obviously! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon swallowed back down the rising resentment and changed the topic.
So, what happened back there? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They have made the decision to support us. (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh?
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head as if he found this rather unexpected.
I thought they wouldnt greenlight it no matter what, after what happened this time. Thats a surprise. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im pretty sure they have felt the urgency after the thing with Mexico. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm, most likely. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Many nations often referred to as developed had put into practice a system of managing their ability users, but there were also just as many that havent done that.
The most obvious examples were from Africa; countries there were inadequate in governance to begin with, so when the ck Monday happened, the abilities of those governments to rule its masses were lostpletely. Now, the situation had devolved to the point where several powerful ability users were ruling different regions as warlords.
These ability users, possessing powers unthinkable by the normal popce, raised their own private armies and waged war amongst themselves, which meant the monsters popping out of the Gates were not killed off in time at all. The continent had been, quite literally, swallowed up in aplete pandemonium.
However, the situation in Africa was the results of the nations there originallygging behind in terms of building a firm foundation for the society to exist, something that crumbled spectacrly and quite thoroughly by the advent of the ck Monday. So, this didnt cause much alertness and awareness from the rest of the world.
However, the worlds attention was now focused on the development in Mexico.
Before the events of the ck Monday, Mexico was already in the middle of a war between the government forces and the brutal drug cartels. Recently, the bnce had tilted almostpletely in favour of the cartels and less than a fortnight ago, a cartel with its central power structure solely consisting of ability users, carried out a surprise coup detat and seized all power.
It was a small relief that they hadnt done anything since, thanks to the might of the USA keeping a very close eye on them, but still, the ripples of repercussion felt from that event was nothing to scoff about.
Most important was the fact that a precedence has been set, where a group of determined ability users could easily overthrow their government.
They cant dismiss that story because it happened on the other side of the. Pretty much every nation on earth is walking on a tightrope already. No one can predict what might happen if that bnce is broken. (Seo Ah-Young)
Isnt that why were getting prepared as we speak? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon did his utmost best to suppress a sigh that tried to leak out of his mouth.
Actually, he was the one who suggested the formation of a brand new organisation that could police the Gates that were increasingly acting out of the norm, as well as the ability users who were getting more and more dissatisfied everyday.
However, even he was not entirely convinced that this new organisation would be enough to solve the various crises they were facing.
We will need a greater power if we are to effectively enforce control. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, it could be seen as a sort of discrimination. However, no one would be able to tell just what the ability users, unbound by such discriminatory measures, would end up doing.
So, then, our next headache to solve is... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young frowned deeply as she spat her words out.
Yi Ji-Hyuk, isnt it.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Ha-ah...
Uh-whew.
Everyone in the office groaned and facepalmed.
Just what should we do about that guy? (Seo Ah-Young)
Wordlessly, Choi Jung-Hoon popped the lid off another bottle of that energy drink and poured it into the tumbler.
Instead of a human being, that guy was more like a walking, talking stress generator.
Kim Jae-Beom stared at the two superior officers for a bit, before opening his mouth.
How about, we do it like this? (Kim Jae-Beom)
< 32. I will protect my own home -2 > Fin.
(TL: Yes, Im back. Yesterday was my birthday, but instead of rxing and having a good time while receiving presents, I ended up spending a lot of my own moh, got a lousy new mousepad as a sole present, and could only rx for a bit. Not that Imining....Nope. Notining. Just stating fact.)
Chapter 33: I will protect my own home (3)
Chapter 33: I will protect my own home (3)
Both Seo Ah-Youngs and Choi Jung-Hoons gazes shifted towards Kim Jae-Beoms direction.
From what you two have been saying about that dude... hes like a walking, talking atomic bomb, isnt he? And, we cant control him, he doesnt have anymon sense, and we dont have any answers on how to deal with him. Am I correct so far? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Hes also really rude, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon found himself nodding in agreement with Seo Ah-Youngs opinion. He also inwardly added that guy also dont have any manners, too.
Okay, anyways, hes an unanswerable quandary, a question with no good answers, right? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Thats right. (Seo Ah-Young)
Kim Jae-Beom grinned refreshingly.
In that case, there can be only one answer, then. (Kim Jae-Beom)
What is it? (Seo Ah-Young)
You know, erasure. Erase him off the map. Like, totally er... (Kim Jae-Beom)
Before Kim Jae-Beom could finish saying the word erase, Seo Ah-Young proceeded to literally kick him in the a*s, real hard.
Ah-ack!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Hey, you!! Dumba*s!! You think we are shooting a f*cking spy thriller or something, you idiot?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Eeek!!!! Noooo, Captain!! Please, not there!! No!! Please, dont step on that part!! Help!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
While watching the beatdown, Choi Jung-Hoon took a sip of the energy tonic swirling elegantly in the tumbler and savoured its taste, before opening his mouth.
Maam, you shouldnt step on the same part all the time. Try stepping on other body parts as well. Ah, you see? There you go. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The stepped-on idiot mustve watched one too many American TV shows, and became a brainless idiot in the process. No need for sympathy, there.
Assassination? What assassination, ah?! My a*s. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young dusted her hands off and angrily spat out.
While groaning in agony, Kim Jae-Beom pulled himself up in a sitting position, his expression full of resentment towards this seemingly undeserved violence performed on his body.
Mister Kim Jae-Beom? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, Vice Captain? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Is it because we have to go through so much work that your brain stopped functioning for a second there? I mean, what you said isnt something a civil servant should be saying, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Kim Jae-Beom hung his head in shame.
I really wanted to say that, you know, just this once. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Please, you can utter that when you start working for the CIA. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon leaned his back against the chair and sighed out.
Assassination.... To assassinate that guy...
Well, if such a thing was possible, then we wouldnt be in this much of a headache to begin with. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is it really impossible, though? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young carefully probed him. Her reactions might have been savage, but it seemed that she hadntpletely rejected the idea, either.
Mm, maybe you should hear it from her directly. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
From Gah-Yun? (Seo Ah-Young)
As soon as the words left her lips, Doh Gah-Yun revealed her presence like a ghost.
She pulled out a chair to take a seat, while Choi Jung-Hoon expertly poured a cup of coffee for her.
So? (Seo Ah-Young)
At that vague question full of implications, Doh Gah-Yun immediately shook her head.
Impossible. (Gah-Yun)
Even you cant do it? Even after I provide you with lots more people? (Seo Ah-Young)
Gah-Yun thought for a bit before replying.
Impossible to approach. Minimum 30 metre radius of detection. Impossible to predict the events of the battle. The worst case scenario, destruction of the city, the target remains unscathed. (Gah-Yun)
Mm... that means... (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head as if he didnt even want to imagine it.
Itd be akin to poking a hos nest. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs face paled slightly.
Even now, the horrifying sight of that day remained etched, nay, burned, into her brain.
Imagine, to have something that powerful, somethingpletely unheard of, being aimed towards them?
Now that was not something mere words like disaster or catastrophe could adequately describe.
But, still. We need to do something here, right? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beoms words urately reflected the sentiments nesting within everyones hearts.
They were fearful of poking him.
But, they could not not poke him.
It was as if they were currently circling around a bomb while holding their heads, not knowing whether this was a ticking time bomb or a mine. They couldnt ignore it, lest it went off after a short while, and were scared that it might go off as soon as they tried to poke it.
Just why did a guy like that have to appear at a time like this... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young let out a despairing groan.
The atmosphere of the office fell to the sewers in an instant.
Hmm... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon decided to improve the mood and stepped up.
Lets go through what we know, first. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They needed to understand just what type of a human being Yi Ji-Hyuk was before they could discuss and formte an actionable n.
The obvious saving grace with him is that hes not an extrovert person who likes to go around and seek attention to himself. From what we have observed so far, he would not leave his ce of residence, unless there is an external stimulus of some kind. That is something we should be grateful about. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, he is a hikikomori, after all. (Seo Ah-Young)
Affirmative. (Gah-Yun)
Choi Jung-Hoon ignored the pointless add-ons and continued.
Another saving grace would be that his sensitivity to external stimuli is very, very low. If that man was a sensitive type, then the moment he got dragged in here, half of the might have been blown away. Seeing that he did nothing but sleep and waste time during the three days he got locked up in here, without a singleint to boot, he should be a fairly easy-going type, personality wise. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, he was too easy going. (Seo Ah-Young)
His mouth, not easy going. (Gah-Yun)
Choi Jung-Hoon again ignored the female duo.
So, to conclude, the positives here are that, although we cant even imagine the level of destruction once he goes off, he is a bomb that wont go off that easily in the first ce. The real problem has to do with the negative aspects... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons voice became ragged.
Besides the mentioned positives, everything else is a negative about this guy. He doesnt seem to care about wealth, women, or power. He finds the matters of the world an annoyance. The only interest he has is video games. He has a truly rotten mouth, his personality is the worst, he is way too rude, he does not respect his elders, he doesnt care about the time nor ce, his fashion sense ispletely whack, and not to mention, he ys games in such a dirty, lowlife manner... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats enough from you. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young cut off Choi Jung-Hoons ramblings there.
Its really piled up high, hasnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
That was no longer an analysis of a person and more like talking trash behind someones back. To see the good hearted Choi Jung-Hoon devolve like this and spew out venom, that man Yi Ji-Hyuk was really something else to behold. In a bad way, of course.
Isnt he on the level of a human waste, then? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Toxic waste. (Gah-Yun)
Well, it is a relief that he has no desires or greed, which means the possibilities of himmitting crime is low, so isnt that something to be happy about? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a long sigh.
The current situation isnt nice enough for us to feel really happy, you see. He is a walking bomb, and we have no way to control him. He definitely doesnt want to be under control, too. When the new organisation is established, hell no doubt be seen as a dangerous element. Sure, the possibility of that is low, but then, theres also a chance that he might butt heads with the organisation, and... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon swallowed down the rest of his words.
If that man voluntarily stepped up and rallied other ability users, then could the current government be able to stop him?
This was one topic he didnt even want to imagine.
Seo Ah-Young abruptly cut off his chain of thoughts there.
So, to summarise... If we just let him be, hes not going to cause an incident. But, something else unrted to us pokes him the wrong way, then we wont have any answers. Right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Pretty much, yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, how about wepletely iste him and enter an intensive surveince? If we iste the potential source of trouble, wont we be able to substantially lower the chances of something bad happening? (Seo Ah-Young)
The problem would be with how long we can maintain that. Plus, if we were to maintain the constant surveince, then we will have to report the expenditure and the mission details to the higher-ups. How will those people react as soon as they learn of Mr. Yi Ji-Hyuks existence? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mmm.....
Seo Ah-Young frowned deeply.
She and Choi Jung-Hoon decided to conceal Yi Ji-Hyuks existence as much as possible.
Although there were a plenty of eyes watching on, no one could exin what had happened back on that day, so it proved to be rather easy to conceal the existence of the youth.
In the case where the brass had learned of the walking potential disaster that could not be controlled, AKA Yi Ji-Hyuk, then, it didnt take a genius to imagine the reactions of those ones, who were more than willing to bet everything for their own self preservation.
One wrong step, and the absolute worst event of them ordering, nay, throwing, every single ability user under the KSFs payroll at Yi Ji-Hyuks direction, might ur.
No matter what, she had to prevent that from bing a reality.
Because, the one to bear the brunt of the destruction, regardless of who emerged victorious, would be the country, instead.
How long can we conceal this? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, the incident itself has been omitted from the report, but there are just too many eyewitnesses. Plus, although the existence of Yi Ji-Hyuk may not be known, what happened that day will spread around via word of mouth, so I suspect that, not only the higher-ups, but even the other countries might show interest in this matter soon. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That is the worst possible oue, then... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began roughly scratching her head.
She really, really didnt want to get involved with that guy.
She really, really wanted to avoid it, no matter the cost.
However, she couldnt just ignore this and let go.
Then, for now, we... (Seo Ah-Young)
Quite unlike her, Seo Ah-Young carefully studied the reactions of the surrounding, and then carried on speaking.
...For now, lets try to reconciliate with him. (Seo Ah-Young)
Groan...
Uh-whew.
Hey, you dont have to show your emotions like that... I already know all about your pain, okay? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young forcibly suppressed the words of anguish trying to rise up from her chest.
But, how can we do that? (Kim Jae-Beom)
No one here had an answer to Kim Jae-Beoms question.
Didnt you say something abouting up with a new nst time?
When Choi Jung-Hoon asked her, Seo Ah-Young looked away ever so slightly.
I, I was just... (Seo Ah-Young)
Just? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You know, like, I was thinking of dressing up two of our agents like delinquents, and try to annoy him, then, Yi Ji-Hyuk would end up fighting them, and then, and then, well, uh, we could use that somehow to reel in... (Seo Ah-Young)
Wow. Sure, thats a great n. We can reel in two of our used-to-be alive agents like a pair of dead fish. And in the meantime, we end up souring our rtionship even further with a guy who just so happens to be a walking bomb, too. Great n, Captain. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, as I said, I was just... (Seo Ah-Young)
I think itll be better for everyone if Captain no longer thinks about such matters and focus on killing monsters only. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for a vein popping up*
A vein popped up on Seo Ah-Youngs forehead.
She swore to get her revenge by leaving a mountain of paperwork on top of this mans desk before he tried to leave.
Okay, so that n is definitely rejected. What else can we do, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why are you asking me that now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Didnt you say I shouldnt think anymore? A perfect n is for you Choi-raemon toe up with, no? (Seo Ah-Young)
What the. Im not a box full of magic gifts, you know? Its not like I can think of everything just because you forced me to. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, so you want to do it the way I thought of, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
.....No. I shall try my utmost best to be a magic box, instead. Even if its physically impossible, Ill try. So, please, dont do anything and wait. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After dissuading Seo Ah-Young somehow, Choi Jung-Hoon closed his eyes and rested his head on the chair.
A n, a n....
Suddenly, the corners of his lips began quivering ominously, before they slowly rose up.
No, I shouldnt be acting this way... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just as he began thinking about ways to reel that guy in and push him into a corner, a devilish grin rose up on his face, unchecked.
No, no. Calm down. If we do this with too much heavy-handedness, and make him to retaliate, then everything will be for naught. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
An eptable amount of pressure.
A method that didnt really get on Yi Ji-Hyuks nerves, all the while making themselves look rather friendly when reeling him in!
It was then, a brilliant thought popped up in Choi Jung-Hoons head. His eyes began emitting a dangerous light.
How about this way? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Everyone shifted their gazes towards him.
*
Those rotten sons of b*tches. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He took care of the Braads and left the scene undetected (?) yet Yi Ji-Hyuk had no choice but to despair at his situation.
Although he did his best to end themotion as quickly as he could, the damage caused by the incident was still considerable.
The power lines and water supply had survived, but one of the most important part of his life, the inte line, was dead as a dodo. He had no idea what happened C maybe, the fibre optic cables got severed during the monsters rampage or something, but whatever, all ess to inte had been cut off.
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt ept this sudden and inexplicable change to his living environment and transformed into a raging beast C before his mom, watching the proceedings with a pleased expression, brought him back to sanity with a couple of well-timed palm smacks to his back.
Since he didnt expect such an eventuality to befall on himself, he hadnt even installed a single offline game on hisputer. Which meant that, hisputer without an inte ess was no better than a fancymp lighting up his room at night.
If it werent for his smartphone and its ability to let him read the online webnovels, an incident involving him running off to the nearest working inte cafe (PC Bang) with moms stolen wallet, wouldve happened for real.
And when he eventually got bored of reading online novels, he also got to discover another marvel of modern technology, the television.
Hee-ya!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the TV and let out an exmation.
He wasnt much of a TV person in the past. But since then, the world had changed somewhat in the five years of his absence, and it had seeded in making him sit in front of one.
And the thing that caused him to watch with such dedication? It was a girl group.
Was it because they were pretty?
Or because they were so young and energetic?
Of course not.
No, actually C this girl group appearing on the telly that fascinated Yi Ji-Hyuk to no end, was quite remarkably different from the girl groups of the past that knew only how to cutely sing and dance.
No, it was more correct to say that they were from another dimension altogether.
Why?
Well, these young girls werent dancing to a tune, no, but instead, they were spitting out mes, tumbled around athletically, and even flew around!
Hell, the adorable girl in the middle even emitted dry-ice like fog from her body and that created a wonderfully mysterious ambiance during the performance.
Really, the modern world is an amazing ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, youd also find the mahou shoujos in Berafe, too.
Well, really now. What was a magical girl anyways? A girl who knew how to use magic, that was it.
But, just who would havee up with a novel idea to use them as an idol group?
As expected of the modern world C no, the modern Republic of Korea!
What with a group of pretty ability users showing off such a performance, every other idol who only knew how to sing and dance looked all a bit in now.
The worlds a really strange ce... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was showing his admiration for the folks of the entertainment industry and their determination to find a new avenue to make money, his mom was showing her own admiration for her son and his determination to find a way to waste time and fool around.
My son? (mom)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ye-Won is reallyte today. Shes not picking up her phone, and the hours are gettingte too.... (mom)
Im sure shelle home eventually after ying outside for a while. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom nodded her head.
Sure. I was also thinking the same, but as you may well know, there was chaos around these parts not too long ago, and things havent really settled around here. None of the lights are functioning, you know? Its really dark and gloomy on so many streets. And then, you see all these people walking around with guns. Im really worried, son. (mom)
Mom, you shouldnt worry, what with all those people with guns providing protection. Really, mom, you might end up with lots of wrinkles at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohohoho. It seems that my son has learned to speak so politely nowadays, hasnt he? (mom)
Eheheh. Well, I, uh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, let me get this straight, now. A man, an older brother no less, doesnt even worry about his little sister, who isnt answering her phone and is still roaming outside at thiste hour, her fate unknown as to what ident might have happened to her. Instead, he chooses to waste time and watch the TV. You, arent you even worried a tiny bit about your own sibling?! In these difficult and dangerous times?! (mom)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt hold it in anymore and exploded into a fit ofughter.
AHAHAHA!! Mom?! You think shell end up in trouble? I think you should worry about her not causing trouble, instead, you know? I mean, if Im honest, itll be more likely for her to go around beating others up, not the other way arou... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Almost instantly, Yi Ji-Hyuk shut his mouth real tight.
Well, that shouldnt be viewed as an odd behaviour.
Any regr, normal human being would also stop talking when a TV remote flew past his or her face at a terrifying velocity, after all.
Will you go and look for her after a beatdown, or without one? (mom)
I shall search tirelessly till the ends of this Earth to find and present that rotten girl in front of you, maam. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Good.
With that, Yi Ji-Hyuk left his home, while grumbling out softly.
But, as he was closing the front door behind him, he could just about hear his mom derisively chuckle out the line a fool who doesnt even know about tethering dares to argue with me?
Tethering?
What the heck is a tethering, now? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
< 33. I will protect my home -3 > Fin.
(TL: thanks everyone for your kind messages. I really appreciate it!)
Chapter 34: I will protect my own home (4)
Chapter 34: I will protect my own home (4)
Jung Beom-Hyuk was a proud member of the De.
Currently, the De was being seen as the true elites of Korean defense forces that possessed even higher prestige than that of the Special Forces.
It was an organisation where even the most talented, hand-picked soldiers from the entire military system had to go through another round of stricter and far more vigorous testing first before given the right to join.
The honour of being a member of the De, not to mention the sry and the benefits that were unimaginable for a regr soldier, those were great. Amazing, in fact.
On top of this, members of the De were seen by the opposite sex as the most ideal marriage partner as well, due to them earning lots of money, many of them dying early, as well as the generous pension packages sweetening the deal even further. It was a great job, indeed.
Oh, with the exception of dying easily on the job, of course.
That was why Jung Beom-Hyuk took pride in his status as a member of the De.
And then, there were those gazes of admiration when he put on the uniform and stood in public. Unless one had experienced it firsthand, one would never be able to understand just how powerful the emotions could get when receiving such adtions.
Such admirationing from other people, and the pride of working in a military outfit that was, without a doubt, the most advanced and fair in South Korea, made life for Jung Beom-Hyuk very pleasant, indeed.
However...
A new order issued earlier today... that made things a bit weird for him.
After the Gate of the previous incident closed up, the role of the De had changed to searching for and killing the remnant monsters they might have missed the first time, as well as restricting ess to the affected area to the general public.
So, a part of the team was patrolling the inner area, while the rest stayed out by the perimeters and stopped unauthorised people from entering the mission area.
Well, that much wasnt the weird part.
Why arent we supposed to restrict ess from this side, I wonder?
Jung Beom-Hyuks mission was to restrict ess from the perimeter.
However, didnt that mean he was supposed to block off all the roads leading into the inner mission area?
Until today, that was the kind of roles he had been given. But today... todays mission was strange, to say the least.
One particr area. No, to be exact, to prohibit approach within the radius of 300 metres from a certain apartmentplex.
If he considered the fact that an order like this had never been issued until now, he couldnt help but wonder about the oddity of it all.
Could there be a monster living in that apartment?
Soon enough, though C Jung Beom-Hyuk got to learn the reason for his orders. Whether that was a fortunate thing or not.... well.
A young man was walking out from the said apartment.
That sight of him sporting a worn-out tracksuit pulled up at the cors while dragging an equally-old pair of slippers and a crooked cigarette stuck to his lips, he was the perfect example of the typical neighbourhood bum.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Jung Beom-Hyuk was reminded of the crisis his beloved country was going through at the moment, not to mention the oft-mentioned ck of young people willing to join the workforce, when looking at the sloppy appearance of this bum.
Sure, you could say that this guy was a sryman who had simply switched to a morefortable clothing after he got home from a long day at work.
However, that would not exin the messy, unkempt and unwashed hair of his, dancing around in the breeze like that.
Besides, every single bum in history of mankind all emitted a certain unmistakable vibe from them. From Jung Beom-Hyuks point of view, this youth was a very high-level bum for sure. Probably at a stage boss level, too.
Well, with just one look, Jung Beom-Hyuk could personally feel the overwhelming aura of I shall never work in my entire life, even if I starve to deathing off from the youth.
Just what is happening to this world... (Jung Beom-Hyuk)
Jung Beom-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
However, the bum suddenly began approaching Jung Beom-Hyuk.
Mmm?
The bum walked in an unhappy manner and then stared at Jung Beom-Hyuk with equally unhappy eyes, before opening his mouth.
Hey, ahjussi.
Yes?
Even though he was an inexcusable piece-of-sh*t bum, Jung Beom-Hyuk still maintained decorum since he was talking to a civilian.
You got a light? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A light?
I forgot to bring my lighter with me when I got chased out of the house, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jung Beom-Hyuks expression crumpled.
Couldnt this fool see what he was doing right now?
Was this fool really asking a soldier decked out from head to toe in weapons and armour, for a lighter?!
This son of a...! (Jung Beom-Hyuk)
Jung Beom-Hyuk knew that it would not be possible to use thew, but he still decided to teach this young man a lesson or two. Well, it was rather disrespectful too, for a younger-looking person to demand a light from an older person, so there was his justification!
What the, are you insa... (Jung Beom-Hyuk)
It was then.
Suddenly, a hand shot out from his behind. The hand proceeded to cover Jung Beom-Hyuks mouth real tight, and then, the shocked soldier was dragged away, kicking and resisting.
Eup!! Eup, eup!! Euuppphhh!!
Jung Beom-Hyuk resisted fiercely, but the strength restraining him was as strong as a vice grip and it didnt permit him to break free.
And as he got dragged away, Jung Beom-Hyuk could see a man wearing a slick ck suit personally deliver a lit cigarette to Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
What the hell is this? Who are these people?! (Jung Beom-Hyuk)
Suddenly, someone whispered into Jung Beom-Hyuks ears.
Were from the KSF. Didnt you hear the new safety protocol, you f*cker? Whos your officer in charge?
Oh, god. Im screwed. (Jung Beom-Hyuk)
Poor Jung Beom-Hyuk had no clue about the cause nor the reason, yet he already knew what would happen to himter on.
*
Where are you taking that ahjussi away to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes going away to a very remote ce.
Oh..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, then.
Uh, thanks for the lighter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shoved the received lighter into his pocket. When he took a look around, those men in ck suits had already disappeared from the sight.
Well, its convenient, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was a wee bit irritating too, but he found it a bit too much work to catch and raise his voice at them every single time as well. Besides, he wondered whether they deserved such treatment or not, when they were so considerate enough to deliver some smokes and a lighter, just like now...
No, wait, besides all that!!
Wasnt this just too much?!
Come on, now! I didnt say anything wrong, did I? Who in their right minds would kidnap or harm that girl?! I mean, shes fierce enough to kick a bull in the ballsack, even! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Moms love was a blindingly powerful thing.
Her love was so blindingly powerful that she sometimes couldnt differentiate between the wrongdoer and the victim.
Honestly, was Ye-Won a girl whod get bullied by others?
Instead, shed make sure to bully others properly and thoroughly.
Seriously, wasnt she a kind of person that, a human being with a working, sane, and cool head would quickly go down a different street as soon as spotting her 30 metres away? They probably wouldnt give a rats a*s whether they were heading down the wrong way, either!
And to say, something might have happened to a girl like that?
And to say, mom was worried about her?
Why dontcha worry about the world peace, instead?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh-whew.
Now, how should he go about searching for this girl?
Just how could he locate that rotten child in this big world?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his phone and called his mom.
Mom.
C What?
Mom, honestly, arent you overreacting a little bit here? Cant I just go back home and wait for...
C If you dont return in a pair, your torso will not remain a single piece but will instead be a pair, got that?
That wont do. Okay, so, I will return. After finding her. Dont you worry, mom.
After hanging up, Yi Ji-Hyuk fell into a pit of despair.
Why?!?!
Just why me?!?!
What happened to the untouchable dignity of Berafes Bringer of Apocalypse?!
Why doesnt it work on mom?!
Havent I enved countless monsters with nothing but simple gazes? Didnt I control an army of demons with a flick of my hand?
Right now, its a total reverse of things C she has enved me with nothing but her gaze, and is ordering me around like a dog, with a flick of her hand! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Uh-whew.
Oh well, what could he do? She was his mom, after all.
And just where is this rotten girl right now, wasting my time like this?!
His rage was trying to find a new target to vent out, after getting thoroughly defeated by his moms powerful will.
However, even if he wanted to vent, he had to find his sister first.
Okay, lets see now.
Okay, so...
I cant use Detect, huh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He still had a little Mana left, but the Detect spell allowed him to scan and find individual Mana signatures, which meant that it was pointless to cast the spell on the denizens of this particr district, since they possessed not one iota of Mana in the first ce.
What am I supposed to do here...?
Meandering around like this, he suddenly began recalling the first few days of him arriving on Berafe.
Even then, he was utterly lost, just like now.
As his luck would have it, he arrived in the middle of a dense forest. Which meant that he got mauled by monsters almost three, four times a day.
That fear he felt when he found himself about to be attacked by a monster for the very first time.
That pain he felt when sharp fangs tore into his flesh and ripped off chunks of his body.
However... no matter how much was eaten, his flesh regenerated. And no matter how much of him was eaten, he didnt decrease, so in the end, even the monsters with full bellies let him escape with dazed expressions.
...And then, I became a bento...
If he started counting the number of monsters which had happily filled up their bellies thanks to his sacrifice C before he made his escape from the forest C then that would easily exceed past 100.
Hell, one or two smart SOBs even followed him around and took a bite out of him whenever they got hungry.
And when this whole thing became a daily routine of sorts, he even ended up punching a certain mannerless b*stard that took two bites instead of one....
Well, he wasnt going to die anyway, so what was there to be scared of?
Wait a minute...
This... Isnt this a really heartbreaking story, now that I think about it?
Its not like, oh, its a bit of a joke, Im having augh, after doing it for so long?
Anyways...
He finally escaped from that forest after suffering so much, only to run into yet another whirlwind of chaos.
He sought out a settlement with people in it, but...
He couldntmunicate. His skin tone was different. Hell, he even looked different from everyone there.
To the vige folk, he was a human who didnt look like one, and as soon as he encountered them, well, he got dragged away by the patrolling soldiers. And then...
Huh. Wait a sec. Gotta wipe my tears away first...
Yi Ji-Hyuk gently wiped the tears pooling on the edges of his eyes.
The motherf*cking Berafe.
All those isekai stories of MCsnding in another worlds and experiencing joyful adventures were nothing more than dog sh*t. It took over a hundred years before Yi Ji-Hyuk could more or less adapt to the ways of that side and start living like a normal person.
More importantly, if it werent for his undying body of his, the Yi Ji-Hyuk of today wouldnt even be here, standing around and looking for his sister. Hed be long, long dead by now.
If he counted the number of grievous bodily injuries he had suffered in the first hundred years, the ones that wouldve proved fatal to regr people, then most likely, the number would have easily shot past 500.
I should really write a web novel about this and make some money off it...
But, then again, people might say my storycks realism and start talking sh*t about it. Even though its all real! Che!
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head to chase the unpleasant memories of Berafe out of his mind.
Didnt matter how deep he dug through, he couldnt remember one good thing about that ce.
Wait, I shouldnt even be digging through my memories, and instead locate that rotten girl first.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from his spot and leisurely took a step forward.
He had no choice but to search for her blindly and without a n.
If he looked for her from the sky, it might be easier, but then again, itd also prove easy for other people to spot him up there. And his current Mana wasnt really enough to cast an Invisibility spell, too...
Once more, he came to appreciate how inconvenient it was without sufficient Mana supporting him.
Now that he thought about it, if he didnt get into that Contract back then, it might have taken ten thousand years for him to escape from Berafe. No, wait C more likely, he couldnt even be able to escape in the first ce.
Well, the truth was, he couldnt gather Mana on his own, so if the Contract didnt supply him with endless Mana, he wouldnt able to be a sorcerer at all.
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked on his cigarette and continued to trudge forward.
He knew it was pretty stupid to search without a n in mind. He needed to narrow down the search perimeter.
If she was any ol regr hooligan, shed find a way to infiltrate past the bouncers of a bar or a nightclub and drink herself to a stupor at thiste hour, but seeing that she had nevere home smelling of alcohol, that avenue of investigation seemed no good.
Well, she could have gone to a friends ce that didnt have any adults presence and y till she dropped, but since he did not know any of her friends, that one was also no good.
So, the remaining one with the highest percentage of likelihood would be...
Although cheap, cliched and definitely low-rent, could she be squatting in some dark, dank and smelly corner of a public park or behind bleachers with her gang, chain smoking and knocking off shots of soju?
Eiii, shes still my little sister. Theres no way, shes got her pride to consider.... Seriously, theres no way shed do that. I mean, shes.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Stop!
Huhuhuh...
It must be a weird coincidence to hear a familiar voice while walking past a park, right?
It cant be her, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
.....is it.
...But, it is her.
It is, without a doubt, 100% her.
It is, without a doubt, her irritated voice, always shouting at me toe and eat dinner. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a long, long groan.
He was suddenly ovee with sorrow after realising that this girl was fooling around in such a crass fashion, not even taking into consideration her position as his little sister.
Seriously now, its the education!! It seemed that she might need a proper education before its toote!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes sharpened like a knife as he headed towards the direction of the voice.
Soon enough, he spotted a group of people in the distance.
Mm?
Eh? Maybe the situations not what I thought?
I thought she might have been squatting on the ground, knocking off soju shots and eating chips and sh*t, but, what the... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that the situation was a bit more serious than his initial thoughts suggested.
A group of a few well-built b*stards were surrounding a single person. The scene was straight out of the bullying/ripping-pocket-money-off textbook, actually.
And the person surrounded by the group was...
A blonde?
A hotdang, honest-to-god blondie?!
Ye-Won?
Well, now. Wasnt that a scene of several people surrounding a blonde child to bully her?
Plus, the girls in front of that blondie were even lightly knocking her around, too.
What the, these a*sholes dare toy a hand on my sister?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
mes erupted out from Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
My little sister!
My more precious than gold sister!!
No, wait, I mean, my gold-haired little sister!!
My little Ye-Won, who always said shed get married to her big brother when she grew up!! My little, kind-hearted Ye-Won!!
My little Ye-Won, who has seemingly lost her dang mind as if she was the one to experience the tragedy of an another world!!
I always wondered how a person could change that much C and now I know the reason!!
Anyone wouldve changed after getting bullied like that!!
This foolish little girl!!
If she had mentioned this to me, this Oppa wouldve brought down that dang school in three seconds t!!
No wait, nows not the time for this!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ye-Won-ah!!
Hang in there, Ye-Won!! Oppasing!
Yi Ji-Hyuk pounced forward with enough strength to almost ruin the concrete below his feet.
And he could see the vague outlines of the b*stards much more clearly now.
What the hell!! What is this?!
When they saw a person dash towards them at a frightening speed, they obviously fell into a panicked state and started shouting out while pointing their fingers at him.
Grit!
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
When he got closer, he could see more clearly what was going on.
He saw a blonde girl with tearful and puffed-up eyes. He saw a bunch of b*stards decked out in ck school uniforms behind her. Then, in front of the crying girl, a group of deliquent, punk-a*s b*tches busy bullying her and pping her cheeks!!
Those no good lowlifes would dare!!!
How audacious!! Just who the hell did they think they were, to mess around with this person?!?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and grabbed the hair of the boss girl of the bullying group, his hand containing all of his anger and resentment.
And then, he shouted out at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking apart from that very resentment, fury and.... even despair.
What the f*ck!! Hey, you crazy b*tch!! Why must you be the one to bully others, ah?! Why isnt it the other way around???? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 34. I will protect my own home -4 > Fin.
Chapter 35: I will protect my own home (5)
Chapter 35: I will protect my own home (5)
Ouch!! Let go of me!! Hey! Let go!! Let me go right now or else!! (Ye-Won)
With her hair now tightly grasped, Yi Ye-Won began fighting back with all her might.
Argh, I really wanna smack her, but I cant!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And here I was, wondering why you havente home yet!! Is this what youve been doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its none of your business what I do and where I decide to do it!! (Ye-Won)
Hah?!
What the, this rotten little girl? Listen to her back talk!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
His personality dictated that hed p her face silly till kingdome, and then abandon her on an uninhabited ind in the middle of the Yellow Sea for a week all by herself, so he could enjoy the sight of her crying her eyes out as he enjoyed a packet of chips, but...
If I do that, though, mom might hang me upside down and practise her spike serve on me...
Did someone once say that a mothers hand was the gentlest medicine in the world?
What a load of bull.
My moms hands are like nuclear warheads!
Its as if she hasthered capsaicin all over her palms C whenever shes smacking my backside, Im like a dried up squid curling up on top of a hot-as-hell grill!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Let go!! Let me go right now!!!! (Ye-Won)
Uh-whew.
Right, I better drag this moron back home first, and let mom... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then C a male hooligan AKA unnecessarily brave moron stepped up to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Oii.
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dontcha let her go when we are still being civil?
....Huhuhuh.
Dumbfounded, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only let out a hollow chuckle.
Was this moronic delinquent really threatening him? Him, the man who was referred to as the Terror of Berafe? Really?
Yi Ji-Hyuk carefully appraised the dumba*s in front from top to bottom.
From the way this fool was dressed, to how hebed his hair, as well as that scowling expression.... This guy here was the perfect role model of how a delinquent should look like and no one would disagree on that.
And to think, hed live long enough to experience the day when a wannabe tough guy was trying to intimidate him with scary eyes and all that...
Hmm, but I let go of her already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk released his grip on Ye-Wons hair ever so gently.
The thing was, though...
He felt a bit intimidated for some reason.
But, why? Why would he chicken out here?
Could this be the infamous built-in fear of high schoolers all adults manifest in theirter lives?
Well, you know, that thing. That unexinable mental state, where you thought the fellow students smoking in a dark alley looked a bit silly and pointless, but as soon as you graduated from the school and entered the society as a responsible working adult, suddenly the same sight came across as horrifying as a group of monsters emerging from a dungeon or something.
This kid in front was a hooligans hooligan, sure, and the guy behind him wasnt even from a local gang either. Yet... Yet, that guy at the back had seriously scary face. It was super effective!
Huh. Someone with a weak heart might need to call for an ambnce straight away after seeing that scary scowl on him. Probably.
Howe this rotten girl is fooling around with such scary kids?!
Who the hell are you supposed to be? (The clueless delinquent)
Im supposed to be this girls oppa. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Her oppa? (The delinquent)
Yes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied quite politely.
What the f*ck. Even if youre her brother or whatever, why would you suddenly grab her hair like that? You think youll feel good if I suddenly grab your hair now? (The delinquent)
No, I wont. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The delinquent smirked derisively and grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks cors.
Huh? Arent the things going a bit too far now?
You should really go home when were being nice, you know? Or else, I might be tempted to... (The delinquent)
With his cors being grabbed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was debating on how he should punish this little punk, so the story might get some screen time on the local TV news bulletin. However, there was a person here that helped Yi Ji-Hyuks dilemmas in one fell swoop.
POW!
A fist suddenly flew in and smacked the face of the delinquent.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wondered if that was another of the KSFs men in ck, but he was wrong.
The dude with a terrifying expression who stood back and said nothing until now, suddenly knocked the living daylights out of the delinquent and began to step on the fallen fool as if he was kneading a particrly tough dough.
Ahck!! Ouch!! But, whyyyy?! (The delinquent)
Shut the f*ck up, you fool!! (The dude with the scary face)
And when the dude with the scary face finished his job of turning the foolish delinquent into a piece of worn-out rag with his boots, he shifted his gaze towards Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Wowsers. He really has an ugly expression, doesnt he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shouldnt he wear a mask while walking around so that small children wouldnt scream and run away?!
Seriously now, the dudes face was so scary, pregnant mothers and elders with weak hearts shouldnt even take a look at him.
This dude with the scary face stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with all his might, before suddenly bowing his head to the ground.
Please ept my sincerest apologies, sir. (The dude with the scary face)
He bowed his back 90 degrees and, quite unfitting that scary face of his, he began pleading with Yi Ji-Hyuk with a pitiful expression.
Its all my fault for not recognising the situation, sir. Please forgive us, I shall make sure to educate this idiot properly by beating him up for the next three days. I swear it. (The dude with the scary face)
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And what is this guy muttering about now?!
You know who I am? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, sir!
You sure youre not making a mistake? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres no way, sir. You said youre Ye-Wons older brother.
Yeah, sure, I did say that. But, uh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, so what is up with this situation now?
Sure, if this was Berafe, plenty of people there fainted with bubbles forming in their mouths when they saw me, but here on Earth, I made sure to behave myself and abided by thew. I really did, so, uh....
Okay, do I know you from somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk asked the dude with the scary face, the dude shuddered slightly before cautiously answering back.
Hyung-nim, its Chang-Sik.
Chang-Sik.... Chang-Sik, huh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And this mystery Chang-Sik should be....
Ah!! Youre that Chang-Sik? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was that kid who used to bully Ye-Won so much (because he really liked her) which eventually led to that Brazilian Kick in the face from Yi Ji-Hyuk who came to his little sisters rescue, and wound up waking up in a hospital all those years ago.
It was like one of the better chapters in Yi Ji-Hyuks memories were being re-read again.
It is you, Chang-Sik. Yeah, youre Chang-Sik, I can sort of tell... But, Chang-Sik, you... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took another probing look at Chang-Siks entire body, and with a trembling voice, he spoke up.
You must have suffered a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
I mean, back then, you looked so upstanding and presentable, yet now... Just what kind of suffering and hardship you must have gone through, I can only wonder... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Stay strong, kid. Living can be harsh and cruel like that. Dont lose heart, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Sik looked like he got wronged somehow as he replied back testily.
Hyung-nim, its not like that. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Then, why do you look this bad now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its just the genes... (Choi Chang-Sik)
You really shouldnt me your parents, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I am not ming them! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik let out a heated cry, before realising he made a mistake and quickly lowered his head.
In any case, Im truly sorry, sir. I will definitely double down on this idiots education, so please forgive us just this once. Im begging you. (Choi Chang-Sik)
No, well. Its not like Im a local gangster or something, so Im not gonna go around beating people up just because someone grabbed my cor, you know? Its nothing much, really... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
But, now that I think about it, it is kinda irritating, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That son of a b*tch!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik quickly turned around and ran towards the delinquent on the ground, before proceeding to roughly step on him again.
Yi Ji-Hyuk listened to the very real cries of Ahck! Ahck! reverberating throughout the night sky as if it was the most enjoyable music in the whole world. Then, he pulled out another cigarette.
Click!
Choi Chang-Sik ran back faster than a lightning bolt and hurriedly lit Yi Ji-Hyuks cigarette with his lighter.
Hey, you. You smoke too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe.
You might get lung cancer at a young age. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill try to quit, sir. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Mm, sure. Well, thats that, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at his little sister Ye-Won, who was still ring at him with a pair of veryrge and p*ssed-off eyes.
Hey, man. Chang-Sik, were you the one to let her tag along? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its not 100% correct to say I let her tag along, but... we hang around together, every now and then, sure thing. Just hanging out. (Choi CHang-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wrapped his arm around the shoulders of Chang-Sik, who was at least a good head taller than him.
Choi Chang-Sik possessed a smart head on his shoulders, though, so he quickly lowered himself slightly to match the height.
Hey, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, sir! (Choi Chang-Sik)
I really dont mind you guys fooling around. No, really, I dont. However, you see the thing is, when this girles homete, this ol me ends up in a heap of trouble, you feel me? My mom has this hobby of making my life a living hell, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, sir. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Okay, so, heres my phone, and I want you to save your contact numbers on it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My numbers? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Thats right, your contact numbers. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While he seemed wholly unconvinced, Choi Chang-Sik still saved his contact numbers on Yi Ji-Hyuks phone.
As soon as that ended, Yi Ji-Hyuk immediately called that number.
Ringggg~
A short while of ringter, someone answered the call.
C Hello?
Hello? By any chance, is this Chang-Siks phone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I dont know any Chang-Sik, sorry.
Ah, is that so? Well, to be honest, even I thought it was odd, you see? What with Chang-Sik standing right here and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned to look at Choi Chang-Sik with a brightly beaming face.
Chang-Sik too smiled awkwardly.
Ha, haha... (Choi Chang-Sik)
Hahaha... wanna die young? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, dont kill me, sir. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Lets try that again, shall we? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Sik fought back the rising tears and saved the real contact numbers this time. After confirming that it was the real deal, Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled brightly and spoke up.
Hey, Chang-Sik. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, please speak, hyung-nim. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Whenever this kid is tardy ining home on time, Im going to give you a call. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Yes, sir. (Choi Chang-Sik)
If you think you can run away, then I dare you to give it your best shot. I will definitely find you. As I have done always! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you havent done that, though? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Doesnt matter! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Finding this situation somewhat unfair, Choi Chang-Sik tried to lodge aint.
I do hang out with her, yes, but its not all the time, hyung-nim. Itll be impossible for me to find her if shes hanging out with other guys. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik-ah. There is this one truth this hyung has realised after living for a while. You see, a person can... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...A person cant live while doing only the things he wants to? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Nope.
Yi Ji-Hyuk resolutely shook his head.
A person cant live while doing only the things he is capable of. Even if its seemingly beyond your capabilities, sometimes you just gotta do it regardless, no matter what! You must uncover her whereabouts and drag her back home, you feel me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lightly tapping the despairing Choi Chang-Siks shoulders a couple of times, Yi Ji-Hyuk then grabbed the hand of Yi Ye-Won and began dragging her towards the direction of home.
Well, see you around. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey! Let me go!! I said, let me go now!! Ill walk there on my own! (Ye-Won)
Choi Chang-Sik bowed once more as Yi Ji-Hyuk walked away.
Have a pleasant journey back home, hyung-nim! (Choi Chang-Sik)
When he could no longer see Yi Ji-Hyuks back, Choi Chang-Sik pulled out a cigarette and roughly shoved in his mouth.
Ha-ah, f*ck this. (Choi Chang-Sik)
While he angrily sucked on the cigarette, the delinquent from before cautiously approached him, as well as other idiots that stood around, wondering what was going on when Chang-Sik jumped in to save the day.
What the hell, Chang-Sik? But why? (The clueless delinquent)
Youre being noisy, so shut up. I just saved your a*s today. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Huh?
Damn, now that I think about it more, you a*shole, I nearly ended up in my own funeral because of you. Jesus, that was a f*cking close call. (Choi Chang-Sik)
I have no damn clue what you are on about, man. (The delinquent)
You, dont you know who that hyung was just now? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Who? You mean, Ye-Wons oppa? (The delinquent)
Yeah. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Of course I dont know. (The delinquent)
Choi Chang-Sik groaned out and tapped his stupid friend on his shoulders.
Let me give you a piece of advice, my man. When you see that hyung in the future, I advise you to start running away before you get within the 100 metre radius of him. That guy... You shouldnt get involved with him, understand? (Choi Chang-Sik)
But, why? Is he an ability user? I havent heard that Ye-Wons oppa is a user, though? No, wait a minute, I didnt even know she had an older brother in the first ce. (The delinquent)
An ability user, my a*s. Sh*t, itd have been better if he was a godd*mn user. Those b*stards get arrested the moment they harass civilians, after all. (Choi Chang-Sik)
Okay, so hes not even an ability user, so why? (The delinquent)
In this world, there are even worse people than ability users, got that? You should ask your own older brothers about Yi Ji-Hyukter on, okay? (Choi Chang-Sik)
His name is Yi Ji-Hyuk? I think I might have heard of that name before... (The delinquent)
Whatever, its for the best not to get involved with that guy. Hah, screw this. I was rxing easy when I heard he went missing, but why the hell did he have to return?! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik repeatedly spat out long groans. He felt like his mind might crumble to bits just thinking about that rotten SOB being there and waiting to ruin his day whenever hed try to get in touch with Ye-Won in the future.
What are the grim reapers doing? Not taking away people like that... (Choi Chang-Sik)
Well, the truth was.... he did get taken away. But he came back.
Regretfully so.
*
Yi Ye-Won continued to shout out at the top of her lungs as they arrived in front of the apartment.
I said, let go of my hand!! (Ye-Won)
Seriously, have you really lost her dang mind?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk threw the hand down and began angrily pointing at her.
What is your problem?! Did I tell you to note home and waste time like this? Ah? Why get p*ssed off at me for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I can do whatever I want!! Butt out of it, you loser! (Ye-Won)
Loser?! What the hell, I say nothing out of consideration and you start behaving like that now? Why cant you address me properly like everyone else?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why should I? What, you wanna suddenly act like an oppa after going missing for five years? (Ye-Won)
Aigoo, Ye-Won-ah...
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long, long sigh.
Why are you so hell-bent on making your oppas life miserable? You were never like this back then. Just where did it go wrong for you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? (Ye-Won)
Thats right!! What happened? I wanna know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Won eximed out loudly as if she found him utterly ridiculous.
Why the hell would there be a reason for me to go wrong?! (Ye-Won)
Huh?
You go the wrong way, because thats just the way youre! Is this a TV drama? Are you shooting a movie?! Why would there be a reason?? (Ye-Won)
Huh. Shes got a point there.
Shed make a great politician, wouldnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Thats why!! Leave me alone and stop bothering me!! Why do you keep harassing me! (Ye-Won)
You think Im doing this because I want to bother you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why are you doing this? (Ye-Won)
The person who answered Yi Ye-Wons queries was actually someone else.
I ordered him to. (mom)
Yi Ye-Won couldnt help but tremble from fear when she detected an ominous aura right behind her and she slowly looked back.
M, mom... (Ye-Won)
SMAAAASH!!!
Kkyaaachk!! (Ye-Won)
When moms back smash splendidlynded on Yi Ye-Won, she began painfully twerking around, just like a dried-up squid on a grill.
Madam Park Seon-Duk simply grabbed the back of twisting Yi Ye-Wons neck and dragged her wayward child inside the building.
Lets talk inside since were inconveniencing the neighbours. (mom)
Mom, mom! Its not what you think!! (Ye-Won)
Shut your piehole, you rotten girl!! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk also trembled from fear while watching this scene unfold.
Moms even more scarier than a demon lord... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could faintly understand how his little sister turned out that way. Just about.
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly recalled what Choi Chang-Sik said earlier on.
....Its just the genes....
No, it better not be.
It must never be.
I hope...
< 35. I will protect my home -5 > Fin.
Chapter 36: You don’t trust your son that much? (1)
Chapter 36: You dont trust your son that much? (1)
While watching Ye-Won get dragged into the apartment, Yi Ji-Hyuk stretched his limbs, feeling rather refreshed for some reason.
What could this unexinable sense of aplishment be?
At least, he felt good to have a mom like that today. Seeing that feisty and confrontational Ye-Won, who always wanted a piece of him, be exactly like a rain-soaked hang dog and get dragged away really made his day.
Just as he was about to enter the building while whistling a happy tune, someone called out to him from behind.
E, excuse me...
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wondering what was up, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around and found a blonde girl there.
Oh, thats right.
I thought Ye-Won was getting bullied because of this girl. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, this girl was the victim that got pushed around by the hooligans earlier in the park.
Whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The blondie hesitated for a bit, before trotting to where he was and bowed her head deeply.
Thank you for your help earlier. (The mystery blonde girl)
I helped her? Me?
Well, from the blondies perspective, it could havee across that way.
However, how could she thank me so easily like this? She mustve heard that I am Ye-Wons oppa, so whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt be sure whether that was the case or not, but if it turned out that his little sister was indeed the leader of the hooligans bullying this child... Well, then. It wouldnt be too strange for this blondie to get angry at him while not-so-politely suggesting that he should do a better job of educating his siblings or some such.
However, seeing that she just thanked him outright, she must have been a possessor of a wonderfully kind heart.
She probably didnt even resist when they were abusing her and stuff.
Why were you getting pushed around by them just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt really need an answer from her as he could pretty much guess what happened, judging from the way the blondie was hesitating like that.
This girl didnt sport pure blonde locks like Ye-Won did; it was lighter shade than brown, and her skin was correspondingly pale too. Her nose was shaped quite attractively, and her height was also on the taller side, while her figure was rather slick and smooth...
In other words, she was a beauty.
Yi Ji-Hyuk found himself in admiration of a rare beauty standing in front of him.
But that was the extent of his emotions.
Why? He hated blondes.
And women with killer figures and pretty faces?
He hated them even more.
That was all because, whenever he saw such morous beauties with Western features, he was reminded of Berafe, thats why!
More importantly, without a doubt, almost every single one of those morous beauties with pretty faces and slick figures he met over there, were the personification of the Devil itself!!
They should all rot in hell for all he cared!!
Ye-Won... she told me to dye my hair... (The mystery blonde girl)
Dye? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes... I transferred to her schoolst week, and she told me to change the colour... (The mystery blonde girl)
So, what happened was...
Ye-Won was like, Im also blonde, but this girl is also a blonde, and I can no longer stand out, so I gotta do something, is that right?
Or, maybe she got ticked off because, even though they are both blondes, the difference in the level of beauty between the two was too damn high to ovee?
Doesnt matter which one, Makjang is a Makjang, through and through.
Looks like I really need to punish her properly one of these days now, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: If youre familiar with Kdramas, then you should know what Makjang is by now...)
It seemed that there was a definite need to re-educate his sister before she strayed any further than this. If he didnt, then his once-kind Ye-Won would never be able to revert back to how she was like before.
If he persuaded mom nicely, wouldnt she hand over all of that girls educational responsibilities to him?
As soon as he extracted moms permission, then he would pour all his being and properly carve the meaning of righteousness into her flesh and bone, therebypletely transforming her for the better!!
Really now, why did you dye your hair blonde when youre still a high school student? If you continue down on this path, you might end up as a delinquent just like that girl! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But... I didnt dye my hair. (The mystery blonde girl)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, Im naturally blonde...
What the hell. Youre saying that bling-bling blonde locks are natural? Hey, am I back in Berafe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You a mixed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes...
Yi Ji-Hyuk made a Oh, shoot! face and gently grasped the girls shoulder.
Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Wasnt it uncool to openly say the word mixed in front of a person of mixed race?
No, wait, since she was a beauty, wouldnt it be fine to say shes a mixed, since that was the cause?
No matter!!
My idiotic sister really inconvenienced you, didnt she? I will do my utmost best to cleanse that rotten brain of hers, so please, you should never hang around her, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The blonde girl stared at him with dumbfounded eyes.
If you do, you might end up as a delinquent just like Ye-Won. Remember, you need to be careful when choosing your friends in the future, got it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While speaking like thus, he wondered about the whereabouts of his own friends.
They were all good... no, they were all close friends. But now...
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly threw away the useless thoughts and waved his hand at the girl.
Okay, Im going home now. You should, too. Be careful on your way back, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, but I havent even showed you my gratitude yet... (The mystery girl)
Im the oppa of the harasser, so no need for that, you know? I should be the one to apologise, instead. Oh, and if those kids try to harass you again in the future, you just mention my name to Chang-Sik and tell them Ill sort them out real sharpish. That should sober them up real quickly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
O, oppas name is...? (The mystery girl)
Its Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Im Kim Dah-Som.
Huh, Dah-Som, eh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since she was of a mixed heritage, he kinda expected her name to be something like Ang Kim or Kasadian Lee, but that openly and proudly Korean name trampled on his expectations a bit.
Mm, sure, I got it. Be careful on your way, now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk headed towards the foyer of the building, before abruptly turning around to face her again.
And also!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes?
The startled Kim Dah-Som stared at him with round eyes.
Put some strength in your back and straighten it. Raise your head when you speak. Put some back into it! Be confident of yourself, thats what Im trying to say! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som became puzzled at what Yi Ji-Hyuk was saying out of the blue.
No matter whether youre a human or an animal, weak-looking things always get pushed around. In other words, if you dont want to be bullied, then at least, stop looking like a pushover, got that? If you remain hesitant and introverted like right now, bullies will try to harass you just to see whats up with you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes, I understand. (Kim Dah-Som)
Very good! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then hurriedly ran inside the building.
Kim Dah-Som stared at that sight for a while, before letting out a low sigh.
What a strange night it had been.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuks dad, Yi Chul-Joong was feeling mighty fine today.
Whistle~~
A tune automatically broke out from his lips. It felt like every problem he ever faced was getting resolved so, so easily nowadays.
His missing son returned home, unharmed. Very good.
Although he was suffering from some type of amnesia, who cared about something so minor, as long as he was physically fine?
Also, the wifeys restaurant was steadily turning profit and helped out with the familys finances. His little girl was also just the cutest thing in the whole world to him, as well.
Sure, she had be a bit feisty and temperamental ofte, but that was the angsty teenager phase for you.
On top of this, he was hearing about a rumour, the one that talked about him moving up the careerdder quite soon.
He was getting ever so slightly anxious because his age was nearly getting there, but hah, just as he expected!!
So, it was only par for the course that every day felt like a great day to him.
Well, if his tiger-like wifey could just tone down a bit and be a little more intimate, then hed have nothing more to ask for. But then again, perhaps he was asking for a bit too much there, so he gave up on that one.
What a great morning. (Yi Chul-Joong)
Yi Chul-Joong stepped into his office floor while whistling, only for his expression to turn into one of befuddlement.
Whats going on? (Yi Chul-Joong)
His colleagues were ring at him, for some weird reason.
And when Yi Chul-Joong found his desk disarranged, a stronger sense of bafflement washed over him.
It was then, he found a couple of men approaching him.
Manager Yi Chul-Joong.
Mm? You guys are...? (Yi Chul-Joong)
We are from the Audit Bureau.
Right away, Yi Chul-Joongs face froze up like a stone statue.
Apany us, please.
Thuk!
Yi Chul-Joongs briefcase fell to the floor powerlessly.
*
Completely unaware that hidden schemes and sharp des were approaching him from all corners, Yi Ji-Hyuk spent every day in the pits of gaming bliss.
Dont you ever get tired of ying the same thing over and over again? (Ye-Won)
Checking out his sorry state while ying the game from outside his room, Ye-Won decided to take the opportunity to annoy him.
Since that evening, when she finally became the unwilling participant of moms iron-fisted punishment, Ye-Won tried her darndest to annoy the hell out of him at every chance she came across.
Shoo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even bother to look at her as he shooed her away from his room.
Cant you even look at the person youre speaking to?
Shoo, shoo. Be gone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you stop before I break your wrist?
Im going to scold you, so you should... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm? That was a different voice, though?
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly turned his head.
And he saw his smiling mom by the doorway.
Hehehe, mom. It was you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right, its your mother. And you were shooing your mother away? (mom)
Eii, I didnt know it was you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohh, so you were too absorbed in your game to even recognise your own parents. Is that right? (mom)
Eii, you sound like youre from the MOGEF, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: MOGEF = Ministry of Gender Equality and Family)
With a bright smile, Yi Ji-Hyuk continued.
Oh, thats right, mom!! A great timing, mom. Theres something Id like to talk to you about. Can you give me some money? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Money? (mom)
In the beginning, his parents gave him pocket money and said something about a mans wallet needing to be secure and stuff.
But that was then.
No matter how much wealth overflowed in the family, no one in their right minds would invest a single dime on a parasite that only knew to y at home and nothing else.
As far as fulfilling the duties of the parents were concerned, giving him something to eat, providing a roof over his head and letting him use electricity were more than enough.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk wished for more, than obviously he was a man without morals.
And why would you need money? (mom)
Was he trying to buy more snacks? Was that it?
Even though she was making a retort, madam Park Seon-Duks hand was already sliding into her handbag. He was the kind of a son that made her feel so aggrieved just from watching him and hearing him talk from the sidelines, but regardless, he was still her child, and it wouldnt do to see him starve.
I want to buy a skin. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You want to buy skin?? (mom)
Did he want to buy cosmetics?
Of course, Park Seon-Duk tilted her head in confusion.
Take a look at this, mom!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When her line of sight followed Yi Ji-Hyuks pointing fingers, she saw a some type of game character showing off a crappy pose inside theputer screen.
Look, if I change the skin like this... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he clicked on a button, the said character on screen changed its clothing.
Isnt that so cool? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohh, so this is a skin you were talking about. (mom)
Ng! Please buy me this! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How much is it? (mom)
Its not much. Around 10,000 Won? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, let me understand this correctly... (mom)
Mom slowly pulled out her hand from handbag and ced it on top of Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
You do nothing but y games at home, eat, and sleep... But now, you need money so you can y a doll dressing-up game like a little girl? Is that what you are telling me? (mom)
Mom, this ispletely different from a doll dressing up thing, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And how is it different? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk thought for a bit before answering her.
Argh, it is really different, you know! Im not lying! But, I, uh, I cant exin it to you properly... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shut it, you fool!! I can see it with my own eyes, dumba*s!! (mom)
Smash!! SMASH!!
Moms palm smash descended on Yi Ji-Hyuks unguarded back.
Yi Ji-Hyuk desperately evaded her attacks and shouted out.
No! Wait, mom!! This is too violent!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its all because of you!! You!! (mom)
But, but, it doesnt feel like that, though?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You and your big mouth!! (mom)
From the side, Ye-Won provided support fire.
Mom, mom. That guy, I saw him spill C on the floor, but he didnt even use a mop to wipe it properly and used a couple of tissues, instead!! Its true! (Ye-Won)
That rotten b*tch!!
Even if they werent bosom buddies, she shouldnt try to attack him from the blindspot at least!
Shes going to get punished by the heavens at this rate!
Who the hell is that guy, now? Didnt I tell you to address your oppa properly?! (mom)
Sure enough, in came the punishment from the heavens.
Yi Ye-Won quickly fled from the danger zone like a scalded cat.
Im not gonna live for long at this rate... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began to think about his options quite seriously.
When he came back, he got prettyid back and enjoyed his stay at home like theres no tomorrow. But now, what with him gettingpletely limatised to the life this side, he was starting to crave the sense of freedom once more.
Plus, not to forget, Yi Ji-Hyuk lived like an emperor towards the end of Berafes existence, too!
He didnt have to do anything C he just had to lie down and open his mouth for the food to be delivered, and for the drinks to be served without question.
And now, having enjoyed such a luxurious lifestyle back then, only to live under the constant fear of back smashing, he began to find this situation not to his liking at all.
However!!
If he wanted to leave home, he needed money.
And in order to get money, he had to get a job.
He had to work!
There was no way hed work another day in his life. No, he never wanted to work ever again. Heck, he just wanted to live at least for a whole year without worrying about working!
Mom!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got ready to fight back.
And what is it now, my son? (mom)
I ept the fact that I do nothing but y video games all day, okay! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you ept it now. (mom)
But, mom. This son of yours had to go through so much suffering and hardship during the past five years. Isnt it fine to just let me fool around like this for the time being? Is it really too much of a sin to ask for one year of thinking and worrying about nothing and rest my weary soul?
Sure enough, Yi Ji-Hyuks fightback was strong.
He was certain of his attacksnding on moms weak spots.
However, moms armour was harder than diamond.
You, didnt you say you cant remember what happened during those five years? (mom)
Eh?
Oh, I did say that before, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, why are you even talking about hardship?! You cant even remember it! (mom)
N, no, hang on... I mean, I must have, you know, went through hardship, like, circumstances were... You know, I must have... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Son? (mom)
...Yeah?
You see, when you lose your memories after resting nicely for a year, then its like all that ying around was in vain. So, its time you stop resting now, son. (mom)
Her words certainly possessed persuasive power.
There was no room to argue.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was nodding his head in agreement already.
You could be right, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, will you find a job now, son? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly.
Theres no way Id do that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if she had already expected such an answer, mom let out a long groan. But then, just as she was about tounch into another bout of incessant nagging...
Dingdong~~
The doorbell buzzed.
< 36. You dont trust your son that much? -1 > Fin
Chapter 37: You don’t trust your son that much? (2)
Chapter 37: You dont trust your son that much? (2)
Mom shifted her gaze towards the front entrance.
Just who could be visiting them at this time of the day?
Could it be dad?
But, it wasnt the time for him to get off work yet.
Who could it be? (mom)
As soon as he confirmed that mom had left the room, Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily returned to hisputer screen. He had no idea who could be at the door, but whatever, it seemed rather prudent to finish up with the things he was busy with, before he got rudely interrupted.
Meanwhile, mom pressed the talk button on the inte.
Who is it? (mom)
On the screen of the inte, she could see a beautiful woman with a friendly smile.
C Hello, maam. Good day to you. Im from the KSF and Id like to discuss a certain matter with you; may I be permitted to enter your home? (Seo Ah-Young)
Youre from the KSF? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head swiveled towards the front entrance as soon as he overheard moms voice.
The KSF?(Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why would she bother?
Why was she intruding into his home now?
He was already getting slightly irritated by the fact that they were following him around, but now theyve even decided to invade his home?
Of course Yi Ji-Hyuk began frowning.
He left them alone since they hadnt done anything notable yet, but if they were nning to intrude into his life continuously, then there was a need for him to rethink his approach.
Well, it wasnt as if he was going to blow them all away, anyway.
If he did that, he would end up fighting the whole country, and then, if he was unlucky enough, hed have to fight the entire world. There was no gawd-dang way hed feel motivated enough to do something so bothersome.
Hell, even after he emerged victorious, there would be nothing to gain anyways.
So, the best was to not get involved in the first ce!
Mom!! Dont open the door! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? (mom)
We dont open the door, and thats the end of that. Nothing good wille from getting entangled with those guys. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, still. Shes a government official. (mom)
Hell, they dont even have a warrant, you know. A warrant! Just tell her to scram! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, still... (mom)
Besides, mom. Is there a proof that shes from the KSF? What if she is a suspicious person? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, now that I think about it, you could be right. (mom)
Mom looked into the intes screen with suspicious eyes.
Seo Ah-Young smiled meaningfully and lifted the thing in her hand near the intes camera lens.
C Oh, I almost forgot. I thought it might be inconsiderate toe empty-handed, so I picked up a small present on the way. Mother, I hope you like this brand... (Seo Ah-Young) (TL: Mother used here isnt in the literal meaning of the word. Its just a polite form of addressing a female figure who is old enough to be your own mother.)
Seo Ah-Young was holding a small gift bag with letters XHANEL written on the side. And seeing this, mom quickly ended the inte chat and ran towards the front door.
Mom?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre being noisy! (mom)
Decisively ignoring her only sons protests, mom hurriedly opened the front door and greeted Seo Ah-Young with warm and extremely friendly tone of voice, something Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt heard of before.
Oh, goodness me! Hello there. Its an honour to wee such an important person from a government institution into my familys humble abode. (mom)
Oh, no, mother, it is I who should feel honoured to receive such a warm wee. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young smirked and took a nce at Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
That stupid hag! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing that victorious smile on her face, Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling in anger.
However, she was already in the house. What could he do now, since the milk had already been spilt?
Here, I know its a little ufortable, but please take a seat. (mom)
Thank you, mother. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was the perfect model of demure politeness as she carefully folded her legs and settled down besides the coffee table.
To Yi Ji-Hyuk, it was like looking at the fox with 999 tails doing its schtick, and yes, he found it very displeasing to the eyes.
Meanwhile, Park Seon-Duk brought out refreshments from the fridge. Seo Ah-Young mouthed her thanks adequately and received the drink.
Even though you work in such a rough environment, youve managed to maintain such a wonderful skin condition. (mom)
Hohoho. Thank you very much for yourpliments. But, mother is the prettiest person here today. If I didnt hear beforehand that youre Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks mother, Id have mistook you for his older sister. (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, my. Thank you very much. Ohohoho. (mom)
Annnd, Yi Ji-Hyuk thought his face would rot away if he heard any more of this exchange.
Transcending all ages and all cultures in the world, no, even that of dimensions, the women folks way of over-enthusiastic greetings remained the same everywhere. And he could never get used to it.
But, what brings you to our home? (mom)
When mom decided to direct the conversation towards the main topic, Seo Ah-Young righted her posture and got serious.
We are here, actually, to... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young turned her head towards Yi Ji-Hyuk and spoke.
...To scout Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
GROAN... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head rolled backwards and he closed his eyes shut.
He had been expecting something like this to happen, but hell, this was just too early. Too dang early!
He really imagined that they would take a lot longer time to assess and analyse him. He honestly thought like that.
Scouting my Ji-Hyuk? (mom)
Yes, mother. Do you remember the time when Mister Ji-Hyuk was under investigation by us in the KSF? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, I remember. (mom)
Of course shed remember; her only son got locked away for three days, after all, so how could she not?
At the end of our investigation, we came to the conclusion that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is a wonderful prospect for the countrys future. (Seo Ah-Young)
My son is a wonderful prospect? (mom)
A strange scene of mom not believing the word of another person that praised her child, urred right in front of the subject in question.
It seemed that the powerful passive skill all mothers were equipped with, the one about parental love being blind and all (which would start along the lines of My child has a good head on his/her shoulders, but is toozy to study) was not present and not correct in Madam Park Seon-Duks psyche.
Yes, mother. He possesses a great power, one thats worth pursuing. That is why we at the KSF wish to scout and hire him officially. (Seo Ah-Young)
Scouting my boy... (mom)
With a renewed interest in her eyes, mom shifted her gaze to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
To think, people were trying to scout thatzy-a*s fool...
Perhaps, could these KSF people who looked tough and strict on the outside, actually be a bunch of sloppy idiots on the inside?
Well, if they had eyes and ears and some brain matter in between, they wouldnt try to scout her son, thats for sure.
It had been some time since she had thrown away that tiny speck of hope in her heart, the one that formed back when she learned her son was an ability user. Even if she gave birth to him, he was beyond saving, after all.
Ji-Hyuk-ah. (mom)
Yes, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Come over here and take a seat for a while. (mom)
Cant Ie after I finish up this round? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you wish to witness the end of your life today? (mom)
Mom, Im on my way right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged into the living room and settled down next to mom.
His bloodshot eyesnded on Seo Ah-Young.
He could see how rxed and leisurely she was.
She had already figured out that no matter how rude and inconsiderate Yi Ji-Hyuk was, in front of his mom, hed behave himself.
Well, truth be told, she already knew that, through countless surveince video footages as well as eyewitness ounts, Yi Ji-Hyuk was no different from a mouse shivering in front of a cat, no, a dried-up squid in the hands of an experienced kitchen maid, when his mother was present.
Were you expecting to see something nice when you came here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh my? Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, we are already acquainted with each other, so arent you being a little too cold? (Seo Ah-Young)
Acquaintance? More like, antagonist, instead! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not true at all. I really came here today with good intentions. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
Is that why youre still hiding someone behind you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah! My apologies. Its a bad habit of mine. Gah-Yun-ah, please give them your greetings as well. (Seo Ah-Young)
Doh Gah-Yun appeared right behind Seo Ah-Young. She sat next to her and wordlessly lowered her head.
Of course, Park Seon-Duk was surprised by the fact that a person materialised out of nowhere and her eyes continuously blinked nonstop.
That, that is quite something... (mom)
However, no matter how surprised she was, she never lost herposure.
Already, many ability users and their powers were known to the public through media exposure, so she didnt find epting an event like this all that difficult.
So, to continue where we left off... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young smiled brightly and continued with her exnations.
Wed like to offer Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk the best deals to secure his services. Our n is to offer the best conditions avable for civilian contracts for him. Not only his wages, all the needs for Mister Ji-Hyuk as well as the support and financial benefits for his immediate family members will be guaranteed. I promise. The detailed breakdown is contained within these documents. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young produced a thick contract document from her bag and cautiously ced it in front of Yi Ji-Hyuks mom.
And this is? (mom)
These detail every favourable condition we are offering to your son. And also, I know that this is only a small thing, but here... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young finally ced the gift bag on the coffee table.
Please think of it as us showing our sincerity, mother. Although it is only a small thing, please ept it. (Seo Ah-Young)
Im not certain whether I should... (mom)
Really, its nothing much, mother. Itll get a little bit awkward for me if you refuse it... (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, in that case... (mom)
Ah, so thats what it looks like, the tone of the voice indicating how troubled a person is, and the facial expression of that person, not exactly matching up. In fact, its the exact opposite!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but show his appreciation at this strange sight, which he hadnt had the good fortune toe across in his thousand-plus years of life. Until today.
However... (mom)
Strangely, though... unlike her expressions, mom didnt reach out towards the offered gift.
Didnt you forcibly enlist ability users until now? (mom)
Ah, so you werent aware. Your son is not recognised as an ability user yet. He is a civilian, at least for now. (Seo Ah-Young)
In that case, why him? (mom)
However, he possesses powers that easily exceed regr ability users. And at the KSF, we definitely need the help that power will provide. In short, your son is a prospect that not only the KSF, but the whole country will need in the future. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eiiii~. (mom)
While chuckling, mom waved her hand around dismissively and looked at her son.
Being subjected to such a doubtful stare, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt the waves of resentment wash over him.
Mom, what the?! Im still your child, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Precisely because youre my child, I find it so unlikely! (mom)
You dont trust your son that much?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its because youre my son that I dont trust you!! (mom)
Yes, mom.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was shot down ruthlessly and as a result, he sank to the bottom.
Well, then... (mom)
Ignoring the crumpled Yi Ji-Hyuk, mom directed her question to Seo Ah-Young.
When hes hired by the KSF, what sort of work will he be performing? (mom)
Basically... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young hesitated slightly before replying.
He will be asked to participate in the anti-Gate operations. His main role will be to suppress the waves of monsters. (Seo Ah-Young)
Park Seon-Duk was genuinely startled to hear that.
But, you said hes not an ability user! (mom)
Yes, I did. But he possesses powers beyondmon ability users. In all honesty, with his abilities, fighting monsters would be no different than getting a little bit of exercise in after a hearty meal. Isnt that right, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
Who are you even referring to now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre so humble. (Seo Ah-Young)
What the? Listen here, Im not being humble here at all.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If youre too humble, its actually harmful to your image, you know? (Seo Ah-Young)
What the hell? Did this woman originally possess such a silky tongue before? Wait, when she was givingmands at the scene, she did spit out orders rather eloquently, didnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mm. So, he will be asked to participate in non-dangerous monster suppressions, but he will still be paid well, and the benefits will be even better, plus youll even provide aid to his family. Is that the gist of your offer? (mom)
Yes, mother. That is correct. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs and Park Seon-Duks gazes met each other, and the two women smiled at the same time.
Mom, no! You mustnt! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk perceived threats to his livelihood and decided to act on it, mom reached out and grasped the gift bag.
And this is? (mom)
Its a wallet, mother. I thought of getting a handbag, but since I didnt know of your tastes, I prepared a wallet instead. I felt that wallets would weather the changing of fashion trends a little better than a bag. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah, so thats what it is. (mom)
Park Seon-Duk smiled brightly and then, ced the bag on top of the documents and pushed both forward, away from her.
Seo Ah-Young stared at that action with stunned eyes, before opening her mouth.
Mother? (Seo Ah-Young)
Please, take them away. (mom)
E, excuse me? But, mother... (Seo Ah-Young)
Park Seon-Duk continued to smile while she exined her position.
Perhaps, you dont understand it because you havent had a child of your own yet... (mom)
Pardon? (Seo Ah-Young)
Suddenly, Park Seon-Duks expressions hardened.
You will not find a mother willing to force her own child into a potential death zone so that she could live happily off the money. (mom)
..........
Yes, he might be a somewhat dumb child, and he might show not one iota of desire to do anything. Yes, he might be a wastrel that ys only video games the whole day, with an avarice for food to match his sloppiness. Yes, his personality might be the worst, and yes, as a man hecks a backbone and gets bad-mouthed constantly by his own little sister. And he gets abused online because hes so terrible in games, and yes, even though he only graduated from the middle school and is a high school dropout!! (mom)
M, mom.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom, thats way too harsh...
Arent I still your child?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks pitiful inner grumblings)
Yi Ji-Hyuk swallowed back his rising tears.
It seemed that, before he had realised it, getting disparaged had be the norm for him.
However, hes still my son. Hes precio... No, thats not important. Hes my child. Even if I dont find him adorable, hell always be my boy. Just because I dont find it pleasing to see him y games at home, youre telling me to send him out to fight monsters? Do you really think those are the words you should say in front of a mother? (mom)
Mom didnt even give the panicking and lost Seo Ah-Young time to recover andnded the next blow.
I would prefer it if you donte and visit us in the future regarding this matter. If you try again, then next time, I can not guarantee that I will remain as civil. (mom)
Mom... she was powerful, as usual.
< 37. You dont trust your son that much? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 38: You don’t trust your son that much? (3)
Chapter 38: You dont trust your son that much? (3)
Seo Ah-Young quietly stared at Park Seon-Duks hardened face for a while, before nodding her head.
Perhaps I was too impatient. (Seo Ah-Young)
She must have thought that no matter what she said now, none would get through moms defenses.
Seo Ah-Young willingly lowered her head.
Id like to apologise for myck of consideration towards mothers point of view. (Seo Ah-Young)
I did not say those words to hear your apologies. (mom)
Yes, I am well aware. However, I feel that I need to apologise, otherwise I would not be able to calm my own heart. (Seo Ah-Young)
Park Seon-Duk didnt reply to that.
Super scary.
Yi Ji-Hyuk trembled in terror as he watched his usually screaming at the top of her lungs mom keeping dead quiet.
Heck, the atmosphere alone would have killed someone already.
Or, maybe it was just Yi Ji-Hyuk who felt this way, since, you know, this was his mom and all.
The evidence to back that up was Seo Ah-Young, who remained rtively calm andposed even when subjected to moms intense re.
I believe it would be for the best to end things here today. The gift is unrted to the matter at hand, so please ept it without hesitation, mother. (Seo Ah-Young)
No thank you. Please take it back with you. (mom)
Mother. (Seo Ah-Young)
Looking troubled, Seo Ah-Young smiled awkwardly and spoke up.
I too have parents. No, I used to have. They taught me that visiting a persons home without an appropriate gift was not a polite thing to do. This gift wasnt prepared to sway your mind, but to uphold the teachings my parents taught me. Please, dont make me a bad daughter, and ept this small gift. (Seo Ah-Young)
....In that case. (mom)
No, wait! Mom, no!
Thats not what an appropriate gift is supposed to look like!
Her parents were probably saying a basket of fruit or bottles of wine!
I mean, look at the brand name, for crying out loud... Thats blooming expensive, you know!
No matter how you look at it, thats a bribe!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner screaming)
It is indeed impolite to continue refusing a gift, so I shall receive it out of consideration. (mom)
Wha? Heck, if we ended up epting gifts out of consideration for second time, we might even get a car! (Yi Ji-Hyuk still screaming inside his head)
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips pouted out at least a foot in front of his face, and moms withering gaze squarelynded on her son soon enough.
You better pull that piehole in or else. (mom)
Moms soundlessly moving lips imparted her kind words so clearly.
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips pulled back in almost right away.
We shall trouble you no more at thiste hour. (Seo Ah-Young)
Be careful on your way out. (mom)
And, also... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stood up from her seat, and bowed her head. Then, she made a final deration.
We shalle to visit you again. (Seo Ah-Young)
I believe Ive made our position crystal clear. We do not wish to see you again. (mom)
I ept that I have made an error in judgement today. I sincerely apologise for offending you. However, I didnte here with an intention to probe you. If you are offended, then we will do our best to make up for that. We will continue toe and speak to you in the future. We cant give up, even if were sshed with water and my hair gets pulled out. (Seo Ah-Young)
What a leech like girl.
What a vindictive demon!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner cursing)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at her intensely.
But Seo Ah-Young didnt even pretend to meet his gaze right till the end.
I will not change my mind, regardless. (mom)
Mother, Im not doing this just because I felt like it. It is for the benefit of the country and perhaps, even the world. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mom smirked then.
I would rather not have a country that wishes to sacrifice my son. (mom)
...........
Perhaps she finally read moms unshakeable resolution, Seo Ah-Young didnt try to say add anything else.
We wille again. (Seo Ah-Young)
Goodbye to you. (mom)
When Seo Ah-Young and Doh Gah-Yun left through the front door, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly ran to his mom and embraced her tightly.
Mooooommy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the! Stop, youre creeping me out! (mom)
Khyah! Yes, thats how a moms supposed to be! Right, mom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he didnt sound all that serious, Yi Ji-Hyuk was actually feeling several powerful emotions welling up inside his heart at this very moment.
No one tried to protect him while he was in Berafe. Not one person tried to defend him, either.
Not once had he felt the camaraderie of being with the so-calledrades, nor a sense of solidarity, unity as it were, while he was there.
And now, that lost sense was going through a miraculous revival!
Let go! Youre really creeping me out, so let me go this second! (mom)
But... he couldve made a mistake on that one.
Nevertheless.
Mom!! If those idiotse back again, you must refuse them, okay!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, that I must do, but... (mom)
But?
Park Seon-Duk made a difficult expression.
But, I am a little bit scared, son. They are from the government, after all. I hope they dont try something untoward against us... (mom)
Hahaha, mom. Really now, you worry about the weirdest things, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, they are the KSF. (mom)
Mom, rest easy. They are all morons. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre the real moron here! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
He couldnt tell whether there would be some unforeseen events happening in the future or not, but one things for sure, they better not provoke him.
If things did go sideways, then he was more than prepared to go on an all out offensive, himself.
Im not holding back because Im intimidated, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It would be a bit too much work, that was all.
However, if they did something and that crossed his too much work bottom line, then who would be able to predict what might happen? After all, while he was in Berafe, he had no notion or concept of doing it in moderation. He didnt know how to, nor did he care.
Well, back then, he had nothing and no one to protect, which meant that he didnt care about a thing. And, since he had nothing to lose as well, he never failed to handle things in the full-on hard eleration mode all the freaking time.
And well, the result from his reckless actions was... this.
Not only the worlds, but even the resistance and interference of the gods couldnt slow him down; he even got to achieve what he had desired for so long.
Thats right. I am the Berafes... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Besides all that!! (mom)
Eh?
You,e and sit over here! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shivered and quickly sat down on the designated spot.
Y, yes, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk picked up a paper bag resting near the front entrance and ced it in front of her confused son.
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached in and started pulling the contents out from the bag.
And they were books thicker than his arm.
What the, books? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He saw the titles on the cover, and his body began shaking uncontrobly.
[Learn to Ace the High School Graduation Exam in 30 days or Less!!] [I Passed the SAT Exam in 30 Days! And Now, You Can, Too!] [Easy-to-learn Exit Exam Information Tutorial, Basic Version] [The Methods to Pass High School Graduation Exam] [The Compiled List of Past High School Exit Exam Questionnaires]
M, mom, this is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk ced her hand on Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder and spoke in an icy voice.
Son. (mom)
Y, yeah?
You should at least graduate from high school, no? (mom)
Y, yeah?
Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was, when I said youre a high school dropout? (mom)
What the heck.
Mom, no one told you to mention that in the first ce, you know...
So, why are you ming me for that...? (Yi Ji-Hyuks dumbfounded inner musings)
You see, my son. Im a logical person. I dont expect to see you get a university degree or something like that. I have my morals. However, at a bare minimum, you should have a high school diploma, no? Dont you think so? (mom)
No, hang on. Mom, I think...
You should not think. Leave thinking to your mother. (mom)
Yes, dear mother.
This son of yours will not think anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, ones academic achievements arent everything in life. Ive seen many outstanding people who have only managed to graduate from middle school, or even elementary, still make sess of their lives. (mom)
T, thats right, mom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However... thats the story for them, not you! Those people seeded in life regardless of their academic careers, but you are different! You are the type that would fail even with excellent education!! So, just what cmity would fall on you without a passable academic record of some kind backing you?! (mom)
Y, you... are right, mom... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is why!! (mom)
Moms eyes were set aze.
You will pass, no matter what!! (mom)
Your desire is incredible, mom. Okay, fine. When is the exam, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Read properly on the covers. (mom)
....Passing in 30 days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There you go. (mom)
M, mom?! Dont you know that impossibility exists in this world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From now on, the word impossible will cease to exist in your vocabry. (mom)
But, but, still! At least I need time to prepare! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Other people passed with only a month of studying. (mom)
Thats other people!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My son. (mom)
Park Seon-Duk stroked her sons head and spoke.
I remember your report cards very well. If I think about it, its a miracle that you managed to enter high school. They say that anyone can enter a high school, but still, I can vividly recall the face of your third year homeroom teacher from the middle school telling me that... for the sake of your future, I should consider making you work physically for a living, instead of sending you to a high school. (mom)
That man said what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell!! That Judas-like b*stard!!
He clearly told me that Id do well if I put more effort into studying!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks angry inner monologue)
However, therees a time in a mans life, when he has to soldier on, even if it seems impossible to seed. One cant live on while only doing things he can, after all. (mom)
Eh? Havent I heard that from somewhere before? (Yi Ji-Hyuks confused inner monologue)
Even if you cant do it, you must seed!! No matter what!! (mom)
Chang-Sik-ah, I want to apologise to you.
You must have been feeling the same emotions as me, back then. (Yi Ji-Hyuks apologetic inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reminded himself to treat Chang-Sik nicely when hed see himter on.
No, still, this is going a bit far, mom. I havent touched a textbook in over, uh, five years, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, it was over a thousand years, but still.
You avoided touching books before then, so nothings changed, hasnt it? (mom)
Huh. Now that you mention it, I was like that... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont you worry, son. If you study with as much dedication as you put into that game, then surely, youd earn a doctorate before long. (mom)
Im truly sorry, mom.
Me... I actually get called a disabled fool even while gaming.
I am sorry for being such a useless son. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was then, the doorbell chimed again.
Looks like its your father. (mom)
*
Outside the apartment building, on the parking lot.
So, how did it go? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon asked, Seo Ah-Young shook her head slowly.
Like talking to a steel wall. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon grinned refreshingly.
We already talked about this. There was no way this matter wouldve been resolved from the get-go like that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
She was really determined. (Seo Ah-Young)
A stubborn mule. (Gah-Yun)
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned slightly while staring at Gah-Yun after she added in her own thoughts
What on earth... Hasnt her personality change a bittely? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is this really the right way? I mean, shouldnt we approach them sincerely and build solid bridges first? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head.
Thats the fastest way to failure. We are from the KSF. Anybody would grow suspicious if people from such an organisation approached them for no reason, and tried to get on their good sides. They wouldnt be able to shake away that little bit of doubt nesting in their hearts, when we make our true intentions knownter on. That is why being upfront is the best possible way. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Still, I feel like its too upfront, doing it like this. She didnt look like shed change her mind at all. (Seo Ah-Young)
The most important part will start from here onwards. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They had let their intentions known.
There was a big difference between the other side knowing and not knowing what you wanted.
And they had never thought that things would resolve painlessly with just a few well-timed persuasive words, anyway.
The things they had prepared would start kicking into gear from now on.
Of course, none of those would be crossing Yi Ji-Hyuks perceived bottom line. They would have to y a delicate bncing act of always staying above that.
If they failed to do so, then, itd lead to a huge disaster, after all.
It was a difficult operation, indeed. But Choi Jung-Hoon was determined to seed, no matter what.
...My grudge wont let me fail. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm? Did you say something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon, the hottest property within the KSFs ranks; a man with a promising career, and assuredly the best husband material out there; this man, possessing a handsome looks and talent acknowledged by others, was...
...A bit timid.
No, maybe it was slightly greater than a bit.
We haveid the groundwork today, so itll be fine to retreat for now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Really? Its okay for us to back off? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, itll be fine. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons lips sported a meaningful smile as he stared up at Yi Ji-Hyuks apartment from the parking lot.
Soon, the first bombshell will go off. We will leisurely enjoy the chaos for a bit, before finding the right time to subjugate the target. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm...
Well, lets go home. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young suddenly grabbed the energetic Choi Jung-Hoons shoulders.
......?
You know, dont you? (Seo Ah-Young)
........Yes.
Looks like you were dreaming a happy dream. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, it was enjoyable, even though it was only for a single moment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, Ill leave everything in your capable hands. Im going home now. (Seo Ah-Young)
From the corners of Choi Jung-Hoons eyes, the sweat drops of the heart, AKA tears, spilled out.
Right now, he didnt mind not going home but hed give anything to go and take a bath, at least.
Its all because of that man!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The antagonism towards Yi Ji-Hyuk soared ever higher in Choi Jung-Hoons heart.
The resentment born out of this extra work!
The resentment from being unable to go home!
Most of all, Choi Jung-Hoon would never forget the grudge born out of the the youth ying the game with great sentimental value, super dirty!!
Choi Jung-Hoons resolve towards the looming rematch burned brightly.
*
Dear? (mom)
Moms eyes opened up wide.
Yi Chul-Joongs face as he entered through the front door looked like he had seen a ghost.
D, dear! What happened to you?! (mom)
Dear... (dad)
Whats wrong?! Please, tell me! (mom)
Moms urgent, worried voice prompted both Yi Ji-Hyuk and Ye-Won to run out of their respective rooms ande to the front door.
Dear, I... (dad)
Please, say it, dear. (mom)
I... got fired. (dad)
Ehh?? (mom)
They threw me out. Im not going to work from tomorrow. (dad)
Grit.
Yi Ye-Won got startled by the sounding from her brother and hurriedly turned to look.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was grinding his teeth.
Those sons of b*tches... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt have to take a guess to know what happened.
Those KSF b*stards mustve pressured dadspany in order to pressure him.
However, they shouldnt have touched his family.
Im not going to let them off the hook... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why? Why were you let go? Didnt you say you were to be promoted soon? (mom)
Actually... (dad)
Dads eyes were sorrowful as he gazed at his family members. His voice was smaller than a buzzing noiseing off from a mosquito.
I, uh, they found out. (dad)
Eh?
They found out. (dad)
Found out what? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head while listening to the conversation unfold.
Wasnt the direction this chat headed to a bit strange?
Dad replied as if hed swallowed a whole heap of regret.
I... I never intended to do that, but, uh, how should I say this... You see, its okay to take some and use when we need the extra, right? I, uh... I didnt mean to take and forget about it. I was going to put it back in, and no one wouldve noticed... (dad)
All the enraged strength umting in Yi Ji-Hyuks muscles leaked out in an instant.
So, what happened was...
So, what happened is.... (mom)
However, moms voice began gaining enraged strength instead.
I just shared it a little bit for us. (dad)
Please speak in terms normal people will understand, dear. (mom)
Well, that is... Thats got a bad connotation, though. (dad)
Dad tried to smile, albeit awkwardly.
They... found me taking the money off the books. (dad)
Without waiting for another word, mom roughly kicked her husband.
Ouch!! (dad)
YOOOUUU!! You insufferable fool!! When my kids are like these, even you try to make my life a living hell?!?! (mom)
No, Im telling you, that wasnt my intention! I wanted my family to live well!! Besides, you think I spent that money for myself? Where do you think the money for this apartment came from? (dad)
Get out!! Get the hell out, right now!! Get out and go die somewhere else, you stupid fool!! (mom)
Ji-Hyuk-ah!! My son!! Do something and calm your mother down!! Soooon!! (dad)
While chuckling bitterly, Yi Ji-Hyuk returned to his room. Then, he slowly closed the door while wiping the teardrops from the corners of his eyes.
What a soya powder family.
He thought that his mom was a demon king of all demon kings, and now, it turned out that his father was a fraudster, too.
Yep, thats why your daughter has gone down the wrong path. Its all in the genes.
What now?
Oh, you wanna know about where my genes came from?
....I wonder about that, too...
< 38. You dont trust your son that much? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 39: You don’t trust your son that much? (4)
Chapter 39: You dont trust your son that much? (4)
And so, a cmitous storm descended on the family.
Getting angry was one thing, but well, the reality remained as grim as ever.
The crime had already beenmitted. The real problem they had to face now was, how they should continue from here onwards.
So, its the end with you simply getting fired? (mom)
Of, of course. (dad)
Judging from the way her husband was avoiding direct eye contact, mom could pretty much tell something else was up.
Park Seon-Duk spat out a long sigh and spoke.
Just tell me everything there is to tell. (mom)
Yi Chul-Joong checked the mood of his vtile wife, and slowly opened his mouth.
You wont get angry? (dad)
Im sure my anger will be the least of your worries when I eventually find out! (mom)
That is true, too... (dad)
Yi Chul-Joong took several deep, deep breaths, and cautiously opened his mouth.
They wont report me to the cops on the condition that I regurgitate every cent I ate up. (dad)
....And how much will that be? (mom)
Its a bit, a lot... (dad)
Just tell me how much it is already! (mom)
He sheepishly replied.
Around ?400 million... (dad) (TL: Around $370,000)
Park Seon-Duk wordlessly got up from her seat.
D, dear? (dad)
Yi Chul-Joong became rather flustered when his wife did not get angry as he had been expecting.
Dear? (dad)
She remained wordless as she walked to Yi Ji-Hyuks room.
Sensing something ominous was about to unfold, Yi Chul-Joong decided to sneakily follow after her.
Meanwhile, she violently mmed open the door to her sons room.
Argh, what the!! Mom, please knock on the door first!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ji-Hyuk-ah, switch on the inte for a minute. (mom)
Mm? Whats the matter, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I want you to search online, for what convicts need nowadays inside a prison!! (mom)
Yi Chul-Joongs soul got frightened out of its shell and nearly jumped out. He quickly ran towards his wife and desperately clung on to her.
Nooo, dear, no!! (dad)
400 million?! FOUR HUNDREDDDDD!!!! You think that amount will fall from the skies, just like that? Instead of you not getting reported to the authorities by paying that amount off, itll be cheaper for the whole family, if you spend ten years behind the bars!! Call the nearest police station and tell them you are turning yourself in!! (mom)
No, dear! I know money is important, but how can you even think about sending your own husband to prison?! (dad)
That is why Im getting ready to support you when youre inside!! (mom)
How the heck did you even arrive at that part already?! (dad)
No need for a lengthy chat. Just think of yourself as a Gireogi Appa and rest easy for a few years inside. Dont worry about the kids. Ill take care of everything. (mom) (TL note at the end.)
Forget about the kids, worry about me for a second. Me!! (dad)
What gives you the right to raise your voice at me, you idiot?! (mom)
N, no, its not a right or anything..... (dad)
I shouldve known the moment you brought in all that money. You said that work at thepany was going really, really well.... If you were a man with that much ability, we wouldnt have lived so poorly ever since we got married!! Aigoo~~~. I didnt even know the truth and bbed my mouth to everyone, telling them my husband was making a lot of money.... How will I even show my face in public now?! (mom)
D, dear... (dad)
Unfortunately for dad, Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to spectacrlyckmon sense.
Mom, I finished searching online. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you fool!! Stop adding fuel to the fire!! (dad)
Dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied to his dads anguished cries with a dignified face.
Its better to minimise the familys sacrifices. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....It seemed that, the apple didnt fall too far from the tree, indeed.
*
In the end, mom still fell into a morbid state of despair after learning that, even if dad did go to prison, the family still had to pay back the stolen money.
Four hundred million.... (mom)
It wasnt as if they had a stash of free cash hidden under the mattress or something; just where would they find such an enormous sum of money?
Also, no one would be willing to loan them a single dime when the world was in such a dire strait already.
What with the number of idents involving monsters on the rise, the conditions for lending money became very strict, and chances of getting a loan without a coteral was as good as the mission: impossible.
Sure, the number of victims did decrease after the anti-Gate measures were put in ce and consequently, the strictness of getting a loan had rxed a little bit. But the truth was, not one sane institution would loan money to a person who just got fired from his ce of employment. Besides, even if they did get a loan somehow, paying that back with interest still remained an unsolvable quandary.
It seemed that they had to resort to selling all of their current assets, even.
Even if we sell this apartment, we wont get 400 million... (mom)
Wouldnt they have to sell the house and the car and everything else besides?
If things went further south, then Park Seon-Duk might even have to sell her restaurant, too.
Then, what should they survive on?
As she continued to despair, her eyesnded on the paper gift bag Seo Ah-Young left behind.
She hasnt even taken the gift out of the wrapping yet, and since its from a famous brand, it should fetch a fair bit of coin. She figured that, she might as well hawk it off and add a bit to the coffers instead.
Aigoo...
Park Seon-Duk weakly reached out towards the bag.
Well, she needed to confirm what kind of gift it was in order to sell it, after all.
Ttuk.
As she lifted up the bag with not much strength behind her arms, something small fell out from its inside.
A business card? (mom)
And it was a business card with Seo Ah-Youngs name as well as her office number clearly printed on the surface.
Now that she thought about it....
The best treatment avable.
Not just to Yi Ji-Hyuk, but the rest of the family members included in the welfare benefits and financial aids.
Didnt Seo Ah-Young say the contract documents contained all the relevant details?
Too bad, she took them with her as she left the apartment.
In that case...
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk exited his room while sighing out grandly.
I cant seem to find a day of peace in this ce. What should I do about... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Inevitably, his eyes met his mothers.
Park Seon-Duks right hand was holding Seo Ah-Youngs business card, while her left hand was pressing a smartphone to her ears.
Mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk called with a trembling voice.
WAIT!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wha... what? What now? (mom)
Who were you calling just now, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its just, you see.... (mom)
Mom?! Were you trying to sell me down the river just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk started protesting with a pair of teary eyes that could only be seen on a cow headed off to an abattoir. Mom hurriedly waved her hands and denied everything. Well, not everything.
I just wanted to ask her about something, you see.... Im not trying to sell you, I promise!! I was just going to ask her something, thats all!! Just a couple of questions!! (mom)
What the?! Have you ever seen a person not intending to sell asking others how much the item should go for?! Mom, why u do dis?! Its me, Ji-Hyuk!! Im your son!! Didnt you say something about no mothers wanting to see their children fight monsters not too long ago? Dont you remember? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, I remember. (mom)
Then, how could you even think about doing this, mom?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Too bad for him, mom was as confident and forthright as always.
But, I thought about this for a moment, and... (mom)
And? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That ce, that KSF ce, there are lots of people working there already, no? (mom)
Uh... I guess? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you look at this logically, all those people also have their parents, no? And those people, well, they ept the fact that their children are out there fighting monsters, so, Im thinking that maybe Im the strange one, you know? (mom)
Moooooother?!?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk crumpled to the floor as the weight of despair squashed him down.
And they said there was not one person you could trust in this cold, cruel world!!
To think, hed live long enough to see the day his own mother tried to sell him off!!
Was this how a son being sold off to work in the distant farm during the times of famine felt like?
W, who said I was selling you off? Im telling you son, I was just trying to ask her a couple of questions!! (mom)
Seeing his mom get angry for no reason whatsoever, Yi Ji-Hyuks suspicions changed into a definite yes.
If he waste even by a second, there would have been a deal made under the table where he got sold off without him being aware of the transaction itself.
Yi Ji-Hyuk snatched the business card and tore it to shreds, and then to make sure, he even took away moms phone and erased the saved number for Seo Ah-Youngs office.
You think Ill let myself be sold off like that?! I will never work for them, so dont even dream about it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I didnt even say anything, though. (mom)
Mom grumbled under her breath and entered the main bedroom.
....Itd be the end after asking to exchange it. (mom) (TL: I dont get this line either. TLed as is.)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its nothing. Its already gettingte now, so go get some sleep! Work is work, but you still need to get proper rest. (mom)
You arent going to sell me off while Im asleep, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whos going to sell you off!! Just who?! I said, I was just making a phone call! (mom)
How can even I trust you after this? My trust! Hah, dear lord. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, I gotta trust mom.
She is my own mother, after all...
But, could she, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk talking to himself)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt cold sweat drip down his spine.
Theres no one to trust in this world, it seems... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
In the end, an event where mom sold off Yi Ji-Hyuk or something of that nature didnt happen.
Although it kinda looked like her resolution got rattled somewhat, mom still didnt let the temptation of sending her son off to a death zone to live off on his earnings creep into her mind. And thanks to that, Yi Ji-Hyuk could escape the sinister of the KSF for the time being.
However, the issue was...
Were selling the house. (mom)
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were selling the car, too! Mom will put the restaurant up for sale as well, and Ill have to move to a much smaller ce. (mom)
The whole family was present in this emergency meeting. Dad was looking down on the floor like a convict next to mom.
Oh well. What could he possibly say at times like this anyway?
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up clicking his tongue.
Dad, you really shouldve done it in moderation, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wasnt nning to carry on for long... (dad)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a long, long sigh of disappointment, but he also didnt feel like berating his own father, either.
Morals? Righteousness?
Such things changed ording to the time in history as well as the circumstances surrounding you.
Watching the world pass by for a thousand years or so, he had witnessed the strictly upheld values of one society or the time period be as worthless as poo crapped out by a stray mutt, as the years rolled on. So, he didnt feel one way or the other about this whole subject.
So, from Yi Ji-Hyuks point of view, the real issue wasnt that his father was a criminal, but that his family found themselves in a serious financial bind.
Where will we live, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What else? We need to move. (mom)
To where, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For now, we will have to find an area with cheap houses. If not... well, we will have to rent. (mom)
Yi Ye-Won lookedpletely startled as she piped up.
Are we going to leave this area? (Ye-Won)
I wonder, but that could very well be. (mom)
I have to transfer the school? (Ye-Won)
Probably. (mom)
I dont wanna! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won shouted out angrily.
Im not transferring! If I swap school at my age, everyone there will single me out! Dont you get it?! (Ye-Won)
Huh, is that why you acted as a bossdy when singling out that blondie girl before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yep, this child needed tough love.
Only the painful beatings from tough love could wake this child up from her stupidity.
Others change school all the time. Besides, our family is going through such a difficult period, yet why do you act like this? (mom)
I dont care! Im not going. Ill never ever go!! Dad caused this, so dad, you fix it!! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won screamed out and stomped back into her room.
Just when that girl will learn to grow up... (mom)
Mom clicked her tongue in regret.
In any case, dear, this will be our n so you need to find new employment quickly. (mom)
Mm. I will. (dad)
Although he had said that.... Even though his transgressions hadnt been made public, just which sane person would want to hire a man used of stealing from hispany?
More than likely, the rumours about him mustve spread around within his field of expertise. And even if the potential recruiters havent heard of those rumours, they would still guess the reason why he was seeking a new ce of employment, from the very fact that a man lined up for a promotion was let go quite inexplicably.
ced under such situation, looking for a new job would be harder than finding a specific needle in a stack of simr-looking needles.
Obviously, Yi Chul-Joong couldnt voice his thoughts out aloud.
After all, those thoughts were not something he should express when he was about to lose his house, his car, pretty much everything worth something.
And you! (mom)
Meanwhile, moms sharp eyes were directed at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He got startled by the sudden change of target.
Y, yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You too! Its time for you to stop fooling around and find a job! (mom)
What?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was ready to show his desperate resistance.
What do you mean, work?!
Mom, what are you saying to your son? Work? Me?
I didnt return to this world so I can ve away at work, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You werent seriously nning to waste time by yingputer games the whole day, when our family is on the brink ofplete ruination, were you? You are the eldest child, so show some responsibility! (mom)
Mom, Im a high school dropout. No ones gonna hire me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Get a part-time job at a convenience store, then! (mom)
What a funny notion that was C he lived like an emperor back in Berafe, yet now, he was asked to serve customers in a convenience store?
There is no way Ill let this family be ruined like this. Even if it takes many years, we will rise up again. To achieve that goal, son, you need to help your mother out. (mom)
Of course, what she said was correct. Indeed, it was. However...
Yi Ji-Hyuk was brutally forting with his opinions.
Mom, Im telling you from experience, its not that bad being dirt poor. You have less things to worry about, for instance. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, he was talking from his vast experience in the subject matter. His valuable experience!
Heck, the South Koreas poorest of poor wouldnt have lived as poorly as Yi Ji-Hyuk had done way back when.
If hebined all those years he had to live a life worse than a pauper, always worrying about where his next meal woulde from, then itd easily shoot past one hundred.
So, his opinion wasing straight from his considerable experience, yet...
Mom didnt share the same train of thoughts as her son.
Son, its true that you wont starve to death in the modern day Korea. Am I correct? (mom)
Thats right, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, when youre poor, there are many things you have to give up on. For example, your favourite, meat, will have to go poof from your meals, your snacks and sodas you love to chow down while gaming will decrease, no, disappearpletely, and most of all... (mom)
Moms thunderous deration finally crashed down like a lightning bolt.
The first thing to get cut off will be your inte connection, so remember that. (mom)
That, that is?!?!?!?!
That was even more scarier than hearing his own death sentence.
If his snacks and theputer-rted activities disappeared from his life, just why did he evene back to this world in the first ce?!?!
No, hang on... Uh, I think there was another reason. Probably? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In any case!
Mmmm. That is a really, seriously, really terrible problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Finally realising the severity of the situation, Yi Ji-Hyuks expressions hardened as he spoke up.
So, our biggest problem is, we dont have enough money right now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you finally figured that out. (mom)
Okay, that means when I earn some money, things will return to normal, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk broadened his shoulders.
The intimidating aura of the one and only Bringer of Apocalypse oozed out and caused mom to take a step back inexplicably.
Well, I just have make some money, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With what methods, you ask?
Why, there are loads!
< 39. You dont trust your son that much? -4 > Fin.
(TL: Gireogi Appa is a rtively new term coined around a decade or so ago. Theres a whole Wikipedia page in English dedicated to this, actually. Basically, its an amalgamation of two words, the first Gireogi means goose while thetter Appa means Dad. A father who remains in Korea while sending his kids and wife overseas for the childrens education is called a Gireogi Appa. Theres a few variations of the term as well.)
Chapter 40: You don’t trust your son that much? (5)
Chapter 40: You dont trust your son that much? (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk returned to his room and essed the World Wide Web.
Now then, lets see.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he wanted to make a quick buck, then there were lots of ways, without a doubt.
What was that? Was he trying to make fun of all those countless people who struggled every day of their lives to put food on the table?
Well, actually C the thing was, Yi Ji-Hyuk had struggled far harder than any of those people, for around 500 years longer.
Heck, at least on this side, there were stuff likebourws and regtions!
Yi Ji-Hyuk typed Most expensive on the Gogle search window. (TL: Yup, that was intentional.)
Most expensive pets?
Nope, not interested. Next.
Most expensive minerals?
Equally not interested. Next.
Most expensive food?
No need to even click on that one. Pass.
Like this, he skipped over those things that were already thought of by someone else, and after that, the remaining items of interest were...
Fish? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expressions brightened.
He performed a quick and dirty search online, and it turned out that a certain specimen of the Chinese bahabe fetched as much as ?200,000,000 at the market. (TL: Around $185,000)
This, cant I catch this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that the poption number for this particr fish was quite low, so itd be more like winning a lottery or something, when trying to catch one.
The probability was too low for his liking...
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped browsing the, and his eyes began quaking from pure shock.
What? A single tuna fetched ?1,800,000,000?! (TL: Around $1.66 mil.)
What on earth... Wasnt that more like catching a dang Kraken or something, instead of a stupid tuna?!
Just how could a single fish fetch such a sky high price?
From what he could find out online, it seemed that, even if he personally fished out a few decent tunas C not as high-quality as that ridiculous ?1.8 billion one, though C he might be able to earn around 40~50 million Won each. (TL: ?40,000,000 = around $370,000)
In other words, if he caught 10, hed be able to easily amass 400~500 million Won.
Sure, there were pesky things like taxes and localws to worry about, but he could resolve those one way or the other, so nothing to fret about there.
Indeed, there was nothing in this world that didnt have a solution of some kind.
Of course, there were more ways to make money, if he so choose.
Even if those methods seemed impossible to normal people, hed be able to seed somehow, as long as he made up his mind on the matter.
Hell, if he decided to go beyond the scope of thew, then well, there would be even more naughty doors for him to pry open.
For instance, if he went out now and bought himself a mask and a pair of gloves, put them on and teleported to a city in America, and then, proceeded to rob a bank or something, would those Yankee cops be able to track him down at all?
Hell no. Not very likely.
Yes, it was definitely not the case of Yi Ji-Hyuk being unable to make money.
No, the only reason why he waszing around until now was because... well, it was just too much damn work and he found it all too bothersome, so he just wanted to live off what the family already had.
However, since the fate decided to tackle him off this path, hed have to find a solution now.
Yi Ji-Hyuk giggled to himself while browsing the, before suddenly getting up from his seat.
He had already reaffirmed that there were many, many ways to make money.
However, there was one problem he had to solve first...
Ive got no Mana... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He trembled in bitterness.
With Mana, there was literally nothing he couldnt do.
Sure, there was a limitation of him only doing things that wouldnt attract any attention to himself, as well as keeping those annoying KSF flies from annoying him even further, but still, that was something.
If he simply flew around the Pacific Ocean, find and fish out an adequately fat and juicy tuna, then teleport it to Japan, hed be able to earn as much as ?1,000,000,000 in one go, easy as pie.
However... he had no Mana left.
Groan~.
No, actually, there was a tiny little bit left, but this amount was obviously not enough to do anything meaningful.
Currently, the best way to describe Yi Ji-Hyuks condition, was topare him to a rechargeable battery.
If he didnt get topped up with Mana after discharging some, then hed be left with nothing but his hard-as-rock shell.
So, what should he be doing before anything else, then?
Looks like I need to find a source of Mana. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The simplest method was, indeed, the Gates.
Wait around at a likely location until a Gate open up, and when the boys and gals of the KSF mop up the monsters, hed simply pop in unnoticed and drain away all the residual Mana from the scene, and et vo!!
What a foolproof n!
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled cheerfully as he prepared to go outside.
Where are you going now? (mom)
Just taking a walk, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont bete... (mom)
Hearing moms powerless voice, Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked slightly.
Mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? (mom)
Dont you worry now. Ill make lots of money real quickly. Youll see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Sure, sure. (mom)
Wait, Im serious, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Yes, yes. Thanks. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the corners of his rapidly-moistening eyes.
How could she not believe her own son that much?
However, if one thought about it seriously, then it kinda made sense.
After all, the only things he did since his return to Earth were mostly him yingputer games, while reading web novels as hezily lounged around, the only form of exercise being scratching an itch down his stomach.
When looked at objectively, he wouldnt be able to argue against thebel of freeloading leech ced on him.
Sure, his academic achievements were at the bottom of the heap, so to speak, but even after considering that fact, who would look at him in a favourable light when all he did was toze around at home with that perfectly healthy body of his, every single day?
Only because he was moms flesh and blood that she tolerated it to a degree.
No, actually, if one thought about the obvious fact of pretty much every male in his age group either serving in the military, or studying in a university, then, the treatment he was getting from his parents could even be called rather generous/excessive.
He was more than well aware of this fact, sure.
Indeed, he understood this fact very much, yet....
A single moment can change a mans life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, as soon as he make a ton of money, the way his family treated him should go aplete transformation.
His life might not go through a world-changing transformation, but small things, such as hisputer getting an upgrade, the chair he was sitting on might get swapped out for one with a softer cushions, etc, etc...
Wait, is that all?
What the heck. I really dont need a lot of things, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuks bemused inner thoughts)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled bitterly as he stepped outside the apartment.
Arriving on the foyer after a short ride on the creaky elevator, the first thing greeting him was the cold breeze.
For now, I should... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm, excuse me...
What the f#%@#ck?!?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A voice suddenly came from his unguarded rear and Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped up in fright. He automatically clutched his chest, trying to calm down his frightened heart.
Gee whiz, you scared me half to death! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he hurriedly turned around to take a look, he found a somewhat familiar blonde girl standing there.
Now, who could this girl be?
Could she be an assassin? Whatchamacallit, the kunoichi, a female ninja?
She looked in and normal, but how could she escape undetected from Yi Ji-Hyuks perception?
Is it because shes a normal person? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yep, he correctly hit the nail in the head, there.
There was no way a lifeform emitting even a hint of Mana could escape from Yi Ji-Hyuks perception. Those ability users brimming with Ether in this world were also the same. Even if the emission itself was different, once there was a certain amount of it gathered, there would be a distortion in the space for him to detect it.
However, regr folks with little to no Ether proved to be hard for Yi Ji-Hyuk to detect.
Still, even after considering this fact, to approach him undetected while even keeping her breathing inaudible, now that had to be some kind of an abnormal talent or something...
What the? How long have you been here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While shaking slightly from the shock, Yi Ji-Hyuk asked the girl.
What was her name again? Was it Kim Dah-Som?
She lowered her red and wind-beaten face and carefully pushed something to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It, its just some cookies I baked earlier. (Kim Dah-Som)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I thought you might not be interested in clothing, but would rather be happier with something edible, so... (Kim Dah-Som)
No, wait. Thats not the issue here.... Why are you giving me these? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its to show my gratitude from thest time... (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh. So, basically... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Basically, she was showing gratitude for him rescuing her from Ye-Wons bullyingst time. Something like that.
Sure, thats fine. Good.
What a wonderful and kind hearted gesture this was.
Truly wonderful, indeed!
However, that was not the important issue here.
Okay, how long have you been waiting for me out here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk should be considered as a being in the same category of a rare mob that appeared very infrequently in a field map.
His eventual appearance was a guaranteed event, but like that rare mob, no one would be able to exactly pinpoint when hed show up.
However, she somehow coincidentally came today of all days, run into him at this very minute totally coincidentally, and get to hand over that cookie basket to him?
And at this ratherte hour?
He called that a case of pure BS.
So, that only left one possibility of this blondie camping out here until he decided to head out. How should he describe this situation, then...?
Thats a bit scary... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It hasnt been long. (Kim Dah-Som)
Okay, so how long has it been, exactly? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm, since the school ended? (Kim Dah-Som)
................
At a bare minimum, around five hours, then.
She had set up a stakeout near the foyer of the building for Yi Ji-Hyuk for hours, someone who might or might note out at all...
So, how should he call this? What was the term other people used to describe this event?
A stalking fan?
No, wait. That couldnt be it.
Because, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt a celebrity. So, no fans for him....
He slowly shook his head.
No, it was quite terrible of him to stick a kind-hearted child with an incorrectbel.
Well, it could very well be that she was a reeeeeaaaaaally kind-hearted child who unfortunately failed to find an easier avenue to show her gratitude, and had to endure hardship until now.
Yes, that had to be it!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled awkwardly and spoke to her.
S, sure thing. Ill enjoy them. Really, I mean it. You didnt have to do this, though. Haha, hahaha.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, was it really okay to eat these cookies?
There shouldnt be anything... uh, inedible in them, surely?
Most of the time, people would often find themselvestching onto, and obsessing over, a moment of hostility instead of friendship.
Seriously now, this blondie knew that he was Ye-Wons older brother, so there was a certain possibility of a whole bottle ofxative or some such finding its way into the recipe.
What were the odds of this blondie enjoying the sight of him sharing these cookies with Ye-Won, only for the duo to seek out the safety of a toilet bowl like a pair of crazed madmen?
Really, it wasnt much. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oblivious to Yi Ji-Hyuks inner thoughts, Kim Dah-Som replied with a blushing face C most likely from the chilly winds more than anything else C and quickly bowed her head.
Well, then... (Kim Dah-Som)
Youre going home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Ive done what I came here for. (Kim Dah-Som)
Okay. Be careful on your way back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I will. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled and nodded, and Kim Dah-Som smiled back at him.
But, quite unlike her reply just now, she showed not one trace of moving from the spot.
....Didnt you say you were going now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
Mm...
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at her for a while.
Although she was hiding it well below the surface, well, her strongly glittering eyes failed to fully disguise her real emotions.
Uhm, so, what should I say in a situation like this?
I thanked her already, so, is there anything else...?
....You want me to apany you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, no. Its fine. Im sure youre too busy with your own matters........ (Kim Dah-Som)
Please, stop blurring the end of your sentence like that!
You should speak your mind in full, you know!
Be upfront about it, so others can, at least, not misunderstand what youre trying to convey!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks exasperated inner monologue)
Oh, is that so? I guess you want to go alone, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hmm... Was that a real yes or did I hear incorrectly?
Oh, well. I was going out anyways, so why not.... Okay, lets go. Where to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Defeated thoroughly by the blondies pleading eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk asked her powerlessly.
But, theres really no need...... (Kim Dah-Som)
Her lips said those words, yet Kim Dah-Soms body was already smoothly sliding to the position right next to Yi Ji-Hyuks. Not only that, she was deliberately walking slowly, as if hed stop following her for some reason.
Shes... easy to read, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yep, she was indeed very easy to see through.
And that was why she was even more scarier than before.
Now that he thought about it for a second, most people would dye their hair to another colour as soon as trouble came knocking on their doors. But, this girl endured it until she got eventually dragged away by a group of delinquents.... Yep, this girl was definitely not an ordinary human being.
No, hang on a minute. At this point in time, she had exceeded the level of being a mere human being already!
Just which normal human being would wait hours and hours for someone who might or might not appear just to hand over some cookies...?
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk thought of something, and he decided to confirm it, albeit with a voice shaking quite noticeably now.
Hey, uh... By any chance... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Kim Dah-Som)
Were you waiting for me yesterday as well? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Well. He didnt need to hear her answer to know.
The silence itself was the answer. No word spoken was the affirmation in itself.
Yi Ji-Hyuk barely suppressed the urge to turn around and run in the opposite direction as fast as he could, then cautiously studied the girls face.
Seeing that near-clueless facial expression of hers, which kinda implied that she had no idea what he was on about, a certain sense of bitterness rapidly filled up his head.
....I should refrain from leaving the house from now on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Or, he could just fly out of the window. That could work.
*
And so, Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow managed to escort Kim Dah-Som to her home. That sure was awkward. After finishing up, he took a look around to make sure no one was around, and spoke up.
Hey,e out for a second. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for fabric rustling*
As if it was now a matter of course, Doh Gah-Yun slowly revealed herself.
Actually, both of these people were the strange ones, of course. The one following him knew full well that he knew she was there, yet still chose to follow in hiding with that stealth ability of hers. Meanwhile, the guy being followed knew he was being tailed, yet decided not to give a damn.
Strange people, indeed.
What? (Gah-Yun)
How many Gates are there thats close to opening up right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun tilted her head slightly.
Simply by checking online where the orders for evacuation had been issued, hed be able to find the relevant locations, yet the person pretty much married to hisputer didnt know this, and was asking her instead?
Low intelligence. (Gah-Yun)
Yet another point of consideration had been added to the list.
Currently, three Gates, in South Korea. (Gah-Yun)
Where are they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Busan. Gyeongju. Naju. (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan.
They are all far away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If they were all so far away, then his ns of waiting in the wings had to be modified slightly now.
Yi Ji-Hyuk thought for a bit, before his face brightened as a new idea popped in. With an energetic voice, he asked the impassive girl.
Hey, what about a Gate that opened up recently near here? Except the one that you dragged me to. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Recent? (Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun tilted her head again, unable to figure out what he wanted this time.
Preferably, one that spat out strong monsters. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks smile on his face at that moment... was rather creepy.
< 40. You dont trust your son that much? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 41: Please, have some common sense! (1)
Chapter 41: Please, have somemon sense! (1)
Doh Gah-Yuns mission was simple C to observe Yi Ji-Hyuk from the shadows, and to report immediately when he decided suddenly to leave his house. Oh, and also, never to sh with him.
Of course, she didnt want to sh with Yi Ji-Hyuk in the first ce. She only had one life, after all.
However, his somewhat unusual request was a difficult one to process. What he asked for, kind of felt small and unimportant to make the prompt report back to the HQ. But, well... at the same time, not reporting it would leave a bitter taste in her mouth.
First, take action. Reportter. (Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun tasked other agents around Yi Ji-Hyuks vicinity with procuring a suitable vehicle. And then, she took him to the location where the Gate had opened recently.
As soon as he climbed aboard, Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his phone.
Mom? Its me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun slightly turned her head to observe him in silence.
Now that shebed her memories, the target seemed to call his mother quite often. Could he be a mamas boy?
I mighte home a littlete... No, actually, I might not even make it back at all today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So far, his actions seemed sensible.
Yes, indeed it was sensible to call home and tell ones parents that youd be out for an extended period of time.
No, hang on. Its not like that. No, Im telling you the truth!! Im not going to a nightclub or something! Look, I told you Im going to make money, didnt I?! Thats why Im... No, its the truth! What the heck? Mom, how can you not trust your son that much?! What? When did I ever make you trust me? Well, that is, uh....... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The sight of his facial expression gradually getting uglier looked really.... unsightly, actually. If this phone call carried on, he might really sink deep beneath the cars cushions and disappear altogether.
No, wait. Mom, its the truth..... Ng, but, Im telling you the truth.... No, wait, please wait, no.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He continued to mutter truth and no, wait into the phones receiver. But before long, he ended the call with a downbeat face. For some reason, he then proceeded to lean his head against the cars window and began muttering Im a human trash over and over again.
Just what harsh words did he hear over the phone, that turned him into a depressed human wreckage resembling a soggy nket?
To cause such a damage, wasnt that on the level of a mind control ability user?
Evaluate his mother, too? (Gah-Yun)
While Doh Gah-Yun was thinking of unrted matters, they finally arrived at the destination.
Here. (Gah-Yun)
Without a word, Yi Ji-Hyuk climbed out of the car.
His slumped shoulders looked pitiful from behind.
Okay, lets see now... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily surveyed the surroundings, and eventually, his eyes focused on one particr spot.
There it is! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could see a few ces where lumps of Mana still floated about.
He leisurely walked over to one of the lumps and carefully studied it.
Yep, it is slowly dissipating. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana couldnt mix with this so-called Ether, so it remained as a lump of sorts, but it seemed that, it did dissipate into the atmosphere if given a long enough time.
However, he still couldnt figure out whether Mana was getting dispersed at the subatomic level after getting swept up by thews of this world, or its nature was being forcibly changed to suit the new environment and then get assimted instead.
Well, it didnt matter to him right now, anyways.
He did confirm that Mana remained where a Gate had acted up, as well as that said Mana not remaining on the location for too long.
Which was too bad, really. If Mana did remain for a far longer period of time, then he couldve just visited every single location where Gates had opened up, and sucked up all the juicy lumps of Mana. This wonderful n of his would have to be shelved for good now.
And well, the remaining Mana in this location was much smaller thanpared to thest time involving that Stone Golem.
But, still. This is better than nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk giggled inwardly and activated a spell, Drain.
The lumps of Mana began to move towards Yi Ji-Hyuk, and then, got rapidly sucked into him.
?? (Gah-Yun)
Feeling something odd had happened, Doh Gah-Yun tilted her head slightly. It seemed like Yi Ji-Hyuk was doing something, yet she could not understand exactly what that was.
Hey, you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he called to her, she shifted her gaze towards him.
Thanks a bunch. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With those parting words, Yi Ji-Hyuk went poof! and disappeared from the spot.
..................
Doh Gah-Yun scanned the area to find him, but she eventually gave up on doing that. Instead, she pulled out her phone and sent a text to the HQ. A thick vein was popping out on her forehead.
C Target, vanished.
She then stared long and hard at the words she just typed, before letting out a long sigh. She wordlessly climbed back into the car.
*
Early next morning, in the city of Pohang. (TL: Pohang is a seaport on the East Sea.)
People who came out early in the dawn to get some exercise in, all stopped what they were doing and descended on a certain beach.
And on the ce where all of their gazes were concentrating on, somethingrge and dark was slowly approaching the coastline.
What the hell is that?
Could it be a monster? A real monster?
Monsters donte out of the sea.
Well, what is that thing, then?
Kinda looks like a submersible.... Are they Communist guerris or something? (TL note at the end of the chapter)
Wait, isnt that a whale?
A whale? What?
When one of the spectators mentioned a whale, everyone else narrowed their eyes and focused.
It did indeed resemble a whale, but...
Just which crazy whale would try to get this close to a coastline?
Sure, those killer whales or orcas or whatever, riding on the waves to bite onto unsuspecting seals on the beaches around the country, as well as those dolphins ying near the ind of Ulleungdo, were another story altogether. This waspletely different.
Logic dictated that what the crowd was seeing right now didnt make any damn sense at all. So, what could they possibly do in a situation like this?
Why, they all pulled out their phones and started taking pictures, of course!
Gotta upload it to my SNS profile real fast.
Im gonna get record clicks.
The onlookers were giggling like a bunch of loons while snapping the photos of the whale.
However, that bout of giggling onlysted for a short while.
Because.... they all sensed something was not quite right with this picture.
H, hey, its still getting closer, right?
....What the f*ck. How close is that thing gonna get?
This scene, its like Ive seen this scene before. Didnt that movie also have a simr scene like this?
What movie? J*ws?
No, not that one, Its a local.
....What the hell. Now that you mention it, if we linger here, arent we going to be monster snacks at this rate? You know, like in that movie?
Although those words didnt sound all that serious, the ripples created from the underlying meaning were indeed catastrophic.
The crowd of onlookers began to inch away from the coast.
We, uh, we should start running away, no?
But, doesnt it look like a regr whale?
Why would a whalee near a shore like that, unless its gone crazy?! Wait, even if a whale has gone insane, it would still note near a shore! I lived here for over 20 years and I havent seen anything like this before!
Well, maybe its dead and its simply floating towards here.
Sure, do what makes you happy. Im running away.
The mob mentality finally took over and people began to beat a hasty retreat. By then, though, the whale had finally touched down on the shore.
Wait a minute. It is a whale.
Why would a whale...?
As the questions of the onlookers continued to pile up, a young man suddenly walked out slowly from behind the whale and plopped down on the ground. He waspletely soaked from head to toe.
This guy fished out a soggy packet of cigarettes, frowned deeply after realising everything inside was ruined, and he chucked it away in disgust.
Uh-whew. I thought I was going to die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, this man was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly called out to the nearest person, as the crowd slowly gathered around him.
Y, yeah?
Can you help a brother out with a cigarette? Mines all wet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, uh, sure thing.
The ahjussi fished out a cigarette from his own packet and lit it up for Yi Ji-Hyuk, all the while carrying a somewhat perturbed expression.
Yi Ji-Hyuk dragged in the cloud of blue smoke deeply into his lungs and let it out slowly, before lying down on the ground.
Man, that sure was a lot of work... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His original idea was a good one. But then...
Itd been so much better if he could teleport to the middle of the Pacific Ocean to fish one or two fat tunas, but since his Mana reserve was too low for that, he had to give up on that idea.
Well, the truth was, he didnt know the exact coordinates, so teleporting there was impossible to begin with. And flying there with the aid of the flight magic required quite a bit of Mana, a lot more than he soon realised.
So, in the end, he decided to raid the East Sea, instead!
It was all good right up until he found a minke whale that came up for a spot of air. He didnt have to fly too far away, which was nice, and he was able to knock it out with a single kick to its head. All good.
However, this whale turned out to be a lot more fiercer opponent than he had bargained for.
He wrapped it up with wires and towed it back to the shore, but then, when he got to around the halfway mark, he realised that his Mana reserve wouldnt make it. So, he ended up pushing it the rest of the way with his own physical strength, while being supported, somewhat, by the remaining Mana.
Now that was one hellish trudge hed never ever like to endure again in his life.... But!
The result was quiterge and quite beautiful to behold.
Hehehe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the unmoving whale half submerged in water, and grinned in a rather creepy manner.
So, that things worth ?100,000,000, huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: around $92750)
He read an article online that a fresh whale could be traded for a cool one hundred million Won.
Besides, his catch was beyond the level of fresh.
Heck, technically speaking, that thing was still alive! A live fish!
No, wait. Whales were mammals, not fish.
So, hmm. A live mammal?
No matter, that thing was still a living, breathing whale!
As he was pushing it along towards the shore, he didnt forget to kick it in the head and knock it out every time the whale gained some consciousness.
Yep, he had dragged the poor whale that was minding its own business forcibly to the shore that way.
He figured that its lungs might copse if he dragged it all the way up to the shore. That was why he left it submerged in the water. What he had to do now, was to auction the sucker off and pocket the cash.
Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yeah?
Where should I go if I wanna auction a whale off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An auction, you say?
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Probably at a seafood market, but... You wanna auction that?
What, is there a problem? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, the thing is...
The man was eyeing Yi Ji-Hyuk with a difficult expression on his face.
Make way. Make way!
It was then, a handful of police officers made their way through the onlookers and arrived near where Yi Ji-Hyuk had plopped down.
Whats going on here?
Excuse me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This whale, did it get beached by itself or something?
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk became super alert.
What did he mean, it got beached by itself?!
Didnt he know how much Yi Ji-Hyuk had to suffer to bring it over here?
Yi Ji-Hyuk openly asserted his rights over the mammal in question.
I caught that thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You did?
The police officers looked up and down at his soggy appearance with unconvinced expressions.
Are you an ability user?
No, Im not one of them, but I did catch this whale. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You arent even an ability user, but you still caught this huge whale by yourself?
Well, if you put it that way, it does sound a bit weird, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tucked his legs under him to get morefortable and continued with what he wanted to say.
Yep. I caught it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the. What on earth were you thinking, young man!!
Hearing this loud shout, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but tilt his head sideways.
What was this officer on about now?
Dont you know that whaling is illegal?
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its against thew to hunt whales! Wait, isnt thismon sense? Doesnt everyone know this already?
Its illegal? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes! Illegal!
Yi Ji-Hyuk was utterly bbergasted as he tried to mount his defense.
Wait!! If thats the case, then where did the whale meat I ate until nowe from?! Heck, I even saw an auction for the whale meat when I went to the local seafood market, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is called Incidental Catch, young man.
Eh? Incidental what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What can you do, when you cast the and things you didnt intend to catch get caught up in it? Such instances are allowed, but deliberately trying to catch whales is going against thew. Do you understand the difference?
....What kind of aw is this broken? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can argue legality in a courthouse, but...
The police officers grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks arms.
For now,e with us to the police station.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, stand up.
Hul......... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Seo Ah-Youngs brows were quaking quite violently.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, her eyes were firmly fixed on Yi Ji-Hyuk, currently deposited in a dark, dank corner of a holding cell like a wimpy little kid.
Could you even imagine how bbergasted she was, when she received a call from the coast guard?
Hell, she even thought she had the misfortune of receiving a prank call, when she heard that a loon who illegally caught a whale was looking for her.
However, if it wasnt for the word loon, she might not have realised it.
Well, she did have her hands full searching for a certain loon that made his grand entrance in her jurisdiction not too long ago, after all.
After some doubt crept into her mind with that word loon, she checked who it could be, and the result was.... Yup, as she suspected it, it was her loon.
Stiffly, Seo Ah-Young changed the direction of her gaze.
And she spotted Choi Jung-Hoon to her side, double facepalming while groaning out grandly.
Do we really need this guy to join us? (Seo Ah-Young whispering)
What can we do? (Choi Jung-Hoon whispering back)
This is just way, waaaaay too much, you know. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon lifted his gaze and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk, still crumpled in the corner of the holding cell. Judging from that pathetic sight, clearly his soul had abandoned him some time ago.
Please, have somemon sense!! I beg you!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wordlessly, Yi Ji-Hyuk dropped his head low.
Why?! (Seo Ah-Young)
And finally, Seo Ah-Young opened her cannon, AKA her mouth, as well.
Just what were you thinking? What? (Seo Ah-Young)
Again, without a reply, Yi Ji-Hyuk became even smaller at the corner of the cell.
Seo Ah-Young began clenching her fist.
Just what would she give, for a single punch to his face? Just one!
Shed have nothing to wish for, if she could justnd one single punch to that mans mug!!
Just how senseless can you be, to think about catching a whale, of all things?! (Seo Ah-Young)
.............
Yi Ji-Hyuk avoided all the heated gazes locked onto him and pretended to not hear the questioning remarks.
Even though he was doing that, he really had nothing smart to say this time around.
And, besides that!! I dont care if you were out catching whales or sharks or whatever!! But, why do you keep involving us whenever you find yourself in a jam, instead of solving it yourself?! Whats your deal here? You said you dont want to work with us, yet when its convenient for you, you want us to help you?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, uh, the thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began sweating profusely.
You couldve called your family! You have legal guardians now, dont you? So, why are calling people as busy as us toe and bail you out?! What is your damn problem?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuks trembling eyes were directed towards Seo Ah-Young.
His expression was so pitiful, even she couldnt help but feel her anger cool down instantly.
Mom, she will.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom will? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mom will kill me if she finds out..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom told him, in no uncertain terms, not to cause an incident, after all....
If she found out that he got thrown into jail after illegally fishing a whale, she might really snap his spine backwards.
I understand what youre saying, but... (Seo Ah-Young)
Suddenly recalling the intimidating aura of madam Park Seon-Duk, Seo Ah-Young found herself nodding along.
Still, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Were really busy people, dont you know that by now? We have too many things to attend to! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued with his pretense of not hearing her and fidgeted around in the corner of the holding cell.
Weve been bending over backwards to amodate you, but, shouldnt our exchange be more like give and take? I mean, if you keep asking us for favours, yet you give back none, so at this rate, we are not going to enjoy this at all, you understand? Not even once or twice, just what do you expect us to do? Hell, if you were nning to get our help, you shouldnt even have chased us out back then! (Seo Ah-Young)
Im really sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From the mouth of Yi Ji-Hyuk, an incredibly rare thing called apology leaked out.
Hmph! (Seo Ah-Young)
Now that she was about to grasp the victory g, she decided to drive in the final nail in the coffin.
You think we can help you now? (Seo Ah-Young)
......?
Fat chance! Youmitted a crime. We have no jurisdiction here and theres nothing we can do for you in this case. You gotta solve this by yourself. (Seo Ah-Young)
Hul........ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now lets see. Wasnt the punishment for the offense of illegal whaling either the fine of ?30,000,000 or three years in jail? Well, you said being in prison is nothing to you, so enjoy your time inside. (Seo Ah-Young)
Despair dyed Yi Ji-Hyuks face in a pale colour.
Now that she was seeing such an expression, a victorious grin found its way into Seo Ah-Youngs lips.
That is why, you shouldnt make fun of..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Excuse me, Captain? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I mean, if it was left up to me, Id, really, seriously....!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Excuse me!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoons voice became louder, Seo Ah-Young replied with her own high-pitched shout out of frustration.
What now?!?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Without another word, Choi Jung-Hoon pointed towards the vast blue ocean beyond the window. And then, spoke up.
A Gate isnt supposed to open up in a sea, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...??
Automatically, her head snapped towards the ocean.
From the distant sea, countless somethings were creeping ever closer to the shore.
Seo Ah-Young clenched her fists real tightly.
Anybody could tell from the things upper bodies exposed above water, that those creatures didnt belong to Earth.
Seo Ah-Youngs brain quickly spun into gear.
Monsters were almost at the proverbial doorstep. However, by the time military support arrived, this whole city wouldve turned into hell on earth.
And the only agent from the KSF that could enter the battle was her.
Unfortunately, it was practically impossible for her to fight against that many monsters all alone.
And, the only other avablebat force was....
Seo Ah-Young snapped her gaze back inside the holding cell.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
And from within that holding cell....
With a facial expression that seemed to have gathered every little bit of resentment and anger existing in the whole world, Yi Ji-Hyuk replied to her in the most cantankerous manner humanly possible.
Whatcha want now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young facepalmed right then.
Im screwed. (Seo Ah-Young)
< 41. Please, have somemon sense! -1 > Fin
(TL: Only the South Koreans of certain age wouldve caught onto this little reference. I too had no idea. Back in 1968, 120 North Korean agents sneaked in through the coastal regions of Uljin and Samcheok of South Korea and for the next two months, went on a gueri warfare. Very Red Dawn-like, if you ask me. Or should that be Invasion USA, instead? Out of the 120, 7 got caught and the rest were KIA. I made none of this sh*t up. It happened for real. Too bad, there doesnt seem to be an English Wikipedia page for this incident; its only in Korean.)
Chapter 42: Please, have some common sense! (2)
Chapter 42: Please, have somemon sense! (2)
(TL: Friday the 13th!! Yikes!)
Seo Ah-Youngs response was instantaneous.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Send the request for reinforcements to the local branch! And call Seoul, tell our guys who are avable to get their a*ses over here right now!! (Seo Ah-Young)
But, the distance is... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Tell Hae-Min toe along, too! (Seo Ah-Young)
Understood! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly pulled out his phone while running outside.
Meanwhile...
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spoke up as her face filled up with desperation.
Please, help us. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah? What you want now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...And as expected, he sounded curt.
And boy, did he sound unhappy or what?
So much negative emotions welling up inside him caused his cheeks to puff up noticeably and seemed ready to go burst at any moment.
Seo Ah-Young felt her own anger rise up, but she was well aware of her own guilt from just now, so she still righted her posture and began pleading in earnest.
Im really sorry for asking you, but... (Seo Ah-Young)
If you are really sorry, then please, stop talking. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, the issue currently facing us is just too.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, everyone has their own issues to deal with. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt give a rats a*s about her issues.
I cant stop them by myself. No, I can certainly try, but I still wont be able to prevent them from entering the city. Even a single one of them would cause a catastrophic damage! Evacuation has not been carried out yet! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
You know, I have no idea why youre telling me that. You see, Im now a member of South Koreas penal system, so I cant help you even if I could. Hey, mister policeman? Can you get me a nket? I want to get some sleep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then lied down on the spot, causing Seo Ah-Young to be very restless.
Im not asking you just to bother you and annoy you, but because, if you dont lend your aid right now, many hundreds of people will lose their lives today! (Seo Ah-Young)
Aigoo~. Since when did the Korean government officials go around asking for help from a convict? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aaaaaaarrrrggghhh!!!!!
Seo Ah-Young screamed inwardly as sheshed out at her own waist.
If she knew this would happen, shed have released him sooner!
Just why did she have to drive in that stupid final nail, as if she had be blinded by the thoughts of revenge?
And, just why did those mothereffing monsters have to appear today, and right this minute, as a matter of fact? Worst of all, why here?!
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hmph! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk... (Seo Ah-Young)
Ptooi! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, please, just help!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly dug his ear with his pinky finger, then blew away the resulting matter on the fingertip, before speaking up.
You looked like you could take care of everything all by yourself, so I dont get what youre trying to achieve here, you know? I mean, other people might develop a misunderstanding and think Im being a stubborn mule or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, but! Didnt we help you out before? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yeah, so, like, I want to do something for you, too. But, you see, the thing is, Im a convict now, so... What can I do, eh? I mean, its my fault for being a dumba*s whocksmon sense and goes aroundmitting crime, right? Oh well. Mister Judge, Im sorry for being ignorant. Please go light with my sentencing, please! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs face reddened in fury.
She hated him.
She really hated this human being.
Unfortunately, she needed the help of this detestable individual right now.
Seo Ah-Youngs resolution became only firmer.
She stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk for a bit, before she suddenly bent her back and bowed deeply to him.
And now, what are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, lend us your aid. (Seo Ah-Young)
Im not the type to change his mind just because of this, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you dont help us today, many innocent people will lose their lives. I am well aware that you dont hold any good opinion on us, the KSF. I also know that you dont want to get involved with us. However, the situation has be too critical. I am begging you. Please, just this once, help us. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Seo Ah-Young and her deeply bowed head and smirked slightly.
You know, Im not quite sure what you see in me. Why do you keep asking me for help? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, I beg of you. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk studied her for a bit.
Hey, lift up your head. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you going to help us? (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Nope. I hate rtionships like that. And lets be honest here, were not in a rtionship where you and I can ask for each others help, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
The emotions of disappointment began clouding Seo Ah-Youngs expressions. Yi Ji-Hyuk simply smirked at that.
Instead, lets do it this way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
?100,000,000 per monster. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: just under $90,000 USD)
100 million?! (Seo Ah-Young)
I believe its not that high an amount, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its impossible for us to prepare such a sum of money right now. How about 10 million? (Seo Ah-Young)
Even if striking a deal involves haggling, isnt it too much to start your offer at one tenths of the original asking point? Heck, not even at the halfway mark? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We are only civil servants, you know! All our operating costes from the annual budget. Plus, even 10 million per monster is too much, considering that we dont have any legal framework to rely on! Its only because the situation is critical right now! (Seo Ah-Young)
Feels like Im getting cheated out of something here... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please!! Now isnt the time for this! (Seo Ah-Young)
As if he couldnt help it, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Okay, fine. Only this time, though. Got that? You better not think of using this incident as a precedence and ask me to keep fighting for you. Or else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill try. (Seo Ah-Young)
What the.... Your answer is really unconvincing, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, Yi Ji-Hyuk loosened his neck muscles and got up from his spot.
Oh well. Thats that taken care of. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Money was one thing, and sure, and Seo Ah-Youngs serious, earnest attitude was definitely something he might not see ever again, but those werent the true reasons why he decided to act today.
The real reason was he kind of felt... not so good.
No, he hadnt suddenly developed the so-called case of hero of justice syndrome, where he wanted to jump into the den of extreme danger for the sake of everyone. But, as a fellow human being, something just didnt feel right.
How should he describe this...?
Well, you know. That thing.
That thing that made anyone with half a working mind, upon seeing a young child frolicking dangerously close to the edge of a body of water, would start inching nearer the said water and get ready to act, in case something bad happens.
Or, when seeing a child about to fall into a well, people would rush in to help.
Indeed, he possessed at least the modicum of instincts regr human beings all seemed to possess.
Yes, he felt rather not so good about doing nothing while other people got killed off by annoying small fries in his vicinity. Its not like the favour asked of him was difficult, either.
Plus....
Im going to make money, too.
Right now, his precious 100 million Won whale had disappeared in a cloud of bubbles like a mermaid princess, so, through this method, hed make back the necessary loot now!
So, let me get this straight. One monster killed equals ten million, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Heck, this was like walking into the proverbial gold mine!
Now that he thought about it quickly, this whole thing about getting a contract with the government and working for a bit when his cash reserve ran dry, didnt seem so bad now.
Seriously, wave his fingers around for a bit and live the entire year without worries or needs, then repeat the same thing the following year!
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
Well, that was easier said than done, actually.
His help was needed because of the current situation being a unique one, but if this was any other time, when people could prepare well in advance before a Gate opened up, then there would be absolutely no need to hire a mercenary to deal with the threat at all.
Besides, if they needed his help, then that meant an existence they couldnt deal with had popped out from the Gate....
By then, one shouldnt worry about hiring mercenaries and whatever, and instead, be terrified by the prospect of the worlding to an end.
Oh well, Ill worry about that when it happens.
Right now, the problem is the pile of money... no, wait, I mean, the monsters right in front of me! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner musings)
Hey, can you open this door for me? I dont want to break it open lest I get scoldedter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young quickly instructed the officers to unlock the holding cells door.
Yi Ji-Hyuk surveyed his left and right as he left the cell, then stretched his open hand towards Seo Ah-Young.
Im paying you afterwards!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Not that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes shone brightly as he made his demand.
I want my tofu. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end of the chapter.)
Despair began to creep into Seo Ah-Youngs mind.
Did I do the right thing by releasing this guy? (Seo Ah-Young)
Perhaps, she shouldve kept him locked up for the sake of humanity. Hers, mostly.
Reluctantly withdrawing his hand, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze towards the monsters emerging from the ocean and giggled like a little kid.
Wee to Earth, you fools. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
What? You cant contact him? (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL: Not specified in the raw who is being referred to here. Assuming to be a he.)
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned deeply.
F*ck! What the hell do you expect me to do in this situation, then?! Didnt I tell you to always keep proper tabs on him?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C My apologies, sir... (Kim Jae-Beom)
You think your apologies can help us right now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon screamed at the smartphones receiver while clenching his fist real tightly.
He knew that getting angry wasnt going to solve anything. He also knew this wasnt Kim Jae-Beoms fault, either.
He knew those points very well. He knew. Yet...
Thick droplets of perspiration formed on Choi Jung-Hoons forehead.
The police officers were doing their best to evacuate the surrounding areas, and the local KSF agents were on their way here, but.... their arrival would be toote by then.
Can they do it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In order to minimise the civilian fatality, Seo Ah-Young needed to do everything in her power to halt the monsters advance.
Unfortunately, she was a support-type ability user.
In the cases where she had to fight against numerous creatures alone, even if a single one managed to get close to her, shed be leftpletely vulnerable.
Yi Ji-Hyuk, Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shouted at the phone again.
Okay, do whatever you can to find him and send them here as soon as possible!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Yes sir. Understood! (Kim Jae-Beom)
As soon as the call ended, he ran towards the coastline.
For now, he had done everything he could do, and called everyone he was supposed to. Literally, there was nothing more for him to do anymore.
No, there was one more thing left he should do. And that was to secure Yi Ji-Hyuk, if that youth decided not to cooperate today.
Choi Jung-Hoon ran with all his might and soon, the wide-open sea entered his vision.
What....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was right then, he became utterly speechless at the spectacle unfolding right before his eyes.
*
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the monsters walking up to the shore and tilted his head.
Arent they... Lizardmen? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They were holding some sort of trident in their hands.
They were covered in scales, and their forked tongues continued to flick in and out.
Well, no matter what, they definitely looked like Lizardmen.
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt his ownmon sense get stepped on ruthlessly and couldnt help but to click his tongue in annoyance.
What the hell. How does this even makes sense? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The first Lizardman to make thendfall spotted him and rushed towards his direction with that trident pointing at his throat.
Frogs like you... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks fistnded solidly on the chin of the Lizardman and blew it away.
....Are supposed to live in freshwater, you f*ckers!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Like a mortar round shooting out into the enemy territory, the flying Lizardman drew a perfect arc and plunged into the sea, raising a spectacr spray of water.
Cant you just stay within the boundaries ofmon sense, ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyukcked the qualifications to say such things. Not that he cared.
Again, slightly different... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was getting more and more irritating now.
By what, you ask? The thing where he continuously ran into monsters that were only slightly altered from what he knew, as well as this ufortable feeling of Gates following him around wherever he went.
He tried to ignore these points, but that only left a sour taste in his mouth.
Would a Gate open up in the sea, if he hadnte here today?
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue again, but his expression hardened after three Lizardmen rushed at him.
Itd be very easy to resolve this situation if he had Mana remaining, but all he had now was his body.
So, hed have to use it efficiently.
Three tridents aimed at his head, chest and legs.
Yi Ji-Hyuks body seemed to turn into a string all of a sudden as he evaded all three tridents.
As the Lizardmen became defenseless for a moment, Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked one of them away and hended a devastating blow to another ones belly.
Phung!
Apanied by a clean impact sound, that Lizardman got blown away.
As for the remaining one...
Orya!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply grabbed the neck of the remaining Lizardman and mmed the creature to the ground. And not changing his posture, his right fist punched the monsters face.
Kwahng!!
Another one!
Kwahng!
Kwahng!!
After receiving three straight hits to its face, the Lizardman trembled pathetically, then it went limp.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at the dead Lizardman.
Come on,e out.
Come out, now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From the dead Lizardman, a minute amount of Mana leaked out. Grinning widely, Yi Ji-Hyuk activated Drain.
After absorbing every bit of leaked Mana, a smile of satisfaction crept up on his face.
With this Mana, hed be able to....
Get out of the way!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh?
When he turned his head to look, Yi Ji-Hyuk found Seo Ah-Young ring at his direction while carrying a ball of mes as big as a house.
....No, she wouldnt.... Would she? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And, Seo Ah-Young threw the ming ball towards his direction.
Technically, she was aiming at the horde of Lizardmen beyond Yi Ji-Hyuks location, but still...
The issue was with him just about being included within the radius of the uing explosion.
Just about.
Did she lose her damn mind?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly jumped out of the way.
KWAHAHNG!!!
The shockwave from the whirlwind of explosion swept up above the oceans surface.
Somehow barely escaping from the explosion zone, Yi Ji-Hyuk began shouting at her.
If you dont want to give me the money, just say so, will ya?! Stop trying to kill me!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young clicked her tongue as if she was in regret over something, then spoke up.
Then, why are you wasting time fooling around like that? Cant you just blow them away like thest time? (Seo Ah-Young)
Whatst time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Last time, when you killed that stone monster. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, I never did that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I saw you with my own two eyes! You standing on top of that buildings roof! (Seo Ah-Young)
But, uh, that wasnt me... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Juste out and say it was you, since very, ve~ry few people walk around wearing such a worn-out blue tracksuit like yours. (Seo Ah-Young)
WTF. Im not the only one wearing tracksuits in the world, you know... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Realising that he couldnt prevent his excuses from gettingmer at this point in time, Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to quickly changed the topic.
No, besides that, you still tried to...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you, youll get paid!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hey, I think youre mistaken about something here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back then, I had enough Mana.
Right now, I dont have a lot of Mana left, you know!
With Mana, I can sweep these small fries away with a flick of my finger, sure, but now.... (Yi Ji-Hyukining inwardly)
Currently, Yi Ji-Hyuk was exactly like a rechargeable battery.
He had to be topped up with Mana after expanding some.
Sure, dealing with these small fries wasnt a big problem with Mana on hand.
However, the real issue was....
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did the number of Lizardmen increase while were talking or something?
Lets see... arent there over a hundred of them here....?
What the, the numbers still increasing?
With a slightly stupefied face, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze to the distant ocean.
Like an army of ants, monsters were continuously streaming in.
Huh. A pretty big Gate mustve opened up, eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, it didnt matter.
If he continued to kill a few and absorb their Mana, soon hed have enough for these small fri....
WHUOOOONG-!!
It was just then C from the far distance, a super-loud and heavy howling resounded out.
Huh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked out even further.
A huge ck shadow slowly approached the surface near the horizon, and then, it began to swim closer to the shore.
Did the oceans get mad at me for catching a whale? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Somehow, things were gettingplicated even more.
< 42. Please, have somemon sense! -2 > Fin.
(TL: The thing about receiving tofu is a somewhat weird tradition in South Korean prison culture. When one is released from the extended stay behind the bars, his/her mates or family members waiting outside the prison gates are supposed to hand over a block of tofu to you to chow down on. The story goes, when youre inside, youre deprived of proper minerals and bnced meals, and so, rather ceremoniously, the miracle health food tofu is provided in order to bolster your physique as you leave incarceration. Or something like that. Im not quite sure if other cultures outside of East Asia has something simr to this, but if there is, pleasement below. Thanks.)
Chapter 43: Please, have some common sense! (3)
Chapter 43: Please, have somemon sense! (3)
Before long, that dark shadow had arrived at the shore.
*SFX for water exploding and scattering away*
The seawater exploded and rose up like a roaring waterfall, and finally, the jet-ck monster revealed its massive form.
Mmm....?
Yi Ji-Hyuks body began quivering all of a sudden.
He had no idea how to describe the current situation.
Without a doubt, the monster in front of his eyes was big and very powerful. Indeed, it was. Yet....
That jet-ck body, seemingly sucking in all the light touching it!
Those small, beady ck eyes located on either side of the body!
That big maw full of sharp, serrated fangs, enough to cause fear and trepidation to rise in the hearts ofmon men!
That thing is... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That thing was the apex predator of the sea.
A predator that killed indiscriminately and without a shred of hesitation. The unrivalled predator of the seas that even snacked on sharks.
Seeing that huge demon of the sea, Yi Ji-Hyuks body began to quiver even more.
To him, that appearance was...
It was just, too...
Its, its too cute!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out without even realising it.
Meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young was staring at therge monster with a dumbfounded expression etched on her face.
A... a killer whale? (Seo Ah-Young)
Indeed, the giant ck monster with beady eyes that revealed itself in such a grand manner was a killer whale.
Oh!! Look, look at those spots!! Its soooo cute!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the white spots around the eyes of the killer whale and kyahh-ed rather loudly.
Well, sure, it might have been the indiscriminate killer of the oceans, but a cute thing was still a cute thing in his eyes, so there.
Of course, Seo Ah-Youngs thought process was a wee bit different from his; her eyes were trembling in dread as she stared at the huge monster.
It might have possessed an outer appearance simr to that of a killer whale, but it sure as hell wasnt one.
Actually, the only bit that resembled the killer whale was around its head. From both of its sides, dozens of tentacles sprouted out like a bunch of arms and were supporting the main body. Its overall height was at least ten metres high.
Has a monster like that ever appeared before? (Seo Ah-Young)
Her knowledge pool, somewhat limited as it were, told her that there never had been a single report of such a monster making its appearance anywhere in the world. Hell, there was no way shed miss a report like that C if a monster like that did appear, then well, things would have devolved into utter, utter chaos before long.
Following on directly from that unknown stone monster incident, it seemed that unexinable phenomena were happening more frequently nowadays. The never-before-seen monsters were making their unwee appearances throughout the world, and their sizes were getting progressivelyrger as well.
Since that man showed up, nothings been going right for us! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young red daggers at Yi Ji-Hyuks back.
When she thought about it for a minute, it seemed like the timing of that man appearing in her life coincided perfectly C and eerily C with the beginning of all these strange monster-rted phenomena.
She thought there was no chance of those two things being rted in some way, but still, what was this odd bitterness, this uncertain, lingering doubt?
Fine, besides all that... Why is that guy giggling like a schoolgirl now? (Seo Ah-Young)
He seemed to quiver in pleasure just now, and he even pulled out his phone and began taking snapshots of the approaching monster.
What on earth are you doing?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, its cute, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? You mean, that thing over there? (Seo Ah-Young)
You find that monster cute?
Maybe even his tastes are insane as well?
No, wait C his tastes are insane, because the person himself is insane.
Right, its not that strange. Its that man Im talking about, so... (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
It seemed to be a reasonable response from that man if she calmly thought about it. However, she was a human being first and foremost, so she couldnt bring herself to ept his evaluation.
Thats a bloody monster, you moron!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Even after seeing Seo Ah-Youngs intense reactions, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
So what? Im just saying, its cute. Thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then whistled leisurely while gazing at the killer whale monster.
Hmm, is it a parasite-type monster? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, he couldnt definitely be sure of no killer whale-type monster existing in other worlds, but still, this mismatchedbination of a horde of Lizardmen and that so-called whale monster felt too incongruous to him.
That was the reason why Yi Ji-Hyuk thought that a parasitic monster had taken over a killer whale and eventually turned into that thing in front of him. So, the only remaining question was...
Did the killer whales live off the East Sea? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his question-filled head, but too bad, there was no one here today to answer his queries.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young called out to him, her voice still trembling.
Ill somehow do something about the smaller monsters. Please, take care of that big one, instead. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked in response.
But, I dont wanna? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
What do you expect me to do about that big creature now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I saw you destroying a monster much bigger than that!! (Seo Ah-Young)
I had Mana back then!
No, hang on. Thats a bit hard to exin under the current situation, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner musings)
Hell, that things not really cost effective to me, yeah? How much are you willing to pay me for killing that monster? Dont tell me, you were thinking of the same 10 million, werent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young frowned deeply.
She wanted to argue back, but even she had to agree it sounded wrong to treat that big thing as the same as other small fries out here.
Then, 20 million? (Seo Ah-Young)
I see you are nning to ride the tech and be a politician after you retire from this field, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth.
She would have preferred him throwing insults at her, instead of hurling these snarky retorts.
Then, lets make it 100 million. (Seo Ah-Young)
Hoh, quite decisive, arent you? Throwing around tax money as if you are the big boss. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a vein popping on a forehead*
A vein popped up on Seo Ah-Youngs forehead. Why was heining when his wishes were met, as if nothing had been going his way until now?
Youre being noisy, so just fight that thing already! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, yes, yes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and stepped forward.
Well, the time for jokes hade to an end, thats all.
There are a lot more of them than I expected, huh.
More than hundred Lizardmen have showed up, eh?
But, hmm. I dont think more will show up, though. Thats a relief. Anymore of these b*stards show up, then things wouldve gotten a bit dicey.
Anyways, looks like no more monsters areing out from the Gate, right? Wherever it is.
No, wait. I cant be sure of this ce here being the onlynding zone for these things, now can I? They couldve madendfall somewhere else. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows slowly creased up.
Could it be, that this event only happened because of me?
He couldnt deny this feeling of Gates following him around wherever he went. No, by this point, he was this close to epting it as an actual fact.
The suburb he was living in had be something of a danger zone where a Gate could seemingly open up at a drop of a hat; and as soon as he entered the ocean, a never-before-seen event of a Gate opening up in a body of water urred.
Itd been nicer if all those things were a mere coincidence. But, if this event was also somehow coincidence, then he might as well dere that the sisters of fate and the gods of destiny in this world were truly dead and gone.
Maybe something went wrong when I crossed the worlds? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ascertaining cause and effect wasnt easy. Even if he wanted to, he didnt even know why these Gates were opening in the first ce. But one things for certain: nothing good woulde about with things carrying on like this.
He needed toe up with a n here.
For now, I should take care of these guys first... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kkkkiiiieeeeck!!
As if they had read his mind just now, Lizardmen began rushing towards him in a group.
He groaned in disappointment after seeing that.
What an enormous sense of loss this was, that tried to overwhelm him right now.
This ugly feeling, the one where his innards were twisting into knots after seeing these weakling b*stards rushing at him with their tridents poised to strike! The same b*stards, who couldnt even meet his gaze out of sheer terror back in Berafe!!
Was this the sorrow of a sovereign who had lost all his mighty glory?
Oh well. He decided to wallow in the feelings of the retired sovereign at another time, and instead, teach these naughty kids some manners.
As his Mana reserve was running low, he needed to get serious for a bit and use it efficiently.
On top of his right hand, ck Mana began to swirl and gather quickly.
Crackling like electricity, Mana buzzed and danced like storm winds, before it ttened into a long, smooth shape. And soon, this Mana left his hand and began rotating incredibly quickly, before flying out.
Slice!! Slice!!
Blue fountains of blood spouted out everywhere from the sliced bodies of the Lizardmen as the ck Mana de flew around.
Then, it was the time to activate Drain.
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out with his hands and then, hoovered up all the leaking Mana from the dead monsters.
He automatically cleansed and changed the Mana entering his body.
The changed Mana gathered back in his hands.
He quickly calcted and directed Mana ordingly, therebypleting a certain spell.
Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand then pointed towards the Lizardmen still bravely charging towards his direction.
Lightning! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jet-ck streaks of electricity shot out and pierced through countless Lizardmen. However, the carnage didnt stop there; even the rest of the monsters following up behind the initial wave got electrocuted by the powerful spell.
Buzzzzzzzzz!!!!
Some Lizardmens bodies couldnt endure the torture and began exploding in gory fashion
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked in the resulting Mana, but he was clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction.
What the hell. The efficiency is this bad...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt even using all that powerful a spell, yet much more Mana than he expected was leaving his body.
He even gave up on his usual style of sweeping everything away without converting Mana or caring about efficiency, and tried to craft individual spell forms, but still, he could acutely feel the shortage of Mana at this very moment.
He also realised that crucial fact once more; how the Mana Gates supplying him with endless Mana in Berafe managed to make his life so d*mn convenient back then. Even after he poured out magic spells like a raging river, hed always have an ocean-full of Mana remaining.
What use is there to regret about things of the past? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, he did lose ess to all that Mana, but in exchange, he was able toe back to Earth. It wasnt a bad deal at all. The only issue was that, things were getting somewhat annoying now...
It was then C after sensing something quite ominous, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly looked up into the sky.
Something bad was about to happen. His intuition said so.
Hul......
And sure enough.... there was a cloud of fireballs right above his head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk started running away while shouting out angrily.
What the hell!! Cant you warn me at least....?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately for him, Seo Ah-Youngpletely ignored his protests.
Go! Fire Rain!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Huge raindrops made up of mes poured down on the earth, and on the sea.
It was a spectacr scene of the fist-sized balls of mes raining down like hailstorm, something thatd be no doubt very hard to witness for a normal person.
Oh. Wow... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These balls of mes managed to miss him by a hairs breadth and flew towards the monsters.
It seemed that she had properly calcted radius of the danger zone and made sure he wasnt included this time.
Still, something about this distance made him quite wary of her. The mes werent assaulting him out in the open, sure, but this distance kinda felt like, you know, wouldnt there be one or two stray fireballsnding on him by ident if its only this far apart?
Her skills were indeed quite wonderful.
Yes, they were quite exemry.
Even in Berafe, one would be hard pressed to find Seo Ah-Youngs equal among her peers.
However.... That wasnt the real problem, though.
What the hell?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at Seo Ah-Young and angrily shouted at her.
What good will a bunch of fireballs do to monsters half submerged in water?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt matter one jot whether it was a hailstorm of mes or not, what was the point if you couldnt even boil the seawater to cook these monsters alive?
So, why did she even brainlessly use a fire-based attack on the ocean in the first ce?!
Seo Ah-Young was quite nonchnt about the whole thing, though.
What can I do? Fires the only thing I know how to control, you know! (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats not something to be proud of!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Yep, her skills were quite good, but they werent versatile enough.
Even a far weaker sorcerer than her would be able to use magic attacks rted to water or lightning system and efficiently sweep away these small fries.
However, someone as powerful as Seo Ah-Young was struggling mightily to eradicate this horde of simple Lizardmen.
...All because she could only use abilities rted to fire.
That was the inherent limitation of ability users that specialised in one type of ability.
Hmm, wont there be a deep division among the users when more than a few of them show up on one location, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Such a scene would be quite fun to observe as well, he thought.
Anyways...
Useless. Utterly useless. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why I asked you to help me!! So, please take care of them quickly! (Seo Ah-Young)
I still havent been paid yet, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Uhm, what? Wasnt he supposed to get paid afterwards...?)
When Yi Ji-Hyuks expression became disinterested, Seo Ah-Young began smiling awkwardly.
Id be very grateful if you help me out a little bit more. (Seo Ah-Young)
Hmph!
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively and spun his head away.
Meanwhile, Lizardmen were hesitating to make their approach after witnessing Yi Ji-Hyuks magic, as well as being on the receiving end of the baptism of fireballs, and simply chose to re at the two humans.
He thought that, if this was their home world, these monsters wouldve found a way to escape and save themselves. But too bad, in this foreign world, that was easier said than done.
Escaping....?
The Lizardmen observed Yi Ji-Hyuks behaviour for a second, before the horde split in half to go either side of the human blockage and to enter the city.
Did they learn to read minds or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out in irritation.
Stop them!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shouted out as he ran hurriedly towards them.
Ill try to block them from this side, do something to stop the other group!! (Seo Ah-Young)
With a dazed face, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head to look at her.
Just what do you think you can do here to block them? You should be running the other way, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
!! Oh, no!! Mister Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze back again.
Kwahang!!
It was then C the killer whale monster swung its tentacle-like arm (?) towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
*SFX for sand and water exploding upwards*
The spot he was standing on exploded; a great amount of dirt and seawater exploded and rose up like a fountain.
Ah.....
With a shocked expression etched on her face, she stared at this scene.
And as the shockwave receded from the spot where the killer whale monster attacked, Seo Ah-Young began gripping her fist tightly.
She could spot traces of blood mixed in with the seawater.
Could it be...?
Seo Ah-Youngs eyebrows trembled as astonishment washed over her.
Why? Because, the arm of the killer whale was being lifted up slowly by something. No, someone.
Underneath that shaking tentacle/arm being forcibly pushed up, Yi Ji-Hyuk revealed himself.
With blood streaming out from both his nose and mouth, Yi Ji-Hyuk lifted up that tentacle/arm with his only right arm, while his deadly re was squarely locked onto the monster.
What the hell?! Cant you see that I was in the middle of a conversation?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then suddenly turned his head towards Seo Ah-Young to shout at her.
Hey, ahjumma! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What now, you a*shole?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even wait for Seo Ah-Young, who had inadvertently spat out a swear word, to finish what he wanted to say.
I want you to be my eyewitness, okay?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes were gleaming dangerously all of a sudden now.
This, this is an act of self defense! This is that Incidental Catch thing, okay?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Just how did he arrive at that conclusion, no one could tell.
< 43. Please, have somemon sense! -3 > Fin.
(TL: The saying riding the tech originated from Starcraft and is now being usedmonly in Korea, outside of the gaming scene. Basically, it means that you have decided on something after carefully weighing up many avable options. Most people online agree that the saying came from Starcraft yers trying to decide on which tech tree they want to unlock with their limited resources.)
Chapter 44: Please, have some common sense! (4)
Chapter 44: Please, have somemon sense! (4)
A mistake... Indeed, it was a mistake on Yi Ji-Hyuk part.
As he used to possess the body of an immortal, what happened just now was the as-expected side effect of that unusual condition.
He couldnt die no matter what hit him, nor where the battle took ce. And he spent nearly thousands years like that, so, even in the middle of a fight, he never got to feel the sense of tension, the urgency, the dangers of getting killed.
However, he was no longer an immortal.
As if some of his inner organs were damaged, bitter tasting blood continued to ooze out of his throat.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shoved the tentacle/arm of the monster away.
Ttoong!
The killer whale monster couldnt control its thrown arm and took several awkward steps backwards. The ground seemed to shudder every time that giant creature took those retreating steps.
Are, are you okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young asked with worries in her voice. Well, Yi Ji-Hyuks torso was dyeing in the colours of blood, after all.
Do I look okay to you?! Cant you see all this blood?? Aigoo~! My precious blood-like blood!! ....Oh, wait. Thats not right, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
What should he say in this type of situation?
His precious gold-like blood?
That... sounded odd, so no.
His precious money-like blood?
That too.... well....
What the hell. Thats not the important thing right now, is it?!
Seriously, man. That hurts like hell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was used to pain, but since his wounds healed right away, the pain would dissipate in an instant. So, this experience was a new one for him, what with the wound not healing up right away and him continuously feeling the agony of grievous wounds.
A normal person wouldve thought that it was only par for the course, but to Yi Ji-Hyuk, it was a whole new world.
Step back unless you want to get caught in it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
I said, step back! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When his voice became an octave lower, Seo Ah-Youngs expressions hardened and she quickly retreated away.
She had nearly forgotten it.
No, rather than forgetting it, it was more like she had failed to register it properly; after all, this youth was the type of a person that made you lower your guard, the more you spoke to him. Whatever her thoughts were, Yi Ji-Hyuk was still one of the most dangerous individuals alive today.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly wiped the blood off his nose and then, shook his hand to get rid of the droplets of bloodied seawater.
He was certainly not feeling too good right now.
He silently red at the hordes of monsters.
All they could do was to growl lowly as Yi Ji-Hyuks re swept past them, unable to even think about attacking him.
He didnt really care about their reactions, though. Didnt matter to him one way or the other C the end result would be the same regardless.
Clenching his fist, he pounced on the nearest Lizardman.
Khhhayack!!
Roaring out like a bunch of beasts, the Lizardmen greeted him with their weapons.
With his arms strengthened with Mana, he brushed away the tridents closest to him and prated a throat of the monster with his bare hands.
*SFX for flesh and bones being crushed*
He could sense his fingers digging through soft muscle tissue. He then threw the hapless victim towards its friends.
The corpse of the Lizardman spun viciously in the air and it collided with the others of its kind, sucking them in a deadly whirlpool of destruction.
Fountains of water shot up, followed by screams and roars.
What a nostalgic sound that was to his ears.
Wuuooong!!
ck-ish clouds of energy leaked out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body, then began to form severalrge lumps around him.
These Mana bullets danced and wavered in the air like masses of mes, before shooting out towards their targets. What followed soon afterwards was a series of loud explosion.
Kwahaaang!!
*SFX for screams and roars of monsters*
The grating noise created from the malformed vocal cords of the monsters dug painfully into the ears of those who listened.
Drain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked in all the strands of Mana floating around him.
*SFX for Mana being sucked in*
The killer whale swung its tentacle/arm again at Yi Ji-Hyuk. He simply jumped back slightly to avoid getting struck the second time.
Kwahang!
As if an earthquake broke out, the spot where he stood on exploded in a shower of debris and a fountain of water, as the monsters tentacle arm mmed down, hard.
Landing back on solid ground, Yi Ji-Hyuk gathered both his hands in front of his chest, and quickly changed the absorbed Mana into ck magical energy.
This was a task so cumbersome and difficult, a regr sorcerer might have taken days to get it going, but for him, he only needed mere seconds.
After easily converting Mana into ck magical energy as if he was simply breathing in air, Yi Ji-Hyuk spread open both arms.
The ck lump of energy gathered in front of his chest wriggled, as if it was alive.
It continued to wriggle and growrger, until suddenly, it shivered for a moment. Then.... tens of ck energy tentacles exploded out from it.
Every single one of these tentacles moved and wriggled as if they were alive, and impaled the defenseless Lizardmen.
Screams unique to lizard-type creatures reverberated out to the world. And almost at the same time, ck tentacles began swallowing them whole.
The still-breathing Lizardmen tried to struggle and break free, but the tentacles were like vicious, hungry snakes with their mouths wide open. Monsters were eaten up, one by one. Without an exception.
Yi Ji-Hyuk ced his palm on the origin of all these ck tentacles and uttered a word.
Drain.
*SFX for bones breaking*
Khyaaack!!
Apanying the sounds of bones shattering and breaking, asional screams could be heard as well.
*SFX for crunching bones*
Lizardmen, caught within the ck tentacles of magic energy, were crushed by the immense pressure until not even a single scale remained.
Hmm. This has higher efficiency. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wondered what would happen if he absorbed Mana directly rather than going after what had leaked out from the dead bodies. So, he experimented with the spell Life Drain, and the result was that his Mana reserve filled up a lot quicker than before.
Since he was no different from a cheat OP character whose HP remained maxed out no matter what, he didnt even bother to use a low-ss spell like Life Drain before. But now that he had used it, it seemed that itd give him a great tactical advantage in battles moving forward.
Nonono, hang on a minute! Battles moving forward?! Why am I thinking such horrible thoughts? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body trembled imperceptibly from the mental shock. Not too long after that, though, he spotted the only monster that remained standing and still managing to re at him, the lone killer whale, and an ominous smile formed on his face.
Well, he felt happy, somewhat, by the fact that he had lost some of his blood. Why? Because, wasnt it only right to pay back handsomely this debt of getting wounded, yeah?
You.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Mana emitting from his body danced and coagted on his hands, then formed the shapes of long, sharp ws.
....Better not think of dying easily today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then... Yi Ji-Hyuk shot towards the killer whale monster.
*
Seo Ah-Young was clenching her fists tightly.
It had been over five years since she started participating in the life and death struggle of subjugating the Gates.
She had witnessed many unbelievable things, and also participated in many horrible events as well, many of those times quite unwillingly, too.
She took pride in the knowledge that, she knew better than anyone what it was like to put ones life on the line to fight for what she wanted to protect. And by now, she was convinced that nothing would faze her or make herpletely gobsmacked.
However, the things happening in front of her eyes... That was just too far beyond her level of tolerance.
Right now, Yi Ji-Hyuk was using his hands to literally tear the killer whale monster into bits and pieces.
It wasnt her exaggerating the situation. No, he was really tearing the monster apart, flesh by torn flesh, limb by limb, with his bare hands.
She could no longer see the original ck-and-white hide of the monster, even if she wanted to. The killer whale monster was soaked in its own blood andpletely ovee with terror. It mounted a desperate and pitiful resistance, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply giggled hoarsely and continued to y the monster alive.
So, this is what they meant by filleting a raw fish while its still alive... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs gaze then shifted to Yi Ji-Hyuk next.
And she saw him, still giggling like a lunatic, but now, forcibly prying open the maws of the terrified monster.
Hes insane. (Seo Ah-Young)
That man, he definitely was not right in his head.
Yes, she knew that fact already. But now, that fact had taken a whole new dimension. Instead of screws loose in his head, he was.... His whole head wasnt screwed down properly.
She had seen her share of countless lunatics and psychopaths before, yet not once shed heard of, or indeed seen with her own eyes, one giggling in delight like that while ripping apart a monster into a gory mess.
If he had a countenance of a scary devil, then maybe, she wouldnt have felt such a strong incongruity like now.
She recalled Choi Jung-Hoons warnings, the one he gave to her many times before.
Yi Ji-Hyuk. He was a dangerous man.
Her head understood this. But she had never taken that warning to her heart. But now... she could feel it. Right down to her bones.
That man, he was really, really dangerous.
She definitely didnt want to be enemies with that man. She certainly didnt want to end up like that whale monster, after all.
While casting her gaze down to the reddened foams washing up along with the iing waves, Seo Ah-Young let out a soft sigh. She just saw the head of the whale monster, copsed on the ground and barely breathing, thats why.
Yi Ji-Hyuknded one more kick to the head of the monster and killed it offpletely. Then, caked head to toe in monster blood, he walked closer to Seo Ah-Young.
*SFX for water droplets falling down*
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked closer while cutting through the iing waves. He then scooped up the seawater to wash the blood off his face and asked her.
Do people eat raw whale meat? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Crazy b*stard. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm? Did you say something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its nothing. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs expression wasnt readable, as she turned her head away.
*
Taptaptaptap~
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his phone, loaded a calctor app, and began tapping away.
Now, lets see. 122 frogs, dead. And one whale thingy, very dead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon was frowning deeply to the side.
We arent even in a traditional medicine market or something, so why is this guy calcting as if he is working in one?!
Besides, those monsters werent frogs!! One should know how to separate lizards from frogs!
Isnt this a totally messed-up thought process, that not evenmon sense can fix? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner stress level spiking)
Unable to shout out his inner thoughts, all Choi Jung-Hoon could do was pound on his chest in exasperation. He swore to go on a retreat to a bamboo forest or something and rest his weary soul, before all this stress caused a stroke and killed him.
The wise old they once said that the ears of an emperor was like the ears of a donkey, didnt they!
While Choi Jung-Hoon was busy shouting inside his mind, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply looked at him and smiled somewhat sheepishly at the older KSF agent.
Well, ites to 1,320,000,000 Won. You know what, Im feeling generous today, so why dont I round off the 20 million? You can just hand over 1.3 billion. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: just over $1.22 million)
....How much? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
1.3. Billion. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With apletely numb facial expression, Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze to Seo Ah-Young.
Of course, she avoided his gaze right away.
1.3 billion?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wha, why are you looking at me for?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes began spitting out figurative mes.
Captain! Just what are you trying to achieve here?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, what would you have done? Many people wouldve lost their lives if I didnt make the decision! They are more important than money, no? (Seo Ah-Young)
Of, course, she was right.
Indeed, her thought process was correct, but...
No, still!! Isnt that amount too much?! Its 1.3 billion!! Billion!! Where am I supposed to squeeze out that amount of money from?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That, I, uh, Ill leave it to Mister Jung-Hoon.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Excuse me?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Although Seo Ah-Young did say what was in her mind, she mustve recognised her own fault in the matter as well, since her shoulders shrunk back noticeably; also, she was sheepishly shuffling away from Choi Jung-Hoon.
Too bad for her, though C Choi Jung-Hoon was one tenacious customer.
Hah? You think 1.3 billion will just fall out of the sky when you snap your fingers? How do you expect me to respond when you pull a stunt like this without consulting me first?! How am I supposed to report this to HQ now?! Just where am I supposed to deduct 1.3 billion out from?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I, Im really sorry. (Seo Ah-Young)
As if he had finally found the outlet to relieve the umted stress, Choi Jung-Hoon poured out all his dissatisfaction on the cowering Seo Ah-Young.
Hey. So, like, its fine for you to argue back and forth, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Quite surprisingly, the person rescuing Seo Ah-Young from this sustained scolding was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Not even bothering to ask for the permission, he reached out and took away the packet of cigarettes from Choi Jung-Hoons jacket pocket, retrieved one, and lit up for himself.
...But, why dontcha continue after you give me my money first? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M, mister Yi Ji-Hyuk... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled awkwardly as he opened his mouth.
She made a promise, so we will definitely pay you. However, please understand that government finances work in a... somewhat particr manner, so I can only furnish you with the promised payout after I submit the approval documents to the appropriate entity and receive the confirmation first. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How long will that take? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If were lucky, around half a month or so. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And if were not lucky, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If things get... dyed, it can take around six months. There have been cases in the past whereplications dyed payments to nearly two years, but, hahaha, surely such a thing wouldnt happen to you. Surely, not.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh. Hmm. Six months to two years, eh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly turned his head towards the carcass of the killer whale monster, still aimlessly floating around on the water.
Do you like sushi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
And just how was Choi Jung-Hoon supposed to interpret this question now?
His brain kicked into overdrive just to solve this quandary.
What would be this youths reason to ask that question, while gazing at the shredded gory mess of the monster?
Actually... he didnt want to figure it out. But hell, his brain naturally ended up figuring it out anyways.
The blue smoke escaping Yi Ji-Hyuks lips slowly scattered into the air. Choi Jung-Hoon instinctively felt that, depending on how he answered here, he could get scattered just like that cigarette smoke.
Ill do my utmost best. However, since this matter is handled by another department unrted to ours, I cant do much to speed up the process, so.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So, I guess you like sushi, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......Ill do my best to deposit the money before the end of today. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a refreshing smile.
I knew it. You are indeed a talented man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You rotten son of a.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The saddest thing about not being an ability user was that, one was unable to voice out what he wanted to say.
Fortunately enough, Choi Jung-Hoon was a true professional.
A smile remained on his face as he spoke up.
We have zero casualties, and not one bit of infrastructure was destroyed in todays incident. Taken as a whole, todays subjugation effort has been a big sess. So, how about it? Would you like to apany us and enjoy a refreshing drink or two to celebrate? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head slowly.
No, its fine. Thanks for asking, but I gotta get back home first. I might need a ride, though. You know wheres the nearest bus terminal? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let me drive you home. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, its okay, no need to trouble yourself. Im sure a bus will take me back in no time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a five hour drive from here to Seoul. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? Its going to take that long?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since he was flying around before, his sense of time rted to distance had be somewhat distorted. Only now did he notice it.
Dont worry. Ill take you home. Please, climb aboard. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, uh, looking like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down on his clothing. Seeing that wet tracksuit, soiled by dirt, mud, blood and seawater, Choi Jung-Hoon became convinced of one thing. And that was....
Ill task one of our agents to bring you a new set of clothes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....He had to protect the seats of his car. Definitely.
Well, do you have any idea how much I had to pay for that sweet ride?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its a service, I presume? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Yes. It is.... a service. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, thanks a bunch! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled, obviously pleased with this development. Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon stared at the youth and let out a long sigh.
What a difficult man to figure out, this youth.
< 44. Please, have somemon sense! -4 > Fin.
Chapter 45: Please, have some common sense! (5)
Chapter 45: Please, have somemon sense! (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waspletely absorbed in the act of staring at the passing scenery outside the car, as if he found it oh-so exciting and fascinating while being driven back to Seoul. Bearing witness to this nonchnt attitude that screamed Im going on a field trip!, both the brows of Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon quivered and wiggled constantly.
Excuse me... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you sure you dont need to go to a hospital? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hearing that, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
Do I have to go to a hospital for something minor like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A normal person wouldve died, you crazy buffoon! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The youth was struck by the arm swung with the might of a monster that mustve weighed at least a several dozen tons. If a normal person got hit by that, never mind getting killed on the spot, he/shed be as t as a pancake!!
Getting your internal organs damaged is dangerous in the long run. How about we stop by at the nearest...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, youre.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Really, I am fine. I know the best how my body operates. Im good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Actually, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt know. Not really.
Well, how should he know, when he never got wounded in the first ce?
If one wanted to be pedantic, then sure, he got hurt plenty of times. However, never have he ever encountered a situation where that wound remained hurting for longer than three seconds in the past thousand years or so.
So, he didnt know. But, he figured that, since his innards didnt ache anymore, he mustve been fine now. All fixed and stuff.
However, what was this odd feeling...?
Is it okay to open the window for a bit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? Oh, sure. Feeling ustrophobic? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No. Its not that, but its like Im getting motion sickness. My inside is going all topsy-turvy and.... Euph!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk gagged out reflexively, Choi Jung-Hoon quickly reduced the speed of the car. He nned to park on the side of the road and let his passenger recover first.
But....
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!!! You just vomited out blood!! Thats blood! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young cried out in rm after seeing the streams of blood leaking out from the corners of his mouth.
Huh? Thats weird. Why is there blood? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why I said we should go to a hospital!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon angrily shouted out and stepped on the elerator.
*
So, uh, to rify.... (Doctor)
The doctor was tilting his head, clearly troubled by something.
We suspected the perforation of the stomach as the likely cause when judged from the manifested symptoms. But, through the extensive tests we have conducted, we can now confidently deduce that... the patient is suffering from a stomach ulcer. (Doctor)
An ulcer?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was dumbfounded as he asked back.
Do ulcers normally cause that much blood loss? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, not at all. That much blood loss would normally point towards the perforation rather than the ulcer as the likely cause. However, since we have identified the cause through endoscope testing, there is no other way around this fact. Im sorry. (Doctor)
Hmm. Then, is there a possibility that it was perforation, but the wounds have recovered somewhat in the meantime and became an ulcer, instead? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If he possesses that kind of recovery rate, then hes no longer a normal human being. Wait, now that I think about it... (Doctor)
To the side, Yi Ji-Hyuk was smiling quite refreshingly. He was thinking of something else, though.
Since Ive got no clue what to say here, might as well keep my mouth shut! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The doctor nced at Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon before taking another look at the medical chart.
If hes a rapid-healing type, then its quite possible. Lets see, his Ether measurement is... Hmm, its 970, huh. Its a bit so-so, this number. Even if he possesses an ability, with this low Ether value, itd be too much to expect such a rapid healing.... (Doctor)
Grab!
It was right then. Seo Ah-Young suddenly grabbed the doctors shoulders real tightly.
What was the value again? (Seo Ah-Young)
E, excuse me? (Doctor)
The Ether!! The number!! (Seo Ah-Young)
The doctor flinched as the burning eyes of Seo Ah-Young bore down on him.
Its 970. Is there s, something wrong? (Doctor)
970........ (Seo Ah-Young)
It has increased. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon exchanged deeply meaningful gazes and then, slowly turned their heads towards Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
They were very much looking forward to sharing this wonderful bit of news with the youth.
Whatcha want now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression was full of dissatisfaction and unhappiness as he made his reply.
What do you want me to say?! Pah! Sh*t! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The duo turned their heads away.
Sure, it was nice that the Ether number had gone up, but what meaning was there when things had progressed this far already, anyways?
Most importantly... this youth, he remained a scary individual regardless.
In other words, there arent any other major headaches we should worry about, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just take the prescribed medication as scheduled, that is all. Oh, and no alcohol. (Doctor)
Okay. Thank you very much. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As they stepped outside the hospital, Yi Ji-Hyuk was tilting his head slightly.
My Ether number went up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He thought of Ether as this worlds Mana. And if he were being perfectly honest here, then well, it wasnt as if he couldnt utilise it at all.
Abilities used by the so-called body enhancement type users, and Yi Ji-Hyuks own body fortification technique, couldnt be used if one didnt know how to store Mana in ones body. Yi Ji-Hyuk originally couldnt do that.
But still, he taught himself how to absorb and then change the Mana from outside his body to suit his needs C which naturally allowed him to figure out the way to do the exact same with Ether C so he could use the fortification technique when necessary.
However, even the amount he converted for that purpose had been really, really tiny. Which meant that the techniques he could use were limited to second grade or so.
But now... his Ether value had increased, somehow.
No, hang on. Isnt it only natural? Unlike before, my bodys growth is no longer frozen, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he thought about this carefully, then he might find a new way to get much, much stronger than he was now. No, even if he didnt actively search for the method, his body would gradually get stronger as Ether umted within him. And all those wonderful, powerful skills he knew but couldnt use until now would be avable in no time.
Up until now, he had wrapped himself with Mana and fought his close quarter battles that way. But the inherent limitation of this method was that, although he might be able to demonstrate an amazing destructive power, his overall speed would remain unchanged.
This Ether value rising thing? It was no doubt a good news. But, then again....
Do I really need that now? In this world, even? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt nning to dive head first into the middle of a battlefield, so, really now, why on earth...
*
Luxury cars were a different breed altogether.
Not only were the drivers and the front passenger seat quite different to each other, the creaturefort found in the rear seats would improve even further the higher a cars price tag climbed. Meaning, Yi Ji-Hyuk was mindlessly enjoying thefortable back seats of Choi Jung-Hoons expensive imported saloon.
Well, Im kind of curious. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
How does one increase the Ether value? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head and looked at Seo Ah-Young.
I havent heard of a method to increase ones Ether numbers that actually works. Normally, it increases by itself. (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, thats how it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk will soon go past the 1000 mark as well. When that happens, hell be recognised as an ability user in the eyes of thew. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ahh, thats how it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt that wonderful? (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really?! (Seo Ah-Young & Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep. Its as wonderful as you say. But, Im debating on whether itll get even more wonderful or not, if those who know about this matter mysteriously disappeared from the face of this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ha.... haha... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young chuckled awkwardly. To her, those words definitely didnt sound like a joke.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon spoke up in a dignified voice.
I was thinking that, perhaps now is the right time for you to consider the direction of your future more seriously, instead of cracking jokes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.......
Im sure you have realised this by now. Were not such bad people, as some others may have imed. We do our best to look after the ability users, and we also lend our support to those who wish to blend into society. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You guys do that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Until now, you havent been making too many waves out in the world, so no troubles came knocking on your doorstep yet. But, as you continue living in society, you will find yourself unable to avoid these troubles as they continue to pop up. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Troubles, you say... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The gazes of normal people when they look at ability users are a lot colder than you mightve realised, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned out. He had been expecting something like that C even back in Berafe, sorcerers and knights were the objects of respect, after all. There, those folks were of the ruling ss, so the popce feared them. But, what about here?
What would happen if a man capable of burning you to cinders in less than a second walked by you without a warning?
What if one of your closest friends turned out to be capable of making a literal mincemeat out of you, when he gets p*ssed off?
Would you be able to live as you had until now?
The unrestricted strength was no different from a ticking bomb.
That was why Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt think of the KSFs existence as a waste of time. He was more than well aware that, the annoying things these KSF people have been doing until now, was iparable to the c**p that might have gone down if they werent around at all.
Oh, and theres something I wanted to ask you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Havent there been crimesmitted by the ability users? I mean, even normal people go around breaking windows and beat someone to death after, say, get themselves p*ss drunk. So, wouldnt it be weird if there aint no crazy a*sholes like that among the myriad of users out there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I am not allowed to tell you much about it, but... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon lowered his voice.
Of course, it is as you said. But, we do our very best to prevent such things from happening. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It seems like most people dont know such things are happening, though... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We regte the flow of information. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, the media had been silenced quite effectively by the KSF.
Getting the rough picture now, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Oh, so thats how it was. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, the country of Korea is an easy ce to regte information flow. Even before the advent of the ck Monday, our country did boast one of the best public order and safety ratings in the world, after all. Unfortunately, in ces like Europe, there are plenty of crimes being perpetrated by the ability users as we speak. As a matter of fact, the number has been increasing rapidly ofte, as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What an irony that was.
The problems that didnt show up during the bloody battles against the monsters, began rearing their ugly heads once the Gate subjugation tactics had been firmly established and the society as a whole regained some semnce of normalcy.
We arent simply trying to borrow your powers, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. You also need our protection, as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. You need protection. You are not fully aware of the position you find yourself in right now, Mister Ji-Hyuk. My apologies for being blunt, but from the point of the Korean peoples view, youre no different than a bomb, ready to go off. If the story of an ability user who can evade the restrictions of the government gets out, there will be pure, unbridled chaos, I promise you. Mister Ji-Hyuk, youre standing on a very delicate precipice right at this moment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the.... I havent even done anything wrong, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why it will be a bigger problem, since you have done literally nothing wrong. Can you be sure of yourself not snapping when others start oppressing you? Especially when you havent done anything wrong? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.....
You will eventually end up crossing the line when one too many crapsnds on you. Then, there will be, literally, no end to it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was very serious and sombre as he spoke. He was being sincere here. He wasnt trying to coax his target, but was genuinely warning the youth, and at the same time, pleading with him.
Either the world as we know ends, and the rule of the order is reestablished as you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, as its centre. Or, it ends with you getting killed. Either way, simply thinking about those scenarios scares me. Whichever direction things go down, there will be a lot of blood being shed, thats for sure. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm....
We had prepared quite a few things to pull you in. We made ns, and were thinking of gradually drawing you in. However.... Ive realised it earlier today that all of those were a total waste of time. Ive realised that things like favourable terms and conditions dont really matter. In the end, you will be the one to make the final decision. Ive also realised we were trying to appeal to you with things you werent interested in. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did you guys have a hand in getting my dad fired? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well, unfortunately, that wasnt our intention.... We thought we might find tax evasion or things like that... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I guess I should apologise for that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, thats not something you should be apologising for, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. In any case, I am being truly honest with you here. Please, trust us. I believe that working with us is the best choice you can make for your own future. Ill make sure of that. So... that is why, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon parked the car on the side of the road, and concluded his pitch.
Would you like to work with us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How should one put this.... This question, that suspiciously sounded like a man confessing his feelings to another man...
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression remained somewhat unconvinced as he raised his own question.
Theres something Ive been meaning to ask since the beginning. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, please ask away! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, so, like... You guys have been trying to hire me, right? And well, it worries me when I think about it. Thats why Im asking you this. Really, I gotta ask you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, its not a problem!! Please, speak to us! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, it looks like youre dead-set on hiring me. Fine. But, will you be able to cope after you hire me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Eh?
I mean, if you hire me, doesnt that mean we will be working together? Everyday? In the same office and all? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There once was a kingdom called Karo.
And it was managed by a Prime Minister named Rudd Brencia, noted in the annals of Berafes history as the centre of this powerful kingdom that rapidly grew in influence; so much so, they could even threaten the dominance of the Divine Empire at its heyday.
Also referred as the Iron-Blooded Minister, he was known for his near-transcendent ability to manage many disparate characters and individuals working under him.
Even such a man died of a stress-rted illness after getting mixed up with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If it werent for those unfortunate dealings with Yi Ji-Hyuk, then the Karo Kingdom wouldve probably rewrote the history books of Berafe, for sure. But that wasnt important.
Whats important was the fact that such a shrewd and cunning politician couldnt cope with the natural disaster otherwise known as Yi Ji-Hyuk, and he died of stress.
However, you want to give that a shot?
You really want to stick close to me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks bemused inner mumblings)
With what guts, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes were trembling quite violently by the end of Yi Ji-Hyuks words.
Now that Choi Jung-Hoon thought about it....
He needed to work alongside this guy? And get mixed up in his business?
With... this youth?
Choi Jung-Hoons expressions and facial colour changed quite splendidly several times in a second. However, he suddenly began smiling brightly, and murmured under his breath.
Why dont we forget that I ever mentioned this at all.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell?!
Indeed, Choi Jung-Hoon was dead serious.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk climbed out of the car while being on the receiving end of unnecessarily enthusiastic goodbyes. He pulled out another cigarette as he started walking towards his home.
They werent entirely off the mark, were they. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He knew very well, already. No, if he was being honest here... Then, hed probably know the truth better than anybody on this. He had experienced so many times how a not-normal person would be isted and looked at with contempt. He was genuinely sick and tired of it.
Of course, this world wouldnt be the same as the other side. Surely, the entire world and its in inhabitants wouldnt devote their entire being just to kill him. Probably.
Right, there was no way to be sure that such a situation would never ur here. Way back in the distant past, he tried really, really hard to blend in and live like a normal person. He even altered his own appearance and all.
But, in the end, it would still pop out.
Just like a round peg forced into a square hole, he couldnt blend in with the rest, and in the end, hed lose it and pop out again.
Will it be the same here, too? I wonder. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, it should be different, this time.
First of all, this world had a different enemy they had to worry about. Until the world managed to defeat that one first, it would not want to create another one.
But, what about after that?
There was no guarantee that these Gates would continue to open up in the future.
So, what would happen after the Gates stopped showing up?
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Not yet. It was too early for this to matter.
It was still too....
Right then, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes trembled in a slight shock.
What the hell? Really now?!
Right in front of him, the air began to ripple like the surface of the water.
As if someone had cast a stone on the calm surface of ake, ripples spread out and sure enough, a blue mirror-like Gate began to form in the middle of the empty air.
Its a damn Gate?!
So, its appearing right in front of my nose, now?!
If it was just a Gate opening up, then he wouldnt have been too surprised. You see, he was expecting something like this to happen eventually.
However...
Wuuoong- Wuoonng....
Apanied by the resonant booming sound effects, other Gates begin opening up, with Yi Ji-Hyuk as the centre.
...Its not only one this time?
It was as if these Gates were trying to surround him.
Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze became colder by many degrees.
Hoh. So, you want to y, huh.
Well, he really wanted to live the rest of his life as quietly as possible.
He had been raising hell for far too long, so for this time at least, he wished to live a quiet, stress-free life.
However, if fate wouldnt let him be even in this world, what was a man supposed do now?
He had no idea who was pulling the strings.
He didnt have enough info to figure out who was behind this annoying situation. But!
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the Gates and spat out the exact same words he said to Choi Jung-Hoon earlier on.
Will you be able to cope, I wonder?
With me, of course.
< 45. Please, have somemon sense! -5 > Fin.
Chapter 46: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (1)
Chapter 46: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (1)
Wuuoonng...
The Gates began to resonate quite ominously.
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at them with his cold, narrowed eyes.
Hmm....
Well, now. It seemed that the current situation was already well beyond the stage of finding out the reasons or causes and into the c**p hit the fan.
Itd be silly for him to remain unconvinced when these stupid Gates kept on popping up wherever he went to. And now, he was facing nearly ten of these damnable things, surrounding him from all sides.
No doubt, he had to ce top priority on resolving this annoyance first.
It wouldve been wonderful if it was possible to interfere during the Gates formation stage and thereby cancelling it outright. But, too bad, even Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt be able to do that if a transcendental-level being infused its will into the creation of these Gates.
If he was in his top condition, then he might have utilised a crazy method of turning the affected space into an empty void of nothingness, by pouring unimaginable amount of Mana there. But, that was only if he was still stuck in Berafe. Where would he possibly find the supply of such enormous amount of Mana in this world?
That meant he had to stand around and observe this situation unfold....
There was naught he could do but to let these Gates get baked (?) into the ripe and ready colour of red, at least for now.
Groan~.
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a long groan towards the Gates, and turned on his heels to leave, heading towards his home instead.
He could hear the distant wails of approaching sirens, and he clicked his tongue.
Itd be fine if we stop running into each other already....
It felt like he was seeing those guys way more frequently than his own dang family at this point.
Those rotten SOBs at the KSF, thats who.
*
Mom~! Im home! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unlocking the front door and entering the house, the very first thing greeting Yi Ji-Hyuks return was a flying TV remote. Aimed at his face.
Hut! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Naturally, Yi Ji-Hyuk caught it quite easily.
Of course he would. Such things were nothing to him now. People shouldnt take him lightly!!
How dare you to stay out overnight?! (mom)
Come on now, mom!! Just how old am I?! I can stay out if I wanted to!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So you can end up noting back for another 5 years?! (mom)
Eii~. Thats not going to happen.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For now, Yi Ji-Hyuk chose to ignore the facial expression of his mom that showed a mixture of anxiety and anger. Instead, he pulled her by arm so they could take a seat on the couch.
Mom, mom! Thats not important, but this is! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is it? (mom)
Look, look! Take a look at this! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats gotten into you? (mom)
He pulled out his phone and pointed at its screen. Mom tilted her head in confusion and shifted her gaze towards the contents showing up on it.
There, she spotted Yi Ji-Hyuks bank ount information.
What is this? (mom)
Its money, mom! Money. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Money? (mom)
If that was the case, then how many digits were there?
One, two, three.....
As if she was standing on a ground going through a 8.0 magnitude earthquake, her eyes shook violently from the shock.
O, one point four billion?! (mom)
Mom Park Seon-Duk grabbed her sons arm and she strengthened the grip unconsciously. Seeing her shocked reaction, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but smirk.
Are you pulling a prank on your own mother? Youre going too far, son. (mom)
No way, mom. Look over here. This is the banking app you installed on my phone, right? Im not pulling a fast one on you, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Huh. It is real. (mom)
As she confirmed the legitimacy of the app several times, Yi Ji-Hyuk straightened his back, feeling rightly proud of himself.
You see, mom? I am capable of this much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ji-Hyuk-ah!!! (mom)
Yes, mom! Now, praise me, your eldest son! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just what kind of rotten things did you do?! (mom)
Eeehhhh?
Hang on a minute, why is the conversation heading this way....? (Yi Ji-Hyuks confused inner monologue)
But, I just earned this money the right way, though...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just what kind of a job lets you earn this much money in a single day!! What did you do?! Out with it! Did you do bad things again?! (mom)
Something was definitely wrong here.
Nonono. I didnt do any bad things. I swear. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then where did this money pop out from?! You better be honest with me, you hear?! (mom)
Moms eyes were full of disbelieving questions.
How odd.
Why do I feel like Im being interrogated right now?
Its almost like Im being treated as a criminal here, too.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks embittered inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk realised he needed to resolve this misunderstanding as quickly as possible.
I got the money after killing a couple of monsters. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Moms eyes trembled in shock again.
What, did, you, say? (mom)
The tone of moms voice... sounded rather ominous.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere towards a bad direction, Yi Ji-Hyuk began inching away from her.
Its money I got from defeating a few monsters. I swear, mom! I didnt do anything bad! Im telling you the truth! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You defeated a few monsters?! (mom)
Her eyes set aze now, madam Park Seon-Duk moved so fast she looked like she just teleported behind her son. Then, she proceeded to let him feel the might of her palm of destruction on his unguarded back.
SLLLLAAAAP!!!
*SFX for a whimper of pure shock and pain from a person getting hit by an attack containing an unstoppable force. In Korean, its only two sybles, but dayum.*
This.... this hurt even more than when he got struck by the killer whale monster!!
How could this be a normal human beings power!!!!!
You defeated monsters?! Monsters!! Have you lost your damn mind?? (mom)
Mom!! Why?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What will you do if you get hurt!! Did I tell you to go and make money?! How dare you treat your precious life so recklessly like this?!?! (mom)
No, no, no, wait, its not like that... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Be quiet!! (mom)
....Only after enduring the mountain of pain burning across his back for a long, long time, did Yi Ji-Hyuk be able to escape from moms wrath.
*
Sit down. (mom)
Y, yes, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After Yi Ji-Hyuk knelt down in seiza, mom began pouring out her scolding words on him nonstop.
Who will end up bearing responsibility when you get hurt?! (mom)
I am terribly sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you really think that your own mother would be happy to spend the money her son earned while getting seriously injured? Ah? Does your mother look like such a person to you?! (mom)
No, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, why did you do something no one asked you to do in the first ce!! Why!! (mom)
No, well, you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was about to say something as a defense of sorts, but when he saw the swollen and reddened corners of moms eyes, he shut his mouth up and hung his head in silence.
He realised that he shouldnt say anything.
Dont ever do this again!! Got that?! (mom)
Yes, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right. There, there, my son... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk hugged her son tightly.
Huh. What is this, I wonder. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but feel a bit lost when he sensed something unknown tug ever so slightly at the forgotten corner of his heart.
This feeling, this emotion, it felt quite odd to him...
Youre not hurt anywhere, are you? (mom)
Ng, mom. Look at me. Im fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There, there. Its good that youre not hurt... (mom)
Listening to her, he realised that he should keep the visit to the hospital to himself for now. Maybe forever.
He was okay with the mountain of pain burning up his back, but his intuition warned of dire consequences if he mentioned that small matter to her.
Dont ever do that again, okay? (mom)
S, sure, mom... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but scratch the back of his head.
He wasnt searching for a nice little atmosphere like this one.
Although this feeling of wriggling emotion felt nice and all, his personality was at odds with it.
Mom, mom! Thats that, but well, did you take a look? Ive this much money now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled brightly and pushed the phone towards mom.
Uh-whew. It is unrealistic, thats for sure. Just how much is this, really? (mom)
With this amount, dad wont have to go to prison now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm.....
What the, mom...?!
Why are you deliberating on this?
You arent supposed to think about this, you know!!
Sob, my poor, poor dear ol dad.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, lets forget about that for a moment.... Son, this money C is it really from you catching monsters? (mom)
Yes, Im telling you the truth. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You see, Ive never heard of something like this happening before. (mom)
Oh, the thing is, I strung along a couple of idiots, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Idiots? (mom)
Yeah, you know. Those KSF people. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing that, moms expression became confused.
The KSF? Wasnt that another name for SARD?
And he was calling SARD agents idiots?
Just what on earth was her child saying here?
Park Seon-Duk stared at her son, her expression showing how befuddled she was right now.
Although she was indeed this mans biological parent, more often than not, she felt bbergasted by the things her son did.
Seriously, from the outside he kind of looked like a bum with no prospects whatsoever. Yet, those KSF people came personally to plead with him, begging him to work for them, which could only mean that her child wasnt a bum after all.
They gave you so much for catching a few monsters? (mom)
Actually, it was more, but I discounted it for them, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders straightened once more, his chest jutting out proudly.
And so, Park Seon-Duk looked at her son with an unsure expression on her face.
She could see that Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to be praised, but seeing his triumphant expression, thoughts of doing that fled from her mind quite quickly.
However, it was one point four billion.
1.4 billion Won!
Indeed, the 1.4 billion was good enough for....
...Well, son. Is there something youd like to eat? (mom)
Moms voice became much softer than before. Her hand reached out automatically to pat his head.
However... why did her own flesh and blood flinch in fear just now?
This unfilial son of hers!
Her feelings naturally had taken a knock, seeing him flinch and tremble like a newborn chick as she continued to pat him on the head.
After all, she knew she hadnt done anything bad, so why!
Oh, uh, mom. By the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (mom)
Maybe we should postpone eating and stuff forter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why? (mom)
You see, there are lots of Gates opening up right outside. Like, right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mmmmm?! (mom)
Yeah, so, like, we gotta evacuate from here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression bloomed into a radiant smile.
Moms face also carried a radiant smile, as she began shouting at him.
Why are you telling me this only now, you dumba*s?!?! (mom)
Weeell, he didnt expressly ask for a nicer treatment just because he brought in some dough, so....
*
Of course, chaos unfolded at home shortly afterwards.
As mom urgently searched every nook and cranny of the house with the intention of packing up the most important articles, outside the house was getting rather raucous as well.
All understandable, really C it wasnt just one Gate that had shown up, after all. Hell, there were nearly ten that could be seen at a nce so, how could things not be chaotic?
Every house in the vicinity had their lights turned on, and the streets outside were filled with the noise pollution of the wailing police sirens and diesel hums of the military vehicles.
Where is the nearest shelter from here? Where are we supposed to go in an emergency like this? (mom)
Mom hurriedly searched for the location of shelters through her phone.
Mom, does this mean I dont have to go to school? (Ye-Won)
Meanwhile, Yi Ye-Won asked mom. Naturally, mom could only spat out long, long sighs.
When will you grow up, I wonder? Cant you see whats going on right now? (mom)
But, I was just asking.... (Ye-Won)
Just help me pack, will you?! (mom)
*SFX for the doorbell ringing*
It was then, the sound of the doorbell could be heard.
Who could it be? (mom)
Mom picked up the intes receiver and tried to confirm the visitors identity.
Hello, who is this? (mom)
C Hello, mother. It is us again. Its Seo Ah-Young from the KSF. Do you still remember me?
Ah. Thedy from that time. (mom)
Park Seon-Duk frowned deeply.
Didnt I tell you to not visit us anymore? (mom)
C We need to visit each civilian residence to help facilitate evacuation since its emergency. Can you open the door, please?
Hmm... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk stared at the face of Seo Ah-Young through the inte monitor with a slightly unhappy expression, before opening the front door.
As soon as the door opened wide, Seo Ah-Young smiled brightly and greeted Park Seon-Duk.
We meet again, mother. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Please,e in. (mom)
After confirming Park Seon-Duks moods quickly, Seo Ah-Young spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk and smiled brightly at him, too.
And we meet again, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
Why dont we try not meeting, then? How about that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And well, he was still full of sarcasm as usual.
Seo Ah-Young did her absolute best to ignore him and followed Park Seon-Duk to the couch.
Ji-Hyuk-ah, go and get our guest something to drink. (mom)
Why? Mom, just finish up quickly with her so you can send her on her way. She doesnt need a drink. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wanna get beaten up? (mom)
This son shall bring forth the required refreshment, mother. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While seeing the dejected and pouting Yi Ji-Hyuk slink off to the kitchen, Seo Ah-Young was inwardly clicking her tongue.
So what if he possessed earth-shattering powers? He was still a mamas boy.
He was indeed a unique character, thats for sure.
And so, what brings you here today? (mom)
Well, mother, as you might have suspected... an evacuation order has been issued. All civilians must leave this area within the next five hours. Im sure youre aware of this. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, I am aware. But, you didnte here to tell me that. (mom)
Normally, residents of this district are supposed to evacuate to the shelter number 16 as per the guidelines, but I was thinking of taking your family to elsewhere. (Seo Ah-Young)
Somewhere else? (mom)
Yes, mother. That ce has been constructed by the government recently. Its designed to provide the permanent amodation to the immediate family members of the ability users, who are currently working for the government. Which means, its very safe and reallyfortable ce to stay. (Seo Ah-Young)
And why would you take us there? (mom)
As if she had been expecting that, Seo Ah-Young looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Its all thanks to your son. (Seo Ah-Young)
But my son isnt working for the government. (mom)
True. But, please. Think of this offer as the demonstration of just how badly wed like to work with your son. (Seo Ah-Young)
No, as Ive said during ourst meeting.... (mom)
Mom, hold up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cut his mom off abruptly, and after thinking hard about something for a moment or two, he asked Seo Ah-Young while tilting his head slightly.
That ce youre talking about, is it really safe there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. After all, thats where youll find the highest concentration of ability users in our country. (Seo Ah-Young)
It doesnt matter even if all those small fries are gathered in one ce.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, itd certainly be better than not having one.
Now that he was convinced of the Gates popping out wherever he went, securing the safety of his family had be the no.1 priority for him.
Since the situation was advancing pretty quickly now, if he didnt make sure his family was secure and out of harms way, it might end up limiting his actionster on.
Its not a bad proposal. Not bad at all.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even he was aware that the good days full of video games and snacks wasing to an end, which was rather unfortunate. So, he needed to make sure hed be able to move as freely and unchecked as possible from now on.
Okay. We will go there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, son! (mom)
Mm... Mom, being safe is the best for us. I mean, you need to be safe and in one piece if you want to spend the money and enjoy afy lifestyle and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im against it. (mom)
Mom, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you think Im willing to enjoy the safety, and live happily ever after by throwing my son into danger?! (mom)
.........
Theres no way!! Dont you even dream about it!! (mom)
And, as if she had been waiting for it, even Yi Ye-Won jumped out of her room and shouted out.
I also dont wanna!! (Ye-Won)
And what dont you want now, you stupid girl?! (mom)
If we go there, we have to move, right? I told you, I dont want to transfer to another school!! (Ye-Won)
Uh-whew. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Seo Ah-Young, asking her with his eyes to do something about this mess, but all she could do was to shake her head helplessly as well.
So useless! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She couldnt even resolve something this small, yet she was trying to pull him in until now?! Pah!
However!!
Everyone there in the living room could hear the doorbell ring out without a warning.
While wondering who it could be, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the door and found a certain someone there.
Hello there.
He had a neatlybed hair.
His height was unexpectedly tall.
He was wearing a stylish business suit that seemed to ever so slightly cling to his figure.
And the expression on his face was of an unmistakable facade of slick perfection.
Choi Jung-Hoon stepped into the house as if he was surrounded by the halo of bright lighting from behind him.
It was like he had finally met his saviour, because Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling from the excitement right then.
< 46. Can a high school dropout get a job there? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 47: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (2)
Chapter 47: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (2)
How do you do? Im Choi Jung-Hoon from the KSF. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, yes. Wee to our humble abode. Please, take a seat, hmm, right over here. (mom)
Thank you, mother. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Park Seon-Duks eyes seemed to be swimming in a pleasant dream.
Seeing that, Yi Ji-Hyuk was ovee with a sense of betrayal.
Really now, how could this be true!!
Wasnt her treatment way too different from when Seo Ah-Young first came to visit them?
Mom, you shouldnt do that!!
Sure, fine, a man can look pretty and all that. But that doesnt mean you should treat people differently like this, you know!!
Heck, you dont even look at me, your own son, like that! (Yi Ji-Hyuks exasperated inner monologue)
Y, you work for the KSF? (mom)
Yes, mother. Although Im not gifted in many ways, I have decided to dedicate myself to the KSFs causes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, my. It must be really taxing on you to perform difficult duties for our nations sake. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuks facial muscles twitched ufortably as he listened to this exchange.
Was his mom trying to imply that Seo Ah-Young was not performing her duties for the nation, but rather, did chores around the house or something?!
Now that he thought about it, if Yi Ji-Hyuk was as handsome as Choi Jung-Hoon, then, rather than mom lecturing him for ying games all day long, she mightve bought him all those cool skins, instead!!
Seriously, with her current attitude, he might have gotten his hands on every single item avable in the game by now!!
Just why did he have to be born with a face of an octopus?! Why, god!! Just why!
I am tasked with providing logistics support at the moment. I believe itd be quicker to ask me, rather than my team Captain, if you wish to learn more about our initiative. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh.... (mom)
Allow me to introduce the new shelter we would like to take you and your family to. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As if she was entranced, Park Seon-Duk fell deeper into the smooth voice of Choi Jung-Hoon, as he ced a pamphlet in her hands and began exining.
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but inwardly ask... why was this dude doing this sort of work? If he sold insurance, or those pyramid scheme things, he wouldve made a killing by now.
Wasnt this a waste of talent? No?
After listening to Choi Jung-Hoons exnations for a long time, Park Seon-Duk nodded her head with an expression of understanding.
It is indeed a wonderful ce. (mom)
Choi Jung-Hoon replied back with a bright smile.
Thats correct, mother. You are making the most optimal decision for your family. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
However.... (mom)
Yes, mother? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...It still wont do. I simply cannot allow my son to work in dangerous ces. (mom)
Choi Jung-Hoon solemnly nodded his head.
We dare not to underestimate the loving heart a mother carries for her child. I do understand where youreing from. However, the truth is... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon slightly shifted his gaze towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mother and the rest of his family staying here, might end up burdening Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk instead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Come again? What do you mean by that? (mom)
Mother, shelters such as ours werent constructed out on a whim. Oh, no. Right now, the family members of the recognised ability users face unseen discrimination. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks identity as a user isnt known yet, which means you and your family have escaped such treatment so far. But, this will not be the case anymore moving forward. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I told you, I aint a dang ability user. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoonpletely ignored Yi Ji-Hyuks protest and continued.
Also, in order for Mister Ji-Hyuk to do what he needs to do, its necessary that his family is safe and secure in a ce with the best protection avable. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, still.... (mom)
Seeing the hesitant Park Seon-Duk, Choi Jung-Hoon hammered in another nail.
Mother, as I understand it, youre going through a difficult time at the moment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Excuse me? (mom)
Ive heard that your husband worked for an energypany for a long time. Because of his background, I was thinking that getting a new job at the Korean Energy Agency might be a good idea. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
At the Korean Energy Agency.... (mom)
Yes, not just anypany, it was a government-run enterprise!!
Park Seon-Duks eyes quaked quite violently.
Yes, your family wouldnt have to worry about the finances, since your son possesses such wonderful abilities. But, considering the fact that your husband is still rtively young, dont you agree that him working for a good, reputablepany would do wonders for the familys reputation? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, that is true. (mom)
Plus, the schools there are quite excellent, I assure you. I believe that your daughter is at the age where she should start preparing for university entrance exams. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, my daughter doesnt really enjoy a close rtionship with education.... (mom)
....Just like her older brother....
Madam Park Seon-Duk held back the words that almost came out towards the end of her sentence.
Human beings are capable of changing, once their environment also changes. You see, mother C effective education requires a good environment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was here, Seo Ah-Young decided to provide supporting fire.
He has aced the Higher Civil Service Exams, you see. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ahh.... Thats why you are so confident regarding this topic. (mom)
Park Seon-Duk was now staring at Choi Jung-Hoon with eyes containing a certain amount of envy. Receiving such a gaze, he simply grinned brightly.
His teeth seemed to reflect light, from the way they shined so beautifully.
Seeing this spectacle, Yi Ji-Hyuk was trembling in his seat.
As a fellow man... His pride was wounded, somewhat.
It seemed that, this dude.... he was capable of pretty much anything and everything. Except for ying the Iron Fist well, of course.
And, mother. Most importantly... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon gazed at Yi Ji-Hyuk once more.
Isnt your son at the age where he should be finding awful employment? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Park Seon-Duk frowned deeply as she stared at her son.
Wowsers, look at how much her expressions has changed!
How can you look at your own son that way?!
Others might think your child was switched at the hospital or something!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks disbelieving inner monologue)
I am well aware of the perception the citizens hold, the one about the KSF suffering high mortality rates. However, that is nothing more than a misconception. It is actually the defence force members that suffer the high mortality rate, instead. As a matter of fact, the mortality rate for the agents of the KSF is even lower than that of an average corporation. Here, wevepiled the relevant data. Please take a look. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing the rows upon rows of indecipherable numbers and figures on the thick pile of documents ced in front of her, Park Seon-Duk couldnt help but simply nod her head along.
Although she couldnt understand a thing on these scraps of paper, she at least needed to act as if she understood everything!
I understand what youre saying. (mom)
Park Seon-Duk rubbed her face gently to regain her bearings.
However, it is difficult to make our decision right away. I need to discuss it with my wayward husband first, and even my daughter doesnt really want to... (mom)
Mother, Impletely fine with it. (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk stopped rubbing her face, froze, and slowly, robotically turned her head towards Yi Ye-Wons direction.
And she found her daughter sitting oh-so modestly as if she was the most well-behaved child in the whole world.
Modestly?!
Wasnt this akin to seeing a cat learning how to swim?
Could the word modest be applied without irony to the girl named Yi Ye-Won?
Has she lost her mind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk was looking at his sister with an astonished expression.
He heard from somewhere that, when a person suddenly started doing something that he/she had never done before, it was a sign of impending death for that person. Well, could she have contracted an incurable illness or something?
Well, he said the schools there are good, and I was hoping to concentrate on my studies a bit more. (Ye-Won)
You... want what? (mom)
Yi Ye-Won studying? Itd be more realistic to im that lions preferred to eat weeds instead.
Almost subconsciously, Park Seon-Duk swiveled her head and stared outside the window. Unfortunately, it was still nighttime so she couldnt confirm whether the sun had risen from the West or from the East.
Without a doubt, though C the benevolent sun should rise up from the West in the following morning. She was quite sure of it.
What the, why would you... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk was about to voice her mind, but then, she stopped.
Because... she saw Yi Ye-Wons eyes swimming in a dreand while gazing longingly at the side profile of Choi Jung-Hoon.
Park Seon-Duk understood everything right then. Couldnt prevent those long, long sighs from escaping her mouth, though.
Yes, indeed. I am at fault, arent I... (mom)
The old saying went that, if one child turned out wrong, it could be the childs fault, but with both of her kids seemingly miscing a few screws in their heads, it had to be the parents fault for sure.
And so, madam Park Seon-Duk had no choice but to acknowledge her responsibilities in the matter.
Mother, I truly wish to study hard from now on! Let us move there! (Ye-Won)
For now, you keep quiet. (mom)
But, mother! (Ye-Won)
TSK!!! (mom)
Park Seon-Duk angrily red at her daughter. Yi Ye-Won was just about toe up with a sharpeback of her own, but then, remembered Choi Jung-Hoons presence, and she closed her mouth and stayed her hands in a very modest manner.
Seeing such a detestable behaviour, Yi Ji-Hyuk began silently pounding on his chest out of frustration, but even he was subdued in no time when Ye-Won red at him with murderous, bloodshot eyes.
The king has donkey ears! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this absurd event for any longer, he might develop a stress-rted illness himself.
What the hell? Arent we supposed to evacuate from this ce? Why are we wasting time sitting around here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young replied as if she wasnt perturbed at all.
Theres still time. (Seo Ah-Young)
Hey, arent you guys being way tooid back today,pared to thest time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Looks like youre not aware of it yet. A Gate doesnt open up as soon as it manifests. Also, its the defence force thats tasked with setting up the defensive perimeter against Gates, not us. You see, its the right call for us, whod be leading the operations, to wait until the defenses are up and running, instead of ruining the preparations with half-bakedmands from our side. (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats how society works, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The two of them matched each others beats so perfectly.
As Yi Ji-Hyuk began inwardly clicking his tongue, Choi Jung-Hoon resumed his attempt at swaying Park Seon-Duks mind.
And she showed signs of being almost convinced by the arguments.
Even she had to admit now that she needed the KSFs help in order to guarantee the familys safety. Seeing this, for some reason Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling a bit annoyed C probably by the fact that someone else had sessfully persuaded his mom instead of himself.
Its all good and nice, but.... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk finally opened her mouth to speak.
You want to... hire my child. The KSF wishes to employ my son, is that it? (mom)
Thats correct, mother. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The KSF is a government entity, yes? (mom)
Of course. Thats why it has very good pension payout as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Because of that, theres something I dont quite understand, so I have to rify it with you. (mom)
Yes, mother. Please ask. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Can a high school dropout get a job there? (mom)
........
At this unexpected obstacle, Choi Jung-Hoon became a bit lost, and he nced at Seo Ah-Young.
Hmm.... Not sure.... (Seo Ah-Young)
However, even her answer was unsatisfactory.
*
Doh Gah-Yuns current assignment was quite a simple one C to maintain surveince on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Unfortunately, it was decided that being in a close proximity to the target would stimte him unnecessarily. So, Gah-Yuns current position of the so-called stakeout had been fixed to the front foyer of Yi Ji-Hyuks apartment, instead.
Since all she had to was to hide her presence and wait, it wasnt a difficult job to her. Only if she disregarded the terrible boredom guing her all the time, though.
However, something rather annoying had popped up on her radar recently.
What is wrong with her? (Gah-Yun)
From a short while ago.... No, before that.... To be more specific, from a few days ago, there was this one person that started getting on her nerves somewhat.
It was a girl, who was sitting behind a bush next to the front entrance of the apartment at this particr moment.
She was a bit too young to be called a woman. But, also a bit too mature to be called a teen girl. A high schooler who straddled the boundary between an adult and a teen, thats what this girl was.
Her name was Kim Dah-Som? (Gah-Yun)
ording to Gah-Yuns recollection, that seemed to be the case. Since she and the KSF had performed extensive investigation on everyone that approached the target, she was certain of the name being correct.
Indeed, this girl was the very same one who gifted the target with cookies quite recently.
Wasnt she supposedly a ssmate of the targets younger sister?
However, that was not the problem here.
No, the real problem was with this young girl upying the entrance to the building, as if she had built her own house here, since that day.
On top of this, she had managed to evade detection quite thoroughly, although it wasnt clear whether she was doing that deliberately or not.
Amazing talent. (Gah-Yun)
Kim Dah-Som wasnt an ability user, yet not one person utilising the apartments entrance could spot her presence.
Indeed, she was definitely a normal person without any abilities, yet she seemed to urately judge the range of a persons field of vision, and managed to find the blind spot every single time. Now that took real talent.
And also... she hasnt made a single sound ever since she got here.
To be able topletely cloak her presence from the others, even if she wasnt trying to... That was a talent worthy of high praises. Especially so, from Doh Gah-Yuns point of view, who happened to be in a simr line of work as well.
Still, that problem remained...
Just what is she doing here? (Gah-Yun)
What could possibly be her purpose?
She wasnt even the snail bride, so... (TL note at the end)
Doh Gah-Yun found Kim Dah-Soms actions utterly iprehensible. Gah-Yuns brain, her way of processing information, could note up with a logical exnation behind Kim Dah-Soms behaviour at all.
Impossible to understand. (Gah-Yun)
She could see that this girl had some sort of rtionship with Yi Ji-Hyuk, but it was impossible to figure out what Kim Dah-Soms end game was. If this girl disyed some sort of hostile intentions, then Gah-Yun wouldve promptly taken her out, but that hadnt happened so far.
So, what was Kim Dah-Som ultimately aiming for, when she decided to brave it outside Yi Ji-Hyuks ce for the past four days?
Just as Doh Gah-Yun wondered whether she should break cover and approach Kim Dah-Som or not, she could hear amotion rapidly developing right behind her.
What now? (Gah-Yun)
She turned around to see what was what, only to find a Gate that was going through a rapid transition of blue colour to red.
Doh Gah-Yun shuddered greatly from the shock, before she quickly pulled her phone out and stabbed the emergency button on screen with her fingers as if she was trying to break the darn thing.
And then, without hesitation, she pounced on Kim Dah-Som to drag her away.
Because... all ten the Gates were changing their colours incredibly quickly.
This was the moment when the disaster began unfolding in earnest.
*
So, that is why, mother.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was in the middle of brilliantly luring the other party, and then slightly scaring them, and then, luring them back in again.
His words were... He confidently dered that being a high school dropout wouldnt be an issue, and if it were, hed resolve it by simply hiring Yi Ji-Hyuk on a special circumstances contract. He then scared mom by saying, if she missed this chance, he wouldnt be able to foretell what might happen in the future. How crafty!
Yi Ji-Hyuk was this close to pping his hands in admiration while watching Choi Jung-Hoon singlehandedly tackle this matter like a champion footballer and carry it towards the goal area.
Heck, the talk had advanced so much by now that it had long past the stage of whether moving would help him out or not, and into everyone wanting to appreciate Choi Jung-Hoons slick oratory skills, instead.
What a perfect snake-oil salesman. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was truly a wonderful thing that this man had passed the Civil Service exam with flying colours. If he hadnt, and was led down the dark path, he might have ended up causing a serious financial catastrophe in this world, thats for sure.
Ppiiiieck!!
What the?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Suddenly, Seo Ah-Young jumped up from her seat. Her smartphone was glowing red while noisily beeping out from her pocket.
Its an emergency? (Seo Ah-Young)
Without saying anything else, she ran towards the window.
Even Choi Jung-Hoon got up and ran there, too.
Its opening already?! So soon?? But, it hasnt even been ten hours yet!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out in a despairing voice.
But, how is th.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Before she could finish her sentence, someone jumped out of the open window she was looking out from.
M, mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Leaving behind the shocked and shouting Seo Ah-Young to her devices, Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped down to the ground, seven floors below.
And while doing so, he shouted towards the rapidly-reddening Gates just over yonder.
My family is still here, you sons of b*tches!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ckish aura began pouring out from his body like a pair of wings.
< 47. Can a high school dropout get a job there? -2 > Fin.
(TL: I have to say, I found the attitude of mom early in the chapter a bit weird, since this isnt the first time she meets Choi Jung-Hoon. Ditto for Ye-Won, as well. Either the author forgot that, which is highly improbable, since it wasnt that far back anyway, or he decided to deliberately overlook that for this si-like setup.)
(TL: In case you dont get the kings ears/donkeys ears reference, its an old folk tale of a certain king with long, floppish ears, who is naturally embarrassed by this appearance and hides them by growing his hair really long. Only his hairdresser knows the secret. So, the king warned him never to spill the beans or else. Frustrated by keeping this secret to himself for many, many years, the hairdresser couldnt hold it any longer. The folk tale deviates slightly from here depending on the regions, but the one in Korea says the hairdresser C its hatmaker in Korea, actually C went to a local bamboo forest where no one lived, and shouted out the King has donkeys ears! repeatedly, which made him feel a lot better. Unfortunately, the wind carried his voice through the trees, and sure enough, everyone got to hear it and learned the kings secret. Incensed, the king then ordered the forest to be cut down at once.)
(TL: as for the snail bride thing... its another old school Korean folktale that tells the story of a poor man who marries a maiden that came out from a snail shell. No, really. In the end, he loses her by breaking a taboo. Its a longer story then the king and his donkey ears so rather than me exining it to you here, please Google it and read the whole thing for yourselves.)
Chapter 48: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (3)
Chapter 48: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (3)
Wuuoong!!
The Gates resonated with heavy hum, before the warped spaces began parting in the middle, just like how ripples of water would spread out.
It, its opening up!
Someone shouted out in an urgent voice.
Even though the defensive lines were notpleted yet, the ten or so Gates rapidly opened up and caused much confusion among the soldiers present. Their guns erratically pointed to everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Calm yourselves down!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Suddenly, Colonel Jeong In-Soo shouted out loudly from behind the soldiers.
The original n was to surround all of the Gates, but there simply werent enough personnel here to do that now. Meaning, there would inevitably be exposed gaps.
Spread out as wide as possible! Cover as much ground as you can! Walk back and widen the distance among yourselves, you idiots!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Unfortunately, no matter how hard the soldiers tried to cover all of the Gates, it proved to be simply impossible to aplish.
Screw this sh*t!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo did his best to suppress the flurry of swear words trying to rush out of his mouth. Not all civilians from the surrounding areas had been evacuated yet, but these damnable Gates were almost ready to open up?
No matter how cleverly he tried to spread out the soldiers, all he and his men could do was to plug up one side and one side only.
So, what would happen to the other side, then?
Jeong In-Soos eyes looked up. Seeing Seo Ah-Young, peeking out from one of the apartment windows up there and looking at themotion down here, made the veteran soldier really p*ssed off.
But, he didnt even have to time to shout at her now.
Because... the Gates opened up in perfect sync and monsters began pouring out like crazy.
The only saving grace here was the fact that all the Gates were actually facing each other, so the monsters ended upnding in one area, resulting in them getting all tangled up.
Fire, now!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Signaled by Jeong In-Soos cry, muzzles of guns began spitting out lead.
Instead of MG50s that hadnt been fully installed yet, grenades were hurled into the area where the monsters had gathered in great concentration.
Kiiiiieeeck!!
Apanied by the loud explosions of the grenades, the beastly roars of the monsters tore into the night sky.
The civilians saw this horrifying spectacle, and promptly abandoned their belongings to focus solely on escaping from this area.
And so.... different types of monsters began pouring out from those ten Gates.
From the giant lizard type monsters that spat out mes, to monsters with long, long tentacles that resembled an octopus; huge insect monsters with jet-ck carapaces; massive beasts resembling wild wolves; even humanoid bipedal monsters with hulking physiques.
All these monsters pounced and ripped each other apart, as if they were trying to recreate a scene straight out of hell.
Fire!! Fire!! I said, fire!! Like your life depends on it!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo shouted out hoarsely with a pale face.
He could acutely tell already. The number of monsters pouring out from the Gates were easily double the number of them his soldiers had managed to take down so far.
No, wait, it wasnt just some measly double!!
It was more like several times, instead!
There was no way hed be able to manage this situation now.
You rotten sons of b*tches, will you do something already?! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soos urgent eyes sought out the members of the KSF in the vicinity.
Kyyyack!!
Too bad, what greeted him was not the KSF, but the sounds of sharp screaming instead.
The powerless people confirmed the existences of monsters and began screaming at the top of their lungs. And that led the said monsters to turn their attention on the fleeing people.
Kkkiiiieeeck!!
Khaaaack!
Kuooohhh!!
Grunting and roaring in various octave ranges, these bloodthirsty monsters began changing their directions, one by one.
And then, like a tidal wave, they began rushing towards the apartment buildings that had no one guarding it, seemingly abandoning the frontline where the soldiers were desperately pouring their bullets at.
N, no!! Fire!! Stop them!! Stop those b*stards right now!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo cried out loudly.
Behind the apartment building, there were still countless of civilians yet to be evacuated. If his men failed to stop the monsters from advancing, then the world might end up seeing one of the worst tragedies post ck Monday.
Stop theeeeem!!! (Jeong In-Soo)
He cried out till his vocal cords nearly snapped in half, yet there was nothing he could do.
It was then.
As his hands were shaking from despair, Jeong In-Soo inadvertently looked up, only to see.... something.
Something was falling from the sky.
BOOM!!
The asphalt below shattered and debris exploded into the air.
And within the shallow crater where the dust cloud rose up, Yi Ji-Hyuk stood, with unidentifiable ck energy swirling around and wrapping around him like a living, breathing cloak.
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at the variety of monsters madly dashing towards him and clicked his tongue in pure annoyance.
At the same time, ck mes began their deadly dance on top of his palms.
All the Mana he had umted during the killing of the whale monster was flowing out of his hands and was rising up into the air.
Jeong In-Soo shouted out in a half-cracked voice.
That, that guy!
That guy, didnt he say his name was Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
Do something!! You gotta do something!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Fortunately for Jeong In-Soo, his wishes came true.
You see, this here is the shortcut to Hades. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And so, Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out with his hands.
*SFX for mes erupting violently*
What fell on the world that day were tsunami waves, purely made up of ck mes.
The waves of jet ck mes flicked as if they were alive and burned everything they touched.
The seething, raging, boiling mes didnt spare the hordes of monsters and devoured them all.
Near-metallic screeches C nay, screams, of monsters tore into the night sky.
The scene in front of the Des soldiers was so horrific, they couldnt help but squeeze their eyes shut, having stopped firing their guns a long, long time ago.
The mes continued to devour the monsters.
The disgusting odour of burnt monster flesh filled the air, and the screams of pain, loud enough to make the listeners plug their ears in horror, continued to soar into the heavens.
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression was rigid while watching this scene unfold.
Enough is enough, already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It had been a while, but for once, Yi Ji-Hyuk was carrying a serious expression. Why? Because his mother and Ye-Won were still behind him, having had not enough time to evacuate just yet.
So, he wasnt going to take it easy and....
No, hang on a minute.
Wheres dad? Was he at the house?
No, wait... Could he have note home yet?
How could a person have zero presence like that? Hows that even possible?!
While tilting his head in confusion, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze towards his home upstairs.
Did he see his father at home or not...? He couldnt be sure anymore.
Yi Ji-Hyuk swallowed his tears, silentlymenting the fact that his dad had be totally invisible after his probably deserved firing.
This was why a grown-a*s man had to get a job.
He now understoodpletely the suggestion uttered out by Choi Jung-Hoon, that he was of the appropriate age to gainwful employment or whatever.
Well, in any case....
He hadpletely destroyed tens of monsters in the blink of an eye, yet there were still literally hundreds more to go.
However, something funny happened among the horde of monsters.
Creatures that had recognised Yi Ji-Hyuks fearsome might began to back away in fear. But then, the newly-summoned monsters didnt know what had transpired before, and they pushed aside the scared monsters and rushed towards Yi Ji-Hyuks location.
Kkkiiieeeck~!!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue again as he watched these clueless fools rush towards their doom.
That was why not being ignorant was good for your health.
Oh, no one told you and you had no idea? Oh, well.
Then, just die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ck tentacles shot out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body and began swallowing bits of flesh, as well as the leaking Mana, from the surroundings.
The absorbed Mana was converted into that ominous ck magical energy, which was rapidly circted within his body. Sensing this wee energy fill up his body, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but shudder from delight.
No matter what the time or the asion was, this sensation of Mana filling up his body felt oh so wonderful.
He felt like ripping apart and stepping on every single one of these trashy mob creatures in front of him, but....
But, he had to hold himself back, since he hadnt umted enough Mana to do as he pleased. Not yet.
However, he figured he had enough.
From Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders, dozens upon dozens of ck clouds of energy rose up like snakes, and flew towards the rushing monsters.
And just like real snakes, these things split open wide their abyss-like maws and began swallowing up each and every monstering in contact with them.
*SFX for bones being crunched into bits and pieces*
Kkkkiiieeeck!!!
Those ck clouds tightened around the monsters, crushed them and twisted them apart.
Absorbing every single bit of the crushed flesh and the leaking Mana, Yi Ji-Hyuk giggled in a really sinister manner, and he stood confidently before the cowering monster horde.
Swallowing over two dozen monsters in one go, he could feel his Mana reserve slowly filling back up. He took in a deep breath.
He felt the thirst tickling his throat.
Yes, the thirst.
Mana within him that showed no sign of getting full no matter how much he swallowed these monsters up, dried his throat and caused this thirst to irritate him.
More...
He wanted more. More Mana.
Lots more!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes suddenly became bloodshot.
However, his feet stopped before he could take further steps forward.
He then took another deep breath to calm himself down.
Whew. I almost got carried away just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The greed for more Mana had taken hold of his self-control, but his escape from that state was just as quick.
His work, what he needed to do, was up to here.
He had to set a definite boundary. If he tried to do anything else from here onwards, then hed be crossing the boundary he set for himself.
For now, his aim was to protect his family. The rest was not his concern. The rest... that was for someone else to take care of.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hearing the urgent voice of Seo Ah-Younging from the apartment foyer behind him, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head slowly.
Thats right.
This event, this battle, was not his to resolve.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon is personally evacuating your family members as we speak. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm. Looks like Ill owe you one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not at all. We should be thankful that you decided to block these monsters, instead. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Thats odd.
This woman, why is she being so nice to me all of a sudden? (Yi Ji-Hyuks confused inner monologue)
So, the thing is, since Ive mentioned it.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Ahhh, but of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
What now? You wanna start ten million per monster thing again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cant you see how many monsters are out there?! Are you trying to bankrupt the Korean government or something?! (Seo Ah-Young)
If you arent willing to do that, then I suggest you stop asking me for any more favours. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ignoring the grumbling Seo Ah-Young, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly turned around to take a step back.
The thing was, people would end up expecting a certain amount ofbour from a person all the time, if that person had performed up to that amount beforehand.
To simplify, now that he had done this muchbour today, others would start grumbling unhappily if he didnt perform just as muchbour the next time.
That was why setting a boundary was so important.
He had to draw the line, and make sure it was clearly defined. So his centre, his core values, wouldnt be shaken no matter what.
So, he had drawn that line here, today.
If a monster tried to run past him, then hed massacre that fool. However, he wouldnt even lift a single finger no matter what happened on the opposite side to where he stood. Not his business, basically.
Whether it was the KSF or the De, they should take care of it by themselves.
Before long, the KSF agents quickly ran towards where Yi Ji-Hyuk was standing, and began shoring up the line he had drawn. Seeing them oh-so bravely fill up the defensive wall, he decided to take another step back.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
Im leaving you in charge of making sure my home doesnte down in a heap. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young wordlessly gazed at him for a moment or two, before coolly nodding her head.
Okay. (Seo Ah-Young)
Huh?
Whats up with her today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I want to thank you for your help. I honestly didnt expect youd make the first move before anyone else could. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, thats because my house was in danger, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt really think too much of it, but from her point of view, what happened just now was incredibly important. If he didnt jump out when he did, that terrifying monster wave wouldve entered the heart of the city right behind them.
If those monsters entered the city, then... Then, it would be difficult to imagine the sheer horror that mightve unfolded.
In that single moment, although it was just one action of his, that very action had saved tens of thousands of lives.
To expect more from Yi Ji-Hyuk, who wasnt a KSF agent yet, that was akin to her being an ungrateful brat.
On the other hand, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but suspect something was fishy the way Seo Ah-Young didnt ask for more, which was unlike her usual self. However, the current situation didnt permit them to chat for a longer period of time.
Already, she had shifted her gaze back to the hordes of monsters, away from him.
Huh..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some reason, she looked kind of dependable, right now.
While chuckling to himself, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to leave.
He had already helped out in creating an encirclement, so the rest was up to them from here on out. He fished out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up.
So, lets see now...
Now, he should go and secure the safety of his family. It wouldnt be very funny if an ident happened during the ensuingmotion, now would it?
Choi Jung-Hoon was definitely a trustworthy man, indeed. But it was always better to make sure....
It was then, an ominously cold feeling tickled him by.
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly turned around to confirm.
And just in time, he spotted a group of monsters breaking past the encirclement of the De soldiers and the KSF agents, to rise up in the air.
The lizard-type monsters unfurled their long wings, spat out licks of mes from their maws, and began flying up into the night sky.
As if they had never ever expected to encounter flying type monsters, the agents and soldiers were looking on at this scene with their ck jaws wide open from the shock, unable to do anything.
....Wonderful. Just wonderful. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a useless bunch of idiots.
Cant you people take care of business the right way for once? (Yi Ji-Hyuks exasperated inner thoughts)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could faintly imagine what might happen if he decided to throw in his lot with these ipetent fools.
Maybe I should rethink this whole thing.
Indeed, they said that the environment where one worked was exceedingly important, didnt they?
However.....
....Arent they all flying towards one direction? Huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but smirk after he confirmed the general direction where those airborne monsters were headed off to.
You see... the funny thing about human eyes was that...
Well, his eyes certainly recognised the car at the first nce. The car he had the pleasure of riding in a couple of times already.
That car, being driven by its owner as if he had stolen it.... it was the exact same type of vehicle Choi Jung-Hoon bought with his blood, sweat and tears.
Huhuhuh....
It cant be, right?
No way. It cant be. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Unlike his inner thoughts, though.... Yi Ji-Hyuks body was already jumping into the air towards the car like a beam of light.
Why the f*ck are you going that way!! Just why?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, he could see the head of a certain blondie through the window of the car. That was why, while screaming out several curse words that might even make the sea-hardened sailors blush, Yi Ji-Hyuk chased after Choi Jung-Hoons fleeing car with everything he had.
< 48. Can a high school dropout get a job there? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 49: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (4)
Chapter 49: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (4)
Kyyaaahck!! (Yi Ye-Won)
Step on it!! Hurry!! They are following us!! (Yi Cheol-Joong)
Choi Jung-Hoon gritted his teeth and stomped on the elerator.
To think that the flight-type monsters would make their appearance!!
Why were all these world-changing events happening first in Korea? And more importantly, seemingly always around him?!
Now that the existence of the flight-type monsters have been confirmed, the anti-Gate subjugation protocol that had been built up painstakingly for thest five years or so now needed to be ripped up and thrown into the dustbin. A new one would have to be drawn up now.
If that deed werent done quickly enough, then the events like todays would ur all the time, all over the freaking world!!
Thats that, but why are they only chasing after us?! God damn it!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He wasnt a type to disy his anger publicly. Yet, unchecked curse words were flowing out of him mouth.
Choi Jung-Hoon looked behind him. It seemed that his fast-moving vehicle had adversely stimted those airborne monsters C a couple of those abominable things were sticking ufortably close to his pride and joy now.
Kyyaaaachk!!
Yi Ye-Wons high-pitched scream stabbed painfully into Choi Jung-Hoons ears. And he could see the flicking tongue of the flying lizard monster sticking very close to his car via the rear view mirror.
Come on!!
As soon as a sharp corner entered his view, he violently yanked on the steering wheel.
*SFX for tyres squealing angrily*
The tyres scrapped on the ground and issued harsh auditory protest. He somehow pulled off a cool cornering manoeuvre without slowing down much, but too bad, he still couldnt shake off those darn flying lizards.
Damn it!!
Choi Jung-Hoon tightly clenched his teeth as he continued to wrestle the controls of his car.
Oh no!! What should we do?! (Park Seon-Duk)
Park Seon-Duk looked outside the cars window, and cried out in rm. In the blink of an eye, those monsters had approached the sides of the car.
And then, a heavy impact sound came from the roof.
Kaahang!!
Almost right away, the sound of metal tearing open apanied the scale-covered paw as it prated into the interior.
Kyyaaahck!! (Yi Ye-Won)
Euahahck!! (Yi Cheol-Joong)
Yi Ye-Won screamed, and Yi Cheol-Joong also gurgled out breathlessly in terror.
Hmm. (Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun pulled out a dagger strapped to her thigh and stabbed the monsters paw swinging around wildly in the air a couple of times.
Kiieeeck!
Spurting out blue-coloured blood, the arm retracted outside the car.
Calm down. (Gah-Yun)
Seeing Doh Gah-Yuns impassive facial expression, Park Seon-Duk and Yi Cheol-Joong couldnt help but nervously swallow their saliva.
Although those monsters were scary, this young girl was just as terrifying as well.
Why are you guys riding in this car too?! (Yi Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won angrily shouted out at Gah-Yun and Kim Dah-Som.
Escaping. Using car, simpler. (Gah-Yun)
And why are you here?! (Yi Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Wons sharp eyesnded on Kim Dah-Som. Dah-Som pretended to not hear anything and she turned her head away.
There are too many in the car. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
There were six people riding in the car at the moment. Yi Ji-Hyuks family members, as well as Doh Gah-Yun and Kim Dah-Som hurriedly added to the escaping party, resulting in four people riding in the back, plus the front passenger and Choi Jung-Hoon himself behind the wheel.
The car felt incredibly sluggish, no matter how hard he pressed on the elerator.
While gritting his teeth, Choi Jung-Hoon looked through the rearview mirror again. He saw several heads of his passengers bobbing up and down.
And behind them, a horde of lizard monsters and their bat-like wings unfurled and pping as they continued giving chase.
Did the number of monsters actually increase? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He took a quick look around, and found that there was no other moving car beside his on the road.
So, could it that his actions had drawn their attention to himself, instead?
Choi Jung-Hoons brain kicked into overdrive. If this continued, then it was a guaranteed thing that a huge disaster would happen to them.
And their predicament wouldnt be resolved simply by running off to a location as far away as possible. No, he realised that itd be smarter to receive help. He needed to go back to the location of the Gates. There were soldiers and the KSF agents there.
Since making a U-turn at this point in time would be suicidal, he had to quickly map out a route that would take them back to the beginning, so to speak.
Kaakang!!
It was right around there, when incredibly sharp ws prated into the roof and the sides of the car. Terrible, grating metallic noises shook the passengers ear drums.
Suddenly, the steering wheel became unresponsive.
The car was lifted up off the ground. And then, it fell back down, and bounced around like a bumper car. This happened a couple of times in a row.
ws dug in even deeper and the car became airborne again.
Sensing the vehicle rising up in the air, the passengers began screaming. Even Choi Jung-Hoon despaired as he couldnt feel any feedback from the steering wheel.
*SFX for metal being torn apart slowly*
As the weight of the car was added to the hole caused by the monsters ws, the torn metal creaked and broke apart more and more. As a result, the entire roof section of the vehicle was violently ripped off. No longer caught in the monsters grips, the car fell back down to the ground.
Khuuong!!
Like a scene straight out of an action movie, theynded back on the ground. The whole car bounced around unsteadily, before shooting forward again almostpletely out of control.
Kkeuhck!
Choi Jung-Hoon gritted his teeth, mmed on the brake, and pulled on the steering wheel.
This better work!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He somehow regained the control of the car in the nick of time, avoided colliding with the trees lining the street, and steered themselves back on to the road. He continued to gun it, as hard as he could.
Whew-woo...
He could hear someone spitting out a sigh of relief. However, only the beads of cold sweat were traveling down Choi Jung-Hoons back.
It was still too premature to feel relieved, thats why.
They still had to fight off the monsters trying to attack them from behind. But now, without a roof to provide a temporary shield!
When he briefly turned his head around to look, he could see the swarm of the lizard monsters flying towards his car, now an idental convertible.
Doh Gah-Yun stood up while clutching her dagger.
Can you stop them? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Two or three, at most. (Gah-Yun)
More than that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We die. (Gah-Yun)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a hollow chuckle.
Indeed, they were going to die like this.
After all, the number of lizard monsters giving chase easily exceeded a few dozen. Choi Jung-Hoon gripped the steering wheel tight with one hand, and with the other, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his pistol.
I cant die before I taste the sweetness of going home on time at least once in my life!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
While depressing the elerator with one foot, he raised his body and turned towards the rear. Seeing how his beloved car was now missing its roof, tears rushed up into his eyes.
You sons of b*tches!! I havent even finished paying the monthly installments yet!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
m! m! m!!
The pistol containing all of Choi Jung-Hoons anguish spat out bullets nonstop. Unfortunately, these bullets were too small to prate the thick scales of the lizard monsters.
Emptying his magazine in less than a single breath, Choi Jung-Hoon slunk back into his seat while letting out a long groan of defeat.
There was no way to stop them like this.
Doh Gah-Yun was doing her best to threaten the flying monsters that got too close with her dagger, but she was not a directbat ability user to begin with.
In other words, they were not much different from six regr people, trapped in a moving car. Defending against dozens of monsters was simply an exercise in futility.
He tried hard to swerve the car this way and that in order to shake off the monsters from getting too close, but....
But then, Choi Jung-Hoons eyes focused towards the distant front, and another hollow chuckle escaped from his mouth.
There were dozens of lizard monsters directly up ahead on the road as well.
As he focused on going back to where the Gates were, he somehow circled back to the spot where there was a concentration of the flying monsters that didnt chase them in the beginning.
The attention of every single one of those creatures were now firmly fixed on the approaching vehicle. And then...
As if it was the most obvious thing in the whole world, they viciously pounced towards the car.
I havent even written my will yet.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Although, he did write his resignation notice a long time ago.
And as the sense of resignation settled in Choi Jung-Hoons expression, Yi Ye-Won realised the direness of their situation and hugged Park Seon-Duk tightly in terror. Park Seon-Duk too held her daughter really tightly.
A lizard monster broke past Doh Gah-Yuns attempt to block it, and its deadly w headed towards Yi Ye-Won and Park Seon-Duks direction.
Yi Ye-Won squeezed her eyes shut and cried out.
Where are you, Yi Ji-Hyuk!!! You rotten as*hole!! (Yi Ye-Won)
Why wont you call me Oppa already?! You dumb girl!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reply was sudden, and his reaction was even faster.
Yi Ji-Hyuknded on the car like a sh of lightning, and super-kicked the lizard monster trying to reach out towards his little sister.
Pah-hang!!
A crisp impact noise resounded out, one that kind of sounded like someone kicking a football. The lizard monster flew away like a cannonball and mmed into other flying monsters, knocking them all out of the sky like bowling pins.
Son!! (mom)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Her facepletely caked in tears and snot, Yi Ye-Won started shouting at him.
How can you be sote?! Why! You idiot b*stard! (Yi Ye-Won)
What the hell?! Even now, this kid dares to...?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuks body began trembling in anger, he spotted Park Seon-Duk and her tear-soaked eyes.
Naturally, his expressions distorted in fury.
What if... what if, he had decided to not toe back... if he did that, would his mom and his family be subjected to such dangers like today?
No, what if he had acted with a little more urgency, with a little more care in his actions before today?
But, before all that....
How dare you, you annoying insects!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jet-ck Mana oozing out from both of his hands gathered above his head.
BUZZZZZZZ!!!
As if the Mana itself had been converted into electricity, the strands of it coiled and collided with one another and the resulting ck sparks flew everywhere.
Spread out!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He reached out with both hands; the umted electricity spread out like branches of a tree.
The ck lightning flew in between the horde of airborne lizard monsters and burned them without sparing a single one.
Apanied by the acrid smell of flesh being cooked, boiling liquids exploding out from the burning monsters showered down to the immediate vicinity.
Yi Ji-Hyuk deployed ayer of Shield and deflected the iing fragments of dead monsters away.
Mom, are you okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im too exhausted even to say anything... (mom)
Hey!! What about me?! (Yi Ye-Won)
Its fine if youre not okay, you ungrateful kid. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even under this kind of situation, Ye-Won was still shouting at him.
Sure, she was his little sister, but even he had to admit that this girl was definitely not right in the head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
By the way, son.... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk was about to say something, but instead, reced her words with a weak sigh.
She wanted to ask him where he had learned to fly. She wanted to ask about that ck lightning, too.
There were so many things she wanted to ask him about, but no words wanted toe out of her mouth. The still-pounding heart and heavy breathing werent helping, either.
Aigoo! Mom! Look, youve got a fever! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised an exaggerated fuss and began massaging moms shoulders.
Grab...
It was then, someone tightly grasped Yi Ji-Hyuks arm.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he turned his head around to look, he found Kim Dah-Som and her pale face, clinging onto his arm with her entire body while trembling like a wet dog.
What are you doing here? You okay? You dont look so good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som continued to tremble in her shoes and weakly nodded her head.
Tsk. You mustve been frightened, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he lightly patted her back, Kim Dah-Som seemed to have calmed down a bit and began breathing more normally.
That was all good and well, but....
Why wasnt she letting go?
And before asking her about that....
What are you doing here, girl?
Were you at the foyer of the apartment again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Feeling a bit creeped out, Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to sneak his arm out, but then, Kim Dah-Som clung to him even tighter than before.
Uhm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And as Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Kim Dah-Som with a difficult expression, Yi Ye-Wons eyes began spitting out angry light.
Hey, you!! Let him go, now! (Ye-Won)
Whoosh.
Without even muttering a single word, Kim Dah-Som turned her head away and ignored Ye-Wons threatening words.
Have you lost your damn mind?! (Yi Ye-Won)
Ye-Won was about unleash the full range of her mighty fury when her mother lightly poked at her side.
Ye-Won looked at mom with confused expression, and when she saw Park Seon-Duk using her eyes to point at Choi Jung-Hoon... Well, Ye-Won reverted back to the most demure and well-behaved child in the world once more.
Oh god!! Stop that! Thats horrifying!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Holy cow! Thats scarier than a real spectre!! Seriously!
Stop with all that flushed cheeks nonsense! You devious little girl! (Yi Ji-Hyuk screaming inwardly)
Yi Ji-Hyuk repeatedly spat out lengthy groans with a tearful expression.
Seriously now.... not one female around me has her head screwed on properly... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, except mom.
With the exception of..... mom.... Probably... (Yi Ji-Hyuk trying to convince himself)
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon looked at him with a pale face of his own and opened his mouth, his hands never leaving the steering wheel.
You still have a great sense of timing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And you! Did you paint yourself with honey and gold or something? Why didnt you drive more carefully when youve got a car full of passengers?! Why did you speed up and draw attention to yourself?! Ahh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I drove like my a*s was on fire, so I could save your family...
What an ungrateful SOB... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt expecting a normal disy of gratitude, but still...
Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt the type of a person to disy a logical, normal sort of reaction, so Choi Jung-Hoon decided to not to make a retort here.
In any case, its good that no ones been hurt.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped speaking and frowned slightly. He spotted thin line of blood on Doh Gah-Yuns right arm.
Looks like youre hurt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im fine. (Gah-Yun)
Let me see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im fine. (Gah-Yun)
Im telling you, not one normal, sane female around me. Not even one! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With a frown still stuck on his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed Doh Gah-Yuns arm.
He could see a long, bloody scratch mark.
Fine, my a*s. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, he wasnt all that proficient in healing magic. Also, there was this lingering uncertainty of what might happen, if he tried to heal someone with his ck magical power, or with Mana absorbed from the dead monsters.
Hell, he might end up turning this girl into an undead with some weird curse, instead of healing her wounds!
Seeing the trickle of blood slowly seeping out, Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a sigh and he ripped some fabric off his sleeve. He used that to tightly wrap around Doh Gah-Yuns arm.
Im fine. (Gah-Yun)
Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time so keep quiet for a sec. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his voice briefly to show his impatience.
Now normally, it was not his business whether these people got hurt or not. But this girl was injured while trying to protect his family. Although he behaved like an a*shole most of the time, he at least possessed some sense of responsibility, you see.
After tightening the fabric to stop the bleeding, Yi Ji-Hyuk began to yap on and on, sounding more like a concerned grandma in the process.
You gotta go to a hospital, understand? You better go, or else youll get a scar! Ill even pay for the treatment, okay! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, I have lots of money now.
Thinking of all that mountain of cash sitting pretty in his bank ount, Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked nonchntly. Then, out of the blue, a hand appeared right in front of his nose.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A hand, with a very small scratch on it that seemed to get magnified because of the smooth pale skin, was waving around slowly before his eyes.
H, hm... (Kim Dah-Som)
With a resolute face, Kim Dah-Som was busy showing off her tiny little nick to him.
......... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
You dont really need treatment for that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................... (Kim Dah-Som)
Unable to ovee the pressure emitted by Kim Dah-Soms pleading eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up rubbing the wound a little bit.
Kim Dah-Som looked satisfied by this result. She lowered her hand and then hugged his arm tightly again.
Seriously! Not one sane female around me. Not even one!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, when he thought about it a little deeper... it was the same story back in Berafe as well. So, uh...
*SFX for a cars brake squeal*
The messy, overloaded convertible came to a stop.
Finally, we are at a safe location.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just before he could finish his sentence, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes widened in shock.
What the hell?
Why am I seeing another Gate?
Did another one open up here, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuks confused inner monologue)
Realising something was amiss, Yi Ji-Hyuk began ring at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled sheepishly and trotted out his excuses.
You see, I was nning to receive help bying back here.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a long, long groan after he heard that. He turned his head to look at the chaotic battle unfolding between the monsters, soldiers, and the KSF agents.
Currently, the defensive line set up by the De had copsed, and the scores of monsters were entering the city beyond.
You better take care of business at your own end, yeah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
O, of course, I will... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And as Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jung-Hoon exchanged meaningful nces, someones rather weak voice leaked out from the backseat.
Im also hurt over here... Is it too much to ask for some help? (Yi Cheol-Joong)
It was truly one of the saddest voices you could hear in the modern age.
< 49. Can a high school dropout get a job there? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 50: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (5)
Chapter 50: Can a high school dropout get a job there? (5)
Well, this is one hell of a crapfest, isnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but frown deeply.
The things he was seeing right now, where humans and monsters were all tangled up without a rhyme nor reason... Now that was a scene straight out of the deepest levels of Hell.
There were monsters busy flying around in the air while spitting out licks of incinerating mes. And on the ground, the acrid odour of blood and expanded gunpowderbined to wrinkle his nose. It was like a bloody World War had broken out here or something.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon!! (Seo Ah-Young)
After firing a ball of mes at the nearby monster, Seo Ah-Young spotted the arrival of an unexpected help, and raised her voice in barely-disguised happiness.
However, although her lips said Choi Jung-Hoon, her eyes were firmly focused on one man, and one man only: Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....Uhm, you should stop looking at me like that.
I didnte back here to help you out, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With an awkward expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze towards Choi Jung-Hoon. For some reason, Choi Jung-Hoon was avoiding meeting his eyes, though.
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt that the atmosphere here was bing a bit queer, all of a sudden...
Ji-Hyuk-ah!! (mom)
It was then, Park Seon-Duk called out to him.
M, mom? Whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W, what are you going to do? (mom)
She was well aware of the fact that her son possessed more than enough power to lend an aid here. But she was more worried about her son entering the fray, only to get hurt in the process.
After seeing through her mixed bag of emotions, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
Its not my business, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, almost instinctively, he raised his head and looked at the familys apartment.
Were all the windows intact?
What a relief, the apartment seemed unscathed for now.
That doesnt matter, does it? The house price around here will hit rock bottom soon, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It didnt take a genius to figure out what would happen to this area, after taking one look at all the monster corpses and the bullet holes strewn about messily on the ground.
The wise old men once said that you never had enough money; now that Yi Ji-Hyuk thought about the familys house price falling to the bottom of the pits, tears began leaking out of his eyes.
Wait a minute.
This isnt the time to worry about the house price, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk was ovee with this weird sense of disharmony.
It was all good and well that he was thinking of not getting mixed up in todays events. It was also probably okay to not be interested in joining in, as well.
However, even he had to admit that something was not quite right about himself. He was more worried about the house price falling down, when countless scores of people were getting ripped to shreds right in front of his eyes.
What is this?
His eyes trembling now, he looked down at his hands.
Broken.
It was unknown just which part it was, but something inside him was definitely broken. The Yi Ji-Hyuk of Berafe wouldnt have thought of such inhuman things; back then, everything that made up who he was had been frozen still the moment he arrived there.
But, as soon as he was no longer frozen, changes took ces. Gradually. He could tell this much without difficulty, yet....
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons urgent call awakened Yi Ji-Hyuk back to his senses and he looked to the front again.
He felt dirtied. Unclean.
I knew there would be some side effects. Yeah, I knew that already. So, is this that....?
He had been living for over a thousand years. Plus, he returned from the state of death thousands of times during that period.
Under this sort of circumstances, itd been the funniest joke in the whole world, if he was somehow able to maintain his humanity. More likely, he wouldve already left the boundaries of what made a person a human being a long, long time ago.
That was why... he wanted to live like a human being. More than ever before.
That was also why he wanted to kick the bucket as a human being.
Because... he was a human being, wasnt he?
So, which means, I should be thinking about helping the fellow humans right at this moment, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But the fact of the matter was that no prior thoughts of helping the fellow humans existed in his head, initially at least.
Uh-whew.
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head. Quite roughly, even.
Right now, hed give anything to participate in a meeting titled Humanity recovery program for those who lost it.
Should he seek out a shrink or something?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Please, dont just stand there and help! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out in an urgent voice.
Even at this moment, her subordinates were dying from the monsters vicious attacks. If it helped even a tiny bit, she wouldve jumped at the chance to borrow the strength of a stray cat. Thats how desperate she felt right now.
Ill give you ten million!! Anything!! Please, help!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young cried out in desperation. Seeing her act like that, Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted out.
You want me to help out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, he could do that.
That wouldnt be difficult at all, really.
Of course, he should help out, but...
You, I aint talking to you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to look at Doh Gah-Yun and Choi Jung-Hoon with sharp re.
Oii. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You said youll definitely shield my family from any harm. Didnt you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im telling you this right now. When I return and find even a single scratch on my mom or my sister, then.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinded out his words very slowly.
You better be ready for the consequences. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon trembled visibly as Yi Ji-Hyuks icy cold eyesnded on him.
Y, yes. Of course. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ill trust you for now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head then turned towards the battlefield.
Why is he so p*ssed off today? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt quite understand the extreme change in Yi Ji-Hyuks mood. Leaving behind the confused KSF agent, Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped high up in the air.
And as soon as he was gone, a saddened voice piped up slowly from the crowd of people he had left behind.
What about me, Ji-Hyuk-ah.... (dad)
It was his dad.
Park Seon-Duk reached out and tightly grasped her husbands faltering hand unconsciously.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk decided not tond near the KSFs agents.
They were holding on somehow, but the story with the De wasnt as good.
The hand-held firearms proved to be too ineffective against the monsters capable of flight as well as the monsters that could easily ripped the earth apart. Thus, their formation had copsed a long time ago.
And when confronted by the unimaginably sharp fangs and ws, the flesh of humans were too weak to resist.
However, the soldiers of the De werent backing away. They knew that the moment they did, the powerless citizens behind them would all be killed.
Their sense of duty had bound their feet to where they stood.
Even though the monsters and their ws came at them, none of these soldiers turned around to run away. They endured and stood tall, so they could fire one more bullet at these ugly b*stards until the end.
Do not falter!! Do not back down!! You idiots!! Do not retreat!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo screamed out until blood leaked out of his mouth.
Who could understand the pain he felt as he watched his precious soldiers getting ripped to shreds? Soldiers who were like his children?
But, Jeong In-Soo knew that they couldnt run. They had to defend this ce, no matter what. Even if that meant their death.
That was what being a soldier was about.
If they were afforded enough time to evacuate all of the citizens from the area, they wouldnt have fought this desperately.
Its all my fault. (Jeong In-Soo)
They grew toocent. They believed in that stupid anti-Gate protocol!!
He had taken for granted the old ways of thinking C the one about the amount of time for a Gate to open up being constant and unchanging.
Jeong In-Soo felt like killing himself out of shame. But now wasnt the time for that. If he didntmand his men with a clear head, more soldiers would die.
In order to prevent an even greater loss of life, he had to grit his teeth, ignore the small sacrifices that had been, and carry on. He had to.
The problem facing him now, though, was that the sacrifices couldnt be called small anymore.
You KSF sons of b*tches!! Do something!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Those KSF b*stards that were of no goddamn help when they needed it! Those damn ability users that alwayscked honour and stayed fat andcent all the time!!
He wanted to rip them to pieces if he could!
It was then, Jeong In-Soos eyes picked up on a blue-coloured humanoid shape falling from the sky.
Jeong In-Soo cried out without realising he had.
Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fell from the sky,nded near a monster that was trying to gut a fallen soldier on the ground with its ws, and proceeded to kick the living c**p out of it. Then, he picked up the injured soldier and pushed the helpless man towards other soldiers.
Medic! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? Ahh!! Yes sir!!
He shouted out an order like an experiencedmander, and the injured soldier was carried back behind the frontlines to safety.
*SFX for taking a really deep breath*
Yi Ji-Hyuk deeply breathed in the mountain of Mana floating around in front of him.
What an irony this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Today was the worst disaster since his return to this world. The ironical thing was, the bigger the disaster, the greater the amount of Mana he could absorb.
It was as if someone was telling him to move his a*s more and more, as bigger and bigger events continued to unfold.
Fine. Ill y along with you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ck tentacles of Mana extending from Yi Ji-Hyuk spread out to all over the area, and began swallowing and killing the monsters rushing towards the soldiers.
As the gap between the monsters and the soldiers widened, those stuck in the frontlines full of death and destruction were able to get a breather in.
Yep, if Im helping, I should help these guys out first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wouldnt help out those dumb ability users, oh no.
I mean, you can still spit out mes, right? Am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After all, soldiers over here only relied on their measly guns to defend themselves. Seriously now, wasnt it only logical to help first those carrying guns to fight, rather than those using their bare hands, instead?
....Eh?
That sounds a bit.... Uh...
I may have got that slightly wrong. Probably.
Nevertheless!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Strands of Mana started oozing out from Yi Ji-Hyuks raised right hand.
These strands then twisted andbined with each other in the air to form a huge lump.
I gotta control it right this time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He already had figured out what went wrong thest time: this world had no Mana. Consequently, there would absolutely be no built-in resistance to impacts caused by Mana within the things existing in this world.
Back in Berafe, the magic attacks would gradually weaken as they flew, just like how the winding out from an electric fan would gradually weaken from colliding with the ambient air.
However, in this world, the magic attacks wouldnt weaken at all when colliding with the atmosphere and maintained its original power.
So, if he were to use a powerful destructive spell, he had to calcte and then adjust over and over again the spells effective range and scope, so it wouldnt inadvertently swallow up everything in its path.
Yi Ji-Hyuks brain kicked into high gear.
Only if he studied with this much dedication... Hed have gone to the top university in the country by now!
But he couldnt, and he was still a high school dropout, so deal with it!!
The huge ck cloud created by Yi Ji-Hyuks Mana filled up the sky soon afterwards.
Hey, Seo Ah-Young!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young turned her head to see Yi Ji-Hyuk giving her a signal. She then quickly shouted out loudly.
Everyone!! Retreat, now!! Get the hell away from here! (Seo Ah-Young)
The KSF agents fighting against the monsters quickly dispersed out of the way.
Yi Ji-Hyuk then squeezed his right hand tightly and swung it down.
EUH-AH-AH-AH-AH-AH!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His body bore the brunt of the powerful bacsh from trying to wield a huge amount of Mana at once. If this was Berafe, his body wouldve recovered in an instant, but now, he had to endure the body-wrecking pain all on his own.
DIEEEE!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The pain pummeling his innards fueled his fury, and he poured all of that out in his loud cry.
The ck cloud formed by Manazily descended down to the ground and swallowed up every single monster below.
Soon afterwards, otherworldly screams and roars of terror soared high into the night sky, deafening all who listened.
Seo Ah-Young ended up hugging herself tightly while listening to that ghastly mixture of pained, helpless cries. Her body began shivering from fear.
This wasnt the first time it happened, either.
Probably, the first time she witnessed this frightening disy of power shocked her and scared her a lot more. But this time, it felt far more intimate, far more real.
In front of her eyes, scenes more horrifying than from a horror movie were ying out in real time.
I think I get it now. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk, she finally understood it. She finally understood what normal people felt when they looked at the ability users.
She finally understood the fear they held.
If they felt the same terrifying awe and fear as she was feeling right now, then she would not hesitate to understand their plight ten times, no, a hundred more times if need be!!
He... Hes like the devil... (Seo Ah-Young)
She knew not to say stuff like that about a guy who was saving everyone here today, but still....
As she was inwardly and outwardly shivering, the ck cloud that had swallowed up all of the monsterspressed to a much smaller size.
Drain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And thatpressed cloud rushed back towards Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand.
After absorbing all the residual Mana from the surroundings, Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a long sigh.
Did I overdo it slightly? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, there was no need for him to do something this shy, thats for sure. Hell, if he held back just a little, then a stupid situation like the one right now, where everyone he helped out was looking at him with scared eyes, wouldnt have happened.
No one could me them, though C there was literally nothing remaining near Yi Ji-Hyuks vicinity.
The hordes of monsters crowding the area like the marauding army of red ants, even the emptied shells and bullet casings littering the ground like grains of sand.... They had all been swept away, as if none were there to begin with.
The only thing remaining was the tattered, ruinedndscape.
Thanks to this queer, unexinable sight, the members from both the KSF and the De simply stared at him ck jawed,pletely, utterly speechless.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!!! (Jeong In-Soo)
It was then, Colonel Jeong In-Soo ran out from the crowd in a real hurry.
Grab!!
And he proceeded to grasp Yi Ji-Hyuks hands tightly.
Thank you!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Oh, uh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thank you. Thank you!! Because of you, we were able to prevent more sacrifices.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soos head dropped low before he could finish his sentence.
Dont mention it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deliberately spoke up in a curt manner and pulled his hand out. However, he was actually feeling rather chuffed inside.
Its not over yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course! (Jeong In-Soo)
There were many monsters still remaining; those that had escaped the encirclement and were wreaking havoc outside the perimeter, as well as those flight type monsters flying in the air.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had killed most of them, but there were still quite a few monsters to subjugate. They needed to resolve that fast, before the civilian casualty increased. Regardless, the incredibly dangerous situation, where one single mistake wouldve led to the total annihtion of the entire defense force, had been avoided.
Seo Ah-Young, meanwhile, was spitting out a long sigh while watching Jeong In-Soo and Yi Ji-Hyuk converse.
It seemed that, it was impossible to hide Yi Ji-Hyuks existence now.
Too many people mustve witnessed todays events, and since the scale of this disaster had escted to such a degree, even if she wanted to hide it, itd simply be an exercise in futility.
So, what would happen when Yi Ji-Hyuk was revealed to the world?
...Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For now, Ill lead our people to subjugate the remaining monsters. In the meantime, I want you to take care of the matters of Mister Ji-Hyuks family before anything else. (Seo Ah-Young)
Understood. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young slowly nodded her head with a rigid expression etched on her face.
The man himself was probably unaware of it. But...
Without a doubt, Yi Ji-Hyuk would be the centre of the storm that would shake up the entire world. And it was rather clear to her that her mission was to protect that centre, no matter what.
This is just the beginning, Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Whether Yi Ji-Hyuk knew what she was thinking or not, was unknown, as he trudged towards his family members.
< 50. Can a high school dropout get a job there? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 51: If it’s a fight, then there’s only one way! (1)
Chapter 51: If its a fight, then theres only one way! (1)
*SFX for helicopter rotors spinning quickly*
The sounds of a helicopter flying around in the air could be clearly heard from the TVs speakers.
C As you can see, the location where multiple Gates opened up has beenpletely destroyed.
The footage shot from the sky showed the apartmentplex that looked half-destroyed.
C The monsters that have broken past the barricades are now reported to be causing a great deal of damage in the city.
Next up, the footage shown was of the ruined and disarranged streets of a modern city. It looked as if a tornado blew past.
C The government has expressed their sorrow, and have made a public apology. The spokesperson has also announced the governments intention topensate the victims and the victims families. However, the distrust of the public has....
Its so chaotic, isnt it? (mom)
Yeah. Its so crazy. (Yi Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk lightly clicked her tongue while watching the news on TV. Then, her eyes drifted towards the outside of her apartment, visible through the window.
She kind of found it rather surreal that the location shown on TV was actually right outside her own home. There was also the sense of strangeness mixed in, as well.
Currently, the disastrous event of yesterday had been more or less wrapped up. And, because Yi Ji-Hyuks presence, the family moving to that new shelter for ability users family had been postponed until further notice.
Sure, it was not a nice feeling, staying near the location where monsters rampaged around not too long ago. But the thing was, it was also difficult to abandon their home, where her family had put down their roots, and move to apletely unfamiliar area. Plus, the KSF and her son was protecting them, so what could possibly happen?
But, most of all....
Enemy top Laners should stick to their Lanes!!! Where are my Junglers?!?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Sigh. More LOL reference. TL note at the end.)
Madam Park Seon-Duk saw her son and couldnt help but let a long groan leak out of her mouth.
The real reason why they had to return to this apartment was simply because... Yi Ji-Hyuk looked like hed blow the KSF into smithereens, after hearing that there was no inte ess at the new shelter.
Everyone present at the time came to a tacit agreement, to conveniently forget that they had witnessed Yi Ji-Hyuk calling up the inte service provider toy down a scary threat, telling them to install the inte there right away, or he would totally annihte them.
Well, it is true that my son possesses one hell of an ability.... (mom)
That is true.... (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk and Yi Ye-Won looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk together, and let out a long sigh at the same time.
Looking at him ying that stupidputer game of his, still decked out in that worn out tracksuit, and the way he wore that headset of his while leaning forward as if theputer monitor was physically sucking him in... Anyone would be hard-pressed to seriously believe the idea that he was a very powerful individual.
Could he be an actual genius?
All geniuses mustve frozen to death if thats the case... (mom)
Mom, hes still your son, you know? (Ye-Won)
Thats why Im allowed to say these words. (mom)
Hmm. Touch. (Ye-Won)
Youre the same, you rotten girl.
Is that something you should be saying right now?
You were acting like a total lovestruck fool towards a man ten-plus years your senior, so what gives you the right to worry about your Oppa? Im more worried about you!!
....But, he sure was dreamy. (moms inner monologue)
Park Seon-Duk clicked her tongue again and shifted her gaze back towards her sons room.
But, as soon as she pped her eyes on that boy, busy swearing out nonstop at the monitor while pecking at the keyboard like a hungry bird, an even longer groan escaped from her mouth.
Should I really believe in him....? (mom)
Mother, please dont. (The Author)
*
How will you take responsibility for this incident?!
Seo Ah-Young stood tall and unaffected in the slightest.
It is my honest opinion that the agents and the soldiers should be praised for responding as well as they did, to apletely unexpected situation. I mean, I thought you had called me in here today to give me a raise or a bonus. (Seo Ah-Young)
A bonus? Are you insane?
No. I am very much clear headed, thank you very much. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young nced at the three important-looking people sitting in front of her and smirked. They were currently inside the briefing room of the KSF.
To reiterate, there should not be one group or organisation in this world, that could have dealt with an incident like ours with as little sacrifices as we had to suffer. Without the help from our hidden Joker card, Im convinced that you, the operating Chiefs of the KSF, would be far too busy counting the number of casualties by now. (Seo Ah-Young)
You think those are the correct things to say in this circumstances?!
Yes, they are indeed the correct things to say. (Seo Ah-Young)
What the?! Who the hell do you think you are!!
Seo Ah-Young stared at them straight and continued on.
Please open your eyes and take a long, hard look at the situation. I am not someone idle enough for you to vent your frustrations on. I understand its not easy trying to take care of the aftermath, but do you honestly think that venting out your anger on a really busy person will lessen the severity of our current situation? (Seo Ah-Young)
You....!
Just as this guy was about to blow his top, the man sitting in the middle raised his hand and stopped him.
Captain Seo Ah-Young.
Yes, Section Chief. (Seo Ah-Young)
I do rate your actions and tactics employed during the recent incident very highly.
Thank you, sir. (Seo Ah-Young)
However, with the advent of thest incident, our established protocol detailing everything we know of how Gates operate, has been thrown out the window. Im sure youre aware of this?
Yes, of course. (Seo Ah-Young)
The Republic of Korea has entrusted the establishment of the brand newbat and defense protocols to you. Are you aware of the weight of this task on your back?
Yes, sir. (Seo Ah-Young)
The man in the middle nodded his head.
Fine. Good. Ill approve everything you ask for. Ill also take care of the upper echelons and their grumblings. No effort will be spared in order to support your initiative, so you shall perform your utmost best to establish the best-in-the-world outfit.
Who will take up the lead position of the new outfit? (Seo Ah-Young)
Most likely, it will be you. If you are deserving of a promotion, then you should get it.
Thank you, sir. (Seo Ah-Young)
However....
The baritone voice of the man in the middle entered Seo Ah-Youngs ears.
Do not forget that, apanying your promotion, you will also bear the burden of greater responsibilities. Up until now, the excuses of you doing your best had sufficed. But from here onwards, only the results will matter.
Ill keep that in mind, sir. (Seo Ah-Young)
Good. And there is one more matter we need to talk about.
Please speak. (Seo Ah-Young)
I need to ask you for rification here, but... Isnt the requested budget for the department simply too high? Where could you possibly be spending this much money on?
....Well, the thing is.... (Seo Ah-Young)
As if her confident and proud posture until now was nothing more than a lie, Seo Ah-Youngs shoulders shrivelled and her head drooped low just a tad.
Well, uhm.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, you damned b*stard!!
Its all because of you!! (Seo Ah-Young anguished inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young began gritting her teeth.
*
Inside one of the KSFs offices.
This is just endless. Endless, I tell you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a long, long sigh. Even then, his hands never stopped moving on top of the keyboard, madly typing away. At times like these, he had this urge to learn how to use a 3-set type keyboard, instead of the current 2-set.
What the?! Sir, Im telling you, you shouldnt be consuming so much energy drinks! (Kim Jae-Beom)
When Kim Jae-Beomined out loudly, Choi Jung-Hoon smirked in a rather sorrowful manner.
But, I like how it tastes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How it tastes isnt the problem here! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Ignoring the sharp retort, Choi Jung-Hoon finalised the report and stood up from his office chair.
Youre leaving? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Yes. Ill be working outside the office today. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Theres still so much work left in here, though? (Kim Jae-Beom)
You see, the most important task hasnt beenpleted yet. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes were gleaming brightly.
Sure, Seo Ah-Young gave him a direct order, but his pride was on the line here, too. The time hade to finally put an end to this.
Choi Jung-Hoon lifted up a rather sizeable box from behind where he sat.
What is that? (Kim Jae-Beom)
This? Hmm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A mysterious smile spread out on Choi Jung-Hoons lips.
Its my secret weapon. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A secret weapon? Are you nning to fight someone? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Well, there is someone. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons handsome face suddenly hardened as he began spitting out each words with barely-contained anger.
A man who is exactly like thest boss of the wicked dastardliness.
*
What the hell?! You retarded son of a b*tch!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was blowing his top as he stared at theputer screen.
C Still ying with your feet?
C Where do you live, you a*shat?!
C Why? You wanna go to where he is? Dont waste your time. You meet that hyung, and youll end up sh*tting blood instead.
Hah, should I really make you sh*t blood? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body trembled from the sheer frustration building up inside.
Would he be able to find the addresses of these a*sholes if he called up the KSF?
But, why?! Just WHY!! Why am I not improving at alllllll!!!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shedding manly tears, Yi Ji-Hyuk began despairing.
There was just no way.... No way hed suck so badly at this game...
The ideal version of himself still rooted within his memories, and the reality of the situation, were colliding quite violently in his head, and he felt utterly nauseous.
Nope!! Enough is enough!! No more! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quit the game and then turned on the inte browser.
I, I need to relieve my stress... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like how hed been doing until now, he essed the music streaming service Sp*tify and loaded the ylist featuring Kpop girl groups. Then, without taking a break, he also essed the webnovel site and began browsing the recently-updated favourited novels as the music yed in the background.
At the same time, stuffing his face with a noisy kwajeeck, kwajeeck SFX.
Yeah, this is the good life, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...But, it was definitely nearing the end of its run.
Yi Ji-Hyuk understood very well that this peace and tranquility wasing to a rapid end.
Hell, Ive yed around a lot already, havent I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although it kinda felt a lot shorter than what hed been hoping for initially... Maybe this kind of mindset stemmed from Yi Ji-Hyuks sense of time being a wee bit out of kilter from everyone elses.
In the past, he didnt think too much about spending a year, or ten, to get one little thing done. Well, it wasnt as if hed die of old age, after all.
You see, since he wasnt going to die anyway, and he had nothing but time to kill, he grew to not give two f*cks even if a matter he was cooking up progressed at the pace of a sleepy cier. The time always remained his friend, back then.
It seemed that living a such life had be ingrained into his bones, somewhat. Nowadays, he was constantly being reminded of the fact that the time remaining for himself was less than a hundred years.
Fooling around like this is getting boring, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Also, ying video games and reading webnovels everyday was getting monotonous as well. And since he had to go through a big battle yesterday, it was inevitable that his boredom would be confounded even further.
He couldnt be med on this one, though. Not entirely. The level of stimulus received was like the heaven and earth. No matter how good thetest game was, it would stille across childish and not visceral when one personally experienced the intense battlefield where real blood and real gore were everywhere.
I should start baiting them now, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...But, trying to move and do something by himself was just too bothersome and annoying.
Then, what should he do, instead?
Dingdong!
It was then, the sound of the doorbell rang out loudly.
Easily guessing the identity of the visitor, a smirk formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
Bingo~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that a fresh, still-alive-and-waiting-to-be-butchered prey just walked into the den of the tiger on his own volition.
*
We meet again, mother. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Aigoo! Wee,e on in. (mom)
N... Nice to see you again. (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk frowned as she saw her daughter transform back into the demure, well behaved girl.
What a crafty little fox this little girl was proving to be.
Even if she was her own flesh and blood, it was getting progressively harder to swallow this nonsense. Until a few minutes ago, she was wearing a pair of super-short hotpants with the excuse of her being indoors.
But now, in the proverbial blink of an eye, she had changed her attire into something a bit more... respectable.
The speed of her reactions was even quicker than that of her brothers.
Id like to apologise foring unannounced like this again. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, no, its not a problem. We should be grateful that youve been graciously giving us your valuable time, instead. (mom)
Mother, I came here today to personally see to an end a very important task. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Pardon? (mom)
Choi Jung-Hoons sharp gazended on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Its time to make your decision, Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk swivelled in his chair and arrogantly leaned back on the backrest.
So, youvee today with enough resolution to convince me, is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You will? With me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fut.
The collision of the two mens stares in midair caused sparks to fly. The ego of these two men were shing against one another.
You know this, dont you? That if you fail today, Ill never ever get in bed with the KSF. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, I am well aware. However, I am feeling confident today. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I certainly admire your baseless confidence. However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From all over Yi Ji-Hyuks body, a powerful pressure gushed out.
It aint gonna be easy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd not be a worthy challenge if it werent so. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How admirable.
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in approval.
So, then. How should he go about devouring this guy piece by piece?
While whistling out, Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from his seat.
So, you were nning to do this how? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared straight into Yi Ji-Hyuks face for a short while, before opening his mouth with a slight smile.
...Youve already made up your mind, havent you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im pretty sure that, even if I was in your shoes, Id be able to make the same conclusion as well. And that conclusion is, no matter what youre aiming for, working together with the KSF will provide the best results for you. Heck, if youve been plotting to take over the world, cooperating with the KSF for now would still be the best option avable to you. Im sure you already have thought this far ahead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Uhm, no. I havent, though?
I havent thought that far ahead yet, mister.
Whats up with this dude?
Why is he eagerly jumping so far ahead?
Wasnt he supposed to be the smart one? Was that a lie? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, I came to realise that its your pride preventing you from cooperating with us. Thats why youve been searching for the right opportunity. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, its not like that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its okay. You can stop the charade now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, hang on a minute. Im being serious here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall provide that opportunity for you now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How far was this man nning to take this?
Seeing the overly excited face of Choi Jung-Hoon, Yi Ji-Hyuk flinched slightly and took a quick step back.
So, what are you trying to say here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lets have a fight. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....A fight? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. If I win, youll work for the KSF, no questions asked. But if I lose, we will never bother you again. No, wait. Such conditions dont sound quite right, so, how about... if I lose, Ill aid you for the next few months without asking for an appropriatepensation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A fight?
Did this fool dere his intentions to fight me?
How dare he challenge me!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively and red at Choi Jung-Hoon.
And Choi Jung-Hoon didnt back away and reciprocated the re.
Okay, bring it on. So, what were you nning to challenge me with? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If its a fight, then... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon confidently, but with not-so-loud voice, dered.
...Theres only one way! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ohh, I see now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jung-Hoon...
From now on, the battle between two men wouldmence!
< 51. If its a fight, then theres only one way -1 > Fin.
(TL: In League of Legends, theres a tactic called Jungling, which is about killing the so-called neutral monsters found on some maps, between thenes. The Jungle in a map refers to areas that doesnt fall to either teams base, or the dividingne itself. Junglers continue killing C farming C these monsters to supply the teammates C Laners C with necessary gold and experience points. In a standard 5-on-5 LOL match, 4 yers will be the Laners, while the remaining one will be designated as the dedicated Jungler.)
Chapter 52: If it’s a fight, then there’s only one way! (2)
Chapter 52: If its a fight, then theres only one way! (2)
Seo Ah-Young finally left workte,te at night, and while trying her best to suppress the migraine, she got into her car and drove away.
By the way, who was the man in the video footage?
You have definitely secured him, yes?
You should have realised that there will be no benefits for us if the world atrge learns of him.
What a bunch of old, retarded farts. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stomped on the elerator in anger.
Talk is cheap, you idiots. Really cheap! (Seo Ah-Young)
Sitting in their lofty chairs and putting on needless airs, and feeling satisfied only after things get done as exactly as their inted egos wanted... Whenever she had to deal with these men, in the ensuing aftermaths her entire being felt as heavy as a nket soaked to the core by a passing storm.
I wonder, how much progress hes made with that thing...
The thing, being securing Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Choi Jung-Hoon went over to their of the dragon to put an end to this silly tug of war, all for the sake ofpleting that important task they had to finish, no matter what.
Seo Ah-Young trusted him.
There was literally nothing he couldnt do, if he really put his mind to it.
Seo Ah-Young was his superior officer, but if she were to be honest about it, pretty much all the important decision making was carried out by him.
She grew to rely on him whenever urgent situations rose up. That was why she trusted him to achieve a wonderful, storybook-like sess with this endeavor, as well.
But.... Why isnt he answering his phone? (Seo Ah-Young)
For some reason, Choi Jung-Hoon hadnt been answering his phone for a while now.
If today was like any other day, she wouldnt have worried too much. But today, he was in the den of Yi Ji-Hyuk. That made her worry.
Whenever Yi Ji-Hyuk was involved in their business, something seemed to go wrong almost every dang time. It was as if he was busy chucking debuff spells on everyone around him or some such.
....Theres no way, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
She kept telling herself this, while her car headed towards Yi Ji-Hyuks apartment. She knew that, at a bare minimum, she had to confirm for herself, otherwise shed never get any sleep tonight.
She arrived at the apartmentplex that was near total ruination, parked the car wherever there was space, and raised her head towards the targets apartment.
The light... is still on? (Seo Ah-Young)
What time was it already?
Seo Ah-Young became increasingly worried by the light shining out from Yi Ji-Hyuks apartment, but in the end, she resolutely gritted her teeth, firmed her will, and took a step towards the foyer of the building.
Although herte visit would definitely be seen as an impolite nuisance, she just had to confirm with her own eyes.
After arriving at the front door to Yi Ji-Hyuks apartment, Seo Ah-Young breathed in deeply.
Indeed, visiting someone elses home at such ate hour C encroaching on the early morning, even C would prove to be a big social no-no. But, if the thing she was dreading inwardly was happening for real, then turning around to leave now would be an even bigger personal no-no.
Whew!
Taking another deep breath, she pressed the doorbell.
After a short wait...
C Who is it?
My apologies for bothering you sote. Its Seo Ah-Young from the KS...
Ttuk!
Seo Ah-Young became dumbfounded at the abrupt end to the conversation through the inte.
Whats going on?
*SFX for an electronic lock being undone*
But very soon after, she heard the distinct sound of the electronic door lock being undone. The door flung open and Park Seon-Duk peeked her head out.
M, mother, how do you do? (Seo Ah-Young)
Her expressionpletely unreadable, Park Seon-Duk grandly groaned out.
Please,e in. (mom)
Thank you. Is Mister Choi Jung-Hoon with you, by any chance? (Seo Ah-Young)
Youll see for yourself once youe inside. (mom)
Excuse me? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young detected something bad from the way Park Seon-Duks expression crumpled, and unsteadily entered the apartment.
And then.... she saw it.
Is this deja vu? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, wait a minute, there was no gawd-dang way this was deja vu!!
But why was she suddenly under the assault of this undeniable feeling, that she had seen this sight before, not too long ago?!
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes twitched as if she was going through a 8.0 magnitude earthquake.
Go away and stop trying to stick close to me!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Havent you yed racing games before? Dont you know that your head moves along when youre trying to go around a corner real fast? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We are not ying racing games, are we?! What the!! Hey! Take your foot off the controllers cord!! Before you lose that ankle of yours!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Aigoo~, its hard to win even when you keep your eyes on the TV, yet you dare to look away? Thats why you keep losing, you know? Well, whatever. Lets just end this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell! Are you going to keep ying this way until the end?! This is a battle between men!! Your pride is at stake!! Cant you y in a fair and honourable way?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Win by any means necessary. Dont you know that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, you really y games like a crook!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why....
Even here.....
Did she have to witness that stupid sight?
Seo Ah-Youngs cheeks began twitching uncontrobly.
Just what on zing hell was Choi Jung-Hoon doing right now?
Why was he ying a video game on someone elses TV, in someone elses home?!
Fine, fine.
Such things could happen.
However, right now, it was past two in the morning.
What kind of crazy buffoon would y games in someone elses home at two oclock in the morning!!
....Mister. Choi. Jung. Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
Unfortunately, her low voice didnt reach its intended audience.
With this, its 20 wins and three losses. Why dont you admit your loss and quit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Admit? You telling me to admit?! Out of those so-called 20 wins, how many did you actually win fairly with nothing but your skills only? Lets carry on until 100 wins!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Were going to stay up the whole night at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wah!! Really?! What? Again!! How can you be this dirty?! A human being cannot go this low and dirty, can he?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs voice became much louder.
MISTER. CHOI. JUNG. HOON. (Seo Ah-Young)
Huh?!
Choi Jung-Hoon btedly turned around to look.
And then... he saw it.
He saw Seo Ah-Young looking at him with a pair of eyes that belonged to a demonic mass murderer.
What the.... but, uh... C, captain, just when did you.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Without saying another word, Seo Ah-Young clenched her fist real tightly and pounced on Choi Jung-Hoon.
*
My sincerest apologies. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon was on his knees, his face full of anguish and sorrow from the injustice he had been subjected under. Seo Ah-Young was next to him, also on her knees. They kowtowed to Park Seon-Duk and apologised wholeheartedly.
...No, well, theres really no need for you to apologise... (mom)
Its fine. Its fine. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won smiled brightly and epted the apology on behalf of her mom.
I truly did not know such a thing was taking ce here. As I am his superior officer, please ept my apologies, mother. (Seo Ah-Young)
No, really, its fine. (mom)
Even Park Seon-Duk was at a loss as to what she could say under the current circumstances.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was smirking on the side.
Well, its your fault for challenging me when you couldnt even win. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
mes erupted out from Choi Jung-Hoons eyes.
Lets use cordless controllers!! Yes, thats the way! Dont stick next to me, stay far away and then, lets see who wins or not! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
...Y, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
One more word from you, and Ill personally bury you six feet under. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing Choi Jung-Hoon crash and burn, Yi Ji-Hyuk became even more annoyingly arrogant in his demeanor.
I dont understand why he did this stupid, inane thing, but.... (Seo Ah-Young)
She had trusted him so much!
She believed he could pull it off this time, yet....!
I sincerely hope that you view todays incident as a disy of how much we wish to work together with you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm... Well, sure... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing that weak-sauce response, Seo Ah-Young sighed out under her breath.
She quickly thought about her options here. Should she retreat for now, sort out Choi Jung-Hoon and his erratic ways, and then try again at ater date? Or, stay and see this thing through till the end, right now?
No, we cant dy this any longer. (Seo Ah-Young)
She really didnt have much time left.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yep? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its time you make your mind up. (Seo Ah-Young)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you still not wish to work with us at all? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply, and simply stared at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Actually, the thing was....
He did find it fun, dealing with these people. But, he shouldnt base his choice solely on that.
Itll get harder to avoid annoying things from now on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had already showed off some of what he could do. Even if he decided not to get involved with the KSF, it was inevitable hed be under the constant surveince for the rest of his life. If he didnt want that, then the alternative was to smash the KSF apart. But whod stop the monsters afterwards?
Since Yi Ji-Hyuk was very much not interested in flying around everywhere trying to stop the monster invasion, the continued existence of the KSF was a must.
Long story short, he didnt mind entering the ranks of the KSF. However, the method of entering itself was a slight problem.
There are a few questions I wanna ask you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please ask. I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities. (Seo Ah-Young)
Firstly, if I were to work for you, what kind of employment am I looking at here? Am I an official government employee? Or am I working on a per-contract basis? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young nced at Choi Jung-Hoon.
But, you told me not to open my mouth. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, so you want me to make sure that you cant talk forever? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon fake-coughed a few times after hearing that threat, and began exining.
Although we say that the most of the ability users are hired by the KSF, not all of them are what youd call real employees of the KSF. Most of them are loosely tied to us, under the pretense of being managed by us. However, someone like Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wont be affiliated with the KSF. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Youll be assigned to a new agency thatll open its doors soon. This is a brand new branch of the government that will not be restricted by the KSFs policies. Itll be run by a select few elites, tasked with managing the incidents and the ability users found throughout the whole country. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze to Seo Ah-Young. Did that mean this woman would run that new department? Was the once-proud Republic of Koreacking capable people or something?
While worrying about the future of his homnd, Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded his head.
Fine, how will my terms of employment look like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here, take a look at this pamphlet, please.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk trembled slightly from the shock as he received the pamphlet from Choi Jung-Hoon. Just where did he find the opportunity to print this little thing?
Why was someone like him not selling insurance and was wasting away at a job this rotten?
Browsing through the pamphlet carefully, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head again.
Besides whats written there, the terms we told you before will be honoured, as well. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, as you can see, we have prepared the best terms we can possibly prepare, for you. Even if we wanted to offer more, its physically impossible. Please, for thest time, we implore you to reconsider our offer. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon breathed in deeply and continued on.
Work with us. Please. Right now, the nation of Korea, and the world, is facing its greatest threat. Your abilities will definitely be able to defend this world. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, yes. Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let Choi Jung-Hoons sincere, heartfelt plea enter one ear and leak out the other without caring much about it. He put the pamphlet down nonchntly.
...What is your answer? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm. My answer, is it. Fine, Ill give you one... But before that, I gotta make sure of one thing first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, its a bit awkward to say it out here, so why dont we meet again tomorrow morning? It doesnt feel right to talk about this at home, so find us a suitable ce, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head.
The meaning of him willing toe out and meet them was simple C Yi Ji-Hyuk was almost ready to cross the threshold of unwillingness and join them. So, there was no need to raise a fuss over this small matter.
In that case, we understand your intentions. Then, we shall be on our way now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I wont see you out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon and Seo Ah-Young apologised once more and left the apartment.
And after they exited from the building, Choi Jung-Hoon fished out a cigarette and lit it up.
Why did you do that? (Seo Ah-Young)
What do you mean? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What possessed you to y a game, of all things? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon smirked slightly.
So I could persuade Mister Ji-Hyuk, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And what are you even talking about now? (Seo Ah-Young)
The really important thing here is what Mister Ji-Hyuks thoughts are like. Me exining to his mother, that was the same as me exining directly to him, you see. You saw him sitting next to her, yes? That guy is the type that wouldnt give a rats a*s if somethings being exined to him, but whenever his mother is involved, hell show up and listen attentively. Hes the perfect example of an annoying person, who loves to do the exact opposite of what everyone asks of him. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, now that you put it like that.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Outwardly, even though it seems like his mother holds all the decision making rights, for our current problem at least, how Mister Ji-Hyuk perceives us is the most crucial part, maam. Our biggest hurdle was that, his first impression of us was not very good, which led him to hold a not-so favourable view of us. So, I had to do something to resolve that negative sentiments. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And so, you came up with ying video games? (Seo Ah-Young)
Wouldnt you say the end result was satisfactory? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It does feel like that way... (Seo Ah-Young)
While ying the game, if I won and pulled him in that way, Id say things wouldnt have worked out all that well in the long run. I lost deliberately enough times to butter him up, you see. Thanks to that, Im convinced he holds much more friendly intentions towards us now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, he isnt even a little kid, you know... (Seo Ah-Young)
No, thats not true. He is exactly like a little kid. Think about it. Mister Ji-Hyuk went missing at a young age. And he even lost his memories. In that case, his mental age is no better than a high schooler at most. And we both heard the stories from his student days, that he wasnt the most mature type of person, even back then. So, you see? A method befitting a kid needed to be utilised. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Seo Ah-Young had to admit that what he said sounded rather convincing. More or less.
This guy... he definitely has the skills of a con man, doesnt he? (Seo Ah-Young)
He sounded really convincing right now.
Okay, so whats going to happen now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Tomorrow, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk will feign defeat and agree to our terms, and join the KSF. I guarantee it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing that victorious smile on Choi Jung-Hoons face, Seo Ah-Young felt the waves of relief wash over her.
Yes, I wasnt wrong to trust this man.
This man, he is none other than THE Choi Jung-Hoon, after all! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Now that she thought about how this time-wasting tug of war wasing to an end soon, this feeling of refreshment began tickling her all over.
Unfortunately, though... they didnt know.
They had no idea just what kind of a man Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
Their defeat was guaranteed the moment they chose Yi Ji-Hyuk as their opponent. What they had failed to realise was that the price to pay for this slip up would end up quite ridiculously enormous.
< 52. If its a fight, then theres only one way! -2 > Fin.
Chapter 53: If it’s a fight, then there’s only one way! (3)
Chapter 53: If its a fight, then theres only one way! (3)
And just what is he doing...? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk looked at her son with quizzical eyes. Now normally, hed be busy pounding on the keyboard as if he was kneading bread dough, while ying that game of his. But, he was actually studying the contents of a website with a serious face.
She checked to see if he was reading a webnovel, but that wasnt the case, either. After all, her son already had this fixed posture when reading those novels C his torso leaning back, his legs perched on top of the desk, and snacks busy disappearing down his gullet...
Ji-Hyuk-ah, its already four in the morning. Why dont you catch some sleep first? (mom)
Okay, mom. After I finish checking this one thing first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you looking at right now? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked slightly.
Just, you know, this and that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing her son acting like this, Park Seon-Duk was ovee with anxiety. She certainly didnt feel assured, seeing that somewhat insidious expression of his.
Didnt you say youd meet up with those people tomorrow? (mom)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You sure you can handle yourself well? (mom)
Mom, Im dealing with those guys, so theres no need to fret, really. They are just a couple of dumba*ses, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, still.... (mom)
After a brief hesitation, mom finally spat out what was on her mind.
Im still unconvinced whether this is the right thing or not, son. (mom)
What thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you really need to work in a dangerous ce like that? I cant stop worrying about you getting hurt out there.... (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips twitched slightly while he looked at moms anxious expression.
How should he exin this...
Mm.... Mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, son? (mom)
You dont have to worry. Even if I start working for them, there wont be any... losses for us, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, the only ones suffering losses would be them, actually. Because, he was nning to drag as many Gates their way...
If he attempted to solo all those Gates by himself, hed not have enough time to rest, let alone get a good nights sleep. However, by surrounding himself with a number of capable ability users, the burden on Yi Ji-Hyuk would be decreased quite significantly.
Of course, those folks at the KSF wouldnt know what hit them, in the meantime.
Im sure they would eventually figure out somethings wrong, when so many Gates start appearing near them as soon as I join their little group... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If they already had thought of this, yet still wanted to get Yi Ji-Hyuk by their side, then that could only mean there was a bigger picture they were aiming for, but... for now, that didnt matter to him.
You see, I may have fooled around every now and then, but hell, Ive never led a foolish life until now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why wouldnt there be losses for us? (mom)
Mom, really. Im telling you, there wont be. Please rest easy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm... (mom)
Mom sighed out as if she was still unconvinced.
Its alright, mom. You had to go through so much already. So, let me treat you right from now on. Thats my duty as a son, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, your mom didnt go through all that much. (mom)
Ohh.... Youre probably right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was mistaken, somewhat. Now that he quickly thought about it, mom and the family had been living quite nicely until.... Until he came back, and everything seemed to go down the drain afterwards.
Dad even got fired from work, and almost got killed. Even though he tried to sound reassured, saying that its all good now his son had brought home a lot of dough, he mustve umted a lot of stress in thest couple of weeks.
Feeling the slight pangs of guilt, Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from the seat and began massaging moms shoulders.
Mom~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You are being creepy, so let go. (mom)
...Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She didnt even need three seconds topletely dete Yi Ji-Hyuk. He opened his mouth while looking like a sullen kid.
Theres nothing to worry about, mom. For real. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, truth be told, Im still confused about this whole thing. I mean, we need to move house out of the blue, and also, I have to sell the restaurant, too. I cant wrap my head around it all. (mom)
Im going to make lots of money from now on, so you dont have to work in a restaurant, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doesnt mean a person with a healthy body should do nothing and stay at home, son. (mom)
But, mom. You do chores around the house, so that should be enough. Right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats nothing much, my boy... (mom)
Mom shook her head as if that was nothing to sweat over.
But, it is something, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had already spent several hundreds of years cooking for himself, or for some unfortunate others. That was why Yi Ji-Hyuk knew oh-so well how bothersome and annoying doing the chores around the house could be.
Mom, a person cant continue living while doing only the things he or she wants to do all the time. We are supposed to adapt and change with the times, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was telling from the experience gleaned from the long life he had went through.
My son, youve grown up a little, havent you? Saying something like that to your mother and all. (mom)
Of course, he had grown up a lot, thats for sure. Since, you know, he was over a thousand years old and stuff...
Actually, he didnt know exactly how old he was. All he could vaguely remember was that a thousand-plus years did pass while he was stuck on that side.
Good thing, then, that his memories were frozen still. Otherwise, his brain might have melted by now! Or, he couldve even suffered a psychosis.
Well, there was no way a humans brain could store a thousand years worth of memories, after all.
Dont worry, mom. Ill take care of this. Trust me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm. I trust you, son. (mom)
Thanks, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk patted Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
By the way, what have you been staring on theputer until now? (mom)
What, this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned slyly.
This... well, basically, this is the method on how not to look like a fool. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh?
Unable to understand the meaning behind his words, Park Seon-Duks head tilted slightly.
*
And in the following morning...
For the first time in, like, forever, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the door to his wardrobe.
Huh.....
Looked like he needed to buy some new duds. Besides the ones bought at the department store not too long ago, there was nothing decent to wear.
Should I buy something while on my way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here, wear these. (mom)
Mm?
Hearing moms voiceing from behind, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to look. Park Seon-Duk was standing there with clothes in her hands.
Hul... Mom, what are those!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I bought these just in case, since we suddenly began having visitorstely. I figured you wouldnt want to go shopping with me again, so I went ahead and bought them (mom)
Mom, youre the best. Thanks.
However....
How did you find out my sizes? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk received the business suit with a face full of questions. As a high schooler, he did buy a suit, but there was no way hed willingly wear that now.
What was I even thinking while walking around wearing that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He mustve lost his mind really badly back then.
Yi Ji-Hyuk swapped out his clothes and stepped outside his room.
A simple change of clothes changes the perception of a person, doesnt it? (mom)
I look good, dont I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre my son, but even I.... (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled unsightly, and he left the apartment while grumbling out.
Im going now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Be careful, son. (mom)
Left alone at home, a long sigh leaked out of Park Seon-Duks mouth.
*
Hmm, hmm.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smoothed out his suit against the reflection of the elevators mirror, and smirked slightly. Kitted out in this semi-casual suit, he looked like a new person who was worth a million bucks.
Well, I was pretty popr back in Berafe, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The only problem with that... Well, I was popr with weird-a*s individuals, wasnt I. Most of them werent even humans, and those who were, they were all insane, too...
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered from the unpleasant recollection.
If he were to recall some of the worst memories from his stay in Berafe, those would have been the first one to pop into his head. Just how badly did he suffer because of those insane b*stards?!
Exiting the elevator without thinking too much, he was about to take another step, before he came to a sudden halt. He then looked around the foyer of the building.
Theres no way, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Definitely, no ways...
She... wouldnt, would she?
Eiii....
No ways. Shes a human, after all.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Excuse me....
Flinching noticeably, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly turned around.
....And, he spotted a rather familiar blondie acting all shy and the like, half of her body hidden behind a pir.
You?! You!! Why are you here?! Why?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
PLEASE STOP IT!!
You aint even some dang fairy living in a buildings foyer, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks exasperated inner monologue/screaming)
Please, here.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly received the gift Kim Dah-Som meekly handed over to him.
A scarf? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thought youd look good in one... (Kim Dah-Som)
Uh, sure.
After making his awkward reply, Yi Ji-Hyuk asked her out of curiosity.
Why arent you at school today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The schools on a break.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, really? Yeah, sure.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, of course. There was that huge chaos a couple of days ago, after all.
Okay, fine. But what are you doing here so early in the morning? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wanted to give you this scarf as soon as possible. Well, then.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som bade her farewell by lowering her head, and trotted away.
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the scarf with bothered eyes, before taking another look at his own suit.
And then.... he shuddered again.
This is so weird.
Why do I get the feeling that she matched the colour so perfectly?!
Seriously, anyone would be able to tell this scarf was meant for this suit!!
How the heck did she foresee that Id wear this suit today?!
Hell, even I learned of its existence only a few minutes ago! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
.....No, it must be a.... coincidence.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ha.
Hahaha....
*
Seo Ah-Young seemed anxious as she took another look at the time.
Its only been 30 minutes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Heste by 30 minutes. (Seo Ah-Young)
You werent seriously thinking that he would actually arrive here on time, were you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, that, I wasnt, but... (Seo Ah-Young)
Still, wasnt this matter incredibly important? He should at least try to arrive at the promised time!
Feeling sick with anxiety, Seo Ah-Young began desperately sucking in the Iced Americano with a straw. It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk entered the coffee shop.
Hmm? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ho-oh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing him wear a clean-cut suit like that, when they were so used to seeing him wear those worn-out blue tracksuit and a pair of wonky slippers, Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon found it very... odd.
It was as if they finally had encountered... a normal version of him.
We shouldnt lower our guards. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No matter how nicely dressed he was, the actual article was the same thing as before. The man they were going to deal with from now on was the worlds foremost wackjob, so they couldnt be caught with their pants down.
Huh. You guys came early, eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Early?
Of course, they were indeed early,pared to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The thing was, they had arrived at the cafe 30 minutes before the appointed time. So, basically, they had been waiting for one hour straight...
....And you arent thatte... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young did her best to suppress the rising tide of anger and formed a fake smile. Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon got up from his seat, and pulled a chair out for Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What would you like to drink? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm, what was it again? Fraf? I think its a slush, a smoothie, something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill order an appropriate drink for you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon raised his head, and an agent of the KSF waiting to take orders quickly approached him and... took the order for the drink.
Hoh? Its pretty convenient, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in satisfaction, after remembering the usefulness of ones high social standing once more.
He remembered that, in the past, hed order hisckeys around with a flick of a hand, which would result in the saidckeys excavating rare permafrost from the other side of the continent for his enjoyment...
Why would he do that? Well, he found freezing stuff with magic was just too annoying, that was why.
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuks drink arrived, Choi Jung-Hoon began the conversation in earnest.
Should we take your appearance here today, as your willingness to work together with us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons intense stare was trying to pressure Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded his head.
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As I thought! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon clenched his fists tightly under the table.
He did it!!
He caught the target!!
He had finally caught this irritatingly alluring big fish that teasingly waved those juicy fins at him all this time!!
Choi Jung-Hoon found it increasingly hard to suppress a victorious smile from breaking out. He knew very well that smiling too brightly right now would prove to be disastrous.
Youve made the right decision. I can guarantee that this decision is the best possible one you couldve made. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm. Well have to wait and see about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill make sure thats the case. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned his head in a strange manner.
Actually, theres something Im worried about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Regarding? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How should I put this delicately... You know, that old saying? Entering a toilet and exiting afterwards makes you a different person? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........?
You know, when a newbie private enters the army, the instructors would broadcast how well they will treat the precious son to the parents... And as soon as they go around the corner, out of earshot from everyone, they start hurling all sorts of abuse? That kind of situation. Get my drift? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eiii~. We wouldnt dare to do that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Well, I dont think so, especially after I saw how other people addressed a certain someone in this cafe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon silently red at the certain someone in this cafe.
And she hurriedly avoided his sharp, criticising re.
Well, that, uhm.... Mm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Unable toe up with a suitable, usible excuse, Choi Jung-Hoon ended up ring at Seo Ah-Young once more.
Seo Ah-Young continued to avoid him and instead, ordered another drink.
Shespletely useless! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That was why he always told her to curb that fiery temper of hers!!
In any case, he needed to control this situation, fast.
I give you my word no such situations will ur to you. Actually, I think youre under the mistaken assumption, as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im sure thats the case. But, still. Im a living, breathing person, so I cant help but be anxious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, believe in me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Believing in you... Thats a nice notion. But, unfortunately, theres nothing more empty and time wasting than believing in someone, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was talking from experience once more.
He had witnessed countless number of people getting killed in the most unexpected ways after they trusted and believed in the others. Hell, just the line formed from every one of those suckers standing in a row would be long enough to circle around a mid-sized city.
Mm. Okay. So, how will you...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked slyly.
I wish we could resolve this with nothing but words and promises, but well, life isnt kind enough for that. So, its better to make sure, dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Making sure, how? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As I was saying.... Like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out several documents from a bag he was carrying.
And these are? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Taking our sincere words and hearts, and converting them into texts that would exist in perpetuity; something we can share among us. These are the culmination of humanitys desire to make sure that promises are kept. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Taking a quick look at the documents Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed forward, Choi Jung-Hoons eyes began trembling.
These, could these be...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled brightly.
Its abour contract. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Choi Jung-Hoons expression crumpled almost instantly.
< 53. If its a fight, then theres only one way! -3 > Fin.
Chapter 54: If it’s a fight, then there’s only one way! (4)
Chapter 54: If its a fight, then theres only one way! (4)
Abour contract, you say? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why abour contract, all of a sudden...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Isnt everyone supposed to sign one, when getting a job in apany? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ording to thew, that was indeed the case.
However, how many times would thebour contract be used in a situation like this?!
Even before the advent of the ck Monday, the news programmes often carried the reports of government employees not signing one, so what was even the point of mentioning it in the current climate?
I feel like I havent asked anything too oundish here, though? Im going to be a civil servant, arent I? A dang civil servant, I say! However, you are not seriously suggesting that, as a fellow civil servant, you dont want us to sign abour contract? I thought this was all part of thew? Isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes, it is. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even Choi Jung-Hoon didnt have much to say when Yi Ji-Hyuk had cornered him like this.
Well, dont worry. Im not demanding ridiculous stuff here. Truth be told, even if I get employed by you guys, itd be like on the per-contract basis, am I right? Im just trying to lessen the... sorrows of being a non-regr employee, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The sorrows of a non-regr employee?!
Choi Jung-Hoon began gritting his teeth.
Do you have any freaking idea how many so-called regr employees couldnt go home, and had to work through weekends, just because of you?!
How dare a walking, talking serial destroyer of valuable time off from work say those words?! (Choi Jung-Hoons angry inner monologue)
Please take a look. We can always change around some stuff. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing that oily smile on Yi Ji-Hyuks face, Choi Jung-Hoon felt a vein pop out on his forehead.
Unfortunately, he had to stay professional here.
Choi Jung-Hoon sighed out and began browsing through the contract. And as he read it further down, his expressions changed more and more.
Excuse me, Mister Ji-Hyuk...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although Id like to honour whats written here.... Realistically speaking, there are many parts that will be impossible to do so. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? Such as? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
First of all.... here. The working hours will be, eight hours a day, and no more than 40 hours a week. This part here... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What about it? Isnt that the most basic, obvious thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked quite confident.
Actually, its impossible to do this, since we are constantly on standby to counter the Gates that could open up anywhere and at any time. So its impossible to have fixed working hours like this. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, so thats how it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young quickly added a side note.
Besides, what would you do if a Gate appeared in the middle of a night? You cant wait around doing nothing, you know? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk proceeded to dig out his ear canal and blew away the resulting matter off his fingertip, and replied nonchntly.
Looks like I made a mistake about something, huh. I didnt expect the world to have changed this much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean by that? How did the world change? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, well. You see, I didnt expect that the idea of working in shifts had evaporated in thest five years while I was gone. So, am I correct in assuming that firemen and police officers are on standby 24 hours a day, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Aigoo~. I didnt know that. I should check online again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, people still work in shifts. But, because our nning revolves around the worst case scenarios... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats none of my business, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Why should a new employee worry about thepanys bigger picture? Thats why thepanys upper management exist for. I just need to do my job and thats it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, youre not wrong there... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon searched for, and ultimately failed to find, the right sort of rebuttals.
Well, the truth was, the times had devolved to the point where there were many cases of certain things taking ce, that wouldve been called... illegal, if one elected to not look at them asmonly held practices.
Now that I think about it, even I think of them as par for the course nowadays, huh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He was also in a position of not going home for three days or more, so it was safe to he couldnt afford to worry about other peoples working hours.
Okay, lets say we overlook that part. But here, not working on Saturdays and Sundays are not eptable. The Gates wont discriminate whether its weekends or not. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, then we can reshuffle the days a bit. How about... two days off per week? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, hang on. That is just.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing this kind of reaction, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but snigger. It seemed that these guys were taking him too lightly.
Its too early for you to act like that, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You see, the real thing is still toe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out even more documents from his bag.
Well, thats just the standardbour contract. But were the so-called special case, arent we? So, there should be several unusual conditions we need to hash out beforehand. Am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
As if he was dering a war, Yi Ji-Hyuk pped the documents down on the table.
Why dontcha take a look? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons expression became gloomier.
*
Slurp~~
While carrying a big mug of smoothie in one hand, Yi Ji-Hyuk exited the cafe and lit himself a smoke.
Trying to pull a fast one on who now? Heh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had been making deals for nearly a thousand years already, so how dare they!
If he were tobine all those years spent in writing up documents and paperwork alone, it should easily exceed over fifty years.
Meaning, no matter how smart and fly Choi Jung-Hoon was, they were on twopletely different levels here. Completely!
Meaning.... Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt done something like this not because he didnt know how to, but simply because... He couldnt be ar*ed to. Thats it!
Looking through the shop window and finding Choi Jung-Hoon, with his hands half covering his head while studying the contract papers, Yi Ji-Hyuk began sucking in the smoothie slowly.
So delicious.
So amazingly delicious!
The thing was though, they shouldve been prepared to deal with this much if they were so dead-set on working with him in the first ce.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was the man who had climbed to the top in a world iparably worse and unfair than this one. Hell, he was hired as the executive administrator of a kingdom once, and ended up overturning its economypletely.
So, the likes of KSF?
What a bunch of amateurs. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, hed appease them here and there,ugh along at their jokes, do some odd jobs every now and then, but in the end, he was going to use them. That was all they were good for.
At first, itd be Yi Ji-Hyuk joining them, but in the end, these cute little piggies would end up bing his hands and feet, carrying out his will and stuff.
Besides, with that woman as their leader....
Where would he be able to find a more amateurish group of dumba*ses in this world than them?
Choi Jung-Hoon did possess a few parts about him that made dealing with him a bit cumbersome, but he was, in the end, still the easily exploitable type, so long as Seo Ah-Young was around to act as his foil.
An evil grin spread out on Yi Ji-Hyuks face as he inhaled the blue cigarette smoke.
For some reason, even the smoke tasted quite refreshing today.
*
....W, what are we supposed to do now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young anxiously asked, but all Choi Jung-Hoon could do was to shake his head in frustration.
Although he could do something about the arrangements regarding the working hourster on C he could even try to make it look like no such agreements took ce C but, dang it! These contract documents detailing each and every single promise the KSF had made towards supporting his family members, all meticulously prepared by Yi Ji-Hyuk no less, were huge bombshells ready to go off in the near future.
What will happen if we honour all these? (Seo Ah-Young)
Itll be an absolute chaos, actually. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What if we dont? (Seo Ah-Young)
Then, another kind of absolute chaos. Definitely. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze outside the cafe and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely smoking on the pavement. A long sigh automatically escaped from his mouth.
He really didnt expect this counter punch.
Perhaps, if he was dealing with someone else, he might have anticipated something like this. After all, there had been ability users in the past who hired their ownwyers and demanded that they were to be furnished with proper contract documentations.
However, just who on this Gods green Earth couldve imagined that someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk be capable of producing such tightly worded, no-visible loophole documentation like this?!
After all, he was talking about that Yi Ji-Hyuk!!
Wait, didnt you sayst night that hes like a little kid or something? (Seo Ah-Young)
........
Yes.... You said hes a kid, and there are methods suitable for dealing with kids, didnt you? (Seo Ah-Young)
........
What the hell? Wait a minute. Were you trying to lie to me? Bettere clean, you hear? You wanted to y the game, win, and solve the matters that way, but you ended up losing, so you came up with that excusest night, didnt you?! (Seo Ah-Young)
....N, no. Thats not the case... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For real? You telling me the truth here? (Seo Ah-Young)
The sweat drops of the mind AKA tears began forming on the edges of Choi Jung-Hoons eyes. He lightly wiped the corners, and stared into the heavens.
Hah, this thing called life...
How things change so quickly in one single day...
For now, thats not the important part here, maam! We need to fix this situation first! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont try changing the subject, okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
Argh, shes not falling for it. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon awkwardly licked his lips and smiled weakly.
I, I wasnt trying to change the subject.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahh! I dont care anymore! Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, you take care of this, you hear? Do you have any idea how desperately I had to beg and get berated in return by the brass, while trying to get the money to pay Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? I havent even found the chance to tell them about the expense for this deal yet! But if I show up with this nonsense, then Ill bepletely disintegrated by them! (Seo Ah-Young)
But, Im already being disintegrated here... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was about to say something, but licked his lips again and closed his mouth shut. Now wasnt the time to bicker over this.
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk reenter the cafe, Choi Jung-Hoons determination became firmer.
Have you made up your minds? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? Please go ahead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon sighed out and spoke.
If were to be honest here, from our perspective, we cant agree to the conditions found within this contract. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, looking past the conditions themselves for now, itd be an act of irrationality if we were to agree to this contract. If the matter of us agreeing to ites to light, then well, the issues regarding the problems within the funding of the agency and the unequal treatment would be raised, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, that is a possibility, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I promise you, Ill do my best to honour the promises Ive made. So, please, believe in me and.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even before the end of the sentence was reached, Yi Ji-Hyuk began packing away the documents.
...Mister Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, since our talk has broken down, I can go now, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? Go where? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Well, if no agreements can be reached, then this meeting is as good as dead, right? Since our dealings are over and done with, Id prefer it if you guys dont show up and bother me again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wha, what the! Hold on, Mister Ji-Hyuk! Wait! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You have something else to say to me? But, Ive nothing more to say, though? Todays Sunday, the day of rest, so lets not continue wasting each others time, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you rest every single day already, anyways! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Still unable to utter out the things bubbling in his chest, Choi Jung-Hoon reached out and held on to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Lets talk first! We gotta talk!! To say our meeting has broken down just because we couldnte to an agreement is too premature, wouldnt you say so? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its not premature to me, though... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sat back down on the chair and opened his mouth.
Okay, fine. So? What are you going to do? Tell me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Now that Choi Jung-Hoon had sessfully stopped Yi Ji-Hyuk from leaving, he had nothing to say. He basically had no carrots to dangle in front of his target.
He had nothing to offer, yet there was much he wanted from the other party, so it was only natural for him to start begging.
....Just when did he ever encounter a situation like this?
Choi Jung-Hoon repeatedly clenched and unfurled his fists to calm himself down. He realised that this approach wasnt working at all.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the end, youre nning on join us, arent you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If you agree to the conditions. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, no, I dont mean that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Choi Jung-Hoon took a straight aim and fired.
What is it that you really want? Please tell us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the man sitting on the opposite side and smirked slightly.
As expected, this Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt be taken lightly.
If he was born in the past, hed probably have managed to climb up to the upper political echelons, thats for sure. The nature of the current world had handicapped him in a way since, you know, there was a certain limit that one couldnt break past on his own talents alone nowadays, after all.
What I really want... is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze slowly drifted towards a certain direction.
....Uhm, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
And after receiving his gaze, Seo Ah-Young tilted her head in pure puzzlement.
However, when Yi Ji-Hyuks hot stares continued to stare with her, Seo Ah-Youngs face reddened slightly.
He mustve lost his mind. (Seo Ah-Young)
How was this the appropriate timing for such a thing?
No matter how big a wackjob he was, he should have been able to figure out that now wasnt the right time for this!
Feeling a bit weirded out, Seo Ah-Young squarely met Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze head on. Didnt matter if she had to use her good looks, as long as she could reel that man in!
Hmm. Well, I..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, speak to us. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young sounded a little bit proud just then.
Choi Jung-Hoon alternated his gaze between the two, unable to understand what was going on here.
Then, Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke up with a very serious tone of voice.
I.... All I want is... As long as this ahjumma promises not to abuse me, get angry at me, and doesnt try to overwork me to death! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
WHO THE HELL IS AN AHJUMMA, you son of a b*tch?!?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Look! Look! You see this? Hell, no!! Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, if you were me, would you choose to work for an ahjumma like her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, I agree with you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell do you mean, you agree?! Just whose side are you on?! (Seo Ah-Young)
At least for now, Im on Mister Ji-Hyuks side! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Finally, Choi Jung-Hoons umted anguish spilled out!!
I mean, seriously now! Captain, because you get p*ssed off at every little thing, nothing ever gets done, you know?! Thats why you cant find a date for yourself!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I havent found one, because Im not interested!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ohhh, really now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young heard that sarcastic retort from Choi Jung-Hoon, and almost right away, her venomous right hook deeply dug into his side.
Kkheuck!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The unbearable pain transmitted from his marrows and sobered him in an instant.
Okay, in any case. If this ahjumma can promise me that shell treat me right, then Ill join you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats nothing at all! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon red at Seo Ah-Young.
What now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hurry up and promise him, maam! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even I cant tell how Ill reactter on, so how can I promise that? (Seo Ah-Young)
Then, dont promise him and let this meeting end in failure! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young began trembling in rage.
But, but! This cant be right! Just when did I ever treat you unfairly until now, Mister Ji-Hyuk?! (Seo Ah-Young)
And they say those without self-awareness are the most scary ones... You cant be serious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Choi Jung-Hoon was nodding his head to the side.
Groan~
Seo Ah-Young let out a lengthy groan several times, before opening her mouth.
Okay. Fine. I promise you that Ill never treat you unfairly. Are you happy now? (Seo Ah-Young)
But, you dont sound sincere at all, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No conviction behind it, too. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the, this guy is really pushing my buttons today, isnt he?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young directed her serial-killer like stare at Choi Jung-Hoon. He flinched and quickly turned his head away.
She then breathed in deeply several times to calm down her heaving emotions and stared straight at Yi Ji-Hyuks face, before speaking up in no uncertain tone of voice.
Im seriously telling you, the things you are thinking about will never happen to you, Mister Ji-Hyuk. Also, youre definitely mistaken about something. If Im honest here, we would dare not get on your bad side. Actually, we find you... a bit intimidating. (Seo Ah-Young)
You mean, me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head.
One of the reasons why we wanted to work with you is... We are actually scared that you might go on a rampage. Yes, we also need your strength, thats true. So, thats why, Im asking you again, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Please join the new agency were creating. Well do everything in our power to ensure this new agency will solely fight for the sake of humanity. (Seo Ah-Young)
I dont really care about any of that, but just promise me that you arent going to take advantage of me or try to torment me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I give you my word. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, in that case, were a team, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon stood right up from his chair.
Thank you!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wee to the team! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled brightly and continued on.
Were not done yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached into the bag and began taking another document out.
Well forget about the previous contract papers. But still, I figured itd be prudent to prepare documentation thats a bit less technical and wordy, just in case something like this happened. And it did! It highlights a few sensitive areas that we need to make sure, so, if you could just sign here, and here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at the new pile of documents, and grandly sighed out again.
What a demon-like b*stard...
*
But, whatever the case might have been....
After a needlessly drawn out negotiation, Yi Ji-Hyuk agreed to join the KSF.
As an aside, Choi Jung-Hoon would grow to regret the very fact that this negotiation didnt end up as a failure for the rest of his life.
< 54. If its a fight, then theres only one way! -4 > Fin.
Chapter 55: If it’s a fight, then there’s only one way! (5)
Chapter 55: If its a fight, then theres only one way! (5)
He had decided to join them, but as it turned out, there was nothing for Yi Ji-Hyuk to do. The agreement was for him to start showing up for work only after Seo Ah-Youngs new agency had opened its doors first.
So, it was only correct and proper that Yi Ji-Hyuk got to enjoy a few more days of unbridled easy going life, but then....
Lets pack this one, too. (mom)
Moooommm....! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy dissuading his mom at the moment.
Now that the family had decided to move to the new district, mom was investing almost all of her time and energy in preparation of that.
And it was only fitting that Yi Ji-Hyuk was roped in as her sole helper, since Ye-Won was busy attending school while dad was out and about, trying to resolve his own issues AKA the matters of his employment.
The problem Yi Ji-Hyuk was facing right now, though... It was the fact that mom seemed tock a bit ofmon sense.
Mom! We already called for the pro packing service!! What are you doing?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, why was she trying to pack stuff, when she had already hired the professionals to do exactly that?
This was the same as going to a fancy restaurant, order a nice meal, and barge into the kitchen to cook it for yourself!
So, how could he not despair at this apparentck of logic?
How can I trust those people?! (mom)
Then, mother, why did you even hire them in the first ce??
Why are you spending all that money and yet, still ving away like this?
Why didnt you just simply hire a truck to move stuff from the very beginning? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to lodge hisints, but the violent suppression from the despot remained insurmountable.
Youre stillining?! What, you dont want to take yourputer with you? (mom)
Ive been packing things for nearly a hundred years, mother. What should I pack next? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A hundred years, my foot. (mom)
Seeing mom lightly brush aside her son, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt his fighting spirit ignite.
Was it only a hundred years? No?
What was packing, anyways? It was nothing more than bundling some random stuff together to make them easy to move around!
Yi Ji-Hyuk had spent decades in the Berafes military system, which was long enough for his soul to actually ascend to higher realms. And they repeatedly camped at night and went on a march during the day, so he certainly knew what he was talking about when it came to packing things!
These household goods were nothing!!
But... its so annoyingly bothersome. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that he thought about it for a bit longer, he realised that he rarely, if ever, packed things by himself. He let his subordinates do all the hard work, instead. With azy flick of a finger, no less....
Ahh... to think, I was a freeloader even back then....
...Mom, do we need to pack this, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You, just pack everything. Thats your job. Ill do the thinking and nning. Okay now? (mom)
....Roger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, as Yi Ji-Hyuk was being systematically flogged to death by the intense and demandingbour, a saviour suddenly appeared out of the blue!
Ding Dong!
Who is that? Just who could it be! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At this time of the day, just who....? (mom)
Since it was still in the middle of the day, the visitor(s) couldnt have been from the KSF C they only came around in the middle of the night, after all.
Go check on the inte. (mom)
Roger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks steps were light and airy as he went to pick up the inte.
Hello, who is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Is this residence of one Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Nope. Wrong house. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Click.
After hearing the baritone voice of a man over the line, Yi Ji-Hyuk promptly dropped the inte.
A door-to-door salesman at this time of the day? Huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ding Dong!
Yi Ji-Hyuk angrily snatched up the inte.
Hey, man! I said, he doesnt stay here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No, wait! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Sir! Its me, Jeong In-Soo!
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the intes monitor and tilted his head.
The military ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes, thats correct!
....Whatever youre selling, Im not buying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C N, no, thats not why Im here. I just came to show you my gratitude. (Jeong In-Soo)
Your gratitude? What for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C For what youve done for us thest time.... May I be allowed to enter? (Jeong In-Soo)
Hmm...
Yi Ji-Hyuk hung up the inte and unlocked the front door.
He found Jeong In-Soo standing there, kitted out in civilian attire while carrying a gift in his hands.
Wow, ahjussi! You look like a totally different person in a normal suit! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I believe the military uniform suits me the best, however. (Jeong In-Soo)
But, you look way younger this way, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, uh, thank you. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo smiled and entered the apartment.
Who is it, son? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk gazed at Jeong In-Soo with suspicious, alert eyes. Pretty much everyone that came to visit her son had been wanting something from him, so she couldnt help but be cautious here.
Hes an ahjussi from the military. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...From the military? (mom)
Park Seon-Duks voice became an octave colder.
This isnt much, but please... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo presented the gift he brought along to her.
And this is? (mom)
This is hanu, maam. I wasnt sure what to bring, but this seemed to be the most appropriate... (Jeong In-Soo) (TL: Hanu literally means Korean cattle; beef from Korean-raised cows, in other words. More expensive than imported beef.)
Oh, my! You didnt have to, you know? Oh, you must be thirsty! Please, have a seat. Ji-Hyuk-ah? Please go and fetch refreshments for the guest. (mom)
Mom, youre so easy to see through, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohohoho. I wonder what this boys talking about now? (mom)
Mom lightly patted her son on his back, and the faint killing intent could be felt every time her palm came in contact.
Ahh. Mom even learned how to do a Chon-gyeong, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Chon-gyeong is Bruce Lees famed one-inch punch in Korean)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sensed bottomless pit of power from her seemingly light taps on his back, and wordlessly went to the fridge to bring something to drink.
Oh, its quite alright, maam. There was no need.... (Jeong In-Soo)
But, youre a guest visiting my home. (mom)
After handing over the drink, Yi Ji-Hyuk settled down on the opposite side of Jeong In-Soo.
What brings you here today? I dont have to go to the army, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see, so youre not being drafted. But, I didnte here to discuss that. I only came today to express my gratitude from thest time. (Jeong In-Soo)
Last time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When the Gate opened up in front of this apartment. (Jeong In-Soo)
Oh, back then. But, still... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did I do something worthy of such gratitude?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in slight confusion.
Thanks to you defending us, more of my men were able to survive that days events. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo stood up from his seat and bowed his waist 90 degrees.
Once more, thank you very much. (Jeong In-Soo)
Uhm, you know, there is no need for you to go that far... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is no way I could ever repay what youve done for us. I was not nning on just repaying you with this simple gesture, and call it a day. Not at all. Although the road ahead will remain tumultuous, I will continue to search for the right opportunity to repay you for the kindness you have shown us in full. (Jeong In-Soo)
Eiii~.
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression was rather awkward as he shook his head.
And this is how a human being is supposed to act! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Look at how he was expressing his gratitude so sincerely like this, for something Yi Ji-Hyuk did out on a whim. It could only mean one thing: this man here was the model example of how a man should behave!
Compared to this man, the folks over yonder at the KSF were more like hairy beasts thatcked morals. Seriously now, just how much did he do for them already, yet they still were thinking of abusing him even more?
Should I change my mind and join the army instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even with the promise of the financial support, it seemed infinitely better to work for this Jeong In-Soo, rather than for the KSF.
Well, this man seemed far more upstanding and trustworthy, for one.
The truth is.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo carried on with a serious expression.
I was really surprised. (Jeong In-Soo)
Mm? About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You see, under such circumstances, youd never find an ability user stepping out to help the members of the De, meaning, non-powered regr people. They all choose to protect their ranks, instead. Usually. (Jeong In-Soo)
...They possess enough powers already, that was why. They can take care of themselves. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its true that the odds of your survival increases with the greater number of strong people near you. That is why, when an incident like thest time urs, the De suffers catastrophic loss of people. I cant say the same for the ability users, however. But thanks to you, we have avoided a big loss of life. Even some of my boys are saying that they view the KSF in a new light now. (Jeong In-Soo)
Im not a full time employee with them, though. Just a contractor. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahh, I thought as much. Indeed, if you worked for those people, you wouldnt have helped us out in the first ce. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head again.
What the, isnt his anger much more deep seated than it appears?
At a first nce, such a hostile rtionship seemed strange, but when one took a second longer to think about it, then it would be apparent that such emotions werent actually strange at all.
In Berafe, thousands of years had to pass before the boundaries between those who possessed powers and those that didnt, as well as the set of rules, were finally established and were understood by everyone living there. However, it had been only five years since ability users began appearing on Earth.
If you considered that, it wouldnt have been strange to see a bloody war breaking out between the two sides. Hell, from where he stood, it was far more strange to see the two unite to fight the monsters together.
In other words, you dont have a rtionship with the KSF, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Jeong In-Soo)
Thats the case. But I agreed to join them soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, so thats what happened. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo licked his lips in regret over the missed chance.
Indeed, it was a regretful thing, but now that Yi Ji-Hyuk had been ssified as an ability user, Jeong In-Soo lost the right to request the youths draft into the De. Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk did join the De, his management wouldnt be left to Jeong In-Soo, anyways.
The higher-ups would probably end up forming a brand-new special task force to handle him, instead...
What a regretful thing that is. It would have been quite wonderful if we could continue working together. (Jeong In-Soo)
We arent going to see each other often? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since youll be joining the KSF, we will run into each other several times in the future, but maintaining a rtionship like this one will be quite difficult. Well, the feelings we hold towards the other side arent what youd call friendly, you see. (Jeong In-Soo)
I dont really care about any of that, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, the organisations being what they are.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Organisations are created by peopleing together. Meaning, the said organisations should be mindful of the people, instead of other way around. Am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo formed a smile and nodded his head.
Those were the words that sounded just about righting from an inexperienced youth, yet, for some reason, it resonated with the veteran soldier.
What a mysterious youth he was.
Was that the only reason why you stopped by? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, I just showed up hoping for a chance. I thought about suggesting us working together if you havent joined anyone, but it seems that I was a bitte. (Jeong In-Soo)
Hmm? I thought ability users were exempt from joining the military, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You see, there has been cases of serving soldiers manifesting their abilities in the past. Also, even our side has given some considerate efforts into raising ability users as well. Our overall number of users are lower than that of the KSF, but currently, were almost ready to deploy them to the field soon. (Jeong In-Soo)
Oh, so some people manifested their powers after entering the army? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That sounded rather usible, actually.
Yes, sir. They have been transferred to a special unit to receive dedicated training. It has been over two years since the project has begun. (Jeong In-Soo)
Upon hearing that, Yi Ji-Hyuks body shuddered out of the blue.
T, two years? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Jeong In-Soo)
W, when will those guys be discharged? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo smiled awkwardly.
Well, the country is in an emergency situation, so.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly facepalmed.
It was already bad enough to get forcibly drafted into the army, yet, simply by manifesting ones powers at the wrong time, one would end up unable to leave, and forever serve as a soldier....
Just where in the world would you encounter such a makjang storyline?!
Where was the human rights for those people?!
Of course, they are nowmissioned officers. (Jeong In-Soo)
Isnt there a way to... not getmissioned at all, in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Truth be told, I havent heard of a case like that. (Jeong In-Soo)
...Devils. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if you are discharged, youll still be forced to work for the KSF. In that case, itd better to remain as a soldier, as youll receive a proper training off the approved guideline. If you are considering your own survival, its a better choice, I believe. (Jeong In-Soo)
Well, he wasnt wrong there....
In any case, is that everything youd like to say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo began surveying the surroundings as if he was bothered by something.
Theres no one eavesdropping here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You shouldnt believe everything those people tell you. (Jeong In-Soo)
Really, theres no one here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo took a bit of time considering Yi Ji-Hyuks nonchnt attitude, as well as what he was capable of, and finally nodded his head.
Alright, I understand. Then, I shall trust you. What I wanted to tell you, was... when you join the ranks of the KSF... (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes?
Jeong In-Soos voice became very low.
You need to be mindful of a man named Park Seok-Hoon. (Jeong In-Soo)
Park Seok-Hoon? Whos that now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Thats all I can tell you. I should get going before I overstay my wee. (Jeong In-Soo)
Oh, uh, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked to the door with Jeong In-Soo.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, allow me to say thank you once more. (Jeong In-Soo)
Come on, ahjussi. Its fine, I say. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks mind was in a weird state as he looked at Jeong In-Soo.
He found it quite amazing that a soldier who had encountered many life or death fights could express his gratitude to this extent.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been living on the battlefield for far too long now, which helped him in appreciating Jeong In-Soos personality greatly. But on the other hand, he also found it a bit regrettable, too.
This career military man, without a doubt, mustve been living in a whole different hell than others around him. In a warzone, people like him, with such personalities, they would try to endure and then endure some more, only to fail and lose themselves in the end.
The personalities of such a person, who cherished every single subordinate serving under him, wouldnt be able to ovee the grief stemming from all the losses.
Mm. Ahjussi? An advice. You shouldnt worry too much about it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Jeong In-Soo)
They were not your fault. Remember that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
Jeong In-Soo wordlessly hung his head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk could see his faintly trembling shoulders.
....Thank you. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo didnt say anything else, before performing a military salute. Then, he slowly walked away.
Who was that man, son? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk asked her son shortly afterwards.
Hes a Colonel from the De. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt he a really high ranking official, then? (mom)
Yep, he indeed is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And a man who had to endure just as much, too.
Now that I think about it... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was something not quite right about the state of the current world.
Monsters and ability users were appearing left, right, and centre, yet the whole world was functioning as it always had been.
Maybe, it has already begun... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What has? (mom)
Nah. Its nothing, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that only Yi Ji-Hyuk could sense the massive chasm cutting across the entire world at the moment. And well, that chasm would slowly but surely encroach ever closer, until it swallowed whole the entire world.
Mom, Im hungry. Gimme something to eat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What kind of a person gets hungry every three hours?! (mom)
Theres nothing I can do, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fine, fine. Wait for a bit. Ill prepare some food for you. (mom)
Ng, thanks mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had a feeling that these normal and unremarkable days wouldntst forever.
So, Yi Ji-Hyuk resolved himself to enjoy to the fullest the remaining period of leisure.
Soon enough, the days of hard slog would arrive anyways.
< 55. If its a fight, then theres only one way! -5 > Fin.
Chapter 56: It’s time to go home (1)
Chapter 56: Its time to go home (1)
Has Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk arrived yet? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs voice was cold and sharp.
Today was supposed to be a day of celebration, a day to rejoice. Yet...
Today was the historic day when the National Defense Force, the one shed been championing its creation for thest five years, would open its doors for the first time. Yet, Seo Ah-Young wasnt feeling so wonderful at the moment.
And no, it wasnt because there wasnt any celebratory opening ceremony, nor people congratting her lining the corridor of the building.
What the hell?! Just what time is it already?! (Seo Ah-Young)
No, what grinded her gears was the issue of one man, or theck of his presence at the office, who was supposed to show up for work starting from today.
No matter how tardy or carefree a person was, how could anyone with a working, functioning brain bete on his very first day by more than two hours? Such a thing would not be possible unless she was talking about the king of all ckers.
Have you called his house yet? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, and apparently, he left quite some time ago. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What about his mobile? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hes not answering. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young spat out a long groan.
I shouldve known. There is just no way that guy would quietly show up for work. (Seo Ah-Young)
Those are truly wise words, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Knock, knock.
It was then, someone knocked on the door to Seo Ah-Youngs office.
Come in. (Seo Ah-Young)
Kim Jae-Beom opened the door and peeked his head in.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has arrived. (Kim Jae-Beom)
....Tell him toe in and see me. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom hurriedly ran out and brought Yi Ji-Hyuk along.
And, as soon as Seo Ah-Young pped her eyes on him, she became utterly bbergasted from the mental shock.
She was okay with his puffed cheeks, that unhappy face of his. She also didnt mind his irritatingly arched eyebrows that seemed to make mockery of everything around him, too.
However.....
No matter what, a person shouldnt....
What the heck are you wearing to your workce?!?! (Seo Ah-Young)
....A person shouldnt show up to work wearing a faded, worn-out tracksuit, at the very least!!
Besides, if he was so dead-set on wearing a tracksuit, then he shouldve shelled out some money and buy himself something that was not so wrinkly and less shocking in its colour scheme!!
Why was a guy as loaded as him still walking around wearing that old-as-sh*t blue tracksuit?!
Is there a dress code or something that I didnt know about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Not really. (Seo Ah-Young)
So, its fine then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.................
Indeed, it was technically fine. After all, there was someone like Iron Park Sung-Chan who walked around half naked almost all the time, so...
Even with this fact, Seo Ah-Young couldnt, for the life of her, figure out why Yi Ji-Hyuks choice of duds got on her nerves way more than that of Park Sung-Chans.
If she looked at it objectively, then Park Sung-Chans fashion sense was a lot worse. Yet....
But, its your first day.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Actually, its more weird to think of the first day as something special, you know. If you live your life realising that every day is new and exciting, youd eventually realise that the so-called first days are nothing special in the first ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Again, those words didnt really seem wrong on the surface, yet....
Yet, why did they sound like utter drivel farted out by a stray dog when spoken by this man?
Okay, fine. Fine. However, why did youe inte? To bete on your very first day, isnt this just too much? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled in anger.
Hell, do you know how difficult it was to find this ce?! Seriously now, I havent ridden on the subway for years, yet the routes have all changed during that time!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he came back and rode on the subway for the first time in years, he was using the familiar route so it was all good. But, as soon as he tried to get to a new area hed never been to, he ended up getting very lost.
Hell, even after he exited from the correct subway station, he still couldnt locate the right building, so he had to walk around endlessly for a long while. Naturally, he was pretty p*ssed off at the moment.
That was why, I told you Ill start showing up for work after the family moved house to the new ce! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think this is a kindergarten for preschoolers or something?! You cant arbitrarily decide on when you want to show up, you know! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah! Why not? Doesnt look like theres much to do anyway! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....There will be, soon enough. (Seo Ah-Young)
Look at you, making everyone show up for work just because you dont want to be here all alone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
YOU!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young grabbed a bunch of documents to throw at her target, but Choi Jung-Hoon rapidly jumped in to stop her.
It hasnt even been two weeks! Not even two weeks since the agreement! Please, calm down, maam! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for Seo Ah-Youngs rapid, heavy breathing*
Seo Ah-Young closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing.
I mustve lost my damn mind.
What was I even thinking when trying to rope this guy in?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner anguish)
At this rate, Seo Ah-Young would keel over from a stress-rted illness way before she could start killing monsters....
So.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned his head at an arrogant angle and asked.
....What am I supposed to do here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For now, youre on standby. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon replied instead of Seo Ah-Young.
On standby, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Think of it as working at a fire department. Of course, there are still a ton of things to take care of in a fire department even without the request for dispatch. But, well, we dont have a lot to do without an incident taking ce. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont have a lot to do, huh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk liked this.
What a nicepany to work for!
By the way, this cant be everyone. Where are the rest of the employees? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The building itself was pretty huge, yet there was not many people inside. Hell, so far, he had run into only these three people in front of him.
Well, including that Gah-Yun girl, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he were to include the one not visible to the naked eye, then four.
Others havent finished changing their departments yet, so they will continue to join us as we move forward. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, okay. So, I am supposed to wait and be on standby, which means theres one important thing left to take care of. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
His eyes burning powerfully with conviction, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared straight at Seo Ah-Young and spoke in no uncertain terms.
Where is myputer!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hed not take not here for an answer!
Never!!
*
With an unreadable expression on his face, Choi Jung-Hoon observed Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The youth, as soon as he was guided to his desk, proceeded to switch on theputer and spent the next 30 minutes setting it up. And then, as if this was his own room, he settled down infort and began ying the video game in earnest.
....He was ying a dangputer game.
At his workce, no less!!
Choi Jung-Hoon spotted Seo Ah-Young trembling from rage a bit of a distance away, but it seemed that even she couldnt think of anything useful to say right now.
Well, it was Seo Ah-Young who told him to remain on standby since there was nothing to do. But, even though she disliked this sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk ying aputer game during working hours, she was fearful of what might happen if she gave him some task to perform, so she couldnt even do that. (TL: No, I did not make a mistake here. The raw said it was Seo Ah-Young, not Choi Jung-Hoon...)
But, Im pretty sure this guy has some kind of hidden talent. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Judging from how the youth carefully and meticulously dug into every little legally binding details within the contract, Yi Ji-Hyuk was definitely not an uneducated dummy.
No, considering how he was able to manipte the flow of the negotiation and pushed Choi Jung-Hoon and Seo Ah-Young to the brink like that, it was more than likely, he was an incredibly shrewd/smart person.
That was one of the reasons why Choi Jung-Hoon didnt mind giving Yi Ji-Hyuk some sort of official tasks, but...
But, surely, hed find a smart way to royally screw it up... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon would rather kill himself instead of seeing that happen.
Regardless of what others were thinking of, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply concentrated on the game and nothing else.
*SFX for rapid typing of the keyboard*
Look how fast he types.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Fast enough to type thousand letters in a minute, probably....
To think, such an outstanding speed was utilised solely on ying aputer game. Choi Jung-Hoon found it both mystifying and at the same time, quite pitiful.
However, the one thing he couldnt stomach any further was...
Jesus H. Christ. This guy sucks donkey balls! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He was pretty good (?) when ying a fighting game, yet as soon as he grabbed a mouse, he became an utter tool.
Plus, Yi Ji-Hyuks screen was in full view from where Choi Jung-Hoons desk was. It was as if this arrangement was made so in order to further torment Choi Jung-Hoon with the awfulness of the youths gaming skills.
This is really getting on my nerves. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon wanted to say something.
Wait, you! You werent supposed to go there, you idiot! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did he suddenly go blind or something? Why was Yi Ji-Hyuk walking straight into the opposing teams base camp? Even Choi Jung-Hoon could see that from his desk so far away, so howe Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt?!
Choi Jung-Hoons body involuntarily moved several times.
No, no. Calm down. Calm down, me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon breathed in deeply.
He could not afford to waste his attention on things as unimportant as this.
It was only the first day. She was already fuming at the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk was wasting time ying games, so if Choi Jung-Hoon decided to divert even a sliver of his attention to that, then the me Witchs fury would explode right in his face.
Today was a historical, monumental day! The day that the National Defence Force, aka NDF, opens its doors!
So, he could not afford to make a scene here....
Euh-ah-aht!! I cant hold it anymore!! You!! You are not supposed to go there, you dumba*s!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you blind?! Why are you stumbling your way over there?! Cant you see the minimap on the corner? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not eh, you dimwit! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt endure anymore after seeing that stupid look on Yi Ji-Hyuks face, so he ran out from his desk, brushed the youth aside,mandeered the mouse, and began busily clicking away.
Look, its over here, here!! Why are you deliberately getting surrounded by the enemies?! You should escape when there are lots of them near you! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As a man, running away is too shameful. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This is a game, not real life!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even if its a game, theres no retreat! Thats true manliness!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Are you insane? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon swept his gaze up and down the body of Yi Ji-Hyuk out of pure disbelief. But then, he flinched greatly after sensing a fiery gaze stabbing powerfully into his back.
When he turned his head around, he spotted Seo Ah-Young shaking from raw fury over yonder; a thick, pulsing vein was visible on her forehead. She looked like a demoness straight out of hell.
.......Ahh, uhm, I was... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You. Get. Out. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Without saying another word, Choi Jung-Hoon slinked off outside the office.
Hey, hold up. Lets go together. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk giggled in delight and apanied Choi Jung-Hoon outta the door.
It was a chance to sneak in a smoke break, after all!
Seeing the two exit from the office, Seo Ah-Young slowly double facepalmed in despair.
Were ruined. (Seo Ah-Young)
It was only the first day, yet the things werent looking up.
*
Why did you give me advice in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled, a cigarette hanging loose on his lips. Choi Jung-Hoons expression was a lot moreplicated as he sucked on his.
Anyways... That woman, shes really high strung, isnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean, the Captain? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep.
Indeed, Seo Ah-Young was a bitpulsive and high-strung. Sure.
However!!
You arent qualified to say that out loud, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon red at him with cocked eyebrows, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders nonchntly.
Well, shes got a lot on her te, you see. She might seem highly strung on the outside, but she actually cares quite a lot. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah, if she cared any more, someone might end up getting killed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Im being honest. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you juste out and say you dont believe me, why dontcha... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
At any rate, following the orders of the Captain to the fullest makes our lives that much easier. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, I understand. Oh, by the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
Whens the lunch break? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At least pretend you were listening to me! At the least! Holy cow. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Thinking about the horrifying futureying await for him, Choi Jung-Hoon silently wiped the tears oozing out from his heart.
*
Please, please tell me which crazy fool suggested we bring in that crazy son of a b*tch. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, but! It was you, maam! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon once more swallowed back the words trying to burst out from his chest.
Yi Ji-Hyuk yed hisputer game throughout the day, and when the time came, he ate his lunch on time, and now, he was literally pouring the packets of snacks down his gullet, while giggling out like a loon. Incidentally, he was looking at aedy website at this very moment.
Unable to continue observing this craziness, the trio of Seo Ah-Young, Choi Jung-Hoon and Kim Jae-Beom exited the office and held an impromptu meeting by the corridor.
Please, do something about that guy. I cant concentrate on my work like this! (Kim Jae-Beom)
When Kim Jae-Beomined loudly, Choi Jung-Hoon shot him a re.
Well, uh, Im just saying.... (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom slowly backed off. Choi Jung-Hoon let off a lengthy groan several times.
There is one way to handle this. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Tell us. (Seo Ah-Young)
We iste him. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon remained logical, even now.
Its actually the best to avoid iing storms. Getting mixed up in one would only result in great damages. So, lets just assign him a room and let him y by himself in there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Im really saddened by the fact that I find your idea very good. (Seo Ah-Young)
Im also saddened by it, but theres no other way. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That dastardlybour contract!
If it wasnt for that, they might have been able to do something by now...
His sudden demand of clearly ssifying what he was back then C whether he was an office worker or an on-site field agent C rendered Choi Jung-Hoon and Co. utterly powerless.
Fine, fine. He was now pegged as the so-called field agent. Fine, but what the heck was up with him and that bloodyputer!
Hah......
Oh, dear mother. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon felt like tears would flood out of his eyes as he thought about his dearly-departed mother.
Oh, mother....
Just as Ive grown fully ustomed to the Witchs antics, a new monster has arrived on the scene.
And this new monster, I dont know where to even begin... (Choi Jung-Hoons sorrowful inner monologue)
*SFX for a phone vibrating*
It was then C the distinct noise of a phone vibrating could be heard, and Kim Jae-Beom quickly pulled his out from the pocket.
Looks like youll have to dy the thing about istion chamber for now. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Choi Jung-Hoons and Seo Ah-Youngs gazes fell upon Kim Jae-Beom.
Its a mission. (Kim Jae-Beom)
It was their very first assignment.
*
Haaaa... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the Gate and let out a long groan.
Here he was, facing a battle on his very first day at work!
What kind of BS was this?
All he had to do was toze around for a bit longer. But, why did a request for a dispatch have to arrive with such a terrible timing!
Why are we even here on our first day?! Why! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks pointless and also seemingly endless barrage of questions, Choi Jung-Hoons lips formed a bitter smile.
What can we do, when a Gate decided to open up for us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Besides that, why here of all ces? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, this Gate had appeared a few days ago. But now, they have requested for our presence since it is almost ready to open up. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Isnt there someone else in charge of this jurisdiction or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, there is, but... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He would definitely get p*ssed off if I tell him that the higher-ups pushed this assignment on us to gauge the strength of the new agency.
I too know this is quite unfair. We dont even have our full quota of employees yet. So, whats with this gauging the strength bullcrap? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
But, since Choi Jung-Hoon drew his sry from the government coffers, he had to abide by what the brass told him to do.
Its getting close to opening up now! (Seo Ah-Young)
At Seo Ah-Youngs deration, Choi Jung-Hoon nervously shouted out.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, I know. I know already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stuck a cigarette to his lips, lit it up, and trudged towards the direction of the Gate.
Seeing him so carelessly approach the Gate like that, the soldiers from the De and the local KSF agents cried out in rm.
What the hell?!
Is he insane?
Although the shouts of surprises and shock came from pretty much everywhere, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt show any particr reaction and continued to approach the Gate.
*SFX for vibration*
The Gate issued a screech and began opening up. At the same time, monsters began pouring out.
What the hell do you want now, you piece of sh*ts?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The soldiers of the De fell into a panicked confusion, not knowing whether to fire their weapons or not, since they werent aware of Yi Ji-Hyuks identity.
They knew they had to shoot, but then, there was a person standing there!
*SFX for beasts howling*
Giant bipedal wolves poured out from the Gate while roaring out loudly.
Werewolves? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned deeply.
But, such monsters shouldnt even emerge from a small Gate like that!
Werewolves jumped out in droves, and the first ones to emerge pounced on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Oh, so its dogs this time, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
*SFX for beasts howling*
Yi Ji-Hyuk avoided the rushing of the howling Werewolves and dodged to the side.
And then, he threw a nce at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Fire!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With Choi Jung-Hoons loud shout, the guns of the De began unloading their bullets in rapid session.
Those Werewolves that were too busy chasing after Yi Ji-Hyuk, were all exposed to the gunfire.
Die!
Boom!! Booom!!
Multiple ymores went off one after the other.
Afterwards, it was revealed through the thick smoke that the Werewolves werent dead. They were simply bloodied and wounded from the barrage of bullets and shrapnel. Their bloodshot eyes were gleaming with killing intent, as the monsters growled out in anger.
This isnt enough? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze towards Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
And at the moment, the youth was busy kicking the living c**p out of two Werewolves that jumped at him.
What the.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Why was he wasting time ying around like that, instead of blowing them away in one shot?
Captain! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Deploy the ability users! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs cold and sharp voice resounded out; the waiting close-quarter KSF agents dashed out to tangle with the approaching Werewolves, and the long-distance agents relied on their individual abilities to target the monsters from afar.
However, these Werewolves proved to be tough customers.
Arent they stronger than expected? This, at this rate.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, it was then.
KWABOOOOM!!
A huge deafening explosion shook the earth.
W, what the hell?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Scared silly by that noise, Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly looked towards the origin of that explosion.
And there, Yi Ji-Hyuk was standing upright as if it was a matter of course in a crater. Every single Werewolf that had been surrounding him only a few breaths ago, had been all turned into a mountain of meat paste.
The soldiers, the ability users.... Hell, even the Werewolves, could only look on at this unbelievable sight with totally dazed expressions.
As the blood of the Werewolves rained down from the sky, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth with a huge frown on his face.
Hey, Captain? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Uh, y, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young replied back, her voice shuddering almost imperceptibly.
That man, why was he so angry all of a sudden?
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly opened his mouth once more.
....Its time to go home now.
< 56. Its time to go home (1) > Fin.
Chapter 57: It’s time to go home (2)
Chapter 57: Its time to go home (2)
How can you even think about going home under the current circumstances?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red unhappily at Seo Ah-Young.
Who cares even if its a war?! I still need to get off work on time! Dont you know how important leaving work on time is, for a sryman like me?! You better not try to lump me with sneaky unpaid overtime, you hear?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If six oclock was designated as the time to leave, then six oclock it shall be!
And no, hed definitely not ept the attempt by his so-called superiors to push overtime under the pretext of finishing up the days work!!
Seo Ah-Young shuddered from pure rage, before screaming out to vent out her feelings.
You, you werete this morning, you b*stard!! You came inte, dont you remember that?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seeing her like this, Choi Jung-Hoon ended up facepalming himself.
Oh, dear lord. You arent supposed to throw a tantrum! You should be issuing out orders instead, you idiot! Why are you fighting with your own subordinate in the middle of a battle?! (Choi Jung-Hoons exasperated inner monologue)
Ah?! Just because I waste, I must leave workte, too? Says who? Deduct it from my sry! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill definitely deduct it, then!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah!! Deduct all you want from that pathetic little pittance you call sry! No ones going to notice it anyway! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His bank ount was bursting at the seams because of all the cash he possessed, so who the eff cared about the small sry of a government worker? Not him, thats for sure!
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
....Excuse me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon soothed his aching heart and opened his mouth. It wasnt only him, though C even the Werewolves seemed very confused at the moment...
Regardless of what was happening around her, Seo Ah-Young remained steadfast.
You cant! You cant leave! Wanna go? Then, clean up this mess first!! (Seo Ah-Young)
I, dont, wanna. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
mes balls erupted out from Seo Ah-Youngs clenched fists.
Eheii!! No!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon clung onto Seo Ah-Young to stop her.
Stop! This isnt the ce to throw jokes around, you know!! We are in the middle of a battle, maam! A battle! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Jokes? JOKES?!?! Do I look like Im joking around to you! You just get the paperwork for the workce injury ready! Cuz! identally! mes! Will! Fly! Over there! And!! Hell get injured by ident!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Huh. Busy saying something no sane person would believe... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young turned off the mes in her hand and pounded on her chest for a bit, before shouting again.
If you wanna leave quickly, then quickly take care of this mess!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear canal while standing in a rather irritating manner, before....
But, its past the office hours, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....He blew the resulting matter off his fingertip, straightened his back, and spoke up.
If you find it unfair, why dont ya dy the time I need toe to work by a couple of hours, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, at what time do you wish to show up for work?!
You were supposed to arrive at nine, yet today you ended up arriving near the lunch break instead, you b*stard!!! (Seo Ah-Youngs angry inner monologue)
You....!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was about to shout out something, but then...
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head slightly, before whispering in her ear.
By the way, hasnt the subjugation more or less finished already? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Now that she took another look around...
The massive explosion Yi Ji-Hyuk caused, had killed off more than half of the initial Werewolf horde, as it turned out. And as for the rest, they had gathered at a corner, shivering out of pure terror.
Why dont we quickly sort this out? Since it seems that he has done what we asked him for. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young btedly regained her senses after hearing Choi Jung-Hoons words, and quickly surveyed her surroundings once more.
And after seeing those stunned eyes of everyone else that screamed Did those two lose their dang minds?, she btedly realised that it was indeed very unwise for her to keep fighting here.
After all, there was a real danger of her precious, newly-established agency beingbelled as a home for nutters and crazies if this c**p kept up. And it was still their first day!
Groan~...
Seo Ah-Young let off a long, pained groan and waved her hand dismissively.
Fine. Fine. Go away. You can leave. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deeply and quite politely bowed.
Okay, Im going home now. Everyone, you worked hard. Take care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow. How polite.
So damn polite.... (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
After doing his bowing thing, Yi Ji-Hyuk began whistling leisurely as he walked away from the Gate.
There might be casualties if we try to finish up here by ourselves... (Seo Ah-Young)
When Seo Ah-Young let out an exasperated sigh, Choi Jung-Hoon formed a mysterious smile.
There are always solutions if you look for one, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly ran up to the escaping Yi Ji-Hyuk, and whispered something to the youth.
What now...? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young had no choice but to stare at the two of them for a while longer.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head this way and that after listening to Choi Jung-Hoons words, before he abruptly turned around and ran back towards the remaining horde of Werewolves.
Euh-ahahah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He drop-kicked the nearest Werewolf into the sky and began shouting out loudly.
Come and get some, you stinking b*tches!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young couldnt help but ask Choi Jung-Hoon while seeing the youth go absolutely mental as he began massacring the monsters.
What... Just what did you tell him? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, that? It was nothing much, really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon grinned brightly.
I asked him if he was prepared to ride the subway for the next two hours just to get back home. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Huh? (Seo Ah-Young)
I told him that Id give him a ride back if he quickly killed them all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
..........
I also added that the faster the subjugation, the faster hed get home, as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young dazedly shifted her gaze towards Yi Ji-Hyuk, who was in the middle of grabbing a Werewolfs snout and yanking its tongue out.
No matter how wonderful it was to get off work, how could anyone throw such a crazed tantrum just so he could go home a bit earlier?
What a scary guy... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs body trembled slightly.
Then, she remembered something else...
But, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, I thought you dont have a car anymore? (Seo Ah-Young)
And then, it was Choi Jung-Hoons body that began swaying weakly.
Oh, god. My car...
My sweet, sweet ride...
My poor, poor sweet ride, with its roof torn away for no good reason.... I havent even finished paying for the installments yet... (Choi Jung-Hoons anguished inner monologue)
Theres something Ive been meaning to ask you rted to that, maam... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, my insurance says my case is a bit... unique, because what happened back then couldnt really be called an ident, ording to their evaluation criteria... So, I was wondering if its possible to lodge an official financial im to the agency. You know, since it was a work-rted matter. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You know very well its not possible to do so, when it happened on site, so you shouldnt even try your luck. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon took a step back. And soon, Seo Ah-Young could hear a mans sorrowful sobbinging from behind her back. She felt really bad about it, but what could she do?
And it was such an expensive car, too... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, the scrap yard treated every car as equals...
As Choi Jung-Hoon was busy wiping away his manly tears, Yi Ji-Hyuk was almost done with beating the living daylights of the Werewolves. He got ready to kick the c**p out of thest one.
This is the END!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
SLAM!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked the head of thest Werewolf as if it was a ser ball and lightly dusted his hands. Then, as he approached Choi Jung-Hoon...
Its all done. What the.... Why are you crying? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not crying. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, it looks like youre? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, Im not. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, hang on. I can see some sort of liquid on your... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre mistaken. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Lets leave it, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, a man was supposed to cry alone in silence, anyways....
*
After begging her for a long while, Choi Jung-Hoon sessfully borrowed Seo Ah-Youngs car and drove Yi Ji-Hyuk to his home.
Okay, Im going now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Ji-Hyuk? Please, try your best to arrive on time tomorrow morning... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im telling you, I didnt do that because I wanted to! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll work out if you leave your home a bit earlier, just by a bit. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Fine, fine. I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled to show that he had enough of this nagging by now. Seeing that face, all Choi Jung-Hoon could do was spit out lengthy sighs.
Since when did the plea for arriving on time be the annoying words of nagging?!
Seriously, there was a limit to how screwed up this world was, already!
Choi Jung-Hoon pounded on his chest while watching the back of Yi Ji-Hyuk disappear into the building.
Just why did you have to bring him in.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No matter how quickly you regretted something, it was always going to bete C this was the indelible truth that Choi Jung-Hoon had btedly realised just now.
*
Next morning.
Argh, this is so annoying... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stepping out of his house at exactly nine in the morning, Yi Ji-Hyuks face was full of frowning lines andints.
Just who came up with the concept of going to work?
Im so gonna kill that sonab*tch!!
Even today, I couldve had it easy, rolling around in bed and doing nothing! Until mom started beating me up, that is... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hah... Am I supposed to get on those confusing subway lines again...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to console his aching heart that felt the pain of all srymen around the world, someone waiting for him out here got into action.
*SFX for a cars horn ring*
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he heard the horn and turned his head around to look, he spotted a white three-door vehicle.
What the... Didnt I get a ride on thatst night? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner thoughts)
The window rolled down and Choi Jung-Hoons head peeked out. There was a grin etched on his face.
Get in. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul....
This job, this pany... Its insane!
A superior officer came to fetch a subordinate!!
Its so.... creepy!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with an abhorrent expression, before he slowly climbed into the car.
Well, it was still better than trying to get on the correct subway, thats for sure.... Besides, he wasnt going to drive anyway, so...
Whats going on? Why are you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I came to give you a ride, in case yourete again. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, Im alreadyte, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I did wait for an hour, but its fine. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youre making me a bit apologetic, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not a bit!
Dont you know how to speak Korean?
You cant use a bit under the current circumstance!
A superior officer from your work waited for you for over an hour, so is it so wrong to feel a bit apologetic about it, you damn b*stard?! (Choi Jung-Hoons angry inner monologue)
Although there were a ton of things he wanted to say, they had to remain in his mind. Choi Jung-Hoon simply smiled as always and kept on driving.
I really ought to talk to a shrink, soon... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Before he keeled over from stress, for sure.
By the way, our ce is really something, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Theres no one there, and weve got nothing to do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no. Thats only because we havent finished organising yet. The rest of the agents havent arrived yet, either. Oh, there should be one more new member joining us today. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youll get a huge shock when you get there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
You see, youll end up recognising this member. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
What the... This guy already knows well that the extent of my social circle is as big as a single brain cell, yet he ims Ill recognise this person? (Yi Ji-Hyuks confused inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyukid out all his personal contacts within his mind. And among these small list of people, he couldnt really put a finger on who could be an ability user at all.
Someone from the office? Hmm...
Before Yi Ji-Hyuk could solve his riddle, the car arrived at the NDF building. Seeing that modern white building gleaming under the sun, he sighed out loudly.
If he saw it while walking around unawares, hed call the design of the building quite nice, yet why did the same building feel like a prison now that he was working there?
While being cognisant of the cruel trickery his mind was ying on him, Yi Ji-Hyuk exited the car and trudged towards the building.
*
As soon as he stepped inside the office, he was greeted by Seo Ah-Young and her ring eyes.
Cant you show up on time?! (Seo Ah-Young)
But, I rode in Vice Captains car today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After listening to that shameless reply from Yi Ji-Hyuk, her res shifted towards Choi Jung-Hoon, causing him to feel very much wronged in an instant.
What the?! What do you want me to do, when he didnt want toe out of the house? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, to think.... he already had c**p ton of things to do, and now, he even had to y a chauffeur, too!
What the hell.... Why did I even do that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Couldnt anyone do that? You know, driving someone to work?
Why was a high-value individual like himself doing this meaningless work in the first ce?!
After all, he had subordinates, didnt he?!
Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his zing eyes over to Kim Jae-Beoms direction.
Sensing that burning gazending on him, Kim Jae-Beom flinched and avoided meeting it in a hurry.
What the hell! Thats not my fault to begin with! (Kim Jae-Beom)
If they were to start picking faults, then he surely was innocent! If they were looking for the origin of this, then the person responsible was right here....
Kim Jae-Beom shifted his zing eyes over to Yi Ji-Hyuks...
Whatcha want now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no, its nothing... (Kim Jae-Beom)
....He couldnt shift his zing eyes over to Yi Ji-Hyuks direction and instead, crumpled under the pressure.
Too bad for him, the game of passing-the-me couldnt bepleted.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the flinching Kim Jae-Beom busy avoiding his gaze, and stretched his limbs out quitezily. For some reason, he felt a wee bit lethargic and fatigued.
Argh. Im so tired already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from his seat and headed outside the office. Seo Ah-Young shouted at him.
Where do you think youre going? You just got here! (Seo Ah-Young)
To the john. What? You wannae along, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan...
Actually, he was going out for a smoke break but, oh well. Yi Ji-Hyuk shut the door behind him, fished out a cigarette, and tried to leave the building altogether.
I cant even breathe in there! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even the airs different!! The dang air!
What a rotten workce.
The air should be the same no matter the ce, so why is the air in the corridor feel so stuffy and overbearing?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks innerints, part 1)
Hey, you. (??)
Argh, I really want to quit this stupid job! Its only been two days, yet why do I find this whole thing so unbearable?!
I hear there are some people whod rather work for the rest of their lives. Gee whiz, I wonder how they do that. I gotta show my respect to those people for real... (Yi Ji-Hyuks innerints, part 2)
Hey! (??)
Ahh... I wish I could return to Berafe... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I used to live like an emperor back then. Why did I return, only to live like an office ve...? (Yi Ji-Hyuks innerints, part 3)
Heeeeyyy!! (??)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head swiveled towards the source of the noise.
Whos calling me?
He looked around, but found no one.
Am I hearing things? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, you aint. (??)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gaze fell towards the floor.
And he found a small girl, just about tall enough to reach his chest, standing right in front of him.
Oh. Did you get lost or something, kid? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
K, kid? Hah...... (??)
The kid got furious at him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was, naturally, unfriendly towards kids. So, he simply waved his hands in a dismissive fashion.
Cmon now. Go over there and bother someone else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you! Dont you know who I am? (??)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont you know that I am older than you? Also, Im your senior too! So, what the heck do you think youre doing? (??)
Eh? My senior? Older than me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sized up this girl, from top to bottom.
Actually, Yi Ji-Hyuk was slightly taller than an average Korean male. As for this girl, she was only slightly shorter than an average Korean female. Also, she simply looked young because she was so petite and her facial features were reminiscent of a childs.
But, regardless of all that....
Stop kidding around, or Im gonna scold you good, you hear? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks words provoked something in the little girl. Her expressions crumpled in anger and she threw a kick towards his shin.
Pow!
....And then, she got flung away, instead.
Hul. Oops. You surprised me, and I ended up counter attacking you out of reflex. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk casually mouthed some words that didnt contain one trace of apology, sucked on his cigarette and while whistling, walked away leisurely.
HEY!!! You! Stop right there!! (??)
....Did I hear a dog barking somewhere or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 57. Its time to go home (2) > Fin.
Chapter 58: It’s time to go home (3)
Chapter 58: Its time to go home (3)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lit his cigarette and deeply sucked in the resulting blue smoke, before slowly letting it out. Now that he was at work, a certain sense of sleepiness was trying to swallow him whole.
What a strange feeling this was C when he roused himself up from the embrace of slumber just so he could y theputer game, his mind was crystal clear and razor focused. But the moment he arrived at his new workce, he felt sleepy right away.
Did I make the wrong decision, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just thinking about repeating this pattern of life that would continue on for the rest of his life, possibly, he couldnt help but be horrified by the prospect.
HEY!! (?)
Hah......... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt feeling so good at the moment, yet this kid was trying to....
What the eff! What kind of a b*stard are you?! How can you throw people around like that?! I might have been killed, if I wasnt an ability user, you know!! (?)
If youre going to get killed, then youre going to get killed. Not that I care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah? Wow!! Youre making me totally speechless! Seriously!! Hey you! Dont you really know who I am? (?)
Nope. Dont know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....When people say something like that, you are supposed to get curious and ask who the other person might be! (?)
Nope. Dont know, dont care. Now, get lost. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You, you really dont recognise who I am? (?)
Hey, you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What?
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled in anger.
I said, Im not curious about you. And I am not going to get curious about you in the near future, too. Possibly, never. And finally, Im not interested in getting mixed up in your business, so why dont you go over theeeeere~ and bother that high-strung ahjumma instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously, this annoying kid keeps bothering me when Im already this unhappy. Whats up with that? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner grumbling)
Even after he finished rifying his position, the little kid didnt go away. Instead, she stood still and red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You still here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You, you really dont know who I am? (?)
Uh-whew.... Im not humouring you anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still sucking on his cigarette, Yi Ji-Hyuk promptly walked away from the location.
Itll be no fuss if I just walk away from it, thats all.
Ill be wasting time by talking back to her. Human beings should know how to optimise their precious time, yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
There was a problem, though. The little kid proved to be quite persistent.
What the hell? Did I paint myself with honey and gold or something? Why are you following me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I told you, Im older than you! Use proper honorifics already! (?)
Did this tiny-a*s kid lose her dang mind?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously speaking, Im at least over a thousand years older than you, you dumba*s!
Older than me? My a*s!
Hell, I was feeling really lost nowadays because even my own mom sometimeses across like a child to me. But really, how did an annoying fly like her get stuck to me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You really dont recognise me? (?)
I said, I dont. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, but, I appeared on TV lots of times.... (?)
I dont watch TV. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I shot lots ofmercials, too! You saw me on billboards and.... (?)
I dont go outside my house. Like, at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................
The little kid began trembling as she faced the imminent wall of sorrow. She then spun her body around and ran inside the office.
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw her departing back, and let off a long groan.
Not even one of them are sane around here. Not even one.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just why are all the women I encounter like that?
It really, really makes me wanna cry... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
*
After a while, Yi Ji-Hyuk returned to the office, only to find that chaos had descended. That little kid from before was crying her eyes out by the corner, and beside her, Seo Ah-Young was sweating buckets as she tried to calm the crying girl.
As soon as Seo Ah-Young spotted him, she red in anger and shouted at him.
Why did you make this kid cry, you idiot?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Im older than you! (?)
Even though she was crying, the little kid still found the time to assert her correct age.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly alternated his gaze between Seo Ah-Young and the crying girl, before losing his interestpletely and he settled down in front of hisputer.
Time to y some games, then.
Suddenly, Choi Jung-Hoon sneaked in closer and whispered to him.
You really dont recognise her? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whos she? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She... Shes really famous, you know? Shes from the girl group, the S Girls... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The S Girls? Really? What kind of name is that uncool? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was right then C the sound of crying grew twice as loud.
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly pulled Yi Ji-Hyuks arm.
Come with me for a sec. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got dragged back out to the corridor. As soon as they arrived there, Choi Jung-Hoon sighed out and opened his mouth.
Her name is Miss Jeong Hae-Min. You still dont recognise anything about her? Nothing at all? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shes an idol and shes really famous right now. Her group S Girls, too. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
She was a so-called idol?
Now that he thought about it for a sec, he did remember seeing a bunch of ability users prancing around on TV some time ago. Could she have been one of them?
Okay, fine. An idol is an idol, I get that. But whats the matter with her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, the thing is.... even before she unlocked her powers, she was an idol hopeful. She even made her pro debut several times before, but for thest ten years or so, she couldnt quite break into the mainstream. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, she gained fame out of the blue after she awakened her powers. So, shes got this mental trauma about people not recognising her. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....What BS are you trying to tell me right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks frown showed how unsatisfied he felt by this exnation.
He had seen enough people, who had the misfortune of losing their limbs in a battle, live fulfilling lives even with their injuries. But now, seeing a crazy little girl suffering the so-called trauma over c**p like that and crying her eyes out? Really? What was he supposed to feel for her?
As if he had understood Yi Ji-Hyuks mindset, Choi Jung-Hoon formed a bitter smile. It was only par for the course that Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt understand such a situation. Well, he was the type who didnt give a rats a*s about anyone elses troubles, after all.
That is why, all Im asking you is for you to pretend to recognise her... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cmon, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, I beg of you. She is an incredibly important person, even for us... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Hmm.
What a pain.
It was really a pain in the neck.
But, leaving that girl in that state was going to be even bigger pain in the long run. In the end, Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a lengthy, pained groan and returned to the office.
Jeong Hae-Min raised her head and red at him as soon as he entered. Her eyes were gleaming with the lights of expectations.
Ahh, mm, uh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What should he say here?
I heard that youre a celebrity? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I also heard that youre pretty famous now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Aaaand that was it. He ran out of things to say.
For some reason, Yi Ji-Hyuks back became slightly damper with cold perspiration forming there, as Jeong Hae-Min continued to stare at him. He searched desperately, until he finally found something else to say.
Y, you are famous because youre an ability user, so I hear. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head. Only then, she stopped her crying.
So, uh, whats your power? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Teleportation. (Jeong Hae-Min)
...Teleportation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah.
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up spitting the following words out with a dumbfounded face.
What the hell. Others raise all sorts of spectacle by shooting out mes and icicles and sh*t, but you became a celeb with nothing but measly teleportation? Wheres the fun in that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Mins facial muscles began twitching ominously once more.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The panicking Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks arm.
Realising his slip-up, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly came up with words that were a bit more amodating than before.
Ahh!! Youre right! That power is indeed great for going to different concert venues, isnt it? I mean, you dont need cars anymore. You just insert a user with teleportation ability in a group and that would be really handy for everyone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unsurprisingly, a sharp and sorrowful wail loud enough to shatter ss shook the entire building.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy evacuating outside the building soon afterwards.
What the hell is up with that girl?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was she trying to hit him with a sonic attack or something?
Ever since he came back home, this had to be the first time he received proper damage C besides moms venomous back smashing, of course. Seriously now, her vocal chops werent something tough about. With such a pipe, she just proved that she was an idol, thats for sure.
No, hang on. Are all idols supposed to have loud voices like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Really, man! Not one person is normal in this ce! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head side to side.
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon urgently ran out of the building too, and after spotting the youth, he began clinging onto him.
Mister Ji-Hyuuuuuuukkkkk!!! Didnt I implore you so nicely just now?! Didnt I?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This was something new; Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt this sort of character to begin with, so...
What the? I did my best just now, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You just had to say you recognised her, thats all! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, thats what I did.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, in that case, you shouldnt have recognised her like that!!!
How can you twisting a knife in her trauma qualify as you recognising her?! (Choi Jung-Hoons exasperated inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out multiple groans.
But, how can you not recognise her at all? Shes one of the most famous celebs out there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
She is? Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is this the end of the world or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, that girl was cute and small and all that, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt find her all that pretty. And no, it wasnt because of his high standards, either.
No, actually, it was pretty high, truth be told. But even then, judged objectively, her facial features werent good enough for others to call her an absolute beauty. Up close, Kim Dah-Som was certainly a lot more prettier, in terms of overall prettiness.
Maybe the tastes of the public had be a bit more unique in thest few years or something...
Okay, whatever. I did what I could already, so you take care of the aftermaths. It wasnt my business to begin with, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
S, sure. I get you, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
These people were going to rely on each other moving forward, never mind working together, so such a bad first impression certainly would do no one any good whatsoever.
Nominally, the centre of decision making for the NDF was Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon. But the true core of the NDF was actually thebination of Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min.
Her presence would enable the quick response throughout the entire country, and his presence would enable them to form the appropriate response to whatever situation they ended up facing.
That was why, the chemistry between these two people was an absolute must....
...But, what chemistry? What a big fat joke... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Itd be nice if they didnt end up being mortal enemies for the rest of their lives.
That was why Choi Jung-Hoon personally went and drove Yi Ji-Hyuk to work C to prevent mishaps from happening. But to think, an ident would happen when the youth ostensibly went for a toilet break. Choi Jung-Hoon ended up painfully realising his shorings once more...
If shes an idol, what is she doing here, instead of going to concerts to sing and stuff? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shes a teleporter, thats why. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Because of that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Teleporters are really a raremodity, so to speak. Finding one per nation would incredibly be hard. Thats why shes being treated as one of the most significant high-value individuals even in our country. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A teleporter? Really now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
Back in Berafe, with the aid of warp gates,mon livestock like cows and even dogs were transported en masse. But now, a measly teleporter was being treated as really important...
Should he chalk that one up as the fault of the weak-sauce magic in this world?
No, wait. I dont know what shes capable of, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Making a hasty judgement was, of course, forbidden.
If she could teleport a huge number ofbatants in one go, then shed prove to be a real nightmare in the battlefield. Well, shed be able to freely choose the location of the said battlefield, after all.
But, now that I think about it... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why am I....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, stop. Youre forbidden from speaking it out. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....I think I understand. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thank you very much. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon sighed out over and over again.
Finding a sane person among the many ability users was already an exercise in futility. But even then, those joining the NDF were the folks who had, generally speaking, misced a few more screws in their heads than most others.
Just thinking about what the future had in store for him, Choi Jung-Hoon came down with a bad case of ulcer out of the blue.
Vice Captain! (Kim Jae-Beom)
It was then, Kim Jae-Beom ran towards them in a hurry.
Whats the matter? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We just received a request for assistance. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Is that so? Is it urgent? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You need toe in, sir. The location is, well... (Kim Jae-Beom)
The location?
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head slightly.
Since it seemed urgent, he decided to get back inside the office first.
Lets go back inside. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What, me too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously! Did you honestly think Id go back in alone? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Even under the assault of Choi Jung-Hoons poignant re, Yi Ji-Hyuk remained rather rxed as he sucked on his cigarette.
Will you hurry up?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh, fine. Fine. I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop yapping off, and kill that cigarette already!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Soon afterwards, Yi Ji-Hyuk followed after Choi Jung-Hoon to enter the office, all the while grumbling out over and over again. However, he stopped the moment he sensed a weird atmosphere within the office.
Hmph... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min seemed to have calmed down now, judged by how she was ring daggers at Yi Ji-Hyuk. He then tried to express how sorry he felt with his eloquent words.
You better stop ring at me, you hear? Or else, Ill pull out your eyes! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min began to show signs of crying again.
Eh?
I thought the old clich of Ive never met a guy who treated me like you until now would work for sure, though?! I heard from somewhere it works wonders with celebrities....
Maybe, I didnte across manly and tough enough?
How about I p the girl silly, then....? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. What were you thinking about just now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I was wondering whether I should be a bit more hands on or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not sure what youre talking about, but whatever it is, please stop it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a perceptive guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuks regretful inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk licked his lips in regret.
So, where is the location? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young replied with a lengthy sigh.
Its Busan. (Seo Ah-Young)
Wow, so far. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched the back of his head.
It was at the other end of the country so, of course, it was too dang far. He wanted to leave work on time today, too....
Well, cant you tell the folks there to sort it out by themselves? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although its in Busan... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its actually in the district of Gijang. (Seo Ah-Young)
In Gijang? Whats in Gijang, anyways?
Well, theres anchovies and... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Suddenly, Choi Jung-Hoons eyes shot open real wide and he quickly essed the map of the country.
Because, in Gijang, there was....
No, it cant be. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It actually is. (Seo Ah-Young)
....The nuclear power station?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons shrill voice broke out from his mouth.
Its a real emergency down there. Apparently, a Gate appeared within 100 metres of the power nt. (Seo Ah-Young)
Son of a b*tch. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In other words, there was a real danger of Busan and her surrounding areas bing the proverbialnd of death. Out of all the ces, why did it have to be there?!
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out another long sigh. It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth after observing the conversation for a little while.
By the way... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If we go there now, then, will I be able to go home on time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
The future of the country is at stake here, yet youre talking about that now?! (Seo Ah-Young)
I am at stake here, so who cares about the country? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if to show how moved she was by his seemingly unchanging set of values, Seo Ah-Young helplessly nodded her head.
Well only know after we get there. (Seo Ah-Young)
Then, Im not going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hae-Min-ah? Make sure you hold on to that guy real tight as we go to Busan. (Seo Ah-Young)
Do I have to? With him? And besides, I told you Im older than you!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes. I got it, so grab him. (Seo Ah-Young)
I said, Im not going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing the three of them argue back and forth, Choi Jung-Hoon wordlessly fished out an aspirin and began chewing it without water. Realising that the future survival of his beloved country depended on people like these, the bitterness spreading within his stomach was so much stronger than the one in his mouth.
This country is finished. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beomsmentationing from the side didnt sound like an exaggeration to Choi Jung-Hoons ears at all.
Okay, lets stop bickering and get going. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, lets. (Seo Ah-Young)
Got it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke up in a matter of factly manner.
Well, in that case, will you gimme enough free time so I can sightsee? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please stop, you demon!!
Please, please! Act like a normal person at least once in your life!! (Choi Jung-Hoons exasperated inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon fished out another aspirin pill and chucked into his mouth.
< 58. Its time to go home (3) > Fin.
Chapter 59: It’s time to go home (4)
Chapter 59: Its time to go home (4)
Just what the hell is going on here?
The leader of the KSFs strike force for Busan, Lee Seok-Woo was clenching his fists real tightly as he red at the Gate in front of his eyes.
What a f*cked up world this was. Of all the ces in the penins of Korea, why did it have to appear here?
You godd*mn Gate! Why didnt you open up in front of the Blue House or something, instead? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Everyones in position, sir.
What? Already? Wait, have the support team from Seoul arrive yet? (Lee Seok-Woo)
No, sir. Not yet...
Then, why are you telling me everyones in position?! Wake the f*ck up! (Lee Seok-Woo)
Im sorry. Ill change the status back.
Lee Seok-Woo spat out a long sigh and nervously picked up his phone. He had requested for assistance such a long time ago, yet... Why hadnt anyone shown up here already?!
Sure, it would take some time to get to Busan from Seoul, but still, this was a national emergency! They were the so-called National Defense Force, so they wouldve only needed a couple of hours to get here aftermandeering a bunch of helicopters or something!
Call them again on the phone. (Lee Seok-Woo)
They said theyll arrive soon...
And when is soon?! What, are you nning to take full responsibility when they dont show up, the Gate opens up, and then, the power station goes kablooey? You think you can evacuate every single person outta Busan all by yourself? (Lee Seok-Woo)
....Let me call them.
Hurry the f*ck up, will ya! (Lee Seok-Woo)
Lee Seok-Woo vented out his frustrations on his subordinate for no good reason, and with a heavy frown on his face, shifted his gaze back to the Gate.
A Gate, that also happened to be Level 5.
It was a high level Gate that had appeared only twice before in Koreas history. Lee Seok-Woo couldnt even begin to imagine just what kind of horrific monstrosity would emerge from that, yet the crucial assistance waste.
When is the ETA for the opening? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Within the next hour, sir.
Why the f*ck is it so fast? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Well, the speed of the Gates opening up has eleratedtely, sir.
Nothing seems to go right these days! (Lee Seok-Woo)
Lee Seok-Woo took off his steel helmet and held it tightly.
Whatever the case may be, those b*stards.... Just when are they going to show up?! (Lee Seok-Woo)
It was right then. A bright white light began shining out from the empty space between him and the Gate.
W, what the f*ck?! (Lee Seok-Woo)
Lee Seok-Woo got flustered while wondering whether the Gate was opening up already or not, and he opened his eyes real wide to see the truth, only to spot several silhouettes of people suddenly appear within the light.
Eu... blergh.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Kkeuck... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon keeled over and began retching involuntarily.
Seriously, no matter how many times I experience this, I can never get used to how yucky it feels. (Seo Ah-Young)
I even took motion sickness tablet, too... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Meanwhile, Lee Seok-Woo frowned real deeply after spotting four people there. A duo of a man and a woman was on the floor, trying to empty their stomachs; a cute, petite little girl in the middle was looking around the ce with mystified eyes.
As for thest guy, he was....
Yes! Its the ocean!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....He was a weirdo.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spread open his arms and ran to a spot where the ocean was in full view, then took in a deep breath.
Kkyah! The smell of the ocean~. Niceeeee. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lee Seok-Woo looked at the ecstatic Yi Ji-Hyuk, and his jaw fell to the floor.
What the hell, who the f*ck is this weirdo?!
Did he lose his mind while on his way over here?
These people appearing here, they are from that ce, so they should be fully aware of whats happening here, yet what the f*ck is up with that reaction?! Does this situation look like a school field trip to them?! (Lee Seok-Woos inner monologue)
You saw the oceanst time, so why are you acting so happy all of a sudden? Heck, you even caught a whale back then! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Right, that is the right reacti....
No wait, hold the f*ck up.
A whale? He caught a whale? (Lee Seok-Woos inner monologue)
As Lee Seok-Woo stood there in confusion, wondering how should he respond to this event, Choi Jung-Hoon approached him and offered his hand.
Im Choi Jung-Hoon, the Vice Captain of the NDF.
Im Lee Seok-Woo, the leader of the KSFs strike force, the Busan branch.
Well be in your care. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Me too. However, this.... (Lee Seok-Woo)
Lee Seok-Woo carefully studied the four of them before speaking up in an unsure tone of voice.
Are the four of you all there is? (Lee Seok-Woo)
To be more specific, its five... Blergh! Yes. But, you shouldnt worry. We at the NDF pursue a mobile force formed around a small number of eli... elites. One person, one.... euph... hes our best... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Stop trying to puke while you speak about one guy being your ace in the sleeve!! (Lee Seok-Woos inner monologue)
Were you briefed properly before showing up here? Its a Level 5! A damn Level 5, for crying out loud! Its already at the level of a national emergency!! (Lee Seok-Woo)
If that qualifies as a national emergency, then how should webel that man over there? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon sneaked a nce over at Yi Ji-Hyuks direction, before sighing out and answered Lee Seok-Woo.
Were all aware of the situation. We also know that this is the worst possible location as well. That is why, from this moment onwards, the NDF will take over themand of this operation. Any objections? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I have my orders from the above, so Ill have to abide by it. But, really now. Will this small number of people be enough? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled refreshingly.
I can assure you that, if these people here were not enough to contain this situation, then no one can. Even after you mobilise every single ability user in the country. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With only five people? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Even if you say only five, surely youve heard about my famous Captain and her prowess? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....The Insane Wit.... No, wait, uhm... the me Witch. Yeah, I heard of her. Of course. (Lee Seok-Woo)
Just as Lee Seok-Woomitted that slip of tongue, he quickly took a nce at Seo Ah-Youngs direction. Fortunately, it seemed that she hadnt caught on to what he said just now, as she was still clutching her stomach and frowning on the floor.
I almost died just now... (Lee Seok-Woo)
ording to her infamy, the Insane Witch was fully capable of incinerating him because of a small mistake. No one would bat an eyelid, either.
Over there, she is the countrys sole teleporter. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, the one from the rumours, huh. (Lee Seok-Woo)
Lee Seok-Woo slowly nodded his head.
But, werent teleporters known for theirck ofbat abilities? Sure, they were useful in other matters, but still...
Okay, then what about him? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Lee Seok-Woo pointed at Yi Ji-Hyuk and asked. Incidentally, the youth was busy snapping selfies with his phone at the moment, with the ocean serving as the backdrop.
...Hes the core fighting force. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He is?! You mean, that weirdo is?! (Lee Seok-Woo)
....Indeed, yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im sorry.
I am truly sorry, but the truth is, that wackjob is this countrys most powerful ability user. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon lowered his head as this strange sense of shame came washing over him.
Wheres thest one? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Around here, but theres no need for her to appear just yet. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Lee Seok-Woo spat out another sigh.
Although this so-calledbination seemedpletely unworthy of his trust, he did receive the direct order from the brass that he should do his best to support the NDF. So, hed carry it out regardless of his feelings on the matter.
Okay, okay! Fine! What should we do next, then? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Its simple, actually. Cooperate with the De and set as much barricades as humanly possible around the power station. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats the basics. And? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Do not mind it even if you see monsters escaping through the other side of the blockade. You need to protect this station no matter the cost. Im sure you understand the reason already. How far along are the evacuation of the civilians? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You really think its possible to evacuate the entirety of Busan? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Of course not. Im asking about the surrounding area. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Around the radius of 5 kilometres, but I wonder if thats going to be enough... (Lee Seok-Woo)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head, and called for the others to gather around.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop taking photos and pleasee here. You can take selfies of the ocean any time you want, anyway. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You are a wet nket, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min saw this scene and suddenly got very angry.
Hey, you! How can you take selfies of the ocean, when Im right here?! Who knows? If you ask me nicely, I might let you take one with me! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Me take a selfie with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled derisively as if he heard something rather preposterous.
Hah! If I wanted to take a selfie with a someone as small as a rats dropping, I may as well lie down t on the ground, never mind crouching down! So, how are you nning to take a pic with both of us in the same frame? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Once more, the corners of Jeong Hae-Mins eyes became moist real fast. And just as she was about burst out into another bout of wailing, Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out first.
You try to hit me with that sonic attack again, and I swear, Im gonna throw you into the sea!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shudder.
Since she had personally experienced being thrown to the other end of the office corridor already, Jeong Hae-Min promptly squeezed her mouth shut. She was well aware of the fact that this b*stard was crazy enough to do what he said hed do.
I get it now that you dont know who I am. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What a relief that you finally figured it out. At a bare minimum, youre smarter than an ape, thats for sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, if you knew who I really was, you wouldnt be treating me like this. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure. Youre indeed wise, your highness. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow made Jeong Hae-Min surrender, then he turned his attention towards Seo Ah-Young while a deep frown formed on his face.
Why was she still retching like that? Seo Ah-Young continued to look like she was having a really hard time. She managed to raise her head and asked him.
Arent you feeling bad, Mister Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
Feel bad? Like how? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, nausea, motion sickness, those things? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at her long and hard with a cocked eyebrow, before saying these observant words.
Are you pregnant or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the?! Hey, you.... Euh, euhk! Blergh.... (Seo Ah-Young)
She was about to shout blue murder at his direction, but then, she resumed the retching motions once more.
Tsk, tsk...
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue and shook his head.
If she was like this only with such a small scale teleportation, then in the case where she had to go through a long-range warp gate, she might end up lying t on the floor upon arrival and hurling like a messy and smelly fountain.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze back towards Jeong Hae-Min.
There was a big limitation imposed on her ability, in the form of the number of people she could teleport. But, the advantage was that the preparation itself was almost instantaneouspared to the warp gates. Although her power was neither here nor there, Yi Ji-Hyuk thought it was still useful to him regardless.
But, there was one more problem C she needed a mark. She could only teleport to an area near the ce shed been to before.
When did youe to this ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why do you want to know? Maybe, youve finally realised how great my power is? (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, not that. I was wondering if you came here to perform a concert for the stations workers or something. If so, man, you really do get around, dont you? All over the country, no less. I guess being a celeb isnt all that its cracked up to be. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...You, just what kinda human being are you?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Could he have entered a senior course in making biting remarks just to torment other people? How could he p*ss her off so thoroughly just by pping his gums a few times?!
Hae-Min-ah? You shouldnt humour him. (Seo Ah-Young)
You, start calling me Hae-Min-unni, instead! You are an even bigger idiot! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon was watching this spectacle from the side. He then began carefully dividing the pills still found within the bottle inside his jacket pocket.
Was this for the ulcer? Hmm... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If he keeled over from a hole in the stomach, then, would that be seen as the result from workce hazard? Making up his mind topile all the evidence regarding the stress-rted illness he could find from today onwards, Choi Jung-Hoon swallowed the tablet and called the others to gather around him.
There, there. Everyone, stop fooling around. Lets get ready. Captain, please take care of the support from the rear. Miss Hae-Min, you.... dont have anything particrly important to do, so please, be on standby over there. Well, we might need to evacuate in a hurryter, thats why. Gah-Yun, please protect Miss Hae-Min in the meantime. And then... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk and continued.
Well, as for you, Mister Ji-Hyuk... You just do what youve been doing until now. And thats it for... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yo, hold up!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly reached out and snatched Choi Jung-Hoons arm.
Whats the matter? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell is the meaning of this? Do I look like a damn pushover to you? You think you can scam me like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
?? What are you talking about? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Looky here! Shes supporting from the rear! Shes observing from the rear! And shes protecting the so-called observer from the rear, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gleamed brightly in anger.
Then, what about me, huh?! You telling me to take care of everything by myself out in front?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, thats the teamsbination, so what can we do? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the?! Then, how can this agency be called the NDF? Its more like Yi Ji-Hyuk and the Kids, instead! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Mins face brightened all of a sudden.
Idol? (Jeong Hae-Min) (TL note at the end)
Did this little girl lose her mind or something? Stop poking your head in the matters of adults, or else! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Jeong Hae-Min wordlessly crumpled to a corner in an apparent show of depression, even Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt help but flinch in an unpleasant surprise.
What the hell? Has she gotten used to him already? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Could it be, Yi Ji-Hyuks real power was actually making a top idol ept all the unnecessary abuse thrown her way as an eptable part of life now?
Hah, as if!! I aint gonna do it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, this arrangement is only because we dont have our full quota of personnel yet. So, please, stop.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh, thats none of my business. Im gonna goin to thebour department. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, look at the current situation! One wrong move from us, and the city of Busan would be lost in an instant! So, please, stop acting this way! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How is that my fault? Did I open the Gate here? Why are you trying to lump me with all the responsibility? Whatever. I wont take such unfair treatment lying down. I am going to form abour union. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres only five people, so who is going to form a dangbour union?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If Choi Jung-Hoon started arguing with this youth, then there would literally be no end to it C but by now, he had figured out what was going on, so he approached Yi Ji-Hyuk and whispered silently to his ear.
Three days. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Two. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Three days! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Three. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in agreement, and without saying another word, walked closer to the Gate.
Curious, Seo Ah-Young naturally asked what was going on.
Whats this thing about three days? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Additional vacation days, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes widened and she was about to shout out in anger, only to realise that there was no other method to persuade Yi Ji-Hyuk, and instead, she spat out a long groan.
You know, this wasnt the future I dreamed of.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats why I told you we needed to think about this one more time! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, really? When? (Seo Ah-Young)
Kkyah~. Shes not falling for it, huh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was caught red-handed while trying to scam her. Seo Ah-Youngs expression wasplicated as she looked at him.
Was she mistaken when she thought this man was behaving more and more like Yi Ji-Hyuk with every passing day?
Arent you guys taking it way too easy here? (Lee Seok-Woo)
It was right then, Lee Seok-Woo couldnt endure anymore and threw a biting warning at the group. It was understandable, this dissatisfaction of his. After all, he had no clue what kind of a being Yi Ji-Hyuk was, to begin with.
With a gentle smile, Choi Jung-Hoon calmly heard those words.
Of course, todays event was one of the worst possible situation. However, they had Yi Ji-Hyuk on their side; what did they have to worry about? Hell, he was the kind of a being whod instantly change the terrain before him if it displeased him in some way.
Its opening up!
Finally, the Gate opened up, and a certain something slowly walked out from it.
The monster emerged from the Gate after a bit of struggle, raised both of its arms and began loudly howling out.
*SFX for a monsters loud roar*
Seeing this, Choi Jung-Hoon lost strength in his legs and fell to the ground. Even the soldiers of the De, as well as a small portion of the gathered ability users, quivered and writhed noticeably. This wasnt because of the shockwave generated from the roar.
No, it was solely due to the pure, unbridled fear they felt after hearing that roar, which plunged them into a deep state of confusion and panic.
Its an, an, an Ogre! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons hands trembled like leaves caught in the stormy winds.
Its body was covered in reddish ck fur; even with such a thick covering of fur, the monsters massive, rippling muscles could easily be seen; its dangerously sharp fangs jutted out from its maw, and its narrow, bloodthirsty eyes stared at them; and most of all, its 6 metre-plus body!
Although there was that tinge of red mixed in its ck fur, it was without a doubt, an Ogre. It was the apex monster that managed topletely destroy a country in Europe all by itself not too long ago!
Even if the Gate was designated Level 5, this was simply too much! How could a monster with enough destructive potential to level the entire nation of Korea appear here?
Choi Jung-Hoon desperately shifted his eyes over to Yi Ji-Hyuks direction, feeling both despair and hope pounding in his chest.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt around, then no matter what happened to the power station, they had to retreat from this ce ASAP!
But, they had him! If it was Yi Ji-Hyuk, then perhaps... Just maybe...
As if to live up to such a high expectation, Yi Ji-Hyuk walked closer to the monster, and shouted at it.
Hey, you! Dont we know each other?
....What on Earth is he doing now?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon thought bubbles were forming at the corners of his mouth.
< 59. Its time to go home (4) > Fin.
(TL: Theres a pun at work here, but obviously, its in Korean, and so, its lost in trantion. Kids in Korean sounds very close to idol, so Jeong Hae-Min thought the MC was saying C in Korean C Yi Ji-Hyuk and the Idol. Hence her bright reaction and the subsequent depression...)
Chapter 60: It’s time to go home (5)
Chapter 60: Its time to go home (5)
*SFX for a monsters loud roar*
The Ogre spat out another massive ear-busting Howling. More people copsed to the ground while covering up their ears, their bodies writhing in pain. The terrifying ability possessed by the upper-ss monsters, Fear hade into effect.
S, stop!
Several ability users also lost their fighting spirit after getting struck down by the Fear effect, and fell to the ground while desperately covering their ears.
D, do something! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon pointed at the Ogre and moaned in pain.
Completely unaffected by the Fear, Yi Ji-Hyuk strolled right up close to the monster and carefully observed it for a while.
Kkheureuk?
The Ogre tilted its head after seeing him approach without a care in the world.
What a strange thing this was, to see such a tiny little lifeform show not one speck of fear while walking closer. This was the first time something like this happened, so even the Ogre found the situation a bit interesting and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
*SFX for a monsters low growl*
However, that interest onlysted for a brief second or two. Having lost its interest, the Ogre raised its arm and took aim at the tiny human below.
One swing C that would be enough to rip this little man into bits and pieces. And afterwards, the monster was nning to rip into the other humans and sate its hunger...
Kkheureuk??
The human continued to walk closer.
Arriving in front of the Ogre in no time at all, the human even opened his mouth to speak.
Hey, you. Dont you recognise me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Ogre tilted its head again.
This voice.... why did it sound so familiar?
What the?! You dumb b*stard! You know me, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a monster hurriedly falling on its knees*
When that sharp voice dug into its ear canals, the Ogre subconsciously fell on its knees and began kowtowing while its entire being shuddered from terror.
K, Kiieeee~~~.
And right afterwards, it began emitting the kind of whimper that didnt fit its massive frame.
Hul.......... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons jaw hit the floor as he looked on at the unfolding spectacle. Even with his whip-smart brain of his, for the life of him, he couldnt figure out what the bloody eff was going on here.
K, kheureuk?
Even the Ogre couldnt understand why its body fell so hard on the ground and grovelled like that. It ungainly stood back up, looking uncertain and confused.
Hoh, would you look at this guy over here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Ogre eyeballed the human once more. And, having carefully observed this humans facial features.... it began to slowly creep backwards almost instinctively.
See, the thing was, it was difficult for a normal human to distinguish different Ogres. Conversely, it was nigh-on impossible for an Ogre to differentiate human faces, too. However... There was this inexplicable sense of familiaritying from this human. And that caused its hulking body quiver in apprehension.
But, how could it be?
There was a man this Ogre knew, though. And he was the ultimate god-like being who could casually rip its muscle-bound body apart into bloody shreds, with just the energy floating around in the vicinity.
But, there was simply no freaking way that this weak-looking human could be him.
....After all, he had vanished from the other world, see.
Then again, that sense of familiarity meant the Ogre couldnt dare to pounce on the human in front, leaving it in a sort of rock and a hard ce.
Oh, looks like you finally recognised me, didnt you? You a Berafe native, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kkeureuk~!
The Ogre continued to retreat while hurriedly shaking its head in denial.
Hah? What the hell? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now feeling a wee bit peeved off, Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out with one hand, and the jet-ck Mana erupted out from there.
Looky h.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KKKKIIIIEEEECK!!!
Almost as soon as the Ogre saw this, it screamed out in desperation, turned around, and madly ran away. With the speed that easily exceeded that of a cheetah at full tilt, the monster hurled itself at the Gate, trying to go back into it.
Hul... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now feeling really dumbfounded, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the monster.
The Gate didnt allow the poor Ogre to go back inside, and instead, the screaming monster got bounced away multiple times. The monster grew even more desperate as it grabbed on to the edges of the Gate and began crying out in anguish.
Seeing this spectacle unfold, Seo Ah-Young couldnt help but spit out a long, long sigh.
Just.... just what kind of a human being is he to earn that kind of reaction? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seriously now, they were talking about a dang Ogre. An Ogre!!
Just how many ability users and modern military personnel had to be sacrificed in the past in order to subjugate a single one of those damnable things? Even that was not enough and some people went as far as to consider the use of nuclear weapons, just to bring the creature down!! It was a ferocious monster that instilled pure terror in the hearts of many!
The Ogre was the worst possible monster to emerge from a Level 5 Gate. It proudly disyed the kind of destructive and defensive might that no other monsters from a Level 5 Gate could even hope to match.
An Ogres body was so strong, it could easily deflect a shell fired from a tank like a little pebble. And its insane strength meant it could chuck a tank like a little toy into the sky.
Its powers were almost in defiance of thews of the nature. That, in a nutshell, was an Ogre.
But... what the hell was up with this absurd situation?
The big monster was whimpering so pathetically as if it was a wayward puppy that unluckily ran into a mighty lion. And after seeing such an unsightly scene, Seo Ah-Youngs mental state was already far past the level of being surprised, and into the realm of bitter, hollow chuckle escaping uncontrobly from her mouth.
How did this situation turn out like this, I wonder? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young alternated her gaze between Yi Ji-Hyuk and the monster and fell ever deeper into the pit of unanswered questions.
However, Choi Jung-Hoon was trying to decipher another quandary at the same time.
The monster knows him? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
One would only be able to feel such an amount of terror, when one knew who the other person was, or at least have a rough idea. To put simply, that Ogre definitely knew who Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
....Another dimension? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If Choi Jung-Hoon considered the likelihood of the Ogre being a creature from another dimension, then could there be a possibility that Yi Ji-Hyuk was also rted to that said dimension in some way?
It was as if the tip of a faint thread was dangling in front of him, one that could allow Choi Jung-Hoon to start unravelling the mysteries of the five missing years in that youths life.
Regardless of what anyone else was thinking of, the Ogre still clung on to the Gate and continued to wail out. Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely walked closer and while ignoring the crying Ogre, ced his hand on the surface of the Gate.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He sensed this strange Mana fluctuationing from it.
This is like, the Ogre hasnt crossed over directly from Berafe, nor from the demon world, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He thought that the monsters were summoned to a different dimension, one he perhaps didnt know of, and then, were sent over to here. Well, it wasnt as if the dimensional link to the demon world only existed in Berafe, so something like this seemed rather feasible, although a bit cumbersome.
What a funny little thing this is, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt a strange sense of longing bubbling within the back of his mind. Then, he abruptly turned his head to look at the Ogre C which had opened its maw real wide and was about to swallow his head.
Hul. Were you thinking of biting me just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Ogres maw slowly closed shut.
It was thinking of going for a sneak attack while his attention was diverted elsewhere, but that n ended up as a failure. But, since the matter hade down to this...!
Both the arms of the Ogre shot towards Yi Ji-Hyuks position with the speed that didnt match its massive body.
Huh. Huhuh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly evaded the Ogres arms and leaped into the air as a bitter chuckle left his mouth.
He was bbergasted right now. No, more than that, his pride was wounded.
If it was another monster, he might have been a wee bit more understanding. Well, if the monster didnt know who he was, then sure, it could attack him. Fine.
However, this Ogre was a creature he knew pretty well. This was the monster he had summoned from the demon world and ordered around as one of the mid-bosses in his army, due mostly to its hardy body and violent nature.
Sure, he wasnt close enough to the Ogre to give it a nice name or something. Still, they knew each other. Didnt he order this creature for around close to a hundred years or so?
Yet, such a creature dared to attack him?
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally understood how a 4-star general might feel when he got kicked in the back by a mere private. He began gritting his teeth.
If your memories arent functioning right, then let me make it work for you!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand became dyed in ck.
Then, he descended like a bolt of lightning and mmed into the head of the Ogre.
Kaboom!!
A sound of powerful explosion rocked the entire world.
*
......
Seo Ah-Young had silentlye closer to Choi Jung-Hoons position and the pair continued to watch the bizarre spectacle in front of them, before she opened her mouth to speak.
So, can you tell me what is up with this crazy situation? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Well, I wonder about that myself. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even Choi Jung-Hoon was at a loss to how to exin it.
In front of their eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk was in the midst of mercilessly beating the Ogre up into a pile of dog poo.
Ggegeng!! (TL note at the end)
Seo Ah-Young rubbed her ears to make sure she heard that right.
Ggegeng?
If someone asked Seo Ah-Young to string along two words that would never gel together in a sentence, then surely, she would have thought up of Ogre and ggegeng on the spot.
But that Ogre was getting thrashed to death while spitting out ggegeng over and over again.
Am I dreaming? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, hang on. Itd be better if this was a dream, instead.
Because, this was already beyond the level of surreal and into the realm of a feverish nightmare.
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at the sight and tilted his head slightly.
Wait. Isnt the reactions of the Ogre.... just a bit strange? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im pretty sure itd be quicker to look for something thats not strange here... (Seo Ah-Young)
No, thats not what I meant... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even after getting beaten up that badly, the Ogre still managed to whimper and make the ggegeng noises while writhing this way and that. That meant it wasnt hurt too badly.
If that was the case, why didnt it try to retaliate? Why was it simply rolling around the ground while shielding its head?
What the? You try to dodge? Really? Did you lose your dang mind or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked the Ogre and shouted out.
Hah, this b*stard! Seriously now... You know, I was trying to be as gracious and understanding as I can be. I mean, this is not Berafe, after all. Here I was, thinking of ways to send you back safe and sound since I know you and stuff, yet, you tried to bite me instead? Wow, will you take a look at this guys rotten heart of, uh... monster?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You should decide between beating the monster to a pulp, or nagging the hell out of it! One of the two! (The authors own inner monologue)
The Ogre finally realised who Yi Ji-Hyuk was as it was bombarded by the ck magical energy. It couldnt even dare to put up a sliver of resistance and could only writhe on the ground rather pitifully.
Hey, get up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kkeureuk?
Hearing that confused reply, Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched the back of his head after realising something. Obviously, this monster couldnt understand a lick of Korean.
Get up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he spoke to the Ogre in the demonguage, the monster stood right back up in a blink. Although it wasnt possible to hold a civilised conversation, thankfully the monster was quick-witted enough, and it could understand what he was saying. Well, it did possess the level of intelligence that was a bit higher than a dog, so there.
Yi Ji-Hyuk beckoned with a finger, and the Ogre ran up to him in a hurry and began grovelling on the floor.
Oh, well. Ive be a lot softer, havent I? If it was me of the past, youd be busy looking for your missing arm or a leg by now... Uh-whew. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although the Ogre couldnt understand the words, it could still get the gist of them. And so, a strand of cold sweat trickled down its face.
Oh. So, even monsters sweat like that, huh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As Choi Jung-Hoon stood there percting in his own astonishment, Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy ordering the monster to Sit, Stand, Sit, and then, Hand, in that order. And when the monster followed his orders without a single mistake, he nodded his head in satisfaction.
Yep, thats how its supposed to be. Good boy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, if something didnt work out as it should, the best medicine was to beat the living daylights out of it. Thats the cure. There was nothing in this world that couldnt be solved this way.
M, mister.... Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm, about that monster... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A, arent you going to, you know, kill it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You mean, this kid over here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If its not that one, than what other monster is there?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon forcibly suppressed a very strong urge to scream out loudly at the top of his lungs, and continued with an unsteady smile on his face.
I, I think you gotta do something about it.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm. Yeah, that is true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk murmured in contemtion, as he began rubbing the belly of the Ogre, now lying down on its back and exposing itself so obediently.
So, like... Its kinda cute, so killing it is a bit.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you just say cute?
CUTE?!?!
Did the Hello Kitty or whatever brainwash you when no one was looking?
How can youbel that monster as cute, unless everything you see is bathed in blooming pink?! (Choi Jung-Hoons shocked inner monologue)
Cant I keep it? Ive got my, uh, reasons for that. So, killing it is a bit, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This guy ved under Yi Ji-Hyuks tyrannical rule for almost a hundred years. That tiny little vestige of conscience, found deep within the forgotten recess of his psyche and no more than a nanogram in size, was wriggling ever so slightly.
He had worked it to death, and now, he had to literally kill it? No way.
I know its the fate of livestock to ve away and then turn into bs of meat for dinner at the end of the day. But, isnt that just too pitiful? You know, dont you? That I have a gentle nature and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A gentle nature.... Yes. Sure. Fine. A gentle nature, indeed.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Now that Choi Jung-Hoon heard those words, he was reasonably confident of not finding the event of a three year old perfectly recalling the theory of rtivity ridiculous at all.
Oh, yeah. By the way... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You know, isnt it normal for a horde of monsters to pop out from a Gate? Where are they, though? Are things different forrger Gates or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon sobered up immediately after hearing that and quickly shifted his gaze over to the Gate.
He had been distracted by the massive existence of the Ogre. But the thing was, an incrediblyrge horde of monsters that easily rivalled the size of a battalion would rush out of a Level 5 Gate!
And just like a clockwork, all sorts of monsters began pouring out from the Gate right away.
Hul..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk was surprised by the sheer number of monsters rushing out of the Gate C he had been lulled into thinking that monsters would only drip out at a manageable rate, thanks to the Gates he saw until now.
Hell, with this many monsters pouring out, it was almost at the level of Yi Ji-Hyuks own warp gate! Of course, the quality of the monsters were vastly inferior to his, though!
Then, his eyes began gleaming dangerously as he looked at the horde.
How about this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You heard of an old saying about a horse that achieves a lot of merit wont get eaten? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where did you evene up with a rubbish like that now, you crazy a*shole?! Theres no such old saying! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
A swearing nearly jumped out of Choi Jung-Hoons throat, but now wasnt the time to argue.
In other words, you gotta achieve lots of merit now, Oh-Sik-ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Instantlying up with a new name for his pet/minion, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly pet the Ogre on the shoulder.
And why would he name an Ogre Oh-Sik?
Because, well, it resembled Chang-Sik, that was why.
*SFX for a really loud roar of Oh-Sik the pet Ogre*
As if it understood the intentions of his words, the Ogre, no, Oh-Sik promptly shot back up and rushed towards the horde of monsters pouring out of the Gate.
Thats right. Good boy. Nice going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in satisfaction while watching this scene.
As for Choi Jung-Hoon, he looked at the Ogre unhesitatingly ripping apart his brethren like there was no tomorrow and simply emptied the whole bottle of pills into his mouth.
Hey, you might get a stomach ache if you take all those pills like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you have any conscience whatsoever, you would be too embarrassed to say that!!
This is all because of you!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoons stomach did indeed issue a sorrowful lurch.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuks attention was snapped away in an instant. He had sensed a certain damp and shady aura in the air.
Spectres? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly stared at a ghost-like shape floating in the air for a brief second or two, before shouting out in a hurry.
Get back!! Now!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And, as Choi Jung-Hoon stood there in confusion, the group of Spectres pounced on the soldiers forming the defensive line.
< 60. Its time to go home -5 > Fin.
(TL: The Korean onomatopoeia ggegeng is a sound made by a cowering/whimpering dog. Ive never been too good with animal sounds, and thus I couldnte up with a suitable English equivalent for it. Left as is.)
Chapter 61: Eii, it’s not gonna bite, you know? (1)
Chapter 61: Eii, its not gonna bite, you know? (1)
I said, get back!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing that unusually urgent tone of voiceing from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth, all the hairs on Choi Jung-Hoons skin stood up.
He was capable of sounding urgent like that? Really?
Yi Ji-Hyuk was someone who treated a dang Ogre as one would treat a little dog, so Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt help but feel utterly terrified after hearing the youths shouting.
Run away!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon too cried out as loud as he could. But unfortunately, the Spectres were far too fast for the densely-packed formation of soldiers to retreat in time.
Euh-ah-ah!!
What the hell?!
No!! They areing!! Retreat!!
mmmm!!!
Soldiers reflexively fired their weapons at the iing Spectres, but bullets simply went through the monsters without dealing any damage whatsoever.
*SFX for a sinister grin of a Spectre*
Emitting shrill and ominous cackles, Spectres pounced on the hapless humans. Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk began gritting his teeth.
Damn it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no need to fear Spectres that much. They were immune to physical damage, just like the Braad, but conversely, that also meant they couldnt inflict any physical damage either.
So, Spectres were ssified as low-ss monsters back in Berafe.
However, if these Spectres were the same as the ones from Berafe, then.... Then, the problem became both simple yet utterly frustrating to solve.
Why? Because, Spectres possessed humans, thats why.
Those possessed by a Spectre would lose all sense of reasoning and begin to run amok in frenzy, or act with only one thought ruling their minds. And that thought was to find the best method to kill as many living creatures as possible, and carry it out no matter what.
Under the current situation, that couldve only meant one thing.
mmmm!!!
Ah-ah-ah-ahk!
Ahhh!! Help!!
Soldiers being possessed by the Spectres began firing their guns all over the ce. And the others receiving this unexpected friendly fire fell bleeding, unable to mount any form of defense at all.
What the hell is wrong with them?!
Hey! Restrain him!! I said, restrain him, now!! Push him down with your bodies if you have to!!
Unable to bring themselves to shoot their ownrades, soldiers surrounded, and then used their own bodies to wrestle the possessed ones to the ground. Too bad for them C as the number of the possessed continued to increase, the efforts to restrain the victims would only be tougher and tougher.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After hearing Choi Jung-Hoons desperate cries calling out to him, Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted back as well.
Right, divine power!! Dont you have an ability user with divine power or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to grit his teeth.
If one thought about it, then it was pretty easy to see why Spectres were ssified as low ss monsters back in Berafe.
Why? Because, there was an abundance of priests in Berafe, thats why.
But, what about this worlds religions?
Well, it was likeparing heaven and earth when looking at the influence of religion in Berafe, where the divine powers actually manifested for all to see, and that of Earth.
Hell, the prestige and influence exercised by the Earths biggest religion when it was going through its most potent period, would only beparable to that of the smallest cult worshipping some unknown deity back in Berafe.
Indeed, Berafes societies were ruled by the various doctrines of the religious entities, which naturally meant youd find far more priests and clerics than beggars on the street.
So, monsters like Spectres were nothing more than a low-ss mob that would be killed off with a single shot of the magic, Holy Light.
However, what about here?
Would there be anyone on this side capable of exorcising Spectres on Earth?
Divine powers? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I have no idea what youre talking about... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Craptastic.
For a moment there, Yi Ji-Hyuk was at a loss as to how he could solve the current crisis.
Thest ditch solution? Why, that was actually quite simple C kill all those possessed by the Spectres.
In Berafe, when the adventuring partycked the presence of a priest for some reason, killing those afflicted by the Spectres were the mostmonly-epted method to deal with the situation.
....Because, there was no other way.
Of course, there was another method of using a holy artifact, an item filled with divinity, to exorcise the monster, but would there be such a thing on this?
Still.....
What a pain!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk went on an unchecked killing spree here, then the ensuing chaos would be noughing matter, thats for sure. Also, rather than the problem of finding someone mad enough to actually believe his reasons for killing all these people, the real headache woulde from the fact that not one person alive would readily ept the exnation for his actions.
If he got lucky, then itd only be at the level of him beingbelled as a mass murderer....
If no one was looking right now, Id have...
No, hang on a bit.
Even without any witnesses, Id still feel reluctant to do that. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even if you counted every person killed by the historys worst dictators, bloodthirsty kings and the crazed mass murderers, Yi Ji-Hyuk easily had killed far, far greater number. So, in other words, he was a monster, a devil, a bona fide demon king.
Even he himself was well aware of this fact.
Which means, it was a very odd thing for him to feel reluctance about killing someone.
Is it because Im no longer in Berafe?
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth yet again.
The thing about the first time being difficult to ovee, but from the second time onwards, things would get easy, that was actually all true.
However, even for him, it proved to be rather impossible to put that truth into actual practice.
Think, man. Think, Yi Ji-Hyuk! Cmon!
What were the other effective methods when dealing with Spectres?
Garlic?
That wasnt it.
Silver crosses?
Nope.
Maybe, salt....?
Salt?!
Immediately, Yi Ji-Hyuk swivelled his head and stared at the ocean.
And then, a grin promptly formed on his face.
Almost right away, Yi Ji-Hyuk went poof! from the spot, and reappeared in the midst of the chaotic soldiers.
Heok!
The muzzle of a rifle was immediately shoved into his face, but Yi Ji-Hyuk calmly reached out and grabbed the possessed soldier, still pinned down on the ground.
Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The soldier was foaming at the mouth and tried to bite into Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If you know how to swim, well, thatd be great, but... dont me me for this, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, Im trying to save your sorry a*s here, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then simply chucked the possessed soldier towards the sea.
A human threw another human being, yet that thrown human flew like a cannonball fired from a cannon, and flew for almost 100 metres towards the cold water.
Kyahhhhh~!!!!
As if that poor sob still retained a sliver of his mind, he began screaming at the top of his lungs.
Holy moly....
The unaffected soldiers surrounding Yi Ji-Hyuk stood there watching, their jaws hitting the floor.
....Hes actually flying....
A human being was flying like a bird before gradually falling towards the ocean surface.
PHUR-URNG!!
It was only a measly human, yet the impact noise was as loud as a whale falling back into the water after a spectacr leap in the air.
Hes probably dead. (A random soldier #1)
Yep, he should be dead. (A random soldier #2)
Im sure hes totally dead now. (A random soldier #3)
Even under the current crisis, this sight was so memorable that almost all personnel stopped what they were doing and admired the result.
But, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt stand still.
They are going to die anyways, so, might as well! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At least, he ced a Shield spell on the guys body, and was nning to do the same to all the victims, so at a bare minimum, none of them should die from hitting the water. He hoped.
Well, them drowning or bing shark snacks were none of his business, though. That was for Choi Jung-Hoon to worry about.
Get out of the way! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed soldiers out of his way and then, began rhythmically grabbing and throwing the possessed soldiers into the sea, one at the time.
Swish! Swish!! Swiiish~!
And so, people began flying like a flock of birds.
Without a doubt, these possessed soldiers no longer retained their minds, yet as soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk approached, they visibly paled inplexion and began running away.
Stop exaggerating, will ya! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out as he chucked another possessed into the sea.
No, wait, I think they arent exaggerating, you know....? (A random soldier #1)
One of the soldiers subconsciously muttered out a retort.
He was thinking, Even I wouldve run away from you, you crazy b*stard!!
Orya!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed thest of the soldiers still on the ground and threw him into the ocean.
W, wait!! He isnt one of them!!! (A random soldier #2)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The final guy thrown by Yi Ji-Hyuk began spitting out all sorts of colourful swearing as he flew in the air.
That man kept on crying out about sons of female dogs and droppings of male cows and some other random stuff simr in nature, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply smirked back at the flying man.
You shouldve said something, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You didnt even give him the chance!! (The authors own retort)
After sorting out the situation somehow, Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look around. The confusionsted only for a brief moment, yet, there was a lot of casualties resulting from the friendly fire.
Tsk.
Well, he had done what he could already.
From here onwards, it was out of Yi Ji-Hyuks hands, anyways.
Okay, so now lets see.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was Oh-Sik doing his job well?
Yi Ji-Hyuk spotted the Ogre busy going crazy like a wolf pouncing on the flock of sheep over yonder.
Usually, Oh-Sik wouldve yed around with his prey as if to relish how much stronger it was, but even the big Ogre had realised the critical nature of this situation and was ruthlessly massacring everything that stood in its way.
Nice work! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KHWOAAAARRR!!
After hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks encouragement, Oh-Sik began to rampage even harder. There were a few mob monsters that managed to run away in terror, but the remaining KSF agents ably took care of them.
Well, its going well, isnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Things couldve gone south real quick, but as they stand, the situation wasing to a conclusion in a satisfying manner.
And the most satisfying thing out of it all was the appearance of Oh-Sik.
If another Ogre-ss monster had emerged today that he wasnt familiar with, even Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve found the ensuing battle a bit of a chore, if he was being honest with himself here.
He would have to pour in a crazy amount of Mana to sort the monster out, but then, the amount present within his body was not enough and the potential supply found nearby was just about so-so. Ogres were naturally nimble, agile monsters so urately nailing it with a wide-scale attack magic would prove to be a tough challenge even for him.
Thankfully, the Ogre Yi Ji-Hyuk knew crossed over, which meant he was able to make it surrender C read enve C quite easily. He got to kill two birds with one stone, which was always nice.
If I let that guy tag along, then surely, the work Id have to do would decrease substantially, wouldnt it.....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While Yi Ji-Hyuk dreamed of a happy future, urgent voices could be heard from his behind.
Noooo!!!
Stop them!! We gotta stop them!!
Oh, dear god!! Were doomed!!
Hearing those, Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell are they talking about?
Just as he turned around to take a look, he found people rushing out from the nuclear power station in panic.
Whats the matter? What happened in there? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly ran to one of the escapees, and after finding out what had happened, he shouted at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a deathly-paleplexion.
S, someone mustve slipped inside the power station! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Someone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, those people who suddenly started acting crazy! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
People acting crazy? Those possessed soldiers?
Hmm. Right. The possessed does have a tendency to search for the method of causing the most number of casualties.
And if I was one of those possessed, then....
The method to cause the most number of casualties?
Mm... Right. Definitely, that means... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Apparently, its impossible to shut it down. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Right, sure, something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk brightly smiled as if that was par for the course.
So, what happens next, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Youve heard of Chernobyl, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Stop right there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk thought he could kind of get the gist, and began kicking his brain into gear.
Mm... Mm....
.....
........
*SFX for steam suddenly being released*
Steam began rising out from Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
I dont get it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was quick on the uptake if it was about magic theories, but there was no way hed understand anything about chemistry, you know!
Actually, he couldnt even be sure of nuclear science being in the category of chemistry, either!
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked in earnest.
What needs to be done, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can you see the No.2 reactor over there? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, Ive got eyes, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We need to cool that with a massive quantity of sea water, or block it up with equally massive amount of concrete. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, can it be used again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre asking for a miracle there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in understanding.
Then, I guess theres no other choice but to do it that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, the rate of the meltdown is too fast! The guy did a real number in there! We gotta do something! Or else, nothing will be able to stop what happens next! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm, so thats how it is.
So, like, thats the thing, right.....
Mm......
.........
So, what do you want from me now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion, which prompted Choi Jung-Hoon to panic even more and he hurriedly grabbed the youths cors.
What? I mean, look! Just... Do something about that No. 2 reactor! You clueless idiot, please! Otherwise, Busan will be history!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the, did this guy lose his dang marbles or something?! Why the heck are you grabbing someone elses cor like this?! Only if you werent such a weakling, Id have just smacked you already....! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont care if you smacked me around or not, as long as you do something about the reactor!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cmon now, Im not a dokkaebi bangmangyi, you know... (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Even if he was told to resolve this crisis somehow, what could Yi Ji-Hyuk even do here?
Please!! Ill even increase your off days to ten!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For real?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think someones going to lie to you under the current circumstances?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah. Politicians. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....It is truly regretful that even I have to agree with you on that one, but look, Im not a politician! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ohh, youre right. I forget that sometimes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
If he could get ten days off from work, then he was more than prepared to maintain the world peace if he had to!
But, uh, wait a dang moment.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly threw out a question.
If I can ensure that the reactor will be reusable, what will happen? Fifteen days off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Saving the reactor is physically impossible!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not asking you about that, but I am asking you about the off days, man! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fine, fifteen days off!! Fifteen!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well then. I hope you arent thinking of bing a politician in the future. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out towards the huge mass of Mana Oh-Sik worked tirelessly to create, and sucked all of it in.
Keureuk?
As if he had sensed something ominous was about to happen, Oh-Sik quickly turned around to confirm it.
*SFX for ck Mana tentacles shooting out*
*SFX for monsters screaming out*
Oh-Sik hurriedly fell down t on the ground, and almost immediately, ck tentacles brushed past him and began to voraciously devour the remaining monsters.
Kiieeeck!!
Oh-Sik cried out in protest, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply red at the poor Ogre.
Hoh? You dare? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
K, kee~eek....
Oh-Sik became docile again in an instant. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk deeply smirked.
Dont you know that life is a game of chances, you idiot? Its fine if you made it out alive at the end. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk proceeded to suck in every single drop of Mana in one go, and then turned around to stare at the nuclear power station.
Well, should I get to it, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began exuding a dangerous light.
< 61. Eii, its not gonna bite, you know? -1 > Fin.
(TL: the dokkaebi bangmangyi is a club wielded by dokkaebis in the Korean folklore. Its supposed to be a sort-of magic wand that could pretty much make anythinge true, kinda like the Genie in amp. But with a lot less Robin Williams. Obvs.)
Chapter 62: Eii, it’s not gonna bite, you know? (2)
Chapter 62: Eii, its not gonna bite, you know? (2)
Both of Yi Ji-Hyuks hands began drawing magic runes in the air.
If he was asked to blow the power station to smithereens, or block it up, that wouldnt prove to be difficult at all. But, what Yi Ji-Hyuk was trying to cast right now was a magic spell that just so happened to be one of the most difficult there was.
Yep, it was truly the peak of all top tier-magic that only a true grandmaster of magic like Yi Ji-Hyuk, who possessed both the rich experience as well as the unbelievably precise magic form calction ability, could attempt to cast it.
In the midst of his calctions, Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned.
Its not enough! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt have enough Mana, something he was never short of back in Berafe. If he was nning to cast an attack magic, then hed be able to bring forth a humongous explosion with less amount of Mana than found around here.
But in the case of casting aplex chain of spells as he was trying to do right now, he couldnt simply rely on the Mana found in the immediate surroundings. He needed a bigger supply of that certain type of Mana he preferred so much.
Unfortunately, since he had devoured pretty much every monster nearby, he had no real avenue of procuring more in a hurry. Besides, if he were to find and suck away enough amount of Mana, then only the top-ss monsters would suffice.....
......
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keureuk?
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes and Oh-Siks met each other.
Suddenly, a grin formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face, and he began to walk closer to the Ogre.
K, keureeeeuuuuk....
Sensing something was about to go terribly awry, Oh-Sik began retreating, a step by step.
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah, this hyung needs a quick injection of Mana, so, behave yourself for a bit, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Hyung = older brother or informally, boss)
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew that the Ogre didnt understand what he was saying, but his conscience dictated that he should at least exin the situation.
Well, itd been easier for me if I just devoured you but, you know me, right? You know that Im really caring towards those who are close. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decisively ignored Seo Ah-Youngs sarcastic snort and grabbed Oh-Siks hand.
The Ogre instinctively tried to pull away, but he stopped after Yi Ji-Hyuks deathly-cold rended on him.
Behave, or else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
K, keureuk....
.....
If I mention that I thought the growlinging from the Ogre just now sounded a bit pitiful, then others would probably point their fingers at me and call me insane....(Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Thinking like this, Choi Jung-Hoon thought it was too bad that he had forgotten to whip out his phone and record this spectacle sooner.
Dont worry, Ill only take a little bit. Just a tiny little, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof! Wooof!
Oh-Sik, in the end, chose to run away while barking like an adult wolf C however, Mana still began gushing out from the Ogres fingertip like a fountain.
Hmm. Oh, yeah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a moan of satisfaction as he got to taste the purest form of dark Mana in quite a while.
Oh-Sik began trembling in fear as he watched his Mana drain away.
It cant be.
He wouldnt, right?
I mean, I worked like a dang ve for him!! (Oh-Sik the Ogres inner monologue. Yep, were even getting those now.)
Unfortunately, Oh-Sik had witnessed Yi Ji-Hyuk draining Mana out from his minions exactly like this many times in the past. And those victims would always end up as very mummified corpses, so quite understandably, the Ogres fear was only getting worse every passing second.
And when Oh-Sik realised that the remaining amount of Mana inside was getting low enough to threaten his life, the Ogre hurriedly cried out like a terrified puppy.
Ggegeng!!
Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then, Yi Ji-Hyuk removed his hand.
Ohh.... Oops. My bad. I drained more than I needed. I mean, its been such a long time and all.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik, looking a lot more lean than before, copsed face first on the floor,pletely exhausted now.
His eyes were full of anguish and dissatisfaction, but hell, he was still alive, so there was that!
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted the Ogre in the head, and then, turned around.
Alright, again! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk resumed drawing the magic runes in the air.
As his Manaden hands brushed past the empty space, the transparent yet distinctly clear traces of Mana remained there and began emitting pure rays of light.
What are those? (Jeong Hae-Min)
While standing at the rear, away from the frontlines, Jeong Hae-Min gazed at Yi Ji-Hyuks magical symbols with a pair of dreamy eyes. Those symbols full of unknown meaning seemed so beguiling to her.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was frowning somewhat as he finished up drawing thest of the magic runes, which now formed a magic circle.
What he hadpleted here was a spell that just so happened to be quite literally useless, but featured such high degree of difficulty that even throughout the entire history of Berafe, only three people had managed to master it.
Hell, one would be a top sorcerer by investing the same amount of time needed to master this spell on learning several other spells. Obviously, no one even attempted the feat as a result. But Yi Ji-Hyuk could master it, since he had nothing but time on his hands.
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally stopped moving his hands, and he let out a single chant.
Time Reversal! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From both Yi Ji-Hyuks body and the floating magic circle, blinding rays of light exploded out. And at the same time, the reactor no.2 stopped going through the meltdown and started emitting bright white light as well.
Its.... so pretty. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Completely ignoring Jeong Hae-Mins earnest admiration, Yi Ji-Hyuk and the power station continued to emit the bright light for a while.
And when the light finally subsided, Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a long sigh.
Now that Im using the spell after such a long time, it sure was a lot of work, wasnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young approached Yi Ji-Hyuk and asked him.
Is it over? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats it? Just like that? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young stared at him with a face full of suspicion, before asking the youth again.
Just what did you do? Looks like nothings changed. (Seo Ah-Young)
Everythings changed. Why dont you go inside and take a look? Its all reverted back to how it was like before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? (Seo Ah-Young)
Still somewhat suspicious, Seo Ah-Young continued to stare at Yi Ji-Hyuk giving out nonmittal answers, before giving a wordless signal to Lee Seok-Woo, who just so happened to be watching this scene from the sidelines.
You mean, me? (Lee Seok-Woo)
Is there anyone else other than you here? (Seo Ah-Young)
You dang witch! (Lee Seok-Woo)
Lee Seok-Woo swallowed back the rising tears of resentment, and entered the power station.
And then, a short whileter.....
E, everythings fine! The reactor... its working fine! (Lee Seok-Woo)
Lee Seok-Woo emerged from the station with a dumbstruck face and began raising a huge fuss.
But that was par for the course, really C who in this world wouldve enjoyed the opportunity to witness something as absurd as that until today?
All the mechanisms required for the stations safe operation, once full of bullet holes and beyond saving, had all reverted back to how they were, so obviously, he was stunned out of his skull.
What in the world?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes became quite profound as she stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk once more.
Just.... What exactly did you do? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ohh, its nothing much, really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, could the so-called abilities even be capable of something like that...? (Seo Ah-Young)
Almost everyone present began to stare at Yi Ji-Hyuk with the eyes normally reserved when looking at apletely iprehensible mystery.
Seeing that, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
This magic, with its frustratingly high difficulty but utterck of actual usefulness C it was indeed a pretty formidable spell that could wind back the time itself. However, it could only affect the non-living objects, so yes, it was pretty useless when all things were considered.
That was the Time Reversal spell in a nutshell.
Yi Ji-Hyuk researched this magic while hoping that hed be able to escape from Berafe somehow by reversing the flow of time. But, when he learned of its limitation, he had not used it once. Until today.
If you were nning to, say, fix machines or buildings, or even recharge the depleted magic crystals after they were used up, then sure, you could do loads of things with this spell. However, honestly speaking, which top sorcerer capable of mastering this spell would stoop so low?
As someone once said, there are truly no useless things in the world... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling rightly chuffed with himself, having learned the spell.
You, just what is your real identity?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Why, its Yi Ji-Hyuk, of course.
You know thats not what I meant! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was about to say something else, but then, sighed out in defeat while shaking her head, instead.
Well, hadnt she experienced enough times already, of the youth not giving out a satisfactory answer no matter how many times he was asked?
Her expression still full of unhappiness, she red back at Yi Ji-Hyuk for a bit, before she waved her hand and turned away from him.
The once-possessed soldiers were slowly walking back to the shore having dragged themselves out from the sea water. Various ambnces and emergency medical staff were dispersing this way and that, trying to get to the injured and the like.
The whole ce was in shambles, but at least, the power station had been spared.
Spared.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young nced at the station, and her body shuddered just for a little bit.
What a weird feeling, this was.
What with the manner in which todays crisis got resolved so easily, one might be lulled into thinking that there was nothing to worry about in the first ce.
However, on the flip side, if Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt here, then at a bare minimum, the area of Busan wouldve be a death zone where not one creature could survive.
Even an Ogre appeared here C a monster frightening enough for a nation with powerful defenses to dere a nationwide emergency. And then, there was the group of Spectres, and the nuclear power station was almost destroyed as a result.
However, all those potentially devastating events were resolved in less than one hour.
She had nearly forgotten it since she had to see his face everyday now and that led to them bickering all the bloody time, but once more, Seo Ah-Young was reminded of the painful reality that this rotten youth was beyond anyonesprehension.
Too bad, his everyday actions were just as iprehensible, too!!
All of his stress-inducing actions!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks facial expression was like that of a bear with a full tummy, as hezily opened his mouth.
So, my off days are now fifteen, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons lips opened and closed without a sound several times, before he powerlessly nodded his head.
Why? He had figured that, in case he tried to wrangle out of the deal right now, then during the next inevitable urgent situation itd only prove to be an even bigger loss, as Yi Ji-Hyuk would drive the dagger of vengeance and try to gut him open.
However! Promise us that youll show up and help when we end up facing another emergency situation like today! If you do so, then Ill allow this extension of your off days for sure! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Add one more day to the total, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh, euh!!
Choi Jung-Hoon trembled in unwillingness, but in the end, granted the request.
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled to himself, wondering where he should go for his holiday break, when Jeong Hae-Min approached him and the others. She sounded rather curious as she asked.
Why are you all acting as if we are in the clear? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh? What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Over there, that thing. (Jeong Hae-Min)
On the spot Jeong Hae-Min pointed at, there was a never-before-seen creature squatting down.
What is that?
A dog? Isnt that a dog?
No, if you take a closer look, isnt it more like a bear?
Even I think its a dog, though?
The group began voicing their opinions while trying to decipher what that half-a-man-sized animal could possibly be.
Meanwhile, a huge smile bloomed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face as he looked at that small animal with a mixture of red and ck fur.
Oh-Sik-ah! Oh, Oh-Sik-ah!! Howe youve be so adorable?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It seemed that, after most of its Mana was sucked out, the Ogre couldnt maintain its massive bulk and had to decrease its size.
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked up to Oh-Sik and patted his head.
Isnt it just the cutest? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper~.
Oh-Siks head dropped low, while looking utterly depressed.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gleamed in a new light. He was actually worried about what to do when Oh-Sik was still a full-sized Ogre, but now that it was this small, there should be no problem whatsoever.
And hell, if it needed to be, hed supply it with Mana to balloon it up, and by draining the Mana out of the creature, Yi Ji-Hyuk would get to lead it around like a pet dog....
Huh, if I train it ju~st right, wouldnt I be able to ride on it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt overjoyed at finding a new mode of transportation. However, Choi Jung-Hoons face lost all colour as he quickly cried out in rm.
You, you want to keep that as a pet?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course. Isnt it cute? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
CUTE?!?!
Choi Jung-Hoons disbelieving eyes were directed towards the miniature Ogre.
The monster did have pure and round anime-like eyes, its nose was round and chubby, and the rest....
What the....
It is kinda cute, thats for sure.
No, no, no!!
Thats not iiiiitttt!!
No matter how cute it looks now, that monster is still a damn Ogre!!
Thats the evil monster that could crush a nation if it went on a rampage!!
And you wanna keep something like that as a pet?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Where are you even thinking of keeping that thing?! And what are you going to feed it with?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ill just tie him down by the front entrance of the HQ. As for its meals.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that.
Im sure I can just give him pet food. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pet food?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You know, dog food. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Siks eyes trembled as if there was an earthquake happening right now.
At this rate, historys very first dog food-eating Ogre might be born.
What will you do if the Ogre decides to snack on a passerby?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eiii~, hes not gonna do that. He definitely doesnt want to get skinned alive, you know. Dont you, Oh-Sik-ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The monster/animal quickly nodded his head after sensing Yi Ji-Hyuks dense killing intent. Even though he couldnt understand humannguage....
To think, Id live long enough to see the day when Im feeling sorry for a bloody Ogre.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was almost like a houserat feeling sorry for a lion here. Well, even though the poor thing looked like that now, Choi Jung-Hoon wouldnt even be able to defend against a single finger flick from Oh-Sik in reality.
Wait a minute.... Just how strong is it now, when looking like that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Right, it might be as small as a dog, but that didnt mean it was really a dog.
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt help but suspect that it could still send any unwary passerby away on the one-way express ticket to the River Styx.
But to think, the youth wanted to put a dog cor on it and keep it as a pet?!
The sheer sense of hopelessness filled up Choi Jung-Hoons expression.
In that case, why dont you keep it in your own house?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul. Listen to this guys nonsense here. Hey, man. Are you going to take the responsibility if this little guy loses his mind and bites my mom or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What?! Does that mean its fine for us to get bitten, instead?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eii, its not gonna bite, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the bleep?! Youre not making any damn sense! No sense at all!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and lightly grasped the back of Oh-Siks neck.
Hey, you prefer this too, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
What the, its almost crying now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, hang on a minute... its not almost, is it? Look at that moist edges of its eyes. Arent they teardrops?!
Now Ive seen everything. Including an Ogre tearing up.
Yep, its the end of the world, alright. The end of the dang world!
Huh, huhuhuhuhuh..... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Hahaha, I guess you really like this arrangement, huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How did you even arrive at that answer after looking at the Ogres expression?! How?! Just hoooooww?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Totally not caring whether Choi Jung-Hoon was crying out in anguish inwardly or not, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tossed the mini Oh-Sik up in the air slightly before catching it, whileughing out in satisfaction.
As if a powerful migraine was assaulting her, Seo Ah-Young stopped looking at this spectacle and began massaging her temples quite furiously. Meanwhile, Jeong Hae-Min sneakily approached closer and began cautiously stroking the back fur of Oh-Sik.
Finally giving up on seemingly everything, Choi Jung-Hoon then fell into a deep pit of dilemma, trying to figure out how should he go about concealing the presence of this.... animal, as well as on how to doctor the incident report.
None present here today would have guessed that todays event was merely the prelude to the actual full scale invasion.
< 62. Eii, its not gonna bite, you know -2 > Fin.
Chapter 63: Eii, it’s not gonna bite, you know? (3)
Chapter 63: Eii, its not gonna bite, you know? (3)
What was the meaning of holiday to a human being?
Wasnt it supposed to be healing the wariness of ones heart and spirit born out of the daily trudge, through an uninterrupted rest?
And the most desirable oue of ones holiday should be to recharge ones batteries in order to reenter and reintegrate into the workings of society, after the holidays conclusion.
When considering all of the above, then right here, right now, youd undoubtedly find a human being enjoying the wrong kind of a holiday.
With a crumpled face, madam Park Seon-Duk was ring at her lovely, lovely son.
Taptaptaptaptaptap!!!
His hands pounding on the keyboard seemed so utterly brilliant at this moment.
If he was engaged in any other activity, she would be tempted to say his dedication was quite outstanding and rightly feel proud of her child, but seeing that amazing drive being poured only into that stupid game of his, moms heart was aching a lot right now.
Hell, if he was trying to be a pro gamer, then maybe shed get behind him! Maybe, even cheer him on!
Unfortunately, the boycked talent to be one....
And what made her think like this?
Argh! Why cant I do that?!
Hey! I did click just now, so what gives?! Why isnt it working!! Whyyyyy!
You stupid son of a b*tch!! Imma find out where you live!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....
....There was no freaking way a man shouting out those words during gaming would be good at that said game. No way in hell.
Park Seon-Duk grandly groaned, and walked closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
My son? (mom)
Arghhhh! Die, you as*holes!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Soooooon. (mom)
Mom? Hold up a sec. Imma.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
SON. (mom)
Y, yes!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Quickly sensing the ominous shift in her mood, Yi Ji-Hyuk threw away the headset, stood up straight and paid full attention to his mom.
How long did you say your holiday was? (mom)
Fifteen days, maam. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You went for work two days, and get a fifteen day break.... (mom)
Such workce benefits was so good, it was almost on the level of a NEET, even.
What kind of insane organisation would give you fifteen days off for two days of work?
She didnt even have be present to picture the shenanigans that probably happened there in full technicolor glory.
Okay, so. How long has it been since youve been home? (mom)
Uhm, I guess, a week now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. A week. My son? (mom)
The family was supposed to enjoy this brand new house with its spacious rooms and very modern features to its fullest, yet here he was, ying a game for seven days straight!!
Seven days!!!
Youve been ying that game for a week nonstop! Havent you developed an athletes foot on your butt or something by now?! (mom)
No, mom. The chairs cushion is just the softest and fluffiest thing there is, so Im feeling perfectly fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Should I have bought him a chair with crappy cushions, instead?
No, I shouldve just ced a cushion of nails, instead! (moms inner monologue)
Park Seon-Duk silently epted her guilt in this ongoing saga. Indeed, she shouldve considered the deployment of such tactics well in advance, if she wanted to see her son get up and do something!!
My son. You said youve adopted a dog, didnt you? (mom)
Right, Oh-Sik. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That dog, where is it? (mom)
Ive fastened him in front of the HQ. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its been a week, so what about its food? (mom)
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
Now that he looked back, he hadnt really given much thought about that little matter.
Oh well. It was par for the course, really C even though hemanded an army of ten thousand demons and monsters, not once did he worry about their daily necessities, after all.
Go and feed it. (mom)
You mean, me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course its you!! Who else is here? (mom)
Im sure the folks there wouldve taken good care of him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt you say its your dog? (mom)
Sure, it is, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned back on the chair and beganining.
....Its too much work and I cant be ar*ed to go, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When mom raised her hand, all poised to strike and everything, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly raised his own arms to defend himself.
What the?! What now? Why!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Go and feed your dog, this instant! And while doing that, get some exercise by taking a stroll, too!! Youre at your peak youth, yet what the hell are you doing, hiding away in a corner of your room all day?! (mom)
I might get lost, you know! Mom, the streets are tooplicated around here!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why dont you use the GPS app on your phone?! (mom)
Whats that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk spat out another lengthy groan.
Why was this young son of hers behaving like a tired old geezer?
No, hang on a minute. He was just acting like an old geezer but the thing was, his personality seemed to be consisting solely of only the worst qualities from a spoilt child and a tired old man.
Why not just jump in theke already, why dont you?! (moms inner monologue)
Park Seon-Duk reinstalled a new GPS app on Yi Ji-Hyuks phone, and then, saved the location of his workce as well as the new house so he could easily ess them on the go.
You just have to follow this line here, got that? (mom)
But, mom! Do I have to really go?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Get used to this route, so you wont bete for work ever again! I heard that you werete by over two hours on your first day! Do you have any idea how ashamed and embarrassed I was hearing that? All that makes your mother a target for finger-pointing!!
Just who would do that to my mom?! Who dares! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its because of you, you fool!! Its your fault! (mom)
When his back was lit on fire once more by moms powerful attack, Yi Ji-Hyuk fell out of his chair and began rolling on the floor.
Okay, okay!! Im going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Be careful on your way. Also, take this with you, and give to your colleagues at the office. (mom)
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I packed a handful of fruit and other things. So theyll have something to snack on while they work. (mom)
Mom, why did you even bother to do something like this for those guys? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They are the only people in this world that think you have some value. Im thankful for that, at the very least. (mom)
Uh? That sounds kinda correct, doesnt it?
Hearing her mention that, I do feel a bit weird right now, too. Yeah, what a weird feeling this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hurry up and get going already. (mom)
....Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took his sweet time putting on a decent set of clothing, and took even longer to leave the house.
Okay, Im going now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm.
As soon as her son left through the front door, Park Seon-Duk straightened her back and took a look at her new ce.
She really liked the fact that the new house was much bigger and better than the previous ce. And after the only eyesore to be found in this new home had been removed, she felt that a thorough clean up was now in order and so, she went and fetched the vacuum cleaner.
*
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk came out of the entrance, and turned around to take a look at the new house.
And he could see a modern building, the one prepared by Choi Jung-Hoon for Yi Ji-Hyuks family. He couldnt tell whether this ce was better than the old apartment or not, but since mom seemed to be delighted with it, it was all good for him as well.
He was even thinking of demolishing the house and then building himself a new one if she didnt like it, but well, she liked it, so that was that.
Walking out of the foyer, hezily stretched his body beforepletely freezing up in ce.
No, wait a minute....
There is just no way.... Right?
There is no way shes here waiting for me! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head creaked as he robotically turned around to look again.
....And, then, he spotted a certain blonde head bobbing up and down ever so slightly just beyond the brick wall surrounding the house.
You, youuuu!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk began crying out while his entire body began trembling, the blonde hiding behind the brick wall slowly revealed herself.
H, how did you even enter this area?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This area was off-limits to civilians, after all!
The corners of Kim Dah-Soms lips rose up in a mysterious smile.
Scary.
Now that.... was super scary.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling like a leaf, his previously-domineering attitude that he had cultivated so carefully for the past thousand years nowhere to be seen.
Just what is she?!
Is she the fairy of the doorway?! Or maybe even a ghost haunting my front yard? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You, how did you find this ce?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon definitely said that this area could not be essed, unless you were either an ability user registered with the KSF, or a family member of one!
Please, here.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som eased something out of her bag and carefully pushed it towards him.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats this?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly as he received her thing.
Its cookies, and.... (Kim Dah-Som)
She pulled something else out from the bag.
This is chocte, and... (Kim Dah-Som)
And then, she pulled out something else, again.
Just how many things did she manage to pack inside that small bag of hers?!
No, besides all that....
What the hell?! Is she trying to fatten me up like amb for ughter or something?!
Why is she trying to feed me all this stuff? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Uh, sure. Thanks. Wait here for a sec.. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk awkwardly received the gifts and then, briefly returned home in order to deposit them there. Then, came back outside.
And when he spotted Kim Dah-Som still waiting for him patiently and without making a single fuss, he couldnt help but feel kinda.... weird. Again.
Sure, she was super scary, but the thing was, he had never been the recipient of such one-sided favours during the past thousand years or so, which also meant he found the whole thing quite difficult to get used to it.
Well, then.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Just as Kim Dah-Som began walking away in airy steps, Yi Ji-Hyuk called out to her.
Oh, hey. Wait. You familiar with this area? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
Like, you know, where the nearest convenience stores are.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, I know. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, thats good. Then, I wanna ask you about something.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please.
Kim Dah-Som quietly waited for his next words.
Hmm... You know where is the nearest pet shop around here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
*
Euh-cha!
With a huge bag of dog food slung over his shoulder, Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged towards the NDF HQ building.
After moving house, the distance between the new home and the workce had been shortened to only 5 minutes, so the burden on him had pretty much disappeared, but....
Its not that great living so close to your work.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The proof? Here he was, supposedly on a holiday yet the fate conspired to force him back to work, just like this.
He spotted the NDF building from afar. And when he had gotten closer, he spotted Oh-Sikzing around near the front entrance, just as where Yi Ji-Hyuk had tied the mini Ogre down a week ago.
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik was lying t on the ground, but as soon as he heard Yi Ji-Hyuks voice, he raised his head abruptly, then shot right back up to its feet, assuming a stance of performing the military salute.
At ease. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then, Oh-Siks shoulders slumped back down. His eyes were utterly powerless as he red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Seriously now, not only did he drain almost every drop of Mana out and thus leaving the poor Ogrepletely energyless, this man even forgot to feed him for one week straight!
Keureuk!
Youre supposed to bark, you know. Youre nominally a dog now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keureuk!!
Actually, I dont care either way, but if the truth of you being an Ogre got out, then the total number of people wanting to dissect you alive will be... Oh, I dunno. Enough to fill up ten dump trucks, maybe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W, woof....
There you go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly nodded his head, and put the bag of dog food down.
Im sure youre hungry, so dig in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik stared at the Yi Ji-Hyuks bag, and tilted his head in confusion.
What could this bag be? The Ogre had never seen anything like it before....
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the bag C and as soon as the rich fragrance swept out, Oh-Sik hurriedly shoved his head in the opening, tasted one, and then, a huge joyful smile broke out as he began hoovering up the dog food down his mouth.
There, there. Good boy. Eat to your fill. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did it really matter whether it was an Ogre or a dog?
There was absolutely no difference to him whatsoever. Either would more or less understand what he was trying to say, so that was the end of that.
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled out a tune as he stepped into the office. Annnd, as soon as he pushed the door open to enter, Choi Jung-Hoon rushed out to nearly tackle him.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!!!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul. Dont you think your greeting is too excessive?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, do something about that Ogre!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? Why? What happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its been trying to rip every single passerby into shreds!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With a scary thing like that upying the front door, just which brave soul would try to use that entrance?! But, one could only use the side windows to enter the building for a day or two! Enough was enough!
No, well. Its acting like that cuz it was starving. But it should be fine now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You gave him something to eat? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You didnt hand over a living person, right? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I ept that Im a bit off kilter, but you really think Id be crazy enough to do that? I gave him pet food. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pet food?
This guy, did he really feed an Ogre with pet food?
An Ogre eating pet food C just what kind of bullcrap is this? This is already beyond the level of international headlines, and into the realm of inter-dimensional scoop of the century!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Also, if he was acting up like that, why didnt you bring him inside and put him up in a corner or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the?! You think there are other people capable of approaching that thing beside yourself?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, hes so adorable, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, of course. Yes, its cute. Too bloody cute!!
But! Even a pr bear can be cute, too! Hell, it can even slurp down a can of Coke! The problem is, it can also tear out your throat in less than three seconds!!
But that thing outside is even more dangerous than a pr bear, isnt it?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Then, why didnt you secure the leash better? What were you thinking, leaving an Ogre with such a loose leash?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont worry, the leash wonte undone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you do something to it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
If he doesnt want to die, then hell never undo the leash. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....That was an even worse prospect, that.
What the hell was up with this guy?
In any case, please do something about him! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, fine. Ill just move him to that enclosed open space behind the building. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And besides, since you fed it pet food, obviously thats gonnae out, too! Whos going to clean that up now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, thats no biggie. Hes going to take care of that by himself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Huh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If I lengthen the leash a bit more, Im sure hes going to find the toilet and use that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
By now, a certain sense of identity crisis had settled in Choi Jung-Hoons head. That creature, that thing with red and ck fur, what on the bleeding Earth was that thing?!
If Choi Jung-Hoon were to submit this instance of an Ogre using the loo to the scientific world, just what kind of things would he get to hear?
*SFX for a persons screaming*
It was then, they heard someones screaming from the outside.
All colour drained out from Choi Jung-Hoonsplexion as he dashed outside.
That bloody Ogre finally went and did something!
When he got to the front of the building, he spotted the mini Ogre busy munching on the pet food, as well as a blonde man on his butt, his pant legs all torn up.
Are you alright? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
W, what the hell is that thing?! I said, what is that!! (?)
Choi Jung-Hoon grandly sighed out.
He knew something like this would happen sooner orter. But, why did it have to be now?!
What kind of a dog... No, wait. That cant be a dog! How can a dog reflect my ability as if it was nothing?! While its eating dog food, no less! (?)
Yup, I understand how you feel.
I would have reacted the same as you. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Just who brought such a dangerous animal here? Who was it?! (?)
Choi Jung-Hoons gaze slowly shifted behind him.
The target of his stare, Yi Ji-Hyuk, was letting out a disinterested yawn.
It was me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuks facial expression that contained a mixture of slight annoyance and boredom, the blonde mans own expression hardened in an instant.
Hey, you!! What the hell do you think youre doing?! (?)
< 63. Eii, its not gonna bite, you know? -3 > Fin.
(TL: A sponsored chapter will be released five minutes after this chapter goes live. Look forward to it.)
Chapter 64: Eii, it’s not gonna bite, you know? (4)
Chapter 64: Eii, its not gonna bite, you know? (4)
TL: This extra chapter is brought to you by: Kaung T.W.N. (my bad if I got the name wrong! Sorry!) and Jan B. (who didnt specify which novel hes sponsoring, so Im assuming its for the Returner. If not, please let me know.) Thank you for your support!
Well, not doing much, I guess? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was unrepentantly honest.
The only things he did were ying video games, and reading web novels while lounging around the whole day, so of course there wasnt anything particrly important he was doing. So, he wasnt lying here!
Yi Ji-Hyuk remained truly shameless!
Are you trying to make fun of me or something? (?)
The blonde man promptly stood right back up and red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Huh. Youre unexpectedly good-looking, arent you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, hehe. Thank you, thank y... What the!! Thats not it!! (?)
This blonde guys good looks was of a different vourpared to that of Choi Jung-Hoons own good looks. You could call Choi Jung-Hoons face as more of masculine handsome-ness, while this blonde dude was more of a pretty boy type.
Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, do these NDF people pick their agents based solely on the looks alone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pretty much everyone working here C those Yi Ji-Hyuk had run into, even those he saw while passing by C were all irritatingly good looking.
If you wanted to get a bit technical here, then to regr people, Seo Ah-Young would be seen as a true drop-dead stunner that most eyes would instinctively chase after. Lets not forget, even Choi Jung-Hoon himself was a good looking man, and then, there was Jeong Hae-Min who also happened to be an idol....
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling after realising something rather important.
He had finally realised that, as long as he had to apany these good looking people, wouldnt others think of him as an unsightly dried up squid inparison?!
Wait! Wherever he went, people were always looking at him with a funny sideways nce!!
Finally, he figured out why!!
After btedly figuring out the method to regaining his pride as a human being, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the blonde guy, his eyes cocked in a crooked fashion.
So, who are you supposed to be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The blonde guy swept back his hair and spoke.
Im the Path Drifter, Kim Dah-Hyun. Ill be cooperating with the NDF from today onwards. (TL: the name Path Drifter is from the author, not me. He actually wrote that in English....)
A pad-ripper? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not iiiitttttt!!!!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly covered his ears.
What the hell is up with this dude? If its not, its not, so why all this screaming? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyuns face reddened up in anger as he continued to shout at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hey, man! Dont you know who I am?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Nope. No clue. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell! How can someone rted to this field of work dont know who I am?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Im not rted to this field of work, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why are you even here?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I came to feed the dog. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
The blonde dude alternated his gaze between Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jung-Hoon C for the former, it was the re full of hostility, and for thetter, a stare full of question marks.
Choi Jung-Hoon assumed a bitter smile and tried to exin.
This is mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, your colleague starting from today. Mister Ji-Hyuk, this is the famous Path Drifter, mister Kim Dah-Hyun. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Really sounds like a pad-ripper to me.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, thats not iiiiittttt!!!!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun gritted his teeth in anguish.
Hey you. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You, youre an ability user, right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Im not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohh, really now? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
While listening to this riveting conversation unfold, Choi Jung-Hoon fell ever deeper into the quagmire of bitterness. Why did his workce attract these sorts of.... weird characters, only?
Okay, doesnt matter if youre a user or not.... No, wait! Thats not it! Hey, if youre not a user, how the heck can you even keep that abnormal thing as a pet?! You tryin to make fun of me?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
No, Im not trying to do that, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun rolled up his sleeves and confronted Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You wanna have a go at me, is that it? You going topensate for my pants? You say youre the dogs owner, so you better cough up for a new one! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Sure, Im nominally the owner, but I dont have the ownership, so why dont you directly ask the one at fault? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Directly? To who? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Werent you looking at him just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes drifted towards Oh-Sik the Ogre. The animals head was buried deep inside the bag of pet food.
What the, you taking a p*ss or what?! You better choose! Pay for the pants and apologise, or dont even n to walk back to your little home, got that!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Not walking? Then, should I fly, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? This mother effing a*shole! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head slightly.
As he kept on listening to this c**p, he was getting this weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Hang on a minute.... Uh? Hey, are you trying to pick a fight with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right! I am, so what are you going to do about that? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
A bitter chuckle escaped from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
Right. Indeed, this was how to get up on someones grille and all that.
Always, it was Yi Ji-Hyuk who had initiated the conflict. But the truth was, he hadnt been on the receiving end of a naked attempt to p*ss him off for so long, he had actually forgotten what it felt like. Until now.
People start fighting like this, dont they? Right, this is how it starts.
In that case....
So.... hmm. What did I do back then to the fools trying to p*ss me off, I wonder?
After I gained some power, I used to beat the living daylights out of the suckers until they were almost dead, didnt I?
And then, well, I grew bored doing that, so I just opened up a warp gate to the demon world and threw the idiots in there....
....Then, uh, hmm. No one else tried to pick a fight with me afterwards.
Okay, so, how should I deal with this idiot, then?
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly shifted his gaze towards Oh-Sik, still busy munching on the pet food.
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keureuk?
Oh-Sik pulled his head out from the bag, and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hes learned what his name is already, huh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt help but feel quite proud and at the same time, a bit sad, after witnessing this disy of Oh-Sik being a smart boy.
Just how smart was he to recognise his name in such a short amount of time, but how scared must it be for an Ogre to act like that?
Utterly disregarding whatever Choi Jung-Hoon was thinking at the moment, Yi Ji-Hyuk gestured Oh-Sik toe closer, and when the mini Ogre got near, the youth lightly patted the monsters head. And then, he pointed at Kim Dah-Hyun and gave out a singlemand.
Sic him, boy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groooowl!!
With his words as the signal, the Ogre pounced with all his might at Kim Dah-Hyun.
Uwaaaaaaah!!!
Kim Dah-Hyuns face lost all semnce of colour and he retreated like a bolt of lightning.
Ohh? Hes pretty fast, isnt he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Too bad for the blonde idiot, though. That was just about it C an Ogre was the type of a monster that would never give up chasing its prey, even if that meant crossing the gates of the Hades itself.
As long as the target couldnt erase his own smell, the only thing one could do was a physical battle of attrition.
And an Ogre is a fast creature, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You see, an Ogre might be huge, but it was never a slow monster to begin with.
Kim Dah-Hyun screamed out in terror while running for his dear life, with Oh-Siks bared fangs only a few inches away from his butt.
What the hell are you doing?! You crazy motherf*ckerrrrrrrr.....!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled in satisfaction as he watched this spectacle unfold.
Unless Oh-Sik punctured a couple of holesrge enough to breathe through in that blonde mans a*s, it would....
Huh? Holes in the butt?
Wait a minute. If an Ogre bites you, then instead of holes, the whole butt might get ripped off clean, no....? In that case, that guy might end up dying.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah. Stop, ande over here. Here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Growl~....
Oh-Sik stopped chasing after his target and returned to Yi Ji-Hyuks side as he licked his lips.
What on earth? How can that creature understand hismands so well? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Maybe, that Ogre was a lot smarter than some people?
Yi Ji-Hyuk patted Oh-Siks head, and the mini Ogre whimpered and began licking the youths hand.
Its beenpletely transformed into a dog. A bloody dog... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup, there was no way you could say that thing was an Ogre anymore. It was definitely more of a dog now.
No, hang on a minute C shouldnt it be far more correct to fear the man responsible for turning an Ogre into a pseudo-dog instead? The man named Yi Ji-Hyuk?
While recognising the scary presence of Yi Ji-Hyuk once more, Choi Jung-Hoon tried toe up with a way to resolve this situation. But before he could, Kim Dah-Hyun angrily shouted out towards the youth with a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Heyyy, you punk!! What the hell are you trying to achieve here?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Punk? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head again. See, the thing was, he was quite an old man by now. Well, he was very, very, very old in truth, so.... Wasnt his situation a bit too unique to be called a punk, no?
After all, the word punk would normally be used to denote a youngster.
But, if that wasnt the case....
Hmm. So you were insulting me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, it was an insult.
An insult.
Mm, so actually.... He just swore at me... Then, I should.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly smiled refreshingly, walked closer to Kim Dah-Hyun, and put his arm around the blonde mans shoulders in a rather friendly manner.
What now? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Will youe over here for a sec? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? What the hell?! Why is this punk trying to act so friendly and sh*t? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oh, cmon now. Just for a sec, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While watching Yi Ji-Hyuk drag Kim Dah-Hyun to a dark, empty corner well away from the eyes of other witnesses, all Choi Jung-Hoon could do was to cross his heart, gather his hands in front of his heart and begin praying.
Please, return to us still alive. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....That was all he could do for the poor blonde guy.
*
A short whileter.
Eeim weallie sowwie.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Speak in Korean, will you, In Korean! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im rearry sowry.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Apologies were continuously pouring out from the bursted lips of Kim Dah-Hyun, his once-pretty face now all puffed up and swollen from the beating he just received.
I cant hear you. What were you saying? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im rearry sowrryyyy~. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I cant hear youuuu~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon quivered ufortably from the sensation of goosebumps breaking out on his back.
What a devil.
How could he ruin such a good-looking face until it was all swollen and unsightly like that?!
Choi Jung-Hoon suspected that, even after the swelling had went away, there was no chance that the blonde mans face would regain its former mour.
What was even more scary than that, though.... the rest of the blonde guys body waspletely uninjured. Except for his face!!!!
In other words, Yi Ji-Hyuk deliberately only targeted his face....
Why would he go and do something so terrifying?! Just why!!!
Whatever. All the good-looking people are rude b*stards, anyways. Hey, speak up! Now that you look like dirt, Im sure some manners have been instilled in you, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, one should try to live ones life with some manners.
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly searched through his memories to make sure he hadnt misced his manners somewhere. But as he did this, he realised that he had been speaking to the youth a bit more rudely than before, since they got so close in thest couple of months or so.
Choi Jung-Hoon tightened hisxing mentality, thanking the heavens that he caught onto his mistake before it was toote, and then, tried to calm Yi Ji-Hyuk down.
Haha, ha.... Uhm, mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? How about letting him go now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh, dang it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally let go of Kim Dah-Hyuns cors and dusted his hands.
What the? I thought you only gathered the so-called elites here. But look at this guy! Why does heck fighting spirit this badly? I didnt even get to beat him up that good either, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, an average person wouldve died after getting beaten up like that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, hes still alive, isnt he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, hes an ability user, after all. He has a greater endurance, thats all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Tsk, tsk. So weak, and yet you want to kill monsters? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The blonde guy, who was one of the very few grade 7 ability users found in Korea, was being treated like a weakling.
Choi Jung-Hoon groaned under his breath.
Now normally, the situation shouldve been like Kim Dah-Hyun relentlessly forcing Yi Ji-Hyuk into a corner before getting his a*s handed back to him, which might have been more ptable in a sense. But since the blonde guy got turned into an unrecognisable mess of swollen flesh before he even got to do anything, all Choi Jung-Hoon could feel was pity.
Im really sowrie... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun finally began sounding like a normal person. Choi Jung-Hoon lightly tapped on his shoulder and whispered.
Shouldnt you go to a hospital soon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
P, stic surgery...? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yes, thats right. Youll be fine after getting all fixed up. Im sure youll regain your former looks when you go there to get help. So, dont give up! Fighting! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon did his best to swallow back down the rising flood of tears, and continued on.
Besides, I sent out a notice that said to never get involved with a man named Yi Ji-Hyuk.... didnt you receive it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I did receive it, but... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
But? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I didnt read it.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
.............
Uhm... Should I pin the notice at the front entrance, then?
Beware of the dog!
Beware of Yi Ji-Hyuk!
Especially so, when Yi Ji-Hyuk is with his dog!
No, hang on. This isnt a joke, is it? Its far more serious than that!
I mean, more and more high-ss ability users will show up for work here, those invaluable and priceless folks, yet if they keep picking fights with Yi Ji-Hyuk like today, then.... We might have to bury every single ability user in the entire Korean penins because theyre all dead!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Something seemed a bit off here, though.
Sure, Kim Dah-Hyun did swear at the youth, but it was actually the duo of Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon whod have inconvenienced Yi Ji-Hyuk much, much more. Yet...
Why didnt we get beaten up? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Especially considering that personality of his?
Choi Jung-Hoon thanked the lucky star for this bit of fortune once more. After all, a powerless normal person like him getting beaten up wouldnt just end with him seeking out treatment from a stic surgeon.
By the way, why did this a*sho.... no, wait. Why did this guye here today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you that other high ranking ability users would start showing up one by one, didnt I? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt tell whether the youth was smart or not. Even after hed mention some important things, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt seem to remember them all that well.
You sayin, hes a high ranked user? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you were asked to pick something to say that would prove to be most hurtful in a situation like this, then Yi Ji-Hyuks would perfectly fit the bill.
Kim Dah-Hyun, still managing to stand upright somehow, crumpled to the floor and began bawling his eyes out in pure sorrow.
*SFX for a grown man crying like a little kid*
Argh, dang it!! Youre noisy! Shut up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a sudden and immediate stop to the proceedings*
Completely struck numb with terror, Kim Dah-Hyun stopped crying and began trembling like a leaf.
And just as Yi Ji-Hyuk was wondering if there was something else he could rake Kim Dah-Hyun over with, he heard a loud calling from behind him.
Oppa!!
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How could he hear that voice here, of all ces?
When Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around, he spotted Kim Dah-Som standing there, her jaw nearly hitting the ground.
Did she say Oppa? Was she referring to me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Som hurriedly ran to where they were, and knelt down next to Kim Dah-Hyun, still crumpled to the floor.
Oppa? What happened to you?! (Kim Dah-Som)
D, Dah-Som-ah!! Sobbbb~~ (Kim Dah-Hyun)
They were siblings?
Oh, so thats why he was such a good looking a*shole.
Since the younger sister is a beauty, obviously her older brother would be handsome, too.
However, blood is indeed thicker than water, huh. She can still recognise him even though he looks like that now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head while thinking to himself how great the Kim familys genes were. Meanwhile, Kim Dah-Hyun grabbed onto his younger sister and was in the middle of crying his eyes out.
Dah-Som-aaaahhhhh~~!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Who dares to hurt you?! Oppa, just who was it!! (Kim Dah-Som)
When Kim Dah-Som spat out those words in a very icy voice, even Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up flinching, and he sneakily took a step or two backwards.
It was.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun then sneakily pointed his finger at none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He counted on the fact that, as long as Yi Ji-Hyuk had some morals, he wouldnt hit a girl. Without a doubt, in a situation like this, the only person capable of dealing with that detestable human being was Kim Dah-Hyuns little sister!
Besides, wasnt his sister a stunner?
There was just no way any men would mount a defense against her!
...You mean, him? (Kim Dah-Som)
Yeah. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
You two, did you fight? (Kim Dah-Som)
Yeah. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
With this person? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng.
It was then.
Kim Dah-Soms kick squarelynded on the unprotected waist of still-crumpled Kim Dah-Hyun with vengeance.
*SFX for something breaking*
Apanied by the loud sound of bones breaking, Kim Dah-Hyun copsed to the floor, totally unable to even scream out in pain.
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk became utterly speechless by this development and stared at the siblings in a pure shock.
Kim Dah-Som lightly spun around, fixed her hair, and while facing Yi Ji-Hyuk, bowed her waist.
My Oppa ended up inconveniencing you. Im very sorry. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, uhh....
He still hasnt matured yet. Thats why, please, be gracious and forgive him. Ill definitely speak earnestly to him regarding this matter right away. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, uhh....
As soon as she said her piece, she grabbed Kim Dah-Hyun on the floor with both of her hands, and with an almighty struggle, began dragging him away.
Oh, uhh....
Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth remained open as he looked at the siblings getting further away. Then he slowly hugged himself.
Not one person around me is normal. Im telling you, not even one.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What kind of despicable crimes did hemit in his past life, for him to be cursed with such odd characters in this one?
Oh, dear lord....
< 64. Eii, Im sure its not gonna bite -4 > Fin.
Chapter 65: Eii, it’s not gonna bite, you know? (5)
Chapter 65: Eii, its not gonna bite, you know? (5)
Ha-ah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At the moment, Yi Ji-Hyuk was bored out of his skull.
He had grown sick and tired of yingputer games the whole day. It was natural, really; he couldnt even remember the number of months he wasted ying the same game.
Youd eventually grow bored of even the most extravagant feast, if you kept eating that every single day. So, it was inevitable that the game he enjoyed so much would grow stale and uninspiring now.
Eh-whew. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, trying to read webnovels brought along its own kind of irritation, too.
How was it even remotely possible, that not one single new chapter for all the novels hed favourited got uploaded in thest 24 hours?
Yes, sure, he did his best to maximise his sleeping time, yed games, read novels, yed games some more, and then read novels some more again, but still! This just couldnt be!
If you were an author looking to make some money, wouldnt you try to upload as many chapters as humanly possible?
Man, Im trying to spend money here, yet, how is this even possible?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shut the inte browser off and let out a long groan.
He needed something fun to do!
Something interesting!
His brain that nearly wentatose from a millennium spent in Berafe, had re-awakened and re-energised after his return to this side, and as a result, the unavoidable feeling of boredom was assaulting him in full force.
Hey, you! (Yi Ye-Won)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted hiszy gaze over to Yi Ye-Won as she entered his room.
Ye-Won took a nce at the darkenedputer monitor as soon as she stepped inside, and then smirked derisively.
You were looking at porn, werent you? (Ye-Won)
You mustve lost what little sanity you had left. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres no freaking way youd be not ying a game or reading webnovels, unless its that. Hah, arent you surprisingly fast reacting? (Ye-Won)
Haaaaa-ahhhhh....
If she wasnt my little sister, Id have beaten her up just like that blonde idiot from yesterday....
No, hang on a minute. Maybe I can p her around once or twice? Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
With half a mind to carry out his n, Yi Ji-Hyuk took a long look at Ye-Won, but he had to promptly abandon it as soon as he picked up on the ever-present forcefield of mom, emanating from behind his sister.
You see, fixing the rotten attitude of Ye-Won wouldnt be all that difficult, but surviving moms fearsome hands afterwards would be a challenge too tough to ovee, even for him.
Stop with your nonsense and get out of my room, will ya? I might end up kicking you or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah? You want to hit a girl? Youre such a barbaric caveman. (Ye-Won)
Hitting a girl makes you a barbaric caveman, huh?
Maybe I should just throw her into the wilds of Berafe?
Im getting kinda curious here C just what would she say after checking out those girls capable of ripping grown men apart with their bare hands? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Actually, the majority of the most powerful beings found in Berafe were females of their species. He had no idea why C maybe the flow of the events just happened like that, maybe the female bodies had higher proficiency when it came to wielding Mana, whatever.
Well, he didnt really care about other peoples business to find out about the cause, so there was that.
So, what do you want now? Speak up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You go to work in that ce nowadays, right? (Ye-Won)
That ce? You mean, the NDF? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah. (Ye-Won)
Hey, you. You asking me about that only now? Dont you know how long Ive been working for them already? Did you forget how to use those eyes of yours or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the. Then why do I always see youzing around the house? (Ye-Won)
Eh?
What she said wasnt a lie, was it?
I went to work for, what, two days at most? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, fine. I work there. So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cant I go with you when you go to work, like, next time? (Ye-Won)
You think its a theme park over there? You dare to step into the sacred workce of your dear older brother? Stop dreaming, and focus on your studies, instead! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just this once, please? Just once! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned ever so slightly.
He wasnt a dummy who couldnt figure out why his little sister was acting this way all of a sudden.
She simply wanted to p her eyes on Choi Jung-Hoon one more time. That was it. Wasnt that the sole reason why she had dyed her hair back to normal and cosying as a demure schoolgirl?
Kiddo, you should pick an appropriate target based on your abilities before making a move. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? What are you trying to say about me now? (Ye-Won)
Oh, should I put my thoughts into words? Really? Will it really be okay for the tenuous link of brother and sister between us to be utterly destroyed by the words of truth I say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh!! Why dont you go and jump in theke or something already!! (Ye-Won)
While watching his sister storm out of his room after spitting out some un-demure curses, Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly facepalmed.
Aigoo, my aching head...
Siblings in many movies Ive watched in my life all enjoy such wonderful rtionships, yet why did someone like her have to my little sister? Why?
Yeah, I gotta find a way to re-educate her personality without getting found out by mom, somehow.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hey, you! (Ye-Won)
If you call your dear older brother with hey, you one more time, Ill take that as you not liking your tongue anymore and want it to be cut in half. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Come outside. You got a visitor. (Ye-Won)
A visitor? Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom said you have one, soe out and say hi. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly and emerged from his room. There shouldnt be anyoneing to visit him, though.
When he got to the living room, he spotted the visitor entering through the front door.
Uh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk confirmed who it was, and tilted his head again.
What are you doing here, little girl? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, I told you Im older than you! Address me with proper honorifics!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hah, calling a shorty like you noona? No way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Noona means older sister, used to call an older female by younger male.)
Well, he had lived thousand years longer than her, so there.
The one toe and visit him was none other than Jeong Hae-Min.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon asked me toe and get you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Me? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dunno. Lets go! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk straightened his back and spoke.
Im in the middle of my holiday, so not going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You promised to show up when youre needed, didnt you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, I decide when Im needed, so Im not going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He told me to definitely bring you there! Dont you know that I didnt even want toe here in the first ce? I dont want the hassle, so juste quietly, already! Im too busy for this, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Youre too busy for this? Why? Dont you have more free time than everyone else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, I am really busy, you know! Like, really, really busy! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Dont make meugh, will you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just how many people out there could understand what a convenient ability the teleportation was, as much as Yi Ji-Hyuk here?
By removing the time needed to move from one ce to another, youd end up feeling like your day had be twice as long.
B, by the way.... (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won, standing to the side, began tilting her head this way and that.
Her expression seemed a bit unsure of something.
Arent you Jeong Hae-Min unni from the S Girls? (Ye-Won) (TL: unni means older sister. Used by younger females to address older females.)
Right away, Jeong Hae-Mins expression brightened like a blooming flower. This change was so abrupt, even Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but flinch in surprise.
Yes, I am. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ohhhh myyyy goshhhh!! Unni~~!! Is this really happening right now?! A member of S Girls is in my house?! What should I do?! Right!! P, please, can I have your autograph? This, over here, on this one!! (Ye-Won)
Get out of my way!! Oh my gosh, Miss Hae-Min! Wee to our humble abode! Would you like something to refresh yourself with? Why dont we have a rxing chat over a cool and energising drink? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuks own expression gradually crumpled as he watched the mother and daughter duo put on a show.
Whats the matter with you two? Whats up with all the fuss? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont you know who S Girls are? (Ye-Won)
Just let him be. He doesnt know anything, anyway. (mom)
Thebined assault from the mother and daughter duo sessfully sucker punched Yi Ji-Hyuk in the heart.
And then, three female folks proceeded topletely ignore Yi Ji-Hyuks presence altogether, and began to kyah~ kyah~ while yapping on and on about some iprehensible girl talk.
Right after that, Jeong Hae-Min began signing autographs over just about everything, as if she was nning to paint the walls of the house with a marking pen or something.
And she said she was too busy just now!
What an abominable little thing she was!
At this rate, she might as well make her bed here and lie in it!
Werent you supposed to be busy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope, not busy at all. (Jeong Hae-Min)
You said you are a really busy person, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I always have enough time to sign autographs!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
What a professional she was, too.
....But, seriously now, was she really a famous celeb?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head, still not convinced.
If he took into ount the reactions of his mom and sister, then she mustve been one....
Well, peoples tastes could be so odd sometimes. What was good and wonderful about this shorty that made others suck up like that?
Your new title track was so good! (mom)
Thank you so much. We really worked hard on the song. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Unni, you looked so good in the music video! But now that Ive seen you in real life, you are at least ten times more prettier. No, wait! Forget ten, its like a hundred times! (Ye-Won)
Eiii~~. Thats not likely~~. Ohohoho. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ohohoho, my a*s!
A human being would neverugh like that, you know!
What an abominable little.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hey, didnt you say Im being summoned? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, step aside for a moment, will you? We can stay here for a bit longer! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Huh. Okay, so. What should I call this illness, then? Was it, addicted topliments syndrome?
Whatever, even this girl.... Doesnt it look like she needs to see a shrink, too?
I heard somewhere that its difficult for a modern person to find psychological stability and peace of mind in the current world, but hell, howe its so darn impossible to find one normal person around me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks innerint)
Urgent. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Ahhh!! What the hell?! Hey, you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cried out in shock and turned around in fright. And he found Doh Gah-Yun standing there with an expressionless face.
You, cant you at least let others know youve arrived?! Am I asking for too much here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun decisively ignored his plea and simply said what she came here for, not one hint of emotion showing up on her face.
Request for aid, from the HQ. Urgent return, rmended. (Gah-Yun)
What the hell. Hey, this is... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as he was about to put up another fierce resistance, Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped and tilted his head. He saw a rather familiar-looking fabric wrapped around Gah-Yuns hand.
What is that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Hey, didnt I see that thing before?
Huh?
That.... isnt that from my tracksuit no. 1?
At that time, the Gate opened up in front of the apartment, and the suit got all torn up....
Oh, right. Thats why it was torn up.
Hmm. Seeing how clean it looks from here, she probably didnt leave it on until now. Did she wash it and wrap it around her hand again? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner contemtion)
Why do you still use that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun slightly averted her gaze for some reason.
What the, whats up with that reaction? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Bandages. Highly effective. (Gah-Yun)
Its not because you dont have enough cash, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................
I had no idea there was yet another sad, exploited soul beside me. To think, she doesnt even have enough money to buy herself a proper bandages and had to resort to using the torn up tracksuit, instead... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Steam began clouding up his vision out of the blue.
I can lend you enough moh to buy bandages, so just tell me in the future, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The guy whose bank ount was bursting at the seams from all that cash, only told her hed lend her some, not give her. After realising how petty Yi Ji-Hyuk could be, Doh Gah-Yun let out a soft groan.
No time for nonsense. Must leave. (Gah-Yun)
But, I really gotta? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Definitely. (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders, and returned to his room to pick up some clothes to change into.
Ohh. Son, are you nning to go to work? (mom)
Well, theres nothing for me to do here anyway, and if I do show up, theyll give me an extra off day, so might as well, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Watching you keep yourself busy like this, really makes me very happy, you know. (mom)
Hahaha.... Well, I.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before he could finish, Yi Ye-Won interrupted him with an unhappy face.
Youve been ying around for the past ten days straight, so your a*s must be on fire by now. (Ye-Won)
....You, you wannae outside with me for a minute or two? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont wanna~. (Ye-Won)
Ye-Won quickly hid behind her mother and stuck her tongue out.
Hah!
So adorable!
Shes so, so adorable, Id really love to bite her to death! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth in anguish, and then, shouted at Jeong Hae-Min.
Hey, Miss Shuttle, lets get going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just who the heck is a shuttle?! Just who?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, you dont like that? Then, how about Miss Bus? Or, Miss Taxi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ill stick with shuttle. (Jeong Hae-Min)
You shouldve done that earlier. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked over to her and without a warning, grabbed her hand.
Hey? What the?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
With a reddened face, she yanked her hand out.
What now? Wasnt I supposed to hold your hand for your ability to work? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah, you are right about that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Then, whats the matter? You nning to go alone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, thats not it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min used her hand as a fan to cool her reddened face. During the previous teleportation, the connection was made through other people so she didnt have to hold Yi Ji-Hyuks hand directly at all. But now that she had to hold it, she kind of felt rather awkward here.
Ill be the one to grab your hand, okay? Me. (Jeong Hae-Min)
She squeezed her eyes shut, and hurriedly grabbed his hand. She let out a small sigh, opened her eyes, and then also proceeded to grab Doh Gah-Yuns hand as well.
Well then, well be on our way now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (mom)
Leaving behind the confused duo of a mother and daughter behind, the trio vanished right before their eyes.
Oh my!! (mom)
That was teleportation! So cool! (Ye-Won)
As Yi Ye-Won stood there, totally submerged in excitement, mom suddenly spoke up.
Ye-Won? (mom)
Ng, mom? (Ye-Won)
Those three.... Didnt you think the mood between them was rather nice? (mom)
To think, he was surrounded by such beauties.
Mom couldnt help but feel a bit chuffed, perhaps believing that the spring of her sons youth had finally arrived.
The mood? Hah! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won spat out a short, sharp snort, and rebutted her mom.
Mom. Heres the thing. Lets say that youre single. (Ye-Won)
Uhm, okay? (mom)
You think youll go out with a guy like him? (Ye-Won)
........................
Nope.
She didnt want to.
She was so against the idea, her entire body involuntarily shuddered from the horror.
....Indeed, its just the mood that seemed to be going somewhere. Nothing else. (mom)
Even if the sky falls, its not going to happen, so dont get your hopes up, mom. (Ye-Won)
Is this the end of the Yi family bloodline, I wonder. (mom)
Dear ancestors, I beg for your forgiveness for giving a birth to a son like that. (moms inner monologue)
Coming down with a certain hopeless sense of guilt, Park Seon-Duk walked towards the kitchen, her shoulders slumped forward.
Mom, cant we, like, go and visit that ceter? (Ye-Won)
You wanna die?! (mom)
But, whyyyyy? (Ye-Won)
I also apologise for this child, as well....
Park Seon-Duk felt even more saddened now.
*
*SFX for fabrics rustling*
Three people appeared on the NDF HQs roof teleportation zone and promptly headed for the stairwell. To be more specific, two headed towards the stairs, while Yi Ji-Hyuk simply jumped off the building.
Khuong!!
When hended on the ground, Oh-Sik stood up right away, and ran up to him.
Have you been well? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper~, whimper~~
Well now, like this, there was no way anyone would not believe Oh-Sik was a dog. Yi Ji-Hyuk felt very satisfied by this oue and patted Oh-Sik the mini Ogre, before pping his eyes on the bag of pet food.
Hul. What the hell are those? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could see a literal hill of pet food bags next to Oh-Siks resting ce. But, he was certain of bringing only one bag thest time....
Ohh, so youve learned how to take care of your meals now. This is even better! I like it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk patted the back of this wonderfully smart and loyal dog that knew how to procure its own meals and also knew how to use the loo, and then, stepped inside the building.
When he entered the office, he spotted plenty of people there, all waiting for his arrival.
Okay. So, why did you call me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Something big happened. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing the hardened expression on Choi Jung-Hoons face, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but feel a bit confused.
< 65. Eii, Im sure its not gonna bite -5 > Fin.
Chapter 66: Stop trying to sell snake oil and let’s get started already (1)
Chapter 66: Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already (1)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could see several unfamiliar faces among the familiar ones present in the office. Besides the likes of Seo Ah-Young, Choi Jung-Hoon, Doh Gah-Yun and Jeong Hae-Min, there was a blonde man wearing a pair of sunsses and a mask, as well as an unfamiliar man and womanbo.
The blonde guy with the mask promptly got up from his seat, ran towards Yi Ji-Hyuk with too much enthusiasm than necessary, and then bowed his waist 90 degrees.
Youve arrived.
Who are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Iss me, Gim Daeh-Hyuun. Sir.
Below the sunsses and the mask, Yi Ji-Hyuk could see the still-swollen face.
Its still swollen, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Yes, sir. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
You shouldve been more careful... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Especially around me.
You shouldve been careful around me. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I phaled to recoknisseee y... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Stop mumbling and speak up so I can hear you better. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I was stupid and I failed to recognise you yesterday. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yup, that indeed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head ins satisfaction.
As expected, after getting thoroughly beaten up, a person would then be....
Eh? Wait, a person wouldnt normally react like this, though?
Now normally, the person would quake in fear as soon as running into me. Yeah, thats right. He shouldnt even be able to look me in the eye, so whats up with this reaction? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk recalled the figure of a certain young girl with a blonde head busy dragging away Kim Dah-Hyun yesterday.
What the heck had happened to him? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just what kind of psychological torment did he receive to be like this?
You said your name was Kim Dah-Hyun? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, sir! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
By any chance, did your little sister.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Flinch.
Seeing Kim Dah-Hyun flinch like that as soon as the words little sister was mentioned, there didnt seem to be a need to ask the poor fe what happened anymore.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted Kim Dah-Hyuns shoulder and spoke.
Stay strong. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes, sir. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
If theres something troubling you, you can talk to me. Ill take you under my wings as a dongsaeng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Dongsaeng means younger brother. Used regardless of gender, although there are gender-specific modifiers that can be added. Also used by the boss-type thugs to refer to his underlings.)
Y, yes, sir. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun lowered his head, and then, fell into a thought of his own.
Just how old is this guy, anyway? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the moving reunion with Kim Dah-Hyun there, and with a disinterested face, stared straight into Choi Jung-Hoons eyes as he settled down on a chair.
So, whats the urgent emergency that you just had to drag out a guy enjoying his holiday? Even resorting to sending the shorty, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop calling me a shorty!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min cried out after she got triggered, but too bad for her, there were certain types of people that her antics would never work, no matter what.
You, didnt you see how your family reacted to me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I did. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, howe you still act like this? Havent you figured out how famous I am by now?! If you apologise, I might even be gracious enough to sign an autograph for you! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes, yes, sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk picked his nose in a nonchnt manner, whilepletely ignoring Jeong Hae-Min and her anguished protesting shouts. He then looked at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Although Id like you to have a pleasant meet and greet with the new members joining our team, but for now, please take a look at the screen first. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The lights went out in the office, and then, the projector shot an image towards one of the empty walls.
Wow.
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up uttering out a gasp of exmation after seeing the image. And it was of a huge monster busy taking a stroll in the middle of a city while knocking down whatever building that got in its way.
Hey, wait a second here. Isnt that... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It had a ck-ish body.
It had reptilian scales covering that ck body.
And that huge, bulky monster somehow reminded him of a dinosaur.
Isnt that Godz... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehheeii!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, really, isnt that Godzi.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehheeeiiiii!! Copyright!! Its a precious thing, the copyright! Please remember that!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, so then, its Yongga.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Ehheeii!! We might get sued here, so stop! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gravely nodded his head.
Indeed, the copyright was an important thing to uphold.
Well, in that case, lets just call it Yong-zi. A hybrid of those two names. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...It already has an official name, the X1. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats so boring. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grumbled out in dissatisfaction, but Choi Jung-Hoon decisively ignored the youth and hisints. After all, trying to appease hisints would end up wasting the entire day with nothing to show for it!
The X1 showed up in Manhattan. It emerged from a Level 5 Gate. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Jeong Hae-Min raised her hand.
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You saying something that enormous came out from a Level 5? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thats correct. The monster was initially not as big as that, but after surviving several skirmishes, it has grown to the size you see now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm......
Jeong Hae-Min groaned under her breath.
This was a serious problem that rendered the previous method of determining the level of a Gate via its initial size unreliable.
In other words, it would not be strange to see an Ogre pop out of the so-called Level 1 Gate in the near future. They already had the example of Oh-Sik right outside and all.
Was it absorbing Mana? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks thoughts were a little different from the rest, though.
Currently, the residual Mana from some of the biggest Gates opening up in Korea had been devoured by Yi Ji-Hyuk. But, outside of his country, there was little doubt that Mana wouldnt be able to find a way to dissipatepletely, and a result, there should be several areas whererge clumps of Mana were still present. If a monster got to chow down on that, it wouldnt be too strange to see that said monster balloon up to an abnormal size.
From the information shared by the US officials, they are considering the usage of a nuclear weapon. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They want to nuke Manhattan?!
Well, the entire country is at stake, so.... Also, thats not all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The light from the projector split up and a dozen more images with simr distressing events were disyed on the wall.
In countries such as Ennd, France, India, China, Turkey, and Australia as well as many others, simr events are urring almost simultaneously. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its arge scale invasion.
That was the line spoken by a man entering the office.
Oh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled brightly after finding out who it was.
Oh? Its you! How have you been? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive been fine, thanks for asking. (Park Sung-Chan)
It was none other than Iron Park Sung-Chan who had entered the office with a smile of his own. Indeed, the man who had to be a temporary human support pir all thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuks intervention.
Sure, Park Sung-Chan did feel a tiny bit of anger at the youth, but with the majority of it gone now, he had no reason not to greet the youth back.
Ha, look at this group here. We have the Witch, the Teleporter, the Drifter, and the Spitfire, too? Even Rudra came? What the heck. Looks like this is a party Im not qualified to be a part of.... (Park Sung-Chan) (TL: Rudra is the name of a Hindu deity. There is a Wikipedia page for this god, so check it out.)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head in disagreement.
Its an emergency. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, is that so. Let me get this straight. Normally, I wouldnt even be able to mingle with you, but since its an emergency, I cane and y here, is that right? That kinda hurts my pride, but.... Oh, well. Its fine, I guess. Being a part of this team is an honour in itself. But, by the way.... (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan tilted his head slightly.
Now that Ive taken a look around, I wonder why youre here, too. (Park Sung-Chan)
Yeah, me too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk agreed with the Iron there.
Seriously, if I stay here any longer, I might be saddled with a cheese-tastic nickname, so if you all dont mind, can I go now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, stop. Please. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, alright. Fine. Stop exaggerating. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehem. So, let me continue with my exnation.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After sessfully reining in Yi Ji-Hyuk, Choi Jung-Hoon continued from where he left off.
Currently, the entire world is in a state of disarray after severalrge Gates have appeared almost simultaneously. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So what? Are you saying we should go and help out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, The NDF is an organisation created to protect the Republic of Korea. Besides, we dont have the leeway to help other countries. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, whats the problem?
....Its actually not thatplicated. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon pressed on the remote, and the dozen or so separate images all began showing different Gates instead.
What are those Gates?
As you can see.... all of them are Gates, yes. As a matter of fact, ten Gates that are all estimated to be either Level 4 or 5. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Are they the ones that had appeared all over the world?
Choi Jung-Hoon slowly shook his head.
No. What youre seeing now, are the real time feeds of Gates that have appeared in the penins of Korea as we speak. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What? Come again?
All ten are in Korea. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The atmosphere within the office fell to the rock bottom in an instant.
The attention of everyone present was focused on the projected images. They hade to grips with how insanely horrifying this situation was.
....All except for one, that was.
So, what about them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The one to answer Yi Ji-Hyuks question was not Choi Jung-Hoon, but Seo Ah-Young, instead.
So, what hes saying is.... several Gates that have plunged the world into chaos, have appeared within our country. (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun whispered to Yi Ji-Hyuk under his breath.
Uhm, hyung-nim? I think it might be good for your public image if you dont say anything else anymore. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Havent you had enough of me beating you up yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Y, yes, sir... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Putting aside the quietly-crumpling Kim Dah-Hyun, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his voice and asked again.
So, what do you want us to do now? You sayin people present in this room must stop all of them? Methinks itll be faster to immigrate to another country altogether, though? Isnt there a neighbouring state thats not being wrecked by monsters as we speak? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, Ill send mom and Ye-Won to safety first.
Hmm? Arent I forgetting someone here?
Hmm.... Ohh!
Ah, thats right! Oh-Sik!
Yeah, Ill send Oh-Sik with them, too. Good. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Although his suggestion sounded insane, it also came across as the most realistic solution, as well.
Post-ck Monday, the ability user situation in the Republic of Korea was no better than those countries currently under siege. No, one could argue that Korea was well behind others in this field, even.
It was already proving to be a tough challenge just to stop a single Gate, yet to stop ten of them in one go?
It made more sense to abandon ship at this point.
I understand that the situation looks dire, but its not that bad, actually. Even though such a monster has emerged from a Level 5 Gate, there is no guarantee that high ranking monsters like that one would pop out from our Gates at all. I mean, isnt there a higher chance of small fries popping out, instead? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wow, those are someforting words. Makes me feel so much better already. Really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon dry coughed.
He knew all too well the wordsing out of his mouth was c**p as well.
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly stood up from his seat.
Where are you going now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
To Japan. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehheeeiii!! Look here, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Let go of me! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook off Choi Jung-Hoons desperate hands trying to restrain him.
You force a guy rxing at his home to show up here, and then, you tell him this c**p? Hah! When something like this happens, its wiser to flee from the country! What do you want me to do here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We need to do something! Anything! Isnt that the precisely the reason why we exist in the first ce?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whos we? Ah? Who is this we you keep talking about?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If we dont resolve this, its not going to stop at just a couple of thousand casualties! We might end up seeing tens of millions!! The country of Korea will be destroyed!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, even if that happens, a new country will pop up and people will continue living regardless. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you even on about now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What do you mean, what Im on about? Im talking from experience, obviously!
Ive seen hundreds of countries fall before.
So, why bother struggling to the bitter end, when its nothing new to begin with? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Whatever. I was in the middle of my holiday, so Im going home. Have a nice day now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehheii!! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon forcibly dragged Yi Ji-Hyuk outside the office.
Whats gotten into you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, wait! Thats something I should ask you, instead! Why are you acting like this, only to me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Even Choi Jung-Hoon didnt have anything particr to retort with here.
If one were to get technical, then well, pretty much the entirety of Choi Jung-Hoons n was centered around Yi Ji-Hyuk. Which meant that the burden ced on the youths shoulders was rather enormous.
Isnt there a way? Please? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If he couldnt coerce the youth, then it was the turn of begging next. This wasnt any ol situation that could be solved with a simple bait, either.
In other words, he had to seriously beg here.
Hey. Im not a Dokkaebi bangmanggyi or some such, but you keep asking me to solve this and solve that. Stop it. Im guessing they get paid a lot better than I am, so why dont you tell those far more willing and energetic folks to solve this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If its the issue with money, thats been taken care of. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How much per Gate? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons face paled visibly.
....Because youre nominally a contractor for the government, we cant prepare asrge a sum as before, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, forget about it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Well do our absolute best. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You can take that best of yours and go. I might as well not bother doing dog-sh*t hardbour when getting paid pittance in return, you know what Im saying? Its not like Im in an immediate need for money, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Besides, I only need myputer.
And food.
Also, money to buy Oh-Siks pet food, too.
Oh, and money for moms shopping spree....
And Ye-Won? What would she want to buy, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Indeed, hed be fine with the amount of money he had already. So, why he would go out of his way to confront all those monsters? He wasnt mad.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, the fate of all the citizens of Korea are in your hands. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, I can just hand it over to someone else, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Didnt fall for it, huh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You think Im a fool? Tsk, ptooi! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon sneaked closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk and whispered to his ear.
Please, think about this. Mister Ji-Hyuk, you wont find a nation thats better to live in than Korea if you have the requisite wealth. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Eh?
Ill try to extract as much as I can. When that happens, you will be able to enjoy your life to the fullest. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, hang on. Its not like money can.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Money is important. Very. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hearing such a confident voice full of unwavering conviction, even Yi Ji-Hyuk got swayed.
It seems that youre not fully aware of this fact, due to not having enough life experience, but this is the undeniable truth! In this world, wealth is power! Wealth is influence! Wealth isfort! And furthermore, wealth is love! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
L, love?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With wealth, everything is within reach. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, I already have enough.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The moment youe to realise that what you have now only amounts to some pocket change, youll finally be able to jump past the boundary and step into the real world! So, how about it? Wouldnt you like to find more about the world now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Maybe a little? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, apany me on this journey! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, uh, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As he got dragged back inside the office by Choi Jung-Hoon, Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head in confusion.
This weird sensation.... Just where had he felt it before?
Hey, uh... Why do you work here? If you were selling insurance or snake oil, I think you might have made a killing by now... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ill, once I retire. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Nope, its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled brightly.
Retirement?
That was a wonderful notion. Until he ran into Yi Ji-Hyuk, that was.
By the way, you seemed to be on friendly terms with Mister Park Sung-Chan? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, I like his type of personality, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I figured youd not enjoy such personality types, but I mustve guessed wrong. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, I like that type of people. You know, the type with thick heads but strong bodies. You throw those types in the frontlines, and then they will perfectly do their jobs without asking too many questions. They are pretty easy to manipte, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Oh, I see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon silently swallowed back his tears.
Could it be that.... this as*hole thinks of me the same as well? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
After re-entering the office, Yi Ji-Hyuk sat back down on his seat, while Choi Jung-Hoon changed the image projected onto the wall.
Everyone. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...........
The mission that will go down in the history of Koreamences from this point onwards. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The heavy silence descended on the office. But Yi Ji-Hyukszy voice broke it.
Stop trying to sell snake oil.... and lets get started already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a long groan.
What are you trying to paint me into, you as*hole?!
What a sorrowful and crappy start this turned out to be.
< 66. Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already -1 > Fin.
(TL: Yonggari is the name of a Kaiju monster that took centre stage in the 1999 Korean film called, you guessed it, Yonggari. It went through a heavy revision before its 2002 international release, but funnily enough, the film itself was a remake of another Korean movie released in the 60s with the same title. Theres a Wikipedia page in English dedicated to this slice of long-forgotten Korean cinema history, if youre interested.)
Chapter 67: Stop trying to sell snake oil and let’s get started already (2)
Chapter 67: Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already (2)
Currently, in the Ministry of National Defense.
Where are we now, situation-wise? (the minister of defense)
Weve mobilised every single man we can, sir.
What about reinforcement from our allies? (the minister)
Japan, China and Russia have said that they cant spare any men due to their own urgent situations.
How is it possible that they cant even spare a single man?! (the minister)
The voice of the Minister of National Defense got sharper by a degree.
It was not that they couldnt spare anyone. They simply didnt want to lend any aid. If they were serious about helping out in the first ce, then they wouldnt have let the situation deteriorate to this point.
What about the US? (the minister)
As you may well know, its even worse over there, sir. The X1 is busy destroying New York as we speak.
How does them dering a national emergency even make sense? Its just one Gate in that big-a*s country of theirs!! You can onlymit so many men to a single Gate, yet to say that they have deployed every single one?! Really? (the minister)
The Minister, Seo Choong-Sik, mmed his fist down on the desk and angrily spat out.
Okay, fine! Did the KSF say they will be able to stop the monsters? (the minister)
They said theyll do their best....
Only the results matter! Only the results!! (the minister)
Seo Choong-Sik stood up from his chair in a huff and stalked towards the window.
Damn it. (the minister)
The ten-odd Level 5 Gates appearing simultaneously at various parts of the country was tantamount to announcing the annihtion of the Republic of Korea to the world.
Do they think itll end with our destruction? Really now? (the minister)
If one thought about where the monsters would head off to next after destroying Korea, then it was only logical that the neighbouring nations would offer to lend their aid. But, they used the excuse of the Gates opening up in their own territories and refused to help whatsoever.
They were probably thinking of only lending some assistance when the country was already destroyed to certain degree. Because, by then, Korea would no longer be able to stand on its own two feet as a nation anymore.
No, if their timing was off even for a day, never mind standing up, the country itself would cease to exist altogether!
Even though were in such a precarious position....! (the minister)
Seo Choong-Siks rended on several documents lying pretty on top of his desk.
Those papers detailed the rush of escapees leaving the country after the Gates made their appearance. Those with wealth and power chose to abandon their homes and were leaving in droves, in other words.
Even Seo Choong-Sik understood their reasoning C their lives were at stake here, so who really cared about patriotism and all that? Only by surviving, youd be able to carry on harping about your country and whatnot.
However, the very first ones to leave just so happened to be the ones receiving the greatest amount of the societys benefits C the ruling ss. This fact alone caused a bitter resentment to sour Seo Choong-Siks already foul mood even further.
Those who had sucked out the most from their nation were abandoning it first. And the ones stepping up to protect the nation were those who have beenrgely left neglected by it, instead.
Seo Choong-Sik picked his phone up and called the KSF.
Under the pretext of protecting this wonderful nation and her citizens, he had to ask for their sacrifices once more; to protect thend abandoned by those who deserved to be sacrificed, instead.
This is all wrong. (the minister)
*
With a depressed pair of eyes, Seo Ah-Young studied the Gate in front of her.
Seeing that huge size, one big enough to swallow whole an adult elephant, she couldnt help but get a little spooked by it.
She had seen enough Gates in her lifetime already, yet for some reason, this one seemed especially sinister.
Just when will this Gate open up?
And in the future, how much bigger would the Gates be?
And what kind of monsters would emerge from them?
Seo Ah-Young used her phone to make a quick call.
How are your preparations? (Seo Ah-Young)
C Thebatants have been distributed equally to all the Gates. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What about Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
C He haspleted the trial run and is on standby. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hes surprisingly willing to y ball today, isnt he? (Seo Ah-Young)
C Ive ensured that there would be a reason for him to do so. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*
Choi Jung-Hoon was currently situated in the undergroundmand centre of the NDFs HQ. He distanced the phones receiver from his face, and formed a bitter smile.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was the type of a guy whod never even lift a finger if he didnt feel like it, no matter what was being said. From his perspective, it was far more convenient to simply leave the country with his family in tow.
So, Choi Jung-Hoon could only feel grateful for Yi Ji-Hyuk pretending to have fallen for his words.
C But, he isnt that kind of a person, though.... (Seo Ah-Young)
He actually cares a lot, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Or, he had lost a lot already and didnt want to lose anymore.
Choi Jung-Hoon recalled a few things about Yi Ji-Hyuk, then.
His actions made no sense whatsoever; his movements seemed tock consistency.
And he led this strangely antinomic way of life, the one where it looked like he would not get hung up over anything, yet he never let go of even the most tiniest little thing he hade to possess.
Just what did he experience within those five years, I wonder? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In order topletely analyse the subject named Yi Ji-Hyuk, it was necessary to find out what happened during those missing five years. But those years were shrouded in the veil of mystery too thick to pull back.
But, that Ogre is the key. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They definitely knew each other. What did that mean, when a creature crossing over from another dimension knew Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head. Now wasnt the right time to think about this matter.
C In any case, he needs to be dispatched with utmost efficiency. If we get it wrong by even a second, we will end up dealing with a catastrophe, instead. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well do our best. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C I believe in you. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoons expression was heavy as he ced the receiver on the phone.
If they had just a bit more time, it would have been so much better.
If this event unfolded with the NDF fully established and in operation, then a far greater variation of tactical options wouldve been avable for them to fall back on.
Those ursed higher-ups. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This was why Choi Jung-Hoon and Co. had repeatedly emphasized the necessity of establishing this organisation. What a relief, then, to have at least this much of preparation ready in ce.
Choi Jung-Hoon picked the phone up again and made a call.
Miss Jeong Hae-Min? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Yes, Im ready to go. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Please, you need to move as precisely as possible when you receive the signal. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Yes, I know, so dont wor.... Hey! I told you to address me as Noona!! Hey!!! Where do you think youre touching right now?! Just take my hand, my hand! Stopppp iiitttt!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Uhm, Miss Jeong Hae-Min? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Oh! Uh, yes! Dont you worry about a thing! Ill take care of.... I told you to stop! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jung-Hoon could hear the faint sounds of sobbinging from the other side of the line.
Choi Jung-Hoon suddenly clutched his chest. His heart.... it didnt feel so good at this moment for some reason.
To think, he had entrusted the future of this country to these sorts of people....
He felt this urgent desire to get up and run away from here.
Uhm.... About Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, could you let me.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C ....Sure. (Jeong Hae-Min)
He heard the sound of arguing next, then he got to listen to that distinctive voice full of dissatisfaction once more.
C Yes, hello. What now, mister? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah.... how polite he can be sometimes.
At least he said hello.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? I will reiterate this. The sess of this mission solely depends on you. You need to get rid of the emerging monsters as quickly and efficiently as possible. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C We dont even know whats going to pop out, so why are you asking me for something out of my control? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thats why Im begging you here. Please. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Talking is cheap, you know. Its too cheap!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im hanging up now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon ended the call, and spat out a long, long sigh.
At least, he didnt say anything about quitting or something simr to that. What a difficult man to get a bead on, that Yi Ji-Hyuk.
*
With his expressionpletely crumpled, Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and handed the phone over.
Ive no idea why Im even doing this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do what? (Jeong Hae-Min)
A shorty like you doesnt have to know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you to stop calling me a shorty!! You, you! Have you even thought about what my fans would say when they found out you treating me like this?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im sure they would go, oh, she is a shorty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh.... Sob...
When tears began forming in Jeong Hae-Mins eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt his chest tighten, and so, he spoke to her in a voice containing a bit of regret.
If you start crying again, you better remember that Im gonna throw you off from this rooftop, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a sudden halt to the proceedings*
There you go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Currently, Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min were on standby at the NDF HQs rooftop teleport zone.
Their n to deal with the Gates opening up throughout the country, was to have Choi Jung-Hoon figure out which Gate opened up first, and which one presented the higher degree of danger, and then give the waiting duo the call to teleport to the location.
Ha-ah...
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes were full of dissatisfaction as he stared at Jeong Hae-Min.
At first nce, this n sounded like it might work. In reality, though... if you excluded Jeong Hae-Mins teleportation ability, she was no more than a freeloader here. Sure, she was indeed a bit tougher than a regr human being, but she would absolutely be of no help during the actualbat situation.
In other words, he had to roam about in the middle of the various monster hordes while being saddled with a baggage. So, how could this be called a n in the first ce....?
Ha-ah. Should I just give up and go home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was only one reason why Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt decided to abandon ship and leave.
If he left now, then these monsters would destroy Korea, and then move onto the maind. Then, the current equilibrium would be broken in an instant. The monsters being summoned afterwards would not be subjugated in time, and their numbers would continue to grow everrger andrger.
If that happened, then this world would be a goner for sure.
The monsters that kept on entering this world would not stop until thest of humanity had been extinguished. Thats how it was like back in Berafe, too.
You see, the bnce would always start tilting by the littlest of things.
For Yi Ji-Hyuk, who had witnessed the tilting of the bnce way too many times already, moving to other countries didnt offer any long term safety. If he looked at things globally, then this ce right here was the truest line of defense that had to be won no matter the cost.
But, why does it have to be me doing all the hard work?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All those useless weaklings!!
Wasnt this because the ability users were so darn weak and couldnt even take care of one single measly monster?!
At this rate, rather than a horde of high-ranking monsters, one high ranking demon or a dragon crossing over would spell the end of thiss civilisation.
Yup, humanity wouldnt even be able to mount a decent counterattack before they get thoroughly blown away.
This wont do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to maintain the free lifestyle of his, then he needed toe up with a n of his own. There was no way hed be able to dance, sing, and y drums all at the same time.
If this was Berafe, sure, hed be able to do that. But the truth was, even back then, without his demon army supporting him, his scope of activity would have been halved in scale.
So, in this world, not only did he need to regain some of his lost strength, he needed to find something to rece his demon army as well.
Because.... something doesnt feel right here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Ogre C even back in Berafe, it was considered as one of the top monsters. If you didnt count those creatures that were few and far in between C such as Behemoths C then, when considering the actualbat power or the sheer size of the poption, you could easily call the Ogres the king of allnd-bound monsters.
And such a monster had crossed over.
Meaning, something even stronger could cross over at any time now.
When he witnessed Goblins popping out from the first Gate hed been to, he thought it was all a bit of joke and nothing to fret over. But, even he had ept that the situation had be moreplicated now.
Initially, he figured that there was no connection to Berafe due to all the minute differences found in the monsters crossing over, but with the appearance of Oh-Sik, he had to greatly change his assessment.
He now believed that one of the dimensions trying to invade this world was Berafe.
Now, he only had to solve the remaining puzzle of why these monsters were targeting this, but....
Groan~. I cant figure it out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wasnt because of Yi Ji-Hyuks presence. He was dead certain of this. Well, the monster invasion began well before he returned to this world, after all.
There was a very high possibility that Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt cause the invasion, but he was unlucky and ended up getting swept away in all the craziness, instead.
Why? Because, the date of him crossing over to Berafe, and the start of the invasion, just happened to match. Thats why.
In any case, thats not important now, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began to shine in a dangerous light.
I cant hand my home over to some other b*stards, now can I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you mumbling about to yourself over there? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Argh, should I just hit her once or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was seriously contemting whether to really put into practice the ideals of gender equality, Jeong Hae-Min was worrying about something else.
Can I really trust him? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Other users were ordered to stop monstersing out of their assigned Gates. Only a handful of people knew the detail of their n.
....A guy like him? Can I? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min was very flustered when she was told of what the n entailed.
You see, she only got to see Yi Ji-Hyuk beat up an Ogre, and chuck some people into the ocean. That was it.
Sure, him beating up an Ogre should be all the proof she needed, but it was such a bizarre spectacle, it just didnt register as reality to her.
To make the matters worse, he had a disagreeable personality, which made her question this decision even more.
As she continued to stare at Yi Ji-Hyuk with eyes full of suspicion, her phone came to life and a sharp beeping rm went off.
The specially-designed phone switched over the operations mode, and then, a hurried voice exploded out from it.
C Its the K4!! I repeat!! K4!! Teleport, immediately!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With a disinterested face, Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out to Jeong Hae-Min. She grabbed his hand and then, they both went poof!
< 67. Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already -2 > Fin.
Chapter 68: Stop trying to sell snake oil and let’s get started already (3)
Chapter 68: Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already (3)
The spot where Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min appeared together was in the sky well above the Gates position. Since they didnt know about theposition and the scope of the monster horde, they wanted to find the most optimal ce to scope the enemies out before jumping in.
The problem was....
Why are we in the air? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? Is there a problem? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Not for me. But, what about you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Jeong Hae-Min saw the ground rapidly approaching her at the rate of knots, her entire body froze up in an instant.
K, kyyaaaahhhh~~ahck?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seeing her screaming her lungs out like that, Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly facepalmed.
Why is she an idol? Shes more like a dol-ai-ee. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: dol-ai-ee means a moron. Its a wordy on the pronunciation of idol but in reverse. I know it doesnt make sense, but there you go.)
He lightly caught Jeong Hae-Min and made her float in the air; then dropped right into the midst of the monster horde, in order to aplish the first thing Choi Jung-Hoon had asked him. Which was to eliminate them as quickly as possible.
For now, he decided to deal with the small fries first. Because he had went and performed the Time Reversal not too long ago, he ended up expending almost every single drop of Mana in his reserve, so there was a need to recharge himself.
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned as he took a long look at the gnat-like monsters pouring out from the Gate.
There was way too little of them. He just knew this amount wasnt going to cut it.
God dang it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, the current situation didnt allow him to be picky, so he would have to make do with what he got.
As he dropped to the ground, he punched out.
With loud impact noises, two gnat monsters became meat paste and dropped to the ground.
*SFX for monsters shrieking out in anger*
The flying gnat monsters discovered his presence, and madly dashed towards him. Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly dusted his hands.
Time to get serious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He deftly dodged the front ws of the monsters as if he was flowing around them, andnded a series of powerful kicks on the narrow joints of their legs.
*SFX for bones and ligaments breaking*
As their joints were destroyed, the gnat monsters fell one by one to the ground.
Drain!
Mana escaping from the dead monsters rapidly got sucked into his hands. As the loud, buzzing noise broke out, ck Mana gathered in his palms and then, emitted dark but blinding light.
Explode!
*SFX for a sudden expansion of blinding light*
As if a massive bomb had gone off, the ck light of Mana expanded in the blink of an eye and swallowed up every single monster in the vicinity.
...........
While still floating in the air, Jeong Hae-Min was trembling as if there was an earthquake or something. She saw that ck light envelop everything, and then C there was nothing left afterwards.
Hmm....
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was absorbing the residual Mana from the surroundings.
And as he expected, this was not enough. He had high hopes since the Gate was ranked a Level 5, but this amount was just too little. He needed to find a bigger source of Mana than this.
By the way... Since when did my punches be this strong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was able to destroy the surroundings quite easily with a single punch C something he couldnt even dream of doing not too long ago.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began touching his body here and there.
It feels like something inside me has grown a bit bigger... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Could it be Ether?
For sure, he could definitely tell that his physical body had grown way, way tougher,pared to what he was like back in Berafe.
If it werent for him having this intense thirst, thanks to all the things he had lost whileing back, hed have been fine with this gradual improvement, but...
Kyyaaaahhh?!! Heyyy!! Where are you looking at?! Look over here!! Cant you see Im falling!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eii, seriously now, this girl... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out with his hands and lightly caught the falling Jeong Hae-Min.
And it was the famed princess carry.
*SFX for a face reddening up in a millisecond*
When their eyes met in an unexpectedly close distance, Jeong Hae-Mins face reddened up in an instant for some reason. She used both of her hands to shove him away.
P, put me down, please! (Jeong Hae-Min)
You.... Youre only a shorty, so how can you be this heavy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey!! Im not heavy!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, wow. Youre full of muscles, arent you? Is it because of all that dancing? Does that count as exercise? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk put her down as she had requested.
Now that he thought about it, the unfamiliarity he felt just now mustve been because him not embracing a human female in such a long time. Indeed, he got way too used to embracing dark elves and demonesses so, that mustve been it.
Well, he barely had any contact with humans during the thousand years, so there was that.
By the way, you!! How can you even think of telling a woman that shes heavy?! Seriously, you...! Are you that thoughtless?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
A woman, my a*s. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand around dismissively.
Go away, preferably to over there or something. Itll end up a bother if my shuttle were to get blown up by ident, after all. Im not done here yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh!! Get bitten by these monsters for all I care! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Is she losing her dang mind or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing the back of Jeong Hae-Min hurriedly trot away, Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a short groan.
Look at theming out in dribs and drabs. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those gnat-like monsters were pouring out from the Gate once more. Since he was on such a tight schedule, he had to finish up here quickly. But the enemy raid hadnt ended yet. It was a given that he couldnt prolong this any more and waste the precious time....
It was then C apanied the spine-tingling buzzing noise akin to a swarm of bees beating their wings, a shadow of substantial size began to squeeze out from the Gate.
Hoh?
A 7 metre-tall monster with an outer appearance resembling the praying mantis emerged and it began studying Yi Ji-Hyuk standing in front of the Gate, its forelegs spread open and ready to strike at any moment.
A Mantis, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Compared to the Mantis monster Yi Ji-Hyuk was familiar with, it was a bit bigger and had a different colour. But, there was enough of a resemnce.
Man, youre really ticking me off with all these simrities. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Too bad, it seemed that the Mantis was in no mood to worry about Yi Ji-Hyuks feelings, as its foreleg struck out in a deadly attack that seemed to bisect the space in half.
The serrated cutting edges, resembling a saw, protruded out from its forelegs; they reflected the sunlight and gleamed like cold, hard des. If a person got caught in that, his body would be ripped into shreds in the blink of an eye.
Whew-woo-euph!
But this was Yi Ji-Hyuk, not some random guy!
Now normally, hed have taken a step back to avoid it, but right now, he really didnt have a lot of time. He spat out a short cry and used Mana to reinforce his body.
With Mana circting and surrounding both the inside and outside of his body, Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and grabbed the Mantis attacking front leg.
*SFX for metallic screech*
Unable to fully absorb the rebound, the joint of the Mantis front limb issued a screech one might hear from rusted metal joints.
Oryaaa!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply lifted the Mantis up just like that, and then, mmed it down onto the hard floor.
Kwaboom!!
As the Mantisrge body bounced up, Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped up just above the monster. And then, ck tentacles shooting out from his hands promptly swallowed up therge monster.
Drain!
The magic power spreading out like a ck wrapped around the Mantis and constrained it. The monster put up a fierce resistance of poking and slicing with its front limbs, but as if the itself was a living being, it continued to crush the Mantis relentlessly.
KYAAAHHHHH!!
The Mantis let out a bizarre roar.
The whole area reverberated with the scream of the huge monster as the ck Mana utterly crushed its limbs and tightly squeezed its body.
*SFX for something hard being crushed bit by bit*
Hearing that noise, Jeong Hae-Mins face gradually lost all colour.
She believed that, after having witnessed countless battles and deaths of monsters that fell from the powers of various special abilities, she had built up some sort of tolerance to violence, but this spectacle was something new even to her, and it sure as hell managed to rouse the feelings of pure horror and disgust within.
That sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk rxedly devouring the Mantis alive made her wonder whether that was the same person shed been arguing with all this time or not.
He... was a human that devoured monsters. That act seemed more monstrous than actual monsters.
As she shivered from the sense of unease and horror, she continued to watch on, as the Mantis got crushed into nothing but some lump of Mana. Which got sucked into him soon enough.
Afterpletely sucking the monster in, Yi Ji-Hyuk rubbed his tummy with an expression of puppy enjoying a hearty meal.
Yep, now this is what Im talking about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, his happiness had to wait for another day.
The phone beeped noisily, again.
C Its K1, now!! Teleport to K1! I repeat, to K1!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not even letting me take a short break here... Really now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to express his dissatisfaction but even he was well aware of now being a rather poor timing for that.
Jeong Hae-Min was already approaching him in uneasy steps.
Okay, lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out to grab her hand, but she hastily withdrew as if she got stung by a bee.
Mm?
After btedly realising that she had reflexively yanked her hand away, Jeong Hae-Min looked like she was utterly shocked by her own actions. The faint emotions of fear and disgust were easy enough to detect in her eyes, and Yi Ji-Hyuk erased all expressions from his face as soon as he spotted that.
This, again? Huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had been subjected to that kind of look from the other party way too many times, until he was truly sick and tired of it already.
Thanks to his outer appearance being the same as everyone else here, such reactions were mercifully almost non-existent, but back in Berafe, there were countless folks who treated him like a disease solely due to his looks alone.
Even when some of them found the courage to open their minds and hearts, they still ended up looking at him with such eyes when Yi Ji-Hyuk revealed his powers.
Perhaps it was an inevitable thing for human beings C distancing themselves away from those that were too alien from them.
What an unfortunate thing that was, since Yi Ji-Hyuk was always included in that specification of too alien until now.
Since he had experienced it countless times, it didnt even faze him anymore. To counter that, all he had to was to end the rtionship with the person in question and simply return to being strangers.
Hey, Ill take care of things myself, so you dont have to.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then. Jeong Hae-Min stood there while biting her lips, before suddenly reaching out to grab his hand without a warning.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were going. (Jeong Hae-Min)
...Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Jeong Hae-Mins hand holding onto his for a long time. He kind of found it just a bit hard to exin.
Didnt her hand feel warmer than before? Was he mistaken?
Hey, you.... Do you have a fever or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you to call me Noona!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
She shouted at him in anger, and then activated the teleport ability.
*
What the?! In the middle of the sky again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its no joke if you teleport into objects, thats why!! Just catch me as we go down, okay?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
You think Im a parachute?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His mouth mightve beenining, but his arms still pulled her in close.
When he looked down to the distant ground below, he could see a monster that was so big, he could clearly make out its features from his position high up in the sky. It was busy taking on weapons fire from the defense force in the streets below.
However, it seemed like a throwdown had urred already, because he could also see many destroyed tanks and bodies of lifeless soldiers littering the area, too.
Damn, should I have hurried up a bit just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as theynded on the ground, Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed her aside and shouted out.
Get back....
Just before he could finish his sentence, the giant monster that resembled a gori swung its massive arm at his position.
Shield! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KWAHNG!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks Shield sessfully deflected the monsters swing, ripples spreading out on its smooth surface.
Thats nothing! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KWAHNG, KWAHNG, KWAHNG!!!!
However, the repeated pounding from the monster caused the Shield to crack like ss. Yi Ji-Hyuk tightly pulled Jeong Hae-Min and leaped away at thest second before it shattered.
The monsters fist impacted on the ground and the explosion akin to a bomb going off shook the surroundings. Dust clouds and stone debris flew up as a deep crater formed where they had been only a moment ago.
Euhk....
A thin line of blood seeped out from the corner of his lips.
A, are you alright? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Over there.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh?
I said, go over there!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
O, oh. Okay.
Jeong Hae-Min hurriedly ran away from there; meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up and spat out the blood pooling inside his mouth.
Ptooi.
Seeing his blood on the ground, he began gritting his teeth.
The monster hed never seen before red right back at him while performing a kind demonstration on the ground with both of its arms pounding hard.
The soldiers who were unable to get close before, began to fall back even further with fear and panic spreading on their expressions.
Hiiiiieeeekkk!!
Guns, tanks, and even the trusted back-up, the anti-air artillery, didnt work on this monster.
When facing the never-before-seen Level 5 creatures overwhelming might, the only thing humanity could do was to tremble in terror and despair.
Ha-ah...
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan and took a step forward.
The Shield managed to block only a handful of strikes before shattering from the heavy impact, transmitting the force to him which rearranged his inner organs, rather painfully as hed like to point out.
The damage that wouldve been healed in an instant if this was in the past, continued to cause him quite a bit of grief now.
*SFX for a monsters triumphant roar*
Yi Ji-Hyuk narrowed his eyes as he looked at the monster proudly showing off its haughty pride.
Oh, so you want to have a go with me, is that it?
With me, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
This whole situation is busy spitting on my pride... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Getting injured by a trashy monster, the injury not healing right away, and that trashy low-ss thing busy rubbing it in his face with its arrogant disy C all of it were p*ssing him off.
Jet-ck Mana oozed out from Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body.
That Mana was at once like a fog, and a me; it danced and wrapped around his body.
As the ck Mana surrounded himpletely, Yi Ji-Hyuk licked his lips. Tasting the metallic saltiness of his blood, his eyes began shining in a dangerous light.
Ill rip you to shreds. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And his body shot forward faster than a bullet.
Leaving behind a long trail of ck Mana, he became a ck meteor that mmed into the gut of the gori-like monster.
*SFX for bones and muscles breaking/ripping apart*
And so, a human body pierced the flesh of the monster that proved to be tougher than forged steel.
The force behind the impact wasnt dissipated at all, and it carried on, blowing thatrge monster into the air as if it was a discarded paper being blown away by the wind.
The gori monster couldnt even leak out a scream; as it flew away, Yi Ji-Hyuk closed in, and his hands began to burn in the sinister ck mes.
It wasnt only this one!!
There were eight more, at the least!
Without someone willing it to happen, there was no freaking way that ten Gates would open up at once in a cramped little nation of Korea.
In other words....
It wasnt only this one!!
It wasnt only this group of monsters!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt know who the culprit was. But he needed to let him, her, them, know this one crucial fact:
He was here. Him!
None other than Yi Ji-Hyuk was here!
From the shoulder des of Yi Ji-Hyuk, ck Mana poured out and unfurled themselves like the wings of a Death God.
< 68. Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already -3 > Fin.
Chapter 69: Stop trying to sell snake oil and let’s get started already (4)
Chapter 69: Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already (4)
From Yi Ji-Hyuks me-like Mana, innumerable small projectiles of magical energy poured down on the gori-like monster that crashnded to the ground.
*SFX for many things falling down*
The Mana projectiles peppered the giant monster like torrential rainfall and prated every part of it.
Kaaaaaahhh!!
The gori monster writhed in pain and screamed out. But before it could do anything, the ck Mana descended on it and promptly swallowed it up. Yi Ji-Hyuk then activated the Life Drain once more.
*SFX for bones and muscles being crushed*
The monsters screams, the noises of bones breaking, and flesh ripping apart, filled the air at the same time.
Unable to withstand the extreme pain, the gori monster continued tosh out with its fists, but the Mana was as flexible and tenacious as it could get, as it quickly devoured the creature.
Soon enough, the screams ceased, and the Mana became even smaller than a humans fist as it returned to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hmm....
While sensing the Mana filling up inside, he took a look around at his surroundings. And he couldnt help but frown at what he saw. In a word, it was pathetic.
Even though he had managed to resolve this crisis, more or less, the survivingbat force was far too busy dealing with the small fry monsters still emerging from the Gate to secure their wounded and deceasedrades.
He could see the dying men and women moaning out on the ground, as well as countless tanks and vehicles mangled beyond recognition. The acrid odour of expanded gunpowder miraculously covered up the equally acrid odour of blood.
It only had been for a few brief seconds, yet the scale of destruction was this extensive...
At this rate, the casualties would only see an exponential increase. If he continued to take care of Gates in this fashion, by the time he got to thest one, he might end up fighting in a deste ce that could no longer be called a city anymore.
Bleeep!!
C Its K5!! K5!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lifted the phone and spoke to it.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon.
C Yes, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Tell me, out of all the Gates, which ones located in the most open area? With sparse poption density, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C ....Its K2.
Mm. I even like that name.
Doesnt it kinda feel like Ill be fighting on the top of the mountain, no?
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out to Jeong Hae-Min. Immediately figuring out his intentions, she ran towards him with all her strength and grabbed his hand.
Hold up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped her before she could activate her skill. She looked at him with confused eyes.
Whats the matter? (Jeong Hae-Min)
How good is your ability to teleport? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean by that? And why cant you address me prop.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min was about to retort as usual, but then, saw the intense light emanating from his eyes and shut her mouth up right away.
His usually arched-up and sharp eyes no longer disyed the hints of that annoying mischievousness from before, but instead, gleamed in a grave but dignified light.
Be precise. How many can you teleport? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I havent tried so I cant be sure. But, I think I can force myself to teleport 100 people if I try. Obviously, they have to be connected to one another somehow. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What happens if you cancel teleportation in the middle? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Hmm... well just end up falling in the middle of the way. Ive only done it once, so I cant be sure. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Okay, fine. Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To K2? (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, to the nearest Gate from here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to shout at the otherbatants.
Since you dont know what else mighte out next, take care! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Poof!
Right after than, Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Mins figures disappeared.
Soldiers stared at that scene with dazed expressions, before one of them softly muttered out.
What the hell did I even see just now?
Now that they were looking at the empty but destroyednd where the gori monster had been toying around with them only a minute ago C where not even a trace of the said monsters corpse remained C they were all feeling something ufortable wiggle inside their chests.
Is that what a true ability user looks like...?
The ability users, psykers, whatever C those people that were called with various titles....
Right now, not one present here felt like calling them humans. Humans, that were the same as themselves.
What would happen, if an ability user like that youth, capable of blowing away a monster that thebined might of the military couldnt subdue, turned hostile towards the rest of humanity?
Wasnt this perhaps the clearest indication that the ability users were far more terrifying than the actual monsters?
Silenced by a question with no easy answers, the soldiers simply nced around at the empty battlefield.
*
There it is! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Teleporting into the sky once more, Yi Ji-Hyuk immediately spotted therge monster down below and quickly headed off to it.
What the f*ck? Why are they all so big? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whaa? Why are you going that way, with me in tow?!?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min cried out in rm as they fell towards therge monster. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even pretend to alter the direction and fell straight towards his target.
The monster sensed the presence of falling duo, raised its head, and red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
*SFX for explosive burst of mes*
From itsrge wide-open maw, a me ball erupted out.
Yi Ji-Hyuk activated the Shield spell and protected both him and his passenger as they broke past the dense mes, before he was able to ce his hand on the skin of the monster.
Teleport, now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Jeong Hae-Min)
To K2! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Ahh!!
Understanding what Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted from her, Jeong Hae-Min quickly activated her teleportation ability.
Poof!!
Therge monster just went and vanished from its spot; the confused ability users and soldiers tilted their heads this way and that, as they looked around the suddenly-empty battlefield.
What the hell just happened?
*
As soon as they reappeared in the skies of the K2 Gate, Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked the monster and created some distance between themselves.
Get away from me, you d*mn dirty monster!
K, kwahahaaaah?!
No matter how powerful a monster was, without wings, there was not a whole lot it could do against the effects of gravity.
After spotting the rapidly-descending giant monster, thebatants on the ground scattered seemingly to everywhere in an unbridled panic.
KWABOOMM!!
The impact sound was as loud as that of a meteor strike; the monster crashnded on the ground and caused a deep crater to form.
Oh, thats a nice surprise. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Landing back on the ground, Yi Ji-Hyuk saw the scene unfold, and shrugged his shoulders.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was in charge of the K2 location, and she began shouting out his name as soon as she spotted him.
Just what was this unhinged youth doing?
What was he thinking of by bringing over yet another powerful monster here, when she and her crew were already having a hard time dealing with just one? But besides all that...
How the heck did he even manage to bring that thing here? Was it teleportation?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Having never thought of doing something as audacious as that before, Seo Ah-Young felt as if someone had hit the back of her head with a hammer.
What is up with this guy?! (Seo Ah-Young)
It was not that difficult to order around a thick-headed but physically strong person.
However, a smart person with the strength to match was a scary subject to contend with. Even more so, if a person was smart, strong, and quick-witted to boot... Now that, that would be an absolute nightmare.
Just like now. Whenever Seo Ah-Young got to see Yi Ji-Hyuk in action, a new facet to him emerged and confused the hell out of her.
As Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth, Yi Ji-Hyuk began shouting as well.
Tell them to retreat!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? (Seo Ah-Young)
I said, tell everyone here to retreat, right now!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you even suggest that?! What will you do when those monsters decide to go somewhere else?! Cant you see that we have civilian areas not too far from here? (Seo Ah-Young)
Use your head,dy! Your head!! Its not for decoration, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Hearing Yi Ji-Hyuk talk like that was quite embarrassing for her, but soon enough, she got to see the reason for his suggestion.
The boss-level monster of the K2 location stopped attacking the human forces and diverted its attention to the fallen monster, instead. And it issued a threatening growl to the new entrant to its territory.
When another male lion turns up in your territory, theres no way youd care about the ants near your feet now, is there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had already confirmed that these monsters had no sense of camaraderie during the incident of Oh-Sik crossing over. Since the Gates always opened up in disparate ces away from each other, such conflicts had been avoided until now, but now that it happened, boss monsters getting ready to smash each other up was the inevitable result.
Sure, for those low rank monsters, it wouldnt really matter. But it was only natural for the high ranking monsters topete against one another when it came to asserting ones dominance over its territory.
Alright, next! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his gaze away from Seo Ah-Young and grabbed Jeong Hae-Mins hand.
W, wait. (Jeong Hae-Min)
As if she had spent more energy than expected, Jeong Hae-Min was staggering around unsteadily. The burden on her when teleporting such arge monster proved to be far greater than whenpared to teleporting one or two humans.
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
Can you do it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes, I can. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Right. Lets do it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no meaning in mouthing a few words of encouragement or to say that they could seek another method C such words were deeply irresponsible, considering that there were literally people dying all around them as they stood here talking.
You should finish your duty first, then you can faint afterwards. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head. He could spy determination burning in her squinting eyes.
Why is she trying so hard here, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was it because she had to endure many years of obscurity? Her mentality was unexpectedly tougher than she looked. A normal, pampered woman wouldve raised the white g by now.
She doesnt want to slow me down, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled softly, and squeezed her hand a little.
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head after understanding the signal, and activated her teleportation ability.
*
Its you, this time! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deftly dodged the beam of ice, touched the monster responsible for firing it, and then, promptly teleported back to the K2 location. Then, just like before, left the monster there.
One, by one...
The more they teleported, Jeong Hae-Mins condition got worse and worse; not only that, the casualties continued to pile on higher and higher.
Hell, one of the boss-level monsters had even broken past the defensive line andpletely levelled a city by the time he got there.
Without saying a word, he touched it and teleported it back to K2.
After repeating this a few times, the boss-level monsters that were summoned to all corners of the country had been gathered in this location.
*SFX for monsters roaring at each other in a threatening manner*
There should have been a pure destructive chaos unfolding by now, but then again, the monsters were too busy minding each other, and didnt dare to take the first step. And so, that dreaded chaos of bloodshed had been dyed.
As for Jeong Hae-Min, she even went around teleporting all the mainbat forces to this location as well, and soon as she was finished, doubled over and began puking her guts out.
A popr idol puking may seem like something to be embarrassed about, but not one soul present found her disgusting nor unsightly to look at.
You did well. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young gently patted Jeong Hae-Mins back.
I.... I said, Im older than you...! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eek! Dont look at this way! I might get some on my clothes! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hing....
As she staggered about, trying to regain her bnce, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly grasped the back of her neck and picked her up.
??? You!! You trying to throw me, right?! (Jeong Ha-Min)
Huh. A pretty keen power of observation you got there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cant you at least treat me a little better than this?! Havent I already proved myself as an important asset to you?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yep, an important shuttle, no doubt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk went poof! along with her, and then, reappeared far, far from the battlefield. Then, he put her back down.
You might get hurt, so better stay here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You.... Can you really fight those monsters? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Ah! I nearly forgot. Uhm, yeah, so, like... Can you do me a favour? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?
Can you go and bring Oh-Sik here as well? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
Yi Ji-Hyuk resolutely left behind the staggering Jeong Hae-Min and her pointed res, and reappeared amidst the NDFsbat force.
Okay, now lets see.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk surveyed the eight boss-level monsters busy being wary of each other, still keeping a certain distance away and not moving.
Huh. Kinda familiar sight, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To Yi Ji-Hyuk, itd be more correct to say that he was lots more familiar with monsters instead of other human beings. Sure, half of the monsters currently present were foreign even to him, though, but whatever.
Besides, in the past, he hadmanded thousands of monsters more terrifying than these fes here, so there was no way hed feel anything new or particr from this spectacle. Not at all.
Of course, the story was extremely different for everyone else.
Just.... what should we do? (Seo Ah-Young)
What do you expect me to do about them?! (Park Sung-Chan)
Seo Ah-Young and Park Sung-Chan spoke up at the same time with nary an ounce of energy in their voices.
They may only be eight monsters, but each one of them was on the level of a national disaster that required the full might of the military to stop in its tracks. And eight of such creatures had been gathered in one ce.
All they could do was to stall these monsters with the help of military and other ability users, but now, they didnt even have that luxury anymore.
Do you have a way to deal with them? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young asked Yi Ji-Hyuk, her expression full of uncharacteristic fear and anxiety.
He looked back at her, and grandly sighed out.
Things might have been fine until now, but moving on, itd be more difficult in the future. He just couldnt let them be like this, calling out his name like he was some sort of a saviour whenever a serious disaster unfolded.
Such a bunch of whiny weaklings.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back in Berafe, being weak was pretty much the same as you giving up on the right to exist.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had crawled and wed his way up from being the weakest of the weak, and climbed to the very peak of that world.
Although he wasnt expecting these ability users to emte his sess or his drive, at least, they should have been able to utilise their powers to the fullest.
So, in other words....
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly took a step forward.
Ill show them.
Ill show them the overwhelming power, so not one caninter. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As soon as the jet-ck Mana erupted out from his body, all eight monsters stopped looking at each other and snapped their heads towards his direction simultaneously.
Their attention was stolen by a presence so overwhelmingly powerful, others simply paled inparison.
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips arched in a toothy grin.
Time to get down and dirty.
< 69. Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already -4 > Fin.
Chapter 70: Stop trying to sell snake oil and let’s get started already (5)
Chapter 70: Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already (5)
It all started from the sky.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lifted his head just as Jeong Hae-Min appeared there with Oh-Sik in tow.
Hoh, she is certainly a good soldier, isnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lifted his hand. Two ck tentacles shot out from his outstretched hand and wrapped around both the mini Ogre and Jeong Hae-Min.
*SFX for the tentacles rapidly retracting*
The tentacles yanked her towards Yi Ji-Hyuk with a terrifying speed and deposited her in front of him.
Euh, euph!! B, blergh.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Urgh. Hey, puke over there, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk proceeded to shove her away with his foot.
Yep, not with his hands, but with his dang foot!
How could he treat a fellow human being like this?! She had to go through the proverbial hell for him, even!
As she began to tear up from the feelings of being wronged rapidly welling up inside her, Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed and pushed her towards the rear.
You gonna get hurt here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some strange reason, she thought that his hands felt warm.
Jeong Hae-Min became very cognisant of her own reddening cheeks as she hastily retreated.
Stop blocking the way and go over there to sulk, okay? Besides, youre a shorty so I cant even spot you properly. You might get swept up, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If youre going to worry about me, then just worry about me!!
If youre going to insult me, then just insult me, okay?!
Dont mix those two up, will you!! (Jeong Hae-Mins anguished inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched on as Jeong Hae-Min stomped on the poor ground for some reason or another, and hurriedly trotted away. Then, he shifted his gaze towards Oh-Sik still dangling in the air and smirked ominously.
Now then.... Time to y. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Through the tentacle, Yi Ji-Hyuk transferred Mana to his pet.
ROAR!!
Oh-Sik sensed Mana filling up within his body and roared out, his eyes gradually getting redder and redder.
His body began to swell up like a balloon; then, he rapidly descended to the ground. By the time hended on the ground, Oh-Sik had fully regained his majestic and terrifying red-and-ck frame. He raised his head to the sky and roared out.
Khwuuuuoooohhh!!!
The world seemed to resonate with his roar.
Facing this incredible presence, other eight monsters slightly lowered their bodies and began ring at Oh-Sik.
Although they were all monsters spat out from the various Level 5 Gates, the majestic aura emitted from an Ogre, a monster considered to be the mightiest of allnd-bound creatures, possessed this overwhelming pressure that easily suppressed others of the same rank.
Growl....
Oh-Siks eyes became deep, deep crimson.
Well, then.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, about us.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his hand to interrupt Seo Ah-Young.
Dont even think about entering the fray. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
If you get caught up in the mess, it wont be my problem, got that? Youd be best off worrying about your own lives. You see, Im gonna let the boy loose for a bit now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I understand. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young quickly gave out the order to retreat to the rest of thebatants. Even while doing that, she didnt forget to bite her lower lip in frustration.
Instead of helping, she and others were only a burden, a hindrance.
That... was the truth of the NDF, her own creation.
This cant go on. (Seo Ah-Young)
If the missions were aplished with the teamposition she had envisioned before, perhaps things might have been different. But, she could see that their situation was only getting worse.
Even now, if it wasnt for Yi Ji-Hyuks presence, the delicate bnce wouldve been broken, and the nation of Korea as the world knew it wouldve been destroyedpletely.
A new n was definitely needed, even though she herself didnt know what that entailed.
Excuse me, Miss Seo Ah-Young?
The ability user named Spitfire cautiously called out to her.
That guy, just who is he?
Seo Ah-Young hesitated slightly, before answering back.
There were nine monsters already in front of them, but try as she might, Seo Ah-Young couldnt think of a more appropriate word to describe Yi Ji-Hyuk of right now.
Hes a monster. (Seo Ah-Young)
Indeed, he was a monster C a monster as far removed as possible from a human being.
*
The first one to make the move was the giant Hydra.
The disgusting reptilian monster hissed, and its nine heads bobbed up and down as it rushed in closer to maw down the Ogre. With that action serving as the signal, the rest of the monsters also pounced on Oh-Sik as well.
Khuooooohh!!
Oh-Sik roared out, and grabbed onto the heads of the approaching Hydra. The snake monster writhed in pain, but the Ogre ignored that and simply proceeded to rip the heads off the main body with his bare hands.
Two of the heads got torn away, but seven still remained. All seven of them shot out and began biting into Oh-Siks body.
Keureuk!!
Oh-Sik let out a short hiss of pain, before he mmed down hard on the main body of the Hydra while roaring out even louder than before.
KWAHAHANG!!
The monsters body now resembled a meat paste as blue-coloured blood poured out from the huge wound it got from being mmed to the ground.
Oh-Sik was about to finish the Hydra for good, but then, a powerful impact on his back made him tumble forward in an ungainly fashion.
Keureureuk!!
A giant saber-tooth tiger like monster sneaked to the rear of Oh-Sik, and managed to puncture his side with its lengthy fangs. If it werent for the Ogres outrageously tough hide, rather than getting punctured, a chunk of his flesh might have been torn away, instead.
To his back, the saber-tooth tiger busy licking its lips, and to his front, a Hydra that was rapidly regenerating; and then, there was the Great Snake, Dae-Mang, steadily slinking its way closer and closer; even the unknown, unfamiliar monster with dozens and dozens of tentacles sprouting out from its body....
The encirclement of eight monsters continued to tighten, causing Oh-Sik to subconsciously take a step back.
Keu.... Keureuk!
Then, Oh-Siks entire body began trembling as well.
Because, he could acutely sense it.
....His own approaching demise.
K, kiiieeeeeck!
Oh-Sik stopped in his tracks, and continued to tremble in fear.
He knew that taking a step back in retreat carried an enormous implication.
There was no such a thing as retreat in the demon army. No, there were only two possible paths for one to take C either rush forward in pure maddened frenzy until the enemy falls, or take your sweet-a*s time getting somewhere and then get trampled to death by your supposedrades rushing past you.
Indeed, there was no room for retreat.
Why?
Because.... he was there, waiting.
He was an existence that didnt ept retreat from his underlings, no matter what.
However, just as Oh-Sik stood there trembling in fear, a quiet voice entered his ears.
Its fine. Fine, I say. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, this was no longer Berafe, so there was that. This Yi Ji-Hyuk was no longer the same Bringer of Apocalypse, you see.
However.....
But still, you shouldnt back away like a coward, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keureureuk!!
Suddenly, an ominous light returned to Oh-Siks eyes.
KHAYAAAHHHCK!!
Oh-Sik roared out like a frenzied Berserker and rushed to his front.
Seeing this, even Yi Ji-Hyuk began loosening his neck muscles.
You, me, neither of us...
We wont be able to go back to how we were.
But well, that doesnt mean we cant throwdown to our hearts content, does it?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
If he had a vanguard plugging up the front, then Yi Ji-Hyuk could truly demonstrate his might as the sorcerer supreme.
From both of his hands, dark light shone brightly.
Its gonna be tough for Oh-Sik alone, isnt it?
So, then.... What should I do next? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The jet-ck Mana began drawing various symbols and runes in the empty sky. All these strange and evil-looking symbols began to emit ominous rays of light as Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hands around like a conductor of a grand orchestra.
Come out,e out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The symbols twisted into whirlpools, and then, theybined to form a ck abyss of pure nothingness. And from this abyss, a massive beast, as dark as the darkest shadow, leaped out.
It didnt even let out the roar that most monsters seemed to be so fond of; it simply dashed forward in manner so agile and fleet-footed, its huge size seemed to be a lie. The ck beast leaped towards the saber-tooth tiger monster, and sank its own fangs into the unwary targets neck, smashing it down to the ground.
The new entrant was a huge ck beast that looked almost like a jaguar. Its ck body seemed to flicker in and out of existence.
One more. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, another massive beast leaped out from the abyss. As soon as it stepped into this world, it unfurled its giant wings and took to the skies.
It was a hawk-shaped creature. It rose high up, before descending to the ground like a bolt of lightning; it thentched onto the Giant Snake monsterrge enough to wrap around a tall skyscraper, lifting it up to the heavens.
The Dae-Mang writhed to get free, but the ck hawks ws simply broke past the giant snake monsters scales and tightly grabbed hold.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was licking his lips in a wistful manner as he watched the hawk fly higher and higher into the sky.
Without the Mana amplification effect, is this all I can do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since he couldnt open the portal to the demon world, it was impossible to directly summon his faithful servants. What he could summon here, though, were the lifeforms created through magic.
This magic wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuks specialty, nor something he enjoyed using, but it was just about perfect in this ce.
Too bad, what with the limited amount of Mana he could wield right now, he was unable to create the kind of monstrosities he would have liked.
For instance, that hawk C back in Berafe, that creatures wingspan wouldve nketed the entire sky.
However, nothing would change from himmenting on his currently weakened status. So, Yi Ji-Hyuk gathered his hands together again.
Alright, then.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I cut loose for the first time in a while?
From the ends of his toes to the rest of his body, he began gathering and manipting Mana.
The jet-ck Mana coiling around his body pulsed and seethed like a living blood vessel and coagted in hands.
Keuhk.
A soft groan automatically escaped from his lips.
The jet-ck Mana originally wasnt meant for humans to control, and thus it began to gradually corrode him, ever so slightly. He had lost his cheat-like immortality buff, so he was well aware of the fact that he needed to do it in moderation.
However, his physical body had grown stronger than before, so the damage itself seemed rather negligible. The higher presence of Ether within was definitely protecting him from the corrosive ck Manas influence.
Almost right away, the jet-ck Mana gathering in front of his hands began spinning violently, and a deep resonance rumbled from the mass.
If it was in the past, he would have gathered lots more Mana andpacted it even further before utterly incinerating his enemies. But now that he was imposed with the restriction of sorts, he had to find a more cost-effective method.
What should he do next, then?
Yi Ji-Hyuk soon recalled a spell just for this kind of asion.
His right hand began orchestrating the ck Mana. The intangible substance stretched like noodle strands and danced in the air ording to Yi Ji-Hyuks hand movements.
First, hed tie them down....
Binding!
*SFX for things tightly wrapping around*
ck-coloured tentacles that resembled tree roots broke out from the ground and began to constrict the monsters.
Suddenly getting tied up by these vines/tentacles, monsters roared out and thrashed around, but these things were harder than any known precious material in the world and didnt let go of their targets.
Next, hed stab them....
From the constricting tree roots, countless thorns the length of a dozen metres jutted out and prated into the victims bodies. Predictably, the screams of the monsters proceeded to shake the entire world.
The Dae-Mang falling from the air saw the thicket of ck thorns covering the ground below, and tried to tilt itself out of the way. But, too bad, this monstercked wings to do that.
*SFX for flesh being pierced through*
The lengthy thorn easily prated the scales of the giant snake and impaled it. And as it writhed and thrashed around in pain, more and more thorns stabbed into its body.
In the middle of this thorny thicket, the unharmed Oh-Sik was trembling in fear. Although these countless thorns avoided him, there was no room to move, and the poor Ogre was trapped in there.
Just before he despaired too much, though, the thorny vines suddenly shifted out of his way and created a path. A relieved smile spread on the face of Oh-Sik and he quickly made his escape.
*SFX for a supple and agile movement. Yeah, me neither....*
However, the half-translucent ck jaguar darted in between the thorns and vines without any fuss and proceeded to tear into the trapped monsters.
The defenseless monsters continued to writhe as the fangs of the jaguar tore into them, but the more they struggled, the deeper the thorns dug into their flesh, impaling them even further.
A little bit of timeter, Yi Ji-Hyuk moved his hands again.
He figured that, to end things here, well.... he hadnt had his fill just yet.
A small spark lit up and flew off his fingertips.
Transform! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The spark rapidly flew andnded on the thorny vines. Then, the spark and the whole thicket transformed into a mass of lightning bolts that began shocking and roasting the trapped monsters.
From within the forest of the chaotic electrical storm, the confusing maelstrom of disgusting, burning stench and terrified screams of monsters exploded out.
Far away, Seo Ah-Young witnessed all this, while tightly clutching her fists.
She wanted to shut her eyes so badly.... Yet, she couldnt stop looking at this spectacle, either.
All those incredible monsters, each of them capable of creating hell on earth, were being utterly ughtered by just one person C Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Maybe, if she was seeing a bloodied, desperate battlefield full of intense life-or-death fights, then she wouldnt have felt this way. But.... What she was seeing right now, this was no such thing.
That.... That was him just toying with his victims.
It was like seeing a cat ying with a cornered rat. It was like seeing a lion slowly licking the baby deer trapped under its powerful paws.
Yes, he was simply toying with those monsters right now.
That back of Yi Ji-Hyuk, with the unknown ck substance swirling around him, seemed so terrifying to her.
She found that there was just too big a gap between thezy, slovenly and way-too-chatty Yi Ji-Hyuk of everyday and the death god of the battlefield Yi Ji-Hyuk. She failed to reconcile the two images in her mind, no matter how hard she tried to.
Right now, he was like apletely different person altogether, and that only made her even more scared of the man.
....Drain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Soon, the arcs of lightning subsided, leaving behind grotesquely burnt monsters that toppled over slowly one after the other. The sound generated from their fall sounded like the feet of a titan stepping on the ground.
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out with his hands.
Drain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After sessfully extracting Mana from the dead monsters, Yi Ji-Hyuk spotted a couple of them that managed to hold on somehow. He simply reached out to them.
Hoh, pretty sturdy, arent you?
What should I do with you, then?
Hmm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A truly creepy and ominous smile suffused over his lips as he pointed at the surviving monsters.
From his pointing fingertip, magical runes with indecipherable design flew out andnded on the monsters.
Kiieeeehhhhck!!!
These monsters on the brink of death didnt let off such a loud and shrill screams even when they were being electrocuted, yet they were doing so now, while wildly twisting and turning on the ground.
Blood and bubbles from the corners of their mouthsnded everywhere.
Oh-Sik saw this scene, then promptly buried his head to the ground and trembled in utter terror.
That was the Seal of Obedience in action.
This curse seal was designed to take over ones soul, and it allowed the caster to rule over ones flesh and mind.
Soon, the monsters gradually stopped writhing in pain, and seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk flicked his fingers.
Burrow underground, and hide there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Monsters got up as soon as he issued themand, and they dug the ground beneath with all their strength before disappearing into the depths.
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to stare at them, and when they were no longer visible, dusted his hands clean and turned around to leave.
He didnt know who was pulling the strings here.
He had no idea who they could be, but, hed let them know that their methods of attack would never work with him here.
If this invasion continued in this fashion, then sooner orter, his army would be resurrected to its former glory.
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around and found Seo Ah-Young trembling uncontrobly like a leaf for some reason, and tilted his head in confusion.
What the, you need to use the loo? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you!! You godd*mn a*shole!! (Seo Ah-Young)
What now?! Why are you shouting at me for?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She simply failed to understand how this guys mind even worked!!
Seo Ah-Young couldnt bring herself to admit aloud that she was trembling from the fear she felt towards this youth. She chose to turn around in order to avoid locking eyes with him.
As Yi Ji-Hyuk stood there,ining bitterly after receiving the very undeserving insults, there was a lone figure watching him from an incredible distance away.
It was a dark and small figure of a man. It waved its hand towards the sky. A small warp gate cracked open in front of its hand, then surprisingly, a portion of his figure melted into a small bird which got sucked into the mini gate.
C Let the others know.
A voice that sounded like metal grating against metal resounded out.
C He is here. The 99th Demon Lord is residing in this world.
The end of the peaceful days was approaching ever closer.
< 70. Stop trying to sell snake oil and lets get started already -5 > Fin.
Chapter 71: We’d like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (1)
Chapter 71: Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (1)
Inside an office of an important person of a certain country....
Theyve taken care of the situation? Without major casualties?
That is correct, sir.
I cannot even begin to fathom just how they managed to pull that off. What exactly are they doing in that small country of theirs?
Allow me to y the footage, sir.
A monitor flickered into life and soon, the images appeared on it.
The man quietly watched the overhead aerial footage before taking a cigar out from the humidor. With a practiced hand, he cut the tip off, and lit it up in an elegant manner using an old-school match. He slowly inhaled the smoke and after savouring it for a short while, breathed out the blue smoke.
Whew.....
The man continued to suck on his cigar without saying a word, then slowly shook his head.
That... was not CG, yes?
Unfortunately no, sir. What you saw was unaltered footage.
In that case, the remaining issue is.... With how I interpret that footage, isnt it?
The mans voice gradually became quieter.
He then maintained his silence for a bit longer while chewing on his cigar. Before long, though, he ced the cigar on the ashtray and ced his hands on his folded knees.
What a mess this is. Hard to tell, isnt it? Im unsure of how we should deal with this new development. It feels like.... Like, Ive just watched a battle of swordsmen and spearmen being interrupted by a man wildly firing a machine gun. The bnce should be maintained to a certain degree, at least. Dont you think so?
Well, the tilting of the bnce wouldve happened sooner orter, sir.
The tilting, you say.... Hmm, that might sound like an apt description, but actually, it isnt. That.... That isnt just a matter of tilting the bnce.
The man retrieved the cigar from the ashtray and began chomping down on it once more, but his other hand was busy massaging his scalp as if a migraine was viciously assaulting him.
Out of the three, which one is the most viable option?
You mean, appeasement, elimination, and leaving it alone, sir?
No matter when or what, the options are the same as always. Its the difficulty of the mission that changes.
Elimination is deemed to be impossible.
Completely?
Although there is a very slim chance of sess, the odds of failure are far too great, sir. If the elimination fails and the subject turns hostile, the threat level posed to us will be enormous. One failure could lead to the destruction of everything.
The mans eyebrows twitched.
Quite an exaggeration, dont you think so?
Its always the smallest crack that causes the dam to copse, sir.
The man frowned deeply this time. His heart didnt want to agree with that assessment, but his head knew full well that could be the truth. And so, all he could do now was to roughly stub the half-smoked cigar down on the ashtray to express his unhappiness.
So, elimination is impractical. Fine. What about appeasement, then?
Were stillpiling the dossier on the subject as we speak. But so far, we have not been able to nail down his behavioural pattern yet. It seems that hes a type to not fall for the allure of wealth, nor does he have any material attachment, either. Sir.
What? Is he a hippy or something?
Even that is unclear. Rather than him being a type that fears the prosecution, instead we have detected some sign from the subject that hes willing to get along with how things operate nowadays, sir. Maybe its for the best that we call him an indecipherable type for now.
One of the most troublesome types, in other words. What about his family?
The Korean government has taken them in for protection. Approaching them will not be easy.
Of course it wouldnt be. Im sure they wouldnt be that stupid.
However, sooner orter an opportunity would present itself. If one were to follow a set pattern, one woulde to realise that no matter what, an opportunity would always appear.
The only thing that mattered, then, was whether you could seize that opportunity or not.
And to leave that alone.... No, the situation isnt nice enough for that. We cant leave such an existence alone and unchecked. For now, continue the surveince on the subject. If you need more manpower, get it approved with my name. Got that?
Understood, sir.
The man shifted his gaze towards the as of the world hanging up on the wall, then with a pen, lightly stabbed a small penins at the far East of Asian continent.
To think, this here would be the core.... (TL note at the end.)
It was seemingly apletely unexpected shift in the flow of events. However, being able to adapt to such a change as quickly as possible C wouldnt that be a disy of the true might of a nation and its rulers?
And also....
Yes, sir?
What about... them?
The adjutant at the end of the question lowered his head slightly.
There hasnt been any noticeable movements, yet. Sir.
Hmm. What about Alpha?
We still havent been able to track down Alphas whereabouts, sir.
A low groan leaked out from the man. Just dealing with Alpha alone proved to be troublesome, yet now, they had to deal with a new mutant as well.
Lately, the damnable Gates have been showing signs of unusual activity. And the copse of the governments of those nations stuck in the ever-perpetual cycle of battle was hastening, ever more so.
There was no guarantee that the ripples caused by these events would not reach his own country. And now, in these troubled times, where the entire world was lurching ever closer to the unknown danger, this new mutant had appeared. Figuring out what he would do next had, perhaps inevitably, taken a very high spot in their to-do list.
Next up, we should select a suitable code name for this subject, then. What should we call him? We already have Alpha, so should we go with Beta? Or....
We already have a code name for him.
Oh? What is it?
Its the Landmine, sir.
Andmine? A mine.... Huh. It does kind of suit that man, doesnt it? Alright. From here onwards, designate the subject Landmine as the top priority and bring me the news of any developments as soon as they happen.
Yes, sir.
As the adjutant left the office, the man shifted his gaze outside the window, his eyes half-closing in contemtion.
Something.... just feels off.
....Regarding the sudden changes in the Gates behaviour, as well as the matters surrounding Alpha, too.
Even those matters alone were making this mans life quiteplicated C unnecessarily so, even C yet, he now had to worry about other nations paying a very close attention to this Landmine as well. If the Far East of the Asia, where some of the most powerful nations were all curiously grouped up together, were to go through a period of pure chaos, then the side effects from that would be simply unimaginable.
It felt like to him that the world was spiraling deeper into chaos.
*
The man with a cigar wasnt the only person having to cope with the ever-changing world, though.
Haaaaaahhhh.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the front door to the house and exited. Then, he took a long look at the skies above.
The bright blue sky with not a single cloud entered his view.
Damn it. Even the weather is perfect today! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And I have to go to work on a day like this?!
I shouldve asked for more off days, instead of more money!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks innermentation)
He might have cooked up this and that excuse to dy going to work as much as possible a few weeks ago. But, knowing that the current situation didnt allow him to do that, only the sense of pure irritation bubbled within his head now.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes searched around for something, anything, to vent out his frustration, only to find a certain blonde head bobbing ever so gently just beyond the brick wall surrounding the house.
He couldnt help but let out a long groan after seeing that head there. It was almost a daily routine at this point. It sure felt that way to him.
Seriously though, didnt she have her own life/business to take care of?
Yi Ji-Hyuk mentally gave up and opened the front gate. Then, to his surprise, found a different blondie waiting for him instead.
Oh, hyung-nim. Youvee? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....What the... its you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was a blondie, alright, but this one was a dude.
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk confirmed that it was Kim Dah-Hyun standing outside the gate, the feelings of familiarity immediately shattered into pieces and all he could feel now was this creepy sensation crawling up his backside.
What the hell?! What are you doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Could it be that the siblings were into a simr sort of... hobbies?
Did that mean this guy was also a stalker type, too?!
So, so many questions made a mess of Yi Ji-Hyuks thought process.
Ive received a... request, to deliver this to you. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Eh?
Kim Dah-Hyun pushed forward a small package, and Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head while looking at this object.
From who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....From my little sister, hyung-nim. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
You mean... her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yep. It is her, as youve suspected. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
H, huh.
With a wholly unconvinced expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk received the package. Surely though... there shouldnt be anything weird inside.
With a pair of suspicious eyes, he took a long look at the package from this and that angle.
Although no strange or untoward events have happened until now, he still found it rather difficult to exin this anxiety he continuously felt whenever a gift from that girlnded on his hands.
What happened to her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She went to school today. She asked me to ensure the gifts safe delivery. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Is that the only reason why youre here today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, sir! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
But, uh, arent you supposed to be her older brother? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You know that there isnt a creature more scary than a little sister out there. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and tightly grasped Kim Dah-Hyuns hands.
It mustve been pretty rough for ya all this time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, not at all.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Be strong. One day, shell get married and leave the nest. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How about you taking h... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Wanna die? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, sir. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted the rapidly-drooping shoulders of Kim Dah-Hyun while choking back the rising tears himself.
Which existence did prove to be the hardest to deal with, ever since his return to this world? It was none other than that stinking brat of his little sister, thats who!
Never mind beating her up, he couldnt even think of pping her around one or two times, yet that little devil was responsible for making him feel like hed been chewing on cow dung every day. This feeling of barely-contained anguish welling up inside....
....However.
Yi Ji-Hyuk could see the depressed face of Kim Dah-Hyun next to him.
Well, at least my Ye-Won is normal whenpared to that girl. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There wasnt all that much difference, but certainly, there were degrees to madness, after all.
If Ye-Won was to be ssified as rebellious, then Kim Dah-Som should be straight up bat-sh*t insane. That blonde girl might not go around causing trouble, not as much as Ye-Won anyways, but when she decided to go all out.... Oh, boy.
Kim Dah-Som was the type to exceed ones imagination if and when she decided to do something.
Suffering under such a personality almost everyday of his life, it was only par for the course that youd be as exhausted as this guy here. Surely, Kim Dah-Hyun mustve gone through many harsh, insane experiences.
Since Yi Ji-Hyuk still possessed some semnce of sympathy, albeit it being smaller than a speck of dirt stuck under his fingernail, he looked at Kim Dah-Hyun with a pitying expression.
P, please!! Dont look at me with those eyes!! I dont need your pity!!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I know. I know full well how you feel, dude! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, you know?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Lets just go to work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to urge the tearful Kim Dah-Hyun to move, before the blonde guy broke down here and cried his heart out in front of the house.
Although the distance they had to cover wasnt all that much, for some reason, it especially felt like a long slog today. And to make matters even worse, there were some people who decided to block Yi Ji-Hyuks path to work.
Three people, decked out in the Men In Bl*ck style ck suits, stood in Yi Ji-Hyuks way as he minded his own business.
Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes narrowed almost immediately.
Who could these people be?
Could they be looking for trouble here? That was a distinct possibility, since you wouldnt normally walk around everyday while advertising the small but significant fact that you were an ability user.
But, then again, they were in the middle of an area that prohibited civilian entry. So, them blocking their path here couldnt have been a coincidence. These people had a clear purpose.
Who are you people? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun quickly stepped up in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk in a protective manner.
What the, what on earth am I even doing right now? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Why was he acting like an underling to the guy already? And only realising this after he had done it?
The truth was, though.... The memories from Kim Dah-Hyun personally witnessing the prowess of Yi Ji-Hyuk, as well as the lingering aura of his dear little sister, Kim Dah-Som, conspired to move his body well before he had a chance to organise his thoughts.
The person in the middle wordlessly watched Kim Dah-Hyuns actions, before stepping forward.
Its a woman? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Indeed, the person in the middle was an Asian female.
Since she had taken a step forward, that meant she was the leader of this little group, didnt it?
Regrettably, we do not have any business with you, good sir. But we do have one with the gentleman behind you. (TL note at the end)
Her Korean ents and intonations sounded a wee bit odd.
Instinctively realising that she wasnt Korean, Kim Dah-Hyun reached into his trouser pocket to press the emergency button on his cellphone, while a thick smile formed on his lips.
I didnt know that foreigners were permitted to enter this area. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It is possible with the identities as diplomats.
Diplomats? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Even then, to let diplomats freely wander around the area reserved for the local high-value ability users....
But, when Kim Dah-Hyun carefully thought about it, if the diplomats also happened to be ability users, then it might have been possible.
Okay, sure. Whatever. We need to go to work, so would you kindly move out of the way? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I already said that we dont have any business with you.
Ho-oh? So what? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Suddenly, Kim Dah-Hyun began cranking his neck, loosening the muscles there.
Im a bit disappointed, you know? An ability user/diplomat should at least heard of the name, Path Drifter before, no? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Of course, we havepletely heard of that name. But thats just that, thats all. We dont have any busi....
Yeah, yeah, I heard you already. You dont have any business with me. But what should we do now? Cuz now I have business with you all. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun tightly clenched his fist.
If they were here to cause trouble, then all he had to do was to reciprocate that in full.
....Well, that was certainly his n, but, then....
Hey, get out of the way, you fool! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul. But why, hyung-nim! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Who do you think you are, stopping these guests froming to see me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These people are from apeting nation, hyung-nim. Nothing good wille from interacting with these fes. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
And when did you earn the right to decide that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, uh, that is, because.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Seeing your face all healed up nice and shiny, its beginning to get on my nerves a bit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun reflexively shielded his face and retreated very quickly. Just how much money and time did he spend trying to get this face back?!
After easily defeating Kim Dah-Hyun, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted focus and opened his mouth.
What do you want now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Weve crossed the vastness of the ocean to encounter you. We are from the country thats close but also very far.
Frowning slightly, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head and asked Kim Dah-Hyun.
What the heck is she trying to say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Shes implying that shes from Japan. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oh, really? Then, why is she speaking like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Probably because shes not that fluent in Korean. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
While listening to the conversation between Yi Ji-Hyuk and Kim Dah-Hyun, the womans facial expression twitched ever so slightly.
What the hell was up with these two morons?
Okay, so now what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The woman let off a soft sigh under her breath. Just as their prior investigation had suggested, beating around the bush would definitely not help her here.
So, she had to get to the point. As concisely as humanly possible.
In conclusion....
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a grand sigh.
A different country, but still singing the same tune, huh....
< 71. Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -1 > Fin.
(TL: The original word used in the raw was a pun which couldnt be TLed straight into English. Basically, the word used could be either core/centre or nuclear bomb. I thought about going with the nuclear core or even nucleus, but decided to leave it simply as core instead.)
(TL: The raw texts for the Japanese woman are written in a rather old-school, ungainly and silly Korean, perhaps to reflect that she isnt a native speaker. Thats why I chose to go with slightly odd choices of English words where possible.)
Chapter 72: We’d like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (2)
Chapter 72: Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (2)
You wanna scout me, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk uttered out, and the woman nodded her head in confirmation.
This one is named Ito Sana. I have received orders from my nation and havee to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (TL: Jap names are written in the same order as in China/Korea C surnamese first.)
Kim Dah-Hyun shouted out with a hardened expression.
What kind of bullsh*t are you people trying to pull here?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
For his troubles, his back hair got snatched and yanked down by Yi Ji-Hyuk rather unceremoniously.
Hey, who appointed you as my agent, ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Naturally, Kim Dah-Hyun couldnt find an appropriate response to Yi Ji-Hyuks curt words and he silently crumpled to the side.
So, lets see. Scouting me, eh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is correct. (Ito Sana)
Whats your offer? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We promise the best treatment on the. (Ito Sana)
Hearing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply yawned out.
Im asking you, what is included in that so-called best treatment on the? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Financial security is of course, and as for your family members, they shall receive treatment equalling that of foreign diplomats. (Ito Sana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked over at Kim Dah-Hyun and asked the blonde man.
What is this treatment equalling that of foreign diplomats thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think, she means that you wont end up in jail even if you do something wrong. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
What the. Why is she saying something so simple, in aplicated and roundabout way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, shes a foreigner, after all.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With a strange expression on his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk took a sweeping look at Ito Sana from head to toe. Inevitably, she shuddered ever so slightly as his gaze swept past.
What was this feeling just now? Could it have been humiliation?
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue in annoyance, totally disregarding her emotions.
Hey, you. You in charge of this scouting me thingy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Ito Sana)
In that case, what is up with you and your crappy negotiation skills? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I dont understand? (Ito Sana)
This is kinda like negotiating for an annual sry package, so, arent you supposed toe up with stuff like, how much you will pay me, how much bonus youre willing to give, how will we work out the schedules for my off days, or even, how long will be my working hours?! Or, even things like how you will guarantee the livelihood of my family members if we move there! I mean, isnt it the basic of all basic negotiation tactics to show how much better your terms are,pared to the ones offered by my current employers? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Uh, uhm.... (Ito Sana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly shook his head.
What on earth, what is this girl even thinking?
Seriously, though. No ones dumb enough to fall for this kind of unprepared rubbish. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Looky here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Ito Sana)
You go back home, and tell your head honchos this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk straightened his back and dered out loudly for the whole world to hear.
You wanna scout this Yi Ji-Hyuk? Then, do your research properly. Get your sh*t in line first! And then, dont forget to send someone who knows what they are doing. If you were nning to waste my time like this, then dont even bother. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, we were just... (Ito Sana)
Hold it! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A breathless voice came from right behind her. And behind her, Choi Jung-Hoon was half keeled over, his hands gripping the knees and drawing heavy, harsh breaths as if he had run the marathon of his life or something.
We, pant, pant... did not permit you to make contact. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, my? Was there a condition like that? (Ito Sana)
Well be grateful if you leave the country, today. Well definitely lodge an officialint through the proper channels regarding todays incident as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It is very regretful, but we cant help it, it seems. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, we shall bid farewell at this moment, but I will look forward to us meeti.... (Ito Sana)
Nope! Thats not how it works, you dumba*s! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Huh? (Ito Sana)
Youre supposed to give me your business card or something! You think Im gonna suck on my thumb while waiting for you to call me first? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.................
Ito Sana stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk in a total dazement, before finally snapping back to her senses. She hastily pulled out a business card from her purse to hand it over.
H, here.... (Ito Sana)
Hey, does this business card have the number for international callers? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no, it d, doesnt..... (Ito Sana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit.
Why dont you write it down, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I..... dont have a pen..... (Ito Sana)
Ito Sana hurriedly searched all over herself to find a pen, before her pleading eyesnded on Choi Jung-Hoons, neatly tucked in his upper breast pocket.
W, what now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Lets live while helping each other. (Ito Sana)
What? What are you even on about?! Were not supposed to live while helping each other, you know!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, thats how human rtionships should work, no? Ive heard that Koreans are supposed to be a very caring bunch, but I mustve heard wrong somewhere. Really now. (Ito Sana)
Tilting his head, Yi Ji-Hyuk whispered to Kim Dah-Hyun next to him.
What the hell? Howe shes so fluent in Korean all of a sudden? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I was wondering about that, too. Why did she speak so funnily like that until now? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ito Sana sessfully pried the pen from Choi Jung-Hoons unwilling grasp, and she finally got to write the contact number on the back of the business card. She then handed it over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Here it is. (Ito Sana)
....Your superior officers must worry about you. By a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B, but.... Im capable.... (Ito Sana)
Just gimme another business card first, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She didnt ask why he wanted one, but still took it out and gave it to him. Yi Ji-Hyuk wrote something down on the reverse side and gave it back to Ito Sana.
Heres my email address. Mail me your terms there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
!! I, I understand. (Ito Sana)
Choi Jung-Hoon shouted out urgently from the side.
Hul?! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! What do you think youre doing?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you act in a manner that betrays your own mother nation in front of these people? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
No matter who you are, you are free to choose your country and your workce, right? Why are you asking me for something so bleedingly obvious? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, still!! Regardless!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah, if youre scared of them offering me better terms, why dontcha improve my working conditions, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the f*ck?!?! You want what now?!
You showed up for work for only three days during thest three weeks, yet you want what?!
If you dont want toe to work in the first ce, why dont you just be honest and say that, instead of this!!
What do you expect us to do here? Arghhhh!! You immoral b*stard!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon turned around, looked up at the clear blue sky and began crying out in anguish without making a single noise. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk bade Ito Sana goodbye by waving his hand.
Hey, you. Make sure to put in a good word about me to your bosses, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohhh, uhm.... Yes, I shall.... (Ito Sana)
As soon as that exchange was done, the hidden KSF agents popped out from seemingly nowhere, rushed in, and dragged the Japanese trio away. Even as she was being dragged away, she couldnt take her eyes off the man named Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What a strange and peculiar man. (Ito Sana)
However, her mission for today had been aplished , somehow partly in thanks to the target himself. Now, she just had to wait for the next opportunity toe around.
A smile slowly bloomed on her lips.
*
Inside the KSFs conference room.
Yi Ji-Hyuk.... Hes named Yi Ji-Hyuk, huh....
The man sitting in the middle locked his fingers in front of his nose and grandly sighed out. And two other men sitting either side of him began their harsh tirade on poor Seo Ah-Young.
Why havent you reported something like this until now, Director Seo?!
Report what, sir? (Seo Ah-Young)
The existence of this Yi Ji-Hyuk! Thats what!
Seo Ah-Young feigned confusion and tilted her head.
Since when did you show interest in one of our regr active agents? I thought such matters are things I should take care of in my own capacity. (Seo Ah-Young)
Regr agent? Did you just say hes a regr agent?!
The man stood up abruptly and threw the documents up in the air rather theatrically.
Seo Ah-Young didnt even flinch or blink once as she simply stared at the dancing papers in the air.
You see these? All of these are the so-called official requests from other nations, wanting to know more about this Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Hell, these documents arent even from their intelligence agencies! They all carry the official seals of their respective heads of state! You understand that? Other countries are already hauling their a*ses trying to uncover more information on him before we can do something about it. But, how are we supposed to answer these requests?! Should we tell them that we dont know either?
Thats not my fault, isnt it? me the inept intelligence agencies. (Seo Ah-Young)
You!! Seo Ah-Young!!
Thats enough! (the man in the middle)
Just as the voices and tempers were ring up, the man in the middle unlocked his fingers and raised his head.
Director Seo. (the man in the middle)
Yes. (Seo Ah-Young)
I see now that you have an agenda of your own, as well. Fine. Its a weing sight for me, to see you aiming for one or two things on your own, especially when you upy a position as tough as yours. However.... (the man in the middle)
..........
Things have gotten out of control. Being discovered hiding a nuclear bomb wouldnt have caused this much uproar, Id wager. A weapon of mass destruction surpassing our worst imagination, one that even we didnt know about, has been discovered nesting in our homnd. As you might have guessed, the upper management is in utter disarray as we speak. (the man in the middle)
So what, sir? (Seo Ah-Young)
The man in the middle cleared his throat.
Can you handle Yi Ji-Hyuk? (the man in the middle)
Seo Ah-Young couldnt help but chuckle softly under her breath.
Handle him?
Once upon a time she did believe such a thing was possible.
But now, the best she could do now was to keep him by her side and never let him out of her sight, at all times. That was the extent of what she could do.
Do you believe such a thing is possible, sir? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm. Yes, I guess it is impossible. Indeed, its impossible. (the man in the middle)
He didnt even need to think too hard to figure that one out. If handling Yi Ji-Hyuk sounded like an easy prospect, then they wouldnt even have received some official papers asking for a bit of info on the youth. Definitely not.
The nations possessing a far greater might than the measly little Korea were cautiously inquiring about Yi Ji-Hyuks details. Yet, the government of that little Korea wished to handle him?
What a funny joke that was.
The real power had this ability to easily transcend even that of a nations reaches and means.
What kind of a man is he? (the man in the middle)
Hes the hard-to-figure-out type, sir. (Seo Ah-Young)
What about his desires? (the man in the middle)
He doesnt have any. (Seo Ah-Young)
Then, what does he want? (the man in the middle)
He also doesnt have anything he wants. Not particrly, anyway. (Seo Ah-Young)
Even as she said those words, Seo Ah-Young couldnt help but feel just a bit strange. Did he really not have any desires and wants?
Could she be 100% sure that Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt have a single wish, that he didnt want a single thing in this world?
No, she only based her opinion on what she had seen so far. So, was it fine to answer as confidently as she had done just now?
Realistically speaking, was there anyone on this third rock from the Sun who knew what Yi Ji-Hyuk was cooking inside that brain of his?
Suddenly, Seo Ah-Young realised that she was a fool, trying to answer those questions. One little carefulb-over of her memories, and it became abundantly clear that Yi Ji-Hyuk was a man full of unanswered questions.
It was nigh on impossible to predict what he was thinking at any given moment, and his past was also shrouded in mystery, as well. More importantly, it was hard to tell what he was nning to do next.
And here she was, trying to say that she knew a lot about such a man.
If its impossible to handle him, then at least, keep a close eye on him at all times. (the man in the middle)
A wry smile formed on Seo Ah-Youngs lips.
Even this man in the middle came to the exact same conclusion as she had done. This order being issued, with these people present, was no different than dering publicly that, as a nation, they had no real method of dealing with the problem called Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I understand. (Seo Ah-Young)
I wont hold you ountable for thest incident. No, you and your team created a miracle, so you deserve medals, instead. Well have suitable rewards ready. You did well, Director Seo. (the man in the middle)
Youre ttering me, sir. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well then, meeting adjourned. (the man in the middle)
After Seo Ah-Young left the conference room, the man in the middle leaned against the back of his seat and groaned out.
Yi Ji-Hyuk..... Yi Ji-Hyuk, huh.
Why did a monster like him have to appear here, of all ces?
Ill have to revise everything from the ground up.
What an extreme change in the situation this was.
In any case, if one were to map out a new n of action, one needed to figure out the disposition of the new chess piece...
Just what is he thinking about right now, I wonder?
*
Excuse me? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young tilted her head in confusion.
This guy here, what was he trying to do?
You want arge open space where itll be fine to pour out your abilities? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head while shoving snacks down his gullet.
Im sure there are... ces like that, but why? (Seo Ah-Young)
I need one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ill ask around. But, why do you need one? (Seo Ah-Young)
Why? To toughen up, obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Toughen up? Who will? You? (Seo Ah-Young)
Nope. Its you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........?
Seo Ah-Youngs head tilted to the side even further.
Ill toughen up? Me?
You want to toughen me... up? (Seo Ah-Young)
Not just you, but all of yous. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...What are you even talking about? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deeply smirked.
Stronger monsters will continue to pop out in the future, so how long were you nning on remaining a burden? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A, a burden.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shut her mouth shut. His words made her angry, nay, furious, but the truth was.... He was right.
Even if she was being generous, all her and her agents could do was to desperately dy the monsters until Yi Ji-Hyuk came to rescue them.
So, what now? You want us to go on a secluded training or something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah, you think thats gonna help? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, what? (Seo Ah-Young)
You gotta taste suffering for a while. Theres the answer. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked ominously.
Rather than traditional training, one needed to suffer untold hardship until one arrived at the point of wishing for a quick, swift death, instead.
Then, one would naturally strive to be stronger, just so one could grasp that slim chance of survival. Well, thats what happened to him anyways.
If he couldve killed himself, hed have done so a thousand years ago already. But, by failing to do that, the fate somehow led him to this precise moment in time. That sure was something, in a way.
In any case, you in or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young lightly tapped on her cheek, her face showing her deep deliberation on the matter.
Her pride was definitely hurt from his piercing words, but still, she knew that he was right. She needed to be stronger, somehow. Unfortunately, if ones abilities were that simple and pain-free to power up, then everyone would be doing precisely that, right now.
Can you really make me stronger? (Seo Ah-Young)
But, of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, do remember that not everyone is like you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
If you were capable of reaching my level, then Id be breathing a sigh of relief by now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly shook his head.
Nope, that doesnt matter! In any case, youre the bossdy, so you decide! Decide, whether to do it or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The figurative licks of mes burned in her eyes.
If it means I can be stronger, Im in. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, then. Use your authority to round up other ability users, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We dont have that many, though? (Seo Ah-Young)
Doesnt matter. Bring everyone with you. Whats the point if only you get stronger? Am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fine. However, that promise of you making us stronger.... Swear on it. (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course, I will. But, promise me in return that youll do as exactly as I say. Deal? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If its only that much..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Hearing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely leaned back on the chair.
Hmm, I guess its time to slowly devour them.
Now that he was more or less used to how the NDF operated, it was high time that he turned these folks into his agents, all for the purpose of doing his bidding.
It wouldnt be easy, but then again, he figured that it wouldnt take that long, either.
Kek, kek, kek, kek....
A deeply creepy smirk formed on his lips, as Yi Ji-Hyuk thought about the future ns.
Seeing that smile, a chill crawled up Seo Ah-Youngs scalp, but unfortunately for her, she had no idea that she justmitted a grave error in judgement just now.
She shouldve never agreed to listen to Yi Ji-Hyuks orders.
The gates leading to the depths of hell had began swallowing her whole, and she wasnt even aware of it yet.
< 72. Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -2 > Fin.
Chapter 73: We’d like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (3)
Chapter 73: Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (3)
Oww yeah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the clear blue sky above, and slowly let out a sigh of admiration.
Now, this is what Im talking about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While soaking up the warm rays of sun falling onto his body, Yi Ji-Hyuk moved a little on top of the deck chair and lifted up the fruit juice sitting on top of the pic table next to him. He took a long sip with a straw.
When his warmed-up body met the cold, sweet liquid sliding down his throat, he got to experience this unbelievably refreshing feeling.
Now this is... what youd call healing, thats for sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The zing sun right above him, and in front, the endlessly blue ocean seemingly stretching beyond the horizon.
Now he finally understood why other people bothered to go on a holiday to a tropical paradise. This kind of break had a totally different vour from a break full of video games and webnovels.
His phone buzzed into life as hey there, rxing. As expected of a specially-issued smartphone from the KSF. He didnt even set it to roam, yet he could still receive calls this far away!
Yi Ji-Hyuk checked the caller and answered the phone.
Hi, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Son... What are you doing right now? (mom)
Oh? Im having a sunbath right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C In this weather? (mom)
What do you mean, this weather? Its really sunny here, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Just where in the world are you for you to say its sunny and all that? Wait, are you in your office? Sounds like youre outdoors? (mom)
Oh. Uh, you wanna know where this is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head around to ask.
Hey, you. Where did you say this ce was? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....................
A woman with a small stature was behind him, but she couldnt answer his queries as she was currently lying face down in the sand.
You dead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not that he cared, though....
Mom? I think this is supposedly near the equator or something. Anyways, its the middle of Summer here. Im even wearing swimming trunks right now, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Its not cool to joke around with your mother like that, son. (mom)
But, I wasnt joking, though....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Its only been a couple of hours since you left for work. (mom)
But, Ive got a useful shuttle, you know. Wait, since shes dead, I should say that I used to have. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im.... not.... dead, yet.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hearing that garbled mumbleing from the fallen body of the short woman, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly nodded his head.
No, hang on. Mom, my shuttles still alive. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I just dont get what youre on about sometimes. (mom)
Through the receiver, he could hear her clicking her tongue.
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled to himself and got ready to end the call.
In any case, Im fine. Ill be back by evening so see youter, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Okay, then. Oh, and dont cause an incident, okay! (mom)
Roger that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and lightly tossed the phone on the pic table.
Ahh, to get to enjoy the blessings of Summer in the middle of Winter.... This is why people work their butts off to make enough money so they can go on a proper vacation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If one were to get technical, he could have done the same thing back when he was in Berafe. But maybe because his thought process was different back then? The thoughts of spending a nice, rxing holiday at a location with good weather had never crossed his mind, not even once.
Hell, he could move with a thought back then, so it was even more convenient for him in Berafe.
However, was it because he didnt have the necessary free time to begin with? What a funny notion that was C an immortal not having enough free time for a holiday. But then again, he really couldnt find enough time to enjoy a rxing vacation during his stay in Berafe.
Compared to those times, this sure was a paradise....
However, something just feels a wee bit off here, doesnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He thought that, after attaining his ardent wishes of returning to this world as well as living this kind of life, hed be filled with a sense of aplishment and happiness. Instead, an unexinable sense of emptiness ruled over his emotions nowadays.
His current big headache was that he couldnt figure out the cause of this empty feeling.
Anyways. Vacations are the best, arent they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You, you son of a.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cut her off and shook his head.
Nonono. An idol like you shouldnt use naughtynguages like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The fastest way to a front-page scandal, that. What would she do, if an enterprising paparazzi was waiting in the wings, and took a snapshot at the wrong moment? What would she do then, when the story made it all the way to the tabloids?
Yi Ji-Hyuk grandly stretched his limbs out, and got up from the deck chair. He then shifted his gaze towards the peaceful emerald-hued ocean.
Without a doubt, this beautiful sandy beach with abundant sunlight zing down on it was.....
Euhahahahack!!
Saaaaaave mmmmeeee!!
No!! Noooo!! No more!!!
....It was like hell on earth at this moment.
Yi Ji-Hyuk pped his hands, apparently impressed by Kim Dah-Hyun flying so high in the air after getting kicked by Oh-Sik.
SPLASHHH!!
Hended in the ocean, and as if a cannonball fell there instead, the fountain of water spectacrly exploded upwards.
However, that was better than the other alternative; if he hadnded on solid ground instead, it wouldnt have ended with just a couple of broken bones and stuff, so this was definitely for the better.
Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk could me Oh-Sik and his kind heart for that. He could. After all, the Ogre was making sure to kick his targets into the ocean.
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out towards the pack of smokes resting on the pic table, pulled one out and lit it up.
....Its so peaceful here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Juuuusssst wheeeeereeee.......?!?!?!
He thought that he heard something funny in the distant passing winds, but decided to ignore it.
Oh, youre wondering what the heck happened here?
Okay, so the thing is, this is how all it began....
*
Back in the NDFs offices, a few hours ago....
Its no good? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Nope. No good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, isnt there enough open space at this location? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, its too... small, for ability users to cut loose. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he were honest, it was too small for Oh-Sik and the monsters under his control to cut loose, but he wouldnt mention that, at least not for now.
Then, what else can we do? We wont be able to book a cerger than this one. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its not strictly necessary to find a local ce, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Itll be fine as long as there are no civilians around. I dont care if its the North or the South Pole, ditto for the middle of the Sahara desert. If all else fails, cant we just rent out an uninhabited ind or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And just how were you nning on getting there in the first ce? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to look at Jeong Hae-Min.
Hey, you went overseas and whatnots to shootmercials, didnt you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? Oh. Yeah, I did, but wheres my honorifics still?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....If I had a child back when I arrived in Berafe, my 100th descendants wouldve been way older than you, shorty. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Out of consideration, Yi Ji-Hyuk decided not to advertise this fact. Well, soon enough, shed get to inscribe the truth deeply into her bones and her soul, so why should he bother pping his gums now?
You left teleportation markings there, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng.
Next, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Please find a location thats close to the marked coordinate, with little to no civilians nearby. And also, it should be on t, even terrain, too. Larger the better. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I understand. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon had a quick chat with Jeong Hae-Min and then, made arrangements for the suitable ind right away.
We found it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm. This one here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the screen of Choi Jung-Hoons phone.
Its an ind pretty close to Miss Hae-Mins marking. Its not too far distance-wise, and there are only a few uninhabited inds in the vicinity. Weve also received the permission from the local government as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul. That was way too fast! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew this guy had some mad skills, but really now, wasnt this faster than proverbial lightning?
I thought that something like this might happen, so I did a little research beforehand. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wow. Take a look at how scary capable this guy is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in a show of deep admiration at Choi Jung-Hoons capabilities.
Alright. Lets go with this ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I understand. Ill make the necessary arrangements so we can move immediately. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Iron Park Sung-Chan was sitting nearby while listening to the duos exchange, before he shifted his worried gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Hey, man. So, like, Im kinda curious.... (Park Sung-Chan)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just whats going on here? (Park Sung-Chan)
? Havent you heard the details yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Seo Ah-Young and asked her with his eyes. She simply shrugged her shoulders in reply.
Well, its not like anything would change by knowing, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Was she trying to imply that ignorance was bliss or something?
At this rate, she might get stabbed in the back before long, no?
Shes already beyond help, isnt she?
However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You are right about that, there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres no way anyone can back out of this now.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked out of the blue, expressions of confusion clouded the faces of the gathered ability users, and eventually, they also ended up smiling in a rather awkward manner as well.
*
Wow, thats a nice angle. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled as he watched yet another user getunched into the air.
People werent pieces of loose paper, so watching them fly around like that sure made one question reality, but there was this undeniable... charm about such a sight that made him feel refreshed as heck.
Maybe that was because this was Yi Ji-Hyuk, but still....
The now-full sized Oh-Sikunched histest victim into the air and turned his head around, only to meet Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze. He then quickly stuck his tongue and began panting like a good dog.
He looked like he was waiting to be praised or some such. Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuks lips formed a content smile as he spoke to the Ogre.
Hey, stop looking at me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W, whimper~....
Seriously, now. Youre so ugly! When youre small, youre so cute and stuff, but man.... Its like Im looking at Chang-Sik, and that creeps me the hell out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If youpared Chang-Sik to a bloody Ogre and say that you feel creeped out, then what does that make Chang-Sik?! (the authors inner monologue)
....Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the beach and yawned out.
Not just Oh-Sik, but those four monsters he managed to enve were here as well. And they were in the midst of busy beating the seven shades out of the ability users right now under his strict orders. He also told them not to cause serious damage, of course.
Seeing yet another ability user getunched into the sea, Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled again.
You shouldve worn something more appropriate.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That flying ability user was none other than the Iron Park Sung-Chan, currently kitted out in a triangr wedge of a speedo with a seriously high exposure rate, his body glistening like a well-oiled bronze statue.
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt understand that mans mindset, bringing something so impractical like that to this trip which was meant to be their training.
Whatever. Not one ability user Ive met so far is right in the head. Seriously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It might have been difficult to prove using scientific deduction, but by looking at things in a logical, calm manner, there was just no bloody way he was wrong about this!
Really now. How hard could it be to find one normal ability user?
Actually, you... dont have the right....
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to find Choi Jung-Hoon standing awkwardly behind him with a cup of iced coffee in one hand.
Here, your iced Americano. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, thanks a bunch! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked the coffee in with a straw and let off a satisfied cry.
Just the right amount of bitterness. Youre a pro at this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im qualified as a barista, actually. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its like theres literally nothing you cant do.
There was a hurriedly-put together tent behind Choi Jung-Hoon. Although it looked shabby, one could see several cutting edge modern machinery at work inside.
Grriitt....
It was then, both men could hear the loud noise of someone gnashing their teeth.
Jeong Hae-Min raised her sand-and-mud covered face off the ground and red at Choi Jung-Hoon.
That rotten son of a....!!
Making me teleport that stupid coffee machine!! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Sensing her gazeced thickly with killing intent trying to burn a hole in his head, Choi Jung-Hoon cautiously turned around away from her and decided to ignore it for the time being.
Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk told him to pack it up, so what was he supposed to do?
Come on now, even I had no idea things would turn out this way! (Choi Jung-Hoons helpless inner monologue)
For the other ability users, they were thrust intobat training almost immediately, ostensibly to get stronger. But, as Jeong Hae-Min was a teleporter, it was argued that moving stuff around lots of times would be better for her training, instead. Yi Ji-Hyuk then made her haul every little c**p he couldy his hands on.
So, she should be ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk instead, and no one else!
Choi Jung-Hoon continued to ignore her intense re and asked Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Will this type of training really help? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They could see Kim Dah-Hyun, after getting pped by Oh-Sik, bounce away on the sandy surface like a bouncing ball.
Im sure it will. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent they going to get hurt pretty badly at this rate? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I told the kids to take easy, so it should be fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Take it easy? You mean, that is taking it easy?!
You think a person being blown away 100 metres is taking it easy?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Uhm, I dont think that qualifies as taking easy.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk giggled as he sucked the iced coffee through a straw.
Actually, getting hit by these monsters even once would be the same as getting on the express train to meet King Yama. But, since none has departed yet, well, that should be considered as taking easy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh. That kinda sounds usible, doesnt it?
No, no, no!! Thats not it!
What about afterwards, man? The hidden injuries, the aftereffects, the trauma and all of that?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
But, but, what will you do, if they cant even get back to how they were like before?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahjussi, you can be such a worryguts sometimes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not ahjussi, its Vice Captain, or hyung, or even Mister Choi Jung-Hoon to you.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Out of all the various titles he couldve used, why did it have to be ahjussi? Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt even married yet!
Mm? Did you say something, ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............Not really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahjussi.... Huh, an ahjussi, is it?
Now that I think about, its not really an incorrect description, is it?
I mean, Ill die of old age, all alone, if I continue working in this ce.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Somewhat salty liquids began pooling at the edges of Choi Jung-Hoons eyes.
Honestly speaking, do you really believe that these guys are showing their true potential right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
More and more monsters like Ogres will no doubt show up in the future. Even a blind man can see thats going to happen. But these people cant even deal with one Oh-Sik while the boys taking it easy. So, how will they even cope when things go sideways in the future? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks words were on the mark. Choi Jung-Hoon hadnt been able to voice them, but the youth was able to properly express the anxiety growing deep within the NDF agents heart for some time.
What wouldve happened if they didnt have Yi Ji-Hyuk? Wouldnt the nation of Korea been wiped off the face of the already?
But, thatst incident was an abnormal and unprecedented event since ck Monday. There is no guarantee that we will ever encounter more of such events.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decisively cut Choi Jung-Hoon off.
We will. Definitely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing the certainty in the youths voice, a new question floated up to Choi Jung-Hoons mind.
Does he know something to base that assumption on? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from his spot.
What a bother.... But, I do this now and make a man out of them here, then my life will definitely get easier in the future. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cracked his neck muscles quite violently, dusted his hands, and then, took a step forward.
It was all good and well to form an army made up of monsters and the like. But he knew better than anyone that there was a clear limit to using monsters to do his biddings, what with their low intelligence and all.
Besides, he wasnt nning to turn all of humanity against him, like he had done back in Berafe. So, there was a need to make sure hed set an eptable bnce, an equilibrium of sorts, here.
The day of him fighting the entire world would happen again without a doubt if he stuck to his old habits of forming an army of monsters and wreaking havoc wherever he went.
You see, humans were the kind of animals that either worshipped or hated existences that were greater than them. And, in any case, neither worship nor hate would have good endings attached to them.
So, in other words....
I better make sure those half-wits function properly like human beings.
Im sure its going to be tough.
Mm? What, tough for me?
Of course not. I meant, itll get tough for them.....
< 73. Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (3) > Fin.
Chapter 74: We’d like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (4)
Chapter 74: Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (4)
[The police still have not found any clues regarding the identity of the perpetrator behind the series of murdersmitted throughout the country. We already have the 9th victim, and at this rate, we might be seeing the historys worst....]
Uh-whew.... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk frowned as she switched the TV off.
Serial murders? Just the notion alone made her heart go cold.
The world has be a lot more scary nowadays. (mom)
Mm?
Ye-Won stoppedzily rolling around on top of the couch and tilted her head slightly as she shifted her gaze towards mom. There was a phone in one of her hands to chat to her friends, while the other was holding snacks.
....Its nothing. (mom)
Mmmm? (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk issued a long sigh.
For some reason, that wonderful sight of her daughter seemed oh-so familiar to her eyes.
After the family moved to the new location, it was nice and all to see Ye-Won stop dyeing her hair to that unnatural colour and roaming around outside in the middle of the night. But, the thing was.... It felt like she was going down the other wrong path, right now.
Havent you gained weighttely? (mom)
Really?! Do I look fat? But, it cant be? (Ye-Won)
That T shirt youre wearing as if it was a tank top, werent youining to me that it was too big for you a few months ago?
You think your mom has made a mistake there?
As soon as youe home from school, the first thing you do is lounge around the whole day, so if you didnt get fat from that, then you arent even a human being, you dumba*s! (moms inner monologue)
Park Seon-Duk had been deeply deliberating whether a daughter with an energetic rebellious streak was better than one who was needlessly well behaved but was cooped up at home all the time.
But now, she could only despair at the despotic nature of being at the extreme ends of the scale, which knew no such thing as a middle ground.
Kids from other families all grew up seemingly nice and normal, so howe hers were incapable of doing that?!
Besides all that, that girl sure is a weird one. (mom)
Itd been not that long ago when she was trumpeting the tune of I hate my Oppa, hate him to his guts; yet, she was resembling him more and more with every passing day.
Park Seon-Duk was actually fearful that her daughter might end up Yi Ji-Hyuk No.2 at this rate.
Unfortunately for Ye-Won, though, her Oppa had this strange constitution that didnt gain any weight no matter how much he stuffed his face. But she didnt seem to share the same physical condition....
It was around then, the electronic door lock opened. Didnt the wise old they once say that speak of the devil and he shall appear?
Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed the door open and entered the house.
Mm, son. Wee ba....?! (mom)
Park Seon-Duk forgot what she wanted to say and hurriedly took a prating sweep from her sons head to his feet.
S, son?! Why are you so tan? In less than a day, no less! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied as if it was par for the course.
Mom, I told you, I was sunbathing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you talking about, sunbathing? In the middle of Winter? But, besides all that! Arent you supposed to look cooler when getting a tan? Instead of being cool, you just look like a foreigner now, you know? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk powerlessly crumpled to the floor before shouting out in a voice full of sorrowful anguish.
Its all your fault, you know!! Mom, you gave birth to me with this face! Hell, Ive been called a monster on that side, too!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, all his umted sorrow burst out into the open!
Even if his skin colour was different, even if his hair colour was different, he might have been able to argue his case back then, if his eyes were just a little bit bigger and rounder, and his nose was a bit sharper and better defined!!
....And where is this that side now? (mom)
....Well, there is a ce like that, but never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, using me of giving birth to you and your current face.... Youre misunderstanding something, son. Dont you know how beautiful you were, when you were just a little boy? You had big, clear eyes and all. (mom)
So?
But what can I do, when you turned out this way after growing older? (mom)
There cant be only one responsible party when the result came out looking like this, you know! I mean, this isnt politics, even! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, since youre a man, dont me me, but me your father. (mom)
Uh?
Ah.... dad. Right.
Uhm, now that I think about it, I havent seen his face in a while, no....? Mom, when we were moving house, did we move together with dad? We didnt abandon him there, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What nonsense are you talking about? You even moved our stuff together with him! (mom)
Did I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How sorrowful to possess such faint and indistinct presence, oh the head of this modern family....
Okay, then. Where is he now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes obviously at work! (mom)
Oh, really? He found a new job? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its almost been a whole month, since your father started working for the Korean Energy! How can you not be aware of that?! (mom)
....Mom, Im not sure whether its me being aware or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? Whats that supposed to mean? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt bring himself to finish his words and simply averted his gaze.
Father, have you been well?
Were supposed to share one roof, yet I miss you so much.
Are your new colleagues treating you well?
Ah, this is.... Its a scary prospect, isnt it?
What if youre also invisible in your newpany?
I hope you arent eating your lunch everyday all alone.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks apologetic inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to pay a visit to dads workce in the near future, and he steered himself into his room.
Arent you going to wash up? (mom)
Done that already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When? And where? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned brightly before answering.
I think, it was the Maldives? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing her sons reply, Park Seon-Duks expression suddenly became unreadable.
My child. (mom)
Yeah, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you doing okay in your new job? Is it too difficult for you right now? (mom)
Eh?
....Mom, hang on a minute here! I havent lost my marbles, really!
I really, really went there! I did!
Wow, this is.... Really, holy moly. Ive got nothing to back me up on this, and its driving me crazy here! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ohh!
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly broke out in a smirk as he pulled out his phone.
And what is this now? (mom)
A photo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk showed her a selfie with the emerald-coloured ocean serving as the backdrop, Park Seon-Duk responded with a snort.
Nice photoshop. (mom)
Hul.
Hey, you. I think you take your mom for granted, dont you? (mom)
No, its more like mother is taking your son for granted, instead!
Im not supposed to receive such a bad treatment like this! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, fine, whatever, mom. Ive washed up, so Im going to my room now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, alright. Did you have something to eat? (mom)
Ill just eat along with everyer. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright.
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk entered his room, Park Seon-Duk beckoned Ye-Won toe closer. Ye-Wons eyes glistened as she hurriedly made her way next to mom.
So, did you see it? (mom)
Ng, mom. I definitely saw it. (Ye-Won)
Right at the corner of the photo Yi Ji-Hyuk took, there was the unmistakable shape of Jeong Hae-Min.
The hawk-like eyes of the mother-daughter duo obviously caught on to that immediately.
It wouldnt be strange to say that you have gone to the Maldives with a teleporter inpany, no? (mom)
Ng. You could go there in a jiffy, thats for sure. (Ye-Won)
So, what should we call this situation, then? Could this be.... a romantic getaway for two? (mom)
Eii~,e on, mom. Thats just too much. But then again, you never know, right! (Ye-Won)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion after he heard the two females kyah~ kyahing outside his room.
Did something good happen or something?
Yi Ji-Hyuk switched on hisputer, and perhaps for the first time in months, didnt load up his game, but rather, searched for locations where Gates had previously appeared and marked them on the map.
After sussing out each location ording to when they had opened, he began kicking his brain into gear.
They were really getting closer to my location.
But, for some reason, the Gates stopped appearing near Yi Ji-Hyuk once he joined up with the NDF. Instead, various sizes of Gates opened up all over the penins of Korea.
It was now important to figure out whether this was because of some greater change in the unfolding situation that handily eliminated Yi Ji-Hyuk from being a target, or was just a part of the ongoing scheme to tighten the noose around his neck even further.
Unfortunately, as usual, hecked information to make an educated guess right now. One of the reasons why he deliberately went overseas to train was to confirm his theory, actually.
After all, if another Gate opened up near where he was, then just like before, Gates were still following him around. But if not, then that meant there was a definite shift in the pattern.
Regardless of what, though C it wasnt as if he didnt have ways to deal with them.
The reason why he wanted toe up with appropriate responses now, was simply because he no longer possessed the luxury of infinite time. Things were somewhat different than in the past, when he didnt mind waiting ten years to conquer a single castle. Back then, he never felt the urgent need.
Just how much time did he have to waste trying to escape from the aftereffects of that mindset? At least now, Yi Ji-Hyuk was able to regain the sense of time simr to what most people felt, so that was clearly something.
Hmm. Neither here nor there.
For now, there was some wiggle room.
Even if more high ss monsters like Ogres and Hydras appeared, they werent really much of a threat to Yi Ji-Hyuk. Of course, there werent any guarantees that a creature of such level would cross over and over again in the future.
If a lifeform on the level of a dragon crossed over tomorrow, then this world was as good as finished. The Yi Ji-Hyuk of now would find it quite difficult to face off against a single dragon. So, what if a group of them crossed over?
How can science feel this inadequate all of a sudden...?
If humanity were afforded more time, they probably wouldve been able to find a way to kill a dragon. But the current issue was that, seemingly no one in this vast world had considered the possibility of going up against a creature that powerful yet.
If a dragon did appear and humans began researching methods tobat it, who knows how many years they might need?
By then, the world wouldve beenpletely destroyed, anyways.
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuks head slowly leaned this way and that.
There were two methods he could think of right now.
For the first method, there was a definite need to gather more ability users and develop their powers even further.
Not like now with the small numbers hed been training, but pretty much every single one of them he couldy his hands on, in a power structure akin to a pyramid.
And the second method was....
I gotta do something about my Mana.
This was the more pressing issue of the two.
For now, he made do with Mana absorbed during battle, but without a doubt, hed reach the inevitable limit if he continued to rely on this method.
If he failed to kill a monster right away, then Yi Ji-Hyuk was not that much different to your average ability user.
....Its not like there is no solution to this problem, though.
He knew of a certain-kill method to ess an infinite amount of Mana, but there was a... small problem with that method; it might end up hastening the end of this world, instead.
In that case, hed be the Bringer of Apocalypse of this world too, so that method was definitely out of the question.
So, that left him with....
Looks like Ive got no choice but to increase my Ether value somehow.
If essing Mana was not practical, then that meant hed develop his ability, instead. Whatever his ability was.
In order to achieve this goal, though, a more thorough and systematic research on how ability users operated was a must.
After all, they were full of unanswered questions, werent they?
Why did these special abilities manifest in the first ce?
Hed been living for over a thousand years in a world where men spitting out mes was the norm, so he ended up easily adopting to this admittedly weird situation. But well, there was definitely a need to dig into the core reason of why such a mutation urred among the popce here.
Oh well. I guess I should put them through more wringers tomorrow, then.
He felt a definite need now to research how the powers of these ability users operated. He wasnt even worried in the slightest about procuring test subjects, though C since he had more than a handful of very fresh specimens ready and waiting already.
And just as Yi Ji-Hyuks lips formed a smile truly befitting the most sinister Dark Sorcerer there ever was, the unexinable chill crept on the backs of the resting NDF agents, who had barely survived the first days so-called training. They couldnt help but shudder involuntarily in fear.
*
The following day.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped outside his house in the morning, he was greeted by the sight of the waiting Jeong Hae-Min.
And what is up with her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For a regr idol, wasnt it normal for them to ce priority on their own personal or professional schedule first? Shouldnt she hate being temporarily forced into this kind of a role?
He thought that she would be quite hostile, but yet, here she was, calm and collected. Also, besides her irritating cries of recognise me, praise me! she didnt even possess that much of the infamous bloated egos of a celebrity, either.
She was nominally an idol, but her disposition was more like an easy-going spinster, instead. Oh, except all thatining and crying, of course.
Okay, but besides all that C why are you wearing sunsses today? And whats wrong with your face, too?
She was wearing a pair of thick sunsses, as well as a big lower-face mask. And beneath all that, she even applied a thick coat of sunscreen, too. Jeong Hae-Min shouted at him with a sharp voice.
Its because my face got a tan! (Jeong Hae-Min)
What? Were you expecting not to get a tan over there? Just give it up, will ya? Theres nothing you can do about those wrinkles, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not the issue with the wrinkles! If I suddenly show up in public with a tan, then those articles gossiping about me going on a romantic rendezvous will pop up, you know!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Huh. Howplicated. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just hurry up, will you? Even as we stand here wasting time, there might a pap nearby trying to take a pic right now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, theres no one here, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you tell that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its fine if you dont believe me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min stared at him with a pair of suspicious eyes, but still offered her hand out.
Take it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Without saying another word, Yi Ji-Hyuk took her hand.
Suddenly, they went poof! from the spot, and reappeared on yesterdays ind.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was seemingly thest one to arrive, as there were already quite a few people waiting by the beach.
Good morning~! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You rotten son of a b*tch. (Everyone)
If eyes could speak, then Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve been showered with many colourful words by now.
Well, okay. Yesterday, we were all trying to loosen our stiff bodies, so starting from today, lets get more serious! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before that....
A man stepped forward. He was Yun Hyuk-Gyu, the Spitfire.
He was one of the ability users who had been maintaining a certain distance away from Yi Ji-Hyuk at all times. It was like, they might be colleagues working for the same outfit, but no reason to get all friendly and stuff.
Why are we forced into doing these crazy things? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
Isnt it because youre weak? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Spitfires brows quivered in a deep frown.
Were? What? All of us here are the top Psykers of South Korea! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
But still, youre all weak. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...And youre so full of confidence, arent you? I am aware that your ability lets you affect a wide area. But thats a ranged ability, isnt it? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you brave enough to prove with your bare hands that Im indeed weak? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Hmm....
As if he was confused about something, Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back while scratching his chin.
Im asking you here cuz I wanna make sure of this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Spitfire wordlessly red back.
Are you trying to say that you dont want to train here, or you simply dont like me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, its thetter. Ill say this, you having a time of your life while every one of us is going through hell, its an eyesore. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Hmm. How manly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And he didnt even beat around the bush, too.
Good, very good.
Unfortunately for you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A long smirk slowly crept up on his lips.
A weakling with a big mouth, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back in Berafe, the weak was nothing more than fodder for the strong. However, this wasnt Berafe, so Yi Ji-Hyuk was maintaining some modicum of respect for these people.
However, if they couldnt appreciate that and acted like this, then well, what choice did he have but to take care of things his way?
In that case....
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly clenched his fist and pointed at the Spitfire.
Let me see how strong you are really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you better be prepared, man.
Why? Cuz, Im gonna do things my way from now on.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gradually became bloodshot.
< 74. Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (4) > Fin.
Chapter 75: We’d Like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (5)
Chapter 75: Wed Like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (5)
The Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu was one of the more famous Korean ability users who had awakened his powers during the ck Monday incident. Even if you only possessed a passing interest in things rted to ability users, youd definitely heard of Spitfires name.
As a matter of fact, although he wasnt as famous as the me Witch among the general popce, the countless experts in the field actually rated him higher than her as far as the overallbat abilities were concerned.
And a man like that was sweating a bucket load right at this moment.
Yes, he couldnt be called the Koreas top user, but he could proudly proim with a straight face that he was one of the very best in the nation. However, he was shuddering like a newborn puppy in front of a single man. A man, not a monster!
What is this? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
It wasnt as if he had stepped forward without a n.
He knew well that Yi Ji-Hyuk was a powerful individual. Plus, Spitfire was definitely no dummy who were blind like a bat; he knew he should never take strength as potent as that lightly, or else.
Still, there was a reason why he decided to step forward.
First of all, Yi Ji-Hyuks close quarterbat skills werent confirmed. Even if a hunter was capable of catching a lion all by himself, that didnt automatically mean hed be able to win at a fistfight.
The difference between fighting humans and fighting monsters were as stark as different sports, for instance. Even if you showed a frightening level of talent on thetter subject, there was no guarantee youd be good with the former.
Also, Spitfires hand to handbat skill was second to none among the users working for the NDF.
Seo Ah-Young might possess better abilities to deal with monster hordes, but if she and Spitfire were to have a go at each other, then he was fully confident of subduing her after a short tussle.
ording to his evaluation, Yi Ji-Hyuks fighting style was simr to Seo Ah-Youngs C the long-range type that poured overwhelming attacks from afar. So, within this short distance, the advantage should be with him, the famed Spitfire.
However....
Why am I trembling like this? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Was it because his instincts already knew how strong his opponent was? But, that couldnt be the reason.
It wasnt as if he didnt know how powerful Yi Ji-Hyuk was C so, he shouldnt be feeling such emotions and reacting like this. More importantly, he was fine when he issued the challenge just now.
No, his body started going out of his conscious control, only after Yi Ji-Hyuks unreadable rended on him. The youth didnt even say anything threatening to Spitfire, either.
Hell, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt even emitting any sort of discernible fighting spirit nor some kind of killing intent; he showed none of these extreme reactions. His re didnt even contain any particrly strong emotions, too.
He was simply staring at Spitfire with one eyebrow slightly cocked up, his expression busy implying that he found this whole thing rather bothersome. In other words, his actions seemed to amount to nothing much, never mind his stare.
Not long had passed, but that once-familiar look of the man Yun Hyuk-Gyu had grown ustomed to for the past few days had suddenly imparted a different sense of threat and was pressuring him like there was no tomorrow.
Yun Hyuk-Gyu bit his lower lip, sharp enough to draw blood.
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly smirked. This Spitfire guy might be more useful than his initial estimation had suggested.
If that guy instinctively started fearing Yi Ji-Hyuk, then that was a good sign C because, that meant he could sense the hidden strength that couldnt be seen on the surface.
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuks thought process shifted slightly, he found it also rather interesting to see the Spitfires rapid change in his mental state. Not many people possessed the ability to catch onto your opponents slight and almost unnoticeable shift in momentum, after all.
That was the extent of it, though.
Whether a dog was good at hunting or not, in front of a lion, it was still just a little dog in the end. Getting bitten down in the neck would mean its inevitable death no matter what, anyways.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Yun Hyuk-Gyu for a while longer, before spitting out a yawn.
Didnt you say I should prove it to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively and took a step closer to Yun Hyuk-Gyu.
Hesing closer?
A certain amount of confusion mixed into Yun Hyuk-Gyus hardened expression.
Why was he walking in closer? Considering his battle style, shouldnt he take a step back, instead? Was it because he was confident of victory against a lone opponent?
Or....
Even before Yun Hyuk-Gyu could calm his tumultuous mind, Yi Ji-Hyuk was already standing in front of him before he could do anything.
Yi Ji-Hyuk then ced his head right next to Yun Hyuk-Gyus and whispered in a low, low voice.
You should at least try to wiggle around, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After being treated as nothing more than a worm, the incensed Yun Hyuk-Gyu raised his hands almost out of reflex, and ced them on Yi Ji-Hyuks chest.
*SFX for mes erupting rapidly*
The me Ray!
The way Spitfire controlled mes was very different from the me Witch. The cannonballs of scorching mes spat out from the Spitfires hands.
The me balls flew quickly and collided with the oceans surface, causing a spectacr explosion of water. Meanwhile, Spitfire was busy searching for Yi Ji-Hyuk who had seemingly vanished from his vision just now.
Where are you?! (Spitfire)
Huh. Busy asking me the obvious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
!!
After hearing that voiceing from his rear, Spitfire didnt even take a look and simply jumped towards his back. He had no idea what Yi Ji-Hyuk might be preparing behind him but, widening the distance while hoping to avoid whatever it could be was tantamount tomitting suicide C that was Spitfires thoughts. As soon as the distance between him and Yi Ji-Hyuk widened, there would be no way to counter thetters attacks.
What an idiot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately for him, that was a severe miscalction.
*SFX for something C most likely bones C breaking*
The Spitfires mouth shot wide open as a horrifying pain shot out from his back.
...................
Not even a moan leaked out from that wide open mouth, all thanks to the unbelievable amount of pain wrecking his innards. And soon enough, his blurring sight caught the sandy beach beneath his feet.
Plop.
The Spitfire fell face first into the sand, and his body began convulsing crazily. Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in disappointment while looking down on that sorry sight.
Well, being a weakling couldnt be helped for now, but the issue of mental resistance against pain was something one was born with. If this guy rolled around on the floor after getting hit just once, how the hell was he going to survive a real battlefield?
After all, on a real battlefield, you had to simply swing your swords, spears, and whatever, even if you lost your arms, and legs were ripped out or chopped off.
Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly walked closer to Yun Hyuk-Gyu who was still spasming on the floor, and squatted down near the mans head.
Hey, dude. I havent finished proving myself yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kh.... kheeuuuhhh....
It seemed that Yun Hyuk-Gyu couldnt hear him at the moment.
Hmm. What should I do now? I havent proven myself properly yet.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head and shifted his gaze towards the direction of Seo Ah-Young and her pals. When they met his gaze, all of them flinched and took a hasty step back.
So, what should we do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....About what? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, he told me to prove how strong I was. But, I havent even started yet and this guy is already out for the count. So, that makes it a bit more troubling to prove myself.... Isnt there anyone among you guys whod like to help me with this dilemma?
What a roundabout and beating-the-bush kind of way to ask someone, hey, you want a piece of me too?
We, were fine right here, thanks very much. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
Really now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes. Of course. (Seo Ah-Young)
Everyone unconsciously nodded their heads in sync.
Yi Ji-Hyuk licked his lips in slight regret before noticing that Yun Hyuk-Gyu had stopped spasming. He grabbed the still-fallen ability user and asked.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why dont we have those types of ability users? You know, those who can cure others. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you talking about the healer ss? There are those who possess such abilities, but they are incredibly rare, unfortunately. Less than a single user per nation, actually. Regrettably, there are none capable of this ability within the nation of Korea. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Where can I find one, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon?
You said theres no one in Korea, so where can I find one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The nearest users are residing in China and Japan. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Japan, eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his phone. And then, after grabbing Yun Hyuk-Gyus defenseless head, he asked with the most innocent and pure smile anyone could imagine.
You dont have any ill feelings towards Japan, I hope? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....
Youd do well to throw away those feelings youve been carrying around until now. You see, from here onwards, you will only feel one of the two emotions C either youll hate so much, youll try to kill the other party, or youll try to repay the kindness with every fibre of your being. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Undisguised terror rapidly crept up on Yun Hyuk-Gyus eyes.
Ahhh.....
Ohh? You can finally speak? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk mmed Yun Hyuk-Gyus face hard into the sand below.
Since you asked me to prove myself, prove I shall. To you, obviously. Wanna me someone, me your friends, instead. Not one of those guys want to help me prove myself, instead of you, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The hand grabbing onto Yun Hyuk-Gyus head began gaining strength as it pushed down.
*
What did you say?
Somewhere in Japan, inside a certain office....
Japans sole healer, Kitamura Ren, couldnt quite believe what he was hearing.
Lending support? To Koreans? (Kitamura Ren)
Thats correct.
And why should I go to Korea and help them out now, sir? (Kitamura Ren)
To be more specific, you will be going to a location where the Korean ability users are, in order to lend aid there.
....Id like to know why I need to do this. (Kitamura Ren)
How should I put this.... Hmm, its for our national interests.
For the national interests.... For his nation....
Kitamura Ren frowned deeply after hearing the words national interests. It seemed that his superior officer wasnt going to tell him any more than this.
In other words, my opinions in the subject matter are considered unimportant, sir? (Kitamura Ren)
I do apologise, Agent Ren.
No, its quite alright, sir. Its a mission, after all. So... where am I supposed to go? (Kitamura Ren)
Your guide is already here.
Kitamura Rens eyes opened wider after he looked at the direction his superior officer pointed at.
Jeong Hae-Min?! (Kitamura Ren)
Wasnt that Jeong Hae-Min from the S Girls?
Why was someone like her here?
Kitamura Rens heart began beating faster and faster as he approached her. He greeted her as cordially as he could.
Hello there. My name is Kitamura Ren.
Im Jeong Hae-Min. You are unexpectedly fluent in Korean.
Oh, yes, thank you. Ive studied it a little bit. This is an honour. Im a big fan. (Kitamura Ren)
Jeong Hae-Min disinterestedly nodded her head; it was unclear whether she even heard his sincere greetings or not.
Somethings not right. (Kitamura Ren)
Sensing something was amiss here, Kitamura Rens eyes narrowed to a slit.
The Jeong Hae-Min from his knowledge was nuts about interacting with her fans. She was an idol who happened to be legendary for her antics regarding taking selfies and signing autographs with bottomless energy; so much so, her fans would end up totally exhausted and grow sick and tired of her C her manager had to intervene and drag her away, even.
Kitamura Ren was a long-time fanboy, so he knew that was her real personality, not an act she put on. In other words, there was no way hed not feel the incongruency in her current behaviour.
Did something....? (Kitamura Ren)
Kitamura Ren was about to ask her something, but Jeong Hae-Min raised her hand and blocked his mouth.
Itll be better if we hurry up. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Pardon?
People are dying. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ahh! Yes, of course! (Kitamura Ren)
So, it was an urgent crisis, after all!
....But, didnt his superior officer say the Korean ability users were not in Korea but somewhere else? Did their government dispatch them overseas for the Gate suppression operations there, because innocent lives were at stake?
Kitamura Ren couldnt quite figure it out, but seeing the clear urgency in Jeong Hae-Mins expression, he couldnt waste time and ask her here. No, all he could do for now was to make a short report to his superior officer behind him, and then walk up closer to Jeong Hae-Min.
Do you need my hand? (Kitamura Ren)
Jeong Hae-Min wordlessly grabbed his hand and initiated her teleportation ability.
Swish~.
In the blink of an eye, Kitamura Rens sights blurred and then, the spectacle he hadnt seen before wasid out in front of his eyes.
The hotly-burning sun above....
The blindingly clean and pure blue ocean in front....
And a gruesome corpse lying on the sandy ground....
Huh?
A gruesome corpse on the ground?! (Kitamura Ren)
Kitamura Ren stared at the bloodied man lying straight on the ground, his body seemingly frozen stiff.
As if he somehow managed to hold on, his chest rose and fell almost imperceptibly C but his state was so terrible that he might as well be treated as a corpse, instead.
And when Kitamura Ren realised that other people near him all looked more or less fine C with the exception of this lone poor man covered in blood, obviously C he couldnt help but feel another strong sense of incongruency wash over him.
Just what is the meaning of.... (Kitamura Ren)
However, when he took another look, he could see that the other people werent okay, either. Seeing how pale and terrified they all looked, as if they had seen a real phantom or something, Kitamura Ren concluded that their states werent any better as well.
Just what exactly had happened here?
Only then did Kitamura Ren spot another, somewhat strange man.
And this man was currently squatting near the head of the bloodied man.
....What the? (Kitamura Ren)
The man with eyebrows that were arching up rather fiercely was in the middle of busy poking the head of the bloodied man on the ground.
Ren quickly recovered from his stupor and shouted out loudly.
What the hell do you think youre doing to the patient?! (Kitamura Ren)
His loud shouts prompted the man, Yi Ji-Hyuk, to raise his head.
And when their eyes met, Ren ended up frowning deeply.
Looking at that face, he cant be older than in his early twenties or so.
What is a kid like him doing here, then?
And, why isnt anyone here trying to stop this b*stard?
Especially when someone is clearly dying here, yet they arent even thinking of doing anything, only standing so far away in fear!
I really cant understand how Koreans think. (Kitamura Ren)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth.
Hey, you the healer? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sensing that the situation was shifting towards a weird direction, Kitamura Ren nervously swallowed down his saliva.
< 75. Wed like to scout you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (5) > Fin.
Chapter 76: Anyone unwilling to train? (1)
Chapter 76: Anyone unwilling to train? (1)
You are? Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Speaking so rudely to someone whos clearly older than he is!
Does he think I cant understand Korean well?
Even though I spoke so fluently just now? (Kitamura Rens inner monologue)
Ren snorted derisively, thinking that Yi Ji-Hyuk had to be a moron.
Is this how Koreans treat a personing to lend support? In that case, I shall simply go back and lodge a formalint. (Kitamura Ren)
Sure, do whatever you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand around, totally disinterested.
Seeing that attitude that screamed Go away if youve finished saying your piece, Ren ended up biting his lower lip in annoyance. It was as if this guy took a ss in how to be as rude as possible to aplete stranger.
Do you not have any manners towards your elders? No matter how badly you have been educated while growing up, this attitude of yours is truly appalling. (Kitamura Ren)
Wow, this guy is really good in Korean, no? So, why did that woman show up thest time, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im the one speaking right now! (Kitamura Ren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk just smirked right back.
Why dont you just heal this guy first? Or have you found yourself enough free time to bicker with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im under no obligation to heal anyone in a situation like this. Im not just a simple healer C Im carrying out a very important mission issued by my nation. (Kitamura Ren)
So what? You dont wanna heal this guy, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall think about it when you apologise to me first. (Ren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in a disinterested tone of voice.
You can just leave, then. No real need to revive him, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ren found this youths nonchnt attitude really odious, and could only form a question in his head that said, What is up with this b*stard?
Bzzz.
It was then, Rens phone went off.
While feeling rather mystified by the fact that he could still receive calls in this remote location, Ren answered it.
Yes, hello. (Ren)
C Ill say this, just in case.
Yes, sir. Please speak. (Ren)
C In that location, you will find a man named Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, is it? (Ren)
C Under no circumstances, youll not sh with him no matter what happens. Inymans terms, do not cause a trouble there. If you somehow end up in an antagonistic position against him, your nation will not forgive you.
I wholeheartedly understand, sir. (Ren)
Kitamura Ren ended the call, and as his expression hardened with resolve, he asked aloud.
Who is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk among you? (Ren)
Naturally, everyones stares pointed at one certain youth.
Huh....
Really now, Koreans way of answering is quite odd, isnt it...?
So, then. This Yi Ji-Hyuk is.... (Rens inner monologue)
Its you?! (Ren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly nodded his head.
Seriously? (Ren)
Without making another reply, Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his phone. He dialled a number he received not too long ago, and as soon as the call got through, began talking to whoever was on the other side.
Hey, really now. Me asking for a healer isnt all that difficult a request, is it? How can this qualify as treating me right? I mean, you guys can sure talk up nicely and all that, but you cant even do this one little thing properly, so how can I trust you guys enough to start working for you? Dont you agree? Seriously, this is nonsense, man! If I asked you for something really tough, sure, I wouldnt be this livid, but this is just too much! Too much, I tell you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, he ended the call right there. A bright, pure smile formed on his face as he stared at Ren.
And for some reason, cold perspiration began condensing on Rens backside.
Bzzzz....
Rens phone began vibrating just now.
With a sorrowful face, Ren pulled out his phone again.
Should I answer this?
But, I can pretty much tell what will be said, though. So....
So, should I really answer this call? (Rens inner monologue)
There were plenty of things in this world that Kitamura Ren wasnt too keen on doing. And this thing, this answering the call right now, he felt especially not very keen on doing that.
Ren cautiously tapped the answer icon on the phone. His expressions gradually became worse and worse as he listened.
While holding on to the phone with shaking hands, Ren made a stiff and formal-sounding reply, and ended the call with a deathly pale expression. Then, he carefully approached Yi Ji-Hyuk and made a polite inquiry.
Should I start healing this man now? (Ren)
Go away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I would like to perform my duties. Im very serious. (Ren)
Its fine. So, go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no! I dearly wish to heal this man! I can definitely do it! P, please, allow me to do this!!! (Ren)
What the. Hey you, you arent a Korean Japanese, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Ren)
Cuz, you know, you speak Korean better than me and everything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....That person will really die at this rate. (Ren)
Ren became noticeably restless as he looked at the worsening condition of Yun Hyuk-Gyu. Yi Ji-Hyuk finally nodded his head.
Okay, go and heal him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk gave the go ahead, Kitamura Ren didnt say anything else and just ced his hands on Yun Hyuk-Gyus prone body. He began pouring in Ether into the seemingly-dead man.
But, as he was doing so, a rather chilling announcement entered Rens ears.
The thing is, healing that guy might not necessarily be the best thing for him, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Ren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt borate any further.
Not too long afterwards, all the wounds on Yun Hyuk-Gyus body miraculously disappeared as if they were never there to begin with, allowing the man to unsteadily stand up.
His healing ability is better than I expected. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, Yi Ji-Hyuk made sure not to leave behind any eversting damage to Yun Hyuk-Gyu, only causing some superficial wounds that only looked horrific with bits of blood oozing out and stuff.
Still, one wouldve needed a months stay at the best hospital out there to fully recuperate. Topletely heal such a condition in a few moments could only point towards this Japanese dude being a very useful, high-level ability user.
At the bare minimum, he was around the same level of a high-ranking priest in Berafe.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt sure what the story might be for arge-scale healing attempt, but as for treating a single person, Ren was almost as good, if not better, as those high ranking priests.
Someone with this kind of ability would definitely be under a very focused and careful management of his respective nation, so for Japan to send him over at such a short notice, it showed how sincere they were about recruiting Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Its good to have lots of lines to reel in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if he wasnt nning on reeling in every single line he had cast out, hed lose nothing by holding on to a few. In the past, hed seen countless instances of what seemed to be the surest, finest toughened steel lines being cut unceremoniously. Not to mention, there were countless times when the seemingly-useless and decrepit-looking line that hadnt been thrown away for one reason or the other proving to be the true remaining lifeline.
Long story short, there was no need to push away those that came to his side on their own ord. Sooner orter, hed find the right opportunities to utilise the line.
So, youre finally up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke up while looking at Yun Hyuk-Gyu stumbling around a little.
...........
Yun Hyuk-Gyu hurriedly avoided meeting the gaze and lowered his head, trembling like a patient suffering from mria. Overall, he kind of resembled a puppy lowering its tail while shivering in fear.
No matter who saw this scene, they would have thought that it was a pitiful thing to see a man so full of energy and fighting spirit a few minutes ago being reduced to such a miserable state.
Unfortunately, Yi Ji-Hyuk was not included in the definition of no matter who.
So, shall we get going again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no!! Im sorry!! Im so, sorry!! Im truly sorry!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
After witnessing Yun Hyuk-Gyu continuously mumble out Im sorry thousands of times, Kitamura Ren couldnt help but form a deep frown. He was able to deal with physical damage, but there was nothing he could do about the clear case of mental trauma the victim was suffering from.
Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu needed an urgent psychological treatment, or he might end up as a mental cripple.
Youre sorry? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes!! Yes!! Im so very sorry!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Huh. Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....
I was simply proving myself, since you asked me to. So, why are you sorry because of that? Is there something between us that makes you feel apologetic? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B, but.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Besides, dont say youre sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Saying those words... well, those are some of the most scary words out there. You see, from my experience, those who say Sorry a lot, always ends up backstabbing you. I mean, the words Ill get you back someday actually are less scary to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is he even on about?! (Kitamura Ren)
Ren tilted his head,pletely mystified by this nonsensical musing. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk walked straight up to Yun Hyuk-Gyu and grabbed thetters cors real tight.
Well, in any case. Thats your choice, I guess. So, you can keep saying sorry over and over again. Ill just carry on proving myself to you. That way, we both do what we need to do, so its all good, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then did Ren figure everything out.
He still couldnt 100% understand anythinging out of Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth, but the atmosphere alone told everything he needed to know.
This guy.... He was totally nuts.
This ability user with a young-looking face, he waspletely bonkers. Off his meds. Screws long gone somewhere.
The pale expressions of everyone looking on wasnt because of this guys abilities, no. No, they were simply terrified of this man, who had seemingly went off the rails somewhere and probably didnt even bother to get back on the correct path.
Completely not caring what Ren was thinking about him, Yi Ji-Hyuk proceeded to kick Yun Hyuk-Gyus thigh with his right leg.
*SFX for bones breaking*
Apanied by a chilling noise, Yun Hyuk-Gyus leg bent at a weird angle.
Uwaaaaahck?!!!!
Losing one of his supports, Yun Hyuk-Gyu naturally crashed down to the ground. Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head again.
You shouldve dodged that, you know? I mean, that way, we canpare notes and Id get to prove myself. If this carries on, then we might end up repeating the same thing as thest time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu couldnt even answer and trembled like a wet dog on the sandy floor. Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed his neck and pulled him up.
However, dont you worry now. We have a healer on standby. Which means, plenty of time for me to prove myself to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The smile on Yi Ji-Hyuks face was as bright as they came.
*
....His body was seemingly unscathed.
However, his facial expression was pale and dazed as if he had seen a real ghost or something. Meanwhile, not even a sound of breathing could be heard on this golden beach, no one seemingly noticing the sun beginning its descent below the horizon.
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned his head closer to Yun Hyuk-Gyu sprawled out on the ground and tried to listen to thetters pained whimpers.
S.... Save... me.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
You want me to save you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled as if he was amused about something.
I started this thing in order to save you lot. Because, at the rate you are all going, youd be dead in theing weeks. That is why I started this training course, so you will have a chance to survive. But, didnt youe out and tell me straight to my face that you didnt want to live anymore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt really understand it. This guy implied that he was tired of living, yet why was he begging to be saved now?
People will eventually die. However, that doesnt mean you should go out without a bang, you know what Im saying? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk redirected his gaze towards Seo Ah-Young and the others.
Dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No one answered back.
I obviously cant tell what your thoughts are. I dunno if you believe youll be able to keep living in theing months with the same mentality youve all been having. However, I aint gonna stop you if you wish to kill yourself. Only that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit.
Only that, you better not get in my way or waste my time, capiche? It was you lot that pulled me in, dont forget that. Isnt it only logical that youd clean up the mess youve caused in the first ce? Just like the words of someone here, now that the country and its people needs my help, I will definitely satisfy that expectation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Although, the method of doing that wouldnt exactly align with these peoples thoughts, though.
So, anyone else need more proof? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Again, no one answered.
No matter who it was, no one would be able to answer thatst question after witnessing the... spectacle of someone repeatedly seesawing between almost bing a corpse and then going back to being normal for half a day.
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply licked his lips in wistful regret.
Ive be a lot softer, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was back in Berafe, he wouldnt have done something thisme. No, hed just open up a warp gate to the demon world and toss the offending fool in there. Then, all sorts of demonic entities would proceed to gnaw, rip apart and suck clean the poor sucker.
Not only that, they would do so veeeery slowly, and veeeeeeery painfully.
After going through such a process, all the useless things that initially clogged up the fools mindset would be cleansed away nice and easy. However,pared to that, Yun Hyuk-Gyu still could speak up, so that was something, alright. Oh, and he could even drool, too.
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a troubled expression and then ced his hand on Yun Hyuk-Gyus head.
Thetter man was still shivering on the ground and as soon as the contact was made, he began convulsing in seizure.
Hey, hey. Im not going to devour you or something. Dont be such a scaredy cat, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ced his palm on Yun Hyuk-Gyus head and whispered Drain. Then, the ckish aura leaked out from thetters head and got absorbed into the palm.
Huh?
Yun Hyuk-Gyus hazy eyes regained their focus right away, and he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk in a total daze.
Really, Ive be waaaay too soft. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt do anything about the physical damage. After all, he was an existence that only knew how to take and steal from others.
His mercy wouldnt be considered help at all, but more like an act of evil, instead. For instance, hed end up reducing a normal and healthy person into an undead. Things like that.
However, the story changed if it had something to do with mental side of things. He was a dark sorcerer whose foundation was built on casting curses and bewitchment spells.
His level of understanding towards a mans psyche was far greater than evenpared to those priests hell-bent on beautifying the world for their dear deities.
Especially so, when it came to the state of confusion and inflicting curses. He could easily break a man as long as he had some time on his hands. And conversely, mending a broken man back to normal wasnt all that difficult for him.
Yun Hyuk-Gyu wouldve be a mentally crippled man if left alone, but Yi Ji-Hyuk saw fit to personally repair him. Why? Because, even one of these ability users was a preciousmodity at the moment.
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue, and pointed with his finger.
Go stand over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Y, yes! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Although he had regained his senses, the mental trauma still remained; Yun Hyuk-Gyu spared no effort to run and stand alongside with everyone else.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at them for a while, before opening up his mouth.
If Im being honest here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He took a second or two to draw out his words.
I could massacre every single one of you in less than a minute. Right this moment. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
And even Im beginning to think that the level of danger in theing days are getting higher, so do you all still think its fine and dandy to waste time like youve been doing until now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
Anyone unwilling to train? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously, no one replied.
Yi Ji-Hyuk epted their collective silence as consent. He then lightly snapped his fingers.
In that case, lets begin. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched on as his monster ves rushed towards the ability users as the evening sky descended on them. He slowly raised his head and stared at the darkening heavens above.
Even he had no confidence whether these people would prove to be useful in the long run. However, he was sure of the fact that, as long as he got around to sessfully subduing this lot, hed be taking his first real step towardspletely subduing the.... rest of the world.
His belief here was simple; no matter what he was nning to do, hitting the head of the problem should happen first.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long groan.
Still a long way to go, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nevertheless, it had begun.
From today onwards, these people wouldnt even be able to meet Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze anymore. Things might get a bit lonely then...
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to look, he found Choi Jung-Hoon decked out in an apron staring at him with a slightly sulky expression.
Yeah? What is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Would you like to eat supper? What about leaving work and going home? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Home?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul, what time is it now?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk checked his watch and began trembling from the realisation. He shouted out loudly.
Jeong Haaaaaaae-Miiiiiin!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The designated shuttle ran towards him in the speed of light.
< 76. Anyone unwilling to train? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 77: Anyone unwilling to train? (2)
Chapter 77: Anyone unwilling to train? (2)
Escapees? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Currently, inside the NDFs office.
Upon hearing this revtion, Yi Ji-Hyuk began counting the number of people standing in front of him.
Short by two?
Aigoo~. Look at these a*sholes.
They fail at rebelling, so the next thing they try is to run away? (Yi Ji-Hyuks bemused inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tsk, tsk-ed and asked Choi Jung-Hoon.
Did you call them on the phone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They are not answering. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What about the records of them leaving the country? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are no records of them leaving. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Trying to escape from his grasp while still remaining within the borders of Korea.... How foolish could they be?
Oh-Sik-ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk called out, Oh-Sik appeared through the exploding debris of what used to be the doors of the NDF office.
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan.
And we even got hardened steel leash.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Might as well swap it back to a regr dog leash, mused Choi Jung-Hoon inwardly. What point was there, whether it be hardened steel or titanium alloy, when none of them could tie down that dang Ogre?
Besides all that, why did it have to destroy the dang door, too?!
If you were nning to call it, why didnt you open the door first?! Even paying for a new door is a part of the annual budget, you know!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
What the?! How could you call for your dog when the door was still closed? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
? But, thats not a dog, though? Its Oh-Sik. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it cant even open the door properly, then its no better than a dog! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head somewhat, before hitting the head of Oh-Sik.
KWAHNG!!
It seemed like a light bump, yet the resulting impact noise sounded like a bomb had gone off.
Cold sweat trickled down the backs of all the eyewitnesses present, and then, they began shuddering after realising the severity of Oh-Siks inly-cheating defensive prowess simply by looking at the mini-Ogre pretending to be hurt as it hugged its head.
Since a monster was ying around with a monster like that, even an innocuous little horsing around seemed rather monstrous as well.
Why didnt you open the door, you dumba*s?! Its all blown to sh*t now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And who was the one scolding the poor Ogre for taking his sweet-a*s time not too long ago?
But, there was nothing to gain by arguing with this human being. Other than getting beaten up again, probably.
Oh-Sik could only whimper pathetically and cower on the floor.
Ha, what an inhuman b*stard...
Choi Jung-Hoon slowly shook his head.
What was the point of arguing here? If one were to get bogged down with technicality, then it was Choi Jung-Hoons fault for not opening the door on time.
By the way, why did you summon Oh-Sik? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You need a dog if youre going hunting, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked ominously.
A dog? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did he mean.... this Ogre?
Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze towards the red/ck furred cute little Ogre.
Sure, it does kinda look like a dog.
Like a dog. Right. Almost like a dog....
However, isnt it too much still, to treat a terrifying Ogre like a pet dog no matter how one resembles it?!?!
Okay, so you do feed it with dog food, but still....! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Uhm, so, does it have a good sense of smell? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please, dont treat this guy like your average dog. My Oh-Sik here, this boys like the greatest dog ever in the world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Thats an insult, you idiot!
You shouldnt even try to boast about such a thing!
Meanwhile, the smirk on Yi Ji-Hyuks face was growing deeper.
What was that old saying in Berafe?
If one were to step into a forest where an Ogre resided, the Ogre at the end of the said forest would already be on its way to greet you? The olfactory senses of an Ogre shouldnt even bepared to that of a measly dog.
In any case, bring me the things belonging to those people, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will it be okay to bring the articles of both at the same time? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep. Theres nothing Oh-Sik cant do, let me tell ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk proudly rubbed the back of Oh-Sik, the mini Ogrey down on the floor and revealed its tummy.
STAHP IT!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont you have any pride?! Youre an Ogre, for crying out loud! Even if youre an animal, dont you find being treated as a dog humiliating?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner cries)
Too bad, the rest of the world couldnt get to hear the criesing from Choi Jung-Hoons heart.
Items belonging to the two escapees were hastily found and were brought to Oh-Siks nose. The Ogre sniffed for a bit, and then, ran outside the building in haste.
Fut.
Dangerous gleam of light oozed out from Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes as he ran after Oh-Sik.
*
....Surely, he wont show up here, right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun was busy quaking in his boots at the moment.
By fully utilising the stealth skill that could be called the Kim familys unique bloodline ability, he was in hiding. In an uninhabited forest approximately 100 km away from the NDFs HQ, he had dug up a trench and hid in there.
He had brilliantly evaded all those CCTV cameras found throughout the streets, so he believed that no one would be able to track him down.
Yes, he wont find me. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Even if the greatest tracker in history was hired, there was no way that person would be able to locate Kim Dah-Hyun at this rate.
That is why you should know what moderation means! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk did things in moderate measures, Kim Dah-Hyun wouldnt have to run away like this. A human being should know how to behave moderately, after all!
Seriously now, Yi Ji-Hyuk was abusing his charges so much, the Japanese healer that came to help out keeled over from exhaustion and coughed up blood, instead. So, how was Kim Dah-Hyun expected to endure such crazy nonsense?
An Ogres kick was enough to rupture his intestines and made him taste bits of his own organs. Yet, hed be healed in an instant from such a debilitating injuries only to crazily get pummeled again. Repeating this c**p for the past couple of days pushed him to the brink of a mental breakdown.
However, up until here, it was still somehow tolerable.
No, the real hell began the moment when the deeply frowning Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to personally participate in the training process.
The monsters limited themselves to simply flinging the hapless humans away. But, Yi Ji-Hyuk did things a little bit differently.
Differently, not as in being more severe and tougher. No, differently as in very sneaky and cheap as hell.
He would suddenly appear behind someone and proceed to kick him in the groin; also, he would deliberately hit the exact same spot over and over again.
And there they were, thinking that Yi Ji-Hyuk was the long-range type. He possessed enough physical power to knock out the enraged and out-of-control Iron Park Sung-Chan where he stood with a single punch.
What a freak.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
There was no way Kim Dah-Hyun could endure that c**p. He needed to find a way to survive!
Maybe, they would find his whereabouts sometimeter down the line. Maybe, hed get beaten up to a pulp, then. However, he was far, far too terrified of the prospect of returning to that hellhole of training today.
At this rate, maybe I can remain free for a month or so. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kheureuk~.
Huh. I mustve suffered a lot. Im even imagining hearing that damn sound now. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
That, that stupid Ogre!!
Kheureuk....
Ah, hahaha....
Wow, that growl sounds so real, doesnt it? If my auditory hallucination is this serious, that can only mean that my mental state is really in a poor shape.... (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kheureureung.
Kim Dah-Hyuns head slowly rotated towards the direction of the sound.
And from the gaps of leaves and branches brilliantly covering up the exit of the hidey hole, he could see the head of Oh-Sik poking in, its fangs showing up slightly.
Am I hallucinating things now, too? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Or, am I dreaming things?
Itd be so much better if this was a dream.... (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kheurooooar!!
Uwaaahck?! Hey, it wasnt a dream!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun hurriedly shot out from the hole.
No, calm down!
Who was he? He was none other than the Path Drifter!
When it came to sheer speed, none coulde remotely closer to him!
If he simply chose to run away rather than to confront, then he should be able to....
Grab.
It was right then C someone grabbed him by the back of his neck and lifted him up in the air.
..........
Now suspended in the air like a naughty kitten, Kim Dah-Hyun instinctively figured out just who had grabbed him from behind simply from the strength of the hand holding him. His body stiffened like a block of wood.
And to his ear drums, a certain voice that sounded rxed poured in.
I found you~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hiiiiiieeeeeekkkk!!!
Thick teardrops fell from Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes.
*
While hanging upside down from one of the tropical inds many palm trees, Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes could clearly take in the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk sitting on a beach chair while getting a tan.
You rotten son of a b*tch. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun really despised seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk kitted out in the appropriate beachwear and apparently having fun under the sun, and wished he could spit out in disgust right now.
Also, witnessing Choi Jung-Hoon personally deliver a cup of juice freshly squeezed out of a tropical fruit only p*ssed Kim Dah-Hyun even more.
Seriously, man! Dont you have any guts? Balls? Whatever?!
You only chuck some canned spam on our way, the very ones working to our bones, yet you even squeeze out fresh fruit juice for Yi Ji-Hyuk??
A man shouldnt.... (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk received the juice, but he began tilting his head with a confused expression on his face. Then, he shifted his gaze over to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Looks like something else is mixed up in this thing, doesnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not possible. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Laxatives? Sleeping pills? Truth serum? Or, drugs? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No ways. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Spit, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ha. Ha. Ahaha.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hearing Choi Jung-Hoons awkwardughter, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became rather hostile.
What the hell? This guy.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahahahaha.... There mustve been some kind of a mistake. Let me change it real quickly. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even before Yi Ji-Hyuk could finish, Choi Jung-Hoon snatched away the juice like a bolt of lightning and ran away. Seeing this, Kim Dah-Hyun could only swallow back his own tears.
But, of course! Human hearts feel the same pain no matter who you are.
Yes, how could he think differently from everyone else? I mean, anyone wouldve thought the exact same thing when looking at this rotten son of a... (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue))
Hah, that guy.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk bitterly chuckled.
Seriously now, if that guy wasnt the potential future brother-inw, hed been....
While madly running away, a sudden chill ran down on Choi Jung-Hoons back quite inexplicably. He couldnt help but wonder why.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was groaning out.
Even if she was his little sister, he felt a bit apologetic to let Yi Ye-Won sink her ws into hapless Choi Jung-Hoon. So, morally speaking, he should at least do this much for that poor guy.
An ominous, sinister grin formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face. He then sensed a movement behind him and turned his head around to take a look.
Eu-woop...
A groan escaped from the gagged mouth of Kim Dah-Hyun and he began wiggling within his restraints as Yi Ji-Hyuks gazended on him.
And you. Youre also quite amazing, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in disappointment.
Just how thoughtless could one be, trying to escape from his grasp?
He was someone who had crisscrossed the entirety of Berafe. So, just where could anyone run off to in the small nation of Korea?
And here I was, taking pity on you and treating you a little nicer because of all the harassment you receive from your sister everyday. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that something a guy like you should be saying? A guy who proceeded to mess up aplete strangers face?! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun had a lot of things to say, but due to that gag blocking his mouth, only the sounds of Eup, eup! could escape from him.
Not only that, but two of you, no less. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly shifted his gaze down to the sandy ground and Park Sung-Chans head poking out of the surface. He was buried in the ground up to his neck with a gag also ced in his mouth.
Eup!! Eupppp!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Really, man! You should learn to be grateful when people start treating you nicely, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And just who treated who nicely here?!
Just who was it that pummeled a guy silly as soon as running into that said guy, and just who was it that turned another guy into a human support pir, too?! (the author)
In any case, its still true that one should never take a ck-haired animal under ones wings... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It turned out to be the same story for yellow-haired animals, too. Speaking from experience, obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well, then....
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from the beach chair and reached out. He cut the rope tightly binding Kim Dah-Hyun upside down. Then, with his other hand, he pulled Park Sung-Chan out from the ground.
After the gags were removed, two men stood in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk while remaining nervous and skittish.
They shivered in fear, wondering what this loon would do next, but they ended up hearing something they didnt expect.
Yo. Go and join the others. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
P, pardon us?
I said, go and join the others. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Why was this guy acting like this now? This guy, who didnt hesitate to kick someone into stratosphere just because that person dared toin about the harshness of the training?
Can we really go and join the others now?
Yup. Go ahead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Understandably, these two men grew increasingly wary when Yi Ji-Hyuk behaved like this.
Im very sorry. (Park Sung-Chan)
Please, ept my apology. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand around dismissively.
I hear you, so go and join the others already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, really. Im sorry about everything. (Park Sung-Chan)
I have no excuses. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Haaaa.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan.
Why wouldnt these two idiots listen to what he was saying?!
Eish, I told you to go already! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only after Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked them away did the two men hurriedly join the party happening over yonder involving Oh-Sik and other monsters.
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw that and clicked his tongue. However, his eyes never once failed to capture the movements of everyone there.
This so-called training had two purposes.
First was to let those ability users have a taste of realbat situations.
Even if it was Yi Ji-Hyuk, he had no methods to quickly raise the overall prowess of an ability user since Ether seemed to operate on a fundamentally different waypared to how he used Mana. In all honesty, when it came to wielding Ether more efficiently, those users would probably be better than Yi Ji-Hyuk, actually.
Even if you were the best footballer in the world, that didnt mean you could potentially coach baseball yers to be better at ying baseball. No, the only thing that footballer could do was to change and improve the mindset of the yers before each match.
And experiencing realbat would help with that goal.
Not too long ago, they wouldnt havested 5 minutes and died where they stood if Oh-Sik had decided to attack in earnest. And that was if every single one of them had pooled their powers together. But now, they should be able tost for at least one hour or so.
You see, by repeatedly going through one life-or-death crisis after other, they would instinctively find the most optimal way to utilise their powers. Eventually.
And the second purpose was to research how Ether operated.
With his eyesden with Mana, Yi Ji-Hyuk took in every single movement the users made and analysed them. He memorised how the users circted Ether in their bodies, and memorised some more.
The world of Mana users also started like this C countless experiments upon experiments took ce, and during those experiments, equally as many sacrifices had to be made.
As for Yi Ji-Hyuk who was trying to research the Ethers mysteries, it was indeed a lucky urrence that he got to closely study those users who were, in their own right, some of the best in the world.
If he wanted to simply make them stronger, there were other methods to choose from. But, those methods wouldnt have given Yi Ji-Hyuk what he truly wanted.
You see, this particr method would also serve to enhance Yi Ji-Hyuks own strengths, as well.
The Ether...
A dangerous light gleamed in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
The key to the new future was already lying in his hands. While sensing the Ether slowly circting within his own body, Yi Ji-Hyuk focused his sight on how it moved in others.
Just a little bit more.
If he got to learn just a little bit more, then hed finally unlock the new path forward for himself.
Mana and Ether.
If he were able to find a way to fuse and wield these two disparate but not-all-that-different energy forms, then Yi Ji-Hyuk would be that much closer to regaining the powers of the Berafes Bringer of Apocalypse.... No, he might even gain a power far surpassing that.
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze lowered a little as he fell into a deep contemtion.
< 77. Anyone unwilling to train? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 78: Anyone unwilling to train? (3)
Chapter 78: Anyone unwilling to train? (3)
There was one person participating in the training with everything she had. Unexpectedly, it was none other than Doh Gah-Yun. Currently, she was facing off against the ck jaguar created by Yi Ji-Hyuk.
There was not a whole lot of people in the world capable of training her, who just so happened to specialise in stealth and assassination. Even then, those folks wouldnt have the first clue as to how to best train her.
That was why the stealthy movements of the jaguar, a creature born from the darkness, proved to be such a great boon for her.
Inside the dense forest located in the middle of the tropical ind, she carefully and meticulously searched for the trace of the jaguar, hiding within the shadows. She too had blended into the darkness, as well.
Where?
Even though the sunlight prated halfway into the forest, once the jaguar had melted into the shadows, it became nigh-on impossible to locate the creature. She closed her eyes and tried her best to sense the presence of her target, only to pick up on a low-pitched growling.
Kheureuk.
It came from right behind her.
She hadnt sensed its movements, yet the jaguar was already behind her.
Doh Gah-Yun gritted her teeth.
m!
A powerful m from the jaguars front pawnded on her back.
Her innards twisted and churned, and something rushed up through her throat C the bitter taste of blood trying to break out of her mouth.
However, the bitter, acrid scent of her blood got diluted by the rising curtain of dust as she fell down on the ground, hard.
It had been like this since the beginning of the training.
Even if she tried so hard to chase after her target, she couldnt. No matter how hard she tried to find the jaguar, she continued to fail. Always, her back was exposed and she had to experience hellish pain.
Just as she was about to lose her mind over this repeating pattern, she heard a certain voiceing from the side.
Youre wrong about something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun raised her head and looked at the owner of the voice.
With a cigarette stuck to his lips, Yi Ji-Hyuk was walking towards her direction in brisk steps.
Wrong about? (Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun tried to stand back up. However, she lost her bnce and as a result, she had no choice but to support her weight by grabbing onto Yi Ji-Hyuks clothes.
Ah.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk helped her up and clicked his tongue.
If you honestly think that hard work is the only way to being sessful, then let me ask you this. Why isnt everyone else in the world sessful? Use your head, will you? Your head! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My head? (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let go of her hand and took a couple of steps back.
Look. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, he extended his own hand out.
Doh Gah-Yun tilted her head sideways, not getting the reasoning for his actions.
Whats he doing? (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned slightly, withdrew his hand, then stabbed the empty air with it. No matter how odd he looked as he repeated this motion over and over again, Doh Gah-Yun poured all of her attention in order to find the meaning of his act.
She knew very well that, even though this guy was very peculiar, hed never do something totally meaningless. Thats what her observation of the man taught her.
She required quite some time to study his actions before she let out a gasp of surprise.
That repeated action wasnt for himself, but for her benefit.
She finally sensed the difference of presence when Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hand out and when he retracted it. No, to be more precise, it wasnt that his presence was changing, but instead, it was actually her perception of him shifting ever so slightly every time he moved.
And this here is the boundary. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk drew a line on the ground with his foot. She lowered her gaze to stare at it.
She could clearly see that line was bisecting the space his hand was moving back and forth until now.
You wanna follow with your eyes? Or, with your so-called sixth sense? You think youll find your target with those when its hiding from you? You are not supposed to follow, but to feel it. This here is the boundary of your area of cognisance. Find a way to extend it beyond this line. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....My area of cognisance. (Gah-Yun)
Theres no point in talking about it any further. Ive given you what you need already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ng.
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to leave, and as his feet took him away, he threw out an unexpected remark.
That Japanese healer can remove scars. That thing on your arm.... Ask him to take care of it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Naturally, her eyes lowered to look at her own arm, where the lengthy scar from the flying lizard incident still remained.
She raised her gaze up and fixed it on Yi Ji-Hyuks back as he made his way out of the jungle.
What an odd man.
*
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk saw the state Jeong Hae-Min was in, he began clicking his tongue.
It was indeed a pathetic and sorry sight to see the so-called idol busy convulsing on the ground while her tongue was sticking out.
Oi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh....
Oiii. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, venomous light returned to her eyes as she began ring at him. However, even though the will to pounce and beat him up good burned fiercely in her heart, her body could only remain shuddering and wiggling on the ground.
You.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Tsk, tsk.
She couldnt really be counted on to provide directbat support. And, even if he tried to raise herbat prowess, her limits were just too dang low for that, too. So, her training focused solely on increasing the number of people she could teleport at once, as well as the number of times she could perform it.
The methods of that were pretty simple, too. Just keep teleporting all over the ce. That was all.
The only problem, though, was that seemingly simple teleportation still exhausted a great deal of stamina and caused heavy mental strain.
I told you, dont just teleport to wherever! Use your brain first! Form a clear picture of where you want to go first, and set the proper coordinates for yourself! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honorifics.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Shes beyond help. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shes worried about honorifics at a time like this? Shes definitely nuts.
Well, I gotta hand it to that stubbornness of hers, though.
I mean, its really difficult to remain so stubbornly stupid for this long, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly picked her up and tossed her into the beach chair hed been using until now.
Ill acknowledge all the effort you put in before you ended up looking like now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously, even he couldnt dismiss her hard work after seeing her face caked with sand and mud like that.
It was unknown whether this kind of training would result in her abilities bing more powerful. But still, he felt rather pleased to see her doing her best to follow his guidance. Especially so, if he considered how hard it would be to earn her C and other ability users C trust.
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt a certain emotion that was pretty hard to describe with words. Now that he thought about it, being trusted by other humans was indeed a very rare thing for him.
After all, most humans he met until now treated him like a sworn enemy.
So, what could this emotion be?
Why did it feel so.... itch, all of a sudden?
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled to himself and shook his head in a wry manner.
A strange sense of appreciation was beginning to bloom in his mind. Just a tiny little bit.
*
Next up, Yi Ji-Hyuk checked on the situation with Oh-Sik and his enved monsters still engaging in a mock battle against the ability users.
Euh....
He watched as Oh-Sik struck Iron Park Sung-Chan andunched him into orbit. Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders, unsatisfied.
They are not really improving much, are they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He made these users go through as many hellish battles as humanly possible in a short space of time, but he still couldnt see any outright improvements just yet. However, that could be due to Yi Ji-Hyuks standard being just too high and thus making him unable to appreciate the improvements already made.
Also, it took him more than 1000 years to get to where he was. So, perhaps it was unreasonable to expect these users to improve to a level he could more or less ept in just two weeks.
Still, I cant let them just be, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the Gates were targeting only him, maybe the story wouldve been quite different. However, they opened up all over the world. And once the delicate bnce copsed, then it was only a matter of time before everything else copsed, too.
And when those monsters continue to pile up, and eventually cover up the entire world... Now, that would be the day of the Apocalypse, for sure.
Even if the monster hordes were beaten back, the only person remaining would most likely be Yi Ji-Hyuk and him alone. So, without a doubt, he needed pawns who could buy him time to freely enact his ns.
These users right here, they needed to be his pawns. They needed to take the experience gained here and utilise that to enhance the overall levels of other ability users, too.
*SFX for mes erupting*
As he stood there thinking, a ball of mes flew rapidly towards Yi Ji-Hyuks direction. It was hard to tell whether it was idental or not.
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted slightly out of the way and avoided the me ball.
And the person responsible for that, Seo Ah-Young, was busy licking her lips in regret, as if she had missed a terrific chance just now or something.
That girl....
....Shes taking it too easy, eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jet-ck magic circles suddenly rose up from Yi Ji-Hyuks hands. Soon afterwards, two more Mana-created monsters joined the fray.
Uwaaaahck?!!
HEY!! You stinking son of a b*tch!!!!!!!!
While listening to the unending stream of curse words and abuses, Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a content smile.
You shouldve thought twice before flinging a me ball around. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How impudent these kids could be sometimes!
In any case, he was seeing the signs that the near-inexhaustible stamina and energy of the monsters were getting low as well, after going through constant battles.
It seemed that the time for Yi Ji-Hyuk to start doing his thing had arrived.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, Choi Jung-Hoon ran up to him while shouting out in an urgent voice.
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We just received a request for reinforcement. A Gate is about to open up, apparently. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And why is the requesting in sote? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Gates opening speed is apparently unstable. Its level is rated 5 as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm....
Hearing this, light returned to the eyes of the trainees.
If the Gate was rated 5, then another massive monster would emerge from it. However, that was still 100 times more preferable than facing these many monsters simr in strength over here.
We will....
Wow, you can still speak? That is quite amazing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
The mouths of the trainees snapped shut like bear traps right away.
I alone will go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You alone? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You think me alone wont be enough? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, if youre personally going, then.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....That would certainly be far more reassuring than everyone else going there, instead.
As Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his attention towards Seo Ah-Young and barked out his orders.
Dont even think of taking it easy. Train hard until its time to get off work. Got it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We will! (Seo Ah-Young)
Huh. Still able to speak, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out another long groan and added one more Mana monster to the mix before turning around to leave. From behind him, an orchestra of swearing and curse words exploded forth, but to Yi Ji-Hyuks ears, they sounded like the music from the heavens.
Hey, get up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly pped the back of Jeong Hae-Min still copsed on the beach chair.
M, mm? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Lets go. Its work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I really cant move. Im just too tired. (Jeong Hae-Min)
We go now, and Ill let you off for today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, where to? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seeing her eyes burning aze with renewed vigour, Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
Go and get the coordinates. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min stood right back up and ran towards Choi Jung-Hoon. After she got the necessary info, Yi Ji-Hyuk grasped her hand, and they disappeared into the thin air.
And as soon as that happened, Oh-Sik roared out even louder than before.
*SFX for a massive roar*
The trainees couldnt help but panic when witnessing this extreme change in Oh-Siks behaviour. It was as if the repressed violent nature of the creature due to Yi Ji-Hyuks presence had finally shook off its shackles as soon as he was gone.
N, no way.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon began shuddering from this unexpected situation. If those monsters were no longer under the control of Yi Ji-Hyuk, then everyone here would be massacred in no time on this tiny little ind with no avenues of escape.
Kheureureu~!
Oh-Sik revealed his fangs and growled menacingly, before plopping down on his butt. Then, as if a weight was taken off his shoulders, the Ogre spat out a long sigh andy down on the ground.
Eh?
It wasnt just Oh-Sik, either. Other monsters alsoy down on the ground in unison.
H, huh?
The ability users looked around with dumbfounded expressions etched on their faces. The huge snake, Dae-Mang, evenzily slinked off to the nearby ocean and submerged itself in it.
....Yeah, now that I think about it, even these guys mustve had it hard, too.
But, do monsters even need to take a break?
I mean, they are living creatures, right?
Oh. Uh, so. We can also take a break, too?
....Mm? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young and Oh-Sik exchanged silent but poignant nces. The short and wordless exchange ended with them nodding their heads in understanding.
For the first time ever, humans and the monsters, who were both the victims of the category 5 tropical storm called Yi Ji-Hyuk, had formed an united front.
The horrible training regime of Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up bearing an unexpected fruit, in other words.
*
*SFX for fabrics rustling*
Heok?!
Colonel Jeong In-Soos heart nearly jumped out of his mouth when the silhouettes of two people suddenly materialised out of thin air right in front of his nose. He hurriedly pulled out his pistol and got ready.
Hey! We were supposed to appear in the air! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Argh, I dont care. I told you, Im tired. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eii! Useless. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed the slumped and struggling Jeong Hae-Min to the back and turned his attention towards Jeong In-Soo.
Whats the situation like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you here to support us? Where are the others? (Jeong In-Soo)
Its me alone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alone.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo recalled Yi Ji-Hyuk disying his god-like powers, and nodded his head in eptance. If it was him, then itd be better than the entirety of NDFs forces showing up here.
Im sure youve reacted ordingly to the situation until now, but still, make sure to stay mindful of whatever happens. Jumping in willy-nilly will get people hurt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Understood. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was thinking of ending this real quickly and return to the ind. And just as he thought of this, the Gate began emitting bright light and began opening up.
Oh, nice timing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, time to quickly....
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression froze up stiff as soon as he pped his eyes on the lifeform walking out of the Gate.
That.... why the hell is that thing appearing here?!
Just what the f*ck is going on?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As if there was an earthquake happening right now, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes shook very, very hard.
< 78. Anyone unwilling to train? -3 > Fin.
(TL: Ive made a bit of hash of myself C I used to ce at the end of every chapter how much left until the sponsored chapter goal is met, but have been forgetting to do that ever since I started the Returner....)
(TL: Well, anyways, the remaining amount to the next sponsored chapter is $25.)
Chapter 79: Anyone unwilling to train? (4)
Chapter 79: Anyone unwilling to train? (4)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body trembled as if there was an earthquake happening right now.
The monstersing out from the Gate were all too familiar to him. All the other monsters hed been seeing so far until today were in many ways the same as the ones he knew from Berafe, but still, there were some differences.
Simr, but also something a bit different.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was familiar with these monsters appearing right in front of his eyes. Thats right C they were Berafes creatures.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began gritting his teeth.
And what the hell is going on here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, did this mean the two worlds were now connected, for sure? Earth, with Berafe?
But, when he thought about it, it wasnt such a strange urrence after all. Especially so, when considering the fact of Yi Ji-Hyuk crossing over.
When he was forcibly transferred to Berafe just as the ck Mondaymenced, that event clearly showed there was some kind of a connection between this world and Berafe. In other words, it should not be strange to see the reverse of that situation, like the one unfolding right here.
That was when logically analysing everything that happened so far, of course. But, seeing the lifeforms straight out of Berafes ecosystem caused Yi Ji-Hyuks emotions to boil over quite violently.
This was way different from when he encountered Oh-Sik. Technically speaking, the Ogre wasnt a Berafe resident, but a creature of the demon world. Indeed, it was an important problem to him where one was being summoned from!
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly facepalmed while he stared at the creatures appearing before his eyes.
Now, he was already well aware of certain simrities existing between the two worlds. For instance, just like here, there were humans living in Berafe, as well. He knew of the fact that the same types of living beings could exist in two different worlds.
However, this problem now involved creatures that could be called one of Berafes specialty (?) products.
The divine creatures only existing in Berafe, creatures that persistently tried to get in his way right until the end....
They were the Fairies of Light, born from the blessings of the God of Light, Latrel. And they wereing out from the Gate as he stood there in shock.
GROAN...
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned and scratched the back of his head.
Latrel was basically the god in charge of Berafe. Those who received this gods blessing could, in theory, only exist in Berafe.
However, at the moment, Fairies that looked like little Caucasian girls with dragonfly-like wings on their backs, and about half the size of a grown man, were taking flight into the Earths sky.
What.... are those? (Jeong In-Soo)
At least from the visual perspective, these Fairies looked far too different from all the other monsters he had encountered, so even Jeong In-Soo couldnt just issue an order to attack.
Eiii, I dont care anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although it felt weird to him, so what if this world was connected to Berafe in some fashion?
If they came invading, all Yi Ji-Hyuk had to do was to stop them. If they wanted to y with him, then hed only have to show them whos the boss. That was all! Nothing would be resolved if he just stood here worrying about things until steam rose up from his head!
Making up his mind, Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and turned to look at Jeong In-Soo.
Lets get cracking, shall we? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? We need to shoot those... uh, things? (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo dazedly asked back while staring at the Fairies.
Seriously, wasnt that a bit too much?
The creatures he and his soldiers had to fight off until now were undoubtedly monsters. They were wonderful targets to kill and blow away, where his men wouldnt feel a lick of guilt as they did so. Hell, they would probably not hesitate when asked to shove a grenade down the throats of those hideous monsters to blow them up sky-high.
However, werent these Fairies a different story altogether?
First of all, these foreign creatures didnt attack them first, and secondly.... Just take a look at their adorable appearances!
Also, one could even feel some sort of holiness from the gentle light emanating from them, too.
Even for Jeong In-Soo, who prided himself as a hardened soldier, shooting them down felt as if he was about to bombard a civilian area and thus, he didnt like the idea at all.
Only if they looked all ugly and disfigured or something.... But, they looked like young girls around half a persons height, which made things so much worse.
Do we have to attack? (Jeong In-Soo)
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are they really dangerous? (Jeong In-Soo)
What do you mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion.
Jeong In-Soos expression was very unconvinced as he asked back.
I mean, look. They are so cute! (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk visibly paled and hurriedly took two steps back.
A pedo?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the?! Hellllll noooooooo!!!!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo cried out at the top of his lungs and his face reddened considerably.
What the. This guy turned out to be an extremely dangerous man! Excuse me, but, arent you afraid of getting cuffed and sent to jail? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those things arent humans!! Im being falsely used here! (Jeong In-Soo)
They look like humans, though! Think about it! You might be harbouring such indecent thoughts deep inside! Youll be fine if you seek psychiatric treatment as soon as possible! Dont be ashamed to admit it! Everythingll be fine. Trust me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im telling you, youre wrooooong!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Suddenly beingbelled as a pedophile, Jeong In-Soo could only despair and deny it as he hastily took a look around him.
What kind of embarrassing situation was this, and also, right in front of his subordinates, even?
Eh?
Why are you all looking at me like that?
Is there a bug on my face or something?
Why are you slowly backing away from me? (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
N, no.... It, its not true.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Strength rapidly abandoned Jeong In-Soos vocal cords.
Yi Ji-Hyuk ced his hand on the good Colonels shoulders and consoled him to the best of his abilities.
Why dont we go see a shrink together? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, together?! Im telling you, youre wrong! You made a mistake! (Jeong In-Soo)
Now that his reputation irrefutably got cemented as a loli lover, all Jeong In-Soo could do was to shed the tears of blood while ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
How could he so ruthlessly assassinate my character like this?! What a terrifying man!! (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
Jeong In-Soo shuddered from shock after realising the other, and just as terrifying, ability of Yi Ji-Hyuk. Out of despair, he shouted out loudly.
I will prove that Im not a pedo!! Attack!! Destroy every single one of those d*mnable creatures!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head sagely.
Since you cant have them, no one else can, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats nooooot it!! (Jeong In-Soo)
You know that this is the textbook symptoms of denial, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Jeong In-Soopletely lose his sh*t like this, the adjutant could only shake his head in dismay and issue the order tomence firing.
Fire! (the adjutant)
At the same time, guns began spitting out lead in an orderly frenzy.
Bzzz....
However, unlike their fragile-looking appearance, these Fairies were blessed with Latrels divine powers. There was no way bullets would be able to affect these creatures that had stepped halfway past the physical and into the realm of divinity.
Even though they were simply swimming in the air, the bullets raining down on them simply avoided hitting the targets altogether and missedpletely.
What the hell?! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo shouted out in fluster.
An army of pedos? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nooooo!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Of course, every soldier present today couldnt have been secret pedos who deliberately missed their marks.
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression was unreadable as he studied the Fairies.
That mustve been the intervention from the gods, a cheat-like power where the Fairies could choose the best odds between the bullets hitting them and them missing altogether.
Thousands of bullets all lost their targets in front of the gods powers and aimlessly flew away.
Does that mean Latrels powers are applicable in this world, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That power wasnt something Fairies were born with in the first ce. No, Latrel blessed them with that cheat power. So, if they could activate this power here, then that could very well mean Latrels blessings also worked in this world too.
GROAN~.
He really disliked everything rted to Berafe.
He bloody disliked everything about Berafe, even if it was a small piece of pebble,or just in air from there. But, if he was asked to choose what he disliked the most, then itd definitely be Latrel.
As a matter of fact, Latrel and her dang followers were the insufferable enemies that hindered his progress for thest one thousand years.
Not just Latrel, though C there was the Lord of the Dragons, too.
And then, that stupid b*tch he didnt even want to recall the name of....
When he thought about those three females, the very cause of his mistrust towards women kind and his current incurable mental state, his intestines felt like leaping out of his throat.
mes of anger figuratively erupted out from his eyes.
Now that I think about them, its really p*ssing me off.
Why should I look at those stupid, ugly and totally useless sh*ts even in this ce?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You godd*mn trash....
Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped forward and reached out.
Whoosh....
Jet-ck Mana began gathering in front of his hands.
Fairies sensed the convergence of the dark magical energy and instinctively began scattering everywhere in haste. To Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes, though, they looked like a bunch of mosquitos buzzing about noisily.
Wanna run? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if Id let that happen!
The ck Mana wiggled ominously, then dozens of long ck tentacles shot out from the gathered ck mass. Each of the tentacles revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth and flew towards the fleeing Fairies.
Hmm....
Jeong In-Soo watched this scene unfold as a certain sense of unease, a discord, filled his mind. He shuddered ever so slightly while thinking to himself.
Since the creatures Yi Ji-Hyuk killed off had been a grotesque bunch of monsters, Jeong In-Soo hadnt really thought about it until now. No, maybe he was aware of the truth but subconsciously ignored it for the time being.
But, seeing the youth deal with these fairy-like creatures, Jeong In-Soo could definitely feel it now.
....This Yi Ji-Hyuk, he was like the incarnation of the Devil.
With jet-ck fog-like thing oozing out of him, and those tentacles busy shooting out towards those fairies, Jeong In-Soo couldnt help but feel like he was actually standing beside a viin, instead.
There was no good or evil when it came to power.
As a soldier, he knew very well what type of an item a gun could be depending on who used them. Even then....
Is it because of stereotyping? (Jeong In-Soo)
He knew full well that it was Yi Ji-Hyuk that fought for their sake, yet the scene unfolding before his eyes... He just couldnt feel good about it. Not at all.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuks tentacles opened up their maws real wide as they neared the Fairies.
Even if they possessed the absolute evasion ability, it was impossible to render a direct attack ineffective.
When facing a direct attack or, for that matter, a wide-area ranged attack, possessing a high evasion rate was useless. All they could do was to reduce the iing damage as much as possible. In front of an absolute and overwhelming might, such things as luck was rendered meaningless.
As Yi Ji-Hyuks tentacles surrounded them, the Fairies did their best to dodge as nimbly as possible, before they started singing in unison.
[Ah~ ahahah....]
Heavenly voices spread out.
A song that was seemingly loud enough to fill up the whole world, yet containing a trace of vulnerability, spread out in the blink of an eye.
The moment their voices merged into one, an impossibly massive explosion of impact wave urred. The sonic impact wave blew away the ck tentacles and rapidly descended towards Yi Ji-Hyuk and the De soldiers.
Euah-uwaaack!!
Jeong In-Soo was flung away like a scrap of paper meeting a violent stormy wind. He collided with the rest of De soldiers and fell to the ground, before he could just barely raise his head up. He wiped away the blood trickling down to his eyebrows.
He was now fully convinced of the fact that these creatures were indeed monsters, regardless of how they appeared to be on the outside. Of course, it was wrong to lump Fairies along with the rest of monsters ording to Berafes standards, though.
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk received that sonic attack head-on and emerged just fine. Still, he was shaking his head in a rather exaggerated manner.
Resorting to sonic attacks, huh?
Willing to try everything and anything, aint ya?
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out once more and the ck tentacles reappeared.
The singing Fairies couldnt dodge these tentacles in time and got ensnared, desperately struggling to free themselves.
Drain.
The tentacles opened their maws and began devouring the Fairies. The screams of young girls being killed reverberated throughout the entire area, causing the soldiers to hurriedly cover their ears.
Although they knew these things were not human, after hearing the sorrowful cries that sounded just like from dying children, a tangible sense of hostility towards Yi Ji-Hyuk began blooming in their hearts.
If the soldiers here thought about it for a second, werent it themselves who initiated the first attack?
Is there a need to go so far? (Jeong In-Soo)
Even Jeong In-Soo, who possessed the highest goodwill towards Yi Ji-Hyuk amongst everyone here, got the feeling that this was going too far.
Those creatures arent humans, but monsters. (Jeong In-Soo)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk simply grinded them away into fine meat paste or blew them away clean, then the sense of disgust and repulsion wouldnt have been so great. But, with him devouring those humanoid creatures whole like that....
Completely disregarding what everyone else was thinking, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply extended his tentacles and swallowed up every single Fairy flying in the air.
What will happen, if this guy decides to fight other humans?
Will he devour humans in the same manner as hes doing right now?
No, hang on a minute C isnt the very act of swallowing up monsters insane, to begin with? (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
By the time Jeong In-Soo managed to force himself back to his feet, Yi Ji-Hyuk had finished devouring the Fairies and was clutching his belly.
Argh, man. I feel so bloated. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had forcibly devoured Mana of the opposing nature and it was giving him indigestion. He might need quite a lot of time to convert this lot.
Yi Ji-Hyuk licked his lips ever so slightly.
Back in Berafe, he wouldve never resorted to touching such unclean and disgusting Mana. But now, he had no choice in the matter. He might as well eat whatever junkfood he couldy his hands on, digest them, and convert them to his strength.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long sigh after realising the pathetic state he found himself in, and turned around.
And straight away, he found people staring at him with a rather familiar look on their faces. After seeing Jeong In-Soo looking at him with an unreadable expression, Yi Ji-Hyuks own face crumpled as well.
Fine, fine. Im sorry about this, okay? But, they are monsters, so what did you expect me to do? Yes, they might look like little girls, but well, stop looking at me like that! You know, I still respect your personal preferences. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, I told you! Thats noooot iiiitt!! (Jeong In-Soo)
How can your brain only think about that, you insane fool?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk inwardly clicked his tongue as he continued to look on at the bloodied and battered Jeong In-Soo desperately denying everything.
This guy was beyond help. Really now.
< 79. Anyone unwilling to train? -4 > Fin.
(TL: The amount remaing till the next sponsored chapter: $25)
Chapter 80: Anyone unwilling to train? (5)
Chapter 80: Anyone unwilling to train? (5)
Back on the nameless ind, somewhere in the tropics.
We need to find a way. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureuk.
We cant keep enduring this sort of abuse any longer. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureureuk.
Can you even understand what Im saying? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh-Sik slowly nodded his head, causing Seo Ah-Young to narrow her eyes and stare at the Ogre suspiciously.
Could this monster really understand her words? Seriously? From the outside, he looked dumber than a bear, though.
Could he really understand humannguage?
Really? (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureuk.
Seeing how immediate the response was, Oh-Sik seemed to understand her, thats for sure. Perhaps, this monsterish cre.... No, the monster might possess intelligence nearing that of a normal human being, despite it looking like a creature from ones worst nightmare.
Fine. Then, lets do it this way. If you agree, raise your right hand. If you dont, raise the left hand. Okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
*SFX for Oh-Sik raising his right hand. Its only one syble, but its implied.*
Seo Ah-Youngs jaw hung loose slightly after she clearly saw Oh-Sik raising his right hand.
It... It really understands me!
Hul. Feels like the dignity of humans just crumbled into dust, doesnt it? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
I thought youd only be as smart as a dog... Wait a minute, were you deliberately....? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh-Sik sneakily raised his right hand again.
What a crafty guy!
It was at this point that Seo Ah-Young came to a realisation. She had finally found arade in arms that she could rely on. This creature deliberately yed dumb until now because, if it was too smart, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve overworked it to death.
If the Ogre was this smart and determined to survive, then without a doubt, she might be able to trust and work alongside the monster.
Wait, but... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
At the same, though, Choi Jung-Hoon was focusing on something else altogether.
You behaving like a dog was because.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Because, you were acting?!
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt get to finish his sentence and simply stared at the Ogres face somewhat dazed and lost.
What.... what are those?
What are those wet spots forming around its eyes?
Huh. Huhuhuh....
Ive lived long enough to see an Ogre cry. I guess even monsters know how to shed tears, huh.
However, why is my own vision blurring from moisture right now? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly wiped away the waterworks blocking his view.
F*ck me. Did I just cry because I empathised with an Ogre? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Although his life couldnt have been called easy before Yi Ji-Hyuk entered the picture, now that the youth was actively ying a part, Choi Jung-Hoon was swimming in a hellish maze of various ulcer-inducingplications. Technically speaking, him being here on this ind was all wrong to begin with, since he wasnt even an ability user!
Youve been suffering a lot, Oh-Sik seongsaeng. (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL: seongsaeng = sensei)
Subconsciously, Choi Jung-Hoon extended his hand out, and Oh-Siks asrge-as-house hand was ced on top. The warmth transmitting from between the rough, bristle fur caused Choi Jung-Hoon to wipe the brimming tears off his eyes once more.
....And thats enough from both of you. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young clicked her tongue in annoyance as she red at the two people C no, one person and a monster feigning being in misery. There was a right time and ce for such things, after all.
And now wasnt that, since they had no idea when the dreaded Demon King would make his return. So, they couldnt afford to waste time.
We need to decide what we should do, right now. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureuk?
For now, Oh-Sik.... Mm, right. If you prefer Mister Oh-Sik, raise your right hand, and if you prefer Oh seongsaeng-nim, raise your left hand....
While saying that, Seo Ah-Young thought there was only a minute difference between the two honorifics, even from her point of view. To ask a monster to differentiate them might be a little....
Too bad for her, Seo Ah-Youngs needless worries crumbled to fine grains of dust the moment Oh-Sik slowly raised his right hand.
What the hell?! This b*stard, could he be smarter than me?! (Seo Ah-Young)
She felt a seed of distrust bloom in her heart. However, she also realised that there was no reason for her to mention this fact which might cause a instability to form within this hard-earned truce they shared.
You should decide on whether youll cooperate with us and make things a little bit easier for everyone.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureuk.
Or!! (Seo Ah-Young)
A dangerous fire burned in Seo Ah-Youngs eyes.
We start a revolution!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureureureuk?!
Oh-Sik flinched visibly and leaned his body back, distancing himself from Seo Ah-Young just a tad. Seeing this reaction, her eyes narrowed to a slit.
Is Yi Ji-Hyuk that scary?
No, wait. He is scary. Very, very scary.
I ept that. (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Even Seo Ah-Young felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine at least once everytime she saw that youth. However, she was a delicate flower of a woman, so that was understandable. But this guy here....
What a waste of such a big physique! What a waste!!
Seo Ah-Young red at the Ogre with an unimpressed facial expression, causing Oh-Sik to clear his throat, just like a human might, and sat upright once more. Watching him acting like this, one got the feeling that this Ogre had already stepped outside the boundaries of what made a monster, a monster.
Mister Oh-Sik, can youmunicate with your fellow monsters? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh-Sik took a nce to his rear and nodded his head. He could share a mental link with others since they all had the ve seal branded into their souls. That was the only nice thing about the d*mnable seal, actually.
Then, in that case, what are their opinions regarding this matter? (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureuk?
Are you going to keep living this way? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh-Sik shuddered from dread.
Doesnt this female know what a terrifying existence Yi Ji-Hyuk is? (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
....Actually, the Yi Ji-Hyuk Oh-Sik met in this world wasnt as terrifying as the one from the past C the man who was called the Bringer of Apocalypse. Heck, the Ogre sometimes had to question whether they were the same guy or not.
But, even then. Even if there was only one ten thousandth of the original Bringer of Apocalypse remaining in that guy, he was not someone you could rebel against. No, it was actually better to just ept your death, instead.
The number of creatures that lost favour with Yi Ji-Hyuk and ended up going through a cycle of a perpetual hell in a state neither dead nor alive, was high enough to fill up a small continent.
However....!
However, Oh-Sik couldnt continue living this way! He was an Ogre! A dang Ogre, for crying out loud! Not only that, he was the Ogre with the red fur, signifying his position as the king of all Ogres!
One roar of his, and the mountains and forests would tremble in fear; back in the demon world, no existence alive even dared to slight or ignore his presence!
But now, he was pathetically grovelling like an obedient pet dog!
No matter who the owner was, that was just....
Suddenly recalling Yi Ji-Hyuks countenance, moisture rapidly filled up Oh-Siks eyes.
Would there be a demon king out of several existing in the demon world capable of treating an Ogre like a pet dog?
Seriously now, at least one should guarantee the basic dignity of a life, regardless of whether one was strong or not. Didnt matter how scary Yi Ji-Hyuk was, considering the awfulness of treatment received so far, it would be only logical for the workers to go on strike a hundred times over.
Too bad, the real problem here was theck of methods avable.
This little human female simply had no idea how terrifying the ve seal could be. A being branded with the ve seal could never go against the one who....
Keureuk?
Oh-Sik tilted his head slightly.
Wait a minute. This is strange. (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
If the ve seal was branded properly, then Oh-Sik shouldnt even be capable of holding such thoughts. However, just because the owner wasnt here, he was dreaming of rebelling?
Perhaps, the seal wasntpleted?
A ray of hope shone brightly from Oh-Siks eyes.
Keureureureu!
Through his Growling, Oh-Sikmunicated with other monsters. Even they too were disying some hints of rebellion, as well. At this rate, although injuring him wouldnt be possible, couldnt they be able to physically restrain Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow?
Oh-Siksrger-than-average brain hurriedly kicked into gear and spun real fast.
He desperately crawled out of the demon world. Yet, to live just like before C no, worse than before, with no freedom whatsoever? No ways.
Oh-Sik made up his mind andmunicated with other monsters.
Soon, there was a bigmotion.
When the monsters began raising a visiblemotion, the ability users began inching away to safety and widened the distance.
Themotion died down eventually, and the monsters lowered their bodies in a tense atmosphere.
Keureuk.
Oh-Sik turned his head around and looked at Seo Ah-Young.
She could spy the unwavering determination taking root within those eyes.
However, you mustnt hurt other humans when you escape Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks control, okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh-Sik nodded his head.
As long as he could escape from being a dog/ve, that much was nothing.
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon approached Seo Ah-Young and whispered urgently to her ear.
What are you doing? They are monsters, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The enemy of my enemy is a friend, dont you know that? (Seo Ah-Young)
Even still! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Raging hot mes bellowed from her eyes.
You are only acting like this, because you havent been on the receiving end until now! Do you have any idea how insanely tough it was for us, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon?! (Seo Ah-Young)
I havent?!
Did you just say I have no idea?!
Im the worst affected among you, yet you say I havent been on the receiving end?!?!
Hang on a minute, Miss Director!! Watch what you say!! (Choi Jung-Hoons bitter inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon barely managed to suppress the tide of sorrowful tears and spat out a long groan.
Besides, this here is an uninhabited ind. We can just get their cooperation and abandon him here. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Or, if that doesnt work, make him cooperate willingly. (Seo Ah-Youngs cunning inner monologue)
Didnt matter who the opponent was C whether it be a monster or a devil, as long as words could get through, she could... use him!
Because, by her side, she had a man who just so happened to be the greatest expert of persuasion in the world.
Receiving Seo Ah-Youngs expectant and rather friendly stare, Choi Jung-Hoons entire body began squirming from fear and anxiety.
What now? Why are you looking at me with a face of Scrooge looking at a lot of money? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That is an apt description. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young smiled refreshingly, and shifted her gaze back to Oh-Sik.
So, how about it? Will you help us out? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh-Sik resolutely nodded his head.
There is one thing Im curious about, though.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureuk?
Im asking because I genuinely cant tell, but, if we cooperate together and start fighting him, will we be able to win? (Seo Ah-Young)
Suddenly, Oh-Siks entire body shuddered.
Fighting him?!
Fighting the Bringer of Apocalypse?!
He, the nightmare of Berafe, and the 99th Demon King, Yi Ji-Hyuk?! (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
Oh-Sik recalled Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance at the height of his power.
The appearance of a devil, rising up to the heavens with the wings of mes powerfully spreading out, whilemanding an army of hundreds of thousands of demonic creatures....
The walking, talking despair of a man, pouring out endless stream of spells as he emitted the dense Mana that even monsters found freakishly scary....
The overwhelming presence that couldnt be bested even after 12 main gods temporarily stopped their quarrel andbined their powers....
A human who was no longer a human; a devil who wasnt a devil.
The result should be simple: utter annihtion.
In the blink of an eye, he would shred them into tiny little pieces, not even their souls escaping his rage.
However....
What about now?
The Yi Ji-Hyuk of now wasughably weak whenpared to his old self as the Bringer of Apocalypse. Heck, the dirt trapped under the toenail of the old Yi Ji-Hyuk would be stronger than the current version.
In that case, wasnt this proposed rebellion totally doable?
When Oh-Sik thought about it some more, he remembered back to the time Yi Ji-Hyuk was beating him up in front of the power station. It hurt, but overall, the beating he received was tolerable.
If it was Yi Ji-Hyuk of old, then hed utterly roast Oh-Sik with mes straight out of hells depth by using... nothing more than a tiny sliver of Mana. That amount would be from Oh-Siks perspective, of course.
However, now?
Keureuk~.
Oh-Sik formed a toothy grin.
The one he served as his master back then, was an absolute sovereign. Apletely peerless being, feared by everyone and everything.
However, the Yi Ji-Hyuk of now was no such creature. Which meant that Yi Ji-Hyuk was now....
ROAR!!!
Oh-Sik raised his body up and roared out in anger.
....Yi Ji-Hyuk was a human! A measly little human!
A weak human, whose flesh he could rip apart so, so easily and a head that would simply pop like a balloon if Oh-Sik pinched it slightly!
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head in satisfaction after seeing this reaction.
So, you will be helping us, yes? Then, I will guarantee ces to live for all of you, as well as your food supply. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keureuk!!
Oh-Sik extended his hand out. Seo Ah-Young ced her hand on it and she shook it.
Yes!! For the first time since the birth of the Earth, humanity and monsters decided to work together as one. What a historical day it was.
Seo Ah-Young turned around and shouted at the other ability users.
Wevee to an understanding! Hence, I shall dere that on today, a new age has dawned for humanity!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hear, hear!
Its not like we are holding hostile intentions. However, it is impossible for us to continue living like this! The revolution always starts from the grassroots level, does it not?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Before you seed, itll be just a noisy rebellion, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that is true, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young replied offhandedly, before freezing on the spot.
That voice.... Havent I heard that many times before? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
While shaking like a leaf, she slowly turned her head around and spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk, busy patting the head of Oh-Sik the Ogre.
Yi, Yi Ji-Hyuk....?
Wait, wait! Why is he patting the head of the Ogre? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner confused inner monologue)
She then realised that Oh-Siks eyes were deeply bloodshot.
Woof!!
Yes, that mustve been it! Seo Ah-Young bit her lower lip and tensed up. As soon the Ogre initiate the first strike, she and her cohorts must lend their support right away!
Suddenly, Oh-Sik threw his body down to the ground. And then, exposed his belly. Both of his hands were gathered so obediently in front of his face as he began panting like a good dog.
Good boy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly rubbed the exposed tummy.
Ah..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Stop acting like that! With that big physique of yours!!
Not only does it look utterly disgusting, its actually terrifying, you know!
You even agreed to work with me just now, so stop wriggling in happiness like that!! Stop wagging your tail!!!!!!!!! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner screaming)
While rubbing Oh-Siks belly, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head and spoke, a brilliant smile still etched on his face.
So, what were you guys talking about just now? Whats this about revolution? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, that.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young desperately wracked her brain. Too bad, there was no way she couldvee up with a suitable excuse in such a short amount of time.
Choi Jung-Hoon studied the situation carefully, before stepping forward with a smooth, affable smile on his face. She was his superior office, after all C didnt matter whether he hated her guts or not.
Ahahaha. You see, a revolution is actually a good thing. Havent humanity advance forward all thanks to timely revolutions? ording to history books, at any rate. We were talking about that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, youre right. Revolutions are good, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in agreement.
Of course, it was a nice little diversion, this thing called revolution.
By the way, did you also know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That.... There is nothing more horrifying than the aftermath of a failed revolution?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Waves upon waves of terrifying aura gushed out from Yi Ji-Hyuk. Choi Jung-Hoon even thought that real, actual mes were bellowing out from the youths mouth.
History? Yes, history is fun! Now, let me teach you how wonderfully fun the terror of a despot can be!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Watching Yi Ji-Hyuk roar out after he blew his top, all Choi Jung-Hoon could do was to bitterly chuckle.
We are finished.
Huh.
Huhuhuhuh.....
< 80. Anyone unwilling to train? (5) > Fin.
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $25)
Chapter 81: What will happen if we enter there? (1)
Chapter 81: What will happen if we enter there? (1)
[Usually, a serial murder case would ur around a single region. But the current string of murders, all believed to be rted, are happening all over the country. The number of confirmed victims have ballooned to 15, but the police have determined that there could be more unidentified victims still unounted for. The unknown suspect is still atrge....]
Just what is this worlding to.... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk frowned deeply while watching the TV. The shocking news of the ongoing serial murders was dominating both the online and offline world. Literally, everyone was talking about it C wherever a group of people gathered for some reason, gossip rted to the murders would be discussed ad nauseam.
Some people were beginning to suspect that the perpetrator could very well be an ability user.
This just so happened to be the first murder case with so many victims since the Hwaseong serial murders, so understandably, the attention of the entire nation was focused on the progress of the investigation. (TL note at the end)
Park Seon-Duk spat out a long groan and grabbed her phone. Whenever she saw this kind of news, she couldnt help but worry about her son.
She dialled the number, and soon enough, got to hear his voice on the other side of the line.
C M, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ji-Hyuk-ah, you got to work no problem, right? Did anything strange happen on the way? (mom)
C Nah, nothing happened. Theres nothing much that can happen, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Euh... Uwaaaahck?!?!!!
C S, save me!!! Help!!
Park Seon-Duk shivered from shock when several screams could be heard in the background.
W, what was that just now?! (mom)
C Mm? Oh, that? Dont worry. Its nothing important. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C How is this not importannnnnnntttt.......
C You abominable devil.....!!!
C Argh, you guys are noisy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right after Park Seon-Duk heard her son shout out in irritation, she heard what kind of sounded like a chain of explosions going off. Then, the other side of the line quietened down rather eerily all of a sudden.
C Mm. Mom? We can talk now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well, uhm.... I just wanted to confirm that everythings alright. I mean, theres this ongoing serial murder case to worry about, and I feel so uneasy nowadays, too. (mom)
C Eii, mom. You shouldnt be worried about me. Instead, you should worry about the other guy running into me, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When she heard that, she couldnt help but agree.
There was no need to worry about a boy who would still crawl out from the depth of the Mariana Trench even if someone chucked him in there.
Im worried about Ye-Won, too. Honestly, Im anxious. (mom)
C Im pretty sure that the day my sister runs into the serial killer will be the day the serial killing case is resolved for good, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre still her older brother, so dont say stuff like that! You should worry about your sibling a little more! (mom)
C Weve moved our home, so theres nothing to worry about, right? Which crazy serial killer would willingly enter our restricted area? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is also true.... (mom)
C Mom, its like youre worrying more and more about minor things nowadays. You must be bored out of your mind, doing nothing at home the whole day. How about, you know, you opening up a new deli or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let me rest for a little while longer. Your mom has a n. (mom)
C Got it, mom. I gotta go back to work, so talk to youter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. Work hard, son. (mom)
....Wait, did he say work?
What work is he talking about? Besides all that, myzy boy is actually working?
Just what kind of work is he doing? (moms stunned inner monologue)
*
Myrades. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes exuded dangerous glint.
The aura oozing from his eyes, now burning in the light of madness and bloodthirst, possessed a rather scary effect that forced everyone to nearly wet themselves the moment they locked gazes with him.
Whenbined with the youths sharply creased and arching brows, his mighty aura grew even more overwhelming, to the point where a regr person might lose control of their bowels right then and there.
I have been benevolent to you,dies and gentlemen. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Benevolent?! Kiss my a*s....
You Hitler-wannabe!
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became sharper.
Huh, I can hear some of you busy badmouthing me over there!
What a freakish sense of hearing!
You dont even want me to think, do you?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued on while decisively ignoring all the voices of dissension.
I did my best to respect your basic human rights. However, I cannot hide my profound grief after you replied my diligence with this horrible, heartbreaking action of defiance. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a pitiful bark of a small dog*
Yi Ji-Hyuk then kicked Oh-Sik, currently trapped under his foot and whimpering pathetically.
Ggegeng!!
Oh-Sik was beaten to within an inch of his life for trying to betray his master. Not only that, almost every drop of Mana was sucked out of him, causing a massive decrease in his overall size, Now, he was no bigger than a small puppy. Hey on the ground while tears streamed out of his eyes.
Youre also a part of this problem! A dog wouldnt bite the hand that feeds it, yet you still think of rebelling against me after I fed you with all that pet food?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, you only bought me one measly bag, though.... (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
Oh-Sik couldve made a retort there, since he had been procuring his own meals by threatening the members of NDF until now. However, arguing about the finer points with someone whockedmon sense would only make the Ogres innards rot from frustration, so he gave up.
Well, he couldnt speak in the first ce, so there was that, too.
I shall take full responsibility for forgetting the important fact that foundation for human rights and democracy is strict education. In that context, I now know that what you need is a strict and even stricter education than ever before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Behind Yi Ji-Hyuk, one could see various monsters with their heads buried in the sand; beneath his foot, Oh-Siky sprawling on the ground, sobbing with a sorrowful face.
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head around and red at them, causing the monsters to flinch and shiver in fear.
Since there werent a lot of them here, he had deliberately weakened the influence of the ve seal, so they could make some decisions without bothering him. But, to think, they would go and cook up a dang coup detat instead!
And the wise old they once said that there was not one person, no, one monster, worthy of trust in this world!
On either side of him were Doh Gah-Yun, who hadnt participated in the coup attempt for some reason, and Jeong Hae-Min, who had to y the teleport shuttle and thus couldnt participate even if she wanted to.
And in front of them were the group of wannabe revolutionaries who had been decimated in the aftermaths of the coup that couldnt even get going in the first ce.
I shall solemnly swear that, by ingraining this failure deep within my heart, I shall not fail again and make you go through an even stricter and even more tortu..... Ahem, I mean, even more thorough training regime! In other words, stricter discipline, and stern, no-holds-barred treatment! To make sure you,dies and gentlemen, will not be able to harbour any other distracting thoughts! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You son of a b*tch!
What more do you want from us?!
Desire to beat Yi Ji-Hyuk up to a bloody pulp boiled in the hearts of everyoneying defeated on the ground.
Also, they thought that he wouldvepletely looked the part if he had grown a slimy handlebar mustache and was busy twirling it while cackling ominously.
However, there were two odd men among the crowd who couldnt quite partake in the heat of the boiling resentment.
The first person was none other than Kitamura Ren, who had done nothing but still somehow was forced into the role of a member of the disciplinarymittee. He was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, in other words. And then....
What the, why am I even here....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Although he wanted to say it out aloud, even he could tell this wasnt the right situation to tell the youth, Leave me out of this.
....And then, of course. The other person was Choi Jung-Hoon, standing a bit of a distance away and unable to interfere in any capacity whatsoever.
Indeed, what am I even doing here, I wonder? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon maintained a distance that was neither too far nor too close, while he tried to figure out the purpose of his existence in this ce. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk picked up Oh-Sik by the scruff of his neck.
Uh-whew. What should I even do with this one? I cant even devour this b*stard.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper~....
Oh-Sik opened his clear, shiny eyes wide and began his kawaii attack!
Oh my gosh! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min cried out inadvertently after finding this appearance just too cute. Unfortunately for the Ogre, though C such an attack would only work on a sane-minded human being.
Better lower your eyes or else! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The kawaii puppy dog eyes attack was ineffective!
Oh-Sik pouted and sullenly lowered his eyes.
I didnt kill you, but gave you food and a ce to call home. Yet, you dare to betray me, your master?! Seriously! Have you forgotten how nicely Ive been treating you?! Hah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Treating me nicely?
Nicely?!
Oh-Sik tilted his head this way and that.
Am I not understanding his words properly?
No, that cant be it....
The creatures of demon world, like myself, dont hear the words, but directly understand the meanings behind them. So, theres no way I dont understand him. (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
What? Whats the up with that expression of yours, ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
This guy here, he....
If I argue with him, hes gonna beat me up, but if I dont argue back, then....
If I dont argue, hes gonna beat me up less, so I better not say anything. Argh, whats the point of nitpicking with this guy, anyway? (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
Even as Oh-Siks shoulders drooped low, Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy ring at the creature in a barely-contained rage.
Haaaah. You ungrateful little.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just how should he go about roasting this fool here, so that the infamy of todays events spreads as far and as wide as possible, until he even got a segment on the local news bulletin?!
Seriously now, he went easy on the Ogre as well as everyone else since he wanted to research a bit more about Ether and all, yet what a bunch of ungrateful children they were!!
A, actually.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began a small but necessary fightback.
The training is too difficult.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Too difficuuuult?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes flipped open real wide while his jaw nearly dropped to the ground.
Too difficult? What? This?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I mean, weve been fighting all this time without taking a single break, so.... And we couldnt sense ourselves getting stronger, either.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Ahh, so thats what this was all about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began nodding theatrically.
You all couldnt sense yourselves getting stronger! Which means, you want to be stronger even faster, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
AHH?!
Wowsers. You wanted to desperately be stronger so you tried to rebel against me. I know very well how you feel. No, really. That feeling ofmitment, ready to throw everything away in order to be stronger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no, hang on a minute! Thats not.... (Seo Ah-Young)
What?! How did things end up in this direction? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Now beset with an encroaching sense of fear, Seo Ah-Young urgently shifted her gaze towards Choi Jung-Hoon. And when she saw his pitying expression, she was ovee with a realisation that she mightve said something she shouldnt have in the first ce.
You were all so desperate, yet I failed to notice it! In that case, I must meet your expectations! I shall make you really strong! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Noo! Hold on, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Thats not what I meant!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Dont you worry about a thing. Anyways, since you staked your lives in order to be stronger, theres nothing you wont do, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just who staked their lives here?
I certainly aint one of them!! (Seo Ah-Youngs desperate inner monologue)
I didnt stake my life, though?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Its only obvious that the failed revolutionaries would be skinned alive during the interrogation!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You heartless devil!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Rest easy, for I am a truly magnanimous being. That is why I shall bestow unto you a fabulous opportunity. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sooo, lets see now....
The ce I can connect from here is....
Hmmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ending his Scan, Yi Ji-Hyuk began deliberating. Since it wouldnt do at all if the ce he chose was too dangerous, he had to be careful when selecting the most suitable candidate....
Then, from Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand, considerable amount of Mana poured out and drew a circle full of mystical runes, before a huge ck hole opened its maws there.
Allow me to present you with an opportunity to be much, much stronger!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs body involuntarily shivered after instinctively sensing the chillingly-real madness in his voice.
What could that ck hole possibly be?
Well, those who wish to be stronger, step inside. Dont be shy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What if you dont want to be stronger?! (Seo Ah-Young)
You only have two choices!! Either you be stronger, or die like a dog! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey!! Even SAT questions have four choices to choose from, you know!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Its five, actually.
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips formed a smirk.
Do not worry. You will be stronger for sure. As a matter of fact, you will all be surprised by the rapid growth of your strength. Of course, there is a tiny little bit of price to pay, but, well, that much shouldnt be.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk softly muttered As long as you dont die.... at the end of his sentence. But that soft murmur still managed tond with vengeance in the ear canals of everyone listening.
They all felt chills run down their spine.
Y, you want us to walk in there? (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course. You think I opened this thing so you can admire its beauty or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What will happen if we enter there? (Seo Ah-Young)
A brand new world will open up right before your eyes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was as he said. He wasnt exaggerating one bit. After all, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a forthright man, wasnt he!
While carrying the airborne warp gate with one hand, he sneakily approached the ability users.
Ovee with the instinctive fear, the users began hastily running away.
Euh-ahahah!!
Never!! I will never goooo!!
What the hell is the meaning of this sh*t?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Ah, how tumultuous the road of education sometimes can be!
Im sincerely trying to make them stronger, yet they hate it so much.... Now I kinda understand why teachers wanna kill themselves sometimes....
Oops, shouldnt be wasting time like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Several ck tentacles extended out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body and began picking up each and every escapee, before throwing them inside the warp gate. It was as if the tentacles were busy picking ripe apples from the trees and throwing them into a collection basket.
Terrified screams continued to resound out one after the other.
After throwing every ability user in the gate, Yi Ji-Hyuk surveyed his surroundings. The remaining ones were....
The enved monsters, Jeong Hae-Min, Doh Gah-Yun, and....
W, why are you looking at me for?! I am a powerless normal person, you know!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, you are indeed not an ability user. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon desperately tried to argue his case.
Doesnt matter what mybel is, I wont be of any help even if I go over there! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Still, it might be a little more helpful for them, if you did follow, dont you think so? One more pair of hands sure could prove to be a difference, after all.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If, if Im not here, then who would brew coffee for you?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm?
A, and, wholl squeeze fresh juice, too?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmmmmm!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In order for you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, to enjoy afortable and good life, my continued existence here is a must, you see! S, so! Please, think this over carefully! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Keuh!
Indeed, his words were correct.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around while licking his lips, Choi Jung-Hoon plopped down to the floor as if all the umted tension leaked out of him in an instant. Also, unexinable sorrow rushed in, as well.
Even though he was trying to survive here, the pride of being one of Koreas top elite was shattered into tiny little pieces as he realised he just volunteered his services as a lowly cook.
What was the meaning of his life now?
Oh, dear mother....
By the way, where did everyone go? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I told you. To a brand new world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A... brand new world? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, to a wonderful ce. A beautiful ce, indeed!
A ce so wondrous that, when they return, they would think Earth is paradise inparison!
But... they wont die over there, right?
Hmm. They might die.
....Argh, who cares. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled in leisure andy down on the beach chair.
I mean, what is life? Its just a game of chances, man.
If they survive and get stronger, theyll thank me for it. But, if they die over there, well, they wont get to see an even worse situation unfolding this side, so they should still thank me for that, too.
Dont you think so?
< 81. What will happen if we enter there? (1) > Fin.
(TL: The Hwaseong serial murders was an unsolved series of killings that took ce between September of 1986 and April 1991 in the city of Hwaseong. There were ten identified victims, all killed with the same M.O. The case remains very famous in Korea to this day, and it even inspired several movies and Kdramas, the most recent one being OCNs Tunnel.)
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $25.)
Chapter 82: What will happen if we enter there? (2)
Chapter 82: What will happen if we enter there? (2)
I dont need to go? (Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun asked, and in reply, Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly seeped on his coffee.
Yep. No need for you to go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why not? (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
There was this thing called sses back in Berafe. And, the notion of sses also existed within Earths ability users.
Technically speaking, Doh Gah-Yun was an assassin ss.
But, the truth was, no matter how good she was dealing with humans, there was a limit she couldnt ovee when it came to fighting monsters.
Well, itll be useless, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
Dont worry about it. I mean, look at that human baggage we have over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey! Im not a human baggage! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Having been demoted to the role of human baggage in an instant, Jeong Hae-Min angrily rushed to him to lodge her protest, before rolling away in an unsightly manner after Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly smacked her on the head.
What is wrong with that girls personality, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about your personality, then? (Gah-Yuns inner retort)
Gah-Yun deeply suppressed the urge to hit him with a legitimate and very pertinent question. Well, there was no need to voice her feelings at this point in time, anyways.
Useless? I am? (Gah-Yun)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Gah-Yun could only bite her lip at his prompt reply.
I see. (Gah-Yun)
She nodded her head very slightly and stood there in silence. Seeing this, Jeong Hae-Min stopped rubbing her sore forehead and began pointing her fingers at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hey, how can you say something like that?! Shes not useless, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
I only said useless because its the truth. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is no useless person in this world, dont you know that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh? But, we have one right here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You mean, me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Heh. You are pretty quick on the uptake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head as if he was praising her or something, Jeong Hae-Min reddened up in fury and began throwing sand at him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk covered his drink and stopped the sand from entering the cup, while a deep frown formed on his face.
Have you made enough money until now? Because, if you dont start behaving soon, the hospital fee after I beat you up good will be considerable, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah? Dont worry, cuz Im gonna sue you for it! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thats only if you can actually make it to yourwyers first! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmph! Who says our Gah-Yun is useless? Dont you know how important her role is? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?
What is so important, as you say? Isnt she someone who only knows how to follow people around, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T, that is important too, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled and leaned against the deck chair.
Yup, yup. There is no useless person in the world, sure. Even the homeless bum you find sleeping in the subway station is important, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop being sarcastic, will you?! You really have a twisted personality, dont you!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Not as bad as a certain shortys, though. Hey, since you havent shown up on TV for a few days, surely most people have forgotten about you by now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min shuffled towards the shade under a tree, hugged her knees, and began darkly murmuring Thats not true, thats not true, repeatedly to herself. Seeing this, all Yi Ji-Hyuk could do was to spat out a lengthy groan.
....Useless, I tell ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He shook his head and shifted his gaze away, only to find Doh Gah-Yun still standing on the exact same spot as before.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that she still had something to say.
I wish to be useful. (Gah-Yun)
Mm?
A useful, effective human. (Gah-Yun)
Tsk.
You should focus on what youre good at. Different people have different uses, see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uses? (Gah-Yun)
No matter how hard you try, youll never win against him over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At the ce Yi Ji-Hyuk was pointing to, there was a small puppy-like animal busy licking its own palm.
So cute. (Gah-Yun)
Even Doh Gah-Yun found herself being sucked into the shaggy-tastic-ness of the creature.
However, that was only for a second!
That thing was still a dang Ogre!
Even though it looked like that now, that thing was a mighty creature that could rip her apart with nothing but its fingernails!
If she somehow grew stronger, could she be able to fight and win against an Ogre?
Impossible.
She didnt want to, but she had to ept the fact.
Heres the thing, though. Lets say that Seo Ah-Young bes strong enough to beat Oh-Sik. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng.
In that case, does that mean you cant beat Seo Ah-Young anymore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Thats not true, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm....
Didnt matter how strong Seo Ah-Young got, as long as Gah-Yun found an opening, shed be able to stick a knife on the me Witchs back.
You should consider thepatibility between different sses. In other words, focus on what you do best. Nothing will change even if you go over to that side and ughter hundreds of monsters. The important thing is this C you want to be useful? Then, focus on developing your own strengths. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ah.
Gah-Yun stood there, her lips bobbing up and down, apparently still wanting to say something. But she shut her mouth and nodded her head.
Oh well. Even if you try, itll still be useless, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd be so much nicer if you didnt add any unnecessaryments that just p*ss people off even more, though!
No, wait C instead of nicer, youde off less like an a*shole! (Gah-Yuns inner monologue)
What needs to be done, to develop my strengths? (Gah-Yun)
Continue with what youve been doing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed back at the jungle.
Its not that youre slow, you simply cant sense the presence. The moment when you can perfectly sense the presence of the b*stard entering your sensory space, then youd have ascended to the next level. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun walked over to the jungles entrance as soon as they finished talking. Meanwhile, Jeong Hae-Min approached Yi Ji-Hyuks side with a depressed face.
What about me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Theres nothing you can do. Oh, but you can fetch me some popcorn, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop thaaaat and be serious! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just go and practice dancing or something! You always get your choreography wrong, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.
Yi Ji-Hyuk flinched.
Did I go overboard just now?
I mean, shes still a reliable shuttle that ensures my timely departure and arrival at home and all, so....
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to say something to soothe her, but then, Jeong Hae-Min rushed towards him with a pair of sparkling eyes.
You, youve secretly saw me performing on stage, havent you!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thats not iiittt?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How did she go from here to there?!
What kind of a development is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuks dumbfounded inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hastily tried to push away Jeong Hae-Mins face away from him.
Hey, get away from me! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You are one of those abrasive on the outside, but cares a lot inside type, arent you? So? How was it? Did you like the concert? (Jeong Hae-Min) (TL: My editor said, hes a tsundere! LOL.)
Like? Like my a*s, you fool! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked Jeong Hae-Min in the a*s and got up from the deck chair while breathing heavily.
Not one person is sane in this ce! Not even one! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Eii, Ill give you a signed CD if you say you liked what you saw, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What should I do with a c**p that no one wants to buy, even on eB*y?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....It wont sell? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min got depressed again. Seeing that extreme swing in her moods, Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out yet another groan.
Seriously now, one should know how to be crazy in moderation.
Hey,e over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?
You asked me about how you can get stronger just now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ng?
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Mins eyes grew extrarger with worry in that moment, and she quickly asked him.
To where? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What do you mean, where? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A sinister smile crept up on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
Were going on a tour, thats what. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....A tour of Korea? (Jeong Hae-Min)
No~pe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T, then, to where? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grasped the back of her neck and lifted her up.
For now, lets go to the nearest ce from here C to the USA! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How is that the nearest ce?! Are you crazy? (Jeong Hae-Min)
People talk about that ce the most, so it must be the nearest! Okay, lets get going, Miss Shuttle! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What kind of bullsh*t logic was this?!
Dont you even know whatmon sense is?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Dunno, but it doesnt affect my everyday life in the slightest, so its all good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, but! You seem to be affected pretty badly to me, though?!
You cant say youre fine and dandy when you behave like this in public!
A human being should have some conscience, right?! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner screaming)
Jeong Hae-Min spat out a long groan with a distorted face. This guy here, he was the type who would do what he said hed do.
Better shut up and just do as told.
So, where in the USA? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Lets go to their capital! Off to New York! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh. Uhm....
Ive got a ton of things to retort with, but I cant.
I cant tell where I should even begin....
Okay, lets see. I should say.... (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Hmm. Ive got lots of fans in New York, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When she saw how unsightly Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled, she quickly averted her gaze.
Maybe that wasnt it?
Should I help you with making new fans in the middle of an African savannah, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im very sorry. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Poof.
As Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min disappeared from the spot, they left behind a lone man who was standing there shaking in his boots.
W, what about me....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Why am I guarding this ind in the middle of nowhere all by myself....?
There is only Doh Gah-Yun here, somewhere, but thats pretty much the same thing as having nobody around you....
No, Id actually prefer being alone at this point. So why.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Keureureuk. (Oh-Sik)
....Why did you leave me behind along with your monster pals?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk was gone, therge monsters began to inch towards him. Seeing this, Choi Jung-Hoons entire body began trembling in fear.
This, this is so wrong.
You guys, why are youing in closer to me?
You all trying to get friendly?
Or.... Maybe? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Are you... hungry? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Keureuk. (Oh-Sik)
Did the monster nod its head? Or was he imagining things?
Really hungry? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Keureuk. (Oh-Sik)
Ahh, so, they are hungry. Indeed, it was hunger.
In that case, you should eat, then. As for the food.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Oh-Sik stared at Choi Jung-Hoon and began drooling.
....Me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahh. So, its me. Im the food. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Despair rapidly dyed Choi Jung-Hoons face.
*
Poof.
Argh. Im too forgetful, arent I? Dang it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reappeared on the ind along with Jeong Hae-Min. Heined while walking towards the makeshift tent.
I forgot all about their food. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He shouldve thought about tossing some food in the warp gate along with the ability users, since they were in a ce with practically nothing to eat for humans. If he was a second too slow, they mightve died of starvation, instead.
So, like, where is the food.... Food.... Uh? What is that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spotted a big bonfire burning in front of the tent just over yonder.
Ng?
Why is there a fire over there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah, I wonder. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Did someone start a campfire?
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked over to the campfire and ended up witnessing something rather peculiar: the bare-chested Choi Jung-Hoon was desperately stirring the contents of arge pot as if his life depended on it.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And surrounding him was a cordon of drooling monsters, evidently waiting for something.
The sight of sweating Choi Jung-Hoon looked rather manly as he continuously stirred the contents of the pot.
It seemed that a handsome man could make any bizarre sight attractive to ones eyes.
What are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As soon as he spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk, Choi Jung-Hoon ran very hard and jumped on the youth with tears and snot covering his face.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wail~~~!!
What the?! Hey, whats the matter with you, man? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They, they wanna... They want to eat me!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh?
So, let me get this straight.... They were trying to eat you alive, so in order to keep living, you began cooking every ingredient you could find in this ce and try to serve them that?
What rubbish is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
These guys, they cant eat humans, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Obviously, I made sure to ce restrictions on such things. Isnt that, like, the basics? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Oh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why are you wasting time doing something useless? And also.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk beckoned Oh-Sik over, and then pped the monsters head, hard.
Ggegeng!!
Cheeky little b*stard, busy teasing a poor guy like that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After receiving the blow, Oh-Sik trembled pathetically and then,y down on the sandy ground while exposing its belly.
What the? You trying to appeal to my sympathetic side or something? I shoulda just hit you some more.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, but, why is this thing so cute?
Its still an Ogre, though.
Okay, should I take this opportunity and adopt a baby Ogre as a pet? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue) (TL: I thought Oh-Sik is your pet already? What gives?)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk stood there and seriously deliberated on his future ns, Choi Jung-Hoon copsed to the ground while swallowing his tears.
What was the point of his desperate struggle up until just now?!
Seriously, he nearly wet himself whenever a monster near him disyed even the faintest hint of licking its lips.
He wanted to keep breathing for as long as he could, so he vishly cooked for these bunch of dang monsters, yet it was all for nothing?
....Sob.
Sensing the heaviness of Choi Jung-Hoons despair, Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Even this guy is gradually bing an idiot, isnt he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and entered the tent, only to have his eyes open up wide in surprise.
What the hell? Where did all the grub disappear to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The majority of the canned food he had Jeong Hae-Min bring over here in case people got hungry, were missing.
....They ate them all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that Yi Ji-Hyuk thought about it, he also forgot to feed the monsters as well.
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof?
Stop eating human food and go catch a whale or something if youre starving. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Woof!
Yi Ji-Hyuk figured that this should suffice.
He then reopened the warp gate and chucked in the remaining cans there, before closing it again. The rest was up to their fate.
Now that he took care of things, Yi Ji-Hyuk called Jeong Hae-Min over.
Okay, lets get going again! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W, wait! Take me with you, too!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon clung on to Yi Ji-Hyuks leg and begged.
Dont leave me alone here! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why are you acting like a little kid?! Youre a grown-a*s ahjussi, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you insane b*stard!!
You think being an ahjussi is the problem, when you left me behind with no one besides these monsters on an uninhabited ind?!
This ahjussi is still a human being, too!!!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Please!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, okay. Gee whiz. Hey, lets take along this dude, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....In that case, tell him to put his shirt back on. Oh, and wipe away all that sweat, too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Youre right. Hes a bit unhygienic, isnt he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Sob.
Sorrow rushed in like a tidal wave, but what could Choi Jung-Hoon even do?
A short whileter, Jeong Hae-Min, along with Yi Ji-Hyuk and the freshly-washed Choi Jung-Hoon, teleported away. The ind descended into eerie quietness afterwards.
***
Where is the promised support?! (Jeong In-Soo)
They said that they are on the way!!
What?! The Gate is about to open up right now!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo shouted out loudly as he fixed his gaze on the Level 5 Gate that looked as if itd open up at any moment.
Contact Mister Choi Jung-Hoon on the phone. I want to talk to him! (Jeong In-Soo)
He said hes on the way....
I heard you the first time, so just call him already, you moron! (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes, sir.
Before that, though, he heard a voiceing from his behind.
Were here, so theres no need for that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo rejoiced and turned around to find Yi Ji-Hyuk and the NDF agents.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! The Gate is about to open up!! No, wait! Its already opened!! Look!! (Jeong In-Soo)
As Jeong In-Soo pointed at the Gate, it vibrated and hummed noisily, before opening uppletely. Monsters began pouring out in droves.
Please, do som.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Shush.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped Jeong In-Soo mid-speech and formed a smirk. Then he bravely stepped forward.
I really....
....Wanted to say this at least once in my life! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
For a Gate, a gate is the answer! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Time to show what fighting fire with fire truly means!
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jet-ck Mana poured out from Yi Ji-Hyuks hands and began constructing strange runes in the air C before they all condensed and spread out to form a big ck warp gate.
....The indomitable warriors returning from the pits of hell!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Vuoong!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks gate buzzed softly, and then, several dark human-shaped shadows leaped out from there.
Uwaaaaaaah!!
Where is Yi Ji-Hyuk?! Where is that motherf*cker?!
Ill kill him!! Hes dead!!
Even the monsters flinched after witnessing the vicious and barbaric aura emitting from these people.
The ones busy searching for Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped the moment they saw the monsters. Then, their eyes began shining in a dangerous light as they began crying out in unison.
MEAT!! Its meaaaaat!!!
....Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon began wiping away the unending stream of tears wetting his face.
What a sad and pitiful group of people.... Just what did they go through over there....
In this world, some things were better off not knowing.
< 82. What will happen if we enter there? (2) > Fin.
Chapter 83: What will happen if we enter there? (3)
Chapter 83: What will happen if we enter there? (3)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took one look at the tattered state of the emerging ability users and tilted his head in confusion.
Whats the matter with them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, them looking tattered were all within his calctions. No, it was actually par for the course. However, his issue here was with the type of tattering.
He wouldve been able to understand if their clothing were torn and damaged, and if their bodies bore the remnants of terrible wounds from fighting the endless stream of monsters day in and day out in that hellhole. However, their clothing seemed worn out, instead.
That kind of wear and tear was possible only when one wore the same clothing for months on end.
Seeing their ragged and worn out attire, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but feel that he had forgotten about something rather important.
Huh? Mm? ....Ah? Ohh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohh, thats right!
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly pped his hands.
Now that he thought about it, he had spent over 1000 years in Berafe yet only five years passed by on this side. He had forgotten to consider the difference in the flow of time!
He just threw these poor suckers into the demon world without even thinking about it!
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly.
Oops. My bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oops?! Oops my a*s!!! You rotten son of a b*tch!!
Euhwaaaaah!! Kill that a*shole!!!
Kill that motherf*cker!!
The exploding fury and the deep resentments of his victims poured out like tsunami waves and crashed on Yi Ji-Hyuk, but he simply shrugged his shoulders.
Hmm. I see that you all got a bit stronger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young, standing at the far back, red at the youth with bloodshot eyes.
You son of a.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Ehheii!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly stepped in front of her to stop, and her bloodthirsty eyes shifted their aim over to him, instead.
What now?! What do you want?! Ahh?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hul....... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Her unusually vicious response, and that venomous expression etched on her face, forced the clearly-shocked Choi Jung-Hoon back by several steps.
Im gonna rip that b*stard into pieces!! Dont you dare stop me!! (Seo Ah-Young)
I dont know what happened to you all, but for now, please calm down first!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Calm down? Did you just tell me calm the eff down?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Im not the one who did you wrong, though!! Why are you getting p*ssed off at me for?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
As Choi Jung-Hoon began shedding bucket loads of cold sweat, Yi Ji-Hyuk was whistling out in leisure, before a bright grin formed on his face.
Come on now, a guy can make a mistake every now and then, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A mistaaaaaake?!?! (the NDF agents)
Undisguised killing intent filled up the returning ability users expressions.
Well, you shouldnt be worrying about me, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then did Seo Ah-Young remember the monsters still pouring out from the Gate just over yonder. Even if most of her reasoning had gone bye-bye, that didnt mean she had forgotten why she went through that hell in the first ce.
Lets take care of this mess first. (Seo Ah-Young)
Roger!
As soon as Seo Ah-Young issued an order, the NDF ability users got into position in perfect sync and pounced on the monster horde.
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched the event unfold with a genuinely interested expression on his face. He was able to sense that these people had gotten stronger, but seeing them in action was by far the best way to gauge the the actual amount of improvement.
Park Sung-Chan was running ahead of everyone else; as he ran, he suddenly lowered his body as if to touch the ground. Then, his body began rotating and he mmed into a monster in front. The chest cavity of the monster exploded as it flew away like a bullet.
The flying monster crashed and blew away others of ilk behind it, creating an open space for the Spitfire to jump in and began pouring out literal rivers of swirling mes.
Meanwhile, the user named Rudra floated up over the Spitfires head, manipted the air current, and spread the mes out even wider.
In the meantime, Seo Ah-Young was getting ready to fire a stupefyingly massive attack by gathering arge amount of mes in her hands.
Get out of the way! (Seo Ah-Young)
The monster horde was inplete disarray as the winds carrying the mes swept over them, failing to detect in time the reddish ming sun created by Seo Ah-Young rapidly descending on them.
Seeing all of these things unfold, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head again.
They did get stronger, for sure, but the overall direction of their growth seemed a wee bit off kilter.
What he wanted to see was the increase in the individualbat prowess, but it seemed that their teamwork and cooperation had gotten much slicker, instead.
Of course, they did get stronger individually, but still....
Oh, well. This is fine, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The world never really spun ording to ones wishes anyways. It was still a good thing if these people did get stronger in one way or the other.
*SFX for massive mes bellowing out*
After the red ming sun exploded in the midst of the monster horde, the only thing remaining in the aftermaths was ck ash.
Not even the half of the ability users stepped out, yet more than 50% of the massive monster horde emerging from the Level 5 Gate was wiped out in an instant. Even the remaining monsters were being swiftly taken care of by other users not participating in that coordinated attack.
Compared to how badly they struggled to even deal with the simr Level 5 Gates in the past, this was an incredible improvement, without a doubt. Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in approval at this disy.
Yup, now thats what Im talking about.
By the way.... Uhm...
Why are they all looking at me like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Finally realising that their eyes emitting dangerous light were now focused on him, Yi Ji-Hyuk surveyed his immediate vicinity and found that, even before he had noticed it, not one person was standing near him anymore. That included the De soldiers. Even Choi Jung-Hoon was no exception, as he stood far away while observing the situation develop.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What could be the reason for this reaction?
Mister. Yi. Ji. Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Her voice full of naked hostility, Seo Ah-Young red at Yi Ji-Hyuk while slowly opening her trembling lips.
So. Tell. Us. The. Reason. (Seo Ah-Young)
What reason? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reason why you threw us in that ce for half a year. (Seo Ah-Young)
Half a year? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh. Thats longer than I thought.
Its only been what, a week over here? Yet it was half a year for them over there. Whats the difference in time flow, then?
Is it around 20 to 1?
Hah! Thats nothing but a childs y! I mean, my difference was like over 200 to 1!
If I had sent you lot over to Berafe, it wouldve been five whole years, not half a year! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh well. As long as you got stronger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You saying that after abandoning us for half a year?! (Seo Ah-Young)
I told you, a guy can make mistakes every now and then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mistaaaaakes?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Is he iming that he made a mistake, when he threw us into that hell for half a year?!
Does he even have any idea just what kind of horror we had to go through to survive in that ce?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
A mistake.... Its a mistake, he said.... (Seo Ah-Young)
With an embarrassed expression on his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk added something else in his defense.
Thats why I made sure to send over some food whenever I had the chance, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, other ability users standing guard behind Seo Ah-Young began piping up one by one after hearing his defense.
Yeah, that was like a blessing from the heavens.
Food was literally falling from the sky.
I almost cried whenever we couldnt get the timing right and monsters ended up eating our precious food. My food, from various parts of the world!!
What are you even on about? Didnt you kill that monster, split its belly open and took out the food before eating it?
But, the taste was way too different, you know!!
Seo Ah-Young shouted at them in anger.
Shut up! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam.
She easily subdued the noisy bunch behind her and resumed ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
About once every ten days, food from various countries around the world fell from the sky in droves. It it werent for these timely supply drops, they wouldnt even be here right now.
But, that didnt mean she was thankful, though!
There was no freaking way shed be thankful. No way in hell!!
Those types of food, shed been able to eat them no problem in this world, anyway!!
However, she couldnt figure out the reason for the variety of food falling on them. Was he trying to feed them with varied but bnced diet of nutrients or something?
What were you doing while we were gone? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, uh, this and that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young red at Yi Ji-Hyuk as he blurred the end of his sentence, before abruptly switching her attention to Choi Jung-Hoon, instead.
Understandably, Choi Jung-Hoon fell into a deep dilemma as the pressure from Seo Ah-Youngs silent re and Yi Ji-Hyuks whistling inundated him. Thankfully, he was able to find the bestest, most optimal answer avable.
He was on a sightseeing tour of the world. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup, time to rat his a*s out, then.
The ends of Seo Ah-Youngs lips twitched rather violently.
*SFX for teeth gnashing*
Oh, so you threw us into the pits of hell, and went on a rxing sightseeing holiday, did you? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
You are right. Anyone can make mistakes. (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats what Ive been saying all along. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, we can also make mistakes, correct? (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh?
As soon as Seo Ah-Young finished speaking, the NDF users began surrounding Yi Ji-Hyuk, leaving no room to escape.
Oh, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned like a fool and spoke.
You wanna kill me, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young corrected him.
No ways. Its true that weve be stronger, after all. Just like you promised. (Seo Ah-Young)
Indeed, that was the truth.
Trapped in a world so dark, where the darkness made identifying things nigh on impossible for the naked eye, they encountered and fought many terrifying monsters over and over again. So, obviously, they had gotten much stronger than before.
They had to ovee countless life-or-death situations. If it werent for Kitamura Rens timely intervention, who got thrown in there along with everyone else for no good reason whatsoever, no more than three people wouldvee back alive.
Indeed, they had be a lot stronger.
The greater the pain they suffered, the stronger they grew. So, they should feel thankful for that.
Im really thankful. We were able to be stronger thanks to you. That is why.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began gnashing her teeth loudly again.
....You should see for yourself how much stronger weve be, no? (Seo Ah-Young)
And while thats happening....
....Mistakes can happen.
As the users inched closer and closer, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion.
I can already tell more or less even without fighting, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Their response to Yi Ji-Hyuks words were immediate.
Eii, eii, theres no way you can tell.
Things like this, you wont be able to tell.
But, what gets engraved into your heart wont ever be forgotten. Just like how it was for us.
I think you should be especially mindful of your piehole.
Riiight, that piehole of yours....
There were a vtile mixture of loony happiness and unchecked rage showing up on the faces of the NDF agents as they got closer and closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Im sure you wont get killed. You see, Mister Kitamuras healing ability has improved a great deal, too. So, you dont have to worry about a thing.
That is correct. Well, you should still resolve yourself for the pain of experiencing a bone or two getting broken by ident.
However, that sh*tty piehole of yours will never go back to the way it was. That I promise you.
Agreed.
Why dont we just stitch that hole up? Make sure it never leaks out another sound ever again?
Seeing this scene unfold, Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched the back of his head.
They have no idea what kind of a mouth mine happens to be, do they? Saying theyll change it and all that.
Yi Ji-Hyuk never rested his mouth, not even once, even when he was receiving all sorts of unimaginable torture in the past, yet these fools want to do something about it?
Hah....
Okay, so. What should I do about these fools?
Of course, I ept that I am at fault here. It might be a tiny, teensy-weensy, little minuscule speck of fault, but its a fault regardless. Smaller than a molecule of dirt, even.
However, to slight and abuse me this much as if Im the worst person in the world just for that insignificant mistake, isnt that going against the principles of friendship as well as ones conscience?
I mean, no matter how cold and indifferent this world is, there should be a limit to that! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You guys might end up regretting this, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes began burning in anger.
If I dontnd my fist on that mug of yours, Ill die of regret anyways. (Seo Ah-Young)
Hell, a fist in the face isnt enough!
Hah! Theres no guarantee whether Ill feel better or not even if I get to beat you up for the next three days straight!!
You dont have to worry about us. Instead, you should worry about your own body first.
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled in bitterness.
Would you look at these guys?
What the hell? Did they lose their fear of me because I happen to treat them a bit better recently?
Its only been a week since....
Oh, wait. Its been half a year for them, hasnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I guess its that time again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now normally, youd go about threshing your crops at regr intervals.
The thing was, the seeds of rebellion always sprouted in the hearts of animals called humans if left unchecked. So, one needed to pull the weeds out at a regr interval in order to maintain some semnce of peace until the time for house cleaning came around again.
Ill ask for thest time here. You sure you wont be regretting this at all? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well have to wait and see who regrets first, dont you think?
Keuh~. Im shaking from hearing that typically viinous answer. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deliberately shook his body for all to see. The ability users began clenching their fists real tight when they saw his nonchnt reaction.
They were all thinking the same thing:
Seriously now,
That bloody piehole of his....
Weve been dreaming of stepping on that mouth until it turns into a soft mush...
You will get killed at this rate.
But, but. If you get hurt while acting like this, youll only feel doubly worse, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you stay sarcastic under the situation, I wonder?
Well, this situation isnt much to sweat over, though. But, you thought I was being sarcastic? Honestly, I wasnt, you know? Ive never been sarcastic in my whole life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you godd*mn motherf*cker!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan shouted out as he threateningly stepped forward, prompting other users to hold him down. The end result of him facing the youth all alone was way too obvious for everyone here.
No, they had to stick to the n they had cooked up and been practicing all for thest six months in order to stand a chance of revenge!
Get a hold of yourself, Mister Sung-Chan!
Euh.... That a*shole.... Really....
Wowsers. You might end up hitting someone at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, uwaaaah!! You, you f*cking b*stard!!
Seeing the reddened face of deeply agitated Park Sung-Chan, Yi Ji-Hyuk inwardly clicked his tongue. It seemed that his mentality hadnt grown at all, seeing how agitated he was only from such a small provocation.
Well, Ive humoured them enough now, so....
Time to instill discipline in them once more. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his right hand and began drawing ck runes in the air, and sure enough, a ck hole suddenly appeared there.
Euh? Ahhh!!
N, noooo!!
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk created the ck warp gate, the NDF agents panicked grandly and began to retreat almost out of reflex.
Mm? Ahh. Dont worry. This is something different. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, they should still be suitably entertained with this much.
Woof, woof!!
From the warp gate, Yi Ji-Hyuks enved monsters, led by Oh-Sik, jumped out.
Let me say this before we get started. Just because you managed to survive among the monsters for a while, that doesnt give you the qualifications to be so full of yourselves. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
You see.... Im a lot worse than those monsters. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A ck tentacle shot out for Yi Ji-Hyuk,tched onto Oh-Sik and supplied the Ogre with Mana, thus restoring him to his original size. The Ogre roared out and dashed towards Seo Ah-Young and her rebellious group.
Ladies and gents, time to squash the seeds of rebellion!
< 83. What will happen if we enter there? (3) > Fin.
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $25)
Chapter 84: What will happen if we enter there? (4)
Chapter 84: What will happen if we enter there? (4)
(TL: This extra chapter is brought to you by these selfless individuals: Kaung TWN, Tyler L, Eric G, and Tae-Ha K!! Thank you for your support! I really appreciate it.)
ROOOAAARRR!!!
Oh-Siks roar struck the rebellious NDF ability users.
Keuk!
The aura emitted by an Ogre that had regained all of its former glory was noughing matter. The feeling of danger was so overwhelming that even these users, who had fought against countless monsters in the demon world, couldnt help but stand there in a daze.
People who got frozen stiff and unable to move after being affected by Oh-Siks Howling continued to crop up everwhere.
D*mn it! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young bit down on her lower lip.
At that moment, her consciousness seemed to have been cast into a faraway ce. Only after she drew blood from her own lip could she regain her focus.
Although it happened six months ago, she did fight against Oh-Sik continuously and so, she believed that she had built up some sort of immunity against the Ogre. That was a miscalction on her part, though.
If one were to get brutally honest here, then none of the ability users had actually fought Oh-Sik at his full power. And an Ogre no longer restrained by limitations was a terrifying existence none of them could win against.
ROOOAAAR!!
Oh-Sik revealed his demonic side as he roared out again.
A, arent you going to stop Oh-Sik? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min began trembling in her boots as she watched this scene unfold. Because of its puppy-like adorable appearance, she had forgotten about the fact that Oh-Sik was still a monster. And that monster was busy eyeballing her friends right now.
Stop him? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt seem perturbed at all.
What will you do if theres an ident? (Jeong Hae-Min)
If there is one, then so be it. Im not at fault here. They came running headfirst into me, so what am I supposed to do? Dont me me for this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, hang on a minute, youre approaching a no-go zone there, buddy.
How can you even say that youre not at fault here after putting other people through a wringer like that? (the Authors inner monologue)
Growl....
As Oh-Sik growled and threatened the NDF agents, other monsters rapidly appeared out of the ck warp gate and stood alongside the Ogre.
Just one Ogre was already difficult to handle; when other equally powerful monsters joined the fray, the NDF agents began retreating unsteadily on their feet from fear.
Hold the line! (Seo Ah-Young)
However, as soon as Seo Ah-Youngs sharp voice rang out, the retreating steps came to an abrupt halt.
This wasnt their first rodeo, so why were they acting like this?
With that thought popping up in their heads, the fear and unrest of a few seconds ago went away, to be quickly reced by fighting spirit.
In the past, they wouldnt even dare to dream about it, but at the moment, confidence that they could throw down against these monsters was quickly filling their heads.
The terrifying aura of several monsters and the burning fighting spirit of the ability users collided in a tense stand-off.
Soon, a deafening silence descended. It was a silence so quiet that a persons breathing sounded like a thunderp.
Breaking this tense silence....
Uhm, excuse me.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cautiously opened his mouth.
What now! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young harshly shouted at him.
He was a traitor, so no need to go easy on him!
No, wait, the thing is.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What is it?! Out with it, will you! (Seo Ah-Young)
With a bitter smile etched on his face, Choi Jung-Hoon pointed towards the still-open Gate.
I dont think its over yet. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What? (Seo Ah-Young)
Everyones attention quickly shifted towards the Gate.
*
The creature was huge. Not to mention, it was powerful, too.
From the moment it was born, it feared nothing. It was always the apex predator. If it was hungry, it devoured. If it got bored, it destroyed.
Someone started calling it Padoom, which meant cmity. And it was known as Padoom ever since. And this Padoom was in the midst of traveling between dimensions.
When a mirror-like bluish Gate appeared, Padoom entered as if it was caught under a hypnotic spell.
Onwards, to find new prey and a new world to conquer. Onwards, chasing after the small fries that entered the Gate before it did.
And finally, Padoom arrived at the destination C a brand new world.
In this brand new world, Padoom would be the biggest, strongest, and would be the most feared once more.
That was how it should have been, but....
Blink.
Padoom blinked its massive eyes.
Padooms massive eyes caught the sight of monsters that looked mighty savage and powerful, as well as several small lifeforms locked in a tense stand-off.
As for the monsters, it was all understandable.
Totally understandable, indeed.
But what was up with the aura of unexinable danger emanating from those small lifeforms?
Padooms neck shrunk back from the ominous, powerful auraing from those lifeforms smaller than its palm.
What was this? This ce?
Was this hell?
No, even if this was hell, would such monstrous creatures be found in arge group like that?
Really now, wasnt this just too much?
The attention of the monsters and the small but terrifying lifeforms suddenly shifted towards Padoom simultaneously.
Padoom flinched and began retreating away, step by step.
Monsters and the small lifeforms exchanged hushed whispers among themselves, and then, they all turned to face Padoom and slowly came closer and closer.
Seeing this, Padoom swiftly turned itsrge frame around, and like a bolt of lightning, jumped back into the Gate.
Unfortunately, the heartless Gate continued to bounce the poor Padoom away, not allowing it to return to its wonderful and nice home world.
When Padoom looked behind its back with trembling eyes, it witnessed a huge monster covered in fur throwing a wild punch at its way.
*SFX for many things breaking at once*
The strike ripped the tough hide of Padoom apart and its intestines ruptured in one go. It screamed and rolled on the ground as the impact force from the punch caused blood to explode out from every one of its orifices.
*SFX for fangs mping down*
Fangs and fistsnded, followed shortly after by mes and arcs of electricity.
The indescribably heavy impact force rendered Padoompletely immobile. It was at this moment that it saw... him.
Padoom saw what the true devil looked like.
The true devil was slowly walking towards the fallen Padoom.
Padoom obviouslycked the capacity to tell apart the appearances of small lifeforms. However, it could still instinctively tell just how many lives this small devil devoured and destroyed.
There was an unmistakable aura of blood reeking out of this small devil, the kind only discernible to the creatures born in the demonic world enshrouded in perpetual darkness.
Normally, such an aura would be slight and indistinct; yet, it was now swirling endlessly like a sanguine shackle that wrapped around the small devils frame.
Padooms entire being began convulsing as if it was experiencing a seizure.
A jet-ck tentacle shot out from the small devils hand.
Padoom began shaking like a madman as the end of the slender tentacle opened wider and wider, and then, even wider.
That was all Padoom could ever do. Because, the tentacle swallowed up Padoom in go.
The world became dyed in pitch ck.
The strange membrane that felt almost like a living, breathing fabric, covered the entirety of Padoom. It wiggled violently and began tightening around the monster.
Bzzzz....
Padoomcked a vocal cord, so it could only shake its body and issue a small, pathetic scream via friction.
*SFX for things being crushed*
Padooms body was being crushed.
Apanied by the level of pain it never had experienced before, its body was being crushed and then crushed some more into a meat paste.
Cmity?
This was the true cmity.
If the meaning of Padoom was cmity, then that name shouldnt have been attached to this monster, but to the small devil.
Just before its brain got squashed and it lost consciousness, Padoom witnessed a huge jet ck abyss just past the membrane crushing it to death.
*
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt the endless stream of Mana being sucked into his body and smacked his lips.
He did enjoy it, but what was this feeling....?
Should he say it tasted a wee bit impure?
This Mana made him feel a bit ufortable in the way that was subtly different from the Mana of the fairies he devoured earlier. The best description he coulde up with was that, he had just consumed unhealthy junk food packed full of impurities.
Well, Im not in a position to be picky, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After finishing the digestive process, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to face the others.
Well now. Should we resume where we left off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Seo Ah-Young stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a somewhatplicated expression on her face.
After seeing Oh-Sik and his unrepressed power, she had to rapidly revise her assessment of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Oh-Sik was such a terrifying creature, yet....
How strong did a man have to be, in order to thrash such a powerful creature into submission?
The old saying went that, the person seeing a tall mountain couldnt tell how tall it could actually be. Only the ones who attempted to climb it could tell how tall and dangerous the mountain was.
Thats how Seo Ah-Young felt like right at this moment.
Vaguely acknowledging his strength and challenging that strength was two very different stories altogether.
Have I ever seen this guy go all out even once before? (Seo Ah-Young)
There was no way shed know.
After all, he was a guy who didnt seem all that dangerous. But, no one could tell just what hed do if he got serious for once.
No, all she knew for certainty was that, her and her groups odds of victory was slim even when the youth acted as hed normally do everyday.
Excuse me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Youre noting at me? I mean, Im ready to go at any time, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H, hold on for a second. (Seo Ah-Young)
Looks like youre going to wait a little while longer, eh? Should I get even more ready, then? Well, its my first time being showered with such a warm-hearted kindness and I sure cant get used to this treatment, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just who is showering you with kindness here?! (Seo Ah-Young)
If not, then.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk beckoned at her with his crooked finger and formed a supremely arrogant expression.
....Then, why dont youe at me already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She couldnt answer him immediately.
Watching Seo Ah-Young shrink back like that, other ability users also began realising the cruelness of the reality C the truth of Yi Ji-Hyuk being an unfathomable existence.
And they had to fight against an opponent as vague and hard to grasp?
The experience of thest six months told them that what they were thinking of doing was monumentally idiotic.
However!
She knew this. She knew the truth so well, yet....
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth.
Even if that was the case, she just couldnt let this one go.
She was ready to understand the experience of battling terrifying monsters and forcing themselves to continue living on.
But, she just couldnt forgive him for making them go through the terrible ordeal of drinking monster blood when they got thirsty, and eating monster flesh when they got hungry.
Even when the members of the group ended up shing against each other, she and others endured the past six months in hell through their mutual hatred of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
No, they hade too far to talk about being able to win or not in any sort of rational manner.
In any case! (Seo Ah-Young)
Grit.
The loud sound of teeth grating could be heard by everyone.
The worst that can happen to us is just getting killed, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ghostly mes of madness began burning in Seo Ah-Youngs eyes.
As if her fighting spirit influenced her group, they all began ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk, with figurative mes also erupting out from their eyes.
Ouch, thats hot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk mocked them and beckoned again.
Come on now, hurry up. One hit from me will end this, so Ill be gracious enough to let you try to hit me first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre going to regret that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Wow, you really like worrying about other people, dont you? Are you by any chance Mother Teresa? You must be overflowing with mercy and drown the others with your benevolence all the time, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You running your mouth off wille to an end today!!
As soon as Seo Ah-Young threw out a signal, the ability users rushed towards Yi Ji-Hyuk in a coordinated fashion.
At first nce, they seemed to be running at him without a n, but their formation ensured that everyone was covering everyone else.
It was a formation where one could sense their ardent desire tond the mace of punishment on Yi Ji-Hyuk, even if only one remained among the ability users and everyone else fell in the process.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes shone as he stared at this formation that seemed to scream out their desperate willingness to sacrifice everything, if it meant theyd get to bite off even a small chunk of his flesh.
Yeah, they have improved a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These people wouldnt have thought about going with a formation like this one in the past.
Such desperation to willingly sacrifice oneself in order to ensure anothers survival, could only be seen in those who were facing the immediate destruction to their homnd and to everything they held dear.
So, he should p his hands and show them his approval, since they seemed to have finally realised the importance of the determined mindset and finding an efficient enough method to attack, but....
Ehehehe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hed never do that.
This wasnt him making a boastful im; even after exhaustively searching this world as well as every other dimensions capable of holding human lives, one would not find a man who had to contend with as many of such suicidal attacks as Yi Ji-Hyuk had.
He lost count the number of people throwing themselves at him, all for a chance to leave behind nothing but a small nick.
Even knowing about his immortality, many famed warriors and holy men still chose to throw their lives away like bits of straw just to have a go at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
In the end, here he was, still standing tall.
Compared to them, the attacks of these guys were not even worthy of being considered as dangerous.
The only thing he had to be mindful of was.... He had to subdue them without identally killing them.
Even that was quite easy.
Bind.
Mana dancing in Yi Ji-Hyuks hands followed his hand signals and formed ck vines that grabbed and bound each NDF ability user to the spot.
W, what the hell is this?!
Let me go!! No!
I cant cut it!!
Seeing the users absolutely lose their sh*t inside the Bind, Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
What a bunch of morons.
It seemed that they were attacking him at the same time in order to create an opening, perhaps thinking that he relied mostly on either an emission-type magic or his trusty tentacles....
The truth was, he hadnt used any attack-oriented magic simply because there was no need. Yi Ji-Hyuk had climbed up to the highest peak of all magic in Berafe, a ce so high that none would be able toe even remotely close. He was an existence so powerful, calling him the Greatest Sorcerer in history perhaps wasnt urate enough.
Its too early for you to mount such a rebellion against me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Especially so, when you all are nothing but a bunch of little chicks.
Keuh-euhk!
Hey you son of a b*tch!! Let me go now!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Son of a b*tch?
Has he not figure out his situation yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A son of a b*tch, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Sung-Chan shouted out after the anger got to his head.
Thats right, you f*cking son of a b*tch!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Vuuoong.
ck Mana poured out from Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand and created arge ck hole.
N, no way. It cant be?! (Park Sung-Chan)
He wouldnt, would he?
Even if hes a cruel b*stard, there is no way, right?
I mean, weve juste out from there! Only just now! (Park Sung-Chan)
I am a son of a b*tch, is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Sung-Chan forced a smile on his face and spoke.
Ah, ha, haha.... M, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you see, thats not what Im.... (Park Sung-Chan)
A. Son. Of. A. B*tch. Right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahh!! Noooo!! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Yi Ji-Hyuk-nim!! Hyung-nim!! Please dont do this!! Euh, uwaaaah?! I was wro.... (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan was thrown into the ck hole by the vines that restrained him as his terrified screams resounded out.
Everyones attention was focused on the ck hole that just swallowed up the poor Park Sung-Chan.
Anyone else with aint? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
When they saw the warp gate slowly advancing in their direction, the ability users paled instantly and shook their heads in total denial.
They might as well die, rather than go back to that ce!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk soon deactivated the Mana vines and freed the ability users. Then, he fished out a cigarette and lit it up.
My fellowrades. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
I said, my fellowrades! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes sir?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and sucked on the cigarette.
From today onwards, you shall do as youre told, even pretending to be dead if ordered to. That is, if you dont wish to be even more stronger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While seeing that evil, devilish grin forming ever so slyly on Yi Ji-Hyuks face, the once-rebellious ability users couldnt help but sense that it was over.
Not even two months had passed by, yet the NDF had fallenpletely into Yi Ji-Hyuks devious hands.
< 84. What will happen if we enter there? -4 > Fin.
(TL: Ill try to release one more sponsored chapter by tomorrow. Again, thank you for your support, everyone.)
Chapter 85: What will happen if we enter there? (5)
Chapter 85: What will happen if we enter there? (5)
(TL: This extra chapter is brought to you by these selfless individuals: Kaung TWN, Tyler L, Eric G, and Tae-Ha K!! Thank you for your support! I really appreciate it.)
Aigoo~. I cant continue doing this no more. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk left the NDF building and trudged towards his house while spitting out multiple groans.
The life after his return from Berafe was rxing and leisurely, yet, for some reason, things seemed to have be rather hectic ofte.
At least, he got to resolve one of the main issues annoying him, so there was that....
I guess I should take a break. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The old saying mentioned something about a person needing to continue living the way he had been living until then. How could he be this tired only after having exerted a little bit of energy?
Hmm.......
Thats not it, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly.
He didnt sense anything wrong with his body. Meaning, he wasnt fatigued physically. That only left him with mental fatigue as the culprit, then....
But, feeling mentally worn out only after going through so little?
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It made sense, though. While he was stuck in Berafe, Yi Ji-Hyuks mind, or his mental state, was constantly in the state of refreshment, or being reset, as it were. Thats how he got to maintain most of his sanity when he shouldve gone bonkers nuts already.
If mental fatigue also got wiped away during the reset, then that meant hed never have experienced any form of fatigue in the past thousand years or so. He obviously would have no built-in resistance against such things, in other words.
Wait a minute here. What will happen if someone uses a mind control magic on me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the past, hed be immune to it. But now, he no longer enjoyed the influence of the absolute unchanging state. So, he could fall under the spell and end up licking someones foot or something in no time.
Urgh. How scary. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he got done in by a charm spell, now that would be a total disaster.
Of course, it was true that Yi Ji-Hyuks wealth of magical knowledge, as well as Mana protecting him from the inside, pushed his mental attack resistance stat to counter stop. Unfortunately, though C resistance and immunity were two different things altogether.
How could he feel okay knowing that it might happen to him, even if the odds were only around one in ten million?
Whats scary? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hul! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped in shock and hurriedly looked behind him, only to find no one there.
Hey! Look down below!! Im over here! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he lowered his sight, he found Jeong Hae-Min standing there, clearly fuming at him.
You, you did that deliberately, didnt you?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
I didnt know youre a mind reader. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey! You, you really have a terrible personality!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And you, arent you too free for a supposedly popr idol? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An expression of an unbridled shock appeared on her face as she stuttered out a reply.
N, no, that, thats not true. Y, you see, the original schedule was really packed, you know? But, but I asked for some time off.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
What kind of a talent agency would give a popr idol some time off because shes busy with something else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no. Im telling you the truth.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Besides all that, do the rest of your band know about you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yeah. (Jeong Hae-Min)
And they are still performing as we speak? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Then, its obvious, isnt it? Seeing that everythings fine even without you being there, youre no longer popr. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nooo! Thats not true!!Im still really popr! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head sagely.
Right, you should still be popr, thats true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right! (Jeong Hae-Min)
However, an idol around your age is nearing the end of her career. They let you tag along since breaking up the band wouldnt look good as far as PR is concerned, but youd only end up as the kind of a member that they never put in the middle of the stage, know what I mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min stumbled on her feet.
Seeing that slightly frightened expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk softly clicked his tongue.
Did I hit the bullseye? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no. Not really? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Okay. When was thest time you stood in the centre of the stage? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im not going to tell you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, Im sure you cant even remember. Why? Cuz it was an eternity ago, thats why! Youll have to dig really deep into the tomb of ancient memories, all the way down to the molecr level if you want to recover the faded and nearly-forgotten memory! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its been two years, okay?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hul. My word. A talent agency isnt supposed to be a charity, but they let a grandma take the centre stage? Did you guys go on a tour of old age homes or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Liquids began forming in her eyes.
Her hands tightly clenched the sides of her pants as the breaking point of the dam rapidly approached. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk thoughtfully ced his hand on her shoulder and spoke.
Calm down, now. You shouldnt be crying, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm?
You will get wrinkles that way. Therell be no answering that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....*SFX for a very long and protracted crying* (Jeong Hae-Min)
Trying to escape from the range of Jeong Hae-Mins sonic attack disguised as crying, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly distanced himself.
Ouch!! My ears! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Many desperate NDF ability users attacked him non-stop, and none could damage him in the slightest. Yet, the measly little Jeong Hae-Min was able to force Yi Ji-Hyuk to his backfoot.
Argh!! Hey! Did you lose your dang mind?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, Jeong Hae-Mins crying didnt stop even with his pleading.
Sure enough, Yi Ji-Hyuk could see countless windows and doors opening up all around him.
What with the explosion of the powerful noise bomb, people had to peek outside to see what was going on. Well, they were in the middle of the residential area, on his way back home, no less, so that was par for the course, really.
Whatre you all looking at?! Get! Pah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After seeing a small-statured woman lowering her head and crying, and a dude with an ugly expression on his face near her, the onlookers could only click their tongues and close shut their windows.
Hey, dont raise your head, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he let her identity of Miss Idol Jeong Hae-Min be discovered here, things would get rather annoying to deal with.
....*SFX for a continuous wailing* (Jeong Hae-Min)
Argh, stop crying, will ya?!?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....*SFX for a continuous wailing, but louder*
Argh, this is so.... Should I just leave her behind?
Now that I think about it, I didnt ask her toe along, so why should I even care what happens to her?
Cant I, like, just go home? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began sneaking away from her, then.
He was indeed nning to drop her like a bad habit and....
Eh-hem!
Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.
It was then, the windows creaked open slightly again, and the sounds of disapproval in the forms of clicking tongues and disappointed snorts came out from them.
And hes still a young man, too....
Looks like hes nning on abandoning her here. Whos child is he?!
But, but, but, youre all wrong!
Its nothing like that!
Me, Ive got nothing to do with that female over there, you know?!
Stop looking at me as if Im a no good yboy, please!!
Look, Im the epitome of fear and alienation, but never in my life have I ever received such stares before!!
Holy sh*t, wowsers. What the heck is this?
I might lose my c**p here at this rate! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk never cared about what other people thought of him. Thats what he believed, right up until this moment.
The thing was, the other people from Berafe and other people from here felt somewhat different.
But, more importantly, this was the area he was living in!
Seriously, how embarrassing would it get when his mom opened up a eatery near here and she ended up hearing about a rumour of him being a no-good womaniser?
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered from dread and quickly walked back towards Jeong Hae-Min, who was still flinging Sound Bomb attacks at his way.
HEY!! Stop crying! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That didnt work.
....Want some kkakka, little one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
....*SFX for continuous wailing* (Jeong Hae-Min)
That also didnt work.
H, how about, uh, Ill buy you a handbag! A handbag! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....SFX for an even louder wailing* (Jeong Hae-Min)
She began crying even louder.
What should he do now?
He got used to resolving the issue of people crying with a simple but effective method of ripping out their vocal chords, so obviously, he couldnte up with a solution right now.
He needed to think, toe up with a less violent way....
Keuheum. Cough. Uh, you see, from where Im standing.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The decibel of her crying lowered somewhat as she began ncing at his direction.
What a crafty little girl.
Uh, well.... I think youre probably the better looking one among them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whos them? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yeah, you know, well, uhm.... You are a bit more prettier than the rest of your band mates. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Really? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thats right. Who cares about a womans age, anyway? Its the looks that count, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well,pared to demons or dragons, you or your band mates are nothing more than just a bunch of new-born hatchlings.
What use is there arguing about whos the oldest among the baby hatchlings, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Really? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had no choice but briefly turn his head away right then.
What a wicked little girl she was!
He definitely remembered seeing her praising and talking up her band mates, saying their rtionship was so wonderful, and that they were like siblings, etc, etc!!
Look at how happy she was, just because he said she was the prettiest one among them!
However, if he mentioned that, she might start crying again, so....
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk managed to control his facial muscles and answered her with a warm smile. Right away, Jeong Hae-Mins face lit up like a blooming flower.
Hul........ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the heck? Why is she so pretty, all of a sudden?
This.... This is one weird feeling, no?
Indeed, she looks pretty nice, but.... Seeing her smile like that in this situation, she also kinda looks like a two-faced b*tch, no?
This.... What is the name for this feeling Im getting?
How vague and mysterious!
Okay, so stop crying and please go away! Ng? Just go away already! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Finally. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, Jeong Hae-Min didnt show any signs of going away, staying right by his side.
Why arent you going? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im going with you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
And why would you do that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, Im going to your house, after all. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, you should be going home. Fine.
However, in a situation like this, youre supposed to say my house, not your house!!
Eh? Wait a minute. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
My house? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah, your house. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Why? Why are youing to my ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I promised to hand over a signed CD to your mom and Ye-Won, you see. Since I promised, here I am. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Was she trying not to lose even a single fan or something....?
What a fearsome drive to make her fans happy.
Then, just give it to me. Ill deliver it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No can do. (Jeong Hae-Min)
And why the hell not?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I gotta take photographs with them too, you know. I mean, its amon practice nowadays to take a photographic proof that proves the signed CD is genuine. (Jeong Hae-Min)
?? Why do you need a photo in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who would buy CDs nowadays? Its like, youre buying one for souvenir purposes. With a photo, the value goes up. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hah.......... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He gave up.
He couldnt really understand it, but if he kept on saying no here, then she might start crying again, so he was out of options at this point.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan and trudged towards his house.
Just what kind of crime did Imit in my past life that I had to suffer through all that c**p in Berafe and then, face just as crazy nonsense back here too?
What kind of heinous crime was it, for me to meet only the most deranged, unhinged females?
Eh-whew.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are you groaning like that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Dont you know whose fault it is?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk red at her, Jeong Hae-Min ced her hands on her hips and admonished him.
You, you should stop being so rude to a noona like me! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Its too annoying to exin things, so will you just quietly let me hit you once? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And what are you even on about now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Argh. I wont feel good even if I beat up a shorty like her. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you, stop calling me a shorty!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
As they continued to bicker, they arrived in front of his house in no time.
Okay, fine. Fine! Go in, do your stuff and have fun with mom. But, dont you dare bother me, otherwise Imma throw you outside through the window. Got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im gonna tell on you! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Tell what to whom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To your mom, obviously! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And why would you prattle on me to my mom, you dumb little girl?!
Seriously, words arent getting through to her! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was right at this moment.
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly picked up on a bone-chilling and eerie auraing from a spot behind him and his entire body shuddered involuntarily.
What could this be?
What was this chill that felt almost like the coldness he felt near the hidden chamber of the Demon Emperors fortress?
Oppa? (Kim Dah-Som)
After hearing that voiceing from his rear, Yi Ji-Hyuk immediately figured out the source of that biting chill and his entire body shuddered again in response.
He somehow managed to stop the shuddering and turned around to find Kim Dah-Som standing there, her eyes open slightly wider than before, while her hands demurely gathered in front.
H, hello there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell?!
Why is my voice shaking like this?
Im Yi Ji-Hyuk!! THE Yi Ji-Hyuk, for crying out loud!
Im a man who kicked a*ses of demons and gods alike, and a man in full control of his fate! So, why?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Who? (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Soms eyesnded on Jeong Hae-Min next to him.
Oh. Uh, a colleague. From work. Youve, uh, maybe heard of her? Shes, uh, Jeong Hae-Min, an idol.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some reason, his words continued to cut off in the middle of the sentence.
Kim Dah-Som very slowly, agonisingly slowly, swept her gaze over Jeong Hae-Min, from the tip of her toes to all the way up to the top of her head.
That gaze was so slow-moving, Jeong Hae-Min couldnt help but feel that a snake was crawling on her skin or something.
However, Jeong Hae-Min was a professional entertainer. Unlike in certain other matters, she could proudly boast a top-notch immunity against other peoples gazes.
Who is she? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Uh, she is.... Actually.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How should I go about introducing her, then?
A stalker?
A friend of Ye-Won?
Or, Kim Dah-Hyuns younger sister? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner dilemma)
Shes a friend of my little sister, as well as Kim Dah-Hyuns dongsaeng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahh. Yes, I can see her resemnce to Mister Dah-Hyun, now that you mention it. Hello there. Im a colleague of your brother, Jeong Hae-Min.
Jeong Hae-Min greeted with a stiff professional smile on her face.
However, something seemed a bit off about that smile. Showing such an unrefined smile in front of aplete stranger, even Yi Ji-Hyuk had to question whether this Jeong Hae-Min was the same one whod go totally batsh*t insane trying to appease fans.
Is that so? First time finding out. Nice to meet you. (Kim Dah-Som)
You havent seen me on TV before? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Doesnt ring a bell. Still, nice to meet you. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Yes, me too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Soms face was expressionless as she removed her gaze from Jeong Hae-Min. She then turned to look at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Then, why would you being home with a colleague from your work? (Kim Dah-Som)
E, eh? She has some kind of business with my mom and Ye-Won.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Odd. Why am I exining this? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Business? (Kim Dah-Som)
Giving away a signed CD. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that so. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som studied Jeong Hae-Min with an expressionless face once more, before pulling something out from her inner pocket and presented it to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Again? ....This is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a pair of gloves. (Kim Dah-Som)
You shouldnt keep giving me presents like this. I only helped you out once before, you know. Youre putting me on the spot here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Almost instantly, Jeong Hae-Mins jaw hit the ground.
What was that?!
What were those words and actions that seemed even more shocking than a off-the-cuff revtion of a lion hating meat?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk was being courteous!!
Im still grateful for your help, that is why.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Even still, this is a bit.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont worry about it and please ept it. (Kim Dah-Som)
S, sure.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and cautiously epted the gloves, prompting Jeong Hae-Mins head to snap towards the Western skies.
She just had to confirm whether the sun was setting on the correct direction or not.
It is! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Which meant that, she definitely did not just imagine this scene.
Who was this girl that possessed the might to make Yi Ji-Hyuk surrender so quickly?! Maybe, she wasnt even a human being?
Well, then.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Still maintaining her expressionless face, Kim Dah-Som turned around to leave, only to stop mid-way.
Excuse me. (Kim Dah-Som)
Y, yeah? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When will you be leaving the premises? (Kim Dah-Som)
Jeong Hae-Mins hands trembled a little just then.
W, why are you asking me that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, just curious.... (Kim Dah-Som)
I, Ill be leaving very shortly. Y, yeah, thats right. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....I understand, for now. (Kim Dah-Som)
Jeong Hae-Min found herself unable to get past the for now bit.
Kim Dah-Som continued to sneak a nce behind her as she disappeared into the distance. Only then, Jeong Hae-Min felt all the built-up tension leak out of her. She slowly opened her mouth and asked Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....Hey, uhm, cant I sleep in your sisters room tonight? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Are you insane? What for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im kinda scared to go back on my own. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Youre a teleporter, so why would you even think about sleeping in someone elses ce?! Sleep in your own bed! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, right. Im a teleporter arent I? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Haaah, seriously now!
What a blithering idiot!
But, uh, its not like I cant sympathise with her, though.
....Even Im feeling a bit chilly here, too.
Hmm. I wonder why.
Argh. So cold....
< 85. What will happen if we enter there? -5 > Fin.
(TL: Kkakka is a Korean ng for junk food/snacks, the kind that little kids enjoy, such as cheap ice cream you can buy from your local corner store. More importantly, though, the phrase Want some kkakka/should I buy you kkakka is most often used by either parents or grandparents to calm their crying children/grandchildren. Im sure you get the joke by now. Hopefully.)
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $25)
Chapter 86: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (1)
Chapter 86: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (1)
Chomp, chomp, crunch, crunch!
Glug, glug, glug, glug!
Chomp, chomp, crunch, crunch!
With a totally fed-up face, Yi Ye-Won red at Yi Ji-Hyuk sitting in front of hisputer doing his usual schtick.
Was this guy really a human being or a snacks shredder?
Seeing the piles of empty crisp packets and PET bottles getting taller and taller by his side, she thought she was quickly losing the grip on her sanity.
How can a person eat that much c**p and not gain any weight?! (Ye-Won)
What she was witnessing right now was the perfect storm of astonishing digestive power, mysteriously fast metabolism, and finally, the ability to maintain his body shape that defied all logic,bining to create a miracle!
Even if his regr metabolism was high to begin with, there was no way in bleeding hell that hed not get fat after shoving down that much food down his throat!
Yi Ye-Won touched her own slightly protruding tummy ever so sneakily, then threw a venomous re at her brothers direction.
Stop pigging out like that, you slob!! (Ye-Won)
Hul. A piggy has learnt how to speak? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who the hell is a piggy now?! (Ye-Won)
Oh, my bad. A talking piggy is actually an Orc, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Wons entire body trembled with rage as she slowly opened her mouth.
Have you ever seen an Orc as pretty as me? Ah? (Ye-Won)
Dont say stuff that might p*ss off Orcs if they hear you, okay? Even they have their own judging standards, and they would never consider someone like you attractive. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And how would you even know stuff like that?! (Ye-Won)
Of course, I know.
How can I not know? Just who do you think this great brother of yours is?
However, exining that fact to you is a long and tedious road Id rather not walk on, you rotten little sister of mine. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Alrighty, then. Go and y over there, okay? Shoo~. Shoo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shoo? Shoo?! Kiss my a*s! Am I a bird?! A horse?! (Ye-Won)
Hmm. Probably a chicken? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill kill you!! Seriously!! (Ye-Won)
Okay, fine. I got you, so get lost already, will ya!! Why are you bothering me like this, when I finally found some down time to enjoy myself? What the hell? You like me that much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you crazy?! (Ye-Won)
Thought as much. Even Im sick of hearing your voice, okay? How about you and I respect our personal spaces and not run into each other no more, even if we live under the same roof? How about that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah! Hey you, if I didnt have a good reason, Id never willinglye to talk to you in the first ce!! (Ye-Won)
Will you just listen to this little girl yap on and on?
I go easy on her, and she dares to call me Hey you, hey you over and over again?
Would she be more polite and better behaved if I throw her inside a warp gate for half a year, too?
Uh-whew. Why do I even bother. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It wouldnt be difficult at all for Yi Ji-Hyuk to turn this little dumb girl into the most well-behaved child in the whole wide world.
However, what was the point of doing that?
If he continued to make people kneel before him simply because he didnt like the way they looked, made him irritated, or bothered him unnecessarily, then eventually, hed end up with a world where no one would dare to try going up against him.
He figured that it would not be so bad to have at least one person whod get in all over his face and shout out her piece. Especially so, if that person happened to be family.
That was what he thought. However....
His thought process definitely went down that direction. The thing was, though C he was wondering whether there was anything he could do about his head and his heart not feeling the same thing over this subject matter.
What amentable thing to feel, this was C while his head was saying that this was for the best, his heart was whispering the words of sweet temptation ofnding a high kick to his sisters evidently empty head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk did his absolute best to suppress his right leg from suddenlyshing out and spoke.
If you got something to say, say it quickly and get out of my room! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow. Look at how a supposed older brother is speaking to his younger sibling! (Ye-Won)
Im an oppa to you only in times like this! Hah! Only when you want something from me! Am I some kinda instant dinner or something?! When you need me, you just pull me out from the freezer and shove inside the microwave? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont make meugh! When have I ever used you? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dismissively waved his hand around.
How could it be that, when it came to his family, his words would miss the mark almost all the time?
What do you want now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can you go with me to some ce? (Ye-Won)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, I want you to go with me to a ce. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly grinned, stood up from his seat, and ced his palm on Ye-Wons forehead.
Hmm, doesnt look like youve got fever, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not sick! (Ye-Won)
Mhm. Is that so. I got it. I got you, so lets see now.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then slowly waved his hand around in front of Ye-Wons face.
I havent lost my mind, either! (Ye-Won)
Well, that sure is odd. If you are of the sound mind, youd never ever say those words to me, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I also dont wanna do this, too! (Ye-Won)
In that case, isnt a thorough and exhausting exnation necessary to clear the meaning behind that dogs barking you just imitated? If you just blurt out something like that, I cant help but get really curious to see whats inside that head of yours. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.... (Ye-Won)
Ye-Wons exnation was actually not thatplicated.
The new school she transferred to was intrinsically linked to everything ability user rted. And so, the social rankings, or the school pecking order so to speak, was established based solely on what kind of a user the family member happened to be.
Ye-Won didnt want to lose during this schoolyard boasting session, so she talked up big time and ended up revealing the fact that her older brother was working for the NDF. Since almost everyone there knew what working for the NDF signified, she became the centre of attention in an instant.
It was not a problem right up until there....
No, the problem was with the identity of this working-for-the-NDF Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Unfortunately, the name of Yi Ji-Hyuk the ability user was never revealed to the public, not even once. Naturally, the kids suspected Ye-Won was making stuff up, and demanded that she provide them with proof.
And after getting swept up in that childish atmosphere....
You told them youll show up to meet them with me in tow? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Ye-Won)
With me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah! (Ye-Won)
A deep smirk formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face, as he suddenly ced his hands on Ye-Wons shoulders and lifted her up.
Kyaaah!! What are you doing?! (Ye-Won)
Utterly not giving a toss whether she was screaming or not, Yi Ji-Hyuk carried her outside his room, dropped her there, and mmed the door shut in front of her face.
Oh, yeah. By the way, Im not going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could hear her desperate pleadinging from the other side of the door.
Just this once, please! Just this once, for me.... (Ye-Won)
Not interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey you!! How can you say no when another human being is asking you so desperately like this?! (Ye-Won)
*SFX for a door abruptly opening up*
The door flung open wide and Yi Ji-Hyuks re bore straight into Ye-Wons surprised eyes.
..........
After a short period of silently meeting his gaze, Ye-Won lowered her tail obediently.
Im sorry. (Ye-Won)
m!
When the door mmed shut again, she changed her strategy and began throwing aegyo attacks, instead.
O~, oppa~~~~. Pretty please? (Ye-Won)
Eeeeeeck!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to sit down in front of hisputer, only for a serious case of goosebumps to break out all over his skin as soon as he heard that call from the depths of Hades. He hurriedly blocked his ears.
Stop that!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Buuut, oppppaaaa~~~. (Ye-Won)
Nooo! Stop!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Id rather have you insult me, instead!! I dont wanna hear such thingsing out of your mouth!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Im gonna be treated as a loser at this rate, you know? Do you really want to see your beloved little sister get bullied like that? (Ye-Won)
Whos gonna bully you? Itll be you who instigates it, instead!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah, you can only single out those that can be singled out in the first ce. If you start acting like how you were like in the past, those fools hovering around wanting to bully you will disappear real fast! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Pleeeease!! Im willing to do anything! Please help me out just this once! (Ye-Won)
What can you realistically do for me, anyways?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill go and buy snacks for you. (Ye-Won)
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill run all your errands for one month straight. Honest! (Ye-Won)
Isnt this... an unexpectedly good deal?
To sacrifice one day in exchange for gaining a ve, eh....? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I want it written down in ck and white. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill do so. (Ye-Won)
Well, with that kind of condition, isnt it worth humouring her for a little bit? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, before we begin, you will shoot a video with your phone that shows you pledging the oath of bing my shuttle for a month. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You devil!! (Ye-Won)
If you choose not to honour your side of the deal, Ill send the video to everyone in your school and to all your acquaintances. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You evil b*stard! (Ye-Won)
Kek, kek, kek. Insult me all you want, little girl.
*
....Do I really need to wear this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, what? Would you rather go out wearing that tracksuit and the slippersbo? (Ye-Won)
The tracksuit is the greatest invention mankind hase up with, Ill have you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh? Then, what about yourputer? (Ye-Won)
Let me revise that statement and say its the greatest piece of clothing ever invented. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk and Ye-Won walked towards the meeting ce, he constantly tugged at the new, stiff clothes as he could not simply get used to the stiffness and feeling of the fabric tightening around his neck.
Ah! Stop doing that! Ive aligned everything perfectly, you know! (Ye-Won)
Haaah. This is really ufortable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was only wearing a simple pair of jeans and a shirt, but the unfamiliar material and the fresh-outta-box stiffness caused the nearly unbearable level of difort to endlessly irritate him.
What would change even if I look like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you take a look at your reflection first and tell me? (Ye-Won)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at himself in the reflection of a shops window next to him.
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This.... Didnt he look unexpectedly handsome?
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at himself this way and that for a while, before a grin formed on his face.
I look cool, dont I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you do look like a human being now. A normal human being, at least. (Ye-Won)
The harshness hiding at the core of her uncaring voice stabbed painfully into his heart.
Oh.... Is that right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, I guess being a normal human is better than before.
I got called a cruel devil, an abominable monster, and even a beast back in Berafe, so I should be happy with abel of a normal human being, at least.
However, why are there these wet thingsing out of my eyes? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Its over there. (Ye-Won)
While taking in the cafe Ye-Won was pointing at, Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out yet another long groan.
He really didnt feel like to doing this.
*
When they stepped into the cafe, Ye-Wons friends had arrived already were waiting for the siblings arrival. The pair of high school girls politely greeted Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hello there~.
Ng, nice to meet you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since Ye-Won had earnestly begged him, he decided to behave as cordially as possible.
What a lucky bunch of kids these girls happened to be.
The person he met that possessed the highest social standing so far was Seo Ah-Young, but even she had failed to receive such consideration from him. Yet, for these still wet behind the ears kids to be treated so nicely....
What are you thinking about? (Ye-Won)
Mm? Nothing much, really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent you going to ask us what wed like to drink? (Ye-Won)
Oh, really? You were nning on ordering a drink? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were in a cafe, so isnt that obvious? (Ye-Won)
What do you want from me, ahh?!
I came out here to prove where I work, not to meet prospective future brides, you know!!
Just what else do you want from me now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well take Americanos, please.
The cute girl with shortish bob-cut hair spoke to Yi Ji-Hyuk while a slightly infatuated smile on her face.
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes.
In that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk looked around to find a waiter, Ye-Won leaned closer and whispered in his ear with a voice packed to the brim with undisguised killing intent.
Go and order the drinks, then bring the buzzer here. If you keep wasting time like this, Im gonna murder you while you sleep. Three Americanos and any drink you want, oppa. Got that? (Ye-Won)
....Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After Yi Ji-Hyuk vacated his seat and headed off to the counter, Ye-Wons friends got closer to her and began to whisper in clear excitement.
Hey, your oppas really cute!
...Hes what? (Ye-Won)
Whats the matter? He is cute, you know....
Yi Ye-Won looked at that girl with a pitying expression.
Would you still be able to mouth the word cute after finding out what his real personality is like?
Even if every single living person on this looks cute to you, there is no freaking way that this guy would be included! Never! (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
Ye-Won shifted her nce and saw her brother looking at the overhead menu with a dazed expression while getting ready for a throwdown of some kind with the hapless employee behind the order counter.
Wait, wait! Dont tell me, hes not gonna start one of his tantrums here, is he?!
Since he was exactly the type to cause trouble out of the blue, Ye-Won resolved herself and tried to get up, but then, as if he hade to ast minute agreement with the employee, Yi Ji-Hyuk began shaking the hands with him in a rather extravagant manner.
Aigoo, my head.
Thats why I didnt want toe here with him. (Ye-Wons monologue)
But, there was naught she could do now, as this was the grave she had dug for herself.
She told him to bring the buzzer back to the table and wait for the orders here, yet he stood by the counter and only returned to his seat while carrying the tray full of their drinks.
Thank you~.
Thank you for the drinks!
Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head disinterestedly and began sucking in his frappe through a straw.
Oppa? (TL note at the end)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oppa, you really work for the NDF?
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, really? What do you do there?
....Well, uh, I keep a dog there, and....
I then torment the buffoons working there, too.
....Huh. Maybe I shouldnt be too honest here. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh, nothing much. Just some paperwork here and there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are paperwork in a ce like NDF?
This kid, saying something that will make Choi Jung-Hoon shed tears of blood so casually.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I also participate in the operations too, every now and then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I heard that the ability users working for the NDF are the best in the country! That means you get a huge sry, right?
Nah, its not that great. Just a pittance. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, how humble.
....Humble? My foots more like it, kid.
It really is a pittance, little girl.
Looks like shes not aware of how cruel reality can be. The sries of all government employees are like that, you know.
By the way, why are your eyes sparkling like that ever since we met?
Do I look like someone you can leech off from? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oppa, is it okay if you give us your phone number?
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, you work for the NDF, so you must be super strong and everything. If we encounter something dangerous, maybe.... We could give you a call, you know?
Well, uh, Im not.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right at that moment, a precise knifehand strikended powerfully in his side.
Keuk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh? Oppa? Is there something wrong?
....Nah, dont worry about it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at Ye-Won, but she pretended that nothing was amiss.
What a scary and crafty little girl she was.
Even if the others were nothing more than a couple of high school students, how could shend such a fearsome blow without anyone noticing it?
Indeed, the apple didnt fall too far from the tree C catching a whiff of moms aura in Ye-Wons strike just now, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but frown deeply.
Mm. Here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Without any motivation whatsoever, Yi Ji-Hyuk saved his number on the girls phone and handed it back to her. She smiled happily while receiving it.
Ill send you a private chatter.
I might not answer, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, its fine. Ehehe.
Yi Ji-Hyuk too smiled awkwardly.
Still, arent I more popr than I thought?
More importantly, isnt this girl more or less a sane minded, normal person?
Now that I got to chat to a normal, sane-minded female, something inside me kinda feels a bit itchy, doesnt it? But I do feel nic....
Oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Nope, not anymore.
You scary stalker!! How did you even find out about this ce?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could not help but spot Kim Dah-Som approaching the table while her golden hair swayed gently this way and that to a non-existent breeze.
Uh, Dah-Som-ah?
You came, too?
Ye-Won tilted her head slightly.
What are you doing here? (Ye-Won)
....Wait a minute. You guys go to the same school? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk asked Ye-Won while he inwardly shivered, she replied with a its nothing to fret over attitude.
Yeah, for some reason. She also transferred to the same school as me on the same day. Anyways, why are you here? (Ye-Won)
I came to show off my oppa, too. (Kim Dah-Som)
Your oppa? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This time, it was Yi Ji-Hyuks turn to tilt his head slightly.
If it was that blondies oppa, then that could only mean....
Indeed, just as Yi Ji-Hyuk was thinking of a certain ability user, he pushed the door open and entered the cafe.
He who possessed a noseline as sharp and well defined as a finely-honed de, short but gently swaying blonde hair, and unrealistically long and slick legs that seemed as if someone took a photograph of them and stretched the resulting images.
Hyung-nim!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Seeing the brightly-smiling Kim Dah-Hyun enter the cafe, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only smile in bitterness.
When he turned around to confirm his fears, he indeed spotted Ye-Wons friends with hearts recing their eyes as well as Kim Dah-Som standing to the side with an unreadable smile on her face.
Ha, hahaha....
What an exquisite timing.
No, kid, wait a sec....
Why are you erasing the phone number you just got like a minute ago?
Im still right in front of you!!
Is my number dirtying your phone or something?
Haaaah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
What a dirty world this is, where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Go get destroyed or something for all I care, you rotten world. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk halfway buried his body in the chair before turning his head around to look at Kim Dah-Hyun.
Hey. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, hyung-nim!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ram your head on the table. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
It seemed that Kim Dah-Hyuns ordeal was just beginning.
< 86. A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely -1 > Fin.
(TL: This oppa isnt from Ye-Won, but from one of her so-called friends. The term oppa can be used as a term of endearment by females to address older males who are not family, as long as the age gap between them isnt that wide.)
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $25)
Chapter 87: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (2)
Chapter 87: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (2)
Hahaha! Hyung-nim, youve got a great sense of humour! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....You think Im joking with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope.
But please, just say that you were!
Just where do you think we are right now?! You crazy a*shole!! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Oppa, youre really funny!
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to say something, but then, one of the school girls reacted and interfered rather quickly. He narrowed his eyes in disapproval.
Huh, would you look at this little girl?
Shes already trying to protect him?
Even if hes a handsome b*stard, you guys have only shared one greeting so far! A first time meeting and all! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun somehow managed to survive this situation by treating it as just a simple, off-the-cuff humour from the youth. Then, he searched for a seat he could use, and finally, chose the one on the opposite side to Yi Ji-Hyuks.
Because, Yi Ji-Hyuks left and right sides were upied by Yi Ye-Won and Kim Dah-Som respectively, leaving Kim Dah-Hyun with no alternative.
Hi, everyone. Im Kim Dah-Hyun, Dah-Soms oppa.
Hello~.
Its so nice to meet you!
....The tone of their voices seems different, no?
No, hang on a minute. It is a LOT different, isnt it?!
Were both human males, were both oppas of your friends, yet why do we get different types of greetings?
Is it because of my sisters terrible personality?
Did I get affected by that, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks mind was trying to escape from the cruel reality of the situation.
Youre also working at the NDF, oppa?
Oh, that. Yeah, I work there. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Wow, sooo cool!
HUH?!
He said the exact same thing as I did, but again, your reactions are too different!
Uhm, excuse me.... You know, I also work at the NDF, too!
Why do you show us different reactions when I told you I also work at the same ce as this guy?!
This makes no sense!!!
No bloody sense! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk learned that the world made no sense to him a long time ago, but for some reason, this fact seemed to dig even more painfully into his heart today.
Oppa, since you work for the NDF, that means youre super strong, right?
Hahaha. How can I dare to im such a thing in front of this hyung? No, this man over here, hes really powerful. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Oh.
The girls spared only a cursory nce at Yi Ji-Hyuks general direction. The lightness of their gazes that didnt even linger for more than 0.1 second said everything one needed to know, really.
Well, being strong isnt the most important thing, you know.
....If being strong isnt important when fighting monsters, then what is?! Huh?!
Is it the ability to make friends?!
Should we go around making friends with monsters, then?
When Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling in rage, Ye-Won tightly grasped her brothers arm.
Calm down. (Ye-Won)
Keuk! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ye-Won looked at her brother with an expression of sympathy while shaking her head ever so slightly.
Although he did not really resemble a squid, the moment Kim Dah-Hyun made his unexpected appearance, Yi Ji-Hyuk was demoted as one from everyone elses perspective.
And that dude wasnt even a dang wizard or something; that face, capable of transforming a species of a person, now wasnt that the most horrifying weapon in existence?
However, Kim Dah-Hyun was a really handsome man, thats for sure.
He may not be Ye-Wons type, but looking at him objectively, it wouldnt be strange to call him a celebrity.
Too bad, his level was too low, though. A man should have a certain dandy-ness to him.
Hah.... Choi Jung-Hoon oppa....
By the way.... Ng?
Why is she acting like that? (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
Ye-Won spotted Kim Dah-Soms hand tightly clutching onto Yi Ji-Hyuks clothes.
Well, since that handsome guy is her brother, she should feel indifferent about him. Fine. But, still. She gets to see that nice face everyday of her life, yet she wanna act like this with my brother? (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
Ye-Won just couldnt figure it out.
Of course its important. Why do you think its not? Youd change your mind after checking out how that hyung fights. Even though we both are men, I find it so d*mn cool. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mhm?
Only then did the gazes of the girls looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk change just a little. However, when their curious gazes focused on him, his clothes were suddenly pulled taut from the side.
Kim Dah-Soms unreadable rended on her older brother, and Kim Dah-Hyunsplexion visibly paled before he quickly changed the subject.
Ha, haha, ha.... Thats not that important right now, though! Am I right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Youre so right.
Right, right.
After seeding in recapturing the girls attention, Kim Dah-Hyun checked his sisters reaction. With a satisfied look on her face, Kim Dah-Som gripped Yi Ji-Hyuks clothes even tighter.
Hey! You are going to stretch the fabric! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Haaaaah....
Yi Ye-Won spat out a lengthy groan.
That blonde girl might not be okay in her head, but this guy over here was also not right in the head, either. The girl who for some reason liked this squid of a man and chased after him, and the man who didnt even know his ce and was busy trying to kick away a girl whod turn heads wherever she went....
Why was Ye-Won surrounded by such moronic beings?
Besides all that, why was her brother looking so sullen ever since a while ago?
Seeing the three jovial people sitting in front of himughing and enjoying themselves, Yi Ji-Hyuks cheeks were puffing up more and more.
...And that was why I had to endure so much hardship. Isnt that right, hyung-nim? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
You call that little thing hardship? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
So, how should Kim Dah-Hyun reply to that?
If he mouthed the following words, Wouldnt going through all that qualify as hardship?, then without a doubt, Yi Ji-Hyuk would go absolutely mental and scream out, Let me show you what REAL hardship is!!
But, if Kim Dah-Hyun replied with, Yes, that wasnt much of a hardship, then Yi Ji-Hyuk would definitely say something like In that case, you should experience hardship at least once in your life....
So, just what should Kim Dah-Hyun say here, when being red at with the eyes that shouted out Ill make you suffer regardless of what your answer is...?
Haha.... ha. Well, uh, I guess thats not all that important... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oh, so its not important anymore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....No, its... important.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oh, if its important, then why did you say it wasnt? You trying to make fun of people? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wouldnt dare to make fun of hyung-nim. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
And why not? Is it because you think Im a small minded guy who cant take a lighthearted joke? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no, thats not it. There is no way youre like that. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oh? Then why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, please! Show me a way out of this, please!
Whats up with this intensely hostile reaction?!
Did I do something wrong? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
....Did I do something wrong? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Its your face thats wrong. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk darkly muttered to himself, All good-looking people should just die, cold sweat trickled down Kim Dah-Hyuns face.
Looks like Ive really gotten on his bad side today, havent I?
At this rate, am I gonna get beaten up ck and blue again? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun could somehow handle being beaten up until he vomited blood, but just imagining being sentenced to a spell inside that ck gate made his entire body shudder involuntarily.
Ha, haha.... Wow, Im feeling thirsty all of a sudden... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Uh? Oppa, you still havent ordered anything yet? In that case, how about drinking mine....?
One of Ye-Wons friends pushed her coffee mug forward, but it collided with Kim Dah-Hyun trying to wave his hand and fell to the floor.
Ah!
Just as the gasps ran out, the coffee mug froze in mid-air. Then, it rose up by itself andnded back on the table. The whole thing happened very quickly.
Unfortunately, the issue was with the subsequent reactions.
The once-noisy interior of the cafe had fallen into deafening silence.
........Ah.
Kim Dah-Hyun let off a sigh and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a helpless expression.
Hey, why are breathing on someones face like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thats not it, hyung-nim. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
What? ....What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cant you read the atmosphere, man?!
Even if youre a narcissistic a*shole, youre still supposed to pay attention to other people, too!
Didnt you feel the atmosphere bing weird just now? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
We should get out of here first. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mm? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then did Yi Ji-Hyuk take a look around.
And he found the stares of other patrons within the cafe focused on his table.
Why are they looking at us like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly, and Ye-Won quickly whispered in his ear.
Remember.... Were not in our residential area. (Ye-Won)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Regr people dont like ability users, remember? (Ye-Won)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Something like that, well, Yi Ji-Hyuk did expect such things to happen, so he didnt feel anything particr about it. However....
Even then, he couldnt help but feel that this reaction seemed a bit too pronounced. Was the rtionship between the two camps this bad?
We aint even monkeys in a zoo, either. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was a faint trace of enmity mixed among their stares.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
Of course, he didnt find this surprising. Even back in Berafe, Sorcerers and Knights were no longer considered as the same species as the normal powerless people, after all.
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew that there was no way a human capable of smashing a boulder into pieces with his bare hands, and powerless regr people could live together in harmony.
The difference between here and Berafe, though, was that thetter world had gone through a lengthy period of co-existence, so the rtionship there had stabilised to a certain degree. Besides, normal people had no avenue topete against those with powers anyway, so they ended up treating the other side as objects of awe as time wore on, instead.
However, the mixing of the two groups had only begun in this world; so, it was hardly surprising to receive stares of jealousy, fear, and even a certain amount of vignce.
Awkward? Was that the most suitable word for this situation?
In any case, it was now impossible to hold a conversation inside the silent cafe where a soft sigh would end up sounding like a ringing bell. Even a single word from Yi Ji-Hyuks group would be heard by the other patrons.
Whew.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and got up from his seat.
He didnt expect things to be this bad.
The chasm between the ability users and the regr people seemed to be wider than Yi Ji-Hyuks calction. Up until now, he had only been interacting with the KSF and NDF people, or stayed cooped up in his own house, so he never had a real chance to feel it with his own skin.
Sure, he read about anti-ability user groups and all that nonsense online, but well, with the inte being what it was, he didnt take them too seriously.
Migrant workers, women, foreign countries C the inte was full of morons whod kick up a fuss over pretty much anything and everything, so Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt pay them any heed. However, this issue didnt sound so simple anymore.
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, hyung-nim. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ng.
Yi Ji-Hyuk left the cafe and the others followed him out. Meanwhile, his heightened sense of hearing caught onto all the murmurs and whispersing from the cafe.
Fools who cant even say that to my face.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue again, prompting Kim Dah-Hyun to smile brightly in order to enliven the mood.
Hahaha. You feeling okay, hyung-nim? It happens quite often, though. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yeah, Im okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked nonchntly. Just who was he? He was the man who had endured the hatred of an entire world just fine.
So, he didnt even spare a thought over a trivial thing like receiving a portion of hostility directed towards the grouping of ability users, which he didnt exactly belong to in the first ce.
No, he only left the cafe because he didnt want to be bothered.
You cant carry on living while constantly worrying about what others think of you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, of course.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Of course, if you were a guy who cared about what others thought about you, you wouldnt have lived like this.
Wasted my time worrying about you, didnt I? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
The first trial for those who became ability users recently, was precisely this. The user would think that nothing had changed about him or herself, yet the people around that person would change, instead. Such as, the friends they thought they were close with, suddenly keeping their distances.
There were quite a few cases of users no longer on speaking terms with their families, too.
That in turn forced the ability users to seek out and hang around other ability users who could understand them the best, which only served to further strengthen the sense of alienation between the normal people and the users.
And currently, the situation had reached a worrisome level.
Even Kim Dah-Hyun had reached a point where he no longer spoke to normal people, unless it was with his immediate family members.
So, is it fine for me to go home now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Well, theres nothing much to do here, and the reason for us being here is finished too, so....
Ye-Won mustve thought the same, since she nodded her head in silence as well. Well, she got to prove her words, so there. Too bad her older brother ended up bing a squid, though.
Ye-Won then looked at Kim Dah-Som sticking to her brother like a piece of gum and nodded her head.
She thought that, rather than having a fewme idiots hanging around him, it was far more preferable to have someone like her stick around, instead.
Although it was unfortunate that she was not right in the head, wasnt her own brother a mental case, too?
So, yup, that girl had to be caught, now. If she were to be blunt, how would her older brother, with that face and that personality of his, catch a girl as pretty as that one?
It was right then.
Bzzzzz....
Yi Ji-Hyuks NDF-issued smartphone began emitting bright white light.
Eh? It had this sort of function, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, the light became even more blinding. And then... a shape of a female materialised in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Huh?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His eyes became wider in surprise after confirming who this female was.
What the, its you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon is calling for you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What the hell? Just because you say that, I should go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Probably? (Jeong Hae-Min)
A vein popped up on Yi Ji-Hyuks forehead.
Would you look at this guy sending someone else, just because hes too scared to call me on the phone?
Seriously now.... He wasnt like that in the beginning, yet isnt he bing a bit of coward nowadays?
You think Im gonna bite your head off or something if you called me?
However, whats this?
Why am I feeling rather chilly all of a sudden? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The moment Jeong Hae-Min showed up here, it felt like the air had be noticeably colder for some reason....
Argh! What the heck?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally spotted Kim Dah-Som breathing out icy cold breaths right next to him and quickly stepped away in fright.
Yes? (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som tilted her head as if she was puzzled by his action. Even then, her eyes never stopped staring at Jeong Hae-Min.
Hmmmmm? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min too, received that stare with a slightly haughty attitude and a cocked head.
As the two females proceeded on with the hard-to-describe war of nerves, the man in the centre of this storm, Yi Ji-Hyuk, was calling up Choi Jung-Hoon on the phone in order to pour out lots and lots of verbal abuse.
Haaaah....
Seeing this scene unfold, Ye-Won could only click her tongue in annoyance.
What a mess....
What a bloody mess unfolding around this guy....
Was the world about toe to an end....?
Yi Ye-Won spat out a long, long groan while ring at the Mister Squid that just so happened to be her blood kin.
< 87. A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (2) > Fin.
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $25.)
Chapter 88: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (3)
Chapter 88: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (3)
The serial murder case? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young tilted her head, feeling slightly confused.
The NDF wasnt the police, so why did the request for cooperation on investigating the crime of serial murderse this way?
But, why us? (Seo Ah-Young)
That is.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled bitterly and continued on.
Theres a good chance that an ability user is behind the murders, apparently. Well, you know that everyone and their cousins, including the news outlets, are going mad with this news, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, sure, but.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course, Seo Ah-Young knew of the case well enough.
How could she not know, since it sure as heck felt like that, wherever she turned her focus to, be it the TV or the radio stations she listened to during hermute home in the evenings, they seemingly only talked about the murders and nothing else?
As these crimes had nothing to do with her, she didnt pay it any mind. But, now that an official request hade her way, the story changed drastically.
Is that why we need to cooperate with the investigation? (Seo Ah-Young)
From the onset, one of the NDFs main reasons for being established was to oversee and manage the countrys myriad of ability users. However, moving ording to ones own ns, and cooperating with the police after receiving their request were two distinctly different things.
Not only was there an issue with the reason for their mobilisation, but more importantly, there was also a problem with how others would perceive this.
If this were to be their first call to action over matters such as this, there was a real risk of others perceiving the NDF as nothing more than a division of the National Police.
It isplicated, maam. I believe we need to help out, but our situation means we simply cant act on this request willy-nilly (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So, what are our options? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs question ignored everything else and flew in straight at Choi Jung-Hoon, and he could only dry cough in response. It seemed that, after going through half a year of hardship, her personality seemed to have changed somewhat.
Lets use our Joker. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Pardon? (Seo Ah-Young)
If they end up going through the absolute worst experience possible, they will think twice before asking us again. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The absolute worst experience, and then, their Joker....
Could he be talking about.... Perhaps?
Correct. Its Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon broke out in a radiant smile.
*
These a*sholes! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The seething Yi Ji-Hyuk was walking towards the NDF building.
These a-holes are busy ordering me around, arent they?
No, wait. Sure, they can order me around. Fine! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
After all, they were nominally his superior officers. So, they could call on him if an incident happened and it required Yi Ji-Hyuks attention in order to resolve it. So, that was understandable.
However, at least they shouldve contacted him personally!
How could they simply send a shorty who had no clue what was going on, and tell him to haul a*s?
Maybe they arent fully educated yet? Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Especially, that Choi Jung-Hoon was proving to be a real pain nowadays.
The guy with an unmistakable aura of a super-elite, that seemed capable of handling pretty much anything thrown his way, was now nowhere to be seen, only to be reced by the current version, the oily all-purpose handyman, instead.
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk was solely to me for that transformation, but still.
When he was busy mouthing off on his intentions of scouting Yi Ji-Hyuk for KSF back then, could Choi Jung-Hoon have ever dreamed of such a thing happening to him?
Hyung-nim, please calm yourself. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Calm myself, my foot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun tried to pacify him, but Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted out in annoyance.
Now that he thought about it, this b*stard was also the same.
All good looking b*stards need to die. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk breathed out a lengthy groan. He just realised that not one person working for the NDF was to his liking. How can a man feel this lonely all of a sudden?
Seriously, even back in Berafe....!
He surrounded himself with plenty of those he found likeable....
....And they were all monsters and demons.
Ah. Thats right. I only had evil creatures around me even back then, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Quite obviously, there wouldnt have been a single human near him. Every one of them either hated or feared him, after all.
He met people he thought were okay some time around the mid-point of his stay in Berafe. By then, Yi Ji-Hyuk had be familiarised with the ongoings of that world, but hadnt beenbeled as the Bringer of Apocalypse yet. However, even those okay people grew fearful of him, someone who could not die nor age, and began distancing themselves from him.
What the hell?
Nothing has changed since then, has it?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner cry)
Yi Ji-Hyuk despaired once more at the cruelty of his reality and looked at the entrance of the building.
Right. I still have Oh-Sik, dont I?
Unlike with others, I have built up a rtionship of trust with Oh-Sik, havent I?
Sure, the kid did try to rebel, but that much is nothing more than aegyo....
Huh? What... is that? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes caught onto something weird happening near the NDF building.
....There was more than one animal present.
There definitely were two of them, for sure. He could see that by the entrance to the building, two dogs (?) were sitting together and busy pouring out pink-coloured hearts at each other....
Haaaaah?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk rubbed his eyes in disbelief and approached the two... animals.
Hah. This son of a b*tch.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arge, somewhat good-looking dog was busy licking Oh-Siks fur.
What a strange feeling this was.
He didnt feel anything in particr when seeing other people being all lovey-dovey and stuff, yet when he saw this, for some reason, his frustration boiled over in an instant.
Even dogs were doing that, too!
Ah. Oh-Sik wasnt a dog, was he?
HEY! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik jumped up in fright after hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks voice, and quickly signaled to the other dog. And like a streak of lightning, the other dog ran away super-fast and disappeared from sight.
The whole thing reminded him of a pair of high schoolers being caught by mom in the middle of discovering love, causing him to feel rather peculiar.
....Hey, you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper~.
Oh-Sik lowered his head and wagged his tail helplessly.
....You got yourself a girlfriend? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper.
.....Oh-Sik-ah. Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you fool. You are not a dog, Oh-Sik-ah!
You are supposed to be an Ogre!
Why are you doing this? Remember who you are, man!
You werent like this before, too.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
After forcibly swallowing back the countless words that tried to break out of his mouth, Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the corners of his eyes.
How could he me this kid, anyway?
Did you, uh, tell it that youre not a dog yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik slowly shook his head.
....Is that so. Okay, be strong. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should he call this forbidden love or something?
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but feel this unknown sense of guilt weighing down on him.
Should I revert you back to how you look? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik hesitated for a little while, before shaking his head. Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuks tears suddenly gushed forth. He sniffed and wiped his nose once, before patting the Ogre.
If it gets too tough for you, dont hesitate and talk to me, your reliable hyung. Okay? Well share a bottle of drink and talk about it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof.
Good. Ill tell the others to buy the most expensive pet food. So, you feed that gal well. And, if you need anything, just let me know, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
There, there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the corners of his eyes and patted Oh-Siks back, before heading inside the NDF building.
Hyung-nim, what was that all about? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Hah.... What would you even know about love? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Love, what effing love are you talking about? You wet behind-the-ears little punk! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Still oblivious of Yi Ji-Hyuks real age, Kim Dah-Hyun cussed out repeatedly in his mind.
When they entered the office, they were greeted by the brightly-smiling Choi Jung-Hoon.
Wee back. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whats the matter with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? I dont quite follow? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eii, seriously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan and sat down on his assigned seat. He then ced his feet up on the desk and asked.
Okay, so why did you call me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Weve received a request for cooperation from the police. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What kinda cooperation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They are of the opinion that the current serial murder case is being perpetrated by an ability user. They are saying that with their ability, itll be impossible to apprehend the perp, so they want us to aid them. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay. Why are you telling me this, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, you need to know. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And why do I need to know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, wouldnt you get angrier if you werent told in the first ce? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You definitely have to know. I mean, after we agree to help them out and disappear for a while, wouldnt you go on a rampage just because you cant find anyone here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Uh?
Now that I hear that, that sorta makes sense, no?
Now that I finished swallowing up the NDF, I have to deal with an annoying side effect like this one?
So, in other words, if theres something small like this happening in the future, Ill be notified every single dang time?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk recalled the time when he had climbed to the peak of bureaucracy way back when.
He received one report after another, then received some more, then more reports came in and he didnt even have time to sleep, and then, more and more came in...........
....What the hell? Did I make a mistake?
What is this sh*t? Is this hell? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner panic)
Mm, mhm, is, is that so? So, what are we going to do about it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It looks like there is no choice but to help them out. Well, at the least, well have to go there and make it look like we did something. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, okay, sure.... So, whos going? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That will be the person with least amount of things to do. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk promptly turned his head to look at Kim Dah-Hyun.
Him? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, hyung-nim. Im busier than you think, you know.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I always thought you were just lounging around sucking on thumbs everyday? What could you be so busy with, in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh, so handsome guys are okay with being busy, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? What do you even mean.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Stare somewhere else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes sir... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suppressed his boiling anger.
Mom, why did you give birth to a son this ugly....?
....Okay, so. Serial murders. Is it serious? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Very. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
An ability user and the serial murder case....
If things went sideways, wouldnt the worst possible situation break out?
It seemed that the situation was far too serious for him to remain as a spectator. Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Okay, fine. Lets send someone. But who will we send? Dont beat around the bush and tell me straight. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, take care on your way, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Thats a strange answer, aint it?
Wait a minute. Its me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul....
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly waved both of his hands around.
Oh,e on now! I cant do something like that! Dont you know how shy I can get? Its gonna get so awkward, meeting with people I dont know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You drew a bloody heart on the interrogation rooms one way mirror, remember that?
You should wake the hell up. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Since its official business, its not going to be awkward and all that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, Im still worried, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its not you who should be worried, actually. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm? Did you say something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No. Its nothing important. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You shouldnt be the one worrying, they should. Since a walking, talking bomb is headed their way.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pondered for a short while, before nodding his head.
Okay, fine. Ill go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh? For real? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the? Werent youying it on thick just now that I should go? Whats up with this reaction now that I said Ill go? (Yi Ji-Hyuks dissatisfied inner monologue)
Are you trying to make fun of me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not. Thats not what I meant. I simply didnt expect you to so coolly agree to the request. It sure is strange to see you behaving so agreeably, since you never did.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He said, so cool....
With a slightly stiffened face, Yi Ji-Hyuk snatched the documents containing information off Choi Jung-Hoons hands.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After taking a look, he couldnt help but feel something was very off here.
See, the thing was, Yi Ji-Hyuks sixth sense tended to be on the money most of the time. And in this case.... Well, it reeked like a rotting fish to him.
This feeling he had, it was telling him that this incident would lead to something even bigger down the line.
Looks like I do need to look into this. Okay, so whos going with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That hasnt been.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Itll be Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs deration came from Choi Jung-Hoons rear, causing him to shudder in a nasty surprise.
Who?
Him?
W, wait a minute, why would I....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, so you were nning to send Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk all alone? You think hell even bother to take a look at the evidence and the investigation reports? (Seo Ah-Young)
Uhm, excuse me. I think youre not aware of this, but.....
This guy here, his abilities are pretty scary, you know?
He definitely doesnt need me, you know?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Even then, why would I....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its an important mission, so its only correct to send an important person over, wouldnt you say? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, wait, why would I....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, and lets send Hae-Min and Gah-Yun over as well. That okay with you? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, its not okay with me, though?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youre a man, so stopining! Why dont you just cut it off, then? (Seo Ah-Young) (TL: Yes, that off is from the raw and is intentional.)
Cut what off?!
I havent even used it properly yet!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
In any case, Ive made my decision, so please prepare to leave immediately. (Seo Ah-Young)
....I understand. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung knew all too well that the results wouldnt change no matter how much heined after she made her decision, so he wisely chose to give up, instead.
Well be ready within two hours. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Too bad, Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt stopped hisining, though.
Cant we go tomorrow or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, everyone just ignored him.
*
Poof.
Yi Ji-Hyuks group appeared in front of the National Police Agencys glittering HQ building.
Is that the one?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks jaw dropped after taking in the very impressive sight of the Agencys exterior.
Wow. Its so much cooler than a certain building I work in.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....We only have a few elites, so.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh, just from the outside, you can tell the difference in size of the wallet, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We have been underfunded for a while, so.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The corners of Choi Jung-Hoons eyes glistened momentarily.
Uh, uhm... Is that so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, hey, hey... I dont wanna see an old ahjussi crying, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly ended the conversation before something happened, and hurriedly headed towards the entrance of the building.
Lets also go in. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon, Jeong Hae-Min, and Doh Gah-Yun, still hidden in the shadows, all followed him as well.
Hold it. (?)
It was then, some people blocked them from going further.
What brings you here? (?)
Before Choi Jung-Hoon could exin themselves, Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out his own slightly off-kilter reply.
Im here cuz I want to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The brows of one of the men blocking their way quivered a little.
You want to? (?)
Whats the matter? Do I need a reason toe visit the National Police or something? People can just show up if they wanted to, right? After all, wasnt this ce built using my tax money? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm....
Choi Jung-Hoon shut his mouth up after listening to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now that he thought about it, it seemed strange for someone to block people from entering the police headquarters like this. It felt like they were only stopped because the other party knew in advance.
....Are they trying to pressure us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, that would be a terrible mistake on their part, actually.
You see, in this world, there were some people you should never cross, no matter what.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon grinned widely and spoke.
Please dont damage the building. Taxpayers will have to bear the burden, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If they are trying to pick a fight with us like this....
Youve just made a mistake.
Not only that, a colossal mistake, to boot. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon cackled inwardly as the nuclear bomb he had been holding onto walked into the corridors of the National Police Agency.
....How cunning.
< 88. A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely -3 > Fin.
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $25)
Chapter 89: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (4)
Chapter 89: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (4)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk cocked his head and his expression became provocative, anger rapidly began suffusing on the faces of those blocking his way.
I asked you, what brings you here. (?)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively.
If youre trying to get a piece of me, you should juste at me. Stop testing us out from behind a line you drew in the sand. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you trying to imply here? (?)
What the, you cant understand Korean or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One of the men standing there, Inspector Cho Ji-Woong swept his gaze over Yi Ji-Hyuk and frowned deeply. (TL: The Korean detectives are called Inspectors, just like in the UK.)
Who the hell was this b*stard?
Actually, what was said wasnt wrong, though.
Cho Ji-Woong of course knew very well the official reason why these people showed up here. Since he heard that a bunch of no-good ability users would tread on his turf, hed put them in their ces before they got started, that was all.
His original n was to let them know whose home turf this was, and make sure that these a*sholes would not dare to think about crossing the line.
However, this reaction was strange, to say the least.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his weight onto one leg and began trembling in a mocking manner.
Whats the matter? You scared, now that youre about to throwdown? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, Cho Ji-Woong was scared.
Not one regr person would be willing to throwdown with an ability user, after all.
You behave like this, and we will arrest you for obstructing official police business. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Official police business? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Official business, he said official business.....
Ah. Which means.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly asked the inspector.
Youre a policeman? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt believe it.
To think, a policeman would block his path....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Choi Jung-Hoons direction. Thetter man showed off his tightly clenched fist.
You idiots, you all made a huge blunder today. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Upon receiving the signal to cut loose and go wild, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and shifted his gaze back to the policemen.
If you continue to act like this, then well, we wont have a choice but to respond just as strongly as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And how would you respond, then? (Cho Ji-Woong)
Hahaha. (TL: I think its the MCughing, but not sure....)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deeply nodded his head and confidently opened his mouth.
Were from the NDF, here to assist with the investigation after receiving the request. My name is Yi Ji-Hyuk. Sir. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell?! Thats not it!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cried out subconsciously after seeing Yi Ji-Hyuks sudden and very abrupt turn in attitude to being very polite.
This guy, why was he acting like this all of a sudden?!
He said hes an officer of thew! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red back.
Uh......? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Now that Choi Jung-Hoon recalled the past.... Wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuk surprisingly weak against authority figures?
Even way back then, he let the KSF arrest him without raising a single fuss. Which was an incredibly unbelievable thing, if one thought about it for a second.
Just because a few gun muzzles were pointing at him, he let a pair of handcuffs p on his wrists?
Wait a minute! Arent we also a part of the government?! You should treat people equally!! I mean, you throw tantrums around in the NDF, and yet...!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Them and you arepletely different! These folks are the police!! The police, man! How can an organisation that came into existence on the same day as the founding of this nation and that has enjoyed neverending public authority, bepared to a mongrel of an outfit that no one can quite tell where it fell out from?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Haaaaaah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just when did the might and prestige of the KSF fall this hard....? (TL: I think the author made a mistake here. Shouldve been the NDF, instead.)
Out in the wilderness of society, you might end up hearing, measly cops and stuff like that, though!
....Youre from the NDF? (Cho Ji-Woong)
Yup! Were here cuz of the request. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes. Sure..... (Cho Ji-Woong)
Seeing how cooperative and friendly Yi Ji-Hyuk had be, and thus losing the reason to continue the hostility, Inspector Cho Ji-Woong could only nod his head in bitter defeat.
This wasnt what he aimed for....
Actually, he was thinking of somehow causing a bit of incident, and then, mobilising the boys from the anti-riot unit waiting in the wings not too far from them, to make a mountain out of a molehill today.
If the news of the NDF people causing a ruckus inside the police HQ got out, then the negative public sentiments would intensify. And, the upper management, who naively thought that asking for the NDFs help would be a good idea, should have a change of heart as well. Thats what he thought.
However.... What was up with this situation?
If it went down in this fashion, what use were all those cameras and reporters waiting just over yonder?
The anti-riot members were also waiting too!
No, he couldnt give up like this! He had to push a little bit harder!
Request.... A request, you say. However, what kind of help will you people be able to provide in the first ce? (Cho Ji-Woong)
Yup, I was thinking the same, myself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
N, no! I cant surrender just because of this! Not yet!! (Cho Ji-Woongs inner monologue)
Do you understand that not getting in our way is the best you can hope for? In any case, ability users or whatnot, Ive never met one thats actually helpful in anything important until now! (Cho Ji-Woong)
Hearing that, Yi Ji-Hyuks expression hardened, and he slowly approached Cho Ji-Woong.
W, what do you want now? (Cho Ji-Woong)
Cho Ji-Woong tensed up visibly as he watched the youth approach him, but inwardly, he was yelling out in tion.
Although he was scared, things were finally unfolding in the manner he was hoping for.
Hit me.
At the very least, grab me by the throat or something!
Im pretty sure you cant kill me, though.
However, Ive already made up mind to spend a few months in the hospital, soe at me!
No, my pride is far more important than some bodily pain!!! (Cho Ji-Woongs inner monologue)
And as he expected, Yi Ji-Hyuk and his hardened face got very close to Cho Ji-Woong. But then, he leaned over and whispered into the ear of the befuddled policeman.
Actually, you know, I was thinking the exact same thing. No, wait. Its not just that.... You see, every single one of them are nuts. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.... (Cho Ji-Woong)
You know, looks like we understand each other pretty well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah?! (Cho Ji-Woong)
What is this?!
What is wrong with this effing b*stard?! How can a moron like him even exist? (Cho Ji-Woong)
Cho Ji-Woong gnashed his teeth unconsciously after experiencing first hand Yi Ji-Hyuk and his slippery attitude that refused to fall for his provocation.
You rotten ability users. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Did these a*sholes understand how much pain and suffering they caused to the general popce through their unchecked and unhindered actions?
A whole heap of trashy b*stards that refused to follow the rules of thew and simply pped their own wrists as a form of punishment for their crimes.
Even the current spate of murders were a clear example.
How great were the damages to the National Police from a single insane ability user rampaging around?
Remembering the amount of k from the public the police caught for failing to apprehend a single criminal, Cho Ji-Woong thought his innards might boil over from the mes of raw fury.
However, the police couldnt solve this crime by themselves, so they had to rope in the help of none other than those d*mn ability users, so yes, his and other officers pride were deeply wounded, and their collective frustration were piling on.
He could easily tell what would happen if these supercilious bunch of trash took the lead role in this investigation. That was why he was here, doing all this in order to put a dent in the users arrogance before they could start, yet....
No, ability users are conceited to the core. I can do this. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Cho Ji-Woong felt confident of his chances.
These users wouldnt be able to openly cause a huge ruckus considering where they were. As long as they had a shred of logic still functioning in their heads, at least.
However......
Just what was wrong with this situation?
Just what the f*ck was up with this stinking b*stard?
And, what was wrong with those idiots apanying this guy, choosing to simply stand there and not lift a finger, even after Cho Ji-Woong came out swinging like this?
What the hell? These a*sholes dare to...?! You really want a piece of me, is tha..... (Cho Ji-Woong)
Before he could finish, Cho Ji-Woong abruptly shut his mouth up.
Why? Because, he finally got a good look into Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes, what with the youth standing so close to him and all.
What.... is this? (Cho Ji-Woong)
As an Inspector, Cho Ji-Woong got to meet countless criminals during his long career. And because of that, he could more or less tell just how big an incident this youth was capable of causing, simply from the aura being emitted.
That was why....
Just what the hell.... is this guy?
Just what does one have to do, in order to emit such a terrifying aura? (Cho Ji-Woong)
Cho Ji-Woong had the opportunity to meet the leaders of several criminal empires that spanned the entirety of Korea, not to mention many powerful politicians that determined the future direction of this country, yet, without a doubt, someone like this youth was a first for him.
Perhaps, youd be able to emit such an aura if you, instead of killing human beings one at a time, just go on a worldwide genocide as if you were stepping on ants or some such.
Would the good Inspector feel such a chilling dread if he personally met the historys worst mass murderers, the ones that could only be read about in history books and seen in documentaries?
No, the problem was that it wasnt as simple as that.
Not only was there a foreboding, mncholic sense of dreading from the youth, there was also this vtile instability, an uncertainty of no one being able to predict just when hed blow up with a bang.
A f*cking bomb.
Right. This guy.... Hes a godd*mn bomb. (Cho Ji-Woongs inner monologue)
How could those idiots deal with someone this dangerous as if its nothing? (Cho Ji-Woong)
This Yi Ji-Hyuk character was one thing, but those other NDF people giggling while looking at the youths back seemed even more nuts at this point.
Were they not aware?
Did they not know how dangerous this man was?
Cho Ji-Woong didnt even want to be near this youth.
Even someone as experienced in all things rted to dangerous people (precisely because of that experience) Cho Ji-Woong did not want to associate with the youth standing right in front of him if he could help it.
One could simply make a mistake and say Yi Ji-Hyuk looked like a young man with a bad personality, when looking at his sharp eyebrows that seemed to be shaped using the de of ill temper, or from his puffed up cheeks.
However, there was just so much more brewing behind that facade.
....I beg your pardon. I made a mistake. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Ive made a huge error in judgement. Please forgive me. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Hul?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Why are you acting this way out of the blue? Did I do something wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, nonono. No, its our side that did something wrong, instead. Once more, please ept my sincere apology. (Cho Ji-Woong)
What the hell is the matter with this dude? Hah, look at his attitude doing a 180! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Looking at Cho Ji-Woong and his very sincere and polite attitude, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only lick his lips in regret.
He was nning to humour this cop for a little bit longer, before causing a mother of all mayhem if things continued on in the same vein. But, now.... The mood had soured somewhat.
Well, he couldnt really beat up a guy being this nice and all.
Okay. Well be in your care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Likewise. Do look after us. (Cho Ji-Woong)
The person to panic the most when Cho Ji-Woong bent his back 90 degrees in a bow was none other than Choi Jung-Hoon.
What is going on with that man?
How do I even begin to describe this reaction?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Werent you trying to get on our nerves just now? What happened? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He knew this question shouldnt be asked, but Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt hold back anymore.
Cho Ji-Woong smiled awkwardly and replied.
I know who not to provoke, thats all. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Why didnt I....
....Possess such an insight back then?
If I only knew back then, I would not be living like this now.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon wiped away the droplets pooling at the edges of his eyes.
Let us head inside. Weve readied a briefing inside the conference room. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Mm...
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned Cho Ji-Woong up and down as if he was slightly unsatisfied by something.
How should he go about describing the expression on the policemans face? After all, he had seen that expression way too many times back in Berafe.
Did it mean that the cop had made an assessment during that short amount of time?
Hes got a bit of skill, doesnt he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that this policeman had a discerning eye that could recognise certain people.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk had no reason to sweat over it, though.
Itll be fine as long as you dont cross me, so you dont have to be that tense. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yes!! (Cho Ji-Woong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and waved his hand around, and Cho Ji-Woong quickly took the lead and the group headed inside the building.
Jeong Hae-Min sneaked in closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk and whispered a question.
That guy, whats the matter with him? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Who knows? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if I exined it to you, you wont get it, though.
Might as well ignore it if it will make me waste my energy. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tookrge strides and followed closely behind Cho Ji-Woong. The group entered through the foyer of the National Polices impressive HQ building, got on the slick and spacious elevator, and went upstairs.
Heading deeper into the corridor after exiting the elevator brought them to arge conference room full of important-looking people waiting for their arrival.
Choi Jung-Hoon stepped to the front and offered his greetings.
My name is Choi Jung-Hoon, from the NDF. We are here to provide assistance. From now on, well rely on your guidance. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im Park Ji-Won, from the Investigations. Im nominally in charge of this case, but youll be liaising with Inspector Cho Ji-Woong most of the time. I fear that our methods have hit a wall, so please, I ask of you for your cooperation.
Yes. Please, dont worry. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Everyone took their respective seats. One of the walls acted as the screen for the projections as the summary of what happened so farmenced.
Currently, murders that are believed to perpetrated by a single individual have urred throughout the country.
A map of Korea with numerous red dots ced all over it was projected on the wall.
Although these dots seemed to centre around major cities, one couldnt help but frown somewhat after seeing the random jumble of red with no visible pattern at all.
At the moment, we have confirmed 28 cases. We have not alerted the media yet, but at the moment, we suspect that there are at least ten more killings to be ounted for. If there are more victims we dont know of yet, then well, the number will definitely go up higher.
That murderer must be one crazy b*stard. (Jeong Hae-Min)
At Jeong Hae-Mins deration, Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned slightly.
Youre an idol, so you shouldnt say stuff like crazy b*stard, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? An idol cant call a crazy b*stard a crazy b*stard now? Can I call dad a dad, then?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Argh, I wish she would just go away.
Why is she here in the first ce?
I mean, if shes here as a shuttle, just go wait in a corner or something like a proper shuttle! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Our biggest stumbling block at the moment is that we cant seem to narrow down the suspects possible location. Weve reached the limit with the evidence collected from the crime scene and from the victims. On top of this, the suspect has never been caught on CCTV, and thus we cant even tell which direction he had fled to. Since the perp appears to kill the victims and disappear like a ghost, weve begun calling him the Ghost.
The Ghost, huh.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head.
It was indeed rather strange for the perpetrators whereabouts to be not narrowed down even aftermitting so many murders.
So, the current whereabouts is... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Come on now. Its obvious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon was about to say something, Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly cut in.
Its obvious what kinda person killed those people. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon?
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly shifted his gaze towards Jeong Hae-Mins direction.
Your murderer is a teleporter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
And, everyones attention gathered on her.
< 89. A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely -4 > Fin.
(TL: Ill try to release a sponsored chapter tomorrow.)
Chapter 90: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (5)
Chapter 90: A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely (5)
(TL: This chapter is brought to you by these wonderful examples what humanity is capable of: Tae-Ha K, and Kaung TWN! Thank you for your support!)
N, no, Im not the killer! Hey you!! What nonsense are you spouting now?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins face began reddening up considerably in an instant. Thick teardrops began forming at the edges of her eyes as she red at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a resentful expression on her face.
Heres the situation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the disyed map and replied.
If you assume that teleportation markers are ced in major urban centres, then making sense of that messy map bes much easier. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats true. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head.
In order to minimise the teleporters weakness, wouldnt it be more advantageous to leave behind a marker where there were a lot of people?
At a first nce, the map resembled a jumbled-up mess, but if one were to consider the radius around the major city centres, then most of the red dots fell more or less within them.
I, Im not the killer!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min cried out in rm, and began growling in anger.
What the?! You dare to get going again? You better stop, or else! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a sudden and very abrupt ending*
When did I say you were the killer? You stayed by my side every freaking day, so where would you even find the time to go and off someone in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And with that deration, weird gazes were directed in Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Mins direction.
She stayed by his side every day?
Wasnt that woman Jeong Hae-Min?
That man was together with an idol from the group S Girls, the South Koreas one and only teleporter, every freaking day?!
But, why?
When he muttered something that could be taken out of context rather easily, the mood inside the conference room became quite strange in the blink of an eye.
Sure enough, several uncle fans of the S Girls hidden within the ranks of the investigators were beginning to openly tremble in rage and perhaps, a bit of jealousy as well. (TL note at the end)
W, when did I ever stay by your side every day?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh? In that case, you can be the murder suspect, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no... Wait, thats not it.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins face was dyedpletely in red and she began stammering in panic. Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a groan and stepped in to normalise the situation.
Youre right. If we consider the possibility of a teleporter being the culprit, then many things about this case makes sense. However.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Normally, people wouldnt have thought of that possibility. Why? Because, teleporters were a raremodity, that was why. Normal people would find it hard to imagine that a teleporter was going aroundmitting heinous crimes like that, when there were less teleporters then there were nations in the world.
Maybe, hes just open minded? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, he simply has a different way of looking at things from everyone else. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon arrived at a simple enough conclusion and then, lightly pped his hands to draw the attention to himself.
If thats true, then solving this crime might get easier from now on. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah?
....Wow. I wanna learn how to p*ss off people so quickly like him.
Just how can anyone get on others nerves that easily? (Cho Ji-Woongs inner monologue)
Did you just say itll get easier from now on? (Cho Ji-Woong)
Well, its better than not knowing.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, the smirking Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly cut in.
Lets assume for now that the murderer is a teleporter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure.
How are you nning to apprehend him or her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............Huh?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly reached out and grasped the scruff of Jeong Hae-Mins neck, and lifted her up.
Kkyah?! What the?! Stop it!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
You might be able to catch one like this, but then.... Hey, you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Can you teleport out of here while leaving me behind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, I can do it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then looked at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Well, there you go. You heard her, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Wowsers. This is.... Isnt this an unexpected problem? (Cho Ji-Woong)
If the murderer was indeed a teleporter, then would they even be able to arrest the perp in the first ce? Seriously, how would anyone apprehend a criminal capable of simply teleporting away when things looked bad?
Even if the cops found a way to p the cuffs on him, the b*stard would simply teleport away while leaving behind the restraints.
This just got more difficult, didnt it? (Cho Ji-Woong)
Narrowing the scope of the investigation was difficult to begin with.
If the murderer indeed teleported here, there and everywhere without limiting his scope of activity to a single, fixed location, then it was impossible to triangte where he could be hiding. But, even if they somehow did close in on the perp, hed simply teleport away and escape from their grasp.
If the suspect had left a marker in another country, then things would be even more hopeless. They were hoping for a new breakthrough, yet the situation was seemingly getting worse.
However, its not for certain that a teleporter is behind the killings. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Cho Ji-Woong spoke up, and Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head in agreement.
For sure, they were just guessing at the moment. However, although it was merely a guess.... Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt shake this sense of foreboding away.
Lets say, our suspect isnt a teleporter. Then, what kind of an ability would one need to move around without leaving behind a single trace? (Cho Ji-Woong)
First of all.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon came up with a couple of possibilities.
In case perps ability happens to be something like Invisibility or an advanced stealth ability, it shouldnt be too difficult to trace the suspect. However, over here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon consulted the reports and pointed at the projected map.
Since the murders urred in Busan and Gwangju only one hour apart, exining that with Invisibility or other stealth type abilities alone will be very difficult. Unless you own a helicopter or a private jet, itll be impossible. (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL: the city of Gwangju is located on the South West of Korea, while Busan is in the South East. Basically, on the opposite side of the penins.)
Choi Jung-Hoon then asked the softly groaning investigators.
Is there a possibility that there are more than one murderer? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The modus operandi and the target profile are a match in all of the cases. Even if you have an aplice, different people have differing dispositions and habits. No matter how closely you copy the M.O., fingerprints, etc, youd be still be hard pressed to find such uncanny simrities. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Which meant there could only be one killer, then....
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head softly before it began moving a bit harder.
Okay. So, for the time being, we should assume that our killer is either a teleporter, or someone with a simr ability. At a bare minimum, he could be someone with an ability to travel great distance in a single breath.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk silently listened to Choi Jung-Hoons musings, before asking a question.
By the way.... If you look into that, you know, wouldnt you be able to find out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I mean, you gotta be registered if youre an ability user, right? So, the powers of most ability users should be on record, no? Wouldnt you be able to find some sort of a clue if you start looking into those users with abilities that fit the criteria? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thats true. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Although this method made the most logical sense, it was also one path Choi Jung-Hoon didnt want to tread on. Indeed, he didnt enjoy treating the already-registered ability users as criminals.
However, he couldnt dwell on his emotions anymore.
Because, the ripple effect from this serial murder case had all the potential to be absolutely uncontroble. If the perpetrator was found to be an ability user, itd be difficult to imagine the amount of negative impact such a revtion might bring.
If they dont lend a hand during the arrest of the suspect, then itd be impossible to dodge the pointed arrows of criticism flying at the NDF.
Well, for now, the investigation team will explore this new lead. Meanwhile, the folks from NDF, please focus on securing the ability users with the powers that fit the criteria. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Heres one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke after picking Jeong Hae-Min again by the scruff of her neck and dangling her in the air.
Hey!!! I said stop it!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Secured. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....................
Argh, this irredeemable moron.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Meanwhile, Cho Ji-Woong was ovee with a bad premonition that things would not wrap up nice and clean at all. There was this whiff of ominous, sinister evil stenching from this case.
Even if he and his men were to be assisted by the NDF....
Put me down!! I said, put me down!!!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Be still, will ya?! They said I gotta secure you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you, Im not the murderer!! How can I even kill a person to begin with?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Looks can be deceiving. Even salt can look like sugar! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
YOU.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just as Jeong Hae-Min began powering her motor up, Yi Ji-Hyuk noticed this, flinched, and hurriedly dropped her. But he was still toote.
*SFX for Jeong Hae-Mins LOUD wail*
As soon as that hellish sobbing exploded out from Jeong Hae-Mins throat, Yi Ji-Hyuk covered up his ears and hastily retreated to a distance. The entire conference room reverberated from her sobbing, causing the unwary cops to cover their ears in shock as well.
What the hell is this?!
Choi Jung-Hoon shouted out in panic.
Come on now! Why did you bully her like that?! Do something about this! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cant hear you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why did you make her cry?!?! You knew this might happen!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did you say something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aaaaargh!! You stinking b*stard!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I can hear that one! Hey you! Wanna die?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk left behind the flinching Choi Jung-Hoon, and approached the wailing Jeong Hae-Min. Then, he created a ck hole which promptly swallowed her up.
Hul........ (Choi Jung-Hoon)
His hands trembling from shock, Choi Jung-Hoon asked the youth.
Where did you send her? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
To a ce with nothing in it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................
Im sure shell calm down after bawling her eyes out for a while over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell?! Why are you imprisoning a person in an istion chamber, when shes simply crying out in sorrow?! Will you take responsibility if her trauma bes even worse than before?!
Isnt this way too excessively logical from you?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Its just my opinion, but.... I think itll be better if you let her out now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, in that case....
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hand and reconstructed the warp gate. And just like that, Jeong Hae-Min emerged back in to the world.
Hup. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins face waspletely devoid of any colour. When she spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk, she rushed towards him and beganshing out with her fists and kicks.
You, why did you send me theeeeeere?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sit your a*s down if you dont wanna visit that ce again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hup. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Scared silly by the threat of being sent there again, Jeong Hae-Min demurely settled down on her seat.
Good kid. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shes a noona to you, you rotten piece of human being, who doesnt even know man from manners!
The age difference should be over five years, at the least!
Uh-whew.
Actually, Im the stupid one for expecting any sort of manners from that b*stard.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Excuse me.... (Cho Ji-Woong)
Cho Ji-Woong slowly shook his head in disapproval as if he found the NDF peoplesckadaisical, jokey attitude wholly uneptable.
It seems that you havent understood the severity of this situation yet. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please take another look at the gap between each murders. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Mm....
When the recorded dates and time for each murder were checked again, it then became quite clear that the time gap between the murders were getting smaller and smaller.
With that, we can confidently say that the perpetrator is getting bolder and bolder. He could be thinking that the police might not be able to catch him anymore. And, the moment he realises that the rule of thew indeed cant reach him, hell no longer hold himself back. When that happens, we will definitely see the historys worst serial killer make his mark. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Half of that hade true already, though.
Cho Ji-Woongs words caused everyones expressions to harden considerably. With the obvious exception of Yi Ji-Hyuk. But, of course.
Not that I care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whether that fool was a serial killer or not, Yi Ji-Hyuk had no reason to fret over such a minor matter. If youpared the number of people Yi Ji-Hyuk had killed, to the number of victims of the murderer, then thetter man might end up being referred to as an angel, instead.
And sure as hell, Yi Ji-Hyuk had no desire whatsoever to cosy as a normal, well-adjusted member of humanity that quivered in rage after hearing about this sort of crimes.
If he still possessed some modicum of conscience, then Yi Ji-Hyuk should never do that.
That was why, well....
By the way, why are you guys so sure that its only one guy? Whats so simr about the M.O.? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
First of all, the manner of aiming for the victims lungs from behind with sharp objects is simr, and.... (Cho Ji-Woong)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And all of his victims are young females with blonde hair. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Blonde? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Correct. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Young? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is also correct. (Cho Ji-Woong)
Oh, so thats how it is.
Blonde-haired young females, huh....
Blondes....
Wait a minute. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows began quivering in an odd manner.
If youre talking about blonde-haired young females, then....
Hmm. Well, Ye-Won is no longer canary-haired, so surely, shell be fine.
Her hair is ck coloured....
Uh? Didnt I see something strange in the morning? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his smartphone and loaded the K*kaotalk app. And when he clicked on his sisters icon, his vision was filled with the newly-updated image of Ye-Won, spotting not brown, but very yellow hair.
[I dyed my hair back today. As expected, blonde suits me the best. Ha-ah. Why couldnt I be born in Paris or something?]
Click.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly tapped the Call button on his phone and pressed it to his ear.
C What now? (Ye-Won)
Hey, you dumb crazy b****tch!!! Better revert your head back to how it was, or else!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C What the?! Why are you calling me up and starting a fight out of the freaking blue?! (Ye-Won)
Thats not important, so dye your hair back to normal, this instant!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Hah. Thats for me to decide, you know? Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do? Ah? (Ye-Won)
You dont dye your hair back to normal right now, then you better brace yourself, cuz Im gonna burn them all off!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Get lost, you crazy b*stard!! (Ye-Won)
Click.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered from rage as he red at the now-disconnected phone, before he shouted out as if he was shooting out a Breath attack!!
Just what the f*ck is in that brain of that kid?!?! EUHUWAAAAHHH!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, pleeeeease, just take a gander at the local news, for chrissake!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner screaming)
Of course, since Yi Ji-Hyuk also didnt know until now, he too had no right to say that out loud.
He tossed the phone away as if throwing it away while gnashing his teeth.
Fine, sure, its my fault to begin with!
Indeed, its all my freaking fault!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks seething inner monologue)
Did you say that murdering motherf*cker must be an ability user? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, y, yes sir! (Cho Ji-Woong)
Figurative mes lit up within Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
I dont give a rats a*s what you do on your own time, but you just picked the wrong bloody target!!
A very, very, veeeery wrong target!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Catch him.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Catch him by any means necessary!!!! Call Seo Ah-Young on the phone, and tell her to drop whatever c**p she is doing right now to pursue this a*shole, pronto!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why so suddenly? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Theres an obstacle, so we gotta remove it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That obstacle happens to be ced in front of the sister Id like to beat up nice and thoroughly, though! (Yi Ji-Hyuks quick inner monologue)
You see, a human being wont mind hitting someone, but he will definitely mind someone hitting back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In any case, just call her up and tell her toe up with a solution! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Okay, I will. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You, you stinking b*stard. You messed with a wrong person today. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The mes burning in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes zed on even hotter.
By the way, didnt you say you cant catch the perp? Cuz, hes a teleporter and all? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When Jeong Hae-Min asked this question, Yi Ji-Hyuk instantly became dumbstruck.
.....Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, then. What should be done about that?
Mm..... Mmmmm....
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and grasped the scruff of Jeong Hae-Mins neck for the third time today.
You, lets experiment for a while. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?!
Lets find out how far you can run away from me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You mean.... I should? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When worry and fear began clouding her face, a truly evil grin began spreading on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
< 90. A dirty world where only the handsome b*stards are treated nicely -5 > Fin.
(TL: Uncle fans ?? ? literally means old men being fanboys of girl groups and idols waaaay younger than they are. Came about because the age difference is kinda like between an uncle and nieces/nephews.)
(TL: The original line was You might be able to tell whats in the depths of ten gil of water, but you cant tell one gil of a person. C ? ? ??? ??? ? ? ?? ?? ??? ??; its a Korean proverb which simply means, its hard to tell whats in the hearts of people. Gil isnt a currency system from some Final Fantasy games, but an actual ancient measurement system used way back when in Korea. Changed by my editor.)
(TL: Remaining amount till the nest sponsored chapter: $50)
Chapter 91: What is the grim reaper doing? Isn’t this dereliction of duty? (1)
Chapter 91: What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? (1)
Wuuuooong....
Colonel Jeong In-Soo stared anxiously at the Level 4 Gate, just over yonder.
He had dealt with tens, maybe even hundreds, of them already, yet the palpable sense of anxiety still crept up all over him whenever he faced a new Gate.
Maybe because of Level 5 Gates opening up more often nowadays, the situation didnt seem as severe as before to the soldiers and the public C not too long ago, the appearance of a Level 4 Gate such as this one wouldve been treated as a national emergency that garnered the focus of pretty much everyone.
Indeed, that was the case. But, now....
Jeong In-Soo sneaked a nce to his side and spat out a sigh.
Will you be really fine by yourself? (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo furrowed his eyebrows deeply while he looked on at Seo Ah-Young, sitting on a stic pic chair and sipping a cup of coffee.
She was none other than the me Witch.
The most famous ability user in South Korea.
The woman who distinguished herself in a very short period of time in the aftermaths of the ck Monday incident, and climbed up to the position of the most important ability user in Korea.
Even when the newly-awakened powerful individuals were beginning to resist the government and the rule of thew, she wholeheartedly cooperated with the nation and entered its ranks voluntarily, thus bing the core of the KSF in the process.
She wielded the power that everyone acknowledged, and possessed a brain that helped her realise itd be best to cooperate with the government.
And finally, she was the self-made sess story who managed to take the position of Koreas most famed ability user, all thanks to her... rather uniquely out-there personality.
Before the appearance of Yi Ji-Hyuk, she was even thought of as a difficult-to-deal-with type of a person, so much so that she was often referred to as the walking, talking warhead.
So, for someone like Jeong In-Soo, a member of the De that did not enjoy a friendly rtionship with the KSF, she was probably thest person on Earth hed like to run into.
However....
Sluuurp~.
Jeong In-Soo couldnt help but stare at Seo Ah-Young, who looked like she had reached some kind of Nirvana at the moment.
Whenever he saw her during the past Gate operations, shed emit the kind of an aura that screamed, Im not feeling too good right now, so if you get on my nerves even for a second, Im gonna make you dance inside the mes of hell.
However, right now she.... She was sitting on that stic chair with a facial expression of a yawning puppy enjoying thete afternoon sunshine.
Huh........ (Jeong In-Soo)
How could one go about describing the type of serenity written oh-so clearly on her face?
Jeong In-Soo couldnt hold back any longer and cautiously threw a question at her way.
You look like youre feeling good about something. (Jeong In-Soo)
Oh, I am. By a lot. (Seo Ah-Young)
She just answered normally to a normal question. Was he really having a conversation with that Seo Ah-Young?
Since they always red at each other and had only exchanged a few choice words in the past, the good Colonel couldnt help but feel rather strange after realising the small fact that they could indeed share a normal conversation.
Did something good happen to you? (Jeong In-Soo)
Well, Im out here, so yes. You could say that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon? (Jeong In-Soo)
Seo Ah-Young sipped her coffee with an expression of a crafty little cat, beforenguidly leaning her body back.
This is freedom. (Seo Ah-Young)
.......
What is this crazy woman even talking about now?
No, besides all that.... Is she really that walking, talking warhead, the infamous Insane Witch Seo Ah-Young that I used to know? (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
With such anguid expression on her face, it was like her already superior good looks were standing out even more than before.
How long before the Gate opens up, you think? (Seo Ah-Young)
Within twenty, thirty minutes, I believe. (Jeong In-Soo)
D*mn it. Ive got only thirty minutes of break remaining. (Seo Ah-Young)
With a pair of despairing eyes, Seo Ah-Young grasped her head and began messily disarranging her hair. But then, she spoke up as if she had thought of a great idea.
Well, what if I take care of the monsters slowly, thereby increasing the time spent here? (Seo Ah-Young)
....This girl, what happened to her? (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
Is the work at the NDF that tough? (Jeong In-Soo)
No, not really. The workload has actually decreased somewhat. You see, nowadays I dont have to deal with as many of those annoying higher-ups that nag all the time. (Seo Ah-Young)
In that case, perhaps the pressure of the job, or the sense of responsibility burdening you? (Jeong In-Soo)
Hmm~. I dont think Ive felt them yet, strictly speaking. (Seo Ah-Young)
So, then.... Whats gotten into you? (Jeong In-Soo)
Seo Ah-Young flinched grandly, before shooting an all-too-familiar re in Jeong In-Soos direction.
Are you asking me because you dont know? (Seo Ah-Young)
You think Id ask you if I knew? (Jeong In-Soo)
Whew..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young let off a lengthy groan, and just as she was about to say something, she froze.
The smartphone resting inside her inner pocket began to vibrate. She pulled it out, checked the caller ID on the screen, and her entire expression crumbled. She then reluctantly answered the call she did not want to answer.
What do you want now? Yes? Yes..... Hang on, that b*stard, what the hell does he want this time?! Yes? Oh... he can hear me? Ah..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seeing Seo Ah-Youngs shoulders droop so much like that, a feeling of pity welled up in the Colonels heart.
What? Okay, I understand.... Ill head there as soon as the situation this side is resolved.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young managed to end the call with much difficulty, and then, wentpletely limp like a strand of seaweed.
Ha-ah..... (Seo Ah-Young)
That sigh escaping from the depths of her heart sounded so sorrowful, Jeong In-Soo found himself trying to console her, even though he had no idea what the heck was going on here.
Be strong. (Jeong In-Soo)
Ha-ah, Colonel.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes? (Jeong In-Soo)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes began to get moist at the edges.
Moist?
Not mes erupting, but moist?!
What the bloody hell....? She is the Insane Witch, for crying out loud!
Shes the crazy b*tch thatpletely obliterated the De soldiers by wildly flinging a me ball around just because they dared to confront her KSF agents!!
But, moist?!?!
Shes the kind of a person whod bleed insults rather than blood if you pricked her with a needle!! (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon? (Jeong In-Soo)
Why doesnt ite and take that guy away?!?! (Seo Ah-Young)
That guy, she said....
Jeong In-Soo recalled a certain pair of eyebrows that seemed to personify petnce.
Ahhh. So thats what it was.
It was because of that man. (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
Whyyyyyyy...... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seeing Seo Ah-Young cry out in pure, unadulterated sorrow, Jeong In-Soo too wiped the corners of his eyes dry.
Just what was Yi Ji-Hyuk doing over there that drove this infamous me Witch into such a state?
Just where did the confident representative of the KSF, Seo Ah-Young, disappear to?
You really have no answers to.... dealing with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Jeong In-Soo)
Hearing Jeong In-Soos question, Seo Ah-Youngs brows quivered quite unstably.
Answers? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Y, yes. (Jeong In-Soo)
I did not expect to find yet another word thats least ideal to describe Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spat out a long and pained groan.
Really now, theres no answering him.
Hes been keeping a low profile after causing that mayhem before, but why is he throwing yet another tantrum now?!
Cant you just let people rest for once?!
Ive went through hell for half a year, but I cant even go home because of all the piled up work! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seriously now, she was actually shedding tears of joy just because she got to participate in the Gate suppression operation.
And she finally found some time to rx and take a break. Yet, that b*stard was demanding her to quickly end the operation and show up there. What kind of horsesh*t was this?!
You son of a b*tch.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong In-Soos entire body began shivering after hearing her voice packed to the brim with hatred, rage, and resentment.
You son of a.... (Seo Ah-Young)
It was then.
BZZZZ....
The Gate shook violently, and it opened up.
Euhahhhhhh!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shot up abruptly from her seat and huge fireballs immediately formed in both of her hands.
What the hell!! Freaking out of the blue?! (Jeong In-Soo)
Go dieeeeeeeeeeeee!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began pouring mes in the Gates direction like a madman, uh, madwoman.
Argh, this crazy woman! (Jeong In-Soo)
As expected of the infamous me Witch!
Seo Ah-Young splendidly spew out mes of hell as if to firmly dere that the Insane Witch wasnt going anywhere. And the poor Colonel Jeong In-Soo couldnt even think about issuingmand tomence firing C all he could do was fling his body to the ground and cover himself from her wildly erupting mes.
Say something before you start cutting loose!!!! You crazy little....!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo spat out swear words while looking at his half-singed uniform, but Seo Ah-Young didnt seem to hear him as she simply screamed out towards the Gate, her eyespletely bloodshot.
Dieee!! Die!! DIE!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Has she really gone insane?! (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
Go diiiiieeeee, YI JI-HYUKKKKKK!! (Seo Ah-Young)
....That bit at the end sounded a wee bit weird, though?
Isnt she fighting against monsters here?
I mean, where are you aiming at with your dang mes? (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young unloaded fireballs like a machine gun for a while, before finally lowering her hands, her breathing inplete disarray.
Pant, pant....
...............
Jeong In-Soo stared at the Gate and blinked his eyes in disbelief. He waspletely befuddled by the sight of nothing but ash blowing in the wind right in front of the Gate.
Just what kind of monsters came out from the Gate in the first ce? Hell, he didnt even get a chance to see what sort of creatures emerged before they were all turned to ash. What an absurdly hollow conclusion this was.
And it was a Level 4, too... (Jeong In-Soo)
If it was before, then lots of ability users wouldve been mobilised to defend against such a Gate.
Since she showed up all alone and seemed to be very rxed, Jeong In-Soo figured that she had some sort of a n going on here, but, this was....
Was Seo Ah-Young this powerful?
Sure, as the top ability user representing Korea, she was good enough to garner the attention of the world, but still, she shouldnt have been that powerful topletely destroy a Level 4 Gate all by herself.
However, wasnt this on the same sort of power level that should rank right at top in the worldwide rankings?
Bzzz...
Urgh...... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young looked at the phone vibrating and her body began shuddering as well.
Why cant you just leave me alone.... (Seo Ah-Young)
The gap between the Seo Ah-Young of just now that ripped a Level 4 Gate to shreds in the proverbial blink of an eye, and that of the current Seo Ah-Young despairing while looking at her phone, was simply too wide to bridge.
....Didnt you warn us not to take him away back then? (Jeong In-Soo)
If only I could rewind time by three months.... (Seo Ah-Young)
....Then, shed not havemitted such a grave error!
If only she knew back then what she knew now!!!!!
The thing was, though, it didnt matter how quickly you regretted something, itd still be toote.
Ha-ah.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spat out yet another groan, and then, with a forlorn voice, she spoke to Jeong In-Soo.
Excuse me.... Colonel? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes? (Jeong In-Soo)
I made a mistake and finished up this incident way too quickly. So, like, I was wondering, if youd be kind enough to make a report and say that the mop-up of the operation has been dyed somewhat? (Seo Ah-Young)
............
J, just for 30 minutes, thats all! I just dont wanna go there yet! Just for 30 minutes! P, please!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Sure thing. Ill do that..... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo wiped the tears off his cheeks again.
Once more, he had to ask C just what on earth was that Yi Ji-Hyuk doing over there at the NDF?!
At this rate, wouldnt the me Witch, feared by everyone from here to heaven, morph into a romance manga heroine?!
It was right around then.
Poof.
An indistinct, blurry figure suddenly began materialising in front of Jeong In-Soo, before it became aplete human being.
Heok?! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo quickly stepped back in surprise; meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young spat out a sigh being released from deep within her soul when she saw this scene unfold.
And why are you here? (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong Hae-Min grinned brightly and spoke.
He told me toe and fetch you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
W, whos he?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ji-Hyuk, obvs. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Panicking, Seo Ah-Young began shouting and pointing fingers at Jeong Hae-Min.
You, you!! Since when have you be Yi Ji-Hyuks patsy?! Busy going around fetching people and all that! How can you even think about catching me for him?! How will you even achieve that impossible feat, anyways?! (Seo Ah-Young)
What? You say something? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min grandly ignored Seo Ah-Youngs resistance and reached out to grab thetters hand. But Seo Ah-Young quickly stepped back and avoided being grabbed.
Uh? Whats the matter? Dont wanna go? (Jeong Hae-Min)
T, thats right!! Im not going! Dont you guys have any conscience?! Cant he at least gimme a day to rest before throwing me back into the deep end?! Nope!! Im not GOING!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng? But, I cant hear you well, though~? (Jeong Hae-Min)
You devil!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong Hae-Min once more utterly ignored Seo Ah-Youngs cries, grabbed her, and promptly teleported away.
.....Huh. (Jeong In-Soo)
Now sort of left alone, Jeong In-Soo alternated his gaze between the ruinedndscape in front of where the Gate used to be, and the spot where Seo Ah-Young used to be.
What an absurd level of.... something, this is. (Jeong In-Soo)
The Seo Ah-Young capable of easily solo-ing a situation that mightve caused a national emergency three months ago was already very surprising, but then again, Jeong Hae-Min being able to deal with someone like that so nonchntly was just as surprising as well.
But perhaps even more surprising was Yi Ji-Hyuk, capable of reducing Seo Ah-Young into a shivering rat trapped in front of a cat.
Just what kind of a man is he? (Jeong In-Soo)
It felt like a new facet to him emerged whenever Jeong In-Soo ran into the youth.
But in any case, whats important was the fact that ever since his appearance, the KSFs, no, the NDFs, overallbat prowess had increased greatly.
Not just Seo Ah-Young, but other NDF agents deployed during the Gate suppression operations had shown overwhelming might so far.
It sure is a good thing, but still.... (Jeong In-Soo)
The problem was that, every single ability user proudly showing off amazing battle achievements also happened to disy severe cases of psychosis as well....
....Such as, mental instability and/or panic attacks.
And.... even, Yi Ji-Hyuk-o-phobia.
Jeong In-Soo didnt want to think about it, but didnt it look like the nations most powerfulbat force, the NDF, was being way too easily manipted by a single man?
No, maybe it was way past that point already?
Jeong In-Soo recalled Yi Ji-Hyuks face. It was rather difficult to locate a shred of ambition on that face full of cantankerousness.
However, it was also true that, appearances could be deceiving. (TL: Well, that proverb about gils of water popped up here again. Changed by my editor. I guess he really hates that proverb....)
Jeong In-Soo held a favourable impression of Yi Ji-Hyuk, sure, but he was duty-bound to separate the official matters from his own private thoughts.
For the time being, I need to report this. (Jeong In-Soo)
It wasnt up to Jeong In-Soo to figure out how the higher-ups interpret this situation. No, his job was to simply report it. Others with a higher pay grade would decide what to do.
However, will they even find a suitable response, I wonder? (Jeong In-Soo)
If the NDF were to stand against the country, then would anyone be able to stop them?
Jeong In-Soo could only spit out a low groan.
< 91. What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 92: What is the grim reaper doing? Isn’t this dereliction of duty? (2)
Chapter 92: What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? (2)
Poof.
Seo Ah-Young and Jeong Hae-Min appeared inside the NDFs office. The agents already waiting for them turned their attention right away to the new arrivals.
The fatigued-to-the-bones Seo Ah-Young spat out a helpless groan and looked back at everyone else. The expressions of dissatisfaction were writrge on their faces, but not one of themined.
Just how did ite to this? (Seo Ah-Young)
She was so full of ambition and confidence when she created the NDF, yet it was now being manhandled by a single man.
Even if such a thing happened, she thought it might be either herself or Choi Jung-Hoon doing the handling....
Who wouldve imagined that a devil-like b*stard rolling in like a gust of wind managed to wrestle the reins away like this?
*SFX for the door suddenly flinging open*
The office door opened and Yi Ji-Hyuk made his entrance with Oh-Sik in tow.
Is everyone here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yep. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stuck very close to Yi Ji-Hyuk while making his report.
What the?! You are supposed to be my second inmand, though? (Seo Ah-Young)
He shouldnt be standing next to that b*stard like that!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood in front of everyone and opened his mouth.
My dearrades. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Comrades, my a*s!!
You Hitler-like b*stard!! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
I can not hide this wretched sadness in my heart anymore. At this very moment, a callous serial murderer is on the loose, causing all sorts of mayhem throughout the country. In other words, this horrendous criminal is viting our mothend,pletely unchecked! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And when did you start giving a d*mn about such things?! (the authors monologue this time)
The pride of the Korean republic and the NDF is at stake here. Apprehending and prosecuting this criminal will be the fastest method to ensure the continued stability of our nation, as well as to prove the worth of the NDF! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aaaand, how will it?
So many questions filled up their minds, but not one present in this office could speak up. Why? They certainly did not wish to see that ck holeing out of Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand ever again, that was why.
If one thought about it, throwing someone in there was perhaps the best punishment avable, since it left no visible physical wounds on the body of the victims C meaning, no one could sue this mothereffer simply because proving that they were tortured by this youth would be next to impossible.
Mmm.....
It was at this point that Choi Jung-Hoon took over.
Actually, this issue has be a big problem. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The briefing started for good, then.
Currently, dissatisfaction against the ability users is at an all-time high at the moment. Although the mainstream media has not reported on this yet, the rumours regarding the current serial killing being the handiwork of an ability user is spreading fast, all stemming from several online websites. Thanks to that, the public opinion is reaching a boiling point as we speak. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Park Sung-Chan raised his hand.
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What does that got to do with us? (Park Sung-Chan)
Well, youre ability users, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Park Sung-Chans expression crumpled in anger.
What the hell. So, if a regr person is the murderer, can we me the entirety of regr people, then? Its not like there are only one or two users out there in the world, so what the hell is up with trying to assign me on everyone? (Park Sung-Chan)
Logically speaking, that is true. However.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If humans were logical beings to begin with, then their history wouldnt be blighted by the records of warfare in the first ce.
No, human beings were existences that acted on emotions while still trumpeting logic andmon sense. And, if a mob mentality was involved, then..... Well.
That is the reality of this situation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon switched the projector on, which shined on the wall and disyed severalments taken from various inte sites.
And these were the kinds of dirty, sweary sh*ttyments that were filled to the brim with hate and resentment. The NDF agents reading them showed various reactions, their brows furrowing andplexions reddening in anger.
The f*ck?! How is that our fault? Why are they ming us for something a twisted motherf*cker hasmitted in his spare time? (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan swore out after reading some of thements that quite openly cussed and wished harm upon the KSF and all the ability users out there.
Well, the truth is, this isnt simply because of this murder case. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, this was simply an opportunity.
Humans originally tried to alienate and iste others different from themselves.
Just how long did humanity need to ept different skin colours? Not to forget, nationality, race, sex, and even, different areas from within the same nation.
It was a humans instinct to find something, anything, to separate oneself from the others and disparage them.
But, to im that the two distinct categories of people C normal, powerless people and that of ability users C were existing in harmony with no trouble whatsoever?
What a funny notion that was.
No, the division had been suppressed up until now.
The mainstream media continued to package the ability users as heroes, as idols, as protectors of the powerless popce that shielded them from the monstersing out of the Gates.
....Just like how it was with Jeong Hae-Min and Seo Ah-Young.
While continuously feeding the public with the line that the world would have been destroyed a long time ago if it werent for the presence of these ability users C but, many restrictions were ced upon the same ability users, and they were constantly being monitored.
The bnce that had been treading precariously on thin ice was now being tilted to one side, however.
Already, the unthinkable event of ability users overthrowing their government has happened overseas. Or, them being involved in hate crimes had be the norm by now.
And now, an opportunity in the form of a serial killer has been thrown into the vtile mix of South Korea, the nation that managed to somehow maintain its status quo.
The thin ice was breaking under pressure, and that in turn caused the surrounding ice to break loose as well.
This is no longer the issue of logic or not. No, the real issue is with how great the ripples will be, instead. If we fail to close this case as soon as possible, itll be difficult to imagine how bigger the problem might end up bing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Park Sung-Chan spat in a low voice.
Its already godd*mn annoying to be ordered around like a ve, but now, I have to bear the brunt of such bullsh*t, too? I havent done anything to deserve such treatment! (Park Sung-Chan)
.....
No one responded to Park Sung-Chans utterance. Of course, Choi Jung-Hoon could acutely sense that everyone else was silently agreeing with those words.
Perhaps, that was because he was the only non-ability user present in this office....
Mm, mm.... For now, this is all the information on the killer uncovered so far.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Once Choi Jung-Hoons briefing came to an end, the expressions on the ability users hardened even more.
We dont have a clue who he might be, we have no suspects, yet this guy appears wherever he wants and kills someone. But then, even if we show up during the crime itself, we cant catch him because hell simply go poof, and teleport away? (Park Sung-Chan)
....Something like that, yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And you want us to catch this guy? From the beginning, this isnt what we signed up for. Why do we need to do something thats obviously a job for the cops? Arent we supposed to provide them with some info and help them out here and there? (Park Sung-Chan)
The police will never be able to apprehend this suspect. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I know that, but still, this isnt our job. (Park Sung-Chan)
At Park Sung-Chans words, Choi Jung-Hoon wordlessly shifted his gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You think I dont know that?
That thing wants this done, so what do you want from me? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
After spotting Yi Ji-Hyuks obviously unimpressed facial expression, Park Sung-Chan quickly realised what was going on and tried to subtly redirect his words.
Well, sure. We probably can catch this killer. I do want to help out, since this is about stopping a bad guy. But, really now, how are we supposed to catch him? We dont even have a single clue.... (Park Sung-Chan)
First of all, we have to fortify our borders. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With just us? You think this is the Jeju ind or something? No, wait a minute. With us alone, maybe you can try to defend the Ulleung ind or something. (Park Sung-Chan)
Choi Jung-Hoon wordlessly looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk again.
A refreshing smile formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face as he passed down his equally simple and refreshing judgement.
You should just jump when I say so, yet you talk too d*mn much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
This thing here, its going to help all of yous out, so just do as I say! Hell, has anything ever gone wrong when you did exactly as I told you to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, you should be asking whether anything turned out right, instead!!
Yes, ask that instead, you sh*tty b*stard!!
As a human being, dont you have a speck of conscience?! (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
In any case! Dont get bogged down by your personal feelings! We gotta catch this a*shole for the sake of everyone! Think of it that way! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do we really have to?
I mean, this crazy fool is apparently targeting only the blonde girls!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm....
But, what did that got to do with anything?
Right now, it was getting real hard to tell just who was the crazy fool in this ce.
Blonde giiiiiirls?!?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun shot up from his seat while crying out loudly.
And what the hell is up with this crazy fool now? (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
Park Sung-Chan slowly facepalmed. Hed be treated like a crazy fool outside of these walls, but when he was in here.... As soon as stepping foot inside this ce, it sure felt like he had be the sanest person in the room and that fact made him very sad.
Where is that motherf*ckerrrrrr?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Were sitting here because we dont know that yet.
Please, please, think before you speak, man!! (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
While looking at the overly excited and heavily breathing Kim Dah-Hyun, Yi Ji-Hyuks expression became weird. The youth spoke in curiosity.
What the.... You dont have a particrly good rtionship with your sister, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This and that isnt the same, you know! Its like, Im the only one who can badmouth her and no one else! So, who the hell dares to touch my little sister!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It turned out, he was a siscon.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk did feel a strange sense of kinship with him.
So, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head gravely and grasped Kim Dah-Hyuns hand.
I understand how you feel. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His little sister might be the worst, rudest human being out there who took her manners and dumped it somewhere else a long time ago, not to mention she was a basket case full of anger issues. Oh, and she only abused her oppa for her own personal gains, too. But, still....
Still, he could not sit and watch someone else dare to hurt his little sister!
Itd be akin to seeing his family dog getting beaten up by someone else!
Do you have a n, hyung-nim? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
But, of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked ominously.
In the end, theres only one problem to solve, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
We dont know who the killer is. And we have no means to pursue him if he decides to run away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, thats not one problem, though? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Shush! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sorry. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun quietly averted his gaze.
Solve that, and everything else is just a cakewalk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, arent they the most difficult puzzles to solve? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Why would they be? They are the simplest. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh?
Hearing that nonsensical deration, everyone stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk in bafflement. The first one to fire away was Choi Jung-Hoon.
Do you really have a n, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep, that I do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And what could that be? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly picked up Oh-Sik loitering near his feet.
Its him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh?
Him. You know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes caught the sight of Oh-Sik and his exposed tummy as Yi Ji-Hyuk dangled the mini Ogre in the air.
An Ogre? What could one possibly do with him in this situation?
You saying that Oh-Sik will catch the criminal? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its only proper and correct to hunt your prey with a hunting dog, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked again.
Oh-Siks olfactory senses were sharp enough to differentiate people by their hometown. As long as they could pick up on the criminals scent as he moved around the major cities, there was no way the b*stard would be able to escape.
Even if he chose to run to another country, since they also had a teleporter in the midst, escaping was still impossible.
After all, they only had to teleport to the nearest marker and continue the pursuit.
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Welp?
Oh-Sik tilted his head as if he had no clue what was going on here. Seeing this, another ominous grin spread on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
You do this one thing properly, and I promise Ill find a way for you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Welp??
You know, that thing. Your littledy friend. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keureuk?!
Suddenly, Oh-Siks tone of voice changed.
Hul......
To think, a sound like that coulde from such a small body.
Almost everyone present began inching away as soon as spotting mes of something bellowing out from Oh-Siks eyes.
What could that raging desire signify?
Just what on earth was this littledy friend?!
In any case, we gotta find who the heck this b*stard is first, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely whistled out a tune.
*
Meanwhile, in a deep, deep mountainside somewhere....
Wuooong!!
A tiny little Gate was opening up.
This Gate was so small, even a Level 1 Gate would have been bigger. As a matter of fact, it was only big enough for a small child to barely pass through.
Only because the location was deep within the forest, and that the Gate itself was so tiny, no one had discovered its presence, nor itpletely opening up, even now.
Wuoong....
Finally, the Gate fully opened up, and the figure of a small child slowly emerged from the portal.
Hmm.....
Among the vine-like tumbling, weaving hair, a pair of red eyes could be seen.
The child clenched both fists and opened them several times, before clicking out loudly with a crumpled expression.
Its only this little....?
Although lots of preparations had been made, jumping through different dimensions was nevertheless not an easy thing to do.
For low-ss monsters, they could cross over just fine without losing too much of their original strength, but still, the gateway connected to this world wasntplete enough to send a high ranked creature such as this child without a penalty.
If things went ording to n, then the child would have waited for a little while longer, though....
Since the situation had be a lot more urgent, there was no choice but to cross over, even if that meant paying the penalty with the form of a child.
So, hes here, right?
....The 99th Demon King, Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Fuu-woo....
Just by recalling the mug of that man, the childs tail curled up. The entire figure of the child shivered from a certain emotion. Before long, though, the child sessfully regted the wayward breathing.
That man was no longer Yi Ji-Hyuk of before.
No, the 99th Demon King Yi Ji-Hyuk was no more. The only thing remaining was nothing but a trace of the once-feared demonic entity lingering on a measly little human.
And such a little human is getting in the way.....
So, the thing that needed to be done was as clear as day.
The child surveyed the dense surrounding foliage, before slowly closing the eyes.
Should I go look for one first? A pawn that I can use, I mean.
A pair of jet-ck wings sprouted out from the childs back, taking this small figure into the sky.
< 92. What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? -2 > Fin.
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $50.)
Chapter 93: What is the grim reaper doing? Isn’t this dereliction of duty? (3)
Chapter 93: What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? (3)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
On the way back home, while being apanied by Oh-Sik.
Looking at the mini Ogre trotting around and sticking close to him even without a leash, it was as if he was looking at an actual puppy. When Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped Oh-Siks rear end with his foot, the Ogre tilted his head slightly in a quizzical manner. All in all, Yi Ji-Hyuk found it to be quite adorable for some reason.
That round and chubby face, and those sparkling pair of round eyes.....
Could this be me having a moment?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A moment, because of an Ogre?
Sure, this was a result created through Yi Ji-Hyuks own hands, but... What should he refer to this as? This adorable end result of coincidences upon coincidences piling on top of one another?
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about tomence a non-stop patting session, but then spat out a long groan instead.
Wait a minute. Its still a dang Ogre.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If one were to talk about Oh-Siks facial features, then his ugliness was right up there with Chang-Sik. So, he should not be fooled like this.
But, still.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So what if his original form was hideous? The dang thing looked cute now, so everything was fine.
Besides, this was the age of rampant cosmetic surgery. This was far better than that kind of fakery, in any case.
Well, with or without the surgery, being pleasant to look at was enough.
Indeed, looking nice was certainly more than enough....
Really, really, really C looking nice was....
....Why am I so scared of that girl over there, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
That demon king-like girlie over there!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk nervously swallowed his saliva after spotting a blonde head right next to the entrance of his house, dancing around in the breeze.
....If you were nning on hiding, at least you should be hiding properly!
Why did she hide like an amateur every time with half of her head exposed like that?
Is she trying to imply that shed like to seen or something?(Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Woof!
Oh-Sik suddenly jumped out and ran forward like a bolt of lightning.
Keuh, you brave little fe!
Thats right! Go and bite her! Go and defeat the enemy hindering your wonderful owners path!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh-Sik ran forward bravely, before he slid on the ground and flipped his body over to expose his tummy near the pair of white legs belonging to a certain blonde girl.
....What the freaking hell.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Then, Oh-Sik began panting while wagging his tail.
Isnt that a sign of obedience?!
What is that stupid Ogre doing?! Does he really think hes a puppy now?
No, hang on a minute!!!!
Even a puppy should be able to differentiate between his owner and aplete stranger!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
No more food for you, you b*stard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ovee with the feelings of betrayal, Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to drop kick the mini Ogre into the next continent, but then, Kim Dah-Som reached out and pulled Oh-Sik tightly in a protective hug.
And, her eyes became wide and tearful as she stared at him.
What is it now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................... (Kim Dah-Som)
.......Ha-ah... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, girlie. What youre hugging right now aint a real puppy, you know? Its a something else in a puppys clothing, instead!
I mean, even if I kick it for the next three days and three nights straight, you wont see a single scar on the dang thing!
You think Ill kick it with Mana or something?
Ha, would you take a look at those eyes?
In a blink of an eye, Ive be an animal abuser. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
W, why are you looking at another person like that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som patted Oh-Sik as if she found this whole thing rather unfortunate while her tearful eyes remained fixed on him. Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up blurting out an excuse before he realised it.
Sure, abusing animals is a crime, but abusing monsters is something to be encouraged, instead! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not just to be encouraged, but actually needs to be performed as ones duty, isnt it?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
.........
Kim Dah-Som wordlessly put Oh-Sik down on the ground, and reached behind her to drag a rather sizeable box to her front.
W, whats in there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som remained quiet as she opened the box. Then, she proceeded to drape all sorts of stuff over Yi Ji-Hyuks body; from a thick duck-feather parka, then shoes, to a shirt, and....
What the hell. Is this a set? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
She dressed up the dazedly-standing Yi Ji-Hyuk with clothing that could be changed in public, and for the rest that couldnt be, she neatly packed them back into therge box and handed it over. She then stared at him.
M, mm?
After receiving her stare that seemed to demand something from him, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but flinch rather grandly.
.........
Uhm.... T, thanks.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Losing to her re, Yi Ji-Hyuk gave out a nonmittal murmur in return, and that caused Kim Dah-Soms stiff, prim expression to brighten up in an instant.
....She is really good looking, isnt she.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk, who normally treated the majority of beautiful women as nothing more than rocks found in a garden, had to concede this unavoidable fact as her face glowed radiantly.
It was enough to make the idol Jeong Hae-Min look in inparison.
Only if this girl smiled as often as this....
No, wait a bloody minute C that had all the potential to cause a massive mayhem, instead. So, that would definitely not be a good thing.
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy shaking his head trying to rid himself of these useless thoughts, Kim Dah-Som proceeded to gently pat Oh-Siks head twice, then shifted her gaze back to him with a soft grin on her face.
M, mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
....You want me to go inside? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
....You know, you couldve just said that out aloud. What a weird personality you have.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Originally, she was able to talk so much more openly than this. But, as time moved on, she seemed to be getting worse.
Shouldnt it be the other way around?
O, okay. See youter, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Still carrying a soft smile, Kim Dah-Som lightly nodded her head. Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the front door and entered the house.
Woof!
After confirming that Yi Ji-Hyuk had entered the house, Kim Dah-Som lowered her gaze and stared at Oh-Sik, currently rubbing his cheek against her leg.
Woof?
*SFX for a kicknding splendidly*
She lightly kicked Oh-Sik away and snorted grandly while looking down on the Ogre with a cold expression etched on her face. Then she trotted away from the entrance.
Hiiiiick.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk, as soon as entering the house, hurriedly ran to the nearby window and got to witness this scene unfold in its full glory. And naturally, he began trembling in fear.
I decided to have a look, cuz I thought something seemed amiss, but hell no! That tearful thingymajiggy was nothing more than an act!!
The victim of the kick, Oh-Sik, simply sat there, tilting his head and wondering what was that all about.
Oh, heavens!
Shes giving me the heebie-jeebies, man! Really now!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
More importantly, though, why was someone like her circling around him?
Did this world not have any gods, Buddhas? Anything?
Dang it, how scary.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won was looking at her brother with a pair of very unimpressed eyes when he suddenly ran up to a window as soon as entering the house, and then began shivering as he held onto the frames. She retorted as soon as he murmured to himself.
Like the good little sister that she was.
No, like, the thing is, she.... What the....?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What the hell, shes still a canary head?
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly snatched his little sisters blonde hair.
Kyyahk?! What the hell are you doing, you crazy b*stard?! (Ye-Won)
Hey you! I told you to dye your hair back, didnt I?! Doesnt your oppas words sound like human speech to your ears or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let go!! Better let go, or else!! Let go, before I kick you!! (Ye-Won)
Kick me? Where?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk instinctively shielded his groin region.
Well, although he wasnt nning to use it any time soon, not using it because he didnt have any and not using it through choice were two very, veeeeery different things.
Anyways, dye your hair! If you wanna stand out, then go for ginger instead, you dumb little girl! Didnt you hear that the serial killer is only targeting blondes? Everyone else is busy dyeing their bleached heads back to normal, yet just what sort of c**p is stinking up your brain to dye your head blonde now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And just how would that killer enter here?! This is a restricted area and all! (Ye-Won)
Because hes also an ability user, thats why!!
Everyone else seems to know that already! Dont you browse the inte or something?!
Just what the heck are you doing with all that free time in a day? Just what?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Suddenly feeling rather defeated, Yi Ji-Hyuk released his sisters hair.
In any case, dye your hair! You did good by going back to ck hair, but why did you have to go and gold te your head again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont have anyone to show off to, so what good was there to go back to ck hair? (Ye-Won)
Dont have anyone to.... show off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
Hah, would you look at this crafty little thing now?
Someone like you is still aiming for Choi Jung-Hoon?
You should know your ce! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Go back to ck hair, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?
Ill create an opportunity for you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Really? (Ye-Won)
Thats why, you gotta dye your hair back to ck and behave modestly and everything. He seems to like such types. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng! Ill dye my hair back to ck! (Ye-Won)
Very good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im very sorry, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon.
But, what can I do? Im still her oppa, after all.
Id like to see my little sister be happy.
Of course, its a small pity that your life will be a bit more difficult, but....
Oh, well. As long as shes happy.
*
At the same time....
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt go home today, as usual, and was currently in the midst of madly rushing through stacks upon stacks of official documents. Suddenly, an unknown chill descended upon him and he shivered uncontrobly.
Whats the matter, sir? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Oh, uh, its nothing. It kinda felt like I was falling into the depths of hell for some reason just now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Vice Captain, I think youre overworking yourself. How about taking a short break? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Looks like you might be right. Something like this has never happened before. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shivered again as he popped the lid off an energy tonic bottle and poured its contents into his favourite tumbler.
Why did I feel the chill just now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course, he had no way of figuring out where that chill wasing from. Which was rather unfortunate....
*
By the way, oppa? (Ye-Won)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You shouldnt only scold me, though. (Ye-Won)
What are you talking about now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dah-Som is also a blonde, you know? (Ye-Won)
Oh. Yeah, sure. She is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And besides, shes really pretty, too. (Ye-Won)
Right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, her being pretty is a fact.
No, to be more specific, shes an absolute head-turning stunner. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was someone who had a tendency to remain unmoved by what was considered beautiful by human standards, all thanks to his constant dealings with fantastical creatures that easily exceeded such a measuring stick. Yet, even he thought Kim Dah-Som was a good looking girl, so her beauty was truly a remarkable one.
Indeed, just how beautiful were the elves and demonesses? Yi Ji-Hyuk was used to seeing them, yet even he had to acknowledge Kim Dah-Soms looks. She was even better looking than Jeong Hae-Min, who just so happened to be an idol.
Now that I think about it, what are all the Korean entertainment agencies doing? Not making a celebrity out of such a girl and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So, like, shouldnt you make her dye her hair, too? (Ye-Won)
And why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent you supposed to look after her? (Ye-Won)
Im sure her own oppa will do that just fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah......
Yi Ye-Won stared at her older brother with a dumbfounded face.
Just what is this Squidward face talking about?
Why is he so taciturn, instead of dancing naked in the streets out of sheer gratitude with tears pouring down his face, when someone on the level of Kim Dah-Som is paying attention to him? (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
What will you do if something bad happens to her? (Ye-Won)
What a pity, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you cant see her again? (Ye-Won)
Well, that should be a pity, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Never mind. (Ye-Won)
It was better to save her breath at this point in their conversation. Otherwise, she might really die of frustration at this rate.
However, Ye-Won couldnt control her itchy gums and pped them again.
Havent you realised that girl likes you? (Ye-Won)
Of course I have. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You did? (Ye-Won)
Yup.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at his sister with a pair of disbelieving eyes.
As long as a person still hadmon sense, no, just a pair of working eyes, hed be able to see that. Hell, even a blind man would be able to see that just fine.
You think Im a blockhead or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then, why? (Ye-Won)
Eh? Why what? (Yi ji-Hyuk)
I mean, a girl that pretty is definitely pining for you, so like, dont you have any thoughts of wanting to show your gratitude or reciprocate that feeling? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly nodded his head.
Yup, dont have. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell?! You dumba*s!! (Ye-Won)
She blew her top immediately.
Seeing Ye-Won get far more angrier than he did for some inexplicable reason, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply clicked his tongue.
Oppa! You should know your ce, you know?! You think you deserve someone on her level?! (Ye-Won)
Right, not at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you know, yet you act like this? (Ye-Won)
Yeah, cuz her level is too low. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul.........
Hearing thatpletely nonsensical deration, Yi Ye-Won dazedly stared at the face of Squidward, no, her oppa.
Could he be really insane?
Hah, you mustve really lost a whole batch of screws from your head. (Ye-Won)
Its a waste of time to exin to you anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you have any idea how many women wanted to see me back in Berafe....?
Oh, wait. There wasnt anyone, was there?
In any case!
The number of women I fooled around after my various conquests would go around a medium-sized continent in three columns!
Not only that, they were all incredible beauties!!
Im a man who dealt with beauties on the level of elves, but you want me to go all gaga over a face thats only on that level?
What a preposterous notion!
And most importantly!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Women are scary. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yep, they are really scary!
Women are more scary than demon kings, seriously!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ones beauty? Good looks?
They would onlyst for a few years at best. Ones looks would wither away and be nothing to write home about in less than twenty years time.
Kindness? Good personalities?
Even being kind would onlyst for a short time. The moment the husband fails to bring home the dough, the so-called kind wife would transform into a devil in an instant.
Keuhk....
....And why are you crying now? (Ye-Won)
I just recalled something.... Its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly wiped away the moisture welling up on the corners of his eyes and spoke.
In any case, dont try to pair us up, okay? Im not interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, Im not sure if things will go the way youd like, because I think that girlspletely crazy about you. (Ye-Won)
.....Stop it. Im already scared as it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, really now. Isnt it really dangerous? (Ye-Won)
Mm?
I mean, about her. Shes walking home all alone, so what if something does happen to her? (Ye-Won)
Hah.... I guess youre too young to understand this, but the thing is, the matters of this world are built upon coincidences and coinciden.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Upon coincidences.
Indeed, thatd be the normal case.
If one lived for a thousand years, then one might run into something as sh*tty maybe once every hundred years.
Eiii, theres no way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh? Where are you going now? (Ye-Won)
....Just confirming something. Thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Once Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly left the house, Ye-Won burst out in a fit of giggles.
I guess you arentpletely uninterested, then, eh? (Ye-Won)
For the first time in a long, long while, she thought her brother, busy running after Kim Dah-Som, was rather adorable to look at.
< 93. What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? -3 > Fin.
(TL: Remaining amount till the next sponsored chapter: $50.)
Chapter 94: What is the grim reaper doing? Isn’t this dereliction of duty? (4)
Chapter 94: What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? (4)
Kim Dah-Som was walking home, feeling rather pleased with herself as the sun hid below the horizon.
She felt good after seeing how cute Yi Ji-Hyuk looked when wearing the white parka she bought for him.
*SFX for humming*
Heck, she even hummed joyfully after recalling how adorable he was when his slightly arched up brows quivered ever so slightly.
If she continued to present him with clothes, sooner orter the entirety of his wardrobe would be reced by things that she bought. And by the time that happened, no matter what he chooses to wear, itd be what she picked out for him.
It felt like that everything was going smoothly ording to her n, and that made her very happy.
As soon as she learned that Yi Ji-Hyuks family was moving to the restricted zone, she persuaded (?) her brother, Kim Dah-Hyun, to join the NDF, allowing her to follow her man into the zone as well.
Thanks to that, she found even more time to spend with Yi Ji-Hyuk. Things were definitely chugging along a lot smoother now.
That was, only if....
There was a fly in the ointment in the form of a short woman that for some reason, loitered around her dear Oppa, and that bothered her.
Was her name Jeong Hae-Min?
Jeong Hae-Min....
What an odd thing this was.
She wasnt all that pretty, and she was also much older, too. Yet, why was a woman like that going around with none other than her Ji-Hyuk Oppa?
How odd.
Kim Dah-Som continued to tilt her head this way and that.
Logically speaking, it was an undeniable fact that she was superior in everyparable way to that shorty, so, Yi Ji-Hyuk would start listening to her soon enough.
But, still....
Kim Dah-Soms footsteps came to a sudden stop.
Mm. I dont want to see that near him again. What should I do? What can I do? (Kim Dah-Som)
As she stood there deliberating on her options, she suddenly sensed a presence behind her.
Mm?
A chill crawled up on her back. Now that she took a look around her, she had been walking alone in a dark backstreet with no one on it.
Goosebumps broke out on her skin, and she hastened her steps.
*SFX for repeated and hurried footsteps*
Her echoing footsteps were ovepping with someone elsesing from behind. She couldnt help but sense that the steps were getting nearer and nearer.
Should she look back?
It might be nothing, after all.
However, Kim Dah-Soms choice was the exact opposite of that.
No, she began walking even faster.
*SFX for half-running steps*
As she almost broke into a jog, the footsteps following from behind suddenly became faster, as well.
Pant, pant....
And she even heard a mans rough breathing, on top of the urgent footsteps.
Kim Dah-Soms eyebrows began trembling.
She finally broke into a full-power sprint, but then, a coarse and unfamiliar voice suddenly whispered in her ear from right behind her head.
Where are you going?
Kya...... (Kim Dah-Som)
Just as she tried to scream, her mouth mped shut and it didnt want to open anymore. It was as if her lips were glued shut.
Silence.
A thick arm wrapped around Kim Dah-Soms lower tummy from behind her.
Shh... I dont like loud noises, you see.
............
Tears began traveling down her cheeks.
Good.... You are... The best. You see, I normally am not much of a talker. But, well, I cant help but chat with you for a little bit. This hair.... this... Yeah, its the best.
She felt the unfamiliar mans fingers brushing past her hair, and her body shuddered involuntarily. It was as if a disgusting insect was climbing within her hair and goosebumps continued to break out all over her skin.
S, save me, someone... (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som instinctively realised that the man who had grabbed her was the serial killer mentioned in the newstely.
Ive been watching you for quite a while now. Did you know how hard it was for me, trying to hold myself back? But, well, Im the type that leaves the tastiest dish forst, so Ive somehow endured until now. Ive been enduring for a long, long time, you know? But, heh, I cant control myself no more.
............
This is so exciting. Bloody exciting, I tell you. Not only you, but what will the expressions of everyone be like once they find out I killed you in this area? Just thinking about that, oh man! See how my body is shaking? This excitement is too much.
She couldnt hear anything else other than this one word.
Killed.
That word alone exploded in her brain like the loudest thunderp in history.
Well now, why dont you resist a bit more for me? Show me that you are alive. Resist, and fight for your survival. When the body of a wiggling living thing slowly cools down, that is the moment when you really feel alive, you see? So, resist. Fight me.
Kim Dah-Soms eyes despairingly looked up when she felt the mans hot breaths tickling the back of her throat, as well as his strong arms holding onto her.
The sensation of the sharp de pressing against her back felt so real and immediate, she thought her consciousness might get robbed away in the blink of an eye.
Someone, save me.
Help me.
Please.
Oppa!
Normally, shed think of Kim Dah-Hyun in a situation like this one, but what an odd thing it was to see the image of Yi Ji-Hyuk pop up in front of her eyes, instead.
Even if she liked him a lot, that was a bit....
Even at a moment like this....?
Ji-Hyuk oppa.
His face seemed so real and alive. That face, full of dissatisfaction and unhappiness; his face, with arched brows and an expression that screamed What a bother even in a situation like this.
One would be hard pressed to find someone with an image that oh-so perfectly matched himself like that.
Of course, Kim Dah-Som herself also had a bit of a problem for clearly remembering that image right now.
....However, why was that face getting closer and closer to her?
Huh?
What the hell?! You stupid motherf*cker?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It even spoke?! (Kim Dah-Soms inner monologue)
POW!!
Even before Kim Dah-Som had the chance to gather her wits, there was a very loud impact noise, and almost immediately after that, Yi Ji-Hyuk was pulling her in for an embrace.
She couldnt understand what was going on, and simply fell into his arms while trembling like a wet dog.
...........
Shes scared stiff, isnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at her dazed face while tilting his head for a bit, before discovering a trace of Ether around her mouth and furrowed his brows.
Was this some sort of an adhesive ability?
What a stupendousbination totally suited for murdering this was C adhesive and teleportation.
Yi Ji-Hyuk controlled, and moved his own Ether to his fingers and got rid of the foreign Ether on Kim Dah-Soms lips.
Try opening your mouth now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahh....
You can speak now. All sorted, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahh.....
Eh?
Ah, ahh!! (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som cried out loudly and dug deeper into his arms as thick tears poured out from her eyes.
Hah...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ced his hand on top of her head.
From other peoples perspective, it might have looked like he was simply trying to pat the head of a frightened girl, which was a natural thing to do under the circumstances. But in reality, it wasnt something like that.
Drain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A normal person wouldve received a devastating mental damage after going through an event like this one and would not be able to carry on living properly for the next few years.
That was why Yi Ji-Hyuk was sucking out all the negative emotions from her mind right now.
Ah.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Stop saying Ah, ah, will ya? Get a hold of yourself! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Kim Dah-Som)
She must have calmed down sufficiently, because she began blushing deeply instead.
She was so grateful for the fact that she hadnt been imagining things.
Although his expression was sour, when she thought about him caring for her and actuallying here to save her, her heart began palpitating even faster.
Okay, okay. Its gonna get dangerous here, so why dont you go over there? Or, even better, just go home already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To think, hed speak to her in such a deliberately sullen manner, too! He was so adorable, deliberately making that face when he simply didnt want her to see unsavoury things that was going to happen very soon.
I said, go away! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had this childish side to him, the one that made him act mean to the person he liked.
Seriously! Just move! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had to resort to shoving Kim Dah-Som away by her face. Even though her face was being squeezed by his hand, a gentle smile was forming on her lips.
Will you just go over there already?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Kim Dah-Som)
Only after that, she did as told and trotted away to the corner of the street.
Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long groan.
Ha-ah, this girl.... Shes really something, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that was a something to worry aboutter, anyways.
Yi Ji-Hyuks head cocked at an arrogant angle as he turned around.
Who the f*ck does this stinking b*stard think he is, trying to swing his d*ck around here?
If I was just a beatte, then something major might have happened!
Dont you know who she is?
She brings me snacks when Im hungry!
She brings me clothes when its cold!
She even brought some gloves for me just because shes worried about me getting cold!
Even my mom doesnt do that!
....Huh. Mom?
Now that I think about it.... Mom, why you no gimme stuff like that?! Moooom?!
Oh, wait. Thats not important right now, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly shook his head and red at the serial killer.
Hah. You really do look like a freaking murderer, you little f*cker. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His facial features indeed kinda looked rather sinster and vulgar, with an expression that screamed I might cause something really big right now which made Yi Ji-Hyuk to feel a wee bit weirded out.
Hey,e over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
The serial killer cracked his neck and loosened his body, then began ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What you looking at?! Pah! Ptooi! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing this response, the serial killer began wryly chuckling to himself.
Just who could this crazy buffoon be?
Youre not thinking of walking out of here alive, right? (the killer)
Oh, sure, sure. Hurry up with your next line already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What do you mean by that? (the killer)
Now normally, your next line should be something like, You made a terrible mistake by showing up here, or, I cant let you live, now that youve seen my face. Or, hey, if youre really an insane motherf*cker, then something like me your eyes, not me. Am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Could this guy be an.... actual genius, instead? (the killer)
That face said otherwise, though!!
See, the thing is, Ive met countless as*wipes such as your stinky self. You have any idea how many murders Ive seen so far? The number of murderers I know is.... Oh, well, its really a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And that was including himself, of course.
So, thats why y.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Poof.
It was then, the serial killer suddenly vanished from the spot.
Hmph. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk rapidly spun around and kicked the empty air right behind him.
SLAM!!
*SFX for short but painful scream*
Apanied by a short, breathless cry, the serial killer revealed himself from there and flew away like a cannonball, before heavily crashing into a wall.
Ha-ah, this stupid a*shole.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt this guy know it was against the rules to attack in the middle of a speech? Heck, themon sense dictated that, even if the speech itself was long-winded, one was supposed to not attack before it ended!
If one attacked in the middle of a viinous speech, how was this author supposed to show off the personality of the MC?!
A dumba*s who doesnt even know the basics!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This guy was exactly the type that movie directors and scriptwriters would gnash their teeth at!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the killer crumpled at the foot of the wall coughing, and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
So, what should I do with this fool?
Killing him right now is a problem in itself, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Indeed, he had to prove first that this guy was the infamous serial killer. However, the only eyewitnesses present here were himself and Kim Dah-Som.
He had to make sure the guy was still breathing when taken into custody, so the stinking b*stard could sing like a canary to the murdersmitted elsewhere, as well.
Cops admitted that they hadnt figured out the scope of the crime yet, so it was very likely there would be many more victims still unounted for even now. Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co. had to find out how many had been killed by this murdering b*stards hands.
Hmm....
So, what should I use here?
Control his mind?
Or, cast a curse on his a*s, and turn his brain into jelly? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As far as casting curses and attack magics went, Yi Ji-Hyuk had climbed way past the peak of what humans were capable of, and firmly stepped into the category of a god. If he wanted to, he could make this murderer wade in a mans worst imaginable nightmare for the next 48 days.
Mm?
The warp gate, eh?
Well, thats one way to do it.
However.... this fool might end up dying if Im not careful, so no. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hey, man. In your opinion, what sort of a thing would not kill you, or make you go crazy, but would still make you suffer like theres no tomorrow? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are you asking me that, you crazy as*hole?! (the killer)
Sure, the murderer knew he was not qualified to speak about someone elses mental issues, but still, even he could tell that Yi Ji-Hyuk in front of him was probably the most out-there individual hed met yet.
This is bad. (the killer)
The serial killer quickly realised the severity of his situation and spoke up while his expression crumpled.
Ill make you regret this. (the killer)
Poof....
It was then, the figure of the killer began blurring suddenly.
Not so fast. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A ck tentacle shot out from Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand and pierced the side of the serial killer faster than the blink of an eye.
*SFX for a loud scream in pain*
Although a painful scream resounded out, nothing else happened.
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly muttered to himself while staring at the spot where the serial killer used to be.
Why didnt the teleportation get cancelled? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Spells got cancelled when I did that back in Berafe, though?
If Ind an impact on the bodies of.... Oh, wait. Isnt that for dealing with Sorcerers?
He was an ability user, so the mechanics are a bit different now, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ha-ah.... Did my brain seize up or something? Failing to catch a measly little fool like this.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since hed been battling various powerful mages for a thousand years or so, it wasnt all that surprising to see several fixed habits form over time. But still, this could prove to be a bit of a problem down the line....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long sigh.
Oh well. Its spilled milk and all that, so cant be helped, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, if he made a mistake, then all he had to do was to make up for it.
Oh-Sik-ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
WOOF!
At Yi Ji-Hyuks call, a lifeform that resembled a puppy appeared from the far distance and began desperately pounding the ground with its short four legs, just so it could get to the side of his owner as soon as possible.
Well, here you are.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik sniffed at the end of the tentacle for a second or two, before the mini Ogre raised his head to look at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You got him? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Very good. Remember our agreement? Its still in effect. So, chase him down, boy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
WOOF!!!
As Oh-Sik hurriedly ran off to somewhere, a sly grin formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
An Ogre would never ever give up on a prey. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you wanna live, you better cross the oceans to run. Of course, Ill still find you, though.
The grin on Yi Ji-Hyuks face deepened.
< 94. What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? -4 > Fin.
(TL: Amount remaining till the next sponsored chapter: $50)
Chapter 95: What is the grim reaper doing? Isn’t this dereliction of duty? (5)
Chapter 95: What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? (5)
You alright? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At Yi Ji-Hyuks query, Kim Dah-Som nodded her head in affirmation.
For some reason, she felt oddly calm, considering the fact that she had gone through quite an ordeal just now. Even she found it strange.
Indeed, she was scared out of her wits. Yet, when Yi Ji-Hyuk hugged her and patted her head, her mind calmed down in an instant and she now felt rxed.
Was it because its him? (Kim Dah-Som)
Since she didnt know the real reason, it was inevitable she would think like this.
Im fine now, oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
This is why you shouldnt roam around alone in the evenings! Stop loitering in front of my house from now on, okay!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you chased after me because you were worried, though? (Kim Dah-Soms inner monologue)
She thought that himining like this was funny, interesting, and most important of all, she really liked it.
Youreughing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only click his tongue after seeing Kim Dah-Som and her soft, gentleughter.
This girl is definitely crazy.
You almost died just now.
If I waste by a hairs breadth, youd be so dead.
Ha....
Just how insane must you be tough like that after going through a near-death experience?
....What a terrifying female.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Anyways, go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, I cant. (Kim Dah-Som)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im scared. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Stop saying that youre scared with that refreshing smile on your face!
Hell, Im the one whos really scared! Yeah, its me!
You, you! The Korean dictionary in your house, is it Made in China or something?!
Is your definition of scared the same as mine?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body began shuddering once more.
So, what do you want from me, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Please take me home. (Kim Dah-Som)
That shouldnt be difficult. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head around and called out.
Hey,e out for a sec. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for fabrics rustling*
At the same time, a figure of a girl suddenly appeared from his shadow cast on the ground.
It was of course, Doh Gah-Yun. Once in the open, she silently stared at Kim Dah-Som.
....W, who? (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som was taken by surprise. After quickly recovering, she narrowed her eyes to re back at Doh Gah-Yun.
Who could she be?
No, more than that, why ising out from there?
Yes, I can see that shes an ability user. Well, Ive heard a lot about stealth ability users, after all.
Still.....
Why. Did. She. Come. Out. Of. There?
Not just any ce, but from Yi Ji-Hyuks shadow!
Does that mean that shes around him 24/7?
Does that also mean that she was also present when I was having a rendezvous with Oppa?!
Does that also, ALSO, mean that she went inside Oppas home, too? (Kim Dah-Soms inner monologue)
Grit.
Kim Dah-Som red at Doh Gah-Yun with a pair of burning eyes that were hot enough to bore a hole.
Too bad for her, Doh Gah-Yun ably countered with a nonchnt expression that was stillced with a certain unreadable emotion as well.
...And what are you two doing now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk so thoughtlessly destroyed all that pent-up tension with a simple question, Doh Gah-Yun broke the eye contact first and shifted her gaze over to him.
Your business? (Doh Gah-Yun)
Take that girl home, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not possible. (Gah-Yun)
What? Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not my target for protection. Not my mission. Hence, refusal. (Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
A human being should have some flexibility! Flexibility, I say!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, fine. Then, wait here with her until cops shows up. Tell them to escort her home or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Again, not my mission. (Gah-Yun)
....And just what is your mission supposed to be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Protection and surveince of Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Gah-Yun)
I get the surveince bit, but listen here, you. Just how will you protect me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An unseen de is more destructive than a visible gun. (Gah-Yun)
What horsesh*t are you even talking about? A guns hundreds times more scarier. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Doh Gah-Yuns subtle facial expression seemed to imply that she could not find value in retorting to his retort. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk beganining to her again.
So, what youre saying is, you wont help me out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Correct. (Gah-Yun)
Whatever. Just stay here. Im going alone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not possible. I must remain in proximity. (Gah-Yun)
Argh! Should I just...?! Dang it! You little...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk desperately suppressed the urge to grab the taciturn girls hair and kick some sense into her, and then spat out another groan.
He realised that there was no point reasoning with her. So, he pulled out his phone and called someone who could.
Hey. Its me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes, please speak. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I found him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ive found our little murdering friend. Oh-Siks in the middle of pursuit, so please find Jeong Hae-Min and send her over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes, I shall get on it immediately. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, and by the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, would you please order Gah-Yun to escort Kim Dah-Som back to her home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C ................
You were thinking, What is this crazy as*hole even talking about just now, werent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C N, no ways. I did not. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, why did you stutter just now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C P, please. Let me speak to her. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah. Still teaching the ss on how to change the subject, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though heined, Yi Ji-Hyuk still didnt forget to swiftly hand over his phone to Doh Gah-Yun.
Her expression seemed to twitch ever so slightly, but she nevertheless grabbed the offered phone. However, even before she answered the call....
*SFX for the call ending abruptly*
.........
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk dumbfoundedly stared at his phone and its screen showing the call had been terminated, before raising his eyes to look at Gah-Yun.
Too bad, she was doing her very best to not meet his gaze.
Was that a mistake? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affirmative. (Gah-Yun)
Indeed, its possible to make mistakes. Sure.
I mean, anyone can make the mistake of touching the phones screen the wrong way and end the call. Right.
However, that thing youre doing now, you holding onto my phone real tightly so the vibrations from the iing call wont show, that aint a dang mistake, is it?!
Hey, youre gonna break my phone at this rate!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Why dont you just answer it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do not understand. (Gah-Yun)
....Why dont you answer it, when Im still being civil? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmph.... (Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun finally relented and answered the call with a subtle expression of regret etched on her face.
She nodded her head once at the inaudible wordsing from the phones speaker, before ending the call and handed the phone over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
So? What did he say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No change to mission parameters. (Gah-Yun)
.....Hey, you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun began avoiding his gaze again.
You really dont wanna do this?
You hate it that much?
Isnt this already beyond the level of disobeying a direct order?
You really, really hate it, dont you?
What is there to hate about, when all you have to do is to escort a girl back to her home?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Why dont you just do it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Dont want to. (Gah-Yun)
Hah?! You dont wanna?!
Ive never imagined such wordsing out from this girls mouth. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And why dont you wanna do it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just because. (Gah-Yun)
Argh!! Fine!! Fine! Whatever. Ill escort her home! Holy moly. My stress level just went through the roof! Really now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then C Doh Gah-Yun suddenly grasped the ends of his clothing.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will carry out the new order. I shall escort the girl home. Jeong Hae-Min, scheduled to appear on the marker ced by your house. Go and rendezvous, please. (Gah-Yun)
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? Whats the matter with her now?
Has she finally lost her marbles, too? Why did she change her mind so quickly? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mm, okay.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, in any case, this would certainly make Yi Ji-Hyuks life more convenient, so....
Okay, Im counting on you. You be careful too, got it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk left behind those words, and began dashing away rapidly, finally disappearing from the two females view.
Doh Gah-Yun shifted her emotionless gaze over to Kim Dah-Som. And thetter girl red back with a pair of chilly, hostile eyes.
I escort you home. (Gah-Yun)
No thank you. (Kim Dah-Som)
My orders. I carry it out. Regretfully so. (Gah-Yun)
I also do not wish to be escorted by you, though? (Kim Dah-Som)
Agreed. (Gah-Yun)
The two girls continued to re at each other for a long time while not budging an inch from the spot.
*
*SFX for a mans pained whimper*
A man with a gaping hole in his side was vomiting out a mouthful of blood as he tried to dress up his injury.
Euh....
The injury was severe enough to kill a normal person in the blink of an eye. So, should he feel grateful about being able to continue drawing breath?
Ill kill him. Ill kill him! Ill definitely kill him!!
However, the mans expression said that his mind held no such concepts as gratitude.
That son of a b*tch, Ill definitely kill him!!
The killer was able to somehow soldier on, all thanks to the much sturdier physique of an ability user, as well as the natural recovery rate that exceeded what was possible for a human being, but even he realised that this injury would need a long time to healpletely.
If he went to a hospital, itd be a different story, but that was the same thing as cing his head inside the mouth of a tiger, telling the cops to p the cuffs on his wrists.
Keuh-euhk....
Suddenly, the man recalled the ill-tempered, arched-eyebrows face of a certain youth, now forever burnt into his brain.
His names Ji-Hyuk, was it?
That blonde girl said that, for sure.
Hes seen my face.
Not only him, but that girl, too.
The killer knew that he had to kill both of them as soon as possible to prevent them helping the police to draw up a sketch of what he looked like. No matter what.
If he didnt, then the cops would begin narrowing down their dra, and even though escaping from it wouldnt be hard, hed never be able to enjoy the same sort of freedom as of now.
And that would also put an end to his wonderful current lifestyle, too.
I must kill them.
He had to kill them, at any cost!
No matter the cost!!
Woof.
Huh?
The killer hurriedly turned his head in the direction where the low barking of an animal came from.
Whats this?
Even before he had noticed it, a small puppy had invaded his hideout.
However.... Was that thing really a dog?
A small critter with red and ck fur, seemingly looking like a cross between a dog and a bear, was staring at him with a pair of wide open eyes.
What the....
Now normally, hed not care much about animals, but it sure as heck felt like bad luck to be spotted by one right now.
The man picked up one of the knives resting on top of the table near him and threw it at the small animal.
ng!
Huh?
Was that sound.... ng?
What the f*ck was that all about?
Wasnt that the sound you hear when metal hits another metal?
Why did that knife go ng?
The man rubbed his eyes and stared at the small animal again.
And sure enough, that little critter was staring at him in the exact same manner as before.
Perhaps understandably, the man felt a strange sense of unease, maybe even fear, from this event. So, he quickly grabbed the remaining knife off the table.
W, what the hell?!
There was just no way.
There was at least over 100 kilometres from here to that dark alleyway.
His injury prevented him from teleporting further away, but still, covering the distance of over 100 kilos in ten minutes was simply an absurd notion.
And so, this weird creature could not be rted to that b*stard, Ji-Hyuk....
Suddenly, the cor attached to the dog began emitting bright light.
Hut?!
The killer was shocked out of his skull and he rapidly retreated away.
Poof.
And almost at the same time, five people appeared in front of the killer. And of course, they were Yi Ji-Hyuk, Jeong Hae-Min, Choi Jung-Hoon, Seo Ah-Young, and one very p*ssed-off Kim Dah-Hyun.
So, its this son of a b*tch, is it....? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun, whose rage-filled distorted face resembled a demon, began flexing his muscles as if hed pounce on the flustered killer at any moment.
Whoa, whoa, there. Easy. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly stepped forward to hold the angry guy back, before sweeping his gaze all over the killer.
Hes not a registered user. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. I remember the faces of most registered users. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah. How wonderfully amazing you are, being able to remember such things. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....My apologies. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Theres no need to retort so sarcastically here, you know?!
Oh well, what can I do? Thats how he is, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon swallowed back the voice of discontent and stared at the killer once more.
Are you sure its him? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cant you see his side? Ive ventted him real nice, see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Could you have made a mistake and ventted the wrong person, instead? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Should I personally demonstrate to you what a mistaken venttion looks like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My apologies.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....I apologised, so please stop looking at my side like that. Pretty please! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
A strand of cold sweat trickled down the face of Choi Jung-Hoon. As he opened his mouth to say something, Kim Dah-Hyun finally exploded and shouted out loudly.
This isnt the time to throw jokes around, is it?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ha-ah.... This siscon...
Hearing how close to death his sister was, hes lost all his self-control, hasnt he?
I mean, how dare he shout in front of me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldpletely understand where this guys passion wasing from, so he didnt raise a fuss about it and simply nodded his head.
Anyways. Lets apprehend him first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill start my thing afterwards. (Yi Ji-Hyuks ominous inner deration)
Keuk!
The killer realised that the situation had turned for the worse and tried to initiate his teleport again. But then, a ck tentacle shooting out from Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand flew at the speed of light and came to a stop mere inches away from the killers face.
I suggest you stop doing that. Unless you want a hole in your head, instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Yeah, teleporting around sure is convenient. You can pretty much go anywhere you want. However, if I kill you before you teleport, thats the end of that, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Thats why you shouldve done it in moderation. How dare you show up in front of my house and cause a ruckus? Hah.... Only targeting blondes, even. Why didnt ya go overseas and do your sh*t over there, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks taunts made the killer to grit his teeth. But he knew that there was nothing he could do in this situation.
Well, why dont you quietlye with us? We might need a bit of time to figure out how to formally arrest you and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although it wouldnt be easy, they would eventually find a way. Well, all the matters involving the usage of ones brain would be handled by Choi Jung-Hoon, in any case.
....Godd*mn it....
Dont you worry. Well take very good care of you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Sure, Ill make you regret the fact that you didnt die, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The killer couldnt get away from Yi Ji-Hyuks tentacle. He slowly began inching towards the waiting and seething Kim Dah-Hyun.
But, it was then.
Thats going to be a bit troublesome for me. (?)
A strange intonation, delivered by a low pitched voice C a leisurely and rxed voice oh-so vividly dug into Yi Ji-Hyuks ear canals.
However, the destructive impact from that voice was unimaginably huge.
Yi Ji-Hyuk showed off a frozen-stiff expression that hed never ever disyed in this world before, as he slowly turned his head around in the direction of the voice.
It was the doorway. And in front of it...
An unknown man was standing there.
< 95. What is the grim reaper doing? Isnt this dereliction of duty? -5 > Fin.
(TL: For the foreseeable future, Im not epting donations for extra chapters. Im working on something at the moment, and dont have to enough time to release any sponsored chapters, unfortunately. But, Id still appreciate it if you throw something at my way every now and then.) ??
Chapter 96: Do you really believe you know about me? (1)
Chapter 96: Do you really believe you know about me? (1)
The mans facial features were rather odd.
How should one go about describing them?
First of all, he wasnt an Asian. However, he also resembled an Asian, funnily enough.
Was this the kind of face one might get if several different races were mixed up?
His sleek and lengthy nose, thin red lips, and a pair ofrge eyes definitely belonged to that of a Westerner, but when these features werebined to form a face, the result was inexplicably Oriental in nature.
Also, the mans neatly-trimmed, all-white hair and young-ish looking face only served to muddy the matter even further..
Those alone werent sufficient enough to fully describe the unfamiliar man, however.
No, the strange feeling one got when facing this man wasnt simply because of his countenance. This feeling was seemingly one of both leisure and anxiety.
Thats the feeling Choi Jung-Hoon got from this unfamiliar man, something that couldnt be articted into mere words.
Who are you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Usually, Choi Jung-Hoon was not someone to ask such a question.
After spitting out such an obvious andmon line, Choi Jung-Hoon was beginning to feel a sense of panic set in.
One could chose his or her actions when one had some leeway at their disposal.
If one saw a rockslide on the road up ahead while driving, one would stop the car and go back the way he or she came from, or perhaps find another path around the obstacle. Or, evene up with other ways to ovee their trouble. However, if rocks fell on ones head unexpectedly, then itd be quite obvious what that person would do in response.
Choi Jung-Hoon determined that he was in such a situation.
As soon as he saw this white-haired man, Choi Jung-Hoon felt unnerved and anxious for some reason. It was as if he wouldnt be able to stand still unless he did or said something.
It was a different type of anxietypared to what he felt from Yi Ji-Hyuk.
How should I answer that, I wonder. (the white-haired man)
The moment the white-haired man made his reply, it suddenly dawned on Choi Jung-Hoon.
....And that was, the difference between Yi Ji-Hyuk and the white-haired man.
If the former made him think of a walking, talking bomb, then thetter felt like an existence created solely from the purest form of malice.
Its been a rather long time since someone asked me that exact question. As a result, finding a suitable answer isnt as easy as I thought, I have to say. Mm.... However, not answering your query on our first encounter is indeed quite rude of me.
Ive been called many things in the past, but the one I currently am being called is probably the most famous one out of them. My name.... is Alpha.
The white-haired man introduced himself as Alpha as a handsome smile formed on his lips.
And seeing that smile, every single strand of hair on Choi Jung-Hoons body stood up.
Just what could it be?
Just what was making him so anxious and... scared?
Hmph. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his weight over to one leg and turned his body towards Alpha.
And what are you supposed to be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fuwoo....
Choi Jung-Hoon released a deeply-held breath once that line was spoken. Only now did he realise that hed been holding his breath under all this incredible tension.
Only by Yi Ji-Hyuk stepping forward and getting in the way, Choi Jung-Hoon felt like he was no longer subjected to Alphas pressure.
Is it only me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly shifted his gaze around.
Unsurprisingly, he found Jeong Hae-Min and her slightly poorplexion, while Kim Dah-Hyuns body was trembling quite noticeably, even more sopared to that of Choi Jung-Hoons. Seo Ah-Young too was trembling imperceptibly.
Only Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed unaffected, rxed.
But, that wasnt true.
Even Yi Ji-Hyuks expression was stiffpared to how he was usually. Choi Jung-Hoon thought it was his first time seeing an expression like that from the youth.
If you ask me what I am supposed to be.... Well, I wonder. Should I answer with I am human? (Alpha)
Ahh. So youre the type that I hate, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched the back of his head, and then asked.
Fine, whatever. So, what would be troublesome for you, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I simply must take away that gentleman behind you. (Alpha)
Hah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A teleporter is an important and a rare asset to be had. Hes someone I have a great need for. That is why.... Apologies, but Id be very grateful if you are so kind to entrust the handling of that gentleman to me. (Alpha)
Mm. I feel like rewarding you for making me listen to a few creative horsesh*t just now. So, you enjoy a knuckle sandwich? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not that I dont particrly enjoy it, but regrettably, I simply dont have any hankering for one at the moment. But, everyone, can you understand my words well? (Alpha)
....Whatre you on about now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, well, this is.... It sure is a convenient ability, dont you think? I wouldve never guessed that conversing with foreigners would be this simple and painless. Its fun, actually. (Alpha)
What is he talking about? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just as the frown on Choi Jung-Hoons face deepened in confusion, irritation began dyeing Yi Ji-Hyuks expression.
So, what you gonna do? If you wanna take him, why dontcha try? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, of course. (Alpha)
Even before Alpha finished speaking.... it happened.
*SFX for a hard surface C likely the floor C breaking up suddenly*
The floor suddenly rose up, and almost right away, Yi Ji-Hyuks ck tentacle pointing at the killers face was pped away.
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A figure exploded out from the ground and pped Yi Ji-Hyuks tentacle away, then grabbed the killer.
Target secured. Teleport, now. (?)
As soon as those words were spoken, the killer quickly initiated his teleport, and the duo disappeared from the spot.
Ah....
Choi Jung-Hoon dazedly spat out an exasperated gasp.
They went through so much trouble, yet they still ended up losing the murderer!
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned slightly, and shifted his ring eyes back over to Alphas direction. He was nning to stop the teleport before it happened, but some sort of interference came in just at the right time. If it wasnt for that, hed never have let them go this easily.
He looked like someone who went through a lot of sh*t, so I was going to go easy on him, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I am grateful for your consideration. However, I believe that allowing me to take that person away is for the best. (Alpha)
I kind of like that slick mouth of yours, but.... Why am I feeling so bloody p*ssed off right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
For some reason, this guy was getting on his nerves.
There was only one reason why he hadnt utterly massacred this Alpha yet, though.
Although the white-haired man was getting on his nerves, Yi Ji-Hyuk still didnt sense any form of hostility from him, either.
Honestly, there were only a few things easier in this world than differentiating those who came to fight Yi Ji-Hyuk and who didnt. He had been living for a very long time while facing countless enemies and being subjected to their killing intent, after all.
However, although he could pick up on the subtle hint of malice, not one shred of hostility could be sensed from this man calling himself Alpha.
Itll be better for you to rify what the hell is it you want. Now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, my apologies. Its been almost a year since I had to appear publicly and intervene personally. Even I almost forgot what Im supposed to do in these sort of situations. Youre Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, yes? (Alpha)
Sure, thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. You can call me Alpha. As of now, I am a leader of a... fairly small organisation.
In this country? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, no. Our headquarters is located in America. In the US, I mean. Uhm, Im not sure if the correct words got through to you. Actually, Im speaking in English at the moment, you see. (Alpha) (TL: Alpha said the first America in Korean C ?? C while thetter in romanised English, ????. I swapped the two around to minimise confusion.)
I already know. Someone cast a trantion spell on you. Been a while since seeing something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
In that case, our conversation should be a bit easier. Ill not beat around the bush. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, would you like to join us? (Alpha)
Before you start, looks like Ill have to tell you a few things you should never forget. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Alpha)
First of all, maybe its the fault of the trantion spell or what, or maybe youre just a dumb motherf*cker with sh*t for brains, but you keep forgetting to provide the context while you run your mouth off. Heres the thing C words were created so people can understand each other, kiddo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Secondly, if you are proposing something, you gotta do two things beforehand. One, you gotta introduce yourself properly first before making the proposal, and two, what kind of benefits youre dangling along with the proposal. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, you are correct. (Alpha)
I see that you can understand me properly, so how about you start rolling that brain of yours again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You are indeed correct. You are as smart as Ive heard. (Alpha)
Ive been called a Sage once upon a time, you still wet-behind-the-ears fool. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mm.... To answer your first point, I am Alpha, the leader of a revolutionary movement called the RF. The revolution I speak of isnt anything too grandiose, however. I am simply fighting for what is rightfully ours. (Alpha)
And what is rightfully yours? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The rights of the ability users. (Alpha)
Alphas eyes began gleaming in madness as he continued.
Throughout the world, even though we, the ability users, possess powers that far surpass regr people, we are forced into exploitation and very, rather than as the rightful leaders of their respective nations. There are several reasons for this.
The most obvious one is that, we are not united under one banner, and as a result, cant put up any tangible form of organised resistance against the regr armies. Also, the families of the users are all powerless humans, literally, and they easily end up bing hostages.
There are other reasons, of course, but still, the fact remains C the majority of us are being unfairly exploited. (Alpha)
That is.... Im hearing something I agree with for the first time in a long while. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Our aim is to turn that illogical situation on its head. And as for the second point.... would youugh at me if I offered you freedom and unlimited rights? (Alpha)
I already have enough of those. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guessed so. You also seemed to have enough wealth, too. Mm... In that case, there is only one thing that we can offer you. (Alpha)
Well now.... I feel like I know what that is already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, yes. Its your life. Well let you live. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began giggling hoarsely in response.
Let me live, huh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just how long had it been since thest time he heard those words?
Well before anger could take over, those words ended up eliciting a sense of nostalgia first.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reorganised everything inside his head and opened his mouth while staring at Alpha.
So, you wanna scout me, is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is correct. Ive heard a lot about you, you see. (Alpha)
From who?
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked behind him at Choi Jung-Hoon, and thetter quickly waved his hands in denial.
It wasnt me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....But, it could only be you, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youve been ming me for everythingtely! Me, Im the type of person to think first and think carefully about everything! And besides all that, the Gates opening up in Korea have been taken care of without any major casualtiestely, so how many out there would not find that strange? You might not be aware, but spy satellites from other nations are busy snapping away at the Gates opening up here! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah. I havent thought about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, thats how others should react under the circumstance. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hey, you heard about the Japanese peopleing to see me not too long ago? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Alpha)
Then, you also know what I said to them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Alpha)
In that case, you should know what my next line is going to be, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm.....
Alpha swept his hair back. It seemed to be an old habit, since his hair was short and there was nothing to sweep back in the first ce.
We dont have any money to offer to you. However, when our ns seed, then the current mary system will cease to function altogether. If you are willing to wait a little while longer, then I might be able to provide you with unimaginable wealth. (Alpha)
Sorry, but I have a rule of not epting promissory notes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How regrettable. So, does this mean that the negotiation has broken down? (Alpha)
Broken down, eh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An ominous smile began forming on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
Ill say one more thing here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Alpha)
I will make a promise that, if you dont bring back the guy you stole away right now, Ill pull that head of yours clean off your body. See, the thing is, Im not in a very good mood right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ever since my return to this world....
No, wait. I cant remember being treated like this for thest hundred years, so this sure is a fresh new feeling. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
That was why he humoured Alphas c**p until now. But well, even that had reached its end, and Yi Ji-Hyuk was getting too irritated to continue.
Hmm.... I wonder, if you will really be able to do that. (Alpha)
Oh? So, should I pull it off now, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, no. I do believe that it wont be hard for you to kill me. Because you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, possess something else that is clearly on a whole new dimensionpared to other ability users. (Alpha)
..........
Even then, you wont be able to kill me now. (Alpha)
And why cant I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont youe outside with me for a moment? (Alpha)
Alpha rxedly turned around and exited the room.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly watched before shrugging his shoulders.
What should we do? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, we go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive no idea what bullsh*t n you cooked up, but you better give up on escaping from me even if you know how to teleport.
Because, Ill rip you apart limb from limb in one go. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk soon came to realise that his thought would have to remain just that, his thoughts.
Because, when he followed Alpha outside of the building....
They could see from their vantage point, the sprawling metropolis enshrouded in the veil of the cool evening sky. But, there were....
No matter who it was, theyd consign those thoughts simply as nothing more than thoughts, because of the dozens upon dozens of Gates rapidly reddening up in the middle of South Koreas capital city.
Im sure that killing someone like me wouldnt be difficult for you. But, I can assure you, I will be able to waste your time. In other words, if you want to kill me, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, youll also have to watch on as the monsters rushing out from those Gates kill tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at Alpha with dismay.
All you have to do is to choose. Kill me, or save those people. Isnt that simple? (Alpha)
Just as a bright smile formed on Alphas face, all those Gates began emitting bright light. They were opening up.
Ha-ah..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a hollow chuckle.
Just where did an as*hole like this guy pop out from?
< 96. Do you really believe you know about me? -1 > Fin.
(TL: WHERE CAN I GET THAT SPELL? That will probably make my life so much easier, trying to trante these novels.... XD)
Chapter 97: Do you really believe you know about me? (2)
Chapter 97: Do you really believe you know about me? (2)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his gaze in contemtion as the countless Gates began emitting light, the surest signs of them opening up.
The greater the urgency of a situation, the calmer a person had to be. His body remembered this indisputable truth before his head did.
Of course, he wasnt going to celebrate that fact now.
The mere fact that he was getting tense, which was a state of mind he had thoroughly mastered through countless battles in the past, attested to how urgent the current situation was.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes exuded a cold, calcting light. The rage boiling in his heart cooled down instantly, as the cogs in his brain spun in double time.
What was required from him the most right at this moment?
How should he act in this situation, in order to minimise the damage?
Have you decided? (Alpha)
And just what should he do to make fine mincemeat out of that snow-haired irritating b*stard and his pping gums?
He didnt waste much time deciding.
Jeong Hae-Min. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y, yeah? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Talk to Choi Jung-Hoon, and make it your priority to find and secure the ability users deemed most suitable under the current situation. Make them join the fight, right away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay! Got it! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes! (Seo Ah-Young)
The destruction caused by the Gates located to our right will be greater than anywhere else. Go over there and plug up the monsters route to the location with the highest concentration of civilians. Do not let a single one go past you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wont let them! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then turned towards Kim Dah-Hyun.
Path Drifter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, hyung-nim! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Your job... is to run. Run faster than the monsters and rescue people trapped in the hordes path. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Understood. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, stick close to Jeong Hae-Min. Make sure the military support arrives as quickly as possible, and in the meantime, take charge of the evacuation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Leave it to me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The preparations wereplete.
For thest time, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head to re at Alpha. He was leaning against wall, his legs crossed and looking rather rxed as he held Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze.
Does he possess the ability to open up Gates?
No, hang on a minute. There cant be an ability like that.
....Which can only mean that this guy is maintaining some sort of cooperative rtionship with someone or something capable of opening up Gates.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ill take care of youter on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, will that be easy as you imply? Defending against all those Gates will surely push you to your limits. Even the US government would find it almost impossible trying to minimise the destruction in an event such as this one, so will you be able to do something like that all by yourself? (Alpha)
You said you know about me, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, I did. (Alpha)
Do you really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Pardon? (Alpha)
Do you really believe you know about me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha didnt answer Yi Ji-Hyuks question.
Let me show you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Especially for you.
So, open your eyes real wide and dont miss a thing.
Because, you wont get to see it again. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The smoke-like ck Mana began oozing outnguidly from Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
It had been such a long time C a long time, since he felt this way.
He felt like hed be able to cut loosepletely for the first time in a long while.
Yi Ji-Hyuk clenched his fists tightly while his burning gaze locked onto the sight of countless scores of monsters pouring out from the numerous Gates.
*
Uwooooooohhhh!!!
Choi Chang-Sik was in the middle of a desperate run.
When he managed to sneak a nce behind him, he spotted a horde of blue-coloured monsters with pig-like heads busy chasing after him.
What the heeeeell is this sh*t?! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Just what on earth was going on here?
If a Gate opened up, wasnt it normal for an order to evacuate to be issued first? So, how could it make any sort of sense when monsters showed up before that?
Choi Chang-Sik alternated between swearing and screaming while running hard enough for his legs to almost break.
He came out to the local high street to have some fun since night had descended on the cityscape. That was it.
Of course, he didnt forget to drag a couple of easy-looking marks over to some shaded corner and extort a handful of... pocket money.
But those things werent big enough crimes to warrant a punishment this severe!
Somebody, saaaaaaave me!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
More importantly, out of all the people on this street, why were these dang monsters only chasing him down and seemingly no one else?
Was he mistaken? Could it be him.... simply imagining things?
Choi Chang-Sik took a sharp, abrupt turn into an alleyway leading onto a backstreet. Which prompted the pig-headed monsters to follow him into the alleyway, too.
I wasnt imagining things, was I?!?!?! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Why?
What sins did Choi Chang-Sikmit to deserve this?
No matter how hard he ran, and then ran some more, the distance between him and monsters wasnt increasing but shortening instead.
N, no!! Help!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Strength was finally abandoning his legs.
His breathing couldnt keep up anymore.
And with an unfortunate timing, something tripped his legs.
Keuhk!
Choi Chang-Sik fell and rolled on the ground.
Even as he rolled ungainly on the ground, he could only think of one thing.
Didnt matter whether it was painful or not, the moment he stopped running was the moment hed be deader than dead. He had to get up and continue running....
*SFX for roars of monsters*
Before he could push himself up off the ground, the pig-headed monsters pounced on his unguarded back.
The indescribable pain transmitted to his brain when sharp fangs dug into his shoulder caused Choi Chang-Sik to cry out like a little kid.
Duck! (Seo Ah-Young)
Huh?! (Choi Chang-Sik)
It was in that exact moment that a ball of mes rapidly flew towards his direction.
What the f*ck?!
A swear word instinctively jumped out of his mouth, but he was smart enough to figure out what he need to do right away.
Using one elbow, Choi Chang-Sik did his utmost best to force the monsters head away from himself, while shielding his head with his other arm.
*SFX for mes erupting*
*SFX for monsters painful cries*
Perhaps fitting for the asion, Chang-Sik heard the sounds of pigs squealing in paining from his behind. Simultaneously, he also felt extremely hot air exploding and nearly scorch him in the process, too.
The moment he sensed the monsters weight on his shoulder decrease, Chang-Sik desperately crawled away from the spot.
Pant, pant....
He was so short of breath, his consciousness was now a fading blur. And feeling the pain that was simultaneously sharp and dull, as well as seeing all that blood trickling down his arm and his leg, he couldnt help but think that he was stuck in some sort of nightmare.
You need to pull yourself together. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh? Ah! Y, yes, I will! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik dazedly stared at the beautiful woman standing before him.
Her pure-ck hair extending down to her waist; her figure screamed that such a body ratio shouldnt be logically possible; and then, her face that seemed to define the standard that all beauty should aspire to.
Thats.... Seo Ah-Young?!
The face hed been seeing on TV almost daily was now standing in front of him. A certain strong feeling swept past Choi Chang-Siks senses, enough for him to forget all about his pain.
You stupid a*s TV!!
You couldnt even convey the half of her true beauty!!! (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
You need to escape from this area. (Seo Ah-Young)
P, pardon me? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Suddenly, Seo Ah-Youngs expression crumpled unsightly.
I said, get the f*ck out of here, you dumba*s!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ohh. Uhm, yes, maam.... (Choi Chang-Sik)
Indeed, the TV screens failed to convey how beautiful she was, but then again, the rumours about her personality was pretty much spot-on.
The Insane Witch.
Just now, she disyed a hint of her personality that truly deserved that nickname. Choi Chang-Sik took one final nce at her and limped his way out of the alleyway.
And right behind him, a massive me bellowed in anger.
*
D*mn it!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun ran with everything he had.
Just as his alias implied, the Path Drifters speed did not permit others to follow him with their naked eyes.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk witnessed this constant burst of speed, hed be mouring to turn Kim Dah-Som into his personal Phantom Steed. Thats how fast he was.
What proved to be Yi ji-Hyuks misfortune happened to be Kim Dah-Hyuns good luck, because the former couldnt get to see thetter run, possibly faster than anything recorded in the history of mankind.
*SFX for sonic boom left behind the wake of something moving really fast*
The air collided with his moving body, and an unbelievably loud shockwave exploded forth from the collision. His body shook crazily from the impact, but no matter what, he couldnt slow down.
Euh-aaaaaht!!
Kim Dah-Hyun pulled away yet another person from the closing jaws of a monster in the nick of time.
Keuhk!!
All thanks to this abnormal speed, he felt like his arm would break every time he pulled a person away from danger. Without a doubt, the person saved wouldve felt the simr type of impact as well.
However, that was still way better than ending up as a monster snack!
Kim Dah-Hyun gritted his teeth while rescuing and delivering yet another civilian from danger to a safe enough area.
He was doing his best!
Indeed, he was forcing his body to the extreme!
But still, screw this d*mned situation!
The number of people he couldnt rescue was much, much higher than those he managed to save!
Uwaaaah!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Calm down, you idiot! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
A familiar voice came from above Kim Dah-Hyuns head.
Its you, Yun Hyuk-Gyu! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Hey, its Hyuk-Gyu hyung to you, you little.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
me cannons shooting from the Spitfires hands collided with the horde of monsters.
...You little rude son of a b*tch!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Kaboom!!
The sea of mes swept away the monsters and the resulting explosion rocked the world.
What the hell? Yourete! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
You think Im a fortune teller or something?! I aint gonna stay up the whole night waiting for a Gate to pop up! I came as soon as I got the call, so get off my case! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Do something already! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Hah, talking is cheap. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Dont you have eyes?
Cant you see whats in front of you?
Like, cant you bloody see all those monsters crazily pouring out from the Gates?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
Indeed, this event could easily finish the nation of Korea, never mind just the city of Seoul.
F*ck this insane sh*t! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
His eyes dyed half in despair and half in fear, the Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu got ready to fire another round of the me cannon. It was then....
*SFX for a huge roar of a monster*
Apanied by an ear-shredding cry, a gigantic ck hawk took flight into the sky.
....What the... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu recognised that hawk, because that thing was one of Yi Ji-Hyuks summoned monsters!
....Was it always that massive? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
No, it didnt look as if it was simply supersized; even its outer appearance had changed significantly.
Back then, when the ability users were in training with Yi Ji-Hyuks monsters, that creature simply had an appearance of a simple ck-coloured hawk, but now....
It now more or less resembled a mythical creature from some long-forgotten legend, a creature half hawk and half demonic deity.
Is he over there? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Spitfire correctly guessed the general direction where Yi Ji-Hyuk was, and immediately turned to the opposite direction.
Because, there was this ominous feeling telling him not to go that way at all costs.
*
Hmm.... (Alpha)
Alpha was studying the ck smoke oozing out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body with great interest.
What could that be? (Alpha)
Alpha had seen countless variety of abilities. Not to mention, he witnessed equally as many so-called miracles and performed them himself.
Even then, what he was seeing right now seemed to be on a whole new dimension whenpared to everything else he knew. Apletely different ability, existing on apletely different dimension, was revealing itself right before Alphas eyes.
I want it. (Alpha)
He wanted to possess that power.
Alpha ever so subtly licked his lips.
It was then.
The ck smoke swirling around Yi Ji-Hyuk shot up into the sky like a tempest winds of a rising dragon.
What is this power? (Alpha)
Alpha failed to understand what it could be.
Not the source of this amazing power, nor just how destructive it could be....
No, he couldnt even begin to fathom just where he should start. But, there was one thing he did figure out: His entire being, no, every single cell residing within every corner of his flesh was reacting and screaming out all at the same time.
RUN AWAY!!
Run, as far away as possible from here!
....Now normally, Alpha obeyed his instincts.
But just for today, he decided to ignore them. No, perhaps, he was being more faithful to his instincts by choosing to stay.
After all, the thoughts of remaining here, and witnessing this spectacle unfold were much more persuasive than the warning bells going off inside his head.
Now. Show me. (Alpha)
Show me what youve been hiding.
Show me how incredible a being you truly are!! (Alphas inner monologue)
*SFX for intense vibrations in the air*
The ck Mana crazily swirling around Yi Ji-Hyuk like the turbid breaths of a dragon suddenly condensed and began forming numerous ck holes in the air.
Vuuooong!
And when those holes grewrger, ck-coloured creatures began emerging from their depths.
Not only a huge ck hawk, but there was also a ck jaguar; four-legged creatures and winged monstrosities sprung forth from those holes by dozens upon dozens, and madly rushed towards the hordes of monstersing out from the Gates.
SCREEEECH!!
Along with an ear-piercing grating noise, tens of tentacles, each one as strong as reinforced steel, shot out from the ground Yi Ji-Hyuk stood on.
Keureuk!
Oh-Sik formed a toothy grin when he saw a tentacle headed in his direction.
Stab!
The tentacle pierced straight into the Ogres body. The painsted for only a second; instead, Oh-Sik let off a mighty roar as Mana filled up his body and strength flooded back in.
ROAR!!
Oh-Sik recovered his former glory in the blink of an eye. His eyes nowpletely bloodshot, he rushed towards the monsters in a mad dash.
That was not all C more and more monsters with the Seal of Obedience imnted in them emerged one by one from the ck holes while emitting beastly roars.
What... the.... (Alpha)
What was going on here?
Alphas entire body began trembling.
He was expecting to see a disy of an incredible ability. Well, even he didnt get to hear a detailed report on what Yi Ji-Hyuks powers were.
However, this waspletely beyond his expectations.
At a bare minimum, he expected to see a battle of monsters versus a man.
But now, wasnt this more like a battle between two armies, instead?!
Monsters bared their fangs and pounced on one another.
Flesh was torn apart, blood spilled on the ground, and torn heads were flung into the air.
Naturally, Alpha couldnt stop his body from shuddering at this incredible sight.
La Elta. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly raised his hands in the air.
BZZZZZ!!
Alpha sensed it then.
The countless tentaclesing out from Yi Ji-Hyuks shadow began sucking in something, some kind of energy, and forced this substance into his body.
And then, Yi Ji-Hyuk converted that into his power.
BZZZZZ!!
A ck mass formed above Yi Ji-Hyuks head, then it began growingrger at a rapid rate.
....Just what is this? (Alpha)
How should he go about describing what he was seeing right now?
Hahaha.....
Alpha beganughing out loudly, albeit in bitterness, after witnessing the kind of power that defied his attempts to understand it.
He wasnt kidding, was he? (Alpha)
Alpha shouted out while shuddering from the goosebumps breaking out all over his body.
Yes! More! Show me some more!! Aha, hahahahaha!!! (Alpha)
The ck Mana swirling around Yi Ji-Hyuks body began burning like mes of the abyss above the youths head.
It was as beautiful as the legendary congration that would supposedly destroy the universe at the end of days.
< 97. Do you really believe you know about me? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 98: Do you really believe you know about me? (3)
Chapter 98: Do you really believe you know about me? (3)
There were things that one could never figure out, even if one were to witness them happen right in front of their eyes.
A shivering that overwhelmed everything C Alpha was in the middle of such a state as his excitement reached its peak.
This was power.
Indeed, this was true power.
The ck lump of Mana Yi Ji-Hyuk created began burning up like a real me while rising up high into the sky.
Sweep everything away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His voice sounded low and heavy C and was devoid of emotion. The moment that disinterested voice resounded out, the ck Mana contracted slightly, before swelling to an evenrger size. Then, it proceeded to shower thend with raindrops of pure ck mes.
*SFX for screams and roars of monsters*
Those monsters that foolishly bore the brunt of the raindrops with their bodies didnt even have enough time to scream before melting into sticky wet puddles. Those who came in contact with the raindrops by mistake issued hoarse and nightmarish screams as they rolled on the ground in pain, scratching and wing at themselves in despair.
A battle between two armies?
It was anything but.
Alpha had to acknowledge that he made another mistake. He thought that Yi Ji-Hyuk would create an army and engage the enemies that way. After all, the creatures he had summoned all looked fantastically powerful to his eyes.
But that assumption turned out to be wrong.
No, the true fighting style of this horrifying ability user was to destroy everything with his own power.
The monsters and creatures he summoned just now were merely to buy him enough time to get ready. That was all.
Ha..... (Alpha)
Nearly twenty Gates opened simultaneously. Yet, all those monsters pouring out from them like a deluge were all cleanly swept away in one fell swoop.
No, perhaps cleanly wasnt the right adjective to use in this case.
How could it be, when there were monsters desperately struggling to remain breathing while their flesh melted C and while blood and foam escaped from their mouth?
This was Hell.
Alpha hadnt been there before, but if such a ce existed for real, then it might resemble what he was seeing right now.
His entire body continued to tremble as the uncontroble excitement dug deep into his core.
Ha. Ha. Ha! (Alpha)
A dry chuckle escaped from Alphas mouth. He now fully understood that Yi Ji-Hyuk was on apletely different realmpared to every other ability user he had met until now.
How could a man like this exist on this?
Not to mention, while sessfully concealing his true self?
How surprising. (Alpha)
What is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah?
Alpha suddenly felt a chill run down his entire back as soon as sensing the presence of an absolutely terrifying creature behind him.
Would one feel the same as he did if an apex predator bared its fangs and growled right next to his neck?
Was this nervousness the result of knowing that one might die at any moment? Or, fear?
No, no. Its not those.
This feeling, its not something as low ss as those two.
How can I describe it in words?
This sense of awe rising from the deepest core of my soul? (Alphas inner monologue)
Too crude.
Humannguages seemed too crude to fully express what his entire being had felt.
I am truly impressed. (Alpha)
Oh, is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Indeed, I am deeply moved. You are a human, yet no longer one. (Alpha)
Bullsh*t. Im human. Certainly more human than you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Really? But, I dont understand. Have you not already exceeded what a normal human being is capable of? (Alpha)
Smirk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a disdainful smirk.
Exceeding humans?
He endured all those horrifying years all because of the singr hope of staying human.
Maybe, others would take that as apliment. But for Yi Ji-Hyuk, saying that he had exceeded being human was like a p in the face.
After all, hadnt he fought against an entire world just so that he could be human again?
Whatever. I guess trying to talk sense into you was kinda interesting. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, how about it? (Alpha)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will you not join hands with me? (Alpha)
You still going on about that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha spun around to face Yi Ji-Hyuk and spread open his arms wide.
You could be the absolute ruler of this world. (Alpha)
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With you standing at the forefront, and with me providing support, conquering this world will not be difficult at all for you. The whole world will be born anew under your name. Dont you want to be part of that amazing event? The ecstasy that such an urrence would bring? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows furrowed.
There are all sorts of pleasures to be had in this world. But not one of them can be as sweet as the one from being in power. In control. Really, isnt it obvious what those standing at the very peak of the world would desire? Allow me to aid you in this quest. Let me aid you, so you can stand at the very top. And make sure that the world experiences a rebirth. So, how about it? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deeply nodded his head.
Mm. Not interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I beg your pardon? (Alpha)
Not. Interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, dont be like that, and.... (Alpha)
Alphas voice became more salesman-like as he tried to make his case.
I assure you, the world conquest will not be difficult at all. Remember, Ill be lending my aid. (Alpha)
And just who might you be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I possess quite a few strong abilities, actually. Thus, Im most qualified to be your closest aide. (Alpha)
Oh? Why dont you do it, then? Since youve got nice abilities and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ha-ah.... There are some things that one is not meant for.... (Alpha)
Huh. Sure thing. Yeah, its cool and all that since you know your ce. Heres the deal, though C Im not interested, so ask someone else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Really? (Alpha)
Yup.
Eiii, why not give it some more thought? (Alpha)
Nope, still not interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Hah...
Alphas expression crumpled in an instant.
Why are you not interested? You can have it all! Absolutely everything this world has to offer! (Alpha)
Dont need them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What?
Yi Ji-Hyuk dismissively waved his hand around.
Hey, man. That thing of ruling the world? Its really much harder than it sounds. Do you know how much you gotta micromanage? Uh-whew, I aint doing that for the second time. No ways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha now looked rather speechless.
What the hell, this guy....
What is up with this man? (Alphas inner monologue)
Besides.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared deeply at Alpha as he spoke.
....You werent thinking of conquering the world or some juvenile c**p like that, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
What you want isnt conquering, but just good old fashioned destruction, am I right? You just wanna destroy everything, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha didnt reply. However, Yi Ji-Hyuks words still managed to nail the truth, hard.
Ive seen my fair share of guys like you. Well, you do look a bit more capable than those idiots, though. Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his nce to his summoned creatures and Oh-Sik, now taking care of the surviving monsters over yonder, before looking back at Alpha again.
Well, I wouldnt have minded being a nice little tool for your usage and all that, but my bad, Im way smarter than I look, you see. Okay, so. You finished with everything you wanna say to me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youlle to regret this choice. (Alpha)
Wow, youve got a magnanimous heart, dontcha? Worrying about other people and all. Now normally.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and grabbed Alphas neck real tight.
....People would start worrying about themselves right about now, Mister Im-too-nosy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for bones crunching under intense pressure*
Alphas neck began twisting the wrong way and the sound of bones crunching could be heard.
Keuh, keuhk!!
Alphas body began twitching and his legs iled around. Both of his hands shot up and grabbed onto Yi Ji-Hyuks arm, blood vessels visibly bulging out on the white-haired mans skin.
His nails dug into Yi Ji-Hyuks flesh and drew blood. However, the youth looked nonplussed about it.
Well, yeah. Its all cool and all that, but you started it all wrong. Didnt I tell you to return that serial killer to me first? So, we settle that ount first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it werent for that, Yi Ji-Hyuk mightve not killed Alpha.
No, hang on a minute C he needed to die anyway, since way too many people had already died already as a result of all those stupid Gates opening up.
Keeeeuuuh!!
Arcs of electricity suddenly crackled into life from Alphas hands.
Oopsie. Shield. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let go of the white-haired man and cast a Shield magic to deflect the attack away. Then, he looked down on Alpha panting roughly on the ground with a derisive smirk on his face.
Did that hurt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
K, keuh...
Alphas eyes became bloodshot.
.....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, if you continue to behave this way, then... I wont have a choice but to retaliate. (Alpha)
Well, then. Retaliate away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Words wont get through to you, I see. (Alpha)
Alpha stood back up.
Ill take you with me after beating you half to death. Im genuinely curious if youll still say no, when I split your head wide open and everyone can see what your brain looks like. (Alpha)
Mm. Thats not a bad n. But.... Well, my ns are a bit different from yours, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How so? (Alpha)
Hey. Dont kill him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? (Alpha)
ROAR!!!
Oh-Sik suddenly appeared and pounced on Alphas unguarded back with a loud roar, and bit into his shoulder.
Keuhuwaak?!
Oh-Sik then ripped Alphas body up, from his neck all the way down to his waist.
And from the mouth of the Ogre, one could hear the sounds of bones being grinded into dust.
Stop that, or Im gonna punish youter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Spit!
Oh-Sik hurriedly spat out Alphas chewed-up arm from his mouth.
There you go. Good boy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After lightly praising Oh-Sik, Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely walked over to Alpha.
The white-haired man was desperately applying pressure on his gaping wound with his remaining hand as he crawled away. A slimy smile formed on his mouth as soon as Yi Ji-Hyuks feet stopped in front of his face.
However, the blood rushing out of his lips meant that his smile looked rather crooked and sinister.
Does it hurt a lot? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke, something like physical pain.... Cough! Im familiar with.... (Alpha)
Ahh, is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ced his hand on top of Alphas head.
W, what do you.... (Alpha)
Youll find out soon enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Manaing out from Yi Ji-Hyuks hand bore deeply into Alphas brain.
Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!
Alpha screamed so loud, surely his vocal cords mustve ruptured. Not too long afterwards, the whites of his eyes began showing as the screaming ceased; his entire body convulsed in silence.
Since youre used to physical pain, I gotta torture you using your mind, no? But, wow, I havent met a lot of people where this method worked as well as it did on you. You... mustve gone through some really f*cked up stuff, havent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sniggered and lightly tapped Alphas body with his foot.
Seriously, though. Its a big problem, this C no matter which world it is, theres bound to be an idiot with a little bit of power wanting to cosy as a demon king or something. You should just give up. Im an actual demon king, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hell, I even have a certificate for it, too.
No, really.
What the?! Im telling you the truth!
Argh, dang it. I cant show it to you or anything, but still! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, anyways. How long will you be able to endure? Ill praise you myself if you canst another five minutes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure you cant even hear me anymore, anyways.
Alpha couldnt even twist his body around and simply convulsed on the ground.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at him for a bit longer, before turning around to face the remaining monsters and ordered his tentacles to attack.
What a fortunate thing that none of the Gates were level 5 or higher.
No, wait a minute. He couldve increased the number of his pet soldiers with the ve seal if there were Gates rated level 5 today....
....What an unfortunate thing that was, then.
Hmm....
After sucking in every bit of ambient Mana found in the atmosphere as well as monsters that were either still whole or in parts, Yi Ji-Hyuk took a long sweeping look at his surroundings.
A long groan automatically left his lips as he took in the sight of a city half destroyed. It was encouraging to know that civilian casualties was kept as low as possible, but he didnt feel like celebrating such a fact.
Snap.
Yi Ji-Hyuk snapped his fingers, and Alphas convulsing body suddenly went limp.
Pant.... Pant....
His weak, fading breaths could be heard now.
Sure, you grew this angry and all that, after going through some bad sh*t. I get that. However, you gotta be more careful when choosing the target of your vengeance, and the methods of achieving your goal. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then ced his foot on Alphas neck, who still hadnt regained consciousness.
This is the inevitable result when you dont choose right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Crunch.
Warmth slowly left Alphas limp body.
Death C a state so simple, yet so absolute and inescapable.
Hmm. It does feel like I killed him too quickly, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, since he shouldve gone through decades worth of torturous pain, Yi Ji-Hyuk decided this much should suffice. If this was Berafe, he mightve thrown the departing soul of Alpha into the demon world, even.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to the ability users slowly walking to his position and spoke while spreading his arms wide open.
Lets go eat something. Im starving. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This long, long night was finallying to an end.
*
Somewhere far away....
Cough.
The white-haired man wheezed violently as he stood up. He wiped the streams of blood leaking out from his nose, swept his long white hair back and tilted his head slightly.
Hes powerful.
Didnt I tell you that already? (?)
In front of this white-haired man, a young child-like figure stood tall and proud.
But, even a blind man would be able to tell that this child was no ordinary being, simply from taking one look at the hair strands that resembled countless snakes intertwining with one another, as well as a pair of bat-like wings on its back.
No. 8 is dead. He couldnt even lift a finger. (the white-haired man)
Obviously.
But, there is something I find quite peculiar. Hes not as strong as you said. I can probably kill him as I am now, so why are you telling me to be cautious of him? Arent you far more powerful an existence than he is? (the white-haired man)
Nope. Im just bluffing my way around right now. There is a limit to how much control I can exert to a spiritual projection without my physical body present.
Is that so? How unfortunate. (the white-haired man)
Allow me to give you a piece of advice one more time, if you will.
Mm?
The child spoke in an ominous voice.
Dont underestimate that guy. That guy is none other the 99th Demon King, the man who plundered the depths of hell, and most importantly, the man who brought upon the destruction of another world. Yes, he might be pathetically weak now whenpared to his previous self, but then again, his mindset would be no different from when he was the Bringer of Apocalypse.
Hmm....
Hes not someone a mere human being can handle.
So, a demon such as yourself can handle him, then? (the white-haired man)
If he were to regain most of his powers, even Id be nothing more than a speck of dirt, waiting to be punished with my head kissing the ground. However, hes not like that right now.
I see. Fine. I acknowledge the fact that he is the biggest obstacle standing in my way. (the white-haired man)
So? What are you gonna do now?
Simple. You said it yourself C if he regains his powers, no one can stop him. (the white-haired man)
Right.
In that case, eliminate him before he does. (the white-haired man)
The man with long white hair smiled refreshingly.
Ill make him pay for killing me, too, while Im at it.
....This man was none other than Alpha.
He was one, but at the same time, many.
< 98. Do you really believe you know about me? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 99: Do you really believe you know about me? (4)
Chapter 99: Do you really believe you know about me? (4)
[The current estimate for civilian casualties has risen past one thousand. However, this figure is expected to rise even further, as numerous missing persons have not been ounted for, as well as the fact that there could be deaths not yet reported to the police. The government has expressed deep regret and sorrow, and will offer to the victims and their close rtives........]
Aigoo....
Park Seon-Duk slowly shook her head.
Without a doubt, this event was the worst catastrophe this nation had suffered post-ck Monday.
Every time she turned the TV on, all she heard about was the news rted to this event; every single channel had canceled their regr programming C dramas and variety shows C to continuously broadcast the rescue efforts of the victims unfolding in real time.
She didnt lose hope and changed the channel just in case, only to run into yet another news broadcast.
[It has been finally confirmed that the identity of the serial killer was indeed an ability user. It has also been confirmed that the KSF had cooperated with the National Police and pursued the culprit, only to let him escape at thest moment. The police, meanwhile, has released a statement saying that the KSF did not consult with them and acted on their own, which led to the killers......]
Click.
Park Seon-Duk simply turned the TV off.
No matter which channel it was, not one of them was telling good news.
What with all these bad things happening in a row recently, it was a little wonder that people were murmuring that only the politicians were having a good time nowadays.
And for some reason, it felt like that every news report seemed to point the fingers of me in the KSFs, or more specifically, in the NDFs direction, who had, ording to them at least, failed to resolve the situation in a satisfying manner.
How can anyone act this ungratefully, I wonder? (Park Seon-Duk)
It felt like the whole world had turned on its head overnight.
Only yesterday, the TV was full of people singing the praises of the ability users. Yet, today, those very same people couldnt stop slinging mud in the direction of the users. Not one idol or actor with ability user backgrounds could been seen on screen, too.
Of course, thetter could be attributed to the fact that every programme rted to entertainment had been canceled, but still....
She switched her smartphone on and browsed the web. And almost every singlement she read was filled with the dissatisfied and angry voices denouncing the uselessness of the ability users.
Some of them were full of hostile, negative reactions, implying that every single user was no better than that serial killer. While some others were having a serious discussion on whether there was anything anyone could realistically do if ability users formed criminal gangs and went on a crime spree.
However, she still could not find a single voice among them who was willing to defend the ability users.
....My son... (Park Seon-Duk)
Park Seon-Duk got up from her seat and cautiously made her way to Yi Ji-Hyuks room.
He worked so hard (?) yet the end results came to this. How terrible must he be feeling right now?
I hope he didnt read any of thesements yet. (Park Seon-Duk)
Itd be for the best if he hadnt read any of those vitriolicments. Hed only feel bad about himself if he did.
If they were constructive criticism, then one might take thosements as a bitter medicine. But no, those negative, hate-filledments were simply others venting out their emotions. Nothing more, nothing less.
Park Seon-Duk cautiously peeked around the doorway and into her sons room.
And, as soon as she saw Yi Ji-Hyuks sitting posture, her expression became rather unreadable. That posture, where his a*s was sticking out, one hand grabbing his mouse, while the other busy pounding away at his keyboard....
That was undoubtedly Yi Ji-Hyuks signature posture, perfected through the past several months.
Youre ying that game again? (Park Seon-Duk)
Hah!!! I said! Stop! Coming over here to gank me! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Mm? (Park Seon-Duk)
I told you to stoping over to this side, yet why the hell?! Well end up dying together, you dumba*s!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I guess I didnt have toe, then. (Park Seon-Duk)
Argh, how can you be this deaf?! I said, go away!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, Im sorry for.... (Park Seon-Duk)
Get looooost!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You insolent little?! (Park Seon-Duk)
mes lit up in the eyes of Madam Park Seon-Duk.
***
Whew....
Jeong Hae-Min spat out a lengthy groan as she began recalling a conversation she had earlier in the day with her manager.
We dont have anything scheduled? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Things turned out that way. (the manager)
No, wait a minute. Even if we arent going to broadcast right away, we still have to tape the shows, dont we? Are you saying that all scheduled tapings have been canceled, too? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, the scheduled tapings are going ahead, but....
But? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Only we got excluded. I tried to talk to the producers, but no ones listening. I asked around to find out if anyone elses interested, but none of them wanted us.
How can that be? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its not just us, however. It seems that other folks are having the same issue, too. But, what can we do? The public sentiment is at the worst possible point right now. Since its just a passing downpour, we might as well keep our heads down in the meantime. You guys also take a couple of weeks off, reflect on your actions or something... (the manager)
But, we havent done anything wrong to reflect on, though?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
It doesnt matter if one was in the right or wrong as long as youre in the entertainment industry, you know. All we can do is to lower our heads when people are criticising us. (the manager)
Its just illogical.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min knew that her managers words were correct, realistically speaking. However, even if she did understand, that didnt mean she agreed with the sentiment.
So, she was left feeling angry and frustrated.
Whenever she felt like this, she needed to do something fun to relieve her pent-up stress, but currently, there was no ce for her to go.
Well, if she went around to have fun under the current atmosphere and got her pictures taken, then the arrows of criticisms aimed at her would be swift and ruthless.
She didnt want to give anyone ammunition to go on a witch hunt, after all.
But still, she couldnt stay cooped up at home the whole day forever, so she took a stroll, and somehow, ended up in the residential area for the ability users.
Since regr civilians werent allowed to enter here, even the most dedicated paparazzi wouldnt be able to sneak in.
That is all true, yet why....?
When she realised where she was, she couldnt help but inwardly ask, why here?
Jeong Hae-Mins feet stopped in front of Yi Ji-Hyuks house and she spat out yet another lengthy groan. She stared at the front entrance for a long while, before walking closer to stand before the gate.
After taking several deep breaths, she pressed the bell.
Ding dong.
Ding dong.
She waited for some time, but there was no response.
Buzz~
Although there was no reaction on the inte, the gate still buzzed and showed signs of opening. Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head and continued to stare as the door indeed cracked open slowly.
Eh? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Behind the open door, she spotted the mini Oh-Sik standing on all fours and looking back at her with a slightly pouting expression.
....When did you start living here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Wasnt this creature supposed to protect the NDF building or something?
Oh-Sik yawned out disinterestedly, then trotted away to a wooden dog house located in the corner of the front yard.
And he doesnt even have a leash, too. What a good little boy.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
That Ogre sure was something.
No thieves would ever enter this house, I guess.
Still, shouldnt something be written on the front gate or something?
Beware of the Ogre: Your lives not guaranteed. (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Wait a minute. Thats not important, is it....? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why did Oh-Sik open the door, instead of a human being?
Was there no one home?
She approached the front door and turned the doorknob, and much to her relief, found it unlocked. Jeong Hae-Min cautiously pushed the door open and entered the house.
And then.... she saw it.
She saw the worlds most powerful man who, only yesterday, managed to single-handedly prevent the city of Seoul from getting wiped off the face of the....
Ahhh!! Mom?! My ear!! Ear!! Its, its falling off! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aigoo!! Why did I give birth to a thing like this boy?! Why!! Just why! (mom)
No, wait, mom!! ....I didnt mean that! That b*stard, I told him to not gank me, but he kept oning at me!! Ouch, my ear!! Moooom?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are you still ying video games at your age?! Just how old are you?! Ah? Grow up already!! (mom)
What?! People y games even when they are 50 nowadays! So what if my age is.... Ah, right, its a lot, isnt it.... In any case! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Being subjected to the terrifyingbination attack of mom pulling him by his ear while her free handnded consecutive palm strikes on his back, making the Bringer of Apocalypse wriggle and writhe like a dried up squid on top of a hot grill.
....Uhm, mother? (Jeong Hae-Min) (TL note at the end)
Mm? (mom)
Spotting Jeong Hae-Min and her dazed expression standing by the living rooms entrance, Park Seon-Duks expressions became rather awkward as she quickly released her sons ear.
Oh my goodness! How long have you been there? (mom)
Well, mother.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
I came a little while ago.
But, I think I came a little too early, though. No, wait C maybe I shouldvee here much, much earlier. (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
And you didnt even warn us beforehand that you wereing. Ng? Was the front gate left open, I wonder? (mom)
Oh-Sik opened it for me. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh-Sik? Who is he? (mom)
....Hes your puppy. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ohohoho~. Miss Hae-Min sure know how to make funny jokes. Im impressed. (mom)
She said it was a funny joke. A joke....
Jeong Hae-Min could only pinch her thigh to control herself, since she couldnt really decide whetherugh or cry.
Mother....
Theres an Ogre living in your front yard.
You didnt know that, yes?
Yes, perhaps thats for the best.... (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
What brings you here today? (mom)
I was wondering if Ye-Won is home. (Jeong Hae-Min)
By this time, Yi Ji-Hyuk had finally recovered from all the damage received and found the voice to shout out loudly.
Since when did you get friendly enough with Ye-Won to enter my house willy-nilly, ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
SLAM!!
Spittle exploded out from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth as he flew away from moms lovingly-ced middle kick. Meanwhile, Madam Park Seon-Duk coldly spoke and made her opinions known.
This is my house. (mom)
....Of course it was.
Although his ribs were somehow still okay, Yi Ji-Hyuk still checked them out thoroughly to make sure nothing was broken before sighing heavily in relief.
Mom, youre getting too violent nowadays! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its your fault! You made me like this! (mom)
Others are watching, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh my? Youre right. Ohohoho~. Im so sorry. We showed you something so uncouth.... (mom)
Oh, no. Its fine, mother. Dont mind me. I actually enjoy watching you interact with your son like this. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm? Really? (mom)
Yes. You see.... I dont have a mother. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, my? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk looked at Jeong Hae-Min with a sympathetic expression.
What happened? (mom)
She passed on when I was very young. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah, Im sorry. I shouldve minded my own business. (mom)
Oh, no. Im fine with it. I dont mind it, actually. I thought that, by being too conscious of discussing this matter, it felt like I was being embarrassed about my mothers passing, so.... So, I wish to speak more openly about it, without holding back. Always. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Park Seon-Duk formed a warm smile as she gently patted Jeong Hae-Mins back.
Youre a good daughter. (mom)
Not at all. In any case, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks the same as me, in some aspects. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Pardon? (mom)
Jeong Hae-Min lightly wiped the edges of her eyes.
I always thought that youre such a wonderful person and often thought that itd be great if you were actually my own mother. I mean, I even thought about introducing you to my dad, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Pardon me? (mom)
Smash!
Jeong Hae-Min was frightened out of her skull when the sound of a te shattering suddenly came from behind her, and so, she hurriedly turned around to take a look.
And she found an unfamiliar middle-aged man wearing an apron and a pair of rubber gloves standing there, trembling like a leaf.
In, introduction?! (dad)
Excuse me, but who are you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min ended up shouting out a question after seeing this unknown person, but this middle-aged man didnt even give her the time of day and simply ran over to Park Seon-Duk, before desperately clinging onto her.
D, dear?! What is this all about? What nonsense is this introduction about?! Tell me what is going on!! (dad)
Oh. You were home? I thought you went out in early in the morning, though.... (mom)
What do you mean, went out?! Ive been here all this time! (dad)
Park Seon-Duks expression became rather strangely unconvinced as she looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk to ask.
Did you know your father was home? (mom)
Nope, I didnt. Isnt he supposed to go to work today? Dad, how long have you been home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What, you ungrateful little...!! Didnt I bring you fruits to your room just now?! (dad)
Oh.... I was wondering where those fruits came from, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min dumbfoundedly asked.
You... had a father? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, why didnt I know that?
Ive been here so many times already and all! (Jeong Hae-Mins confused inner monologue)
Deeeaaaarr?! (dad)
Seeing his own dad cling to Park Seon-Duks legs and plead like that, all Yi Ji-Hyuk could do was to spit out a lengthy groan.
So like, why did you even get married in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And so, Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up rejecting his own existence.
***
In the office of a certain important man....
Did you just say that Alpha and the Mine made contact?
Yes, sir.
Son of a b*tch.... Didnt I tell you to make sure that such an event would never happen?
As you may know, Alpha isnt an existence which we can control, sir.
D*mn it, nothings going right!
The man roughly sliced the tip of the cigar, lit up, and deeply inhaled the resulting blue smoke.
Whoo.... Fine. And what happened next?
It seems that Alpha tried to befriend the Mine, but ended up getting killed by thetter, instead.
Obviously, that wasnt his real self, yes?
Yes, sir. We havent ascertained yet whether that was a parasite-controlled host or a clone, but it was not the main body.
Indeed, it wouldnt be. Even if it was the Mine, the real Alpha would prove to be a truly difficult opponent to survive against, anyways. So, that means, their rtionship isnt an amicable one, so to speak. Should I be relieved by this news?
We havent confirmed it yet, but it is safe to assume that they are not on friendly terms, sir.
Hmm. Do whatever it takes and ensure that the secondary contact between the two never happens. Those two joining hands will be the worst situation imaginable.
Understood, sir.
Okay. What else?
An anomaly has been detected in the way Gates appear, sir.
What kind of an anomaly?
About an hour ago, several Level 5 gates have begun appearing simultaneously throughout the country, sir.
Level 5s, you say? How many?
....Around 20, sir.
....What?
And also, one of them has been rated to be at least Level 6, sir.
I see. So, thats how it is. Within our borders, no less....
Should we ask for assistance from our allies?
Assistance?
The man smirked.
Even if we asked , do you believe someone will show up? Its a Level 6, isnt it? Werent you implying just now that it could actually be higher than that? So, just who would step forward to lend us an aid now? Russians? The British? Id be d if they didnt p their hands in happiness, instead!
There is South Korea.
....You mean, the Mine?
Yes, sir. If hees, itd be of great help.
The Koreans.... The Koreans, is it...
Considering the diplomatic ties between the two nations, asking the Korean government to lend assistance wouldnt be hard at all. No, it would actually be very easy.
However....
Its too risky.
But, sir!
No. Think about it. Bringing the Mine over here increases the odds of him encountering Alpha again. You can never predict what might happen in the future. And Id like to avoid such an eventuality at all costs.
If our country is done for, then we wont have a reason to be wary of Alphas existence, sir.
I concede that those words certainly makes sense. However, let us not forget that he is called the Mine for a reason. I cant feel happy about bringing in a vtile explosive into our cities.
We shall control him to the best of our abilities. We can also use this opportunity to scout him to our side as well.
Hmm....
The man deliberated on this matter for a long while, before gravely nodding his head.
Fine. Ill approve it. However, do remember that the weight you will carry if things go wrong will be enormous.
Of course, sir.
The determination filled the eyes of the man as he nodded his head once.
I wish you godspeed.
And so, they lodged a request for Yi Ji-Hyuks presence. But no one could predict just how the situation would develop.
Not even Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
< 99. Do you really believe you know about me? -4 > Fin.
(TL: I dont fully understood what ganking is, but from what I can gather, its a tactic in League of Legend where you ambush someone in ane or something. I think.... Anyways, the Korean term for gank is gang. I couldve TLed the line as Dont gang up on me due to the way the author wrote the line. What do you all think? Comment below.)
(TL: Remember, this mother is used to not denote ones actual mother, but it is a term of respect for an older female whos old enough to be your mother.)
Chapter 100: Do you really believe you know about me? (5)
Chapter 100: Do you really believe you know about me? (5)
Inside the NDF offices....
Did you just say that the Americans sent us a request for assistance? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, thats what Ive heard as well. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head.
From the Americans?
The dynamics of the worlds politicalndscape had changed somewhat since the event of ck Monday, but the good ol US of A remained thes sole superpower. In other words, Pax Americana was still going strong.
It was the same story when it came to ability users as well.
Everyone acknowledged Russia, the UK, Japan, and China as some of the most influential yers in the world as far as ability users were concerned. Even then, theirbined might still wasnt anywhere near what the Americans managed to cultivate. Not only in numbers, but thebat prowess of those American ability users, as well as the cutting edge technology supporting them, left everyone else eating their dust.
Yet, they were asking for assistance?
Choi Jung-Hoons head remained tilted to the side.
What kind of assistance are they hoping to receive from us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The official document apparently had only three bolded letters on them. (Seo Ah-Young)
Only three letters? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep. And they are Yi, Ji, and Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
.................
What the hell. That sounds really strange, doesnt it? Dont they speak Engl.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Hang on. Did they write that in Korean? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ha....
What a determined bunch of b*stards.
They used Korean in an official inter-government document? They must be really desperate, arent they? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
They want Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk to go over there.... What crazy fools. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That wasnt something youd ask for, if you were of sane minds.
First of all, it was definitely a diplomatic no-no to ask for an ability user who was more or less the heart of Koreas defense against the invading monster hordes. And secondly....
Do they wish to shove a live grenade down their throat or something? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If Choi Jung-Hoon was in charge over there, hed definitely not wish to see someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk step foot inside his beloved countrys borders.
However, now that Ive thought about it a little bit more, I find it even more strange, maam. Even if its Yi Ji-Hyuk were talking about, would there be an event that forces the Americans to officially ask for assistance from other countries? Wait, are they head-hunting right now? Are they thinking of scouting him after he arrives there? But, this approach is just too unsophisticated for them.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, I dont think thats the case. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young ced the thick document pile on top of Choi Jung-Hoons desk.
Hmm.....
Choi Jung-Hoon emitted soft groans as he read the contents, then a long, helpless sigh escaped from his lips.
A Level 6, is it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats the conservative estimate. Until now, we havent seen a Gate bigger than a Level 6, yet this new ones actually bigger than the previously recorded one. Thats the gist of it. (Seo Ah-Young)
And they dont have the first clue what might pop out from there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes. Not even remotely. (Seo Ah-Young)
So, in other words.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In a situation like this, it was only logical to prepare oneself as much as humanly possible. The biggest Gate ever in the history of mankind has appeared for the first time, after all.
No one knew what kind of monstrosity woulde out from such a Gate, so wasnt it prudent to mobilise everything one couldy their hands on?
But, still....
Even if they were allies, having Yi Ji-Hyuk go on a business trip (?) to another country carried way too much burden.
Him being coaxed away?
Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt worried about that, not necessarily. Since Yi Ji-Hyuk was a man who operated solely at his own pace, even if others tried to restrict him from going somewhere, hed still find a way to go regardless if he felt like it. And if he didnt feel like going anywhere, then no matter what anyone did or pleaded with him, Yi Ji-Hyuk would never, ever even lift a finger.
No, the biggest problem was with how Choi Jung-Hoon should go about trying to manage whatever incident Yi Ji-Hyuk would inevitably cause while he was overseas.
A leaking pot would still leak regardless of where it was, indoors or out. No, hang on a minute, in this case, this particr pot would probably leak a lot worse when outside!
Besides, this pot called Yi Ji-Hyuk was waaaay past the issue of a simple leakage already. Wasnt he an existence that caused people to violentlysh out at others for lending such a problematic pot to begin with?
So, what did the higher-ups say? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Excuse me? Higher-ups? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. The people sitting on top. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, my goodness. Are you perhaps referring to those precious bunch of stooges that do all the bidding of the Great American Empire? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Ha.
So, they want us to dispatch Yi Ji-Hyuk, then.
Are those as*holes even on our side or not? Seriously, man! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head in resignation and stood up from his seat.
Well, in that case.... I should at least go and talk to the man in question. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He didnt like this one bit, but he also realised that the entire world was at stake this time around. If they were asked to lend assistance, then it was only correct that they do. Of course, the clean-up post-event would be left to the Americans, anyways.
If I told him that the American burgers taste amazing, would he go? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*
Nope, not going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied while not even bothering to turn around to face Choi Jung-Hoon. The youth was doggedly focused on his favourite game as he upied a special cubicle just for him that was located within the NDF offices.
....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Please. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh!! Why isnt anyoneing already?! The enemy tower is cooped up in the tower, you know!! Wheres my Junglerrrrrr?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Ive no idea what this tower thing is all about. TLed literally.)
At least, listen to what other person is trying to say to you, you son of a gun!!
And besides, that guy is a tower, thats why he cooped up in there, to begin with!
Just why are you even wasting time ying this game?! Just why?!
Every single d*mn time you y this game, you end up hurling insults, get angry, then get p*ssed off even more, and then, get irritated beyond what is humanly possible, AND then some!! Even after going through all that, you still cant seem to win a single match out of the tens youve yed so far!
So why do you insist on ying this stupid thing and aggravate yourself even more?!
Are you some kind of a masochist?! (Choi Jung-Hoons.... inner monologue. Almost.)
....I can hear you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh. Did I just say those thoughts out aloud? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You! Wanna die?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon could only awkwardlyugh after inadvertently voicing out his true feelings just now.
Whatever. In any case, I aint going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. We have no idea whats going to happen over there. If something goes wrong, the nation of the United States of America might cease to exist altogether. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul?! Will they broadcast it live? Cuz, I smell a spectacle! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked on the button that said Defeat and spun around on his seat, his face full of dissatisfaction.
Well, what does America disappearing got to do with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its got a lot to do with you, actually.
Its got way too much to do with you, you fool. You see, the entire world is now intrinsically linked in several ways. If the USA is destroyed tomorrow, do you have any idea how inconvenienced youd be? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Still, how about giving it one more consideration....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What did you say? I cant seem to hear you well, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Should I dig out your ear wax for you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh, that oddly sounds like an insult, doesnt it? Really odd, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk burst out in boisterousughter, as Choi Jung-Hoons head drooped helplessly in response.
Jeong Hae-Min had been quietly watching this scene from the side, before she suddenly trotted next to Yi Ji-Hyuk and asked him innocently.
Are we going back to the States? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hey, Mister? Dont dig my ears, but do hers, instead! Werent you listening to what weve been talking about just now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I always dreamed of going on a tour of the States! Lets go there, please? Pretty please? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hah......
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head wryly.
Why isnt she listening to what others are saying? Maybe her ears are blocked for real? What should I use to puncture a hole in there so she can hear me better? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You wanna go on a US tour? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yep. (Jeong Hae-Min)
So you can go and waste time by sightseeing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min ced her hands on her hips.
Im still a singer, you know! Even in America, I.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure, Miss Asian Walk-In No. 1. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wha, what? N, no.... I, I even received fan mail from the States, too, you know.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure, Miss Asian Walk-In No. 1. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, its not like that! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Okay, then. Sure, Miss Female Walk-In No. 1. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Wu, wu, wu.....
Thick teardrops began forming on Jeong Hae-Mins eyes.
By any chance, do you know any singers from Southeast Asian countries? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? I dont know any. (Jeong Hae-Min)
And thats how Americans see you as! A girl who ims to have sung something in a country most cant even find on a map!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
From their perspective, thats how theyd see it! Ah, the tastes of the Korean public sure are peculiar, since they even let a Hobbit sing for them! or stuff like that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Uwaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhng-!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Vuuong...
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly created a jet-ck warp gate and Jeong Hae-Mins wailing came to a very abrupt halt right away.
Hup. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply as he spoke.
Besides all that! Its in the middle of a freaking day, so why are you camping out here, of all ces?! How can an idol be this idle, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, about that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont have anything scheduled anymore. No one wants to work with ability users. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dunno. They say its not a good timing. Negative public sentiments and all that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What a bunch of feckless clowns.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head again, before reaching out to his mouse.
So like, Ive got nothing to do, so lets go and eat lunch together! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And why should I even do that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why not? Its not a problem eating lunch with others, right? Besides, Im bored! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Then go y a video game or something! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While witnessing this riveting conversation unfold, Choi Jung-Hoons mind began crying out once more.
Stop having such a conversation at your workce!!!! You d*mn idiots!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Itd be soooo much better if they just all disappeared. Really now.
*
Gulp...
The American ability user, John Brave, was nervously swallowing his saliva.
This wasnt his first time participating in a Gate suppression operation. No, one could even call him a veteran of sorts. However, right now, he couldnt help but feel totally oppressed by one particr Gate a bit of distance away from his slightly trembling eyes.
He had participated in battles to suppress Level 5 Gates before. But the Gates back then werent as big as this one right in front of him.
The monster codenamed X1 that popped out from one of those Level 5 Gates ended up demolishing the ind of Manhattan into oblivion. When he thought about how that monster nearly drove the country to the brink, and could only be killed off through the usage of an atomic arsenal, he simply couldnt stop worrying about just what kind of a creature might emerge from that huge Gate.
On top of that....
Surrounding that huge Gate, there were dozens and dozens of smaller Gates, none of them estimated to be lower than Level 4, all of them ominously resonating at a simr sort of frequency.
Is this the end of the world? (John)
No matter how hard he tried not to think that way, he couldnt help himself.
John took a nce behind him.
Almost every single ability user residing in the States, along with countless other users from allied nations, plus the world-renowned American Gate subjugation special forces had been mobilised in full to surround the numerous Gates from all sides.
However, would they be able to defend against the monstersing out from the Gates?
John was not confident at all.
And, even if they somehow managed to sessfully survive this battle and win, what would they do next time when an evenrger Gate appeared?
Anxiety grewrger andrger in his heart.
They, they are opening up!!
The worry-filled voice crackled in his earpiece, digging deep into his eardrums. Gritting his teeth, John shifted his gaze back to the front.
Indeed, the smaller Gates were opening up. The surrounding Level 4 Gates were resonating at the same time and ripples were forming on their surfaces.
And apanying that, ability users lowered their postures to get ready, and the noises of weapons being cocked behind Johns back rang around the battlefield. Like a chaotic, metallic orchestra, sounds of bullets entering their respective chambers resounded in the air, and almost simultaneously, dark shadows began emerging one by one from the Gates.
...............
Themanders held their breaths as something quite different to their expectations unfolded before their eyes. Unlike the previous battles, monsters were not crazily rushing at them as soon as they emerged from the Gates.
Well, the creatures emerging from the various Gates were indeed all monsters, but they were walking in ranks and files like well-oiled military units.
....Standby. Steady.
Themanders knew that they shouldve started attacking the enemies right away. But, for some reason, none of them felt like initiating the first strike. They all instinctively felt this unknown fear that such an action would bring about the demise of themselves and their armies.
It was this fear that held thesemanders back from giving out the orders.
It was a simr story for the monsters, too.
The human armies were surrounding them from all sides, but not one of these creatures paid any mind as if they were preupied by something else.
The number of monsters continued to increase; so much so, the area the American military blockaded off was rapidly filling up to the brim.
And as more and more monsters streamed out from the dozens and dozens of Gates, the soldiers and ability users had no choice but to back away as well, leading to the widening of the encirclement.
What should we do?
What are we supposed to do now?
What the, youre saying THAT under the current circumstances?
You asking whether to attack or run away?
Cant you see all of that?
Are you seriously asking because you cant figure out what might happen when all those monsters decide to attack us at the same time?! (Johns inner monologue)
It was then.
Flinch...
A small ripple traveled between the monsters.
*SFX for monsters whimpering*
Suddenly, monsters began emitting whimpers akin to sick puppies, and began groveling on the ground.
W, what the hell?
Vuooong....
Thergest Gate, the one causing the greatest amount of fear in everyones hearts, began to open up.
Ah.......
Everyone stared dazedly at the Gate.
Just what kind of monsterish nightmare would emerge from there? A demon capable of massacring the whole of humanity? Or, an angel who might save the world, instead?
If not, then....
Wuooong!!
The ripples wavered on the surface of the Gate as it opened, and the stares of everyone focused on the empty air in front of the Gate.
Wait! Look below!
Someones shout prompted everyone to lower their gazes a bit.
Quite unfitting for such a huge Gate, the creature emerging from it was iparably tiny. Actually, calling it tiny was wrong. Normally, people wouldnt call other people tiny, after all.
The creature walking out from the Gate possessed a figure of a human being, no matter who looked at it.
However, something was different about this creature.
Everyone could tell, simply from taking one look at her.
She might look like a human, yet she could not be one!
A human being would not possess an aura like her, after all!
Her long blonde hair lightly danced in the air as she walked. The face seen between the strands of golden locks was so incredibly beautiful that it didnt seem to belong to this in of existence.
Most of all, her golden-coloured eyes seemed to steal away the souls of all men who looked into them.
Step, step....
Every time she took a step, the monster army flinched and shivered before lowering their heads even further in fear.
Just how....
Just how could anyone go about interpreting this event?
As everyone fell into a deep state of panic and confusion, she slowly opened her mouth.
She definitely spoke. Sounds seemed to leave her parting lips.
However, none of those words traveled in the air, instead directly entering the brains of everyone present.
[Where is Yi Ji-Hyuk?]
She had finally arrived in this world.
< 100. Do you really believe you know about me? -5 > Fin.
(TL: And with that, ording to the author, is the end of the big arc. Didnt say which one, though. Fitting, since its chapter 100 and all. My bad about the cliffhanger.)
Chapter 101: Why are YOU here? (1)
Chapter 101: Why are YOU here? (1)
Inside the NDF offices....
Why am I feeling this chilly all of a sudden? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shivered as a sudden biting chill crept up on him like an ill omen.
Youre feeling cold? (Jeong Hae-Min)
At Jeong Hae-Mins question, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Yeah. Got this weird chill crawling down my back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its getting a bit colder nowadays, but still, its not that bad, you know. You probably caught a flu or something. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Flu?
Was she trying to say he caught an illness?
But, there was no way that Yi Ji-Hyuk would....
Ah, wait a sec. I can now, huh.
My bodys no longer in the fixed state, after all.
Hah, this sucks....
I guess the fixed state had its plus points, too. I never caught flu, didnt get old, etc.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, still! Im supposed to be an ability user, arent I?! What the heck is up with catching flu? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its difficult for us to contract an illness like that, normally speaking. But, if your bodys not 100%, then its possible. Havent you gone overboard and strained yourself a little bittely? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I strained myself?
Huh. Hmm. Straining, eh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He still had some semnce of conscience left, albeit it being smaller than a rats tail, so he just couldnt force himself toe out and say that he had strained himself.
Because, he didnt do much anyways, to begin with!
Just what have I done to strain myself? Maybe this girls not right in the head, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....I should just go home early today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing this, Choi Jung-Hoon shot up from his seat.
Its not even lunchtime yet!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, Im not feeling too good, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you just announce to the world that an elephant is a weakling, instead?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....? An elephant? But.... I thought it is weak?
If I were to hit it lightly once, surely itd vomit blood and keel over? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, fine! Besides all that, do something about our lunch menu, will ya?! Why are we having the exact same thing over and over again?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, thats the same story for every other sryman out there!!
And there arent any restaurants near our office, so what do you want me to do? You want me to hire a caterer and do a buffet for you?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
However, Choi Jung-Hoon conceded that the youth had a point there. Even he was getting somewhat sick and tired of eating the same thing for a while now.
Seriously, how many days did they eat nothing but jjajangmyeon?
Cool! Lets go out and eat something nice for a change today! (Jeong Hae-Min)
What the heck? Is the ghost of a starving pauper possessing you or something today? Why do you keep talking about food and nothing else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats wrong with thatttt? Dont you know how enjoyable it is to eat good food? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Huh, I guess you do have a point there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, even Yi Ji-Hyuk did stuff his face like a loon as soon as he returned to this world, after all. No, hang on a minute C he was still doing that, even now!
He just didnt gain any weight though, even if he constantly ate, and ate some more, like a farmyard cow or something. That was all.
What the? What is this....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hugged himself and shuddered again.
What was this, this creeping anxiety?
Just what is going on here? I cant seem to settle down at all, can I? Did... something bad happen?
I havent felt like this before in my whole life, even.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
This anxiety was different from the one born from fear or terror. No, rather than that, this was a feeling of unease, dread, one might experience when a disgusting insect crawled all over ones toes or some such. And such a feeling continued to dig into Yi Ji-Hyuks heart.
So, where did this feelinge from?
Yi Ji-Hyuks pupils shook from worry.
His sixth sense, thoroughly honed from encountering countless dangerous situations in the past, was throwing up warning signals.
It was telling him that something rather troublesome had urred somewhere.
Hmmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to fidget around for a while, before abruptly getting up from his seat.
Ha-ah. I cant stand this anymore. Im going home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, waiiiiiiit a minute! You cant just decide for yourself when to leave work for the day, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wouldnt the nine million-plus srymen of Korea vomit blood when they hear this preposterous c**p?
I told you, Im not feeling too good right now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, please go get a medical certificate! Otherwise, what will I tell my superiors when submitting the monthly duty roster?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, why dont you fire me, then?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think thats as easy as you make it out to be?
If I could get rid of you at any time I wanted, then youd be fired a long time ago already!!
I dont particrly want to see your face if I can help it, you know?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner cries)
Ha-ah....
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shook his head and headed for the outside.
Where are you going now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Going to lunch, where else?! Look at the time first before shouting at me, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh. Is it already lunch break? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stood up from his seat while looking a bit embarrassed.
Okay, lets take a break for lunch. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Those whod order a takeaway would do so. Not minding them, Choi Jung-Hoon simply shifted his gaze over to Seo Ah-Young, and she vacated her seat right away.
And so, four people left the NDF building: Yi Ji-Hyuk, Jeong Hae-Min, apanied by Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon.
So, what should we go for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I want a burger. (Seo Ah-Young)
When Seo Ah-Young dered so, Yi Ji-Hyuk began frowning slightly.
What do you mean, a burger? And, in the middle of the day, to boot? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Since when was there a rule saying that you can only eat burgers in the evening? (Seo Ah-Young)
Who in their right minds woulde up with such a dumb rule?
Hey! Whod eat burgers in the middle of the day? Am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont mind. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, I want a burger, too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
..................
What the heck? Could they have conspired against me beforeing out here? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hey. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped on the ground, Doh Gah-Yuns head peeked out from his shadow.
You also want a burger? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Hah, this bunch of idiots!
Words arent getting through to them! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay! Lets go and have ourselves some burgers, then. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, from where? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At the Shake Burgers. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....And just which country did those burgerse from now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The US. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Uh? Its really from another country? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not what I meant when asking that question, though.... I only asked cuz Ive never heard of a burger like that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Wait a minute. Dont tell me, you can only find that burger in the US, too...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, thats how it is, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
...........
For some reason, they didnt seem to be on the same page as far as this conversation was concerned.
Just before Yi Ji-Hyuk could say something, Jeong Hae-Minnded her counter attack first.
Doesnt matter if its the US or not! We can just go there if we want, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, she got a point there, doesnt she? I mean, shes a teleporter, after all.
Hang on, as long as shes around, can I go to Turkey, China, or even Paris for my lunch?
Hey, isnt this unexpectedly cool?
As long as youre here, doesnt that mean I can go to China and eat jjajangmyeon there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dummy, there arent any jjajangmyeon in China. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What rubbish is she spewing now?
You can buy a bowl of jjajangmyeon in a Chinese restaurant, so why wouldnt I be able to find one in China?
In any case, why is she this stupid? (TL note at the end)
Whatever. Lets just go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng! Take my hand. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk first grabbed Jeong Hae-Mins hand, and then, with a somewhat troubled expression, grasped Choi Jung-Hoons.
....What is up with that expression? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Id rather not hold another guys hand, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Id also rather not do that!! Me too!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, donte to this side, then. Argh, really. How dirty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh my dear lord.
Please, allow me this one chance to hit him in the face with everything Ive got. Ill do anything for that. Ill even sell my soul to you. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Too bad for Choi Jung-Hoon, the dear lord in heaven wasnt someone whod answer his wishes just because he offered a prayer.
Come on now, why are you wasting time like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was just then.
Grab.
What the?! Hell, let go, right now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A hand appeared out from nowhere and grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder.
What the hell!! Its you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk freaked out and shouted at the top of his voice.
Kim Dah-Som had appeared out of literally nowhere and had grabbed his shoulder, with an innocent smile etched on her lips.
What are you doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I came to give my oppa his lunch box. (Kim Dah-Som)
Your oppa? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes.
....Did Kim Dah-Hyun ever eat home-made lunch at work?
In any case, lets say he does. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, fine. So, what do you want now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im also peckish. (Kim Dah-Som)
What, you too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes.
Sure. Well, if youre peckish, then fine, go and have something to eat. But still, why are you intruding on our group? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Dont you have your own lunch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope. (Kim Dah-Som)
Then, what is that thing dangling in your hands?
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his head and stared at the lunch box in her hand, before raising his gaze back up. He then spotted Kim Dah-Som already looking away, pretending to not notice.
What a thick-skinned girl.
....And what the heck do you want now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Suddenly, a chill descended in the air.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze to his side and found Jeong Hae-Min ring at Kim Dah-Som with a pair of narrowed eyes, which was something one would not see from her that often.
Who do you think you are to butt in? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Wowsers, look at her aura, man!
Is this the rumoured tone of voice an entertainer would use when putting unruly juniors in their ces?
Yeah, Ive only heard the rumours, but its no joke, eh.
This girl mustve made a few of her juniors wet themselves, no? And they say a woman acts differently to another womanpared to when shes with a man.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I thought that me apanying you would be better for you all. (Kim Dah-Som)
And why is that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
How were you nning on cing your orders? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng?
Do you speak English? (Kim Dah-Som)
.........
Jeong Hae-Mins expression became unreadable.
Up until now, it was her manager who did all the ordering, so just when would she get the chance to do that?
I thought none of you knows how to speak English, so.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Jeong Hae-Min became rather deeply irritated by Kim Dah-Soms words trailing off like that, so she spun around and red at Seo Ah-Young.
Too bad, Seo Ah-Young did her very best to avoid meeting Jeong Hae-Mins expectant gaze and only showed to everyone what the back of her head looked like.
Swish.
Jeong Hae-Min lowered her gaze to the ground, which then led to Doh Gah-Yuns peeking head submerging back in the shadows.
What a bunch of dumb idiots. (Jeong Hae-Min)
You dont have the right to say that, you know! (The author)
We still have Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, right?! Yeah, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When Jeong Hae-Min pointed at Choi Jung-Hoon, a subtle grin formed on his lips.
Thats right, you uneducated peasants.
You bunch of useless fools who cant even speak a lick of English even though its 21st century!
Acknowledge this great ones abilities, and praise me. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
He said his TOEIC score is 990! Obviously, he knows how to converse in English! (Jeong Hae-Min) (TL: TOEIC = The Test of English for International Communication)
Hahaha. Yes, indeed I ca.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Kim Dah-Soms gaze slowly shifted in Choi Jung-Hoons direction. Then, a weird, stifling silence seemed to brush by the group, before Choi Jung-Hoon struggled to open his mouth.
....Tests and having an actual conversation are two different things. Im not very good with English. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You liar! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Liar, smair!!
I want to live too, you know! Didnt you see those eyes just now?!
Wowsers! Holy cow!!
Staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk would be far more preferable than being looked at with those eyes!!
Just how can a pair of human eyes shoot out deadlysers like that?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
So, thats how it is. Lets just take her along. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You....... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just as Jeong Hae-Min began gritting her teeth, Yi Ji-Hyuk finally opened his mouth.
....I dont care either way, so lets just go and find something to eat, okay? I might die of starvation at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng.
Jeong Hae-Min smiled brightly and grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks hand again, before making the final confirmation.
Is everyone holding on? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min even confirmed that the handing out from the shadows was holding on to Yi Ji-Hyuks leg, and then, activated her ability.
*
So, this here is America, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk surveyed his new surroundings. Even he could tell there was something different about the hustle and bustle of the new city.
Seeing those buildings that looked a bit different from those found in Korea, he could really appreciate the fact that he was in foreign soil now.
Im sure its over that way. (Jeong Hae-Min)
When Jeong Hae-Min took charge and began walking in a direction, smiles formed on the others faces as they followed behind her.
Toe to America so easily for a burger like this!
Could anyone even hope to do that for their own lunch breaks? Of course not!
Yes! The teleporters should be praised! Indeed, teleporters, hooray!
*
....Im gonna kill you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Anger boiled over in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
No, wait, uh, but, it was this direction before! Im sure of it! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Meanwhile, Kim Dah-Som was twirling her hair while going, Tehee. on the side.
Arghhh! I should just, like, really! Arrrgh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his fist in a threatening manner, Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly clung on to that arm while cold sweat drops fell in bucket loads.
If you try to hit her, even a slight tickle will kill her!!
Ehheiii!!! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Things like this can happen, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It can happen? It can? Ah?! What the hell? Cant you see the sun setting over there?! You blind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not, you dang fool!
Still, how can you even think about killing someone over this?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Seriously! You wanted us to eat burgers, but arent we busy eating nothing but air right now?! How is this a lunch break? Well end up having supper instead, at this rate! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
But, thats so strange. I swear the burger joint was in this direction when I came here before..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuks res then shifted over to Choi Jung-Hoon.
And you! Why cant you find us the way, Mister Ahjussi?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Why are you ming me for this? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I mean, I thought you can do pretty much anything, right? Arent you the famous Choi-raemon? Where is your navigation skills, man? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Sure, I can find where our destination is by checking the navigation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So? Whats the problem? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont know where were at the moment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Oh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (Another TL note at the end)
Choi Jung-Hoon began shedding the sweatdrops of the heart, AKA tears, inwardly.
To think, Ive got such a bad sense of direction!!
How unthinkable it is for me to have such a weakness!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon began despairing inwardly, Kim Dah-Som spoke in a disinterested tone of voice.
Unexpectedly useless, isnt he? (Kim Dah-Som)
Did you just say something? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, my apologies. I was only talking to myself.... I guess you overheard me there. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hah?! What the hell? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, the fed-up Yi Ji-Hyuk angrily shouted out.
Is this the right time for you to start fighting?! Dang it! Lets just go back home! Might as well just have a bowl of jjajangmyeon, instead!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, but, I think I can find the ce if we just.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Youve been saying that for the past three hours already! Where is a needle when you need one?! I really wanna stitch this little girls mouth shut!! Dang it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then.
Out of the blue, a huge group of people began surrounding these starving and tired people.
Every single one of them was decked out in matching ck suits and equally ck sunsses. They collectively emitted a dangerous aura.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan.
Whats going on here? Did wemit a crime or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you could say that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What? Getting lost and wasting time also count as a crime nowadays? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We entered their country illegally, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Do you have a visa to enter this country? I sure dont. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell? So, like, thest time we went around the globe, that was also a criminal act? What the! This woman, shes gonna cause a big trouble, isnt she?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its you who wanted to go around in the first ce!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Youre being noisy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decisively ignored Jeong Hae-Mins protests and stared at the cordon of ck suits surrounding them. He was in a dilemma of sorts at that moment.
Should I just blow them away and go back to Korea?
But, they havent done anything remotely threatening yet, so, like... huh.
Should I just wait and hear what they have to say?
Well, if things go sideways, I can just get the eff outta here, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ah. Ohh.... Mm. If its an international diplomatic issue, then.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This dude will sort out everything, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
One of the ck suits stepped forward and walked towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Are you Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Uh, oh, h, hello? Pine, dank you? When you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
................. (Everyone)
Choi Jung-Hoon slowly facepalmed.
Annnnd, he even gets that wrong. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Its fine if you speak Korean.
Ahh, okey? Wha, what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
STAHP IT!!
Please, stop!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner cries)
The ck suited man stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with an unreadable expression for a second or two, before lightly shaking his head. Then, he continued in Korean.
There is someone whod like to have an audience with you, sir.
Mm?
With me?
What the?
< 101. Why are YOU here? -1 > Fin.
(TL: Heres the thing C the Korean Chinese restaurant isnt actually Chinese restaurant at all. Meaning, you wont find traditional Chinese cuisine in these Korean Chinese restaurants. Jjajangmyeon is uniquely Korean invention, and yes, you wont find it among the Chinese traditional dishes.)
(TL: Yeah, this author seems tock the basic understanding of how different time zones work. Not only here, but back in the training arc, he got confused with the time difference between the Maldives and South Korea, too)
(TL: Groan.... Like, this author doesnt seem to know how GPS navigation works. You just whip out your phone, check for your coordinates, then type where you wanna go, and et vo! Even my mom knows how it works, yet this guy........)
(TL: this line in broken English is actually written like that in the raw. The American agent is speaking in Korean, but Yi Ji-Hyuk continues to mutter out in broken English. The veryst line in the chapter, What the is also written in Konglish.)
Chapter 102: Why are YOU here? (2)
Chapter 102: Why are YOU here? (2)
Will youe with us, please? (the agent)
I dont wanna. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Excuse me? (the agent)
I said, I dont wanna. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ck-suited American agent couldnt help but sweep his gaze from Yi Ji-Hyuks head to toe after hearing that matter-of-factly reply.
There werent any muscles to be found on that slightly skinny frame of his. Seeing his body that looked like it hadnt spent a minute inside a gym, the agents brows furrowed instinctively.
More importantly, though C it was written all over the youths face.
Didnt the East Asians say that ones face revealed a lot about ones character?
If such a thing was true, then the agent could easily tell what Yi Ji-Hyuks personality might be like, without experiencing it first hand.
However, such a kid was....
The agent hurriedly pulled his phone out from his pocket and opened a certain app. And almost right away, he saw Yi Ji-Hyuks name in red appearing at the top of the list of information.
When the agent lightly tapped on the screen to ess the file, he got to read about Yi Ji-Hyuks personal details and specific orders on how to deal with the youth.
Name C Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hmm, so, he is.... one of the most dangerous individuals out there, currently ranked S-ss. (the agent)
The agent couldnt really pay attention to the wall of texts appearing on his phones screen. No, what his eyes focused on were the words at the very bottom of that said wall of text C Exercise Extreme Caution, and some more words below them.
[Anyone responsible for causing undue friction/hostility with this individual will be eating a burger through their nostrils.]
The agent silently put away his phone and raised his head. And then, spoke in a confident voice.
Ehehe.... Please, sir, dont be like that~. (the agent)
What the heck? Why do you sound so unmanly all of a sudden?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you try eating a burger through your nose instead, then?! (the agent)
You wouldnt be able toin like that, if only you knew that my boss likes his burgers extrarge!! (the agents inner monologue)
Please, you have toe with us. Otherwise, I will really get killed. (the agent)
Not my problem, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, Im begging you here! Please! (the agent)
What the hell. Why is your Korean patch this advanced? What version is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, that. Hehe, well, I..... (the agent)
Those Japanese people should learn Korean from this version, too!
As expected of a first world country and their technological prowess! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So, if youd juste with us for a little while... (the agent)
I still dont wanna. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Annnnd, he still doesnt want to give me a break. (the agents inner monologue)
The agent stood there studying Yi Ji-Hyuks mood for a bit longer, before shifting his gaze loaded with meaning over to Choi Jung-Hoons direction.
Itd be better for you to do something about this situation. (the agent)
Mm..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After receiving that poignant stare, Choi Jung-Hoon gravely nodded his head.
Now logically speaking, it was his group that illegally entered a foreign country. Just as important, he was an NDF agent, to boot. If the shoe was on the other foot, then when a foreign ability user illegally entered Korea and got busted, Choi Jung-Hoon wouldnt have let that go quietly. Not at all.
Most likely....
Hedpletely annihte the said foreign ability user first and turn him or her into a nervous wreck, and then hold that hapless sucker as a hostage of sorts as he inundated the fools country of origin with piles upon piles of official diplomatic documents.
So, how would he feel if it was Korea on the receiving end of that treatment?
Even if he somehow managed to get out of here with his life intact, the higher-ups back home would want to y football with his freshly-severed head, instead.
Shudder.
Choi Jung-Hoon definitely did not want to see that happen.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahh, what now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How about going with them for a little while....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This guy, you trying to sell me down the river again?! You really on my side? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I never was?
Why am I on your side out of the blue? Ive never been on your side to begin with, you know?
Dont arbitrarily make people your pals! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
And you, why are you threatening this guy instead of me? Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M, my apologies. (the agent)
Even though the American agent was apologising, his stare never quite left Choi Jung-Hoon.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hey! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for the American agent sharply drawing his breath*
With a slightly confused face, Jeong Hae-Min alternated her gaze between these three men.
What are these three doing? Is this the so-called triangr formation?
Ahh, sh*t! This is annoying! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got way too annoyed with this situation which was definitely going around in circles now, and found the only satisfying method of breaking the chain for good.
Hey, you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk red at the American agent, he flinched and reflexively nodded his head.
Tell that person toe over here. Why the heck does he want me to go there, when he can juste here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Wait, that... kinda makes sense, doesnt it? (the agent)
Indeed, the agent had no reason to actually drag Yi Ji-Hyuk away at all. The order simply said to secure the youth. That was all.
In, in the case, will you be waiting for us here? (the agent)
No, obviously not. You, hold up.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (the agent)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly exchanged hushed whispers with Jeong Hae-Min before looking back at the agent.
You know where this Shake Burgers joint is around here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Eh?
*
Tears were welling up in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
Just what the hell is up with this dang burger?!
Is this thing worth almost five hours of getting lost in a foreign city for? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the corners of his ears as he stared at the meal set of the burger in question.
Imma kill you real slow if this thing tastes bad. Seriously now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its going to taste good. I think. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Perhaps realising her guilt, the depressed-looking Jeong Hae-Min began distancing herself from Yi Ji-Hyuk even while mumbling some words as her defense.
Come over here right now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why should I? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out to catch the escaping Jeong Hae-Min, only to have Kim Dah-Som sneak her way in and sit on the empty seat next to him.
She ced the burger box in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk, opened it, and then, even proceeded to present arge cup of C to him as well.
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which was good, since Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling a bit troubled because the apanying drink just so happened to be a milkshake. With a huge grin on his face, he picked the C up and gulped it down.
Meanwhile, Kim Dah-Som smiled contently as she pulled Yi Ji-Hyuks milkshake towards herself. Seeing this act, Jeong Hae-Mins eyes narrowed to a slit.
You really know how to act like a sly little fox, dont you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im not sure what you mean by that? (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, my gosh. Look at her pretending to not know whats what. (Jeong Hae-Min)
And as the two females began a subtle war of nerves, Doh Gah-Yun silently rose up from shadows and settled down on the unupied seat right next to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
G, Gah-Yun-ah!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even though Jeong Hae-Min cried out in a sharp voice, Doh Gah-Yun remained impassive and chose to silently pull closer her own share of fast food in front of her.
Jeong Hae-Min breathed heavily in unhappiness, but she had no choice but to settle down on the opposite side of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You two, you gonna keep going like this? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When Jeong Hae-Min growled menacingly at the two girls, they both simultaneously avoided meeting her gaze and concentrated on finishing their meals, instead.
You think Ill take this ly.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Argh, youre being noisy! Lets just have a meal in peace! Please!!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul. Telling a noona that shes being noisy! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Will you act your age, then? Miss Ahjumma. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A, ahjumma? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Teardrops began forming in Jeong Hae-Mins eyes, and in response, the corners of Kim Dah-Soms lips curled upwards ever so slightly.
Youre smiling? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young, watching this scene unfold from another table, suddenly spat out a long sigh.
Surrounding the table where the four of them were having a... good time, a cordon of ck-suited agents were standing stiffly like some kind of a hefty, immovable human wall.
The nerves of those girls must be made out of pure, grade-A hardened steel if they didnt care about all those people staring at them as they went about their business.
However...
Isnt that.... Isnt that like, a battlefield over there? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young could definitely see those three females surrounding Yi Ji-Hyuk locked in a heated war of nerves.
What on earth....? (Seo Ah-Young)
And all three of them were quite pretty, too....
One of them was a famous idol, another one was so pretty that shedpletely trounce any ol celebrity into oblivion, and even Gah-Yun wouldnt lose out to anyone in the looks department, no matter what the asion was.
But, why did it have to be Yi Ji-Hyuk?
He didnt have a nice-looking face.
Hell, he didnt even have a nice personality, either.
He had taken his manners out back and shot it all to hell a long time ago, he was beyondzy, and his mouth was so filthy, no soap could ever cleanse it, yet....
Wasnt he, like, the worst possible boyfriend material?!
However, seeing three such pretty girls surrounding such a rotten as*hole, Seo Ah-Young couldnt help but to release yet another long, long sigh.
Well,pared to a b*stard like him.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shifted her gaze towards Choi Jung-Hoon sitting in front of her, and saw how full his mouth was with the American burger as he oh-so industriously chewed on it.
Yep? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Its nothing. (Seo Ah-Young)
This guy wasnt like this in the beginning, yet as time wore on, he was clearly bing worse and worse, too.
Did it start after Yi Ji-Hyuk entered their lives?
This is good, actually. Have some. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Yes, I will. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young picked up the burger and bit into it.
It was actually, surprisingly good!
It mustve tasted good, since she and the group had to go through so much c**p just to get here. However, she found it hard to enjoy the meal, what with all those eyes constantly staring at her and all.
How can you eat in peace with all these people staring at you? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm? Should I make it bit more peaceful, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? How? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon got up from his seat, went over to Yi Ji-Hyuk, and whispered something to him.
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head and angrily red at the American agents.
What the hell? How dare you lot spy on my mealtime?! Turn around right now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as those words came out of his mouth, every single one of the ck-suited agents spun around on their heels and looked in the other direction.
Che, cant even have a meal in peace, I tell ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyukined before settling back down on his seat to munch on the burger. In the meantime, Choi Jung-Hoon returned to his seat.
So, is it better now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What a scary person he was.
To be able to utilise the weapon called Yi Ji-Hyuk like that, that had to be some kind of an ability as well.
It seemed that Yi Ji-Hyuk, who normally didnt listen to anyone else, would more than likely listen to what Choi Jung-Hoon had to say.
What a strange and indescribable rtionship that was.
In any case, it was definitely better than before.
Now that no one was staring at her, she could finally rx and savour the taste of the sulent burger.
Unfortunately for her, though, she wasnt given a lot of time to enjoy the junk foods rich, aromatic taste.
A part of the ck-suited cordon parted to make way for a middle-aged man with a dignified expression.
This man didnt even bother to look at Seo Ah-Young and walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuks table, where the youth was in the middle of trying to shove the burger down Jeong Hae-Mins throat. The man offered his hand and began speaking in English.
And the agent standing next to him offered up the trantion in real time.
Hello there. My name is Christopher McLaren, the current director of the CPO.
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at the man for half a second, before returning to his task of shoving the rest of the burger down Jeong Hae-Mins struggling mouth.
So? Is this tasty to you? Ah? Im asking you, you think this is good? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euph, euphhh?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its just too dang oily, man! Son of a.... Cant I just go and have bulgogi or something instead?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min managed to spit out the burger and angrily shouted at him.
What am I supposed to do when your ptes so unsophisticated?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Should I demonstrate to you what real unsophisticated tastes like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....My bad. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was finally done with tormenting Jeong Hae-Min, and turned his head around to stare at Christopher McLaren.
Chris... whats his name again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can just call me Chris. (Christopher McLaren)
Okay, so. What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. If you were nning on visiting us here in the States, you shouldve given us a call beforehand. We might have been able to provide you with far better services than this. (Christopher McLaren)
We just came here for a meal, you know? No need to call you and all that, right? Besides, isnt there any other ce other than this one? This burger is just too oily for me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christopher McLaren pulled out his own phone and essed the file on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
[Operates on his pace. Does not listen to anyone else regardless of what. Impossible to hold a normal conversation with.]
That description was utterly on the money.
Christopher did not know who investigated andpiled this dossier, but he thought that the unknown agent deserved a suitable reward, maybe even a paid vacation, for this very excellent work. He then smiled and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If thats what you want, we will make sure that you get to enjoy the finest cuisine this world has to offer. After all, you will be able to find every delicacy from all over the globe in this country. (Christopher McLaren)
In that case, take me to a Korean restaurant that serves doenjang stew. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Hey, you dumb f*ck?! Youre a Korean, arent you?! Why did youe all the way to the States just to eat Korean food?!
Go and stuff your face back in your own house, will ya? (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Well, uh, maybe you can eat that back in your own country....? (Christopher McLaren)
Well, I like Korean food, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why, Im telling you to eat that c**p in your own godd*mn house! (Christopher McLaren)
The agent in charge of tranting stared at Christopher McLaren with a dumbfounded face.
How could he trante this? Could he be...?
D, director? Sir? (the agent)
Christopher quickly regained hisposure and coughed to clear his throat.
Tell him, if he likes Korean food, then we shall provide it. (Christopher McLaren)
Y, yes sir. (the agent)
When the trantor ryed the message, Yi Ji-Hyuk made his reply in Korean while looking supremely unconvinced.
What did he say? (Christopher McLaren)
.....Uhm, he says, he cant be bothered and is going home now. (the agent)
What the hell, you dumba*s?! (Christopher McLaren)
What the, sir?! I didnt say those words, though?! (the agent)
Oh, thats right. (Christopher McLaren)
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk yawn like a full-bellied puppy dog, Christopher took a several deep breaths to calm himself down.
Indeed, it proved to be impossible to hold a proper conversation with this individual. There was no need to get p*ssed off here.
Then, Yi Ji-Hyuk said something else, again in Korean.
Okay, so, what did he say this time? (Christopher McLaren)
....Hes asking us if we can get him ne tickets. (the agent)
Why does he want ne tickets, when he has a teleporter in his party? (Christopher McLaren)
That is.... He says that hes never been on a ne before, and he wants to ride in one. He even asked me if hed get to eat a free meal in the first ss, sir. (the agent)
Whos the guy in charge of these people....? (Christopher McLaren)
I aint gonna let that guy live!
Choi Jung-Hoon, who was listening on the conversation unfolding in English, sneakily hid himself behind Seo Ah-Young.
Ng?
Tilting her head in confusion, she stared at him.
Ehehe. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Using his jovial grin to disarm her in the blink of an eye, Choi Jung-Hoon then began studying the current development a bit more seriously.
Lets see.
Is that Christopher the one I know of?
Is he THE Christopher McLaren, the head of the Americas ability user department?
Hes the biggest of all bigshots, isnt he? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes narrowed to a slit.
Out of all the powerful ability users and people rted to the field, this man was among the top three as far as his political influences went.
So, how should Choi Jung-Hoon go about interpreting this situation, where such a powerful man personally came down to speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was ignoring Christopher while picking up the burger to bite into it one more time.
Argh, it is really oily and all that, but.... This taste, its surprisingly addictive, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Munch, munch.
You like it? (?)
More or less? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you never really liked such food, though? (?)
Well, I dont mind it, since Im in another country and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eh?
Who did I speak to just now?
Her voice.... Its really familiar, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily turned his head to the side and found the woman who spoke to him just now.
....Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right away, the burger in Yi Ji-Hyuks hands fell and rolled on the floor.
Naturally, everyones gaze was directed towards Yi Ji-Hyuk, and the woman standing in front of him with a bright smile while looking back at the youth.
Yi Ji-Hyuks hands began trembling, nay, quaking violently, before he pointed at her.
You, you, you....?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Her hair seemed to shine in the brilliant golden colour of the suns rays.
Its been a while, hasnt it been? (?)
You!! Why are YOU here?! Why?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats because.... (?)
The woman smiled softly and gazed at Yi Ji-Hyuk with warm eyes before opening her mouth.
I came to find you, of course. (?)
Seeing that indescribably beautiful and gentle smile of hers, Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body quaked hard, before he cried out loudly.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His loud voice reverberated to high heavens.
< 102. Why are YOU here? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 103: Why are YOU here? (3)
Chapter 103: Why are YOU here? (3)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly went poof! from the spot, and then reappeared behind Jeong Hae-Min.
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Grab!
Yi Ji-Hyuk then grasped her neck gently from behind.
Whhhaaa?! Hey, what are you doi....? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nobody move!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began gleaming in a dangerous light.
You do, and she dies! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the heck?! Are you stupid?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min shouted,pletely bbergasted.
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly leaned in closer and whispered to her ear.
Teleport us back to Korea! Right now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? But, what about the others? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Not my problem! Hurry the hell up, will ya?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why is he acting like this? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Since he did lots of stupid, insane things day in and day out, there was nothing strange about the he was acting right now. Really, not one person here would be surprised if Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to freeze the Han River in the middle of June and skate on it.
No, what Jeong Hae-Min found strange in this instance was the emotions of anxiety and impatience writrge on Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
No, hang a minute. Was it dread, instead? Could it even be fear?
Whatever the case may have been, shed never ever seen such a facial expression from the youth before.
Didnt he remain totally disinterested even when monsters poured out like an army of killer ants from the Gate not too long ago?
Such a guy was shaking in his boots and busy telling Jeong Hae-Min to abandon theirrades and escape back to Korea.
So, why?
Jeong Hae-Min took another nce behind her, at Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
His eyes were fixed in one direction, and one direction only.
When she followed that line of sight, she spotted a Western woman who wasnt there a minute ago.
Her hair was so radiantly golden, Jeong Hae-Min had to wonder if such a radiance was even physically possible. And her golden eyes seemed to emit rays of warm but mysterious divinity.
Ah.......
Jeong Hae-Mins body trembled subconsciously.
This woman was... beautiful.
That was all she could think of at that moment.
Jeong Hae-Min met more than her fair share of beautiful people as an idol herself, but this woman standing in front of her possessed an otherworldly beauty that simply transcended everyone else.
Would an angel descending from heaven look as pretty as that woman?
You..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks low, guttural growling snapped Jeong Hae-Min back to her senses.
Theres nothing for you here, so why the hell did you chase me all the way to this ce?! You d*mn stalker!! Arent you sick and tired of this c**p already?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The blonde woman smiled radiantly.
Arent you d to see me? (?)
d? GLAD?!?! Wowsers, do I really wanna kick your head in or what!! Seriously now!! Dont you have any conscience or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing this exchange, Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head in confusion.
What the hell?
Whatnguage is that? (Choi Jung-Hoon inner monologue)
He couldnt figure out heads or tails on whatnguage those two were conversing in.
Of course, Choi Jung-Hoon didnt know every singlenguage existing on this. However, wouldnt it be odd for Yi Ji-Hyuk to speak anguage that Choi Jung-Hoon hadnt heard of before?
Besides all that.... Thatnguage sounded just a little bit different to his ears, too. It was as if he was listening to anguage that used apletely different speech system, so to speak.
Im really d to see you again, but I see that you feel differently. Really now, not even offering a single warm-hearted word to a friend who sought you out with so much difficulty like this. Im a little bit disappointed, you know? (?)
Kind?! Did you just say what I think you said?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I should just rip that stupid lizard into pieces!!
Oh. Ill get ripped into pieces, instead.
Hah.....
Why is she here, of all ces? Just why!!
Weve seen each other for over a thousand years already!! Isnt that enough?! D*mn it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Warm-hearted, my a*s! Did you forget all you did to me already?! Wheres your conscience, ah? Is it because youre a lizard that you dont have one? Ah? Ahhhh?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre still so immature. (?)
Ha-ah........ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats!! Why!! I hate!! That lizard woman!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
With a pair of intensely burning eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to re at her, only to suddenly realise something rather important.
No, wait a dang second here.
If I keep provoking her like this, Ill be killed in less than a blink, no?
I mean, Im no longer Berafes Bringer of Apocalypse and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He had lost the power to rip that woman in half with just a single hand quite a while ago. So, if he were to remain logical andpare his and her currentbat prowess, then....
What would be the results?
Can Ist at least three seconds against her?
No, wait, I dont think I canst even that long.
This is insane!
One dragon crossing over would nearly destroy this entire world, yet.... Where is her dang morals, man!! Shes the lord of all bloody dragons, so why!!
Just why on freaking hell did the dang lord of the dragons cross over to this side?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: I made a mistake and TLed her name as Affeldrich back in the chapter 3.)
Please call me as you did in the past C Richae, Mister Ji-Hyuk~. (Affeldrichae)
Hah.............. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This world is finished.
Just as despair settled in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes, he began tearing out his hair.
*
What are they talking about? (Seo Ah-Young)
Who knows. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon were staring at the two people sitting at the other table, as every square inch surrounding them were cordoned off by ck-suited men.
What with the American agents from the CPO maintaining a tight barrier, there was no way to butt in there, either.
Arent we getting a really cold shoulder here? (Seo Ah-Young)
Rather than we, its just you, maam.
An ability user like you, the me Witch, would receive a national wee fitting for an important guest of the state, but too bad, your timing is way off. You showed up with Yi Ji-Hyuk, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Who is that woman, I wonder? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min puffed up her cheeks.
She could ept that woman being so incredibly pretty. Sure.
No, hang on a minute C that womans beauty was already well beyond whether Jeong Hae-Min epted it or whatnot. That level of beauty was on a ridiculous level, after all.
But what got on her nerves the most was the fact that the blonde woman seemed to know Yi Ji-Hyuk quite intimately.
Jeong Hae-Min couldnt understand a word of what they were saying to each other, but still, they were conversing quite intimately for a while now.
She could see Yi Ji-Hyuk, with his legs crossed and his body tilted at an awkward angle while emitting a dense aura of pure difort, and sitting across from him, the blonde woman staring at him while resting her chin on her hand and a warm smile etched across her lips.
What a strange scenery this was, yet....
It sure looked rather picturesque as well.
It was kinda like, unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time?
I dont like this at all.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min couldnt tell why, though.
*SFX for a cold wind blowing across*
Euhk... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min shuddered slightly from the sudden bout of cold winding from her side.
What was that, all of a sudden? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure enough, when she turned her head to the side to see what was going on, she spotted Kim Dah-Som and her hardened face that was frozen stiff like the statue of Venus de Milo.
Ah, this wonderful feeling!
Yes, so sweet and refreshing like a cold cider!
Yep, you got your just desserts after wagging your tail so much while only relying on your looks. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Indeed, no matter how pretty Kim Dah-Som was, there was no way shed measure up to that mysterious woman at all.
Still, what are they talking about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
*
*SFX for sucking the C through the straw*
Affeldrichae took a sip of the C out of the cup in front of her before frowning ever so slightly.
So, this is that C thing youve been singing praises of. (Affeldrichae)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, its odd. Its just sweet. And all these bubbles, what do you call them? Anyway, you missed such a taste? (Affeldrichae)
Its a whole lot better than that stupid nd-as-hell juice you like to drink so much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your tastes remain as eclectic as usual, I see. (Affeldrichae)
Its not me whos weird here, its you lot, you dang lizard! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre still hung up on external appearances even now, I see. Just how many more times do I need to tell you before you finally understand that we the dragons are divine beings and therefore have no rtions to lizard species? I think Ive already said this 3,123 times prior to this day already? (Affeldrichae)
Listen here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Mister Ji-Hyuk~? (Affeldrichae)
I really, really dont like you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think youve told me that about 3,000 times already, as well. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fished out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips before lighting it up.
Hah....
Please, save my soul, someone....
Why am I having this dumb conversation with her even on this? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It felt like all his brain cells were going on strike after having this conversation with her in what sure felt like an eternity.
I gotta go through that scary, horrible experience again?
Where are the gods, Buddhas, etc, of this world....?
No, never mind the gods and whatnots of this world, what the hell is Latrel thinking of, by sending this woman over here? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
By the way, why are you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt I tell you already? You and your old habit of not listening to anyone else. I told you, Im here to see you. (Affeldrichae)
Didnt our rtionship end already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You thought it was over? (Affeldrichae)
But, it is over, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, I have to disagree with you there. (Affeldrichae)
Holy f*cking cow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lets just end that c**p already!!
Really, lets just call it a day, you stinking stupid lizard woman!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
We saw each others faces for one thousand years already! Isnt that enough for you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, its 1,632 years. (Affeldrichae)
Hul, seriously? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yep.
....It was that long?! Wait, in that case, just how old am I?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Besides, if you count the years you had spent in that ce, then the total should be double that number. Shall I calcte it for you? (Affeldrichae)
Nope, no need. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont wanna hear about that no more. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, fine. 1,600... No, lets just say its over one thousand years. In any case, isnt that enough for you?! Did you chase me all the way out here thinking theres something you can still get from me?! Why cant you people leave me alone, ah? Ive already proved that Im not the one to bring forth the Apocalypse of Berafe, havent I?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe I shouldve just blown them up to smithereens back then!!
Dont you know how final the Apocalypse actually is? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Indeed, even if every living human being in Berafe was killed off, that still didnt mean the Apocalypse for Berafe. Even if all life perished from a world, if new lives were born to rece the old, then that would not count as an Apocalypse, anyhow.
Thats why!!
Ive never wanted to destroy your world to begin with, nor did I possess the enough power to do that in the first ce!!
So, just leave me alone, already!!!
Did you only eat leeches when growing up or something? Why dont you wanna let go of a poor guy like me? Ah? Why?!
Youve all been tormenting me for over a thousand years alre..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was at this point when Yi Ji-Hyuks expression began hardening gradually.
He felt like his innards were boiling over.
Maybe, I shouldve killed them all back then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt do it in his current state, but back then, itd not have been an impossible task, albeit a difficult one.
You think youve proven that? (Affeldrichae)
I didnt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nothing has been proven, Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
A breeze seemingly blew in from nowhere and her hair danced ever sozily in the air.
Those abundant locks of blonde hair waving in the air...
He found it so familiar. He also found that he did miss that sight just a little....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long sigh.
Its not over yet. Not even close. (Affeldrichae)
And just what is not over yet now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They are already crossing over to this world as we speak. I found their traces, and came here to find you. (Affeldrichae)
Who are they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They are the very same ones you know so well. (Affeldrichae)
The very same ones that I know so well, huh....
You know, Ive met a lot of people over the years, so I need more than that to guess who they might be. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, they are from the ce youve been a part of. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes opened just a bit wider.
The Gates from the demon world are opening. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shut his mouth.
*
Meanwhile, somewhere in America....
How absurd. (Alpha)
Alpha chuckled wryly as he stared at a small Gate in front of him.
So, you could make something like this. (Alpha)
The Gate spell is universally avable and it is a very convenient magic. Its only job is to take you from one space to another. In other words, its simpler than it looks. (?)
Is that how it is? (Alpha)
The small devil, Args still stuck in the form of a little child, nodded his head.
Of course, theres a slight issue, and that is to do with where you want to connect the Gate to. If you want to open a Gate not too far from you, youll only need to use a small amount of Mana. But, if you want to open one up on the other side of the world, thats gonna take some doing. And just like now, if I want to open a Gate to another world that transcends dimensions, then Id have expend an unimaginable amount of Mana in one go. (Args)
Hhmm. In that case, isnt this a little useless? Didnt you say you had to expend almost all of your Mana previously? You also said this isnt your real body, either. (Alpha)
Correct. For the current me, opening a small Gate such as this one is my limit. (Args)
A subtle smile crept up on Argss face.
Then, why did you waste time performing a worthless task like this? (Alpha)
A wider grin revealing a pair of sharp incisors formed on Argss face.
It wouldve been a meaningless action, for sure C but the situation is a little bit different now. All I have to do is to open a small Gate such as this one, and the other side will supply enough Mana to erge the portal themselves. (Args)
Mm?
Theres a noticeable difference between a Gate thats been opened from one side, and the one thats being maintained from both sides. I alone can only create low-level Gates such as the ones you sawst time. But, the story will change if both sides are on the same page. (Args)
The low-level Gates I saw thest time?
Does he mean those Gates that appeared in Seoul when I was conversing with Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Calling those Gates, rated at 4, low-level? (Alphas inner monologue)
Of course, I wasnt opening Gates connected directly to the demon world so I only had to expend a small amount of Mana that time. (Args)
Youre not making much sense. (Alpha)
Well, if those Gates connected one dimension to another, then by opening a Gate that connects directly to the demon world, itd be akin to me connecting this world to a fantastic reality that exists between different dimensions. (Args)
Howplicated. (Alpha)
Just take it as being extremely difficult, okay? Even though Im a demon, its very difficult to make it happen. (Args)
Of course, there was a human living in this world who used to do that without batting an eyelid, though. However, Args thought that there was no need to inform Alpha of that tidbit at the moment.
So, is this Gate connected to the demon world? (Alpha)
Yes. However, its not sufficient. There is not enough Mana. Also, itd be nice if we can get some energy from the negative dimension, too. (Args)
I cant understand what youre talking about, but I dont want to understand it, either. So, at the end of the day, what do you need from me? (Alpha)
Oh, thats rather simple, actually. (Args)
Args revealed his fangs in a grin once more.
Kill. (Args)
Quite explicit, arent you. (Alpha)
Alpha turned around to leave. But before he disappeared...
By the way, demon. (Alpha)
Mm?
I dont care that youre using me. However, you should know to do that in moderation. Know what I mean? (Alpha)
Ill keep that in mind. (Args)
After Alpha had left the area, Args stared intensely at the ck Gate without moving from the spot.
Im not using you, you dumb little human. (Args)
Args was desperate enough to borrow the strength of a cat if that helped.
Why?
Because, Yi Ji-Hyuk was in this world, that was why.
< 103. Why are YOU here? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 104: Why are YOU here? (4)
Chapter 104: Why are YOU here? (4)
Inside a ne flying in the night sky over the Pacific....
The food of this world is strange. (Affeldrichae)
How so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why do you put so many strange things in your food? And what are these strange oils and minerals? Its so primitive, you know. (Affeldrichae)
Its your mouth thats primitive. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To think, you had to eat such woeful food. I feel sorry for you. (Affeldrichae)
Its you lot whos primitive, you dang lizard woman!!
How dare she badmouth the food of Earth? How dare you lot, who can only bake breads that are so hard and tough that you need a bloody hammer to crack open one before you can eat it?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan of suffering while looking at Affeldrichae, who was carefully picking up a shrimp with her fork before cing it in her mouth.
And also, to eat in such a confined space, it is so odd. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, so you want to eat the in-flight meal like youd in a fancy restaurant? Candles and all? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And besides, why are we flying in this metal carriage? We can just fly to our destination, no? (Affeldrichae)
You said you wanted to ride in one, you stupid woman!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, this sauce has quite unique taste. (Affeldrichae)
Hey! Listen to people when they are talking to you!! Listen here!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The stewardess in charge paled visibly and hurriedly ran to Yi Ji-Hyuks side in order to stop him from going crazy.
Dear passenger, could you please behave yourself during the flight.
Mister Ji-Hyuk~, you need to maintain a certain level of etiquette when there are a lot of people around you. I think Ive told you this important fact about 345 times already, yet I see you havent fixed that bad habit of yours. (Affeldrichae)
Wah?! What the!! You, really, you...! Argh, let me go!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dear passenger! Please!
Meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young was watching this scene unfold from another seat before quietly whispering to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Please do something. (Seo Ah-Young)
Please, just pretend you havent seen anything. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.............
Choi Jung-Hoon avoided looking in the direction of Yi Ji-Hyuk and the blondedy and let out a soft but lengthy sigh.
He wasnt sure exactly what happened, but the situation got resolved more or less in a satisfying manner, and they were allowed to leave American soil.
But, for some reason, that woman calling herself Richae had inserted herself into the group as if it was the most obvious thing to do. Then, she began arguing with Yi Ji-Hyuk (of course, it was only him losing his mind over and over again) and out of the blue, it was decided that they would use a ne to travel back to Korea.
Christopher McLaren then pulled some strings and et vo, a private ne was suddenly waiting for them at a local airport.
And well, Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt forget that look of relief on the CPO directors face when the American agents proceeded to cram everyone inside the ne without so much a consideration shown towards that pesky little thing called procedure.
You American b*stards.... Imma gonna kill you all! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Handling one Yi Ji-Hyuk alone was enough to give him nightmares, yet to throw another bomb into the mix!
Just what colour was the blood coursing through the hearts of these b*stards?
Choi Jung-Hoon nced at the woman sitting next to the bitterlyining Yi Ji-Hyuk and spat out yet another lengthy groan, seeing howposed and unflustered she was regardless of what the youth did or said.
She can even reduce Yi Ji-Hyuk to that state, too.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon didnt know what her real identity was, but well, he was still scared of her. Not only him, though C everyone else on the ne was staring at the duo with their eyes wide open.
Can the Lord of the dragons leave her post like this? I guess everythings oh-so peaceful back in Berafe, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its always been that way, you know. You and your exaggerations. (Affeldrichae)
Its only you who can say that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your kind can live for over ten thousands years, so to you everything is peaceful! Nothings too urgent for you, is it not?!
This is why its impossible to talk to a dang lizard! (Yi Ji-Hyuk inner monologue)
And why are you following me back now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my? Were you nning to abandon a poor girl with no ce to call home and unable to talk to anyone behind, in a strangend? I mean, didnt I take you in when you were going through so much hardship and provided you with a shelter from the storm? (Affeldrichae)
You imprisoned me for over a hundred years!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A hundred years is a short amount of time, you know. (Affeldrichae)
A human would die in less than a hundred years, you dumb lizard woman!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Mister Ji-Hyuk~, you are unable to die, though? (Affeldrichae)
Ha..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk was trembling from rage and frustration. He just might keel over at this rate from how p*ssed off he was!!
Laaaatrel!!! Why did you send her over here?! You keep doing this, and Im gonna retaliate, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner cry)
Just why did youe here? Tell me the truth! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you, I came to see you, Mister Ji-Hyuk~. (Affeldrichae)
And I told you, our rtionship ended a long time ago! You think Ill let you get all chummy with me just because you came over to see me, all clingy and the like? Stop dreaming!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons jaw hit the floor as he listened to this riveting conversation unfold.
Just what on earth was this youth saying?
Didnt he sound like a guy rejecting a beautiful woman that was clinging onto him for some unfathomable reason? A guy like Yi Ji-Hyuk dares to?!
You have a divine goddess of beauty sitting next to you, and you can still run your mouth off like that?! Are you freaking blind? Cant you see her beauty that even transcends personal preferences?!
Nonono, I mustve heard wrong. That must be it. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
No, its not over yet. And yes, it will note to an end in the future, either. (Affeldrichae)
Why are you this clingy?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons entire body began trembling from pure shock and rage.
What the f*ck is up with this situation?!
Go to hell!!
You, youuuu, just go to hell!!
Im already this old, and yet I havent even found a gal Id like to marry!! So, howe, in the holy hell, is he so dang popr?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner cry)
As I told you, Ill never let you go for the rest of our lives. (Affeldrichae)
NOOOOO!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cried out in despair and hugged his head.
Hul. I think hes lost his mind. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs jaw also hit the floor.
Indeed, this sight wouldnt make a lick of sense unless that guy hadpletely lost his marbles.
Buzzz....
Huh? What was that? Was that my phone? (Seo Ah-Young)
But, that cant be it.... I switched it off, though?
Then, where did that vibratione from? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
....Hul.
It was actually Jeong Hae-Min sitting next to Seo Ah-Young that caused the vibration with nothing but her trembling body.
Whats the matter with you now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Go to hell. (Jeong Hae-Min)
...Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Did I hear her wrong?
Did she cuss out just now?
Why is she cussing out of the blue? What is going on with her?
Wait, why am I feeling cold? ....And, what is wrong with this girl now? (Seo Ah-Young)
In the isle of seats next to Seo Ah-Youngs, Kim Dah-Som was ring at Richae with an expression of a demoness ready to summon forth an army of undeads.
....Please, you two, just wake up already. Please (Seo Ah-Young)
That guy over there was definitely not worth them going insane for....
This unni is really worried since I can now tell you are not joking around anymore.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Should I just turn you into bloody snake wine, you rotten lizard woman?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I nearly forgot, but I heard that there is indeed a wine made with snakes as ingredients in this world. You know, Id like to taste that at least once. (Affeldrichae) (TL note at the end)
Will you listen to what others say at least once...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Nope, never mind. I give up. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner resignation)
There was no chance that shed suddenly change her old habits today, when she didnt do that for the past thousand years or so hed known her for. From the onset, the existences called dragons could be thought of as perfect. They could do anything they set their minds to, and since they didnt need anyone elses help, there was no way theyd listen to what other people told them.
An existence of a dragon could be summed up as.... A being that simply reflected whatever external stimulus was thrown their way, without really digesting what that stimulus was in the first ce.
Heck, this Affeldrichae had gone through the experience of living and arguing (?) with Yi Ji-Hyuk for a thousand years plus, which had softened her up a bitpared to other dragons. Yet she was still like this.
So, quite obviously, one shouldnt even think about holding a proper conversation with a dragon.
Nope, one had to promptly beat the living daylights out of the dragon if one wanted to preserve their sanity!
Come on now. Seriously, why are you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked her with a serious expression. Affeldrichae smiled gently as her response.
Choi Jung-Hoons heart nearly fell to the pit of his stomach just then.
How should he go about describing... that expression of hers?
Her expression, which was a perfectbination of a woman gazing at her lover, and a mother gazing at her precious child?
Maybe, theres more to their rtionship than meets the eye? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Although Choi Jung-Hoon wanted to believe that wasnt true, he had to concede that their rtionship couldnt be simple at all.
Not only did Yi Ji-Hyuk one-sidedlyin and throw tantrums non-stop, there was that Affeldrichae woman too, who didnt seem the least perturbed by the youth at all and simply smiled at him.
Choi Jung-Hoon felt that this rtionship contained the kind of bond and animosity that could only be forged through countless years spent together.
....Family? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, couldnt such a rtionship form between family members?
Really now, unless one was family, would anyone be able to gaze at another person with such an expression?
KWAHNG!
It was then, everyones attention was forced towards one particr spot of the ne. The left wing, visible through the small windows, was now engulfed in mes.
Did that just explode on us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Countless thoughts raced through Choi Jung-Hoons head right at that moment.
Could the Americans have deliberately....?
No, Christopher McLaren isnt that stupid. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Only a real, bona fide dummy would think of assassinating them via this way. In that case, could this be an ident?
However, to call that an ident, it was just too coincidental....
It was then, Choi Jung-Hoons eyes caught sight of something weird outside the ne.
What the hell are those? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Small dots of things were gettingrger andrger in his view as they closed in on the ne.
Are they birds? ....No, they are not! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, rather than birds, creatures with demonic countenance, the kind one might read about in a fairy tale, were flying around the ne while pping their bat-like wings.
Gargoyles? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly bit on his lower lip.
Did Gargoyles originally fly this high up in the sky? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its my first time seeing this, too. (Affeldrichae)
So, its not a mon thing, this. Am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Probably. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
Oh, well. Who cares. They are just trashy mob monsters, anyway. Affeldrichae, shoot them down with your Fear. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I cant. (Affeldrichae)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was she even talking about? A dragon that couldnt use Fear?
Why dontcha dere that birds cant fly and horses cant run, cuz that sounds more usible! How can a dragon be unable to use Fear?
And why cant you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I must revert to my original form, but if I do that in here, Im sure its going to be quite a sight, dont you think so? (Affeldrichae)
You can just do a short teleport outside, change back, and use the Fear, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not a bad idea, but theres a slight problem. (Affeldrichae)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I cant change back to my original form. (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
What nonsense was she spewing now?
I spent way too much Mana while crossing over to this side, you see. And there isnt a way to recharge my Mana here. Therefore, I dont have enough Mana to revert to my original form. (Affeldrichae)
Ohh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began gleaming dangerously.
So, basically, youre really weak now, is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even still, I can subdue the current you in around five minutes, I think? (Affeldrichae)
*SFX for Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders slumping pretty hard*
Yi Ji-Hyuk became really depressed and began staring at the night sky outside the nes windows with a pair of sorrowful eyes.
Ahh, what a nice pitch ck sky you are. Exactly like how I feel....
I could beat her up silly in three seconds back in Berafe, yet shell beat me up in five minutes in this ce.... Ha-ah....
Its not like I want to get stronger or anything, but this is.... Mm....
I had it once, but not anymore?
Is this that kinda emotion? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk in his depressed state stared at the night sky, Affeldrichae lightly patted him on his shoulder.
I told you, you shouldve stayed in Berafe. (Affeldrichae)
Stop it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk and spat out a long groan.
You two having a chat is nice and all that, but shouldnt you resolve this situation first? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
What do you want from me now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To take care of.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his hands around dismissively.
What can I do against those flying monsters? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you can do something about them, cant you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the, this guy! You think Im Dorae..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehhei!! Copyright! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh, you think Im some kind of Miracle Pocket or something? What do you expect me to do in the middle of the sky?! Should I blow a hole in the ne? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can ask Miss Hae-Min to teleport outside with you, cant you? I know you can fly, too. I saw you thest time. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the heck? This guy, you might cause a serious incident at this rate! Fine, lets say I go out and take care of this situation. How am I supposed to return to the ne? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let Miss Hae-Min leave a marker here before leaving. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You telling us to teleport into an object thats moving at 1000 kilometres an hour? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......Ah? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You want to personally witness a person disintegrating before your eyes? Itd be exactly the same as me running into the ne at 1000 kilometres a hour when I teleport here, so how am I supposed to deal with the impact force? Sure, I might somehow make it out fine, but shes going to get disintegrated right down to the molecr level, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min red angrily at Choi Jung-Hoons direction.
I, I havent thought about that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats why a Liberal Arts major is no good! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the heck does that got to do with anything?! (the author)
But, there is no other way, isnt it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course there is another way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its fine if we dont do anything about them. Lets just leave them be and get out of here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul? What the hell? Cant you see that were under attack right now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ha, this guy.... Just when did you forget how to use your brain? We get out of here while leaving the ne behind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Uh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That.... strangely makes sense, no?
But, what about the flight crew? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We take them with us, obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, then, uh, the ne will crash.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Were flying over the ocean, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, but, this thing is expensive.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its not ours, so who cares? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why does he keep saying all these sensible things?
Now that I think about it, it doesnt really matter to me if this ne crashes or not, no? I mean, its not even from the Korean Air and all. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
In that case? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly and spoke up.
Tell the pilots toe here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
This man.... Isnt he a bit too quick-witted when cooking up these weird ns?
Isnt he unparalleled at escaping from bothersome things?
No, no, no, wait a minute. What about those Gargoyles flying around in this flight route, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Still not my problem, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, but... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just tell the Korean airlines to avoid this route or something. And send the info to other countries. Im sure the ones with the most to lose will do something about them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And without a doubt, that would be the US of A, what with the huge number of civilian flights trying to enter that country everyday.
Can we really do that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You can stay if you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Let me go with you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk called for Jeong Hae-Min and grabbed her hand. The flight crew hade closer too, and it seemed that they too had figured out what was going on, since they began holding onto her tightly as well.
Were leaving. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Poof.
*
The human-less ne crashed grandly into the ocean as one would expect. When informed of the news, Christopher McLaren began throwing a massive tantrum, even going so far as to throw his prized cigar box against a wall. But too bad, the multi-million dor ne was gone for good, never to return.
Why do you screw with us like this till the end!! That son of a b*tch!!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren swore that hed never ever associate himself with Yi Ji-Hyuk as long as he lived, but there was no way such a promise would be kept in his lifetime.
< 104. Why are YOU here? C 4 > Fin.
(TL: Okay, so. The joke here rests on the Korean word for lizard, which is do-ma-baem. Thest word, baem also means snake. Basically, Yi Ji-Hyuks been calling Affeldrichae a do-ma-baem until now, and threatened to turn her into baem wine, which is an actual thing, btw.)
Chapter 105: Why are YOU here? (5)
Chapter 105: Why are YOU here? (5)
So, what youre saying is.... (mom)
Madam Park Seon-Duks jaw nearly hit the floor as her eyes took in the breathtaking beauty standing right in front of her.
Shed been thinking thatzy bum of her son was managing to reel in some really amazing catchestely. But, it seemed that he had caught a nonsensically massive fish now.
No, hang on a minute, was it correct to call this beauty a nonsensically massive fish in the first ce?
Wasnt this more like her idiot son going fishing with nothing more than a flimsy wooden fishing rod and ending up bringing home a freaking whale?
....You wish to stay in our home for a while? (mom)
When Park Seon-Duk asked in a shocked and disbelieving tone of voice, Yi Ji-Hyuk sneaked an eye signal to her.
Mom, tell her its not going to happen!
Park Seon-Duk quickly caught onto her sons signal and acted ordingly.
After all, he was her only son, so this much was nothing!
You can stay as long as you want! We have plenty of rooms left, anyway. (mom)
MOM?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont you worry about a thing, my boy! Let mom take care of everything! (moms inner monologue)
The boundless love a mother had for her child was being sent down the wrong path.
However, from Park Seon-Duks perspective, her son wasnt foolish enough to reject a beauty that even a fellow woman like her found simply too bewitching to behold.
Its too much to ask for marriage, but if he could stay with her for a little while, Im sure itd do a world of good for him. (mom)
It should be enough to leave him withsting memories.
Those memories would be more like nightmares to Yi Ji-Hyuk, though.
I shall inconvenience you until I find a permanent residence of my own. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, no. Please, do stay as long as you like. I dont mind if you decide to live here for good, you know. (mom)
M, mom, but, but, but, that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You, be quiet. Let mom do all the nning. (mom)
....Ng.
Yi Ji-Hyuk became instantly depressed, shuffled towards a dim corner and squatted there, before mournfully scratching the floor.
Witnessing this spectacle unfold, Affeldrichae was ovee with shock.
Apletely rude and inconsiderate man C Yi Ji-Hyuk was a man who flipped birds in the gods faces with total impunity.
So, the fact that there was yet another lifeform existing above such a being in terms of power dynamics was utterly unthinkable to her.
Hell, he was an existence that didnt even bat an eyelid when calling her, the Lord of Dragons, with mean names like fatty lizard or that dang lizard woman.
So, she couldnt help but be shocked after seeing such a man crumple in defeat from just a few words and slink off to a dinky little corner to sulk.
Is this the fearsome existence called ones mother? (Affeldrichae)
An existence capable of subjugating a being that nearly drove an entire world to the brink of destruction with a few simple words.... Ones mother.
For a dragon who had no such concepts as mother/child rtionship, she simply couldnt understand it. However, although she may have failed to understand the emotional aspect of this situation, that didnt mean she couldnt figure out what was going on here using her power of deduction.
Affeldrichae instantly figured out who was in charge of this family.
Thank you, mother. Ill be in your care. (Affeldrichae)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was gnashing his teeth.
The trantion magic patch mustve been working wonders; she was so eloquent in speech that others would mistakenly think this blondies name was Kim Deok-Soon, instead of something exotic like Richae.
Why! Why?! Why did youe here and make a guys life a living hell?! Dont you have a lot of money already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I do, but the problem is, I dont have any identity documents. (Affeldrichae)
Just find a hotel room or something and stay there, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, its dangerous for a lone woman, though? (Affeldrichae)
HUL?!
What did I hear just now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly began digging out his ear canals.
He dug hard and fast enough to nearly draw blood, and then asked again.
Mind repeating that again? Maybe Im having trouble with fatiguetely, cuz I keep hearing nonsense. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nonsense..... (Affeldrichae)
She lightly bit her lower lip and turned her head away.
That sight of her looked so sad and downtrodden, witnesses to this scene were almostpelled to hug her tightly and tell that everything would be alright.
How dare an ungrateful punk like you mutter such things to a woman?! (mom)
Wah?! What!! I, I cant even tell anyone whats really happening here, too! Imma go crazy at this rate!! Dang it, yeah, the king has donkey ears!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Be quiet! (mom)
Mom, you must not be deceived by her!
That woman only looks beautiful because of the polymorph spell! Her actual appearance is a lizard that looks so strange, you might faint from the shock!
Is this what they mean by charmed by the nine-tailed fox?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk instantly grew curious as to how Madam Park Seon-Duk would react if she were to witness Affeldrichaes actual appearance.
Oh my goodness me~. Your fangs are so pointy and pretty.
Your scales are so wonderfully smooth and well polished, too.
Can I take one with me?
....Yeah, that beauty is nothing but a fake image created by magic!
So, you must not be fooled, mom! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hul.
Yi Ye-Won exited from her room after hearing all that fuss outside, only for her jaw to hit the ground afterying her eyes on Affeldrichae.
Plop.
She then copsed to the floor and began shedding tears of bitter resentment.
I was already having a hard time with Dah-Som and Hae-Min unni, yet why did thest boss have to appear now?! (Ye-Won)
Indeed, she hadnt even cleared the mid-level boss yet!
Mom!! Why did you give birth to me with this face?! (Ye-Won)
But, isnt your face perfectly fine? (mom)
How can you still say that with her standing next to you?! (Ye-Won)
....Cough. (mom)
Who knew that her own daughter would end up looking like a squid in her own eyes?
Even though she was the very precious apple of her eye....
Im so sorry, my child. Even I have to concede that this woman is simply too much. (Moms inner monologue)
Your oppa brought her home. Shes going to be staying with us for a while. (mom)
In the same room? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly cried out in denial.
NOOOO WAAAAYYYYSSS!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I am a human being!! How can I a share a room with a dang lizard?!
Richae tilted her head slightly. It seemed that there was a bit of a loading time for the trantion of the words living in the same room to be transmitted.
Ah.....
She suddenly smiled brightly and spoke up.
Please, dont worry about us. Weve already lived together before, after all. (Affeldrichae)
.......!!!!!
.......!!!!!
.....
.....
....Oh, so my moms eyes were originally that big, huh.
...Mom? Please stop ring at me like that. Please.
And you, why are you looking at me like that, Ye-Won? Is your dear brother that untrustworthy in your eyes?
This is just impossible....
Im still your brother, though....
If you continue to stare at me like that, looking so shocked and all, Im gonna feel really awkward, right? Dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....So, like, look somewhere else before I pluck your eyes out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, you mean me, son? (mom)
No way thats true, mother. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk nodded her head in eptance and gently held Affeldrichaes hands.
So, then.... (mom)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
When are you nning to tie the knot? (mom)
I told you, thats wrrrrrrrrooooooong!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks frustrated and tearful cry resounded throughout the house.
*
You arent going home? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.......
You, you dont like me, do you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes. So far. (Kim Dah-Som)
Meanwhile, outside Yi Ji-Hyuks house....
Unable to ept defeat and leave for their respective homes, Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som loitered around the vicinity of the house before finally making small talk after one solid hour of staring at each other.
I also dont like you, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im sure you dont. (Kim Dah-Som)
Would you hear this wet-behind-the-ears youngling babble like that?
Jeong Hae-Mins personality dictated that she should yank that insolent girls hair down and have a proper go, but then again, what was there for her to gain by doing that? Now was the time to be open-minded and all.
You.... You pretend to be so well behaved and demure in front of Ji-Hyuk, but when hes not around... You really have a particr mouth on you, dont you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
The open-mindedness could jump in ake for all she cared!
Im learning a lot from your example. (Kim Dah-Som)
Jeong Hae-Min began trembling from rage.
However, she was a pro idol through and through.
Wasnt being calm andposed a necessary virtue for all idols out there?
I really dont like you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I know. (Kim Dah-Som)
Even then, this isnt the time for us to be at odds with one another. Dont you agree? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Som silently nodded her head.
She was full of confidence when it came to her outer appearance. But when that woman whose name was Affeldrichae or some such entered the fray, her confidence shattered into little bits and pieces.
They look like they know each other. You saw that too, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
Not only that, he took her home, too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Soms eyebrows began quivering in rage all of a sudden.
Well, she still hadnt been allowed to set foot inside his house yet!
But that d*mn fox got a free pass? How much unfair could this situation get?
That is why we shouldnt be fighting among ourselves. We need to unite and present amon front. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes, I agree. (Kim Dah-Som)
You too, Gah-Yun-ah! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Doh Gah-Yun slowly emerged from Jeong Hae-Mins shadow and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuks house with an unreadable expression on her face.
Her job was to follow him no matter where he went, but she too wasnt allowed to enter that house.
But that woman.....
Grit.
Gah-Yun-ah. Calm down. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nod.
Jeong Hae-Min calmed Gah-Yun down and continued to speak.
Well, its not like Im nning to do something with Ji-Hyuk, but to acknowledge a woman who just showed up out of the blue from nowhere, no. My pride wont let me. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I was nning on doing something, though. (Kim Dah-Som)
....I think you should learn to control yourself a bit before we start. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, if I end up as an old spinster, wholl take the responsibility? (Kim Dah-Som)
Hah, this girl dares to?
Shes probably talking about me, right? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Jeong Hae-Min was about to start an almighty stare-down, but stopped and groaned out grandly.
She must maintain thismon front for the time being!
First of all, we gotta find out who that woman is. Gah-Yun-ah? You know what to do. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nod.
Thats right. (Jeong Hae-Min)
It was a bit weird to see the smallest person here, Jeong Hae-Min, order others around, but shed been duking it out in thepetitive world of entertainers for a long time. Which meant that she looked rather natural doing it.
Lets uncover that snake-like womans real identity first!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, she was already halfway there. (TL: Still remember what the Korean word for a lizard is?)
*
Whew.....
It was the early hours of the morning. Yi Ji-Hyuky in his bed in his darkened room and stared at the ceiling, his mind full ofplicated thoughts.
Im going insane here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why did she reallye?
Dragons never lied. More so, to a dragon, lying to a lower species like human beings waspletely unthinkable.
Specifically, it wasnt that dragons chose not to lie, they couldnt lie in the first ce. So, there was no reason for Yi Ji-Hyuk to suspect what she was saying.
She came to see him.
What a terrifyingly frightening prospect that was.
Hadnt she had enough of arguing with him for the past thousand plus years?
But, more importantly....
Gates from the demon world are opening up?
And its connecting to here? To Earth?
What a terrible situation this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
If the denizens of the demon world were to invade this, then truly unimaginable things would unfold in this world without a doubt.
Many meanings behind that word things, obviously.
First of all, demons iparably stronger than monsters from the Gates that had been opening up, will flood this ce, and....
Right, more importantly.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly shook his head.
No, wait, Theres no reason to worry about that right now.
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt open such a powerful gate without the aid of the Eye of Latrel. Even if a portal connecting this and the demon world opened up, since it needed to cross the incredibly vast distance existing between dimensions, itd be very difficult for a true demon king-level character to get here unscathed.
If he were to face small fries, then sure, he was confident of doing something about them.
But, what was this?
What was this anxiety?
Thebination of anxiety and disharmony bubbling from deep inside the pits of his stomach was tormenting Yi Ji-Hyuks thought process.
Looks like you cant fall asleep. (Affeldrichae)
Hearing that voice, Yi Ji-Hyuk growled menacingly.
Didnt I tell you to never intrude on my bedroom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae replied while looking rather troubled.
You sounded like how you were back then just now. (Affeldrichae)
Stop provoking me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks cold and distant eyesnded on Affeldrichae.
Im not sure what your end game is, but I promise you, you better do it in moderation. I may have ended up in this state, but if I really set my mind to it, I can still rip you apart limb from limb. Especially when you cant revert back to your original form. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though Yi Ji-Hyuks voice dripped with malice and killing intent, Affeldrichae simply smiled back at him.
And that smile only served to push Yi Ji-Hyuk further into the zone of difort.
How do you feel, now that youre back home? (Affeldrichae)
How do I look to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You look.... rxed. (Affeldrichae)
Bingo. Ive been really enjoying myself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae quietly studied him for a while, before opening her mouth to speak.
When was thest time you slept? (Affeldrichae)
..............
You know whats happening to you right now, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
I know better than anyone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The power of dark magic gradually eats away at a person. You were able to maintain your sanity back in Berafe even though you wielded unimaginable power. Because, both your body and mind continuously regenerated. However, even with the blessing of immortality, you came close to losing your mind several times. (Affeldrichae)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre no longer that immortal being. You know this too, dont you? If you continue to rely on the power of dark magic, then that inevitable moment wille. And thats when this world will meet its true Apocalypse. (Affeldrichae)
So? Are you going to stop that from happening? By killing me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wouldnt this be the perfect time for that?
What should I do, then? Give up and let her? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was then, Affeldrichae walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuks lying body, and gently embraced his head.
What are you doing now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With my current power, I cant purify you. No, even if I was back in my true form, that would still be impossible. But, I can give you a little bit of respite, for now. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes warmth began flowing into Yi Ji-Hyuks head and to the rest of his body.
....Im getting sleepy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure you havent been able to sleep for thest few months. So, sleep. Rest. (Affeldrichae)
This... Isnt... this... too... embarras... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt finish his sentence and fell into a deep slumber.
While listening to his soft, rhythmic breathing, Affeldrichae slowly stroked his hair.
What a truly unfortunate person you are.
She wished for him to take a long, refreshing rest.
After all, there werent a lot of days remaining for him to rx like this.
She gently smiled and continued to stroke his hair until the morning sun rose up over the horizon.
< 105. Why are YOU here? (5) > Fin.
Chapter 106: W, why are you coming out from there? (1)
Chapter 106: W, why are youing out from there? (1)
Kyyyaaahhhkk!! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won screamed at the top of her voice as the cup in her hand fell to the floor.
Shatter!
What happened?! (mom)
Park Seon-Duk was taken by surprise from her daughters cry and hurriedly ran out of the kitchen. Now normally, her child would never exhibit such a behaviour.
She was a child that ttened a cockroach with her bare hand and then proceeded to rub clean the resulting matter off her palm on a wall, after all!
So, for a girl like that to scream her head off?!
Park Seon-Duk wielded the kitchen knife shed been using to slice carrots and arrived at where her daughter was. And then.... her eyes became super duper extrarge.
W, why are youing out from there? (Ye-Won)
Pardon? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ye-Won was trembling like a leaf as she pointed at Affeldrichae, caught redhanded as she walked out of Yi Ji-Hyuks room.
Just why was this womaning out of her oppas room, of all ces?! Not only that, in the early morning, too!
Could this be.... that? THAT?!
Oh my gosh!! Oh my gooooosssshhh!! (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
H, how can you.... On the first day, no less! (Ye-Won)
Pardon? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae tilted her head in confusion. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk also exited from his room while yawning out loudly.
What now? What is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre so dirty! (Ye-Won)
Why am I dirty now?! Have you finally lost your mind? Your hair is more dirty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you do that when there are other people in the house?! (Ye-Won)
What are you even talking about? Were you daydreaming again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im gonna tell Dah-Som about this. (Ye-Won)
....Did you forget that you bullied her not too long ago? So why are you acting like that now? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Women were such indecipherable creatures, indeed.
What are you talking about, anyway? Exin so I can understand whats going on here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can I say that out aloud with my own mouth?! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Wons face reddened up considerably as she angrily pointed at her brother, hot steam escaping from her nostrils.
Besides, your sole remaining plus point was you being an innocent guy, but now........ (Ye-Won)
What do you mean, my sole remaining plus point?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you have any idea how many plus points I have?
So, they are....
They.... are....
....
Time to move on! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Stop talking rubbish and get out of the way. I want to go to the bathroom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul, you wanna wash up? Ive never seen you wash up in the morning before! But today, the first thing you do after waking up is that! I knew it! (Ye-Won)
I want to pee, you dumb little girl!! Pee! You want me to pee all over you, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre so dirty!! (Ye-Won)
....This girl, she really knows how to get on someones nerves, no?
Should I show her what being dirty really means? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was then.
Ding dong, ding, dong!!
The front bell began ringing non-stop out of the blue.
Mm? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk was standing there, totally stupefied and speechless, but the ringing bells brought her back to her senses.
Who could it be, in such an early morning? Park Seon-Duk walked over to the inte and picked the receiver up.
Hello? Who is it? (mom)
C Mother, its me, Hae-Min! Please, open the door! Hurry!
Mm?? (mom)
Why was she here so early in the morning?
As soon as Park Seon-Duk opened the door, two females rushed past her and entered the house.
Yi Jiiiii-Hyuuuuk!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head after seeing Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som enter the house in hurry.
Wait, were they originally that friendly to begin with?
Enough to walk around together?
Sure, he heard from somewhere that women could easily make friends, and just as easily be enemies; but, from the beginning, didnt those two have a rtionship simr to that of a cat and a dog?
D, Dah-Som-ah!! (Ye-Won)
Ye-Won ran over to Kim Dah-Som and grabbed thetter girls shoulders.
T, that woman, she, she came out of oppas room! Just now! (Ye-Won)
......What? (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som began ring at Affeldrichae without a shred of emotion visible in her dead-still eyes.
Where did shee out from? From that room? This morning?
Only after a single day? (Kim Dah-Soms inner monologue)
Suddenly, Kim Dah-Soms expression became abruptly cold.
So, thats how it was...... (Kim Dah-Som)
Seeing that kind of an expression on her face, Yi Ye-Won felt a nasty case of goosebumps break out all over her body.
Hul, this isnt what I wanted?
What is this feeling, like Ive just set off a serious incident in motion just now?
This girl.... Why.... Why is she so terrifying? (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
Where did shee out from? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Meanwhile, Jeong Hae-Min asked as her entire body trembled.
Seriously now, that blondie was such an outstanding beauty, yet how could she be so impatient like this?!
Could this be how things worked in the West?
Even then, wasnt this waaaay too outgoing?
Even then!
Even then....!
Even.... then.....
*SFX for tears forming in Jeong Hae-Mins eyes*
As soon as certain liquid began forming on the edges of Jeong Hae-Mins eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuksplexion quickly paled.
Hey, you, dont you dare cr.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
WAAAAAAAIIIIIIILLLLLL!!
It was six oclock in the morning.
Everyone living in Seouls special ability-user residential area was forced to wake up against their will.
*
The visibly-tattered Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly copsed to the floor and nted his head there.
I might really die at this rate.....
What is this nonsense, so early in the morning?
I finally got to sleep for the first time in ages, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
All the fatigue that got washed away with the sweet slumber was rushing back in at the moment.
Why.... Why are you all acting like this.... Why.... Why me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sniff.
Seeing Jeong Hae-Min still sniffing her nose, a powerful migraine began its assault on Yi Ji-Hyuks head. He threatened her with another spell inside the ck gate, but for some reason that didnt work this time. And when he did try to shove her inside as promised, the group of females, with Yi Ye-Won as the lead, pounced on him like a bunch of cats with their tails on fire, so he had no choice but to stop.
They did everything to pacify Jeong Hae-Min for the next ten minutes and only then did her crying stop. It wasnt just Yi Ji-Hyuk; even she was too exhausted to continue.
Here, drink this. (mom)
Sniff, thank you.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min received the juice that Park Seon-Duk handed over and sipped quietly on that.
So..... (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som, who had been wordlessly observing the situation from the side, finally opened her mouth.
Can anyone.... (Kim Dah-Som)
....Did someone switch on the aircon?
Why is it suddenly so cold in here? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Exin to me what happened? (Kim Dah-Som)
....Shes not saying anything important, yet why am I getting so much goosebumps?
Did this girle from the Mother Russia or something? Her passive skill is emitting cold atmosphere, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
What do you mean, you want an exnation? Nothing important happened here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Important? (Kim Dah-Som)
Did she suddenly develop a selective hearing?
Should I just rip open a new earhole for her, instead?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Until then, Affeldrichae couldnt figure out what was going on here and continued to tilt her head this way and that, but out of the blue, she pped her hands.
Ah! (Affeldrichae)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why was she behaving like that way now?
I think I understand why everyone is so perturbed this morning. (Affeldrichae)
Uhm, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is no need for anyone to worry. The act of reproduction all of you have been fearing did not take ce. (Affeldrichae)
T, the act of reproduction?! (Ye-Won)
What was this? What were these words that were at once way too suggestive, and not suggestive at the same time?!
Even Kim Dah-Soms jaw dropped to the floor.
Of course, there was an act simr to that one, however.... (Affeldrichae)
An act simr to that one?
Simr?!
Jeong Hae-Mins eyes began emitting a dangerous light as her entire body trembled once more.
She said simr.
What could be so simr to that, then? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
What bullsh*t are you talking about now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly shouted out, but Affeldrichae could only tilt her head in confusion again.
Well, even if we werent actively trying to copte, isnt embracing someone one of the steps that leads to the act of reproduction in the social etiquette pattern set by humans? (Affeldrichae)
Embrace? (everyone)
What was she even talking about?
And, even though it was a simple act of embrace, as we performed this act for the entire length of the night, when viewed from humans emotional perspective we have shared our feelings quite intimately........ (Affeldrichae)
WAAAAAIIIIILLLLL!!
Oh,e on!!! Godd*mn it....!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I just calmed her down, yet you go and make her cry again in less than three minutes?!
Besides all that! Just what kinda mouth does this girl have on her that she manages to be this f*cking loud?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
By this point, he shouldve gotten more or less used to her loud crying, but he found himself unable to adapt even now!!
Argh, just shut up already!! Shut up!! Why are you throwing a d*mn tantrum in someone elses house this early in the morning?! Why!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, this is too much. (Affeldrichae)
Wuoong.
When Affeldrichae lightly waved her hand around, the reverberating wails of Jeong Hae-Min suddenly became silent as if someone pressed the mute button.
Jeong Hae-Min had no idea that her voice had vanished and continued to wail inplete silence, her mouth so wide open that her uv was in full disy to the onlookers.
Ive learned today that a humans voice could be used as a strategic weapon. How surprising. Looks like I should start researching on magic spells that can create noise. (Affeldrichae)
....Do what you want... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Argh, why dont you all just disappear, why dont you. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly crumbled to the floor in utter defeat.
Just when would this hellish life of his change for the better?
Hah..... this d*mn life....
*
Woof!
As soon as Oh-Sik heard the front door of the house open up, his body shivered reflexively and he hurriedly ran forward to stand on its hind legs.
Ggeng!
It wasnt as if this house was some sort of air of devils or something, yet....
It was already difficult with the Bringer of Apocalypse here, yet what was up with this woman who smelled just like a dragon? And not just any dragon, either.
At the bare minimum, she smelled like an Ancient ss.
It was the scent of a truly powerful being that could easily crush Oh-Sik with nothing but a simple re. So, it was understandable that Oh-Sik would be acting totally disciplined right now.
He had somehow gotten friendly with Yi Ji-Hyuk, but then, another one had appeared to act as his master.
Richae took a look at Oh-Sik standing straight in a saluting position while looking very nervous, and formed a soft grin.
By the way.... Are you looking after this child? (Affeldrichae)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, there are many who keep Ogres as guardians, but could this child protect your dwelling sufficiently if you weaken him by this much? (Affeldrichae)
I supply him with Mana when necessary. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, I see. (Affeldrichae)
Another thing. Oh-Sik aint a guardian of the house. Hes a pet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A pet? (Affeldrichae)
You know. Im keeping him as a pet, like youd do with dogs. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With an Ogre?
Richae continued to stare at Oh-Sik for a bit longer, before tilting her head.
Sure enough, it did kinda look cute.
But, surely there are much cuter creatures out there? (Affeldrichae)
Once you be family, its a bit harder to change your mind along the way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae continued to tilt her head as if she wasnt really convinced at all.
However, if an enemy intrudes on your family while youre not here, can a weakened Ogre protect them from harm? Even if it was at its full strength, it might not be enough.... Yet, with such a small body? (Affeldrichae)
Hmm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She had a point there.
Whenever something happened, Yi Ji-Hyuk would immediately return here, but no one knew what might happen in the future. And besides, many unsavoury things were beginning to happen around the world, too.
Youve got a way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If youre interested. (Affeldrichae)
If she could do it, then all she had to do was to do it. Yet, she always made it like so that others were owing her a favour.
...Do it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Understood. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk found her bright smile rather unlikeable.
Indeed, he didnt like that smile, yet...
What an odd feeling this was.
He was getting all nostalgic about it.
....Of course, hed seen that face for over a thousand years, so that might be it.
Hell, there was a time when he had to see that face every single day for around a century straight.
When looking back objectively, could he have returned to Earth if it werent for the help of this dang lizard woman?
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly shook his head.
Am I getting close to my own death or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He heard that when a person was about to die, he or she would be quite sentimental and all that....
Wait, I missed this dang lizard woman?!
Eheii!! Stop screwing around.
If I start recounting all the crappy sh*t I had to go through because of her, then Id jump up in anger in the middle of my sleep!
And no, its not that jumping up!
Ill really jump up! Really! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Affeldrichae gently waved her hands about. A pure-white hole formed in the air, then transparent beings came out from there and melded in with the house.
Spirits? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although not foolproof, I believe this much will be of some help. Most importantly, Id be informed of any change taking ce right away. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm. Sure, thats true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, was it possible to summon Spirits in this world, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
They are crossing over from the Spirit dimension, so it wont matter which world youre in when summoning them. (Affeldrichae)
I told you to stop reading peoples minds! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you know such a thing is impossible, even with magic. (Affeldrichae)
Thats why I dislike you even more!
Stop reading what others are thinking by taking a look at peoples faces!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You, you really do have a knack for getting on other peoples nerves, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You said those exact wor.... (Affeldrichae)
Shut up!! I dont wanna know how many times Ive said that! Ive probably said it hundreds of times by now, right?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, it wasnt all that much, though? (Affeldrichae)
....Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, you shouldve said something.
No, hang on. I told her to shut up, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and started walking towards the office. However, there was someone here that grabbed and pulled at his clothes.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A tearful Jeong Hae-Min was clinging onto his clothing.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min opened and closed her mouth several times, before pointing at her tongue.
You havent undid the spell yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I? (Affeldrichae)
What, so you dont want this girl to speak for the rest of her life? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe. When looking at it objectively, it seems to me that itd be the best for everyone to block the mouth capable of firing sonic attacks. (Affeldrichae)
Stop talking nonsense and undo the spell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Without a doubt, humans are an illogical species. (Affeldrichae)
I dont want to hear that kinda evaluation from a lizard, so stop wasting time and undo the spell.(Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae waved her hand in the air once, and right away, a deep gasp escaped out from Jeong Hae-Mins mouth.
W, what the hell was that?! What was that!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly shook his head again.
How about keeping quiet if you dont want your mouth to be sealed again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hup.
Seeing Jeong Hae-Min hurriedly squeeze her mouth shut, all Yi Ji-Hyuk could do was spit out a long sigh.
....Please....
At least in the mornings.....
Leave me in peace!!
You rotten bunch of....!
Realising that his life from here onwards would never be peaceful again, Yi Ji-Hyuk sorrowfully facepalmed.
< 106. W, why are youing out from there? (1) > Fin.
Chapter 107: W, why are you coming out from there? (2)
Chapter 107: W, why are youing out from there? (2)
[After failing to resolve the serial murder case and allowing the suspect to escape overseas, the KSF has been strongly criticised for their handling of this matter. However, both the National Police and the KSF have med each other, and in the meantime, angry mobs of citizens have gathered in front of the KSFs headquarters to stage a protest....]
Well, I guess the Director would be feeling really terrible right about now. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young grinned refreshingly while watching the news.
When she imagined that half-baldie staring outside his office windows with a mother of all frowns perma-stuck on his face, she felt as if all of her pent-up frustration was being cleared up in an instant.
But thats not something to rejoice over, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, Im just saying...... I do understand that. (Seo Ah-Young)
She wasnt happy about the public turning their backs on the ability users like this, of course.
But, its not our fault to begin with, anyway. (Seo Ah-Young)
Itd be wonderful if everyone thought as magnanimously as you, but you know that humans are not like that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And besides, these protests werent about them letting the serial killer slip through their fingers. No, the things that had been bubbling under the surface over a lengthy period of time finally exploded out into the open, that was all.
Animosity.
Anxiety.
And finally, hostility.
They might have started off from the same point, but the two races and their paths had gone on to their separate directions; some people had noticed this estrangement and now they were making their presence known.
This... How should we fix this? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled brightly.
Theres nothing we can do. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats so irresponsible, though. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, its not my responsibility, is it, maam? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
There were no one to me for the current situation, of course. And, a human being could only do things that were within their capabilities.
Okay, thats that. By the way, what happened to that woman? (Seo Ah-Young)
Didnt I give you a report about it yesterday? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....I cant remember what was on it. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ha.....
Is there a meaning in me giving you reports if youre like this? Dont just receive it and not bother to read it through! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
....She went to live at Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks house, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This is not a joke, right? How could she march straight into his house only after one day? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Thats not it, maam.
Its more important that Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt try to stop a woman from entering his ce.
After all, if it was any other female, hed kick them right out even before they got to step past his front door.
Yup, this is really strange. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon felt that there was this indescribable something between Yi Ji-Hyuk and the woman, Richae. What he couldnt understand the most was that he could definitely feel those two sharing a strong bond.
The problem was, such a bond wasnt something as weak-sauce as a close friendship. No, a bond like that could only form if the two of them had went through many, many things together.
However, in only five years?
Yi Ji-Hyuk went missing for five years before returning home.
In order to form a bond that thick during such a short period of time, just what kind of crazy things did they do together....?
No, hang on a sec. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Maam, when you were there! You said that time was slower here! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Pardon? (Seo Ah-Young)
When you were thrust into that ck portal thing, maam. You said that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk sent you to a strange ce. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats right. We spent around half a year there, but when we returned, only.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Couldnt this situation also apply to Yi Ji-Hyuks case, too?
If so, those five years may not have been only five years after all.
With this theory, that youth and his philosophical view on life, or hispletely random bouts of violent tendencies, could be exined quite easily.
So, is that what it was? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If that was the case, then those things Yi Ji-Hyuk did when the two men met for the first time made perfect sense now.
Indeed. Sure thing. But.....
However, what did it matter now?
Yi Ji-Hyuk was still Yi Ji-Hyuk at the end of the day.
Even if Choi Jung-Hoon knew the truth, that fact wouldnt change. If he knew the truth prior, then it couldve helped him toe up with a suitable response, but now.....
Even if I know, what does that change? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon decisively stopped thinking about this matter. Time spent worrying about Yi Ji-Hyuk was equivalent to time utterly,pletely wasted.
However, that didnt mean he could escape from the person in question, though.
*SFX for the door suddenly opening*
The office door was flung open and Yi Ji-Hyuk entered with a face full of barely held-back irritation.
And why was he acting like this so early in the morning?
Mm?
The expressions of Jeong Hae-Min and Doh Gah-Yun entering the office behind him also didnt seem quite right, either. But then, when Choi Jung-Hoon saw Affeldrichae entering the office behind those two girls, he couldnt help but inwardly sigh.
Wouldnt one get used to a persons face after seeing it over and over again?
Choi Jung-Hoon had seen that womans face for almost a day, so he thought that he had gotten used to it, but then, just one look and he became dazed again. There was nothing he could do about this.
Hello, everyone. (Affeldrichae)
But, what was this?
Did she learn how to speak Korean in a single day?!
Ill be in your care from today onwards. (Affeldrichae)
No, this wasnt the level of fluency one would get from a single day of practice!
Whos in care of who?! You saw what you wanted to see, so go home already!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont have enough Mana to open another Gate. (Affeldrichae)
What? Does that mean.... Youre not going home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Then, just what were you thinking whening to this in the first ce?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I was hoping that Mister Ji-Hyuk could do something about it. (Affeldrichae)
You are really hopeless, you know that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae tilted her head slightly.
Well, its not like theres no hope. Actually, I thought that youd have conquered this world by the time I got here. (Affeldrichae)
That, that doesnt sound like shes joking, now is it?!
Cold sweat trickled down Choi Jung-Hoons backside.
No, not a joke but maybe that could have happened for real. If Yi Ji-Hyuk really decided hed do that, then could anyone really stop him?
How would I do that when theres no Mana in this world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thought youd have found ways to resolve that by now. (Affeldrichae)
I wanted toe home, not because I wanted to do something to this world, you know. Have you any idea how surprised I was to find all this monster-rted shenanigans once I returned home? Wait, do you know something about this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The gap between the dimensions has been split open. (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
The gap has been split open, and thats why these Gates can be opened up. I cant be sure of whether this was done deliberately or not, though. (Affeldrichae)
Is there a way to fix this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You just have to close the tear, but you know thats not an easy thing to do. Itd be a hard task even for my original body, so the current me has no chance. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head to the side.
The gap between the dimensions had been split open?
Could something like that happen often?
Although there is a very low probability, it could happen. (Affeldrichae)
Did something like that ever happen back in Berafe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Berafe is a world ruled by the gods. Even if there was a tear, they would mend it immediately. (Affeldrichae)
Thats how it was. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Uh? Wait, isnt that strange?
You saying that theres no god in this world? What about God-nim, Buddha-nim, Ah-nim..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Wait, is it correct to refer Ah as Ah-nim? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I couldnt locate any divinity here. Well, its true that I can sense a very faint presence of something, but even I cant tell whether this is divinity or not. Even if there was a divine figure presiding in this world, it could have disappeared a long time ago. Or, its such a mighty being that Im not strong enough to sense its will.
So, its neither here nor there, eh....
In that case, it was the same thing as no god existing in this world. Or, not that different from humans not caring about cellr-level organisms living in their bodies.
Well, it doesnt really matter. Whether there is one or not, it wouldnt be of much help, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon was smiling brightly to the side.
Ive no idea what they are talking about, so I should just keep my mouth shut. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With this, Yi Ji-Hyuks morning started anew.
*
With her eyes sparkling like a pair of jewels, Affeldrichae studied her surroundings with great interest.
She took a look at the different architecture of buildings and all sorts of items made out of metal. Without a doubt, this ce was so much different to her own world.
When she first arrived, she did think that she had indeed arrived in a totally new world, but now, she could definitely feel this fact.
Most of all, she found the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk sitting in a chair doing something definitely mystifying. The Yi Ji-Hyuk from her memories would do nothing but loaf about sitting on his throne, or do his best to endure the endless boredom.
But now, such a person was.....
Argh, c**p!! I Blinked, so howe?! Why didnt it work? Youre driving me crazy here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
What the hell?! You thought you could use Blink in that situation and still survive?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What? That, were you trying to say something to me here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wouldnt have said anything if you didnt suck this bad! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You saying I suck?! Hah! So whats your tier, Mister Oh So High and Mighty? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its gold. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How dare a gold tier trying to nitpick with me?! A measly little gold tier? A pathetic gold tier who cant even openly reveal his tier in a forum? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You!! Youre a dang bronze!! A bronze! Right at the bottom!! Not only that, youre the worst yer in the bronze tier, too!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah, its just that my hands havent loosened up sufficiently enough.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youve been loosening your hands for thest three months, so how much loosening do they need? You have Parkinsons or something?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ha-ah?!
The res of Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jung-Hoon violently shed in midair as sparks began flying off to everywhere.
What is that youre doing right now? (Affeldrichae)
Its aputer game. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aputer game? (Affeldrichae)
All the games she knew of, one couldnt y by oneself like how Yi Ji-Hyuk had been.
Is it like chess? (Affeldrichae)
You could almost say that, but, mm...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah, how should I exin this to her?
As a matter of fact, once upon a time Yi Ji-Hyuk yed chess with Affeldrichae and lost 1000 times in a row. He got p*ssed off so hard that the steam of anger vented out from his sweat pores, even. So, as a way of getting back at her, he taught her the game of go.
And then, once she figured out the basic rules, she pped him in the face with yet another 1000 straight defeats.
Hmm, isnt this going to be interesting?
Why dont you take a seat over here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Affeldrichae)
Sit down over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up and pointed at the chair hed been sitting in.
Alright. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae didnt say much and did as Yi Ji-Hyuk told her.
A grin formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
Allow me to teach you all about the zenith of the human civilisation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon?? (Affeldrichae)
She could only tilt her head in confusion as she had no idea what was going on here.
***
Heu-euh....
The man shivered after sensing that cold auraing from behind him.
In order to survive, he joined hands with this group of people. No, he thought he had. But, it didnt take too long a time for him to realise that he was nothing more than a little dog with a leash around his neck.
Was this the right decision?
Of course, if he didnt follow these people, he wouldnt have any future at all.
Still....
Even though he was aware of this fact, these people were scary enough for him to continuously regret making that decision.
In these peoples eyes, his ability to teleport as well as to conceal himself would amount to nothing more than some throwaway skills to use and discardter on.
So, they would definitely try to use him as much as possible.
I will let you use me for a while, but Ill just escape from hereter.
He was an ability user that no one coulde after if he decided to earnestly make his getaway.
For now, the surveince on him was a bit too tight, but if he continued to disy a subservient attitude for a while longer, surely their vignce would weaken....
Looks like youre thinking of a lot of useless matters. (Alpha)
The serial killers body shuddered.
That voice had a certain quality that automatically made people anxious for some reason.
Its not always good to dwell on unrted matters too much. Your determination will suffer when you do. So, please. Concentrate on your job first, and think about everything elseter on. (Alpha)
Y, yes.
The serial killer.
The one who was referred to as the worst murderer in the history of the Republic of Korea, Nah Jang-Ho, couldnt help but fall into a slight dilemma.
Should he ask, or should he not?
However, he didnt hesitate for long.
Alpha. (Nah Jang-Ho)
Please speak. (Alpha)
Why did you bring me here? (Nah Jang-Ho)
He expected to hear a rather obvious answer, but he just had to ask the question. Because.... he could sense a certain level of contempt in the way Alpha looked at him, that was why.
If he was to be an object of ridicule, then what would be the point of bringing him here?
The reason for bringing you here.... Well, I wonder. How should I go about exining it? (Alpha)
That was surprising.
Nah Jang-Ho thought the answer would be a simple Because we need you but he was surprised to see Alpha wanting to exin in depth.
Mm... Truthfully, I am not much of a fan of you. (Alpha)
Is it because Im a murderer? (Nah Jang-Ho)
No, no. Not that. Its not because youre a murderer, but because youre still a murderer. (Alpha)
Eh?
What was he even talking about? Nah Jang-Ho couldnt understand it.
Im not a fan not because you killed a few people, but because youre still being called a murderer. (Alpha)
What do you mean by that? (Nah Jang-Ho)
Hmm.....
Alpha sheepishly scratched his cheek.
It seems that talking to someone with a lower level of intelligence than myself is a tough and inefficient task. If I were to simplify further.... Mm, thats right. Do you consider Hitler a murderer? (Alpha)
A murderer?
Hitler?
Nah Jang-Ho frowned deeply.
He had never thought about such matters before, but now that he did, there was little doubt that Hitler was a murderer. Not only that, a pretty serious one, too.
When a murderer crosses a certain threshold, he or she shouldnt be considered a murderer anymore. From that moment onwards, that person would no longer be bound to such a trivial matter as a murder. Well, you wouldnt really be cognisant of the obvious things you do everyday, would you? (Alpha)
So, what Alpha meant was....
The only reason why Alpha wasnt Nah Jang-Hos fan could be boiled down to the fact that he was just a trivial little serial killer?
But, he had already killed close to 100 people?
Alpha smiled brightly.
So, allow me to remove the fetters still tying you down with these. (Alpha)
Alpha extended his hand out.
With a slightly dumbfounded face, Nah Jang-Ho received the objects Alpha handed over.
These are? (Nah Jang-Ho)
On top of Nah Jang-Hos upturned palm, there were five blue-coloured gemstones.
They are my gifts to you, so you may leave your mark in the annals of human history. (Alpha)
Alpha began smiling ominously.
< 107. W, why are youing out from there? -2 > Fin.
(TL: This line gave me a lot of trouble while TLing. The author used the term ?? which literally means flickering/shing of light, but it could also mean gradual annihtion. Naturally, I thought it was thetter since I dont know anything about LOL, but even then, I figured that such a spell made no sense in apetitive pvp game like that. So I ended up doing a lot of research to find what that exactly was. After about an hour of solid googling... it turns out, it was just Blink.... sob.)
Chapter 108: W, why are you coming out from there? (3)
Chapter 108: W, why are youing out from there? (3)
Okay, here you use the skill found in..... Right. Well done. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, wait. You should back off ther.... Right, you did really well defeating that guy.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The number of words leaving Yi Ji-Hyuks and Choi Jung-Hoons mouths gradually lessened.
Just what was up with this woman?
What was she? A freaking machine born only to y games?
At first, she couldnt get used to the keyboard and mouse and ended up making an utter fool of herself, but only after two rounds, her hands were now moving so fast that humans eyes had trouble following her.
Could this be yet another one of her inborn talents?
Did this mean that Berafes Lord of all dragons was also the top dog in the online gaming scene, too?!
I, I........ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, who was the top dog of Berafe once upon a time, could only shed sticky sweat in his mind.
Hmm.....
Affeldrichae shrugged her shoulders after achieving one of the most outstandingly smooth triple kills ever in the history of online gaming.
Although the game looksplicated, its actually not that difficult. Constantly moving around, timely ced assaults, and evasion. All I have to do is to perform these three actions. (Affeldrichae)
....Its those three actions that are hard to perform properly!!
This aint even like a guy who got epted into the Seoul University telling others that the secret of his passingy with preparing thoroughly and studying the textbooks!!
No, someone like that would still go and get extra tuition behind everyones back, anyways!
But this woman here, shes speaking her opinions honestly, isnt she?!
Screeeeeeeeew this sh*t!!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Having been unable to break out of the bottom 3% of the rankings for thest three months, anger and anguish began reddening Yi Ji-Hyuks face once he saw how good she was.
Are you feeling unwell somewhere? (Affeldrichae)
.....No. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your temperatures rising up, though.... Mm, perhaps the flu? (Affeldrichae)
Ill start to feel better once you get out of my sight. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You still like to make those strange jokes, dont you. (Affeldrichae)
Its not a joke!! Im being honest here!!
When itspletely useless, you go around driving me insane with your antics, yet why cant you read my mind all of a sudden?
Hah, I really want you to disappear from my sight! For real!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even as Affeldrichae engaged in small talk with Yi Ji-Hyuk, there was a peerless dance of a goddess unfolding inside theputer monitor. The blood squirting out from the characters in the screen looked real to his eyes now.
This, this is no longer an MMORPG but an AOS, no?
Why do the enemy yers look like a trashy mob now? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue) (TL note at the end)
In the meantime, the chat window was going into overdrive.
C What the hell?! Could that be a helper? Cant you just give us a break? How do you expect us to dodge all these?!
C This must be a smurf. But what is a smurf doing here?
C I still cant figure out how I died just now.
C I cant even get angry anymore.
C Cant even follow with my eyes.
Wasnt this reaction quite different from when Yi Ji-Hyuk was ying? Wouldnt people normally start swearing at a time like this?
Well, whenever an enemy went on a rampage like how this womans doing, Id start spamming the chat with every insult that I can think of....
So, howe their reactions are like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mm...
Affeldrichae tilted her head to the side.
No, wait. It is a little more difficult that I thought. (Affeldrichae)
Eh?
I expected others to take the most logical option avable, but they do not. They wouldve survived if they went to the right, but they didnt. Small errors keep cropping up on my initial calctions. Ive been making tactical decisions ordingly but I still have to modify them on the fly and that results in slight losses. Humans are indeed unpredictable creatures. (Affeldrichae)
.....Its just you whos gone insane. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Affeldrichae)
Youd not be a human anymore if you can figure that out in such a short period of time, and move in the most optimal way!
Even the top pro gamers wouldnt be able to do that, you dang lizard woman!!
Hah!
Even if our species are different, shouldnt there be some kind of a bnce here?
A monkey might be behind a human in terms of intellect, but at least its better at climbing trees, you know!!
What can a human do better than a dragon?!
Shes better at games than man, even!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mm. Its getting harder as I y. (Affeldrichae)
Stop saying such things while getting an easy double kill like that!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....And what is harder? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The more I y, the harder I find to understand what the motivation of myrades and the enemybatants are. Why are they there, what are they aiming for now.... There is a lot of confusion. Once more, I realise that humans are difficult creatures for me to figure out what they are thinking about at any given moment. (Affeldrichae)
....They arent thinking about anything, probably.
Why would they need to have a reason?
What meaning is there when your puppy starts running at you all crazy and like, and then it suddenly starts rolling on the floor?
It might be trying to do something, sure, but when a human sees it, its nothing but a waste of time.
Surely, this woman is thinking along the same line while ying the game with other human yers, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk offered a silent prayer for the human yers busy moving around the map as reflected on the mini-map.
If he were to be subjected to such a treatment, hed probably destroy his monitor out of sheer humiliation.
Certainly, their movementsck consistency. Why would they react and behave differently to the exact same situation? Is this the true form of Chaos? (Affeldrichae)
Why are you talking about Chaos and stuff while ying a game?!
This woman also lost a few screws in her head, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
How long are you nning to y? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im actually researching at the moment. (Affeldrichae)
Okay, fine. How long are you nning on researching, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It is wrong to disturb those burning with schrly ambitions. (Affeldrichae)
....But, thats my seat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I know. (Affeldrichae)
Its not I know, you know!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Get out of my seat! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im... Im almost finished. (Affeldrichae)
I get it, so get out of there!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, Im almost finished!! I only need a little more time!! Im so close to an overall victory!! (Affeldrichae)
Huh? What is this?
Is this a case of deja vu?
Where have I seen a situation like this one before?
Could I have made a.... mistake? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Stop it, before I pull the power cord out........... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh? What the hell? Again?
Im getting a really weird vibe here. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Argh! I said, Im almost there!! (Affeldrichae)
....Dont do that.
Im feeling really sad and depressed right now for some reason.
Ha-ah, so this is how my mom feels, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
With a sorrowful expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk crumpled into a seat next to Affeldrichae. Not even caring whether he did or not, Affeldrichaes eyes never left theputer monitor as her hands continued to move around faster than a streak of lightning.
That woman, what is she doing? (Jeong Hae-Min)
At Jeong Hae-Mins question, all Seo Ah-Young could do was to simply shake her head.
She was feeling rather dizzy after seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk half-slumped over the chair having had his mind broken, as well as Affeldrichaes calm, calcting eyes and her amazingly speedy hands.
There are two idiots in here now. (Seo Ah-Young)
Not just one, but two.....
Uh-whew.
*
Inside another office, around the same time....
A Gate is opening up, sir? (Ito Sana)
Ito Sanas head tilted slightly.
Wasnt Gates popping up a prettymon thing by now? So, what could be the reason for her superior officer to call her into the office and tell her that?
Was he telling her to stop the Gate? But, that couldnt be.
She was an ability user, alright. But herbat potential was close to nil. Even if she went to help out on a Gate subjugation mission, all she could do was to stay far away and fire a few rounds with a gun. That was all.
Something like that could be performed by a random ahjumma passing by, so there was no reason to call Ito Sana in today.
However, her question didnt go unanswered for long.
For now, watch this footage.
Ito Sana shifted her nce over to the monitor, and saw a footage recorded from a CCTV somewhere. There was a small Gate about the size of a person.
That is the problematic Gate? (Ito Sana)
But, howe? A reply didnte, but she got to see the footage roll forward at a much quicker rate.
Mm?! (Ito Sana)
And sure enough, her eyes opened up extra wide in shock.
B, but how?! (Ito Sana)
The Gate in the footage was getting progressivelyrger as time passed by. She couldnt believe her own eyes.
Is it still growing as we speak, sir? (Ito Sana)
Thats right.
Ito Sanas jaw dropped to the floor.
A Gate was growing bigger? If that was the case, then how could anyone estimate what level this Gate was?
H, how big has it be? (Ito Sana)
Her superior wordlessly pressed a button on the remote.
The footage in the monitor switched to the one being transmitted in real time, and Ito Sana got to see a massive Gate big enough to fill up the entire screen.
....This.... What level.... (Ito Sana)
Its still at the upper limits of what we canbel as a Level 5, but at the rate its growing, it should be a Level 6 by this evening.
A Level 6.... (Ito Sana)
There was no strength left in her voice.
That was a Level 6!
Japan hadnt even experienced a Level 5 yet! But now, they had to fight against a Level 6?
Her country somehow managed to escape being one of the targeted nations when the Level 5 Gates appeared all over the world. Back then, the country rejoiced at their lucky escape, but now, they had to do something about a Level 6?!
What will happen now, sir? (Ito Sana)
The fate of Japan lies with how we deal with this Gate that no one knows how big itll be.
Of course, sir. (Ito Sana)
Even a three year old could see that. However, what she wanted to hear was a concrete n on how to defend against such a Gate!
She was not interested in something anyone couldvee up with!
What about assistance from other nations? (Ito Sana)
For now, we have a verbal assurance.
For now, sir? (Ito Sana)
The superiors low sigh helped her to figure out the hidden meaning behind the words for now.
....They are noting. (Ito Sana)
On the surface, they also dont know when a Level 6 Gate might appear in their territory, so itd be hard for them to send assistance.
But, under the surface? (Ito Sana)
They probably would prefer to see us ruined. Even Id feel the same.
For the so-called allied nations, the best oue for them would be Japans government copsing after a suitablyrge chaos unfolded here. They would then swoop in, iming to help the stricken citizens while turning Japan into a vassal state or some such.
If the infrastructure of the country was destroyed and the manufacturing slowed down as a result, such an event would negatively affect the intrinsically-linked global economy, but then, the benefits from having a vassal state would easily outweigh the negatives.
So, what is the conclusion, sir? We need to handle this matter with our own power, is that it? Did you call me here to tell me this? (Ito Sana)
Of course not. But, there is indeed something you can do for us.
What is that, sir? (Ito Sana)
The superior smiled.
Go to Korea for us.
....Could it be? (Ito Sana)
Thats correct.
....I hope you arent telling me to bring Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk over here. (Ito Sana)
Why wouldnt I? Thats precisely what needs to be done.
What the hell? Didnt this guy read the reports?
Dont you receive real-time reports on what that man is up to? Yet, you still want someone like that here? (Ito Sanas inner monologue)
Looks like you really wish for Japan to sink beneath the ocean, sir. (Ito Sana)
If you fail to bring Yi Ji-Hyuk over here, then you will get to find out what Japan sinking beneath the ocean looks like.
But..... (Ito Sana)
Agent Ito Sana.
Ha!
Ito Sana corrected her posture and stood upright.
What I am saying right now isnt me trying to persuade you, nor is it up for discussion. No, Im giving you a direct order that could very well be the only way for us to survive this cmity. Do you understand the meaning behind my words?
Yes, sir! (Ito Sana)
Then, go and bring Yi Ji-Hyuk to me. If you fail to do so, dont bother to return. Im sure itll be rather amusing to see Japan get destroyed from across the ocean.
There will not be such an event, sir. (Ito Sana)
The superior spoke in a low, grave tone of voice.
There is hope. ording to Kitamura Rens reports, he himself has be an integral part of the NDF. On top of that, it seems he has maintained a cordial rtionship with Yi Ji-Hyuk. I want you to use that rtionship to your advantage.
Ha!
She performed a sharp military salute and turned around to leave. There was a resolute determination on her face.
However.....
Did he just say that Kitamura Ren was over there? (Ito Sana)
*
....Oh, you came, Oh-Sik? (Kitamura Ren)
Kitamura Ren spat out a groan as Oh-Sik trudged in closer to his position.
He pulled out one of the pet food bags piled up on high to the side of the NDF building, and opened it. Next, he poured the contents of the bag into a huge stic wash basin on the floor. Oh-Sik wordlessly began munching on the pet food as if it was the most obvious thing to do in the world.
Enjoy yourself. (Kitamura Ren)
He was Kitamura Ren.
He was one of the most respected healers hailing from the nation of Japan. He was dispatched to Korea as his countrys proud representative. He was an elite among elites.
And currently, he was in charge of feeding the pet dog.
.....Yeah, enjoy yourself, okay. (Kitamura Ren)
Kitamura Ren sighed again.
At first, he was not subjected to such cold shoulders from everyone.
Without him, no matter how good the NDF agents were, they wouldnt have survived inside that ck warp gate. However, the real problem came after that.
Having survived the ordeal inside that ck gate, the agents had be way more stronger than before, and as a result, they could take care of Gates appearing here and there without so much as a scratch on them.
Them not getting hurt was a good thing, of course.
Initially, Kitamura Ren was rejoicing in his heart. Well, things he had to do decreased considerably, after all.
But the happy feelings onlysted for a few days.
As it turned out, he really had nothing to do.
As soon as people realised that they werent getting hurt, he began receiving the cold shoulder treatment, and suddenly, he was being looked at as if he was an eyesore.
Since he was here on an assignment, he couldve just taken it easy and not do anything, but the strong bond formed between them while surviving together in that hellish ce had somehow morphed into jealousy after others saw him do nothing but y around.
A bunch of rotten b*stards.
And with that, all sorts of mundane tasks began falling on hisp. Sometimes, documents of nature so sensitive that he had to wonder whether it was okay for him to have ess to, would be thrown in his direction simply because Seo Ah-Young found the whole thing just a big bother.
Ha-ah. Just what has happened to me..... (Kitamura Ren)
What a pathetic sight this is. (Ito Sana)
Mm?
When Kitamura Ren turned around to look, he found Ito Sana standing there.
< 108. W, why are youing out from there? (3) > Fin.
(TL: The author obviously made a mistake with LOLs genre, I think. Or maybe the MC was ying something else. Anyways, I have no idea what this AOS could be. Some kind of a genre or a name of a game? Google wasnt much of a help, so I just TLed as it was in the raw.)
Chapter 109: W, why are you coming out from there? (4)
Chapter 109: W, why are youing out from there? (4)
What brings you here? If its new orders, you couldve called me on the phone. (Kitamura Ren)
You, just what do you think youre doing?! (Ito Sana)
Its just as you can see. (Kitamura Ren)
Kitamura Ren shrugged his shoulders.
Youre the sole healer of the great Nippon Empire. Yet, such a high value individual is forced to......... (Ito Sana)
And just who was it that abandoned such a high value individual in here?! (Kitamura Ren)
....We had no idea youd be treated like this.
We all thought you were having the time of your life this side. (Ito Sana inner monologue)
Never mind. (Kitamura Ren)
Kitamura Ren was about to get angry, but decided to let it go. Strictly speaking, he shouldnt get angry at Ito Sana, after all.
His country didnt do anything wrong to him, either. Didnt he also agree to do this mission because it was the correct tactical decision to make at the time?
The real problem was with the Irregr living in this ce being so far removed from the realm of being an Irregr, he had be a Rule Breaker, instead!
If it werent for Yi Ji-Hyuk, none of this wouldve happened, so if he were to me someone, he must me that youth!
Did youe to take me back home? (Kitamura Ren)
No, its not an order for you to return. However, there is something Id like ask you about, first.... (Ito Sana)
Speak, then. (Kitamura Ren)
The person named Yi Ji-Hyuk.... Just what kind of a person is he? (Ito Sana)
Kitamura Ren spat out a long groan after hearing that name.
Cant you figure that out by reading the reports? (Kitamura Ren)
Id like to hear your opinion now that youve experienced him personally. I believe your perspective will be better than reading some sanitised texts. (Ito Sana)
Mm....
So, how should he go about exining to her?
If there were people in this world that couldnt be exined so easily in a few words, then on the flip side, there would also be those types of people who made one fall into a dilemma as to just where one might even begin his exnations, since there would have so, so many things to say.
What could be the most apt term that best exined what Yi Ji-Hyuk was like?
....A ma? (Kitamura Ren)
I beg your pardon? (Ito Sana)
Hes like a ma, that attracts all sorts of trouble to his side. (Kitamura Ren)
Hmm.....
She thought she could more or less get it.
Okay, so, is there a possibility of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk lending us his assistance? (Ito Sana)
What do you mean by that? Did something happen back home? (Kitamura Ren)
The thing is...... (Ito Sana)
Once Kitamura Ren heard Ito Sanas briefing on the current state of affairs, he let out a sigh, his expression bing worried.
...Will it be difficult? (Ito Sana)
....Its impossible. (Kitamura Ren)
Pardon? (Ito Sana)
It is impossible to conquer the man named Yi Ji-Hyuk regardless of the methods you use. He doesnt care about money nor does he care about honour or fame. Even if you used diplomatic channel and pressured his so-called superiors, the moment those people try to pressure him into doing anything, youll see him explode in a fit of fury. Because, hes like a bomb thatd go off if someone needlessly poked him. Also, hes not someone to take it lying down when he finds out that the Japanese government was behind it. (Kitamura Ren)
T, then, youre saying theres nothing we can do? (Ito Sana)
Ito Sanas face became utterly pale.
No, theres always a way! (Kitamura Ren)
Eh?
You ask the bomb squad to deal with a bomb! (Kitamura Ren)
....What are you talking about? (Ito Sana)
Kitamura Ren grinned slyly.
There is only one person in the entire world who can induce Yi Ji-Hyuk to take action. Whats more surprising is the fact that hes not an ability user, but a powerless normal person! (Kitamura Ren)
Ahh!
Thus, we must conquer Choi Jung-Hoon, instead! (Kitamura Ren)
After a lengthy period of doing nothing important, the time to put to use Rens talents had finally arrived.
*
Los Angeles, USA.
No matter how much I take a look.... (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
....That godd*mn Gate is growingrger andrger, isnt it?! Or am I seeing things now? (Christopher McLaren)
No, youre correct, sir. Of course your eyes are working fine, sir. Im sure your suspicions will be put to rest if you apany me to an eye doctor....
Christopher McLaren tightly grasped his pounding head.
Rather than an ophthalmologist, maybe I should go and see a d*mn shrink first. One of these days, I might hang myself with my tie or something. (Christopher McLaren)
And no, he wasnt joking around with that statement.
Once the patterns of these Gates appearances had be more or less stabilised, and the manuals on how to subjugate them had been established, things became a lot more tolerable for him. But, for thest couple of months, the world was once more going through rapid changes.
First, there was the Gate that opened as soon as it appeared, and the monsters poured out in droves before anyone could do something about it. And then, a whole bunch of Level 5 Gates appeared throughout the world almost simultaneously, too!
And now, he had to contend with a Gate that was gettingrger andrger as time passed?
What an assortment of godd*mn headaches this is. There are so many ways to torment a man, arent there? (Christopher McLaren)
So, sir.... How should we deal with this situation?
Isnt it obvious? Call the military, and focus all avable firepower on this location. And summon every avable ability user to this ce, too. (Christopher McLaren)
Just like thest time?
Right, just like thest time. (Christopher McLaren)
Last time, a person emerged from that massive Gate so some sort of a civilised conversation could take ce. So, should that count as.... a relief?
What a crazy event that was.
Now they knew that on the other side of the Gates, there were lifeforms with high intelligence. For now, the US government was doing its best to gag everyone into silence, but there were too many eyewitnesses that day.
He knew that the word of intelligent creatures living on the other side of Gates would spread around the world before long.
And while the current climate is really vtile, too!
Throughout the world, the conflicts between the ability users and regr people were uring with an rming regrity.
The countries within the Northern Hemisphere, that could still exercise some amount of government control over their citizens, the conflicts remained on the levels of simple shes, but in the regions with weak rule ofw, the concept of a functioning government had declined significantly in thest few years.
Initially, not many had the leeway to fight among themselves because of the marauding monsters emerging from the Gates, but now that the situation had stabilised to a degree, they began baring their fangs against each other.
And as humanity found itself in such a precarious position, the Gates were once more disying erratic behaviours.
So, what would happen under such circumstances?
Would everyonee together once more?
Or would the rate of disintegration of the society speed up, instead?
Christopher McLaren knew that, whichever direction humans decided to take, neither of them were the right answer to fix the main cause of the problem.
I know I need to do something, but theres not much I can do for the time being. If I intervene at the wrong time, I might end up beingbeled as the biggest viin in history. (Christopher McLaren)
That was, if anyone would still be alive to remember the history, of course.
Find out the current situation in other countries. Japans also dealing with a simr situation as us, so theres a good chance that others are also experiencing this problem. (Christopher McLaren)
Something stank.
He could strongly feel that this was a handiwork of someone else, someone hiding in the shadows.
And, find every single CCTV footage you can from this area. (Christopher McLaren)
*
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head in confusion as he stared at the huge gift box sitting pretty on the top of the table.
Miss Ito Sana? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Ito Sana)
I cant seem to fully grasp what youre trying to say here. So, can you tell me why youre giving me this gift? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ito Sana turned her head slightly and stared at Kitamura Ren next to her.
....You two are close, so say something. (Ito Sana)
But, Im not that close to this dude, though? (Kitamura Ren)
After they exchanged silent but meaningful gazes with each other, Ito Sana spoke in a soft voice.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Ito Sana)
Yes?
If were to be brutally honest with you, then well, its amonly held belief within the ranks of Japanese government that you are the true hidden force to be reckoned with in South Korea. (Ito Sana)
I must admit that you have caught me off-guard with those words. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont the most powerful ability users that form the backbone of this countrys defense, as well as the core of the NDF, ce their trust in you unconditionally? (Ito Sana)
Hmm......
Choi Jung-Hoon leaned back against the couch as a deep smile began forming on his face.
What a sorrowful life he was forced to endure for the past few years.
He used to carry this lofty ambition of bing an influential politician that held the fate of this nation in his hands as he passed the Civil Service examination with flying colours!
There was also a period of time when he was dispatched to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, where he thought his talents would finally be acknowledged and that hed get to enjoy a smooth ride to the top!
But then, quite absurdly if he thought about it, he was dispatched to the KSF for some reason, and ended up going through so much dogsh*t hell while working under a much younger superior officer. Just as he got used to this lifestyle, and just as he was beginning to think that his life had be a bit easier, a brand new cmity literally fell from the heavens.
If only I didnt runte that morning.......... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Then, hed not have met Yi Ji-Hyuk on that fateful day.
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly wiped the moistening edges of his eyes and coughed to clear his choked-up throat.
Hmph, hmph.
There may be new people trying to butt inter down the line, but even they wouldnt be able to escape from your influence. So, in essence, you, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, are the centre of Koreas power base. (Ito Sana)
Ahahaha. Youre saying some outrageous things here. Im certainly not that kind of a person. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons lips arched up so much that they threatened to rip apart if he smiled any wider.
Now originally, he wasnt someone this weak against praises, but after being tenderised by lots of verbal abuses for the past few months....
That is why were here to ask you..... (Ito Sana)
Choi Jung-Hoons smile disappeared in an instant and he quietly studied Ito Sana.
Them kissing his butt was one thing, but now that a foreign diplomat was behaving in this fashion, he couldnt continue maintaining a jokey attitude anymore.
....Wed very much appreciate it if you could do one favour for us. (Ito Sana)
A favour, you say..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon fished out a cigarette and ced it between his lips. He lit it up, sucked the unhealthy smoke in quite slowly, before opening his mouth to speak.
I wonder. Im not sure if Im capable enough to do such a thing for you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, your postures exactly like that of a ck market merchant, though?! (Ito Sana)
His whole demeanor was like, he would even get her a freaking F-15 if she asked him nicely enough!
Please, help us. (Ito Sana)
Well, let me decide after hearing what that favour is, first. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon slowly pulled the gift box in closer and carefully opened the lid.
What could be inside? His heart was beating faster in anticipation.
Could it be a ginseng?
Or....
Maybe, an expensive wine or a rare liquor......
However, after taking a peek inside the box with the slightly-open lid, Choi Jung-Hoons eyes shook as if there was an earthquake happening right now.
What is the meaning of this?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He frowned deeply and closed the lid shut after confirming that the box was filled to the brim with dor bills. This wasnt a gift, but a dang bribe!
Which also meant that their favour couldnt have been something simple as well.
Kitamura Ren quietly stared at Choi Jung-Hoon for a bit, before finally opening his mouth.
Arent you going to get angry? (Kitamura Ren)
Excuse me? Angry? Why? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Normally, wouldnt this be the right time to go on about Who do you think I am to bribe me like this or some such? After all, isnt that the customary reaction? (Kitamura Ren)
I dont like to waste my time on doing needless things. Its not a bad idea to bepensated for the work I put in, I believe. And if I cant do the work, then all I have to do is not ept this, that is all. So, theres no point in needlessly wasting your time and mine by me pretending to be an upright civil servant, wouldnt you agree? However..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon crossed his legs and leaned against the couch once more.
Why dont you get to the point first? You see, Im not someone with a lot of time to idly chat with you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ito Sana began looking at Choi Jung-Hoon with a surprised expression on her face. The moment he took a look inside the gift box, his demeanor changedpletely.
Until then, she thought that a guy like him couldnt have been that capable, but now, just by being stared at by his eyes, she felt pressured into silence.
And he wasnt even trying to silence her or anything; he seemed to possess a certain something that caused others to instinctively shrink away.
So, this is the real Choi Jung-Hoon..... (Ito Sana)
She had heard of that name every now and then, but she had never imagined in her wildest dreams that hed be someone this intimidating.
This was precisely the reason why one needed an actual witness rather than some reports written on pieces of paper. In other words, her decision to meet up with Kitamura Ren first and listen to his advice was right on the money.
Ito Sana corrected her posture and stared at Choi Jung-Hoon seriously.
His hair was gently swept up in the unmistakable Regent style, while the lines of his face were striking and distinctive.
He was a handsome man, with a good fashion sense, too.
When such a man began emitting the aura of the true hidden force to be reckoned with, she couldnt help but feel her heart skip a beat for a second there.
Hes indeed an important individual. (Ito Sana)
He was someone that Japan needed to keep an eye out for. So, without a doubt, this man would be able to help her today!
Without beating the bush, here is the reason! (Ito Sana)
Okay.
In order to subjugate the Gate appearing right now in Japan, we need the help of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Ito Sana)
Get this sh*t outta here!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon didnt even waste one second before picking up the box and throwing it back at Kitamura Ren.
Hul.........
Have you lost your d*mn minds?! Ive been feeling really p*ssed off for a while now, yet you wanna do what?! If only you werent a d*mn diplomat, Id already.... Argh!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C, calm down, please! (Kitamura Ren)
Calm down? Calm down?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes exuded a dangerous light as he grabbed Kitamura Rens cor.
And here I am, thinking that we were friends! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....I, uh, me too.... (Kitamura Ren)
So, how can a friend ask for a favour like that?! Itd been more preferable if you had asked me to be your guarantor, cuz I wouldve done that! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Sob. He said hed willingly be my guarantor.... What a good-hearted man he is.....
Ah, thats not important, is it? (Kitamura Rens inner monologue)
You know the kind of c**p I have endured, yet how can you even ask me for such a thing?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats why I didnt ask you.
I made her ask you, instead. (Kitamura Rens inner monologue)
We know that were asking for a difficult favour here. (Ito Sana)
Argh, I dont care! Get out! I have nothing more to say to you! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
At this rate, the nation of Japan will be destroyed. And Im sure you can already tell where the monsters would head to next once they are done with destroying Japan. (Ito Sana)
Mmm......
Choi Jung-Hoon released Kitamura Rens cors and sat back down on the couch, before mouthing another cigarette.
Groan.....
We beg of you. (Ito Sana)
Theres something I want to ask you first..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes?
This... Is this the official stance your government has taken? Are you asking me on behalf of your nation? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its not like that, but.... If thats what you want, we can arrange that. No, we can certainly do more than that if it needs be. Thats how desperate we are. (Ito Sana)
Oh, well. That mans not someone whod care even if it was an official request from another government, so thats not that important, anyways..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head this way and that.
Hed like to ignore this whole thing and not get involved if he could help it, but unfortunately, Korea and Japan were far too closely linked in economy. If Japan copsed, then without a doubt, Korea wouldnt be okay, either.
So, if he had to something about it, then....
....I shall take this box for now. But.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thank you!! (Ito Sana)
But this pittance, well, its not even enough to pay for me running an errand. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Pardon? (Ito Sana)
For now, draw up an official document. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Pardon?? (Ito Sana)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes began gleaming once more.
Allow me topletely clean you people out, right down to your souls.
You lot, you picked the wrong person today.
< 109. W, why are youing out from there? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 110: W, why are you coming out from there? (5)
Chapter 110: W, why are youing out from there? (5)
Are you finished yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unlike his usual self, Yi Ji-Hyuks voice was trembling ever so softly.
After this round. (Affeldrichae)
....You said that six times already, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, it was you, Mister Ji-Hyuk, who said that youd let me experience the zenith of human civilisation, was it not? (Affeldrichae)
Sure, I did.
However, isnt this way~~~ too much experiencing?
Do you actually understand what that word experience even means?
Is there a problem with your trantion magic or something?
Dont you think youve gone way past experiencing by now?
How could you be experiencing for the whole day, ah?!
You go to a farm to experience a rural lifestyle by pulling out a few weeds here and there, or you harvest a little bit of rice. But when you start driving a d*mn tractor into a just-plowed field, that no longer counts as you experiencing a farm life anymore, you dumb little lizard woman!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Do you even know how many rounds youve yed so far? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its 27. (Affeldrichae)
.......Dont you think youve had enough by now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I havent finished my analysis yet. (Affeldrichae)
The thing is, dont you think that by the time youre done with your analysis or whatever, this wouldnt be an experience anymore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let me just finish this round first. (Affeldrichae)
Mm. Okay. That makes it seventh, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
After a lengthy tussle, he was able to convince Affeldrichae to vacate the NDF offices so they coulde home for the day. But when she expertly switched theputer on and booted the game without his help as soon as they arrived, Yi Ji-Hyuk realised that hed never get to enjoy his blissful gaming life from today onwards.
....Why dont you continue ying after eating something first? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After this round. (Affeldrichae)
Is that the only thing you know how to say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im almost finished. (Affeldrichae)
Mom.....
Mom, Im sorry.
I have been a terrible son to you. I now understand that youve been letting me live even though Ive been a disappointment.
Is this the famed love a mother has for her child?
As strong killing intent oozed out from him, Yi Ji-Hyuk reached towards theputer mouse moving around at a crazy speed. He had to finish this nonsense once and for all, or else hed not find peace tonight.
CLANG!!!
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand was violently deflected away as a sound of metal nking reverberated throughout his room.
OUCH!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk cried out in pain, and as soon as he saw his rapidly-reddening hand, he began roaring out in anger.
Hey, you insane lizard woman!! What the hell did you just do?! Wha?! This dang lizard!! Just to block my hand, you cast the Absolute Barrier on yourself?! Are you fighting a dang demon king or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She really cast an Absolute Barrier!!
You had that much Mana to spare, huh?!
Wait, this isnt a problem about her Mana, now is it?!
You think I was going to spew out a Breath attack on you or something?!
You cast the Absolute Barrier just to block a hand! Youvepletely lost your marbles! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, you are a demon king, arent you? (Affeldrichae)
Ahh?
Oh, thats true, isnt it.
Wait, I am a bit worse than a demon king, arent I.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even then, it would still be pretty insane to cast the Absolute Barrier on herself, that was for sure.
You better stop ying before I decide to cut off both your wrists. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, Im almost finished!! (Affeldrichae)
How dare you raise your voice at me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im really almost there!! (Affeldrichae)
Ha-ah......
The guilt he felt for treating his mother wrongly, and the powerful irritation he felt when looking at Affeldrichae,bined to form a strange mixture of emotions and it proceeded to travel up on the back of his throat.
Why is she keep ying the exact same game? Not only that, in Ji-Hyuks room, too? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I know, right? (Kim Dah-Som)
She hasnt even washed herself yet, too.... How unsanitary. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I know, right? (Kim Dah-Som)
Dont you know how to say anything else besides I know, right over and over again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess so. (Kim Dah-Som)
You wanna die, too?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around and roared out again at the two unwee females in his room.
And why are two camping out in someone elses house?! Go home already!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why can she stay here, while we cant? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I know right? Its illogical. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk double facepalmed while watching thisedic duo do their schtick. Since when did these two females be the double threat to torment him in stereo?
They didnt even overreact like this in the beginning, too....
So, where did it all go wrong, then?
Yi Ji-Hyuk epted his part of the me.
For sure, hed been too softtely. He should immediately start ruling with iron fist once more!
Just let me take a break after leaving work, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you dont do anything even at the office, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
You!
Another lions roar exploded out from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
What about you?! Dont you have something to do?! Youre supposed to be an idol, so dont you have concerts and events to go to? Go and do your job!! Your d*mn job!! You should go mental and throw yourself into work since you dont have many days left as an idol, yet why are you wasting your precious time squatting here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min became depressed and lowered her head.
.....I dont have a concert to perform. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Your careers finished, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not it! Its because the public is still angry with the ability users, you know! As soon as things die down, Im sure that everything will be back to how it was! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And other idols would show up to rece you in the meantime. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are a lot of people who prefer ability user idols, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
In that case, younger ability user idols would show up, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M, maybe..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Howe youre agreeing with me already? Wait, are you tacitly acknowledging the fact that youre too old? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I have a baby face, dont you see that?! (Jeong-Hae-Min)
Theres a wrinkle on your chin. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
NOOOO!!
Jeong Hae-Min cried out in rm and hurriedly pulled out a mirror to confirm. Seeing her like this, Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly felt rather depressed.
And here I am, fooling around with these kids. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just what the hell was this ce?
The Bringer of Apocalypse was having a petty argument with an old idol and in the meantime, the Lord of the Dragons was busy ying a video game on hisputer. So, indeed, what on earth was this ce?
Was this the fablednd of Chaos?
Sorrow rushed in hard, causing Yi Ji-Hyuk to wipe the edges of his eyes dry.
No, wait. Fine, lets say I am stuck in one.
However, just what is wrong with that lizard woman to manhandle... uh, I mean, dragonhandle aputer for the whole day?
If I knew this would happen, Id have never taught her about games in the first ce.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mom!! Please do something! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the end, Yi Ji-Hyuk had no choice but to ask mom for her help.
Mm. Yes, it is a bit too much. (mom)
As expected!
There was no one to believe except mom!
Park Seon-Duk headed off to kitchen, and proceeded to cut fruits into bite-sized pieces.
Hul?!
She then ignored her son and approached Affeldrichae before cing the te of fruit in the corner of the desk where it wouldnt interfere with the gaming.
Please, enjoy some fruit while ying. (mom)
Thank you. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk crumpled to the ground as the feeling of cruel betrayal washed over him.
Mom? Mom?!! How can you do this to me?! You said that youll cut my hands off if I keep ying that game! You even threatened to destroy my monitor!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk replied back with an unimpressed expression on her face.
Thats because, it was you ying the game. (mom)
Whats the difference between me and her?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Your faces? (mom)
Ahh.....
Sure, they are a lot different, true.....
Ng, sure, well.... They are a bit different. Right, were different, but still.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Since when did only the pretty people get to y games?! Ng? Does a handsome guy ying get a skill boost or something out of the blue? How does that even make sense, mom?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk shook her head with no visible emotion on her face.
My son. (mom)
Ng?
Take a good look, my boy. (mom)
Park Seon-Duk pointed to Affeldrichae. And Yi Ji-Hyuk followed her finger to where Affeldrichae was sitting.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you see? (mom)
What do you mean, what I see? Mom, what are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt she beautiful? (mom)
Indeed, she was very beautiful, but....
But, what did that have to do with anything?
Listen well, my boy. This world is not a fair ce. (mom)
Ng?
She can y games as long as she wants. No, more than that, she can live freely while doing whatever she likes. Even if she ends up on the street destitute, her begging bowl will soon be filled up with so much money that her bowl would end up shattering under the weight. And if she cant be bothered to get a job, all she have to do is step outside and smile once. She will be able to secure three years worth of meal tickets that way. (mom)
.............
However, you are not like that. (mom)
M, mom?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You gotta work hard! If you wish to put food on the table, you gotta work hard everyday! (mom)
What she said wasnt wrong.
Sure, he could ept it.
Yet, why were all these teardrops falling from his eyes?
Mom, why did you give birth to a squid like me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Son, I gave birth to a healthy mammal boy. You changing your species into a mollusc isnt my responsibility, however. Well, life is a mysterious thing, dont you think so? (mom)
Wait, mom.... Youre supposed to say, Son, youre not a squid in cases like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sorry, my boy. You know that your mother isnt very good with lying. (mom)
Dribble...
From the eyes of Yi Ji-Hyuk, sweatdrops of the heart dripped out.
But, its fine, my boy. There are people who would still care for you even though youre a squid. (mom)
You mean, you? Mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? No, excluding me. (mom)
....There was no reason for her to sound that decisive, though.
Seeing Park Seon-Duks facial expression that said I cant be bothered, uncontroble sorrow rushed into Yi Ji-Hyuks heart.
Mom, Im still your child....
In any case, you should give up on ying games and concentrate on working harder. (mom)
....Sure thing.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk crashed and crumpled to the dark, dank corner of the room.
Not caring whether he did or not, the four females, consisting of Jeong Hae-Min, Kim Dah-Som, Park Seon-Duk, and Yi Ye-Won began chatting among themselves.
But, this is my house, too..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Others were having fun, while Yi Ji-Hyuk was being abused. And his room was taken over. And hisputer was taken from him, too.
Yup, the Bringer of Apocalypse from Berafe was well and truly dead now.
Ha-ah.........
So, Yi Ji-Hyuk dragged himself outside the house and into the front yard.
Woof.
Oh-Sik discovered Yi Ji-Hyuks presence and ran up to him while wagging his tail enthusiastically.
Thats right. Ive got you, dont I.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had gone through so much hell just to return to Earth, yet the creature weing him the most now that he was here, happened to be a monster. How ironic that was.
Ha, this life of mine..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Life was indeed far too unfathomable.
Yi Ji-Hyuk retrieved a bag of pet food and brought it in front of Oh-Sik. The mini Ogres ears twitched slightly as he tore the bag up and began hoovering up the grub.
And the wise old they said that, when a man grows older, he only has to worry about his dog.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....At this rate, I should hold onto Oh-Sik when we have to move house again, no? Its like, I might get left behind by my family, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Dont you think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk threw out this question at the empty air.
Rustle.
The empty air wavered slightly, before Doh Gah-Yun revealed her figure.
And why arent you inside the house? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Because I told you to note inside? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue. Howe this little girlcked flexibility to such a degree?
If you think its fine to step inside, then step inside and join in the fun, okay? Stop loitering around outside with all this evening dew settling down and all. Also, howe your superiors are so thick-headed? What meaning is there to keep the surveince on me and make you go through this unnecessary hardship? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not hardship. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Fine, fine. Youre working diligently. What a good girl. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had already known that it was impossible to hold a normal conversation with this girl so he wasnt even going to try.
You shouldnt hang around those dumb girls. Their stupidity is contagious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, Seo Ah-Young was plenty moronic herself, too.
Doh Gah-Yun seemed to have something to say as her lips twitched slightly, but she closed them once more. Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head to the side, seeing her like this.
If you wanna say something, then say it, and if you dont.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, he frowned slightly.
Hey,e over here for a sec. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......?
Come. Over. Here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he beckoned her, she took cautious steps and slowly approached him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk then grabbed her arm and pushed the sleeve up high.
And on her pale-smooth skin, a long and unsightly scar could be found.
Hah....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long sigh.
Didnt I tell you to get this thing healed by that healer guy before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....He said, impossible. (Gah-Yun)
What a useless human being. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk threw down her arm as if he was discarding it, shook his head, and headed back inside the house. A short whileter, he re-emerged from the house while dangling Affeldrichae by the back of her neck.
But, I still have to do the Ban! (Affeldrichae)
I also wanna ban you, but Im holding it back real hard right now. So, itd be better for your overall health to hold that in. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That side of you hasnt changed one bit, has it? Ive already told you for thest 3552 times that you need to listen to others opinions if you wish to live in harmony. (Affeldrichae)
Have you been counting how many times I told you to shut up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure the count will be exceedingly high. (Affeldrichae)
Heal her. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, shes not wounded, though? (Affeldrichae)
Her scar. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae began tilting her head in confusion.
Was he asking her to remove this girls scar? Was the Bringer of Apocalypse from her memories cared about something this minor?
If the story of the feared Bringer of Apocalypse ordering her to get rid of a young human females scar happen to spread around in the cities of Berafe, then there should be quite a lot of people rolling on the floorughing their heads off thinking that was one hell of a joke.
Has he changed? (Affeldrichae)
Did he change, or was he originally a person like this, but chose to act differently in Berafe?
However, Affeldrichae didnt find him acting like this odd at all, which probably meant that she had already been subconsciously aware of this hidden side.
Affeldrichae raised her right hand and brought it closer to Gah-Yuns exposed arm.
Wuuoonng...
Bright white light exploded forth, and Affeldrichae withdrew her hand afterwards.
Its finished. Can I return to my game now? (Affeldrichae)
....Do it in moderation, okay? Or Imma break theputer. For real! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Got it. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae ran back inside the house while not even listening to him. Seeing her ignore him like that, Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body began trembling.
He promised to himself that hed do whatever it takes to open up a Gate to throw that rotten lizard woman in there.
Okay, in any case. Come inside or dont, do what you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm.....
Yeah?
When Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at her, Doh Gah-Yun quietly returned his gaze, before lightly shaking her head.
No, nothing. (Gah-Yun)
Silly kid. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around and entered the house; Doh Gah-Yun stood there and stared at the front entrance he disappeared into, before slowly rubbing her now-scarless arm.
Woof.
Oh-Sik began rubbing against her leg before long, and she slowly patted his head. But her eyes remained fixed to the front entrance.
< 110. W, why are youing out from there? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 111: I would never grease my palms only, you know (1)
Chapter 111: I would never grease my palms only, you know (1)
Inside the NDF offices...
Japan? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ced his feet on the desk and turned his head slightly to stared at Choi Jung-Hoon standing behind him.
What could this be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How could he go about describing that mysterious auraing from that guys facial expression?
Self-assuredness? Pride? Confidence?
It was hard to tell what it was exactly, but one thing was for sure C Choi Jung-Hoon, who had been acting like a loser for a while, had fully regained his former glory.
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his feet off the desk and spun around along with the chair.
And he saw Choi Jung-Hoon and his confidently straight back.
It was as if he was dering that he was unequivocally THE MAN.
That mans long, smooth legs, slightly hourss-like waistline, and his wide-open, square shoulders....
And his sharp, manly face, located above those manly features.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began feeling this sensation of his entire being slowly boiling over from the inside.
He was already feeling pretty rotten after being treated as a squid the night before. Why did this guy have to be such a handsome b*stard, too?
The aura Choi Jung-Hoon exuded after the powerful self belief returned to his facial expression, was nothing to scoff at.
However....
That face, theres something else there, isnt it?
How can I put it in words.... Ah, thats right!
Back when I was working in a kingdom called Randel, I had this one subordinate who showed up with a face simr to Choi Jung-Hoons, the day after he fooled around with a married woman.
Thats the face a guy makes when hes covering up his guilty conscience with confidence, isnt it?
However, Choi Jung-Hoon isnt a guy whod go around having an affair with married women, so..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So, did you receive a bribe, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Maybe youre secretly a mind reader? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no. Its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon waved his hands around in denial, coughed to clear his throat, fanned some air to his face, and loosened his tie.
Yup, he definitely got bribed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How could he be so transparent like that?
How much was it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I said, its not like that! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Miss Seo Ah-Young!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young tore her attention from her work and raised her head.
Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Call the audit department! We got ourselves a Lupin here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, well arrest him immediately. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eheeiii!!!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon waved his hands once more. And then, with an unreadable expression on his face, he leaned in very close to Yi Ji-Hyuks ear and whispered.
I would never grease my palms only, you know. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For now, hold it with the audit department. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled brightly and extended his hand out to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Choi Jung-Hoon also smiled, albeit with a crafty expression, and grasped Yi Ji-Hyuks hand.
GRAB!!
However, his hand was squeezed by the pressure far greater than what Choi Jung-Hoon had been expecting.
..........?
Hey, so, like.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks smile deepened.
How about telling me how much they gave you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You devil. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Despair began dyeing Choi Jung-Hoonsplexion.
*
Rustle.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wetted his fingertips with his saliva and turned the pages of the document Choi Jung-Hoon gave to him.
Ha, they really gave you lots, didnt they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Holy cow. How can a lone guy rip off this much from a government? Yeah, I gotta admit, this is really impressive, you know? And seriously now, dude, you dont have any conscience whatsoever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You are unqualified to talk about conscience here.
Even if I get scolded and pointed at by every single person on this, you are still not eligible to do that!
Where do you think I learned this from?
Just who was it that looked like hed go for the kill and even demand ones underwear during the negotiations?!
I used to be a really honest and upright guy, dont you know that?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Hah? Whats this? Free shopping privilege at the Akihabara shopping district? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
Yi Ji-Hyuk narrowed his eyes and stared at Choi Jung-Hoon.
So, you have the tendencies of an..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nooo, thats not it! I only have the hobby of assembling Guns, thats all!! Im not an otaku!! (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL: Guns = Mobile Suit Gundam mech figurines)
Looks like theres a slight gap between the worlds definition of an otaku and yours, but the thing is, youd definitely qualify as an otaku.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, Im not one!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Sometimes, not asking too many questions and glossing over the matter at hand was quite helpful in maintaining a healthy and friendly rtionship.
Okay, so, Mister Choi Deok-Hoo-nim. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Its not like thaaaaaat!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Time to change the subject, then!
Okay, so just what did you promise them in order to get all these, uh, benefits? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its pretty simple, actually. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Simple, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon narrowed his eyes and spoke.
Yes, it is an.... exceedingly simple matter. By performing this exceedingly simple work, we can earn enormous amounts of benefits for our nation, for ourselves, and for our organisation. I am quite confident that you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, will also greatly benefit from this matter. So, what do you say? Doesnt the prospect intrigue you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ng, no, not really. Dont wanna hear it so, men, take him away! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, wait a minute!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cried out as he got dragged out of the office by two stern-looking audit department agents.
Im serious!! Its a really, re~~lly simple work!! Please, think about it for a second! I, Choi Jung-Hoon, have brought in this work so it cant be bad! Arent you at least a tiny bit curious just what kind of benefits youd earn from this exceedingly simple and easy work?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not curious and dont care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
WAIT a minute!!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon yanked his arms loose from the grips of the agents, and straightened his business suit.
You might grow to regret this decision, you know? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mmm.... Regretting, eh. Regret....
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head sagely and shouted out.
Throw that criminal inside a cell, right away! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hiiiick?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons face paled in an instant.
How dare a guy who received bribes openly show his face around here?! Have you no shame? Maybe eating bean rice will sober you up real good!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: bean rice = a Korean ng for prison food)
Prisons dont serve bean rice anymore, you know?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ill send some in from the outside, so dont you worry and enjoy your time inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no! Wait a minute! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Give me one more chance!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon began wailing uncontrobly while shouting out, Seo Ah-Young clicked her tongue and spoke.
Why dont we listen to him first, at least? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah.....
What a bother this was.
One would only need to throw the criminal into a dark, dank jail cell or turn him into monster food and thatd be the end of that.
Okay, fine. Speak up, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly cried out.
You are going to help them out in the end anyways, arent you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Youll push and pull for a little while before you decide to help them out anyways! If thats going to happen, then wouldnt it make more sense to get what we can get from them? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And why would I help them out in the end? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lots of people are going to die, and a nation is about to be destroyed, so how can you turn a blind eye to that? I know full well that youll help them out while pretending to be reluctant and stuff. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, Im not gonna do that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a pouting expression.
Im not gonna help them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
E, eh?!
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes widened.
Why should I help them out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, wait, but still..... Do you perhaps hold some kind of a negative sentiment towards the Japanese people? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope, not at all. Its not like they bothered me or anything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If thats the case, then why? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
What a strange question to ask. Is there a reason for me to help them out in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
People will die, no?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
From what I hear, people in Africa are getting killed by the monsters as we speak, and simr things are happening all around the world right now, so.... Do you think those things my responsibilities, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon firmly shook his head.
No, they are not. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So, why should I help them, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, until now, you always helped out while pretending to be reluctant, thats why! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, thats because Korea was involved, you know? Its because this is my home base. Meaning, Im not going to cross the ocean to help another country out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Could Yi Ji-Hyuk have been a territorial animal?
Mmm......
Choi Jung-Hoon wiped dry the edges of his eyes.
I guess I should return all these benefits back, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Uh? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, you decided to not to help them out. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And what does that got to do with the gifts? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I got them under the pretext that youll help them out. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Theyve already greased you, so you can just keep them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wouldnt they ask me to return the gifts? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whos going to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon?
The way I hear it, half of Japan is about to disappear soon, so whos going to ask you to return the gifts? Surely, theyd be too upied to care, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah....
Thats true, isnt it?
What is up with this guy? How could he think of such things in moments like these? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Itll be nicer still if those who knows about this deal disappear during the chaos, but even if they dont, do you really think they would ask you to return these things? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, they wouldnt.
If another Gate simr to the one opening right now appeared in the near future, the country would definitely be destroyed, after all. In order to prepare for such an eventuality, they wouldnt do anything to worsen their rtionship with Yi Ji-Hyuk, no matter what.
Could he have thought that far ahead before making his mind up? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, it wasnt a difficult thing to predict, but....
Technically speaking, what the youth did here was to hold 100 million lives as hostages. Him being able to speak so nonchntly regarding this matter gave Choi Jung-Hoon a nasty bout of goosebumps.
Did something terrible happen in Japan? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When Jeong Hae-Min asked, Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head. Although the information was top-secret, everyone present here was seen as the most important individuals in the country, so it was fine.
A Gate opened there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, that happens all the time, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
This Gate is quite different, apparently. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please exin in a way that I can understand. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hmm. So, a new type of a Gate has appeared. And its getting bigger as time passes by. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Something like that can happen? (Jeong Hae-Min)
ording to the information we have, its happening in not just Japan, but the simr type of Gates have appeared in the States and in France as well. We cant be sure of how many such Gates have appeared around the world since no confirmation has been made yet. For now, everyones doing their best to figure out whether this change is only a one-time event, or if Gates themselves are going to behave permanently in this manner moving on. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head this way and that before asking Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Is this a serious problem? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why are you asking me about that? You worked as a teleporter for five years already, so howe you cant figure that out by just listening to him?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, I was always busy with the broadcast schedule, so.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
What would an extra like you possibly be busy with? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im gonna hit you!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
You wanna die? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eeeekkk!!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk easily grasped the head of rushing Jeong Hae-Min and shoved her away.
Why dont you exin more clearly? A Gate is getting bigger? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. At first, it was around the size of a person, but now, it has ballooned up to Level 6. Worse still, its apparently still gettingrger as we speak. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around and stared at Affeldrichae.
..........
However, she was too engrossed in theputer game and she didnt even seem to have heard the conversation taking ce.
Start your briefing, lizard woman! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cant I do itter? Im in the middle of a really important melee. (Affeldrichae)
Which is more important, your melee or the power cable? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....The power cable. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae lightly tsked and began her exnation.
Gates are spells that connect one space coordinate to another. You decide the size to match your needs when casting the spell. But, in most cases, you wouldnt change the Gates size after you finish casting the spell. So, the current situation could onlye from someone using some sort of an artifact or a Mana crystal to supplement thecking Mana to slowly increase the size of the Gate to the one you wanted in the first ce. (Affeldrichae)
Choi Jung-Hoon was tilting his head constantly.
Mana Crystals?
Artifacts?
What was she even talking about?
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
In other words, someones behind these Gates, huh. An existence that can bring the necessary artifacts and Mana crystals into this world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Most likely. Probably. (Affeldrichae)
Yeah, its the demon world, isnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began frowning.
The demon world.
The ce that was instantly familiar and intimate to him. A ce hed not mind visiting, too. But, at the same time, a ce that was just as horrendous in many ways.
Besides their powers, the rulers of that ce emitted such a nonsensical amount of evil intent that even Yi Ji-Hyuks teeth would tter.
Gates connected to the demon world, is it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah.....
What a bother. Seriously, man.
Does that mean Tokyo will be destroyed?! But, it cant!! Ive got lots of fans there!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....If I ask Affeldrichae, would she be able to open up this dumb girls head without killing her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, theres this ramen shop I like so much, too!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes took on the dangerous glint.
Is, is it tasty? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah.
In that case!! Were having lunch there today! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eh?
People began looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk with dumbfounded expressions.
But, a Gate is opening up there, you know? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If it opens up, we can just run away! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, thats true, isnt it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If the shop disappears, then we will never get the chance to eat there again, so why dont we pay a visit before that happens? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I agree. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head quickly. Indeed, those words made total logical sense.
While ignoring Seo Ah-Young creepily whispering to herself as she searched for the Japanese ramen menus online, Yi Ji-Hyuk settled down deeply in his chair.
The demon world, is it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If they did their homework, then they shouldve realised that he was here. Yet, they were still going ahead with their schemes?
I guess my reputation has softened a lot, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt tell which fool was thinking of crossing over, but....
If they had problems remembering, then hed rebrand new memories in their brains.
....The memories of the 99th demon king, that was.
< 111. I would never grease my palms only, you know -1 > Fin.
(TL: This line is a follow up to an earlier joke C the one about Choi Jung-Hoon having tendencies of an otaku. Deok-Hoo is a Korean ng for a maniac or, more correctly, someone whos an otaku.)
Chapter 112: I would never grease my palms only, you know (2)
Chapter 112: I would never grease my palms only, you know (2)
Tokyo.
Woooung...
The empty air twisted around a little, and the figures of several people slowly emerged from the ripples.
It was Yi Ji-Hyuk and the NDF folks arriving in the city of Tokyo.
...Too d*mn many!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min suddenly shouted out.
Dont you know how hard it is to do one teleportation? Im feeling really tired from ferrying around way too many people nowadays, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a sweeping look around him.
Himself, Seo Ah-Young, Choi Jung-Hoon, Doh Gah-Yun, Affeldrichae, and Kitamura Ren, who was brought/dragged along for the express purpose of tranting.
This was too many people?
A girl who shuttled around various monsters, got tired from teleporting only five humans and a lizard?
Why was she exaggerating her pains, all of her sudden?
Besides all that!! Why did you even bring him along, too? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze lowered to the ground. And then, he grinned brightly after seeing Oh-Sik by his feet busy wagging his tail.
You think only humans are allowed to eat? Oh-Sik should get to enjoy some Japanese pet food, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Teleporting people around is already hard enough, but now, I have to be a dog shuttle, too..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Uhm, hes not a dog, though?
Hes an Ogre, you know?
Stop treating him like a dog, will ya? Youre gonna damage his self-esteem. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Was it tough? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng~.
What the hell, why is she whining like that?
Has she gone insane for real? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body shuddered just a little.
Since you say its tough..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah?
Yi Ji-Hyuk cracked and loosened his neck muscles.
Ive trained you that much thest time, but I guess that wasnt enough, eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh?
Should we go on another world tour? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no!! No!! Its not tough! Im not tired at all! Really! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Then, why were you whining just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Never mind. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min stomped the meless ground. What a clueless b*stard he was.
So, weve arrived and all, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but recall the hardship they encountered thest time.
That dang ramen shop, can you really, really take us there this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng.
For real? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. For real, this time!! I cant forget where it is, even if I tried! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Where did her confidencee from? Did she call a guide or something? She couldnt even find the burger joint even with the help of navigation. But now?
All we have to do is go over there! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze in the direction Jeong Hae-Min was pointing at, and his head began nodding almost reflexively.
Ah, so thats how it was.
I get it now.
No matter how stupid you are, youd still find your way, what with that thing over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes captured the tall tower of the famed Skytree of Tokyo.
Even if you suffered from an extremely poor sense of direction, youd never lose your way as long as that tall tower stood there as their marker and their ultimate destination.
As long as you were a human, that was!
Okay, lets go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, lets go over there. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jung-Hoon followed from behind, before speaking with a slightly anxious facial expression.
If we go over there right away, itll be the same thing as us illegally entering the country, again. Cant we stop by at the immigration control first? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Where is this immigration control, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Normally, at an airport. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, itll be a bother going back and forth, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head in resignation.
But, this was a serious problem. If things worsened even further, then it could even be an international incident!
Back when they went to the States, one wrong move from them and they could havended in a heap of trouble, but to think, they would find themselves in exactly the same situation once more!
And right now, they were in the middle of Tokyo, no less!
If it was someone else, fine. But.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If the Japanese ability user department was run by people with functioning brains, then they would be monitoring every single one of Yi Ji-Hyuks movements in real time. And if they found out that he had appeared in the middle of their capital city, they would go absolutely mental, without a doubt.
Not to mention, they would know full well who Seo Ah-Young was as well. And then, there was a small matter regarding a certain Gate, too.
Ha..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Now that things hade down to this, they gotta eat quickly and run away!
Where is this ramen shop, by the way? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its inside the Skytree. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Alright. Lets get going, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon urged the group to get a move on. Trying to herd these group of ident mas caused his stomach to lurch around rather painfully.
Ah, I forgot to take my medication. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon pulled out a bottle of ulcer medication and poured a couple of pills down his throat.
I might end up being a drug addict at this rate. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If he wished to prevent his tax money spent on anti-drug abuse campaigns from going up in smoke, he had to somehow resolve the nonsensical irregrities of his job.
How regrettable, then, that Choi Jung-Hoons wishes would not be fulfilled today.
*
Whats going on here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
He could see a heavily-armed toon of soldiers drawing a line on the ground. Meanwhile, a wall of police officers were blocking people from going beyond the line.
Whats going on? Is there a protest or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head.
Dont you think that thing over there has something to do with it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What, you mean that over there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the location between the tall skyscrapers where Choi Jung-Hoon was pointing at, the group could see a huge, reddish Gate.
Its pretty big, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just the size alone made Yi Ji-Hyuk think that it was the biggest one hed seen by far on Earth. Even the Gate Oh-Sik came out from wasnt as big as that one....
Growl....
Mm?
When Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down, he found Oh-Sik baring his fangs and growling at the Gate.
Yo, yo. Stop that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped Oh-Sik in the butt, the mini Ogre stepped back slightly, before sticking very close to his legs.
And so, there was the Gate.
He did hear that there was one appearing within the city of Tokyo, but as he walked the streets, he could see the Japanese citizens going about their daily lives. Understandably, he wasnt expecting to see the Gate in question to be right there next to their destination.
So, we cant go past? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. No one can. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is there a way to go around? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seems like the entire vicinity surrounding the Skytree has been cordoned off. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm, in that case..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This turned out to be yet another waste of my time!!
I might as well make a stew out of this girl while Im at it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk angrily red at the now-depressed Jeong Hae-Min.
Just how is it possible that everytime you rmend something to eat, it always leads to problems? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I also didnt know, okay? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ha-ah, seriously man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head.
Rather than building barricades like this, wouldnt it have been far sensible to evacuate the area, instead?
Even though the historysrgest Gate was opening up soon, the citizens around the area went about their business as if it was nothing to fret about.
Were they all just too calm, or just too dumb?
He found it hard to understand the Japanese government not trying to evacuate her citizens, but then, he found it even more mystifying that the citizens themselves werent eager to run away from here.
If I were to question it, then could it be because they trust their government implicitly? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm?
No, its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Maybe this was down to the differences in the national characteristics of the two countries, but whatever, Choi Jung-Hoon found it hard to understand.
In any case, they came here to have lunch, but this was....
Kitamura Ren stepped forward to speak to a cop, then shook his head.
The entire area is off-limits. (Kitamura Ren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply after hearing that.
We cant go through, no matter what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Kitamura Ren)
What if we just slip past them unnoticed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That wont be impossible, but.... Since no ones allowed to go in there, surely the Skytree would be empty as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In other words, all the shops and restaurants had closed their doors, too. Which meant, time to forget about it and go home.
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned and turned around to leave.
Lets go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then.
Suddenly, several men with big, hulking physiques blocked the path of Yi Ji-Hyuks group.
Choi Jung-Hoons expression hardened right away.
The way they acted, it seemed that they had a clear reason in doing so.
Who the hell are you lot? (Kitamura Ren)
Kitamura Ren did his job as the groups sole trantor and asked first.
NDF?
However, him tranting didnt seem necessary.
Anyone could understand those three alphabets, after all. Even though the pronunciation was slightly off.
Choi Jung-Hoon tightly clenched his fists.
They already knew?
It only had been a few minutes since they got here, but for the Japanese to have noticed their arrival already, the meaning behind that was not something he could ignore. It was akin to the entire NDF being under surveince, after all.
Even then, they wouldnt be able to observe the ongoings inside the building, no? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They were spying on the NDF even within the restricted area? Even if the Japanese relied on thetest spy satellites, Choi Jung-Hoon and Co. made their move inside a building, so itd be impossible for anyone to figure out where they could be. Not this quickly, anyways.
Which left only one possibility, and that was.... There was someone from the inside leaking information.
Choi Jung-Hoons brain hurriedly kicked into gear.
Who could it be? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
However, the answer didnte to him immediately.
Thats right. So? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, here was a guy with no answers, too.
What the hell? Why are you acknowledging that now?! Have you forgotten that we illegally entered this country?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
One should deny it even under the threat of death!
Yi... Ji-Hyuk?
Kyah. Im even famous in Japan too, eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre happy about that?
Is that something to be happy about in the first ce?!
Cant you see that they are not here with friendly intentions?
So, how can you feel happy about this situation?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Completely not caring whether Choi Jung-Hoon was quivering in his boots or not, Yi Ji-Hyuk sized up the big, hulking guys in front of him with a slightly pouting expression.
Come. With. Us.
As soon as one of them spoke in broken Korean, Yi Ji-Hyuk beckoned Kitamura Ren toe closer.
Help them out, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Sure thing. (Kitamura Ren)
He went to speak to those guys, before he returned with a bit of a sour expression on his face.
They say we should quietly follow them unless we dont want to get hurt. (Kitamura Ren)
Wanna die? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What?! I didnt say those words, you know! (Kitamura Ren)
I know, and I was telling you what I want you to tell them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Uh, sure. (Kitamura Ren)
Why did this exchange make Kitamura Ren unhappy, anyway?
After he tranted Yi Ji-Hyuks words, the expected reply came in pretty quickly.
They say, they will hurt you if you donte quietly. (Kitamura Ren)
You really wanna die, you dumb jjok-ppari hick?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Obviously, you were not talking to me, yes? (Kitamura Ren)
But, I was? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Just kidding. Its a joke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, that didnt sound like a joke to me, though?
Why am I getting badmouthed like this after I was dumped into this little group? (Kitamura Rens inner monologue)
Kitamura Ren began to resent the heavens above, but the heavens didnt lend a helping hand even then. The one to do so was someone else, however.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly got closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yeah?
Seeing how the youths reply sounded a bit crooked, without a doubt he was ticked off a bit already.
Choi Jung-Hoon, AKA the only Yi Ji-Hyuk specialist in the world, expertly figured out the subtle change in the youths mood and immediately started his operation to enlighten the atmosphere.
Ahahahaha. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, We came out here to have some fun, so there really isnt a reason for these small fries to sour our moods, is there? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He didnt forget to send the desperate eye signals to Seo Ah-Young in the meantime. Right away, she stepped in between Yi Ji-Hyuk and the group of big, hulking guys.
But, I will answer anyone trying to pick a fight with me! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eheii. Is there a reason to get worked up over something this small? I mean, theres no need to use a cow-butchering hatchet to kill a chicken, right? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, I only use one for everything, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, thats not what I meant, though!
I cant figure out if this guys really smart, or really stupid sometimes!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
In any case, leave this matter to us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon spoke confidently, his facial expression full of bold determination and trustworthy-ness, Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with an admiring tone of voice.
Ohh. So you want to rip off more money from them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, Im not going to do that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ill be watching you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure thing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Scary b*stard.
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head and walked past Seo Ah-Young to arrive before the group of men.
Whos in charge? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
One of the men stepped forward after studying Choi Jung-Hoon for a moment or two.
Hello there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon reached out for an introductory handshake first, and the hesitant Japanese man grabbed the offered hand and shook it.
So, what is going on here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Kitamura Ren began tranting once more.
Choi Jung-Hoon could speak Japanese enough to hold a decent conversation, but he didnt want to show off hisnguage skills in a tense situation like this, when the nuance of each word spoken carried volumes of meaning.
Because, Choi Jung-Hoon was a cautious and meticulous man, that was why.
Kitamura Ren was speaking much longer than Choi Jung-Hoon expected him to. When he eavesdropped, it seemed that Ren was exining to the other party who Choi Jung-Hoon was.
Doing something unnecessary.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This could have been an asion where not revealing information about oneself might be for the better. In any case, he needed to resolve this situation to the best of his abilities and get out of this country, pronto.
Ha, hajime masite. Douzo yoroshiku!
It was then....
POW!!
The Japanese man making his greetings flew into the sky.
Ah. Ahhh.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With a pair of despairing eyes, Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk and his long leg stretched to where the Japanese man used to stand.
How dare he cuss at me, that stinking b*stard! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was not cussing, you crazy fool!!
Ask first before you kick someone!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
The atmosphere worsened in an instant, and the remaining Japanese men directed their hostility at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Of course they would do that, since they just witnessed one of their own fly into the sky like a balloon full of gas.
Oh, really now? Wanna have a go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk creaked and loosened his neck muscles, before loosening his hands, too.
Fine. Come, then. You dumba*ses. Let me exorcise myself a bit today! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Yup, it said exorcise in the raw, not exercise.)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Wait!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out as he plunged into the group of men in front.
For the Korean independence, manse!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Dont use that slogan in situations like this!!!
As always, Choi Jung-Hoons heart cried out in despair.
< 112. I would never grease my palms only, you know -2 > Fin.
(TL: Jjok-ppari is a derogatory Korean ng term used to call unruly Japanese men. And yes, it is a wee bit racist, I agree. However....)
(TL: ....Heres one of the reasons why that term came to be anyway C the slogan Korean independence, manse! (?? ?? ??) came about during the upation of Korea by the Japanese. Its a long story that I cant fully exin here, so if youre interested, you can google Korean independence movement as well as March 1st movement to get some of the perspective. The manse bit is Korean equivalent to hooray.)
Chapter 113: I would never grease my palms only, you know (3)
Chapter 113: I would never grease my palms only, you know (3)
Pow! m! Bam!
Before anyone could react, the bodies of the Japanese agents were being flung away like bullets fired from a gun.
Dead. They are all dead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If they were simply flung away, then they might have a high chance of surviving this ordeal, but judging from the fountain of blood rising up from their mouths, they should die from excessive blood loss, anyways.
However, this guy, somethings not right here.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk was violent, heckedmon sense, was way too rude, didnt like to think, and no one had any answers to....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spun his head around and red at Choi Jung-Hoon, all of a sudden.
Ouch, how the hell?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon flinched and hurriedly avoided meeting that gaze.
You there, I thought I heard some strange wordsing from you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a scary ability to read minds, that.
Did he install some kind of device to detect other people thinking bad things about him or something?
Hmm. Was I mistaken just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly as he walked forward.
In any case, it was obvious that Yi J-Hyukcked quite a few things, but if one took a long, hard look at his past behaviour, one wouldnt have seen him initiate hostilities first.
Indeed, he was exactly like the boss mob that appeared on a map, but he was definitely what youd call a safe mob that wouldnt attack you as long as you didnt disturb it first.
So, it was strange to see him get proactive over matters that would be considered minor at worst.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, calm down! Whats gotten into you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What do you mean, what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, they havent done anything wrong yet, so why are you going overboard like this? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a Hah! and cocked his head in an arrogant fashion before speaking his mind.
Because, I dont like these b*stards. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......................
Wowsers. Just how am I supposed to reply to that?
It was one of the most absurd, and at the same time, one of the most straight-forward answers out there. Choi Jung-Hoon didnt know where to even begin his retort.
W, why... Why dont you like these people, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began gleaming dangerously.
Does a Korean need a reason to not like the Japanese in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, there isnt a reason.
Sure, you dont need one. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly chided himself for almost nodding his head just now. What would happen if he fell for that nonsense logic of Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
However, why did that logic make sense to him?!
No! No, wait a minute!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In any case!! You mustnt! This will end up being a huge diplomatic incident!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear canal with his pinkie while talking in a nonchnt voice.
Its not my problem, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.................
Indeed, that is also true. After all, someone else will clean up after your mess.
But, still. Arent you being way too irresponsible... Ahh, he has been like this since the beginning, hasnt he? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon recalled just what kind of a person Yi Ji-Hyuk was, and spat out a lengthy groan. Now, he really had no answer.
....Do what you want. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Roger that~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
By this time, the Japanese riot police had finished figuring out what was going on here, and was busy rushing towards Yi Ji-Hyuk en masse.
Oh?
Seeing this spectacle, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
Originally, I try not to go against the officers of thew, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, now is an exception to that rule!
Why, you ask?
You honestly think that the rule ofw will still exist after that huge Gate over there opens up?
Im actually a bit suspicious, you know?
You dont have any answers when a monster on the same level as Oh-Sik emerges from a Gate. But, you see, the weakest monstering out from that one will be around Oh-Siks level. So, how will you even survive todays events? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So, theres no reason for me to hold back, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
m!
When he kicked the body bunker in front of him, a loud impact noise resounded out as several people flew away.
Ahaaaaaachk!!
And their screams sounded oh-so pure, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly while loosening his neck.
Ahh. I forgot that you are all just regr people. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I should be thinking about treating them differently from ability users, right?
But, what should I do? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Because, Im all for equal rights, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hed not discriminate your gender nor age!
The ck tentacles rapidly shooting out from Yi Ji-Hyuks hand easily pierced past the body bunkers.
Euh....
The riot police members witnessed the ck tentacles prate through their body bunkers and stop right in front of their faces while wiggling like snake tongues. Droplets of cold sweat streamed down their faces.
If those tentacles stabbed just a little bit further, they wouldve gained new breathing holes in their heads.
Hmm....
The tentacles were pulled back and with them, dozens of body bunkers were deposited in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
How much will I get if sell these to a scrapyard? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon replied with a defeated tone of voice.
Why would you sell them to a scrapyard? Why dont you sell them to the police or to De? You might make more money that way. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats not a bad idea, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
You know me. Ive got my morals, so Id never steal things from others. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Just how far apart is the distance between the definition of morals that you know and I know? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
....So, I should return these back, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pow!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked the body bunkers neatly piled up in front of him and they shot forward like arrows flying out from the bows.
Screams and loud cries resounded out next.
The members of the riot police copsed and began rolling on the ground after getting struck by the flying body bunkers.
Thats why, you shouldnt have attacked me in the first ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No matter who sees it, its you who started this thing, but since youre on our side, let me not say anything.
However, are you really on our side?
Wait. If I get technical here, then its them who tried to strong-arm us first. But, arent we way past the level of self defense at this point? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
It was then, the remaining riot police parted in the middle, and people kitted out in all sorts of clothing rushed out.
Ho-oh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned.
So, the real things finally appeared, eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ha-ah...........
Choi Jung-Hoon slowly lowered his face into his quivering hands.
Now I really dont know what to do anymore. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The Japanese ability users, who were getting ready to deal with the Gate, heard the disturbance unfolding this side and came to do something about this situation. Choi Jung-Hoon would not be able to reverse any damage caused the moment Yi Ji-Hyuk shed with them.
Stop!! (Ito Sana)
Was that Korean?
Choi Jung-Hoon raised his head back up. And he spotted Ito Sana running out from the crowd of Japanese ability users with a deathly-pale face.
She ran all the way in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk and while panting non-stop, she bowed her waist.
Im sorry! (Ito Sana)
Mm?
There mustve been some kind of a misunderstanding! Youvee to help us, after all! (Ito Sana)
Mmmm?
Id like to thank you foring all the way out here. The nation of Japan will not forget all the help that youll provide today. (Ito Sana)
Mmmmmmm?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in slight confusion.
No, hang on a minute. I just fought them cuz they were getting on my nerves.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, I shall punish those who irritated you. Who were they? (Ito Sana)
Would you look at this woman now?
....But, it was me who started this whole thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, theres just no way thats true! Theres no way someone who came all the way out here to help us would start trouble, you see! (Ito Sana)
Mmm?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with an unreadable expression on his face.
Is this woman a moron, or is she really, really smart? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon slowly shook his head.
Who knows. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, maybe he should push a little bit more?
I hit them cuz I wasnt feeling so nice, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its the fault of those that made you feel not nice. Who were they?! (Ito Sana)
....Why are you behaving like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk hase to lend! An! Aid! To us, so who would dare to?! (Ito Sana)
Hah?
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled wryly.
Would you look at how this little girl was reacting now?
What an adorable little kid she was.
I still wont help you, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I beg of you! (Ito Sana)
Ive rampaged around this much, cant you see? Dont you have any pride? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ito Sana bit her lower lip.
Of course she had her pride. Lots of it, as a matter of fact. But, she also knew that there were times where she had to put aside her pride, that was all.
If it means I get to save one more citizen, then I will discard my pride without hesitation. (Ito Sana)
...Wow. This here.... Cuz you sound so serious, Im kinda scared by you, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk retorted and turned around.
Lets go. I dont want to stay here anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, what about our ramen? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed Jeong Hae-Mins head and shook her around like a rattle.
Hey, you. How could you still be thinking of eating ramen in this kind of a situation?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop it! What can I do, when Im feeling really hungry?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And why would you even feel hunger?! Youre too tiny for that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im older than youuuu!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ha-ah, if only you werent a dang teleporter, Id have abandoned you somewhere already.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae tilted her head in confusion and raised her voice.
Cant you just open up a Gate and leave her there? (Affeldrichae)
....Hey, you. If you say that with a straight face, what am I supposed to retort to you with? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont understand. (Affeldrichae)
....Youll never understand. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as theining Yi Ji-Hyuk showed signs of leaving, Ito Sana grew very anxious and hurriedly jumped in front of him.
Are you really not going to help us? (Ito Sana)
Why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, weve already handed over what should be more than enoughpensation. (Ito Sana)
Yeah, you did. See, the thing is, I havent received a dime, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ito Sana shifted her confused nce over at Choi Jung-Hoon, but he quickly averted his gaze away.
Sorry. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....He did his best already.
What do you want from us? (Ito Sana)
I dont have any particr wants or needs, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, all I need is myputer, but that d*mn lizard woman stole it from me.
Wait, should I ask for a newputer, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Please, we beg of you! Help us! (Ito Sana)
Excuse me. I beg of you, so stop behaving like this. Please, I beg of you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N, no! You cant! (Ito Sana)
You see now? I beg of you but youre not willing to listen, yet you expect me to listen to you begging me? Do I look like a push-over to you?! Ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grumpily shouted out, and walked towards Jeong Hae-Min.
Lets go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, my ramen.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Imma hit you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe.
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the distant Gate.
Look at that thing! Theres no ramen, okay! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Uhm, the Gate is opening up. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ito Sana flinched grandly and turned her head to look.
Heok!!
Indeed, the massive Gate was opening up.
With a face full of curiosity, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared in the direction of the Gate. Just what kind of a monster would emerge from something that big?
*SFX for massive vibrations*
The Gate rippled like the surface of ake, before it opened and a fairly huge shadow slowly emerged from it.
Hoh?
That, havent I seen that thing lots of time before? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Those giant, bat-like wings!
The body of a reptile!
Sharp talons and sharp fangs!
The overall shape that looks like a flying lizard!
....Dragons? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They are Drakes!! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae shouted out loudly as if her pride had been wounded just now.
Same difference, innit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its not! How would you feel if I said that humans and monkeys are the same? (Affeldrichae)
....Well, that does make me feel a bit unhappy, true.
I dont like this subtle difference thing at all.
Anyways. One, two.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
From the Gate, many Drakes began flying out.
In his eyes, other than their ability to fly, Drakes werent much, so killing them shouldnt be too big of a problem.
However....
There was no way that those things would be the only monstersing out from such a huge Gate, now was there?
And sure enough....
The Gate began trembling like crazy.
Whats the matter with that thing?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young cried out in rm. She had been fighting against the Gates for the past five years, but this was her first time seeing one behave like that.
*SFX for a really loud roar*
From the inside of the Gate, a loud and turbid roar exploded out. Many people who heard that covered their ears and began copsing to the ground.
Was that Fear? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fear C a form of sonic attack, created from the purest form of an intangible aura called battle spirit, something that only those who had reached the apex of power could emit.
Even Oh-Sik could barely imitate it.
However, what Yi Ji-Hyuk heard just now was true, bona-fide Fear.
Eii~, theres no way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head slowly.
Even though there was a precedence, it still wouldnt make much sense. After all, Affeldrichae had to give up on her real appearance in order to cross over, didnt she?
Yi Ji-Hyuks thoughts proved to be only half-right.
The monster that revealed itself was definitely not a dragon.
However, it was also a Dragon at the same time.
....Well, it was a dead one.
A dragon with half of its bones showing in between the rotting flesh slowly walked out from the Gate with heavy, thunderous footsteps.
*SFX for rough, sharp scratching noises*
The undead Dragons huge body grazed against the edges of the Gate and issued screeching noises.
Uhm, well, Im really sorry, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk muttered out.
Something like thating out now is the same thing as destroying the games bnce, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if it was an undead, a Dragon was still a Dragon.
Just its body alone, it would be able to destroy a kingdom as if it was taking candy from a baby... No, lots of babies in one go.
Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body shuddered, before he promptly turned around.
Time to bounce, pronto. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Ito Sana)
I aint gonna get involved here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You want me to fight that thing?
Nope, dont wanna. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to leave, Ito Sana visibly paled and clung onto him desperately.
She knew it from taking one look. No one could stop that thing.
In other words, Yi Ji-Hyuk was her only hope.
P, please!! Do something! (Ito Sana)
Dear customer, my apologies but that things beyond my abilities. Please call again next time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What next time?! Were all about to be die! (Ito Sana)
Thats not my business, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
p!!
As they wasted time arguing back and forth, the undead Dragon spread open its massive wings and slowly rose up to the sky, apanied by the flock of Drakes.
Wow, it even remembers how to fly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And it was a mere zombie, too!
With things devolving to this point, there was no more reason to surround the Gate now, was there?
ROAR!!
The undead dragon rose up along with the powerful gust of wind and then, while pping its huge wings, began flying in a certain direction.
Well, its flying so nicely, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still flying in a direction, without altering its course....
Uhm, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah?
Choi Jung-Hoon awkwardly scratched his head as he spoke.
My apologies for saying this right now, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I told you, Im not helping them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, thats not what Im trying to say here.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon showed his smartphone to Yi Ji-Hyuk. And then, he drew a straight line on the map appearing within the phones screen.
Those things, most likely.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mmmm?!
Sooo, if they continue flying in that direction, then....
Mm, right. If they go there, then.... Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Stop going to my house as if its the most obvious thing in the world!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Screeeeeew this sh*t!!
Seouls over in that direction!!
Why is it Seoul again?!
You d*mn b*stards, did youther Seoul in gold and honey or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks angry inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spun around to look at the distancing zombie-fied Dragon and roared out at the top of his lungs.
Hey, you dumb sh*t!! Stop right there!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh?
Didnt I say something simr not too long ago?
Am I mistaken?
< 113. I would never grease my palms only, you know -3 > Fin.
Chapter 114: I would never grease my palms only, you know (4)
Chapter 114: I would never grease my palms only, you know (4)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes burned in madness as he red at the undead dragon rising up high into the sky.
How dare a dang corpse fly in the sky?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One should at least try to respect the basic rules! Every world has settings to uphold, after all! One might excuse an undead walking around, but flying is definitely a no-no!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Not only that!
Dragons or whatnot, if you lived your life and died, then you should stay dead! Why are you still walking around, refusing to stay dead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk roared at the top of his lungs, Affeldrichae nodded her head sagely next to him.
Definitely true. (Affeldrichae)
Follow thews of nature, I say!! Laws of nature! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a wonderful self-criticism. (Affeldrichae)
Huh?
What is this lizard woman even talking about?
Self-criticism? You mean, me?
Wait, those words make sense, dont they?
A human isnt supposed to live for over 1000 years, so..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Hey, that thing is one of your kin, so do something about it, will you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Miss Lizard Woman, no, Affeldrichae frowned in unhappiness.
If I said that a zombie and you are of the same species, how would you react, Mister Ji-Hyuk? (Affeldrichae)
Id probably say that the fool looks a lot worse for wear, thats what! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a shaking head*
It was wrong of him to expect a normal sort of response from her in the first ce.
In any case, do something! Theyre flying away! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is a difficult task for the current me, unfortunately. (Affeldrichae)
....But, arent you the Lord of the Dragons? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The current me is simply a human with the knowledge pool of the Lord. If I cant revert back to my original form, then I dont even have the qualifications to be referred to as the Lord. It is unfortunate, but true. (Affeldrichae)
The contents of her words could indeed qualify as unfortunate, but the way she said it didnt sound like that at all. She sounded as if she couldnt be bothered by the whole thing.
Completely useless. Useless, I tell ya! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah, seriously now....
So useless, like a coffee mix with its lid taken off!
Completely useless, like seriously, man! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Uh? What the hell? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk spotted an enormous amount of Mana gathering inside the undead dragons mouth.
Its not nning to quietly fly away, now is it? (Yi ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a Dragons Breath being fired*
The air around the Zombie Dragons maw froze, before a snow-white beam of light speared into the ground. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk had to shut his mouth and spectate that unfolding sight.
The Dragons Breath spread on the ground, freezing everything it touched C buildings and people alike.
ROOOOAAAAAR!!
As the Zombie Dragon flew past, the ground below was turned into and of ice. All the high-rising skyscrapers were soon covered in thickyers of snow.
....Godd*mn it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan. It didnt take a genius to figure out the fate of those people trapped within the buildings.
Even if he didnt want to care, even if he told himself that this was none of his business, seeing thousands of people die in a single breath still left behind a nasty, ufortable taste in his mouth.
Nasty, ufortable taste?
Who?
You mean, me? This Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Dont make meugh. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Only about three months ago, Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy murdering tens of millions of people in one go, so what was that feeling just now?
Ufortable?
What a funny notion that is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If all those dead people in Berafe heard this, then theyd be spinning in their graves like mad, thats for sure.
Hah. I almost ended up acting like a fake. Ugh, Im feeling nauseous. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was a mass murderer, a monster and a devil far worse than that dragon. In that case, he should never forget his position.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit as he red at the distancing Zombie Dragon.
Nevertheless, you messing around in my territory.... That wont do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, here aint it.
But you b*stard, you are flying towards it.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked to his side.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes!
I gotta bring that thing down, so get me its probable flight path. I want to know where it mightnd. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes! Already on it. There should be a calling in soon. Every resource, satellites, whatever, we can get our hands on is being utilised as we speak! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay. Seo Ah-Young! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
Teleport back home with Hae-Min and gather everyone you can find. You gotta set up a defense line before that thing shows up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, what am I supposed to do against a flying monster?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, in that case, go suck on your thumbs in a corner or something! Hell, if you get bored, you can even stand by the sidelines pping your hands, while chewing popcorn! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ill do my best. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young bit her lower lip.
She knew her task was an incredibly difficult one, but that didnt mean she should just stand on the sidelines and do nothing. Even if it was a single strand of straw, only those willing would be able to grasp it, after all. A miracle was a special privilege bestowed onto only those willing to make the first move.
More importantly, though, there was no way shed reply with Oh, sure, Ill do that after hearing those mocking words from Yi Ji-Hyuk!
A woman had her pride, too! So, she could not obviously say, I cant do it after he said all those things to her!
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around after hearing her answer, before sensing someone grabbing hold of his clothes.
And me? (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shut his mouth tight after spotting Doh Gah-Yun holding onto his sleeve.
You,e with me! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand, a jet-ck Gate opened up. And a massive ck hawk flew out from it before the creature unfurled its wings. Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped up on its back while calling out to the others.
Get on! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae and Doh Gah-Yun wordlessly climbed aboard the hawk. Not only them, but Choi Jung-Hoon, too!
Huh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared suspiciously at Choi Jung-Hoon. Thetter mans face reddened in embarrassment as he received Yi Ji-Hyuks questioning eyes.
....What is it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, wait, like.... What do you think youll aplish bying with us? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If I were to hand out orders, I gotta know whats going on, you know?! What now? Are you looking down on me because Im a regr person? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its not that Im looking down on you, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What can you do bying with us?
You nning to do a cheerleading dance at the back or something?
Didnt know you had a cheerleading background, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Wowsers. Just from your eyes alone, I can pretty much tell what youre thinking right now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Congrattions, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I say thank you, then?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon licked his lips and held tightly onto the back of the hawk.
If you fall off, youll die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive already survived several near-death experiences standing next to you, just so you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, I havent done anything, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lets stop wasting time and get going already! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood on the head of the hawk and called out.
Oh-Sik-ah!
Oh-Sik hurriedly ran and jumped up on the hawk as well.
Hold on tight. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ck hawk carrying everyone took to the skies. And then, with a frightening explosion of speed, began chasing after the Zombie Dragon.
Uwaaaaahhh?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was flung backwards by the explosive increase in speed, and he barely saved himself by grabbing onto the tail of the hawk at the veryst second.
W, waaaaaiiiit!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I told you to hold tight, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted without even taking a single look behind him.
Arent you supposed to at least pretend to look back?! What would you have done if I really fell off!!
Choi Jung-Hoon gritted his teeth and climbed up higher on the back of the hawk.
But, why were they flying so fast?
D*mn, its already so far away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd been only a short period of time, but the Zombie Dragon was already so far away that the naked eye could barely spot it in the distance. However, following the d*mn thing proved to be easy. Well, the ice-white frozen road on the ground showed them the way, after all.
Although it was convenient, if one thought about the number of people who died from that, then....
We must make sure that creature never sets foot in Korea. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Talking is cheap, let me tell ya! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted grumpily.
It seemed that this guy had no idea what kind of an existence a dragon was. Even if it was just a zombie, a dragon was still a dragon. If that monster possessed just half of its power when it was still alive, then itd be no different than a flying natural disaster.
Of course, that statement might sound like an exaggeration if it was in the past, but now, it was different. The Yi Ji-Hyuk of now would have a real hard time fighting that Zombie Dragon.
If he had enough Mana to support him, that rotting carcass of a reptile wouldve been taken care of in one go, but he no longer enjoyed that kind of luxury anymore.
This is dangerous. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, he was feeling the danger. He was also aware of the fact that this problem would only get worse.
Stronger monsters and creatures would no doubt make their entrances down the line, and the current him was not strong enough to defeat them. No, if he was facing off against monsters, then he might be able to do something and eke out a win.
But, what if a demon king, or the truly powerful beings from Berafe crossed over?
Didnt matter which side, theyd be filled with b*stards whod do anything to kick Yi Ji-Hyuks a*s, so of course he was rightly feeling the threat to his life.
If someone like Dioreh the First crossed over, Yi Ji-Hyuk would end up meeting Latrel less than one secondter.
Mana!! I need more Mana! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk was growing even more aware of his thirst towards Mana, he heard a calm voiceing from his side.
Nothing would change by trying to find something that isnt there. (Affeldrichae)
You think I dont know that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you know, then you should do something about it. (Affeldrichae)
Dont cry to me when I beat up your friend, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whos my friend?! How can youpare the Lord of Dragons to a lowly undead? (Affeldrichae)
Didnt you just say that you dont have the qualifications to be called the Lord anymore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why... How will you defeat that monster? (Affeldrichae)
Kkyah~. Would you listen to her expertly changing the topic? Dear Miss Lord is changing the topic~! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not true! (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth formed a wry grin.
So, how should he go about defeating that undead flying reptile?
Hah. Yeah, I wonder about that myself. This sure feels weird.
I havent worried abouting up with methods to defeat different species, so I dont even know where to even begin....
Well, its been 300 years already since thest time I thought about something like that, so....
After that point in time, all he had to do was simply destroy everything, and that would invariably solve pretty much all of his troubles, so until now, he didnt need to think too deeply about methods and whatnot, really.
A Zombie Dragon, eh. A zombie, an undead.... Whats an undeads weakness? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon shouted out.
....Dumba*s! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How dare you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spun around and kicked Choi Jung-Hoon, who had just managed to climb back up on the hawks back.
Uwaaahh?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon momentarily became airborne, before his iling arms somehow found something to grab hold onto.
But, why?! I was trying to say that an undead should be a dumba*s!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh. Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oops. I didnt know.
You shouldve exined it faster. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly turned around.
He thought he could hear Choi Jung-Hoon shout out something to him, but thanks to the howling wind, it was rather hard to tell what was being said. It did sound like he was mentioning some stuff about dogs and also about birds, though.
Was he trying to say to use Oh-Sik in this case?
Or, maybe that was not it?
Look! Over there! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae pointed towards a spot in the sky.
Finally, the back of the Zombie Dragon could be seen as a small speck in the distance.
Kyyyaaahhck!!
But at the same time, the flock of Drakes acting as the escort of the undead reptile began flying towards Yi Ji-Hyuks group.
Richae! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
Take care of them! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you entrust me with a task I can actually carry out, then I shall do so with all my being. (Affeldrichae)
But, they are simr to you, though! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive told you this before, havent I? By that logic, youre also a monkey, Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Imma seriously cook this d*mn lizard woman and eat her one day!!!
I get it, so do something about them! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive never imagined for once that a lifeform of Mana such as myself would be inconvenienced by this much. Really, being unable to recharge ones Mana is troublesome. (Affeldrichae)
If she could revert back to her true self, then she wouldnt need to rely on the ambient Mana, but on her Dragon Heart, instead. As she was currently, doing that was impossible.
Affeldrichae quickly chanted a spell.
....Chain Lightning! (Affeldrichae)
A lightning magic left her hand and flew towards the flock of Drakes. And the sparks of electricity danced in between the flying reptiles.
Did that work? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae shook her head.
No, it didnt. It wouldnt have worked anyway. (Affeldrichae)
Ha-ah, really useless, I tell ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Instead of doing this.... (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
Jump up. Ill support you. (Affeldrichae)
Ho-oh?
Now that I think about it, thats not a bad idea, is it?
Yi Ji-Hyuk could fly as well, but the flight spell ate up Mana like crazy, and the resulting speed wasnt all that fast. Using that magic to engage in an aerial dogfight with a flock of Drakes was the same thing as jumping in the river to kill himself.
However, if this lizard woman was going to assist him, then the story would certainly be different!
Yi Ji-Hyuk gave some orders to the hawk, and then jumped up high from the ck creatures back. At the same time, Affeldrichae created a tform made of air in the middle of empty sky. Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped on it, crouched like apressed spring, before shooting up super fast like a bullet.
He repeated this action a couple more times and arrived in the midst of the Drake flock. He then spread his arms wide open.
Thanks for the meal! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From Yi Ji-Hyuks body, countless ck tentacles rushed out and flew in all directions.
Kiiieeehk!!
With sharp screeching cries, the Drakes were swallowed up by the tentacles.
Well now, quietly be.... Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
sh!!
It was then, Drakes talons shed apart Yi Ji-Hyuks tentacles.
Hah?
Because he had to produce many, he couldnt create each one with a lot of Mana, but still, this would be the first time his tentacles were destroyed ever since his return to this world.
You implying that it wont get easy from now on, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled as he free-fell to the ground.
Not every one of them was free, but majority of the Drakes had tore their way out of his tentacles.
Hmm. So, now what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was here that Yi Ji-Hyuk heard urgent voices calling out to him.
What the hell!! You!! Youre falling!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, really? Who is?
Mm. Falling, eh. Falling....
That means someone is falling...
Oh, wait. Its me!
Yi Ji-Hyuk activated the flight magic and went up again.
< 114. I would never grease my palms only, you know -4 > Fin.
Chapter 115: I would never grease my palms only, you know (5)
Chapter 115: I would never grease my palms only, you know (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk flew up using the flight magic, and shouted at Affeldrichae.
Wheres my foothold, Miss Foothold Shuttle?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A shuttle? (Affeldrichae)
Tranteter, foothold first! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae quickly created a new tform and Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped on it before jumping up.
Kyyyahhck!!
As soon as spotting Yi Ji-Hyuk closing the distance from below, several Drakes began shooting mes out of their maws.
What the hell? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These b*stards... they can also shoot a Breath, too?
Well, uh....
I wouldnt have known that. They are trashy mobs, so why should I care?
I used to blow away Drakes with a flick of my hand in the past, so it didnt matter whether they knew how to shoot Breaths or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wrapped his body up with the ck tentacles and protected himself, but he still felt the heat through them.
Eeeek!! Hot!
He began gritting his teeth as the boiling-hot heat inundated him.
How can I be struggling this much against trashy mobs, and not even boss-level mobs?
How can this be? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became bloodshot in an instant.
So, you wanna have a go, is that it? Hah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jet-ck Mana rose up from Yi Ji-Hyuks body like ck smoke. He no longer cared about conserving his Mana and whatnot. That was not important anymore. Whats more important was the fact that his pride got hurt just now.
*SFX for mes erupting out*
The smoke erupted into ck mes and soon, two wings of mes formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders.
Choi Jung-Hoons fists tightened in anticipation as he witnessed this sight.
To be able to create wings like that, as expected of Yi Ji-Hyuk!
His personality might be the worst in history, but at least, his abilities were the best of what humanity had to offer! Without a doubt, those were fantastic-looking pair of wings.
Now, soar higher and higher into the heavens!
Lizard woman, foothold, nooooooow!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......Wait a second. He cant fly? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Then, why did he create those wings?
Hang on a minute.
Before I ask that.... He flew around without those wings in the first ce, didnt he?
So, why did he make those things now, then?
Is it just to look cool? Is that it?!
Seeing that weird smile on his face, my guess was correct, wasnt it?!
....Uhm, yeah, it does look cool, but... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, with his ck wings and all, stepped on the foothold and jumped up again. That sight of him bouncing around on the tforms was... How should one go about exining it...?
Its like.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hearing Choi Jung-Hoons words, even Doh Gah-Yun was nodding her head in agreement.
He shouldve be a hawk and soared into the sky, but....
But, it felt like he had be a chicken, instead.
Bouncing around while adorned with a pair of cool wings like that, something about Yi Ji-Hyuk looked pathetic and pitiful. And it was... rather unbing, too.
How mystifying. Really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was standing still, hed have looked absolutely amazing.
Meanwhile, the Breaths fired from the Drakes were concentrated on Yi Ji-Hyuks position.
Keuk!
Each individual shot wasnt threatening at all, but when they werebined like this, he could no longer dismiss them out of hand. With this much, wouldnt it be almost on the level of a young Dragon?
He busily pped, deflected and blocked away the Breaths using his tentacles and Shield magic, but even that eventually reached the breaking point.
Keuk!
A single Breath broke past his Shield and grazed past his leg. His skin cracked apart and burned where the attack kissed his skin.
If it was in the past, such a minor flesh wound would have healed up in less than a second, but the Yi Ji-Hyuk of now could no longer do that.
Grit.
Irritation began filling him up.
To waste his valuable time on these small fries!
Not only that, he was wounded, too?
The searing pain from the burns on his leg caused him to grit his teeth in anger.
Haaaaaaah!
ck mes intensified in both of his wings. The ck mes licked and bellowed in an ominous fashion as they flew towards the flock of Drakes.
The individual Breaths lost their might after encountering Yi Ji-Hyuks mes and dissipated.
*SFX for monsters roaring out in pain*
Struck by the hellish ck mes, Drakes cried out in anguish and fell helplessly to the ground. But, before they could hit the earth below, all the victims became nothing more than ash and scattered away in the winds.
Keuk!
He managed to kill dozens of Drakes in one go, but even then, there were still so many left that they blocked out the sun. And they were still firing their Breaths at him.
Euh!
Yi Ji-Hyuk was forced off course and missed the foothold, falling to the ground. He immediately activated the flight magic again, but the high-heat and the physical impacts continued to push Yi Ji-Hyuk back over and over again.
Euaaah!! This is p*ssing me off! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only they were standing on the ground; hed have annihted them all already!!
*
Not good. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun spoke up briefly and looked at Affeldrichae.
....Foothold. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Affeldrichae quietly studied her.
What could be the meaning behind this small humans words? If she created footholds, would this small human use those to join in the fray?
This little human would?
A human who would turn into ash from a single Breath?
Wuoong...
Affeldrichae didnt say anything and created a foothold in front of Doh Gah-Yun.
Thanks. (Doh Gah-Yun)
M, Miss Gah-Yun!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As soon as Gah-Yun stepped on the foothold, Choi Jung-Hoon cried out in rm.
Its too dangerous! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Be back soon. (Doh Gah-Yun)
She jumped up from the tform and rose up higher, and Affeldrichae continued to create new footholds for her to step on.
*SFX for Doh Gah-Yun jumping on the tforms*
Doh Gah-Yuns movements were unexpectedly swift and steady. Seeing her urate movements, Affeldrichae created the next foothold at a slight angle, and soon, Gah-Yun bounded off them and nimbly soared into the sky.
Shes like a jaguar. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing her move like that, Choi Jung-Hoon could only gasp out in a shocked bewilderment.
Since when did Doh Gah-Yun possess a movement ability like that? Her stealth and infiltration abilities were unquestionably top-notch, but she didnt have what youd call abat-rted ability at all.
But that Doh Gah-Yun he was looking at right now was definitely not the same Doh Gah-Yun of the past.
She bounced around the footholds ced at a seemingly-random spots and soared towards the opposite of where Yi Ji-Hyuk was in no time.
*SFX for monsters roaring*
Drakes immediately spotted Doh Gah-Yun and changed the direction of their Breaths towards her.
Not many of them did, but still, that was enough for Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You d*mn flying lizards! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seizing that small respite, Yi Ji-Hyuk spread open his ck wings and flew up in the air.
Meanwhile, Breaths rained down on him.
How dare you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes were now dyed in a deep crimson hue. His eyes were so bloodshot that he looked like hed start shedding tears of blood at any second now.
*SFX for a Drakes roar*
A lone Drake rushed towards Yi Ji-Hyuk with its maw wide open as if to swallow him up in one go.
Hah....
Even though he had lost his identity as a sovereign and his powers, how dare a trashy mob monster openly reveal its fangs at him?
He no longer cared about preserving his life or limbs. No, this was now the matter of his pride.
Several ck tentacles shot out from Yi Ji-Hyuk and violently stabbed into the body of the Drake.
*SFX for the Drake shrieking in pain*
The Drake, now suspended in mid-air like a puppet strung up with steel wires, roared out in pure agony.
Drain.
*SFX for the Drake being crushed*
From the inside of the Drakes body, noises of things twisting apart resounded out. And at the same time, Mana found inside the Drake traveled down the tentacles and entered Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mana high in purity flowed into him. Unfortunately, it barely scratched the surface. This little bit of Mana was not enough to make him feel sated at all.
Yi Ji-Hyuks avarice-filled eyes turned towards the rest of the Drakes.
The tentacles discarded the dead husk of the Drake and flew towards the rest of the flock. But, unlike before when he tried to swallow them up, these tentacles pierced and stabbed into the bodies of their victims.
Heup!
Using the tentacles that had sessfully pierced the Drakes as leverage, Yi Ji-Hyuk yanked himself into the Drake flock once more.
*SFX for Drakes roaring out*
As soon as he was within range, Drakes met him with their sharp fangs and talons.
Keuk!
He managed to evade the most of those, but a few talons still stabbed into his back. Yi Ji-Hyuk bit down on his teeth hard enough to nearly break them and flew forward as if he was rolling away.
*SFX for blood spray*
With a chilling noise, the flesh on his back split open and blood poured out.
That hurt.
Pain.
It f*cking hurts, seriously!
Been a while since I felt this kinda pain.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips, blood dripping out from them, quivered deeply.
Yeah, its been a while.
Its always been like this back in Berafe. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He may have possessed the body of an immortal, but that didnt save him from the agonies of pain. Living for a thousand-plus years, he had experienced and endured dozens of times the pain that others would have only felt once in their lives.
Wouldnt he have built up a resistance to pain by now, then?
Not even close.
A human would never get used to pain! Pain would always remain as pain, even if it was a thousand years, ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand yearster.
No, hang on a minute. Maybe one might be able to get used to pain, sure. But, Yi Ji-Hyuks unique case meant he would never be able to. Well, his mental state was refreshed over and over again, after all.
Instead of him getting used to pain, everyday was recurring nightmare of renewing pain and horrors.
Having felt the searing pain ripping through his body, a first in quite a while, it was like his reasoning had came back.
I will die at this rate.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, it wouldnt end merely with him getting wounded. It wouldnt end with him simply feeling the pain.
Hed really die if this continued.
And this revtion served to boil each and every cell in his body in pure rage. At the same time, ck Mana poured out from his right hand like twisting vines. That ck Mana began coagting right in front of him.
Euhaaahhhhh!!
As a price for pouring out too much Mana in one go, Yi Ji-Hyuks right arm began twisting up like the trunk of an ancient tree. This was the result of handling a massive amount of dark Mana that no human being should touch in the first ce.
However, he had no choice.
*SFX for bones breaking*
Along with the noise of his bones breaking, Yi Ji-Hyuks right arm bent and twisted at weird angles.
In the past, his limb wouldve returned to normal in the blink after breaking like that. But now, that didnt happen.
*SFX for noises of something grating against something else*
Now, his arm began righting itself very, very slowly, apanied by the agonisinglyboured and goosebumps-inducing grating noise. Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped looking at his right arm and focused on controlling his magic.
Stab!
It was then, a talon of the Drake broke past his Shield magic and prated into his lower belly.
Affeldrichae called out with an urgent expression on her face.
Mister Ji-Hyuk! (Affeldrichae)
The dark Mana began boiling even hotter inside Yi Ji-Hyuks body. He was getting ready to deploy another magic spell. However, by forcing his body to control that much dark Mana, he was elerating his deterioration.
The damage to his body wasnt important. No, the damage to his mind was C he not only no longer possessed the diamond-like imprable mental barrier, nor could his mind continuously refresh!
The ck magic would eat away at his humanity and slowly corrupt his flesh. That was why she tried to assist him, so that hed be able to solve this situation with his own body, but now....
You mustnt! (Affeldrichae)
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do as she was right now.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became even more bloodshot.
Too weak.
Way, way too weak. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He began guffawing uncontrobly at realising how weak he really was.
That is why!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The jet-ck Mana coagted and spun around viciously.
*SFX for Mana spinning around in the air*
Emitting a violent, wild roar, the ck Mana gradually grewrger andrger in size. And an evil, devil-like smile formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
....Im gonna devour you all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hed devour and devour some more. Hed continue to devour and grow bigger. Eventually, hed touch the threshold again.
That threshold.
So, until I get there, Ill just eat more and more and more, and then some more, am I right?
The ck Mana spread throughout the world. It acted like a ck veil shrouding the sky.
The bright middle-of-the-day sky was soon covered in descending darkness. The darkness spreading out with Yi Ji-Hyuk as the centre slowly spread out and swallowed up everything nearby.
W, what the hell is going on?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at this unfolding spectacle with fear in his voice.
He witnessed the darkness that undted like the surface of water suddenly appear in the middle of the sky, before proceeding to nket every single airborne Drake.
Only Affeldrichae knew what the identity of this magic was and her expression hardened in an instant.
For sure, this magic would be the most ideal one to cast in a situation like this one.
However....
It was as if a jet-ck moon had risen up in the middle of the day.
The ebony moon that had swallowed up all the Drakes reminded the onlookers of a giant doorway that sucked in the hapless victims and sent them to another world altogether.
J, just what the hell is that, and what is going on here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon bit down on his teeth.
*
Doh Gah-Yun quickly looked around her.
Footholds?
They were still there.
Which meant that the inside of this darkness was not cut off from the outside world.
However, why couldnt she see anything?
Fuu....
It was then when she heard a low groan of a person.
Yi Ji-Hyuk?
*SFX for mes erupting*
Suddenly, flickering mes erupted out and brightened this new world.
.....Ah.
The darkness that covered and blocked and blinded her ears and eyes was pulled away, and....
Doh Gah-Yuns legs gave out and she plopped down on the floating tform after she witnessed the artificial world Yi Ji-Hyuk had created.
This, this is?!
A sight so far removed from her scope of understanding was unfolding right before her eyes.
< 115. I would never grease my palms only, you know -5 > Fin.
Chapter 116: Your heart might stop beating, you see (1)
Chapter 116: Your heart might stop beating, you see (1)
Just what is going on here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon muttered to himself, which prompted Affeldrichae to answer his query in a helpful manner.
That space has been connected to a different world. (Affeldrichae)
Pardon?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Affeldrichae continued on with a deadpan face.
Mister Ji-Hyuks specialties are attack magic spells and the operation of Gates. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, is that so?
Attack, sure, I get that one....
Wait a second. Before that.... Magic spells?
Are you saying thats a magic spell?
What Yi Ji-Hyuk has been using until now wasnt some special ability but magic?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Instead of giving him answers, those words only served to increase the number of questions forming inside his head. Completely disregarding whether Choi Jung-Hoon was understanding her or not, Affeldrichae continued on with her exnations.
He has modified a Gate spell. In simpler terms, the entirety of that ck hole is inside of a Gate. (Affeldrichae)
They were currently riding on the giant ck hawk that was circling the outside of the ck moon. Choi Jung-Hoon was lying t on the back of the flying beast. He began tilting his head after hearing her.
So what if that was true?
If that was a Gate, then just like how he sent the NDF agents to another world, did he send those flying monsters away, too?
Did he expel the monsters to another world? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When he thought about it, that sounded like a rather effective method, did it not?
Not at all. Even though Mister Ji-Hyuks understanding of Gates has reached the pinnacle, itd still be difficult to expel such strong monsters that dont want to go there in the first ce. (Affeldrichae)
Then, what are you trying to tell me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hes bringing them here. (Affeldrichae)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hes summoning the creatures that cant exist in this world inside that enclosed space. (Affeldrichae)
What does that even mean..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon still couldnt understand it. He opened his eyes wider and stared at the ck moon, but failed to see anything.
What the hell? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a helpless groan.
*
What....? (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun dazedly stared at the unfolding spectacle before her eyes.
Without a doubt, she could legitimately im to be the most calm, level-headed individual in the NDF. But, after bearing witness to the events taking ce in here, it was now impossible to keep her calm anymore.
In the meantime, another Drake was being sucked in.
*SFX for bones and things being broken apart*
The poor Drake screamed out and thrashed around as its blood rained down.
Unfortunately for the monster, this new ck world was filled with grotesque creatures. And these abominable things proceeded to rip apart, tear up, drink and swallow every part of the Drake, right down to its bones.
The world was surrounded by smooth, in ck walls only for a brief moment. Soon, those abominable creatures began emerging one by one from the ck walls and this space was quickly overrun with them.
The walls were now entirely consisting of those frenzied creatures. And these walls were slowly closing in while devouring every Drake that got close.
*SFX for monsters roars*
Fangs and ws and overflowing acidic digestive juice proceeded to devour Drakes en masse.
The moment a Drake touched the wall, it was torn to shreds in less than one second and got devoured. It was like a helplessmb being thrown into a pack of starving demons.
*SFX for liquid raining down*
Rain of blood cascaded down from the sky.
Blood and bits of torn flesh fell andnded on the ground, and the creatures existing on that said ground drank and ate them, their roars getting louder and shriller than ever before.
Doh Gah-Yun began trembling like a leaf and hugged herself tightly.
If there was hell, would it resemble this ce?
The whole world was now seemingly filled up by demons and devils of all descriptions. And every living lifeform was nothing more than food for these abominable creatures. Including Doh Gah-Yun herself.
Buzz.
As if its magic charge had run out, the foothold carrying Doh Gah-Yun in mid-air dissipated. Her body began free-falling to the ground. She reached out to grab onto a nearby Drake, but her hands ended up grasping at the empty air.
Ah......
Her eyes were filled with the sight of the demonic creatures filling up the ground.
And they were roaring out in frenzy having discovered the falling human female.
The moment she fell in their midst, her body would be ripped into a thousand little pieces and end up inside the bellies of those demonic entities.
Death?
She heard that the moment one was about to die, one would see their life sh past before their eyes, but...
It mustve been a lie.
Doh Gah-Yun closed her eyes.
Fortunately for her, though, death didnte to visit her today.
Stop being so dramatic, will you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah....
Doh Gah-Yuns eyes shot open again.
She then spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk flying in the air while holding her by her waist.
Yi Ji-Hyuk....
You should at least try to add Mister or Nim, dont you think so? How dare a hatchling such as yourself speak to an elder without the proper honorifics? You might get beaten up at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Be better if you shut your mouth. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Itd be infinitely more preferable if this man kept his mouth shut.
Hed be so uncool whenever he opened his mouth.
However....
Doh Gah-Yun slightly averted her gaze.
Hah?
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw how she reacted and snorted loudly.
Still being overly dramatic, are you? Should I just let you fall, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But well, it was true that, because of this girl managing to attract the Drakes attention, he got to activate the spell without a hitch in the end. How many centuries had it been since hest received help from another human being?
Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a wry chuckle.
What a strange sensation he was feeling at the moment.
But, more importantly....
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze returned to the sky above.
There were still over half of the Drakes remaining, and they were busy flying around the sky. They werentnd-bounded monsters to begin with; he had to wait for those flying lizards to tire themselves out and fall down on their volition.
However, that would not do.
From Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth, a voice one might hear from the depths of hell leaked out.
Devour them all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Devour them, and leave nothing behind!
The demonic entities filling up this ck world roared out even louder as they greeted the ck Mana oozing out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body. At the same time, these creatures began pouring out from the walls in droves.
Kekeke.
Seeing this scene, Yi Ji-Hyuk began chortling breathlessly.
These demonic beings could not exist outside of this space. However, they were the most cruel, vicious and terrifying existences within this enclosed space, no question about it.
And Yi Ji-Hyuk was their king.
The king of the demonic entities and the ruler of this space.
Within this small space, Yi Ji-Hyuk was absolute sovereign and god.
Strands of ck Mana leaked out from Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes. His crimson lips were wet with blood, rapidly drying up.
A horrifying chill ran down Doh Gah-Yuns back.
Was this really Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Was this that Yi Ji-Hyuk, the one she had been observing for the past few months?
This man had to be someone else.
No, was it even correct to call him a man?
The devil.
He was the devil.
Now that she had witnessed his true colours, Doh Gah-Yun could only tremble in fear.
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Doh Gah-Yun trembling like a wet dog and bared his fangs.
Should I devour you, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Oii?
Would you look at this girlie? You dare to close your eyes?
Not only that, you squeeze them shut, too?
What the heck?! You think Id really devour you or something?!
And stop with that rolling your head back thingy!
Im not a vampire, you know!!
Hah, how ridiculous. Seriously now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a wry chuckle.
What was the matter with her?
The girl who never acted this way behaving in this fashion sure was a weird sight to behold.
Better open your eyes, or else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Doh Gah-Yuns eyelids cracked open a tiny bit.
You think Im gonna really eat you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Dont nod your head like that!
Do I look like a monster to your eyes, ah? Im a human!
You think Im a cannibal or something?!
There are plenty of tasty things out there, so why should I even think about eating people!? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk loudly licked his lips.
In the meantime, the demonic entities gathered and worked together to rise up like a singr, gigantic lifeform.
Just like the ants of the Amazon working together to create a huge structure, the demonic creatures became one and began devouring the Drakes like a giant Imoogi from the legends.
*SFX for Drakess roars*
Drakes cried out and flew around to evade, but too bad for them, the entire space was locked down and the demonic entities were pretty much everywhere.
Eventually, thest remaining Drake ended up in the stomach of the demonic creatures. Yi Ji-Hyuk and Doh Gah-Yun, and the still-unsatisfied demonic creatures remained in this space now.
*SFX for demonic entities screeching*
The frenzied, maddened screeches of the demonic entities reverberated throughout the ck space.
They were clearly the screeches of hunger.
Hmm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
Did these b*stards just drool while looking at me?
Wait a dang minute.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk silently took a look around, before nodding his head.
Yup, sure enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its not like my power to rule is as absolute as before, so....
The Bringer of Apocalypse who can rule millions with nothing but his re doesnt exist anymore, sure.
But, even then....
How dare some measly demonic entities.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hands out.
The end result is going to be the same, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is? (Gah-Yun)
Ah, hey you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke with a grin on his lips.
...I think itll be better for you to close your eyes again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........?
Your heart might stop beating altogether, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those words were the signal.
A tiny sphere of ck Mana coagting in front of Yi Ji-Hyuks hands began to boil, and then, it started spinning in a wild vortex.
Suck everything in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as he said those words, there was a sudden and undeniable shift in gravity.
Demonic entities that seemingly filled up every inch of this space began rising up as if they became weightless all of a sudden, and then, got rapidly sucked into the sphere of Mana.
*SFX for loud screeches*
As if knowing what kind of fate awaited for them if they got sucked in there, the demonic entities screeched and shrieked while digging into the ck walls with their fangs, ws and talons.
But those were ultimately meaningless actions.
Subjected to the power of gravity which could not be resisted, demonic entities were sucked into the sphere endlessly.
Their screams tore into the sky. Bits of flesh and liquid exploded andnded everywhere.
This was a spectacle of thousands, tens of thousands of starving demonic creatures being sucked into a single spot as they resisted desperately.
Where would anyone get to witness such a spectacle in their lifetime?
Doh Gah-Yun watched this scene unfold, her expressionpletely nk.
This was simply too destructive....
It was also too savage....
....And, deeply frightening.
It was as if the whole world was sucked into the sphere in front of Yi Ji-Hyuks hands.
And he was staring at this sight without a single hint of emotion visible on his face.
*SFX for a desperate screech*
Thest remaining demonic entity was finally sucked into the sphere. Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out with his left hand.
The ck sphere of Mana floated there, all shiny and the like, as if it sucking in all those demonic creatures was just a feverish nightmare and didnt actually happen.
This sphere suddenly dug underneath Yi Ji-Hyuks stretched left hand.
Heu-euph!
Right away, Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled and he spat out a massive amount of blood.
Kkeuk!
From every corner of Yi Ji-Hyuks body, skin expanded and deted as if there were countless small balls bouncing around inside. This went on for a while.
Godd*mn it, that f*cking hurts. Seriously, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk bitterlyined while ncing at his left arm, now looking normal and undamaged. He clenched his fist and unclenched it several times to make sure.
Hmm.....
Just from him sucking in the Mana, his wounds had all healed up in an instant. He wasnt trying to consciously do that, even.
This could only mean that my body ispletely used to the dark Mana, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If any normal human being epted even one thousandth of the amount of Mana flowing in Yi Ji-Hyuks body right now, they wouldve been killed by way of their bodies exploding into tiny little pieces.
Because his understanding of dark Mana had reached the true pinnacle, he was able to survive until now with only some minorplications to worry about.
Even then, the dark Mana was corrupting his body more and more, and his mind was also being gradually taken over.
If this continued, then in his final moments....
The true demon king would descend on this world.
....Wait a minute.
Arent I already a demon king?
In that case, it doesnt really matter, does it?
Dont you think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Gah-Yun)
No, no. I wasnt talking to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly regted his breaths.
He sensed Mana filling him up. Would this amount be enough, though?
Lets see, lets see.... Can I defeat a Dragon with this amount?
No, hang on. Its a bit short, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It seemed that devouring those Drakes werent enough. The demonic entities didnt possess Mana to begin with, so sucking them in didnt help out at all.
He only devoured them so he could collect the Mana of the Drakes present in them, but thanks to that, impurities were causing indigestion.
Ptooi.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat to the ground, and waved his hand around in the air once, cancelling the ck space. And so, sunlight began permeating the jet-ck space once more.
There! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk revealed himself, the ck hawk flew towards his location.
He lightly jumped onto the creature and put Doh Gah-Yun down.
Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae called out to him with a voice that was clearly on edge, but he simply shrugged his shoulders.
Lets argueter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now isnt the time to deal with you, but to deal with that flying lizard over there.
Oops, youre also a lizard, arent you?
Who cares. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Lets go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The hawk carrying Yi Ji-Hyuk began shooting across the ocean at a frightening speed.
Towards the tiny speck on the horizon that was no doubt the Zombie Dragon, a loud voice called out.
Hey, you!! You b*stard!! You better sto.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youve already said those words before. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, have I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, in that case.... Ill just chase after it, then.
....By the way, you really know how to dete a person, dont you?
Should I just flip out here for a bit? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
To the side, Choi Jung-Hoon was busy wiping away the cold sweat forming on his forehead for some reason.
< 116. Your heart might stop beating, you see -1 > Fin.
Chapter 117: Your heart might stop beating, you see (2)
Chapter 117: Your heart might stop beating, you see (2)
I said, hurry up with the instation!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs sharp voice whipped the NDF agents to move faster.
You d*mn witch.
There was no way anyones expressions would be good after being on the receiving end of Seo Ah-Youngs shouting. However, no one possessed enough courage to express dissatisfaction in front of her, either.
There had been situations simr to the current one in the past, and the number of fools who got roasted alive by her was too high to count.
Why did God give her peerless strength and a totally bat-sh*t insane temper at the same time? If one wanted the proof of there being no gods in this world, then shed be it.
Regardless of what other people were thinking of her, Seo Ah-Youngs heart remained urgent.
D*mn it.
Her smartphone was showing the current location of the Dragon, and it was gradually getting closer and closer.
Just how many satellites were being utilised to track its movements?
Even with all those satellites working at full capacity, it was still impossible to correctly predict the flight path of the monster. Which meant that the area they had to cover was just too big.
It was also physically not possible to blockade the coastline spanning from Uljin all the way up to Samcheok, but Seo Ah-Young had no choice but to do so.
Ah-wuuoooo....
Seo Ah-Young took a quick nce to her side, and spotted Jeong Hae-Min grabbing and massaging her head as shey on the ground like a puddle of water.
You worked hard. (Seo Ah-Young)
Honorifics! Wheres my honorifics! Im older than you! How many times must I tell you!? Listen to your unni properly, will you?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
If you still have energy left over, do you mind if you teleport a few more people around? (Seo Ah-Young)
Aoooo.... Im dying here.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young smirked after seeing Jeong Hae-Min rolling around on the ground. She knew that this womans reaction was not an exaggeration in the slightest, though. Perhaps better than anyone here.
The only reason the seemingly-impossible distribution of personnel had beenpleted in the first ce was all due to Jeong Hae-Min, after all.
Seo Ah-Young could only be grateful for the idol pushing her ability to the absolute brink to make it happen.
Ill buy you some tasty meat dishter. (Seo Ah-Young)
Really? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young ended upughing after seeing Jeong Hae-Mins reaction. She looked like shed have wagged her tail like a puppy if she had one.
Why is an idol so hung up on meat, anyway? (Seo Ah-Young)
You try being in this profession, okay? See if you can even find time to eat proper meals or not. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, is that so? Well, in that case, I guess you mustnt eat meat, then. (Seo Ah-Young)
....You think so? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min became depressed in an instant.
What an adorable unni she was.
If she thought about it in detail, then including Gah-Yun and Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, everyone surrounding Seo Ah-Young was all good looking men and women, not to mention having pleasant personalities as well.
She was the one with the worst temper and personality out of that lot, actually.
Also..........
Grit.
That d*mn abominable b*stard.
That b*stard who appeared out of nowhere to pour bucket loads of pepper powder, no, raw capsaicin into her life!
What was the stupid grim reaper doing?! Seriously now!
That Yi Ji-Hyuk..... Argh! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng?
....What was up with this idols reaction?
Why was Jeong Hae-Min wagging her tail again? Was it because Yi Ji-Hyuks name got mentioned?
What would his reaction be like, after finding out that he was now considered to be on the same level as meat dishes?
You like that a lot, huh? (Seo Ah-Young)
W, what did you say?! I like who?! What nonsense is this? Why would I?! Arent you a strange one?! Who do you think I am, to spout such random c**p at me?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....Meat, unni. I was talking about meat. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh? Meat? Uh, yeah, I, I like meat.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins face reddened considerably, and she looked oh-so adorable as a result. Seo Ah-Young chuckled softly to herself, before turning her head around to look at someone else.
Their ytime was over.
Are we finished with the preparations? (Seo Ah-Young)
Weve finished distributing the personnel ording to your instructions, maam. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom nodded his head at Seo Ah-Youngs question.
The only thing remaining now was to carefully close the defensive line after figuring out the flight path of the monster.
However.....
Seo Ah-Young recalled the sight of the Zombie Dragon as it began soaring into the sky.
Can we really stop that thing? (Seo Ah-Young)
She recalled that overwhelming,manding presence of the creature. Would she be able to confront that giant rotting lump of fear capable of freezing ones heart with one nce?
Was she mistaken when she thought that the creatures emerging from the Gates nowadays had exceeded what the humans were capable of dealing with?
What a cruel twist of fate this was, but only one person could be relied upon in a situation like this one.
If she were to get technical, then without that mans presence, the nation of Korea wouldve disappeared a long time ago, or at least, barely hanging on while other countries took it for a ride.
From the nations perspective, and also from her own personal perspective, that man was indeed their saviour, but....
Why didnt she feel grateful to him?
Why would she only get p*ssed off when thinking about him?
In any case, there was no one to believe in but Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Seo Ah-Young pulled out her phone and quickly scrolled through her contacts before making a call.
The ringtone could be heard next, and then....
C Uwaaaahhhh?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh, what the hell? Why is he shouting out as soon as answering the d*mn phone?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Seo Ah-Young)
C Captain?! Uwaahh!! You crazy b*stard?! I told you to stop!! Caaaaptain, help!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just what is going on there? (Seo Ah-Young)
C That, that crazy b*stard.... Ah! Ahhh! No, no, I didnt say crazy b*stard just now. Yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young slowly facepalmed.
Even under current situation, that man wouldnt let anything go by. Not even once!
Just brief me on the current situation, will you?! (Seo Ah-Young)
C Briefing? What briefing?! Why would you even need one when a crazy b*stard is doing crazy b*stard things? Hes just insane, thats all! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Click.
Seo Ah-Young didnt hesitate and ended the call right there. Even if she didnt, nothing useful wouldve emerged from the ensuing conversation anyways.
....Was that Ji-Hyuk? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....And why was this unni acting like this now?
Everyone having pleasant personalities, my foot. (Seo Ah-Young)
Nope, everyone around her was hopeless, that was what.
Mister Jae-Beom. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam!
We move ording to our initial ns. Do not forget to shift personnel around to match the flight path. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. Understood. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Seo Ah-Young shifted her anxious gaze towards the ocean.
...Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Whatever the case may have been, there was no one to believe in other than Yi Ji-Hyuk C although, he was precisely the sort of person no sane person should believe in at all.
*
No, waaaaaaaaaiiiiit!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cried out while holding on for dear life on the back of the ck hawk.
Why are you doing this? Why?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly dug his ear canal and answered back.
Oh, what should we do, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who told him toe along, anyway?
Yi Ji-Hyuk directed the hawk and they slipped past riiiight below the maw of the Zombie Dragon, missing by only a whisker.
Snap!! Kwahng!!
And from the spot they flew past a millisecond ago, the sound of the Zombie Dragon snapping shut its jaws could he heard. If they were tardy by even a heartbeat, then they would be sitting not-so-prettily inside the Dragons gut by now.
Hmm, its definitely slow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meanwhile, tears were constantly streaming down Choi Jung-Hoons face.
Nooo!! Why are you doing this?! Whhhhy?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt have any good reason, actually.
Buying time, trying to poke around to find a weakness.... Im doing this and that, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, do this and that alooooone! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for ws closing in rapidly*
Just as the hawk flew under the Zombie Dragons gut, ws even bigger than an adults body rapidly flew towards them.
Heot!
Yi Ji-Hyuk directed the hawk and the ws missed the group by a whisker!
Aigooo!! Im gonna die!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only click his tongue in annoyance while listening to Choi Jung-Hoons desperate pleas.
So why did someone who cant help out even bother to tag along in the first ce?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I send him away now?
Argh, never mind. If I did that, then an event of him noting back forever might ur. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk controlled the hawk and rose up higher, his thoughtsplicated and uncertain.
Ha-ah. What am I supposed to do here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From its head to tail, it must have been at least 100 metres in length. It may not have been an Ancient grade, but it had to be a Wyrm-grade at the least. The pure, raw physical strength emanating from its gigantic body was probably enough to blow a mountain away into pieces.
He tried to poke it here and there with this and that, but the result was C well, although it was half rotten, a Dragon was still a Dragon, through and through. A regr attack didnt even manage to scratch its scales.
Of course, there was this thing about Dragons possessing innately high resistance towards magic, so attack spells didnt work so well in the first ce, too.
Its only a measly undead, yet its this strong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He got to realise how nonsensically troublesome the lifeforms called Dragons could be once more. Of course, he knew that fact already. Still....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to his side and stared at Affeldrichae.
....Whats the matter? (Affeldrichae)
No, well. Mm.... I was wondering, like, such a rotting carcass of a Dragon is busy messing around, yet what is our dear ol Lord-nim doing at the moment? Stuff like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If we were back in Berafe, then a single breath from me wouldve blown away such an insignificant mob creature. (TL: Not Breath, but breathing.)
But, wouldnt it be you who will get blown away now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because Ive lost weight and slimmed down? (Affeldrichae)
What would a dang lizard know about losing weight and slimming down?
Ive got a ton to retort you with, but what would change by arguing with you now? Since Im the grown up here, I should act like one.
More importantly.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
This isnt the time for jokes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he failed to stop that thing here, then Seoul would really be half-destroyed very soon. If it was simply flying past the city, then fine, but if it decided to build a cosy little nest there, then the city called Seoul would be wiped off the map for good.
Of course, even it passing by would probably mean the city getting half destroyed anyways.
Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a long groan while looking down at the Zombie Dragon below him, as the dumb creature still moved its head around, searching for him.
Is the case where when I use it, its a dumb little f*cker, but when someone else uses it, its a big fraud, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whether it was a Zombie Dragon, or a Bone Dragon, they used to be a bit of amon sight seen in Yi Ji-Hyuks army once upon a time. However, they were both simrly useless pieces of garbage even back then.
In a world like Berafe where divine magic ruled, the boss-level undead monsters were nothing more than some side attractions for Priests who had attained levels around that of a Pope.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shed tears of blood after seeing his undead army get decimated by the spell Turn Undead flying in from left, right and centre. And since that day, he swore that hed never get involved with undeads ever again.
In order to live properly and prosperously in Berafe, one had to stay off stocks, gambling, and undeads.
What?
You asking if there are stock markets in Berafe?
....How should I know that? There probably is. Who cares.
Besides all that!
What am I supposed to do with this d*mn thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the Zombie Dragon and rested his chin on his arms.
Because of the monsters reaction time was slow, they were able to avoid getting hit by it until now, but the difference in power levels was just too great. He might be able to dodge its attacks, but in turn, he had no method to attack it.
And he couldnt think of anything his group could do that might damage the monster, either.
Even if he opened a Gate to the different dimension, when that big body rampaged around, then never mind the demonic entities, everything would be destroyed in seconds.
What should I do.... What should I do.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah?
Maybe we can do something to those wings? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah?
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan after taking one look at the tattered Dragon wings pping in the air.
One shouldve been able to figure it out by now after seeing all those holes in the wings as they pped around, shouldnt he?
Its not flying because of its wings. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its magic. Its flying through mag.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly pped his hands in the middle of his speech.
Ah! Thats right! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This dude, he can be of some use every now and then, no?
In any case, as long as I stop it from flying, wed be able to buy ourselves some time, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks hands quickly moved around the air.
Dispel!
Right away, Yi Ji-Hyuks hands glowed brightly, then the body of the Zombie Dragon also began glowing brightly for a moment or two.
Rooooar?!
And then, the giant body of the Zombie Dragon began plunging straight into the ocean below.
There you go! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A real Dragon wouldve done something in order to counter Dispel before it started flying, but the undead creature lost its ability to think properly after it got zombie-fied, so it forgot to do that.
Kaboom!!
Apanied by a massive noise of explosion, the Zombie Dragon crashed straight into the ocean below.
At the same time, a massive pir of water exploded upwards.
Thats it!! Yes! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cried out in excitement without even realising it.
Unfortunately for him, Yi Ji-Hyuks expression remained unimpressed.
Why are you celebrating? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Obviously, that wouldnt have damaged it in the slightest. Even if it was a zombie, it was still a Dragon, after all. Sure enough, the Dragons head peeked out from beneath the surface of the ocean and began shooting out that icy cold Breath.
*SFX for the Dragons Breath freezing the ocean*
As soon as the ice-cold Breath touched the surface of the ocean, the saltwater froze up in an instant.
Its good thing that its a dumb monster, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, that can prove to be the worst thing in the world sometimes.
Just like now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He had been pouring out attacks and tried to attract its attention, but despite all that, it was still resolutely carrying on with a singr purpose. The Zombie Dragon climbed onto the frozen ocean and began jogging on it. Well, that was just....
Hmm....
....If he couldnt stop it now, then Seoul would be history!
This wont do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In Seoul, both his mom, Park Seon-Duk, and his little sister, Yi Ye-Won, were there. They might have left the city already after the evacuation order had been issued, but there was always that off chance, wasnt there?
For now, I should really try to slow it down. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand began emitting a dark light, before a huge ck Gate appeared beneath the hawk.
Come out! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ROOAAARRR!!
Along with loud and spirited roars, familiar-looking creatures descended from the ck Gate.
Dae-mang? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Monsters with the Seal of Obedience poured out from the Gate and grabbed hold of the Zombie Dragon, trying to drag it down.
However, even though the Hydra and Dae-mang were biting down and tugging at it, the gigantic Dragon wasnt slowed down in the least and it continued to march towards Korea.
And eventually, the Dragons half-rotting eyes pped on the sight of the Korean ability users waiting for its arrival on the coastline.
Shuuuuuu.....
The biting, pale chill began gathering on the Dragons maws once more, and....
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began spewing out the proverbial mes.
Geeeeeet the hell out of the way!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Dragons icy Breath flew straight towards the KSF agents.
< 117. Your heart might stop beating, you see -2 > Fin.
Chapter 118: Your heart might stop beating, you see (3)
Chapter 118: Your heart might stop beating, you see (3)
Ah....
Seo Ah-Young let out a resigned gasp after seeing the pir of light flying rapidly in her general direction. That was the icy Breath the Dragon showed off back in Tokyo. The ray of chilling energy that managed to freeze a city in one go was currently headed straight towards her.
Resist it?
But, how?
Block that ursed ray of pure coldness with her measly little mes?
That was utterly impossible.
In that case, evade?
Knowing the range of the Breath, that too would be quite difficult.
Meaning, all she could do here was to wait quietly for death to arrive.
Gathering these ability users here after going through all that hard work turned out to be in vain. All for nothing.
Is this how....
Would the nation of Korea be able to....
No, could humanity even defend against this monster?
Seo Ah-Young began smiling weakly.
What meaning was there for her to worry about that now? She was going to die soon anyways.
However, she was unwilling to just close her eyes and wait for her death. No, even until thest moment, she would keep her eyes open and take everything in!
Funnily enough, though C what her wide open eyes took in wasnt her death, but the back of a familiar persons head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
Argh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk arrived in front of her by using Blink spell and began waving his hands around like a crazy person.
From the others perspective, he mustve looked like he was having a seizure, but right now, Yi Ji-Hyuk was urgently calcting a magic form.
OPEN UP!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his arms wider, a gigantic ck hole opened up right in front of him. And at the same time, another ck hole with the exact same size opened up just above that one.
Eat this!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The icy Breath got sucked into the ck Gate on the bottom and came out from the one on top. Just like that, the icy Breath was sent back to the Zombie Dragon.
Keureuk?
As a payment for not figuring out the situation quickly enough, the Zombie Dragon was struck by its own Breath.
*SFX for the Dragons roar*
A thunderous roar exploded out as the Dragon and the ocean around itpletely froze up.
The scene of the frozen ocean, and the Dragon standing on it while looking like an iceberg, was a strangely moving sight.
Hows that for a counter, you son of a b*tch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled out in tion.
He had perfectly calcted the angles for both the entry Gate and the exit Gate and sessfully reflected the Breath.
This was something only he could do even back in Berafe.
Affeldrichaes body shuddered after she witnessed the spectacle.
If pulling this feat off was as easy as it looked, then Gates wouldve be the greatest defensive magic spell in Berafe.
But, the matter of instantly calcting the volume of the attack and creating suitably-sized Gates to deal with it right away was an impossible feat even for the Dragons, the creatures often referred to as the originators of all forms of magic.
She found the human species to be surprisingly unfathomable.
At a nce, they seemed to be weak, pathetic, and useless, but....
Every now and then, a human like him would appear out of the blue. An existence capable of making Dragons that live for thousands, tens of thousands of years feel inadequate and low-rent inparison.
Humans only lived for a short time and therefore burned and flickered even brighter than anyone.
However, not only was this Yi Ji-Hyuk born with a supetive talent in wielding magic, he could also live for a really, really long time for some reason as well.
As a result, his talent far surpassed the realm of excellence and straight into ridiculous over-abundance, instead.
And thanks to that, even Dragons feared and stood in awe of his prowess in magic.
He was an existence that had climbed to the peak where no other creature, never mind another human being, could ever reach.
That was precisely the Bringer of Apocalypse.
His name was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If only he had the supply of necessary Mana.... (Affeldrichae)
He wouldnt even need the undying body at all.
If he could get himself another source of endless Mana as before, then Yi Ji-Hyuk would be able to climb back up to the level of being a god once more.
And no sentient creature alive would be able to stop him. The entirety of Berafe tried and eventually failed to do so.
Unfortunately for him, there was no Mana on Earth and therefore, he couldnt find such an evesting source even if he tried.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out with a voice that contained the feelings of how happy she was to see him, how thankful she was of him, and then, even irritation of seeing him!
Why are you so.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Shush.
Yi Ji-Hyuk covered Seo Ah-Youngs mouth.
Its not over yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, this wouldnt be end. No, it was merely the beginning.
The ice encasing the Dragon suddenly began cracking up loudly, and not too long afterwards, a thunderous roar containing the monsters pure rage resounded out to the world.
*SFX for a loud Dragon roar*
Blocks of ice flew away from the explosion as the Dragon raised its head up high and roared out yet another bout of Fear.
Kyyyyaaaahck! (Seo Ah-Young)
Even Seo Ah-Young screamed and fell as she desperately covered her ears. Several people even dropped dead from this single shot of Fear, too.
Hah.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk also felt an immense force m into him that nearly caused him to vomit blood out of his mouth.
Wowsers. That was no joke, wasnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He hadnt realised this until now, but after his no-longer-immortal body got struck by that shot of Fear, he definitely could appreciate the immense power of that attack.
The more he saw, and the more he experienced it, the existence called Dragons continued to prove themselves to be a bunch of horrifying creatures. That helped him to realise something else as well.
....Huh, I used to be someone pretty awesome back then, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I used to y around with real, still-alive Dragons, not some measly undead one, after all.
Ahhh, my dear past.
But, theres nothing I can do about that now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was Yi Ji-Hyuk himself who voluntarily threw that away and returned to Earth.
Did he throw that life away because he thought that hed not need such a power this side? If he knew this sort of events were happening on Earth, could he have willingly throw away that life?
....No.
The end result would have been the same, either way.
He wouldnt have been able to live like an undying stuffed animal on that side, after all.
Rather than staying frozen as the Bringer of Apocalypse possessing immense power that even his current self found impressive, hed choose to live on as a human who struggled to barely deal with a single Dragon, instead.
And the consequences of that decision was his to bear, no one elses.
Yi Ji-Hyuk signaled with his eyes, and therge ck hawk carrying Choi Jung-Hoon and the others quickly descended andnded next to him.
Get ready! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He shouted at Seo Ah-Young, who was still lying on the ground. She wiped the blood off her lips and resolutely nodded her head.
The Dragons icy Breath had utterly frozen the ocean.
Although fighting on top of the slippery, icy surface wasnt ideal, it was still way better than fighting on top of water!
Rip it to pieces!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At Yi Ji-Hyuks loud shout, both the Dae-Mang and the Hydra pounced on the Zombie Dragon.
*SFX for the Dae-Mangs and the Hydras roars*
After confirming the beginning of melee, he grabbed the back of Oh-Siks neck as the mini-Ogre remained prostate on the ground.
Whimper?
Oh-Siks two eyes grew extrarge.
Time to earn your keep! Work for your food, Oh-Sik-ah! Dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keureureuk?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk began pumping Mana into Oh-Siks body as he powerfully chucked the Ogre towards the Zombie Dragon.
Pah-aaahng!
Like a bullet fired from a gun, Oh-Sik flew towards the Dragon.
Earn your.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before he could finish his sentence, the Dragon snapped its head around and confirmed Oh-Sik flying in. Oh-Sik was gradually growingrger and he was in the midst of regaining his original appearance.
....And, the Dragon simply opened its mouth and swallowed that Oh-Sik up.
Eh?
...............
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at that sight with a dazed expression.
....I wasnt talking about that kinda food, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not caring whether Yi Ji-Hyuk stood there totally stupefied or not, the Zombie Dragon had truly swallowed up Oh-Sik in one go and was now in the middle of licking its lips.
O, Ohhhhh-Siiiiik-ahhhh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes trembled as if an earthquake was erupting underneath his feet.
Aigoo!! Oh-Sik-ah!! Oh-Sik-ahhhh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How could this be..... How is this even possible?!
I went through so much trouble to acquire that pet of mine, yet its taken away from me like this?!
You rotten b*stard!! Gimme back my Oh-Sik!!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh-Sik-ah!! Wait for me! This hyung will rescue you right now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rumble!!
Right away, the jet-ck Mana began to whip violently around Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
Dont use magic so recklessly! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes sharp voice dug into his ears; Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled as he replied.
Didnt you see my Oh-Sik getting eaten by that thing?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And have you ever seen an undead digest something before? (Affeldrichae)
Eh?
Now that he heard her, that sort of made sense. What would happen if a walking corpse swallowed down intact food?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Wait, so, does that mean itll be okay?
No, hang on a minute. Who knows what might happen?! Its too risky, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ill figure it out after I beat the living sh*t out of it first!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks rather straightforward deration, all Affeldrichae could do was to slowly shake her head.
It seemed that his brokenmon sense refused to be repaired, even now.
Mana oozing out from his right hand created a huge ck magic circle in the air.
Even if its an undead.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....It was still a Dragon.
So, he should respond in kind, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gleamed in icy coldness.
The current condition was ideal, too.
Go.
The ck magic circle Yi Ji-Hyuk created rose up high in the air, before flying straight towards the Zombie Dragon.
Wuuuooongg!!
The magic circle stopped just short of the Dragon and vibrated harshly, then it began sucking in the surrounding ice.
Seo Ah-Young kept her eyes wide open and stared at that spectacle. Things this guy did always surprised her. That was why she came to a realisation that all she had to do here was to simply observe. That was all.
In the meantime, the magic circle continued to suck in the surroundings ice.
*SFX for ice breaking apart*
Ice blocks cracked apart and broke into pieces as they got sucked into the magic circle, and soon enough, a rough shape began forming there.
A Golem. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae frowned slightly.
The metal giants that stood at the forefront of Yi Ji-Hyuks advancing army in the past. His nightmarish army and its soldiers that possessed overwhelming physical strength, yet also able to almostpletely resist against all magic types.
Just how many nations and Dragons fell helplessly in front of these metal giants in the past?
Those were some unpleasant memories to recall, indeed.
Eventually, an ice giant revealed itself to the world.
*SFX for grinding noise*
Its joints began rubbing against each other and issued loud screeching noises. An ice giant as tall as 30 metres high punched the side of the Zombie Dragons head, hard.
SLAM!!
The undead Dragon with a size rivalling a mountain momentarily became airborne and flew away from the impact.
Keuh!
Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling in excitement.
Yeah, thats right! This is how its supposed to be!
Woah, I feel so refreshed after that! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Trample on that thing! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ice giant jumped in the air, thennded straight down on the Dragon and began trampling on it.
*SFX for things and bones breaking*
The chest area of the Dragon caved in and ck blood exploded out from its mouth like a broken fountain.
There you go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was here that Choi Jung-Hoon sidled up closer and spoke to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
By the way...... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah?
If you step on that thing like that, what happens to Oh-Sik trapped inside? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began trembling once more.
A, aigooooo!! Oh-Sik-ahhhh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon could only click his tongue in disbelief.
Was this d*mn guy trying to save the Ogre, or trying to kill it? It wasnt as if he was going for Now that things havee down to this, Ill be the one to finish you off either.
Euhahhhhh! You d*mn rotting Dragon b*stard!! I shall avenge Oh-Siks sacrifice!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was you who did that, you crazy f*ck!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
*SFX for the Dragons roar*
Another shot of icy Breath left the Dragons maws and enveloped the ice giant.
You think covering something made up of ice with ice will work.... Eh? Huh?! Eeeeeh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ice can be frozen, too?
Hul....
What kinda situation is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The extreme coldness of the Breath caused the ice giants body to freeze solid and it began cracking apart.
Seriously, man. These things called Dragons, really now.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was why these things were able to hinder Yi Ji-Hyuk for a thousand years.
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised both of his hands and began constructing one more magic circle. In order to kill that Dragon, he needed something even bigger!
Keuk!
However, his arms fell and he crumpled down to his knees.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Affeldrichae)
Cough! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dark-red blood began spilling out endlessly from his nose and mouth.
Not enough!
He didnt have enough Mana.
He ate up that many Drakes, yet he simply did not have enough Mana. It was simply not enough!
Yi Ji-Hyuks trembling eyes shifted towards the Zombie Dragon.
He was on the brink.
He knew that a moment like this one woulde sooner orter, but to think, that moment would be today.
Without Mana, Yi Ji-Hyuk proved to be just a normal human being.
Come on. Think.
How do I overturn this situation..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
...The Gate? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began gleaming dangerously.
Affeldrichae! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
What were the things you need to open a Gate like that? You know, the one that keeps gettingrger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana crystals or artifacts. (Affeldrichae)
Thats right! Thats it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whichever it was, they would be made up Mana! Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head around and called for Seo Ah-Young.
Seo Ah-Young!!
Yes?
Dy that thing for a while! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul.
What did this mad fool say just now?!
You telling me to fight that thing?
That monster? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young beganughing in sheer bitterness.
Here she was, thinking that she made the right choice not to recklessly charge in, but now, was he telling her to do exactly that and kill herself while she was at it?
Impossible. (Seo Ah-Young)
Just for a little while! I wont take long! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, that little while is.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah. I shouldnt even bother.
Telling Yi Ji-Hyuk to do everything all by himself is just as crazy, isnt it. (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young pped her eyes on the spectacle of the ice giant trying its best to squash down on the Zombie Dragon as its body continued to crack apart, as well as the Dae-Mang tightly wrapping around the undeads torso, and finally, the Hydra desperately chomping down on the rotting flesh.
Shorty!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min hurriedly jogged towards Yi Ji-Hyuk from afar. He didnt even wait for her to offer her hand and simply rushed to her in order to scoop the girl up.
Lets go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T, to where?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
To Tokyo! Where the Gate was! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min and Yi Ji-Hyuk both went poof from the spot.
Seo Ah-Young quietly stared at the now-empty spot for a little while, before shifting her gaze away.
....Towards the other NDF agents and their dazed expressions.
....Can we do this? Dy the monster? (Seo Ah-Young)
..........
We can, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
...........
We can, surely. Probably.... (Seo Ah-Young)
What a rotten b*stard.
Seo Ah-Young shook her head in resignation.
< 118. Your heart might stop beating, you see -3 > Fin.
Chapter 119: Your heart might stop beating, you see (4)
Chapter 119: Your heart might stop beating, you see (4)
I said, keep as much distance as possible when fighting it!! You will die from just a little scratch!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out at the top of her lungs.
She wasnt exaggerating, though. Seriously, just a slight little graze could kill a human being. As a matter of fact, a human being would die from being grazed by an elephants leg. But the weight of that Zombie Dragon was iparably higher than any elephant found on this.
Hell, forget about a stupid elephant for a second. Because, one of its ws was already asrge as an elephant, anyway!
Rooooooar!!
Fighting against a rampaging undead Dragon proved to be truly hellish. Without the presence of Affeldrichae who lent her aid at crucial times, human ability users wouldve met with utter annihtion by now.
Just what could be that womans true identity?
If I knew this would happen, I shouldve acquired more information from the Americans.
No, wait a minute. I shouldve nagged Yi Ji-Hyuk more.
Yi Ji-Hyuk.... Right, Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Why arent you here yet?! You crazy as*hole!! (Seo Ah-Young)
We might all die at this rate!!
POW!!
Just a slight little punt from the Dragons front arm, and along with the noise of explosion, an ability user was sent flying away into the distance, far enough that naked eyes could no longer see the poor guy.
Instant death.
No need to even confirm that.
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth.
No matter how careful they were, casualties kept on piling up.
Just when are youing back, you b*stard?! (Seo Ah-Young)
What the hell, have you really lost your mind or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What an irritating voice that was, yet what a weing one, too!
Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ha-ah....
Yi Ji-Hyuk had reappeared on the battlefield along with Jeong Hae-Min before anyone had the chance to notice it. He began loosening his neck muscles.
Maybe I havent done enough educational training with you lot? How dare you spout random cussing at me, even though I havent left the spot for long?! Should I just, like, pah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young flinched slightly and hastily retreated away from him.
Argh, fine. Thats not whats important right now, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, the important thing was....
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly lifted his hand.
And on his palm, there was a pure-white gem-like item.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gleamed brightly.
Youre dead now, you piece of sh*t. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked while looking at the Mana crystal in his hand. It was a crystal with a very high purity. Something like this was difficult to find even back in Berafe.
In order to procure this....
Argh, those d*mn demon world b*stards.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was now pretty sure about the identity of the one behind the Gates opening up.
If it was in the past, hed have summoned every single demon king out there and start meting out some good old fashioned disciplinary action, but as he was now, all Yi Ji-Hyuk could do was to gnash his teeth in frustration.
No, hang on a minute. If he mouthed off too hastily and a demon king really did appear, hed get the holy hell beaten out of him, instead!
By the way, what is that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min asked him with a bright expression.
Its so pretty.... This gemstone. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Does this girl truly not understand the concept of the right ce and right time?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk made a loud disgruntled noise and kicked Jeong Hae-Min away.
Get lost! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With her butt getting kicked so rudely like that, the tearful Jeong Hae-Min red at him and shouted out loudly.
You just want to use me! Didnt you say you needed me?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thats how this cruel profession operates. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre a terrible man! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And youre noisy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young quickly began consoling Jeong Hae-Min.
Dont cry, unni. Thats why I told you to be careful around that guy. Especially a bum like him! (Seo Ah-Young)
Sob! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hey! Who the heck is a bum here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Seo Ah-Young hurriedly pretend to not notice a thing, Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth just a little.
You idiots arent the most urgent thing right now, so well seeter.
No, Oh-Siks far more urgent than you lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared hard at the Mana crystal, before throwing it inside his mouth.
Hul?!
The two females jaws nearly dropped to the ground after seeing that.
How could he try to swallow up such a pretty gemstone?! No, before that C would he even be able to swallow something that big in the first ce?
Woo, woooo-euph!
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly grasped his neck and began choking all on his own, before raising his head while tears poured out from his eyes.
Wow, I nearly died just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Please, somemon sense. Please.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
He also didnt want to eat this thing. Unfortunately, it was far more efficient to absorb a Mana crystal from the inside of ones body.
In the past, hed just use a knife to cut his skin up and shove it in there without giving a d*mn, since hed regenerate as good as new anyways. But he couldnt do that anymore, so that meant he had to swallow it.
However, if he tried to do this for the second time, his oesophagus might tear up for good!
All this was because of that d*mn walking corpse of a Dragon!
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at the monster before taking a deep breath.
Fuu-woo.
Right now, he had to absorb the crystal first.
Buzzz....
Soon, an unknown aura began gathering all around Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Boom!
Apanied by a weighty noise, the Mana crystal in his gut melted down and a powerful wave of Mana rapidly spread all over Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
Hmm.......
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a satisfied gasp.
The purity of the crystal was exceedingly high.
The pure Mana circted within his flesh and quickly settled down ording to Yi Ji-Hyuks control. Fierce, powerful beams of light escaped from his eyes as soon as he opened them.
Ah?!
Seo Ah-Young flinched, while Jeong Hae-Min was amazed by what they saw.
Hes now shooting mes from his eyes. (Seo Ah-Young)
Still doing some creepy things. Seriously. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why are their reactions so weird? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Having received a bit of mental sucker punch from the duo, Yi Ji-Hyuks head swivelled unhappily towards the Zombie Dragon.
The ice giants movement speed hadnt decreased by much as it tried to squash the Dragon to the best of its abilities; meanwhile, his other monsters desperately supported it from the side.
Hah, making me proud and all that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was the point of gathering hundreds of ability users?
They were all utterly useless in the end.
Yi Ji-Hyuk took another deep breath as he sensed the resonating Mana within his body. This was the first time since arriving back on Earth that he felt truly sated like this.
With this much....
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his arms up high in the sky.
Been a while, so should I do that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wuuoonnng!!
The ominous Mana oozed out from his outstretched hands and began to dye the sky darker and darker. The ck Mana then began coagting into a single solid sphere.
Fuu-euph.
At the same time, a current of ck Mana that at once resembled smoke and mes flowed out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body. This Mana flowed down to the ground before rising up and slowly got sucked into that solid sphere.
Wuuooonnnng!!
The sphere grewrger andrger as more of the ck Mana entered it.
Get away!
Affeldrichae shouted out in fright after seeing that.
How could he use that here?!
Pardon? (Seol Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young asked back,pletely unaware of the truth. Affeldrichae replied to her with a blunt tone of voice.
Step back if you dont want to die! (Affeldrichae)
....Everyone!! Everyone, step back!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Sensing something was terribly wrong, Seo Ah-Young issued an order to retreat, and the ability users hurriedly fell back.
No.
Affeldrichae shook her head.
Get away from him! (Affeldrichae)
Him?
Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Seo Ah-Young looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk and flinched again, before urgently shouting out, this time even louder than before.
Run in the other direction!! (Seo Ah-Young)
She sensed some sort of suction forceing from around his body. Seo Ah-Young was understandably freaked out by this, and so, she ran away while carrying Jeong Hae-Min like a sack of potatoes.
Just what on earth was this crazy buffoon trying to do now?!
Hmm~.
A soft hum escaped from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
Yeah, this is it.
Been a while. Been too long, actually.
The ck smoke poured out and wrapped around Yi Ji-Hyuk.
This smoke circted around him slowly, but eventually it spun around as fast a whirlpool while rising up and mmed into the ck sphere overhead.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!!
The ck Mana ceaselessly mmed into the sphere, causing it to expand at a rapid pace before it morphed into a huge cloud.
Indeed, it resembled a cloud C arge ck cloud.
The ck smoke pulsated and within it, ck lightning crackled and popped menacingly. And the ck mes were burning up.
The ancient darkness that threatened to swallow up all the light in the world was hiding within that cloud.
Beads of sweat formed on Affeldrichaes frowning forehead.
That was Yi Ji-Hyuks unique magic. Only he could use this spell in the entire world.
The ursed magic spell that annihted thebined might of Berafes armies of light in a single attack, had finally been unleashed in this world as well.
Of course, it was not as grand as the one performed by the Bringer of Apocalypse in his full power, but the mere fact that he was still able to perform that spell alone scared her greatly.
Ha-aaaaah....
A soft sigh of satisfaction left Yi Ji-Hyuks lips. It somehow sounded like the sigh of a devil leaking out from the depths of Hell.
He then looked at the ominous ck cloud in the air and grinned brightly.
Thats right!! This is it.
Im telling you, this is really it!
Get out of my way!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Hydra and Dae-Mang heard his roar and hurriedly ran away in fright.
Go diiiiiiieeeee!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks outstretched arms were yanked down, and.....
And the clouds of destruction rapidly descended on the Zombie Dragon.
Roooaaaarrr!!
The undead Dragon roared at the top of its lungs as it watched the ck cloud fall on top of it. There was no ce to run.
The Dragons emotions had been stripped away after it was turned into an undead, but it still mustve felt fear, because its roar was unusually shrill as it reverberated around the world.
And!
Just as the clouds of destruction swallowed up the Zombie Dragon...
*SFX for Mana crazily swirling around*
The Dragons body proved to be as weak as a piece of paper in front of the Mana violently circting, violently shing, and violently exploding within the clouds.
*SFX for bones breaking*
Its body began breaking apart, right down to its molecules.
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly shouted out when he saw what was happening.
Mister Ji-Hyuk!! Oh-Sik!! Oh-Siks still in there! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Oh-Sik?
Uwaaaaah?! O, Oh-Sik-ahhhhh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cried out in rm as he realised that he had forgotten about the pet Ogre.
N, nooooo!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He got too carried away after getting his hands on some real power! He had totally forgotten about his pet!!
Aigoo, my Oh-Sik.... What am I to do now....
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes opened up wider instantly.
There he is!
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the part of the Dragons body with his right hand, and suddenly, a ck Gate appeared there. He had actually created a warp Gate inside the gut of the Zombie Dragon that hadnt been affected by the clouds of destruction just yet.
The exit would be right next to him!
Another Gate appeared in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk, and right away, a huge creature with ck and red fur jumped out.
Roooaaar!!
The scary-looking monster angrily spat out an Earth-shaking roar.
Hah. Hey, you. People can make mistakes, you know. But, this hyung still managed to rescue you in time, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roooaaar!!
....You wanna die, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
Oh-Sik quickly lowered his tail and plopped down on the ground.
However, seeing that the Ogre still turned his back on Yi Ji-Hyuk, it must be sulking really hard right now.
What a cute little kid.
Yup, how adorable.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze away from Oh-Sik and towards the Dragon.
The clouds of destruction were like an avaricious demonic entity and they ripped into Dragon, devouring every little bit of the undead monster.
*SFX for things grinding down*
Along with the noise of a blender operating at full tilt, the Dragons body was utterly disintegrated into nothingness and scattered into the air. Not even a single bone was left behind.
Ha-ah.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk then reached out with his hand.
Drain!
All the remaining Mana in the air, as well as those that made up the ck clouds were sucked into Yi Ji-Hyuks body. He spat out a long sigh afterwards.
The only thing remaining was the icy white ocean, frozen as far as the eyes could see.
This was a toughie, thats for sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt even exaggerating on that one. Without that Mana crystal, the nation of Korea wouldve been destroyed for real.
....Is it over? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon asked him in a daze, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly nodded his head.
He then ced a hand on the back of Oh-Sik and sucked the Mana out to revert the Ogre back to the size of a puppy, before cing the sulky creature on his shoulder.
Oh-Sik turned his head away, but he didnt resist and quietly climbed on Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder.
Maaa~. Im telling you, it was an honest mistake. Well, Ill buy you meatter aspensation, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meat? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min reacted to his words, causing Yi Ji-Hyuks expression to crumple.
Argh, you just butt out of my business! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why?! Why! You use me when you need me for something, but when you dont need me, you are always mean to me!! A person shouldnt do that, you know!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
How foolish. Thats the existence of a shuttle in a nutshell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at the frozen ocean where the Dragon used to be with a pair of rueful eyes.
One false move, and he wouldve been dead for good today.
This cant go on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no guarantee that a stronger monster than the undead Dragon wouldnt appear in the future. In other words, it was now time to seriously think about a proper n of action.
Buy me meat!! Meat!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh,e on!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk angrily picked Jeong Hae-Min and chucked her away, before shaking his head in defeat and muttered out.
Argh, I dont know anymore. Fine, fine. Lets go eat meat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you were going to buy it anyway, why did you throw me just now?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
You are excluded!!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahhh?! But, why!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hah!! You.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly froze up in the middle of arguing with her.
Ng?
Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head.
What was he nning to say now?
Blergh!
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly keeled over and vomited out a fountain of blood.
K, kyyyahck?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Cough!
Yi Ji-Hyuk vomited out a ton of blood, before copsing on the ground with a thud.
Yi, Yi Ji-Hyuuuukkkkk!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min cried out and rushed in to hug him.
This....
As his consciousness faded into darkness, Yi Ji-Hyuk began thinking.
....Cant be good.
< 119. Your heart might stop beating, you see -4 > Fin.
Chapter 120: Your heart might stop beating, you see (5)
Chapter 120: Your heart might stop beating, you see (5)
Yet another life rushed at him to die.
Stab!
A rusted sword pierced his lower belly, severed his spine, and exited through his back.
Keu-euck.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached down to grab the sword sticking out from his belly. The sharp de cut into his skin and bit into his bones.
But, it was fine.
Because, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt die. Even if he wanted to, he couldnt.
So, hed not die just because of a measly sword wound.
You monster!!
He saw the pale face before him. Seeing those scared eyes trembling like that, a cold smirk formed on his face.
You were the one who stabbed me with a sword first, yet why are you scared of me?
*SFX for a sword sliding out of human flesh*
As the de was extracted from his body, a chilling and horrifying noise could be heard. With an emotionless face, Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed the swords hilt and swung it against the attackers neck.
Ssh!
The arteries were sliced open and blood gushed out like a fountain, dyeing the world crimson.
Another one died.
While carrying the bloodied greatsword, Yi Ji-Hyuk walked forward.
His eyes could see countless men and women rushing towards him.
A demon, a devil, a monster....
He was sick and tired of those names.
Wasnt there another title people could call him with, that might be able to pique his interest once more?
*SFX for arrows leaving the bows*
Along with the sessive twangs of bow strings being let loose, arrows utterly nketed the entire sky.
Those might hurt a bit....
Yi Ji-Hyuk slightly turned his head away and shielded his eyes as the countless arrows flew in.
*SFX for arrows piercing the body*
Chilling, gruesome noises entered his ears.
How unfortunate that those noises wereing from his body.
Ouch.
Yi Ji-Hyuk yanked out an arrow stuck in his mouth.
That hurts.
Yeah, that f*cking hurts....
The desperate assault went on and on.
Arrows flew in, mes from various magic spells burned his body, a long spear pierced his heart, and swords shed and cut his arms away.
Too bad....
What would all those actions change, anyway? He was someone who couldnt die. He shoved back the eyeball that nearly seeded in popping out of its socket and formed a disgusting smile.
So boring.
Boring.
This was too d*mn boring.
No, if he could actually feel boredom, then that wouldve been great. His mind continued to get refreshed. His old emotions were erased and a state of calmness was maintained constantly.
He didnt feel bored, nor did he get too angry.
He never got enraged, neither was he in a constant state of suffering, nor did he ever feel too lonely.
Nope, he was pretty rxed throughout his journeys.
If there were something interesting and fun about him maintaining such a calm state for centuries upon centuries, then that would be.... Him managing to stay sane even after all that time.
In the end, even this event would be nothing more that a small blip in his life that would pass by soon enough.
All that remained afterwards would be a slight ache here and there.
You deviiiil!!
Dieeee!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
Think what you want.
In this world where religion rules everything, Ive alreadye to ept the fact that Ill be called the devil simply because I look different from you lot.
You can call me whatever you feel like....
In the end, youd fight me and oppose me all you want, and then....
Youd curse me with your dying breaths.
Exactly like how things have been repeating ad nauseam until now.
With every step he took, arrows were automatically pushed out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body and fell to the ground.
Ah, ahhh....
Seeing him like that, despair and horror filled up the expressions of the attackers.
It was those eyes again.
Indeed, those d*mn eyes.
Just how could it be possible that all these disparate people looked at him with the exact same sort of expression at the end of their lives?
How tedious.
He was sick and tired of them.
Those d*mn eyes....
*
When Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his eyes, the world seemed to glisten in a golden hue. An endless span of gold, so unfathomably deep that it almost felt like he was being sucked in.
It was the golden world that feltfortable and at the same time, he also felt a faint homesickness from it.
Youre awake. (Affeldrichae)
Those were Affeldrichaes eyes.
It sure felt weird that the very first thing he saw as soon as opening his eyes happened to be her.
What happened back there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You copsed. (Affeldrichae)
I did? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, you did. (Affeldrichae)
Now that was something he hadnt experienced in a really, really long time.
The reason for him losing consciousness could only mean that his mind was in the process of breaking down. However, as far as mental fortitude was concerned, Yi Ji-Hyuk was pretty much at counterstop, so him cking out like that couldnt be a simple situation at all.
With his fixed state being undone, either his mental fortitude had weakened considerably, or it was likely that his mind had eroded to such an extent already.
Affeldrichae quietlybed his hair with her fingers.
Had she been stroking his hair until he opened his eyes? He kinda felt a wee bit ufortable by her thighs acting as a pillow under his head.
How long have I been out for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe a day? Somewhere around there. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm.....
For him to stay unconscious for that long.... It most likely meant that his body couldnt endure the overpowering dark magic and came close to breaking down right there and then.
Hmm....
If he continued to rely on dark magic as he had done so until now, then his brain would bepletely corrupted by it soon enough.
If his mind were to getpletely tainted by the dark magic, which was basically abination of everything negative and bad, hed no longer be a human being.
One would be even worse than the lowly zombies, but since this was Yi Ji-Hyuk, he wouldnt fall to the level of a walking corpse. Of course, hed end up bing a demonic entity or some such, instead.
Im already a demon king, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you know itll bepletely different, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
What do you mean, different....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The moment you fall and be a demonic entity, youd be apletely a different person. Youd have different thoughts and emotions even if you were looking at the same things. Your perceptions and values of all the things youve seen, and all the people youve met, would fundamentally undergo a transformation. (Affeldrichae)
Thats so troublesome. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In short, the personality called Yi Ji-Hyuk would cease to exist. And something else unknown would appear to rece the void. (Affeldrichae)
Wasnt that basically the same as death, then?
He already suspected something simr to this might happen to him, but having heard that straight from the Lord of Dragons, he was beginning to feel the harsh reality even in his bones.
The what-ifs had be undeniable fact and were swallowing Yi Ji-Hyuk up.
That is why you need to stop. (Affeldrichae)
Well, Id die anyways if the world was destroyed, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you still have a ce to return to. (Affeldrichae)
Return?
He did?
Well, that is one unfunny joke, you know.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Also, what a horrible way to curse someone, too!
Just how badly did I struggle to return to this world? Yet youre telling me to willingly go back there? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Youre still persistent, I see. (Affeldrichae)
Did you show up here to confirm that, Lord of the Dragons? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its Richae.
Hmm......
Id rather prefer the dang lizard woman, too. So, please dont call me the Lord. I am not it in this world. (Affeldrichae)
Nothing had changed, though.
Affeldrichae.
My sworn rival and a powerful foe who had stood in my way for over a thousand years.
The protector of Berafe who tried to stop me right until the end.
How hateful, and how despicable... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was here that Affeldrichaes slender fingers stroked his head again.
Did you sleep well? (Affeldrichae)
If you count cking out as sleeping, then sure. I slept real well. I feel really refreshed and light, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How fortuna.....
It was then, the door to Yi Ji-Hyuks room was suddenly flung open!
....te
Jeong Hae-Min, Seo Ah-Young, and Doh Gah-Yun were entering the room, but stood there utterly frozen after seeing the sight taking ce on Yi Ji-Hyuks bed.
Ah!
Uh.....
........
Wearing a loose-fitting nightgown, Affeldrichae was providing ap pillow to Yi Ji-Hyuk while stroking his hair, as the guy himself was nonchntly using her thighs as if it was the most perfectly sensible thing in the whole world, and being half-naked to boot.
Ah.....
Seo Ah-Young began fiercely massaging her temples as if a vicious migraine was assaulting her.
Just why....
Hah, that man ispletely, utterly beyond help, isnt he? (Seo Ah-Young)
What do you think youre doing?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out sharply, while sidling up next to Jeong Hae-Min in order to shield her eyes.
Unfortunately....
Ah?! Thats cold!! (Seo Ah-Young)
A piercing chill invaded Seo Ah-Youngs back without a warning. Kim Dah-Som had appeared behind her without anyone noticing it and was ring at the bed with a pair of deadly cold eyes.
What is up with her?! Did shee from the Winter Kingdom or something? How did she make the air as cold as this? (Seo Ah-Young)
Just as cold sweat drops formed on Seo Ah-Youngs back, the usually-quiet mouth of Doh Gah-Yun cracked open.
Before the deed? Or after? (Doh Gah-Yun)
W, what nonsense are you even talking about?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young cried out with a reddened face.
This girl didnt have any shame!
And besides, such a scene would normally result from....
They all look rxed, so.... Maybe, afterwards? (Seo Ah-Yong)
Hul?! What did I say out loud just now??
Wu, wuwuwu..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
The ominous vibration began reverberating from behind her back, so Seo Ah-Young freaked out and turned around to grasp Jeong Hae-Mins shoulders.
Unni!! Its not confirmed yet, so please calm d.... (Seo Ah-Young)
*SFX for Jeong Hae-Mins loud wailing*
The morning call had begun in earnest.
*
Hah....
Yi Ji-Hyuk was angrily sucking on his cigarette in the living room. And the female troupe had him surrounded from all sides.
Argh, what now?! What?! I havent done anything wrong! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk remained steadfast despite the odds.
He hadnt done anything wrong, so he didnt feel like humouring this kind of treatment at all.
No, wait C technically speaking, even if there was some kind of an ident, was there a reason for him to be cornered like this?
Why dont youe clean? (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh? With what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
By the way, why is she even here, busy nosing around in other peoples business?
And whats up with her expression?
Did a cockroach crawl by on the floor or something just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Come clean with the reason why she was in your room, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
What the hell? Is that a crime? Something like that can happen, cant it?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
What is this? There was once upon a time when dozens of women used to frequent my room, you know?
Of course, by women, I mean they were Subi or Demi Liches, so on and so forth....
Ah, now that I think back, Im kind of feeling depressed for some reason. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
What does that got to do with you, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His surprisingly logical counterpunch caused Seo Ah-Young to flinch.
Obviously, there was no reason for her to butt in here. What did it matter to her with whom Yi Ji-Hyuk chose to fool around with?
However....
Seo Ah-Young bit her lower lip after seeing Jeong Hae-Min and her still swollen eyes.
The shorty idol might be a fool, but she also happened to be a kind unni, as well.
Sure, she was a bit slow in the head, a bit shallow, and definitely didnt act her age, but....
I can hear you, you stupid girl!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hul? Really? (Seo Ah-Young)
Lately, she often found herself inadvertently voicing her inner thoughts for some reason.
Seo Ah-Young shook her head and continued to pressure Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I dont care about the rtionship between you two. However, as the department head of the NDF, I have the responsibility to know about things that might have a connection to your past! That is why, tell us what your rtionship with her is. (Seo Ah-Young)
You arent making any sense at all! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk resisted, but the female troupe remained even more dedicated than he was.
Whats your rtionship with her? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min threw him a straight one.
Curious. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun helped her along, too.
....The past isnt important. (Kim Dah-Som)
The stares of Doh Gah-Yun and Jeong Hae-Min shifted to Kim Dah-Som almost right away. She had regained her usual calm demeanor already, but her voice still sounded chilly.
The important thing is what will happen in the future. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hey, kiddo....
Please dont say those words with those kind of eyes. Please.
This unnis heart is weaker than it looks, you know. (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young wiped the cold sweat on her forehead.
Meanwhile, having been subjected to sharp res from all sides, Yi Ji-Hyuk began gradually shrinking back.
This is so weird. Whats going on here?
I have never encountered this sort of a situation before in my life. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The Yi Ji-Hyuks interpretation of in my life had quite a different meaning to other peoples in my life, of course. But thebined pressure of the female troupe was indeed quite mighty, as evidenced by Yi Ji-Hyuks shrinking body.
Affeldrichae had been quietly observing this sight from the side for a while, before eventually opening her mouth as her head tilted a little.
Why are you all attacking Mister Ji-Hyuk? (Affeldrichae)
Why does that woman keep on calling him Mister Ji-Hyuk?!
Trying to show off that youre close to him, is that it?! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Jeong Hae-Min lightly bit her lower lip.
Ah. I see. So thats what it was. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae nodded her head as if she had finally understood what was going on here, before she muttered something out that no one else had been expecting.
If its the matter concerning that, all of you should stop worrying about it. (Affeldrichae)
What do you mean?
Because..... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae smiled gently and carried on.
A woman whoys im to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk already exists, you see. (Affeldrichae)
EH? (Everyone)
Even Seo Ah-Youngs eyes grew extra round after hearing that unexpected revtion.
There was another woman?
Someone else?!
Just what was this lecherous b*stard doing in the past?
My rtionship with Mister Ji-Hyuk isnt what you think. If I were to be more specific, you could say that its the exact opposite, actually. If he regains his power, then.... Mm. It does not feel right to say that with my own mouth, regrettably. In any case, the person enjoying such a rtionship with Mister Ji-Hyuk is currently.... (Affeldrichae)
S, stop right there!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cried out as his entire body quivered.
Dont you dare say it!! Youre creeping me out here!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? But.... (Affeldrichae)
I said, stop it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae understood where he wasing from, but the other females didnt even disy a hint of understanding his plight.
Why do you stop in the middle of telling us?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
You see, theres this thing..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly opened his mouth with a crumpled expression etched on his face.
....Called trauma!! A trauma so severe, its branded forever in your soul!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And you lot are giving me a new one right now!!
Whatever!! All of you, get out!! I wanna rest! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You already rested for a whole day, though!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
I said, get the hell outta here! Get!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly got up from his spot and shook his head hard, before marching straight back into his room. It was here that everyones gazended on Affeldrichae.
Well, he told me not to speak about it anymore. So, excuse me. (Affeldrichae)
Even Affeldrichae left them and went upstairs to her private room. The remaining females began brooding over what she said, their expressions hard to read.
We gotta.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Come up.... (Doh Gah-Yun)
With a countermeasure. (Jeong Hae-Min)
As the three females gaze focused on Seo Ah-Young, she could only think wryly to herself.
Why me.... (Seo Ah-Young)
She couldnt find a way out from this.
Uh-whew.
< 120. Your heart might stop beating, you see -5 > Fin.
Chapter 121: A guy who’s not blessed can’t achieve anything (1)
Chapter 121: A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything (1)
Using the excuse of recuperating from his wounds, Yi Ji-Hyuk got himself a few days off. The first thing he did on the following morning was to switch on hisputer.
No, actually C he tried to do that.
....Arent you going to stop? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Affeldrichae)
You know, Im just wondering to myself here since youve been ying non-stop for so long, shouldnt you be dead tired by now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youve been ying sincest night until this morning, so dont you want to take a break or something?
Even I cant do what youre doing. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Im not feeling tired at all. (Affeldrichae)
But, of course you arent.
It wouldnt make sense if a Lord of all Dragons got tired from ying a handful of matches in a video game!
But you know as well as I do, that I wasnt really asking you about your fatigue! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Is it fun? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not doing this for the sake of having fun. Id like you to stop misunderstanding me! Im currently trying to decipher the human behavioural patterns as well as their thought process. This game happens to contain plenty of both! And so, I am diligently deciphering that. In other words, Im not having fun. As a matter of fact, I feel somewhat insulted by your insinuation that I derive enjoyment from ying a game invented by measly humans! (Affeldrichae)
....Im also a human, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Calling me measly?!
How dare this lizard woman!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ah. Thats right. Forgive me. My head knows that youre a human, but in all honesty, its hard to think of you as a human, Mister Ji-Hyuk. By the way, this person is supposed toe and lend his aid here, yet why isnt heing? I just cant understand a humans thought process at all. Its very hard for me to keep my cool when others cant seem to figure out something even a dolphin could. (Affeldrichae)
.........
Why dont you just be a pro gamer, instead?
Why dont you do it in moderation, ah? Youre just being too much here! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long, long sigh and left the room.
He took a quick shower and picked up his phone afterwards.
C Hello? Whats the matter? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Please get me a newputer. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I.... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. I may not look it, but I am acknowledged as one of the high-value individuals. Meaning, Im very busy at the moment. Do you even know what is happening right now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How much to you want for your troubles? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C 100? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Deal. So get me one, please. I might really die at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C ....Understood. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thatd been sorted out, somehow.
Pulling that lizard woman off hisputer was practically impossible now. Instead, getting another one would be far more advantageous for everyone involved.
Besides all that....
Whats wrong with the atmosphere of this house?
Its like, really depressing for some reason. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked to the living room, and saw his mother sitting on the couch, watching the television.
What are you doing, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk shifted her gaze towards her son and spoke, her expression a little grave.
Youre up, son? (mom)
Ng, mom. Gimme something to eat, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Food isnt important right now. Come and take a look at this. (mom)
How could there be a matter more important than food in this world?!
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze followed moms pointing finger andnded on the TV screen, currently showing the horrifying sight of a destroyed city.
Huh......
That sight of the Statue of Liberty with its side ripped apart sure sobered him up real fast. What a horrifying sight it was, with twisted and ckened steel beams jutting out every which way.
What happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A monster did that, my son. (mom)
Did they kill it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk shook her head.
No, son. (mom)
Mm....
So, they couldnt kill it yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, of course C if that Zombie Dragon had madendfall on the Korean penins when Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt around, a pure hell wouldve unfolded here, too. The nation of Korea wouldve fallen in less than a day.
Meanwhile, the TV screen was now showing the footage of several utterly destroyed cities. The images taken from the helicopter flying in the sky conveyed the scale of destruction quite clearly.
Thats way too much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk began frowning deeply.
It seemed that the monsters hit the cities as the evacuation was still ongoing. Most likely, the majority of the civilians living in those cities couldnt escape in time and....
The screen changed and showed Japan this time.
The sight of a city encased in ice.
The Zombie Dragon had been defeated already, but theyer of frost still remained even after a full day had passed by. The TV crew couldnt get any closer and had to shoot from a fair distance away.
What will we do? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk sighed out in helplessness.
Those werent the only reminders appearing on the TV screen.
There was the Eiffel Tower, now lying on the ground with its side gone; several cities Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt recognise,ying in smouldering ruins.
The reporters conveying these images too carried hardened expressions as they continued to exin the situation in a grave tone of voice.
So, its finally begun. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but think that the world was in some strange state of denial. That was the impression he got when he returned from Berafe.
Monsters were attacking everyday and people were dying in droves. Yet, life carried on as if it was business as usual.
Indeed it was true that various Gates had been defended against quite ably in the past, but he still thought the popce didnt seem to be too aware of the crisis they were in.
Sure, the government utilised whatever means they could, in order to lighten the public sentiment and made superstars out of ability users, and thus alleviated some of the mounting tension, but none of those wouldve worked unless the popce itself actively ignored the current reality.
This isnt a game, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, this was reality.
If a Gate no one could defend against opened up in front of your house tomorrow, everything woulde crashing down.
Humans had this tendency to ignore and deny certain matters they couldnt do something about within their own powers.
Even before these Gates started opening up, the world was full of nuclear arsenal, and those couldve easily wiped the human race off in a matter of minutes. But no one tried to resolve such a dangerous situation at all.
Its the same story with the Gates, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Humans would try to forget about it, since they couldnt fix it nor understand it. No, simply telling oneself that this had nothing to do with them would make life that much easier.
And so, the cruel reality everyone tried to avoid until now had be a sharp knife that began cutting into skin and stabbing ever deeper into ones flesh.
With this, everyone should realise it now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reality of Gates opening up was exactly like the de thrust below the popces neck.
If so, what would happen next?
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled a cigarette out and lit it up. The unhealthy smoke filled up his lungs.
He hadnt encountered a situation like this one, so he couldnt really make an educated guess, but he was still sure of one thing: there would be nothing more scarier than a mob of people facing a definite threat to their very existence.
Since there was tangible public order in this world, the expected fallout would not be as great, but it would not do to rx ones guard, either.
Well, it doesnt matter to me anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As long as he was not affected by it, he couldnt give a rats a*s.
Ji-Hyuk-ah. (mom)
Oh. Mom, dont worry about it. Im sure its nothing major. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, still.... (mom)
There wont be a big problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I do not think the same as you, son. (mom)
Its going to be fine, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, Im not fine at all. (mom)
....Eh?
Somethings a bit off about this conversation, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When he turned his head, he saw his mom ring at him with her brows arched up exactly like how Yi Ji-Hyuk would do.
Ahh. So thats where I got my brows from. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, shes definitely my mom for sure, then.
100% definitely sure....
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk felt the connections shared between the family members and wanted to express his admiration for it, Park Seon-Duks sharp voice dug harshly into his ears.
Who told you that you can smoke in the living room? (mom)
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk became speechless and quickly pulled the cigarette out from his mouth all the while searching for a ce to kill it.
Eh? But, theres none here....
Ive been generous and tried to be as understanding as possible when you continued to smoke in this era of non-smoking, yet you even dare to light one up in my living room?! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk realised that moms voice was getting progressively louder, so he wordlessly ran for the front exit.
You fool! (mom)
Ahhh, noooo!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
SLAP!!
His back received the moms palm strike, a first in a while, and his jaw nearly fell to the ground.
Was this how it felt like when a spine folds backwards?
Forget about some stupid magic, wouldnt it be quicker to actually learn this instead? Just one hit would be enough to defeat a demon king!
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to rub his painful back with one hand as he desperately ran towards the front door.
He must escape before another hit came at his way!
Stop, right this instant! (mom)
Ah-ahck?! Mom!! Just how old am I?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre being noisy!! (mom)
p!! SLAP!!
She grabbed the back of his neck with one hand, while her other onended several consecutive palm strikes on his back, causing Yi Ji-Hyuk to vomit the figurative blood out.
Not even those infamous assassins from Berafes Tamah Mountain possessed such skills!
Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow managed to open the door and escape outside, but he could only shudder in fear from the voice shouting at himing from inside the house.
He then muttered to himself.
The world isnt the problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope, it was his mom!
In the past, he used to click his tongue at those kings and emperors who were utterly powerless against their mothers and got whipped around. But now that he was in the same boat as them.... he had no qualifications to badmouth them at all!
This wasnt the issue of power!! Not even that!
Just because you had some power, what could you possibly do to your own mother with that?
Euh.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk squatted on the ground and tried to reach behind him. Too bad, his hands wouldnt reach that far!!
Oh-Sik had roughly surmised the current situation and hurriedly trotted closer, before tapping his owners back with his small front paw.
Keu-heuph. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik-ah.
My wonderful little Oh-Sik.
Its true C youre the only one I can rely on! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk now realised the true reason why a man would be enamoured with pet dogs as he grew older. And he tightly hugged Oh-Sik after he was ovee with emotions.
The fact that Oh-Sik pushed forward desperately with his two front legs against Yi Ji-Hyuks chest kind of ruined the moment, but this much was nothing, really.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered Oh-Sik back to the ground while feeling a bit touched as well as disappointed at the same time.
Mm?
Whimper, whimper....
Now that he was safely back on the ground, Oh-Sik began scratching his doggy bowl. It resembled more of a drum than an actual dog bowl, though!
If he wanted to, Oh-Sik could swim in it full of pet food, even.
Anyways....
What the hell. I bought you plenty of pet food, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Wait, you need more? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper.
Being on the receiving end of Oh-Siks puppy dog eyes attack, Yi Ji-Hyuk was beset with this suspicion where the pet food wasnt actually for the mini Ogres consumption, but for some other creature, instead.
What the heck. Are you actually running two households right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik then began avoiding meeting his gaze for some reason.
Uh-whew.....
Well, this was a tough world after all.
This was a world where one couldnt even get a date with a girl if one couldnt afford a handbag from a name brand, so it shouldnt be too different with dogs, too.
Ahh, wait. Oh-Sik... isnt a dog, is he?
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened one of the pet food bags piled up to the side of the yard and poured the contents into Oh-Siks bowl.
He resolved himself to buy the poor thing pork ribs or something when he came back hometer. Well, this little guy was a carnivore, so it wouldnt do to continue feeding him with pet food only, would it?
Watch the house, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
....He woofed.
With this, isnt he more or less a wonderful puppy now?
Sure, its all wonderful and all, but.... What is this... how should I say this.... Thisplicated, strange feeling.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk patted the head of Oh-Sik and spoke up.
Do you want me to change you back? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if it was for a short while?
Oh-Sik shook his head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was even more weirded out after realising that the Ogre was serious.
He didnt want to revert back to how he was? Or, did he simply give up?
Wait, now that I think about it, this guy and I are pretty much simr, arent we?
I mean, we both could have lived like kings, yet we end up living like this, our powers gone and all.
Isnt he just a bit too pitiful? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk resolved himself once more while looking at Oh-Sik. He then turned around and began retching all of a sudden.
He pressed his stomach with one hand, while the other covered his mouth.... He began dry coughing ratherboriously.
Woof?
Yi Ji-Hyuk retched and dry heaved for a while, before grasping something in his hand that came out of his mouth. He then tied this object on the dog cor attached to Oh-Siks neck.
Hey, Oh-Sik? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper?
Here is the Mana crystal, so if you sense danger or you think you gotta do something even when Im not around, swallow this. Then you should revert back to your original size. Theres just enough Mana left in it for that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper?!
There, there.
Oh-Siks eyes began trembling.
Wait a minute. This.... I saw where this thing came from, yet you want me to swallow this?!
What the hell is this sh*t? A new type of torture?
Just how far are you nning to torment me, you rotten owner of mine!! (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
There, there. No need to be moved that much, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Moved? What the hell are you even on about?! (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
There, there.
The misunderstanding between the two lifeforms was deepening quite identally.
Yi Ji-Hyuk patted the back of Oh-Sik, and got up to leave the front yard.
As soon as he opened the front gate and stepped outside, he felt the rather familiar presence nearby. He then spotted the blond head bobbing in and out of the top of the brick wall ever so slightly just over there.
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked there and asked aloud.
So, hey. I hope your hard work today has been incident-free so far, Miss Poltergeist of my front gate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Heh....
Kim Dah-Som peeked her head out.
< 121. A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything -1 > Fin.
Chapter 122: A guy who’s not blessed can’t achieve anything (2)
Chapter 122: A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything (2)
Youre here. (Kim Dah-Som)
Dont greet me as if its the most obvious thing to do in the world!!
You aint even my security guard, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head with a bit of mixed expression on his face.
Youre a littleter than usual today. (Kim Dah-Som)
.Uh, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And, stop checking the time, too!
Besides, I Todays my off day, so who cares if Imte or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Could it be possible that the person who knew the behavioural pattern of Yi Ji-Hyuk better than anyone happened to be none other than Kim Dah-Som?
After thinking up of this distinct possibility, Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body began shuddering involuntarily.
Its cold, isnt it? (Kim Dah-Som)
Now that he heard her, the weather did feel a bit chilly today.
Was it Winter already?
Mm?
Could this girl be waiting for me all this time in this weather? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
.How long have you been waiting for me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I only arrived just now. (Kim Dah-Som)
.Okay, then why are your cheeks all red and frozen? And I see your hands are stiff from the cold, too.
Just how long did this girl wait for me here? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He always had felt ufortable being around her, but seeing her continue acting like this, he ended up with a wee bit of sympathy for her. Just a tiny bit.
Here. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng?
Kim Dah-Som presented him with a small gift box.
I thought itd look good on you. (Kim Dah-Som)
.Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk awkwardly received her box.
Wait, hasnt she given me waaaay too much stuff already?
As a man, I shouldnt be receiving gifts all the time, though
But well, since shes giving me, who am I to refuse? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Rather than the consideration towards the dynamics of human rtionships, his pauper tendencies upied a far bigger slice of his mental capacity, it seemed.
So, Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly took the box and looked at it. It barely filled his palm. What could this be?
Uh, thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as he was about to stuff the box into his pocket, Kim Dah-Som shook her head and grasped Yi Ji-Hyuks hand.
Please open it now. (Kim Dah-Som)
What, now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Please. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneaked a nce at her eyes. And when he saw those determined eyes, he found it hard to mumble his way out of this one.
U, uh. Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What could this be? This strange sensation, where he felt small and powerless? Yi Ji-Hyuk cautiously opened the lid.
Uh.
Inside this little box, something he didnt quite expect was waiting for him.
Until now, he got stuff like a scarf, gloves, or things simr in nature, yet when his eyes pped on the metallic object in the box, he couldnt help but get a little bit flustered.
What the heck. What is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a ne. (Kim Dah-Som)
I didnt ask you because I didnt know that, you know!
No, I was asking, why a ne, all of a sudden?
Hmm. This, this is a bit more troublesome.
This is on a whole new level from a scarf or gloves, after all.
But then again, I even received a whole set of matching clothes from her, so to say I cant ept this now is a bit awkward, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I originally dont like. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thought that things like rings would get in the way of your work, so I chose this one. (Kim Dah-Som)
I thought that a bracelet might prove to be too cumbersome, so I asked oppa. He said that a ne should be the best choice overall. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Hyun, you fool! How dare you!
I shall cut your head off! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even still, this is a bit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Without saying a word, Kim Dah-Som gently stared back at him.
H, hm.
Indeed, it was gently.
Too gently, in fact.
Her focused, unwavering eyes caused cold sweat drops to form on Yi Ji-Hyuks forehead.
No, well, uh, I dont mind the others, but a ne is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som remained still and silent as she continued to stare at him.
Those eyes were just too.
Itd be better if you just shout at me or something!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop staring at me like that!!
I cant stop flinching because of you, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Argh, fine. I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the end, Yi Ji-Hyuk dered his defeat and spat out a lengthy groan.
Fine. Ill put it onter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was about to close the lid on the box, but Kim Dah-Som grasped his hand again.
..What, now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Why is she wasting time here like this?
Just what is the Korean government doing, ah?
You should hire this girl as your diplomat, you know?!
Who cares about some documents and whatnot, just get her to your diplomatic meetings and shed get you everything you need from the other side!!
Why cant they recognise talent like hers?
.Ah. This girls still a high school student, isnt she.? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
U, uh. Okay.
Again, with a mixed expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk picked up the ne and put it on.
Are you happy now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A bright smile formed on Kim Dah-Soms face as she nodded her head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk momentarily thought that she looked just a tiny little bit adorable right now, coughed to clear his throat, and turned his head away.
By the way, shouldnt you be in school today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was that?
That slight and nearly imperceptible shudder? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Isnt today a school day? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, hang on a minute. Of course it is!
Theres no mistaking it!
I mean, Ye-Won went to school this morning, after all!
So, howe this girl is standing outside my house at this time of the day, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
.You should at least do what youre supposed to, right? Dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk eminentlycked the qualifications to say such things, but it seemed that Kim Dah-Som still received a fair amount of damage just then.
The girl with a steely demeanour was flinching rather noticeably now.
You How do your grades look like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shake, shake.
Her blonde hair danced in the air ording to her shaking head.
.Well, sure thing. Even if you dont study, you probably can survive without a problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously, with her looks alone, she should be able to do all sorts of things.
If you be a celebrity, Im sure you could make as much as that shorty does, probably. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How preposterous!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to face that rebuttaling from somewhere behind him.
And why are you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kitted out in a white padded coat and a beret, Jeong Hae-Min replied to him while blowing her hot breath onto her frozen-stiff hands.
I was on my way to work, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.You poor little thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Finally, it seemed that her career as an idol was over. Her manager didnt even bother toe fetch her.
What stupid things are you thinking of now?! I gained weighttely, so Im taking a walk to get some extra exercise, you know!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Today, hed at least try not to damage her pride.
What the heck?! What is up with your expression? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its nothing. It mustve been hard to walk all this way with those short legs of yours. You worked hard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They are not short!! Its my height thats short! My legs are long for my body and as a result, they are of average lengths, Ill have you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly walked towards Jeong Hae-Min, and ced his leg next to hers.
The sight of her pelvis just barely reaching his thighs was rather pitiful, really.
Yup. Short legs. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stopppp it!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min angrily shoved him away.
Besides all that!! You think the world of celebrities is easy? Its not a ce where you get famous just because youve got a pretty face, you know! What can you possibly do with a kid who cant even talk properly in the first ce? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure. Your life as an unknown hopeful mustve been hard, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T, thats not it!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wu, wu.
When Jeong Hae-Min began revving her engine, Yi Ji-Hyuk tightly grasped her head with one hand and spoke.
You better stop. You shouldnt do that in the morning. Where are your manners? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M, mm.
Okay, time to go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tookrge strides and walked away. Jeong Hae-Min shot a meaningful nce at Kim Dah-Som, and hurriedly ran after him.
Kim Dah-Som watched them walk away with a slightly unhappy expression. When the duo could no longer be seen, she slowly extracted her phone out.
A map appeared on the screen, and then, a slow-moving dot formed in the middle of that map.
Kim Dah-Som stared at that slow-moving dot with a content expression, before putting her phone away and turned around to leave.
Her steps as she headed for the school seemed so airy and cheerful for some reason.
*
Oh. Youvee. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom greeted Yi Ji-Hyuk first as the youth entered the NDF offices.
But, I thought you were noting in today? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sat down in his usual spot and proceeded to switch on theputer.
Dont mind me. I just came here to y some games. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the frack?! Hey, you crazy as*hole! Whoes to work so he can yputer games?!
You think this is your living room or something?!
Cant you see other people working their butts off in here? (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Utterly not caring about Kim Jae-Beoms inner thoughts, Yi Ji-Hyuk booted the game up and connected online.
Choi Jung-Hoon quietly stared at that sight before spitting out a grand sigh.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes?
Since you were enjoying your day off, I didnt want to call you, but now that youre here, Id like to talk to you about some things. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mmm, nope. Next time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.Its urgent. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure. Im also urgent, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its really urgent, though.. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyebrow arched up ever so slightly.
This is whats wrong with the nation of Korea! Right here, this thing!! What the heck. Its my off day, so you should let me take a break in peace! Yet, you keep hounding me with phone calls, trying to make me work and whatnot, which means I cant even get a proper rest and stuff! Seriously, there will always be urgent matters!! But, if you keep calling for me everytime something urgent happens, just when am I supposed to take a break?! Ahh?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, dont show up at work, you cra.. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Vice Captain!! Youre thinking out loud again!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Ah!
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly assumed an awkward smile.
You cra what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah!! Look! They areing to gank you! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Where?! Where?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Jae-Beom couldnt help but express his admiration at Choi Jung-Hoons ability to easily divert Yi Ji-Hyuks attention away.
As expected of the lone Yi Ji-Hyuk controller in the world.
In any case. It is a serious matter. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm.
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned against the chair and pulled out from the spot.
Mm?
Sub for me for a sec. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Jae-Beom brought his chair closer and upied Yi Ji-Hyuks spot. The youth then stood up.
Why dont we chat while taking a smoke break? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Click.
Choi Jung-Hoon lit the cigarette up with his lighter and Yi Ji-Hyuk breathed in the unhealthy smoke.
Hmm
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly breathed out the smoke and raised his head to look at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Okay, so. Whats going on? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Weve received requests for assistance. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
From who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon scratched his cheeks as if he was feeling rather troubled at the moment.
For now, from the States, France, as well as Turkey. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, they are all bigshots, arent they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, they are. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The events unfolding there were so serious that these bigshot nations couldnt deal with them and had to ask for assistance from Korea.
How bad is the pressureing from them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its really bad. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Which one is the worst? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon replied with a collected voice.
Itd have to be the USA. They are even showing signs of mobilising their military against us if we dont help them out immediately. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They should just use that military to kill the monster, instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know that it doesnt really work that way. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm..
Of course, he knew that already.
There were ability users that could ably kill a monster that an army of a million soldiers couldnt handle, but on the flip side, those same ability users would not be able to win against a traditional army.
This strange bnce continued to exist and prevented a huge confrontation from taking ce, but after Yi Ji-Hyuk made his appearance, that bnce was teetering rather dangerously now.
The bnce between monsters and the ability users was now broken..
And the bnce between the ability users and regr people had broken down as well.
One would have to wait and see just what sort of ramification that breaking down of bnce meant for everyone, but without a doubt, it wouldnt be good news at all.
So, what will you do? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If it was a month ago, hed dere his unwillingness to go and help while throwing a mighty temper tantrum, but recently, Yi Ji-Hyuk had been resolving these situations one way or the other.
While pretending to be not interested and all, to boot.
Did he suddenly develop a sense of justice or something? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.This Yi Ji-Hyuk did?
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt help but chuckle in disbelief, even though he was the one who came up with the notion in the first ce.
This type of a guy would never make a move out of some misced sense of justice. No, he probably did possess a tiny little speck of righteousness somewhere in his heart.
Itd be on the level of solving those situations where people were dying right in front of his eyes by an event that he could easily take care of with his own powers.
Regardless of whether you were a good person or an evil one, youd at least run towards the waters edge after spotting a drowning child, after all.
However, expecting more than that would be an exercise in futility.
Choi Jung-Hoon shouldnt even get his hopes up here.
Besides, there was no guarantee that Yi Ji-Hyuk having a sense of justice, righteousness, would be seen as important to those people, anyways.
For now, well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
.Keep an eye out on whats happening. For now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm. Are you trying to make them sweat for a bit longer? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Tell them to offer up everything they can, and then some. Im sure you know what to do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As long as I can use your name. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You have a free reign on that front. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger that. I understand. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and turned around to leave.
Lets go back inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon watched the dying cigarette butt fly in the air and followed after Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now that I think about it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What an interesting turn of events this was, where the nation of Korea who was always on the receiving end of harsh, unreasonable demands was now being inundated with desperate appeals for assistance instead.
Its all because of this guy. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just one guy had transformed a countrys international profile.
This would have been unimaginable in the old world.
It was as if this lone man had stepped into the spotlight where even the most powerful corporations in the world or politicians with enough clout to shift the directions of several nations could not manage to upy.
It was to the extent that the voices of all those requestsing through both the official and unofficial channels were rather polite in tone now.
What an interesting turn of events, indeed. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, its nothing important. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon grinned brightly and followed after Yi Ji-Hyuk.
< 122. A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything -2 > Fin.
Chapter 123: A guy who’s not blessed can’t achieve anything (3)
Chapter 123: A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything (3)
Have we received an answer from them yet? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren looked terrible from the dried sweat and ash from his cigars dirtying his face. He was in an utterly pitiful state as if his previous clean and confident appearance was nothing but a lie.
However, he didnt even have the leeway to maintain the basic hygiene at the moment.
The United States of America boasted such a vastndmass, yet several of its cities were lying in smouldering ruins right now.
Godd*mn it. (Christopher McLaren)
Americas proud and superior ability users and her military, the best in the world, proved to bepletely useless. They somehow managed to get themselves out of the X1 incident, but there was nothing they could do for this one.
They even resorted to deploying a tactical nuke on the monster as it roamed the desert, but then, the d*mn thing simply devoured the nuclear bomb and continued to march Northward.
There was only one way to resolve this situation.
And its name was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The peerless ability user who defeated that nonsensically huge dragon with a single attack.
The strongest ability user in human history, exceeding the danger level S and bing the first-ever to be crowned X.
Send another request to Korea through the diplomatic channel one more time. If that doesnt work, then tell the Mister President to seriously consider paying a state visit to Korea. (Christopher McLaren)
However, that is.... (adjutant)
Worry about your reputation and honour only after making sure that you still have a country to defend! (Christopher McLaren)
M, mmm....
What cruelly realistic words they were.
....For America to yield first.
Had something simr to that happened in the past 100 years?
Our citizens take the priority. Presidents will change. And our honour can be restored at ater time. However, if there are no citizens left, then there will be no country. (Christopher McLaren)
....Yes, sir.
Even now, the popce was in a mad rush to escape to Canada. But if the situation worsened even further, who knew what else might happen?
Secure Yi Ji-Hyuk! And do it fast!! (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, surely there are things that needs to take its natural course?
You dimwit! What will you do, if France manages to spirit him away first?! (Christopher McLaren)
Why would our ally do something like that, sir?
Christopher grasped his head.
Suddenly, he was ovee with a strong urge to shove a massive amount of glucose down the throat of his adjutant so the boys brain might function better. (TL: Yep, glucose bit is actually from the raw. I double checked to make sure....)
Forget about the past rtions! With the current situation in this state, the worlds order will soon change! That d*mn tiny-a*s East Asian country now holds the fate of the entire in its hands! Dont you get that? (Christopher McLaren)
........
But, could it be really like that?
A rtionship is divided between the side who needs something, and the other who doesnt. I hope you are not suggesting that we hold an advantage when its us who needs something? (Christopher McLaren)
No, sir.
The adjutant could not disagree at all.
Then, move your a*s! Do whatever it takes to bring him here! If you dont, you and I will be out of a job soon! No, scratch that, our organisation itself will cease to exist altogether! (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir! Ill keep that in mind!
Ill also make a move, so get started right away. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren watched his adjutant leave his office as he picked up the phone. This wasnt the time to worry about saving face and c**p like that.
....Simr events were unfolding in several countries at the same time.
Thanks to that, the diplomatic channel of Korea was met with an unprecedented boom for the first time in its history. Those in charge of receiving the calls felt like they were dying from overwork, while those managing them realised that they simply couldntugh this one off, either.
*
So? What did he say? (Minister)
....Apparently, he has left for home, sir.
What?! (Minister)
Koreas Minister of Foreign Affairs facepalmed, hard.
He went home? Home?! When the situation is this bad?! (Minister)
Well, we dont have any method of stopping him, Minister.
How can you even say that! Does he not draw his livelihood from the government?! So, how does it make any sort of sense that we cant control him at all?! (Minister)
If you know so much, why dont you do it yourself, then?
The secretary did his best to suppress those words from jumping out of his mouth.
How can we control someone who doesnt want anything, sir? If we threaten him with a dismissal, hed jump up and down in delight. He doesnt want money, and he already has a lot to y around with already. Influence? Apparently, hes not even remotely interested.
What about woman, then? (Minister)
Would you like to take a look at this, sir?
The Minister finished reading the detailed records of all the women surrounding Yi Ji-Hyuk and put the documents down, before roaring at the top of his lungs.
Then what? Are you saying there is nothing we can do?! The international pressure is mounting on us with every passing second. And right now is the perfect timing, too! If we fail to grasp this chance, the benefits we can extract from them will only decreaseter on!! (Minister)
For now, there is one person we can rely on, sir.
You mean, that guy named Choi Jung-Hoon? (Minister)
Yes, sir.
Hmm....
Choi Jung-Hoon. Choi Jung-Hoon, was it....
He was a young and talented rising star, but how could the Minister bet the countrys fate on that mans shoulders?
No, wait C it was still a matter of grave concern if he could make the miracle happen. He was still a wee little hatchling, but he seemingly possessed the ability to control this countrys most potent bargaining chip!
Mmm.....
A long sigh formed from deep anxiety leaked out from the Ministers mouth.
Did he say he can make it happen? (Minister)
He said that, Yi Ji-Hyuk is an existence even beyond his ability to maintain, so he cant give us a definite answer, but hell try his best.
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk, Yi Ji-Hyuk.....
The most powerful ability user appearing in the nation of Korea was indeed something to celebrate, but why did the Minister feel that, rather than things bing easier, everything had be far moreplicated, instead?
Really now.... (Minister)
Just why did an event like this one have to happen during his tenure?
Okay, so. What is this Yi Ji-Hyuk doing right now? (Minister)
....Were currently keeping an eye on him.
Where is he? (Minister)
Well, that is....
Please, speak up. (Minister)
....In an arcade....
Pardon me?! (Minister)
The expression of the Minister became totally dumbfounded.
*
YOU WIN!!
Fufufu.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the victory screen and cackled like a viin.
This was it!
This was what victory tasted like!
How long did he have to go on without tasting this sweet tonic?
Seeing his character with that cool victory pose, it felt like all his bottled-up frustration was blown away in one shot.
This is my power!!
Now that the genre of the game had changed, his true abilities were shining through.
By switching from AoS to a fighting game, it felt like that the powers of the demon king of games, Yi Ji-Hyuk, had returned in full force. (TL note at the end)
In the past, he had conquered this very arcade and acted as its true boss! Back then, other top yers from different arcades used toe here to challenge him, too!
Hah.....
Indeed, this kind of a genre where two men would square off against each other with their skills in a fair and forthright match was more to Yi Ji-Hyuks....
Hey, you f*cking b*stard!!
Huh?
Even as a chair was thrown at his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk could find ample time to think about several matters in great depth.
Wait, is that a chair?
Oh, so could this be that famed chair shot, the one Ive only heard about in rumours?
Hul.
To receive a chair shot when Im at this age already, after Ive made it past my high school days without seeing it once!
What a refreshing experience this is!!
No, hang on a minute. That isnt important!
Did this fool lose his d*mn mind?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began ring at the other guy.
How dare that measly little fool chuck a chair at him?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk snatched the flying chair and put it down on the ground.
Hah?
He then spotted a high school student with a big physique walking around from the other side of the arcade cabs.
Yep, its a high schooler. A real high schooler.
How can he throw a chair around so confidently while wearing his school uniform?
Just what is happening to this countrys education?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Saddened by the current abysmal state of Koreas education, Yi Ji-Hyuk grasped the chair he just put down quite tightly. From the ancient times, the quickest method of teaching someone was through physical means.
He may not know much about modern Koreas way of teaching the youngins, but as far as Berafes methods were concerned, he was definitely an expert!
What the hell? This b*stard sure acts how he looks, doesnt he?
*SFX for a sudden rush of anguish and rage*
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been surrounded by beautiful men and womentely and ended up being treated like a Squidward. That naturally frustrated him a great deal, so a simple little provocation like this caused some serious mental damage.
How I look?
What are you trying to say about my looks?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Youre a man, yet you wanna y a game like a cheat?! Ahh?
Hah....
This fool has no idea, doesnt he?
Who cares if its a game? Winning is everything!
You think you can hold your head up high after getting crushed?
Ahh, wait. No need to waste my breath talking to this fool. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The muscles on Yi Ji-Hyuks arm holding the chair tensed up.
But then, this happened.
Hey you, you dumb f*ck!! (Chang-Sik)
Eh?
When Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to look, he spotted Oh-Sik.... No, Chang-Sik running towards here with a frightening turn of speed, beforending a splendid flying knee kick on the belligerent high schooler and blowing the fool away.
Ugeh?!
Issuing a pigs squeal, the high schooler flew in the air, slid on the arcades floor, before crashing into spare chairs piled to the side.
..........
Was Chang-Sik trying to kill the other guy or something?!
Even if it was Yi Ji-Hyuk, he wasnt nning to go that far against a powerless high schooler, at least not to that extent!
However, Chang-Sik didnt know that; he simply panted heavily to catch his breaths, and then proceeded to shower the KOed high schooler with a barrage of insults.
What the hell, this crazy b*stard!! If you want to kill yourself, just bite your own tongue! You dumb sh*t! Who do you think you were trying to show off against?! You want to hold your own funeral today? (Chang-Sik)
No, hang on a minute!! Im telling you, I wasnt intending to go that far, you know!!
You think Im some kinda monster or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Sensing the gazes of the bystanders focusing on him, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only lick his lips.
This wasnt what he wanted....
Hyung-nim. Its been a while. (Chang-Sik)
U, uh. Yeah.
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt even say anything, what with Chang-Sik bowing in half as if he was a folder or something. So, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only lower the chair back down on the ground.
Argh, I feel kinda short-changed and stuff. Maybe I shouldve just cracked open that fools skull. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So, whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well. I came out to have some fun, but then, I saw you in the distance so I came to say hello. (Chang-Sik)
Youre a student so you should be studying, not wasting time in an arcade. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe.
Chang-Sik giggled while poking his tongue out.
Dontugh with that face, dude....
Youre scaring me, Chang-Sik-ah.
I thought I might have gotten more or less used to your looks because of Oh-Sik. But that boy turned into a cute and cuddly little thing, so I just cant get used to how you look, man.
Hyung-nim. Uh.... I heard that youre an ability user now. (Chang-Sik)
Yeah, I am. Did Ye-Won tell you that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Hyung-nim, I also heard that you work for the NDF now. Is this true? (Chang-Sik)
Well, yeah, things worked out that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The government promoted NDF a great deal nationally, and most of its agents were shown on TV at least once or twice. The only ones to escape the camera lens were probably Yi Ji-Hyuk and Doh Gah-Yun and not many else.
Hyung-nim! (Chang-Sik)
Ng?
Being on the receiving end of Chang-Siks somewhat ardent, desperate gaze, Yi Ji-Hyuks body involuntarily shuddered from fear.
Wasnt that how an Ogre looks at a juicy b of meat?!
Why does this idiots face look like this? Seriously man.
Wait, if I punch him in the face a couple of times and pay for his stic surgery, wouldnt his life work out for the better? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
While Yi Ji-Hyuk seriously considered bettering his juniors future, Chang-Sik was earnestly pleading with him.
Just once, can you take me there? Please? (Chang-Sik)
Mm? What will you do once you get there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is someone Id really like to meet. (Chang-Sik)
Who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive received her aidst time, you see. Her name is Miss Seo Ah-Young.... (Chang-Sik)
....Seo Ah-Young?
You received her aid?
Wait a minute, could this be.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes unfortunately pped on the slightly-blushing face of Chang-Sik.
S, stop iiiiitttt!!
Stop being shy with that face of yours!!
What the f*ck?! Even when I was attacked by historys greatest Grand Sorcerer in mind maniption magic, Bnputz, I never received this much mental damage!
Ah. Right, I was totally immune against any and all mental attacks back then, wasnt I. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
O, oh. Really?
Yes, Hyung-nim! If you take me there, Id like to express my gratitude to her personally! (Chang-Sik)
....Cant I just pass on the message? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, Id like to deliver it to her personally. (Chang-Sik)
O-oh. Sure.
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
By the way, am I mistaken for thinking that your words dont sound like youre asking me for a favour, but youre threatening me instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Chang-Sik hurriedly waved around both of his hands.
Dont do that, too.... Its like youre trying to attack me.
Theres no way thats true, Hyung-nim!! How can I even dare to?! Id never threaten you, Hyung-nim! I know that I only have one life! (Chang-Sik)
If you say that while walking around with such a big physique, just what will other people think of me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan after hearing the hushed whispers of the surrounding arcade goers.
It seemed that hed not be able toe back to this arcade ever again. Seriously now, even if he wanted to y a match, whod be brave enough to challenge him in this ce?
Hah. Seriously man....
Okay, fine. Ill take you. Come to my ce first thing tomorrow morning. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Truly, Hyung-nim?? (Chang-Sik)
Do I look like Id joke around with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
By the way, Hyung-nim.... (Chang-Sik)
Yeah?
I wont be able to enter your residential area..... (Chang-Sik)
..........
One after the other, huh.
Thats just brilliant.
Fine. Ill go to your ce to fetch you, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thank you, Hyung-nim!! Then, Ill see you tomorrow morning!! (Chang-Sik)
Leaving behind those words, Chang-Sik grasped the back of the neck of the fainted high schooler still buried within the pile of chairs and dragged the sucker out of the arcade.
That appearance reminded Yi Ji-Hyuk of an Ogre getting ready to munch on human snack, and that gave him a nasty case of goosebumps.
However, just as Chang-Sik was disappearing from the view, Yi Ji-Hyuk went Oops, and quickly called out to the boy.
You gotta tell me where your house is first, Chang-Sik-ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, Chang-Sik was long gone by then.
Eh-whew. A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything, I guess.
< 123. A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything -3 > Fin.
(TL: So, finally, I figured out what this AoS thing was all about. Its actually an acronym for Aeons of Strife, a map from Starcraft, which pretty much became the granddaddy of the MOBA genre. I found out that cough some online hipsters think calling MOBAs AoS makes more sense. Cuz, you know, naming the whole genre after the first game to populise it makes sense somehow. Like, calling racing games GT, or FPS as W3D...)
Chapter 124: A guy who’s not blessed can’t achieve anything (4)
Chapter 124: A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything (4)
Commence firing!!
An order was issued, and countless bullets were fired. So many were fired that the arcs they drew in the air were visible to the naked eyes like dark raindrops.
Fire!! Keep firing! Dont hold back!
Unfortunately, their target was utterly unmoved. Never mind bullets, not even artillery fire could not damage their target nor slow it down; the monster continued on its destructive march forward.
The monsters march started from Los Angeles, then went to Phoenix, before it went past Utah and now, it was headed towards the city of San Francisco. (TL: This entirely strange map is from the raw. I didnt make this one up....)
The Americans had attempted thest-ditch all-out attack to halt the creature at the Nevada desert, but it still proved to be inadequate to stop its relentless advancement.
Just what are the ability users doing?
RUMBLE!!
Suddenly, the monsters body began emitting a suspicious, bright light.
Get dooooooown!!
*SFX for a very loud and prolonged shockwave*
Apanied by a shockwave that sounded as if the air was being torn apart, a humongous beam of light was fired to literally slice the world in half.
KWABOOMMM!!
The Private of the Tenth Gate Suppression Division, John Berryy t on the ground as his entire being trembled in fear.
He had to stop that thing?
That monster?
Just with what, exactly?
The shockwave died down and John Berry cautiously raised his head back up. And he saw a mountain range in the distance, cleanly bisected in half.
What did anyone expect of him when facing a creature that could destroy a mountain that far away with ease?!
Resume the attack!
John heard the despairing voice bark out an ordering from behind him, and soon enough, loud mechanical whines came from the sky.
Kaboom!! Kwabooom! Kaboom!!
Bombers continued to drop countless bombs on top of the monster, but it continued on without any visible damage to its body, only a white light barrier flickering around it.
No, it cant be....
The ce the monster was headed off to....
There were still too many people yet to evacuate from San Francisco.
Do something!! Anything!!
The moment John Berry got up and roared out desperately....
RUMBLE!!
The blinding beam of light descended on the world once more.
*
I cant figure out whether this is actually a good thing or a bad thing. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom roughly scratched his head while staring at the monitor.
It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that the Gates currently opening up in the Korean penins were the worst it had been in recorded history.
The main type of Gates appearing in Korea used to be around level 1; the frequency had definitely decreased, but now, higher leveled Gates were opening up one after the other, instead. Which meant it was even more dangerous than ever before.
However, strangely enough, there hadnt been any notable issues so far.
In the past, a single level 3 Gate wouldve caused all sorts of chaos, but nowadays, taking care of a Gate like that was almost like going to a local bank to do some transaction during ones lunch break.
It was something like, boringly waiting for the Gate to open up felt infinitely longer than actually dealing with the Gate itself. Kinda like that.
Kim Jae-Beom sneaked a nce around him.
He saw others sitting at their designated spots, doing their own things to while away the time.
Seo Ah-Young, sitting on her throne and busy maintaining her nails.
There were others who looked sleepy and bored out of their skulls, but two people among them were emitting a dazzling brilliance at the moment.
The man who was moving between not two, but four monitors and two keyboards like a streak of lightning, Choi Jung-Hoon!!
One couldnt help but appreciate the blindingly-quick hand movements he was disying right now.
Not only that, one would shed a silent tear of sympathy after seeing him still find the time to chug a certain yellow liquid swirling in his tumbler.
What a pitiful man he was.
As for the other person, it was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Jungleeeeeeer!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please shut your d*mn mouth and stop ying your game in the office!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Just him ying that stupid game in the office was irritating Kim Jae-Beom to no end, yet did he have to go around shouting at everyone Im ying a game here too?!
Hah....
What scared Kim Jae-Beom the most was the fact that not one person tried to get in Yi Ji-Hyuks face about this matter. Everyone was treating him as air C no, it was actually closer to them treating him as if he didnt even exist in the first ce.
Of course, that would make it easier for everyone to deal with this headache. Even Kim Jae-Beom himself was doing his utmost best to ignore Yi Ji-Hyuks presence.
Just thinking about that youth was enough to cause his stress level to spike up.
It was then, an rm appeared on Kim Jae-Beoms monitor and his phone issued shrill beeping noises. Kim Jae-Beom confirmed the rm and made a report to Seo Ah-Young.
The level 3 Gate in Mokpo is at 95%. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Oh, is it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young lightly blew on her nails and looked at them from here and there, before leaning against her chair and speaking up.
Hae-Min-ah? (Seo Ah-Young)
You, wanna have a go?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
A white rabbit plush toy flew in her direction.
Seo Ah-Young easily deflected the doll away with her hand and continued to speak to Jeong Hae-Min.
Please take Mister Kim Dah-Hyun to Mokpo. (Seo Ah-Young)
Call me unni, will you?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng, okay. Unni? Please take him there. (Seo Ah-Young)
Wuwuwu!!
Jeong Hae-Min puffed up her cheeks before grandly sighing out, and walked to Kim Dah-Hyun.
Its me again? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun was half asleep until then, and raised his irritated voice. Seo Ah-Youngs eyebrow arched up in annoyance.
What did you say?! (Seo Ah-Young)
I shall be back after resolving the situation thoroughly. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Thats right. (Seo Ah-Young)
....You dang witch.
Thats why you havent found a boyfriend yet. (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Wait.... Why do I suddenly feel really angry right now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began frowning deeply, prompting Kim Dah-Hyun to quickly avert his gaze.
Im going now. Lets go! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Hmm.
Jeong Hae-Min shook her head in disapproval, ignored Kim Dah-Hyuns offered hand, and very, very lightly ced her palm on his shoulder, before activating her teleport ability.
Poof.
Hmm...
Huh.
Gazes of people were now focused on the remaining Kim Dah-Hyun, left behind by Jeong Hae-Min.
W, what the hell?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Poof.
Jeong Hae-Min reappeared on the same spot and poked her tongue out.
I guess I touched you too lightly, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....What is this? This reaction where its like youre touching a cockroach or something?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun red in dissatisfaction at Jeong Hae-Min.
To be treated like a cockroach!!
A guy like Kim Dah-Hyun would have a throng of female admirers chasing after him wherever he went to, yet to be treated like a bug!!
That unni doesnt like touching guys, so please, try to be more understanding. (Seo Ah-Young)
What?!
But, I saw her grabbing Yi Ji-Hyuks hand no problem while teleporting around!!
Whats the difference between him and I?! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
....Ah.
Kim Dah-Hyun suddenly realised something. The difference was probably between a human man and someone who wasnt what one would call a normal man.
Well, a human would be shy and the like when talking to a member of opposite sex they liked, wouldnt they?
....Still, why is she looking at me like Im a disgusting bug or something?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Was he mistaken?
This wouldnt be his first time being looked at like that, but he still felt a bit unhappy and depressed as well.
Jeong Hae-Min ced her hand ever-so-carefully on Kim Dah-Hyuns shoulder and they both disappeared from the office. Only a few secondster, though, she returned all alone.
What about Mister Kim Dah-Hyun? (Seo Ah-Young)
I left him there. Im sure he can look after himself. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young spat out a groan.
Jeong Hae-Min might be called the queen of fan interactions, but when it came to dealing with those who she perceived to be not her fans, especially males, her treatment would be harsh and cruel.
She acted as if shed even donate her kidneys if it were for her fans....
Hmm?
Now that Seo Ah-Young thought about it, she saw plenty of times Jeong Hae-Min endlessly chatting to her fans, showering them with gifts, or take a ton of selfies together, but not once did she recall the short-statured idol actually touch someone.
Seo Ah-Young quickly essed the inte and g**gled Jeong Hae-Min crazy fan interaction and a short whileter, she began frowning.
She confirmed that Jeong Hae-Min actually maintained a certain distance from male fans at all times. With that in mind, the way she treated Kim Dah-Hyun wasnt strange at all.
Yep, its just with Yi Ji-Hyuk thats strange. (Seo Ah-Young)
The man who treated a top idol like utter trash.
The man who disparaged that pretty Jeong Hae-Min by repeatedly calling her a shorty.
So, she should....
Whatcha doing? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min sidled up close to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
She should distance herself as far away from a rotten human being like him!!
Seo Ah-Young breathed out roughly as she tried very hard to quell her inner mes from raging out of control.
Argh, what now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled after his gaming time got interrupted.
Arent we going to eat lunch now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im not going!! Nope! Imma continue ying this game! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, looks like itll end pretty soon, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
ording to how Yi Ji-Hyuk operated until now, if he had that sort of an expression on his face, hed very soon shoot right up from his chair while screaming out, Uwaaaah!!!! D**n all my rotten teammates!!
Uwaaahhh!! Just why?! Howe!! Why am I losing?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was a bit different today?
Okay, lets go eat now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Argh!! Go away!! Im going to y some more!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can y after lunch. Now theres a good boy. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hah.......
Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders slumped in defeat and despair.
Its okay, you know? People can lose sometimes. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I lost every single match I yed today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for tears falling down*
When tears began welling up on Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes, Jeong Hae-Min began gently patting him on the head.
Winning or losing in games isnt everything, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young continued to watch this spectacle from the side as her expression crumpled further and further.
Just what was that girl doing now, considering the fact that she didnt even want to touch Kim Dah-Hyun only a few minutes ago?
Hello? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, Seo Ah-Young heard Choi Jung-Hoon answer a phone call.
No, no. Listen. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, his expression became rather arrogant all of a sudden.
Didnt I say that, you telling me that now ispletely useless, sir? Dont you understand that, sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He was speaking in a strangebination of polite speech reserved for ones superior officers, and a curt, rude tone usually used for someone below him in the office hierarchy.
Was that the infamous power trip tone of voice?
What can I do? I dont possess some kind of an amazing ability after all. Well, that gentleman isnt interested, so.... Hah? What would you do if the gentleman gets angry at you? Excuse me? You want me to find you an opportunity for a face time with him? What the.... Youre asking for a big trouble there, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes gradually narrowed to a slit.
That man, why did he look like he was really, really enjoying himself right now?
Choi Jung-Hoon took a gulp from his now-trademark energy tonic, spat out a refreshed Kyah, and continued on with the phone call.
Well, that is why you should just wait for now. And please dontplicate the matters by you triggering him unnecessarily, just because youre desperate. I mean, thats how its been like so far. Pardon? Ahh, that. Well, Ill think about that. In that case, Ill give you a call at ater time. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hung up the phone and leaned against his chair, his expression one of a contentment like a puppy with a full belly. He even began humming softly to himself.
Who was that? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, no one important, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, fine. So, who was it? (Seo Ah-Young)
The Vice Minister. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...........
This crazy guy?! Just how far is he nning to go here?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
He wasnt even the Minister, so its fine. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And, whats your rank, then?
Do you even have any freaking idea how long you must roll around in this field in order to climb up to the position of a Vice Minister?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with a dumbfounded expression, before shutting her mouth close.
Then, who was that gentleman?
Seo Ah-Young shifted her gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk, currently being consoled by Jeong Hae-Min. At this rate, they might start embracing each other pretty soon.
The guy who was despairing because he lost in some stupid game, or the unni consoling the kid because he looked so pitiful....
What a crazy mess this was.
A sheer, unbridled crazy mess.
And then, another guy who was calling such a weirdo a gentleman while busy enjoying a toxic power trip over his superior officers....
Just what has happened to this ce..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Dont mind me. (Seo Ah-Young)
She definitely didnt establish this agency for it to end up like this!!
Hah. Just when will things normalise around here, I wonder? (Seo Ah-Young)
It was here that Kim Jae-Beom butted in.
But, actually, arent the things working out pretty great nowadays, maam? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Mm?
Now that she heard him speak, didnt he have a point there?
The truth was, ever since the establishment of the NDF, one big crisis after the other kept unfolding. But, they were all resolved one way or the other without too many casualties. Considering that, one wouldnt be able to say that there was no meaning to the NDFs existence....
Yet, when Seo Ah-Young swept her gaze around the office, she could only helplessly perform a splendid double facepalm.
This is all wrong. (Seo Ah-Young)
With a pair of dagger-like eyes, she red at the cause of this situation.
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk still being consoled by Jeong Hae-Min, resignation and irritation rushed into Seo Ah-Youngs mind at the same time.
Just how could a man like that be....
Wait a minute.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head.
Yup?
I didnt get to finish asking you this before, but just where did you get your abilities from? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng?
Why was this chick asking him that now?
Im curious as well, actually. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon provided some timely fire support as well.
He put the tumbler down as his eyes began emitting a dangerous light.
Please, end this mystery once and for all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
< 124. A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything (4) > Fin.
Chapter 125: A guy who’s not blessed can’t achieve anything (5)
Chapter 125: A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything (5)
But, I dont have a lot to say, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes began gleaming as soon as he received a signal from Seo Ah-Young.
We really didnt want to ask you for the details until now, but I cant help but feel that this might be a good time to tell us the truth. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With the close bond and trust we share, dont you think that we deserve to know that kind of secret already? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh.....
Now normally, when being struck by a straight drive like this, one would be a bit embarrassed and start spilling some beans, but this guy, he....
Choi Jung-Hoon received a pretty powerful counterpunch, but he still didnt back down from the challenge.
If it was concerning Yi Ji-Hyuk, even the timing of his bathroom breaks held the potential to be an important information.
More information equalled power!
Choi Jung-Hoon was a man whod never give up.
Besides, its not a big secret, is it?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And who are you to decide that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lets be honest here. With your personality, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you wouldnt hold any big secrets to begin with, anyway. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Uh?
What the heck is up with this guy? Why does it feel like he knows me better than I do?
What could be this feeling? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Sensing this inexplicable chill run down his backside, Yi Ji-Hyuk cautiously took a few steps back.
Well, yeah. Sure, its not that important a story anyways.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since its not important, please just tell us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan.
Now that he thought about it, he hadnt told them simply because there was no real need to. It wasnt as if he was thinking of hiding stuff that happened back in Berafe from these people anyway.
In that case, some people should vacate the premises. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Huh?
Why should some people vacate the premises? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Only those with high enough security clearance will remain and the rest will have to leave. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Is my story that important? Really?
I treated it as nothing much to fret over just now, you know?
This is going to put me in a spot, dont you see that!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And so.... Yi Ji-Hyuk swept his gaze around the remaining folks inside the conference room, and his expression crumpled unhappily. (TL: I didnt make a mistake here; the raw did say the conference room. No idea when they changed from the office....)
What the heck.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fine, Choi Jung-Hoon and Seo Ah-Young can be here. Fine.
Well, if Im to be generous, then I can acknowledge Doh Gah-Yun being here, too.
All good. So....
Why are you here, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could not acknowledge Jeong Hae-Min as someone falling into the Important People category!
How could she be considered as important?!
She was just a dang shuttle!
But, but! Why not! Dont you know that Ive spent ages in this ce? My rank is pretty high, you know?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
You shouldnt have spent fake ages in here but real ages outside, which might have helped you grow a bit taller. What a missed opportunity that was.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youuu!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk shoved away the madly-rushing Jeong Hae-Mins forehead and continued to speak.
Why are you all acting as if my story is going to be incredible or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, honestly, if its concerning only up to what happened until now, its not. Not really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, so whats with all this fuss, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shes the actual problem. Miss Affeldrichae. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What about her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk for a bit before speaking his mind.
Shes not from this world, is she? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm.....
Theres something about her that doesnt quite feel right. She definitely possesses the appearance of a human being, yet shes not a human from this ce. No, hang on. Is she even a human being to begin with? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, arent you a sharp customer? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared back at Choi Jung-Hoon and lightly chuckled.
Indeed, this man should not be taken lightly. If he happened to possess a special ability, then what might have happened? One could only wonder.
Should I teach him magic or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If there was a way to procure a supply of Mana in this ce, then he might be very tempted to teach Choi Jung-Hoon the ways of wielding magic. By force if he had to. He looked like hed do well, too.
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm....
When Yi Ji-Hyuk subtly changed the direction of the conversation, Choi Jung-Hoon steered it back on course.
If it was until now, then it doesnt really matter what youve been up to to and where youve been. However.... Miss Affeldrichae is rted somehow to the period of time youve gone missing, isnt that right? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk acknowledged the truth without a fuss. Even if he wanted to deny it now, it wouldnt work anyways, and he didnt feel like hiding anything either.
Well, its not like he had done anything wrong, no?
In that case, the existences from the world youve been to are entering our, so dont you think that we might be able to defend ourselves better if we possess at least some information rted to that world? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And when did I ever say Ive been to another world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a simple guess work when considering the existencesing over to this side, as well as your ability to open up Gates. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I wonder, have you heard of the old saying about smart people dying first? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Lets pretend that I havent heard it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, thats wrong, you know? I think you should really hear it, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled ominously before opening his mouth again.
Well, its not like Ive something to hide, anyways. Thats right, Ive been to another world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I knew it!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head.
By any chance, is there a difference in the time scale between here and over there? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The time scale, is it.... Its not the exact same meaning, but sure, the flow of time is different. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like the ce that our agents had been to, in other words. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, that meant that Yi Ji-Hyuk had spent far longer than five years in the other world.
However, when considering that, why did he look younger than his actual age?
Choi Jung-Hoon swept his gaze all over Yi Ji-Hyuk one more time.
He looked so young when kitted out in that trademark attire of his, the Sam-didas hoodie and the blue tracksuit. (TL: Sam-didas C Korean ng for hoodies with Adidas logo on them)
No, even disregarding those, Yi Ji-Hyuks face looked rather young for his age. Didnt Choi Jung-Hoon mistake him for a high school student when he first ran into the youth?
Without a doubt, he mustve spent a long, long time over that side, yet Yi Ji-Hyuks face looked so young. Could this be that weird reverse age thing from the movie, Benjamin something-something?
Could Yi Ji-Hyuks real age be somewhere near 100 years old?
Oh, uh, by the way.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How long did you spend over that side beforeing back here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head. This one was a bit more troublesome to answer.
Well, Id say, approximately.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Like, say, a country falls several times, gets rebuilt again, and then falls again C something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
What a hard-to-understand roundabout way to say things.
So, if a country falls several times, then.....
In the era of civil wars, something like that wouldve happened every handful of years, so its a bit hard to grasp, isnt it? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
How about something a bit more concrete? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm......
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head again, and made his reply.
How about, thendscape changing one hundred times? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Lets see. Ten years going on for a hundred times is.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue) (TL: A Korean idiom at y here. The rough trantion of the idiom goes along the line of Ten years is enough to transform thendscape)
Choi Jung-Hoon shot right up from his seat.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He then bowed his waist 90 degrees and re-greeted Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I see that Ive been too rude to you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the heck?! Why are you doing this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, youre of a very advanced age, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats not it!! No freaking ways!! Whore you trying to turn into a geezer here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And here he was, feeling really depressed about being that old and all....
Suddenly, the corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became very wet.
My minds still in the teens, you know!! In the teens!!
He was feeling very wronged after being dragged to another world only to go through thousand-plus years of hardship, yet to be treated like an old geezer because of his weird age situation!!
But, still.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why dont we show our IDs, then?! Our IDs, man!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Confronted by Yi Ji-Hyuks vociferous resistance, all Choi Jung-Hoon could do was to smack his lips.
Well, in that case, lets just say youre in your twenties. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Lets do that. Please.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tightly grasped the area near his heart. This mustve been the worst mental damage he had received so far since his return home.
....What are you two even talking about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Having utterly failed to understand, Jeong Hae-Min simply tilted her head this way and that.
What a pure-brained girl she is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? What is it? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nope. Never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no real need to put it into words here. Being pure was a rather precious thing all on its own, after all.
Well, in any case. So, youve spent a long, long time on the other side beforeing back, am I right so far? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Mm.
Choi Jung-Hoon became speechless.
Every now and then, Yi Ji-Hyuk came across as a wily old fox who had experienced all sorts of hardships and situations, but to think, hed actually survived for over a thousand years.
No, hang on a minute here. Its not exactly a thousand years, either. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If a human being lived for that long, would he be like this guy?
Although it kinda felt like secrets hidden behind that brain-with-holes had been revealed to some extent, and that certainly was cathartic, yet....
To spend a thousand years in another world.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When he thought about how incredibly awful that mustve been, not one word wanted toe out of Choi Jung-Hoons mouth.
A person would suffer from homesickness just by going to another district. And a human would suddenly transform into a patriot as soon as stepping foot in another country.
But this guy was stuck in another world altogether.
To spend a thousand years in that ce, just how much pain and loneliness did he had to live with?
Choi Jung-Hoon thought that his brain was melting just from imagining it.
So, that was why.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There were times when Yi Ji-Hyuk came across as legitimately terrifying.
And no, it was not because he possessed enough power to destroy this world, but solely because it felt like something unimaginably scary was hiding in that head of his.
As it turned out, that feeling actually had some basis after all.
Humans would learn through continued experience.
....Regarding how scary and terrifying the existences called other humans could be.
If he got to experience that for a thousand years, then just how many times did he get to see the countless evils hiding in mens heart until now?
Mm.....
Seeing Choi Jung-Hoon that speechless, Yi Ji-Hyuk began feeling this weird sensation. How should he go about describing it?
It was like, he spent an enjoyable Christmas with his family and took several selfies together, only for them to start bawling their eyes out while looking at the photos, something like that!
What was this? Why were his eyes moistening up like this?
So, when did you cross over? Perhaps, during the ck Monday? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, well. I think its around that time. I dont know what that ck whatever thing is but... Well. After I got dragged there and somehow came back home, Ive been told of Gates opening up here and there on that day. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons frowns deepened.
If this was the case, then did that mean the Gates were not one-way but actually a two-way street?
By any chance, could another person have been dragged there along with you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I dont know about that. But... Mm, I guess its possible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm....
There was no reason why something special like that would happen only to Yi Ji-Hyuk, so there should be others who had experienced something simr as well out there.
Of course, if there were anyone among them who managed to make it back alive, then.....
Asking for too much there, isnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk had to spend over a thousand years there, and fought against gods in order to earn his way back home.
Could anyone else do something simr like that?
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew it very well.
His soul and his body getting fixed into an unchanging state was not something that would happen as a matter of course. No, it only happened after one coincidence after another piled up on top of each other.
If ones state got fixed whenever crossing over the worlds, then monsters crossing over shouldve be the undying immortal existences by now.
Meaning, Yi Ji-Hyuk was definitely a special case. If not, hed have be monster snack the moment he crossed over. Even if someone got lucky and appeared near where people lived, just how bad were the odds of surviving the next three years in that ce?
Yep, itd be too difficult. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope, never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min had been listening on the side and tilted her head again.
Okay, so, like, you went to another world thats different from this one? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, why havent you said anything? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Was there a need to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well, not really, but.... Itd been nicer if you did.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why would it be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if she found the whole situationmentable, she couldnt continue on with her words.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at her and snorted once.
Its only because I have power now that Im standing here all fine and the like. Imagine if it was some other schmuck who went to another world and came back! He wouldve been dragged to some shady ce by the government and got dissected by now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, thats not true at all, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng?
Jeong Hae-Min stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk as if she was looking at a pathetic fool and essed inte right away C then, clicked on the interview footage that came up at the top of the search results.
In the footage, a young man was giving a press conference while surrounded by countless microphones.
[Is it true that you have returned from another world?] [Yes, that is true.] [How long did you spent in another world?] [I think it mustve been twenty years or so.] [But, are you aware that its only been five years this side?] [The flow of time is different in that side.]
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the screen with a pair of dazed eyes.
...What is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes a guy whos the hottest trending topic right now C the man who returned from another world. Hes being inundated with all sorts of interview and filming requests, not to mention every talent agency worth their salt is trying to recruit him, too. Hes like, garnering as much attention as the biggest celebrities out there, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuks hands began trembling.
....Why isnt he getting dissected? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just what kind of world do you think were living in now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
E, eh?
Jeong Hae-Min stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with criticising eyes.
And besides, if it happened in Korea, wouldnt such a case be under the jurisdiction of the KSF? (Jeong Hae-Min)
E, eh?
You think these guys would do something like that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....................
Plop.
Yi Ji-Hyuk powerlessly plopped down in his seat.
In that case, just what have I been worried about.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The sweat drops of the mind began flowing again.
Yup, the sweat drops of the mind....
Choi Jung-Hoon groaned under his breath as Yi Ji-Hyuk held his head in his hands while both of his shoulders trembled sorrowfully.
Living for a thousand years or not, a dumba*s would always remain a dumba*s.
*
Who? (?)
A womans voice that sounded higher than most.
A voice so sensuous that clung onto ones sense resounded throughout the dark and dank chamber.
Although her voice was capable of seducing anyone who heard it, all those who did hear it could only bow their heads while their bodies shook around like a lone leaf against the stormy winds.
The, the 99th Demon King.... We have located him.
Who, did, you, say, it, was? (?)
Rumble....
When she stood up, the whole world began to quake in fear.
A pair of long horns on her head.
A pair of long wings sprouting from her shoulders.
And her jet-ck hair that seemed to suck in everything.
A ck leotard that tightly clung onto her dangerously voluptuous figure.
In contrast, skin so pale as if it was frozen in ice.
And finally, the only part with a colour that was neither ck nor white C her lips as red as the fresh blood.
Her lips parted ever so slightly, then her stunningly seductive tongue snaked out and licked her lips slowly.
Oh, our dear Demon King!!
So, thats where youve been hiding, Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (?)
She was the 13th Demon King.
Her pitch-ck eyes became a shade darker still.
< 125. A guy whos not blessed cant achieve anything -5 > Fin.
Chapter 126: Well now, been a while so let’s go crazy (1)
Chapter 126: Well now, been a while so lets go crazy (1)
C Who is it? Whos ying with his alternate character?
C Seriously, he must be a pro gamer. No, wait. Not even a pro can y like this.
C Could it be the person that Im thinking of?
Affeldrichae formed a subtle smile when she read thements appearing in the chat window.
C Who is it? Are you even human?
C Honestly, it cant be. No, wait. Not even a monkey would y this bad.
C By any chance, are you ying with your tongue, instead?
Driiip.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the tears welling up in his eyes as he read thements appearing in the chat window.
How can our treatment be this different....
Even if ones skills determined everything in the world of video games, how could a human being lose out to a lizard?
How could this make any sort of sense?!
Affeldrichae turned her head slightly and gazed at Yi Ji-Hyuk for a bit before looking away with a smirk on her face.
That d*mn b*tch!!!
Did she justugh at me? She did, didnt she?!
How dare a lowly lizard.....
Ah, hang on. Shes a bit more special than that, no?
If youpare humans to dragons, then humans are inferior in pretty much all respects, indeed.
Godd*mn it, how can this primate lose to a fatty lizard?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked on the defeat button while spitting out a lengthy groan.
I guess I cant do this anymore. Ive had enough of losing, and I keep losing over and over and over again....
Mm?
Ehh?
Hang on a minute.....
The solution to all my problems has been staring straight at my face and I didnt even notice it until now....
Hey, lizard woman. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
Ive got something to say to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae cheerfully clicked on the victory button and spun around on her chair to face Yi Ji-Hyuk with a gentle smile on her face.
Please. Speak any time you feel like. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed an unreadable expression as he stared at Affeldrichae, before his lips parted ratherboriously.
Y, you! Me! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm?
His expression now half in humiliation, Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered for a while before crying out.
T, teach me how to y this game!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae tilted her head as if she was confused by this request.
It kind of felt like that this was the very first time the bundle-of-ego Yi Ji-Hyuk had asked her for a favour....
But, it was for a game?
Could it be that video games hold a very special meaning to human beings? (Affeldrichae)
I, I dont think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yet, youre still asking me for a favour.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae breathed in softly and lightly stroked her lips before nodding her head.
Well, its fine. Im not too happy about the fact that the first favour youve ever asked me is for this little thing, but as its something within my powers, I shall guide you as much as you wish. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was truly moved by her answer.
And so....
They had been on the opposing side for around a millennium.
Only after a thousand years had passed by did the first step in their potential cooperative rtionship finally take ce.
That was what he thought.
....At least for the time being.
***
I said, back away!! Back!! Dont you know what back means? (Affeldrichae)
....Im doing it, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you have a problem with your cochlea? Or did your brain develop a problem in deciphering the words you hear? (Affeldrichae)
..........
What is this?
This wasnt what I had in mind..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Youre not supposed to attack back in that position, but to evade! Evade! Why do you recklessly engage an enemy far stronger than you? A mouse is supposed to run away when facing a cat, so with what balls are you fighting the other person? Where did you even find such confidence? At the bare minimum, if youre a human, no, if youre simply a living creature, shouldnt you be born with the natural survival instinct of trying to find out the difference in the power between the opponent and yourself? (Affeldrichae)
Wowsers!!
I didnt know she could talk this much.
No, hang on a second. She did talk a lot back then, but I never got the feeling that she was a chatterbox. Since when did she morph into a type to fire verbal bullets non-stop?
Could this be her true colours? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A man who backs away is a disgrace! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For someone who has been running away and hiding in dark, dank corners for hundreds of years, you sure know how to spew out such words. (Affeldrichae)
Nope. Ive never done that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He almost ended up recalling those memories, but Yi Ji-Hyuk desperately denied them all.
No!! Listen here, you demon!! Ive never ever done that!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So, you need to run away like youve been doing back then! You need to run away like a rat scurrying around in the sewers! You should run away from an enemy you cant win against, yet why do you insist on fighting him? Why?! (Affeldrichae)
Hey, you!!
If thats the case, why did you try to stop me right at the end back then?
Dont you have any morals?
Besides all that, what do you mean by a rat scurrying around in the sewers?!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
W, when did I ever do that?!?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A humans memory is indeed inurate and thus not entirely trustworthy, but at least, Im quite sure that the memories youve umted in Berafe are absolute andplete. Did you forget everything as soon as your absolute state was undone? In that case, please dont ask me but ask your own brain. (Affeldrichae)
....You evil b*tch. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A single strand of tear rolled down from Yi Ji-Hyuks eye.
He just wanted to learn how to y a game, yet why was he being subjected to such a treatment?
Think about your turns and then use your skills afterwards! If youre going to mindlessly drum on the keyboard as if youre ying a piano, then why are you even ying this game? You should just stick to ying the piano, then! Hah? Now that I saw what happened, Im guessing its not your brain, but your fingers that have problems! Dont your fingers move properly? Why havent you said anything? I can always hit you with a Heal anytime! (Affeldrichae)
What the hell, what is up with her?!
Shes scary.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I dont want to learn anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I made a huge mistake!!
Learning how to drive and how to y games are the two things you should never ask an acquaintance for!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly felt like a noob housewife being taught how to drive by her hubby.
They said that by being taught how to drive.... no, how to y a game, ones true colours might be revealed, and as it turned out, she was actually someone like this!!
Ive been tricked until now!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, you dont want to?! You should at least y as well as an ape, dont you think? Hold that mouse properly!! (Affeldrichae)
S, stop it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk distanced his head far away from Affeldrichae as she was this close to spitting actual mes out of her mouth.
Well, she was a Dragon, after all.
Who knows, she might really fire out a Breath.
Even if thats the case, lets not forget what kind of a person you are!! So, you should at least be ying at the level of an average human! Where is your pride?! (Affeldrichae)
Thats why I tried to learn.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre being noisy!! (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly facepalmed.
I am....
The Bringer of Apocalypse, and....
A possessor of an immortal soul, and....
The 99th Demon King, too.
Yet, what the hell is up with this pathetic situation...... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hah, this thing called life.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who couldve guessed that his life would turn out this way?
Uhm, excuse me.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt find a good time to butt in between Affeldrichae and Yi Ji-Hyuks argument until then, but managed to slowly call out to his name.
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Choi Jung-Hoon and tilted his head.
What could he be holding in his hand?
Was that a dictionary? A huge-a*s dictionary?
Our negotiation with them is almost over. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Negotiation?
Yes, the one with the Americans. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Was there something like that?
When Yi Ji-Hyuk disyed interest, Choi Jung-Hoon ced the bundle of documents, no, a stack of them, on top of Yi Ji-Hyuks desk.
What are these? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These are the terms that have been drawn up today. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
..........
All of these?
They are our terms?
Just how could a man be so obsessive over even the most minute details, never mind how precise was his attempt at ripping the other side off, that the resulting documents were as thick as a dictionary?
Yi Ji-Hyuk rummaged through the documents before tilting his head.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, please speak. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Arent these just issues rted to diplomatic rtions? What about the stuff for me? Are there any? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course there are. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As soon as stating those words, Choi Jung-Hoon spun around and headed back to his desk.
If there are, then dont go there and tell me already.
....By the way, what could those possibly be? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon was carrying a stack of documents at least double the size of the previous one.
No way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
SLAM!!
HOLD IT!! There shouldnt be the SFX of m when putting down some documents, you know!!
From a humans perspective, that should not happen, dont you think so?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
These are all the terms and conditions rted to you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the mountain of documents with a stupefied face, before raising his head to meet Choi Jung-Hoons gaze.
When seeing that confident, triumphant grin on Choi Jung-Hoons face, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only form a wry smile of his own.
I have reared a tiger cub, havent I....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, so, like.... Mm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk thumbed through the documents.
What does this rights to freely enter the casinos of Las Vegas even mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its as exactly as it says. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You had to pay to enter casinos originally? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon suddenly formed a lewd smile.
But, of course. However, the term casinos in this case is a codeword denoting a ce thats a bit more secretive, if you will. Well, I have here other documents that describe the meanings of all the codewords found in that document..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please, stop it..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head with an expression that said, Ive seen enough.
If any more documents got added on top of this pile, then he might set them on fire, instead.
....Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, dont you know the meaning of keeping electronic documentations? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course there are corresponding electronic documentations as well. However, it is the basic rule to have everything in ck-and-white when negotiating with another country. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, well. Its fine, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed the pile of documents slightly to the side and spoke.
I more or less understand the terms and conditions, and I also get that they are lots of them, they are very advantageous to us, and they are unnecessarily detailed as well. So... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
What do you want from me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Exterminating the monster thats busy destroying the US, of course. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Exterminate, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long sigh.
He said as if that was a super-easy thing to do, but have Choi Jung-Hoon already forgotten what Yi Ji-Hyuks state looked like after fighting that Zombie Dragon?
The terms on offer were very good, and everything seemed all sorted out. And he even personally told Choi Jung-Hoon to extract as much as possible, too C yet, he didnt really feel like going there.
Mm, Im not that keen on going there.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even when Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke with a disgruntled tone of voice, Choi Jung-Hoon didnt panic. He simply smiled gently and approached Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mm? What are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sensing something ominous from that smile, Yi Ji-Hyuk faltered for a bit, but Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt discouraged and continued to approach, before pushing forward his smartphone.
Please take a look. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head as he stared at the screen of the phone.
Its a map? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, indeed its a map. The current location of the monster in the US is over here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yesterday, it was over here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit.
And the day before, it was here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When three dots were ced in a line, the creatures direction of movement could be seen.
Hang on. Could this be.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you understand now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope, not at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug out his ear canal and lightly blew on his fingertip.
What are you even on about? What does this have to do with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe you didnt see it well because its a 2D map, but this direction is the direct route towards Seoul. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, its the wrong direction, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maps like this one are the 2D representation of the globe so, even though it might seem like theres a discrepancy in the direction, its actually marching straight towards Korea. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, it doesnt look like that to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon switched the screen of his phone off.
For a dumba*s, one had to resort to dumb methods....
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, forget about what you just saw. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let me exin again. Right now, the monster in the US is currently marching straight towards Korea. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul.... Seriously now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont agree with me right away like that!!
Sure, it worked out as I wanted to, but I still dont feel good, you know!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon groaned under his breath and continued on.
At this rate, it will march past San Francisco, cross the Pacific, enter Japan and destroy it, before makingndfall on the Korean penins. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For a so-called straight march forward, isnt there too many ces its nning to stop by? Isnt this more like its on a trip around the world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....How observant. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon coughed to clear his throat.
Also, isnt it possible that its route is just a pure coincidence? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats simply not possible. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm?
Monsters in other ces have begun heading in this direction as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mmmm?
If you think about it, then that Dragon you defeated also made a straight beeline for Korea, didnt it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did we ther honey all over this ce or what....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We dont know the reason, but whatever the case may be, all the monsters that appeared this time are marching towards the Korean penins. If they enter the ocean, we will no longer have anyone to negotiate with. Its more likely that well be breaking our backs trying to defend ourselves, instead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youre probably right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is why, its the best for us to destroy that d*mn thing on US soil and extract as much benefits from the Americans as possible! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, you have a point there. However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes!
Stop it with that mindset of yours! Its not like I can kill one of these dang things with a snap of my fingers, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im also a human being, so stop trying to abuse me like a cheat code, okay?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
If you cant kill it, then well, no one can. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk slumped in his chair and fell into deep thought.
What the heck. I need a n here, dont I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If its in America, it should be simple. (Affeldrichae)
When Affeldrichae suddenly butted in, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Youre saying, its simple because it isnt, but because its in America? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was she even on about?
Even after hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks question, Affeldrichae simply continued on with that cheery smile of hers.
< 126. Well now, been a while so lets go crazy -1 > Fin.
Chapter 127: Well now, been a while so let’s go crazy (2)
Chapter 127: Well now, been a while so lets go crazy (2)
Pentagon.
God d*mn it!! Just what is going on here?!
The target is still on the move, sir.
Has there been any word from Korea yet??
They said that they cant give us an answer through official channels.
Those sons of b*tches!!
However, we received word through unofficial channels that Yi Ji-Hyuk is on the move, sir.
Yi Ji-Hyuk....
That bloody name Yi Ji-Hyuk was the only thing that this high-ranked official had been hearing for thest few days.
Can his presence really bring about an end to this cmity?
He couldnt help but doubt that very notion. The monster they were trying to stop was a true, bona fide devil that easily exceeded X1 from the past in every sense of the word.
No attack worked on it, and it ignored all forms of defences. Literally, it was the god of destruction that had descended to this world.
The monster simply broke past all sorts of defensive blockades set up with everything the American government had, so how could a single man stop such a thing?
If it was true, then wouldnt it mean this Yi Ji-Hyuk character possessed more power than America? A whole d*mn country?!
What a nonsensical notion that is....
There was no way that such a thing could be true.
If there were no ability users in the States, fine. But, how could a lone ability user from a country far out East, aplish something that the Americas ability users, some of the very best in the entire world, all failed to seed?
However, on the flip side, if he failed to aplish the mission, that would be a big problem in itself, too.
Forget about his pride, the city of San Francisco would be destroyed at this rate.
The damage to LA wasnt that bad, but when it no longer moved around randomly and corrected its course, the d*mn thing started destroying everything in its path.
He had no choice but to acknowledge it.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk failed to kill this monster, then the city of San Francisco would be wipedpletely off the map.
Beeep!
A loud beep went off and it became rather hectic all of a sudden.
Whats happening now?
He, he came!
What? Who?
Yi Ji-Hyuk has arrived!
Report it upstairs! Hurry!
God d*mn it!!
The high-ranked official stared at the screen and the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk captured within, and clenched his fist tightly as two different emotions alternated endlessly within his head.
You know what, Id rather prefer if youve managed to p*ss me off, instead!!
*
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the monster in front of his eyes. However, it was not what one would usually call a monster.
Hey, you. Cant you, like, control it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae shook her head.
Its not possible in my current state. (Affeldrichae)
But, that things basically your family member, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wonder. Its true that I often prefer to control the spirits aligned with light, but itd be hard to im that they are my dependants, either. After all, our rtionship was one formed through contracts in the end. Lets not forget, that particr spirit isnt contracted to me. Even if it was, I wouldnt be able to control something that high ranking as I am right now. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his chin while staring at the bundle of white light just over yonder.
Well, whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That creature was a high-ranked spirit of light, Seti.
If one were to control it, then itd be a huge help, but when facing off as an enemy, then it would prove to be one hell of a headache-inducing creature. Especially when it came to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now for ordinary folks, a Zombie Dragon would prove to be a harder monster to deal with than a Seti, but for Yi Ji-Hyuk, the opposite was true.
Yi Ji-Hyuk relied most often on the powers of darkness, so a spirit of light was an existence from the far end of the scale, really. It wasnt as troublesome as a high priest totally wrapped around in divine powers or some such, but well, light was supposed to defeat darkness after all.
In the past, hed have dusted his hands and get the hell outta dodge even if he was offered several millions of dors, but now....
But now, my situation is a bit different, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed an unreadable expression as he stared at the Seti.
Its so pretty. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hah.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply after he shifted his gaze to Jeong Hae-Min next to him, who was way too busy admiring the outer appearance of the Seti.
You, just go away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, itll be hard for you to go back without me, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Groan~....
Why couldnt she just shut up and do her job as a shuttle?!
How can you think that things pretty?! Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, isnt it really pretty, honestly speaking? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, well, its a ball of shining white light, plus the silhouette of a woman with a killer figure, so yeah, it might look pretty to some people.
But, have you thought about just how many people it killed so far?
If the families of the victims heard what you said, they would go absolutely mental trying to rip your tongue out and toast it in hellfire, you na?ve little girl. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tsk, tsked and shifted his gaze back to Seti.
Hmm, so, its not possible to appease it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes,pletely impossible. (Affeldrichae)
In that case, time to kill it, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A spirit that had left the dimension of spirits would be tainted by the world it found itself in.
If it was under the protection of a summoning contract, and got its Mana supply from the summoner, then itd be able to maintain its original state, but if, for some reason, it fell into other worlds without a summoner present, then there were only two ends waiting for such a spirit.
Either it ceased to exist after failing to find a source of Mana....
Or, absorb Mana of the ambient atmosphere and be tainted, instead.
For a spirit that only epted the essence of the purest Mana, the unclean Mana found in real worlds would be akin to a blood pack filled with impurities.
Either there would be an adverse reaction and the spirit died, or itd adapt and be tainted. One of the two oues.
But thats only when there is Mana to begin with. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This didnt have any Mana. So, the only thing remaining would be its death.
The reason why it was heading towards Korea could be a simple one. Well, the scent of Manaing from there would certainly be the strongest in this world, after all.
Technically speaking, Yi Ji-Hyuks Mana, that was.
No, hang on a minute. If I think about the case with the Zombie Dragon, maybe thats also wrong, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So what if he was wrong? So what?
Whatever it is, the answer is simple. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Time to kill it, then.
If it wasnt here to help, of course.
Wuuuonngg....
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head while staring at the Seti as it cried in a weird resonance.
By the way, werent spirits.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were spirits this easy to encounter?
See, the thing was, spirits were a rare existence even back in Berafe.
Especially so a roaming spirit that wasnt summoned into this world C now that would be like you walking down the street only to be greeted by a death knight walking right past you.
However, just how many did he encounter already?
Could spirits easily cross over to this world?
While he stood there pondering the meaning of this mystery, something began to flicker dangerously and brightly in front of his eyes.
Itsing. (Affeldrichae)
As Affeldrichae said those words, a clear barrier formed in front of the group.
She had deployed a shield, in other words.
As expected of a Lord of all..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Why isnt there one in front of me....? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
*SFX for a beam of light sweeping past*
A giant beam of light mmed into them.
Just as the strange sensation of being enveloped in pure white light shook them up, a rather odd cry could be heard from behind them.
Hey, you crazzzzzzyyyyyyy.........!!
However, the voice continued to get further and further away.
Once the beam of light dissipated, the group emerged more or less unscathed in the same spot as before. As if blocking that single attack took a lot out of her, Affeldrichae bent over slightly and took a deep breath.
Fuu.....
Catching her breath quickly, Affeldrichae turned her head to look, only to find the group all looking behind them.
Mm?
When she followed after their gazes, she spotted a pair of something sticking out from the ground a far distance away.
Mm?
What could those two blue-coloured pirs be?
And those things visible at the ends of them were...
Shoes?
Could those be legs? Legs of a person?
If that was the case, then the protagonist of those blue track pants would be....
Crack, Craaaack!!
Emitting the cracking noises of bones breaking, the legs seemed to bend at weird angles before they began to rock back and forth.
Uwaaaahhhkk!
Yi Ji-Hyuk managed to extricate himself from the earth and, with his hair still caked full of dirt, roared out at the top of his lungs.
You d*mn rotten lizard woman?! If you were nning to shield everyone, why didnt you shield me too?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I believed that there was no need to raise a shield in front of you, Mister Ji-Hyuk. That wouldnt be efficient at all. (Affeldrichae)
Screw your efficiency!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did that dragon stuff her head with a stupid calctor or something?!
You couldve have blocked that rather easily. Besides, you havent received any tangible damage, anyway. (Affeldrichae)
Id much prefer it if you shut up now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If thats what you want. (Affeldrichae)
Even until the end, she just had to get thest word in.
Yi Ji-Hyuk cracked his stiff neck this way and that, and red at the Seti as it slowly floated towards them.
Looks like it sent us a light greeting, didnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For the current us, it is indeed a difficult opponent to handle. Speaking objectively, I will not be able to win against it. (Affeldrichae)
Tsk, wheres your pride as the Lord of Dragons? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, Im not a Lord anymore, so. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae was asking him with her eyes C Can you win against it?
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and made his reply.
Of course I cant. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
I cant win alone, obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But now, he wasnt alone anymore, so there was a way.
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved around with his hands.
Well, its not like I dont want to y around you for a bit longer, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, Im feeling kinda buzzed today, you see?
Its been only a handful of months, but it still feels like a really long time C something like that.
That is why.....
You need to fight against me now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
WUUOOOO!!
The corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks lips arched up as the Seti began crying out in that weird resonance again. Well, that little thing wasnt going to work on him.
The symbols drawn up in the air by Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand coalesced and opened up a huge ck hole there.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began recalling the words Affeldrichae told him beforeing here.
Ive brought them all. They wouldnt help anyone when left alone in that world, after all. Yes, your demonic servants. Of course, they are those few you left behind in Berafe, but to you, Im sure that low number is still a number, yes?
Obviously.
To someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk, who had led an army consisting of not ten thousands, not hundred thousands but millions, this number was pathetically small.
However...
Would they be seen as a small force in this world?
Open up!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk roared out, three Gates opened up in the air.
From the middle one, a pair of crimson-red eyes gleamed rather sinisterly, then a lifeform possessing a ck body jumped out.
Woof!!
The emerging lifeform was oh-so adorable and perfectly sized.
Oh-Sik-ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ck tentacle shooting out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body stabbed into Oh-Siks body and supplied the Ogre with Mana.
ROAR!!
Oh-Sik roared out at the top of his lungs as Oh-Sik regained his former glory.
Mm, that dog cor.... What a smart decision it was to get a special rubber version. I might have ended up buying a new one every time Oh-Sik transforms. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
From the left ck Gate, Dae-Mang and the Hydra he had left behind in the tropical ind jumped out.
Well now, its been a while, so lets go crazy here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik seemed to have understood Yi Ji-Hyuks words as it tookrge strides forward.
Meanwhile, the Gate on the right began vibrating harshly now.
M-mm??
Jeong Hae-Min stared at that sight with a pair of slightly worried eyes.
The ck Gate shook around as if it had met an earthquake or something, and then she momentarily thought that she could see huge shadows lurking beyond it. But, before she could say anything, all sorts of monsters rushed out from it with crazed fervour and foams of blood bubbling near their mouths.
Kyyaahhhk!!
Jeong Hae-Min screamed in fright, but those monsters didnt even spare a second nce and kept on running forward.
Their goal was only one.
And that was the spirit of light with a silhouette of a woman a distance away.
A satisfied smile formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips as he spectated on this sight.
Thats right.
This is it.
I so wanted to see this sight again. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kkkkkeuuuroooaaarrr!!
The monsters piled out from the Gate got trampled by more and more waves of monsters still pouring out behind them, yet they continued to march forward like crazy.
When faced with such a horrifying waves of madness, even the silhouette of the Seti seemed to tremble ever so slightly.
However, there were certain other people who were also getting shocked out of their minds at the moment.
What the hell is going on here?!
Every single rted party observing the situation cried out in unison and began spewing out various swear words.
How could a human summon monsters like that?!
Could he be a demon, instead?!
Seeing the waves upon waves of monsters pouncing on the Seti, Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed his belly and began guffawing in honest, a first in a long, long while.
Kekekekeke.
It felt like something that went unfulfilled even after he sucked in some Mana and started using magic again, was now finally being satisfied.
This is what itd been like.
No!! Its still not enough!
This isnt really it! Not yet!
I need more!!
Not those low ss monsters, but to be able to let loose the apex monst.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mister Ji-Hyuk!! (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sobered up when Affeldrichae called out his name.
Groan....
Why did it feel like something had possessed him just now?
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head, the near-endless waves of monster pounced on the Seti.
At the same time, a massive shockwave of light exploded out.
< 127. Well now, been a while so lets go crazy -2 > Fin.
Chapter 128: Well now, been a while so let’s go crazy (3)
Chapter 128: Well now, been a while so lets go crazy (3)
Whiiiirrrrrr!!!
A white light so pure that seemingly held not one speck of impurity, exploded out ferociously.
Monsters and their bodies were half-melted as soon asing in contract with this light. They all raised screams of anguish. Violent, high-pitched screams roared out from everywhere.
Ah....
Jeong Hae-Min covered her ears.
The screams echoed and echoed in a horrifying chorus, and made one feel as if they had stepped into hell itself.
Monsters, half-melted now, screamed and roared, yet they still rushed forward and then even more rushed in, again and again.
Kekeke.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at this spectacle, his eyes emitting a glow of madness.
Thepatibility between spirits of light and monsters was the worst.
It was an act of pure stupidity to try to kill a spirit, which was almostpletely immune to all physical damage, with a whole bunch of monsters. It was the same thing as throwing mes into a hugeke in order to evaporate it.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was doing something so inefficient without an ounce of hesitation.
Because, this was how he operated.
Efficiency?
That notion was something only applicable to Affeldrichae.
No, Yi Ji-Hyuks style was exceedingly simple.
Using the overwhelming numbers and an unlimited amount of Mana as his basis, hed utterly ignore pesky little things like efficiency and simply pour out everything in one go.
Now that was Yi Ji-Hyuks style, the ruler of Berafe.
He wasnt able to revert back to this tactic once he came back to Earth, but now, having regained just a tiny portion of his former glory, Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered from the buzzing electricity of ecstasy travelling up his spine.
Who cared if this was an act of stupidity?
Throwing mes into ake.... If one continued to throw mes thousands of times, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of times, then eventually, theke would dry up.
Kwahaaaaah!!!
Another explosion of bright light evaporated countless monsters from where they stood. However, a new wave of monsters rushing in, quickly filling up the empty spots.
This time, far more than those that got incinerated!
Kiiiieeeehhhckk!!
Kaaaahhaaack!!
Monsters pounced on the Seti, wildly swung their ws and bit into the spirit.
The sharp ws simply went past the body of Seti as if they were parting water; fangs soaked in saliva violently mped down hard as if they were biting at empty air.
Buzzz....
However, there mustve been some type of damage done, because Setis body wavered for a second before it began retreating.
Chase it down. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuks low growl fell onto the world, monsters ran and madly pounced on the retreating Seti. Their legs kicked the ground and thick, choking dust clouds rose up into the air.
Ah.....
Jeong Hae-Min watched on, her entire body shuddering.
Seo Ah-Young, too, formed an aghast expression, and bit her lower lip.
Jeong Hae-Min fidgeted and hesitated, before shifting her gaze slightly to Seo Ah-Young and whispered in a small voice.
How should she describe this feeling?
It feels really strange, doesnt it? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm.
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head.
Indeed, how could they not feel strange while witnessing this scene?
On one side, a spirit possessing the appearance of a beautiful woman enveloped in a bright white light, while on the other side, a freakish dude busy emitting ck fog from his entire body as hemanded an army of monsters.
No matter who saw this scene, the viin here was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
And that viin was continuously pounding away on that spirit with a disgusting smile on his face and a never-ending stream of cackles leaving his mouth.
I always knew that he wasnt a nice guy, but.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spat out a groan.
Although she was talking to herself, Jeong Hae-Min caught onto that like a leech and rebutted her with a slightly pouting expression.
But, hes a kind person, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eeeehh??
What did you say?
Did I hear you wrong?
Are my ears functioning properly right now? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young stuck her fingers inside her ears and hurriedly cleaned them out.
What did you say just now? (Seo Ah-Young)
What? Hes kind, dont you see? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.........................
Seo Ah-Young slowly pressed down the areas around her eyes.
This unni, she was.... She had gone mad.
Her current state was way beyond help now.
The word kindness and the name Yi Ji-Hyuk could not be and should not bebined in one sentence.
Im scared that, the moment youbine those two, this world will go kablooey with everyone in it, so dont even mutter it out, you hear me!!
This cant go on!! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Indeed, this unni was someone Seo Ah-Young was rather fond of, so there was no way shed watch this girl get utterly damaged beyond salvation.
While Seo Ah-Young was making up her mind on doing whatever she could to separate Jeong Hae-Min from Yi Ji-Hyuk, the man in question was in the middle of ceaselessly pounding away at the Seti.
Oh, you wanna run now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Seti could no longer deal with the waves upon waves of monsters on the ground, so it began rising up in the air.
I wont let you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks hands parted the air, and a ck beam of light shimmered from the ground.
Catch it!
The ground beneath the Seti suddenly became dyed in darkness, then thick thorny vines possessing tensile strength of steel sprouted up and wrapped tightly around the fleeing spirit.
Ahhhhh!!
A scream-like aria reverberated in the air.
*SFX for vines wrapping around and tightly squeezing*
The thorny vines shooting out from the ground attacked friends and foe alike.
Monsters chasing after the Seti were also ensnared by the vines and got pierced and torn to pieces, their blood spilling everywhere.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even spare a single nce at the monsters and continued to tightly wrap the Seti with the vines.
These thorny vines were filled with Mana and they could trap the near-illusory body of the Seti with ease, before squeezing it tightly.
The Seti began began wavering unstably now. The lighting from it brightened and then darkened. The process repeated itself over and over again.
Rip it to shreds. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The voice that sounded as if it came from the depths of Hell resounded out, and that caused monsters to emit even more maddened light from their eyes. With foams bubbling out of their mouths, the horrifying creatures ran up the thorny vines.
The sharp, uncaring thorns pierced and sliced open the flesh of all those creatures mounting the vines, but the bleeding monsters continued to climb up higher and higher.
Kaaahaaaak!!
They climbed higher; some fell and collided with others.
The sight of monsters marching forward like a horde of zombies brought forth an emotion that went beyond the feelings of terror from the onlookers.
Jeong Hae-Min couldnt continue watching on and turned her head away.
Im scared. (Jeong Hae-Min)
This was her first time thinking like that ever since meeting Yi Ji-Hyuk.
She might have found him hateful and irritating, especially back in the beginning, but never did she find Yi Ji-Hyuk quite so scary as he was today.
It was more correct to say,pared to the power he possessed, his personality seemed like someone she could deal with. Thats what she always thought.
However, that sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk, standing amidst the waves of monsters while emitting thick ck aura from his body, seemed so foreign and didnt feel like he belonged here.
From those ominous-looking ck Mana strandsing out from him, to his clothes crazily pping around, from all of his hair standing up, to his distorted face resembling a devil....
She was looking at the previously-unknown appearance of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
There was something about his posture and his expression that whenbined, gave onlookers this sensation of a creeping chill.
Her body trembled. Her mind nearly cked out, and her body felt like it was getting colder.
As she shook like a lone leaf against the wind, Seo Ah-Young squeezed her shoulders.
Unni!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Those hands squeezing her shoulders....
M-mm.
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head.
She needed to wake up here. Now wasnt the time to think about things like that.
Her role was to evacuate everyone in case a dangerous situation suddenly broke out. That was why she needed to pay attention to what was happening right now.
I must not look away. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Her sense of duty...
And her curiosity, wanting to know a bit more about Yi Ji-Hyuk....
Jeong Hae-Min bit her lip.
Meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young couldnt help but form this rather obvious question in her head, although her body still shuddered imperceptibly.
Why are those monsters listening to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks orders? (Seo Ah-Young)
She found this very strange, not only now but even back then as well. It was possible to believe that he had somehow subdued the Hydra and the Dae-mang, and made them his servants..
Sure, that didnt sound terribly logical, but the result before her eyes told everything she needed to know, so how could she not believe that?
However, this was her first time seeing all those monsters. Yi Ji-Hyuks scope of activity had been rather obvious so far; if he didnte to work, then she could pretty much guess correctly what hed do to while away his down time.
In other words, he wasnt someone whod go somewhere and prepare himself for the future.
So, how could shee to grips with the fact that these monsters were braving death just because Yi Ji-Hyuk ordered them to?
Its because they all belong to him. (Affeldrichae)
As usual, the one to answer her questions was Affeldrichae.
And Jeong Hae-Min reacted right away at her attitude which kind of implied that Affeldrichae knew something about Yi Ji-Hyuks past.
What do you mean by that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins voice was rather sharp.
Affeldrichae tilted her head slightly.
Why was this tiny lifeform being hostile to her?
It wasnt as if she had harmed this little thing in any shape of form, was it?
It is as I said. They all belong to him. (Affeldrichae)
All those monsters? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Seo Ah-young frowned deeply.
Just what on earth was this woman even talking about?
How can monsters be Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks property? (Seo Ah-Young)
Too bad for her, Affeldrichaes answer was something Seo Ah-Young found rather hard to understand.
Everything in that world once belonged to him. (Affeldrichae)
Eh?
Hes an existence that could bring about an end to everything. In other words, an existence that could rule over everything. An existence that swallowed whole a world, and even fought against gods. (Affeldrichae)
Seo Ah-Youngs frowns deepened even further.
This woman.... Just what nonsensical tale was she spinning now?
Seo Ah-Young wondered if this was how East asks, West answers felt like, but regardless of what she was thinking about, Affeldrichae continued on with what she wanted to say. (TL: East asks, West answers is the direct word-for-word TL of the Korean idiom, but its not exactly on the money C anyways, it simply means youre getting apletely incoherent/different answer to the question you asked.)
If he regains only a fraction of what he used to possess, then itd be enough power to threaten a world. (Affeldrichae)
Overall, it was difficult to figure out heads or tails of this womans story, but there was one thing Seo Ah-Young could gleam from it.
Only a fraction?! (Seo Ah-Young)
What she was seeing right now, was only a fraction?!
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes captured the spectacle of monsters endless march forward. Waves upon waves of monsters that could destroy a whole country, never mind a single city, was unfolding right before her.
Just seeing it made her nearly wet her pants and her entire body shook from fear, yet all those monsters were only a fraction of his.... collection?
If that was true, then just how enormous was the rest?
Seo Ah-Young roughly shook her head.
She wanted to argue back and say that was bullsh*t, but Affeldrichaes words sounded quite credible for some reason. That woman possessed a certain quality that made others nod their heads in agreement.
Just what the heck happened in the other world? (Seo Ah-Young)
Affeldrichae closed her mouth for a minute.
Even with her high intellect, it was rather difficult to condense the events of that lengthy time period into a single sentence.
How should she exin it?
How should she go about exining Yi Ji-Hyuks life, the one where he fell to the very bottom and, while relying on nothing but his own powers, eventually rose up high enough to fight against the entire world?
His life was a series of one desperate, horrible experience after another.
As the Lord of all Dragons, she too did everything in her power to stop him over and over again. Even then, he crawled and scratched, until he overcame the interference of the gods and finally grabbed hold of what he desired so much.
And the end result was....
Affeldrichae quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk over yonder, controlling the monster horde.
From her perspective, it didnt look that good, but this was what he wanted.
He fought against the whole world, and he even fought against the wills of the gods. Hes an existence that fought against everything alone. (Affeldrichae)
Seo Ah-Young tilted her head.
What are you talking about? (Seo Ah-Young)
Im sure its hard for you to understand. But, I get where youreing from. Unfortunately, I dont have any confidence in making you understand. I could tell you all the information on what he did, but if you asked me how his life had been, then...... (Affeldrichae)
Then, that would be a very sorrowful tale, instead.
While Affeldrichae was letting a soft sigh escape from her mouth, Yi Ji-Hyuks monster horde was still in the midst of ripping the Seti to shreds
Ahhh!!
Even though it was almost like an illusory spectre, and thus was almost immune to all physical attacks, once it was ensnared tightly by Yi Ji-Hyuks thorny vines and pounded on by the endless rush of the monster waves, Setis figure finally went limp to the ground.
The only fate remaining for it now was death.
For a high-ranking spirit that boasted the simr levels of power to the Zombie Dragon, or maybe emit even stronger power than that undead creature, this was such a dispiritingly pathetic defeat.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk snapped his fingers, the monsters biting into the Seti like a bunch of crows pecking at a dead body receded all at once.
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled hoarsely and slowly walked towards the Seti.
And its pure-white body began trembling like a lone leaf.
< 128. Well now, been a while so lets go crazy -3 > Fin.
Chapter 129: Well now, been a while so let’s go crazy (4)
Chapter 129: Well now, been a while so lets go crazy (4)
The highest-ranked spirits were an absolute existence.
Although they werent as incredible as the king of spirits, reputedly only one in existence throughout the universe including all dimensions, but even then, each one was powerful enough to be truly called peerless, matchless creatures.
Especially so in the case of the Seti, a high-ranking creature of light, small worlds might even end up worshipping it due to all the aura of divinity oozing out of it.
And that Seti was being trampled underfoot by Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Affeldrichae quietly looked on at that man.
An overwhelming, absolute power.
All he did was gave out a single order to attack, and then, used his magic just once. Yet, just that yful flick of his hands defeated a high-ranking spirit, it incapable of resisting him now.
That was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
This was the power of the man who ripped and tore Berafe asunder.
He might have struggled a lot while trying to defeat the Zombie Dragon, but the moment he got his hands on just a tiny fraction of his former monster army.... It felt like he had regained just a little bit of his former glory of being the Bringer of Apocalypse.
Shudder.
Affeldrichaes body shuddered.
Even with her mental fortitude that could perfectly maintain her calm no matter the circumstances, she could only shudder in fear as she recalled the past appearance of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk hadpletely aligned himself with the core of the demon world, got to wield a monster army of millions, and controlled limitless Mana. He had risen up to be a god, even though he was a mere human.
He was an existence that overwhelmed and nketed the entire world in monsters and dark magic, as iparably thick, dense dark Mana poured out from him like a flood.
Truly, the ruler of Apocalypse. He certainly deserved that nickname.
Now, now. Lets see here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips formed a chill-inducing grin as he stepped on the neck of the Seti.
Euh....
Jeong Hae-Min frowned deeply as she looked on at that sight.
Just why did he have to act like a dang viin all the time?
Of course, even she understood that Yi Ji-Hyuk was the one fighting for the sake of this world, and that white spirit thing was the one trying to destroy it, yet.... She couldnt help but feel very weird since the visuals certainly didnt look that way.
Ah, ahhh....
Seeing the look of torment on the face of the Seti, Jeong Hae-Min also ended up feeling pained in her heart as well.
But, that was about it. Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes didnt change one bit.
He opened his lips ever so slightly and bared his white teeth, before leaning closer to Setis ear.
Did you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, Seti didnt answer back.
There are lots of different types of spirits out there. Spirits of light, spirits of fire, spirits of water, spirits of ice, etc, etc.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, there was this one type of spirit that didnt exist in nature.
There are no spirits of darkness. But, why is that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The answer was very simple.
Because, the darkness was born from theck of light, that was why.
The darkness was almost like the floating clouds, where there were no actual physical substances.
And that is why.... Theres no naturally-urring spirit of darkness, you see. However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like the darkness that shouldnt exist, but did....
The spirit of darkness did also exist, even though it shouldnt.
Exactly like how an absence of light created the darkness.
Kekeke.
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed the Setis neck.
Well, then. Time for you to pay for making me break out in sweat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, he didnt really do anything, but.... Well, there was this thing about ones feelings and all, no?
Do your best, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Either die....
Or....
Get corrupted.
From Yi Ji-Hyuks right arm, jet-ck Mana bubbled up and began pouring into Setis body.
Aaaaah!!
A cry akin to a womans shrieking scream tore into the heavens and reverberated throughout thend.
Kekeke.
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to cackle on as he stared at the Setis face, now contorted from unimaginable pain.
What would happen if one poured dark Mana into a spirit of light?
Just what would happen if one were to pour in ck ink into a clear, pure body of water?
The ck ink would spread out in the blink of an eye, thats what.
If there was a lot of ck ink, then the pure water would soon be inky ck as well. That was what Yi Ji-Hyuk was doing right now.
Yi Ji-Hyuks condensed dark Mana poured into the pure, uncorrupted white Mana, and the Setis body acted like a sponge, sucking in every single drop.
Aaaaaah!!
Seti continued to cry out in pain.
Tu-tuk!!
Setis white body twitched and thrashed about as the dark Mana swam around in its innards, like blood coursing through its veins.
Its body expanded before contracting again; its white eyes changed colour to ck, before reverting back. These processes repeated over and over again.
Aaaah!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks smile deepened as he continued to take in this spectacle.
A high-ranking spirit C itd be a fine weapon to wield if he could make it his. However, what if it ceased to exist from the Mana bacsh?
That wouldnt necessarily be a bad thing, either. Well, he was originally here to kill this creature anyway, wasnt he?
*SFX for ss shattering*
Shortly afterwards, the sound of ss shattering came from somewhere, and the Setis body was dyed in ck in the blink of an eye.
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled soft and observed the changes taking ce in the Seti.
Its bright white body changed to pitch-ck, and its pure countenance had transformed into a sensuously seductive one.
The rays of light shimmering around its body disappeared, and.... And, wings resembling soft fabric dancing in the wind sprouted out from the back of its neck all the way down to its legs and they began wrapping around her body.
Congrats on your corruption. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Dear spirit of darkness.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly stroked the cheek of Seti, no, the existence that was once Seti, her red tongue peeked out and seductively licked his hand.
What should I name you, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, what would fit perfectly here?
Should I just go with Ti-se instead?
Mm, thats a bit.... low-brow, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I shall name you Tirie from now on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tirie mustve been happy with its new name as it swirled around the air once, before it slowly took a look at its surroundings. Then, it drifted towards Yi Ji-Hyuk and silently entered his back.
It instinctively sought out the ce with the most amount of darkness nearby.
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt resist and simply epted her.
After absorbing Yi Ji-Hyuks Mana, it was pretty much the same thing as she forming a sort of a contract with him. To be more specific, rather than forming a contract, it was more like a ve rtionship, though.
Affeldrichae slowly made her way towards Yi Ji-Hyuk and spoke with a slightly angry tone of voice.
Your old habit hasnt changed, I see. (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
Ceasing to exist can sometimes be a blessing, too. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
You and your old-fashioned way of thinking. Rather than dying, its better for an existence to keep surviving by changing to something else. You ask anyone, Wanna die, or change to something else? and Im telling you, they will all choose to change. You and your lot dont know the true fear of death because you live for tens of thousands of years, and thats why you can spout that kind of nonsense. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont think thats something a man who stabbed his own heart with a god-ying weapon to kill himself should say. (Affeldrichae)
Well....
Im a special case, so thats why.
You shouldnt use me as an example when talking about normal people, dont you agree, you dumb Miss lizard woman? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well, I think the person in question seems to like it, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tirieh poked her head out from just above Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder and licked his cheek a little before baring her fangs at Affeldrichae.
After being on the receiving end of that hostile re from the Tirieh, Affeldrichae could only spit out a groan. It was never a happy sight, seeing a creature that once enjoyed the blessings of gods be corrupted and fall into darkness.
However, thats how Yi Ji-Hyuk operated until now.
Maybe this was the adverse reaction to his life being a twisted,plicated mess; he simply enjoyed corrupting other creatures whenever an opportunity presented itself.
That personality was probably the reason why he was able to control millions of monsters, but still.
Kaahaack!
When she coiled around threateningly as if to pounce forward at any moment, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply grabbed Tiriehs head and pushed it down. When that happened, she obediently lowered her head and silently slipped back inside him.
Are you nning to store it inside you from now on? (Affeldrichae)
There arent any other suitable ces around, so cant be helped. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is now a creature of darkness as well. Im sure you know very well what kind of an effect such a creature will have on a human being. Just how many times do I have to repeat myself to you? (Affeldrichae)
Yeah, I know. But if I leave it alone outside, its gonna disappear, so, as Ive said before, theres no other choice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah......
Affeldrichae shook her head and waved her hand about.
Wuuoonng!!
A small tear in space opened up in front of Affeldrichae. She inserted her hand inside and pulled something out.
You can connect to the infinite storage? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, I cant. But this is a much smaller, separate space I prepared just in case. (Affeldrichae)
.............
Even then, if you pull out whatever is inside there and sell it, youll end up as a billionaire, no? Youll end up with more than enough money to y around for the rest of your life.
Regardless of what you say, you probably only packed the most essential things from their of the Dragon Lord, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Affeldrichae extracted a bangle from this separate space and handed it over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Store the spirit in this. (Affeldrichae)
But, shes a spirit of darkness, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This item is element-less. (Affeldrichae)
Well, in that case. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk received the bangle, put it on, and studied it from this angle and that.
He wasnt so keen on the fact that this thick metallic bangle didnt really match with his blue tracksuit, but still, this thing mustve been a high-ss artefact, thats for sure.
Now that he thought about it....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long groan after he finished looking at the bangle.
He could be described as someone holding a huge interest towards anything rted to items.
Back then, he used to walk around while kitted out in divinity-grade artefacts from top to bottom, such as a shoe that wouldve made the top sorcerers and wizards of Berafe go mad with avarice, trying to sell their significant other just to buy it.
Yi Ji-Hyuk recalled a certain robe stuck inside a forgotten corner of the closet back home.
When the family was moving house, mom threw it away and Yi Ji-Hyuk had no choice but to dig through the local trash dump in order to recover this much-treasured robe.
However, it was now trash. A trashy treasure, then?
Wait, is it possible for you to repair broken artefacts? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You really think thats possible? (Affeldrichae)
Hah......
What a useless lizard woman!
While Yi Ji-Hyuk and Affeldrichae argued with each other, Jeong Hae-Min sneaked in closer and cautiously opened her mouth.
....By the way, are you nning to go around with that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
That?
Uh, oh. Yeah, its my ve now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min frowned deeply as her eyes locked on Tiriehs body peeking out from Yi Ji-Hyuks torso.
That thing wasnt a human.
Of course not.
Right.....
However.....
Just what was up with all that slick, smooth and bouncy jiggliness of that thing?!
It was already really beautiful to begin with, yet now, it exceeded that beauty and stepped into....
....Sexiness...
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes widened considerably.
Did you just cuss me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: the Korean word for sexiness sounds pretty simr to a son of a b*tch.)
No, not that sexiness, you idiot!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Then, what other sons of b*tches are out there?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Never mind. I shouldnt have said anything. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min spat out a lengthy groan.
Besides all that, dont you think its a bit too risqu looking like that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What, this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
Looks like you havent seen what being real risqu is yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..............
Jeong Hae-Mins face reddened up slightly.
You, you saw lots of s, s, s, such things? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What, me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed an expression of an arrogant politician and straightened his back, his stomach bulging forward.
Hah. Whats the point of talking to a shorty like you? Its a waste of my energy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....You....
Just as Jeong Hae-Min began trembling, a very taciturn voice could be heard next.
Indeed, he has seen a lot. (Affeldrichae)
Ng?
Affeldrichae spoke as if it was nothing.
He has seen and experienced the peak of pleasure that no human can possibly experience, after all. Especially so, when he has enjoyed the type of harem that no one in this world could even dream about. (Affeldrichae)
Ha, ha, harem??! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins eyes shook around as if there was an earthquake happening right now.
A haren?!
Is that the same harem as the one I know?? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Euh..........
Utterly failing to recognise the signs of Jeong Hae-Min revving her engine, Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked triumphantly, while Affeldrichae followed up to her own words.
He used to be surrounded by many different races and fantastical creatures, too. (Affeldrichae)
D, different races?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
For instance, elves, dark elves, and.... well, those types of races, you know? (Affeldrichae)
Tremble.
Seo Ah-Young finally noticed Jeong Hae-Mins back trembling ominously and hurriedly jumped in, but it was far toote by then.
*SFX for Jeong Hae-Mins really loud wailing*
What the hell?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kyyahhhck?! (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk freaked out and hurriedly took several steps back, and Affeldrichae cried out cutely whilepletely forgetting about the dignity of being the Lord of all Dragons. With eyes of pure dumbfounded confusion, the two of them stared at Jeong Hae-Min and her loud sobbing.
Did half of her bloode from a Siren or something?!
Seriously now, there was a limit to how forceful a sonic attack could be.
Affeldrichae somehow seeded in casting the Silence spell on Jeong Hae-Min even when suffering from the ear-splitting pain. She then groaned out grandly and spoke up.
This woman really is worthy of being researched. (Affeldrichae)
Eh-whew.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in helplessness.
Not one person around him was sane. Not even one!
< 129. Well now, been a while so lets go crazy -4 > Fin.
Chapter 130: Well now, been a while so let’s go crazy (5)
Chapter 130: Well now, been a while so lets go crazy (5)
Christopher McLarens expression became dumbfounded as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuks group busy arguing with each other.
Just what the hell is up with those people?! (Christopher McLaren)
He was already calling Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co unhinged fools when they faced off against the monster that shook the USA to its very core while not even looking remotely concerned; especially more so, when their lynchpin trudged towards that scary monster without a care in the world.
But what happened next turned out to be even more gobsmacking.
It didnt even feel like that man had done anything particrly taxing, yet, he managed to defeat the monster in the proverbial blink of an eye C a creature no American could do anything about.
More importantly, the shocking sight he disyed in the course of doing so......
Christopher McLaren fished out a cigarette and lit it up.
What did I witness just now? (Christopher McLaren)
He was well aware of the subject Mine being a dangerous individual.
If it werent for the Korean idiots, hed be paying attention to this existence way before anyone else had the chance to. He knew better than anyone how dangerous this Yi Ji-Hyuk character could be, at least thats what Christopher McLaren believed so.
The thing was, the kind of danger he thought of was nothing like this.
Even as an individual, Yi Ji-Hyuks abilities were unmatched in the world. He was a person receiving the close scrutiny of the world precisely because of that.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was considered too dangerous an existence that necessitated the creation of a brand new category X.
However, if Yi Ji-Hyuk controlled an army, that would change the story greatly once more.
Christopher McLarens eyes could still see that army of monsters standing around like dummies, waiting for Yi Ji-Hyuks next orders.
He has already exceeded the limit of power a single individual should possess.
How was he supposed to go about figuring out the true extent of Yi Ji-Hyuks powers now?
This mans power had already exceeded the level ofbat strength a regr nation would possess.
As long as there was no one else like him, then it wouldnt be much of a stretch to say that this man alone possessed war potential of a powerful nation.
Christopher McLarens brain kicked into high gear and spun around real fast.
Wuuoonng-!!
While watching the sight of the monsters marching into the gate Yi Ji-Hyuk had opened, Christopher McLaren quickly pulled out his phone.
I want you to check the location where the monsters are being kept. Are the monsters returning there? What?! They are not??? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens hand gripped the phone even harder.
God d*mn it!! (Christopher McLaren)
Back when Affeldrichae made her first appearance, the monsters that appeared alongside her did not disy any intentions to attack humans. So, Christopher McLaren did as she demanded and had those monsters kept in a secret location.
That was the result of three thingsbining into one C one, his thoughts of researching the monsters that did not disy immediate hostility to humans; two, desire to use those creatures for his own gains; and finally, his fear of the woman named Affeldrichae.
However, all of those monsters had be Yi Ji-Hyuks property now.
That powerful, scary army of monsters that even tempted Christopher McLaren into thinking that the world conquest would be possible if they were utilised properly.
What am I supposed to do now..... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren grasped his head, now full ofplicated emotions.
Yi Ji-Hyuk..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk!!
Just what was he supposed to do about that bundle of headaches?!
If it were up to him, hedpletely, utterly erase everything about that mans existence from this world and totally wipe the te clean, but as everyone had witnessed today, that powerful monster would never have been defeated without the presence of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
For the sake of humanity, Yi Ji-Hyuks continued presence was a necessity.
On the flip side, there was a chance that humanity was in deeper danger precisely because of Yi Ji-Hyuks presence.
Other people might call him crazy, but well, Christopher McLaren knew better than anyone what the end result of one individual possessing way too much power would be like.
And perhaps most vexing of all would be the fact that Christopher McLaren currently didnt have any means to control Yi Ji-Hyuk, the source of all his torment.
To put it bluntly, if that man suddenly decided to let loose that monster army on US soil with hostile intentions, this country would not be able to avoid the fate of getting destroyed to the point of near copse.
Anyone with a sane, functioning mind would never do something like that unless he was suicidal, but then again, Christopher McLaren also knew that human beings were never a rational species to begin with.
It was here that Christopher McLaren spotted a man walking in confident strides towards him.
That man raised his hands to smooth back the regent-style hair and formed a very gentle smile.
....Choi Jung-Hoon.
The man that the countries around the world considered to be even more important than the President of Korea.
The man who was only a measly little government employee of a small nation, yet now wielding more influence and power than the leaders of bigger nations after making Yi Ji-Hyuk his ally.
Perhaps he himself hadnt realised that yet, but well, that mans influence had now exceeded Christopher McLarens own reach.
Been a while, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hearing the rather crisp English wordsing from that man, Christopher McLaren could only form a bitter smile.
Indeed, it has been a while. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon was smiling brightly and came off as all friendly and the like, yet in Christopher McLarens eyes, he simply looked like a hateful little b*stard.
What brings you here? (Christopher McLaren)
Well, I need to make sure, thats why I came over to speak to you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Make sure what exactly? (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon presented his left hand, and it held a massive case filled to the brim with official documents.
Christopher McLaren guessed what those documents would entail and spat out a lengthy groan while taking the case.
Even if you havent done this, wed honour our promises anyway. We arent that low to dismiss the deal made in the name of the United States of America. I feel offended, actually. (Christopher McLaren)
Its not that I dont trust you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What then? You prefer to be certain, is that right? (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head as if he was also feeling troubled here, before pointing in a certain direction with his chin.
Im just worried about how that man would react if the promises made were not honoured. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course, in the direction Choi Jung-Hoon pointed at, Yi Ji-Hyuk was there.
Christopher McLarens expression crumpled in an instant and pushed the case full of documents behind him.
One of his subordinates hurriedly took the case.
Confirm them. Thoroughly. Dont miss anything. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
After dumping the bothersome task on someone else, Christopher McLaren red at Choi Jung-Hoon with a pair of sharp eyes.
It is true that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is hard to handle. However, from what I understand, hes not the type to care about what happens around him. Isnt that right? (Christopher McLaren)
Hearing that vaguely insinuating tone, Choi Jung-Hoon waved his hands around as if he was terrified of something, and quickly opened his mouth.
Of course hes like that. However, that person really hates bothersome things, so it goes without saying that hed be very unhappy if things hes supposed to get arent there. Besides, hes also small minded and rather timid as well, so hed definitely find a target to vent his frustration on. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Small minded and timid.....
Something new to remember, then.
Having branded this new information on Yi Ji-Hyuk in his brain, Christopher McLaren nodded his head.
There will be nothing to worry about. We will definitely honour our side of the deal. Well, we dont know when we might need your assistance again, so there is no need for us to sour our rtionship over matters this small. (Christopher McLaren)
However, you should watch yourself.
Perhaps sensing the meaning behind Christopher McLarens re, Choi Jung-Hoon awkwardly smiled.
Take care of us in the future as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, that would certainly be nice. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon maintained his rather leisurely smile even after hearing that final sarcastic remark.
Christopher McLaren really didnt like this man. If it were up to him, hed have gotten rid of Choi Jung-Hoon, didnt matter what the method was.
Why? Because, those who Christopher McLaren found to be an eyesore all became someone pretty d*mn big, that was why.
No, hes already someone pretty big, isnt he?
Recognising the level of influence now wielded by the young man standing right in front of his eyes, Christopher McLaren did his very best to force the ends of his lips to rise up, and formed a smile.
Well, besides all that. What are you nning to do about the other countries?
The monster in the USA had been taken care of, but other countries were still going through utter hell, unable to deal with the monsters that had appeared there.
Well, even with the vast might of the American government, they still couldnt do anything to one single monster, so what could other countries do on their own, realistically speaking?
I wonder about that as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon scratched his head before shifting his gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hes someone with a really fickle mind, so.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, isnt that good news from your perspective? (Christopher McLaren)
Youre very observant, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The more Yi Ji-Hyuk rampaged and showed himself off, the higher the position of Choi Jung-Hoon would be.
Both Choi Jung-Hoon and Christopher McLaren were aware of this fact.
In any case, fine. I shall acknowledge you. That is why I have a new proposal. (Christopher McLaren)
Pardon me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Itll benefit both of our nations, without a doubt. (Christopher McLaren)
It was Christopher McLarens turn to smile brightly now.
*
Hah........
After resolving the situation in the States one way or the other, the NDF group teleported back to Korea and were now all meandering about in this inexplicable fatigue.
Groan....
Especially Yi Ji-Hyuk C he was holding his head while slumped in his chair. His entire head felt like it was being pounded on.
He didnt need a lot of Mana to order around the monsters possessing the Seal of Obedience, but on the other hand, his mental energy would be used up to an extreme degree.
Indeed, gathering all of their will into a singr spot and make them follow his orders required a huge amount of mental power.
It wasnt like this in the past, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He never felt this taxed back in Berafe when he controlled an army of millions.
But back then, his brain was also in the fixed state, as was the case with the rest of his body, so if his mind got taxed by something, itd have been reset time and time again.
Is that why.....?
Just because he controlled an army of a thousand-plus monsters for a little bit of time, his brain felt like itd melt into a puddle.... Hed gotten way too soft. Too soft.
I have be really, pathetically weak, havent I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He sensed once more just how weak he had be.
In the case of magic, he managed to find a way to use his spells by absorbing more Mana as needed so he wasnt really conscious of his shorings there, but this situation waspletely different.
If the opportunity to control his former army came to the current Yi Ji-Hyuk, hed be unable to do anything with them.
Well, that aint going to happen, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At this rate, wouldnt his head explode when the number of monsters went over ten thousand or or more?
Well, Ill be. I really was a cheap OP piece of sh*t, wasnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And now, he sensed how amazingly broken the character of Yi Ji-Hyuk back in the Berafe days was once more. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that this version of Yi Ji-Hyuk and that past one were twopletely different beasts altogether.
Are you in pain? (Jeong Hae-Min)
After seeing Yi Ji-Hyuks pained expression, Jeong Hae-Min cautiously sidled next to him.
But then, when she saw his irritated face, she flinched and hurriedly averted her gaze.
Whats wrong with me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Did the spectacle Yi Ji-Hyuk disyed remain too deeply etched in her mind?
As Jeong Hae-Min stewed in her own thoughts, someone lightly brushed past her.
Gah-Yun?
Doh Gah-Yun walked past Jeong Hae-Min and ced a can of cold drink in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ng?
Silently, Doh Gah-Yun alternated her gaze between the drink and Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You want me to drink this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned slightly and took a big gulp of the cold drink.
Gulp!
Hah....
He felt a lot better after something cold entered his body.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Doh Gah-Yun with probing eyes.
She wasnt really someone who could read the moods this well, though?
Looked fatigued. (Doh Gah-Yun)
....I was? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Doh Gah-Yun for a bit before also nodding his head.
In a way, Doh Gah-Yun was with him the longest since his return to Earth, so if anyone were to tell whether he was tired or not, it would be her.
Thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun lightly shook her head and submerged into Yi Ji-Hyuks shadow once more.
Euh!
Jeong Hae-Min felt defeated just now, and was about to say something, but too bad, Choi Jung-Hoon cut her off first.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah?
Currently, calls from overseas are still inundating us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They need us to solve their situations as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
................
Yi Ji-Hyuk massaged his head as if a new bout of migraine began assaulting him.
Hah..... Maybeter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even now, people are dying as we speak..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the heck. I didnt open those Gates, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly stood up from his chair and walked straight out of the office.
Where are you going? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Home! Im going home for the day. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A person cant live on by doing nothing but work!
So, its only correct that I get to go home on time! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hummed to himself and left the office.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon tried to grab hold of Yi Ji-Hyuk, Affeldrichae stopped him with her hand first.
She shook her head and spoke to him.
Let him go. (Affeldrichae)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its likely that hes all riled up at the moment. (Affeldrichae)
Disregarding Choi Jung-Hoon, who was clearly confused by what she said, Affeldrichae quietly stared at the back of Yi Ji-Hyuk as he walked out the door.
< 130. Well now, been a while so lets go crazy -5 > Fin.
Chapter 131: You’re her oppa. Aren’t you? (1)
Chapter 131: Youre her oppa. Arent you? (1)
Weird. Why do I feel so dirty? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk rubbed his face, hard.
It felt like this unknown dirty, sticky feeling was welling up from deep inside his chest. Why was he feeling so weird like this?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to ignore this ufortable feeling and stepped outside the front door of the NDFs building.
He should be feeling refreshed after sessfully taking down a spirit, yet it kind of felt like he had missed something, and that it was not over yet.
Hmm.....
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes caught the sight of a certain blonde head gently waving about just over yonder.
That blonde head bobbing up and down ever so slightly behind the wall was.... How should he say it? Had it be a sort of clich by now?
And why the heck is she here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Besides all that, he had only gotten back from the States just now, so how did she even find out that he was here?
Was she waiting for him here without a n?
While waving away the thoughts of suspicion and irritation, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth.
What are you doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With an excellent timing, a breeze blew in and lifted her hair up just a little. It kinda looked like she was greeting him that way and a smile leaked out of his mouth even before he noticed it.
Heh. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som peeked her head out from behind the wall.
You came to find your oppa? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun should be inside the building, though.
Should I call him for you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At Yi Ji-Hyuks suggestion, Kim Dah-Som shook her head. Then, her previously bright expression hardened slightly as she presented her hand.
Ng?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head while looking at the stic bag in that hand.
What could be inside that white bag?
Mm.....
Well, since she was offering it, why not....
Yi Ji-Hyuk took the bag and looked at the contents before a long groan escaped from his mouth.
Now lets see....
This one is a health tonic, this one here is multi-vitamins, and... an energy drink for tiredness?
What about this ck unidentifiable traditional medicine, then?
And this thing here..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Viagra?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som slightly turned her head away and avoided meeting Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze.
What the heck?
The others, fine, I get why, but whats the meaning behind this viagra??
Isnt this too good for a man?
Should I personally show.... Ah, hang on. Thats not right, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh, uh, t-thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although, he wasnt quite sure just why he should start feeling thankful for.
Yi Ji-Hyuk sorted out the contents of the stic bag one by one.
Seeing that people were expressing their worries about him, and now having received stuff like these, he thought that he mustve looked really pooped outtely.
He didnt think hed done anything too taxing, though....
No, hang on. Thats wrong. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wouldnt have been taxing for the past Yi Ji-Hyuk, but the current version would definitely find thest couple of events tough to handle.
Actually, he himself didnt know just how far his current body could go, too.
Ill drink themter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please make sure you do. (Kim Dah-Som)
Mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression remained a bitplicated as he nodded his head.
You going home now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
Then, lets go..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes!! (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som formed a content smile as she looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk who volunteered to take her home, even though she didnt say anything.
Her expressions have be a lot more varied now, havent they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, when he first met her, she came across as someone who utterly rejected the notion of changing her facial expressions as if she was preserving some kind of an ancient tradition.
Now, she smiled more often and sometimes even disyed hints of anger, so that should qualify as a positive change, but....
For some reason, she kind of makes my blood run cold sometimes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he carefully dug through her family ancestry someday, maybe he might find that she carried the bloodline of some ice-element this-or-other.
It wasnt too strange to think that way, since someone couldve been dragged to another world and came back, just like how Yi Ji-Hyuk was dragged off to Berafe.
They walked for a long time without saying anything, before Kim Dah-Som suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Mm?
Were here. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hearing her deration, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head to take a look around.
What do you mean, here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My home. (Kim Dah-Som)
Here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes.
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion.
Obviously, its not strange for her home to be here.
Any ce can be her house as long as its inside the residential area. And, the date of her family moving and mine were pretty simr too, if I remember correctly.
But then..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Wait, isnt this pretty close to my own ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt that house over there mine?
Yi Ji-Hyuks head continued to tilt this way and that.
Well, no, its still not strange that her house is near mine. Fine. But....
When I took you home thest time, it wasnt here, was it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk asked, Kim Dah-Som simply smiled brightly and averted her gaze once more.
Hey, you..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Why should he even bother at this point?
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only spit out a long groan after seeing Kim Dah-Som smile refreshingly while still avoiding his gaze.
Fine. Fine. Well, whatever. Im going now.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm.....
Mm?
Kim Dah-Som hesitated before opening her mouth.
Please make sure to take one vitamin pill every morning. Your stomach might get upset, so please take it together with the stomach medicine Ive prepared. Taking it after breakfast will be even better, I think. As for the traditional medicine, please take it in the evenings...... (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched on as Kim Dah-Som proceeded to exin a lot of things for a long, long time, and he slowly closed his eyes.
Hey, you dumb kid....
My brain cant remember all that information, you know?
I think youre overestimating me here. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I hope you got all that. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, yeah. Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Get what now?!
Why would medicines have rules to follow when taking them? All I have to do is just swallow them!!
Besides all that, I dont need any of these, honestly!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Too bad, there were things that could never be said out aloud, no matter what.
Okay, Im going now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Take care. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out another groan and turned around to leave.
He could still feel a pair of pretty sharp eyes pricking his back, but he didnt take a look behind him.
How scary!!
I took you home, so go inside already!!
Why are you standing around ring at me like that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Who knew that possessing super-perceptive senses would prove to be an issue when they could unnecessarily feel that gaze oh-so clearly?
Eh-whew......
Things other than monsters were bing his problemstely.
No, these kids were the true monsters, instead. These dang kids....
*
Im home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk entered through the front door, Park Seon-Deok nodded her head while still sitting on the couch.
Are you alright? (mom)
Yeah.
Have you eaten something? (mom)
Of course not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why didnt you? Making me work extra.... (mom)
................
Mom?
Mom, Im your son, Ji-Hyuk!
You werent like this to me before, you know.
Its only been a few months since I came back, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Park Seon-Deok felt her sons earnestly pleading eyes and her expression crumpled instantly, before she angrily got up from her spot.
Okay, fine, fine!! Ill prepare something, okay?! (mom)
Sob......
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the corners of his eyes.
Where did the older version of his mother go, when she used to prepare so much meat that the legs of the dining table nearly broke from the weight?
He was now making money and working hard, yet his treatment at home had actually gotten worse!!
Ah, the irony of life....
What about Ye-Won? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shes upstairs. (mom)
Isnt she going to take extra sses? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which kids take extra sses nowadays? (mom)
Then, what about cram school? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats the point of sending her to one? (mom)
But, howe? If she wishes to get admitted to a university, shes gotta study harder, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please remember what she used to be like in the past before saying that, son. (mom)
.....Ah.
Indeed, he had forgotten all about it.
Right, our Ye-Won.....
Really now, our Ye-Won is......
.....Our Ye-Won, capable of making a local neighbourhood thug get p*ss-scared and run away from her mere presence! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hah.....
Now that he thought about it, she sure was behaving herselftely.
Thud, thud, thud!
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard the thudding footstepsing from upstairs and raised his head.
She wasnt even a devil, yet she showed up whenever someone talked about her and all. It sure felt like that way to him.
Mm??
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Why was she sulking like that now?
When Yi Ye-Won didnt even cast a second nce in his direction and headed straight to the front door, Yi Ji-Hyuk called out to her.
Where are you going? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To a beauty salon. (Ye-Won)
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To dye my hair. (Ye-Won)
Hah.....
She was starting again.
Why?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, dont bother! Get out of the way! Im leaving!! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won shoved his hand away and walked off, causing Yi Ji-Hyuk to massage his aching forehead.
Not one day in this dang house went by in peace. Not one single day!
Just whats gotten into you now? Speak up, will ya?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Look!! (Ye-Won)
With her eyes aze, Yi Ye-Won pointed to herself.
Take a look at me!! (Ye-Won)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a sweeping look at his sister.
Okay, so, what am I supposed to look at here?
Well, uh, what should I say? Shes kind of chubby so I think she looks rich and nice, so....
Mm, I see. Your clothes are really too tight for you, arent they?
I mean, I brought home all that money, yet she hasnt gotten any new clothes for herself! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mom!! Ye-Won wants new clothes! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not it, you dumba*s!! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won cried out at the top of her lungs.
Look at how fat Ive be because of you!! What am I supposed to do looking with this?! Whos going to see me, when my figure is ruined like this?! If I knew Id end up looking like this, I shouldnt even try to live here, you know?! So, like, Im gonna live while doing things I want! (Ye-Won)
Hey, you. You keep this up and pretend that youre still going through puberty, then you might really get hit in the face by the thunders and gales. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end.)
Why? You want to beat me up? (Ye-Won)
He wouldnt just end at beating her up, though....
Ye-Won-ah? Whats the matter? (mom)
Mooooom!! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won suddenly ran into her mothers arms and began crying her heart out.
What the heck?! Now that was so out of the blue. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats wrong, my girl? (mom)
Mom, I cant stand it anymore. (Ye-Won)
Ng??
I cant stand being well-behaved in that school, and I dont have any friends here, too.... So, I hate it here! Cant we go back to where we used to live? (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Deoks eyes shook as if they were struck by an earthquake.
.....But, Ye-Won-ah, that is..... (mom)
What should she say here?
And we have lots of money too, right? (Ye-Won)
.....Its not we, but me who has lots of money!!
Since when did the notion of money being our property came to pass?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even before Yi Ji-Hyuk could spew out words of anger, mom sensed her sons rising aura and quickly sent her re in his direction to shut him up in an instant.
Yi Ji-Hyuks body began trembling from her incredible ability to make him understand her re that contained the following message You utter one more word off that ptrap of yours, Ill sew it shut, you hear me?
Meanwhile, Park Seon-Deok gently patted Ye-Wons back and tried to console her.
There, there, my little Ye-Won. Youve had it so tough, havent you! Mom had no idea. (mom)
Sob, sob.... mom..... (Ye-Won)
There, there. If its too tough, we can go. Okay, so should we go back to where we used to live? (mom)
.............
There was no answer?!
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was panicking somewhat at the rapidly-changing atmosphere of the living room, moms eyes began gleaming dangerously.
Yes, our little Ye-Won has behaved herself so well. Indeed. Mom is really happy. (mom)
And why did she behave like that until now?
....My son. Ji-Hyuk-ah? (mom)
M, mm?
That gentleman from thest time, he isnting around anymore. Why is that? (mom)
....Was she talking about Choi Jung-Hoon?
Yi Ji-Hyuk immediately understood what Park Seon-Deok was trying to say here.
H, hes a bit busytely, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, he used toe around to our old house often, didnt he? Ever since moving in here, he has not shown himself once, no? Yes, its true that entering the bathroom and leaving it afterwards makes you a different man, but still, dont you think this is too much? (mom)
.....Shes right, you know. (Ye-Won)
Hang on a bloody minute?!
I thought I heard a small voice just now?
So, was this what you were aiming for?
Was this your end game?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body shuddered.
So.... the point of all this madness was because Choi Jung-Hoon hadnte aroundtely, was that it?
Mom, that..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ji-Hyuk-ah. (mom)
Ng?
Honestly, I think hes a fine person. I wish he was my son, but well, as you may know, I already have a son. (mom)
.....I apologise for being this kind of son, mother. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the edges of his rapidly-moistening eyes.
He would be considered not too bad looking no matter where he went, yet just why did he have to bepared to that Choi Jung-Hoon?
Just who in the Republic of Korea would win in aparison against Choi Jung-Hoon??
Hes more like a walking, talking real-time squid generator, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, there is another way to live together with him even if I cant make him my own son. (mom)
Pardon me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Could that way be.....
Mom. Even still, the age gap is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its only Tti-dong-gap so its nothing to worry about. (mom) (TL note at the end.)
Its more than that!!
Lots more!!
Shes only a high schooler, you know!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Eii, still, its too much...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are lots of men who prefer younger women. (mom)
Now normally, wouldnt the parents be the first to get up in arms, wanting to beat the living sh*t out of the older guy when their daughter wishes to bring home a tti-dong-gap?
To think, this mother was trying so hard to send her daughter away to someone who was way past the tti-dong-gap threshold....
Mom, so, like.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You being for real?
When Yi Ji-Hyuk looked on with half-disbelieving face, Park Seon-Deok slowly nodded her head with a resolute expression.
She then whispered softly.
Where would your sister find a better man than him? Knowing what shes like? (mom)
........................
Youre her oppa. Arent you? (mom)
Indeed.
He was an oppa.
Ye-Won may be like this now, but once upon a time, she used to cry and jump into his arms whenever there was a lightning storm, saying she wanted to be with her oppa!
After recalling a really pleasant memory from the past, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt his heart ache profoundly, so he took another look at Ye-Won.
Plump, plump......
No, thats not it!!!!!
That Ye-Won and the Ye-Won from my memories are the same person!!!!
Stop denying that truth and start epting it, you rotten brain of mine! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hah.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
Thats how it was. The happiness of my little sister is my own happiness. Ive almost given up on a wonderful dream in the name of reality for a short time there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right, son. An oppa will do anything for the happiness of his little sister. (mom)
....Thats a bit incorrect, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dont want to eat anymore, then? (mom)
....Thats not true, mother. In any case, I shalle up with a suitable n. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fighting!
And so.... in this small corner of the Yi familys living room, a dark and sinister n to ensnare the top bachelor of South Korea began to unfold its wings.
.....And the sacrificialmb in that dark plot suddenly sensed a deathly chill creep up on him as he tried to navigate his way out of the piles of documents surrounding him. He quickly took another swig of his favourite health tonic and spoke up.
Wha-what the heck was that just now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why did it feel so.... ominous?
< 131. Youre her oppa. Arent you? -1 > Fin.
(TL: Jil-poong-no-do Its a Hanja idiom denoting one going through ones rebellious adolescent phase, but the literal meaning of the letters is thunders and gale-force winds of life. Our MC used this word as a pun in the sentence, repeating it twice. I did what I could there.....)
(TL: Tti-dong-gap C its a Korean ng term for the specific age gap of 12 years, i.e. 36 years vs 24, 48 vs 36, etc.)
Chapter 132: You’re her oppa. Aren’t you? (2)
Chapter 132: Youre her oppa. Arent you? (2)
[The catastrophe of San Francisco has been resolved somehow, but the monsters roaming in France and other countries still have not been killed yet. The negative economic impacts these events will bring are estimated to be truly enormous, and in addition, Koreas own economy is projected to suffer greatly as well. Especially....]
Aigoo. (mom)
Park Seon-Deok frowned deeply as she watched the streets of Paris on the TV screen, now looking more like a war zone. She had seen her fair share of wrecked city streets by the hands of various monsters, but thetest footage was iparably worse than those could ever hoped to be.
All the destruction that happened in the past was more or less on the level of losses of life; monsters such as Goblins and Monkeys might be able to hurt many humans, but they didnt possess enough strength to destroy buildings.
Even if it was a level 3 monster, at the end of the day, itd not utterly destroy the living habitat of human beings.
But now?
The city of Paris as seen on the TV screen, was now full of skeletal remains of destroyed buildings, as if they were hit by a wartime bombing raid or some such.
Concrete debris lined the ground as far as the cameras could capture, to the point where the description ttened concrete desert seemed more appropriate than ever before.
Park Seon-Deok let off a long sigh.
She just saw on the screen, a young crying child running off to somewhere, having lost its mother.
[The conservative estimate for the total lives lost from this incident alone is at 30,000 and counting. Its the single greatest loss of human lives post ck Monday. An even bigger issue here is the fact that no one hase up with a solution yet. The only country to have resolved their situation, United States of America, has so far refused to publicly release any relevant information, nor any of the recorded footage, causing widespread condemnation and suspicion.]
What a bunch of rotten b*stards, why arent they helping others if theyve mopped up their side of the aisle already?! (mom)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked as he exited the bathroom.
Listen to this. Americans are not releasing any footage or information on how they killed their monster. Those people, they always do that. I mean, they havent released any information on aliens until now too, right? (mom)
Mom, I think you should stop watching TV shows for a while.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Surely, they couldnt release that kind of information even if they wanted to.
Well, if they released the footage containing the scenes of Yi Ji-Hyukmanding an army of marauding monsters to beat a rather saintly-looking spirit down to a pulp, the bacsh from that would simply exceed ones imaginations, after all.
Hiding away such things from the publics consumption would be better for everyone involved.
Your food is ready. (mom)
Ng. Thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk went to his room and opened the closet.
He then carefully rummaged through many, many articles of minutely-different blue tracksuits hanging on the rack and picked the one he liked. However, just before he closed the door to the closet, he spotted the robe stuck in the corner and spat out a lengthy groan.
Only if that thing was still working....
Was there really no way to repair that thing?
Yi Ji-Hyuk was the type to steal or forcefully take away, rather than create, the things he needed. Sure, it wasnt as if he couldnt create anything, but well, he was not skilled enough to create an artefact on the level of that robe.
Something like that would be right up Affeldrichaes alley, but since she said it couldnt be done, he should give uppletely now.
Tsk.
But, what a terrible waste, that.
Rustle...
It was then, he heard a soft rustleing from behind him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked behind him.
Affeldrichae was getting up from her short slumber.
....You okay with sleeping only that much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae stayed up the whole night and made sure that Yi Ji-Hyuks mind wouldnt erode away by the negative effects of the dark Mana, before taking a quick snooze of around 30 minutes when he got up in the morning to take a bath.
Indeed, a body of a human being is greatly inconvenient, isnt it? I have to sleep if I want to revitalise the brain. (Affeldrichae)
You can still say that when your lot sleeps for hundreds of years? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is the far smarter way. (Affeldrichae)
....Well, sure. If you can call sleeping as much as a weeks worth in one go smart, then I guess it is smart, you dang rotten lizard woman. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue and shook his head.
He almost threw out a retort there, but his lips closed shut when he thought back to what she was doing for him and the significant weight that action carried.
By the way.... What are you doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Affeldrichae)
You know how crazy those lizards would act without the presence of the Lord. Berafe needs its Lord of all Dragons. And, you have an attachment to that ce, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is true. I was born and raised in that world, after all. (Affeldrichae)
So, like Im saying, is it fine for you to be here, abandoning Berafe like this and all? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sat down on the chair and pulled out a cigarette.
Click.
When he lit it up and blew out a long trail of smoke, Affeldrichae frowned ever so slightly.
I heard that smoking indoors went against themon etiquette of this world. (Affeldrichae)
You were expecting etiquette from me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed. I was wrong. (Affeldrichae)
Seeing her agree so quickly, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but smirk deeply.
Originally, she wasnt someone he could share random jokes with.
Was it because she gave up on the position of the Lord? Or was it because of people constantly being near her that she had softened somewhat? Without a doubt, the current Affeldrichae was much less stiffer than in the past.
So, why are you here, really? Stop beating around the bush and answer me straight, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Ive already told you, though? Im here to see you. (Affeldrichae)
How long are you nning to continue with that joke? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A gentle smile formed on Affeldrichaes lips.
Its you whos persisting with a joke, Mister Ji-Hyuk. Well, you know very well that us Dragons do not lie. (Affeldrichae)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned against the chair and spat out yet another groan.
Just as she said, Dragons never lied.
So, you crossed dimensions just to see me. Is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Affeldrichae)
But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichaes golden eyes slowly lowered.
Are you asking me because you really dont know? (Affeldrichae
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a difficult man. Really now.
Because, I thought youd be in pain this side. (Affeldrichae)
..........
I thought, that is why I need to help you. And now that Im here, I believe my thoughts are pretty much correct. (Affeldrichae)
Was there a room for such fidelity in our rtionship? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk growl like an wounded beast, Affeldrichae formed a deep smile.
He was a man who reacted negatively and bared his fangs whenever he was shown some form of affection.
He was a man who still acted like a little kid, even though he had lived for well over a thousand years.
That was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Indeed there is. At least from my side. (Affeldrichae)
If you were nning to do so now, Id have preferred it if you showed some of that way back when. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If she did, then hed havee back to Earth a couple of hundred years earlier.
Well, I had my duty to carry out in that world, after all. Besides, even though I was the Lord, I didnt have the necessary gall to disobey the will of Lady Latrel. (Affeldrichae)
....Yeah, I guess youre right about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, Latrel exercised absolute power in Berafe, so that was understandable.
Shed just be an abominable wench in this ce, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Affeldrichae)
Nope. Never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his hand around and organised the situation.
So, then. How long are you nning to stay here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How long, you ask.... I havent really given that much thought on that subject. (Affeldrichae)
Youre totally beyond help, arent you..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thinking about that matter is actually far stranger. The current you only have less than 100 years left in your life span. A century is a short enough time for me to consider it as a holiday. (Affeldrichae)
....Why do I feel depressed all of sudden after listening to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right.
Ill die in less than hundred years.
Hed been living while not being too conscious of his own life span until now. He came back here, to Earth, so he could greet death.
Although he had found what he wanted, thinking about how he had to face his own mortality now, his feelings became a bit weird.
Could one say that such duality was the hallmark of being a human being?
Hey, Affeldrichae? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
I dont trust you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae got up from the bed.
When she slowly approached him while wearing that thin nightgown only, she disyed blinding beauty akin to a goddess descending to the mortal realm, but Yi Ji-Hyuks expression remained deadpan and unimpressed.
Its not that you dont trust me. (Affeldrichae)
..........
Affeldrichae reached out with her arms, and gently embraced still-sitting Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
No, you just cant trust anyone. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed out instead of replying.
He really didnt like this woman.
She was a horrible being and he found her unbearable.
Interest changed to goodwill; goodwill changed to friendship; and even when friendship changed to affection, she never, ever crossed that final line.
She desperately, decisively opposed Yi Ji-Hyuks wishes to go back to his original world, even as their rtionship progressed.
She also didnt change, even if she felt affection for him.
That was why, she managed to make him think that her affection was, at the end of the day, all a pretence, a ruse.
He had been sharing his feelings with her, hated her, and even fought her for over a thousand years, yet he could never grow to hate her.
That was why he found her so unbearable.
Hah.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk rxed his tired body and closed his eyes in her arms.
So, a short game of one hundred years, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you want, it can be far more than a hundred years. (Affeldrichae)
Im a human being. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Currently. Currently you are..... (Affeldrichae)
One wouldnt really know how to describe the very concept of humanity, but still, Yi Ji-Hyuk believed that a small trace of that elusive concept remained somewhere in the dark, dank corner of his heart.
Just a small trace.
How long are you nning to y around here? (Affeldrichae)
y around? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The things youre doing right now. (Affeldrichae)
She said he was ying around. ying around, was it....
You still havent gotten rid of that nasty habit of passing judgements on other peoples lives. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, in the past you have acknowledged my assessment to be impartial and urate, havent you? (Affeldrichae)
Also, your ability to make other people speechless is the same as always. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd be far more stranger for me to change. Im a Dragon, after all. (Affeldrichae)
Right, you lot are like that, arent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The existences that couldnt voluntarily change their personalities because no outside influences could reach them C that would be Dragons, then.
Fine. Have fun with us. Have fun and fool around. Just dont forget to ce us back where you found us, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, Im a Dragon who always does her best to bring you back to the ce where you belong. (Affeldrichae)
You just dont want to lose in conversation, (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Liar. You always won, you know. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes beautiful hands gently brushed Yi Ji-Hyuks hair.
So small.
The existence of a human was so small and weak.
And the human named Yi Ji-Hyuk surrounded himself withyers uponyers of thick scales in order to hide away his fragile heart.
No.
His fragile heart was now covered by countless scabs from getting hurt time and time again.
How should one go about saying this?
An unnatural hedgehog?
A man who, in order to survive... No, while surviving until now, he surrounded himself with countless thorns, making it impossible for him to earnestly approach other people even if he wanted to.
A pitiable man, you are. (Affeldrichae)
Her hands continued to stroke Yi Ji-Hyuks head. Her fingers gently and smoothly untangled his hair.
Dont you also have a part of the me for me turning out this way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A big part, as a matter of fact.
It couldnt be helped. (Affeldrichae)
Dont you try to console me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why I came here, you know? (Affeldrichae)
To his side.
You want topensate me or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If thats what you want. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly.
Even if I wanted to rip you to shreds? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae returned a gentle smile.
Of course. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly closed his eyes.
Soplicated.
Rtionships so utterly twisted andplicated beyond salvage.
Berafe.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It didnt want to let him go. That ce followed him back to this and continued to torment him.
Well, Im fine either way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im talking about now.
Yeah, right now, this is fine, so....
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his hands up and tightly grabbed Affeldrichaes shoulders.
I dont know what kind of schemes youre cooking up. But you better not take me lightly, Lord Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae replied with a serene voice.
Anyone who breathed in the air of Berafe just once, would surely know to pay their respects to you, oh Bringer of Apocalypse. (Affeldrichae)
Kekekeke.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began guffawing after hearing her words.
But, you were one of those who made me into that.
Wouldnt you agree?
It was then, the door to his room was flung open.
Hey you! Mom wants you toe and eat your............... (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Wons eyes shook hard after seeing two people embracing on top of a chair so early in the morning.
P, perverts!! (Ye-Won)
Its a misunderstanding!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot up from the chair and hurriedly denied it all.
Its not what you think!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kyaaaaaaahhh!! Mom!! Look at these two!! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Wons loud screaming reverberated throughout the Yi house.
And just like that, another peaceful day began in earnest.
< 132. Youre her oppa. Arent you? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 133: You’re her oppa. Aren’t you? (3)
Chapter 133: Youre her oppa. Arent you? (3)
Lately, Choi Jung-Hoon had been feeling that it was all worth it.
Sure, the insane amount of work and mountainous piles of documents still remained the same. But,pared to the past when he felt like a cogwheel of arge organisation, he could acutely feel that he had climbed to the position where he now controlled that very same organisation with nothing but a flick of his hand.
Hmm.....
Enjoying the smooth, rxing aroma of the hand-dripped coffee in the early morning, Choi Jung-Hoon let the morning sun bath him with its warm,forting rays.
Its really peaceful around here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled to himself, as he began pouring a bottle of Ba**hus-F into the huge mug of coffee.
S, sir!! Please dont escape from reality like this!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Mm?
Kim Jae-Beom beganining in a tearful voice, dark circles under his eyes extending all the way down to his chin.
Please, dont unplug your phones!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Mmmm?
And, switch your mobile on, too!! Everyones been calling me instead, you know?! But, I dont know anything! Im only in charge of doing misceneous work here!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned deeply.
A man should have ambition! How could this guy be satisfied with doing misceneous work only?!
You should grab this chance now that it hasnded in yourp! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A chance?! What kinda chance is this?! You think I can cope with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Well, yeah, hes got a point there.
Even I feel like Im dying. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon began despairing once more as he sensed his consciousness returning to the cruel reality.
A big shot, my a*s.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Who was a big shot in this situation?! He was more like a call centre agent at this point!
His smartphone couldnt handle all the calls simultaneously flooding it and continued to malfunction even now.
After the crisis in the States had been resolved, requests for assistance from other nations suffering at the hands of monsters were arriving at a far crazier rate now.
He couldnt help but feel that these countries were actually concentrating all their national might on making these requests, too.
Heck, a certain country looked as if they would start waging a war against Korea, causing a state of emergency of sorts in the Foreign Ministry, which meant that none of its poor employees were allowed to leave until the crises were solved somehow. And well, the one to pay the price of that emergency was none other than Choi Jung-Hoon.
Still, Choi Jung-Hoons importance had grown iparably from before, and that was the only reason why he wasnt subjected under even more abuse than this.
Indeed, the amount of craziness was only about this much, simply because small fries didnt dare call him. If not, Choi Jung-Hoon would have to seriously consider setting up a dedicated base of operations next to the NDF building.
Fufufu.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoo nced at the number of missed calls showing up on his phones screen C 238 C and smiled deeply.
Fine, fine.
Very good.
All good, but.....
But, nothings really changed here, hasnt it?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He thought that, once he became this big shot, hed be sitting in a plushy,fy chair in a spacious office of his own, puffing on a cigar behind a huge oak desk and ordering other people around with the flick of his hands. How could he have guessed that his expenditure on energy tonics would increase twofold, instead?!
On top of this.... His regr sry didnt even increase, either!!
As Choi Jung-Hoons entire body trembled from the wrongness of it all, Kim Jae-Beom picked up the phone ringing off the hook with a tearful face. But then, he began shivering like a wet dog.
W-what did you say? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Immediately, Kim Jae-Beom got up and exited from the office, before hurrying back inside with a clearly-reddened face.
The, the Minister is here. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Which minister? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its the Foreign Affairs Minister! (Kim Jae-Beom)
The Foreign Affairs Minister?
Why would that guy show up here?
Choi Jung-Hoon took a quick nce around him, but realised that not only Seo Ah-Young, but everyone else in here didnt really give a toss whether the Minister was here or not. As if a stray dog was passing by....
Hah....... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why did he even bother?
Choi Jung-Hoon got up from his seat and went to receive the Minister.
With excellent timing, a middle-aged man sporting a head full of grey hair entered the front entrance of the building, apanied by his retinue of bodyguards. He spotted Choi Jung-Hoon pushing open the door toe out of the office, and frowned ever so slightly.
Wee, Minister. Im Choi Jung-Hoon, the vice director of the NDF. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So, youre Choi Jung-Hoon, is it? (Minister)
Yes, thats correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon lowered his head in a dignified way and formed a gentle smile.
However, the Minister still found something here was not to his liking, and his expression remained stiff as he stared at Choi Jung-Hoons face.
Sensing the awkwardness of this situation, Choi Jung-Hoon could only smack his lips.
It seemed that this old man showed up here to make his ints known.
Please, step inside. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Keuhmph.
With Choi Jung-Hoon guiding the way, the Minister didnt say anything else and followed after him. But, as soon as they got to the conference room to the side of the office, the Minister began to grumble out in dissatisfaction.
Dont you have a better ce to receive your guests? (Minister)
Weve prioritised functionality above all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You sure know how to dress it up, dont you? (Minister)
The Minister took the seat of honour as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole world. Choi Jung-Hoon asked Kim Jae-Beom to get them coffee and settled down next to the Minister.
What brings you here, sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He got straight to the point.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Hah Dae-Seok, really didnt like this young whipper-snapper at all.
Most unimpressive of all was the fact this younger mans attitude C he didnt seem to be nonplussed by the Ministers presence at all.
How dare a low-ranked public servant be so cheeky!
Are you asking me because you cant tell? (Hah Dae-Seok)
You think Ill ask you if I already know?
....I want to retort like that, but I shouldnt.
Okay, well, I knew why when I asked him, anyways. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Is it because of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats right, its about that man named Yi Ji-Hyuk. Is he here now? (Hah Dae-Seok)
....What the hell, this guy might cause a serious problem at this rate!
What does he mean, that man named Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
If Yi Ji-Hyuk heard you say that, your chin might be kissing your expensive brand-name loafers by now.
I mean, youd soon be searching for a good dentist that will do you a solid set of fake teeth.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
I implore you to be careful with what you say, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What was that? (Hah Dae-Seok)
That person is a bomb-like existence that can go off at any given moment. If you persist on randomly and carelessly poking him, the ensuing aftermath will all be yours to take care of, Mister Minister. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sounds like youre threatening me here. Or did I hear you wrong? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Im just concerned, sir. Deeply concerned. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Fine. Lets leave it at that. (Hah Dae-Seok)
The Minister Hah Dae-Seok red at Choi Jung-Hoon for a while with eyes of dissatisfaction, before grandly sighing out.
Okay, fine. There is no need for me to meet him today. In any case. The current situation is not very good. There is a limit to how much we can withstand. At the bare minimum, you will have to resolve one incident in one of the countries by tomorrow. (Hah Dae-Seok)
Itll be difficult. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What do you mean, difficult? Didnt you resolve the American situation fairly quickly? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Well, that person wanted to do that one, that was why. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What? So, he doesnt want to resolve the others, then? Does this mean a citizen is ignoring the request from his own nation? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Are you the nation, then?
Youre just a Minister, yet you keep talking nation this and nation that. Looks like youre also a helpless stuck-up with too much self-esteem, huh.
Oh well, I should at least show some respect to the office of the Foreign Ministry here. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon sat up straight and replied.
That man isnt someone whod care about such things. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youre talking about the moral duty of a nations citizen! (Hah Dae-Seok)
Mister Minister. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon quietly stared at Hah Dae-Seok for a bit, before opening his mouth.
Do you wish to lose that one-and-only citizen, sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...........
If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk decides to emigrate, then never mind chartered nes, countless countries would actually buy special airnes toe and invite him over. No, hang on. Im sure theyll send their best teleporters over here to bring him into their fold. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Groan....
Especially the US; they should be waiting in the wings with bated breaths. You mustnt think of that person as the citizen of this nation anymore, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah Dae-Seok gritted his teeth.
But, he also wasnt stupid enough to argue back, saying that that was a load of bull, either.
So what, then? Are you simply going to watch from the side and do nothing? (Hah Dae-Seok)
This is the time when the old idiom patience is virtuees into y. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, just whats your job here? You still want to draw your sry from the government, being like this?! (Hah Dae-Seok)
Sir, that is not my original duty. Ive never received any special orders from anyone to manage Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, nor did I ever receive extra hazard pay. Meaning, Im simply volunteering my expertise out of my loyalty to my mother nation. So, you assuming that I carry any sort of responsibilities in this matter is rather illogical, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That is why, you should at least raise my sry before thinking of using me like a ve, you rotten sons of b*tches!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Talking to you is a waste of my time here. Call the department head, now. (Had Dae-Seok)
I assure you, sir. Talking to me will be far less stressful for you overall. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You want to talk to Seo Ah-Young?
Your heart will explode from frustration if you do that, though? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Okay, so, from your own mouth, are you acknowledging that the NDF has no method whatsoever to control Yi Ji-Hyuk?? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yes, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What was that?! (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yes sir. Youre correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon remained as straightforward as ever.
Arent you even remotely embarrassed by what you just said?! (Hah Dae-Seok)
There is nothing to be embarrassed about, sir. No government or organisation in this world can control that person. No, us holding onto him for this long is already miraculous enough. I feel rather aplished if I think about it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah Dae-Seoksplexion boiled over in an instant.
Are you trying make fun of me here or something?? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a groan.
It was amon sight to see someone blow their top after getting frustrated, but seeing a countrys top Minister acting in such an obvious manner was a matter of great heartache for that countrys citizen.
Im not here to stoke your anger, Mister Minister. I am only telling you the situation as it is. Honestly speaking, with what should I start controlling that person? Should I order him around, or ask him for a favour? If I could persuade him by clinging onto his trouser legs and beg, then Id have done that by now. However, what can I do when none of those will work on that person? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Bring me that Yi Ji-Hyuk character. Ill talk to him. (Hah Dae-Seok)
....But, sir. Youre going to regret this. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ill be the one doing the regretting, so stop wasting my time and do as I say. (Hah Dae-Seok)
...........
Choi Jung-Hoon felt as if he was staring at a man who had willingly stepped inside a coffin and was loudly shouting out, Nail the lid already!
Well, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk hasnte to..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, there was a sound of some kind of scuffle going on outside the conference room.
N-no, wai.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even before Choi Jung-Hoon could finish saying wait, the door exploded and a man crashed inside, before rolling on the floor rather unceremoniously.
What the hell, these dumb sons of b*tches! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, through the broken doorway, a man with an irritated face made his grand entrance.
Groan....
Choi Jung-Hoon facepalmed.
He predicted that there would be an incident today for sure, but not even he could have foreseen that one would happen so quickly and so violently as well!
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked in with a face full of irritation and anger.
Is he angry?
....Nope, thats his normal face, innit?
What a relief. Yup, thats the normal Yi Ji-Hyuk, calm and serene.
Its just his face that looks like that. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon managed tofort himself.
If youvee to visit someone elses workce, you shouldve just stayed in some corner somewhere and quietly drink your coffee! How dare you try to block me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, beating up a guy to this degree just because he blocked you....
Well, this is Yi Ji-Hyuk Im talking about.
Im not even shocked anymore. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk puffed his cheeks and spun his head in Choi Jung-Hoons direction.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes......?
Please, dont look for me....
Please, stop it. Please.
It feels like my stomach is getting smaller by one millimetre from the rot every time you start looking for me.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled awkwardly and replied.
Whats the matter? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Theres something I wanna say to you..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes drifted towards Minister Hah Dae-Seok sitting next to Choi Jung-Hoon.
And who could this ahjussi be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a polite young man he was.
Suddenly, the Ministers bodyguards all rushed inside the conference room and pounced on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Noooo!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shot up from his seat and loudly yelled out.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Watch the building!! Dont break it!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You should worry about people, you crazy b*stard!! (the authors inner monologue)
Like a good little child, Yi Ji-Hyuk listened to Choi Jung-Hoons pleas.
Did these idiots lose their collective mind or something?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Powpowpowpow!!
One hit per person.
The bodyguards were hit once each and fainted on the spot.
Whew....
Choi Jung-Hoon wiped the cold sweat off his brows.
If I didnt shout out in time, then these idiots wouldve flown all over the ce and crash into the walls, causing all sorts of cracks!! Do you have any idea how new this building is?? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Apprehend them! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, ability users inside the NDF building rushed inside the conference room in droves and quickly subdued the Ministers bodyguards, before dragging them all away.
W-whats the meaning of this?! (Hah Dae-Seok)
The clearly-incensed Hah Dae-Seok roared out, but Choi Jung-Hoon quietly settled back down on his seat and raised his chin ever so slightly.
Mister Minister. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What!
Sir, this organisation is a branch of the Presidency. Armed provocation does not work with us. Under the constitution, no one can issue us any orders, and you are unable to arrest anyone working for us. Im sure youre already well aware of these facts. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Keuh......
What an excellent feeling this is!
Me, yes this little old me, busy pushing a Minister of a nation to a corner! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon was about to start admiring his own handiwork, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth first.
Okay, whatever. I said, I have something to say to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Itd been so much nicer if this man was not around for this moment, at least.
For Choi Jung-Hoon, Yi Ji-Hyuk was like a stimpack.
He was an existence that could do jobs that no normal human was capable of performing, but the level of physical and mental energy wasted, not to mention the stress, was just too enormous.
A, are you Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Hah Dae-Seok, and his neck leaned to the side in a crooked angle.
You know me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course I know who you are! My man! We need to have a chat! (Hah Dae-Seok)
But, Ive got nothing to say to you, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you listen to what I have to say, youll change your mind very quickly. (Hah Dae-Seok)
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and found an empty chair to sit down.
Well, its not like Ive urgent things to do anyway.... So, lets hear it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah Dae-Seok was an experienced, wily politician. He remained rude and overbearing to Choi Jung-Hoon, someone he thought was far below him, but even he wasnt stupid enough to not recognise the position Yi Ji-Hyuk had upied here.
My man, dont you have any thoughts on going overseas for a while? (Hah Dae-Seok)
I do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill provide you with the best amenities and I assure you... Eh? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Hah Dae-Seok dazedly asked.
What was that? (Hah Dae-Seok)
I said, I do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke with an unconcerned face, but then, he shifted his gaze over to Choi Jung-Hoon and grinned ominously.
However, Ive got some conditions..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoons blood began to run cold.
< 133, Youre her oppa. Arent you? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 134: You’re her oppa. Aren’t you? (4)
Chapter 134: Youre her oppa. Arent you? (4)
A few conditions, you say? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply nodded his head.
Hah Dae-Seok looked at him and a beaming smile bloomed on his face.
This youth was only problematic to deal with because seemingly nothing worked against him. However, if there was something he wanted, then that meant it was possible to control him now.
So, it didnt matter what those conditions were, they would be fulfilled. The cost of meeting them would be paid for by other countries, anyway.
Those folks were desperate enough to do anything and everything, as long as they werent asked to hand their countries over, what with their cities and citizens being destroyed and getting killed right now.
What conditions are they? Please do speak. (Hah Dae-Seok)
Hah Dae-Seok became overly excited as his voice became louder.
Is it money, or power? Or maybe, women? Doesnt matter what those conditions are! If they are something I can make happen, then they will happen for sure. (Hah Dae-Seok)
After hearing that deration, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Hah Dae-Seok with a bleary face.
Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks rather curt voice immediately shut Hah Dae-Seoks mouth.
Stop being an eyesore, and can you leave for a bit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Hah Dae-Seoks dazed eyesnded on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Leave?
Me?
Im the Foreign Affairs Minister, yet you want me to go away? Who are you nning to speak to, then? (Hah Dae-Seoks inner monologue)
It was here that Hah Dae-Seok spotted Choi Jung-Hoon and his unreadable, subtle smile.
Hah Dae-Seoks entire body trembled imperceptibly.
How dare he!!
How dare he ignore a government Minister and speak to a low-ranking public official like that man, instead?!
Hah Dae-Seok quickly took several deep breaths and calmed himself, before slowly opening his mouth.
It seems that you dont know who I am.... (Hah Dae-Seok)
Eh?
Im the Foreign Affairs Minister. (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes widened.
A Minister? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. Im Hah Dae-Seok, Koreas Foreign Affairs Minister. (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sagely nodded his head.
Wow, so you were a Minister! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-heum.....
Hah Dae-Seok did his best to suppress the ends of his lips from arching up. Hed look like a tactless man if he broke into a satisfied grin here, after all.
Indeed, the more others tried to suck up to him, the greater the need to maintain a calm, unmoved face.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Hah Dae-Seok with a bright smile.
Okay. I got it, so leave, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah Dae-Seoks eyes trembled even more than before.
I revealed my position as the Foreign Affairs Minister, yet you still want me to leave? (Hah Dae-Seoks inner monologue)
Excuse me, but I think youre mistaken about something here. Its my job to negotiate with other countries and extract enough benefits from them. In other words, talking to me and not someone else is the fastest and most realistic way to get what you want. Do you understand what Im saying here? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head grandly.
Okay. Get out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
He did hear that Yi Ji-Hyuk was a nutjob, but still.....
While Hah Dae-Seok was seriously wondering about what he needed to do to if he were to deal with this strange lifeform sitting in front of his eyes, Choi Jung-Hoon was spectating on the unfolding event, doing his absolute best not to break out into a fit ofughter.
And you wanted me to do something here, didnt you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What could he possibly do here?
Especially to that man!
One would find a way to deal with a person only if said person could be talked to, reasoned with, or if that person could be threatened with the might of thew.
So, what could anyone hope to achieve with someone who couldnt be talked to, no logic worked, and couldnt be controlled even in ones wildest dreams?
Once you were bitten, youd not be able to talk like that anymore.
Only after you got bitten!!
By the way, why am I feeling this cold all of a sudden? Am Iing down with a cold? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont you have any consideration towards your elders?? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yi Ji-Hyuks dazed eyesnded on Hah Dae-Seok.
His elder?
A man who only lived around for 50 years or so was arguing about seniority in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If I pile up all the food Ive eaten over the years, youd be buried underneath the mountain, you dumb little hatchling!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hah.....
What was the point of mentioning it, though?
What a bother it was to exin, and well, even if he did, just how many people would actually understand, anyway?
Sensing that Yi Ji-Hyuk was progressively getting more irritated, Choi Jung-Hoon quickly stepped in to end this situation.
Now, now. Mister Minister? For the time being, please calm down and.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How can I calm down in this situation?! (Hah Dae-Seok)
Choi Jung-Hoon spoke to Hah Dae-Seok in a quiet voice.
Mister Minister. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.....?
Dont you understand what will happen once you manage to sour the rtionship with this person? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Euh....
You should realise thatparing your importance to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks is an utterlyughable notion in the eyes of the Korean government. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hah Dae-Seok began gritting his teeth at this incredibly rude and direct manner of speech.
These bunch of abominable ability users.
To think, they would simply leapfrog his position, the one he worked his a*s off to get to, with nothing but some special abilities they awakened through some random coincidence.
He felt embittered and angry, but he still had to acknowledge the reality of the current situation.
Looking at it from a cool-headed, logical perspective, then this man named Yi Ji-Hyuk was an even more important existence than the President of Korea.
Indeed, he was not someone a single Minister could do anything about.
Hah Dae-Seok managed to control his rough breathing and slowly opened his mouth.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Hah Dae-Seok)
When Hah Sae-Seok called his name, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head towards him at a crooked angle.
Yeah?
....At least address other people properly, will ya?! (Hah Dae-Seok)
Allow me to earnestly appeal to you one more time. I am South Koreas Foreign Affairs Minister, Hah Dae-Seok.
Okay.
I dont know what it is that you want from us, but it is my role to determine whether that is possible or not. So, how about speaking directly to me? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan.
Ahjussi.
Yes!
Do you honestly think that there is something I want from you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im not sure. (Hah Dae-Seok)
Whatever the case may be, the government cant do much for me anyways. I dont need much to begin with. Instead, its only you people who want something from me, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....That is indeed so. (Hah Dae-Seok)
That is why, I dont have anything to say to you, you see? Stop trying to butt in and score big for yourself, and just wait outside, mmkay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah Dae-Seok sighed weakly and stood up from his chair.
Why should he be subjected to this sort of treatment just for the sake of a chance to wield more wealth and enjoy greater fame?
....Looks like its about time that I retire, no? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Hah Dae-Seoks shoulders drooped low as he trudged out through the door.
Choi Jung-Hoons pitying eyes only served to make him feel even worse than before.
After sending away someone supposedly important, and making sure the door was closed shut, Yi Ji-Hyuk began staring at Choi Jung-Hoon with gentle eyes.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt even utter out a reply, only his body quaked in the spot.
Stop it!!
What the hell is up with that gentle voice of yours?!
Youve never, ever spoken in that tone before, you know!
Just what are you nning to tell me that you have to say it in such a voice?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes?
Choi Jung-Hoon answered with great difficulty, feeling rather a lot like a cow being dragged to an abattoir.
This strange and inexplicable fear mushroomed in his heart.
Going to other countries to help them out, is it a really important thing to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How should Choi Jung-Hoon go about answering that here?
Why did it feel like his life woulde to an abrupt end if he answered wrongly?
Yes, of course. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
First of all, the profit we can earn from just one trip overseas will be enormous. Also, letting other countries know that we possess the capabilities to aid our allied nations at any moment is critically important as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm.....
Such a thing would prove to be invaluable in international politics. The reason why America remained as a global superpower and maintained a certain status quo was not simply because they are strong, but also because their reserve power alone would enable them to enter conflicts urring in other regions. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mmm!
And so, if we were able to aid other nations during this Gate crisis, the international reputation of Korea would reach unprecedented heights, and the benefits in terms of both tangible and intangible will be difficult to quantify because of their sheer size. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, at the end of the day, those are benefits for the country, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head.
However, the benefits of ones nation will also benefit individuals. Only when the nation has strength to back itself would your life be far more convenient, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head this time.
In that case, if you were in my shoes, youd not say anything anymore and go overseas right away? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even if your life was on the line? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My life?
You think your life will be endangered from just that much?! Besides, if it got really dangerous, youd be first to turn tail and run away, anyway!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Of course, he couldnt say these words out aloud.
Of course. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Are you trying to say here that the nations interests trumps the lives of individuals? Waaait, isnt that like, a really dangerous ideology? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not what Im saying. If there is a danger to my well-being, even I wouldnt do it. However, its not going to be that dangerous, no? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, it can be that dangerous, right? Dont you think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did he want to say here that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasing out this directly?
Choi Jung-Hoon felt like he was getting mired deeper and deeper in a quagmire, but he was not in a position to reel himself out at the moment.
Sure... I guess thats possible. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sooo, like, if you were in my shoes, you will sacrifice yourself if its for the good of the nation, thats what youre saying? Right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....How did you even arrive to that conclusion?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He just said that wasnt the case, so howe the conclusion ended up that way??
If youre nning to force someone into a death trap, you should also be prepared to meet the consequences, right? Dont you think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean, you as in me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is there someone else in this room? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just when did I ever force you into a death tra..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became a level colder.
Denying it now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
No.
Its not true....
What will happen to me right now if I say that never happened? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
After calcting all the angles and possibilities, Choi Jung-Hoon quickly figured out the best answer he coulde up with in this situation.
I never intended to do that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Aigoo~, youre trying to kill a person without even intending to do so. This guy! What, just by saying that it wasnt your intention, you think the dead people will suddenly revive themselves?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And just who the heck died here, you d*mn son of a b*tch?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan and asked.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah?
Just what is it that you want? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ho-oh?
How astute of him to get the point even when I beat around the bush like that?
This world is all about mutual benefits. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I agree. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If I negotiate with you, and I end up going overseas, then surely, there will be some kind of benefits for you too, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, of course.
Itd be enormous, actually.
It wouldnt only be financial benefits, either.
The mere fact that he could more or less control Yi Ji-Hyuk meant that hed be able to wield even more influence than a countrys President.
Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was responsible for bringing forward into reality the ambitious dream Choi Jung-Hoon had when creating this NDF by 20 years early.
Im definitely grateful for that part, thats for sure. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That is why.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
Im sure you can do me this one favour, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
A favour?
Yi Ji-Hyuks favour, was it?
The inside of Choi Jung-Hoons head nked out.
He couldnt even begin to fathom how huge the scale of that favour could be, nor how selfish it could also be, too.
Not only that....
A favour? Really?
Was this guy someone whod ask anyone for a favour? Seriously, wasnt he someone who could pretty much do everything by himself already?
W, what favour is that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon asked, even though he was shivering from fear and anxiety.
Well, its nothing major, really. Its really simple, you see. Can you free up one day in your schedule? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sounds very simple, but at the same time, its a difficult thing to do. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It already felt like his work would be twice as hectic simply by taking one hour off, yet he was being asked to take a whole day off, instead....
What am I supposed to do during that day off? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youll be going to a theme park. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eh? You mean, you and I? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, no no. No, with my family, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, uh, you, your family, and me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope. Just my family. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Just what the hell is inside the head of this son of a b*tch??
Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head this way and that, unable to figure out heads nor tails from Yi Ji-Hyuks demand.
Such a thing shouldnt be too difficult, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What was this?
What was this creepy sensation?
....Do I really have to do it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked as if he was pondering something.
But, why?
Well, sure, it feels like the... sufficient bnce isnt being met here, so I guess Ill have to give you something in return as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Yeah, what a nice timing that ahjussi decided to show up today. Is there anything you want? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Things I want?
Do I even need to say it?
Manpower, sufficient funds, time, and authority. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The most important four!
Okay!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up and smiled refreshingly.
Dont forget to honour your promise. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon?
Yi Ji-Hyuk said some cryptic words and left the conference room, before finding the awkwardly-waiting Hah Dae-Seok in the corridor and approached him. Then, they began conversing.
However, Hah Da-Seok entered the conference room with a pale face less than five minutester and asked Choi Jung-Hoon while wiping cold sweat off his forehead.
What is it that you want? (Hah Dae-Seok)
Pardon me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just tell me! What do you need from us? Hurry! (Hah Dae-Seok)
Ehh?
Choi Jung-Hoon rubbed his forehead after seeing how anxious and scared Hah Dae-Seok was.
Just what did he say to make a Minister act like this? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon once more realised how terrifying the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk could be.
< 134, Youre her oppa. Arent you? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 135: You’re her oppa. Aren’t you? (5)
Chapter 135: Youre her oppa. Arent you? (5)
The matter in France couldnt really be considered urgent at the moment, not anymore. No, itd more correct to say that there was no more reason for the urgency over there.
The monsters relentless march that began from the heart of Paris ran straight through Frances countryside, and the creature was now almost near the border to Switzend.
Which meant that it was now the Swiss and Italians turn to feel the heat.
There was one silver lining here, however, and that would be this particr monsters movement speed being far slower than that of the Setis from the American crisis. But, on the flip side, it destroyed far more of its surroundings as it marched on.
What a disgusting creature.
Lieutenant General Xavier spat on the ground while looking at the sea anemone-like monster through his binocrs.
That d*mnable thing was responsible forying waste to his beloved homnd.
France had summoned every single soldier and all sorts of ability users under her disposal and threw them at the monster, yet that disgusting anemone didnt even flinch.
If he were to find some sce in this mess, that would be the monster possessing slightly less power than expected and thus didnt cause as big a damage as everyone had feared, but still....
It doesnt leave behind any buildings, does it? (Xavier)
Looking at all those craters left in the wake of the anemone, several colourful swear words jumped out of Xaviers mouth.
That huge mass of flesh lumbered on and swallowed up everything it came in contact with. Thankfully, it moved slowly and people could run away from that dang thing, otherwise the overall destruction wouldve been far worse.
To think, I can do nothing but wait until it leaves our borders.... (Xavier)
That d*mn thing that raped his beloved nation!
His excessive pride had been wounded a great deal.
Just thinking about how he couldnt do anything to an enemy that proceeded to rape his belovednd and simply watch it slowly lumber towards the border, it felt like all of his innards were boiling in frustration.
But, the cruel reality being what it was, he had no other way.
God d*mn it. (Xavier)
Lieutenant General Xavier angrily spoke up.
What did the Swiss say? (Xavier)
They assured us that theyll do their best to support this side. Its the same response from the Italians.
A bunch of useless sons of b*tches. (Xavier)
They showed not one hint of interest back when France was getting destroyed to bits, but now that they found themselves in the firing line, they were desperately trying to defend their borders.
Of course he understood where they wereing from, but that didnt make Xaviers innards to boil any less.
And then!
Mm?
The Koreans say theyll being to lend their aid soon!
The Koreans? (Xavier)
Lieutenant General Xavier recalled the name of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The hottest ability user in the entire world.
The man who kicked the a*s of the monster wreaking havoc in the States in one fell swoop.
Indeed, he was the man befitting the nickname of humanitys ultimate weapon.
The information regarding that man only circted among a very privileged few. Fortunately, Lieutenant General Xavier was counted as one of those privileged few, and he knew very well that the French government had been using every diplomatic channel avable to request the Koreans assistance ever since the monster appeared in Paris.
However....
Why only now?! (Xavier)
If they were nning to appear, then why didnt they do so sooner?
Those d*mn b*stards.
Since that mans abilities had been proven to be the real deal, he couldnt say anything else, but truthfully, he didnt like this at all. Not one bit.
God d*mn Asians. (Xavier)
....That sounds like cussing, doesnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm?
Xavier scanned his surrounding to locate the source of that voice.
Above you!
Hmm?
Xavier quickly raised his head and spotted several people descending from the sky.
What was the meaning of this?
Were they.... parachuting from a ne or something?
Then, Xaviers mouth closed shut real tight when he realised that none of those people had any parachuting equipment on them.
In any case.... these ability users seemed to know how to break onesmon sense with ease.
Once theynded, one of the Asians with a sharp and well-groomed appearance tidied his business suit and approached Xavier, before extending his hand for shake.
Im Choi Jung-Hoon, working for Koreas NDF.
Im Lieutenant General Xavier. Your French is quite fluent.
Well, isnt speaking French in Europe considered to be a basic etiquette? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ill pray that your personality is as good as your tongue. (Xavier)
Of course. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What a glib-tongued fellow he was.
Not only that, wasnt he a good looking man, too?
Choi Jung-Hoon, was it? Choi Jung-Hoon.... (Xavier)
He remembered hearing that name a few times before.
For someone like Xavier, who was overseeing the operations at the frontlines most of the time, to hear that name, that could only mean that this Choi Jung-Hoon was yet another bigshot as well.
However, Xaviers concern wasnt focused on that.
Who is? (Xavier)
Oh....
Choi Jung-Hoon immediately understood what Xavier was asking about and pointed to a certain man.
Thats Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Thats him? (Xavier)
Xavier caught the sight of some still-wet-behind-ears youth squatting on the ground with a I-dont-care expression and a cigarette stuck to his face.
Also, he was visiting a foreign country, yet just what was up with the slippers-and-tracksuit get up?
If the Italians saw him, they might faint on the spot with bubbles foaming in their mouths. (Xavier)
Italians might not live or die on the matters of fashion, sure, but still, werent they famous for cing a huge importance on it?
Even Xavier couldnt help but sigh at the pathetic sight of Yi Ji-Hyuks attire.
So, what youre saying is, that little kid there is THE Yi Ji-Hyuk, the one weve been desperately asking for until now? (Xavier)
Shhh. He can hear you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hes not going to understand French, anyway. No matter how much I look, he doesnt seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed. (Xavier)
He might not understand the words, but he will notice the meaning behind them. His ability to read you has already reached godhood, let me warn you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Truly, that Yi Ji-Hyuk looked like hed be full of petty tricks.
However...
When Xavier met Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze for a brief second, he flinched.
What was that?
How old did you say that man was? (Xavier)
ording to his birth certificate, hes still in the early twenties. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is that for real? (Xavier)
Well, he does look young for his age, no? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, thats not what Im.... (Xavier)
Xavier had sensed something different from Yi Ji-Hyuk just now.
Those deeply withdrawn eyes. He felt as if.... he had just met arade.
Nowadays, Xavier might be living the life of amander, but he didnt start out his military career that way. From that youth, he acutely picked up the particr scent of a kindred spirit who had fought countless battles in many nameless nations over several long years.
But, when hes still so young? (Xavier)
No, that certain aura exuding from Yi Ji-Hyuk exceeded his initial estimation.
Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was emitting a certain atmosphere that someone his age simply should not possess.
This atmosphere, these feelings of calmness and wisdom, were almost the same as the captain who berated Xavier just as thetter was about to carelessly step forward during his very firstbat situation.
And now, Xavier was feeling that aura from a young hatchling.
My gut feeling cant be wrong. (Xavier)
Itd be more preferable if he got too old and his mind wasnt functioning properly, but that couldnt be it.
Xavier trusted his own eyes.
Mm? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Xavier stopped staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk and approached the youth.
Choi Jung-Hoon watched on with a pair of rather nervous eyes. He couldnt stop that older soldier from doing what he wanted, so he could only pray that Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt cause an incident here.
Step. Step.
Xavier quietly stared at the squatting Yi Ji-Hyuk, before saluting him.
I wee you to France. (Xavier)
They were pretty simple French words, but there was no way Yi Ji-Hyuk could understand them.
Choi Jung-Hoon was about to hurriedly trante for the youth, but then, Yi Ji-Hyuk threw the cigarette away and stood up from the ground.
Ng?
He then bowed slightly in a dignified manner.
Im Yi Ji-Hyuk.
.........
Choi Jung-Hoon became speechless for a moment there.
Hed swear that this had to be the very first time Yi Ji-Hyuk was showing somemon sense.
The two men smiled lightly and shook each others hands.
Trantions, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, yes! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even before Choi Jung-Hoon could hurriedly get to them, Xavier opened his mouth first.
Thank you foring all this way. Because we were not strong enough, we had no choice but to request your aid in this matter, Monsieur Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Xavier)
When Choi Jung-Hoon tranted Xaviers words, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Believe in me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....W-why is this guy acting like this?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon held hisplicated head.
Hes normally not like this, though?
Wait, is he scheming something right now? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Xavier offered update on the current status of the operation and left to return to his post, allowing Choi Jung-Hoon to cautiously throw a question at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Yeah?
Why are you acting like this, all of a sudden? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What do you mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you dont normally act like this. Your attitude just now was, well, too serious.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
I gotta treat him right, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont quite get what youre saying.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You wouldnt understand even if I exined it to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Xaviers back.
A humans life was rather short. Yi Ji-Hyuk knew that truth better than anyone.
People he met in Berafe all wanted to be somebodies and achieve great renown, but in the end, they were struck dead by the continuously-turning gears of history and disappeared from memories.
Someone who left their name in the history books turned out to be nobodies, and some who shouldnt disappear like that got crushed underfoot by the weight of history and ended up being forgotten.
A hundred years at a push, thats how long a human could live for. Against the relentless flow of time, a hundred years was just a blink.
However, because of the shortness of it all, there were those who managed to shine even brighter than everyone else. People who carried unwavering hearts and did their best to live their lives, not for the sake of fame and fortune, but for their own selves.
Those people who continued to silently endure the disparaging remarks from the others, fingers of ridicule pointing in their directions, etc, while performing their duties to the fullest.
Yi Ji-Hyuk respected those types of people.
Because, that was not something he could do.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began recalling those people.
...Belton. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Nah, its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back when Yi Ji-Hyuk was trying whatever method he could think of in order to be stronger....
There was this man who never backed down and continued to fight until the bitter end, even after he witnessed the destruction of his kingdom.
He was the kind of a man who made sure his corpse would block the front gate of the royal pce so that no one may invade, until someone managed to finally move it.
They are simr. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not the outside appearance, but the aura they carried.
Those kind of people needed to be respected.
Now that I think about it, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you are a lot more friendlier towards soldiers. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I guess youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was the same story with Colonel Jeong In-Soo.
Perhaps, Yi Ji-Hyuk enjoyed better rapport with the military personnel, rather than with other ability users?
Yi Ji-Hyuk might have been a Sorcerer, but he was also more or less the greatestmander there was, capable of ordering around an army of monsters.
Now that he thought about it, there was a time when he acted as a generalmanding an army while he lived among humans a long time ago.
This isnt the time to be all sentimental, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre right. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply while staring at the giant sea anemone slowly approaching them at the far distance.
First time seeing one like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt matter whether it was a different dimension or not, and whether it was a human or a monster, all lifeforms shared a certain amount of simrities across all the worlds.
However, that monster was a type that Yi Ji-Hyuk had never seen before in his life. He knew he had to be careful here, since he couldnt tell what kind of special attacks that thing might possess, but....
Should I use my army? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For scouting purposes, using his monster army to attack was the most convenient method. Unfortunately, he wasnt 100% certain that the mental strain he got from the US had beenpletely healed at the moment.
Hmm....
Also, shoving other ability users over there would be a problem in its own right, too.
Here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm?
Choi Jung-Hoon pushed forward a tablet to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Its the recorded footage of the monster. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ho-oh?
Well, as expected. This guy.... was too smart.
Soon, Yi Ji-Hyuk was watching the footage of French ability users fighting against the monster. The video showed colourful cacophony of ability users attacks, and the monster simply letting them hit its body and countering back by spraying some sort of pitch-ck liquid to its sides.
Is that acid? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The acid sprayed all over the ce began burning the ground ck.
Well, I guess its not that special. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and handed the tablet back to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Its not going to be too difficult, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was a bad match-up with him. And it happened to be Yi Ji-Hyuks favourite type to fight against, too.
The reason?
Well, that was very simple.
That thing was slow as f*ck!
The core element in Yi Ji-Hyuks battle strategy was to buy enough time so he could finish his spells. So, for someone like him, being able to bombard a super-slow monster like that from a far was like going out for a rxing lunch.
So, that was why.....
Step aside for a bit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should he quickly take care of this?
From both of Yi Ji-Hyuks hands, ck Mana began pouring out.
This ck Mana rose up into the air like dark smoke, then a giant magic circle suddenly formed there.
But then....
Huh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his gaze after sensing something strange by his feet.
Eh?
Indeed, something weird had sneaked out from the ground and was busy wrapping around Yi Ji-Hyuks legs.
So, well.... what could that be?
....A tentacle?
Right.... it is like a tentacle, right?
Exactly like a tentacle from that sea anemone.
Hahahaha.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh, c**p. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right then, Yi Ji-Hyuks body was sucked underground at a frightening speed.
Uwaaaahhh!!
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
The shocked voices reverberated to everywhere.
< 135. Youre her oppa. Arent you? > Fin.
Chapter 136: Don’t say it like that (1)
Chapter 136: Dont say it like that (1)
Back in Berafe, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a peerless, matchless existence.
He was so powerful that only a single spell from him could utterly turn the world on its head. His mind was so imprable, it might as well be an unchanging fortress.
And his body would revert back to its original state, regardless of the attacks he received.
However, his current problem was that, he was no longer that Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Aaaaaaaahhhh?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk screamed out as he got pulled into the ground by the tentacle.
Ouch!! It freaking hurts!! Aigoo!!! Mommmmy!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon clicked his tongue while watching this spectacle unfold.
The thing was, he really, really wanted to worry about Yi Ji-Hyuk here.
Indeed, he really wanted to, but....
How could anyone be in pain so unsightly like him?!
Uh, hello there, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Youre pretty much the protector of humanity. So, please, try to maintain your dignity!! Please!
Just which bigshot would scream out so shamelessly like that?!
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk struggle while getting dragged into the ground, rather than thoughts of lending aid entering his mind.... it just kind of looked a bit humorous, and maybe a bit pitiful, and..... well....
Hey, you rotten b*stards!! Cant you see that Im being dragged under?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only he wouldnt say such things to begin with.....
Choi Jung-Hoon suppressed his quivering feet from going forward, spat out a groan, and spoke to Seo Ah-Young.
Shouldnt we help him? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, true, we should. But.... (Seo Ah-Young)
As if she also didnt like the sound of that, Seo Ah-Young stood there licking her lips, before issuing an order.
Hey, pull this guy out, please. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm...
The one to step forward was the Iron Park Sung-Chan busy scratching the side of his head. Well, he was physically the strongest of the group, so it couldnt be helped.
Really, man. It just doesnt feel all that threatening, does it? (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan checked out Yi Ji-Hyuk buried in the ground up to his waist and asked him.
Does it hurt? (Park Sung-Chan)
Of course it does!! How can you even ask me that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, it kind of resembled a situation straight out of a cartoon, so....
But then, itd hurt like hell, thats for sure C since, well, it was not that different from Yi Ji-Hyuk trying to widen that small hole with his entire body. Even if he possessed the sturdy constitutions of an ability user, itd still be painful.
Uh, well, the thing is..... (Park Sung-Chan)
Do something, will ya?! Hurry!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm....
Park Sung-Chan grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks arms, but before yanking at them, he tilted his head as if he was worried about something.
Well, heres the thing. (Park Sung-Chan)
Eh?
This is reality, you know? If I start pulling you out, well, wouldnt your body snap in half first, before that tentacle does? (Park Sung-Chan)
...........
H, hold up.
Let me think carefully about this...
Hey, stop pulling at me!!
Stop pulling at me while smiling like that after telling me about that horrifying possibility!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hey, just dig out the ground, will ya!! The ground! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahhh, I shouldve done that instead, no? (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan scratched the side of his head, and smirked all of a sudden. He then raised his fist real high, well above his head, even.
Seeing blood veins suddenly bulge on that fist the size of a persons head, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt his entire body go cold.
How will you dig..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before he could finish his question, Park Sung-Chans fist flew down to the ground.
Kaboom!!
Along with a deafening explosion, the ground caved in as if a meteor had struck there C and Yi Ji-Hyuk flew up in the air.
Heeey, you son of a....!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to cuss out as loudly as he could, but the pain stabbing him from all over his body meant that he couldnt even open his mouth.
Argh, d*mn it! It god d*mn hurts!! Seriously, man! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope, he was wrong, His mouth opened just fine.
Seriously, his mouth would continue to function perfectly right up until his final moments.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes were set aze.
That d*mn son of a b*tch!! It could actually attack long distance?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I didnt see any sign of such a thing in the video, yet why only do I get the tentacle treatment?!
Even discrimination has its limits!!
You, you are now de.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to make hisnding, Park Sung-Chan hurriedly shouted at him.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Leg!! Your leg!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Ng?
My leg?
What about my leg?
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his gaze and spotted the tentacle still firmly wrapped around his leg.
Hah..........
First of all, he needed to cut that tentacle off....
It was then C Yi Ji-Hyuk spotted the bottom of the tentacle emerging from the ground swell greatly.
Mm.....
No, it cant be.
It cant be, right?
SWISH!!
Even before he had the opportunity toin, his entire body was swung in the air like a toy trapped in the hand of a toddler. Almost at the same time, the hard ground rapidly closed in on his face.
Why did this remind him of that time when he got p*ss-drunk and the asphalt seemed to stand up to greet him?
Shield!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
m! Boom! Bang!! m!! Kaboom!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk was repeatedly mmed into the ground like that hapless toy being thrown around and eventually, his body went limp.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young cried out and ran towards him.
She couldnt help but think that no ability user would be able to survive that kind of impact.
Hah.....
A low groan leaked out from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
I said, it freaking hurrrrrrts!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head shot up and he roared at the top of his lungs.
It hurts!! It god d*mn hurts, you rotten piece of....!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With his leg still trapped and hanging upside down in the air, Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out while squirming about like a worm.
Your dignity..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a sorrowful sigh.
How could that guy create such a scene even under this sort of circumstances?! Wasnt this supposed to be a really serious situation?!
Besides all that, his body is really sturdy, isnt it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Now normally, receiving that much impact would mean youd totally turn into a shredded rag, but then, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even leak a single drop of blood.
You think this was because Im really sturdy?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk still managed to catch on to Choi Jung-Hoons mutterings and angrily shouted out.
These country bumpkins who didnt even know of Shield!
Groan....
But, why were even his bones aching now? The impact force mustve been not absorbed fully, because he could still feel dull, thudding paining from all over his body.
And these sorts of injuries were supposed to be the longsting hidden internal injuries, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuk gnashed his teeth at the stomach-churning pain.
Tsk!
He quickly gathered some Mana to the tip of his finger and shot it out at the tentacle still holding his leg.
Ssh!!
The tentacle got cut in half and green-coloured liquid spilled out.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spun his body mid-air andnded back on his two feet.
When that happened, five, six more tentacles began rising up from the ground simultaneously.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
I got caught because I didnt notice it before. But you think the same trick will work again?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From Yi Ji-Hyuks body, ck tentacles shot out and spread out to his surroundings.
And so, rather than the sight of a man battling a monster, a monster fighting against a monster unfolded before everyones eyes.
Mm. Well, thats a bit.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nod.
When Choi Jung-Hoon softly muttered to himself, Seo Ah-Young nodded her head.
What was this.... tentacles wrapping around tentacles, and more tentacles doing tentacle-y things.....
How disgusting. (Seo Ah-Young)
Dont say it like that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its revolting. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, sure. It is kinda like that, but still. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon clicked his tongue.
Now that he thought about it, that man, he.... He was the type that just didnt look cool no matter what.
Others spat out mes, shot lightning bolts out, or flew around with the wind, yet all Yi Ji-Hyuk did was ride along on some strange ck stuff, wielded those tentacles of his, andmanded a terrifying, nausea-inducing monster army.
Hed be the viin if the current outlook of the world had been reversed.
He does look like a viin even now, though. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He might be a viin to monsters, but he was also a viin to people, too!
Hey, you dang a*sholes!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the heck, did he hear me?
What a scary hearing he has!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Im busy drawing its attention over here, so why arent you attacking its main body?! How can you still draw a sry like this, ah?! You still think you deserve to be called government employees?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tsk.
Thanks for sharing that urate self-criticism, there.
Lets lend our support, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Didnt matter whether he liked it or not, he still had duties to fulfil.
Seo Ah-Youngs expression remained ever-so unconvinced as she looked at Choi Jung-Hoon.
What now? We should still do our jobs, no? We cant just let that guy handle everything now, can we? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seriously speaking, what were she and her pals doing nowadays?
....Now that I think about it, hes right, isnt he?
Whenever theres a big event or a crisis, its like Yi Ji-Hyuks ying the drums, strumming on the guitar, whistling in tune and dancing at the same time, isnt it? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
It looks like weve done nothing but ying around to you recently, yes? (Seo Ah-young)
Honestly, yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes?
What will you do, if I said that you looked like you had nothing to dotely and gave you an order to go and wreck a building with your own bare hands? (Seo Ah-Young)
Id probably say that youve lost your mind. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And thats exactly what I am saying back to you. (Seo Ah-Young)
...........
Seo Ah-Young snorted out loudly.
Just because Yi Ji-Hyuk always managed to kill these monsters without breaking much sweat, did Choi Jung-Hoon suddenly find them weaklings or something?
Honestly, as far as firepower was concerned.... Indeed, Seo Ah-Young couldnt even leave a single nick on that Zombie Dragon, or even think about doing that to the Seti. And she was deeply proud of her own firepower C in every possible meaning of that word C being as good as some of the best in the world.
Yet, he was asking her what now?
Seo Ah-Young red at Choi Jung-Hoon with obviously unimpressed eyes, causing thetter to massage his forehead.
....Is it really impossible? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Would you like to attempt beating a lion with nothing but your bare hands? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, not really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, hang on. Im sure you can do something to a lion. Okay, so, go beat an elephant, then. (Seo Ah-Young)
A human wouldnt be able to do that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If you know that, then why are you asking us to do precisely that? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Well, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is just one man. And youre also ability users like him, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ability users like him?! (Seo Ah-Young)
....Im sorry. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon apologised wholeheartedly.
E-even still, we cant just sit back and do nothing, no? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, sure. I guess at least we should pretend doing something. (Seo Ah-Young)
No, hang on. You cant just pretend!
Shouldnt you, you know, disy some desire, some drive, to defeat that monster or something?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
As a regr person, Choi Jung-Hoon had no way to urately assess the differences in the level ofbat strengths between Yi Ji-Hyuk and the others.
Indeed, no matter how well versed he was in the notion of ability users and various monsters, with what should he go about measuring the gaps in power levels of the most elite of elite beings out there?
Its so strong that she cant even touch it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He couldnt help but think that if every Korean ability users attacked at the same time, they might see some kind of a result here.
He was well aware of the fact that both the Americans and the French threw everything they had at the monsters and still failed to inflict a wound the size of a fingernail on them.
However, the Korean users were trained by Yi Ji-Hyuk himself, werent they?
So, he thought that they might be able to do something, but now...
If thats the case, does that mean the only person capable of dealing with those monsters is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and no one else?!
Only one man, and one out of a few were two totally different stories altogether. For both him, and for Yi Ji-Hyuk, too.
Still, you have to do.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was here that he heard Yi Ji-Hyuks desperate cries.
Uwaaah!!
Ng?
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been tirelessly pping away the monsters tentacles, but now, even he was panicking at the seemingly-endless number of them appearing to attack him at the same time.
What the heeeeell is this sh*t?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hundreds of tentacles were wiggling right in front of Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes. Receiving considerable mental damage, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head away to avoid looking at his front.
Noooo!! So disgusssssting!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Choi Jung-Hoon began to seriously ponder whether he should startughing or crying while looking at this situation.
From the looks of things, he knew that the guy being on the receiving end would be feeling rather tormented but... What was this, this sense of contentment?
Seriously, this was a grave, dangerous situation right now!!
Choi Jung-Hoon did his best to suppress the tides ofughter threatening to escape from his mouth and spoke up.
We, uh, we should really help him out now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young sighed out and stepped forward.
Sure. Its better to carry the sheet of paper together instead of alone, after all. (Seo Ah-Young) (TL: A Korean idiom. Roughly means two heads are better than one.)
Thats right, maam! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
However, when an adult is carrying the sheet and a child wishes to help and grabs it, all you get is a torn paper, you know? (Seo Ah-Young)
..........
Well, I guess I should help out whether the sheet gets torn or not.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Ahh.... She wasnt originally like this, but how....
Just what happened to Seo Ah-Young and her overflowing confidence, when in the past, she repeatedly dered her intentions to punch Yi Ji-Hyuk in the face? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon suddenly missed Seo Ah-Young of the past.
Okay, lets go! (Seo Ah-young)
Just as Seo Ah-Young was about to lead the Spitfire and Rudra and rush forward, Affeldrichae raised her hand and stopped them, having finished observing the unfolding situation.
Please wait. (Affeldrichae)
Pardon me? (Seo Ah-Young)
Affeldrichae wordlessly pointed in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
He quickly thrust his right arm out, and a ck magic circle suddenly formed in the air.
A summon? (Seo Ah-Young)
And sure enough, a small lifeform quickly jumped out from the middle of that ck magic circle. A ck tentacle shot out from Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand and wrapped around the small lifeform.
Is that Oh-Sik? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Confirming the identity of the creature emerging from the magic circle, Choi Jung-Hoon smiled brightly.
ROOOOAAAARRR!!!
Oh-Sik regained his original size in the blink of an eye and let out an explosive Howling, before rushing forward towards the monster.
I choose you, Oh-Sik-ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Go, Thunderbol.....
Oh, not that one! Sic it, boy!!
< 136. Dont say it like that -1 > Fin.
(TL: Yup, thatst referencees straight from the raw.)
Chapter 137: Don’t say it like that (2)
Chapter 137: Dont say it like that (2)
Oh-Sik puffed up his already-bulging muscles and ran forward, hard.
Yi Ji-Hyuk used Shield to deflect countless tentacles rushing at him and cheered Oh-Sik on.
Kill that d*mn thing!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, he didnt forget to nce at the people behind him
Utterly useless! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had made sure to level them up properly to match the level 5 Gates, but now, these ability users had be useless once more after the hardcore monsters began popping out from the new Gates.
Well, he should simply level them up again to max this time around so thatter on, when an even more ridiculous monster than this one appears, theyd be able to kill it without him present!
Even when facing such an urgent situation, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes carried his strong and determined will, causing a sudden bout of nervousness to invade Seo Ah-Youngs mind.
W-what was that?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...No, its nothing. (Seo Ah-Young)
While Seo Ah-Young hugged herself tightly and trembled, Oh-Sik was rushing towards the sea anemone monster in a frenzy, and pounced towards the middle of it.
Ssh!!
The anemones short tentacle suddenly split open and a darkish liquid shot out towards Oh-Sik.
Oh-Sik deftly spun around in the air and evaded the suspicious liquid.
The acid grazed by his fur and thick smoke rose up from the affected spot.
Keureuk!!
A vicious, murderous light quite literally poured out from Oh-Siks eyes as the giant Ogre threw a hefty punch to the body of the sea anemone.
POW!!
Apanied by the sound of a leather drum being beat, the huge anemone was shoved back quite a distance away.
Well done!!
Nice!!
Now reduced to being a group of cheerleaders, the NDF agents all cried out loudly and pped their hands. Choi Jung-Hoon watched that spectacle and shook his head in helplessness.
That, that isnt right.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They didnte here to act like cheerleaders, after all!!
Perhaps she thought of the same thing, Jeong Hae-Min stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with an unimpressed expression on her face.
If this is all theyre good for, why did you make me bring them here? Busy wasting my energy and all. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Im truly sorry. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The one responsible for selecting the overseas trip personnel just so happened to be him, so he couldnt evene up with a proper excuse to offer up at the moment.
Hang on. Why does it feel like Ive been saying sorry a lot nowadays? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What was the point of walking around outside with your neck in braces? You were still going to get the cold shoulder treatment at home anyway.
As this undeniable sensation of something deeply sorrowful welled up in his chest, Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze back to Oh-Sik.
Roar!!
Oh-Sik pounced and punched again, but the sea anemone dodged his attack by twisting itself around like a mollusc, which was kind of surprising to see from its huge body.
Oh-Sik gritted his teeth and continued to attack.
Although he wasnt able to inflict big injuries....
At least, the attention is not on me anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just because the monsters focus was not on him anymore, the movements of the tentacles had be noticeably duller.
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his Manaden hand and sliced apart every single tentacleing at him.
I was originally going use those guys for this job, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the NDF agents using the power of cheers to encourage the Ogre and spat out several groans.
Dumba*ses, worse than a single Ogre!
Totally useless, really!! Useless!
Someone might think theres a buff on them when seeing them act like that, serio.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Huh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Hang on a minute.
Didnt something pop up in my head just now?
Mm... Well, its not that important right now, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Just as the tentacles began regenerating, Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped back.
First of all, the single base hit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: There was a baseball reference here, but I couldnt really understand it and ended up TLing the line literally. Sorry, not a fan of baseball myself.)
Wuuongg....
Several ck magic circles the size of an adult man suddenly appeared in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk, and jet-ck beams of light shot out from there.
Vrruong-!!
The beams of light shot forward and prated the sea anemones body likesers. Therge monster writhed about furiously as its bodily fluids were spread around to everywhere.
Thats a bit grotesque, no?
Even a horror movie wouldnt use that. I mean, if they did, itd end up as a seriously messed-up scene, no doubt. Heck, the movie might end up something thatdies with weaker hearts wouldnt be able to endure. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh-Sik pounced on the writhing sea anemone and opened his maw real wide, before tearing apart the centrally-located tentacles that were thicker than a humans body with his fangs.
Two tentacles were torn off and fell to the ground. These two wiggled around as if they were independent lifeforms and continued to spray bodily fluids all over the ce, before they eventually went limp.
....Its seriously disgusting. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
He was already feeling a bit nauseous after getting pounded on earlier, yet he had to witness such a disgusting sight, too! What a relief that such monsters did not exist in Berafe.
If they did, he wouldve blown them all to smithereens without giving a rats a*s about the coteral damage to his own army.
Meanwhile, the sea anemone writhed about even more violently, before countless tentacles shot out in all directions as if it had transformed into a hedgehog.
Keureureuk!!
Oh-Sik tried to evade all those tentacles shooting towards him, but in the end, he couldnt dodge them all and got his lower belly pierced by one.
Roar!!
Hearing Oh-Siks pained roar, Yi Ji-Hyuks frowns deepened.
That guy should be nothing more than a disposable pawn, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Ive grown attached to him.
At this rate, I wont be able to use him anymore, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
For him to form an attachment to a monster, now that was something Yi Ji-Hyuk of Berafe wouldve never dreamed of doing.
The fixed state, huh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His brain being in the fixed state could, in a way, mean that hed be unchanging forever, so could that also mean his humanity had been suppressed as well?
Hang on a bit. Havent I formed emotional bonds with others a few times before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that Yi Ji-Hyuks mental state had softened after his return to Earth as well. Indeed, if it was Yi Ji-Hyuk of Berafe, then never mind Oh-Sik, hed not have left Affeldrichae alone like that.
Hed most likely tried to imprison her or even try to eliminate her altogether, with whatever means necessary.
Hmm....
A human was an unchanging creature. However, at the same time, a human would constantly go through changes right up until his dying day.
From that perspective, his change shouldnte across as strange, but then again, he had been living for well over a thousand years without experiencing any change, so he couldnt help but feel a bit bothered by this odd emotion welling up in his chest.
Yi Ji-Hyuks own ck tentacle reached out and dug into Oh-Siks back.
Keureuk!
Oh-Sik gritted his teeth as even more pain assaulted him from his back, but when he felt the purest form of ck Mana flow inside, he began roaring out in tion.
ROARRRR!!
He then tore the tentacle piercing him with the ws on the right hand, before pulling out the remainder from his belly. The flesh surrounding the open gap suddenly boiled and the hole closed up in an instant.
Now lets see.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk closed his eyes and waved his hands about in the air. Right away, a huge magic circle formed in the air.
RUMBLE!!
Mana pouring out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body got rapidly sucked into the magic circle, activating it.
....So, what should be the most effective attack for a sea anemone like that?
Since its an aquatic creature.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yup, it should be fire, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With a flick of his hand, the magic circle began emitting a dense light. Then, a really small but ominous spark of ck mes emerged from the ck circle.
This spark of mes sucked in his Mana and grewrger andrger. At first, it grew to a size of a ball, but then, as big as a person. Eventually, a ck ball of mes the size of a house burned fiercely in the middle of the air.
Ah..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young saw that and her entire body began shivering.
She was a me-type ability user; she could proudly boast that, when it came to wielding mes, she certainly knew her stuff better than anyone.
However, even from her perspective, that ck mes seemed to be created from apletely different type of origin than her own mes.
If her mes were the mighty Sun capable of scorching the earth, then that ball of ck mes was the tongue of the devil swallowing whole the world itself.
It was mncholic....
It was also dark and eerie....
More importantly, it felt brutal, heartless.
Go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Along with Yi Ji-Hyuks shout, the magic circle vibrated, and it fired that ck mes. The incendiary, house-sized ball of mes burned the air and flew straight at the sea anemone.
Oh-Sik-ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When a ck Gate appeared near him, Oh-Sik didnt even take a nce behind and jumped into it.
RUMBLE!!
As the sea anemone raged on and writhed around violently, its tentacles still crazily whipping about as if to destroy everything in their paths C the ck mes erupted all over it.
And then!
Kuowaaaaaarrr!!
The ck mes burned like the scorching spear of the heavenly wargod, creating a huge pir of mes shooting up in to the sky.
Like a ck dragon rising up in the air, like a ck tornado spinning around violently.....
The NDF agents dazedly looked on at the unfolding spectacle of the gigantic pir of ck mes prating past the cloud cover and rising up all the way to the ends of the world.
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk too stared at the scenery he himself had created and formed a smile of satisfaction.
Its not too bad, I guess? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After absorbing the Mana crystal, he felt as if most of his Mana reserve had been replenished. Although he had to spend quite a bit of that when casting this one spell, but right now, the psychological satisfaction derived from creating this spectacle was far greater than the sense of enervation brought on by spending too much Mana in one go.
The mes eventually died down, and....
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked tongue as he looked at the revealed sea anemone.
In the spot where it used to crawl, a scorched-ck and reddened meat-like thing was still tenaciously holding on to its life and was wiggling about weakly on the ground.
Thats why, you shouldnt havee to this ce, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt you hear from your friends that Earth is my backyard?
Ah, you dont have any friends, do you? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted grandly while walking towards the cooked remains of the sea anemone. It was still somehow clinging on, but he could tell it wasnt long for this world.
I should praise you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, it being still alive after getting hit by that attack was rather praiseworthy. He should at least acknowledge its incredible vitality. At the least.
However....
Wasnt this a bit strange?
Gates wouldnt always summon monsters with simr threat levels, but this sea anemone was far, far lower in grade whenpared to the likes of the Zombie Dragon or the Seti.
If it were those two, they wouldnt have been totally annihted like this guy here with that attack, actually. At the bare minimum, the Zombie Dragon wouldve withstood it somehow, and the Seti wouldve evaded it altogether.
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt personally go around checking out each Gate so their individual sizes could have differed greatly. And even if the sizes were the same, it was not a sure thing that the same grade of monsters would emerge from them all the time.
Still, why does it feel like Ive missed something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood next to the sea anemone, and stabbed his ck tentacle into its charcoal-like body.
This was a lifeform he had never seen before. So, just how much Mana would it have?
Drain.
Yi Ji-Hyuks tentacle wiggled and began sucking in the sea anemones body.
Ng?
What is this?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that after sensing something quite familiar here.
Wait, this is just your regr Mana, isnt it?
Besides, why does it smell so.... familiar to me?
Well, sure, it could be..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even if it was a lifeform Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt recognise, and even if it came from a dimension he didnt know existed, as long as that world had Mana as its foundation, it wouldnt be too strange for him to feel some sense of familiarity.
Still, why do I feel so.... dirty? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not his logic, but his gut feeling was acting up right now.
Something was definitely wrong here.
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was wrecking his brain, his tentacle continued to suck in the sea anemone with great relish. The tentacle stopped absorbing after the empty shell of the anemone was the only thing remaining, and it rapidly retracted back inside Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The end. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With this, this crisis had been sorted out.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted his tummy and turned around to leave.
For some reason, it felt like he just ate a free lunch today.
No, hang on a minute. He did get knocked around quite a bit, didnt he? But still, he mustve been going through a bit of ordeal recently if he initially thought that.
Well, a person should get to enjoy a free meal every now and then, am I right or what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks muttering, Choi Jung-Hoon sighed to himself.
That man, seriously now....
After defeating a monster that the full might of France could not do anything about with just a single attack, hepared the whole thing to a free meal. So, where did that leave France, then?
Choi Jung-Hoon began cooking up various ways to smoothly pave over this diplomatic situation, but Lieutenant General Xavier didnt seem to share his sentiment.
Xavier quickly ran over to Yi Ji-Hyuk and performed the military salute again.
With a slightly stiff face, Yi Ji-Hyuk received that greeting.
We are grateful for all your hard work! (Xavier)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly ran in and tranted while still being out of breath.
Only through words, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is there something youd like from us? (Xavier)
Well, there is only one thing anyone would want in France, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks tranted words, a grin formed on Xaviers lips as he reached out with his hand.
Allow me to guide you to one of the finest restaurants in the country. (Xavier)
Yup, you and I, we understand each other really well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can I participate as well? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its expensive. (Xavier)
...............
Choi Jung-Hoons expression became unreadable after being on the receiving end of Xaviers joke, which seemed out of ce from how the Lieutenant Generals face looked like.
However, you are permitted to spectate from the sideline. The bread served before the meal is for free, after all. (Xavier)
.....Thanks. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was reminded of the definitely-true logic of anyone capable of getting along with Yi Ji-Hyuk not being right in the head.
< 137. Dont say it like that -2 > Fin.
Chapter 138: Don’t say it like that (3)
Chapter 138: Dont say it like that (3)
Im off now.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun stared at his little sister with a slightly scared expression on his face. He was about to go to work and Kim Dah-Som had followed him to the front door with a silent and emotionless face.
Kim Dah-Hyun could only flinch from that wordless stare and opened his mouth.
I told you, I dont know when hesing back. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The crisis in France had been taken care of, but Yi Ji-Hyuk decided not toe back right away and stayed there for one extra day.
That shouldnt qualify as strange, nor was it something to worry about, but too bad, there was someone here who didnt agree with that sentiment.
When he returned homest night, Kim Dah-Hyun found his little sister ring at her phones screen as if to bore a hole with her eyes and right away, he sensed that a storm wasing.
What showed up on the phones screen was a map, and the very fact that it was a map of France with a red dot in the middle only served to torment Kim Dah-Hyun even further.
Are you blind?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
If he thought about who chose to remain in France, then it became oh-so obvious which unfortunate sucker that very much illegal tracking app was, uh, tracking, at the moment.
But, why?!
Why did it have to Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
With that face! With that body! With that personality of hers!
....Oops, excluding the personality bit.
In any case!
Her personality might be a little.... No, objectively speaking, her personality might be seriously problematic but, when paired with such high-quality facial features like hers, it shouldnt pose too much of an obstacle, no?
Im not saying that because shes my little sister!
No, Im being objective here!
Yes, its an utterly,pletely objective point of view, wouldnt you agree?
However, why Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
Not just anyone, but THAT Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun could no longer continue the staring contest with Kim Dah-Soms slightly out-there eyes and turned his head away.
So scary!
Shes my little sister, but shes too scary!!
I, Im telling you, I really dont know when hesing back. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
...........
Please say something, will ya?!
What do you expect from me when you dont say anything and just stand there like that?!
If you want something from me, juste out and say it already!!
Dah-Som-ah, you used to speak fluently before, so what happened to you? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun began to worry that his sister was losing more and more of her ability to socialise like normal people, and exhaled a lengthy sigh, before looking back her.
Ill find out when hesing back and give you a call. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Nod.
Finally, Kim Dah-Som disyed some sort of a response.
It was worth celebrating the fact that she had reacted to something, but then again, since that reaction was in rtion to Yi Ji-Hyuk, it was nothing to be celebrated about, either.
Why did it have to Yi Ji-Hyuk?! Just why??
Dah-Som hase of age so even if she brought home a boyfriend, Id have kept an open mind and epted that guy!!
I mean, if it was any other guy, I would have dragged him to a cold, dark corner and threatened to tie him up and leave him in front of a Gate thered in honey if he even thought about raising his hands at my sister!
But, why Yi Ji-Hyuk?! WHY?! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Even if one searched every nook and cranny of the Republic of Korea, there would be less than ten people capable of bothering Yi Ji-Hyuk and getting away with it, but just why did one of those ten have to be.... No, why did the one and only one to.....
Why did it have to be so d*mnplicated? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Why did Yi Ji-Hyuks little sister have to be that hateful kid Yi Ye-Won, and why did the guy who rescued Kim Dah-Som from that hateful kids bullying spree had to be none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
If one were to get technical about it, then all he did was to try and fix the incident his sibling had caused, yet this kid fell hard for that....
Just which part of Yi Ji-Hyuk appealed to her that much?
Was it his face?
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuks face wasnt bad enough to be called ugly by no means, but if Kim Dah-Hyun was honest here, well C that mans countenance was simply too low-levelledpared to the people surrounding him.
First of all, there was Choi Jung-Hoon, whose facial features were so beautifully sculpted that, were he to enter the entertainment industry, hed be ranked at the very top of the pile right away. Not only that, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that Kim Dah-Hyun himself was one of the most good-looking men in Korea, too.
Not just the men C even thedies made one think that the NDF had to be a gathering of supermodels, instead.
And in the midst of all that, here was Yi Ji-Hyuk and his in face....
Still, outside looks or whatever, everything was rtive.
If you took a kid with regr intellect and dropped him in the middle of the Seoul University, hed immediately be the most stupid one there. Likewise, you drop a in-face guy in the midst of the NDF, that guy would automatically morph into Squidward. (TL: Seoul University is the top uni in South Korea.)
Well, sure. Let us forget about that guys face for a second. Kim Dah-Hyun knew very well that the face wasnt everything to a man.
However, his personality was even worse than that!!
That scumbag-like b*stard!!
A human should at least try to act like a human being!! How could anyone find him likeable, what with that screwed-up personality of his?!
Kim Dah-Hyun fiercely massaged the bridge of his nose.
Just thinking about that man gave him way too much stress. It felt like he was getting a heartburn.
Definitely. Call me. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hearing Kim Dah-Soms cold voice, Kim Dah-Hyun begun shivering in his boots.
Did I leave the aircon on or something? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
But, who would switch on the bloody aircon in the middle of the winter in the first ce?! He knew that there was no way it could be true, but as this biting chill began wrapping around him, Kim Dah-Hyun couldnt help be suspicious.
Lately, it became too, too cold and he had to cover himself with half a dozen nkets when going to sleep. Staring at the physical reason for that strange weather phenomenon standing right in front of him, Kim Dah-Hyun spat out a long groan.
By the way.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
..........
There are other, nicer guys out there, you know? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
..........
Why arent you answering me, Dah-Som-ah?
Your oppa is talking to you, so cant you at least pretend that you heard me or something? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Instead, Kim Dah-Som simply stared at her older brother with a pair of eyes filled to the brim with dissatisfaction after hearing his totally iprehensible words. Just as her re was about to change from dissatisfaction to scorn, Kim Dah-Hyun spoked to her in a tragic voice.
....Fine, I got it. Ill call you as soon as I get the confirmation. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ng.
Her expression became refreshingly bright once more.
For the time being, he had prevented the destruction of his family.
Kim Dah-Hyun stepped out of his house as Kim Dah-Som bade him a farewell that didnt really sound like one, and his dazed eyes rose up to stare at the sky above.
Looking at the bright morning sun beating down on him, Kim Dah-Hyun could only mutter out in pure bitterness.
What f*cking great weather were having today. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
So great, in fact, it was tear-inducing, even.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk ate really well and spent a wonderful day in one of the best suites in France, and made his return to the NDFs offices the following day. The first thing he did after his return was, naturally, switching on hisputer.
Because Choi Jung-Hoon used his gifted tongue once more, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt get scolded by his mom for staying out for the whole night as well.
And so, Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling really great at the moment.
If it werent for one certain rotten lizard woman, busy calling the dcor of the best hotel in France cheap this and low-rent that, itd been ten times better, though!
Affeldrichae was booting her ownputer right next to Yi Ji-Hyuk, but opened her eyes slightly wider when she sensed Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze on her.
Whats the matter? (Affeldrichae)
....Groan....
Are you talking about that again? Ive told you this before. Even if it was gold, youre wasting your resources when using it in that fashion. And also, you have personally witnessed what my own residence looks like, so I expected you to at least possess a modicum of appreciation for true beauty. (Affeldrichae)
Sure thing. Your home was really spectacrly opulent.
However, well... did you actually decorate that by your own hands? No!
I saw with my own two eyes, all those Dwarves working their butts off to make that ce for you, you know!!
You cant even do anything with your own hands yet you still run your mouth toin over and over again.... Considering all that, what did you say to me just now?
Appreciation for true beauty?!
Why dont I just yank those eyes of yours out now, ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Seriously now, it was so bad that the Dwarf Chieftain actually clung to Yi Ji-Hyuk and bitterly, tearfullyined to him.
Of course, thoseints entered Affeldrichaes ears ad verbatim, and the Chieftain ended up paying the appropriate price for his loose mouth, though!
Ng?
You asking me if I ratted him out?
Of course not. Its just that old geezer simply failed to read the moods properly.
Even back then, I was designated as the special surveince target too. It was the same thing as CCTV cameras and listening devices following me around for 24/7. But well, that Chieftain dude spoke ill of Affeldrichae around me, so....
Now that I think about it, that lizard woman can be pretty dreadful, cant she? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Perhaps she had read the meaning behind Yi Ji-Hyuks expression, Affeldrichae stared at the monitor and pretended to not notice anything.
Decoration is important. At a bare minimum, it should not rouse the feeling of discontent from you. A dcor that makes one feel unhappy has no value as dcor. (Affeldrichae)
Looking at you makes me feel unhappy, so for the sake of my mental health, cant you just b****r off somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Feeling unhappy after looking at me, what an odd notion that is. After all, I paid careful attention to this outer appearance in consideration of your tastes.... (Affeldrichae)
Youre still a lizard inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, let us excuse ourselves in that regard. I also have to look at your face as well, Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Whats wrong with my face?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you trying to imply about my face here! The one my mom gifted to me!!
Ive never, ever thought of myself as ugly until now!! But nowadays, I cant escape from this sense of shame in this ce, really now!!
And you, cant you remember how you looked like originally?!
Your skins all covered up in scales and your fangs all jut out this way and that!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hah, to hear such things from an ugly lizard.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my? Ive been constantly voted as the most beautiful among my kind, Ill have you know. How rude. (Affeldrichae)
....Of course you are. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
What would it matter if a bunch of dang lizards start discussing who was prettier and what not? They were all lizards at the end of the day.
Yi Ji-Hyuk loaded the game andined inwardly; meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon sneaked in closer and whispered.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes?
Id like to discuss something with you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Choi Jung-Hoon for a bit, before getting up from his spot. The game hadnt fully booted up yet, so freeing up a couple of seconds to listen wasnt difficult at all. Especially if it was this guy.
Its not something we can discuss here, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Us three, including the Captain, needs to talk, so yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, sure. Lets. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When that happened, Jeong Hae-Min, upying a small spot in the corner and her ears constantly twitching like an attentive rabbit, hurriedly trotted over to Yi Ji-Hyuks side.
....Are you deaf? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe, me too. Me too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Didnt your hear its only for three people? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min grinned refreshingly and spoke.
Its not gonna be bad just because three became four, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Youd change your tune if I hit you four times instead of three, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You wanna hit a girl? You savage! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk responded with an unimpressed expression on his face.
Ive been beating up women or whatever when they came at me for over a thousand years already, Ill have you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That joke is getting stale now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
That joke?
Wanna find out if I was joking or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at her with eyes full of hidden meanings, Jeong Hae-Min blushed slightly and turned her head away.
W-what the heck?!
What are you doing??
Did this shorty lose her dang mind or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body began shuddering, Choi Jung-Hoon smiled brightly and quickly intervened.
Its fine for Miss Jeong Hae-Min to attend, as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats not how you show whos the boss here, you fool!
You cant say its fine in matters like this!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You see? Told you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh-whew....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and entered the room Choi Jung-Hoon had led him to. It was the conference room where he went wild for a little bit a couple of days ago.
As soon as everyone settled down, Choi Jung-Hoon opened his mouth.
All four people are here now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope, its five. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon?
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply pointed to the ground beneath his feet, prompting Choi Jung-Hoon to revise his statement.
Five, including Miss Gah-Yun. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup.
Choi Jung-Hoon got straight to the point.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please speak freely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Another request from the Americans came in. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression became rather unimpressed.
What is this, requesting for me because of they are bored or something? Tell them Im not interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha....
They might develop a bad habit at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell, at least listen to the rest before saying something, will ya?!
You dont even know what it is, yet youre not interested? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
I dont even have to hear it to know that they want me to kill a new monster or something. I already got enough stuff from them, so theres no need to go over there and work my a*s off now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not it, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head.
This time, it isnt about that. As a matter of fact, I wouldnt even ask you toe here if the request was about that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm?
Honestly speaking, you mustve been feeling a bit troubled by the strengths of the monsterstely, am I correct? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned back against the chair.
He didnt know what the Americans wanted this time, but it was also true that he had been thinking about how things couldnt continue at this rate.
If things continued on, then sooner orter, Yi Ji-Hyuk would be saddled with the responsibility of killing every single monster appearing on this.
Yeah, sure. It is a bit.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, Choi Jung-Hoon formed a genial smile.
That is why the request from the Americans makes a lot of sense. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
The Americans are requesting that you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, train the American ability users. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Ehhh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly asked back.
< 138. Dont say it like that -3 > Fin.
Chapter 139: Don’t say it like that (4)
Chapter 139: Dont say it like that (4)
Training, sir?
Christopher McLaren lit his cigar up and nodded his head. Thick smoke swirled inside his lungs before very slowly escaping from his mouth.
Thats right. (Christopher McLaren)
But, training? Are you saying that we desperately need training from that person?
Even though his subordinate was quite openly disying his dissatisfaction, Christopher McLaren didnt scold him.
Because, even he knew how shameful this whole thing was.
Indeed, being trained by an ability user from another country, when the American users all thought they were the greatest in the world already, was a deeply insulting matter.
The current reality of the situation is the problem. (Christopher McLaren)
Unfortunately, this was no longer the time to hold on to their petty pride any more.
But, sir....
Im not trying to abandon our pride! This is all for the sake of holding our heads up high! (Christopher McLaren)
But, how will we do that, sir?
Christopher McLaren angrily tapped his cigar on the ashtray, before lifting it back up to his mouth and took several deep puffs again. The ends of his cigar reddened up considerably and more smoke oozed out.
Look here. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
Think about which one of these two will be more insulting to us. (Christopher McLaren)
Without waiting for the reply, Christopher McLaren continued on.
Is Yi Ji-Hyuk training our ability users a shameful matter, or is it more shameful for us to run over to Yi Ji-Hyuks feet, kowtow before him and plead like beggars every time a strong monster pops out in the future? (Christopher McLaren)
Without a doubt, its thetter, sir.
Thats right. Thats the problem. (Christopher McLaren)
A monster like Seti had already made its appearance. Which meant, there was no guarantee that no such monsters would ever appear again in US soil.
However, how insulting would it be when the only solution to such eventualities was to ask Yi Ji-Hyuk for his favour?
Tsk.
Christopher McLaren also didnt want to ask for such a favour. Even if he got a positive answer, he still had lots of thing to get done, such as getting the other departments to cooperate, as well as to get the go-ahead from the higher-ups, too.
However, this was something he absolutely had to do, even if it meant he would be going through all that nonsense.
But, what will training change, sir? The abilities of the ability users are almost impossible to improve, as far as Im aware.
Take a look at this. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren turned theputer monitor towards his subordinate; the screen showed a handsome Asian man.
It was the Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu.
The footage showed him utterlyying waste to a powerful monster that had emerged from a Gate.
That was a level 4 Gate. (Christopher McLaren)
....Seriously?
ording to our intel, they had to insert several high rank ability users to deal with a level 4 Gate in the past. We confirmed that this Spitfire guy had participated in such operations several times. However, after a certain point in time, each Korean user suddenly became strong enough to take care of a level 4 Gate by themselves. (Christopher McLaren)
Mmm!!
Is it just pure coincidence that they suddenly became stronger after Yi Ji-Hyuk made his first appearance? (Christopher McLaren)
Not likely, sir.
Thats right, not very likely. And that is why pride or whatever isnt our most pressing issue. Do you understand what Im saying to you? (Christopher McLaren)
I understand you, sir. Its just that, Im still not fullyfortable with the idea, thats all.
Better get used to it, fast. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren clenched his cigar tightly.
Indeed, they had to get used to this new situation. Because, many more such events would ur in the future, too.
Okay, fine. Thats that, so any new information on the whereabouts of Alpha? (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, we still cant grasp his rough location, even now....
Hmm.....
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was like an atomic bomb buried underground, then Alpha was like a missing high-calibre explosive.
Yi Ji-Hyuk might be more dangerous if he went off, but the problem with Alpha was that no one could quite tell when and where he would go off.
And when our agents have to go away for a while during the training period, trying to locate him and keeping tabs on him would be even more difficult, too. (Christopher McLaren)
Thats true.
For the time being, keep searching. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
Christopher McLaren shifted his gaze back to theputer monitor and muttered to himself.
What a nightmare to predict....
Both Yi Ji-Hyuk and Alpha....
It was getting harder and harder to predict what was in store for this world every single day.
***
Training the American ability users, you say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, werent they a prideful bunch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon also found this point a bit puzzling as well, this act of them forgetting their national pride as the worlds most powerful country and requesting Yi Ji-Hyuk to train them.
Of course, it wasnt as if Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt understand where they wereing from, but still....
Its quite likely that they now believe monsters like Seti will continue to appear in the future. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm....
Seo Ah-Young frowned deeply.
Im against it. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm?
Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze over to Seo Ah-Young.
Why, maam? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, if you think about it, that is... Youre trying to strengthen thebat potential of another nation, isnt it? Not only that, its the US of A, you know? (Seo Ah-Young)
She wasnt wrong there.
Choi Jung-Hoon found her words logical to a certain extent as well.
For sure, there was no real need to go out of his way to help out another nation. There was no denying that.
However, the current situation dictated that one couldnt continue to think that way anymore.
It isnt as if I hadnt thought about that, but the truth is, if things continue as it is, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk would end up bearing a massive responsibility, a huge burden, all by himself. Which I think is a far bigger problem. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young wordlessly turned her head towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Seeing him with his legs perched up on the conference table and giggling to himself while ying a game on his phone C as if he was utterly disinterested by the proceedings C she found it rather tough to associate his current appearance to the term burden.
So, you were saying something about burden and stuff? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Yes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You should at least pretend to be hard-hit when someone speaks about your troubles, you know!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoons innards were burning up, but if that man suddenly started caring about such matters, then he couldnt be Yi Ji-Hyuk at all.
Nope, it must be a doppelg?nger or some such....
Burden, is it.... Hmm, he looks to be burdened.... Hmm..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Cold sweat drops formed on Choi Jung-Hoons forehead.
Well, hes taking a break right now. Honestly, he has been resolving every single crisis weve run into so far, hasnt he? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats only because hes azy bum, though. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keuhmm.....
Stop talking about facts!
Stop talking about truth as you see it, you know!
Dont you know that those who speak truth in the past didnt get to enjoy long and uneventful lives? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Yup, they all ended up drinking poison. (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL note at the end.)
Pardon me? (Seo Ah-Young)
Nope, its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly waved his hands around and did his best to change the topic.
In any case, its not practical for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk to travel to all corners of this. Also, we must not do that as well. We are not their cleaners, and were definitely not mercenaries, either. If we were to go every which way just because they requested us, wed only cheapen ourselves. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I meant Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay.
Cant you just let that one slide?
What a small minded person. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
But, Ive been super-helpful, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins expression brightened up and she pushed her face closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He nodded his head and patted her head.
Sure, youve been a good shuttle. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min began tilting her head while he continued to pat her like a little kid.
Why do I feel a bit weird right now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
It was like, she was being acknowledged, but at the same time, not really.
Well, anyways. Im better than the useless cheerleading squad, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young began growling at that provocation.
What did you say, you little...?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hey, you! How can you be so rude to your unni? Ji-Hyuk-ah! Please do something! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled happily and spoke to the both of them.
Why dont you two shut the hell up before I blow you away? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And so, the two females shut their mouths up real fast.
So, the thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stuffed his phone back in the pocket and righted his posture.
Youre saying, how about I train the American users, is that about right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not just the Americans, either. If someone requests us, we check out their situation and get everything we can from them. Also, this should prove to be pretty helpful to you as well, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, saving yourself much time and effort in the future. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk rubbed his nose while closing his eyes.
Of course, looking at it from the long-term prospect, it would certainly be of some help. But then, the idea of working his butt off now for some intangible benefit in the distant future sounded too correct and too bothersome to his ears.
How about him beingfortable right now and work his butt offter?
But, I dont particrly feel like doing it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll be of a great help to you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Its going to help you, so why dont you want to do it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks pouting face greeted Choi Jung-Hoon.
Why dont you exercise more, study harder, eat healthy food, avoid high salt content, and decrease the amount of your intake of energy tonics? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Pardon me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
All those will help you out, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, so why arent you doing them right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................
Well, uh, thats because, uhm....
Uh.....
Huh? I really dont have anything to say, no? How should I retort here? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
How can a human being live on while doing nothing but helpful things?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon began shuddering grandly after losing out in todays logical argument.
To lose to Yi Ji-Hyuk! Not only that, on logic, too!
Something felt far too humiliating here.
B-b-but, still..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted and slowly massaged his throat for a bit.
Hey!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly shouted to the outside of the office, and a low voice could be hearding from beyond the door.
Whats the matter? (Affeldrichae)
If someones calling for you, you shoulde inside here and talk face to face! Wouldnt you agree?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im in the middle of a match. (Affeldrichae)
....That stupid game. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah, mother...
Ive wronged you so much.
My mom mustve felt like this, looking at me ying games.
Maybe, shes deliberately trying to make me feel this sensation. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Anyways. Are the Gates getting bigger or what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is a very good chance that they are. Well, the tear between the dimensions is growing, after all. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm....
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was pondering the contents of the conversation, others in the conference room were pondering about something else entirely.
Why did that voice sound oh-so clear to them?
If a voice came from past the door, it had to go through various small or big things to get here, so the sound had to be muffled and all that. They couldnt help but be weirded out from the fact that voice sounded like it came from right next to them, each syble ringing crystal clear.
Is this another type of special ability?
To someone who didnt know anything about magic, they would never truly understand what it was capable of.
Well, the conclusion is pretty simple, isnt it. Stronger monsters will keep showing up and go on a rampage, and at the rate were going, Id end up globe-trotting everyday, with the road serving as my bed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And so, I gotta strengthen other ability users and sort that situation out before it gets worse. Am I right so far? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Not to the extent where they can fight against super-powerful monsters, but still be able to somehow deal with those that are on the cusp of being irritating to you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, its not like theres one or two ability users out there, you know... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, just when would he get to train them all?
Even if he did train them, there would be still....
Huh?
Hang on a minute. There is no real need for me to work my butt off here, is there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly realising something, Yi Ji-Hyuks head rose up in a sh.
Lets do it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh??
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled brightly in happiness as he didnt expect Yi Ji-Hyuk to say yes this quickly and painlessly.
You made the correct decision. Well then, Ill call the Americans right away. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, no. Wait. Not right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We are not ready yet, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ready? Ready for what?
Choi Jung-Hoon got this chilly sensation all of a sudden.
W-what is this?! (Seo Ah-Young)
However, there was someone else in this room who could pick up on that chilling sensation far more acutely than he did. Seo Ah-Young shot up from her seat and hurriedly, maniacally scanned her surroundings.
Why do I sense something ominous right now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at her and began cackling.
These ability users, they sure were rather perceptive, werent they?
Director Seo Ah-Young? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs body shrunk back like a terrified baby mouse after hearing the evil cat named Yi Ji-Hyuk call out to her.
The thing is, ability users from other countries arent the most pressing issue here. Nope, its the ones right in front of my eyes who arent being very useful at all. They are the true problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Weve been doing our best, though? (Seo Ah-Young)
Theres no meaning in you doing your best! No, its the results that matters!! This world is all about results! You are this old already, so how can you not realise that by now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My age, your age, whatever....
Seo Ah-young was in no position to retort back and could only cautiously ask him.
....So what are you saying, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
We will go with a pyramid structure from now on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you were thinking of micromanaging every level there is, you wont even get to reel in anyone useful at all, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Fufufufu.
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on like a viin.
My dearrades. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
No, I shall call you the instructors from now on. Instructor, you all are now entrusted with the weighty and critical responsibility of levelling up the countless ability users found throughout this world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We all??
What the freaking hell? Why is it we all and not you?? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
However, in order to make that happen, your own levels must rise higher. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.....
So, this was it, then.
Seo Ah-Young finally identified the cause for anxiety shed been feeling until now and began despairing.
Gather everyone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His voice sounded as if it came straight from the depths of hell. At least, thats how it sounded like from her perspective.
Kekekekek.
And that was theughter of the devil.
Seo Ah-Young slowly double facepalmed.
< 139. Dont say it like that -4 > Fin.
(TL: Drinking poison C sah-yak was a deadly liquid poison that the kings of Joseon-era Korea usually handed out as a punishment of death. The whole thing is slightly different from executions, though, in that you had to willingly drink it yourself. Kinda like the ritual suicide thing in Japanese culture, but with a royal twist.)
Chapter 140: Don’t say it like that (5)
Chapter 140: Dont say it like that (5)
What? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun came to workte today because he was on night shift duty, so when he came back to work, he couldnt even begin to fathom what was going on here after hearing about the order to gather around.
A meeting? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yup. Everyone. (Park Sung-Chan)
Hearing Park Sung-Chans reply, Kim Dah-Hyun sighed deeply.
But, why? Did someone cause an incident or something? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Who knows.... But, I hear its Yi Ji-Hyuk whos calling for one, though? (Park Sung-Chan)
That son of a b*tch.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
As soon as he heard the name Yi Ji-Hyuk, Kim Dah-Hyun began cussing without hesitation. The Iron Park Sung-Chan simply nodded his head silently and agreed with Kim Dah-Hyuns opinion.
What does he want now?! What! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Who knows. (Park Sung-Chan)
Hah. Driving me f*cking crazy. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun massaged the bridge of his nose after seeing Park Sung-Chan groaning out rather helplessly.
They had never, ever imagined that the NDF would devolve into its current state.
Just how excited were they, after hearing the news of the new organisations formation where the countrys top ability users would be gathered. There they were, thinking that, being a part of this organisation would get you recognised as the cream among Koreas top crop and get to stand on top of the lesser ability users.
That was why, when the request to join the organisation came by their way, they said yes without a shred of hesitation....
From the word go, the whole thing went sideways.
Kim Dah-Hyun recalled meeting Yi Ji-Hyuk for the very first time.
Shudder....
Just thinking about it caused his once-broken nose to twitch.
Heu-euh....
He came here thinking that this was an organisation of elite ability users, but what he found instead was.....
The one and only me Witch was just a figurehead, and that amazingly-capable Choi Jung-Hoon had be Yi Ji-Hyuksckey.
It might nominally be the Koreas defence force, but in reality, it was the same thing as Yi Ji-Hyuks private organisation, instead.
The person supposedly in charge was trembling in fear of Yi Ji-Hyuk, so how could anyone expect things to run properly in this ce?!
We might as well die, no? (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan jokingly threw that line out and Kim Dah-Hyun nodded his head.
This was so weird.
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt really cause them any big harm.
Sure, him throwing them into that hell hole for several months was something they would never, ever forget until their dying day, but then again, he didnt really torment them after that event, now did he?
Indeed, he didnt even go out of his way to use them like ves, either.
Well, one would only try to abuse you if one was actually interested in you first, though.
To Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes, these guys were more or less like Pebble A found on the side of the road.
Still, Kim Dah-Hyun could understand where this oddity came from, this strange state of him and others being unable to get over the lingering fear and anxiety of Yi Ji-Hyuk even now....
....Once you experience that event, youd stop saying those kind of things, though. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
What a horrifying thing that was.
If he could, hed cut out the memories of those six months from his head with a knife. Even now, hed sometimes wake up at night from the nightmares of those months.
Groan....
He wasnt even getting re-drafted into the army or something, but still, he feared that experience would remain etched in his mind as an irreparable trauma for the rest of his life.
Okay, so. Where are we supposed to gather around? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The conference room. (Park Sung-Chan)
....Lets go. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
As Kim Dah-Hyun headed off to the conference room with slumped shoulders, Park Sung-Chan gently patted him on the back.
***
....Why did he call us here?
I wonder about that, too.
Do you know whats going on here, Mister Dah-Hyun?
I dont know anything either. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Even though youre closest to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk among us....?
What did you say, you f*cking a*shole?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
As the mes of fury erupted from the eyes of Kim Dah-Hyun, the surroundings NDF agents shouted out in his support.
Hey, man. Watch what you say!
Thats right. Stop insulting the man, okay?
The guy who spoke out of line just now quickly lowered his head and apologised.
I, Im really sorry. I said something really stupid.
Be careful next time!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun panted heavily and sat back down in his chair. The guy who spoke out of line asked again, sounding a bit bitter now.
However, did I really say something that offensive?
Look here. If you say Youre pretty friendly with the Japanese government to a Korean forcibly dragged away by the Japanese army, what do you think he will say back to you? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Hell probably beat me half to death.....
Thats what you just said. (Kim Dah-Hyuk)
....Im truly sorry.
The guy who spoke out of line finally realised his terrible slip of tongue and lowered his head in shame.
I was really careless back then.
Dont do it again. (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan warn that guy and turned around.
Has anyone seen Yi Ji-Hyuk arriving here in the morning? (Park Sung-Chan)
It looked like he came directly from France.
How did his mood look back then? (Park Sung-Chan)
....Hmm, I wonder. He didnt look too happy, somehow. Should I say that he looked ready to flip out at any moment?
Thats how hes like normally. (Park Sung-Chan)
Oh, I guess youre right.
Just when did Yi Ji-Hyuk look like he was in a happier mood? Everyday, hed just lose his c**p over something minor, and get p*ssed off, get irritated, and roar at the top of his lungs after he got his a*s handed back to him in the video game, which would only serve to worsen the atmosphere in the office.
What a rotten, stinking b*stard he was.
Okay, so, no one knows why we had to gather here today, then? (Park Sung-Chan)
Mister Sung-Chan, even you dont know why, so how can we know anything?
Hmm....
Park Sung-Chan scratched his head.
Even though they were all NDF agents, a sort of hierarchy had been established with Yi Ji-Hyuk upying the top position.
With Yi Ji-Hyuk on top, Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon alongside him; and then there were Doh Gah-Yun and Jeong Hae-Min, then Affeldrichae was recently added as someone at top as well. Just below them were the Iron, Path Drifter, Spitfire, Rudra, and Kitamura Ren as well as couple other original NDF agents, and then, there were newer recruits below them.
In the beginning, there were barely over ten people here, but now, there were over thirty in this ce.
Among them, both Kim Dah-Hyun and Park Sung-Chan were seen as the top old guards who were in a position to speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk freely.
Just what is he trying to do this time..... (Park Sung-Chan)
When Park Sung-Chan sighed helplessly, a strange voice suddenly came from behind him.
By the way, theres something I just cant wrap my head around....
When Park Sung-Chan turned his head to look, a certain man was staring at him and Kim Dah-Hyun with an expression full of dissatisfaction.
About what? (Park Sung-Chan)
Why are you guys still listening to that idiots orders?
Eh?
Park Sung-Chan quietly studied this dude with a slightly insolent tone of voice.
Mm.... Who were you again? (Park Sung-Chan)
The dude got triggered and shouted out loudly.
Its Kim Myung-Woon! The Red Rock Kim Myung-Woon!!
Ahh, right. You were Red Rock. The Red Rock.... (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan nodded his head. This guy was also a body reinforcement type, just like he was.
So, what are you trying to say here? (Park Sung-Chan)
Im asking you, why are you listening to the orders of that snot-nosed brat? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Snot-nosed brat?
A brat, is it....?
Mm, right. This guy must be talking about Yi Ji-Hyuk when talking about a brat, right? (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
Park Sung-Chan suddenly began reminiscing about the past.
Yup, I too thought like that when I met that man for the first time. Right, I was really thinking of beating the living daylights out of that brat after he literally turned me into a human support pir..... (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
When Park Sung-Chan wiped the moisture off the edges of his eyes, Kim Dah-Hyun tried to console the big guy.
You mustve recalled some unpleasant memories. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....For a bit there. (Park Sung-Chan)
Finally managing to calm himself down, Park Sung-Chan shifted his apathetic eyes over to Kim Myung-Woon.
Okay, so what? What is it that you want to say here? (Park Sung-Chan)
Sure, that Yi Ji-Hyuk guy is really powerful. No, hes absolutely overwhelming, I know that. But, thats only when hes fighting against monsters, or when hes standing very far away, isnt it? I mean, just a couple of us should be able to take him down in close quarters. (Kim Myung-Woon)
Mm.....
Havent I heard of something simr before....? (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
Park Sung-Chan turned his head around and located the Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu by the corner. There was a strange smile etched on his face as he listened to Kim Myung-Woons deration.
Did that smilee from him finding this whole situation too funny, or was it more like, I cant be the only one to receive that treatment, so its your turn now?
Should I y along? (Park Sung-Chan)
Nod.
Yun Hyuk-Gyu slowly nodded his head.
Park Sung-Chan grinned slyly and looked back at Kim Myung-Woon.
Mm, well, sure. That could be so.... (Park Sung-Chan)
However, you seniors seem to be too scared here. I did my best to read the mood and kept my mouth shut, but honestly, isnt this ce just a pile of dog sh*t? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Well, sure. (Park Sung-Chan)
Yup, it was a pile of dog poop, this ce.
Just because hes got power, a little brat dares to ignore proper ranks, and does whatever the hell he wants to, yet just how long are you nning to sit back and watch? How about just flip this whole ce on its head? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Flip it, is it? (Park Sung-Chan)
Thats right. Who the hell does he think he is, ordering us around like this? Dont you think that we should take this chance and sort him out properly? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Now lets see here....
Just how much a*s-whopping does this guy need before hees around? (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
So, what are you saying? (Park Sung-Chan)
Why dont we just beat Yi Ji-Hyuk down when he shows up today? After we tenderise him for a bit, Im sure hell learn to fear the world once more. (Kim Myung-Woon)
....Its you who doesnt know the true fear of the world, kid.
So, let me get this straight. In your eyes, we all look like a bunch of losers who couldnt think up of the same thing as you did and act like cowards, am I right? (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
Mm, well now.... (Park Sung-Chan)
Well, it was true that the lifes most important lessons would never be forgotten if ones body, rather than ones head, were to experience them.
So, Park Sung-Chan simply nodded his head.
Sure. Do what you want. (Park Sung-Chan)
You dont mind if us few get our hands dirty? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Sure, sure. (Park Sung-Chan)
Thank you very much. (Kim Myung-Woon)
Was that something to thank me for?
I mean, if you catch meter in the future, you might want to kill me instead, you know?
Still, you dug your own grave here, dude. (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
Click!
It was then, the door clicked open and both Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon entered the room.
Mmm.....
Park Sung-Chans eagle-like eyes caught the tired, scared expression on Seo Ah-Youngs face. He didnt think hed ever seen that sort of an expression from her before, so he couldnt help but wonder just what on earth was going on here.
Next up, Doh Gah-Yun, Jeong Hae-Min, and Affeldrichae walked in. Finally, Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged in as well.
Fuu....
When Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon slipped into the crowd and found their natural spots, Yi Ji-Hyuk stood by the pulpit and opened his mouth.
Is everyone here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon scanned the crowd and nodded his head.
Excluding those dispatched to the locations of new Gates, everyones here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm, in that case..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, just as Yi Ji-Hyuk began pondering what he should say here to get the meeting started, the Red Rock Kim Myung-Woon slowly got up from his seat and walked proudly towards him.
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
What did this kid want now?
Whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Myung-Woon didnt answer, but continued to walk until he arrived right in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk. He then stood in a bit of a crooked posture and spoke up.
So, I wanted to ask you something.... (Kim Myung-Woon)
Eh?
Just what qualifications do you have to order us around like this, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Qualifications? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah, qualifications. Are you our superior officer? But, you dont look like one. So, with what qualifications are you ordering us around here? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared straight at Kim Myung-Woon and replied in an equally straightforward manner.
I dont have anything like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Then, why are you ordering us to gather around? (Kim Myung-Woon)
What, I cant ask you toe if I dont have a qualification? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well, thats not it, but, uh.... (Kim Myung-Woon)
I mean, if you dont like it, then you didnt have toe, you know? Its not like, I threatened you with bodily harm or something if you chose not to show up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Myung-Woonsplexion boiled over instantly.
No, wait. Telling us to gather around when youre not a superior officer is wrong, to begin with. (Kim Myung-Woon)
Ng?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that, before shifting his gaze over to the Spitfire, hiding in a far corner and grinning mysteriously.
Hey, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Is this him trying to pick a fight with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Definitely. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Aha!
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Mister Earths Mightiest beat around the bush so much that Yi Ji-Hyuk found it way too hard to figure out whether this was a provocation or not.
The tough men of Berafe would simply take their gauntlets off and throw them at his face, or simply fling about some magic spell or two and scorch him first as the means of provocation, you see.
Itd been over a thousand years since someone ran their mouths off to provoke him, so Yi Ji-Hyuk found it pretty hard to readjust here.
Ahhh, so you dont like me and you want to have a go at me, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not strictly true. No, all I want is you to observe the basic protocol, thats all. (Kim Myung-Woon)
Mm........
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head to his side, and quite literally out of the blue, kicked Park Sung-Chan sitting in the front row.
POW!
Park Sung-Chan flew off like a rubber ball and mmed deeply into a wall, bing embedded within. He asked with a shocked face.
But, why? Why me?! (Park Sung-Chan)
You asking cuz you dont know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a scarily perceptive man.
Park Sung-Chan smiled awkwardly and looked away.
Hah, this, really now... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his attention back to the Red Rock Kim Myung-Woon and chuckled wryly.
Did he really need to deal with a little kid like this one, too?
Jeong Hae-Min, watching from the side, yawned out grandly and spoke up.
Cant you hurry it up? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh?
You were going to beat him up anyway, so beat him up already and get to the main topic. Times wasting, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
S-sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh well, if thats what she wants.
Yi Ji-Hyuks fist flew at the speed of light and mmed into Kim Myung-Woons face.
< 140. Dont say it like that -5 > Fin.
(TL: Merry Christmas to those who observe it! Have a great day.)
Chapter 141: Why are you running away? (1)
Chapter 141: Why are you running away? (1)
Ku-eck?!
Along with a piggy squeal, Kim Myung-Woon flew away like a cannonball and mmed into the wall.
Kaboom!
As soon as a sound that shouldnt havee from when a person met a solid wall dide out, Choi Jung-Hoon shot up from his seat. Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk was angry, there were still some things a person should never do!!
With a furious expression, Choi Jung-Hoon shouted out.
What are you doing?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze shifted over to Choi Jung-Hoon. With an anguished tone of voice, Choi Jung-Hoon continued to shout.
I told you to mind the walls!! The walls!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hey, you crazy son of a b*tch!! Worry about people first!! The people!! (The author)
Other ability users all looked at Choi Jung-Hoon with dumbfounded faces.
Just what was this guy worried about here?! A human being flew and got embedded in the wall like that, yet he was saying what now?!
This guy wasnt like this in the beginning, yet what the hell....
This is still a brand-new building, dont you get that?! What will you do if a crack ends up forming somewhere?? Please, please!! Cautiously beat that guy up so there would be no damage to the building!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
U-uh. Oh, uh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up nodding his head after being subjected to Choi Jung-Hoons intense zeal.
You think the budget for the building repairs just falls out of sky or something?! Do you have any idea the number of official documents I must submit, just to get the repair for that wall approved?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked as if the proverbial mes would bellow out from his wide-open, shouting mouth, and Yi Ji-Hyuk began visibly flinching now.
....Im very sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was at this point that Affeldrichae also flinched, too.
....Did he just apologise?
That Yi Ji-Hyuk did?!
The man who blew away someone elses royal pce during a failed magical experiment and defended himself by asking why the castle was in his way in the first ce?? (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
Affeldrichae stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with an unreadable expression on her face.
I wonder, does that man understand the kind of precedent he just set here today?
Indeed, what he had done, it is a universe-shattering moment, never mind worthy of being recorded in the annals of history. (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
So, you heard him, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked over to the still-disoriented Kim Myung-Woon and grabbed his cors.
Not sure why you wanted a piece of me, but well, Ill humour you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Sung-Chan clicked his tongue.
How can you not know the reason?! (Park Sung-Chan)
Groan.... (Kim Myung-Woon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his right hand about, and a jet-ck Gate suddenly formed there.
Euh...!!
At the same time, there were a number of people present in the room being showered in cold sweat.
Oopsie.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yanked Kim Myung-Woon off the wall, dragged the poor guy over to the Gate, and threw him inside.
Uwaaaaaaahhhh........ (Kim Myung-Woon)
Kim Myung-Woons screams as he fell ever deeper inside the Gate got progressively smaller and smaller, until it couldnt be heard anymore.
Seeing this Kim Dah-Hyuns body shuddered slightly.
Did he... did he go to that ce? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mm?
B-but, he will die if he goes there alone, though? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Oh, no. Its not that ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whew. That means he wont die, then. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yup. I wont kill him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped on the Gates edge, and smiled brightly.
Ill be back as soon as I can, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh?
And then, Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped inside the Gate. With that, only the Gate with its ck mouth wide-open remained in the spot.
....S-so, why did he go there, too?
One could say that would be a reasonable question to ask, but at the same time, if everyone could guess the reason, then it failed to qualify as a proper question.
To beat him up.
To break him in half.
To kill that guy.
Park Sung-Chan shook his head.
Eii, he said he wouldnt kill the Red Rock, didnt he? (Park Sung-Chan)
But, all he does is lie whenever he opens his mouth!
Well, theres that, too. (Park Sung-Chan)
It was oh-so obvious what would happen inside the Gate.
Especially for the Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu; hisplexion was utterly pale-white as if the trauma of his terrible past had reared its ugly head or some such.
Keu-hmm....
It was the same story with the Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun, his expression also not very good. After all, he also suffered at Yi Ji-Hyuks hands for a short period of time in the past, too.
The conference room became gradually quieter and quieter.
Didnt someone once say that rather than actually witnessing the event, imagining it was far more terrifying, instead?
Just from imagining the ordeal Kim Myung-Woon was going through inside that Gate right now, everyone here found it too hard to say something out aloud.
Meanwhile, the worst possible scenarios each of these folks coulde up with, began ying out inside their heads in vivid technicolor.
No way, he wouldnt go that far....
....It cant be.
Affeldrichae studied them and chuckled softly to herself.
Humans are such an amusing species. (Affeldrichae)
They thought, they imagined, and they feared even though no one told them to do so.
Wasnt that the oddest thing, ever?
It was then, the Gate buzzed and vibrated, before Yi Ji-Hyuks head peeked out over the edge.
It hasnt been that long, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head.
Yes, it hasnt been long. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cool. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk exited from the Gate, and reached back inside to pull Kim Myung-Woon out. And the attention of everyone present was focused on thetter. Strangely enough, Kim Myung-Woon looked perfectly fine outwardly.
Hes unhurt? (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan eximed in surprise.
I thought hed be half-dead by now....
Well, I figured hed be disabled, at the least.
Yeah. I thought itd be amazing if he came back alive.
Park Sung-Chan continued to look on, mystified, before he spotted Kim Myung-Woons dazed eyes and began shuddering ever so slightly.
Hold up!!
Park Sung-Chan slowly walked towards Kim Myung-Woon and waved his hand in front of thetters face.
..........
....Theres no response?! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan felt the cold sweat trickling down his backside as he grasped Kim Myung-Woons shoulder.
Hey man. You okay? (Park Sung-Chan)
....Heh?
............
Park Sung-Chans very bitter expression confronted Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Will he ever go back to how he was? (Park Sung-Chan)
Probably? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, how long will that take? (Park Sung-Chan)
Hmm, who knows. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you say that after you wrecked a guy to this extent?! He didnt even do anything that bad to deserve this treatment! (Park Sung-Chan)
Maybe it was a bit too mu.... (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan stopped talking there, and immediately shut his mouth. Yi Ji-Hyuk looked him and smirked slightly.
Dont worry about him. I took him somewhere else and did my thing so you guys wont get affected, and he will revert back to normal sooner than you think. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? (Park Sung-Chan)
Have you ever seen me lying to you before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I wanna say I have, but I cant remember!! This is so unfair!! (Park Sung-Chans inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze back to the dazed-eyed Kim Myung-Woon and his ck jaw, and lightly clicked his tongue.
This.... Isnt the side effect harsher than I thought? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt technically torment the guy.
Nope, he just got a bit curious about what would happen if a regr human were to absorb a little bit of dark Mana, so he forced a small amount into the poor guy, that was all.
Sure, itd be normal for some sort of side effects to manifest.
Such as, simultaneous multiple organ failures, his body twisting around in weird ways, or his bones snapping in random ces C those would be seen as rtively minor. But the real problem would be psychological in nature.
Hmm, but he hasntpletely lost his mind, has he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One could say that dark magics essence was corruption. (TL: the original Korean C Hanja C word used could mean variety of negative things. I decided to go with corruption here because that sounded the best to me personally.)
The dark magic was basically an amalgamation of every negative emotion found in the world, and someone injected with a dose of dark magical energy would see his or her mind erode away until it waspletely taken over by the darkness itself and be inert.
This was one such result.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had already extracted the dark Mana out from the poor guy, yet his copsed mental state hadnt reformed yet. It was a relief to see him not go on a violent rampage, at least....
Hmm....
So, what should he do here?
Yi Ji-Hyuk began pondering on how to put to use the result of todays experimentation. But his thought train couldnt go on for long.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes?
Shouldnt you get started? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahh. Right, I called for this meeting, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood in front once more and opened his mouth.
Mm. Okay, the Americans sent us another request. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
They want me to train them, but I think itll be better if other people train them, instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
That is why, Im going to train you all first. Understand? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Everyone suddenly grinned refreshingly and turned to look at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Hah..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Who knew that he now had to trante Korean to Koreans....
Choi Jung-Hoon got up from his seat and walked to the front.
He lightly patted on the brightly-smiling Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder and asked him to sit down, before taking over the empty podium.
The American government has officially requested us with the training of their ability users. It seems that after witnessing the enhancedbat strengths of the NDF agents, they must think that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk holds some kind of a secret method for a quick power-up. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Euh.....
Park Sung-Chan began gnashing his teeth.
You crazy fools, youre asking for trouble without knowing what youre getting yourselves into!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan was this close to rushing over there and dragging away the fools asking for the favour, before personally throwing them all inside Yi Ji-Hyuks Gate.
They could only mutter this nonsense out because they hadnt personally experienced hell yet!!
Not too surprisingly, the expressions of all those who had experienced the events inside the ck Gate were pretty rough as if they were thinking the same thing.
So, what now? Are we going to help them out? And besides that, what does this news have to do with us? (Park Sung-Chan)
What Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk means is that youd be the ones to train the Americans. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ehhh?
To be more precise, hes thinking of a pyramid-like training structure involving everyone, where the top-tier users will be training the upper ss users, while the upper ss users will be training the mid-tier users, so on and so forth. It does make sense, this scheme. Even if it was Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, itd be impossible to train every single ability user in the world. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not only that, this method guaranteed the least amount of casualties, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldve simply thrown the whole lot inside the Gate and let them stew inside for a while, but then again, the number of casualties would be way too high to count if he did that.
Kim Dah-Hyun understood the situation and spoke up.
Mm, so what youre saying is, the Americans want to be trained.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And we have to train them, is that the gist of the situation? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yes, that is the situation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Well, the differences between us and them arent that great to begin with, so how can we even begin to train them? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
They were talking about the American ability users here C reputedly the best in the world.
And the Koreans were being asked to train the Americans, when they had people like the world-famous Sniper and Red Fever counted among their numbers?
What aughable notion that was.
That is why Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has summoned you all here today. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Kim Dah-Hyun suddenly sensed something ominous was creeping ever closer and clenched his fist real tight.
Could it be...?
No, it cant be...
If youck the ability now, then all you have to do is get stronger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice reverberated like a thunderp.
So, what hes saying is....
We have to get stronger...?
What happened to me thest time I heard that? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
N-no, it cant be! Again?!
Those who had experienced Yi Ji-Hyuks Gate before all shot up from their seats.
And then... they hurriedly distanced themselves away from Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Oh, no. That wont do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to make a move to stop them, the exit was suddenly flung open C and Seo Ah-Young began desperately running away.
Ehh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt expect Seo Ah-Young to be the first one to run away like that, so he began chuckling wryly to himself, before a ck tentacle shot out from the end of his extended finger. It instantly flew out of the door.
Kyyyahhhck!!
Seo Ah-Young screamed out loudly as she was dragged back inside the conference room.
Yi Ji-Hyuk dangled up Seo Ah-Young in the air with the ck tentacle and grinned brightly.
Why are you running away? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you crazy son of a b*tch!! Youre trying to shove me back in that ce again, right?! Im not going! Definitely not!! Ill never go back to that ce again!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hang on a minute here. I told you, I made a mistakest time, so this time, I properly calcted the difference in time flow, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im no goinnnnnnng!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear canal as if he couldnt hear her, and waved his hand around to create a new Gate.
NOOOOO!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Im telling you, its not the same ce as thest time, so you can be rest assured. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Really? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, thest ce was a pic areapared to the new one, though! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You son of a.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Just as Seo Ah-Young was about to scream blue murder, the tentacle swung about and chucked her inside the Gate.
From the inside of the ck void, myriad of colourful insults flew as they grew fainter and fainter, but well, Yi Ji-Hyuks ears already featured a high-level insult filtration system.
So, he couldnt hear any of them.
M-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, lets, lets talk about this.........
Mm, well, we dont have much time.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A truly evil grin crept up on Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
Lets talk after I throw every one of you inside first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks tentacles reached out and began throwing NDF agents one by one inside the ck Gate.
Uwahhhaahaha?!
Why dont you just kill me instead, you b*stard!!
Those who knew what was going on trembled in fear, and those who didnt could only tremble from the fear of the unknown.
After painstakingly chucking everyone inside, Yi Ji-Hyuk swept his nce over at the remaining folks C Choi Jung-Hoon, Jeong Hae-Min, Doh Gah-Yun, and Affeldrichae.
....Oh, and also Kim Jae-Beom.
A-am I also going there this time? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even bother to answer Jeong Hae-Mins inquiry, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, and chucked her inside the Gate.
He thought he heard the sound of a childish cryinging from somewhere, but he was probably mistaken.
Ng, okay. So now....
You too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun wordlessly jumped inside the Gate.
You, as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W, w, what? Me too? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon began shuddering.
But, why me?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im a powerless regr person!! You b*stard!!
You can only im to be a true team member after sharing their pain, dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im tending my resignation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After you return. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk easily picked Choi Jung-Hoon up and chucked him inside the Gate as well. As he fell, thetter man bitterly shouted out.
Uwaaaah?! Im just a paper pusher, so whyyyyy?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled to himself and looked at Kim Jae-Beom.
Hold the fort until we get back, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? Ah, y-yes! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae and Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped inside the Gate and it closed up slowly afterwards.
....Just what the hell happened in here? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom, now left all alone inside the empty conference room, swept his dazed eyes around his surroundings.
Huh.....
Kim Jae-Beom spat out a helpless groan.
How was he supposed to handle all the callsing in now?
But still, it was way better than getting dragged in there, so....
With a halfughing, half-crying face, Kim Jae-Beom trudged back to the office.
< 141. Why are you running away? -1 > Fin.
(TL: I hope you all had a great Christmas.)
Chapter 142: Why are you running away? (2)
Chapter 142: Why are you running away? (2)
Not here!
No ones home!
I dont know either!
Kim Jae-Beom furiously answered the iingndline calls and the constantly buzzing smartphone, and repeated himself until he was blue in the face.
Argh!! Im telling you, theres no one here! No one can go and help you out! (Kim Jae-Beom)
It had been three days already since Yi Ji-Hyuk & Co. had disappeared into the Gate. And the phones were ringing off the hook with people desperately looking for Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hold on! I told you, Ill inform him once hees back! Please, you gotta stop calling this ce! Its been five times today already, you know! Dont you understand the wordsing out of my.... Eh? Me? ....Im terribly sorry. Ive lost my cool for a little while just now. Please forgive me, Vice Minister. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom felt like crying his eyes out.
How was he supposed to find someone who couldnt be found in the first ce? There was no method to contact him, and he was also not someone whod show up just because you managed to get in touch with him, either.
Even those on the other side of the line knew that Yi Ji-Hyuk was a person beyond anyones control, but them constantly calling the NDF office like this? It could only be seen as them venting their frustrations.
I really might die at this rate. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom spat out multiple groans and looked at the empty NDF office.
Even though he could barely have a breather for himself....
Something just felt so lonesome in here.
And because he was all alone, he kinda felt a bit chillier than usual, as well.
He had never noticed howrge and empty the ce was until now.
Back when Yi Ji-Hyuk & Co. were still here, he was dearly praying that hed not get to see their faces, even if it was only for a day.
But this creeping chill, continuously pervading the air....
Was heing down with something?
Mm??
Wait, wasnt it really getting cold inside here? Indeed, there was a chilly air circling about....
Uwaah?! What the hell!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom turned around without thinking at all, and discovered a silent girl standing by the doorway like a ghost. Of course, he screamed out like a little kid.
Who the hell was that girl?! And when did she evene inside??
Hold on, wasnt Oh-Sik supposed to guard the front entrance?
After Mister Im-the-Foreign-Minister stopped byst time, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt want to see any more time-wasting Tom, Dick, or Harry entering the premises, so he ordered Oh-Sik to not let anyone unnecessary past the front entrance!
However, if she was able to enter, then either she was a powerful ability user capable of subduing Oh-Sik, or....
It was then, Kim Jae-Beoms eyes finallynded on the mini Oh-Sik, busy rubbing his head against her leg.
................
Not understanding what was going on here, Kim Jae-Beom was about to begin the necessary thought process to figure everything out, but then, the girl opened her mouth before he could get cracking.
Hasnt Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk arrive yet? (Kim Dah-Som)
Eh?
Mister.... Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Huh?
Kim Jae-Beom scratched the back of his head.
Hey, by any chance, are you Mister Dah-Hyuns younger sister? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Nod.
Kim Jae-Beom stared at Kim Dah-Som with dazed eyes.
Riiiight. She was Mister Kim Dah-Hyuns younger sibling, wasnt she?
Are you looking for your oppa? But, he hasnte back yet, though? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Shake, shake.
When Kim Dah-Som shook her head, Kim Jae-Beom fell into deep thought. Why was she so reluctant to provide inf.... Ahhh, wait. Yi Ji-Hyuk, was it?
Didnt she ask just now if Yi Ji-Hyuk was here or not?
Mister Ji-Hyuk isnt here, either. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Using her foot, Kim Dah-Som pushed Oh-Sik slightly away as the Ogre rubbed his head against her leg, and asked Kim Jae-Beom.
When is heing back? (Kim Dah-Som)
Well, that.... I dont know. Well, he isnt the type to tell other people what hes thinking about, anyway. (Kim jae-Beom)
Yup, he only knew how to boss other people around, that was all.
He was a one-way street kind of a guy.
.............
Kim Dah-Som swept her gaze around the office with a slightly pouting expression, before slowly walking towards a certain spot.
Ng?
What is she doing now? (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Som arrived at Yi Ji-Hyuks pigsty of a desk and quietly stared at it for a moment or two. Then, without saying a word, she began tidying up the desk.
Oh.....
Did this girl have a thing about Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Kim Jae-Beom suddenly felt envious of him.
Im so envious of such a beautying to visit him, yet as it turns out, she even has such a considerate personality, too!
Why is such a girl hanging around Yi Ji..... (Kim Jae-Beoms monologue)
Kim Jae-Beoms jaw dropped lower and lower as he finally figured out what she was doing.
H-hey, kid?! What are you doing?!
You cant just dump that trash on someone elses desk like that!
Besides all that, are you trying to tidy up his desk, or shift through evidence as if youre a detective??
Why are you reading every single document from his desk?? WHY??
And, and, and dont switch hisputer on!
That, that, that.... Thats not yours!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Hul.....
Should I stop her?
Mister Dah-Hyun, just how did you educate your sister?
More importantly, your sister is obsessed with Yi Ji-Hyuk!
Hey, dude! Did you even know that? (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
If Kim Dah-Hyun heard that thought process, he might have shouted out loudly I know it already and hurriedly run off to somewhere, but perhaps fortunately, he was not present at the moment.
Kim Dah-Som finished tidying up Yi Ji-Hyuks desk and used a mysterious mop of unknown origins to clean it. Then, she returned to the entrance and brought a box back inside with her.
Even before Kim Dah-Som could start wondering what was in the box, she began pulling this and that out of it and started decorating Yi Ji-Hyuks desk.
................
If he only looked at that action in istion and ignored everything else....
It wouldvee across as a heart-warming scene, yet why did it give him the creeps?
She stuffed enough snacks into the top-most drawer until there was no more room left, and with a deeply satisfied face, stared at Yi Ji-Hyuks desk.
Perhaps she thought that the owner of the desk wouldnt appreciate it if it was decorated too girly, because she paid extra attention and made sure everything looked neat and well-organised. Regardless of what, though, the whole set-up was a perfect reflection of her own tastes.
Mm....
Her content smile remained etched on her face as she lightly kicked Oh-Sik away as he tried to stick close to her again. Oh-Sik flew away in an arc andnded on the ground with a loud thud, before he ran back towards Kim Dah-Som and continued panting like a happy dog.
And just why is he acting like that now....?
It was like, the Ogre was thinking of that girl as his true owner, instead of Yi Ji-Hyuk. And animals were supposedly far more sensitive towards the pecking order or something....
Well.... (Kim Dah-Som)
M-mm? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Here.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som pushed forward a piece of paper with a phone number on it, most likely hers, to Kim Jae-Beom.
Please dont forget to call me when he returns. Dont forget. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Sure thing. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Dah-Som bowed deeply, turned around, and trotted away out of the office.
The endlessly-ringing telephones served as the BGM as Kim Jae-Beom watched her leave.
Sure, shes really pretty, but....
But, it was just that, pretty looks and nothing else.
Hang on. There are no normal women around that man, are there? (Kim Jae-Beom)
They said that when viewed from afar, life was a series ofedies, but when examined from up close, it would be a tragedy, instead.
Sure, there were plenty of beautiful women surrounding Yi Ji-Hyuk, but now that Kim Jae-Beom thought about it in some detail, it couldnt have been all happy days and smooth sailing for the poor guy.
Im still envious, though. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom swallowed back his tears and settled back down in his seat.
Besides all that, what are they doing right now, I wonder? (Kim Jae-Beom)
It must be really tough over there, right?
Like, by a lot?
***
Inside an unknown cave, somewhere far away.....
Uwaaaaah!!
Park Sung-Chan cried out and viciously threw punches non-stop.
You soooooon of a b*tch!! (Park Sung-Chan)
A swarm of small, bird-like creatures were madly rushing at him. He had managed to strike down countless scores of them with his furious fists and their broken, exploded carcasses fell to the ground. These creatures littering the ground resembled spiders, but with wings.
Park Sung-Chan continued cussing like a madman as he iled away at everywhere.
The bodies of these horrifying creatures constantly exploded and fell, yet more and more rushed at Park Sung-Chan, seemingly with no end in sight.
No matter how desperately he punched, there was no way hed be able to defend himselfpletely.
Not so long afterwards, the spider things climbed all over his body and began biting down on him with their poisonous fangs.
Uwaaah!!
Park Sung-Chan screamed and rolled around on the ground in desperation. The fangs of these spider things easily prated his skin that boasted hardness rivalling that of concrete and essed his flesh underneath.
Godd*mn it!!
Park Sung-Chan did his utmost best and pped the spiders off his body, but once more, it was impossible to stop the waves upon waves of these critters that now looked like a living, pulsating ck mountain.
Kuooooar!!
Before long, the spiders poison had paralysed his entire body.
Keuk.... Keuhuek....
Park Sung-Chan began to convulse. His body began to dye in a purplish colour as he continued to spasm. Blood vessels bulged beyond his skin as if they were going to burst open at any time now.
He couldnt even leak out a pained whimper anymore.
Im dead.....
It was then C Park Sung-Chans eyes caught the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuks smiling face right in front of him.
You went down too soon, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
With a wave of Yi Ji-Hyuks hand, the spider things hurriedly dispersed away from Park Sung-Chan and retreated to a far corner.
Keu-euheuh....
You got poisoned pretty badly. Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk poked the side of Park Sung-Chan a couple of times while carrying a bright smile on his face.
Does it hurt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Sung-Chan was silently quivering in pain from the sensation of his blood vessels squeezing tightly, but after hearing that d*mn question, his eyes flipped opened wide, mes of anger erupting out from them.
If only he could move his head, then he might try to bite the neck of this abominable b*stard right in front of his eyes!
Right now, he felt that as long as he managed to sink his teeth into Yi Ji-Hyuks neck, he wouldnt mind dying afterwards.
Now lets see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grasped Park Sung-Chans neck.
Suddenly, Park Sung-Chan felt something entering his body through his neck and as his consciousness flickered in and out, an indescribable pain washed over him.
Keu-heuh.....
The pain was so severe that his previously-immobile body began emitting gasps of pain all by itself.
Just what the hell is he doing to my body?!
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk let go of Park Sung-Chans neck and stared at the immobile test subject with an unreadable expression on his face.
It might be doable, I think. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Well, you should get up now, you know? Cantze around the whole day! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ced his hand on Park Sung-Chans head, and all the poison was sucked right out of thetters body.
Park Sung-Chan began quivering even more as he felt this icky sensation of things being sucked out of his head, but once he realised that he had regained his mobility, he bolted upright like a lightning and pounced on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You son of a b*tttttttch!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan swung his fist as hard as he could in order to blow Yi Ji-Hyuk away.
Whoa, there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly deflected the iing arm with his elbow and proceeded to smack Park Sung-Chans chin.
Keok!
Park Sung-Chan copsed on the floor like a doll with its strings cut, all the while the sound of a balloon deting leaking out of his mouth.
No, no, no. That wont do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You...!!
Park Sung-Chan still somehow willed his tottering body to get up and attacked Yi Ji-Hyuk once more.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply kicked Park Sung-Chans head, causing thetter to fly away like a ball.
Meanwhile, the culprit clicked his tongue in unhappiness.
Im trying to help you here, so why are you baring your fangs at me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Just kill me instead, you son of a b*tch. (Park Sung-Chan)
If I do that, then all I did up until now would all go to waste, you know? So, stop exaggerating and get up already. They areing back again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk snapped his fingers, and almost right away, the hellish buzzing noises could be hearding from the distance.
And this time, do try tost a bit longer, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Along with those parting words, Yi Ji-Hyuk went poof! from the spot and disappeared.
....You stinking.... (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan gnashed his teeth as he watched the swarm of the spider things rushing towards him.
That b*stard had to be a demon. If not, he wouldnt have pushed a fellow human being to such a degree for over a week!
Grit!!
Park Sung-Chans tightly clenched fist mmed into the cavern wall.
RUMBLE!!
The spot where his fistnded caved in rather deeply, and the loud reverberation echoed throughout the interior as if the cave was going to copse at any moment.
....Yeah, I have be stronger. (Park Sung-Chan)
He didnt know how, but indeed, he was getting stronger.
Park Sung-Chan clenched and unclenched his fists a couple of times, before raising his head to take a look at the swarm of spiders and shuddered in disgust.
It was a good thing that he was getting stronger, but he really, really hated doing it in this fashion. He couldnt stand it.
I hate spiders, you f*cking son of a b*ttttch!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began giggling hoarsely, listening to the screaming from a distance.
You seem to be enjoying yourself. (Affeldrichae)
When Affeldrichae stated her observation, Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Others pain is my happiness. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As usual, you speak as if you dont care, even though you pay such meticulous attention to them. (Affeldrichae)
I pay what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youve been expending a great deal of your mental energy in order to make sure none of them dies here. Or did I see it wrong? (Affeldrichae)
Well, I couldve said that youre utterly wrong, but then again, youre a stupid Dragon to begin with, so I cant. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a short sigh and looked away from Affeldrichae.
This method will certainly take a lot of time, and you know this. (Affeldrichae)
Sure, I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And there should be many other, faster and easier methods, too. (Affeldrichae)
Yup, I know that, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why persist with this method? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched the back of his head and waved his hand around.
Ive got a n in mind, so let me be, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you say so. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae smiled gently.
Tsk.
That smile of hers that said I know everything really got on Yi Ji-Hyuks nerves.
Efficiency and results werent everything. Because, he was a human now, that was why.
Just take care of my head before it gets too mired in dark Mana, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Leave that to me. I can handle a task of such a scale. However.... (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
What about mypensation? (Affeldrichae)
...Compensation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression became rather dazed.
Compensation, was it? Compensation....
I heard that it was normal in human societies to ask for appropriatepensations when performing tasks given to you by others. Am I wrong? (Affeldrichae)
....No, youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pouted and looked at Affeldrichae.
Okay, so what do you want? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What I want is something simple, really. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes smile had this triumphant air about it.
< 142. Why are you running away? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 143: Why are you running away? (3)
Chapter 143: Why are you running away? (3)
Affeldrichae slowly walked closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
W-what do you want now?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sensing something ominous was afoot, Yi Ji-Hyuk began sneakily retreating away.
Humans possess a variety of methods to express affection. (Affeldrichae)
....Will you stop talking as if its your first time seeing humans since arriving on Earth? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, its not my first time seeing humans, but the feelings given off by the humans of Berafe is mysteriously different from humans of this world. (Affeldrichae)
She had a point there. That was one of the reasons why Yi Ji-Hyuk just couldnt grow close to the folks of Berafe.
Humans of Berafe are unquestioning, singr-minded. However, humans of this world are much more freer. I find it very intriguing that when humans are unbound and free, they are capable of evolving to this degree. (Affeldrichae)
Well, thats the result of your corrupted gods blocking progress. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That might as well be the case. (Affeldrichae)
Ho-oh. If it was the past you, youd shout sphemy!! and go on a rampage, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats because shes not present here, you see. (Affeldrichae)
You mean, that d*mn Latrel? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How disrespectful. Still, I must acknowledge that some things youve said are indeed correct. As youve said, the science of men are quite surprising. I always thought that you were just making things up. (Affeldrichae)
What the hell, you dang rotten lizard woman?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae chuckled softly before pressing her face close to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
May I finish what I wanted to say before? (Affeldrichae)
M-mm?!
What is this? Whats gotten into her?
When Yi Ji-Hyuk ungainly took a couple more steps back, Affeldrichae came closer to him again.
What?! What now?? Whatcha want from me?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Havent I told you already that Ive developed an interest in the way humans express affection? (Affeldrichae)
And why should I express that to you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The first reason is because you owe me a suitablepensation. (Affeldrichae)
Groan. Okay, fine. The second one is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The second reason is, well, you have feelings for me, deep enough to express your affection to me. Thats why. (Affeldrichae)
Stop spewing bullsh*t, will ya?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How dare a lizard desire a human?!
Did I say something wrong? (Affeldrichae)
Of course you have!!
You said that I have feelings for you!! Thats bullsh*t!! Say something that makes sense, d*mn it! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You, you are still one of the top three I wanna kill the most, you know? Dont you get that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre a human being, but oddly enough, you dont seem to know much about human emotions. Hatred and affection arent in inverse proportion to one another. You may hate me more than anyone else, but at the same time, you like me more than anyone else, too. (Affeldrichae)
What dogsh*t is this now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae slowly shook her head.
I heard that humans dont understand their own feelings all that well. I guess that is true. (Affeldrichae)
And where would you have heard such things?! All you do is y video games the whole day! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who am I, Mister Ji-Hyuk? (Affeldrichae)
A lizard? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichaes shoulders drooped low in an exaggerated sigh.
Please, you shouldve answered Lord Affeldrichae! (Affeldrichae)
But, you said it with your own mouth that youre not a lord anymore, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh. I did say that, didnt I? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuks dumbfounded eyes became a pair of small dots as he stared at Affeldrichae.
Did her head get nuffed or something after staying in a human form for so long? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In any case, its fine. Lets forget about the second reason. It should be possible with only the first reason, yes? (Affeldrichae)
Of course, its not possible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was very firm with his answer.
Its only a simple matter, though? Too simple for you, is it not? (Affeldrichae)
Its not simple at all, you know?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae chuckled.
Whats the matter, acting like a first-timer and all? I already know everything there is to know, dont forget. (Affeldrichae)
The first time isnt the most important thing! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, didnt you often do it with other species? (Affeldrichae)
I never did!!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae chuckled again and changed the topic slightly.
So, you dont wanna? (Affeldrichae)
Of course not!! Hell no!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, how should I say this... feels like my prides been wounded? (Affeldrichae)
How can your forged-steel mentality of a Dragon get shaken up by something this petty? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats how badly hurt I feel, you know? (Affeldrichae)
....Hah, you and your d*mn piehole. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats another word for a mouth, isnt it? I didnt know you were capable of saying you like me in such a roundabout way. (Affeldrichae)
Argh!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his fist, causing Affeldrichae tough out and take a step back.
Ive been joking with you, so lets stop here. I only wish to confirm just how far the dark Mana has invaded into your body. (Affeldrichae)
Werent you messing around with my body while I was asleep? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youd wake up if I did that. Thats why I havent started the procedure yet. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Fine. Well do it once this task is over. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, its fine to do it ahead of time, isnt it? (Affeldrichae)
After Im done here first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you say so. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae smiled gently back at him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted loudly and walked away. Affeldrichae quietly followed after him, but her eyes were studying his back.
Youre not afraid, yes?
Are you?
***
Ahahahahk!!
Seo Ah-Young screamed out loudly.
Im gonna kill him! I swearrrrrr!! (Seo Ah-Young)
She gnashed her teeth endlessly while staring at a huge slime-like lifeform trying to get closer to her.
Its jelly-like body jiggled about as it violently pounced on her position.
Powerful mes erupted out from both her hands and enveloped the slime. The creatures body spasmed, then it suddenly began firing jets of greenish liquid towards the mes.
Uwaaaah!!
Seo Ah-Youngs beautiful face was crumpled and unsightly as a constant stream of swear words poured out of her mouth, along with mes from her hands.
Get the f*ck away from me!! F*ck off!!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Her mes danced as if they were alive, but whenever the slimes jet of liquid hit them, their intense heat weakened noticeably.
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth and continued to fling her mes at the creature. Eventually, though C her legs began faltering and she was getting dizzier with every passing second.
Yi, Ji, Hyuuuuuuuk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs furious roar resounded out in this strange cavern.
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And Yi Ji-Hyuks nonchnt reply came back to her.
Seo Ah-Youngs gaze spun right away towards him. While being on the receiving end of her bloodshot-eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly.
Oh, so you have enough leeway to look away now, do you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uwaaaaahh?! YOUUUUU!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hey, Im not deaf, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs murderous re, ready to chew Yi Ji-Hyuk inside out,nded on him.
Im telling you, you should not look away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, as expected.
Her focus deviated from the target and naturally, her mes weakened as a result. The jet of liquid easily broke past the weakened mes and swept Seo Ah-Young away.
Kkyaaaahk!
The powerful pressure shoved Seo Ah-Young away and flung her into the air as if she got hit by a truck, before she crashnded rather ungainly on the ground.
It didnt stop there, though C she bounced up one more time, beforending back on the ground.
Seeing the slime inching towards her, despair dyed her facial expression.
Whoa. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, just one flick of Yi Ji-Hyuks hand was enough to scare the slime into a wiggly, jiggly retreat.
Euh.....
Seo Ah-Young tried to stand back up, but her body refused to obey and she remained sprawled on the floor.
F*ck.... off..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk approached her and ced his hand on her head.
Now, lets see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You......... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs body began trembling, hard, as dark Mana flowed into her head. She bit her lower lip to endure the pain and a thin stream of blood trickled down her chin.
Keu-euhk.
A groan filled purely with pain leaked out of her mouth, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt stop injecting dark Mana inside her head.
Its only this much, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After confirming her limit of tolerance, Yi Ji-Hyuk extracted all of the dark Mana from her body.
His gaze lowered to the floor in contemtion.
Too weak.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At least, Park Sung-Chan was better in this regard. The amount of dark Mana Seo Ah-Young could ept was pathetically small.
Of course, he could understand why.
Even if she was an ability user, it would never be easy for a normal human to ept dark Mana. Even for Yi Ji-Hyuk, itd have been an unimaginable concept to ept and wield dark Mana if it werent for his endlessly-regenerating body.
Most of the dark mages relied on essing Mana supplied by the ones they had formed contracts with to perform their spells, after all.
Tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk finished extracting all the dark Mana from Seo Ah-Young body and stood up while sticking a cigarette in between his lips.
This is going to take too long, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He knew from the beginning that this task would be quite difficult toplete, but now, he also learned that itd take a greater deal of time than he had bargained for, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned in a slight sense of hopelessness, and lit the cigarette up.
What Choi Jung-Hoon said before was not wrong; even if it was Yi Ji-Hyuk, hed still be unable to stop every single monstering out from every Gate opening up in the world.
No, hang on. It might be possible to do so, actually.
Sure, he could desperately move around and fight, fight, and then fight some more, which would result him killing them all. However, unless there were ten Yi Ji-Hyuks, no, hundreds, maybe thousands, itd be impossible to defend everywhere at the same time.
If he failed to arrive at a location in time, well, that ce would be destroyed without a single trace left behind. If such events repeated once, twice, thrice C when that happens, regardless of whether Yi Ji-Hyuk was defending this or not, the world would start to crumble and in the end, get destroyed.
Groan.....
Protecting only his vicinity, those close to him?
That was also an impossible notion. Protecting people would mean protecting their way of life, as well. And if he wanted to protect their way of life, then he also had to protect the things being given to them, too.
In other words, if he wanted to protect his family, then he had to protect the world.
For that purpose, Yi Ji-Hyuk alone would never suffice. At a bare minimum, he needed someone who could hold the fort until he arrived there.
Now that I think about it, that Dioreh the First dude was an incredible guy, wasnt he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Comparing the current style of invasion to the monster army he led back in Berafe, itd be like an ant standing up against an elephant, a drop in the ocean, etc, etc.
However, that guy Dioreh the First still managed to amass a huge troop in the midst of Yi Ji-Hyuks massive scale invasion and had put up a decent fight. Now that was something the current Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt even dream of doing.
Well, the humans back in Berafe were pretty amazing, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he thought about it, that was.
It was at this point in time that Seo Ah-Young finally managed to stand back up, albeit tottering about like a drunk.
Euh....
Her venomous re was directed at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
It seemed that response of every person was exactly the same, no matter who it was.
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
If I continue.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng?
Will I be stronger? (Seo Ah-Young)
M-mm??
Oh, maybe not everyones the same, then?
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked squarely into her eyes and nodded.
There were people who could make those kind of eyes.
Folks whod do anything to climb up C only those types would end up standing at the summit of the world.
Yes, you will. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk replied to her, Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth and nodded her head as well.
But, why do you wish to be stronger? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Someday..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young red straight into his eyes and spoke up.
Ill shove a ball of hot mes down your throat one of these days. (Seo Ah-Young)
Now that is amendable attitude to have. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and nodded his head.
Of course, that wouldnt be her only reason.
But, it didnt matter what her other reasons were. He was strictly a pragmatist at the end of the day. From his perspective, it was a good thing that some things were driving her to be stronger.
Do you actually enjoy tormenting other people? (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh?
Im talking about you. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
He was tormenting her?
Mm, what a shame but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She was oh-so wrong about that one.
See, the thing is, Im the type that prefers to kill people off rather than tormenting them. Right now, Im already helping you lot out, like, by a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You call this helping?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Okay, so how should I exin this....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk silently stared at Seo Ah-Young.
His eyes.
His eyes Seo Ah-Young gazed into were so dark and gloomy that she thought she was unknowingly getting sucked in there. She realised that she couldnt move a muscle after finally running into Yi Ji-Hyuks hidden but true persona.
Should I tell you the easiest method for me to make you lot stronger? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..............
That would be to kill all of you and turn you into undeads. I cant say my speciality lies inmanding an army, but well, lets be honest here. You wont find a more capablemander than me in human history. After I do that, all of you will be my undying soldiers and grow several folds stronger than how you are right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young could not understand every word he was saying. But, she still understand all too well the bone-chilling message he was conveying.
This is why I hate this man. (Seo Ah-Young)
Hed be utterly, infuriatingly mischievous one second, then suddenly, hede across as someone utterly,pletely terrifying the next second. It was as if there were two different personalities residing in one body.
Itd be actually easier to deal with him if the boundary for that switch was apparent. Unfortunately, he slithered in and out of that boundary too easily, and that made it doubly difficult to get a bead on him.
Even then, Im using such a cumbersome method just for you. So, shouldnt you feel grateful about that, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can I say something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre insane. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yup, I know that already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Been like that for a long time.
Yi Ji-Hyuks ominous chuckle dug painfully into Seo Ah-Youngs ears.
She stared, shuddering from the creeping goosebumps, at Yi Ji-Hyuk cackling by himself.
Hes definitely insane. (Seo Ah-Young)
For some reason, Seo Ah-Young found him even more creepy and scarier than ever before.
< 143. Why are you running away? -3 > Fin.
(TL: Last day of 2018!! I hope you all had a great year. Well, see you next year, then.)
Chapter 144: Why are you running away? (4)
Chapter 144: Why are you running away? (4)
(TL: Happy new year, everyone! I hope 2019 will be a good year for you. Without further ado, lets get cracking.)
A promise is a promise. (Affeldrichae)
Inside a huge grey world.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood opposite to Affeldrichae.
Do we really have to do this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You made a promise.... (Affeldrichae)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Well, fine. Sure. Ill do as told. A promise is a promise, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This way. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae waved her hand about, and the floor rose up to form arge stone bed.
Oh. What about nkets, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....If you want. (Affeldrichae)
Jokes just didnt work with her, did it?
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue as he looked at that stone bed.
How should he describe this strange feeling?
Was this the feeling of taking an MRI after disying severe symptoms of cancer, and everything already pointing towards the worst possibility there was? Kinda like what he saw on the inte or something?
He couldnt help but feel rather mncholic here, because this whole thing was like, his diagnosis was already set in stone, and this was merely the confirmation of howrge his tumour was and just how much of it had spread to the rest of his body.
Please lie down. (Affeldrichae)
Its like youre a doctor now, Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She simply smiled without replying back to him.
It was one of those smiles where her powerful attitude of I aint letting you off the hook with a couple of cute banters could easily be spied on.
Okay, okay. I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out another groan and slowly trudged to the stone bed before lying down on top.
Please rx. (Affeldrichae)
You and doctors keep telling me to rx, but just who in their right minds would rx in a situation like this?! You think Im Buddha or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Buddha? (Affeldrichae)
....Never mind. I shouldnt even bother. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How did it make any sense that she didnt know who Buddha was, when she pretty much hoovered up all the knowledge regarding humanity in her spare time?
Something was definitely wrong with her thought process. Maybe, he needed to send her off to an elementary school first.
After he quietly lied down on the stone bed, Affeldrichae approached his head.
She then climbed up on the bed itself, lifted his head up slightly, ced it on herp, and rested her palm on his forehead.
You know, I dont see any difference between now, and when you do it during my sleep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Ive heard that this is the position that the human males feel mostfortable. (Affeldrichae)
Not sure who came up with that information, but well, it is a correct one. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It may get painful. No, itll be painful. (Affeldrichae)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll hurt a lot. (Affeldrichae)
Right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae smiled gently at Yi Ji-Hyuks uncaring response.
Now that she thought about it, wasnt he the worlds most adept man when it came to enduring pain?
Without saying anything else, Affeldrichae sent down her Mana into Yi Ji-Hyuks forehead.
Buzz.....
Mana resonated with her call, and a bright white light shone from her hand.
Euh.....
A groan reflexively leaked out of Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
Even though he was trying to endure it, he was still helpless about his body violently rejecting the pure-white Mana touching his skin. That was because his body was already in the state of being utterly drenched in dark Mana.
Im dying here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please endure it. (Affeldrichae)
The bright white Mana began digging into Yi Ji-Hyuks forehead.
Wu... Euh....
Yi Ji-Hyuks bit down hard.
He could proudly boast his near-perfect immunity against pain, but even then, it was hard to endure the after-effects of dark Mana and light Mana shing inside his head. It was as if a huge, violent storm was rampaging inside his head right now.
His eyesight was getting dimmer and blurrier, and his ears were ringing, too. His body began twisting by itself, and a creepy, chilly sensation of an army of ants crawling on his skin to bite him washed over every inch of him.
As he fell into a state where he couldnt even open his mouth, Affeldrichae closed her eyes and with her hand still pressed on his forehead, sensed the sh of two Manas.
Hmm....
Affeldrichaes expression became slightly gloomier.
She withdrew the light Mana out of Yi Ji-Hyuks head and quietly stared at him. It had been only a short while, but his entire body was now soaked in sweat. He gulped in several big breaths to calm himself down.
Fuu-woo....
Affeldrichae summoned the spirit of water and washed him clean. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk still couldnt fully regain his consciousness as if he was still suffering from the lingering pain.
So pitiable....
Affeldrichae gently stroked his head.
The bnce of a normal humans body would be broken after a small amount of dark Mana was injected into one. Either he or she would be enved by the Mana and go insane, or in a worst case scenario, one would forcibly convert into an undead.
But now, Yi Ji-Hyuk had be something like a battery that stored dark Mana. His body was nowpletely assimted by it.
Normally, gathering and storing this much dark Mana in a humans body was just in impossible. But, it happened because, back when he was still referred to as the Bringer of Apocalypse, he had always walked around with an amount of dark Mana that could only be umted if one were to suck in everyst drop of dark Mana found in the entire world.
And precisely because he possessed incredible, god-level control over Mana, as well as enjoying that unprecedented level of assimtion, could he defend against the erosion of his mental capacity to this degree.
Unfortunately, even that had its limit.
Affeldrichae let out a long sigh, and with great timing, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his eyes.
So, how does it look, doctor? Am I dying? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Ji-Hyuk, all lifeforms die at some point. (Affeldrichae)
Sure. But the important thing is when. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you continue to wield dark Mana in this fashion, you will bepletely taken over within five years. (Affeldrichae)
So, its like that..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke in aposed manner as if he had already known this.
Yet, are you nning to continue with this terribly foolish act? (Affeldrichae)
Five years isnt short. And there is no guarantee that Id be using Mana continuously in the future, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know very well thats not what Im talking about. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm....
Arent humans supposed to be selfish beings? I do not know how much this world is worth to you, but surely, it cant be so valuable that youre willing to sacrifice yourself to protect it. (Affeldrichae)
Not just his life, either; everything the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk held dear would be lost, and a brand new being would rise up to take his ce.
Well, if that happens, so be it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Look, Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
I was the one who went berserk, wanting to get back to this ce. And it was also me, who made up his mind to die in this ce, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im well aware. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly.
So, wouldnt it be fine for me to go crazy and do whatever I want until I die, since Ive lived for too long and the like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is a foolish notion. Living for a long time doesnt diminish ones desire to continue surviving, after all. Am I wrong? (Affeldrichae)
Well, lets leave it at that, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from the stone bed and stood up on the floor.
Im not trying to live with only my death as my goal, you know? Thats why Im doing these sorts of things. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Affeldrichae gazed at him withplicated eyes, before nodding her head.
As expected of you. (Affeldrichae)
Hmph.
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted.
However, will these things youre doing right now truly be of any help? Im sceptical. Especially so, regarding the possibility of those people bing as strong as you want them to be. (Affeldrichae)
Who cares. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
If they fail, thats that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt expecting much from them anyway, to begin with. If they proved to be helpful, then that would be nice. If not, then well, hed have to figure it out as he went along.
That was how he had operated until now, anyways.
Affeldrichae frowned deeply. It was so deep, in fact, that one couldnt help but wonder whether this was her first time expressing her emotions this intensely or not.
Whew, fine. If this is what you want.... However, please dont forget. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae didnt say anything else anymore. Even then, Yi Ji-Hyuk caught onto what she was implying here C that, the moment he changed, shed unhesitatingly rip his heart out.
Indeed, she had to prevent the advent of a demon king capable of hopping between dimensions regardless of what.
Do me a favour and make it as painless as possible, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk before nodding her head.
I got it now. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly asked her.
Got what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The conclusion is a simple one, isnt it? In order to make you less reliant on dark Mana, the humans of this world must be stronger. Am I correct? (Affeldrichae)
M-mm? Oh, uh, sure. Youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, in that case. They need to get stronger by any means necessary. (Affeldrichae)
Once Yi Ji-Hyuk recognised the firm resolution burning within her eyes, he could only pray for the NDF agents safe journey through afterlife.
***
Youre here again? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom stared at Kim Dah-Soms face.
We might end up getting real close at this rate. (Kim Jae-Beom)
I dont feel the same way. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Yup, of course you dont. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Im terribly sorry. I didnt even know of my ce yet ran my mouth like that. (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Kim Jae-Beom spat out a long sigh aftering face to face with Kim Dah-Soms persistent iron-wall like attitude towards him, even though she had been showing up to the NDF office for over a week now.
Well, the truth was, it wasnt as if he thought about trying to hit on her or something, anyway.
It was already a bit troublesome that she was Kim Dah-Hyuns little sister, yet she was someone who hung around Yi Ji-Hyuk, so he wasnt mad enough to try something idiotic.
Indeed, if he was thinking of killing himself, there were lots of other ways. Like, he could drink poison, or jump off a cliff.
So, why should he choose the most painful and scary method out of them?
Are you going to wait for him today here as well? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Okay, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This isnt a ce a civilian such as yourself can freely waltz in, you know?!
After doing that once or twice, now you treat this ce as your own living room.
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah!
Youre supposed to protect this ce, so howe youre yawning alongside the girl?! What are you doing?! (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
....How leisurely. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
Its nothing. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Even though he said that, Kim Jae-Beom still sneaked a nce at Kim Dah-Soms face.
She looks a lot more haggard than before, doesnt she? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Only a week had passed, yet it was as if her face had halved in emancipation. Seeing her dazedly stare at the empty air while seated in Yi Ji-Hyuks chair kind of looked a bit pitiful, too....
Was she worried that much about him?
Well, even Im beginning to wonder if something bad had happened or not, so.... (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Kim Jae-Beom sighed again.
The endless stream of phone calls that constantly rang without giving him a second of break had quietened down nowadays as well.
The callers all had finally epted the fact that there was no method of contacting the other side, that was why. Those that barged into the office in thest few days all left in bitter disappointment after realising that cruel fact as well.
Even in the midst of all these, Kim Dah-Som didnt skip a single day and continued to show up at the office after her school ended to silently wait, only to reluctantly head back home after Kim Jae-Beom was closing up shop in the evenings.
I wonder, is she at least eating properly? (Kim Jae-Beom)
But, seeing her being like that for the whole week, never mind eating her meals on time, she doesnt look like she had touched any food in a while, no?
Otherwise, theres just no way anyone would lose that much weight in a week, right? (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Hey, are you feeling alright? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
No, well, you look a bit gaunt, you see? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Dah-Som smiled softly.
Huh, so she can form expressions, eh. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Seeing her break out in a smile like that after so many days of disying an emotionless wall of a face, she certainly looked even far more stunning than before.
Hesing back soon. (Kim Dah-Som)
Well, yeah. Im sure nothing happened that side. (Kim Jae-Beom)
He went there on his own volition, so itd be more strange if something happened over there.
No, its you whos going overboard with worrying, you know? (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
With Kim Dah-Som sitting there by the desk like that, it looked picturesque for some reason.
Its about time they got back, though.... (Kim Jae-Beom)
Although Yi Ji-Hyuk outwardly looked like someone who didnt seem to care about anything at all, even Kim Jae-Beom knew by now that he did care and always acted with some kind of a scheme, a n, in mind.
Yi Ji-Hyuk would know that a new, dangerous Gate might open up while he was away to make things way worse than before, so he wouldnt want to take more than a week for whatever he was nning to do.
Thats what I believe, anyways. But.... (Kim Jae-Beom)
But, who knows?
He might really have no n at all.
I mean, this is Yi Ji-Hyuk were talking about.
In all honesty, who knows whats cooking inside his head?
He always does whatever he wants to, anyway. (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Ah?? (Kim Dah-Som)
Suddenly, Kim Dah-Som shot up from the chair.
Eh?
She was staring at a certain empty spot, a wall of the office in the corner.
Why are you.....? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Vrrrr!!
Something small and ck suddenly formed there, before a Gaterge enough for people to walk through opened up.
It was a ck Gate.
It indeed was the ck-coloured Gate Yi Ji-Hyuk used all the time,pletely different from the red-and-blue Gates thatmonly appeared everywhere.
Hul??
Stunned silly now, Kim Jae-Beom alternated his gaze between the Gate and Kim Dah-Som. For her to immediately sense the change as soon as a Gate appeared and react to it, just how sensitive could she be??
Something blurry could be seen just beyond the Gate, then a persons head peeked out from there.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom shouted out in a happiness.
< 144. Why are you running away? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 145: Why are you running away? (5)
Chapter 145: Why are you running away? (5)
Orya!
Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped out of the Gate.
Youve finallye back. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beom was truly happy to see him back. He had been suffering from the barrage of phone calls looking for Yi Ji-Hyuk, so he was feeling genuinely happy right about now.
Sure, the frequency of the calls had lessenedtely, but at the same time, he hadnt been sleeping properly for thest few days because of the lingering fear that a huge Gate might open up during Yi Ji-Hyuks absence.
Why are you suddenly acting as if youre my best friend? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Wow, how can anyone deliberately choose only those words that royally p*ss people off?
I mean, words picked out randomly wouldnt be able to destroy anyones moods this fast, you know? (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Im just happy to see you. Honestly. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Oh? So how do you feel now? You didnt feel it when I was here, but felt it a lot when I was not here, right? When I wasnt here, it really showed, right? Now do you understand my importance? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont know much about feelings and all that, but one things for sure C maybe if you didnt say anything, I mightve gotten halfway to the state youre talking about.
But then again, your mouth definitely makes sure that I stop before I even start thinking about that. (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
*SFX for someone running in a hurry*
It was at this point that Yi Ji-Hyuks senses picked up on the presence and the sound of an object rapidly closing in on him.
A sneak attack?
Just as he turned his head, Kim Dah-Som jumped into his arms. He reflexively hugged her too, and asked her with a confused voice.
What are you doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Without saying anything, she tightly hugged him.
Whats gotten into you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk vacantly asked her again, Kim Jae-Beom retreated out of sight and began beating his own chest.
You helpless fool!!
Thats why you dont have a girlfriend yet!!
....No, hang on. Its not that he doesnt have a girlfriend, he just isnt interested in one, is it? (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Kim Jae-Beom became sorrowful for some reason and returned to his desk with a long, long sigh.
Okay, okay. Calm down. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly grasped Kim Dah-Soms waist, picked her up and put her down next to him.
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head after seeing Kim Dah-Soms teary eyes.
He was already pretty much immune to tear attacks thanksrgely to being around Jeong Hae-Min and her powerful wailing that urred almost every single day. However, seeing a girl who didnt look like shed cry actually do that, he was beginning to feel a bit weirded out.
Whats the matter? Should I look for your oppa? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shake, shake.
She shook her head, causing Yi Ji-Hyuk to frown slightly.
Okay, so what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
If you dont say anything, I cant figure it out what you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im upset. (Kim Dah-Som)
Mm?
Shes upset? About what?
Since waiting a bit longer might yield more answers here, Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to wait for her to finish.
I am not of any help. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hmm....
How should he put this into words, this scene of a pretty but tearful girl saying something like that..... Mm, so, like....
.......Awkward. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, this was way too awkward!! And such a thing was not good!
He thought about running away, but this ce didnt have any good ce to hide.
But, I never asked you for your help, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even still. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oho? Would you look at her talking back to me over everything?
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and patted Kim Dah-Soms head.
All you have to do is do what you are capable of doing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not just you, everyone else can do their best but none of that would help me in the end. Im way too super for that, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, isnt the question of what youre capable of an important part of that thought process? (Affeldrichae)
Hearing that voiceing from behind him, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even turn around to retort.
And I dont remember ever asking you, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, rather than me answering you, think of it as me following up on your words. Treat my grasp on the humannguage as still not being perfect, please. (Affeldrichae)
Still not perfect, is it?!
So howe you win in every argument we have, then?!
You rotten lizard woman! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Som wiped her face clean and reverted back to her previous emotionless state. She then wordlessly stared at Affeldrichae.
Mm.....
Upon receiving that stare, Affeldrichaes expression hardened slightly as she took a step back.
What was this?
She didnt receive any mind interference magic, or any physical attack for that matter, so why did she falter just now?
Affeldrichae began to panic slightly at this situation that could not be exined by logic.
This isnt the first time, yet what is the truth behind this freezing chill?
Shes a difficult human to understand.
And theres something about her that I do not find likeable. (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
When Affeldrichaes and Kim Dah-Soms res collided in the mid-air, a war of nerves began unfolding all of a sudden.
Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily beat a hasty retreat.
Its for the best that I dont get involved in a catfight. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Especially so if he didnt want any w marks on his face, that was.
It was at this point that an existence capable of changing the situation finally appeared.
Groan.....
A helpless, powerless groan leaked out from the Gate, and Choi Jung-Hoon managed to crawl out from it.
The Gate was floating slightly up in the air so naturally, he crashnded on the office floor with a thud. He grabbed his waist and began ring daggers at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Just why did you have to take me there with you?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk remained unmoved even after being on the receiving end of Choi Jung-Hoons scathing cry.
We ride together, we die together. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: LOL, a Fast and Furious reference FTW.)
Im not an ability user!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A world without discrimination. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I cant be of any help even then!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I shall cheer for you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you in a business of creating movie slogans?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If only you didnt have that mouth of yours!
No, even if you didnt, youd still be a hateful b*stard! Honestly! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon gritted his teeth.
Other people might get stronger through harsh training, so they might be able to deal with it all, but Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt like that.
So, how could Yi Ji-Hyuk even think about dragging a weak non-ability user like him to a ce where hed get knocked around by a monster every dozen steps or so, or hed run into a monster hiding inside water when he tried to quench his thirst!
Even then, well, you still didnt walk away empty handed, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.....
Choi Jung-Hoon became speechless and spat out a long groan.
Oh, well. It wasnt that crazy for mepared to others, anyway. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
EHHH?? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beoms disbelieving eyes swept across Choi Jung-Hoons entire body.
It had only been a week, yet that handsome face was as gaunt as one could get. It was as if he had been through a war or something. Yet, he was saying that it wasnt as bad as the others??
Then, where are the others?? (Kim Jae-Beom)
It was at that moment, a small lifeform jumped out from the Gate.
YOUUUU!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And that small lifeform made a straight beeline at Yi Ji-Hyuk with scarcely believable ferocity.
Grab!
The wildly-dashing lifeform got caught by Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand and began her violent struggle there.
Let me go!! Better let me go, or else!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Jae-Beom powerlessly called out to her.
Miss Jeong Hae-Min.... (Kim Jae-Beom)
Right, she... was an idol, wasnt she?
Now that I think about it, among all the calls looking for Yi Ji-Hyuk, there were a few from Jeong Hae-Mins manager searching for her whereabouts too, werent there?
Well, thats not something Im supposed to care about, anyway. (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Kim Jae-Beom quickly wiped those memories of Jeong Hae-Mins manager and that persons voice off his head. Well, its toote now, anyway.
Besides all that, Yi Ji-Hyuk was truly someone without a n. He spirited away a currently-active idol for over a week without telling anyone, so he shouldnt be too surprised if someone reported him to the cops for kidnapping.
How can you do this to me?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
What, what? Whatcha want now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre truly awful!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Jae-Beom stared at the two with aplicated expression on his face. Right now, Jeong Hae-Min seemed to be genuinely upset. It did feel kind of different to her regrining mode.
Besides, there was that thing about Choi Jung-Hoon nodding his head to the side as if he knew this would happen.
Just what on earth happened in there? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Everyone at NDF knew Jeong Hae-Min was Yi Ji-Hyuks official number one fan, yet since she was acting this way, something pretty serious mustve happened in there.
Seriously, wasnt she someone whod smile gently like a proud mother even as Yi Ji-Hyuk went around and openly did some scummy things??
You dumb idiot!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hands about in irritation and chased Jeong Hae-Min away.
She continued to throw a tantrum like a upset small lifeform, but then, Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed the scruff of her neck and dangled her in the air.
Shoo, shoo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Better let me go, now! You!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear canal and shoved Jeong Hae-Min to a far-off corner somewhere. Watching this spectacle unfold from the side, Kim Jae-Beom was ovee with this oddness and just had to ask Yi Ji-Hyuk.
By the way.... (Kim Jae-Beom)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where is everyone? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied as if he was talking about some insignificant matter.
They went to earn their keep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Kim Jae-Beom)
A person should work for their food, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me?? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Utterly failing to understand what he was saying, Kim Jae-Beom dumbfoundedly looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
***
Somewhere in China.
Xui Feng was ring at the border between his country and that of the neighbours, his face full of nervous tension.
The monster appearing in India had been constantly moving eastward without rest and finally, it was about to breach the Chinese border.
The entire nation of China was in a state of emergency. And every single ability user in the country that could be mobilised had been brought to the defence line set up by the Tibetan mountains.
The monster had crossed India, had roamed straight past Kathmandu, and was about to enter Tibet. (TL: Again, this map is straight from the raw.)
A shame about Nepal, there. (Xui Feng)
Nepals capital city waspletely obliterated by the monsters rampage, so itd be impossible for them to recover any time soon. As for India, that country enjoyed a huge territory, plenty of people lived there, and none of the cities that formed the heart of Indianmerce got too badly destroyed, so they should recover in no time at all, but the same could not be said about Nepal after its capital was wiped off the map.
And there is no guarantee that the same thing wont happen to us. (Xui Feng)
Why? Because, for some inexplicable reason, Beijingy right in the middle of that monsters predicted path of destruction.
Has there been any contact from the Koreans yet? (Xui Feng)
They say that he hasnt returned yet.
D*mn gaoli bangzis. (Xui Feng) (TL: Chinese derogatory ng term for Koreans.)
Xui Feng gritted his teeth.
The Chinese requested for assistance as soon as the situation took a turn for the worse, but then, the Koreans continued to refuse to heed their call with an excuse that Yi Ji-Hyuk was not there.
That much was fine, sure. But, how could their follow-up excuse of not knowing where he went make any sort of d*mn sense?
Just from seeing the Korean government beating around the bush like that to avoid openly saying We dont want to help you, Xui Feng could pretty much guess how pathetic their diplomatic skills were.
Well see after this crisis ends. (Xui Feng)
Hed show them what true revenge looks like!
Xui Feng gritted his teeth once more and shifted his re back to the frontline.
As far as thebined might of their ability users were concerned, India was certainly not a country to be taken lightly of.
The abilities given to human beings werepletely random, and it was also impossible to artificially strengthen those abilities, as well.
And that was why the overallbat strength of a nations ability users was seen as proportional to its poption numbers. The more citizens you had, the better your ability users would be.
There were only two countries that were the exception to that rule, though. And they were the USA and Korea.
The American government systematically researched many different methods to artificially enhance the powers of their ability users, and around two years ago, had managed to build themselves the worlds most powerful army of ability users.
That was the inevitable result of throwing an exorbitant sum of money at the problem. However, the other country didnt even have to do that.
D*mn Joseon b*stards. (Xui Feng)
The Republic of Korea.
Not too long ago, Korea was an insignificant little yer as far as their national power was concerned. But recently, they had rapidly be the centre of the world.
They gathered the attention of the world by taking care of the level 5 Gate crisis that unfolded there, and then, confirmed themselves as the nation where thes greatest ability user called home by killing the monsters that wereying waste to the US and France.
Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Xui Feng)
And the man standing right in the middle of all that craziness was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The greatest ability user in the world, codenamed Mine by the Americans. He was deemed to be powerful enough to win single-handedly against the entirety of Americas army of ability users.
A rumour always contained an element of exaggeration. But, even if half of that rumour proved to be real, then none could deny the fact of that man being the greatest ability user in the world.
That was the problem.
Just why did someone like that had to appear in such a weak little country? China was right next to it, so why?
Those d*mn Joseon b*stards. (Xui Feng)
Wanna die, you little punk?! (Seo Ah-Young)
.....Mm?! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng flinched and quickly turned around to look, only to find a woman that looked like a beggar standing with a visibly massive chip on her shoulder.
What the hell is this? (Xui Feng)
How did an unknown person manage to enter the operation zone?
Get her out of here!
As soon as he shouted out, the ability users surrounding Xui Feng rushed towards this woman.
However!!
*SFX for mes erupting out*
It was then, a wall of feral and violent mes rose up all around her.
Scared away by the intensity of those mes, the Chinese users quickly retreated. She then loudly shouted out with an distorted expression on her face.
All of you lot, wanna die today?! (Seo Ah-Young)
This was the perfect time to vent her anguish on these fools! (TL note at the end)
The super-p*ssed off Seo Ah-Young began raising the temperature of her mes even higher.
< 145. Why are you running away? -5 > Fin.
(TL: This line was nigh on impossible to TL literally. If I did, none of you C ok, maybe some of you C would have understood it. But, heres the literal trantion, anyway. It should taste the best to unwind my cheek that got pped in Jong-Ro by the Han River. Yup, I told you it makes little sense. Basically, it means taking all the anger built up from one thing and pour that out on something else.)
Chapter 146: You can take care of it, anyway (1)
Chapter 146: You can take care of it, anyway (1)
Rumble!!
Seo Ah-Youngs raging mes ascended to the high heavens.
Like the licking tongue of an insane demon, the reddish mes bellowed and erupted to her surroundings.
Euh.... Ahh....
Xui Fengs jaw dropped to the floor as he stared at the ascending mes.
He was none other than the man in charge ofmanding the Chinese ability users. Naturally, he knew very well how strong the best of the Chinese users were, not to mention their upper limits as well.
However....
This isnt it.
Indeed, this wasnt it.
What he was seeing right now could not be included within the scope of what an ability user was capable of.
Those mes could not havee from a human being.
There was no way a human could create such a phenomenon.
You punks are really p*ssing me off. (Seo Ah-Young)
....What is she saying? (Xui Feng)
Being shocked was one thing, but not understanding a word out of her mouth was something else.
An adjutant hurriedly ran towards Xui Feng and shouted out.
It sounds like Korean!
Its Korean? (Xui Feng)
If that were the case, then she must be a Korean ability user, so.....
Its the me Witch?? (Xui Feng)
If he couldnt recognise who she was from thatpletely p*ssed-off but still amazingly beautiful face, plus the ferocious mes ascending to the heavens, then he might as well resign right now and retire altogether.
What is the me Witch doing here?! (Xui Feng)
We asked for Yi Ji-Hyuk, not her!
Hell, we never, ever asked for that spinster with the infamously crappy personality!! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng was unhesitatingly thinking of some rude things that would certainly drive Seo Ah-Young even more insane. Choi Jung-Hoon might get a good chuckle from that, though.
Meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young was feeling incredibly p*ssed off right now, regardless of what Xui Feng was thinking about.
Just from surviving in that hell-hole alone pushed her murderous urges to the limit, yet as soon as she was brought back, she now found herself in the location of a battle.
Not only that, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt even here C the man who managed to utterly torture her until she was thinking of killing herself to escape from the torment.
That son of a b*tch!! (Seo Ah-Young)
As Seo Ah-Young continued to disy her supreme levels of irritation, Xui Feng flinched grandly and issued an urgent order.
Hey, hurry up and find me a trantor. (Xui Feng)
But, even if we find one, what can anyone do about that, sir??
Xui Fengs eyes caught the sight of the mes, now resembling a eastern dragon, coiling around Seo Ah-Young as if they were getting ready to pounce.
....Itd be better than not having one. (Xui Feng)
I shall find one right away!!
Still, his adjutant had a point C what would Xui Feng do, after a trantor had been found?
After shoving the hapless trantor in that roiling mes, should he tell the poor sucker to trante to the best of his abilities, or just be roasted meat? (TL: There was a word y in this sentence, but I couldnt make it work in English. My bad. The Korean words for trantor and roasted meat start with the same letter, you see.)
Why did it have to be that woman....? (Xui Feng)
The one of a kind, even in that small country called South Korea. Beautiful appearance, and amazingly potent mes, and most importantly....
A truly rotten personality, too! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng quickly confirmed the known bio of Seo Ah-Young in his head and began to honestly worry about how to deal with her.
Wait, whats going on here? (Xui Feng)
Now that he thought about it, never mind dealing with her, just where did this woman suddenly pop out from? And why was she throwing an almighty tantrum in this ce?!
Did she not care about causing an international incident?!
How would she even begin dealing with the aftermath, then?
As Xui Feng stood there in a daze, a low, unfamiliar voice came from behind him.
Ha-ah. That ahjumma has started again. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
M-mm???
Xui Feng nearly jumped out of his skin from the shock and hurriedly looked behind him. And he found a miserable-looking young male beggar standing there.
Did they form an association or something?? (Xui Feng)
First, it was that woman, and now, it was this guy.
They both looked like they had been roaming the most remote regions of Africa, utterly lost for thest three months, yet why were they so dang pretty and so dang handsome??
Of course, the one who taught the unfairness of life to Xui Feng was none other than Kim Dah-Hyun.
He mightve looked really terrible right now, but the base foundation wasnt going anywhere, after all!
You should be careful, ahjussi. That ahjumma is not feeling okay right now, you see? If you get in her way, even your bones will be cooked well done. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Stop talking to a Chinese in Korean, you dumba*s!! (Xui Feng)
Was every Korean ability user like this??
Not one of them seemed to be right in the head!
In the meantime, a trantor was running towards Xui Feng from a far.
Talk to them. Ask them why the hell they showed up here! (Xui Feng)
The trantor said something to Kim Dah-Hyun, prompting the youth to nod his head and spoke in a straightforward manner.
I dunno. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
..............
The trantor stared at Kim Dah-Hyun with a pair of dazed eyes.
When Kim Dah-Hyun smiled gently and nodded his head, the trantor could only ry the message with a wholly unconvinced expression on his face.
He says he doesnt know. (trantor)
....What was that? (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng quietly stared at the trantor before slowly opening his mouth.
You. You can speak Korean for sure, right? (Xui Feng)
Y-yes, sir. I can. (trantor)
And you definitely ryed my question properly, right? (Xui Feng)
Of course, sir! (trantor)
H-mm....
Xui Feng studied Kim Dah-Hyuns bright smile and spoke up.
Ask him again why they came here. (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir! (trantor)
The trantor looked tense as he asked.
Excuse me, please tell us why you came here. (trantor)
Kim Dah-Hyun shrugged his shoulders.
I told you, didnt I? I really dunno. I also would like to know why, but what can I do, since I have no idea? I can only say that I dont know. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
M-mm....
The trantor looked troubled as he helplessly stared at Kim Dah-Hyun, before rying the message back to Xui Feng.
He says he really doesnt know. (trantor)
Doesnt know? (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir. (trantor)
Xui Feng wordlessly stared at the trantor, before grabbing his cor and dragged the scared man close.
Hey, you! Do you really know how to speak Korean?! (Xui Feng)
O-of, course! (trantor)
In that case, heres the thing. That man said lots of things, yet you only say he doesnt know. How does that even make any sense?? (Xui Feng)
B-because, hes saying a lot of useless things, thats why!! (trantor)
Hey you fake-a*s trantor motherf*cker. If you wanna live past today, you better listen to that mans reasons and prove it to me that you can actually speak Korean. Got that? Or else, youll wake up tomorrow morning eating dirt at the bottom of the Yellow Sea!!! (Xui Feng)
Y-y-yes, sir!!!! (trantor)
The trantor, now covered entirely in cold sweat, clung onto Kim Dah-Hyun and made a desperate plea.
Please,e up with a reason! Anything! At this rate, Ill really be dead soon!! (trantor)
What the heck?! Whats the matter with you?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
How should the trantor exin his situation here?
In any case, juste up with a reason why you came here. Please!! (trantor)
A reason, eh.... A reason.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun thought for a bit, and finally came up with one.
If I were to put it in another way, its like, I got on a subway train in Seoul, but ended up in Busan, instead. Its kinda like that. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
.............Mm.
The trantor pondered for a bit with an unreadable expression etched on his face, before turning towards Xui Feng with clear determination.
I found out why they are here. (trantor)
What is it? (Xui Feng)
He says hes lost. (trantor)
..................................
Xui Feng wordlessly pped his hands. When that happened, some people approached them and grabbed the trantors arm.
Get rid of him. (Xui Feng)
Nooo! Im telling you the truth! I didnt lie! He really said that! Also, if Im gone, who will trante for you? Please believe in me!! Its the truthhhhhhh........!! (trantor)
As the trantor was being dragged away, his desperate and pitiful cries resounded out in the air. Xui Feng facepalmed in helplessness.
Hey, bring him back here. (Xui Feng)
The trantor was freed and he ran straight towards Xui Feng at the speed of light, before standing straight up like a telephone pole.
You being honest with me? (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir! He really said that. (trantor)
But, how can this be.... (Xui Feng)
Xui Fengs dumbfounded gaze alternated between Kim Dah-Hyun and Seo Ah-Young, before he spoke again.
Okay, fine. Then ask him just what is up with that woman. (Xui Feng)
The trantor spoke to Kim Dah-Hyun for a bit, before rying the message with a flustered face.
Sir, he... Well, Im rying what he said ad verbatim, sir. (trantor)
Okay, fine. Speak up. (Xui Feng)
He says that shes always been like that. (trantor)
..............
.....
Do we have any missiles currently pointing at Korea?
These godd*mn abominable pieces of sh*t, lets see after this crisis has been resolved! Ill blow you all to hell!! I give you my word!!!! (Xui Fengs inner monologue)
Get a unit and hail the Koreans, now!! (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir.
Xui Fengs re sharpened by a level as he looked at Seo Ah-Young and the Chinese ability users locked in a stand-off.
Right now, there was a powerful monster approaching them, yet they had to waste their energy on this c**p, too?
No, wait. If I look at this from a different perspective.... (Xui Feng)
Right, our overallbat power should have risen up with these two Koreans here. Especially the me Witch, she cant be underestimated at all.
With her here, itll definitely help us out.
That is, if only she snaps out of that state of hers, right now!! (Xui Fengs inner monologue)
What did you say, you as*holes?! Did you just cuss at me?? (Seo Ah-Young)
How did the words Miss, please calm down be cussing? What a scary thing it was, this wall called thenguage barrier.
Imma just roast you all alive!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Madness filled up Seo Ah-Youngs eyes.
Seeing her react like that, Kim Dah-Hyun began sneaking away.
After Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance, she had be a bit more docile than before, but that woman.... she was always like that, wasnt she?
Once she got into that state, no one could stop her....
It happened, then.
The call got through.
Whos on the line now? (Xui Feng)
He says its the NDF. The guy answering the call says his name is Choi Jung-Hoon.
Choi Jung-Hoon, is it? (Xui Feng)
Ah, right. Ive heard of that name before. (Xui Fengs inner monologue)
That name got mentioned quite often alongside Yi Ji-Hyuk nowadays.
Tell him that one of their ability users is making a scene here, and if he doesnt do something about it real fast, there will be an even bigger diplomatic problem heading his way! Hurry! (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir!
When the adjutant shouted into the receiver, the response from that side arrived incredibly quickly.
What did he say? (Xui Feng)
He told me to wait.
What? (Xui Feng)
Wait for what?
Without an immediate solution to this situation, this operations area will fall into utter chaos soon! (Xui Fengs inner monologue)
Tell him that we dont have the time to wait. (Xui Feng)
Sir, the call has ended already.
....Did you end it? (Xui Feng)
No, sir. I wouldnt dare!
Are they all really f*cking crazy?! (Xui Feng)
One had to be careful about throwing ones weight around if one didnt want toe across as arrogant. However, this was way past throwing around weight, and firmly into the territory of insulting the other party!
So, thats how you wanna do this, ah? (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng thought of being a gracious human being, what with the variable named Yi Ji-Hyuk mixed in, but his thoughts must change now that the Koreans were acting this way.
Lets see if they can still mouth some sh*t about telling us to wait or what, when we rip apart and kill your figurehead today. (Xui Feng)
Murderous intent filled up in Xui Fengs eyes.
But then....
Hey, get out of the way!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm?
Xui Feng flinched from the voiceing from above him and looked up.
And he spotted three people falling towards him from the sky.
Get out of the way!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uwaaaaahhh!!
Quickly figuring out what was going on, Xui Feng desperately jumped to the side, and those three people lightlynded on that spot.
Next time, teleport to a lower altitude, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? What? Dont like it? Dont ride on me, then! (Jeong Hae-Min)
..............
What? What you lookin at?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jung-Hoon double facepalmed while listening to the two of them arguing. She said not to ride on her. Finally, even she had acknowledged her identity as a shuttle.
What was he supposed to do for her now?
Who the hell are you as*holes supposed to be?! (Xui Feng)
When Xui Feng roared out at the top of his lungs, Choi Jung-Hoon quickly regained his senses and hurriedly introduced himself.
My name is Choi Jung-Hoon, from the NDF. We came here to calm the situation down after hearing that one of our agents have gone berserk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon? (Xui Feng)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Choi Jung-Hoon busy yapping on with fluent Mandarin and frowned deeply.
Sure, youre amazing.
Waaaay too amazing for words, really.
You can speak English, you know French, and now, you can even speak Chinese, too.
If I drop him in the middle of Somalia, maybe hell start talking in Somali, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly shook his head.
No, wait. Its a good thing that hes so amazing.
Well, hes going to be my brother-inw soon, anyway.
Right, its a good thing....
Soon, hell.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Fufufu.
Suddenly, Choi Jung-Hoon began looking around him with an anxious expression.
What a super-duper perceptive man he was!
I see that the current situation is as expected. First of all, please ept our apologies. Even to us, she is a bit of a handful, you see.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Stop talking, and do something already. (Xui Feng)
Ah, yes. Well, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon turned around and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who can stop her in this ce, except you? Just looking at her expression, you can tell shes totally lost it, cant you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm, is it that time of the month? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell?! Stop it! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hey, man! If its not, its not, so why are you getting angry at me for?! Did I say something wrong?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, I cant even hit this guy and all, seriously man! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoonsplexion alternated from red to blue several times.
This is all your fault, you know!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What did I do now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She lost her mind from all the stress you caused!! Cant you see that?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell. But, wasnt she already insane to begin with?! I mean, she wasnt right of mind the first time I met her, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
What... is this? Why cant Ie up with a suitable retort here? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon was about to say something, a powerful tremor emanating from a far distance reached him.
Rumble...!
Rumble.......!!
Was that.... a footstep? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons gaze was shifted in the direction of the distant horizon.
....Wow.
He failed to understand how this was possible..
That thing was so far away, yet how could he still sense its giant-ness?
The irony of human perception brought about a sense of incongruency to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Isnt that thing, like, way too big?
Choi Jung-Hoons words reflected the thoughts forming in the heads of almost everyone present.
< 146. You can take care of it, anyway -1 > Fin.
Chapter 147: You can take care of it, anyway (2)
Chapter 147: You can take care of it, anyway (2)
Why the hell is that thing so big? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns jaw dropped to the floor.
He was forcibly dragged to this ce without consent, never mind being informed of what was happening here, so he had no idea what kind of monster hed be facing off against.
If he knew beforeing, then would he have been less shocked?
Nope, even if he did know, nothing much wouldve changed.
Humans had this thing called mon sense, and when they encountered something totally out of theirmon sense, it was not their brains but their bodies would react first.
In other words, if a cockroach the size of a person appeared right before your eyes, it no longer mattered whether it was a roach or not. The only thing happening next would be your body freezing up on the spot from the terror.
Nope, rather than terror, maybe you might get disgusted by a lot. A lot.
Such as now.
Like now, what would onlookers feel as they looked on at that hulking, 20-metre-tall humanoid figure walking towards them from a distance? (TL note at the end)
Ah..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon dazedly stared at the approaching giant. This whole thing felt so surreal, and he waspletely overwhelmed by his shock.
Thud!
Thud!!
The giant was still somewhere near the horizon, yet each one of its footsteps caused thend to tremble, and shook Choi Jung-Hoons entire body.
....What are we supposed to do about that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For the first time ever, Choi Jung-Hoon felt utterly lost, not knowing what to do. Even when he saw the Zombie Dragon, he didnt feel this way.
Sure, that undead monster was huge. But that thing walked on all fours.
The overwhelming pressure given off by a bipedal lifeform was truly incredible, as he finally got to learn today.
A Giant? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing that puzzled voiceing from Yi Ji-Hyuk, Choi Jung-Hoon turned his head towards the youth.
You know what that is? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Uhm, well, it does resemble it, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that.
But, its a bit smaller than I remember. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Choi Jung-Hoon dazedly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Small? That thing is small?!
What the hell, did youe from thend of giants or something? The one from the Gullivers Travels???? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued on with a less-than-impressed expression on his face.
The Giants I know are much bigger than that one. Its kinda small, so like, should I call it a Mini-Giant, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...................
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head and asked him.
Okay, fine. Is it strong? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I cant be sure, because it only resembles one, but, mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Its a pathetic weakling. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
EHH?
That thing is weak??
A person would be ttened like a pancake if he got grazed by that things finger, yet youre saying that things a weakling???
Hey, you. Isnt your definition of weakling and strong a bit out of whack? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course it is weak. Its got a big body, and its shaped like a person. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What is he on about now?
Its shaped like a person, but is as big as a mountain, so its obviously too d*mn strong! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You see, there are lots of weak points in the human anatomy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont get it.
But then again, when did I ever understand what this guy is saying? No, I just let it slide. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Besides that.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons head slowly shifted over to the side.
And he could see Seo Ah-Young there, still enveloped in bellowing mes.
Before you do anything else, could you please do something about her first? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, why? I kinda like this heat, you know? Its like Im standing next to a kiln. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Ill take you to a dry sauna sometimeter, so please. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its a promise, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk giggled hoarsely and walked over to Seo Ah-Young.
Hey, you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs crazy eyes shifted over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
*SFX for mes erupting even hotter*
At the same time, the mes coiling around her body became hotter and more frenzied.
You starting up again, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted, unimpressed, and pointed at the Giant walking towards their location.
Not here, but over theeeere. Do your thing over ther.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rumble!
Seo Ah-Youngs mes began pouring out in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction like a me thrower.
Ah! Hot!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly evaded the mes and cried out.
What the hell?! Cant you tell apart your friends from your enemies? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think she can tell no problem, though?
No matter how you look at it, shes deliberately aiming at you, you know? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon could understand where Seo Ah-Young wasing from.
But, of course.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even Choi Jung-Hoon thought of killing Yi Ji-Hyuk several times while he was stuck in that ce, too.
The only reason why no one tried to was simply because of the constant worry that theyd never be able to escape from that strange ce if Yi Ji-Hyuk were to die for real.
If it werent for that worry, there wouldve been a riot already.
But now that she was freed from that hell, it was rather obvious that her built-up anger and resentment would explode forth.
The surrounding cordon of Chinese ability users all backed away, leaving behind only Yi Ji-Hyuk there, although he was easily evading every single one of Seo Ah-Youngs enraged barrage of mes.
Didnt he look a bit too familiar with this? Didnt it??
Youre acting up again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
And they said that a leaking pot would continue to leak regardless of where it was.
She kept going crazy in that ce, yet now, she was going off in this ce, too.
Hey, you. Did you finally lose your mind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Diiiiiie! (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm, sure thing....
Yup, shes the usual Seo Ah-Young, alright.
Thankfully, she hasnt lost her mind.
In that case.... Mm, what should I do here, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Heup.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a short but deep breath, and lightly flicked away the ball of mes Seo Ah-Young fired at him, and instantly dug into her defense.
Che!
If this was before, she wouldve been left wide open from this move, but Seo Ah-Young had managed to evolve since then; she wrapped herself with roaring mes and stopped Yi Ji-Hyuk from getting any closer.
Euh.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt really jump into that wall of mes. If it was any other thing, hed just cast Shield on himself and jump in, but for him personally, fire was a bit too much.
D*mn.
Way back when he just arrived in Berafe, and when people called him a demon, there was this one time where he got burned at the stake in a viges square.
Of course, his body continued to regenerate, so he didnt die from the mes. But, that was the problem in itself.
The pain from being burnt alive was probably the most horrifying thing a human could experience. But there he was, unable to die even when subjected to that horrifying pain endlessly.
In the end, he was burned continuously for a whole week; only after the mes consumed all the avable firewood in the surrounding area of that vige was he liberated from that pain.
The pain from that time was so extreme that Yi Ji-Hyuks always-refreshed brain developed a certain difort towards bellowing mes like this one ever since.
No, well C it wasnt his brain per se, but his heart that was unwilling.
Groan....
Thankfully, his reluctance didnt impact his daily life, and he could simply dodge or deflect the iing mes so no problems there. It wasnt to the point where he suffered from a phobia or anything.
However, it was an altogether different story if he had to voluntarily jump into a wall of mes like this.
Rumble!!
All the mes coiling around Seo Ah-Youngs body pounced onYi Ji-Hyuk. They no longer looked like mes but a flood of magma as they poured down on his position.
Argh, I really dont like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk retreated and began shuddering as if he had just spotted a disgusting insect.
But, really now....
She had seriously powered up, hadnt she?
For her to emit the level of mes that even Yi Ji-Hyuk found ufortable, now that was an extraordinary achievement already.
Indeed, even a highly-trained me mage would not trouble Yi Ji-Hyuk at all. And those guys were supposed to be the cream of the crop among all the elemental mages, that handled hard-to-manage fire.
Wasnt she already at the level of an arch-mage now?
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head. It may have been an irritating, bothersome and annoying thing, but it sure felt good to see his hardbour paying off in the end!
Truly admirable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled in contentment.
But, well....
She was still not quite there yet.
It was at this point in time that Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly vanished from the spot.
Ng?!
Having lost Yi Ji-Hyuks presence, Seo Ah-Young opened her eyes wide and hurriedly scanned her surroundings.
Where are you looking at? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if it was the most obvious thing in the world, Yi Ji-Hyuks voice came from behind her.
You.....! (Seo Ah-Young)
Grab!
Yi Ji-Hyuk covered Seo Ah-Youngs mouth with one hand, and with his other wrapped around her midriff, he picked her up off the ground from behind her. (TL: Thats pretty suggestive....)
Ahjumma, please stop being hysterical, please!! Just get married already, will ya?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Ok, maybe not.)
Euph, euph!!
Seo Ah-Young resisted, but Yi Ji-Hyuks hands were like iron vice grip and did not let her go.
Now, take a good look at your enemy, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk picked Seo Ah-Young up high, and simply threw her towards the approaching Giant.
Orya!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young flew away like a bird.
Youuuuu b*starrrrrrd....... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the screaming Seo Ah-Young and grinned brightly.
Kim Dah-Hyun! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Heeeere! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The Path Drifter raised both of his hands up high as if he already knew what Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted from him, then he began running his mouth off.
Well, if I get burned by her mes when I go over there, dont forget the upational hazard pay. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
If you get beaten up while standing around here yapping, you wont even get to im that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....On my way. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun vanished from the spot, reappeared in mid-air, and easily snatched the flying Seo Ah-Young.
Came to fetch you, maam. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Shut the hell up! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun pouted unhappily.
Whats up with her bad mouthing me when Im trying to catch her before she flies straight into the Giants mouth??
....Even then, I should just put her down quietly on the ground, right? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun kicked the air several times and descended to the ground.
I hope you enjoyed the flight, maam. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I want my money back. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah? But why?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
How could Kim Dah-Hyun still kiss Yi Ji-Hyuks a*s after being tormented by him that much??
Seo Ah-Youngs innards were boiling, but what with a monster right before her nose, she couldnt afford to start arguing with Kim Dah-Hyun here.
By the way..... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns head leaned back, then it leaned back some more, and then, even more.
....This guy is seriously too big. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Isnt it the biggest monster weve ever seen so far? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, not really. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Well, in that case, its nothing much, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Kim Dah-Hyun nodded his head.
Sure, the monster in front of them did look pretty tough, but...
A monster like this guy is just about average back inside that ce. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
They couldnt call it a weakling, but its strength should only be about average. So, there was no reason for them to be scared by it.
Even then....
Honestly, I kinda feel a bit scared here. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yeah, me too. (Seo Ah-Young)
Kim Dah-Hyun and Seo Ah-Young lowered their heads and stared at the ground for some reason, before sneaking a look behind them.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
At that moment, Yi Ji-Hyuk was sittingfortably on a chair he had acquired from somewhere, in the middle of a lively chat with Jeong Hae-Min and not paying attention at all.
Mister, Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his nce over to Seo Ah-Young in the distance.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....This, do something about this, please. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
Look at her, busy asking me for help now that shes in trouble! Just when was it that she flung all those me balls at me?
Her discipline is all out of whack, I tell you. All wrong! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You should be doing your own job, dont you think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why is this my job now? Im the superior, so you should do what I tell you! (Seo Ah-Young)
If you dont like it, why dont you fire me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh!!
Seo Ah-Young began trembling from rage, which prompted Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckle heartily.
Well, besides. You can take care of it, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
If you cant, then well, Im sure youll grow to really regret those six months you spent in that ce, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill still regret it even if I take care of the monster. (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh, well. Sure, do what you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young gnashed her teeth and red at the Giant next.
I might as well just..... (Seo Ah-Young)
*SFX for mes erupting out*
Her entire body began burning up again.
....Go all out and vent!! (Seo Ah-Young)
The mes wrapped and coiled around her before they ballooned greatly in size and rapidly flew at the Giant.
Keureureuk??
The Giant noticed the huge balls of mes flying at it and twisted its body out of the way in sheer panic. Unfortunately for the creature, the mes changed their trajectory as if they had a mind of their own and enveloped the Giant.
Kaaaaaaahhh!!!
The Giant roared out in anguish, causing Seo Ah-Young to fall to the ground while covering her ears.
My ear drums....!! (Seo Ah-Young)
The dang Giant should qualify as a sonic weapon with such a loud voice, thats for sure!
Seeing that spectacle, Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted at Jeong Hae-Min.
Hey, shout back! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?
Jeong Hae-Min asked, her head tilting to the side in confusion.
What are you talking about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Fighting a sonic attack with another sonic attack, obviously! Start crying! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Wanna die? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk licked his lips. The most potent sonic weapon that humanity possessed was right here, yet to be unable to use it....
While Seo Ah-Young gingerly stood back up, Kim Dah-Hyun was slowly walking towards the Giant.
Now, lets see here. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
With this much real estate, there was plenty of space for him to have fun, no?
One step.
Yet another step.
His measured steps became light jogging, and then, into a full-blown sprint. Soon, Kim Dah-Hyun had transformed into a streak of lightning, crossed the space between him and the monster, and was soon traversing up on the Giants body.
Hahaha!!
Kim Dah-Hyun roared out in raucousughter. He climbed up the Giants body and powerfully kicked the monsters eyeball, which just so happened to be bigger than himself.
Kaaaah?!
Wow, why is its eye as tough as steel?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun evaded the Giants swinging hand by kicking the air, and then, dashed closer to the monster with the speed exceeding that of the sound.
A mosquito will not fear anything if its faster than everything, you know! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue after hearing that.
Dont feel proud of that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was he thinking when spewing out that nonsense to the rest of the world? Was the kids mind not functioning properly?
At the same time, simr things were happening all around the world.
< 147. You can take care of it, anyway -2 > Fin.
(TL: Personally, I dont think 20 metres isnt that tall at all, but thats what the raw said, so.... As a reference, the Unicorn Gundam is nearly 24 metres high.)
(TL: There was a pun at y in that sentence, which couldnt be TLed into English. The ng word for a kiln in Korean also can be used for dry saunas as well.)
Chapter 148: You can take care of it, anyway (3)
Chapter 148: You can take care of it, anyway (3)
Park Sung-Chan gnashed his teeth.
It was half a year again!
Last time, it was six months, too. Yet, here he was, spending another six months inside hell before being allowed back home.
But now, what was the meaning of this c**p?
Park Sung-Chan continued to grit his teeth as he stared at the huge monster in front of his eyes.
The first thing he saw after exiting the Gate was not people, but a dang monster!!
It was deliberate, right? (Park Sung-Chan)
One hundred percent. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, you son of a b*tch!
Without a doubt, you sent us over here deliberately, didnt you?! How could he drop us right in front of this sh*tty monster, when we were supposed toe home?? What the hell is the meaning of this sh*t?!
This dirty, unclean sensation caused Park Sung-Chans body to tremble, his teeth gritting even harder.
This feeling, would it be the same thing as him going for a week-long business trip, only to find his desk full of documents upon his return?
That d*mn human trash! (Park Sung-Chan)
If he could, hed go over to where that b*stard was and grind that little sh*t into meat paste. However, even though he had received so much abuse, he found himself unable to fight back.
And that was precisely because the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk from that cavern had been burnt deeply into Park Sung-Chans brain.
Park Sung-Chan always prided himself in being one of the very best within the ranks of physical reinforcement type ability users, yet he got royally trampled on by Yi Ji-Hyuk inbat techniques and in physical strengths.
He got knocked down and punched around endlessly until he couldnt even get to recover his wits. Hed try to get up with much difficulty, only to get beaten down over and over again. When this routine carried on two times, three times, four, five.... From a certain point in time onwards, he could no longer think of rebelling against Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What an odd thing that was.
When physical strength was concerned, even when power was taken into consideration....
It just didnt make any sense when he got pushed around physically, so how could such thing happen?
Groan....
It wasnt only Park Sung-Chan, though.
During these past six months, the NDF agents had been utterly, horrendously, and repeatedly abused and tormented by the individual named Yi Ji-Hyuk. After getting beaten up to the point where the victims were beginning to think that the abuser himself mustve been feeling pretty sick and tired of repeating the same actions, not one could even dream of rebelling against Yi Ji-Hyuks tyranny anymore.
In that context....
That womans a stubborn fool. (Park Sung-Chan)
Just thinking about Seo Ah-Young made him shiver.
Itd be only normal for a person to give up after being on the receiving end of so much abuse. But then again, remembering that mad woman getting ready to spit mes out of her mouth in her upside down dangling position after a royal beatdown, well, Park Sung-Chan could only feel a certain sense of dread welling up from the bottom of his heart.
Euh.....
And they kept on calling her the Insane Witch this and Insane Witch that......
Did any of those idiots know just how insane that woman could be beforebelling her with that nickname?
The thing was, though C Seo Ah-Young and her maddened frenzy was one thing, but just thinking about Yi Ji-Hyuk epting her outbursts with an evil cackle on his lips and then proceeding to torment her even more.... A cold chill crept down on Park Sung-Chans backside.
Whatever, man. They are both insane. (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan made up his mind to escape from this organisation as soon as possible.
Mister Sung-Chan. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Mm?
Park Sung-Chan turned around and stared at Yun Hyuk-Gyu standing there with an obviously unimpressed bodynguage.
Whats up? (Park Sung-Chan)
So, what are we going to do about that? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Park Sung-Chan shifted his gaze over in the direction of the distant huge tortoise-like monster, as pointed out by the Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu, and grinned.
What do you mean, what? (Park Sung-Chan)
Well, he was feeling really rotten at the moment, anyway.
What a nice target to vent his anger on, that thing.
Im just gonna go and see how sturdy its shell is. (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan bumped his two fists like a boxer, producing loud thuds, and slowly took steps forward.
***
And what the hell is that thing now? (Kim Myung-Woon)
The Red Rock Kim Myung-Woon disyed his irritation at the monster right in front of his eyes.
He only just got here, so what the heck was this?
Should I just forget about it and go home? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Now that he took a look around, he was pretty sure that this ce wasnt even in South Korea. In that case, he wouldnt be in vition of the contract he signed with the KSF even if he abandoned the monster and left.
So, if he just went home like this....
Looks like hes thrown us here deliberately, so if you go home without doing anything, will Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk be so understanding, I wonder? (Rudra)
.........
After hearing what the Rudra Shin Jung-Ah had to say, Kim Myung-Woon began shuddering grandly.
Yi Ji-Hyuk.
It felt like that those three letters managed to grip Kim Myung-Woons brain real tight before shaking it around in wild abandon.
Every one who got dragged away to that unknown space suffered greatly at Yi Ji-Hyuks hands, but none of them could im they had suffered more than Kim Myung-Woon.
At first, he regretted his actions, realising how stupid he had been.
Who knew that Yi Ji-Hyuk could be such an obstinately awful being?
Kim Myung-Woon shouldve been quick to catch the seniors strange reactions when he so boldly dered something about flipping the ce on its head.
Why did I have to be such a dumb as*hole back then? (Kim Myung-Woon)
Through that experience, he got to learn an important life lesson, though.
And that would be, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a seriously dangerous and terrible human being, and that he really, reaaally, reaaaaally knew how to hold a grudge.
That petty and insane b*stard, how could anyone guess that hed specifically torment a fellow human being to that degree for nearly six months, just because of one instance of defiance?! Why didnt he just kill the poor victim off instead and be done with it?!
For two months, Kim Myung-Woon gave up and was like Just kill me and get it over with; then for the next two months, it was about him trying to resist violently, hoping that theyd mortally wound each other at least; and for the final two months, he had reached the state of enlightenment and went Fine, do whatever you want.
He had finally been liberated from the intense period of torment, yet hed get to suffer at Yi Ji-Hyuks hands again?
Blue veins began popping up on Kim Myung-Woons arms.
Which b*stard should I start smashing down first? (Kim Myung-Woon)
When Kim Myung-Woon spoke with enough ferocity and intensity to swallow whole a concrete building, Rudra spat out a long, helpless sigh.
He aint gonna rebel no more, is he? (Rudra)
What with such deeply-rooted mental trauma, there was no helping it now.
There was no better evidence of Yi Ji-Hyuk thinking that the NDF truly belonged to him than what was happening now, where ability users were thrown in front of various monsters all over the world with nary an exnation.
And thats not really wrong, either, is it? (Rudra)
No one could say otherwise in the current situation.
Rudra whipped the surrounding air into a storm as he red at the far away monster.
Well, regardless of what, he still had to eliminate all monsters showing up in front of his face. No reason to walk away over a minor matter like that.
Lets go kiiiiiill it!! (Kim Myung-Woon)
Kim Myung-Woons eyes began gleaming in maddened frenzy, prompting Shin Jung-Ah to powerlessly shake his head.
Someone help me.... (Rudra)
***
Chaaaaa!!
mes rose up to the ground.
Seo Ah-Young was already capable of flinging around balls of mes the size of a house, but still, it was not hard to see the extreme rise in her firepower in such a short period of time.
Ahh, thats really nice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk rxedly bathed in the overwhelming heat of Seo Ah-Youngs mes as if he was in a sauna.
Shes definitely a kiln, man. A kiln. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What with his own Ether values rising up as ofte, Yi Ji-Hyuks body had been strengthened somewhat, and the level of heat like this was perfect to make him feel refreshed.
Of course, he had been iparably powerful in the past, but his body was no different from that of a normal person even back then. He didnt have much toin in that regard, obviously.
Nowadays, though....
He wasnt entirely sure what had happened to his body but well, he could no longer feel any heat from any ol sources of fire unless it was something like a roaring me burning right in front of his face.
Here he was, facing a powerful, explosive me that rose up to the high heavens, enjoying this feeling of sweating out of his every pore, flushing out all impurities of his system.
Hey, ahjumma! Raise up the heat even higher! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young became speechless after looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk who looked like he was getting ready to lie down and enjoy a rxing bath or some such.
.....You want it even hotter? (Seo Ah-Young)
If I throw these mes at you, itll surely get even hotter, right?
I can definitely make it much, much hotter for you, you know!! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Just as she began boiling inside again, Yi Ji-Hyuk rxedly slouched even further in the chair and began nitpicking as usual.
Uhm, you know, Kim Dah-Hyun might get beaten to death at this rate, so like, arent you going to lend your assistance? Even I think firing another shot right about now will make that kids life so much easier. Well, Im sure you know whats best. Not like Im trying to nag or anything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That d*mn mouth!!
If only! I!
Get to smack that d*mn mouth just once, then Ive no regret left in this world!!!! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young trembled with rage, before somehow managing to forcibly turn her unwilling head away from Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If she continued looking at that man, shed lose what little hold she had over her mind and go even more mad, so for the sake of her mental health, it was better to utterly erase that mans presence from her head.
Youre such an obedient little kid, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kaaaaahk!!
Seo Ah-Young screamed out as she threw the gathered mes at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Never mind a dang monster, she simply had to kill that b*stard first!!
Just what was a monster?
A lifeform that was not a human, and caused a great deal of harm to other humans, thats what a monster was!
Didnt Yi Ji-Hyuk perfectly fit the description of a monster? Shouldnt he be killed immediately, in that context?
Quicklying up with a sound logical argument in her mind, Seo Ah-Young began pouring down a barrage of attacks on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
This crazy womans starting again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yawned and erected a Shield to deflect all of her attacks.
She must be suffering from PTSD or something, because shed lose her sh*t and start attacking him the moment he said something.
Well, yeah. Sure, it wouldnt be too surprising if she did suffer from that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ability users possessed somewhat sturdier mental constitutions and that allowed them to endure; but if it were any other regr human beings, they would have lost their minds from the same drabness of that worlds relentless horrors, long before they could die from the physical torment.
So, it was more or less understandable.
Sure, he could understand her, but....
Even then, you insolent little....!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks ck tentacle broke out from the surface of the ground and flew towards Seo Ah-Young.
*
What a splendid spectacle that is. Really now. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun clicked his tongue in annoyance as he looked on at the two people going tit-for-tat down on the ground, while perched up on the head of the Giant.
They are seriously going at it now, huh. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Not only that, right in front of a monster, too!
No, hang on, they often argued in front of monsters back inside that d*mn ce, so this was not such a surprising scene, but then again, at the least.....
Stop fighting in front of people from other countries!!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
This was so bloody embarrassing!!
Ah, ah.... One could already hear the sounds of Koreas international reputation falling to the bottom.
What would the others looking on at this sight think of Korea now? As a country full of crazy, out-there morons?
Cant you tell how embarrassing this is?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
While Kim Dah-Hyun continued to click his tongue, the Chinese ability users werent looking at Seo Ah-Young or Yi Ji-Hyuk, but at him, instead.
What the hell is up with that insane b*stard?!
They might as well call the two Koreans busy fighting with each other in front of them a couple of helpless morons, sure. But then, what about that insane guy sitting on top of the Giants head while clicking his tongue? Just how mad was that guy??
Xui Feng wordlessly studied the unfolding spectacle, before asking the officer in charge of information.
Hey, look here. (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir.
Was there any indication in our files about every single Korean user being a bat-sh*t insane psychopath? (Xui Feng)
We have no such information, sir.
Really? (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir.
Xui Feng deeply nodded his head.
Okay, fine. Add that in the files, and then, gather every single one of the idiots responsible for collecting intel on the Koreans. (Xui Feng)
.....Yes, sir.
Xui Feng gritted his teeth and spoke up.
And also, inform the Party bigwigs and get ready to lodge an officialint. (Xui Feng)
.....Yes, sir.
These sons of b*tches, Ill make sure to get you back. In full!
Just as Xui Feng thought of this, he became greatly shocked by a certain realisation.
Huh?!
What am I doing?
Theres a massive monster in front of me, yet rather than worrying about it, Im acting as if this crisis has been resolved already! (Xui Fengs inner monologue)
Xui Feng grasped his head after realising that something was wrong with the way he was perceiving things.
His eyes caught the sight of Kim Dah-Hyun and his clicking tongue sitting on top of the Giants head, as well as Seo Ah-Young busy raining down a storm of mes on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Xui Feng shouldve been deeply worried after witnessing all this, yet before he knew it, he was swept up in their pace and now, he was treating this whole thing as half a joke.
This wasing from a man who took some pride in his ability to differentiate the levels of individual ability users.
Does this mean that I actually trust their capabilities? (Xui Feng)
But, these guys??
Xui Feng now was looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk, having dangled Seo Ah-Young upside down in the air, busy smacking her back.
Hey, you rotten little b*tch!! Know your ce before acting up, will ya!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did you say, you b*stard?! You think I give a sh*t about that?? Im gonna kill you first!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Even in this situation, Seo Ah-Young bared her teeth and tried to bite Yi Ji-Hyuk by any means necessary.
Those idiots?
Argh, you surprised me, you piece of sh*t! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun dodged the Giants violentlyshing hands and soared higher in the air while bitterints flew out of his mouth.
.................
Mm, so now.... I subconsciously began trusting these people. Thats what happened here..... (Xui Fengs inner monologue)
Xui Feng nodded his head as a logical conclusion formed in his head.
Time to retire, then?
Xui Feng began to seriously worry about the sudden decline in his capacity to judge people properly.
< 148. You can take care of it, anyway -3 > Fin.
Chapter 149: You can take care of it, anyway (4)
Chapter 149: You can take care of it, anyway (4)
While Xui Feng was seriously pondering his future, Kim Dah-Hyun shouted out.
Excuse me, cant you do something here first? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Seo Ah-Young shot back at him.
Cant you do something that minor by yourself? (Seo Ah-Young)
....What can I do? My firepower is weak, you know. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Tears began forming in Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes.
He could proudly boast that hed not lose to any ability user out there, but then again, he was someone with astonishing speed but not much in the way of attack power. He had no real method of killing such a huge monster.
He could continue to annoy the dang thing for three days and three nights straight, but he didnt have any finishers to speak of.
How embarrassing for a grown man. (Seo Ah-Young)
Why are you talking about being a man here?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
A man should have some determination! (Seo Ah-Young)
I have it!! I definitely have it, you know!! (Kim Dah-Hyun) (TL: The whole joke here is that the line My firepower is weak was written with a pun that, uh, can also mean premature ejaction....)
Xui Feng quietly stared at Kim Dah-Hyun shouting out in rage, and asked the trantor next to him.
What are they talking about? (Xui Feng)
....Its better that you dont know, sir.
Xui Feng looked at the now-silent trantor and nodded his head.
Normally, hed scold this punk for being an insolent little b*stard, but he realised that he should just heed this suggestion.
How suspicious it was, the left side of his head that had been throbbing in pain for a while now. Unless he was prepared to get carted away to a hospital with cerebral haemorrhage, he had to keep calm and soldier on.
Still, get an ambnce ready, just in case. (Xui Feng)
Is it for the injured, sir?
....Just get one ready, okay? (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir.
Meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young disyed her supreme level of irritation at Kim Dah-Hyunsints, and shouted at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Fine. Fine, so let me down first. (Seo Ah-Young)
Others might think Im tormenting you or something when they hear you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just do it! (Seo Ah-Young)
Sure, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk put her down and quickly retreated, making sure that Seo Ah-Young didnt start attacking him again.
However, she simply ignored him, took several deep breaths, and focused her attention on the giant. It was as if she had decided to take care of this situation, now that y time was over.
Fuu-upeuh!!
From her hands, mes viciously erupted out.
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at that spectacle and nodded his head.
She sure has great firepower, doesnt she?
I mean, itd be perfect if I could just roast a sweet potato in there. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Regardless of whether Yi Ji-Hyuk was smacking his lips or not, Seo Ah-Young only focused on her own task. The dancing mes the size of your average-sized building gathered around her hands and condensed.
RUMBLE-!!
When the roar of the dancing mes exploded out, the eyes of all those watching on began to tremble from the shock.
Is this the true power of the me Witch?
They all had heard that she was strong.
Even though she was from that small country, Seo Ah-Young was often referred to as a top world-ss ability user. So, quite obviously, they shouldve known that she was a powerful individual.
However, this was.....
Didnt this feel like her power level simply exceeded their imaginations?
Right on the spot, Xui Fengpared the level of Seo Ah-Youngs power to those of the Chinese ability users.
We might be able to defeat her. (Xui Feng)
Even if there were three Seo Ah-Young-level existences, killing her would still be possible. However, the price to pay for doing that would be truly enormous. Hed have to risk a near annihtion, even.
There was no way anyone would think about sacrificing all of their ability users just to kill one Seo Ah-Young.
In that case, we cant defeat her. (Xui Feng)
She could be defeated, but couldnt be.
They could win, but itd be the same thing as not winning, too.
Not only that....
Just how many ability users on that level are in South Korea? (Xui Feng)
..........
No one replied to him. He wasnt expecting one, anyway.
And the idiot busy making a fool of the giant over there was also not some averagemon-or-garden ability user either, although his conduct remained rather questionable still.
Any old user wouldnt even be able to catch the sight of that guys shadow.
And most importantly....
The pressure emitted from Yi Ji-Hyuk, capable of subduing that Seo Ah-Young in less than 30 seconds and hanging her upside down to dry, was just indescribably huge.
The more Xui Feng thought about it, the stranger the whole thing became.
He had calcted that half of all Chinese ability users would be injured big and small, in order to defeat Seo Ah-Young, yet he could subdue her in less than 30 seconds!
In that case, just how great was the gap in power here?
Just how manybatants would one need to mobilize in order to defeat that utterly hateful little b*stard??
Xui Fengs head began hurting real bad now.
And to make matters worse, that man definitely hid most of his true powers, too.
Xui Feng heard that the Americans suddenly became very, very cordial with the Koreans recently, and there was a reason for that. Those people mustve finished their assessment on Yi Ji-Hyuk by now.
Well, they had experienced him too, so there was that.
What am I supposed to do now? (Xui Feng)
A strong bout of confusion and chaos filled Xui Fengs head, as he thought about just how he should report this matter to his superiors.
How should he go about exining it to them that a country they thought to be nothing more than a backwater vige or some such, now possessed the power that equalled C no, exceeded, what they so proudly boasted?
Should he tell them that they needed to treat Korea as an equal, because one man called Yi Ji-Hyuk was far too dangerous?
Or, he could be honest and tell them that, without Yi Ji-Hyuk helping them out, horrible things would keep happening, so it was only correct for them to adopt a subservient attitude.
Would Xui Fengs neck still be in its original ce after he said those words out aloud?
While Xui Feng was stewing inside his own dilemma, Seo Ah-Young was about to pour out the concentrated mes on the giant.
Chaaaaahht!! (Seo Ah-Young)
The mes erupting out from her hands were no longer in the shades of regr mes but in a deep crimson hue.
The blood-red mes condensed into the size of a basketball and flew towards the giant.
It was definitely not an easy thing for such a huge body to dodge the basketball-sized mes, and in the end, the giant failed to evade on time from the mesnding on its foot.
Rumble!
The mes touched the giants foot. And in that instant, a huge explosion enveloped its entire leg.
*SFX for the scream of the giant*
The massive scream erupting out of the giants mouth caused the ground to rumble in shock.
Xui Feng gritted his teeth after he felt the ground vibrate as if an earthquake was breaking out.
The giant fell down and rolled around on the ground as its building-sized leg caught on fire and burned fiercely.
Wow, that really surprised me! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
When the giant instantly fell and rolled on the ground, Kim Dah-Hyun became airborne for a second, but he kicked the air repeatedly and returned to the solid ground.
Say something before you do that next time!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
You wanna roll around like that, too? (Seo Ah-Young)
Im sorry. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yup, strength ruled.
Kim Dah-Hyun grumbled inwardly, but still, he didnt have the balls to argue with Seo Ah-Young. Back then or now.
What is taking so long? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Kim Dah-Hyun was about to say something, an irritated voice came from behind him.
He didnt have to turn around to tell who the owner of that voice was. No normal person could so urately convey his irritation in his voice, after all.
But, as you can see, its a huge creature. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
What do you mean, huge! Its like Im looking at a toddler! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You still have eyes on your head, yes? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
What do you mean, thats huge?
To a giant, that things like a dwarf! Like, a still growing toddler!
No, wait. They are not the same species, so I cant call it a toddler, but still, that things on the small side, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Just mop it up quickly, anyway! I told you two to finish it up yourselves, yet you ended up causing a stupid ruckus and made mee here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who made youe here?!
You didnt exin anything before throwing us in here, so who are you ming now?!
Ive got so many things I wanna say, but! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
....But, Kim Dah-Hyun closed shut his mouth, instead.
He had not yet seen a single person who dared to argue with this guy meet a good end.
Looks like it cant be helped. I shall lend a hand here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Eh?
Kim Dah-Hyun began shuddering.
Lend a hand?
Did he really say hed help?
Mm. Well, by lending a hand, did you mean what I think you meant? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ng. Probably? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun clenched his fists.
If we fight together...! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
If he could fight alongside Seo Ah-Young, then he might be able to....
By the way.... where did she disappear to?
Kim Dah-Hyun hurriedly searched for the now-gone-without-trace Seo Ah-Youngs whereabouts, only for his jaw to fall to the ground after spotting her behind Yi Ji-Hyuk, busy massaging his shoulders.
Does it feel good? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yup, yup! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And, Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy growling in contentment like a full-bellied puppy.
I thought itd be wonderful to massage your shoulders with my hands warmed up, so I researched the methods for a bit. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng. This is great. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That, that treacherous woman!!
You were ready to chew Yi Ji-Hyuk inside out a minute ago, but what the hell are you doing now?! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Is there a reason for you to help, though? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head after hearing Seo Ah-Youngs words.
But, didnt you ask for my help earlier? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its the way you help that counts, you see. If you were nning to do that, then theres no need to do it to two people, no? (Seo Ah-Young)
M-mm. That is true, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Killing a mob monster like that, only one person should be sufficient. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng.
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head as if he found her words logical.
But, what are we to do? If I head out to fight, then itd be difficult to massage your shoulders.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Uh? Youre right! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Naturally, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyesnded on Kim Dah-Hyun next.
A strand of cold sweat travelled down Kim Dah-Hyuns face, before he desperately opened his mouth.
I-I am...! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Youve got nothing to do, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Should I go and fetch my sister? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk red back with a pair of soulless eyes, Kim Dah-Hyuns head dropped low.
If he knew this might happen, he shouldve learned sports massage or something!
...Let me do it. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Thats amendable position to take. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While looking at the giant monster as it tried to stand back up with one leg half-roasted, Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his arm towards Kim Dah-Hyun.
Finish it off quickly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ha-ah....
Kim Dah-Hyun spat out a long groan.
He just could not get used to what was about to happen, no matter how many times he had to do it.
A ck tentacle shot out from Yi Ji-Hyuks hand and wrapped around Kim Dah-Hyuns body. And then, magical energy was poured into the poor man.
*SFX for Kim Dah-Hyun crying out in pain*
Kim Dah-Hyun began writhing in pain.
He already knew this, but a normal person would find it incredibly difficult to endure the paining from this strange energy digging into his body.
But then again, there was a reason why he needed to endure it.
Ha-ah.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Once the ck tentacle went away, a long, deep sigh leaked out of Kim Dah-Hyuns lips.
I feel..... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Like c**p, and so, so good.
Uwaaaahhh!!
Kim Dah-Hyun roared out and began dashing forward.
How energetic. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young clicked her tongue.
She too had experienced that a few times by now. When the magical energy entered her body, shed be ovee with a rather strange feeling.
Uncontrobly boiling impulses, malice, and the desire to murder.
Hatred for everything she could see.
The base desire to destroy everything.
Shed be ovee with a really dirty sensation where it felt like a different version of her appeared inside her mind and took control of her body.
But, there was a simple reason why anyone would risk this.
And Kim Dah-Hyun was splendidly disying that reason.
He left behind a lengthy ck trail of afterimages like a ck bullet and flew straight into the pit of the monsters stomach.
KWABOOM!!
The lone humans body mmed deeply into the giants solid iron-like torso, and as if a massive bomb had gone off, a powerful explosion rang out.
Oooooohhh!
The giants mouth flew wide open, as its massive frame was lifted up from the ground. Indeed, the impact force was so great that the over 20-metre tall giants frame had be airborne.
Uwaaaah!!
Kim Dah-Hyun didnt stop there; he used the giants body as a foothold and kicked away, before building up more momentum and kicked the face of the airborne creature.
KWAAAHHHANG!
The huge monsters body flew in the air and mmed into a nearby mountain, destroying it in half.
Fuuuuhup!
With his eyespletely bloodshot, Kim Dah-Hyun flew like an evil apparition towards the giant still buried inside the crumbling mountain.
m!! Boom!! Thud!!
He then kicked, kicked, and then kicked some more!
To Xui Fengs eyes, it was as if he was watching a ck ho repeatedly sting a person. Kim Dah-Hyun mightck the venom-filled stinger, but he possessed far more frightening destructive power.
*SFX for bones breaking*
Kim Dah-Hyuns kicks eventually crushed the giants body and tore off its huge neck.
Enoughhhh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuks voice loudly resounded out, Kim Dah-Hyuns frenzied eyes sharply red back at him.
Tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the berserk Kim Dah-Hyun and slowly unfurled more of his ck tentacles.
Still cant control it properly, eh. Well, if you lost your mind, time to get a beating, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly.
< 149. You can take care of it, anyway -4 > Fin.
Chapter 150: You can take care of it, anyway (5)
Chapter 150: You can take care of it, anyway (5)
The beginning was simple.
Buff.
He enjoyed using that in the past, but had forgotten about it recently. But, as soon as the whole concept of buffing took root and bloomed in his head, he began thinking about the idea rather seriously.
How could he further strengthen the human ability users who could not get any stronger past a certain point?
Currently, they had be stronger than before, sure. Butpared to the monsters emerging from the newly-opening Gates, they were still nothing much to write home about.
Basically, power intion was happening right now.
At this rate, ability users would find themselves in a position thats not too different from the regr, powerless civilians before long.
However, if he could cast Buff on them, then the story would change quite drastically.
Well, werent the weakling warriors of Berafe able to fight against Yi Ji-Hyuks demonic army on an equal footing, just because they had received plentiful blessings and Buff magic spells?
The weak-a*s monsters invading Earth currently couldnt even bepared to the likes of the demons and evil creatures Yi Ji-Hyuk dragged around back in Berafe.
The basis, the foundation, of the power enabling the folks of Berafe to fightpetently against such a marauding army....
Yup, I did walk on a different path from that, didnt I?
In all honesty, Yi Ji-Hyuk was not interested in that side of magic. Well, he had no reason to strengthen other people, after all.
If someone had to be stronger, hed rather that be him, and if his monsters were killed off, all he had to do was to summon some more.
Quite obviously, hed not be interested in things like Buffing others.
Then one day, he just inexplicably remembered the concept of Buffing so he felt like shouting out Eureka!! to the high heavens.
However....
Thats what he felt, but....
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue as he watched Kim Dah-Hyun dashing towards him with bubbles forming in his mouth.
I just knew it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Buffing others, my a*s. (the author)
When Dioreh the First cast Buffs, he was able to create a divine fighting force, but when Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to Buff someone, he might end up creating an undead instead!
Ahhh, seriously, man. This ck magic.... What a pain in the butt, man.
While he was in Berafe, there was nothing more convenient than ck magic.
He could even say that the usefulness of the ck magic was truly the best, because he could just throw it around without care, he could morph it into whatever he wanted, and he could just shove some in humans and turn them into undead.
More importantly, when it came to offensive spells, it boasted several times the mightpared to the simr grade of light Mana. So, from Yi Ji-Hyuks perspective, there was no better alternative.
The story might have been different when it came to defensive spells, but well, there was no such concept as defending for Yi Ji-Hyuk, so it didnt matter.
But now, with the current situation like this, dark Mana and ck magic were turning out to be far more inconvenient than hed like them to be.
Even if he seeded in Buffing, it didntst that long, and if he failed, the subjects would lose their minds, instead.....
So, he had to carefully apply the right amount, but too bad, that right amount differed from person to person, meaning he had to concentrate extremely hard each time.
And, on top of all this....
Kuwaaahht!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns fist flew in like a cannon shell.
....Shield. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwaboom!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks Shield and Kim Dah-Hyuns fist collided and a powerful shockwave exploded out.
No matter how hard he concentrated, subjects would end up this way....
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue as he was thrown backwards.
If he Buffed someone too little, then there was no point, and if it was too much, then that person would lose their minds.
Also, did applying the right amount solve this problem? Nope.
Even if he did, the person going berserk could not be prevented.
The only silver lining here is that the crazed subjects would not attack someone they didnt loathe already.....
How annoying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the one responsible for making Kim Dah-Hyun like this, so he couldnt even get irritated and beat the poor dude to death, either....
Meaning, he had to subdue the frenzied subjects without harming them too much. Just how annoying was that?!
Hah, this thing called life.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, the time for eternal rest woulde eventually, anyway!
Yi Ji-Hyuk made up his mind and a tentacle extended out from his hand.
Kuwaaaahhh!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The tentacle grabbed and yanked at the fiercely-resisting Kim Dah-Hyun, wrapped around him, and pushed him down.
Kuwahh! Uwaaaaahht! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun was forced to the ground, and he began to struggle violently as bloody foams bubbled out from his mouth.
On the contrary to how it looked, the case with Kim Dah-Hyun was actually an easy one. Once he had lost his mind, he couldnt properly utilise his speed, and Kim Dah-Hyun without his speed was.... Well, hed be nothing much.
However, for someone like Park Sung-Chan, his already-tough body would further strengthen to an absurd degree C never mind the increase in his physical power, too C and subduing him would be a rather demanding task.
Tsk.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the same thing repeated over and over again for a couple more times, then hede up with suitable responses eventually, but for now, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but feel quite annoyed by this whole thing.
Well, now.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk forced Kim Dah-Hyun down and stabbed a ck tentacle in thetters body.
Keu-keuheuk..... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He then began sucking in the dark Mana circting in there.
Kkeuheuhhhhh... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns body began shivering non-stop.
Even after all the dark Mana was sucked out and the ck tentacle had withdrawn, Kim Dah-Hyun continued to shiver as if he had contracted mria or some such.
Seo Ah-Young could no longer watch this horrifying sight and averted her gaze. She knew very well that, once Yi Ji-Hyuk injected some strange substance inside them, they could wield power several times greater than usual. In a way, she should be d about this whole thing.
But, the reason for her desperately avoiding it was unfolding right before her eyes.
Once the magical energy was sucked out, the once-enhanced body would suffer from devastating side effects. It was already unimaginably painful when the dark Mana was being injected, but when it was being sucked out, the pain one experienced would be several times greater.
Seo Ah-Young looked on with a sympathetic face at Kim Dah-Hyun, while Yi Ji-Hyuk had already shifted his attention away, and was heading towards the barely-alive giant. A cold smirk was forming on his face.
Thanks for the meal. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was time to gorge himself.
Seo Ah-Young looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly walking towards the giant with his tentacles still extended out, and felt rather nauseous.
Just how far did that man n to go?
Her eyes continued to chase after his back.
*
Will this thing really be of help? (Alpha)
While looking at the ck pearl-like objects in its hand, the facial muscles of Args distorted to form a strange expression.
You did well by gathering them. I shall wholeheartedly praise you. (Args)
And should I say Im touched? Or that Im thankful? (Alpha)
Args did not react to Alphas retorts.
This human might be impudent, but he still had his uses. Even now, he had aplished the given task admirably well. If it were up to Args, Alpha wouldve been rewarded handsomely by now.
Of course, if Argss actual body was here, then a suitable reward would really have been bestowed upon Alpha, but for the time being, a praise would have to suffice.
No, that would change soon enough.
Args stared at the round marbles Alpha had brought along, before its facial muscles flinched again.
Indeed, the human did well to bring them here, but....
Its not enough? (Args)
Originally, there should have been more. Compared to its expectations, the gathered amount was not enough.
Well, a certain someone decided to dispose of the two that you thought would cause the worst damage. (Alpha)
That man, was it.... (Args)
Args began frowning rather deeply.
The ny-ninth demon king.
A man who was a demon king, but who was also not.
And, even though he was not one anymore, the title of demon king still fitted him like glove.
The man who climbed up from the very bottom in the world of magic, to eventually stand at the very top.
The Bringer of Apocalypse to all humans, and the ny-ninth demon king to the demon world.
Well, I did expect that level of interference. (Args)
There was no way that man would hold a sense of duty to protect this world, but he was also someone who wouldnt sit idly by while others made a mess of his territory.
His territory isrger than I thought. (Args)
From the beginning, Args chose not to harm the country that man was living in. If one thought about how that man operated in the past, then there was a very good chance that hed think of the country he belonged to as his.
However, now that man had personally interfered with the matters of other countries, the territory he considered to be his own could have exceeded Argss imagination.
But, that doesnt matter now. (Args)
From here onwards, that was.
Up until now, the story might have been different, but there was no more reason to worry about him.
The only thing remaining for that man was the glory of his past.
The absolute sorcerer supreme of the past who could overturn the continent and pierce the heavens with just a flick of a hand was long gone. The only thing remaining was a shell that possessed a tiny fraction of the glorious past.
Indeed, the title of a demon king was not decided by ones character, but through ones power.
Fufufu.
That Yi Ji-Hyuk was just a normal human now.
Of course, the Yi Ji-Hyuk of now, who only possessed that tiny fraction of his former glory, still posed immense danger to the current Args.
That was true, but....
....But now, the story is different. (Args)
Args tightly grasped the marbles in his hand and crushed them.
Shushushu....
Soon, something ashy-grey and dark began circling around Argss hand.
Fuu-heuph....
After spitting out a short gasp, Args began sucking in that ominous energy.
The negative energy that exceeded thousands, tens of thousands and into several hundreds of measurements began filling up Argss body.
This was the origin of the energy, as well as the source of iparable high that no drug could induce for the demons. Argss ck tongue licked its lips, as the demon savoured the taste.
Well, now.... (Args)
Once Args converted the energy sucked into its body to Mana, it extended its hand towards a small Gate in front of its eyes.
Although it is a little short, but..... (Args)
This much should be....
Fuu-heuph!!
Mana escaping from Argss right hand got sucked into the Gate, and its size began to expand slowly. At first, the Gate was only the size of a basketball, but eventually, it grewrge enough for a person to walk through.
Is it finally done? (Alpha)
When Alpha asked, Args nodded its head, although its expression was distorted.
It is by no means satisfactory, but still, it should be just about enough to allow passage from the other side. The problem would be with who among the exalted ones decides toe. (Args)
H-mm....
Alpha scratched his chin.
He couldnt figure out what this little demon was trying to do here, but as long as itd help his cause, then it didnt matter. No, what was more important to him would be, how he should go about using them....
It was at this moment that the Gate began to crazily distort and writhe. Having seen this change, Args hurriedly got down to its knees.
Kneel down, you foolish human! A truly mighty and exalted being shall arrive soon. (Args)
Im sorry, but my knees arent for kneeling down. (Alpha)
Alpha shrugged his shoulders nonchntly, causing Args to silently re at him. However, Alpha simply ignored it altogether.
Soon, Args also stopped caring about Alpha as well.
The Gate was opening up, after all. Meaning, there was no time to mind the small things anymore.
Wuuoonngg....
The Gate continued to writhe about this way and that from the immense, unseen pressure, before it finally opened up. And then, an unknown but definitely ominous aura exploded out from beyond.
Alphas eyes narrowed to a slit and continued to witness the proceedings.
Since there was an existence called a demon right in front of his eyes already, he couldnt not believe, but then again, the fact that another realm that could potentially be real hell was being connected to Earth? Now that was not something he could easily ept.
It all kind of felt rather weird, like reality was merging with fantasy, or some such.
Mm? (Alpha)
For a moment there, Alphas sight caught onto a blurry shape.
It was as if something was approaching from a far, beyond the Gate.
Fuu-woo....
Emitting a low-pitched moan that sounded as if it came from the deepest part of the abyss, somethings head emerged out from the Gate.
First to appear were round horns, like the ones on a mountain goat.
After those horns coloured in a hue closer to reddish ck than pure ck, a face that resembled a reptile emerged from the Gate next.
The moment Alpha looked into the creatures yellow irises split from top to bottom, his body trembled from the shock of his soul almost being sucked in there.
A demon.
Indeed, this was a demon.
Alpha thought to himself, while sensing something fundamentally differentpared to other lifeforms emanating from this creature.
Could it be that he was in the middle of a huge misunderstanding?
Was forming a partnership with demons the right thing to do?
He began to doubt himself, and then, doubted some more.
Finally, the demon fully emerged from the Gate and stood before the two.
The reptilian-face, and three horns on top of its head.
And the muscr human-like upper body supported by four legs.
Args deeply bowed its head before this being.
It is my honour to greet the great eighty-second demon king. (Args)
The creature referred to as the demon king slowly spat out a long breath. At the same time, the exhaled white breath thickly scattered in the air like the exhaled cigarette smoke.
This is where he is?
That is correct, oh great one. (Args)
The 82nd demon king.
Beltreche loudly roared out in a voice that sounded like iron scraping against iron.
The voice that could shake humans hearts dug clearly into Alphas ears.
Where is that man, Yi Ji-Hyuk?! (Beltreche)
< 150. You can take care of it, anyway -5 > Fin.
Chapter 151: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (1)
Chapter 151: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (1)
(TL: Unedited. My editor is too busy with school.....)
Hes somewhere far from here. (Args)
Beltreches yellow eyes slowly cast down to Args.
And is that something you should say? (Beltreche)
I beg for your forgiveness.... Oh, great demon king, I dare not fight against that person with this weak body and this weak mind of mine. Regardless of how weakened he is, hes still one of the demon kings. I would never dare to fight him. (Args)
Mm.....
Beltreche nodded its head.
Even though Yi Ji-Hyuk had be weaker, he was still nominally a demon king. It wouldnt do for a demon king to fight a regr demon, after all.
Wasnt that the reason why Beltreche had personallye here for?
That treacherous, wicked and underhanded b*stard C did he truly lose his powers? (Beltreche)
From my own observation, I could not even sense a trace of his former magical power. (Args)
I shall ask you again. Are you for certain? (Beltreche)
.......
Args quickly organised the avable information inside his head. He confirmed, and then confirmed once more, before speaking up in a confident voice.
I am indeed certain. (Args)
Beltreche nodded its head in a disy of epting that answer.
It is so. Then, that d*mn human has finally lost his powers..... (Beltreche)
Beltreches tongue slowly licked its lips.
The 99th demon king.
A demon king among demon kings, who had appeared in the demon world as if he fell from the sky, and while marching from the edge to the centre of the world all alone, managed to subdue all the others.
A legendary existence, who dared toy his hands on the authority of demon king even though he was a measly human, possessed immeasurable magical power, and an army that no other demons king could ever hope to match.
Back in the past, when he was still the 99th demon king and also referred to as the immortal king, even someone as noble as Beltreche could not dare to meet that mans gaze.
Thats how great the difference in the power level was.
However, the story was different now.
I shall personally rip apart that impudent human who dared to sit on the throne of a demon king. (Beltreche)
Murderous intent leaking out from the entirety of Beltreches body thickly suppressed the air, causing Alpha to let out a soft groan.
Immediately, Beltreches eyes were directed to Alpha.
A human? (Beltreche)
The moment he looked into those gloomy eyes of Beltreche, Alpha was ovee with the sensation of his soul freezing up.
This is interesting. (Alpha)
Not his mind, but his body was reacting first. Currently, Alphas body was seeing that demon king in front of his eyes as a superior predator. He then began to coldly analyse the reactions of his body, now that he found himself in the role of a prey for the first time ever in his life.
Args. (Beltreche)
Your wish is mymand. (Args)
Why is there a human in this ce? (Beltreche)
At this question of Beltreche, Args hurriedly shoved its head on the ground.
I had no choice but to seek an aplice in order to carry out my duty while being burdened with this weak body. (Args)
And, that aplice just so happens to be a human? (Beltreche)
As you may well have heard before, there are no other species except humans in this world. (Args)
So it is. (Beltreche)
Beltreche quietly stared at Alpha, before reaching out to grab his head. Alpha didnt resist, and quietly epted this act.
H-mm??
Beltreche looked on at Alpha with some interest, before nodding its head.
This man has some value. (Beltreche)
Hes not so bad for a human. (Args)
Hes rather praiseworthy for a human, indeed. (Beltreche)
Even after Beltreche withdrew its hand, Alpha silently stood there, staring.
However, oh human.... (Beltreche)
.......
Shurururu....
Ominous, dark aura suddenly rushed around Alphas body.
I.... (Beltreche)
Thud!!
As if he was struck by a cannon shell, Alpha was powerfully pushed down to the ground.
....Find your posture not to my liking. (Beltreche)
Crack, crackle....
Alphas body was manipted by an unseen force, and soon, he had to assume a position of his head pressing to the ground in a kowtow.
Thats how a human should be. (Beltreche)
Alpha tried to resist the unseen force, but his limbs were twisting out of his control, while his skin burst open and blood flowed out.
I let you live only because Ive acknowledged your role in this great me descending on this world. Demons and demon kings honour their promises. I shall grant your wish. Before that takes ce, however. Dont you agree that difference in status should be addressed properly? (Beltreche)
Fufufufu. (Alpha)
Still pressed down to the ground, yet a low chuckle leaked out of Alphas lips.
Ho-oh? (Beltreche)
Beltreche saw this response and a grin formed on its lips.
What an interesting human.
As soon as the unseen force was withdrawn, Alpha slowly got up and fixed his attire.
He then raised his hand quite elegantly and theatrically waved it in front of his chest, while one of his legs retreated rearward.
Without a doubt, he was performing a supposedly-dignified salutation.
But, it was a show of ridicule and contempt, instead.
I beg your pardon, oh dear demon king, the enemy of mankind. Please forgive this lowly being who foolishly did not show proper decorum in front of a demon king. (Alpha)
Kekeke. (Beltreche)
Indeed, what an interesting fellow he was.
He even dared to ridicule a demon king.
He probably had sensed the incredible gap in power by now, yet to be able to maintain such an attitude.
Turning him into a full-fledged demon might be fun. (Beltreche)
If we had met earlier, itd have been interesting. (Beltreche)
Thats what Beltreche honestly thought.
The demons actually enjoyed existences of humans. If the divine beings loved humanity, then demonic entities enjoyed toying with them.
If it was in the past, Beltreche wouldve been far too busy cooking up methods to use Alpha and have some fun. However, it was not like that anymore.
Because of a certain human, he had now grown all fed up by humanity in general. That man was truly an underhanded, rotten, evil, narrow-minded and stinking being.
It does not matter. So, now. What is Yi Ji-Hyuk doing? Has he conquered this world yet? (Beltreche)
Args shook his head.
No, he has not. Currently, he hasnt made any moves at all. (Args)
M-mm?
That was impossible, when thinking back to the time the immortal king had devoured the demon world.
How craze wild was he, when he invaded the demon world?
For the first time in history of the demon world, a united front had to be established against a single demon king, didnt it?
When considering that mans over-the-top style of conquest, which was massive enough to make others think of it as a true invasion of the demon world and not some simple territorial dispute between demon kings, Beltreche couldnt help but think that this world shouldve been halfway fallen to that mans hands by now....
Hes not making any moves at all? (Beltreche)
Hes keeping a low profile. On top of this, it doesnt seem like he has made any hidden preparations, either. (Args)
Beltreches facial muscles distorted as if it found something displeasing.
Is he done with ying, is that it? (Beltreche)
Beltreche pointed at the empty air with its long w and continued on.
No, that cant be it. After all, y time has only begun, so it cant be over already. (Beltreche)
Oh, exalted demon king, that mans actions seem to indicate his desire to protect this world. (Args)
Is that so? (Beltreche)
So, hell naturally try to stop you, oh exalted demon king, once you start taking over this world. (Args)
Indeed. (Beltreche)
Beltreche clicked its tongue, still sounding displeased over something.
Protecting this world?
The 99th demon king was doing what now?
Does not suit him. (Beltreche)
That man was an existence born solely to destroy. Protecting something definitely did not suit him.
Do you understand the fact that, with all life in Berafe ceased to be, we need a new source for dark magic? (Beltreche)
Yes, I do. (Args)
A human-only world, one which no other beings have interfered with. I should reward you for guiding me to such a tasty realm. (Beltreche)
A reward from a demon king, no less.
For the time being, should I start making things a bit more amusing, then? (Beltreche)
Demons and amusement were inseparable, to begin with.
Dare I ask you a question? (Args)
M-mm?
Has the exalted demon king retained all of his strength? (Args)
Beltreche slowly shook its head.
Thats impossible with a pathetic Gate like that. Ive only retained about half of my original power. (Beltreche)
But, that much is already enough for....? (Args)
Beltreche cackled ominously.
Half of me is more than enough to take over this weak world. This ce isnt Berafe, after all. Even if that man, the immortal soul, wishes to get in my way. (Beltreche)
It is indeed so. (Args)
And so, I shall allow him to enjoy a little bit of amusement. My grievances with that man means killing him right away will not satisfy my thirst. (Beltreche)
...........
So, what should I start with? H-mm? (Beltreche)
Beltreche seemed to deliberate on something, before asking Args.
How have you been acting until now? (Args)
After Args offered an in-depth exnation of what had transpired, Beltreche clicked its tongue in unhappiness.
You foolish little half-wit! (Beltreche)
I am not worthy of your mercy. (Args)
You are supposed to be a demon, yet you could only behave in such a manner? Even if you are a low-ranked one! (Beltreche)
How dare the small me enter the exalted demon kings eyes? Please enlighten me on the correct path. (Args)
There is a certain amusing method. (Beltreche)
A small marble suddenly formed at the end of Beltreches fingertip.
Open up a Gate with this. (Beltreche)
Yes, sir! (Args)
You shall witness something quite interesting. (Beltreche)
Args carefully took the marble from Beltreche.
And, Beltreche began cackling in that iron-scraping-iron tone of voice.
In this ce, where the demon worlds invasion of Earth was beginning in earnest....
Alphas unreadable eyes were taking everything in silently.
***
Mom, Im home! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dumb fool!! (mom)
The moment Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the front door and entered his home, Park Seon-Duk quickly approached him.
No, wait. Mom, I...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
SLAP!!
Kkeuck!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks bent down to the floor after failing to withstand the sizzling pain shooting out from his back.
It hurts!!
Really, seriously, it freaking hurts!!
This ahjumma, how is it possible for her to hurt me this badly??
I mean, its nothing serious, shes just pping me on the back, so how can it hurt this much?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It felt like his flesh was being ripped away.
How dare you crawl back home after a week of staying out?! And not even answering your phone once!! (mom)
No, wait, didnt I.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt I tell her before leaving?
But, I thought I did?
Ah.... That was for when I went to France, wasnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You think I should be the one to call your workce and ask where my son has gone off to?! Isnt it the basics for a son to report such things to his mother on time?? (mom)
You, youre right, mother. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kneel! (mom)
Plop.
The absolute being that made NDF follow his every word like a little puppy, and caused a demon king from the demon world to burn with deep-seated grudge, was now kneeling in front of another, significantly more authoritative existence.
Youre not a kid anymore, yet why do you still act like one? (mom)
Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You cant even do something so basic, so how can you even think about doing something else? (mom)
Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I!! Do I really need to spell it out for you every single time?? Arent you old enough to know them by now?? Just how long do I need to clean up after you.....?! (mom)
....Please, just let me live. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk realised that his ears might start bleeding at this rate, so he clung onto moms leg and began pleading desperately.
I, I was wrong. Mom, please stop..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you, really? Just how many times do I have to tell you thating up with excuses to get out of trouble is bad?! Even thest time, too! If you were thinking of going to France, you shouldve called me personally!! How dare you ask someone else to call instead..... (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared silently at the ceiling with an enlightened look on his face.
And, after being subjected to ten more minutes of stomach-twisting nagging, Yi Ji-Hyuk became a wet, soggy nket that sank to the floor.
....Id rather prefer getting hit by mental magic attacks.
I always thought that humanitys greatest weapon was Jeong Hae-Mins sonic attack, but now I realise something just as worse is right next to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Inexplicably, Yi Ji-Hyuk became rather curious about what would happen if he kidnapped a demon and made it sit in front of moms incessant nagging.
And so!! (mom)
Yep! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been borrowing the divine help of flow out of one ear technique until then, but quickly regained his bearings when moms voice rang out loudly.
Yi Ji-Hyuk expertly maintained clear set of eyes, a sure sign of him not drifting away. Mom spoke to him in a determined voice.
So, what happened to your sisters date? (mom)
Uh?
How can you be so indecisive on your own n? Cant you do this one thing properly, at least? (mom)
Ahh....
Thats right, the date!
That thing was supposed to happen, right.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Thats why Ive always been saying to you. Ng? You are..... (mom)
Just as another round of nagging was about tomence, Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped up from the floor and hugged his mom tightly.
Whats gotten into you?! (mom)
Mom!! Ill definitely bring that man over here! So, dont you worry about a thing! For real! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm. Sure. (mom)
Ill definitely show you that Im no all talk and no go, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The assurance Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly spat out in order to avoid another round of nagging caused the back of certain someone far away to shudder in horror.
....Why is it getting so cold all of a sudden? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons body shivered a little, and he poured yet another bottle of energy tonic to his favourite tumbler.
< 151. So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement -1 > Fin.
Chapter 152: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (2)
Chapter 152: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (2)
(TL: Partially edited. My editors still busy....)
In front of the NDF building.
Oh-Sik had no energy.
He had been feeling rather depressedtely after not seeing his owner for a few days now. He couldnt help but question how he had be this badly attached.
In the past, he lived like a ve under that mans rule for several decades; back then, he was simply afraid of the guy. But now, Oh-Sik mustve grown close to his owner after going through quite a bit of stuff together. Oh, and he got fed by that man, too.
Whimper~
Oh-Sik plopped down on his butt and sniffed the air.
Mm?
This smell?
Oh-Sik hurriedly got back up, his tail wagging furiously.
Yi Ji-Hyuks scent wasing from somewhere out in front! Oh-Sik rushed forward, his tail wagging powerfully from side to side now.
Woof!!
The metal chain attached to his neck got in the way, so he simply yanked at it and snapped it in half. The tough metal chain was ripped apart like a piece of stic.
Woof, woof!!
Oh-Sik ran past the main street and entered the backstreet, finally discovering Yi Ji-Hyuk there. He then jumped into his owners arms.
Grab.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk remained resolutely cold-hearted. He easily caught the scruff of leaping Oh-Siks neck and dangled the mini-Ogre in the air, a frown forming on his face.
Whats wrong with you? Why are you so filthy?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper?
Oh-Sik tilted his head, but Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at his pet with a still-unhappy expression.
Really now, what dogsh*t condition is this? Uh-whew!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked behind him and spoke to Affeldrichae following him.
Rinse this guy for me, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae didnt say anything else and simply summoned the spirit of water, Undine, and began washing Oh-Sik right there.
Whimper!!
Oh-Sik got frightened out of his skull and kicked around in the air, but Undine didnt let him escape and swallowed him inside arge water bubble.
Glup, glup!!
As if the water was boiling over, the bubbles of air began assaulting Oh-Sik trapped within.
Quite literally out of the blue, Oh-Sik came out to greet his owner only to go scuba diving rather unexpectedly. He desperately cried out, but too bad, no sound could escape when one was submerged under water.
Glup, glup!!
Just as tears formed in the eyes of Oh-Sik as he got beaten up inside the water bubble, the water suddenly vanished. And then.... the spirit of wind began drying him, instead.
Yup, this sure is convenient. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, it feels like something forgotten in the corners of my head is trying to revive when Im looking at this.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
.........Hey, you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
Its like, my memories are a wee bit fuzzy right now, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
Did you do the same thing to me, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae tilted her head.
Back in the past when you were still in your rebellious phase, you became quite dirty several times, so I had to wash you. (Affeldrichae)
....................
Just one wash, and you became so fluffy and cute, you know? (Affeldrichae)
.....Thanks.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She probably washed him with clothes, no?
He wanted to ask her, but then again, he couldnt quite work up the courage to do so.
Right. What does it matter if I was wearing clothes or not back then. Our species are different, anyway.
Yup, our species are different, so........ (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Dont you know what human rights are, you d*mn rotten lizard woman?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im a Dragon, so why should I worry about human rights? Im not an animal protectionist, you know. (Affeldrichae)
A humans an animal now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What difference is there between humans trying to protect animals, and a Dragon trying to protect a human? You can only shower the beings inferior than you with love, no? (Affeldrichae)
Euh.....
Shes right, but why do I feel so p*ssed off?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gnashed his teeth and red at Affeldrichae, before his head swivelled towards Oh-Sik.
Ohh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And he realised that the oh-so fluffy Oh-Sik looking all limp and energy-less was unbelievably adorable.
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed Oh-Sik floating in mid-air with his hand.
........
Only until a minute ago, Oh-Sik was very enthusiastic. But now, he was sneakily averting his gaze.
Mm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly turned Oh-Sik to face him, but the mini-Ogre simply shifted his head away in the opposite direction.
Are you actually sulking? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik didnt reply.
What the heck. Hey, dude.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre still an Ogre, you know?
Not only that, youre a male, too!
So, how can you sulk over something like that?! Wheres your pride as an Ogre?
I mean, youve been rinsed clean, but so what! How can you sulk over that? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Dont you think youre behaving too much like a dogtely? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper~.
Of course, Im not saying thats necessarily a bad thing, but well, with you behaving more and more like a dog recently even though youre actually an Ogre, I keep getting confused on whether I should treat you like a real dog or an Ogre, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right then, Affeldrichaes expression hardened ever so slightly.
What was this?
She was simply listening to him talk, yet why did it feel like she was the one getting berated here?
Perhaps Oh-Sik had felt the same sentiment as Affeldrichae, because the mini-Ogres brows began to rise up, as well.
Woof, woof!!
What the hell?? How dare you raise your voice at me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik flinched grandly and hurriedly lowered his head.
Oh, why did I even bother, calling this guy my owner....
Just what have I been waiting for all this time? (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
Wetness formed around Oh-Siks eyes.
If Choi Jung-Hoon was here, hed let out a sigh ofment and say Ive seen an Ogre tear up again but what a fortunate thing it was, he was not present at this location.
How dare you growl at me, when I fed you and gave you a ce to sleep?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk loudly shouted out, Oh-Sik quickly averted his gaze and whimpered tragically.
Affeldrichae looked at this development, and for the first time in her life, couldnt help but feel a bit sorry for an Ogre.
Which was strange, because to her, an Ogre was nothing more than a disposable pawn only good for guarding the gates, or maybe a tasty little snack.......
It was at this point that a frown formed on Affeldrichaes face.
Perhaps shed been in this human form for too long, because when she thought about eating an Ogre, she was ovee with a slight sense of disgust.
Do I need to revert back to my original self for a little while? (Affeldrichae)
It wasnt a good thing for her to feel too much like a human being. She was a Dragon, after all.
There could be more than a few problems down the line if she continued to think like a human. However, reverting back to her original appearance would consume way too much Mana. Still, she should prioritise on suppressing potential side effects first.
Ng? Oh-Sik-ah, why are you acting like this? Ah?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the meantime, Yi Ji-Hyuk was still nagging the hell out of the poor Ogre. Witnessing this spectacle, Affeldrichae came to understand the existence called humans a little bit better.
Unlike Dragons, humans are deeply affected by the personalities of their parents. (Affeldrichae)
The sight of Park Seon-Duk nagging and pounding on Yi Ji-Hyuks back, and this current sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk busy abusing Oh-Sik ovepped with one another in her eyes.
One ends up with a simr personality as ones parents because of the inherited genes, but also the influences from the parents themselves during the ones formative years affect the mental development as well, it seems. (Affeldrichae)
The aura of Park Seon-Duk, the one Yi Ji-Hyuk found so teeth-grindingly fearful, could actually be seen from him now.
This was a rather amusing sight, thats for sure.
You d*mn fool!! Arent you supposed to pay back my graciousness of sparing you back then for the rest of your life?! Where is your morals, man?! How dare you bare your fangs at me?? You want a beating?? Ahh?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Stop trying to argue logically with an Ogre, please.
Please stop. You really look pathetic. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae could sense that goodwill she held towards Yi Ji-Hyuk eroding away just a tad.
Why dont we stop there and get going? (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw Affeldrichaes less-than-impressed expression, and ced Oh-Sik on his shoulder.
Im gonna stop here today because Im going easy on you! Its only because Im such a nice guy. A nice guy, I tell ya! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did all nice guys in this world freeze to death?
Affeldrichae spat out a long groan. At the same time, Oh-Sik also spat out a long groan while perched up on Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder.
Ever since the creation of universe, this was the first time that an Ogre and Dragon had sympathised with one another.
Finally arriving at the NDF office, Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed open the door and entered, immediately spotting Choi Jung-Hoon knocking back a tumbler full of energy tonic.
Choi Jung-Hoon almost fell into a pit of despair after discovering a pile of work waiting for him upon his return. Now, he was taking care of mountains of documents at a frightening speed, after making a bted new resolution for himself: Never, ever procrastinate with his work.
How admirable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats how a real man should look like!
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When the folks inside the office saw Yi Ji-Hyuke in, they all hurriedly got up from their seats. They did that simultaneously, even though no one told them to do so nor did they make a prior arrangement.
Hmm? Whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as the mood turned a bit weird, Kim Dah-Hyun quickly opened his mouth.
Wee back. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Uh, sure. Thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand around and greeted everyone. They all awkwardly bowed a little and returned to their seats.
Whats going on here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over back to Choi Jung-Hoon, still confused by this awkward atmosphere. Regardless of what others were doing, though C Choi Jung-Hoon was deeply immersed in his own work.
Keuh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a man~!
From that dandy hairstyle to the figure-hugging business suit, he looked so cool even from a fellow mans perspective. And there was him focusing so hard on his work like that, too!
Wasnt that simply the delicious icing on the cake??
With a content grin on his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly walked over to Choi Jung-Hoons desk.
Hows your work going? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt help but clean out his ears.
Did I hear something wrong just now?
Did you say something? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I asked about your work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Oh. Uh, well, its going fine. Thank you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with dazed eyes.
Was he the kind of person to make a small talk like this?
But, he would never do that, now would he?
When Choi Jung-Hoon stared back with a weirded-out expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly.
Are you busy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im sorry? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I said, are you busy right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, uh..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Are you blind?? Cant you tell whether Im busy or not?!
If you have functioning eyes, you should be able to see for yourself!
Doesnt the information captured by your eyes get transmitted to your brain or something? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon began squeezing his fists tightly.
This guy sure had a natural talent in riling people up with some of the most mundane words one could think of. Choi Jung-Hoon knew this, yet he couldnt help but get worked up every time.
He needed to calm the heck down.
....A little bit. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So, like, its not a lot, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........Something like that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course, in reality, he was really busy. Swarmed with work. However, he was powerfully ovee with this feeling that he should not say that right in this moment.
There was Yi Ji-Hyuks slightly quivering eyebrows and everything, you see.
That means you have a bit of time to have a chat with me, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......I guess so? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A chat, hmm....
Lets get it over with, so you can b****r off out of my way. Ive got a c**p ton of documents I must submit by the end of today, you dumba*s! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon began to think that he had developed a new passive skill of being able to say something and think of somethingpletely different.
He might smile outwardly, but cry out inwardly C he was already epting this as par for the course in his life now.
Okay, so what do you want to talk about? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even before he had noticed it, a tone of voice that sounded a wee bitbative jumped out of Choi Jung-Hoons mouth. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply chuckled magnanimously as if he didnt mind that at all.
Find an opening in your schedule soon, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean, like right now?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, not right now. But, you need to make sure to take a whole day off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, why? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You made a promise, so its time to keep it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A.... promise? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You promised to go to a theme park, remember? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ah.
You were being serious? For real??
You really wanted me to go?
I didnt do anything wrong, yet why do I have to go to a theme park with someone elses family?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
You werent kidding about that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Do I look like Im kidding right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Youre right. You sound pretty serious.
And thats what scares me the most.
What are you nning to do to me after dragging me there?
Please, just leave me alone!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Do I really have to go? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, you promised. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, he did promise, but....
....But, uhm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head leaned to the side.
A man does not go back on his words, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon replied in a righteous manner.
But, I do that all the time. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.....Now that I think about it, me too?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Right, its not like that I strictly followed through with everything Ive said before.
Indeed, thats true, isnt it?
I used to lie like theres no tomorrow, right?
Sure, I did all that. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly acknowledged the fact.
Well, those couldnt be helped, really. However, dont you think you should keep at least this one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
I mean, you promised me, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Immediately deciphering the hidden meaning of go back on the promise you made with me, and lets see if your back will be in one piece or not in Yi Ji-Hyuks words, Choi Jung-Hoon formed an awkward smile.
A promise is made to be honoured, I guess. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For now, I gotta survive first!
Yes, lets live first! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
By the way, why a theme park....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, that. Its nothing much. You just have to keep a kid upied, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A kid? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned brightly.
Youll see when you get there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon was ovee with this unknown sense of dread, and hurriedly looked around him to find someone who could help. It was at this point that a lifeline appeared before him.
Where are you nning on going this time? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stood up from her seat and walked over to the two men.
A theme park. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And who gave you the permission to go there? (Seo Ah-Young)
Do I need to get a permission to go on a vacation from you, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously. (Seo Ah-Young)
You can just treat as my annual paid leave, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is no annual leave in ND.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Just as she was about to refute that, Seo Ah-Young froze mid-sentence.
....There was indeed the annual leave.
No one had invoked it yet, but now that she thought about it, there definitely was a paid leave system in the NDF.
What now? You wanna stop me from going on a paid leave, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk stared right back at her with a victorious expression on his face while his head leaning to the side in a crooked angle, Seol Ah-Youngs innards began boiling over. She loudly shouted out in response.
Fine. When are you nning to go on this annual leave thing?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Why? You wanna stop me for real? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No!! (Seo Ah-Young)
mes burned brightly in her eyes now.
Im going, too!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at her with dazed eyes now.
< 152. So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement -2 > Fin.
Chapter 153: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (3)
Chapter 153: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (3)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug out his ear canals to make sure that he didnt mishear her.
You wannae, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Where to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To the very same theme park you two are going. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Seo Ah-Young with a totally bbergasted face, before clicking his tongue.
But, why? Why do you wanna join us? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt it supposed to be more fun with lots of people apanying you to a theme park? (Seo Ah-Young)
Uh?
Well, uh, shes not wrong about that, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Seizing the opening created by Yi Ji-Hyuk tilting his head, Seo Ah-Young threw out yet another deadly blow.
Unni!! (Seo Ah-Young) (TL: Used by females to address older sisters/females)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min, who had been quietly observing the situation from a corner, raised her head.
Wouldnt it be nice if you went, as well? (Seo Ah-Young)
...Ng?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins brain began spinning quickly then.
Going to a theme park.
....With Yi Ji-Hyuks family.
That did sound nice, but....
Seo Ah-Young sensed the hints of reluctanceing from Jeong Hae-Min, and hurriedly ran over to thetter to whisper in her ear.
That mans going too, you know. (Seo Ah-Young)
Okay, Im in! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min enthusiastically agreed right away, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to flinch.
Grab!
Mm?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A pale-white hand emerged from Yi Ji-Hyuks shadow and grasped his leg.
What...? You wanna go, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The hand gestured OK and submerged back into his shadow.
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk began to get flustered by this rapidly-changing situation, Kim Dah-Hyuns phone suddenly went off.
Kim Dah-Hyun picked up the phone and said something to it, before turning towards Yi Ji-Hyuk with a somewhat sheepish expression on his face.
Uhm, excuse me, hyung-nim... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
M-mm?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dah-Som also wishes to go, as well. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Huh?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....O-oiii?! What the heck, how did this situation spiral out of control like this?
No, hang on a bloody minute here!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
How did she find out and call you this quickly?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To Yi Ji-Hyuks sinct question, Kim Dah-Hyun couldnt immediately answer and mumbled this and that.
Well, uh, I, well, I dont.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was instantly ovee with nasty goosebumps and hurriedly scanned his vicinity.
Im being watched!! Being spied on!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no doubt his every single move was being watched!!
Cant you manage your sister properly?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun became a victim of wayward shrapnel redirected in his direction and crumpled to a corner.
As if she was saying I told you so, Seo Ah-Young snorted at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Well, now. We should all go together, then. (Seo Ah-Young)
Says who?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk loudly shouted out.
Dont you have things to do?! No freaking way!! I aint taking anyone!! No! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young smirked derisively, then.
In that case, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon wont be getting a day off. His request for a paid leave is denied. (Seo Ah-Young)
Wowsers.... So petty. Seriously now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gnashed his teeth.
He just wanted to see his little sister get married, yet they were trying to stonewall him??
Make your choice. Either we all go together, or no one goes! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hul........ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly faced with an unexpected crossroad, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only grab his head.
What the hell?
How did things turn out this way?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young smiled triumphantly after seeing his reaction. She was deeply pleased with herself, because it felt as if she had finally managed to punch him in the face.
Groan.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned out grandly and opened his mouth.
He sensed that him trying to salvage the situation with sophistry would onlyplicate matters even further.
Most of all, the somewhat-chilly aura he sensed around near his legs ced a fair bit of pressure on him, and even if he tried to avoid all these hangers-on covertly, with Kim Dah-Hyun seemingly knowing everything, hiding from these peoples sights would be nigh-on impossible.
If that was the case, then....
Fine. Fine! Lets all go. Well go together. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His eyes gleamed brightly.
However, if you get in the way? Imma chuck you into the Pacific ocean! Got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Get in the way? Of what? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, there is a thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He ignored Seo Ah-Young and her confusion for now, and looked at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Indeed, what did it matter if there was a crowd? As long as his goal was met, it didnt matter anyways.
Okay, so. Clear up your schedule. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait. Theres no need to do things in such a roundabout way. (Seo Ah-Young)
As soon as Seo Ah-Young spoke up, she picked her phone up and called somebody. When the call got through, Seo Ah-Young announced in a monotone voice.
Well be on a break tomorrow. (Seo Ah-Young)
C What?!
I said, well be on a break, tomorrow. (Seo Ah-Young)
C No, wait a minute! Director Seo! What is this all about? Please exin yourself properly!! Are you trying to say that the NDF will close up shop for tomorrow???
Yes. (Seo Ah-Young)
C Are you out of your mind?! What are you trying to achieve here??
After the creation of this department, we all worked tirelessly without taking a single day off. We didnt even rest on weekends, and continued to work overtime, over and over again. Which means, it should be fine for us to take a day off. (Seo Ah-Young)
C But, what if something happens, then?!
Well leave a couple of people here, then. Is that fine? (Seo Ah-Young)
C Director Seo!!
Oh, in that case, should we operate on a rotation basis, with proper holidays and all? (Seo Ah-Young)
C ....Have a rxing day off.
Thank you. (Seo Ah-Young)
Easily solving the situation, Seo Ah-Young ended the call and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Tomorrow, it is. (Seo Ah-Young)
...................
Shespletely unanswerable.
Since when did she be such a charac.... Oh, wait. Shes always been like that, hasnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
After inadvertently bringing out Seo Ah-Youngs true nature into the open, Yi Ji-Hyuk beat a hasty retreat in silence. Meanwhile, she turned around and made the announcement.
You all take the day off tomorrow. (Seo Ah-Young)
Waaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!
The NDF agents all roared out in happiness.
They hade home after half a year in hell, yet they were immediately thrust back into the usual daily routine without even a day of rest. So, quite obviously, their dissatisfaction had reached a pretty dangerous level.
Kim Jae-Beom also cried out in happiness, before asking a question with a smiling face.
Oh, by the way, wholl be manning this ce tomorrow? (Kim Jae-Beom)
.......
Seo Ah-Young wordlessly stared at Kim Jae-Beom.
Receiving that stare, Kim Jae-Beom could only feel despair.
Ah....
So, it was me.
Yup, me. It was me.... (Kim Jae-Beoms inner monologue)
Kim Jae-Beoms head faltered. Seo Ah-Young ced her hand on his shoulder and tly spoke.
Keep your eyes open. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam....... (Kim Jae-Beom)
If something happens, you call me right away. And make sure to confirm the emergency hotlines, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam....... (Kim Jae-Beom)
Choi Jung-Hoon dazedly stared at this unfolding spectacle, before vehemently opposing it.
Tomorrow?! What do you mean, tomorrow?! You know how ridiculous the amount of work I need to go through is, yet how can you say I should take a day off tomorrow?? Even if the sky copses on itself, I wont be able to finish these by the end of today!! Im not going! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After seeing Choi Jung-Hoons resolutely determined attitude, Seo Ah-Young wordlessly shifted her gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt tell why she was staring at him. She quietly walked over and whispered in his ear.
Hes got a lot of work. (Seo Ah-Young)
Okay. So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why would he have so much work? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, thats because there are lots of things to be taken care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why does he have to be the only one to do that? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Uh?
Right, thats wrong, isnt it?
If theres a lot of work, then the number of workers should increase, no? Why should the original worker be subjected to more pain and suffering? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And, well, didnt you, you know, thest time? (Seo Ah-Young)
When Seo Ah-Young said that, a vein popped up on Yi Ji-Hyuks forehead.
Ah, right. Ipletely forgot about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hold on for a second. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked over to Kim Jae-Beom and asked for something. He got a phone number, and called it right away.
***
H-mm....
A certain man in the prime of his life was enjoying the warmth of thezy afternoon sunlight in his office with a piping hot cup of coffee in his hand.
His slightly-ash-grey hair and a face with just enough wrinkles brought a certain dignified air about him.
An afternoon of an astute politician would always be busy, but it could also be rather peaceful, as well.
Well, I should....
Since he had to meet the President and make a report, he should start preparing.....
Ringggg....
It was then, his smartphone suddenly went off, and the politician frowned in displeasure.
There shouldnt be any direct callsing at this time of the day....
If it was someone who didnt know him, they wouldnt call him to begin with; those who knew him wouldnt deliberately try to disrupt his tea time, either.
Who could it be....?
He was none other the Foreign Minister, Hah Dae-Seong. He stared at the screen of his phone with irritation and a bit of anger, before his head tilted to the side. (TL: the author made a mistake with the Foreign Ministers name. Its supposed to be Hah Dae-Seok, but here, its Hah Dae-Seong. Ill TL ording to whats in the raw.)
I dont know this number.... (Hah Dae-Seong)
He could just drop the call, but something didnt feel right.
H-mm....
Hah Dae-Seok tapped the Answer icon and brought the phone closer to his ears.
Who is this? (Hah Dae-Seong)
C Hi, Minister ahjussi.
....Minister ahjussi?
Which crazy buffoon would greet so sloppily a government minister of a country like this?! Unless it was some random elementary school kid giving him a prank call after somehow getting a hold of this number!
Hah Dae-Seong was about to explode in irritation and hang up, but then, a certain ominous feeling brushed past his brain.
....Could it be?
W-who is this? (Hah Dae-Seong)
C Its Yi Ji-Hyuk speaking.
Heeeiiick?! (Hah Dae-Seong)
Having received Yi Ji-Hyuks call totally out of the blue, South Koreas Foreign Minister Hah Dae-Seong felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach.
Why! Why was his calling?! Why!
W-why are you calling me? (Hah Dae-Seon)
C I thought I definitely had asked you to resolve the situation this side, but it looks like nothings been done yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah Dae-Seong squeezed his eyes shut.
What should he do about this crazy as*hole??
It seems that youre not aware of it yet, but arge organisation usually moves slowly like this. Even if I issued a directive, itll need some time for everything to get processed. And also, although I am a minister, I still dont have the power to change the workings of a government to my whims overnight..... (Hah Dae-Seong)
C Where are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
C Im asking you, where are you currently? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Why do you wanna know that now?! (Hah Dae-Seongs inner monologue)
C No, hang on a minute. You should still be at the Foreign Ministry. Wait for me there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm?? Mm?! Wha-what are you doing? Whats going on here?! (Hah Dae-Seong)
C Since you dont wanna listen, Im going there personally to talk to you face to face, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no! Wait! Dont do that! I havepletely understood you, and I can definitely exin this! Im being honest! So, please, just hold on for a minute there! (Hah Dae-Seong)
Stop it, you, you.... crazy b*stard!!
Donte over here!
Do note!!!! (Hah Dae-Seongs inner monologue)
C Huh, but nothings been resolved as far as I can see, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill definitely take care of it!! Ill do it right now, so calm down, please! R-right, what do you need? Tell me, what do you need from me right now?? (Hah Dae-Seong)
C Huh. Uhm, well, hang on a sec. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It sounded like there was a conversation taking ce, before someone else spoke through the phone.
C Pardon me, sir. This is Choi Jung-Hoon speaking.
This son of a b*tch..... (Hah Dae-Seong)
The old saying went that one would feel even more hatred towards the sister-inw smiling on the side, rather than at the incessantly berating mother-inw C currently, Hah Dae-Seong was getting angrier at Choi Jung-Hoon instead of Yi Ji-Hyuk, for some reason.
Okay, so what is that you need? (Hah Dae-Seong)
C First of all, Id like to apologise for calling you in such a manner. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Get the f*ck out of here, you scumbag!!
If youre really feeling that way, then dont worsen the situation to this degree!!
Yes, I was the moronic one, marching straight into that hell, thinking that I could control that man. (Hah Dae-Seongs inner monologue)
Now that his thoughts arrived at this ce, Hah Dae-Seongs hatred against Choi Jung-Hoon had lessened somewhat.
Well, he was sitting here, only receiving Yi Ji-Hyuks phone call after a long while, but Choi Jung-Hoon had to stick right by that crazy b*stards side all the time and be on the receiving end of the constant abuse.
....Okay, so what is it that you need? (Hah Dae-Seong)
C First of all, well be vacating the premises tomorrow due to an emergency, so we need additional manpower to sub for us. Also, we need more than five additional full-time agents with a clearance grade higher than 5 who can at least manage the paperwork here. Oh, and finally, the current allocation of budget for our department is far too miniscule. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Funds and manpower, is it.... (Hah Dae-Seong)
C Oh, and then.... Well, were located on the far outskirts, so its a bit cumbersome to eat a proper meal here as well. We wish to build a cafeteria here, so please grant us the necessary budget and the manpower for that. Thats an issue of employees wellbeing.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hey, you said youre sorry, didnt you? You son of a b*tch!!
Is that something someone feeling apologetic should ask for? Restaurants are far away, so you wanna build one nearby?! (Hah Dae-Seong)
Hah Dae-Seong was further subjected to more demands after that. He spoke up while fatigue washed up over him.
Are they everything you want from me? (Hah Dae-Seong)
C These are simply the matters we requested from you thest time. However, a few more urgent matters have cropped up in the meantime, and so...... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What an immoral b*stard!!
Lessening of hatred, my foot!!
As soon as the matters with Yi Ji-Hyuk get resolved one way or the other, Ill make sure that you find yourself sent to an uninhabited ind all alone!! (Hah Dae-Seongs inner monologue)
However, you know as well as I do that all those matters cant be taken care of in one day. I need to request assistance from the defence ministry first, and since the NDF is a branch of the Presidency, I need to make a report upstairs, too..... (Hah Dae-Seong)
C ....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wants the phone back, sir. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Tell him that everything will be sorted out. For real! Definitely before the end of today!! (Hah Dae-Seong)
C Well, in that case, Ill take your word for it and hang up. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Groan....
Hah Dae-Seong angrily shut the phone off. He stood up from his seat and loudly shouted out.
Vice Minister!!! Tell the Vice Minister toe and see me!! Right now! (Hah Dae-Seong)
The secretary waiting on the outside of the office let out a loud audible reply and hurriedly moved his a*s.
I wont die peacefully at this rate.... (Hah Dae-Seong)
Hah Dae-Seong plopped down on his seat. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.
He tried pretty hard not to smoke indoors, but he couldnt help it, with what had transpired just now and all.
Sure, its the most prosperous period in the history of South Korea, but.... (Hah Dae-Seong)
Ever since the founding of this nation.....
No, even when looking through the entire history, no other previous nation establishing itself in the Korean penins would have enjoyed such an unprecedented power.
Just how satisfied did he feel whenever he answered all those very polite phone callsing from the American diplomats?
But then, why oh why..... (Hah Dae-Seong)
Hah Dae-Seong rubbed his eyes with his thick fingers.
And the wise old they said that ill fortune would always apany the good omen....
Who wouldve thought that both the ill fortune and good omen just so happened to be in the shape of one man?
Uh-whew......
Hah Dae-Seong spat out a long sigh that embodied his sorry state.
And now, there was one more person in this world who had finallye to a realisation that being mixed up in Yi Ji-Hyuks matters would only make his life very, very arduous.
< 153. So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement -3 > Fin.
Chapter 154: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (4)
Chapter 154: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (4)
(TL: Partially edited.)
In front of the NDF building.
....Where are we going again?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly asked.
Okay, so, where did she say it was? Did I hear it correctly or not?
Without a doubt, it was Yi Ji-Hyuk himself who talked about going to a theme park. But the kind of a theme park he had in mind was something like.... the one in Yongin, kinda like that. (TL note at the end)
However, what the hell?
In America?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, in America. (Seo Ah-Young)
You wanna go to a theme park in America??? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Is there something wrong? Thats where youll find the worlds best theme park, so quite obviously, we should go there if we want to have fun, dont you think so? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dumbfoundedly stared at Seo Ah-Young.
She was nning to go the United States of freaking America just for a fun day out at a theme park. Just what kinda bullsh*t notion was this?
What a bizarre notion, that.
Indeed, it was a bizarre notion, but....
Yi Ji-Hyuks stare shifted to Jeong Hae-Min decked out in a bright dress standing next to Seo Ah-Young.
Well, as long as shes here, its not bizarre at all, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reason why most Koreans wouldnt think of having a day out in America was because of the transport costs, as well as the time needed to get there. But, with Jeong Hae-Min around, both of those issues were addressed in full, so was there a reason not to go?
Yup, as expected of a teleporter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a tremendously wide variety of usages she had.
No matter the destination, he was going to utilise the services of the shuttle Jeong Hae-Min. So, who cared about distance and all that?
Okay, fine. So, are we ready to go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, looks like everyones here, doesnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk narrowed his eyes and scanned his surroundings.
Never mind the blindingly beautiful Seo Ah-Young kitted out in a ck skirt and a cardigan thrown over her white shirt, just what was up with Doh Gah-Yuns attire??
Was that supposed to be her putting in some effort to look more presentable?
....Hey, who dressed her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began ring in annoyance.
That kid wasnt some preschooler going on a field trip, so how could anyone force her to wear that frilly dress??
It was me! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began smiling brightly as if she was expecting to be praised or some such, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to slowly shake his head. He then looked at Jeong Hae-Min.
Now that was an excellent sense of fashion.
Pleasantly in, as befitting a celeb; she was a walking showcase of brand name clothes that at once seemed like she just threw on whatever she could find in the closet, but at the same time, there was just a subtle hint of her coordinating her clothes just right.
Hey, will you do something about that girls appearance? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min checked Doh Gah-Yuns status and spat out a long sigh. She then grabbed the hand of the younger girl and dragged her away.
No, hang on a minute. Confirm the hous....
Even before he could finish, a van suddenly drove up from the far corner of the street and stopped in front of Jeong Hae-Min.
*SFX for the vans side door sliding open*
The side door of the van opened, and everyone could see rows of clothes in there.
Wait for a minute. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min dragged Doh Gah-Yun into the van, and closed the door shut.
..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue as he witnessed that scene.
Sure, she might be a celebrity and all, but why would she feel the need to carry around extra clothes in a separate vehicle?
Oh, well. She was a celeb, after all...
...Eh? Hold up! Shes a teleporter!
If she needs a change of clothes, she can just teleport to her own house or the closet, cant she?!
If she cant make up her mind, then she can just teleport around with her coordinator, so is there a reason to really have a van full of clothes like that?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Not one person here is sane. Not even one! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head helplessly and shifted his gaze over to the rest.
Kim Dah-Som was kitted out like the usual, simple and easy to move around, and as for Kim Dah-Hyun standing next to her....
Whats up with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Why are you even here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My little sister is going, so I must go, as well. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
What does your sister going have to do with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, an oppa must chaperone her little sister wherever she goes. (Kim Dah-Som)
...................
Yup, even this guy was beyond help.
Now that Yi Ji-Hyuk thought about it, it wasnt just the females around him who were a bit insane. Even the men surrounding him all had misced a few screws in their heads, too.
At least, there was one silver lining here and that would be....
Behold.
That wondrous appearance.
Keuh....
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Choi Jung-Hoon and spat out a sigh of admiration.
Choi Jung-Hoon had escaped from his usual look of the regent hairstyle and the slick business suit. He now wore a simple sweater and a pair of blue jeans, plus he let his hair down, too. He just exuded a different aura altogether now.
If the Choi Jung-Hoon of everyday emitted a sharp, sword-like aura of an elite, then the current him would be.....
....The walking, talking ikemen?
For some reason, it felt like the sun would shine down on a cloudy day and rain would stop falling if he opened his mouth to speak.
That was why Yi Ji-Hyuk could only sigh in appreciation.
There were plenty of handsome men back in Berafe. If one were only to judge with the facial features and nothing else, then Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt beautiful enough to be on their level.
If one were to be honest about it, then Kim Dah-Hyun was better looking than Choi Jung-Hoon, even.
However, Choi Jung-Hoon had this innate maic charm that attracted other people.
If he was born in the past, hed either have be a king, or the worst traitor in history.
Indeed, that man was born with a sky-high natural charm.
He didnt make enemies that easily, and his ability to make others think of him as a good person was not something any old regr Joe could possess.
Heck, even Yi Ji-Hyuk viewed Choi Jung-Hoon in positive light, didnt he?
It must be my first time seeing you in casual clothes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly, Im not really used to this. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled wryly and took a look at himself.
It felt like his awkwardness was increasing by several folds when he felt his hair flowing down instead of swept back in the regent style.
Is this everyone? (Seo Ah-Young)
When Seo Ah-Young asked, Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
My family hasnt shown up yet! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You didnte with them? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began shuddering from barely-checked frustration.
They went on and on about women needing time to prepare and some rubbish like that, and wasted his time. So, he only asked them to hurry up a bit, but then, he got branded as an unsophisticated country bumpkin and got chased out of his own home.
I didnt return home to be treated like this, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Seo Ah-Young)
.......Never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The womans mind was a mystery, indeed.
He had met so many women in over a thousand years of his life, yet no matter where and when, it seemed like their heads were still an unholy mess of confusion, a world of chaos, and a void full of dangerous maelstrom.
*SFX for the vans side door sliding open*
It was then, the door of the van slid open, and Jeong Hae-Min emerged outside looking all triumphant and the like.
Ta-da!
In the direction Jeong Hae-Mins over-the-top gesture was pointing at, Doh Gah-Yun was walking out of the van, looking somewhat awkward.
H-mm?
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Doh Gah-Yun, his hand wrapped around his chin.
The kid wore monotone clothes most of the time, but with a bit of colour injection, her looks seemed to havee alive now.
Very good. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon dered as so, everyone nodded their heads, with the sole exception of Yi Ji-Hyuk. He was too busy staring at Seo Ah-Young with an expressionless face, that was why.
What now?! (Seo Ah-Young)
You can still run your mouth after nearly scarring a child for the rest of her life like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I did my best, you know! (Seo Ah-Young)
....Not everything requires your so-called best. Wake up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keuk!!
Struck hard by the truth of life, Seo Ah-Young began faltering on her feet. That man knew how to say something one just couldnt retort against.
Hey, shorty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont call me shorty!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min shouted back, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply dug his ear canals nonchntly and roundly ignored her protest.
Go to my house and fetch my family, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You mean, me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Who else is there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.....
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head, and went Poof! from the spot. Shortly thereafter, she reappeared again, this time apanied by Park Seon-Duk and Yi Ye-Won.
Wee. (Seo Ah-Young)
Nice to see you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Since Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon were familiar with Yi Ji-Hyuks family members, the duo greeted them first.
Oh my goodness, its been a while. (mom)
Hello there. (Ye-Won)
Unlike Park Seon-Duk, whose greeting sounded good-natured and warm, Yi Ye-Won greeted the duo cautiously as if she was feeling a bit shy.
I heard that it was an employees-only day out, so thank you for inviting us as well. (mom)
Park Seon-Suk spoke while bowing her head, causing Seo Ah-young to form an awkward smile as she bowed back.
She said invited.
Technically speaking, it was Seo Ah-Young who decided to insert herself in the first ce. So, when thatdy said such things, it felt like her conscience was being poked by a sharp stick.
Well, it suuuure is nice to go together, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young sensed Yi Ji-Hyuks criticising re stabbing into her back and cold sweat drops formed on her forehead.
Now that everyones here, lets get going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head after Yi Ji-Hyuk voiced his opinion. She then told everyone to hold the hand of the person next to them.
Make sure to never let go. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes~.
However, for some reason, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt immediately hold Jeong Hae-Mins hand, and instead, stood there pondering.
Whats wrong? (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, well, its like..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk searched through his pockets and then, tilted his head.
Ive got my phone, my wallets here, and I checked everything, but... But, its like, Im kinda worried about something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If something does go wrong, we can just teleport back, so lets get going already. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk grasped Jeong Hae-Mins hand, they all disappeared from the spot, leaving only the empty street behind.
A lone man then suddenly appeared in this empty street and took a look at the front of the NDF building with no one standing there. He slowly fell on his knees.
What, what about me...... (dad)
Dad could only shed a tear of sorrow as he was left abandoned today as well.
*
Wow!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min eximed loudly as she stared at the spectacle in front of her eyes.
Look! Look over there!! Its a huge castle!! Its so big!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ahh, sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And that mascot over there is so cuuute, too! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its just a rat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And that mascot! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just a duckling. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What about that one, then? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its a just bitc..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: the joke here revolves around Korean wordy which obviously cant be TLed into English. I tried, tho....)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shut his mouth up real quickly, perhaps realising that he shouldnt finish his sentence.
A theme park stretching as far as eyes could see. Yi Ji-Hyuk was truly impressed by this overwhelming spectacle.
Wow. Its really big. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Close your mouth. You sound so unsophisticated. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, so you came here before, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, thats so pretty, isnt it? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Would you look at her quickly changing the topic?
Yi Ji-Hyuks narrowed eyes red at her, but Jeong Hae-Min did not look back.
Mm, so. Peoplee here to have fun, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup. (Jeong Hae-Min)
So, like, what are we supposed to do here for fun, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Hey, youre the one who wanted to go to a theme park, so why are you asking us for that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Seo Ah-Young and asked.
Okay, so. What should we do now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its my first timeing to a ce like this, so dont ask me. (Seo Ah-Young)
At Seo Ah-Youngs confident, straightforward reply, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only click his tongue and turn his head elsewhere.
Anyone here who hase to a theme park before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
No one replied back.
What a pathetic bunch.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue again, while his group lowered their heads in embarrassment. To be treated so disdainfully by Yi Ji-Hyuk, how shameful was this?
What about you, then?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nope, never. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, what are you so proud about?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk puffed out his chest.
Im always proud. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Sure thing. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly took control of the situation.
For the time being, lets go inside. Well just have a go on the various attractions and rides. That should be fine, dont you think so? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Okay, lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took to the front and began walking, and the others followed after him.
*
So, this is the ce, then. (Alpha)
Alpha smiled slightly as he stared at the massive amusement park. He was holding a certain small artefact Beltreche gave to him earlier.
Now, lets see. (Alpha)
He chose a suitable spot, and ced this artefact down on the ground.
And then.... (Alpha)
He then began injecting the dark Mana he received from the demons into the marble-like artefact.
Heuph!
This process was body-shudderingly painful, but Alpha didnt even blink once and endured it. This dark Mana thing was a dangerous power indeed, but that was precisely the reason why it was so valuable.
Also, he heard that this was the source of Yi Ji-Hyuks strength, so it was definitely worth researching, too.
Vrrrrrr!!
The artefact began vibrating as soon as it epted the dark Mana from Alpha. And a small Gate slowly formed in the air.
Hmm....
Alpha stared at that small Gate and tilted his head.
Looking at that basketball-sized Gate, he wondered what a small thing like that could even do.
Beltreche sneered derisively at the methods that had been employed until now, and gave Alpha this artefact, so it should possess some sort of a special effect, but then again, he couldnt really tell what that could be.
Oh, well. At least he finished his task, so that was that.
Alpha was about to leave, but his steps came to an abrupt halt. He took another look at that Gate.
Something was emerging out from the Gate.
There were sounds of vibrations, and noises of buzzing.
And when that something finally popped out of the Gate, Alpha could only chuckle in dumbfoundedness.
Well, definitely, this would.... be quite effective.
It was really hard to tell what the ns of those demons were, but he couldnt deny the effectiveness of it. Alpha recalled the sight of demons while looking at that Gate, and slowly turned around.
Its going to get amusing, for sure.
Alphas gaze was now directed towards the amusement park.
He wasnt even trying to target that man, but well, what an opportune timing this was.
Indeed, very amusing.
The corners of Alphas lips arched up.
< 154. So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement -4 > Fin.
(TL: theres a theme park in the city of Yongin called Evend. Fun fact C this ce used to be called Yongin Agricultural Theme Park when it opened its doors in 1976. Its also thergest in South Korea, and ranked 16th in the world in 2014. Finally, its run by Samsung. Yep, that Samsung.)
Chapter 155: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (5)
Chapter 155: So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (5)
You want to divide the group into two? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
At Yi Ji-Hyuks suggestion, Choi Jung-Hoon tilted his head.
There were many different ways to have fun in an amusement park, but was there a need to divide the group? There werent that many in the group to begin with C only around ten people or so.
Well, that makes having fun easier. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont quite understand why that makes having fun easier, though? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Because, it just makes having fun easier. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I think.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That. Makes. Having. Fun. Easier. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes, dividing the group sounds like a good idea. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sessfully making Choi Jung-Hoon admit defeat, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head triumphantly. Finding this scene not to her liking, Seo Ah-Young asked a question in a testy voice.
Okay, so how will we divide the group, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
First of all, we separate the normal people from the ability users. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk confidently dered so, Seo Ah-Young also confidently tried to trip him up.
Why? Why should we split up like that?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Youre asking me about a blindingly obvious thing. Ability usersck a sense of danger. You can extract yourselves out no matter where and when or the type of incident facing you. Which means, when riding the same type of attraction as others, you wont feel any thrill at all. So, if both the normal people and ability users go around together, trying to choose what to ride will be too annoyinglyplicated! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Now rendered speechless, Seo Ah-Young could only stare nkly at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
This man wasnt supposed to be able to argue his point so logically!
Just as Seo Ah-Young was getting shocked from Yi Ji-Hyuks sensible reply, Kim Dah-Hyun was desperately voicing his dissent.
B-but! The group will be unevenly divided if you do that! Look! There are only four normal people here! And as for us the ability users, we got Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, Director Seo Ah-Young, Miss Jeong Hae-Min, Miss Doh Gah-Yun, and myself! Five people! Its four against five! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....That sounds about right to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah, it does, doesnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Uh? Thats weird. Shouldnt there be one more person here?
Wait, wheres Miss Affeldrichae? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun fell into a momentary panic. But such a minor thing wouldnt faze him at all.
However! It might get dangerous if there are only normal people in the group! So, an ability user who can control the situation should apany them! Yes, thats right! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
What could possibly be dangerous inside an amusement park?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Like, for instance! What if those mascots go crazy and start attacking people? How can you be so sure that nothing dangerous will happen here? What if she gets injured?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long groan and spoke up.
Hey, Dah-Hyun-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Being a siscon is an illness. You should go see a doctor. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-whos a siscon here?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted audibly.
Yup, thats an illness, alright.
After being subjected to all that mental abuse at her hands, you instinctively have a seizure whenever your little sister is mentioned, yet you still like her that much? What a weird personality you got there. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh, so. You want to go around with your little sister, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Kim Dah-Hyun as if he was looking at a disgusting insect, prompting thetter to lower his head, depressed.
What the hell, this crazy buffoon.
You came this far, yet you wanna stick around your little sister? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Something like that was unimaginable to a sane-minded person. If someone told Yi Ji-Hyuk to stick around Yi Ye-Won and enjoy his day, he wouldve just vomited blood and copsed on the spot.
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Ye-Won, standing in a corner with a prim expression on her face, and slowly shook his head.
Even the top celeb in Korea would be no better than just a regr schmuck in her eyes!
Yup, its an illness. A bloody illness. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out another groan while looking at Kim Dah-Hyun.
However, I do think that an ability user apanying us is a good idea. Well, theres nothing wrong with being cautious, is there? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As soon as Choi Jung-Hoon sided with him, Kim Dah-Hyun stared at the former with deeply grateful eyes.
As expected of Mister Choi Jung-Hoon! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
As expected of the sole man of virtue in the NDF!!
M-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk deliberated on the matter for a short while, before nodding his head.
Indeed, that wasnt bad idea at all.
Well, in that case, sure. But..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at Kim Dah-Hyun.
Hes definitely rejected. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah?! But, why not??? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue and spoke.
Because youre the kind of guy who would only look after your sister and no one else if something happens. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Agreed. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After Choi Jung-Hoon readily agreed, Kim Dah-Hyun crumbled on the spot. He was looked down on by the NDFs only virtuous man.
Choi Jung-Hoon looked at Kim Dah-Hyun sprawled on the ground and decisively turned his head away, before throwing out a question.
In that case, who will apany us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Me. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm?
Even before the choice could be made, someone raised her hand up. Since this was quite unexpected, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head immediately.
You? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Everything will be fine if I go. (Seo Ah-Young)
H-mm....
It was Seo Ah-Young who had raised her hand. Indeed, if she was to go, hed be at ease.
Her abilities were excellent, her rank was high, and quite unexpectedly, her sense of duty was strong, to boot. And, in the event of an emergency, a tall pir of mes would shoot up in the air. So, confirming the situation should be easy as well.
Arguably, she was the best candidate for the job, but.... Why was this woman volunteering here?
Whats gotten into you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, no one else would want to go in the first ce. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh?
Seo Ah-Young spat out a sigh.
Doh Gah-Yun, Jeong Hae-Min, Kim Dah-Hyun and Yi Ji-Hyuk. Finally, Seo Ah-Young. Five.
Among them, Kim Dah-Hyun already had been rejected. Both Doh Gah-Yun and Jeong Hae-Min would prefer to hang around Yi Ji-Hyuk, so that left Seo Ah-Young. She had no choice but to go.
Those two might infuriate her with their antics, but in the end, both of them were her unni and little sister that she both liked.
But wait. Am I doing the right thing here? (Seo Ah-Young)
Wouldnt forcibly separating those two from Yi Ji-Hyuk actually be more helpful, instead?
While Seo Ah-Young was seriously contemting the grim reality of the situation involving her unni and little sister, there was another kid reaching out to grasp her hand.
Ng?
That gentle, yet strong hand surprised Seo Ah-Young somewhat, so she raised her head to take a look. And she found Kim Dah-Som tightly holding her hand.
M-mm??
You shouldnt do this and tell me what you..... (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Ah......
No, wait.
This unni can tell whats on your mind.
Right. Since it turned out this way, lets just swap them. (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Mister Kim Dah-Hyun. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes?
You said you wanted to join this side, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. Of course. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Well, then. Come join us. But, no regretting itter, okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
No need to mention that, maam!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head and continued on.
Mister Kim Dah-Hyun will swap ces with Dah-Som. (Seo Ah-Young)
What?! What are you talking about?! Then, theres no reason for me to.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
GRAB!
Kim Dah-Hyun felt a slender hand shooting out from behind him to cover his mouth, so he stopped yapping right there and then. He instantly pictured the scene in his head what would happen to him if he uttered out the rest of his sentence.
....Okay, Ill go. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Very good. (Seo Ah-Young)
And so, the two groups had been decided.
Yi Ji-Hyuk approached Choi Jung-Hoon and spoke in a meaningful, friendly manner.
Please take good care of my little sister and my mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....I think you personally looking after them sounds a billion times more reassuring, though? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im counting on you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ill do my best. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and lightly tapped Choi Jung-Hoon on the shoulder.
The journey of thousand miles started with the first step.
As they went about the day like this, ahjussi would soon be oppa, and oppa would change to dear, and then.... dear would transform into my childs father.
By the way, why does it feel like somethings busy pricking the corner of my conscience? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Ah, so I still had some left. Huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope. Its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk barely managed to step on and suppress his conscience that was busy crying out Im still alive down here!! and shook his head.
Well, then. See youter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to leave first, which prompted Jeong Hae-Min, Doh Gah-Yun, and Kim Dah-Som to follow him.
Will they be alright? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I wonder. (mom)
Something didnt quite feel right about thatbination, but well, nothing much would happen anyway. Park Seon-Duk thought to herself and slowly opened her mouth.
Well, in that case. Should we get going as well? (mom)
Ah, yes. Where should we go first? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For the time being, why dont we take a look around first? (mom)
Well, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon walked forward as if he was taking the lead, Park Seon-Duk sneakily pushed Yi Ye-Won right next to his side. Now that the duo found themselves walking together, Park Seon-Duks eyes began gleaming quite dangerously.
Seo Ah-Young immediately picked up on an ominous aura, and quickly looked to her side. It was here that she discovered Park Seon-Duk with a motherly smile on her face.
What could this be? (Seo Ah-Young)
....The meaning behind her anxiety?
*
So, what should we do for fun? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min jumped up and down like a middle schooler who had nevere to an amusement park before.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
Arent you surprisingly full of energy, especially for your age. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
D-do not talk about peoples ages!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Doesnt your joints hurt? I heard they ache when theres some rain about, but is that true? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
NO!! Ive never felt anything like that before! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk swept his suspicious gaze all over Jeong Hae-Min, before nodding his head.
Yeah, thats a definite possibility. I mean, youre still growing up and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im fully grown up!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Liar! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh....
While Jeong Hae-Min was reeling from the pain inflicted by his straight hook digging deep into her lower tummy, Kim Dah-Som lightly grasped Yi Ji-Hyuks arm and pointed towards something.
How about that one? (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spotted a giant roller-coaster.
What? Hey, you enjoy stuff like those? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Thats a surprise.
Shes normally a quiet child so I expected her to enjoy something like a carousel or some such. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Sure thing. Well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had no preference towards any of these amusement park attractions. Well, he had no reason to. From Yi Ji-Hyuks point of view, there was not much difference to riding a dodgem or an aerone.
People would derive thrill from the apanying danger of certain activities, but from the get-go, he didnt feel endangered in any shape or form anyway, so he wouldnt find them that much fun.
Okay, lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before he could take another step, though, Doh Gah-Yun grabbed his arm.
Mm?
Shake, shake.
You dont want to ride it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Why? You scared? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Doh Gah-Yun with a confused expression on his face.
Shes scared?
What the hell? How can an ability user be scared of riding on something like that and expect to do her job??
You fight against monsters everyday, yet you are scared of a measly roller-coaster?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Youre not making things up, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shake, shake.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Doh Gah-Yun with a face full of barely-checked anguish.
Was this girl the same person who toyed around with many, many Drakes back when they were fighting against the Zombie Dragon? Like, waaaay up in the sky while jumping around on small footholds created by Affeldrichae?
A girl who managed to deal with a situation where a single misstep wouldve resulted in her looking like a pancake, is scared of a roller coaster ride?
Howe? Why are you scared? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun raised her hands and began pointing from her shoulders and down to her chest.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Safety restraint. Cant escape. Impossible to respond in case of derailment. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Oh.....
So, like, the safety restraints would hold her down too tightly and she wouldnt be able to get out from that. And when an ident happens while shes like that, she cant use her strength to break free, and thats what scares her? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Well, her fear makes sense, then.
I mean, her physical strength hasnt been enhanced at all, so it makes sense for her to feel not safe. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And so....
One wanted to ride. The other one didnt. What was he supposed to do here?
What are you going to do now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When Jeong Hae-Min questioned him, Yi Ji-Hyuk answered in what he thought was the bestpromise anyone coulde up with.
Forget it. Lets go eat food instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Hey, that doesnt sound so bad, (Jeong Hae-Min)
Agreed. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Me too. (Kim Dah-Som)
Snorting in excitement, Jeong Hae-Min pointed in a certain direction.
Lets go over there! I heard that they sell pizzas shaped like their mascots! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Is it fun to rip apart and chew on the face of a mouse? Just how far will humanity fall? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Please stop. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Because, this tales supposed to be an adorable one, you know!
So, stop interpreting it that way! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
While Jeong Hae-Min was dragging the continuouslyining Yi Ji-Hyuk towards the food cart in question, there was a pair of eyes watching them from a distance.
*
Groan....
Christopher McLarens face was full of anxiety as he stared into the pair of binocrs.
Donte here for your day off!! (Christopher McLaren)
As if he wanted to literally shoot mes out of his mouth, he roared at the top of his lungs.
If they wanted to have some fun, why didnt they stay in their own dang country? Why did they have toe to other peoples backyard like this??
That man, Yi Ji-Hyuk, was someone they had to designate as the special surveince target. Not only that, he was a walking, talking nuclear bomb, so they simply had to keep their eyes on him at all times.
God d*mn it!! (Christopher McLaren)
Through the binocrs, Christopher McLaren could see Yi Ji-Hyuk biting into a slice of pizza shaped like the face of a certain famous mouse, which was supposedly the definite proof of humanitys continued decline.
Director!!
What now! (Christopher McLaren)
A report just came in! You need to hear this, sir!!
Tell them Im busy! (Christopher McLaren)
Sir. You really need to confirm this for yourself.
....What was that? (Christopher McLaren)
Theplexion of the subordinate making that report was as pale as a sheet of white paper. Sensing that something bad had happened, Christopher McLaren stood up from his spot.
What happened? (Christopher McLaren)
< 155. So, I shall allow a little bit of amusement (5) > Fin.
Chapter 156: However, is that a good thing? (1)
Chapter 156: However, is that a good thing? (1)
Okay, so what is it that you want?
An old man with his snow-white hair neatlybed back was steadily staring at a certain female standing in front of him.
Her brilliant hair looked as if liquid gold cascading down. Below that, the light in her eyes that seemed to steal away ones soul, as well as those golden eyes that might suck it away.
A nose sharp enough to cut, and a pair of harmoniously-designed red lips that seemed to be at odds with said nose.
A pale smooth skin with not one speck of blemish on it.
A woman possessing an unparalleled beauty that made others think that she simply couldnt be a human being.
Well, she isnt a human, so there.
The old man knew very well who this woman was. Her real identity was a Dragon.
Indeed, she was the legendary fantastical creature that everyone thought of as a myth only until recently.
Of course, none had yet to see her real body, but from what she had disyed so far, and how she had carried herself until now, anyone could tell that she was definitely not a human.
Acknowledgement, and preparation. (Affeldrichae)
I dont understand what you mean....?
Affeldrichae looked down at the old man with an arrogant expression.
It is cumbersome to converse with creatures that possess lower intelligence. (Affeldrichae)
....My apologies.
What she said was incredibly rude, but the old man didnt disy any hint of feeling incensed or unhappy.
If her assertion was true, then she would have felt as if she was initiating a conversation with a puppy. And as an existence on the level of an immature dog, one should be grateful for her at least trying, and not feel p*ssed off about it.
I know that much, but.....
Even then, there was not much this old man could do about this emotion boiling deep inside the pit of his stomach.
It is as I said, oh human. This world is being invaded by the denizens of other dimensions. There are several different dimensions attacking you, and you will have to continuously fight on many different fronts. However, the most pressing matter is.... the Gates are progressively gettingrger. (Affeldrichae)
Just as you implied, there is a certain limit to my ability toprehend, so would you be kind enough to exin it in simpler terms?
Intelligent creatures will soon cross over. (Affeldrichae)
..............
The expression on the old mans face became grave.
Currently, they were simply fighting the monsters off.
When they invaded, humans beat them dead; the fight so far had stuck to that pretty simple mantra. However, if intelligent creatures managed to cross over?
Are they on the level of us holding a civilised conversation with them?
On the same level as the humans of this world, or even those exceeding that. (Affeldrichae)
M-mm.......
The old man spat out a groan.
If what she said was true, then the potential ripples from that would be devastating. Without a doubt, chaos would unfold everywhere.
Because, itd be exactly the same thing as the existences of extraterrestrial beings, the ones many tried so desperately to uncover over the years, being confirmed in the blink of an eye.
What do they want from us?
I do not control all of the dimensions existing out there. Therefore, I cant speak for what the popce of those worlds would want. However, there is only one thing that the intelligent creatures of my own realm wants. (Affeldrichae)
Then, can you tell me what that is?
Survival. (Affeldrichae)
.............
It is to keep surviving. (Affeldrichae)
Although she sounded as if she was just throwing some random words out without a care, the old man was trembling from the inexplicable weight those words carried.
And then, he shuddered one more time after figuring out their deeper meaning.
If beings of other worlds were crossing over with conquest or plunder in mind, then they would retreat once the situation was no longer in their favour. They would want to avoid getting harmed even further.
However, if the aim was to survive, then the story would drastically change.
Wouldnt they fight to the death if they found themselves in such a dire situation, like, believing that they no longer had a ce to call home anymore?
H-mm.....
The old man finally realised the weight of the words the Dragon had spoken.
And so, what should we do to counter that?
Preparation. (Affeldrichae)
Such as?
That will be for you to decide, oh human. Find the right answer for yourselves. Will you acknowledge them and ept them, or fight tooth and nail until only one of you stands tall? If none of those choices appeal to you, then seek out a third option. (Affeldrichae)
This is a difficult matter, indeed.
Im merely a messenger, not an adviser. Ive ryed everything I wished to say, and the future now will depend on you. (Affeldrichae)
Looks like Ill have to thank you.
Affeldrichae slowly shook her head.
Your words of gratitude are of no value to me. (Affeldrichae)
...........
Only then did the old man realise that this woman was being quite cordial towards him.
Even from the word go, she had openly looked down on him, making him feel that she was a rather arrogant person, but as it turned out, that wasnt the case.
To this existence, humans were no different than ants crawling by on the ground. So, what point was there to respect those ants, to begin with?
Her being arrogant was an obvious thing.
No, a human finding her arrogant was nothing more than that fool failing to recognise his own insignificance.
Now that he was facing a being far greater than a human for the first time in recorded history, the old man couldnt immediately figure out what was his position in this matter.
May I ask you one question?
Go ahead. (Affeldrichae)
Why are you, a powerful, great being, interested in someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk? From your perspective, isnt he a truly worthless existence?
Worthless? (Affeldrichae)
Yes. I.....
It was then, the old mans eyes saw something impossible.
A gigantic reptile suddenly opened its maws and tried to swallow him whole. That illusion instantly imnted itself in the old mans brain, before disappearing.
Heo-urk!!
The old man cried out in rm and toppled down to the floor of his office.
Pant, pant.....
Cold sweat rained down from his forehead, and his vision darkened. His hands and feet were shaking uncontrobly, and his body was screaming out in anguish.
He had seen it.
He had experienced his own death just now.
Death, that could never truly be experienced while one was still alive.
Oh, foolish human..... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes icy voice stabbed into the old mans ears.
The mental shock was simr to a sharp unknown something wing at his brain, and his body shook hard from the pain.
Oh, you arrogant human, you overestimate yourself. (Affeldrichae)
Fo-forgive.....
You humans always try to cross the line. Thats how humans are like, and I understand that what happened just now was not your fault. However, human. Oh, arrogant human. You have crossed a line that you should never have crossed. (Affeldrichae)
P-please!
He is not an existence that a mere human like you can pass judgement on. With his own two feet, he has climbed up from the lowest of all low to the highest of all high peaks. He is a man who was worshipped by every existence within a realm. Even the great gods must seek decorum when speaking to that person. Yet, a lowly creature such as yourself dares to speak ill of him? (Affeldrichae)
The old man had no idea what Affeldrichae was trying to say here.
However, he was sure of one thing.
A superior existence C an unquantifiable existence that could easily erase him off this world with a flick of her finger was getting really mad at him right now.
Tears began streaming down from the old mans eyes. Even his soul was quaking in fear.
P-please, forgive me!
Affeldrichae quietly red at the old man, before nodding her head.
Ignorance wasnt really a crime, and a crimemitted from ignorance certainly had some room for forgiveness.
More importantly, he himself wished to live like his past self in this world. The Bringer of Apocalypse wished to return to being a human.
He lived for a long, long time as something other than human. And from here onwards, he wanted to live like one. She had to respect his wishes.
Even if she didnt like it, and it twisted her inwards, but still.... Importantly, that was his will.
However.....
Affeldrichae let out a weak sigh after recalling the humans filling up the spaces around him.
An existences status changed ording to how it was acknowledged.
For instance, even though you were a microbe, if a superior existence treasured you, then youd no longer be seen as a simple microbe.
So, no matter how lowly a human being you were, if Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to form a rtionship with you and treasured you in his own way, then Affeldrichae didnt have a choice but to treat you as more than just a simple human.
Because, thats how rtionships worked.
However, is that a good thing? (Affeldrichae)
I beg your pardon?
I was just talking to myself. (Affeldrichae)
....Yes.
In order to not p*ss her off again, the old man did his absolute best to mind her moods.
Since she wasnt a human to begin with, he couldnt be sure of his analysis of her being right, but still, he thought that she looked somewhat ufortable.
He was right. Affeldrichae wasnt feeling okay at all.
Although it was his choice to stoop down to the current low level, the real problem from her point of view was that mans status was far too mighty to stoop so low.
It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that she possessed the right to lord over all creations back in Berafe, but even the mighty Lord of all Dragons wouldnt dare not to pay her respects to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
It wasnt only because he was powerful, though.
No, the basis for his greatness was the very fact that, he was once Berafes weakest creature, but he persevered and toiled hard, before eventually climbing up to the peak of that world.
Didnt his unyielding tenacity and spirit even make the gods acknowledge him?
However, such a man was.....
To Affeldrichaes shocked eyes, she regrly saw Yi Ji-Hyuk getting his back smashed in by Park Seon-Duk, and constantly get nagged on by Jeong Hae-Min.
Does he enjoy that? (Affeldrichae)
She might have spent a long time with him, but she still couldnt quite figure him out.
However, the important thing was, he wanted this. So, all Affeldrichae had to do here was to make sure everything was as painless as possible.
Looks like Ill have to leave. (Affeldrichae)
Of course.
Ive informed you on whats toe. How you deal with the future will depend on you. (Affeldrichae)
Ill take that to heart.
Affeldrichae threw an icy re at the old man once more, before going Poof!! from the spot and disappeared altogether.
Fuu-woo.....
The old man let out a long, long sigh as his eyes continued to stare at the empty spot where Affeldrichae had been standing only a moment ago.
My lifespan might decrease at this rate.
....Nope, it mustve been reduced by some already.
The sight of an old man who was shaking like a leaf only second ago was now gone, reced by a politician emitting the air of leisure and a certain incorruptibility.
Summon the Secretary of Defense first.
C Yes, Mister President.
While listening to the voice of his PAing in through the inte, the old man settled down deeply in his posh chair.
Intelligent beings.....
How should he go about dealing with this situation, then?
The old man massaged his pounding head and stared out of his window.
A certain g containing stars and stripes hanging on a white exterior wall filled up his view.
*
So, like.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared down at the pizza with an expression of a man who had chewed on sh*t.
....Were supposed to eat this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He shuddered in disgust at the pizza shaped like the face of this amusement parks official mascot.
Whats wrong? Isnt it cute? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins remarks caused Yi Ji-Hyuk to shake his head.
This was cute?
But, then again.... Humans readily ept the sight of a chicken mascot holding up a leg of a chicken while telling us to eat more chicken, so like, we can smile andugh while tearing into a face of a mouse, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eh?
You go to a steakhouse and youll find a cow mascot telling you to enjoy your steak with its wagging tail and all. When you go to a fried chicken joint, you see a chicken mascot holding up a chicken leg. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right. (Jeong Hae-Min)
If you think about it for a sec, isnt that like the creepiest thing ever? Isnt it like, I am, or my brethren all taste nice, so please eat us, something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......................
Jeong Hae-Min sensed her appetite suddenly disappearing.
You, you.... Your ideas are just too bizarre!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its you lot thats too bizarre! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
On one hand, he sounded logical, but on the other, not really.
In any case, you want to eat this thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan as he looked at various breads, pizzas and pies on disy that were shaped like several famous cartoon characters.
I just cant figure it out, man. Like, I just cant. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe, its really me whos the weird one?
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply couldnt understand the notion of This cartoon character is so adorable, why dont we make something in its image and eat it up?
Hey, you!!! Stop it!! Just stop! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins fierce resistance finally prompted Yi Ji-Hyuk to close his mouth.
Well, it was true that this whole thing had devolved into him whining over food on the table like a little kid, after all.
Still, isnt this way too weird?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shut up!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Groan......
After hearing what Yi Ji-Hyuk had to say, the looks on other peoples faces were also a bit.... weird now.
Before that man began running his mouth off, this was a lively and boisterous eating area, but now, the overall atmosphere in this ce had be rather strange.
By the way, isnt the mood in this ce a bit strange? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm?
After hearing Jeong Hae-Mins observation, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head around to look.
< 156. However, is that a good thing? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 157: However, is that a good thing? (2)
Chapter 157: However, is that a good thing? (2)
The mood? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, what was up with the mood?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Wasnt the atmosphere at an amusement park always like this? Like, everyone was noisy, unorganised, a bit chaotic and stuff like that.
Isnt it supposed to be like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Maybe it was because this was Jeong Hae-Min, who was rather adept at reading the crowd, she could tell that people around them seemed tenser than usual for some reason.
Well, you can just go ask them whats going on, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
As soon as she heard Yi Ji-Hyuks suggestion, Jeong Hae-Min began grinning like an idiot.
Why wouldnt she have done something so obvious already?
...........Im sure its nothing. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Cmon, go and ask. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well, I think I made a mistake. Im sure everythings fine! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After easily deciphering Jeong Hae-Mins somewhatplicated expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk began smirking.
Hey, its because you cant speak English, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....No, its not!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins face reddened considerably as she became very serious all of a sudden.
No, thats not true. I can speak perfectly, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Okay, then say something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if I do, you wont understand a thing, right? I dont wanna wound your pride and thats why Im not gonna say anything, so like, you better be grateful!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, sure. Your highness. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im, Im being serious, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted once and spoke up.
Never mind. Dont bother. I never expected a shorty to speak English in the first ce, anyway. Just grow up quickly and learn how to speak English. I can just ask other kids around me, and that would be that. Hey, if either of you know how to speak English, go and...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Almost at the same time as his words were leaving his lips, Kim Dah-Som began staring at the distant heavens above, while Doh Gah-Yun was submerging inside Yi Ji-Hyuks shadow.
Grab.
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed Doh Gah-Yun as she was about half-submerged in his shadow, and pulled her up as a sigh escaped from his mouth.
How did she even manage to buy the grub like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you, I spoke English and bought them just fine!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....Really now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Doh Gah-Yun quietly opened her mouth.
She went Dis, dis, dis. Hau much. (Doh Gah-Yun)
..............
..............
Doh Gah-Yun didnt stop there.
Relied on bodynguage. Need to learn properly. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Hah......
Yi Ji-Hyuk massaged his forehead.
She was nominally one of South Koreas top idols, so when thinking about how she had to resort to bodynguage while ordering food, a sigh automatically escaped from his mouth.
Tsk.
What? What?! As long as the other person gets it, who cares! You have no idea, but actually, those really fluent in Englishmunicate like that, you know!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I have no idea? Really now?
Hey, you dumb rotten little girl!! This old man is the bodynguage master!!
At least in this world, you know a bit of othernguages systems and receive education from early on! You see, me, I managed to converse with bodynguage alone during the time I was stuck in Berafe, when I couldnt understand a thing those people were saying!!
You think you can urately convey I need to go to a bathroom real quick, so can you tell me where to find one nearby with nothing but bodynguage? This great me did!!
Hah.....
Just thinking about those days brings tears to my eyes.
Those d*mn Berafe ba*stards!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was then, Kim Dah-Som came at him with a sneak attack.
Here. (Kim Dah-Som)
Mm?
Kim Dah-Som tore the ear part of the pizza, used a fork to pick it up, and brought it near Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
You want me to eat this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt think too much and ate the pizza piece.
Witnessing that spectacle, mes erupted in Jeong Hae-Mins eyes.
Completely disregarding her, Kim Dah-Som continued to observe Yi Ji-Hyuk chewing on the food, before swiftly bringing c to his lips.
Slllurp~
Why was she getting so ticked off by the sight of him sucking on his straw?! Jeong Hae-Min trembled in rage while being subjected to this scene, before angrily picking up a muffin.
However....
*SFX for something happening quite suddenly. Yes, theres an SFX in Korean for that, too.*
It was then, a spoon full of pudding was thrust before Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
*SFX for someone swallowing whole a spoonful of grub*
Again, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt think about it at all and ate the presented pudding. Doh Gah-Yun wordlessly watched him chew on her pudding, before mechanically shoving the rest of the dessert inside his mouth.
Hmm.....
Even in the midst of getting fed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was tilting his head slightly.
What is this?
What is happening here?
It feels like things keep entering my mouth..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In the past, he couldnt bother feeding himself, so he let his demonic servants feed him while hey in bed. That used to happen quite often, so almost out of habit, he epted what these girls were feeding him without resisting.
However....
No, hang on a minute.
These kids, arent they getting a bit too enthusiastic....?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Euh!
Jeong Hae-Min shot up from her spot and shoved the muffin in Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
Euph?! Euph!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was already well past the level of them feeding him anymore.
Doh Gah-Yun quietly observed the unfolding situation and managed to find enough of a gap to shove more pudding inside Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
It was truly an attack befitting Doh Gah-Yuns character that did not miss the slightest opening from her target. Which was his mouth.
............
Kim Dah-Soms expression hardened slightly, and then, the whole pizza began upying the front of his mouth now.
Wouhowoodaee Yheauwuha!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He desperately cried out, but his voice couldnt form any tangible words whatsoever and came across as just that, a cry.
You thirsty? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Ha-Min held a can of c and continued to look for an opening to strike; seeing her getting ready to pounce, Yi Ji-Hyuk desperately shook his head.
You must be thirsty, right? You have to be thirsty by now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
If all three cans of c entered his mouth, a truly humongous tragedy might unfold next. Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly got up from the chair and retreated further away from the table.
Aalm ooowoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since when did saying Calm down be this difficult?
Besides all that, whats gotten into them?!
Is this assassination?! Are they trying to assassinate me?
Suffocating me with food? Is that it?!
Is Seo Ah-Young the instigator behind this dastardly act?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I shall be the one to feed him, so you two can stop now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Denied. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Ill feed him, thank you. (Kim Dah-Som)
And now, three females no longer paid any attention to Yi Ji-Hyuk and began ring at each other. Meanwhile, he was focused wholeheartedly on chewing and swallowing the food filling up his mouth.
There were so much c**p inside his mouth, he couldnt even taste anything anymore. No, wait. Wasnt this mixture already on the level of dogfood?
Even when Yi Ji-Hyuk was trembling hard in humiliation, the three females continued with their war of nerves.
What were you thinking, shoving food like that? Cant you see hes having a hard time? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, I was the one who started feeding him first. (Kim Dah-Som)
Pudding, soft and moist. Muffin, hard and dry. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Jeong Hae-Min began trembling in barely-checked rage.
These rotten kids!! Why did they have toe here, too?!
By the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You, keep quiet for now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
No butting in. (Doh Gah-Yun)
We have matters to discuss. (Kim Dah-Som)
All three attacked him at the same time, but Yi Ji-Hyuk remained resolute.
No, hang on. Thats not it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you to pipe down! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Go that way. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Oppa, just a moment, please. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan and spoke.
Hey you idiots. Cant you sense the atmosphere around you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Atmosphere?
Only after hearing him out did the three girls look at their surroundings. Even before they had noticed it, there was not one soul around them anymore.
....Wheres everyone? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hmm. Looks like I need to find out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his hand up in the air and snapped his fingers.
..............
..............
..............
Nothing happened.
Receiving a trio of somewhat suspicious gazes, Yi Ji-Hyuk began smiling in awkwardness.
Ha, ha, ha.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins unimpressed question prompted Yi Ji-Hyuks face to crumple unsightly, and he roared out loudly.
Come out already!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still no response.
Hey,e out here now! Otherwise, Im gonna go on a rampage!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then, a Caucasian man wearing a ck suit hurriedly ran towards them from afar.
Pant, pant....
That man ran with everything he had and arrived before Yi Ji-Hyuk while panting uncontrobly.
How.... How can I help you?
Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted unhappily.
What the heck? What kinda secret agent are you? Arent you supposed to, you know, keep yourself nicely hidden nearby but when I snap my finger, you pop out and go ta-da? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Maybe you saw one too many movies.
Did he think that ninjas were for real??
After hearing that answer from the American agent, Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly stared at Doh Gah-Yun. She immediately understood the meaning behind that look, and rapidly submerged into his shadow.
You should be able to do this much, at least! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Doh Gah-Yun re-emerged from the shadow, the American agents eyes nearly popped out of his sockets.
Ninjas existed for real in the East!!
....We cant do something like that.
What a useless bunch! Eiii! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks criticism caused the agents shoulders to slouch.
If it were anyone else saying those things, the agent wouldve smashed that guys chin in by now, but well, there was naught anyone could do even if Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to rampage about in the White House while wearing nothing but a pair of thongs.
Did something happen?
I should be asking you that. Whats happening here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked the agent.
Unless the American agencies were made up entirely of idiots, they shouldve detected his arrival in their country the moment that happened. Yi Ji-Hyuks initial expectation of them putting a tail on him turned out to be correct.
One might think that would be an unpleasant thing, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt really feel that way.
The greater the importance of a person was, the more necessary it became to watch said person.
Back in Berafe, the various scouts observing him from afar alone numbered in the tens of thousands, after all.
Well, they were no longer on the level of simple scouts, werent they. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They surrounded him in a wide arc and tried to predict which direction he might take, all of them fully prepared to sacrifice themselves if it needed be, so in that regard, they were no longer scouts but more like meat shields, no, meat rm system.
Mm.....
The agent seemed to be deliberating on something, before opening his mouth.
Something did happen, but we havent really figured out what kind of situation we have on hand at the moment.
In that case, Ill figure it out, so why dont you tell me what happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually.....
The agent spoke with a worried expression on his face.
*
Ohohohoho. Isnt this a fine weather? (mom)
.....Mother, its December right now.
In all honesty, this isnt really a good weather for a day out at an amusement park.
We may have just avoided the rainy season, but still, you wont find a lot of people around here at this time of the year.
And youre saying that the weathers nice.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
There were lots of things he wanted to say, but Choi Jung-Hoon dared not to voice them out in the open.
Just who was this middle-aged woman in front of his eyes?
She was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuks mother.
Meaning, she actually gave birth to Yi Ji-Hyuk, the strongest human alive, as well as the worst nightmare of humanity ever to grace this Earth.
That fact alone would be enough to shock and terrorise anyone, but on top of that, she was also an existence that treated Yi Ji-Hyuk as her personal drum kit, too.
Choi Jung-Hoon already lost count how many times he bore witness to that spectacle.
Even though no one dared to meet Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze, she still gave Choi Jung-Hoon a huge mental shock by grabbing that mans head and began performing spike serves on her sons back.
And then, a bitter, she even kicked him down and performed double spike serve on the back of copsed Yi Ji-Hyuk, too.
If I get technical about it, isnt she the true strongest human in history?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, there was no way Choi Jung-Hoon would treat this woman poorly at all.
If Choi Jung-Hoon was Yi Ji-Hyuks father, he wouldnt have hit his own kid that badly, yet to see her pound on her son as if it was nothing..... Without a doubt, this auntie was no ordinary person at all.
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk did deserve those beatings, but....
Indeed, he had done plenty of things worthy of harsh beatings. Even then....
Ye-Won-ah. Dont you think so? (mom)
Yes, mom. (Ye-Won)
Choi Jung-Hoons gaze was redirected towards Yi Ye-Won next to him.
Shes so reserved. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Maybe because he was surrounded by brilliantly good-looking men and women all of the time, Yi Ye-Won and her simple but neat dress came across refreshing to Choi Jung-Hoons eyes.
On top of this, she was calm and reserved, which was rather unimaginable for a younger sibling of that man, Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Shes adorable. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If Choi Jung-Hoon had a younger sister around the same age as her, hed have spoiled that girl rotten.
To think she was able to grow up so wholesome like this in that environment C this kid was deserving of some praise, indeed.
Even in that environment, you.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Excuse me? (Ye-Won)
No, its nothing important. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon lightly shook his head.
With a mom like Park Seon-Duk and an older brother like Yi Ji-Hyuk, even Gandhi wouldve turned into the god of destruction, instead. (TL: Oh? Is this Civilization reference? I think it is.)
Seriously now, youd watch and learn those craziness while growing up, so how could the event of a totally-normal personing out from that household make any sort of logical sense?
Is her personality a quiet one to begin with? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that regard, Yi Ye-Won should be seen as rather remarkable.
When Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Yi Ye-Won with a content smile on his face, a sharp, criticising voice suddenly dug in from his side.
What do you think youre doing? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm?
Seo Ah-Young was ring daggers at him.
Why are you looking at me like that, maam? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why are you looking at an underage kid with eyes of a criminal?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Eyes of a criminal?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
All I did!! Was to look!!
With strictly! Pure intentions!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
nk, nk! (Seo Ah-Young) (TL: Sounds of handcuffs, actually.)
N-no, hang on. Youre wrong. Really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just as the panicking Choi Jung-Hoon tried to exin himself, he suddenly heard the uneasy bustleing from afar.
Mm?
Choi Jung-Hoons gaze immediately shifted in that direction.
< 157. However, is that a good thing? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 158: However, is that a good thing? (3)
Chapter 158: However, is that a good thing? (3)
Whats going on? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon spoke to himself while staring at the distant front, Seo Ah-Young shouted out loudly in irritation.
Hey! Dont you dare change the subject, you hear me! (Seo Ah-Young)
N-no, Im not doing that! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon desperately denied it.
Pedo! Lolicon! (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats not truuuuuuue!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im not that kind of a guy!!
I just find this kid very admirable for the fact that she somehow turned out to be modest and well-behaved even after growing up in such an environment!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Youre over a dozen years older than her!! Criminal! (Seo Ah-Young)
Im telling you, I did not look at her that way! Stop painting me as something Im not!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmph! The look on your face was lewd! (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats not it!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I looked lewd?!
Someone used me of being sleazy in the past, but this is my first time ever being used of being lewd in my entire life! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
You better stop dreaming, or else!! Shes still a kid! (Seo Ah-Young)
Stop! Its not like that!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, Yi Ye-Won opened her mouth.
Well, is there a reason why one shouldnt? (Ye-Won)
....Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs dazed eyesnded on Yi Ye-Won next.
I mean, isnt such an age gap rathermon nowadays? (Ye-Won)
....The age gap of 15 years ismon?
You, which country were you living in until now? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Sensing something awry was afoot, Seo Ah-Young quietly sized up Yi Ye-Won.
Could this kid be.....?
Ohohohoho. (mom)
Just before Seo Ah-Young could say something, though, Park Seon-Duksughter came from behind her.
I agree. Nowadays, well, the age gap of 15 years isnt all that much, isnt it? People with 30 year difference can get married in todays society, after all. (mom)
Even still, shes a minor.... (Seo Ah-Young)
In the past, she might be with a child already. (mom)
This mother-and-daughter duo....
The proverbial fire was lit in Seo Ah-Youngs eyes.
So, this was the reason for the sudden desire to go to a theme park!
Seo Ah-Young alternated her gaze between the two females.
Didnt this look like the mother was apanying her daughter to this so-called date? And, it didnt really seem quite normal.....
Well, uh, they are Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks family, so..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young inwardly epted this fact and, while forming an unreadable smile of sorts, spoke to Park Seon-Duk.
Eiii~. Even then, its better to live with someone closer to your own age, dont you think so? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, not really. Ones age isnt important, but thepatibility with the other person is. (mom)
The closer in age youre, the better thepatibility. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm. Maybe its because Miss Ah-Young isnt really well experienced in rtionships? You seem to hold a strange world view. (mom)
Not experienced in rtionships??
Being struck with a low-blow akin to an ice pick stabbing her in the heart, Seo Ah-Young began trembling, hard.
R-rtionships? (Seo Ah-Young)
I just thought that you are already at the right age to be married and have a family. But, if you continue to think that way, you wont ever find the right guy for yourself. (mom)
Right age to be married?!
Arge hammer just fell on top of that ice pick still stuck in her heart. A vein popped up on Seo Ah-Youngs forehead.
You, your words sound a bit excessive, dont you think? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh my gosh. I only spoke out of concern, but if you feel offended, Im very sorry. I apologise. (mom)
But, thats not an apologetic face, is it? This ahjumma really dares to?? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Currently, Park Seon-Duks sharp re was directed in Seo Ah-Youngs face.
Wasnt she proving to be an unexpected hindrance here? For the sake of her familys stability and her daughters happiness, mom simply had to get such a hindrance far away from the operations area as much as possible.
Well, I have some familiarity with Miss Ah-Youngs type.... (mom)
Pardon me? (Seo Ah-Young)
I know of a guy wholl suit you really well, so should I introduce him to you? (mom)
How can you even suggest a thing?! (Seo Ah-Young)
In the end, Seo Ah-Young lost her cool from the ahjummas unique skill of making other people mired inpletely random nonsense.
No matter how widely acknowledged within the circle of ability users she was, when that facet of her was taken away from her, she was simply a twenty-something with not much social experience in the modern world.
There was no way she couldst long as Park Seon-Duks opponent.
No, no, wait. Meeting lots of people actually is important. I saw enough cases of people who didnt date a lot and after getting married, they regret their choices, you know? So, how about it? I know a fewwyers and doctors, you see? (mom)
I-Im fine! (Seo Ah-Young)
No, you shouldnt say that, and... (mom)
As Park Seon-Duk grasped Seo Ah-Youngs hand and dragged her away, she didnt forget to signal her daughter.
Do it, my little girl! (mom)
Ng, mom. (Ye-Won)
Seeing Seo Ah-Young and her slumped shoulders get dragged away by Park Seon-Duk, a cat-like crafty smile formed on Yi Ye-Wons face.
With that, an obstacle was removed from her path.
I wonder, what is Dah-Som doing right now? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....With the exception of this idiot, of course.
Why was this good-looking blonde guy a total loser? No wonder he still didnt have a girlfriend until now.
His looks were heavenly enough, but his actions seemed a bit heaven-defying, too!
Please go. (Ye-Won)
Mm? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Just because youre in our group, doesnt mean you must stay. (Ye-Won)
R-right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yes. Also, we have Ah-Young unni with us, too. Im sure there wouldnt be a big problem just because you left, oppa. (Ye-Won)
M-hmm! In that case, Ill be back in a jiffy..... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
After witnessing the final hindrance disappear at the speed of light, Yi Ye-Won formed a smile of pure contentment.
Everyones gone. (Ye-Won)
Looks like it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With that, only those two remained.
My oppa always says that youre someone really trustworthy. (Ye-Won)
Mister Ji-Hyuk said that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes. (Ye-Won)
Now why would he say something like that....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing Choi Jung-Hoons rather odd moved-to-tears expression, Yi Ye-Won felt her heart quiver a little in guilty conscience.
The truth was, Yi Ji-Hyuks honest impression of him was An old bachelor with too much nagging tendencies who just so happened to be way too handsome for his own good.
Still, lying for a good cause was entirely justifiable, no?
Arent you nning on getting married, oppa? (Ye-Won)
Mm? Well, yeah. Sure, Im not getting any younger, so I should think about it. But, you cant get married to yourself, you know? I dont have anyone in mind at all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, with your level, I thought youd be chased around by lots of girls, though.... (Ye-Won)
Its not the issue of meeting a woman I like. I simply dont have the time to meet anyone, period. I mean, I only go back home once every three days, you know. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh....
What is this?
What is up with this bizarre feeling, like the one you get when you switch the channel to watch a ro, only for a tear-jerker human drama to y, instead? (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
In order to rein in the worsening atmosphere, Yi Ye-Won quickly changed the topic.
Even still, you must have someone youve been thinking about. (Ye-Won)
I dont have anyone, actually. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Maybe, you have high standards? (Ye-Won)
No, well, thats not it.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled awkwardly and exined himself.
I graduated from a boys middle- and high school, and in the first year of university, I ended up passing the civil servant exam and had to go to the army right away. After I was discharged, I had to study and work at the same time, so I didnt have any time to date a girl at all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh.....
And, after I got hired, I was transferred into a weird department where I couldnt even go home on time, and just when I think I might have a little free time on my hands, they order me to write up some stupid report instead, which leaves me with.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For some reason, the edges of Choi Jung-Hoons eyes seemed wetter than usual. Mustve been a mistake, or so mused Yi Ye-Won.
In that case, could it be that youre a.... (Ye-Won)
.....Keep it a secret, okay? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ill never tell anyone. (Ye-Won)
What a pitiable person he was.
Yi Ye-Won formed a satisfied smile.
Although it was a sad tale indeed, it also meant that he didnt have much interaction with the opposite sex, and therefore he was an innocent littlemb all ready for the taking.
By humouring him just a little bit, it seemed like hed fall right into her hands all on his own.
Now that she could see the ray of hope, Yi Ye-Won was about to feel very good about herself, but then, Seo Ah-Young managed to shake free from Park Seon-Duk and desperately ran to where the duo was.
Ng? (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk was busy shouting at Seo Ah-Young while chasing after the younger woman.
Im telling you, its really okay! (mom)
I wont do it! I wont! Ill just grow old and die, alone! Mother, dont do this, please!! (Seo Ah-Young)
After getting all fed up by Park Seon-Duks unending verbal attacks, Seo Ah-Young clung onto Choi Jung-Hoon and pleaded for her life.
Please tell her to stop. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled jovially and whispered to her.
If you were to name one person that no one can do anything about in this world, that would be Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, but if you need to name the second person, then thatdy would be that. So, just give up, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, you want me to go on potential marriage dates?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon me? Well, as long as the guy isnt that bad, you.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Stomp!!
Keuheueuck?!
Choi Jung-Hoon began trembling hard after the pain of his foot getting stomped on by a hammer filled him up in an instant.
Did this woman lose her dang mind?!
Why did she have to step on someone elses foot!?
Seeing that Choi Jung-Hoon was writhing in pain, Yi Ye-Won realised what was going on and quickly shouted out.
Why are you stepping on his foot? (Ye-Won)
Oh my, did I? I made a mistake. Im sorry, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. Hoho. (Seo Ah-Young)
You did that deliberately, didnt you? (Ye-Won)
No, I didnt. Nope. Never. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs and Yi Ye-Wons res collided in mid-air and spectacr sparks flew off to everywhere.
How dare this ahjumma?! (Ye-Won)
How dare this little brat?! (Seo Ah-Young)
The two females, having figured out the other partys less-than-honest intentions, promptly dered war on each other.
Hey, you. Is it fine for you toe here and waste time like this? Arent you supposed to be studying at your age? (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course. Still, shouldnt I enjoy a break every now and then? Studying everyday without proper rest only decreases effectiveness. Or maybe you were too much of an excellent student yourself, unni? (Ye-Won)
Oh, my? Cant you see from where I work? If you study hard, you may get a job in a ce like mine when you grow up. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, when looking at my own oppa, I dont think you need to study all that hard either, though? (Ye-Won)
..........
Seo Ah-Young became utterly speechless.
Hey, kid. Your oppa was picked for his physical abilities, and I got here by possessing intelligence on top of that too, you know?
But, how am I supposed to exin that to this girl? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seeing that someone like my oppa can work there, Im guessing that you guys dont hire based on intellect, yes? (Ye-Won)
Euh.....
Those were some seriously damaging attacks. But to think, shed use her own oppa as a sacrificial pawn in that attack!! What a heartless b*tch!!
What the heck! You...! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hold on. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Before Seo Ah-Young could shout something out, Choi Jung-Hoon stopped her.
Are you taking her side? (Seo Ah-Young)
Silence! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoons voice became extra low, Seo Ah-Young stopped herints right away.
She might do whatever the hell she want these days even with Yi Ji-Hyuk around, but if Choi Jung-Hoon was this serious, then the story would change drastically.
Somethings wrong. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Hearing those words, she turned her attention in the direction he was looking at.
Ng?
....Didnt I just hear someone scream?
Now, wait a minute? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Did something happen? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hold on. Looks like Ill have to call.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then. They saw a groups of people running towards them in a maddened frenzy from the gaps of the buildings. Seeing that spectacle, Seo Ah-Youngs expression crumpled in fright just a little.
What is that?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Didnt those people look like they were running away from something? But, nothing of note could be seen behind them, though?
Did a small monster appear or something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young immediately entered battle mode. She then grabbed Yi Ye-Wons arm and pulled the girl behind her.
What are you doing?! (Ye-Won)
Looks like something bad has happened, so stick right behind me! Understand? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Yes. (Ye-Won)
Seo Ah-Youngs atmosphere shifted in an instant, and Yi Ye-Won wisely closed her mouth shut.
They might have been arguing until now, but the truth was, even the younger of the Yi siblings knew very well that this woman was one of the greatest ability users in the world, one of only a few in the entirety of South Korea.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon! Hurry with the ident..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Actually, there was no need for anyone to figure out what was going on here. Even she could see the reason for this mass panic now.
What the heck is that? (Seo Ah-Young)
From a far away, a ck cloud-like thing could be seen.
A cloud??
No, wait. A cloud wouldnt be that close to the ground, now is it?
So, its more like a thick smoke, but a ck smoke.....? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
The escaping crowd of people began brushing past the group now. Choi Jung-Hoon barked out a question into his phone, and along with a sharp scream, only one word came out from the speaker.
Bugs?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Bugs?
Was the other guy trying to say that there was an error in the system?
However, Choi Jung-Hoon realised the truth right away. The meaning behind that word was not that one. When that cloud got close enough for him to see just what it was, he finally understood it.
Bugs.
As in, insects.
The ck cloud in front of their eyes was actually a horde of countless ck insects flying together.
Ah.....
Choi Jung-Hoon emitted a shocked gasp when he saw that sight.
What the f*ck?! Just what are those?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Can anyone call those monsters? Those things?
Rather than monsters, arent they just regr insects??
How are we supposed to deal with that now?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Brrrrrrrrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzz!!
Hundreds of millions of bugs buzzed noisily in the air, as the horde danced as if it was a single entity. Looking exactly like a massive ck slime, the horde of insects then pounced on Seo Ah-Youngs group.
Kyaaaaaahhk!!
Yi Ye-Wons sharp scream reverberated throughout the theme park.
< 158. However, is that a good thing? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 159: However, is that a good thing? (4)
Chapter 159: However, is that a good thing? (4)
The insects acted as if they were a single entity.
Choi Jung-Hoon trembled in disgust as well as terror from this spectacle. He had seen so many monsters over the years, but it was his first time a reaction like this ever happened.
No, he couldnt even be sure if those things qualified as monsters in the first ce.
Euh! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon flinched and took a step back.
He might not have felt any true fear when he was looking at the giant or the Zombie Dragon; even then, the sight in front of him had this certain something that caused him to feel a whole heap of repulsion instead of fear.
Keuk!!
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth and lit up her mes.
Get back! Mister Choi Jung-Hoon!! What are you doing?! Take care of those two! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah! Yes, maam! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon replied loudly, then grabbed Park Seon-Duks hand with one hand, and with his other, pulled Yi Ye-Won in an embrace.
Ah.... (Ye-Won)
This way!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon rapidly calcted the most safe spot that was also well out of Seo Ah-Youngs mes.
Please, let me down! (Ye-Won)
Ye-Won wasnt embarrassed or something like that. No, she knew that running on her own two feet would be more helpful, instead.
However, Choi Jung-Hoons thought process was slightly different.
Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, right away! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Ye-Won)
Tell him toe over here right away! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Without answering back, Yi Ye-Won yanked her phone out and dialled Yi Ji-Hyuks number.
Oppa! (Ye-Won)
He might be an oppa who was a dumba*s, toozy for his own good, seemingly yed games way too much, didnt wash himself properly, and ate way more than humanly possible, but....
But, he was the very first person shed think of whenever there was danger afoot.
Yi Ye-Won hurriedly called him on the phone.
*
(TL note at the end)
Looks like theres some kind ofmotion over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke while slouched against the chair. His stomach was bulging out greatly.
....Are we going to continue staying here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, just whose fault was it?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Jeong Hae-Min grumbled out loudly, Yi Ji-Hyuk angrily shot a re at her.
So, the event unfolded in this fashion.
He was okay with these girls having a full-blownpetition and shoving all the food they bought into his mouth. Something like that, well, it could happen. Sure.
The problem was with the amount they fed him with, because that had managed to exceed Yi Ji-Hyuks stomach capacity.
The undigested food filled him up to his throat, and naturally, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt move anymore, thus he was now sprawled out on the same spot. The rest of the group couldnt leave him behind to go and have fun on their own, so they also had no choice but to set up camp here.
Groan.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min reflected on her careless behaviour.
I shouldnt have done that....
We came here to have fun, only to waste time on a park bench like this. What a sorrowful and inefficient way to spend my day this is.
I mean, I dont even have that many off days to begin with, too. (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Oh, by the way. Your idol job.... How is that going for you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....We might disband soon. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his eyebrows.
Disband?
Her idol group was supposed to be the most popr in South Korea, so what was this about disbanding and stuff?
Why are you disbanding? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that is.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min spat out a helpless sigh.
After that incident, not many producerse looking for us, and we arent getting invites to perform at events, too. So, like, we were thinking of doing a concert, but then, weve been told that itll result in a big financial loss, so we wont do that, either. So, weve been doing nothing like a flock of swans, really. (TL: I dont get this swan reference at all. TLed as is.)
How can poprity cool down so fast like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Celebs live or die on their public image, after all. If your public image tanks, then theres no way to w it back, you know. Its not just my group, but other ability user groups, too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
But, that doesnt sound right, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? What do you mean? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression became a bit moreplicated.
The government wasrgely responsible for the unnatural poprity of the ability user idols. The Big Brother had controlled the mass media with an iron fist, and continued to propagate the images of friendly, dependable ability users, which in turn led to regr people being amicable towards them.
But, just because of one single incident, every broadcaster out there under the thumb of the government turned their backs on the ability users?
You dont get any requests? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, I think we still get one or two here and there. But, some of us who did go out to perform got jeered and had things thrown at them on stage, so theres not much we can do now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins expression became tearful now.
Even when she was wallowing at the bottom of the broadcast world, she endured it all with a singr purpose of bing a top idol. Although she hadnt said it out aloud, the mental shock she felt had been substantial.
H-mm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that, for some reason, the governments support had decreased, and on top of that, the wrath of the public that had nowhere to go was directed to the idols, instead.
This could also be the adverse reaction of enjoying unnatural poprity until now, so Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt feel all that sorry for her, though.
Indeed, if she, or anyone else, benefited greatly from the goodwill of the public towards ability users, then it was only obvious that she and others should have been prepared to pay the price of the ill will towards the ability users, too.
Thats why, I just wanted to let my hair down and just go all out, unwind and get rid of of my stress today, but this...! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, now normally, people your age would stuff their faces with liquor or go to a nightclub and shake their a*ses the whole night to relieve their stress. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont like liquor, and nightclubs are too noisy. (Jeong Hae-Min)
You think theyll let a shorty like you in? Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im a big time celebrity!! Whats your problem?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Arent you getting fired because youre a child actor?! (Yi ji-Hyuk)
HEY!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min loudly cried out and pounced on him in anger, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shoved her away as he fell into a deep thought.
So, the level of hostility the regr people held towards the ability users had reached to this point already?
He had been staying put inside the special residential area for the users so he hadnt really felt the severity of the situation, but now that he heard it from the horses mouth, it did kinda sound bad.
So, can we go now, and have some proper fun? Please?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Do I look capable of moving to you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min nced at Yi Ji-Hyuks mountainous belly that looked so puffed up, she couldnt help but suspect that he was pregnant with a child at the moment.
So, why did you eat all that food like an idiot?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And just who was it that kept shoving c**p in my mouth even before I could tell you to stop?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wasnt me. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Imma hang you up on the top of that castle over there! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was right then, Yi Ji-Hyuks phone began vibrating noisily.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled his phone out and checked the disy.
[The Miss Delinquent]
And what on earth has gotten into that girl? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The event of Yi Ye-Won calling him on the phone may or may not happen once every month. Immediately sensing that something bad was afoot, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt tarry and tapped on the answer icon.
What happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Oppppaaa! Hurry, here!! (Ye-Won)
The moment he heard Ye-Wons sharp crying through the phone, Yi Ji-Hyuks body was already soaring in the air.
He spun around to check out the unfolding situation. He then confirmed the existence of a ck-cloud like something in the direction over yonder, and immediately, shot forward like a streak of lightning.
As soon as he realised that Yi Ye-Won was in danger, his body reacted before his brain could process the information. Yi Ji-Hyuks speed increased explosively, his mind spinning at a rate of knots.
Uwaaaah!!
Kaboom!
Yi Ji-Hyuknded on the hardened concrete floor, causing the ground to cave in like soft earth, while the cracked pieces jutted up into the air.
Ye-Won-ah! Mom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly took a look around him. He spotted his family being protected by Choi Jung-Hoon as they stood behind Seo Ah-Young.
What the hell is that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the ck cloud-like thing and shouted out.
Its an insect horde!! Insects are acting as one!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Insects? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head and shifted his gaze over to the cloud.
And as it turned out...
When he took a closer look, that cloud thing was made up entirely of beetles the sizes of pinky fingernail coagting and sticking together.
Euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing that many bugs forming a giant mass, even he was beginning to feel a wee bit disgusted. But, what made him even more ufortable was the simple fact that he had never, ever seen those types of bugs before in his life.
Also, this feeling.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ominous, eerie feeling he got from those bugs definitely didnt belong to this world, too.
....From the demonic realm, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he couldnt be sure where these thing came from, he could definitely pick up on the negative energy from them. That sticky, icky negative energy was not something this world could produce.
Only undeads or demonic realm could.
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows shot up as he looked closer at the insects.
Try to attack them first! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger that! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young had been gathering her mes while surveying the unfolding situation until then; she roared out and fired her mes at the insects.
Euahahap!!
mes the size of a house flew towards the insect cloud.
Rumble!!
However, the insects scattered and easily evaded the mes.
H-huh?!
Seo Ah-Young gasped out in shocked confusion, and meanwhile, the mes shooting right past the insects continued in its trajectory and struck the giant castle in the middle of this famed amusement park.
KABOOM!!!!
Along with a deafening explosion, over half of the castle was blown away. Even the remaining structure quickly caught on fire and and burnt to crisp in no time.
.....B-b-but, thats not it?!
I wasnt aiming to do that, though?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Ah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked at the scene and spat out a resigned sigh.
You mustnt go on a rampage in someone elses country, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I didnt do it on purpose!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Please, justmit idents that I can actually take care of!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Keuh! That hateful little man!!
However, thats not important right now! So, I must! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young gathered mes once more. If a concentrated attack didnt work, then shed spread it out, instead!
mes rose up all around Seo Ah-Young; and then, it cast its wide fiery over the bugs above.
Unfortunately....
Wuuuoongg!!
As soon as the mes rushed at them, the insects all rose up even higher in the air and avoided getting burnt altogether.
E-eeeehh?
Seo Ah-Young dazedly looked on that spectacle.
Ah!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon screamed out.
Nooooo!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure enough, the now-scattered insects then all went on their merry ways and separated from the hordepletely.
Ah, ah..... (choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon powerlessly stared at that sight and spat out a sigh of hopelessness.
What the heck? What am I supposed to do now with them scattering like that? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young also found this event rather absurd to behold as she simply stood there, unmoving. How would she even go about killing all those millions of little bugs when they had scattered around like that?
What happened here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min and Co., managed to arrive just then and asked them this question, but there wasnt anyone present that could provide her with a satisfying enough answer.
This is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Well, it wouldve been a big problem if they had remained in a horde, but with them scattering like that, arent they just insects now? Maybe, we dont need to sweat over them that much, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd be nice if thats true, but..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt finish his sentence as this creeping chill of anxiety encroached over him.
What can a single bug do, anyway? If youre worried, then tell them to increase the production of the electric flyswatters. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Yes, electric flyswatter is a real thing, if you didnt already know. Google it.)
H-mm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just before Choi Jung-Hoon could nod his head....
They all heard a screaming from the distance.
Ng?!
What was that?
Lets go!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks group hurriedly ran towards the location where the scream hade from.
Huh?
And when arriving there, they discovered people lying on the ground, their bodies dyed in a sickly blue colour. It wasnt just one or two people, either.
....Poison? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked in closer to check these peoples conditions.
Mister Yi Ji.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Donte closer!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks loud yell prompted Choi Jung-Hoon to quickly grasp other people around him to push them back.
Tell everyone to get as far away from here as possible!! Tell them to quarantine this ce right now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is going on? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
From Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth, an uncharacteristically powerless voice leaked out.
Its contagious.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no way.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly lifted his palm off from one of the heavily-panting victims on the ground. The ends of his fingertips were changing colour to sickly blue, as well.
Heok!
Choi Jung-Hoon sucked in cold breath right away.
In such a short amount of time?!
I dont know how it works, but its definitely contagious. I cant even tell whether this is poison or some kind of gue. What Im sure about right now is that, people bitten by the bugs will end up in this state, and thoseing into contact with them also will end up in the same state. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which means.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon felt dizzy all of a sudden.
Which meant, millions of insects possessing this unknown contagion had just spread throughout the world, and those who got bitten by them would start spreading this... gue around as well?
What was he, or for that matter, anyone, supposed to do in this case?!
If a monster capable of destroying this world in one go had descended instead, then at least, hed try to do something about it.
However, wasnt this on another level altogether?!
Are you alright? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply swallowed up this foreign thing entering his body with his Mana. Anything rted to darkness would only simply be a tasty snack for Yi Ji-Hyuk, actually.
Ill be fine. But.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at the crowd on the ground.
These folks were beyond help now. If he tried to use his Mana to suck out the poison, they would die from the pain first rather than the gue itself, instead.
Seriously, even ability users found it hard to endure, so how could a normal person expect to endure the process?
All we can do now..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk bitterly muttered out.
....Is to return to Korea. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing how powerless Yi Ji-Hyuk looked for the first time ever, Choi Jung-Hoon realised that they were now facing an unprecedented crisis, the likes of which he hadnt encountered before.
< 159. However, is that a good thing? -4 > Fin.
(TL: Well, it seems that mister author haspletely forgotten about our MC calling the American agent over to have a chat in chapter 157. Thats sloppy. Unfortunately, theres nothing I can do about it, except to trante as is and move on.)
Chapter 160: However, is that a good thing? (5)
Chapter 160: However, is that a good thing? (5)
[The American government has yet to reveal their official stance on the current crisis unfolding in their country. Experts agree that this crisis is biohazard in nature, but finding out the exact cause can only be described as still some distance away for the time being. Most importantly, not much has been confirmed about the spreading of the infection itself, so the situation is deteriorating as we speak.]
Tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuks head leaned at a crooked angle as he watched the TV.
The situation looked a bit too ugly for him to sit idly by, but then, there was nothing to gain by him stepping forward, too.
H-mm....
If the story involved magic, then whether it be the aspects of knowledge or application, there was no one alive who coulde even remotely close to Yi Ji-Hyuk. Unfortunately, this area of expertise was a different story altogether.
Even if the demonic realm was behind this incident, itd simply be impossible for Yi Ji-Hyuk to know of every field that existed there.
For instance, even if they were both scientists, the things physicists know would be rather different from what biologists know.
The things happening right now, they were beyond the scope of Yi Ji-Hyuks expertise. He majored in destroying everything and/or controlling various demonic creatures, as well as stuff rted to controlling Mana.
One could argue that this matter did involve controlling of demonic creatures, but well, the types of creatures Yi Ji-Hyuk dealt with were far, farrger than those bugs most of the time.
How would a zookeeper answer back when someone asked a question regarding the ecology of insects?
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long groan as the TV screen now disyed the front of a certain hospital, barricaded with yellow caution tapes.
Even he wasnt sure what might happen to humans exposed to modified dark Mana. There were simply too many variations to consider.
If it was purest form of Mana being injected, like how Yi Ji-Hyuk had done, then the victims would go mad, go on a berserk rampage, or be an undead C one of the three results. But, there was no way hed know what kind of results would pop out with dark Mana incubated within those flying insects. Also, the situation would be unique to each bug, too.
In the end, Yi Ji-Hyuk realised that, even though he knew quite a few things about the creatures living inside the demonic realm, he wouldnt be able to offer any help anyway, even less than that of the doctors and biologists of this world.
Just whats going on? Do you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Groan....... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was already feeling somewhat conflicted inside, but now that he had to hear the yappinging from his side, well, it was really getting on his nerves.
And why the heck are you even here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....I was told to stay here cuz its the safest. (Jeong Hae-Min)
And who told you that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon did. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Groan...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan while looking at Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som filling up the living room couch.
Hey, Dah-Som-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Kim Dah-Som)
Dont you have an older brother already? So, why are you even here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes useless. (Kim Dah-Som)
.............
....I can sympathise with you on that one, but at the same time, you just said something really depressing, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Thinking of the pitiful tale of Kim Dah-Hyun being looked down on by his own little sister, Yi Ji-Hyuk kind of felt pained in his heart.
....I guess its the same story with me, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? Did you say something? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to spit out more groans as his eyes took on the sight of Yi Ye-Won C she immediately revealed her true colours as soon as Choi Jung-Hoon left, and began rolling around on the floor stuffing her face with snacks.
And thats my little sister........... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats the matter? I think shes adorable, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thats adorable to you? Are you blind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks words, Ye-Won threw the pillow below her.
I can hear you! You dumb idiot!! (Ye-Won)
Hey, watch it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Regardless of what was happening in the world atrge, Yi Ji-Hyuks house showed no change. However, just because his household was peaceful as usual, that didnt mean the rest of the world was, too.
Outside of Yi Ji-Hyuks house, the world was going through a huge upheaval.
***
Have you found anything? (Donovan McGee)
Not at all. We havent even found a single clue. (Sam Wright)
Doctor Donovan McGee stared at the restricted area with a hardened expression on his face. In order to stop the spread of the unidentified contagion, patients were quarantined in this secure facility, and he could see the doctors wearing biohazard suits roaming in between them.
Have you narrowed down the potential pathogenic source? (Donovan McGee)
Its a difficult matter to get to the bottom of, but also.... (Sam Wright)
The other doctor hesitated before speaking up.
.....Were unsure whether the cause is a pathogen or not. (Sam Wright)
What do you mean by that? (Donovan McGee)
The test results havente in yet, but the symptoms disyed so far doesnt match any of the known gue types. No, this is far more closer to poisoning. (Sam Wright) (TL: The Korean words for poisoning and addiction are exactly the same and I couldnt be sure of which one the author wanted to use here. I went with poisoning because that sounds the most usible. If Im wrong though, Ill changeter.)
Poisoning? (Donovan McGee)
Yes, poisoning. (Sam Wright)
Donovan McGee frowned deeply.
What nonsense was this?
Poisoning?! Where in the world would you hear of a contagious poisoning?! A poison that can spread to the rest of the body simply through a single skin contact? You think such a thing makes sense?? (Donovan McGee)
Seeing the enraged Donovan McGee and his half-bald head, Sam Wright could only sigh out.
Of course, I know that doesnt make a lick ofmon sense. (Sam Wright)
Right. (Donovan McGee)
However, were talking about monster hazard here. (Sam Wright)
.............
You cant applymon sense in this case. If you dered publicly that monsters might appear five years ago, then youd beughed out of the room. However, were now living in a world wheremon sense has broken down some time ago. (Sam Wright)
No longer able to think of a rebuttal, Donovan McGee shifted his gaze back over to the patients.
....Fine. What about the progress of the contagion, then? (Donovan McGee)
We havent had any deaths yet, so we cant tell how the gues symptoms would progress at the moment. Only after we get our first casualty will we be able to form a rough outline of a suitable response. (Sam Wright)
Are you saying we must wait until someone dies?? (Donovan McGee)
Sam Wright replied with a slightly hardened expression.
You need wake up, director. (Sam Wright)
........
This is only the beginning. The insects that caused this gue are still atrge, spreading throughout the States as we speak. Thankfully, we havent had any secondary damage arising from this incident, but if that does happen, itll be nearly impossible to keep everything under control. (Sam Wright)
Euh.....
If those insects are like bees and die after poisoning their victims, then well see hundreds of thousands affected, and if they dont die, then millions, tens of millions..... And, if we consider the potential secondary damage, then........ (Sam Wright)
Donovan McGees eyes shook hard.
Annihtion.
That would be the inevitable end result.
If the damage from this crisis only affected the United States, then without a doubt, this country wouldpletely copse.
But, will such an eventualitye to pass? ording to your logic, there should be just as many victims of mria in the world as there are infected mosquitoes, but that hasnt happened, has it? (Donovan McGee)
Youre correct. (Sam Wright)
Sam Wright readily agreed with that.
Indeed,mon sense dictated that such an event would not happen. Because, the actual number that interacted with human victims would only be a small portion of the whole horde.
Even if there were millions of the insects, itd still be a minute number when looking at the overall poption of insects in the entire world.
The real problem is!! (Sam Wright)
M-mm??
Do these creatures really possess the nature and instincts of real insects? (Sam Wright)
What do you mean by that? (Donovan McGee)
Please, dont forget. These arent really insects to begin with. No, they are monsters that resemble insects, instead. (Sam Wright)
..........!!
Donovan McGee immediately recognised his oversight and shuddered powerfully on the spot.
A monster resembling a dog didnt act like a dog. It only looked like one, and its actions would firmly follow the See a lifeform, hunt it down and devour pattern.
What if these small insects possessed the same nature as the regr monsters?
Ive requested that the analysis of the dead insects found near the incident location to be sped up. When those resultse out, we should have at least a general direction to take our investigation in. (Sam Wright)
But, what about before that? Is there anything we can do besides waiting like this? (Donovan McGee)
Were not gods, Mister McGee. Were just doctors. (Sam Wright)
D*mn it..... (Donovan McGee)
Donovan McGee stared the patients convulsing in pain through the ss wall and gritted his teeth.
Even though he was a doctor, there was nothing he or anyone could do.
Just like the majority of doctors trying tobat a new type of disease, they could only help alleviate the suffering of the patients, unable to treat the root cause of the illness. And right now, even that passive form of assistance wasnt working properly at all.
What are we supposed to do now? (Donovan McGee)
If those small insects possessed the nature of monsters and continued to poison every human they ran into, then....
Realistically speaking, there was no method tobat that.
Well, itd be impossible to hunt down every single one of those insects, after all. And trying to quarantine the affected areas would present yet another type of problem, too.
Would quarantining even work with monsters?
God d*mn it. (Donovan McGee)
Donovan groaned in helplessness after realising how weak humanity could be. In any case, he could only pray that there wouldnt be any secondary victims from this mess.
***
What do we need to do here?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren was in a full-on panic mode. Did it start after receiving reports that the victims couldnt be cured?
Nope. He was already half out of his mind by the time the insects facing off against Yi Ji-Hyuks group scattered to the rest of the country.
The reason why he let Yi Ji-Hyuks group go back home when they said something about reorganising or some such, was precisely because of that. Besides, what could they do even if he decided to keep them here?
He instinctively knew that this matter was no longer on the level of them using force to resolve it. Indeed, this crisis was the most dangerous of all crises in history.
Do you still not know the general direction they are moving in? (Christopher McLaren)
They seem to be spreading deeper ind, sir. However, because they are slow, they havent spread out too far....
What about the ocean? (Christopher McLaren)
Some of them are also heading in that direction as well.
D*mn bugs are doing what now?! (Christopher McLaren)
Bugs wanting to cross an ocean? How preposterous was that notion?!
Well, they werent creatures of this world so something like that could happen, but still....
....They wouldnt be able to cross the ocean, right? (Christopher McLaren)
....No one knows, sir.
Christopher McLaren could only chuckle wryly. If those things did indeed cross the ocean, then itd no longer the American crisis, but the World crisis, instead.
He couldnt even figure out whether he should be shouting out We cant be the only ones suffering here or At least you people need to survive.
In the past, hed boldly choose the former in a heartbeat. But, a corner of Christopher McLarens brain was telling him that this crisis would easily lead to the destruction of his home country.
What did Mister President say? (Christopher McLaren)
After receiving the reports, he ordered us to focus all military personnel to eradicating the bugs first and foremost.
....Keuk.
Another wry chuckle escaped from his mouth.
With what method were they to catch and kill those fingernail-sized bugs, exactly?
Seriously now, if a single one of those bugs were to fly by in front of Christopher McLarens eyes right now, hed still be utterly unable to tell apart whether it was just a regr insect or not.
Director, a call from Korea just came in.
Who is it? (Christopher McLaren)
Its from Choi Jung-Hoon, apparently.
Christopher McLaren spat out a sigh.
Since when did his position fall low enough for him to share a phone call with a vice head of a department belonging to a tiny-a*s nation?
However, he couldnt ignore reality. If he could beg for help from someone, anyone, then right now, he had to bow down regardless of who it was.
In this current situation, he should be grateful for the fact that an organisation as sessful as the NDF decided to call him first, instead.
Let the call go through. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
Christopher McLaren paused for a second, before picking up the phone.
C Director, its Choi Jung-Hoon speaking.
Please keep it brief, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. Im insanely busy at the moment. (Christopher McLaren)
C Have you found a solution yet, sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats what I want to ask you. Did you call me because you figured out a way, or you were just curious? You should be prepared topensate me for wasting my valuable time, yes? (Christopher McLaren)
When Christopher McLarens haggard and unfriendly voice shot back, Choi Jung-Hoon didnt speak for a while.
Son of a b*tch....
If you wanted information, then call someone on the lower rung of thedder! Stop wasting time of someone trying put out the fire burning on top of his foot if your own country hasnt yet found itself in danger! (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
C Well, sir, as for the response.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
M-mm??
C I was thinking of getting as much information out of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk as humanly possible. I believe that hearing directly from him will be for the best, so if you could wait a little while longer, Ill personally bring him over there. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
H-mm?!
Christopher McLarens eyes shone brightly.
So, are you saying that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk might know something about this situation, is that it? (Christopher McLaren)
C Yes, most likely. He may not have the full details, but I believe he knows something. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm....
Christopher McLarens expression became serious.
If thats the case C in the name of the United States of America, I hereby officially request you. Please send over Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk right away! (Christopher McLaren)
< 160. However, is that a good thing? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 161: You’re still not good with lying (1)
Chapter 161: Youre still not good with lying (1)
C The problem is, that will be the most difficult thing to do. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What do you mean by that? (Christopher McLaren)
C What I mean by that is, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wont make a move that easily. Regarding this crisis, that is.
Howe?
C Its his nature. As soon as he returned to Korea, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has holed himself up in his house with his family. Basically, hes set up a fortress there.
Christopher McLaren tilted his head.
So, what about it?
C The way Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk operates is simpler than what most people think. First of all, he has a tendency to gravitate towards the methods thatll guarantee his familys safety above all else. And right now, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks instincts mustve told him that his family isnt safe, even though hes so far away from there.
M-mm....
C In other words, as long as his familys safety isnt guaranteed, he will not move away from their side. And so, the problem is that we have no idea how to guarantee their safety. Even Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk himself doesnt know that.
Christopher McLaren couldnt help but get irritated.
So, what are you trying to tell me here?! All you have to do is to find yourself a nice little underground evacuation shelter and shove them in there!
C And thats exactly my point, director.
M-mm??
Choi Jung-Hoons bright voice came out of the phone.
C Isnt there a special bunker designed for the exclusive usage of important individuals during the times of crisis somewhere in your country? I heard that its a rather luxurious ce, as well.
Well, yes. We do have something like that.
C Please open that up. And then, announce that youll be amodating Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks family there. With that pretext, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk then will step into American soil on his own volition.
Mmm....
Christopher McLaren scratched the side of his head.
Of course, there were quite a few ces like that. With Christopher McLarens security clearance, he could request their usages, as well. Hell, there was a bunker outfitted in such a way that one could enjoy a really luxurious lifestyle inside, too.
However, only American citizens are allowed in there. Thats thew.
C Director McLaren.
Please speak.
Choi Jung-Hoon took his time for a little bit, before speaking up in a determined voice.
C In that case, you should change thatw.
What did you just say??
What was this idiot saying now?
If anyone could changews whenever they felt like it, then there was no way a country would continue to function for long.
C The current situation is far graver than you believe it is, Director McLaren. You need to be decisive here.
I want to ask you about something here....
C Please go ahead.
Why are you trying to help me out to this degree?
C I only thought that, once the United States copses, the rest of the world will soon follow.
....What a realistic scenario that is. God d*mn it.
C Director McLaren.
Its Chris.
C I beg your pardon?
Just call me Chris. I thought I told you this thest time?
C I forgot. Very well. Chris, this current situation is quite different from anything weve experienced so far. If we fail to put an end to this crisis when its still in its early days, then I suspect that the damage will increase exponentially, far beyond what we can physically deal with.
Right, I believe so, too.
C That is why, please move with haste. The fate of the whole world rests on your shoulders.
You dont have to say it. Im well aware of that.
This d*mn kid was trying to....
Christopher McLaren slightly gritted his teeth.
He too acknowledged it. This Choi Jung-Hoon character was a capable man. And he could be of tremendous help, too.
The mere fact that he could exert some form of control over Yi Ji-Hyuk meant that, by him simply breathing, he might get to influence the international politics.
However, Christopher McLaren still felt his innards boiling over when he had no choice but to listen to someone who was barely half of his age.
If only Yi Ji-Hyuk was an American citizen....
Christopher McLaren thought about that for a couple of seconds, before shaking his head. He knew he couldnt control Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He got to where he was today in part due to his excellent judgement and his own capabilities, but most of that was down to his ability to judge his own limits.
ording to his assessment, Yi Ji-Hyuk easily exceeded his ability to control. That was why Christopher McLaren had to acknowledge Choi Jung-Hoon.
This here was a man who managed to grab hold onto someone not one single person alive dared to attempt to exert some measure of control.
Even if there was no Yi Ji-Hyuk around, Choi Jung-Hoon wouldve climbed up from the very bottom to the very top on his own two feet.
For the time being, Ill try to do what you asked. Meanwhile, you do what you can to negotiate with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.
C I will.
And, by the way....
C Yes? Please speak.
What is the price you want from this deal?
C I wont ask you for anything.
But you really took us through the cleaners thest time, did you not?
C Im not some idiot who cant tell when to be greedy and when to hold back.
Fufufu. Fine. I got it.
When the call finally ended, Christopher took a deep breath and cut the end of the cigar. Using the cigar match, he lit the end of his cigar evenly and took a satisfying inhale, before letting the smoke out slowly.
Connect me to the Department of Defence. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
Christopher McLarens calm but withdrawn eyes stared at the several spots dotted on the map spread out on top of his desk.
The concentration ofst known sightings was steadily widening. At this rate, the entirety of the United States would be covered by these creatures in a matter of weeks.
And that would be the end.
The wider they spread out, the harder it would get to locate those bugs. When that happened, there would be no solution whatsoever.
I need to grasp at any straws I can find.
Well, itd be better than not grasping at anything at all.
Christopher McLaren tasted the cigar smoke filling up his mouth and calmed his nerves.
***
Wait, where do you want to go, again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks tilted his head.
Inside Yi Ji-Hyuks house, currently in the living room.
To America. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Are you crazy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd have been perfectly normal to get flustered by that direct insult, but Choi Jung-Hoonpletely ignored Yi Ji-Hyuks reaction as he had expected it as much.
Of course, all my faculties are functioning properly. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, what did just say you wanted to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You wanna go to America??
To America, where those demonic bugs are busy flying around??
Not only that, with the rest of my family, too?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seriously considered the possibility of Choi Jung-Hoon losing all of his marbles.
Its because things are dangerous. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm??
Hearing Choi Jung-Hoons rather serious tone of voice, Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in an even more confused state. This man here was not someone whod thoughtlessly say random stuff in his head, so if something seemed amiss, then there was a hidden meaning behind his words.
Please exin yourself a bit better. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Remaining here is just as dangerous. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.......
Its not like you can stick by your familys side and keep an eye on them forever. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, thats true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, your priority should be on taking your family to the safest location there is, and then, take care of the situation for good. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
What he said wasnt wrong. He couldnt remain tied here like this all the time.
And, also.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes began shining rather dangerously.
We also need the information you have, as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Information? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know something about those insects, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Nope, dont know a thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You really dont know anything? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, I can guess where they are from, and what kinda nature they might possess, but well, there are so many simr types of creatures out there and I wasnt really interested so, like, what will be the symptoms, or how should one go about dealing with it.... I dont have a single clue where to even begin. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-mm.....
Choi Jung-Hoon fell into a deep contemtion, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to shrug his shoulders.
See? I told you, I wont be of much help. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, actually, that much already helps. So, lets head over to America first. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head around to face Park Seon-Duk and told her what was happening. She nodded her head after receiving her sons exnation.
Looks like us going to somewhere quiet would be for the better, isnt it? Will that make it easier for you too? (mom)
Well, yeah, sure. But.... Wont you be too ufortable, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll the same as being trapped in my home, so what does it matter if its over there or over here? (mom)
Ng, thats right. In that case, lets get going now. Please go and get ready. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly added from the side.
They have all the necessary amenities there, so all you need to pack are your clothes, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I see. In that case, please wait for a little while. (mom)
After mom left to pack the luggage, Yi Ji-Hyuk threw a question with a suspicious look on his face.
So, what kinda deal did you make with the Americans this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I didnt. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eii~ why are you acting like that? I mean, were all pros here, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon resolutely shook his head.
If this was any other times, sure. But, not this time. The way I see it, the current situation presents an unprecedented danger, quite unlike any other. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmmm.........
Again, those words werent wrong. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk himself had no idea what to do about this crisis, after all.
Not too long afterwards, Park Seon-Duk came down the stairs with Yi Ye-Won and severalrge suitcases full of clothes in tow.
Can we go now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you talking about? Your dads not finished getting ready yet. (mom)
Ah....!
Right, we gotta take dad along, too.
I almost did something really stupid just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Dear! (dad)
Yi Cheol-Woong was rushing down the stairs just then, and when he heard Park Seon-Duks words, tears began flooding out of his eyes.
Dear, you havent forgotten about.... (dad)
Youre being noisy! Just hurry up, will you?! (mom)
....Yes, maam. (dad)
After the dejected Yi Cheol-Woong finished with his preparations, Yi Ji-Hyuk called Jeong Hae-Min over.
Okay, lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng.
Jeong Hae-Min took their hands and activated her teleport ability.
***
Wee back. (Christopher McLaren)
What about the evacuation shelter? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My men will escort your family to the safe location. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren personally came to greet Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co., in front of his agencys HQ. Thanks to Choi Jung-Hoons speedy trantion, there was no problem getting the message through.
Im still kinda worried.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk said that, Christopher McLaren suddenly pulled out a handgun.
What are you doing?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shouted out in panic, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even bat an eyelid and simply watched on. Christopher McLaren then fired at the waiting automobile with his gun.
m!!
The bullet couldnt even nick the cars bulletproof window and ricochetted away.
You can rest easy. (Christopher McLaren)
Mmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and shifted his gaze over to Park Seon-Duk.
Please go ahead without me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will you be alright, son? (mom)
Yes, mom. Ill catch up to you very soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched his family being driven away on the prepared vehicles, and then, turned around to face Christopher McLaren.
Okay, so what is that you want to hear from me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before that.... (Christopher McLaren)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With a slightly teasing expression on his face, Christopher McLaren asked him a question.
Arent you at least slightly worried? (Christopher McLaren)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sending your family away like that. To put it bluntly, what if we decide to kidnap your family and use them as hostages to threaten you? (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned.
Ahjussi, you dont look that stupid, so itll be fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I take that as a praise? (Christopher McLaren)
Well, something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Christopher McLaren before opening his mouth again.
If that happened, youll soon learn that you shouldnt be afraid of some measly insects and whatnot. So, wanna find out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You do know I was just joking with you, yes? (Christopher McLaren)
Im sure it was. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eerie gaze was enough for Christopher McLaren to break out in cold sweat.
Not angering this man was the wisest decision, that was for sure. He himself judged this man as the most frightening existence there was, so he should definitely avoid doing something as stupid as making this guy angry.
Your family will be spending their time quitefortably in the worlds most secure location. If you want, we can guide you there anytime. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, its fine. For now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see. In that case, this way. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co., were guided into the interior of the American agencys building, and after finding their individual seats, they settled down.
A simple set of tea was served, and then, the main topic got underway.
We need information on these bugs. (Christopher McLaren)
On the tablets pushed forward as those words were being spoken, one could see the locations of bugs spreading out with Los Angeles as their centre.
Did you attach tracking beacons on them or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, we simply marked the physical sightings on the map. There is no other way to track insects as small as them. (Christopher McLaren)
I suppose so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let me cut to the chase. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, do you have any intel on how to deal with these bugs? (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon was frantically tranting everything.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head after hearing that.
To be honest, I dont know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm......
Christopher McLarens expression was about to be dyed in the colours of disappointment, but then, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth again.
I may not have much info on these bugs, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But?
But, I think I know what must be done. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean? (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chewed on his words, before opening his mouth again.
First of all. You havent even figured out where the Gate opened up, and thats our first problem. This ones opening condition mustve been different from the others so far. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm. That could be right..... (Christopher McLaren)
And, more than likely, someone mustve opened this Gate deliberately. If we dont take care of those idiots first, you shouldnt find another Gate like that one opening up strange at all. So, we gotta deal with those b*stards first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm!!
Christopher McLaren nodded his head.
However, wouldnt it be difficult to get a bead on their location? (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared into the empty air, before speaking up.
I can think of something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm??
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became serious, withdrawn.
A being that could control lifeforms of the demon world? That was far too obvious.
....Is it a demon king, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began clenching his fists tightly.
< 161. Youre still not good with lying -1 > Fin.
Chapter 162: You’re still not good with lying (2)
Chapter 162: Youre still not good with lying (2)
(TL: Unedited.)
The demon king.
The title existed for real, but its actual meaning was like a cloud in the sky.
Until he found himself stuck in Berafe, Yi Ji-Hyuk only understood the vague concept of what a demon king was, but then again, he never thought it could be a real thing, either.
However, after getting mixed up with the demonic realms business in Berafe, he got to realise what kind of existences these demon kings were. If one were to be pedantic, then there was no true demon king in existence.
Because, the title of demon king would denote the strongest individual found within the demons.
However, it didnt matter what species you were, as long as you got acknowledged as being truly strong by the demonic realm, and make other demons submit to you, anyone could be the next demon king.
The thing was, though C even within the vast, seemingly-infinite history of the demonic realm, there only ever had been 99 demon kings.
Thest person to im that title was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
A demon king, is it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since Affeldrichae said that the Gates were connected to the demonic realm, he did guess that someone from there might have crossed over already. He figured that itd be around the level of a superior demon or something, but...
But, there was a limit to a superior demon when it came to controlling monster hordes. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk could only start controlling monsters properly after climbing into the position of the demon king, after all.
Even if one took into ount the differences between a human and a demon as species, it was still impossible for a superior demon to use monsters like tools.
It might be possible to open up Gates to summon various monsters, but when doing something like that, itd be practically impossible to summon the kinds you wanted in the first ce.
In this case, then, itd be correct to assume that an existence on the level of a demon king had summoned its direct subordinates.
H-mm....
Who could it be?
He couldnt be certain of it, though.
While traversing through several dimension, he had be aware of it. Just as Berafe and Earth existed, the demonic realm Yi Ji-Hyuk knew couldnt have been the only one out there.
Even if that single demonic realm was a massive world thats easily thousands of timesrger than whenbining both Berafe and Earth into one.
I wonder, who is it?
If that guy did indeede from that demonic realm, then Yi Ji-Hyuk would surely know who it was....
If that were the case, then who was capable of causing this sort of an incident?
It couldnt have been a upper-level demon king.
If a Gaterge enough to let a upper-level demon king cross over, then the Gate itself would cause an incredible shockwave across the dimensions. It was not for nothing that the advent of a demon king signalled the end of the world, in other words.
If such a massive ripple urred, there was no way Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt notice it.
Which meant that either it was a pretty low-level demon king, or even that low-level demon king couldnt cross overpletely intact...
Mm......
Yi Ji-Hyuk began calcting just how strong of an existence had descended to this world with that situation in mind.
M-mmmm...
ording to his quick calction....
Its the end of the world.
He couldnt think of an answer.
In all honesty, if a single superior demon, not a true demon king, had managed to descend pretty much intact, then this wouldnt be able to fight it off.
A superior demon was almost on the level of a super powerful Dragon. It would be an existence that only an Ancient-grade Dragon had any realistic hope of defeating.
However, you wanna talk about a demon king?
The difference between a demon king, and a superior demon was rather simple.
Well, the thing was, if a demon king wasnt capable of utterly massacring a superior demon with a flick of its hand, which dumba*s demon would be willing to follow the orders of one?
No matter how weak a demon king was, it was still a creature on another in of existencepared to the demons of lower grades.
That was why....
Because of such a gap in power, they were acknowledged as demon kings. Didnt matter whether you were a mutant, a superior race, whatever. Hell, even a human was fine.
No, power was the only qualification necessary.
That was the sole reason why Yi Ji-Hyuk was bestowed with the title of the demon king.
And now, the odds of an existence possessing such power having descended on this was ufortably high.
Were finished.
Merely thinking about it made his head hurt.
No doubt, the current Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt be able to do anything to such an existence.
Just which crazy b*stard crossed over?!
After recalling all the faces of the demon kings, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly arrived at one conclusion.
Didnt matter who it was, there was no answer here.
From the get-go, the meaning of ones strength reaching the very extremes was that youd have utterly devoted yourself into one single field of expertise throughout your entire life. And the normal world would call such a person crazy b*stard for sure.
So, rather obviously, not one demon king was what youd call normal in the head.
Again, it didnt matter who crossed over, it was the same story.
Uh-whew. Just how much of a crazy b*stard did cross over?
*
That crazy b*stard hasnt made a move? (Beltreche)
Beltreche tilted its head.
Did he really regain his mind?
There was just no way the worst wackjob in the history of demonic realm would not do something after such an incident urred in his backyard....
Maybe, he has noticed something? (Args)
When did that b*stard ever do crazy things while being oblivious? Hes the crazy b*stard because he knowingly did all those crazy things. (Beltreche)
Of course. (Args)
Beltreche massaged its temples.
Just from the mere fact that the worst crazy b*stard in the history of the demonic realm was a human, the way the denizens of the demonic realm treated humans went through a fundamental shift.
Before Yi Ji-Hyuk, humans were thought of as fairly intelligent creatures perfect for toying around for a bit before extracting negative energy from. But, after him, they were still seen as fun to toy around with, but if any one of them properly lost their sh*t, they would be even worse existences than demons.
If it was the past him, he wouldnt have sit back and do nothing.... (Beltreche)
When he was doing his thing back in the demonic realm, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a tyrant and an conqueror, not to mention a bomb-like existence who didnt let even the most minor matters pass by.
The Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past would never, ever let the event of another making a ruckus in his territory go by unpunished at all.
However, if he didnt show any big movements even after such a fuss had been raised.... Without a doubt, he was a changed manpared to the past.
Or..... (Beltreche)
Could he have noticed it already?
That I am already in this world?
If its him, he might be suspecting it. Maybe not me specifically, but at least, in the general sense. (Beltreches inner monologue)
Or, is he trying to cook up a suitable response? (Beltreche)
Even Beltreche had made a slight oversight with his n.
Who knew they would be so weak. (Beltreche)
If he had let loose those insects in Berafe, the overall impact wouldnt have been this great.
Well, in Berafe, one would find pretty much everywhere the holy men and women who could use Purification with divine blessings they were bestowed with, as well as countless mages capable of tracking down every single bug released.
The insect horde might be able to cause a bit of chaos there, but in the end, everything would eventually be put back into perfect order, and a short time after that, all harm caused would have been dealt with.
To be this weak.... (Beltreche)
ording to the information it had received, this world was iparably more advanced than Berafe. Especially when firepower was concerned, this world was definitely a step above Berafe.
However, it was far worse in every other category.
Utterly ruining this world wouldnt be hard at all.
Brainwashing high-ranking politicians with magic and let them start a big war would end everything, or simply by unleashing an army of undead, they would truly be the immortal army they were meant to be in a world where no one was capable of performing Purification.
What a fun little world this is.... (Beltreche)
On top of this, the overall poption here was iparably greater than Berafe, and there were plentiful of their base desires and negative energy to harvested.
If Beltreche knew of such a world, then itd start scheming against this ce instead of Berafe a long time ago.
Indeed, this ce is without a doubt, a fun little world. (Beltreche)
No, even if everything else was disregarded, the mere fact that the 99th demon king was residing here made this world a fun ce to be.
So, then. What should I do next? (Beltreche)
Beltreche expected Yi Ji-Hyuk toe barging in here after letting some bugs loose, but the situation was unfolding in a slightly unexpected manner.
That was in part a fault of Beltreche when it failed to ount for the difference between Berafe and Earth, and also, Yi Ji-Hyuks shift in personality, where he didnt respond as quickly as he did in the past, yed a big role.
Well, if things didnt work out one way, then all Beltreche had to do was to turn it around, or twist it even further.
Beltreche stared at a contraption humans had invented called television and cackled insidiously. Seeing the panic of humans as conveyed by this little box really entertained the demon king.
It even felt like the heavy, odious anxiety wafting in the air was strengthening its body, too.
This much isnt nearly enough. (Beltreche)
The rate of anxiety and fear spreading in this world was so, so much faster than Berafe.
The panic spread through word of mouth sure had a charm of its own, but it spreading through this sort of medium had another type of charm to it, too.
However, if there was one thing strange, that would be....
Even though this much ruckus has been raised, this world still seems to be abnormally peaceful. (Beltreche)
If that was the case, then could this medium lower the fear of the public, instead? Facing this unexinable situation, Beltreche became quite interested.
Indeed, one should not use the method of understanding for Berafe in this world.
So.... Where is the 99th demon king as of this moment? (Beltreche)
Hes in a ce not too far from here. (Args)
M-mm.... (Beltreche)
Oh the great demon king, may I dare to ask a single question? (Args)
Go on. (Beltreche)
May I inquire the reason why youre taking your time? (Args)
The ends of Beltreches lips arched up. The forked tongue of a reptile sneaked out and moistened its lips.
Does it look like Im taking my time? (Beltreche)
With your powers, surely you can severely punish that arrogant 99th demon king quite easily, yes? (Args)
Of course, I can. (Beltreche)
In that case, why are you holding back to this degree? (Args)
Beltreche cracked its neck several times.
Im not holding back. I definitely am not holding anything back. No, Im simply enjoying myself. (Beltreche)
This servant fails to understand.... (Args)
Just how long have I suffered at the hands of the 99th demon king? (Beltreche)
....Indeed, my lord. (Args)
That is why, simply ending it like that would never soothe my fury. If I wanted to..... (Beltreche)
Beltreche shuddered greatly.
....I could easily keep him alive while cutting him into million little pieces, and then, ask him how he feels. (Beltreche)
I see. (Args)
However, one waits until the fruit ripens. Only then can you truly savour it. (Beltreche)
It will be done ording to your wise will. (Args)
However, one could never tell the future.
Would that man stay still like this until the end?
Because, ones nature would not change that quickly.
Beltreches vertically-slit eyes began shining in ominous re.
***
You say its a demon king?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
A demon king, of all things?
This wasnt some kind of a run-of-the-mill anime, so what on earth was this about?
Maybe, you read one too many mangas? (Seo Ah-Young)
This time, it was Yi Ji-Hyuks turn to be dumbfounded.
What the heck. Monsters are running loose in this world, so whats strange about demons kings and whatnot?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, if you put it that way.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, Orcs, Ogres and Trolls were freely roaming in this world nowadays, so what would be so strange about a demon king appearing out of the blue now?
So, what youre saying is that, this incident is caused by a demon king, yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly nodded his head.
So, if we get rid of that demon king, this whole thing will be resolved more or less, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Dunno about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
That may happen. Or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, why waste energy trying to take down this... demon king? (Seo Ah-Young)
If we dont deal with it now, well, we might see another horde of insects being summoned after we deal with the first one. Thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh....
Sure, that sounded usible.
If those bugs were indeed summoned into this world, then there was no guarantee that more wouldnt be summoned in the future. So, if they didnt stop that from happening in the first ce, itd be like pouring water into a bottomless jar.
So, do you have a solution? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back.
What, you mean a way to track down the demon king? Of course I do have a way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, really? Well, lets go kill it, then. (Seo Ah-Young)
The problem is that we have no way to do that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly as he spoke.
Its the case of No Answers, amigo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
No, wait a minute, you d*mn as*hole! You cant be the one saying that!!
If you cant deal with that, that means no one can.... (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
You really cant? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head this way and that.
Mm... If I were to really, really think of a way, then its not like theres none, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, in that case, shouldnt we do that? (Seo Ah-Young)
I think itd be better we dont, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why not? (Seo Ah-Young)
Weeeell, things will get a lot more horrifying, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks face was now dyed in the colours of pure evil.
< 162. Youre still not good with lying -2 > Fin.
Chapter 163:You’re still not good with lying (3)
Chapter 163:Youre still not good with lying (3)
Tom! Where are you going? Tom, wait!
Brian hurried his steps to chase after his young son running towards the edge of the water.
Would you look at this guy?
Brian told his boy not to go near the water like that, but he kept going there regardless. The father said countless times that it was dangerous, that the boy might fall into the water if he insisted on ying there.
So, Brian hurriedly ran after Tom.
Dad!
However, Tom suddenly changed his direction and ran back to Brian, instead.
Whats the matter?
A bug! Daddy, its a bug!
....A bug?
When he looked in the direction Tom was pointing at, a jet-ck beetle the size of a pinky nail was flying towards them. Brian let off a hollow chuckle.
Raising a fuss over a single bug like that. This kid....
Brian lightly tussled his sons hair and took a swipe at the insect flying towards them.
Sting.
However, sensing something stinging him just now, Brian quickly took a look down at his palm.
Huh?!
The middle of his palm had been deeply gouged out and blood was oozing out.
What the hell? D*mn it!
He simply pped away a single bug, yet to be hurt like this....
Thinking that he just got unlucky, he tried to press down on his wound, but then, he suddenly felt dizzy.
W-whats going on?
He felt his head spin, and soon, vomit rushed out of his throat, and his entire body felt icy cold, as well.
T-tom! Call.... mom....
Brian then lost his consciousness and copsed on the spot.
Daaaaddy!
Simr scenes were ying out throughout the United States of America almost simultaneously. The secondary damage, as feared by Christopher McLaren, was finally beginning.
*
God d*mn it!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren squeezed the phones receiver hard enough to nearly break it. One could even hear the sounds of it cracking, too.
Screw this sh*t!! (Christopher McLaren)
The situation he had been dreading had finally began.
Those infernal bugs had begun their assault on people. As if they were given the signal to go ahead, bugs that had been staying put quietly began attacking out of the blue.
The operations board on themand centres wall was being lit up in virtually every corner like a Christmas tree.
Three more confirmed victims in Phoenix, sir! Ah, another one from Las Vegas!
I can see that already!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren angrily shouted out and threw the phone down on the floor.
God d*mn it! What the hell do you want from me now?! (Christopher McLaren0
There was no virtually answer here.
How are we supposed to catch those tiny f*cking insects?! (Christopher McLaren)
In an instant, countless defensive measures and various anti-Gate tactics humanity hadpiled over the years were nowpletely useless. Indeed, humanity capable of defeating giant monsters somehow were now rendered utterly helpless by bugs no bigger than ones fingernail.
Uwaaaah!!
Christopher McLaren couldnt hold back all the anguish eating up his inside and roared out.
Director!!
D*mn this all to hell!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren knew that others were trying to calm him down. He also knew that he needed to calm the hell down, too. However, what was he to do when he simply couldnt calm down at all?
This was no time to stay calm, so how could he even calm down in the first ce?!
Whats the story with the fumigation team?? (Christopher McLaren)
They reported that nothing had worked so far! None of the known insecticides or pesticides were effective against those bugs, sir. They said that if they were to further increase the toxicity, then itd no longer be insecticides but biological weapon, instead!
Fine, tell them to kill the bugs with bare hands if necessary!! (Christopher McLaren)
Those bugs are apparently as hard as steel, sir. Killing by hitting it is practically impossible. If youre talking about impact power simr to that of a bullet, yes, it could work, but how can anyone hit insects with guns?
Euh..........
Although me throwers are apparently proving to be somewhat effective, because their attack range is limited, they are insufficient to kill the bugs. The only other remaining option is to drop napalm on the location of these bugs nests, but they are not nesting in a group at the moment. If we chase after every single one of those bugs and try to bomb them all to hell, then itd be the country being destroyed, instead. Sir.
Christopher McLaren held his head. It was, figuratively speaking, one obstacle after another.
There truly was no method left.
So what now? We do nothing? You godd*mn son of a b***h, you think we exist to tally up the number of victims here?! Find a f*cking way to solve this, now!! (Christopher McLaren)
Y-yes, sir!
I dont care if its poison, radiation, whatever! Use any means necessary to stop them!! If you cant, then erect a wall of mes or something in those bugs flight paths and prevent them from spreading out even further! Do you understand what Im saying to you right now?? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir, I understand!
Director!
What now! (Christopher McLaren)
Sir.... You have to see this.
What?? (Christopher McLaren)
This....
Christopher McLaren angrily snatched away the tablet pushed to him by a subordinate, and took a look.
...........
And then, he forgot what he wanted to say.
This is happening right now? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
Nowpletely speechless, Christopher McLaren silently stared at the screen before copsing back down on his seat. His trembling hands ripped the end of the cigar and tried to lit it up.
Unfortunately, the constant shaking meant it wasnt easy to light up the match.
Screw this sh*t! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren threw the cigar away and panted heavily, before whispering under his breath.
Has God really forsaken us? (Christopher McLaren)
Hisplexion began to ashen like a dying man.
For the time being, call the teleporter here. Ill personally go there. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
....I cant think of anything else to say other than cuss words. (Christopher McLaren)
God d*mn it.
*
God d*mn it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a cuss under his breath as he stared at the scene beyond the thick ss window.
Just what is happening here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon asked him, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt answer immediately, and simply spat out a sigh. One of the worst case scenarios hed been thinking about had began.
There were three such scenarios concerning what would happen to the victims of the bug bites.
They died, lived, or....
....Turn into undead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
He was now seeing the victims bodies slowly changing colour to ash-grey on the sick beds. Their hair began falling, and the skin around their lips tore open and fell off, too.
As soon as the victims started convulsing violently, they were firmly restrained to their beds. However, even in this state, they bared their teeth and tried to bite the medical staff.
Tell them, do not get bitten no matter what. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, will do. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Undead wasnt a freaking collection point of every contagion out there, so you wouldnt suddenly change into another undead just because of a single bite, but there was nothing wrong with being cautious, was there?
In normal cases with zombies, only the victims who got bitten to death turned into undeads. As long as you didnt die, youd get better sooner rather thanter.
However, it was a different story altogether when a living person was turned into undead. Because, it was dark Mana modifying the victims bodies, instead.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out several more choice words and spun his head around sharply.
You dont look to happy right now. (Affeldrichae)
.....And where have you been? Showing your face like this and all? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You must be feeling really unhappy. Am I correct? (Affeldrichae)
After hearing Affeldrichaes voice with not a single deviation in her pitch, Yi Ji-Hyuk bared his fangs.
If you can tell, you better mind yourself in front of me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because its not someone elses business? (Affeldrichae)
You better shut up before I rip your throat wide open. Mkay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae shrugged her shoulders.
The man who only knew how to spout venom whenever he opened his mouth.
She now could see the Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past, when he was driven to the most desperate corner imaginable, the moment he started his journey as the Bringer of Apocalypse.
Seeing that deeply-hidden side of him being brought out to the fore after all this time, she could tell just how desperate he was feeling at this moment.
I dont understand. Arent they strangers to you? Whether strangers be undeads or not, it doesnt really matter to you, no? (Affeldrichae)
You lizards like to live alone, so youll never understand these kinds of emotions. So, its fine if you dont sweat over it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you praising me? (Affeldrichae)
No, I was insulting you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae sighed out.
Fine. What will you do now? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes glittered dangerously.
What choice do I have? I gotta find the source of the infection, kill the b*stard, and pray that the dark Mana dissipates afterwards. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Surely, getting struck by lightning twelve times in a row would have a better chance of actually happening. (Affeldrichae)
If Im serious, I can get struck twelve times in a row. So, this much should be possible, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as the odds of you getting struck twelve times and you surviving in the middle of that being different, itll be apletely different story whether you can kill that being or not. You know this, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
Of course, I do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks face hardened.
However, I dont have a choice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dont? (Affeldrichae)
Either everyone dies and Im the only one left standing, or I die and everyone else dies after me. Thats the gist of the problem. If someone asks me to choose, Id go for thetter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, the former seems wiser to me? (Affeldrichae)
If youre a human being, youd choose thetter. You see, theres this old saying that, getting punished before everyone else is for the best. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Regr humans wouldve chosen the former without hesitation. (Affeldrichae)
You know that Im a bit special case. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Affeldrichae quickly realised that she couldnt change his mind no matter what she said here.
So, youll really fight. (Affeldrichae)
Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Against a demon king? (Affeldrichae)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For the first time ever, Affeldrichaes expression crumpled unsightly.
Please wake up, Mister Ji-Hyuk! Right now, youre just a simple human being. The immortality and perpetuity you enjoyed so much no longer exists within you. You are no longer the Immortal Soul, no longer the Bringer of Apocalypse, and youre definitely no longer the 99th demon king. Youre a weak human now, and you will fall if you get injured, and you will die if youre stabbed with a de. (Affeldrichae)
I know that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know? Then, you should know very well what will happen to you if you stand before a demon king in your current state. Youll be turned into chunks of meat in less than ten seconds. Dont you get that? (Affeldrichae)
Im telling you, I know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then, why? (Affeldrichae)
I told you, I dont have a choice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just because of something so minor.... (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
The current incident isnt the problem. As long as a demon king has descended to this world, that guy will definitelye seeking me out. And Ill have to wait with my neck all washed nice and clean. However, that aint my style. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, youre right. That isnt your style. (Affeldrichae)
....I thought youd insult me again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I know full well that you wouldnt listen to me no matter how much I talk, anyway. Youve never listened to me once in the past, too. (Affeldrichae)
Thats only because you wanted impossible things from me all the time, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lets just say that was the case, then. (Affeldrichae)
She didnt want to have an argument with him in the middle of this discussion.
Do you really not have any other way? (Affeldrichae)
Look.
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the victims changing into undeads beyond the window.
How long do you think theyll need to turnpletely? Here aint the only problem, either. Right now, those bugs are still buzzing around everywhere outside. Sure, since they cant get a supply of Mana, their lifeforce will have a certain limit. Maybe, a month at a push? However, Im telling you this right now, humanity with no way to purify those guys will bepletely devastated within fifteen days. Itll be far toote by then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Youll lose your fight if you fail to preserve your troops. Even if you manage to survive somehow, youll still lose the strength tobat other Gates opening up next. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Definitely. (Affeldrichae)
So, I gotta fight now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youd be right in other times, but youre still being persistent. (Affeldrichae)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You still dont trust anyone beside yourself. (Affeldrichae)
.........
Logically speaking, youd be able to kill all those bugs if you gather every ability user in the world to this country. There may be millions of bugs, but if the entire worlds ability users work together, then itd still be doable. (Affeldrichae)
You aint wrong there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, you still choose to tread the shortest path all alone. (Affeldrichae)
.......
Didnt youe back to this world because you hated doing that? Because you hated being alone? (Affeldrichae)
I told you, I came back here to die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre still not very good with lying. (Affeldrichae)
Thanks, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae let a soft sigh escape from her lips after seeing that bitter smile on Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
You do realise that there is another option avable to you, yes? (Affeldrichae)
Nope, no clue. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You do realise that you can go back along with others, yes? (Affeldrichae)
I wont go back even if you kill me, you d*mn rotten lizard woman. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I knew youd say that. (Affeldrichae)
When Affeldrichae swished her hand in the air, a pure-white space opened up.
Mm??
From inside that pure white space, a certain something floated gently in the air towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Huh?
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes opened wider.
Apletely unexpected itemnded gently on his hands.
< 163. Youre still not good with lying -3 > Fin.
Chapter 164: You’re still not good with lying (4)
Chapter 164: Youre still not good with lying (4)
Isnt this....?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes opened wider.
I had to spend over half of my Mana just to bring that item over here. I was wondering whether I should give it to you or not, but now, I dont have much of a choice anymore. (Affeldrichae)
You really came up with a pretty dang great gift for me, havent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned widely.
On top of his hands rested a certain artefact he loved using back in Berafe. It was a magic power booster, fashioned out of the hearts of four Ancient-ss Dragons he personally had hunted down.
Out of countless artefacts he used to own, he enjoyed using this one the most, and also, he thought of it as the most important one in his possession, as well.
He thought that this artefact was destroyed when he jumped dimensions due to the resistance of the worlds, but who wouldve guessed that shed bring it here!
It was found abandoned on the spot you disappeared from Berafe. It seems that the Hearts desire to stay in its original world prevented the artefact from travelling with you. (Affeldrichae)
Even after death, the remnant of their wills still remains, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearts are Dragons, and Dragons are their hearts. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm. Well, its fine either way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whatever the case may be, in the end, this artefact found itself back in his hands. Yi Ji-Hyuk looked deeply at the Dragon Hearts each emitting different hues, before sping them around his arms.
Click!
With that crisp metallic click of the sps, Dragon Hearts were now locked in his arms, and he felt quite a bit satisfied afterwards. Should he say that this felt like he was recovering his lost pieces one by one?
....Didnt you find the main Heart as well? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You sure know how to demand others to cough up the heart of their mother, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
I didnt know Dragons were capable of that kind of filial bonds. What, your kind know how to recognise your mothers now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe Im just the weird one. (Affeldrichae)
Kekekeke.
Yi Ji-Hyuk happily chuckled out.
This was why he couldnt get close to this woman.
She might be able to understand humans with her vast intellect, but there was just no way hed get to truly share his feelings with someone who calcted her emotions and acted based on the result.
It wasnt there. (Affeldrichae)
H-mm. Thats too bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I need the main Heart to bring out the full might of this artefact, though.
Well, doesnt matter. If its not here, Ill just use it as it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even without the Main Heart, this artefact would still boost Yi Ji-Hyuks attack power by several folds, after all.
Besides all that.... You really exceeded yourself this time, bringing me the Hearts of your own kin like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They arent mine, so it doesnt matter. (Affeldrichae)
Right. You guys were always like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though it was me who said it, I still cant get used to how Dragons think.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So, what is your n now? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked back at Affeldrichae in a slightly reproachful manner, his eyes implying why on earth she was even asking that question in the first ce.
Find it, fight it, and kill it. Obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Looks like you forgot to add how in that sentence. How will you find it, how will you fight it, and how will you kill it? (Affeldrichae)
Nicely, of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im not in a joking mood with you. (Affeldrichae)
A Dragon talking about moods, what a funny notion that is. Why dont you use that ice-cold head of yours to figure it out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a little bted for me to say this now, but.... (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
If I remained in that world after the end of the war, my brethren might have killed me already, saying that Im a mad Dragon. (Affeldrichae)
Kekeke.
That could really have happened.
One things for sure, the Affeldrichae of their first encounter and Affeldrichae of now were twopletely different beings. The Ice Queen-like Affeldrichae of the past should be considered as good as dead now.
What was so different about her from back then when she still couldnt really understand humans even now?
Actually, a Dragon wanting to understand more about humans was the evidence of the creature going bonkers for real. One should think about how a human, in his desire to understand ants better, tried to imitate the actions of ants and live like one.
Now that would be the finest example of one going mad.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Affeldrichae and lightly clicked his tongue, before spreading his arms out wide to stretch his muscles.
From here on, its my job. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae shook her head.
Its our job. (Affeldrichae)
Hmph.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Affeldrichae.
Hey, Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
My sworn enemy, who for so long stood in my path, wishes to stand by my side now and fight alongside me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is there a reason not to? (Affeldrichae)
But, why should you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as you said, Im not safe here as well. As long as Ick the sufficient Mana to open up a Gate that takes me back to Berafe, fighting alongside you will raise the odds of my own survival rather greatly. (Affeldrichae)
Didnt you just say that fighting deadst is the wisest thing to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you arent nning to be thest, thats why. (Affeldrichae)
....Feels a bit weird to me, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, fine.
Yesterdays enemy can be todays ally. That can happen. Happens all the time, in fact.
However, Ive never imagined seeing the day that this dang lizard would be my ally, so its a bit awkward for me, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yup, its awkward, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres no need to feel awkward. Ive always been in your side, after all. (Affeldrichae)
....Well, now Ive heard everything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around.
The reason why he still felt bitter was simple C he himself knew very well that she wasnt exaggerating there. Although the methods didnt seem like it, she always tried to help him out. It was Yi Ji-Hyuk that couldnt really ept her.
It was the same story even now.
She had to be telling the truth when she said she came to this world to help him out. Dragons never lied, after all. However, even then, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt really ept her goodwill.
Its all twisted. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, as a human, as a living creature, even as a devil, he was all twisted up inside.
Dont slow me down, you hear? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im the Dragon Lord, remember? (Affeldrichae)
Right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was enough talking, then.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk and Affeldrichae walked out of the quarantined hospital, all of the NDF agents were waiting for them by the front entrance.
....And whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent you going to fight? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young replied curtly.
Who told them that?
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his gaze, and as if she felt guilty, Doh Gah-Yun stopped hiding in his shadow and silently emerged from there, before taking refuge behind Seo Ah-Young.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan and nodded his head.
Fine, whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well go together. (Seo Ah-Young)
You really wanna kill yourselves that badly, huh. Do you even have any idea where youre going to, in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, were going to die, arent we? (Seo Ah-Young)
....You finally gone crazy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unless one was not mad, one wouldnt try to kill themselves that badly....
From the way I hear it, itll be difficult even for you this time. Isnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Probably? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, we have to go together. (Seo Ah-Young)
Why? Are you thinking of dying together with me? Have you actually grown close to me or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young snorted derisively at Yi Ji-Hyuks snide remarks.
Stop making meugh, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. There is no way we have that kind of a rtionship. We only have a tenuous contractual rtionship, after all. (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We all know that, if you go alone and die there, wed all be dead meat without a chance to resistter on. (Seo Ah-Young)
How wise.
Now that was a wise conclusion to make.
Even then, he still wasnt too pleased about it because.... There was a hint, a trace of a certain emotion left hanging in her deration.
Do you know that you wont be of any help, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure we can serve as cannon fodder. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed again.
Indeed.
They would serve well as cannon fodder.
Do what you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped trying to dissuade them.
Didnt he work hard to train these folks precisely for this moment? Now that it was time to use them, he should do so ordingly.
Dont me me if you die. No, wait. Its fine if you do me me, cuz I wont care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We expect nothing less from you. (Seo Ah-Young)
After saying that, Seo Ah-Young began direct orders to the NDF agents.
So.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with withdrawn but calm eyes.
....How will you locate your target? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
No need to go around looking for that guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hes gonna show up all by himself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you talking about? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt feel the need to exin himself. It wasnt as if Choi Jung-Hoon would understand just because of an exnation, and besides, nothing would change, anyway.
Trying to make these folks understand the level of belligerence demon kings possessed was a foolish task. Itd be akin to making a bunch of children who knew nothing, realise that the sun wasnt circling around Earth, but it was in fact the other way around through nothing more than a few exnations.
Youll see soon enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just by Yi Ji-Hyuk making a move, they wouldnt be able to resist showing up here, regardless of which demon king it was.
It was an obvious thing, really.
The 99th demon king.
Just how much death and destruction did Yi Ji-Hyuk wrought in the demon world while acquiring the title of thetest demon king and eventually as the Bringer of Apocalypse?
Just how many demons perished after being stepped on by Yi Ji-Hyuk in the process of him acquiring the core of the demon world that would supply him with endless amounts of Mana?
Originally, the number of demons existing in that world was iparably greater than that of humans found on Earth, but by the time Yi Ji-Hyuk stood at the summit as the final victor, there were less than half of them remaining.
So, from the perspective of demons, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the legendary ughterer of masses that managed to erase over half of their brethren.
Of course, demons didnt feel all that much of bonds or fellowship among themselves so they wouldnt have felt the same type of emotions as humans in the same situation, but still, the overwhelming majority of them would hate Yi Ji-Hyuk regardless.
That was why....
That demon king would be pretty desperate to rip Yi Ji-Hyuk to shreds right about now. All he had to was lightly scratch that itch, and the demon king would jump into the open all by itself.
The issue is with the method of scratching, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spotted Christopher McLaren breathlessly running closer to him and asked.
Where will I find a ce with the least amount of coteral damage? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon rapidly tranted from the side. However, Christopher McLaren could only tilt his head as he still failed to understand the reason for that question, even with the trantion.
What was this guy trying to ask for here?
Find me a location where there wont be any coteral damage even if I wreck havoc in that ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, Ill find one. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren wanted to clear something up, but the atmosphere oozing out from Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt allow that.
Is this the same Yi Ji-Hyuk that I know? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren could only get flustered by the change of personality disyed by Yi Ji-Hyuk, who had now gone past the level of being serious and straight into being utterly grave.
The image of a punk messing around to his hearts content had disappeared a while ago, only to be reced by a warrior getting ready for a truly arduous battle thats about toe.
Ah, by the way...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly opened his mouth.
Why dont we get some cameras, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren stared dazedly at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What was this about now?
*
Beltreche brought the ss of wine closer to its face. The crimson tongue slowly emerged from its lips and lightly licked the wine contained within the clear ss. And then, its yellow eyes were narrowed to slit, a frown forming on its face.
Humans wines are still terrible. (Beltreche)
It wasnt as if Beltreche had any preference when it came to liquor, but well, it was true that fruit wines created by Elves were the best, and everyone knew that Dwarves made the best beer there was.
Either here or back in Berafe, wines made by humans were just not ptable at all.
And this particr wine was supposed to be the most high-ss, top quality there was, yet with this sort of taste, Beltreche thought that it might as well give up on going on a tour of alcohol tasting in this world altogether.
And so, you say he has made a move? (Beltreche)
Yes. However, I can not figure out what hes trying to do. (Args)
Current situation only. (Beltreche)
Hes moving towards a desert called Sonoran at the moment. It seems likely that he has given up on responding to the beetles. (Args)
Giving up, is it.... (Beltreche)
No matter how many bugs there were or how far wide they had spread out, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve been able to take care of them all.
Sure, it would take a long time, but eventually, hed kill every single one. Because, that man possessed the ability to track down even the tiniest amount of dark Mana.
Yet, he was ignoring the bugs and had travelled elsewhere?
What is he scheming? (Beltreche)
It was then, the TV screen Beltreche was watching suddenly changed.
M-mm??
Beltreche spat out a surprised gasp.
It wasnt because the footage shown had changed.
The demon king was only watching the TV to learn more about the nature and habits of the humans of this world anyway, so he didnt really care for what channel he was watching to begin with.
No, what took Beltreche by surprise was the person appearing on the screen.
....The ny-ninth demon king. (Beltreche)
Beltreches eyes began gleaming dangerously as Yi Ji-Hyuk appeared on the TV screen.
Was this a provocation?
Even though he may not know that Beltreche was watching TV, did he suspect that there could be coborators working for the demon king somewhere?
As expected of the 99th demon king.
However.....
Beltreches yellow eyes shook violently next.
Isnt that....?!
There was a ck Gate above Yi Ji-Hyuks head growingrger andrger.
Nooooo!!
Beltreche cried out sharply.
< 164. Youre still not good with lying -4 > Fin.
Chapter 165: You’re still not good with lying (5)
Chapter 165: Youre still not good with lying (5)
D*mn it all to hell! (Beltreche)
Beltreche angrily roared out.
Now, it wouldnt have reacted to some pathetic little provocation.
Indeed, Beltreche was thinking of slowly torturing and killing Yi Ji-Hyuk, regardless of the level of provocation.
With a little bit more time, the beetles Beltreche had unleashed wouldve turned humans into undeads one by one, and eventually, the true undying army wouldve risen up in this world.
Beltreche was nning to drag the situation on until then, and make Yi Ji-Hyuk suffer all sorts of pain, before killing him for good.
However.....
Thats a Gate!! (Beltreche)
What Yi Ji-Hyuk was opening up was definitely a Gate. However, not only was it not a regr transfer Gate youd use to move from one ce to another in the same dimension, but rather, that portal was actually used to travel from one dimension to another, instead!
It was a dimensional Gate!
It was quite obvious where Yi Ji-Hyuk would go if he made such a Gate: Berafe.
Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was creating a Gate that led to Berafe right now.
No matter what, that had to be stopped.
Because, the current Yi Ji-Hyuk could be dealt with without a problem.
However, if he managed to return to Berafe and recovered his immortality, as well as his connection to the demon worlds core, then just what would happen afterwards?
The Bringer of Apocalypse would be revived, thats what.
In other words, the Immortal Soul, the reviled and feared 99th demon king would descend upon the world once more. When that happened, Yi Ji-Hyuk would no doubte looking for Beltreche next.
The only thing remaining after that would be.... suspended in a state of neither living or dead, Beltreche would suffer the hellish torment over and over again.
I cant allow that!! (Beltreche)
This wasnt simply for his own well-being, either.
During the period of Yi Ji-Hyuk rampaging around in the demon world, just how much devastation did he cause there?
No, wait. Didnt he actually cause the bnce of not just the demon world, but all of the worlds out there to nearly go out of whack??
If Beltreche wanted to prevent the situation of everything and everyone perishing together, it needed to stop Yi Ji-Hyuk from reverting back to the Bringer of Apocalypse at all costs.
Where is that ce?? (Beltreche)
Beltreche hurriedly questioned Alpha, who was quietly observing the situation from the back.
Well, the Sonoran is a pretty big ce, so.... (Alpha)
Are you saying you dont know where he is, human? (Beltreche)
Alpha shook his head.
Ive already told you its in Sonoran. Wouldnt finding a group of people of that level in a desert with virtually no one living there, be a breeze to you and your abilities? Or, were the existences of demons so pathetic that I have to spoon feed you some soup having already prepared a feast for you, too? (Alpha)
Beltreches yellow eyes quietly red at Alpha.
Indeed, your words arent wrong. (Beltreche)
Looks like words can get through to you. (Alpha)
Correct, human. Correct, indeed. (Beltreche)
It was then, Beltreches fingers flicked momentarily.
Paaaang!
Keuk!
Alpha writhed around in pain. The intolerable pain shooting up from his right arm shook his consciousness almost into a ckout.
Drop!
He then heard the sound of something weighty fall to the floor.
Alpha gritted his teeth after seeing the strange sight of his own right arm falling to the ground after it was sliced off.
Im grateful for your counsel, so as a reward, I shall let you keep your life. (Beltreche)
Doing whatever you please, arent you? (Alpha)
Next time, Ill do something about that mouth of yours. (Beltreche)
Alpha shut his mouth.
Fine, Args. (Beltreche)
Yes, great demon king. (Args)
Find him. Find where Yi Ji-Hyuk is right now. I shall personally go there. (Beltreche)
But, great demon king, that is..... (Args)
Do you wish to witness the advent of the Bringer of Apocalypse with your own two eyes again?! (Beltreche)
Argss body still prostrating on the ground began trembling, hard. Indeed, even Args didnt want to see that scene, no matter what.
Find him. Ill personally go there. It is regrettable that matters did not go ording to my n, but theres no helping it. (Beltreche)
I understand. (Args)
Along with those words, Args walked backwards and left the chamber. After the smaller demon disappeared, Beltreche licked its face and red at Alpha.
The existence of humans can be rather interesting. (Beltreche)
Its the same story for you demons, too. (Alpha)
I enjoy dealing with those humans with a bit of determination. Whenever I get to look at their tenacity slowly erode in the face of eternal torture, I end up feeling that there is no better game than this in the entire universe. (Beltreche)
My own tenacity wont be eroded by something like that. (Alpha)
Sure, they all say the same thing as you. However.... Oh, human, none of those who have said that to mested for more than three hundred years. (Beltreche)
.........
Alpha became speechless at the rather unimaginable time scale put forward by Beltreche.
Torturing someone for three hundred years? And this demon enjoyed that as a game? Alpha once more recognised the simple, undeniable truth that the word cruelty was synonymous with the title of demon.
Its pretty horrifying, indeed. (Alpha)
Fufufufu.
Beltreche chuckled joyously.
Soon, you shall bear witness. You shall see how I rip Yi Ji-Hyuk into pieces and turn this world into mine. (Beltreche)
Alpha didnt reply to that and simply chose to quietly stare at Beltreche.
The pain from his torn arm tormented him to no end, but he was already well familiar with pain like this.
At least, to him, that was.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at therge Gate growing evenrger in the air and spat out a groan.
Euh!
Even though he was trying to lure out a demon king, to think, hed actually open up a Gate that led to Berafe. With his own two hands, no less!
No ordinary tricks would fool a demon kings eyes, so he had no choice but to open up a real Gate.
What a freaking waste. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One needed to spend an inordinate amount of Mana if one wanted to open a Gate that crossed dimensions.
Sure, it wouldnt have been that much of an amount to the Bringer of Apocalypse in the past, but for the current Yi Ji-Hyuk, it was a price so hefty that it might even break his back at this rate.
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the shining Mana crystals below the Gate and continued to groan over and over again.
They are just a handful of low quality Mana crystals, so why do you feel so rueful about using them? (Affeldrichae)
Its because you cant get them here, thats why!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if you lived in a valley with water everywhere, youd still find a drop of the early morning dew very precious when you suddenly find yourself stuck in a desert, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The artificial Mana crystals used to open up Gates recently all had been confiscated by Yi Ji-Hyuk. And the lowest quality crystals among them were being used today, but still, he felt as if his own chest was being ripped open by this.
How should he say this....
Was this simr to him taking a look at two lumps of gold, onerge and one small, and then throwing the smaller one away in the rubbish bin?
Although the Gates size was barely enough for Yi Ji-Hyuk alone to walk through, it was still a massive undertaking to open one up like that.
Its going to open up for real at this rate, you know? (Affeldrichae)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuks legs began shuddering in sheer nervousness.
The demon king muste.
There was no way that it wouldnt.
Demons knew better than anyone what would happen if Yi Ji-Hyuk was allowed to return to Berafe.
If the demon in question was on the level of a demon king, than that guy would be chomping at the bits, not knowing which end was up and all that.
That should be the case, but...
Could it be that the b*stards dont know whats going on here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He even helpfully broadcast everything live on the airwaves, but what was he supposed to do if the idiots fail to see it?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his re over to Christopher McLaren and got angry.
Are you sure the broadcast is being shown live everywhere?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its being shown on almost all the stations out there. The fate of this country is hanging in the bnce, so you think Id not do my job properly?! (Christopher McLaren)
H-mm.....
He wasnt wrong there, so....
Howe those b*stards hadnt shown up yet??
It was then C Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes caught the sight of a strange airborne creature flying closer in the far distance.
Ho-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt that look suspiciously like a demon?
Yi Ji-Hyuk moistened his lips and formed a mysterious smile.
But, of course.
There was no way they wouldnte.
If that demon king was such an idiot, Id be the one getting disappointed here.
Ive rated you lot as pretty dependable way back when, so itd hurt my pride to admit that my evaluation was wrong, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Args discovered Yi Ji-Hyuk and while still in the air, didnt hesitate to open up a Gate of his own. It was not impossible for the demon to confront Yi Ji-Hyuk directly, but something might go wrong during the process.
More importantly, the punishment due for Yi Ji-Hyuk could only be dished out by Beltreche, not Args.
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt try to stop even though he could see the Gate opening up. It was rather obvious that he only cared about the demon king showing up here, and not some measly little punk like Args.
And, finally!!
Wuuonng!!
The airborne Gate trembled hard, and then, a pitch-ck shadow jumped out from it tond hard on the ground.
Kaboom!
Therge creature that fell straight from the air slowly raised its head up and red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Uh?
He looked at the creature and waved his hand around as if he was happy to see it.
Hey, man. Long time no see. Now lemme see, you were.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beltreche smirked at Yi Ji-Hyuk greeting him oh-so nonchntly.
What an unchanging b*stard he was, indeed.
Im the eighty-second. (Beltreche)
Oh, right. Thats right, you were. And your name was..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beltreche.
My bad, my bad. My memories arent that reliable, you see. But then again, you do have a pretty unique face, so I still do remember you, though. Cut me some ck on this one, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beltreche cackled ominous as it heard Yi Ji-Hyuks joking tone.
Both the demon kings irritation and delight were roused greatly from the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuks personality hadnt changed, even though he had lost all of his powers now.
It initially felt irritated because the now-weak being dared to disy leisure in front of the mighty demon king, but that feeling soon turned into delight.
Of course, it should be so.
That man should never change.
After all, it wouldnt be all that amusing to see the so-called 99th demon king grovel on the ground with tears streaming down his face while begging for his life, now would it?
So, how should I call this situation? (Beltreche)
Beltreche licked its face.
Euh, cant you like, not do that? Seriously man, you dang reptiles are all the same! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out in disgust and slightly turned his head towards Affeldrichae.
She was triggered immediately and shouted out.
I told you, Im not a reptile! Im a Dragon! (Affeldrichae)
Reptiles are a part of the Dragon family, probably. I mean, your ancestors are still all frogs, no?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dragons ancestors are Dragons!! (Affeldrichae)
I guess you need to study a bit more about evolution. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats only for this world, you know?! (Affeldrichae)
Beltreche observed that exchange for a moment, before smirking softly.
As I thought.... I wondered if you had something to rely on, but it was the Lord? It has been a while, oh Lord of all Dragons. Now, lets see. Has it been around three thousand years since ourst encounter? (Beltreche)
Affeldrichae primly replied.
Im not at all happy to see you, though. (Affeldrichae)
Too bad, because I am pleased to see you. (Beltreche)
Beltreches yellow vertical slits for eyes did a once over of Affeldrichae.
However, you are no longer the Lord, it seems. (Beltreche)
A powerless human form of a Dragon has no right to call itself the Lord. Right, you can simply refer to me as Affeldrichae.
Affeldrichae, is it.... (Beltreche)
Beltreche continued to cackle.
So, you felt confident by believing in something like her, dear ny-ninth demon king? (Beltreche)
What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
How pitiful. Where did all your magnificent powers disappear to? Where did your radiance that sliced apart the skies of the demon world disappear to? Now that I get to crush you under my foot, rather than joy, I feel pity, instead. Indeed, even though I hate the Bringer of Apocalypse with all my being, it is still too pitiful to see that once-mighty being eke out a living as such a weakling! And to think, the being that managed to bring tears to a demon king is none other than another demon king C now isnt this certainly a tragicedy? (Beltreche)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear canals and lightly blew away the resulting matter. And then, replied with a pout.
Are you finished? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beltreche guffawed grandly.
You have not changed. Not one bit. However, you must be aware by now that you have nothing but useless bravado, dont you? (Beltreche)
Since when did demon kings be this chatty, I wonder? Huh, the so-called demon kings must be fighting for their territories by pping their gums in the demon world nowadays, I guess. What a shame. If I was still stuck there, Id probably have be the demon emperor by now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beltreche stoppedughing and quietly red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
After a short bout of heavy, oppressive silence, Beltreche slowly opened its mouth.
What could you be believing in so much that youre this confident, oh the shell of the 99th demon king? (Beltreche)
You asking me why Im feeling so confident? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a disbelieving huh and slowly took a step forward.
You yap on and on as if you knew me well, but I guess you were clueless, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm?
Sure, me of now and me of the past arent the same guy. But, heres the thing. If theres one thing thats the same, then..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There could only be one thing.
Even after all this time, the only thing that I believe in is myself, you dumb lizard b*stard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jet-ck Mana began oozing out of Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
< 165. Youre still not good with lying -5 > Fin.
Chapter 166: Count on it, lizard (1)
Chapter 166: Count on it, lizard (1)
The jet-ck Mana oozing out of Yi Ji-Hyuks body whirled around and enveloped the surroundings like rising, billowing mes.
Euh! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young inadvertently took a couple of steps back from the sheer pressure emanating from him. She had never felt this kind of power from Yi Ji-Hyuk before, regardless of what he was doing.
Up until now, all she felt was the sensation of his aura being ominous and overbearing. But, never once had she been physically affected by his power like this.
She couldnt help but feel that her entire being was being pushed down on simply by being near him.
It was as if the magical power was physically frightening her and twisting her body.
Although, she couldnt tell whether this was happening because she got to learn the fearsome power the magical energy possessed when it was injected into her before, or because she had grown strong enough to actually recognise Yi Ji-Hyuks true power now.
What a freak. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shuddered uncontrobly.
She had challenged him several times already, but he beat her down oh-so easily every time. Whenever that happened, she was reminded of how much stronger Yi Ji-Hyuk waspared to her.
But, it was different this time.
The stuff like Seo Ah-Young trying to fight him, it was only on the level of listening to theints of a three-year old child to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
When he finally got serious, he.... He had be the god of war, burning with so much raw power and unyielding spirit that just looking at him made others terrified.
Is that.... (Beltreche)
Beltreche spoke as if it was dumbfounded.
....Is that all youve got?? (Beltreche)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sheepishly scratched his head.
Yeah, for now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, ahahaha!!
Beltreche couldnt help but let out a bitter chuckle, as its state of mind shot from dumbfoundedness and straight into rage.
Back when the 99th demon king invaded Beltreches territory, the reptilian demon king suffered the ignominy of licking Yi Ji-Hyuks feet while all of its limbs had been severed clean.
Only after swearing eternal servitude, as well as getting its intestines yanked out of its cut-up stomach, did Yi Ji-Hyuk forgive Beltreche for going against him.
Even though many demon kings had died, Beltreche managed to survive by throwing away his pride and grovelling like a ve.
However....
Just look at the current sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk, the one that scarred Beltreche with shame and humiliation for the rest of its life.
Wasnt this...!
Wasnt this way too pathetic?!
Yi Ji-Hyyyyyuuuukkkk!! (Beltreche)
Beltreches throughly-enraged roar shook the earth, hard.
Rumble!!
It was only disying its anger, yet the ground quaked all on its own; soil, sand and pebbles freely flew up in the air. This was the power of a demon king that descended to the world of humans!
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
What the heck. Youre also not really normal in the head, are you? Arent we simr like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke.
Beltreche cackled out in a voice that seemed to constrict all who listened to it.
I thought Id feel truly liberated after ripping you apart, but I realise thats not true. Just die, Yi Ji-Hyuk. You should just simply die by my hands. That will be the greatest courtesy I can extend to the 99th demon king who used to shake up the very foundation of the demon world. (Beltreche)
Stop writing a bullsh*t epic, you crazy motherf*cker. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat on the ground, and rolled his sleeves up.
The Bringer of Apocalypse?
The 99th demon king?
Stop f*cking making meugh.
Its you lot that stuck all thosebels on me to regte me somehow, but Ive always remained the same, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
What made Yi Ji-Hyuk who he was? It was certainly not the incredible power he used to wield.
No, it was his tenacious will that didnt bend once driving him from the pit of despair all the way to the top.
For a d*mn lizard, you got a bloody slick tongue, dont you. Is it because its so long? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why, stop licking that ce below your eyes, you godd*mn reptilian b*stard!!
Its way too gross, man!! Too gross! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his right hand out.
Weve gone on for long enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, it was almost enough to exhaust him even before the proceedings got underway.
Mana leaving from his right hand formed a magic circle in the air. This should be sufficient to signal the beginning of the battle.
Open up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Along with Yi Ji-Hyuks loud shout, the magic circle promptly created a giant Gate. Almost at the same time, pitch-ck light shot out from the Gate, before the ck surface swirled crazily and opened up wide.
Come out! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kaaaahhhaahk!!
Kiiiieeeehhhkk!!
Violent roars of frenzied beasts resounded out, and the endless stream of monsters emerged from the Gate to pounce on Beltreche.
Any observer could easily tell how much of a berserk frenzy and madness these monsters were swimming in from their bloodshot eyes, as well as all the foams of blood bubbling in their maws.
Kaaaaaaah!!
Monsters tumbled andbined in all sorts of chaotic ways as they arrived at Beltreches location.
These low-ss creatures.... (Beltreche)
Beltreche frowned and pulled its hand back.
And when that slightly pulled-back hand was gently pushed forward, the air exploded and visible ripples spread out quickly.
Kyaaaakkk!!
The air shockwaves created in an instant easily disintegrated the monsters trapped within their arcs.
Solid physical bodies became murky liquids, then liquids evaporated into steam, and crimson-coloured fog scattered to everywhere.
Every single one of those monsters possessed a body tougher than reinforced steel, yet they all were vaporised down to nothing like cotton candies, simply from getting struck by air waves.
Oh, my god..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young watched that scene unfold and could only shudder in pure shock.
What did she witness just now?
A spectacle that could not be exined by science or logic was ying out right in front of her eyes.
So, that was a demon king?!
Kaaaaahhk!!
Even then, the frenzied monsters continued to attack, regardless of whether their friends were getting pulverised or not.
Open up wider!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Simultaneously, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the Gate even wider.
Roar!!!
Oh-Sik and his original hulking frame jumped out and rushed at Beltreche. Both Hydra and Dae-Mang jumped out too, threw caution to the wind, and pounced on the reptilian demon king.
H-mm....
Beltreche watched on, an expression of interest now forming on its face.
No matter how much you brainwashed lower-ss monsters, they would still instinctively fear higher existences.
However, these monsters with Yi Ji-Hyuks Seal of Obedience branded into them must have forgotten even that, because they were unhesitatingly attacking a demon king.
Beltreche found this rather mystifying, but at the same, not enjoyable at all.
Before long, Hydra was close enough to thrust out all of its nine heads at the reptilian demon king. Beltreche narrowed its eyes in displeasure.
A measly monster like this dares to?!
Beltreches right arm lightly flicked once.
Pow.
It was a really small impact noise.
But, the result of that small noise could not be described as small at all.
From the front, one could only see a fist-sized hole in the Hydras body. But, as Yi Ji-Hyuk could see from behind, there was a hole the size of a house gouged out on the back of the creature as if a twister rampaged around there.
Keuk.
That was only a single hit...
Not only that, a single attack not containing any of its real power, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
That was the disy of power belonging to a physical-type demonic being.
When facing the power of a demon king capable of ripping Dragons apart with its bare hands, these monsters proved to be far too weak. It was perhaps more correct to assume that Beltreche was pretty much immune to all types of physical attacks.
Tirieh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he shouted out loudly, a blurry shape of a beauty with a seductive smile emerged from Yi Ji-Hyuks back.
Go!
Aaaaaahhhh-!
An aria that no one could tell whether it was real or an illusion reverberated out, and rays of ck light burst forth from the body of the spirit of darkness, Tirieh.
A Seti? (Beltreche)
Is that a corrupted Seti?
He seems to possess all sorts of pets, doesnt he? Is this the case of an old eagle is better than a young crow? (Beltreches inner monologue)
A spirit of darkness was, without a doubt, a rare existence that even Beltreche hadnt seen that many of. And he had lived for tens of thousands of years already.
But, that was all, really.
Ka-ka-kaboom!!
The lumps of ck light shooting out from Tirieh mmed into Beltreches body and caused a chain of massive explosions.
Kroooar!!
Getting swept up in the fierce explosions, Oh-Sik cried out in pain.
Tsk.
A ck tentacle extended out from Yi Ji-Hyuk and stabbed into Oh-Sik. Dark Mana was instantly injected into the Ogre, and the wounds on his body rapidly healed up.
Buy me some time! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk never expected the attacks of his pets to actually damage even a single strand of hair on Beltreches body. No, he only needed them to buy him some time.
Indeed, he only needed time!
Yi Ji-Hyuk began chanting his next magic. Dark Mana escaping from his body rose up to draw a massive magic circle in the air.
Aaaaaarrgh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Blood vessels bulged up on his neck and forehead as if they would burst open at any second. At the same time, Mana uncontrobly rushed out of his body like a thick cloud and got sucked into the magic circle in the air.
K-keuheuk.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After all that Mana left him, he was beset with immense pain that felt like every single cell in body was being stabbed with an ice pick or some such.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt stop.
This kind of pain was temporary. If he failed to stop that creature here and now, then hed get to experience something far worse than pain.
Because, thats how demon kings rolled, after all.
Yi Ji-Hyuks magic circle began emitting glowing light of its own.
Hmm....
Beltreche emerged from that incredible explosions with nary a scratch, all the while tilting its head.
You should already know that attacks of this level wont..... (Beltreche)
It was at that precise moment when Beltreches eyes spotted the giant magic circle floating high up in the air.
Ho-oh?
Isnt this my first time seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk use magic like that?
The past Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt need to convert Mana.
Back then, he simply gathered and gathered more Mana than any demon king would dare to, and then, he condensed andpacted the gathered mass until the Mana metamorphosized all by itself, creating a gigantic whirlpool of destruction that proceeded to blow everything away.
That was Yi Ji-Hyuks own magic, and only he could perform it.
Even those demon kings well-versed in all things magic couldnt approach the realm that Yi Ji-Hyuk had reached; he had reached the true pinnacle of understanding and utilisation of magic that others nearly started calling him the god of magic, too.
And that Yi Ji-Hyuk was forcibly converting Mana as of this moment.
So, what would it be like?
Would the attack be even stronger, now that the actual efficiency of the spell had risen? Or, was this simply himing up with a back-up n because he could no longer produce the might of the past?
Regardless of which one the answer was....
....I shall take it on. (Beltreche)
Beltreche arrogantly puffed its chest out.
Dragon Hearts hanging on the arms of Yi Ji-Hyuk were quickly dyed in ck and began resonating together.
Keuk....
Reddish ck blood flooded out of his mouth.
Mana that exceeded his physical limit flowed backwards and began tearing his body apart, before mending it again; Mana broke his bones before rejoining them, over and over again.
Seeing that even his consciousness was fading in and out every now and then, his brain must be under assault from the rampaging Mana, as if to scramble everything inside his head.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt stop.
Keuhaaaaahhh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like how a candle would burn the brightest before dying, more Mana poured out of Yi Ji-Hyuks body than ever before.
Keuh....
All the blood vessels in his eyes burst open; he raised his head and red with his reddened eyes.
I hear youve got a pretty tough body? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned sinisterly at Beltreche.
In that case, why dont you take this one head on? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Along with Yi Ji-Hyuks hand sign, the magic circle emitted blinding light and a massive ck storm cloud suddenly enveloped the sky.
Hmm? (Beltreche)
The ck cloud flew straight towards Beltreche.
The reptilian demon king didnt even budge an inch from the spot, even when that ck cloudpletely filled up the sky above its head.
Eat this!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled out, the clouds cackled and buzzed angrily. All of a sudden, a jet-ck light crashed down to the ground.
Thunderbolt!!
The ck lightning struck Beltreches head.
Rumble, kwarururung!!
The sounds of thunderps continued to explode out, and jet-ck thunderbolts crashed on the ground over and over again.
One thousand thunderbolt strike!
Lightning bolts, each possessing iparably greater destructive power than a regr lightning, ran through Beltreches body one thousand times.
Each lightning bolt that was powerful enough to fry an Ancient-grade Dragon into smouldering cinders crashed into Beltreche one after the other.
Not one of them missed their target.
It was the proverbial rain of lightning, a storm cloud.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at that sight as he heaved and panted breathlessly.
As the side effect of pulling out way too much Mana, not one spot on his body was okay, and blood leaked out from almost all of his pores.
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt a pair of hands gently grasping his head from behind.
....Affeldrichae. (YI Ji-Hyuk)
She didnt say anything and simply injected pure, clean Mana into his head.
The dark Mana invading his brain was slowly repelled away, and all the rage and frenzy clouding his mind cleared up. However, having a clearer mind wasnt necessarily a good thing.
Was that all? (Beltreche)
Well, he had to hear that stupid d*mn voice far clearer than strictly necessary because of that.
< 166. Count on it, lizard -1 > Fin.
Chapter 167: Count on it, lizard (2)
Chapter 167: Count on it, lizard (2)
(TL: Unedited.)
The demon had turned into a charcoal.
Beltreches voice sounded as if it was leaking out of a statue carved out from a block of jet-ck charcoal.
Crack.
Along with the noise of something splitting up, the eighty-second demon king began moving slowly.
Crack, drop...
Charcoal bits covering the hide broke and fell to the ground.
Heup!
The bits of burnt-out charcoal and ash suddenly exploded away from Beltreches body as the demon king let off a light grunt.
Hmmm....
Beltreches yellow eyes scanned the condition of its body.
All of its scales were burned to ash and had fallen off. The pale yellow flesh underneath was exposed in the open. Pungent fluid leaked out from here and there, and even faint traces of blood could be seen, as well.
However, that was all.
If it was only on the levels of the scales being damaged, itd heal up pretty quickly.
Rather, it was Yi Ji-Hyuk, the person firing the magic, who had suffered far grievous wounds, instead.
By performing an attack he shouldnt have, he received unimaginable bacsh from the dark Mana, causing his body to be wrecked almost beyond salvage C meaning, he ended up far worse in that exchange.
Ha..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a low groan.
This couldnt be right....
No matter how weak he had be, he still retained all of his precise control over Mana, as well as his sharply-honed battle instinct.
That magic didnd ording to his calctions. So, it shouldnt have ended with causing that little damage to the target. Even if the spell failed to kill the enemy outright, it should still have inflicted some major wounds.....
How weak. (Beltreche)
Brand new scales began growing on the body of Beltreche.
Those scales seemed to be a bit more softer than what used to cover the demon kings body, but as soon as covering the reptilian demonpletely, they dried up and hardened in an instant to perfectly match theplexion of the past.
Far, far too weak!! (Beltreche)
Beltreche roared out.
Is this your current pathetic self, Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Beltreche)
How dare a d*mn lizard.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk faltered unsteadily.
He wanted to stand up straight and shout, but his utterly torn and twisted up muscles didnt want to obey him.
I never expected you to die from a single hit, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became withdrawn.
If one hit didnt work, then two hits...
If that didnt work, then hit the b*stard three times. Four....
Hit it over and over again.
That had been Yi Ji-Hyuks style until now.
If this was in the past, hed have already poured out dozens of simr magic attacks by now. But that was no longer possible, so he had no choice but to draw out the proceedings and shoot on one magic after next until enough damage had been piled on.
But then, doesnt it look like Ill die first before that happens? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A situation where the attacking party was getting hurt far worse. How could that make any sense?
As if his internal organs was still burning, the smell of blood and scorching heat rushed up in his throat.
Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes worried voice could be heard next.
This woman... Who is she even worrying about now?
You think this is a situation where you can possibly worry about me or anyone else? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Go rip that b*stard apart!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuks roar resounded out, the monsters observing the situation from the side bared their fangs again and pounced on Beltreche.
Annoying pests. (Beltreche)
Pure naked irritation crumpled Beltreches expression.
A smirk formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face involuntarily after he found a bloody lizard daring to disy its irritation quite a bit impudent to behold.
Meanwhile, Beltreche grabbed the very first monster to arrive and threw the hapless creature back at the rushing pack.
Kwaaaaahhh!!
The body of the monster mmed into the wall of air and ripped into pieces. In an instant, the creature exceeded the speed of sound and a sonic boom exploded out behind it.
The noise of the exploding air!
The speed that would not slow down!
KABOOM!!
The flying monster collided with other monsters and caused a massive explosion, and they began spinning around violently like a tornado swirling on its side to sweep away other monsters in the vicinity.
Uwaaaahh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the meantime, ck tentacles sprouted out from Yi Ji-Hyuk back endlessly.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Seo Ah-Young)
Quickly realising that was about to happen, NDF agents gathered around Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Keuk! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk managed to control the tentacles just enough to wrap them around the NDF agents. And then, he injected dark Mana into them.
Keuwaahk!
Uwaaah!
Pained groans came from them immediately.
Crack.
Yi Ji-Hyuks body twisted so much that his flesh actually tore right open and ck-coloured blood poured out.
I need time! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out, her eyes now deeply withdrawn.
Get in formation! (Seo Ah-Young)
Wuoooooo! (Park Sung-Chan)
Right as hermand was issued, Park Sung-Chan dashed forward with bloodshot eyes. The Red Rock Kim Myung-Woon and other body-reinforcement type ability users followed tightly behind him.
However, the one to arrive at the target way before the others was Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun.
Tah-aht!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns kick left behind ear-splitting shock waves as it barrelled towards Beltreches face.
Oh? (Beltreche)
Unfortunately, the reptilian demon king rxedly caught the kick with one hand.
Kwa-boom!!
Along with yet another explosive noise, Kim Dah-Hyuns leg broke at the shin and bent the wrong way.
Kuwaaahh!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Even though he screamed out loudly, Kim Dah-Hyun didnt stop there and used his other leg to stomp down hard on Beltreches head.
Ka-boom!!
He definitelynded his kick on the crown of the demon kings head. However, just because the attacknded properly, it didnt mean any sort of tangible damage could be inflicted.
Crack....
Issuing a skin-crawling noise, Kim Dah-Hyuns other leg was also broken from the shin and spun to the wrong way.
Youre indeed quick, but..... (Beltreche)
....But, that was all.
Beltreches right fist aimed for Kim Dah-Hyuns sr plexus.
Uwaaaht!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan had arrived in the meantime, and he managed to grab Kim Dah-Hyuns waist to yank the younger man back.
The grip was so strong that Kim Dah-Hyuns ribs broke one after the other, and his flesh was even ripped off, but at least, he was able to live. But that meant Park Sung-Chan was now exposed to Beltreches attack, instead.
Boom!!
Beltreches fist mmed into Park Sung-Chans torso.
Crack.
Park Sung-Chans body that exceeded the toughness of steel and made others wonder if it was now made out of diamond, was easily perforated through like a piece of cardboard.
He couldnt even scream as his disbelieving eyes looked down at the arm buried to the elbow in his chest.
Keuk......
He then grabbed Beltreches arm still stuck in his chest.
However, the demon king simply pped him away with its free hand, causing Park Sung-Chan to fly away like a cannon shell with his caved-in chest and all. It was only a small relief that the hands grabbing onto Beltreches arm hadnt been ripped off in the process.
Aaaaahhh!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs mes, many spots of darkness clearly visible within, crossed the vast sky and fell upon Beltreche.
The demon king watched this spectacle and tilted its head.
RUMBLE-!!!
The super-hot mes that defied any and all attempts to measure their temperature swallowed up Beltreche and began roasting the creature. However, it simply waved its hand about to create a whirlwind to easily blow away the surrounding mes.
Now this is rather strange. Its definitely not magic, yet to be able to do something that. Maybe, the species called ability users is far closer to demons than to humans? (Beltreche)
The fact that these beings were born with high-ss abilities and grew progressively stronger in that direction, wouldnt that alone make these beings much closer to spirits or demons, rather than humans?
Even if they are all supposed to be humans, they are not the same.... (Beltreche)
Just because the exterior was the same, they couldnt be described as the same type of humans. No, it was more correct to say that humans of Berafe and humans of this were two rather different species at this point in time.
Rudras de-like storm winds tried to sweep away Beltreche, while Spitfires mes of cannon mmed into the demon.
BOOM!!
Ka-boom!!
Explosions continued to throw up clouds of dust. Smell of flesh burning, and scent of blood, filled the air and assaulted ones senses.
Aaaaah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the meantime, Yi Ji-Hyukpleted his next spell. His right hand pointing at the sky swung down. A sharp de formed from the dark Mana descended at near the speed of light towards Beltreches body.
Ka-du-duk!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only gnash his teeth at the result.
He had condensed andpressed Mana to the absolute limit to create that de, yet it only managed to barely split Beltreches scales and dig a little bit into the demon kings flesh.
Hmm.... (Beltreche)
Beltreche reached out with its long tongue to lick the strand of blood trickling down the middle of its face. Tasting its own blood, the demons agitation grew even greater.
Should I praise you for wounding me when you possess such a pitiful amount of magical power, or should Iment the fact that you now only possess such a pitiful amount of power and can only make me bleed a little? Which one should it be, Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Beltreche)
Heuh..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled bitterly.
Lament?
About what?
You think Idment about something if I end up dying today?
I came here to die in the first ce, you f*cking lizard b*stard! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mana began condensing around both of Yi Ji-Hyuks fists.
Get away from that thing! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The order was given; ability users surrounding Beltreche all retreated further away in an instant.
Oh-Sik-ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Krrroooar!!
Oh-Siks body had ballooned up to a grotesque proportion after far too much Mana had been injected into him, but that gave him enough physical power to push Beltreche down.
How dare a measly Ogre....!! (Beltreche)
Beltreche frowned and swung its arm, and one of Oh-Siks front limbs was torn asunder like a piece of rag and flew off to the far off ground.
Roooar!!
However, Oh-Sik didnt seem to feel any pain in his berserk state, as he simply strengthened the remaining limbs and bit down hard on Beltreches shoulder.
CLANG!!
Fangs of an Ogre and Beltreches scales shed and issued a powerful metallic noise. Oh-Siks fangs failed to prate Beltreches scales, though. But, that was already more than enough.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly yanked at the ck tentacle still buried within Oh-Siks torso.
POW!
By trying to pull back the tentacle still attached to the Ogre, it was Yi Ji-Hyuks body that flew towards Oh-Siks location, instead.
The wall of air smashed into his flesh, but Yi Ji-Hyuk had long given up trying to protect his body, and instead focused on condensing andpressing Mana in his hand.
Uwaaaahhh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Blood and foam spat out of his mouth.
His internal organs shook and twisted.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt stop.
Beltrecheeeeeeee! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His right arm was now dyed in pure ck from the highlypressed Mana. If he couldnt deal a damage from a far, then he could just punch the living daylights out of the d*mn thing personally!
Uwaaaaah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk flew faster than the speed of sound, and threw his right fist in the middle of Beltreches chest just as thetter grabbed onto Oh-Sik.
Kwa-du-duk!!
A truly back-chilling noise came out as Yi Ji-Hyuks hand broke past the scales on Beltreches chest and sunk past his wrist.
Keuh-heuk.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt a genuinely intolerable pain that made him wonder if his entire hand had actually been obliterated, but he simply gritted his teeth and bore the pain.
Besides, this wasnt the end!
Blow up, now!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Unfortunately, he could hear no other sound. It was as if he had gone deaf just then.
Seeing that Oh-Siks expression had crumpled in pure pain like that, it mustve been a huge explosion. Next up, he saw the face of Beltreche also crumpling in slow motion.
The reptilian demon king opened its mouth.
So very, agonisingly slowly...
How....mentable....
Lamentable? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kaboom!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt the sensation of his body sinking down.
....Hey, hasnt it been a whoop-a*s long time since I felt this sensation? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Beltreche was getting further and further away in Yi Ji-Hyuks vision.
Why is that?
Thats so weird.....
By the way, whose fountain of blood was that just now?
Hang on a minute, was that... mine?
But, I dont have a spot in my body that should spout blood like that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks disbelieving eyes shifted lower. And he spotted a holerge enough to amodate a fist in his side, with a flood of blood shooting out from there.
Oh, so, the thing is.....
I was hit, and now Im flying away from the impact force, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
For some reason, this whole scene felt so surreal to him.
But, what made it feel real to him were the world suddenly moving faster as if the slow motion mode hade to an end, as well as the indescribable pain shooting up from his side, andstly, Jeong Hae-Mins loud screaming half mixed in with sorrow.
Kyyyaaaahhk! Ji-Hyuk-aaaaaaaahh!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Youre being noisy, you know?
Youd think someone had just died from that. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But then, Yi Ji-Hyuks own vision was getting darker.
Wait, what? Why is it getting dark?
Its still middle of the day, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then felt his consciousness fading away.
So, is this death?
Really, death? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kwa-duk!
He bit down so hard that his tongue was bitten off almost clean.
Yi Ji-Hyuk regained his consciousness from the sharp pain of biting his own tongue, and gritted his teeth.
No, not yet.
This is not nearly enough! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Boom!!
Yi Ji-Hyuknded hard on the ground, but forced himself to stand again.
Are you still alive? There is no way youd be dead so soon like that, yes? (Beltreche)
He couldnt see properly. However, his ears could hear something.
So, I need to reply.
Even if I die, I gotta make my reply.
If my mouth dies now, then my name aint Yi Ji-Hyuk no more. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And now.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm? (Beltreche)
Im gonna tear your throat out, so.... You, you better count on it, you d*mn lizard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekekeke.
Beltreches chuckles of enjoyment and Yi Ji-Hyuks own pained groan entered his ears very, very slowly.
< 167. Count on it, lizard -2 > Fin.
Chapter 168: Count on it, lizard (3)
Chapter 168: Count on it, lizard (3)
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wasughing alone.
Death, was it....
A familiar yet still alien concept, one he had experienced countless times before but never had the chance to truly ept, was finally dawning on him.
He had experienced tens of thousands of deaths, yet he couldnt die once. But then, to be able to sense the approaching death in this ce....
Yup, the sense of danger sure feels different. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He might have felt something simr to this in the early days of his life in Berafe. But after going through endless cycle of death and revival, he had lost his grip on the notion of death itself.
Maybe I should thank you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....For making me feel this crappy thing again. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Beltreche stared into Yi Ji-Hyuks bloodshot eyes and felt the emotion ofmentation.
Just as the idea of death felt so foreign to Yi Ji-Hyuk, the emotion ofmentation was an alien concept to Beltreche as well. But, without a doubt, the reptilian demon king was feeling it, alright.
I am uncertain as to what to say to you. (Beltreche)
Witnessing the spectacr fall of the human who used to stand at the summit, brought about iparable joy. Humans also enjoyed viewing such an event, so itd be even more so for Beltreche, who was a demon.
However, seeing the person wallowing in the mud after the fall wasnt much of a ptable experience. Normally, Beltreche wouldve ridiculed the fallen and spit in his face, but even it was beginning to feel a tinge of sympathy for the current Yi Ji-Hyuk.
And he was supposed to be a demon, too.
I fail to understand your rationale, Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Beltreche)
Beltreche spat out as if it was frustrated.
All living creatures wish to be greater than they are. Whether youre a human, a demon, even a Dragon.... Even a measly monster, too. (Beltreche)
Indeed, all things alive would want to do that.
Yet, why did you willingly lower your own status? Oh Bringer of Apocalypse, the one who had ascended to the ce infinitely close to the gods, the one who reached the godhood with nothing more than sheer power, why did you willingly throw all of that away and enter the gutters like this? (Beltreche)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt answer, simply choosing to re at Beltreche.
Answer me, oh ny-ninth demon king. Are you truly satisfied with the position you have chosen? What do you wish to gain by choosing this life? Take a long look at yourself, now bereft of the power that once made the entire demon world quake in fear. Youre no longer the feared Bringer of Apocalypse, no longer the revered Immortal Soul, and no longer the 99th demon king. Now, answer me, Yi Ji-Hyuk. Why did you choose this path? (Beltreche)
A smirk formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips. This idiot already answered itself, so he wasnt sure what that fool wanted from him now.
Right, Im Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Thats all I ever wanted.
The Bringer of Apocalypse, the Immortal Soul, whatever..... Screw them all, what does any use those crappy titles have for me?
I never wanted it, yet it was you lot thatbelled me with those titles, and feared me and revered me and whatever.
I never wanted c**p like that to begin with.
All I ever wanted was to go back.
....To go back to being a regr person.
I already know better than any of you that my wish wonte true just because I came back here. Even then, theres something that no human will give up on. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Im just Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....I cant understand you. (Beltreche)
Beltreche shook its head.
Would he be Yi Ji-Hyuk only aftering back here and losing all his god-like powers?
The thing was, he was still Yi Ji-Hyuk back in the other worlds, too.
Even if one tried to investigate his true identity with whatever means necessary, the results wouldnt have changed at all, just because he came back to this world.
Behold. (Beltreche)
POW!!
Beltreche swung its hand almost yfully, but that actually caused a powerful gust of whirlwind to physically materialise and fly directly to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The ground he had been barely standing on exploded, and he was thrown back like a kite with its strings cut beforending hard a bit of distance away.
This is the current you. (Beltreche)
Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow forced himself off the ground with heavily trembling arms.
It looked as if his arms would give up and hed fall back down at any given moment, but miraculously, he managed to stand back up.
So.... what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a toothy grin.
The current Yi Ji-Hyuk?
He was pathetic, irritable, and far, far too weak.
When he was back in Berafe, the power he possessed, as well as his status, covered up all of his shorings, but well.... He himself knew very well that he of now was just a mere human throwing a tantrum.
But... But, so what?
I only want to go back to how I was. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Thats why, I shouldnt have any lingering regrets after getting killed by you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, Ive lived long enough.
Ive seen enough, too.
So, I shouldnt have any particr reason to crazily resist dying at this point.
However, theres this thing getting a bit on my nerves.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Really now, the idea of dying at your hands hurts my pride way too much, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks snide chirping brought about a smirk on Beltreches lips.
Im almost tempted to preserve that mouth of yours. (Beltreche)
Ohh, thats a good idea. Ill nag on and on by your side until the day I die, then. Who knows? You might even get to conquer and unite the entire demon world, too! Kekeke! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk threw a ridiculing remark at Beltreche, but also began gathering more Mana to his hands.
He didnt mind dying. But, the thought of this lizard b*stard being the reason for his death really hurt his pride.
Seriously now, shouldnt he at least get killed by a high-ranked demon king? So he might have something to say in front of King Yama?
He could feel a crippling amount of pain shooting up from his side. Staring at the gaping hole there still pouring out blood like that, he just couldnt get used to it.
Affeldrichae couldnt bear to watch on any longer, so she began using a healing magic on his wound.
....Keu-huek. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body writhed as he couldnt endure the pain.
Since he was on deaths doorway, his body somehow epted the healing magic, but it was far too stained with dark Mana by now. His body considered the light Mana entering him as an enemys invasion and began boiling from within.
Sure, his wounds were healing now, but two opposing Mana forces were shing inside of him, and that caused an intolerable amount of pain to torment Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Grit.
His tightly-clenched teeth squeaked and creaked as if they would shatter at any moment, and his hands and feet quivered all on their own.
Its done. (Affeldrichae)
He could now hear Affeldrichaes voice full of anxiety and determination.
The light Mana remained within his body and continued to stimte the dark Mana.
Now normally, such a thing wouldve left him with injuries, but at the moment, he had to risk that and ept the healing magic because the damages to his body were far too extensive.
Thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt sure whether to feel grateful or swear blue murder at her, but for the time being, he decided to go with thanks.
However, any further than this.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae blurred the ends of her sentence.
I know.
I know that my body wont be able to endure anymore.
I know that its dangerous to receive another healing magic or try to use more dark Mana.
I know all of that. But.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze shifted back to Beltreche.
If he let that thing be, everyone would be dead soon.
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth and roared out.
Seo Ah-Young! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes! (Seo Ah-Young)
And she replied back, sounding quite determined.
I dont care how, just distract that thing! I only need a few seconds! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young didnt add any other unnecessary remarks like usual.
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt tell whether she had finally understood that listening to the orders of themander in the battlefield was important, or maybe even she could tell that the current situation was far too urgent for her to fool about.
...Richae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
Help them out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But.... (Affeldrichae)
Just do it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae nodded her head.
All of her actions were based on the principle of protecting and caring for Yi Ji-Hyuk first and foremost. Even then, she understood that now was the time to take her eyes away from him and look at the bigger picture.
I understand. (Affeldrichae)
The brilliant light shimmered from her body as she cast a wide-range healing magic.
Euh, euh.......
The hole in Park Sung-Chans chest was instantly filled back up, while the broken legs of Kim Dah-Hyun were righted once more. The pain they felt during the process was unimaginable, but both of them gritted their teeth and endured.
Stand up. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae coldly ordered both men.
For her, supporting these people was far more simplerpared to aiding Yi Ji-Hyuk from the side. Shecked Mana, so it was impossible to cast massive AOE spells at will, like how she had done back in Berafe.
The best method to efficiently use the miniscule Mana residing within her in this world, was to maximise the usage of the most basic healing magic she knew.
Unfortunately, healing magic might work on Yi Ji-Hyuk, but it also proved to be a fatally dangerous poison to him, as well.
In that case, it would be far more efficient to aid others rather than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I know this already, yet.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae lightly bit her lower lip.
She understood it fully in her head, but even then, trying to do the logical thing made her feel ufortable. As a Dragon that personified logical reasoning, such an emotion shouldnt even exist.
She was cognisant of her identity as a Dragon slowly eroding away, but to think, itd have advanced this much....
Affeldrichae stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The sight of him standing precariously while gathering Mana was painful to look at.
She grew irritated by the sight of him trying to protect this worthless world, and she grew even more irritated by Jeong Hae-Min far away, being all antsy and fidgety and all that, unable toe closer but also unable to distance herself away.
....Since when have I be such an emotional creature? (Affeldrichae)
Even Dragons had some semnce of emotions. Only the gods could perfectly calcte everything with logic, after all.
She knew this, but then....
Affeldrichae shook her head.
Now wasnt the right time to think about such things. No, the important thing right now was to deal with that demon king.
However.... (Affeldrichae)
Was that even possible?
Even if she had somehow regained her original form, shed still have a hard time fighting that being. A single demon king being summoned to a world would result in the destruction of half a continent. It was that powerful a being.
It was an existence that the alliance of Dragons would find very hard to contend with. So, could the gathering of humans and she defeat it? When she wasnt even half of what she used to be?
..........
The result of this battle seemed like a foregone conclusion, but they couldnt not fight, either.
If only there was another variable....
Affeldrichae quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk, before shifting her head away. She had no choice but to believe in him for now.
Lets go! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs shout prompted Park Sung-Chan to take the front. Even though he had barely escaped from deaths grip, he pounced forward like an angry bull as if he held no fear of dying at all.
Barrier. (Affeldrichae)
Along with Affeldrichaes soft incantation, a gentleyer of white light formed around Park Sung-Chans body and began gleaming brightly.
While maintaining a certain distance from his body in order to minimally affect the dark Mana coursing through his body, the barrier still provided the much-needed protection.
Such a fine, exacting control over Mana was only possible because she was a Dragon.
At the same time, Yi Ji-Hyuks monsters pounced on Beltreche again. Even Oh-Sik, still missing an arm, roared in rage and rushed at the reptilian demon king.
....Even though hes like that? (Beltreche)
Beltreche instinctively nodded its head.
Indeed, to exert such control over this many monsters, even though his consciousness mustve been greatly shaved away by the pain wrecking him from the inside, now that was truly an amazing feat.
One would need the perfect and absolute control over the low ranked monsters to make them attack a demon king. It was already a remarkable achievement to do that using just a humans mind, regardless of his power level. So, it was truly deserving of praise that he didnt show a single instance of slipping-up even under his current physical state.
As the old saying went, an old eagle was still better than a young crow. So, was this the case of the Bringer of Apocalypse still being the same Bringer of Apocalypse, regardless of what his current self was?
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth as he noticed a grin on Beltreches face.
Oh, so you can stillugh, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, I guess you can.
However, its not gonna be like that no more. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clenched both of his fists.
Now that things havee to this, I dont have a choice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he couldnt kill that thing via conventional means, then it was time to experiment. Yi Ji-Hyuk had no clue what the results would be from that experiment, though.....
Well, Ill only die, so what about it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled ominously and slowly walked towards Beltreche.
< 168. Count on it, Lizard -3 > Fin.
Chapter 169: Count on it, lizard (4)
Chapter 169: Count on it, lizard (4)
Step.
Step.
His steps felt like they weighed a ton.
So, this must be the worst Ive ever been, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been forced to maintain his peak condition forever, so this was a rather strange experience to have C the one where he had to fight something when he was in such a sorry state.
As far as hisbat experience was concerned, he had earned so much that hed still be called a battle junkie if he took the half of his experience and dumped it somewhere else. But then again, he was acutely feeling it right now.
....That his own experiences had been incredibly limited.
Aaaaah!!
Seo Ah-Youngs mes enveloped Beltreche.
However, the reptilian demon king simply shook off her mes with a fed-up expression.
This is getting boring. (Beltreche)
Irritation was writrge on its face.
At least, the humans of the other world managed to entertain me a little bit. Yet, the humans of this world can only amount to this much? (Beltreche)
The absolute ability to defend.
Even though the reptilian demon king wasnt a tanker-type creature, the attacks of the human ability users failed to pierce Beltreches scales.
Seo Ah-Young despaired at the weakness of her mes.
Her firepower had been greatly enhanced after receiving Yi Ji-Hyuks dark Mana, yet her mes failed to affect Beltreche in any shape or form.
D*mn it!! (Seo Ah-Young)
It was then, Choi Jung-Hoon finally stopped observing the situation and made his move.
Chris! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As soon as he shouted out, Christopher McLaren also shouted out, too.
I know! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren sent out his signal, and the waiting American ability users all rushed into the fray.
Keuk! Why only now?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Even though he heard the resentful cry of Seo Ah-Young, Choi Jung-Hoons eyes continued to gleam rather dangerously.
In the end, all these people were nothing more than cannon fodder.
No matter how many attacked, none of them were expected to do more than defending against Beltreches attacks, just once.
If NDF agents were seen as meat shields, then these American ability users were the meat shields that protected the meat shields.
Christopher McLaren knew this, yet he still willingly let loose his countrys own ability users. And Choi Jung-Hoon knew the score, but he still chose to send them out to their deaths.
Because, everyone here understood that, if they failed to defeat that creature right here and right now, they would never be able to kill the d*mn thingter down the line.
Loud shouts and swearings.
Rage and hatred pouring down....
Beltreche tilted its head as it watched hundreds, nay, thousands of ability userse at it.
The reptilian demon king thought of this question rather often, but regardless, the existence of humans proved to be a bit of a quandary to it. They all knew that none of them would ever get to reach it with their feeble powers, yet why were they still trying anyway?
Both the monsters and demons were truer with their instincts. So, when they ran into opposition, a being they believe couldnt be defeated with their powers, they would not resist and submit, or flee.
Meaning, they knew those were the smarter choices if they wanted to continue breathing for longer.
Wasnt that the reason why Yi Ji-Hyuk had to imnt all those ve seals on the monsters to forcibly make them do his bidding?
However, humans always acted strangely.
They would ignore their own safety and resist their enemies till the bitter end.
Such an act was something rarely seen among the so-called higher creatures with intelligent brains. The type of actions only seen in superorganisms like ants or bees, being performed by singr organisms that should act independently of one another, it was a rather bizarre and unique event for the demon.
However, all of it is useless. (Beltreche)
Beltreche lightly wiggled the ends of its hands, and powerful gust of wind blew the oing humans away like pieces of cardboard.
Kuwaaahh!!
In the meantime, monsters arrived at Beltreches location and began to w and bite the demon king. Beltreches face remained unimpressed as it simply dusted its hands.
Slice.
Not even a sound of air being parted could be heard as the monsters head flew off. That monster acted as if it never had a head to begin with, before falling to the ground with a loud thud.
How dare these lowly beasts.... (Beltreche)
Irritation bloomed even greater in Beltreches face.
Yi Ji-Hyuk and the Dragon Lord should know better than anyone just what kind of an existence a demon king was. Yet, how dare they resort to using these lowly creatures to obstruct the great demon kings path?
If they had forgotten it, then all Beltreche had to do was to remind them.
....Just what a terrifying being a demon king was!
Kururu....
Pure-white steam rushed out of Beltreches mouth.
Power throbbed and pulsed within its body. Its two arms and four legs quivered and wiggled as if they might explode at any moment.
POOOOW!!
It pounced forward, and the air immediately split wide open with a huge explosion of noise, and an equally powerful sonic boom was left behind in the demon kings wake.
Keuk!
Park Sung-Chan gritted his teeth as he stood at the frontline as the tanker, watching and waiting for Beltreche dashing towards him.
Im gonna block this!! (Park Sung-Chan)
This was his role, and this was all he could do at this moment.
Barrier!! (Affeldrichae)
Multiple shields of light were erected in front of him.
As if several body bunkers were ced in front of him, transparent shields of light formed a thick wall, and meanwhile, Park Sung Chan dug his heels deeply into the ground and leaned forward as much as he could.
Unfortunately, that was all.
KWAAABOOM!!
It was just a simple but powerful punch.
There was no special technique or anything particrly unique about the punch, but the destructive force behind it easily exceeded everyones imaginations.
One hit, and all the shields of light crumbled into nothing, while Park Sung-Chans shoulder was crushed and his internal organs smashed into meat paste. As if his vocal chords were destroyed, he couldnt even scream out in pain.
Park Sung-Chans body wasunched backwards like a fired cannon shell and flew into the crowd of his colleagues.
Keo-heok!
Kuwaaahk!!
Being smashed by the flying Park Sung-Chan, the victims spat out the noises of winds leaking out of a boiling pot and they too all flew away, getting entangled with even more people in the process.
Heal!! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae hurriedly cast one healing magic spell after another on Park Sung-Chan. If she hadnt done that, hed have died before hitting the ground.
Wuooooh!!
Thinking that Beltreche had opened a gap, the American ability user Bodyshot mmed his darkened fist into the head of the reptilian demon king.
Woo-duduk.
However, his fist was shattered into fine pieces as soon as itnded on Beltreches scales.
sh!!
Beltreches handshed out and drew a straight line through him, sending him away to a ce hed never be able toe back from.
Stoooop that thing!! (Christopher McLaren)
Along with Christopher McLarens loud yell, the American ability users all pounced on Beltreche. Their eyes shone with a light of determination as they tried to grab hold of the demon kings pant leg if they had to.
F*ck, us resorting to suicide attacks like this.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren gnashed his teeth.
The thing he hated most, resorting to sacrificing his men while relying on nothing but grim determination, really crushed and p*ssed on his pride.
This didnt make one jot of sense, and he knew that. But he also knew that no sensible option would be able to defeat that monster. In that case, all he could do was to resort to this tactic. The best they could do was to give everything they had and then die afterwards.
Are you still not finished yet?! (Christopher McLaren)
His rended on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Christopher McLaren already knew that Yi Ji-Hyuk was a long-range type. And he also knew that a long distance attack needed time to get ready. Well, he heard that from the horses mouth, so there.
That was why, the best he or anyone could do was buy Yi Ji-Hyuk enough time to prepare, regardless of the cost.
However!!
Christopher McLaren saw yet another ability user perish as he was torn to shreds. The deed was done in the literal blink of an eye.
It hadnt even been a minute since they started attacking, yet already, almost 100 had died in the most gruesome fashion imaginable, their torn and shredded bodies now practically impossible to recover.
What a clear difference inbat capabilities between them and the NDF agents, who were still somehow holding on.
But then, the overwhelming difference between his men and the demon kings powers easily rendered such a gap totally meaningless. Christopher McLaren was truly despairing right now.
Youre too slow!! You godd*mn son of a b*tch!! (Christopher McLaren)
Do something! Anything!! Please!!!
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled at Christopher McLarens desperate cry and continued to trudge forward in a leisurely pace.
Why are you in such a hurry?
This much of a sacrifice is a cheap price to pay when youre trying to bring down a demon king. If this was back in Berafe, no one would bat an eyelid if a few kingdoms got destroyed in the process, you know.
Yup, youve all been living a cushy life, thats what this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly approached Beltreche while raising and prepping his Mana.
If there was something differentpared to before, then that would be him shoving all the amplified, agitated Mana inside his body, instead of gathering it in either the front of him or above him.
Using his own body as the medium, he began circting the mass of Mana.
The dark Mana that exploded, roiled, quivered, and danced violently in the atmosphere did the exact same thing within his body, too.
Pow!
Phurk!
Parts of Yi Ji-Hyuks body ripped open along with the sounds of leather drums being beat. A part of his bicep shredded open, and a fountain of blood exploded out. One of his thighs split up and his entire body teetered.
It couldnt be helped, really.
He had trapped the raging storm of Mana within his body, so it had to contend with every violent reaction taking ce.
Far too much Mana for a humans to endure was boiling inside. It didnt take a genius to figure out that, at this rate, his own end would not be all that nice even if he somehow managed to kill Beltreche.
But, then again, what other choice did he have? His own mental safety trigger had been destroyed a while ago, so nothing could stop him now.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes burned with mes of determination. His re quite clearly caught the sight of Beltreche easily pulverising dozens of ability users in one hit.
The demon king.
The Ender of worlds.
Its advent signalled the impending hell on earth.
However, even if one was a demon king, one should never look down on Yi Ji-Hyuk. And he was nning to etch that lesson into the reptiles head.
Even if he was nothing more than a shell of his former self....
Hed teach it the difference in ones status.
Beltrecheeeee!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, Beltreche turned its head and red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mm?
Beltreches eyes grew wider.
What does he think hes doing?! (Beltreche)
It could see clearly.
It could see quite clearly what that man was trying to do.
Mana oozing out of his hands went through the Mana amplifiers fashioned out of Dragon Hearts in his arms and grew several times more powerful before digging back into his body.
The amplified Mana violently tore and ripped and broke Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
Are you nning on killing yourself, then? (Beltreche)
Its mouth may ridicule, but even Beltreche had to face Yi Ji-Hyuk in a cautious manner. It could sense that the amount of amplified Mana was quite threatening now.
More importantly, the person nning to use that Mana was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk, which was a rather worrisome matter.
He might have lost his immortality, but still, he was a sorcerer who did reach the level of godhood.
He was weak now only because hecked Mana, but even then, if he could use that amount of Mana to attack, then there would be no problem to call him a demon king.
Just one attack.
Indeed, all that preparation would give him one single shot, but at least, he had regained his former magnificence of the demon king for the time being.
How threatening. (Beltreche)
For the first time ever since arriving in this world, Beltreche formed a tense expression as it red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
However, that was all.
As long as the reptilian demon king blocked that attack, itd get to reconfirm that there was no other being in this world capable of obstructing its path.
Seo Ah-Young!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Contrary to the demon kings expectations, though, that attack didnt materialise.
Instead, having received the signal from Yi Ji-Hyuk, Seo Ah-Young suddenly attacked Beltreche with the kind of firepower that easily exceeded anything that hade from her before.
How meaningless! (Beltreche)
Beltreche roared out in irritation.
And then, it began smashing away the iing fire balls.
Kim Dah-Hyun!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun suddenly appeared behind Yi Ji-Hyuk and grabbed thetter at his waist.
Rudra!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At the same time, a powerful gust of wind blew up behind these two men and flung them forward, hard.
Lets goooooo!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun, still holding onto Yi Ji-Hyuk, gave everything he had to raise their speed to the absolute max, as they flew straight to Beltreche.
Kuwaaahht!!
Kim Dah-Hyuns arms gained a tremendous momentum as he spun Yi Ji-Hyuk once and threw thetter at the demon king while still in the air and moving at the scarcely-believable velocity.
Smashing straight into the wall of air at the speed far exceeding sound, the skin on Yi Ji-Hyuks face split up and blood freely flowed out.
Yi Ji-Hyuuuuuk!! (Beltreche)
Seeing that spectacle, Beltreche howled out and madly dashed forward, too.
Just one hit!
It was only a single hit!
Unlike in the past, he could no longer spam attacks with his infinite Mana, so Yi Ji-Hyuk simply had to seed in this one hit, and he definitely had to hit his target.
In that case, what he needed to do was to shorten the distance.
Hed get as close as possible, and smash down!
Uwaaaahhh!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk roared out loudly as Beltreche rushed at him.
Almost at the same time, the rays of blindingly white light poured out of his entire body.
< 169. Count on it, lizard -4 > Fin.
Chapter 170: Count on it, lizard (5)
Chapter 170: Count on it, lizard (5)
Its white?! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae cried out in surprise.
Yi Ji-Hyuks Mana was dark, and naturally, its colour was also ck. That fact could never be changed through ones will or technique.
If that was the case, then what could that white light shining out of Yi Ji-Hyuk possibly be?
However, as soon as her initial surprise wore off, she was able to immediately deduce the identity of that mysterious light.
That was the energy originally residing within Yi Ji-Hyuk from the get-go.
Quite unlike the residents of Berafe, who were all creatures of Mana, Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed a different sort of hidden power. However, it was so, so pathetically weak that he couldnt use it at all. Yet, it was being unleashed in full right now.
But, when did he??
Just when did that energy grow by that much?
The amount residing within him was too small to be of any use, but now.... She was aware of the humans of this world using that energy like their version of Mana supply, of course. Indeed, people surrounding Yi Ji-Hyuk utilised them on the daily basis, after all.
However, the amount of energy they possessed far, far outstripped what he had, and that was why they could safely, continuously rely on this energy form. As a matter of fact, Yi Ji-Hyuks energy was no different to that of what a regr civilian possessed.
But then, the amount of energy he was emitting right now was almost on the same level as that woman, Seo Ah-Young.
How was this possible?
....Ah.
Affeldrichae finally realised that the energy being emitted from Yi Ji-Hyuks body had actually been amplified through the Dragon Hearts mounted on his arms.
Sure, his energy had certainly grown since the beginning, but the current amount had been, without a doubt, augmented greatly by the Hearts.
But, why did he bother?
Even if he amplified his own energy through the Hearts, it was still no greater than that of Seo Ah-Youngs. Yi Ji-Hyuks most powerful attacks didnt work on Beltreche, so how could such a weak energy affect the demon king now?
It was then, the energy emitted from Yi Ji-Hyuks body was sucked back inside as if time itself had been reversed.
And then....
....Ah!!
Affeldrichae was deeply astonished.
Yi Ji-Hyuks right arm began ballooning up as ck and white lights covered it up.
No, stop!! (Affeldrichae)
Even before she had the chance to cry out, she sensed an immeasurable power going on a rampage inside Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
Beltrecheeeeee!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beltreche too realised something was wrong, and with a tense expression, roused all the Mana it currently possessed, gathering it into its hand and thereby fortifying it greatly.
Heuwaaaahpp!! (Beltreche)
The reptilian demon kings fist hardened like forged steel as the Mana thickly overflowed.
And then, Yi Ji-Hyuk and Beltreche both dashed towards each other.
The humans ballooned-up right arm and the demon kings own fortified arm collided.
KKKKAAAA-BOOOOM
There was a massive explosion.
The explosion that seemed to swallow up the entire world was promptly apanied by a shockwave so powerful that it gouged out the desert sand as if they were wet mud, and blew them all away.
Kyyaaahhh!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min got caught in the shockwave and was flung far away; seeing this, Kim Dah-Hyun gritted his teeth and flew up, managing to grab her in a nick of time.
Are you alright?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Uh, ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
As she replied, her eyes continued to search for the trace of Yi Ji-Hyuk among the mighty dust storm still obscuring her vision.
Finally, the dust storm settled down, and....
Ah, ah....
Jeong Hae-Min lost all strength in her body.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was lying on the ground, covered in a sheet of white dust.
His entire body seemed to be twisted in an unnatural manner, while his right arm was nowhere to be seen, cut off right below his shoulder. Blood was pouring out from that wound as if it was a leaky tab.
J-Ji-Hyuk.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Her face paled into a white sheet.
She knew that she just had to go over there. She just had to....
It was then, she spotted Doh Gah-Yun rising up from the ground.
Ah.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min couldnt tell what exactly had happened, but even Doh Gah-Yun was utterly covered from head to toe in blood as well. Seeing that there was a gaping wound in her back, she mustve done something at the moment of impact, but no one could tell what that was.
Doh Gah-Yun fully emerged out of the ground, ced her weakly-trembling hand near Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth, and then, tore off a section of her clothes to dress his wound.
What about the demon king?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Only after she heard Kim Dah-Hyuns urgent voice did Jeong Hae-Min recover her wits and scan the vicinity.
There it was, in that crater over there!
Kim Dah-Hyun finally located Beltreche, copsed on the ground in a crouching position.
Is it... dead? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Beltreche was kneeling in a pool of blue blood, its entire body a mess of cracks and many grievous wounds. If that thing was a human, itd have died a hundred times over from such wounds.
However, that thing copsed there unmoving like that, was still a demon king, so obviously, it was impossible for anyone to lower their guards yet.
We gotta!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun loudly yelled out, which prompted Seo Ah-Young to roar out as a follow-up.
Finish it!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
With that call to arms, the ability users who were still awake and on two feet, began pouring out all of their attacks in the crater Beltreche was copsed in.
Kwa-boom!!
Booom!!
Countless explosions continued to go off one after the other.
All the ability users present now attacked without holding back, as if they wanted to spend every single drop of Ether residing within their body.
Heaaaaler!! (Doh Gah-Yun)
Meanwhile, Doh Gah-Yuns desperate call sharply dug into peoples ears.
Choi Jung-Hoon didnt even have the time to feel the sense of incongruence when Doh Gah-Yun yelled out, and shouted out loudly himself.
Chris, Chris!! We need a medic! Hurry!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even he could tell that Yi Ji-Hyuks current status was not good at all.
Jimmy!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren hurriedly called out to the American ability user.
Get out of my way! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae had already arrived at the location by then, however; she pushed Doh Gah-Yun away and quickly checked Yi Ji-Hyuks status.
....Its not good. (Affeldrichae)
It was already a feat of miracle that he didnt die from the external wounds, but the truth was, the status of his internals was far graver.
Never mind the right arm that had disintegrated during the explosion, the cells on his shoulder had all died. Not only that, with all of his Mana reserve gone, this body that had been deeply stained by the dark Mana was undergoing a transformation at a frightening rate as well.
N-no, this cant go on! (Affeldrichae)
At this rate, the existence of Yi Ji-Hyuk would vanish.
She needed to find a way to....
It was then!
Ka-boom!!!
Along with the noise of the atmosphere being torn apart, several ability users were flung away like kites with their strings cut.
Ah!!
Affeldrichaes eyes trembled greatly.
That collision was powerful enough to send a shiver down her spine, yet...
Beltreche had stood back up and now was ring at Affeldrichae and Yi Ji-Hyuk still lying on the ground with its yellow eyes.
Its entire body had spider-web like cracks running all over to its extremities, while its left arm was ripped in half, the white bones underneath exposed to the air....
But, undeniably, it was standing tall, while Yi Ji-Hyuk was lying face down on the ground. Clearly, this was Yi Ji-Hyuks defeat.
Euh..... Yi, Ji, Hyuk.... (Beltreche)
However, Beltreches condition was also obviously not good, as it faltered grandly and had to steady itself on the ground with its arm.
How dare you push me to this degree with your pathetic self! (Beltreche)
Beltreche correctly diagnosed his current condition.
His Mana reserve didnt want to recover, only to leak away from it. It was as if its origin source had been shattered; it had received a crippling, devastating damage.
At this rate, the reptilian demon king wouldnt be able to maintain its physical form and cease to exist altogether in the near future.
However, I still won. (Beltreche)
Beltreche confidently dered his victory. And then, it ced its still working right hand on the ground.
Open up!! (Beltreche)
It gathered all of its remaining Mana and opened up a Gate there.
A jet-ck hole opened up like the jaws of a devil.
Kekeke.
Beltreche was a demon.
As long as there was Mana, it could always recover its damaged body or its depleted lifeforce. Simply by establishing a connection with the demon world, Beltreche would not have any trouble recovering from this sort of wounds.
Not only that, didnt it leave behind a half of itself back in the demon world, too?
Also, opening up a Gate was a simple matter, what with all the ominous, negative energy filling up the air of this desert supporting its efforts greatly.
Not to forget, it was opening up a small Gate just to let a little bit of its own energy enter from the other side, not its entire remaining half, so it wasnt difficult at all.
Beltreche didnt even need a lot. It only needed a minute amount of Mana to heal up its physical body, that was all.
And so, Ive finally achieved victory against you. (Beltreche)
Sensing the blooming dark Mana leaking out of the Gate below its feet, Beltreche announced its victory once more.
The dark Mana dug deep into the reptilian demon king and rapidly healed its body.
Kekekeke!! (Beltreche)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had no way to recover from his wounds, while Beltreche did, so clearly, this was its resounding victory.
Pure, unadulterated delight filled up the demon kings eyes, and having figured out the current situation, only despair filled up Affeldrichaes eyes.
And now, I shall finish this once and for all. (Beltreche)
Affeldrichae stood before the fallen Yi Ji-Hyuk with a determined expression. Doh Gah-Yun, and Jeong Hae-Min, who had appeared besides them now, also stood to shield Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Seeing this all-too pitiful resistance, Beltreche extended its long tongue to lick its face. There was no greater pleasure than to crush the others feeble resistance and achieve its goal, after all.
...Mm?
Unfortunately, Beltreche couldnt continue on with its celebration.
Whats this? (Beltreche)
There was something wrong with the dark Mana leaking out from the Gate. Because, way more Mana than when that Gate was opened started flooding out now.
....It cant be?! (Beltreche)
No, it couldnt be.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was still unconscious. And his body showed not one hint of movement. Which meant that he wasnt using some sort of an underhanded trick here, and if it wasnt him, then.... However, there was no one in this world capable of controlling dark Mana like this.
Besides, this sensation Beltreche was feeling C it was rather different to all of those.
How should the demon king put it....
It was as if some unknown force was forcibly widening the Gate not from this side, but from the other side.
Who dares! (Beltreche)
Beltreches flustered gaze lowered to the ground, and that was when a certain voice resounded out to everyones ears.
[How dare you....]
The voice that easily pierced straight past ones eardrums and lodged deeply into ones brain.
The voice that sounded sensuous, seductive, and capable of shaking the moral foundation of all living things.
In that moment Beltreche heard that voice, terror and despair dyed its eyespletely. Its brain was immediately flooded with the name of this mighty being.
Nooo!! No, this cant be!! (Beltreche)
Beltreche tried to escape from the radius of the Gate on the ground, but then, a half-translucent hand, so white like a fleeting phantom, shot out from the darkness and grasped onto Beltreches leg.
Kuwaaahhck?!?!
Beltreches leg, as thick and hard as an elephants donger, got crushed by that hand as if it was made out of paper, blue blood exploding and spluttering to everywhere. (TL: Yes, the private part bit is from the raw. BTW, TSS reference FTW!)
The hand grabbing onto the reptilian demon king slowly dragged the yelping Beltreche into the Gates centre.
Why! Why are you doing this?! Why!!!! (Beltreche)
Even though it was getting dragged in, Beltreche continued to cry out in pure terror.
Hes no long the same person as you know! So, why are you still protecting him!! Whyyyyy!! (Beltreche)
Its desperate callings finally resulted in a hushed reply.
[You asking, cuz you really dont know?]
The voice was transmitted directly into the listeners head.
Listening to that seductive voice, Beltreche became even more acutely aware of its own impending demise. Because, that voice, which shouldve sounded airy and cheery as it always had been in the past, clearly disyed her boiling anger right now.
P-please, I beg of you!! Spare me!! Save me!! Oh, great thirteenth dem.... (Beltreche)
KWA-DU-DU-DUK!!
Beltreches body suddenly began to grow much, much thinner, starting from its lower torso. As if the innards were being sucked out while the exterior shell was left as is, the demon kings body shrivelled up at a visible pace.
Ah, ah-ahhhh..... (Beltreche)
The ray of light denoting ones life gradually faded away from Beltreches yellow eyes. And finally, Beltreches empty shell plopped to the ground with a loud thud.
Everyone present bore witness to this spectacle without being able to say a single word.
They had given their all in this fight, and even Yi Ji-Hyuk had to sacrifice his arm yet they still failed to defeat this demon king. But now, an unknown presence rendered such a creature utterly powerless, and killed it just like that.
The shock brought on by this turn of events left everyone herepletely speechless.
Affeldrichae sensed the gaze of the being watching them from beyond that jet-ck Gate, and shuddered in fear.
The worst, greatest demon king.
The one creature she never, ever wanted to run into had appeared before her now.
[....Affeldrichae.]
She shuddered even more as that voice called out to her.
[Bring him here.]
The owner of that voice was calling out to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
< 170. Count on it, lizard -5 > Fin.
Chapter 171: What’s this? You… don’t have a soul? (1)
Chapter 171: Whats this? You... dont have a soul? (1)
Affeldrichae looked at the prone Yi Ji-Hyuk with aplicated expression.
[Hurry.]
The womans voice contained a power that couldnt be resisted against. Also, Affeldrichae understood that the only person who could save Yi Ji-Hyuk here was not her, but the owner of that voice.
However....
What was she supposed to do about this ufortable feeling, not wanting to hand him over just like that?
.........
When Affeldrichae hesitated like that, the voice began urging her.
[Theres no time. Dont forget that I didnt open this Gate.]
Euh.........
Affeldrichae didnt feel so good right now.
She had been living a life where logic ruled every facet of her life. But recently, her emotions have been steadily encroaching into her brain and their voices were growing louder and louder. Her logical mind and her emotions collided and strange things were happening to her body as a result.
For the first time ever, she began feeling nauseous as she picked Yi Ji-Hyuk up. And then, unwillingly walked over to the Gate and ced him down in front.
[Fufufu.]
A soft giggle came out from the Gate.
Affeldrichae knew very well what that giggle signified, but all she could do in response was to bite her lower lip.
[Youve grown a lot, havent you? Knowing how to form an expression like that, too.]
You sound happy to be quite ancient. (Affeldrichae)
[You even know how to say such things, too. Youve really grown up now.]
Affeldrichae gritted her teeth.
Just how many beings in the universe could treat a former Dragon Lord like a small child?
Unfortunately, the owner of the voice was one of them. And she certainly was qualified to do so, as well. Only the gods couldpare to those holding the title of the most powerful, highest-ranked demon kings, after all.
Not only that, the owner of the voice could also pull rank on Affeldrichae, even if her identity as a demon king was set aside. Especially so, when it came to matters rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
[Hes been hurt pretty badly. I shouldnt have killed that fool so quickly.]
Fury could clearly be heard in her voice. Nothing remained within Beltreches shell, but her anger hadnt been satisfied yet, judging from the tone of her voice.
Can he be saved? (Affeldrichae)
[Were you talking to me just now?]
The voice wasnt asking a serious question, of course.
Sensing the absolute confidence and firm determination from that voice, Affeldrichae didnt say anything else and took a step back.
ck aura suddenly billowed out from the Gate and wrapped around Yi Ji-Hyuk. The aura stopped moving after checking the status of his entire body.
[Why did you have to....]
The tone of the voice changed from how she spoke to Affeldrichae. The seductive and slightly excited tone had disappeared, reced with clear hint of deep anxiety.
Affeldrichae bit her lower lip again after hearing that.
Please, start healing him already. (Affeldrichae)
[You should stop nagging me, okay? Ill just kill you if you keep bothering me.]
.......
[Hmm....]
The aura leaking out of the Gatepletely enveloped Yi Ji-Hyuk now.
Could you be doing....?? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes voice only elicited an irritated response toe out from the Gate.
[You think I would do that?]
No, you wouldnt. (Affeldrichae)
Indeed, other demon kings might, but... if it was her, shed never do that.
If it were other demon kings, they might have taken this opportunity to turn Yi Ji-Hyuk into an undead, or a demon like them. It wouldnt be all that difficult, seeing that the injection of a certain amount of dark Mana would elerate the process all on its own, anyway.
However, the owner of the voice wouldnt do that. Because it was precisely this woman and not some other demon king, Affeldrichae could safely entrust Yi Ji-Hyuk to her.
Wuooo....
The ck clouds mushroomed steadily higher and higher around Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....T-that, just what is she doing? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min asked with a worried look on her face, and Affeldrichae replied with a sigh.
Shes healing him. (Affeldrichae)
You mean, that?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes...... (Affeldrichae)
No matter how much she rubbed her eyes and took an even closer look, that whole healing process looked as if itd create a Frankenstein-estque monster, instead. Yet, that was supposed to heal for real?
Jeong Hae-Min had no idea the rtionship between the human named Yi Ji-Hyuk and the existence of the dark Mana, so it was understandable why shed think that way as she watched the spectacle unfold.
And, if she were to be brutally honest, no sane-minded person from this world would look at that and think that was a healing process. No, they would all think that it was trying to create a monster, instead.
Really trying to save him? (Jeong Hae-Min)
It may be hard to believe, but yes. (Affeldrichae)
Okay... By the way, who is saving him? (Jeong Hae-Min)
......
Affeldrichae closed her mouth shut.
How should she go about answering that question?
How should shebel the owner of voice and exin it to these people here?
....Lets just say that she possesses the ownership of Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Eh? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min was taken aback from a totally unexpected and definitely offbeat answer.
Ownership?
....In a various meaning of that word. (Affeldrichae)
With those words, Affeldrichae closed her mouthpletely shut. Through her expression, she implied her desire to no longer entertain any more questions.
Having read her expression, Jeong Hae-Min couldnt dare to ask anything else.
Just what is going on here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min sensed Doh Gah-Yun slowly walking up to her, and fixed her gaze back to the ck clouds still enveloping Yi Ji-Hyuk.
And about ten minutester....
The ck clouds surrounding Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly dissipated.
Ah....
Jeong Hae-Minsplexion brightened considerably at Yi Ji-Hyuks perfectly-fine body. Even the lost right arm had been fully regenerated.
What about his mind? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae quickly asked, and an answer was soon provided.
[Its still fine, somehow.]
Affeldrichae sighed softly in relief. However, the words still and somehow lingered on and left a bad aftertaste in her mouth. Because, they signified that there was not much left remaining.
It was then, a pure-white hand slowly reached out from the Gate towards Yi Ji-Hyuk. The hand so pale that it was almost translucent gently stroked his cheek.
[Why are you deliberately looking for trouble like this....]
Affeldrichae curtly replied on his behalf.
Its only because he doesnt like you. (Affeldrichae)
[What you see on the outside of someone elses family isnt necessarily everything there is. Youre already that old, yet you still havent figured that out yet?]
There are some matters that can be figured out in an instant, too. (Affeldrichae)
[Well, fine.]
Her hand continued to quietly stroke his cheek. And then, the voice became softer.
[It may not be now, but.... Ille and see you soon, so please wait for me.]
Yi Ji-Hyuks body gently floated up and slowly moved towards Affeldrichae.
She cautiously received his still body.
[Take a good care of him.]
I will, more than you have. (Affeldrichae)
[Fufufu. Well, then....]
Along with those parting words, the ck Gate gradually contracted, beforepletely disappearing from the view.
Affeldrichae spat out a groan while looking at that spectacle. She believed that they wouldnt have to deal with that woman anymore, but in the end, they had no choice but to deal with her in this manner.
Even back in Berafe, that woman was such an awkward being to even talk to, yet to think, they had to contend with her in this world, too....
Pinch.
Affeldrichae began pinching the cheek of still-unconscious Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What a rotten b*stard he was.
Euh, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though he was unconscious, he iled his arms about in the air.
So, like, what is going on here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When Jeong Hae-Min asked again, Affeldrichae unhappily retorted back. She also didnt like any of these women surrounding him, as well.
Hes nowpletely fine, physically. (Affeldrichae)
After all, the treatment process was handled by that person.
Shes an existence that sucks the lifeforce out of the others, so she should at least possess more than enough to inject some back into Yi Ji-Hyuk and still have lots more left.
If not, shed probablye up with a different method to heal him, anyway.
Well, her powers are famous even among the demon kings, so of course she would. (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
So, this means...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae nodded her head.
Its over. (Affeldrichae)
The first demon king to descend on Earth, Beltreche, met its end not at the hands of the humans, but from another demon king.
They had won, but knowing that nothing had been resolved yet, Choi Jung-Hoon could only spit out a long, long sigh.
But, at least, we stopped it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk still unconscious like that, Choi Jung-Hoon fell into a deep pit of anxiety.
Could this really be the end?
Wouldnt they have to deal with an even greater crisis in the future? Just thinking about it made his chest tighten.
The persistent anxiety in his head kept telling him that this might be merely the beginning. Choi Jung-Hoon could only kick a meless rock on the ground out of sheer frustration.
*
[Whats this? You... dont have a soul?]
...Ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly opened his eyes.
He could see a white ceiling above.
And this here is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That ceiling, havent I seen it plenty of times before? Is it my room? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When he took a look around, it was indeed his room. He spotted the sleeping Jeong Hae-Min sitting on a chair but slumped on his bed.
Hmm....
Youve woken up? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly nodded his head at the voiceing from near his head.
Im sure the soft things I feel underneath my head arent my pillow, but the legs of a certain lizard woman.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Why do I get this really bad feeling that I heard a voice I didnt want to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though you were unconscious, looks like you were aware of it. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm. So, thats what happened, huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head and spat out a lengthy groan.
Did the worst case scenario unfold while I was knocked out cold? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Almost. (Affeldrichae)
....Shes currently not in this world, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thankfully, no. (Affeldrichae)
Whew...
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed out in genuine relief.
Where is she? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She couldnt cross over. She only sent over a portion of her avatar temporarily through the Gate the demon king Beltreche had opened up. And after sucking Beltrechepletely dry, she went back. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae deliberately left out the part about that woman healing Yi Ji-Hyuks injuries. It was fine, because omitting stuff wasnt lying. Technically.
D*mn it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice trembled.
The one being he never, ever wanted to deal with hade visited him again.
That woman was Yi Ji-Hyuks worst, greatest natural enemy. Someone he desperately didnt want to see or talk to, even more so than Latrel herself!
Im such a dumb moron.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Why did I have to lose my consciousness like that?
I mean, if I was still awake, Id have run thousands of kilometres away as soon as I heard her voice! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, I thought you secretly wanted to see her again? (Affeldrichae)
When that slightly resentful voice tried to rile him up, Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a menacing expression and red at Affeldrichae.
....I was only joking. (Affeldrichae)
Itll be better for you to stop making those horrendous jokes. If you dont, Im gonna go out there, catch lots of smanders, and kill them right in front of your eyes so that I can torture you slowly. Got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Oh, my. What a scary torture method you have thought of there. (Affeldrichae)
I told you already that Im not a reptile!!!
Besides, a smander is an amphibian! An amphibian!! (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised himself up.
How do you feel? (Affeldrichae)
Looks like Im more or less fine? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since he went ahead and let the dark Mana go on a rampage inside his body, he half expected himself to be either dead or in a state very close to dying, but now, he was in an even better physical condition than before he started fighting.
Well, if it was her, this would be an obvious result, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
What about your mind? (Affeldrichae)
Hmm......
Yi Ji-Hyuk urately diagnosed his condition.
Cant tell. I dont think Ive changed whenpared to before. If I had be more violent, then I would have been triggered by your attempt to rile me up just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, you did get triggered slightly, you know? (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
Affeldrichae chose not to point that out.
Thats good news. It means that we were able to ovee a big huddle. With things like this, other demon kings wouldnt wilfully invade this world now. (Affeldrichae)
It was a huge event for a demon king to bepletely killed off in another realm. So, the other remaining demon kings would be far more circumspect now.
Also, since the one to kill that demon king resided within the demon world, the animosity towards her would only strengthen by a great deal, but Affeldrichae didnt want to point that out to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Well, he should be aware of that already without her telling him.
Tsk.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling mighty ufortable from the fact that he ended up owing somebody quite unexpectedly. Besides, she was the one person in the entire universe he didnt want to owe anything to, in the first ce!
No matter what anyone else said....
....Eiii, whatever, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head, hard, and threw off all the distracting thoughts. The door to his room suddenly opened up just then, and Doh Gah-Yun walked in while carrying a ss of water. She pushed it to him.
Oh. Thank you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took the ss and drank the water. With the icy-cold liquid sliding down his throat, the ufortable feeling he felt became a lot more tolerable than before.
Did something else happen while I was out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not really. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae grinned refreshingly.
Nothing particr happened. It was rather peaceful, actually. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Oh, well. I mean, a demon king was killed off, so things surely would have reverted to being peaceful, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well, minor matters will always crop up, though. But then again, the ck bugs attacking people to create an undead army is something that happened quite often back in Berafe, wouldnt you agree? (Affeldrichae)
Would you like to be hit in the head quite often too, you mad lizard woman?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats only normal in Berafe! But the same thingll signal the end of the world in this ce, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot up from the bed.
Wheres Choi Jung-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon, waiting outside the room until then, entered through the doorway with a hardened expression on his face.
< 171. Whats this? You... dont have a soul? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 172: What’s this? You… don’t have a soul? (2)
Chapter 172: Whats this? You... dont have a soul? (2)
To think, a great demon king has perished..... (Args)
Args was crouching in a corner, shivering.
For someone who liked to talk big, your guy sure didnt amount to much in the end, did he? Didnt you say that only a single demon king summoned to this world would bring about the apocalypse? (Alpha)
Keuk.
Args could only bare its fangs and re at Alpha and his sarcasm-filled voice. Too bad, Alpha simply maintained his expressionless face and stared back.
Indeed, I will admit to it. Matters have progressed in a rather unexpected direction. I didnt expect her to make a move. (Args)
The demon did take into ount the possibility that she might interfere in the matters of the 99th demon king. So, perhaps it should revise its excuse to something more like it didnt expect her to exert her influence in this world.
Who knew shed utilise the Gate being opened from this side? (Args)
Args didnt expect that at all.
Indeed, it failed to guess that Beltreche would try to open a Gate in that situation, so how could it predict the thirteenth demon king making her appearance by figuratively jumping out from it?
So? Whats your next n? No, wait. Do you even have another one, to begin with? (Alpha)
....Of course. (Args)
Args nodded its head.
It was a rather strange thing to ask if there were other ns. This world was already choke full of negative energy way before their schemes began unfolding. As long as they could use this abundant energy, they should be able to achieve pretty much anything, so what could possibly be the problem here?
This is just the beginning. It is a fact that I didnt expect our demon king to fail, but nothing has changed as it was only a low-ranked demon king. (Args)
Also, just as important, the demon king wasnt defeated by Yi Ji-Hyuk, too.
For the time being, we should utilise whats been left behind. (Args)
As Args fell deeper into its thoughts, Alpha stared at the demon with a pair of contemtive eyes.
That sure was a shocking spectacle. (Alpha)
Beltreche did fall in the end, but even then, Alpha got to properly learn how powerful and dangerous an existence of a demon king could be.
And, also.....
Although he didnt do it alone, the man named Yi Ji-Hyuk, who managed to drive such a demonic creature to the brink like that, left a huge impression on Alpha, as well.
That man was a human, yet to possess such a power to be able to do that.
Alpha always thought of himself as someone exceeding the boundaries of what it meant to be a human. But even then, he couldnt help but doubt if Yi Ji-Hyuk was really born as a human in the first ce.
That Yi Ji-Hyuk..... (Alpha)
Mm? (Args)
Just what is he? (Alpha)
Args smirked mockingly and stared at Alpha.
Whats the matter? Something wrong? (Args)
I get what that monster named Beltreche or whatever was. Because, anyone could tell that it was a monster. It would not be a strange thing for higher-ranked monsters to exist than the regr ones. However, isnt Yi Ji-Hyuk a human being? (Alpha)
Args shook its head.
Oh, you foolish human. (Args)
Alpha didnt respond and simply chose to stare silently at Args.
Youre mistaken about something. Even to us demons, the existence of demon kings are an unsolvable quandary. They didnt get there because they were born with that power, nor were they destined to be one. You cant survive in the demon world by relying on the power you were born with. (Args)
H-mm....
Its the same story with Yi Ji-Hyuk. He used to be human, but now he has transcended his humanity to be a demon king. In the eyes of regr beings like you and I, they are beings of unfathomable mystery. We cant understand them, nor should we try to understand them. (Args)
....Youre speaking some obvious things. (Alpha)
Indeed, they are obvious things. (Args)
Alpha quietly recalled Yi Ji-Hyuk in his head.
What a strange feeling Im getting here. (Alpha)
He knew very well that Yi Ji-Hyuk would be a great hindrance to his future ns, yet he also thought that man was the pride of humanity as well.
If Alpha had to face the demon king without Yi Ji-Hyuk around, then hed have been gued by an inescapable sense of inferiority and shame.
That was why he couldnt help but respect that man, although they were enemies at the end of the day.
Does that mean Yi Ji-Hyuk was far stronger back in the past? (Alpha)
The current him is just a shell of his former self. (Args)
So, he was on an equal footing with that demon king? (Alpha)
Args chuckled softly.
Lord Beltreche might have been a demon king, but in the end, it was only a lower ranked one. The higher-ranked demon kings are on another scale altogetherpared to Beltreche, and those who have entered the top 13 positions are again on another realmpared to the demon kings below them. (Args)
Mm.......
But then, the 99th demon king was someone who had stepped on all of them to climb up to the peak of the demon world. (Args)
He has defeated them all? (Alpha)
Of course not. If he were to sh with the highest ranked demon kings, then the demon world itself wouldnt have survived the ensuing cmity, after all. It was just that, the highest ranked demon kings openly avoided getting into conflict with him. That is why you can pretty much say that he had upied the top rank. He was that kind of a man. (Args)
A chill ran down Alphas spine. A human managed to climb up to such a position?
What remains now is the smallest portion of that once-powerful man. But then, even this portion is far too powerful to be called a human. (Args)
Alpha nodded his head.
In all honesty, he still couldnt quite grasp what Yi Ji-Hyuk did in the past. He simply couldnt wrap his head around the power scale being discussed here. But, he still agreed with the simple assessment that Yi Ji-Hyuk was far too powerful to be called a human, even now.
But, how should I view him as? (Alpha)
Was he a human being?
Or was he an ability user?
That man was flirting around with Alphas judging criteria.
Thats not important. No, the truly important matter is something else. (Args)
Alpha looked at the ck marble in the offered hand of Args and shook his head helplessly.
Dont you think you are overworking me here, you rotten demon b*stard? (Alpha)
You shall receive your reward in due course. (Args)
To think that I have to trust a demon and work for no pay. Anyone would say Ive lost my mind. (Alpha)
Unlike his words, though, Alpha readily epted the Argss ck marble.
*
After entering Yi Ji-Hyuks room, Choi Jung-Hoon spoke up.
How are you feeling? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head as his reply.
Well, Im feeling fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about your arm? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As you can see, still stuck in the right ce and in full working order. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk swung his arm around.
Choi Jung-Hoon looked at that arm while inwardly feeling astonished.
That arm had been definitely blown off to god knows where, yet seeing it like that, he couldnt help but feel a bit weird inside.
With the advent of ability users who could heal, AKA Healers, they managed to shake up the very foundation of the field of modern medicine.
However, they could only perfectly re-attach the severed limbs or heal the types of wounds that modern medicine couldnt do anything about. It was still impossible topletely regenerate a lost arm like in the case with Yi Ji-Hyuk here.
Was something like this amon urrence in the other world you used to stay in, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Well, it was actually a lot worse over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Returning someone back to how they were, as long as they were still breathing C that was the Berafes divine magic in a nutshell.
A holy man or woman on the level of Dioreh the First would be able to mend any sort of wounds as long as the person was still clinging on.
A bit regretfully, even that world didnt enjoy the concept of revival, so the dead couldnt be brought back to life. But, as long as one was not dead, then it was possible to bring them back from the brink. That was Berafe.
But they still charged you a sh*t load of money, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
That was the reason why the religions of that world had managed to grow that big over there.
If someone on Earth revealed to the world that he could fix someones lost arm through the power of a god, then he or shed immediately be worshipped as the gods living incarnation.
Itd be enough to just upload a handful of video clips on video sharing websites online. Once those videos being genuine and not tempered with have been established, the impact those video clips would carry was powerful enough to instantly render all the current religions dominating humanity as frauds.
No, hang on a minute. Since there are ability users existing on Earth now, maybe that wouldnt happen? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head this way and that, Choi Jung-Hoon was also tilting his head, still unable to figure out what the youth was trying to say here. He eventually changed the topic.
In any case, thats not that important right now. Our current situation is much more important. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I agree. So, how has the situation changed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For the worst, actually. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Without saying anything else, he pushed forward the tablet PC to Yi Ji-Hyuk. A video soon started ying on the screen.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at the screen, before sighing out softly.
Thats some good sh*t, that. I see that CGI technology has advanced by leaps and bounds nowadays. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was all real, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eiii~. Stop lying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wasnt. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at the screen multiple times and smirked again.
Eiii, thats definitely a zombie movie, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, it isnt..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Seriously? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Really, seriously, honestly? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
YES. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tossed the tablet back to Choi Jung-Hoon and lied down on the bed.
Well, now. Things sure have gotten serious, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you dont look all that serious, though? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Because, theres nothing I can do about it now, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, that puts me in a bind, you know. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, me too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed an innocent-looking expression and smiled refreshingly.
What were you expecting from me, again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.................
Choi Jung-Hoon facepalmed.
This guy, why was he reverting back to Slice open your own belly mode??
But, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you know more about these things than anyone else right now. Am I wrong?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I dunno anything, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......No, wait, its still more than other people.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I really dont know anything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, you do look a bit empty at times. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When Choi Jung-Hoon yed dumb and tried to gloss over it, the corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks brows arched up even more than usual.
....What a rotten-looking face that is. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....This guy, still reading peoples minds, is he? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
He might not be able to read exactly what was on other peoples heads, but still, Choi Jung-Hoon thought that itd be better to be more cautious in the way he thought about things. He quickly coughed to clear his throat and changed the topic again.
In any case, we need a solution. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im telling you, I dont know anything so stop asking me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Americans have managed to somehow to put up a suitable response for the time being. The real issue is with Mexico. Because that country is being ruled over by a drug cartel, theyck the ability to stop whats happening right now. At this rate, that ce will be a zombiend very soon. Even Guatem and Nicaragua will be wiped out in a blink, too. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ni, Nica.... What? Nicotine? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its Nicaragua.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What is that? Is that thenguage of the Martians? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its a name of a country. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, Ive never heard of it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head. Well, it wasnt too strange for this guy not to know of such things, after all.
It might be simple to set up a defensive line by the Colombian border, but if that line is breached for some reason, then the entire South American continent will be in danger. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im sure they will be. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why, we need toe up with a n. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im sure you do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why! Help us with this n!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why should I?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot up, evidently triggered for good now.
Now that I think about it, you keep telling me to solve this and that as if its the most obvious thing in the world! Hey, look here man, Im just an innocent young man passing by! So, stop telling me to do this c**p and that sh*t! Just what on earth are YOU doing with my taxes?? Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its my job to pester you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Do your higher-ups know that youre doing this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt I already tell you that my official job title was changed not too long ago? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell is up with this makjang country?!
How can the official duty of a public servant be pestering someone?!
Just when did the status of this nation fall this low? I was only gone for a little while, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I, I shouldve voted in thest election!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally realised the consequences of ignoring the civic duty of a citizen living in a democratic society, and wiped the welling tears off from his eyes.
When was the next election day again?
This is no time to kid around. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons expression hardened.
The bugs transmitting the disease have begun dying sincest night. However, countless more people have be poisoned in the meantime. Since they couldnt just go out there and wipe every infected victims away, even the Americans have resorted to trapping them behind a wall. But, because theirnd mass is so vast, its still impossible to keep all of them quarantined. There are many zombies escaping the as we speak. If this continues, even America will end up facing a crisis that they cant reverse out of. When that happens, everything will be over. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
He knew what Choi Jung-Hoon was saying here. However, all he could do in a situation like this was to wipe out the zombies in one go.
Unless the people of this world understood already that the infected victims couldnt be reverted back to how they were, Yi Ji-Hyuks name would be recorded in all the history books as the genocidal maniac if he went and offed everyst one of those zombies.
Well, not that he cared about such a thing, but....
....Hey. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned to face Affeldrichae and asked.
Dont you have any useful ideas? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae pondered for a bit, before opening her mouth.
There is a very simple way, actually. (Affeldrichae)
Okay, what will that be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Mister Ji-Hyuk. Youre going to hate it. (Affeldrichae)
....Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk began frowning ever so slightly.
....What is she nning to say here?
Wait, could she be thinking of what Im thinking?!
< 172. Whats this? You... dont have a soul? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 173: What’s this? You… don’t have a soul? (3)
Chapter 173: Whats this? You... dont have a soul? (3)
Could it be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae nodded her head.
Indeed, there is no other way to fix this situation. (Affeldrichae)
Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, we must bring someone who can. (Affeldrichae)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk began headbutting his bed repeatedly. He too had thought of this method before, but well, carrying it out would be one heck of a bother.
Isnt there another way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, no. (Affeldrichae)
Groan.
He began rubbing his face, hard.
In this world, there were things one wouldnt want to do even if one knew how to do it. The current Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling exactly this way.
Choi Jung-Hoon was like a dog sniffing out food; he quickly sensed something here and began pestering Yi Ji-Hyuk again.
Is there a way? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
NOPE. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a deadpan face.
There are none. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, it sounds like there is?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im telling you, there aint one!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon readily gave up on persuading Yi Ji-Hyuk right there, and turned around to ask Affeldrichae, instead.
Is there a way? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
She didnt immediately reply and quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
From that, Choi Jung-Hoon quickly deduced that, regardless of whether there was a way or not, it all depended on Yi Ji-Hyuks whims C and promptly sprinted towards him to grab his hands tightly.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh, what now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you know a way, you gotta help us with solving this situation! It certainly wont do for you to be this hands-off, you know? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....What the heck, dude. Did the Americans pay you off again or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....P-pardon me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit.
You just flinched. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
O-of course not! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Way too suspicious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im telling you, they didnt! I am! Only! Out of!! The goodness of my heart! Worrying about our world!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Yup, he got greased, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, I wasnt!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Looking at Choi Jung-Hoon sorrowfully crying out like a wrongfully used man, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shook his head.
You get paid by the Korean government, yet youre dealing with American problems? Are you a dang traitor? Aigoo, hear me, my good neighbours! Weve got a traitor in our midst~! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its the national auditors! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min had woken up before anyone had noticed it and, with her eyes still half open, urately pointed out that he shouldnt bother the neighbours but the auditors, instead.
Should I make the call? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Please, just stop!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons urgent reaction brought about a knowing smirk on Jeong Hae-Mins face.
This isnt the time to kid around, everyone. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Americans should take care of American problems, Mexicans should do the same, just as we should take care of our own. Am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You shouldnt think of this matter that lightly. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With the copse of Americas Eastern Seaboard, the global economy is going through indescribable turmoil as we speak. At this rate, we will see the advent of a crisis even worse than that of the IMF incident. Families will lose their homes, the society will crumble.... (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL note at the end)
Ehheii~ it wont go that far. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly cut Choi Jung-Hoon off there.
Did this guy lose his marbles or something? How dare he bring up a sensitive topic like that?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
That is why, we need to find a solution real fast in order to minimise the damage. This is a crisis that threatens the entire humanity. This isnt something you simplybel as someone elses problem and forget about it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
H-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyukid his head back down on Affeldrichaesp and replied with a pout.
Well, if you think about it, its not such a bad thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its just the visuals thats a bit off, but well, you could say that a zombie is a new type of human species. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Have you finally gone insane? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the?! Wanna die?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, wait! Its you talking somethingpletely unexpected, thats why! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its not pletely unexpected, you know? Think about it. You wont die, you wont feel pain, you wont even have to think for yourself. See how convenient it is? Im telling you, being a zombie might be even better than being a regr human. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you cant propagate that way! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You arent going to die, so why would you need an offspring in the first ce?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......Uh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, that.... kinda makes sense?
N-no, wait a freaking minute!
I nearly fell for it! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Please make weird suggestions at ater time. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hey, dude. Its not a weird suggestion! Im right, arent I? Its bit off-putting that your intestines are falling out and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, its not such a bad way to gain immortality. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so how about you be this new human species first as a demonstration, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You think Im mad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yup, I do.
Theres no doubt that you are definitely not right in the head. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a lengthy sigh.
He did expect to encounter this uncooperative side, but he was still taken aback by this level of I cant be bothered from Yi Ji-Hyuk. But then again, if he thought back to the past, this was how this guy had been behaving all along. Its just that Yi Ji-Hyuk had been weirdly cooperativetely, that was all.
What is it that you want this time? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I dont want anything. (Yi Ji-hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decisively cut off Choi Jung-Hoon, once more.
Lets be honest here. There isnt a lot you folks can do for me at this stage. So, how about leaving me alone for a while? Ive got lots of things to think about too, but then, as soon as I wake up from my ckout, youre asking me this and that, and that c**ps making my head hurt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.....
Choi Jung-Hoon unwillingly nodded his head.
The situation was indeed urgent, but it was also true that making this sort of requests werent exactly suitable for someone who just woke up from running headlong into deaths doorway.
In that case, I shall keep an eye on the situation. Once you get some rest, Ille back and speak to you again. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, well. Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
See you tomorrow, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After Choi Jung-Hoon walked out of the room, Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed andid down again.
Shururuk....
Affeldrichae began gently stroking his hair.
But, youve already made up your mind, havent you? (Affeldrichae)
Well, whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah, its going to happen. I know that. So, stop poking me with a stick.
I mean, I just dont wanna do this thing, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You and your temper havent changed. (Affeldrichae)
You dont have to tell me that. I knew from a thousand years ago that Ive got a crappy personality, okay? No need to point that out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I kind of recall that you werent so bad back then? (Affeldrichae)
A Dragon is wearing rose-tinted sses, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What a shocking discovery, that.
Since ones personality was supposed to e from ones head, Yi Ji-Hyuks was pretty much what youd call frozen in time. No matter how much time had passed him by, his personality wouldnt have changed much from the days back when he was still a hopeless high school student.
Maybe, he could posit that the experiences umted since than that had supplemented his personality, were now fast bing his flesh and blood.
In any case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed over and over again.
He definitely didnt want to get involved in that world again. Just thinking about getting mixed up in the business of Berafe nearly caused him partial hair loss, but now, he had to deal with its religious organisations?
In short, those religious organisations would havebelled Yi Ji-Hyuk as their public enemy number one, a being they had to kill no matter what the cost was.
Or, to describe this situation in the Earths religious allegorical terms, itd be like Satan reaching out to an archbishop while asking for help.
If that archbishop had his head screwed on properly, then hed start hurling several PET bottles full of holy water all over the ce while telling the devil to get the f*ck away from him.
There are plenty of unhinged folks over on that side, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I agree. Some of them arent even human-like at all. (Affeldrichae)
I thought you were also a believer of Latrel? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since its not possible to pretend that gods dont exist over there, it would not be so strange to be a follower. But, the real problems with the humans are that they take the will of the gods and interpret it in the way that suits them the best, as well as turn the gods they were supposed to believe in as their backers, instead. (Affeldrichae)
Mm....
Even now, I cant fathom why Lady Latrel lets that happen. I wouldve never allowed such a thing to happen in my watch. (Affeldrichae)
Thats because it was Latrel who made humans that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Yi Ji-Hyuks answer promptly shut Affeldrichaes mouth.
Indeed, if you believed that the god was responsible for creating humans, then their imperfection also had to be seen as the will of the god, too.
When her thoughts arrived there, she had to look at Yi Ji-Hyuk in a slightly different light.
You can be capable of speaking the hard truth, sometimes. (Affeldrichae)
What do you mean, sometimes?! Im a logical dude who always speak the truth and gets straight to the point, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae simply nodded her head.
She sure didnt want to voice her agreement, but then again, she couldnt deny the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk did possess that kind of side to him.
....Hey, you should say something in reply. Dont be like that, now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Youre making me feel awkward here, you know.
Im sure you arent just going to talk about it but not act upon it, yes? (Affeldrichae)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed again.
Are you guys finished? (Jeong Hae-Min)
He turned his head to his side.
Jeong Hae-Min was looking at them, her head supported by both her hands.
Yup. Well, something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, really? (Jeong Hae-Min)
By the way, isnt this girl also beginning to resemble Kim Dah-Som?
Why am I feeling this chilly air around me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Are you two dating now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Are you blind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied to Jeong Hae-Min with a genuinely dumbfounded face. However, she remained wholly unconvinced.
If so, why are you still staying like that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at his current posture.
He was lying on his bed, with Affeldrichaes thighs serving as his pillow.
Well, it didnt look all that strange....
....Indeed, it did look kinda strange.
Im getting a treatment here. This is for the treatments sake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its just too cumbersome to exin to you in detail.
I mean, you think youll understand what Im trying to say when I tell you that I need to entrust my head to a lizard woman whos the only person in this world that can control Mana properly so she can dy the worst situation from developing, since no one knows when Ill go mad from the overflowing dark Mana? (TL: Yup, this is how the raw was written C not one break in this massive sentence. Probably trying to show the mental state of MC isnt all that good at this moment....)
The current situation was all too clear for anyone to see, but exining that would take some doing.
Hmm, a treatment, you say? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min was staring at him with suspicious eyes.
Yup... Im sure you dont believe me. I cant exin it properly, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In any case, you are saying that theres no strange rtionship between you two, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why is she still living in your house? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Huh?
Wait, now that she mentions it, what the heck?
There are plenty of ways for her to earn money if she wants to, so....
And besides all that, didnt she say shes staying at my ce only until she finds a suitable ce for herself? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hey, you. Why are you still here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes shifted over to her, Affeldrichae sneakily turned her head away.
Since a Dragon wouldnt forget things, there was no way shed forget what she said herself, which meant that she had been pretending to not remember until now.....
Hah....
And they say theres not one person you can trust in this world!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
What was that? Dragons cant lie?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B-but, I didnt lie. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gleamed dangerously.
This isnt lying? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I only said that Id look for a ce. But I never said anything about moving out. I have searched for suitable ces already, you know! (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit from that ratherme excuse. Seeing how he was looking at her, cold sweat drops began forming on her forehead.
....Wait, shes behaving almost exactly like a regr human now, isnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ever heard of something called wilful negligence? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Youve been proudly boasting that Dragons are higher existences. But wowsers, I had no idea until now that such higher beings liked to defraud lower existences. Is that how it was? Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, thats not true. (Affeldrichae)
Aigoo~. Well, since such a mighty and superior being said its not a lie, I guess its not a lie, then. Were only weak and dumb little humans and we know nothing, so how dare we say otherwise? Yup, Im sure its not true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh......
Affeldrichae began shuddering grandly now.
However, I really didnt lie, did I? I really looked for a ce of my own! (Affeldrichae)
Yes, your highness. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its the truth!! (Affeldrichae)
Indeed, your excellency. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae red at him with a pair of unimpressed eyes, before finally raising a white g.
Fine, fine! Although I didnt lie, I admit that I did lead you on. (Affeldrichae)
Tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Not lying and not deceiving were technically speaking, two different things. As a clear proof of this, there were many Dragons throughout history thatpletely destroyed countless humans and their lives just for fun while proiming proudly that they would always speak the truth.
And that was why one should neverpletely trust an existence that couldnt lie. Also, here was the reason why Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to question Affeldrichaes true motives even when she said she came here to help him out.
If youmitted a crime, then you should atone for it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Affeldrichae)
Time for you to go on a little trip. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Affeldrichae)
Hop over to the other side, and kidnap a high-ranking priest. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, would onee just because I asked? (Affeldrichae)
The how isnt important. Only the results matter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its not like Im kidnapping a princess, you know. (Affeldrichae)
In an instant, the former Dragon Lord was demoted to kidnapping not a princess, but a clergyman instead. She let out a grand sigh of dejection and stood up to leave the bedroom.
Oh, and by the way, make sure its a dude, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why? (Affeldrichae)
Because, no horny knight in shining armour would show up for a rescue attempt, thats why. Have you ever seen a knight or a valiant warrior show up to rescue a dude before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........No, I havent. (Affeldrichae)
And thats how the minds of male knights and warriors work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A Dragon busy kidnapping a male member of the clergy, while horny warriors refusing toe to rescue that said male member of the clergy.
The once-carefully groomed image of Berafe was buckling spectacrly now.
Maybe, I shouldnt have gotten involved? (Affeldrichae)
The pangs of regret assaulted Affeldrichae, but it was already far toote now. Seeing that look on her face, Yi Ji-Hyuk began cackling in delight.
So, I guess this is how one feels when someonees across as hateful. (Affeldrichae)
Is that right? Looks like you learned of something useful today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ill make sure to pay you back. (Affeldrichae)
Do your best! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk continue to cackle like that, Affeldrichae quickly recalled a certain someone in her mind.
Indeed, I shall make you regret this. (Affeldrichae)
An ominous smile suddenly formed on her lips.
< 173. Whats this? You... dont have a soul? -3 > Fin.
(TL: The IMF incident refers to the economic crash in the 90s East Asian countries went through C South Korea, Japan, South-East Asian countries, etc, etc. It resulted in plenty ofpanies closing up, lots of people being made redundant, the whole nine yards. Heck, Japan still hasnt technically recovered from it, over 20 yearster. Go check it out in Wikipedia or other online resources if youre curious about it.)
Chapter 174: What’s this? You… don’t have a soul? (4)
Chapter 174: Whats this? You... dont have a soul? (4)
Heuaahh.... (TL: A zombie is making this sound.)
Jeremy stared dazedly at the zombie staggering towards him.
Its skin was ashen in colour, and there was nothing left in its eye sockets. Its body wasnt as grotesquely damaged as often seen in the movies, but anyone could tell that this thing was not a human being anymore.
Euh, euh....
Its speed was definitely slow, too.
Jeremy couldnt tell whether its muscles had degraded or not for it to be that slow. But well, the instinctive fear he felt had to being from the inexplicable sense of disharmony, and not because the zombie was such a ferociously attacking creature. Indeed, it was walking far too slowly, after all.
Jeremy felt the cold puddle of water with his palms as he pushed himself off the ground.
He needed to get out of here, pronto. If there was a zombie here, then that meant other zombies would soon flood the ce, too.
Information on zombies, as shown by various TV shows and inte forums for many days now, filled his head. Didnt they say that, since zombies were slow, all he needed to do was to keep calm and run away?
However....
But, to where?
A helpless groan leaked out from Jeremys mouth.
He spotted way too many zombies right behind him.
His front, his back.... He had no ce to escape to.
Heuh.....
Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut as the despairing situation closed in on him. He began praying all of a sudden. He knew that there was no way to avoid being ripped to shreds by these zombies, but still, he was praying to God that his end wouldnt be too gruesome in nature.
Jeremy knelt down, and zombies soon surrounded him from all sides.
Oh, dear Lord.... (Jeremy)
It was then, Jeremy suddenly heard an unimpressed voice of a man.
If you have time to look for your god, then why dontcha struggle one more time instead, you dumba*s! (?)
Heok??
Pow, pow, pow!!
Along with a series of crisp-sounding punching noises, the zombies surrounding Jeremy were flung far away from him. However, the impact force mustve not been fatal enough, because the zombies were soon shambling its way back in an unsteady manner.
Tsk.
Jeremy raised his head and took a look at the mystery man.
A rather impressionable Oriental man stood there. His copper-coloured muscles werent crazy huge, but they were packed so tightly that not even a needle would be able to prate his skin.
But, who...? (Jeremy)
When Jeremy threw that dumbfounded question at him, Park Sung-Chan replied with a grin.
Whats the matter? Do I look like an envoy of god or something? (Park Sung-Chan)
What did you say? (Jeremy)
Park Sung Chan chuckled bitterly as if he found none of this situation to his liking. He then grabbed the scruff of Jeremys neck.
Were getting the hell out of this ce, so hold on tight, you hear? I mean, who knows? Its like, God has heard your prayers and sent me here in the nick of time, right? (Park Sung-Chan)
I just dont understa.... (Jeremy)
Park Sung-Chan didnt bother to listen to Jeremys reply and simply jumped up to the top of a tall building.
Heok?!
Ignoring Jeremys stunned gasp, Park Sung-Chans withdrawn eyes calmly studied the horde of zombies slowly surrounding the city.
This isnt good. (Park Sung-Chan)
Didnt matter if there were hundreds of them, these zombies wouldnt even be able to leave so much as a bite mark on his skin. Even if these things had forgotten their sense of self, their strengths werent all that different from regr peoples.
Indeed, Park Sung-Chans incredibly sturdy physique could easily withstand all of their attacks.
The problem was with the fact that... these things were still technically alive.
Research showed that these zombies still possessed beating hearts. And, if they were suffering from a type of contagion, then itd be possible to cure them as well. That was what the researchers said.
Which meant that he couldnt go out there and pummel them to death now.
However, Park Sung-Chan believed that this was a stupid thing to do.
Even as they wasted time dilly-dallying like this, the number of infected continued to grow. At this rate, this matter would only get progressively harder to deal with in the future.
Sure, ability users were powerful, but one hand couldnt push back against ten. And, even if you managed to do that somehow, not many normal people would survive to see the next day.
This is a problem. (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan roughly scratched his head.
The thing was, thinking about stuff was not exactly up his alley. No, hed much rather prefer to smash things apart ording to the instructions being given. Hed leave thinking to someone else.
P, please, put me down! (Jeremy)
Mm?
Park Sung-Chan saw Jeremy still dangling in his hand, and put the man down as a slight smirk formed on his face. Jeremy coughed for a long time, before extending his hand out to properly greet his saviour.
Thank you, I survived because of you. (Jeremy)
Not at all. (Park Sung-Chan)
By the way, your English is really good. (Jeremy)
Park Sung-Chan grinned again.
And I dont look like I can, right? (Park Sung-Chan)
I didnt mean it that way. (Jeremy)
Park Sung-Chan threw a smile at Jeremy that implied I know what youre thinking, buddy, before his thoughts reverted back to the zombie horde.
How are we supposed to deal with this? (Park Sung-Chan)
No one could tell how just yet.
*
Euh-rah-rah-rah-rah!!
Kim Dah-Hyun ran fast and hard, almost to his breaking point. And he spotted a woman running way up ahead.
He sharply braked to reduce his speed and hurriedly picked her up by her waist, before resuming his run again.
Kyaaahhk!
The blonde woman cried out, maybe thinking that she was being sexually assaulted right now. Kim Dah-Hyun rxedly spoke to her in order to calm her down.
Don, worry! Don worry!! Pine, dank you. (Kim Dah-Hyun) (TL: Yup, intentional Konglish from the author.)
..........
She mustve realised that he was a human, because her screams stopped.
No, hang on. That must not be it. Her eyes staring at Kim Dah-Hyun was dreamy, actually.
Is she showing the early symptoms? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
No, wait. She doesnt look like it...
Ha....
Really? She really can think of such things in this situation?
Yup, its all my fault being so good looking. I admit it! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Pon number? (Kim Dah-Hyun) (TL: more intentional Konglish)
Kim Dah-Hyun smiled refreshingly as he presented her with his business card. She cautiously received the card while still stuck in his embrace.
Call me during the day only, okay? My sisters home in the evenings, you see? (Kim Dah-Hyun) (TL: This bits in Korean.)
Excuse me?
Col! Dey! Sunrise! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The spell cast on the woman was instantly shattered in that moment, and she began staring at him with a crumpled expression. Totally oblivious to it all, Kim Dah-Hyun continued to carry the woman into the safe zone.
Just how long am I supposed to carry on with this job? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He was busy rescuing trapped civilians for the time being as per the American governments request. But well, something about following the Americans instructions, rather than a Koreans, continued to poke at his pride a bit.
Seriously now, they even killed a demon king for these guys, so why were the NDF agents being forced to do something this minor, too?
If they were shown grace, then shouldnt that be reciprocated? How dare they abuse their saviours in this manner??
He simply couldnt understand what the Korean government was doing, letting the Americans get away with abusing NDF like this.
We will see. Ill just wait until hyung-nim wakes up. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns head was now filled with the thoughts of telling everything to Yi Ji-Hyuk as soon as he woke up.
You all act this way because hyung-nim still hasnt woken up yet. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
These Yanks wouldnt dare to abuse NDF to this degree with Yi Ji-Hyuk around!
Indeed, they wouldnt even dare!
Kim Dah-Hyun put the woman down and sent her a wink, before turning around to leave.
I wonder, are the other guys being kept busy like me, too? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun spat out a long sigh and sprinted towards the zombie-infestednd once more.
*
[The American government has failed to disguise their inadequacy to deal with the bizarre situation that has been progressively spreading out from their Eastern Seaboard. As these scenes straight out of a horror movie continue to y out, the American government is still trying toe up with a suitable response.....]
Ji-Hyuk-ah! What should we do?! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
He had his family hiding inside the American bunker brought back home via Jeong Hae-Mins ability.
Apparently, that ce was so kick-a*s that their home now felt like a pigsty. ording to them, that was. Not only that, Christopher McLaren feared getting on the bad side of Yi Ji-Hyuk so, he even ordered that all top ss services, as well as various delicacies, would be served absolutely free for an indefinite period of time as well. No wonder his family thought that they went on a luxury vacation.
But, your son was working his butt off, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When did I tell you to do that? (mom)
....Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, now that I think about, shes right?!
Mom never told me to do any of that, didnt she?
Even still, Im supposed to be her child, so shouldnt she at least show some concern over my well-being?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (mom)
Did Mister Choi Jung-Hoon or some other people tell you that I was really, badly, horribly injured? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, they did. (mom)
Okay, so why are you acting like this, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Duk clicked her tongue.
Those people seem to like over-exaggerating things. I mean, I took a good look at you, and you were perfectly fine. Doctors said the same thing, too. (mom)
Oh.....
But, of course.
Doctors would say that Im fine. I mean, my physical body has beenpletely restored back to normal, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The doctors of Earth would never be able to tell that Yi Ji-Hyuks body was deeply tainted with dark Mana, so they would see only the perfectly healthy outward appearance.
By the way, why were those people shivering that badly back then? You know why? (mom)
Well, thats because..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Because, they saw me lose an arm, get a big hole in my gut, and get driven to the edge of death, thats why, mom.
If you saw me back then, you wouldnt be this nonchnt, too, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mooom! Im telling you, I got hurt real bad! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, sure thing. (mom)
I even lost an arm, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, really? Good thing it got reattached again, somehow. (mom)
.........
What was this, this feeling?
The feeling of its a relief that a mom didnt get to see her son in such a horrible state and the other one of at least show some concern, please! continued to alternate within him, causing this unexinable strangeness!
I mean, Im not asking for much here, just a little hint, even pretending to be concerned about me. Thats all I ask for, you know.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
No, listen. Mom..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, oh my gosh! Look! Whats happening over there? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk pointed at the TV screen and cried out. And it was showing a huge horde of zombies flooding into an unknown city.
Body bunkers and buses were used to form makeshift barricades, but it was still impossible topletely block out the endless wave of zombies.
Water cannons and tear gas canisters rained down on the zombie horde, but they continued to advance forward, not getting affected in the slightest.
H-mm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at that spectacle and scratched his cheek.
The American army was responding like that not because theycked the capability to handle the situation. No, right now, the American government saw those zombies as victims of a strange gue, and therefore, citizens that needed to saved, instead. Thats why they couldnt use firearms and had to resort to subduing the zombies while hurting them as little as possible.
But, you wont get anywhere in this situation like that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From the beginning, their approach of trying to fix this Mana-rted problem with modern medicine was wrong, wrong, wrong. Seriously, viruses or bacteria werent the cause here, so they would never find an answer by trying to research it in the first ce.
Tsk.
The number of victims rising up was growing to be a big problem now.
Yi Ji-Hyuk picked up his phone.
C Lla,l~~
The pop song ringtone yed for a little while, before the familiar voice came out from other side.
C Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his voice.
I want you to send a message to that American ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Christopher McLaren was seriously contemting retirement. He had no choice but to admit that he was getting far too old to urately respond to the constantly-evolving situation.
It hadnt been that long ago, when he used rather enjoy the feelings of wielding tremendous power as the mighty America stood as his backer. But now, all he could think about was to give up on everything, power or whatever be d*mned.
There was only one reason why he hadnt done that, though.
Because, if he wasnt here, the current chain ofmand wouldpletely copse in the blink of an eye, thats why.
Barricades had been set up everywhere, with every public servicemen and women from the fire department, variousw enforcement agencies, branches of the military, and ability users called into reinforce them.
Zombies still managed to slip past these barricades, and these things had to be hunted down and be taken care of. And it was Christopher McLarens job to do exactly that.
Neither the directors of CIA or FBI could do that. Theycked the authority to issue orders to the most important asset of them all, the ability users.
As soon as this is over....!! (Christopher McLaren)
Im going to retire, and live my life to the fullest!!
Ringgg.....
Eh?
His phone suddenly began ringing loudly. With a frown permanently attached to his face, Christopher McLaren picked the phone up. Every single call hes been getting recently were all about crappy news, so there was no way hed be feeling.....
It was from Choi Jung-Hoon!
Christopher McLarensplexion brightened as he answered the call.
Did Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wake up, Mister Choi?? (Christopher McLaren)
C Im giving you a call precisely because he asked me to do so. Where are you right now? Well hop over there immediately. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We are at.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren signalled with his eyes, prompting the adjutant next to him to send their current coordinates to Choi Jung-Hoons mobile phone.
C Please wait for a moment.
Poof.
Right after the call ended, Choi Jung-Hoon appeared before Christopher McLaren with Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min in tow.
< 174. Whats this? You... dont have a soul? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 175: What’s this? You… don’t have a soul? (5)
Chapter 175: Whats this? You... dont have a soul? (5)
Wee back, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens happy reaction only managed to elicit a pout from Yi Ji-Hyuk, instead.
So, what on earth are you people doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its as you can see. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long sigh, not finding Christopher McLarens awkward expression to his liking at all.
You do know those people cant be saved, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Im aware. (Christopher McLaren)
In that case, you should also know that you gotta dispose of them as soon as possible, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Christopher McLaren)
So, like, what are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christopher McLaren helplessly scratched his head.
Will our regr citizens believe us even if we told them the truth? (Christopher McLaren)
Mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression got steadily worse as if to hint that he hadnt thought that far ahead yet.
I know that is the only way. I really do. However, our situation doesnt allow us the luxury to do that. Almost a million people have been infected by now. So imagine what would happen if you told the American public about there being no cure, and simply proceed to wipe out all of the infected C do you think the current administration will survive the fallout? Unless a nationwide state of emergency is dered, youd definitely see countless violent riots rising up from all corners of the country. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, you have a point there.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, a mob of people tend to react like that.
And also, itll be hard for us to publicly dere that there is no cure for the victims, either. If we were asked if we did everything in our power to find the cure, then well, we wont be able to answer that. Most importantly.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren scanned his surroundings cautiously, before lowering his voice even further.
Themander-in-chief is trying to dump the responsibility for this crisis on someone else. Well, Id have done the same thing in his shoes, anyway. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in agreement.
Even if there was no other way, you wouldnt be able to escape from being med for causing a massacre of that massive scale. If something like this happened in Korea, for instance, the opposition party would raise the issue of culpability in parliament and in the blink of an eye, the incumbent would lose all of his political power.
No sane politician would want to take on such a burden. Never.
Even then, this cant carry on. You know that, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren could only nod his head.
He understood where they wereing from, but at the end of the day, that was just about it. It didnt mean he should ept it. (TL note at the end.)
Only the death and destruction waited at the end of this road, so he couldnt worry about feelings of individual folks.
Thats why, I was wondering..... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens pleading eyes were now fixed on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Please, can you help us? (Christopher McLaren)
Mm....
This is no longer the crisis of one country, but the whole world. (Christopher McLaren)
Did you two rehearse together or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Christopher McLaren)
I mean, you two guys are talking about the exact same thing as if youve rehearsed the lines together or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats because were telling you the truth. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Well, its not like those things can cross the ocean anyway. And if you get technical about it, this is the American continents problem, not the worlds, you know? So, rest easy now. Asia and Europe will continue to stand strong, ensuring the future of humanity will carry on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....If the US copses, then both Asia and Europe will also copse as well. The world is no longer restricted by distance, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. No, its interconnected bymerce now. (Christopher McLaren)
Howe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christopher McLaren was suddenly faced with one of the greatest challenges in his entire life. And that would be: How should he go about making this wackjob understand the intricacies of global finance?
Wouldnt he have an easier time exining this to a puppy, instead?
Just where should he even begin, so he might have an easier time making this dumba*s understand it all?
Even Choi Jung-Hoon, tasked with providing real time trantion, could only stare at Christopher McLaren with an expression of a man lost at sea.
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a huge frown after seeing these two mens reactions.
What the heck, you think Im an idiot?! I know all about it, okay?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Really? (Christopher McLaren) (TL: This line was written in English in the raw.)
Urgh, Imma just! Pah!! Hmph! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Two men looked at him utterly stunned, and Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted at them in pure dissatisfaction as his reply.
How dare these two disrespect this great me?
Once upon a time, I used to be a business tycoon that controlled an entire continents economy, Ill have you know! Sure, I did lose everything in the end, but.... Anyways, for a time there, I was the wealthiest man alive in that ce, you know.
Yet, how dare these two puny fools discuss economy in front of this great me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well, whatever. Thats that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head again.
Theres no point in wasting time with modern medicine, so you should tell those scientists to stop researching now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thatll be a bit difficult. (Christopher McLaren)
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We still need to show everyone that were doing something, you see. What do you think others will say if we dont do anything just because theres nothing we can do? (Christopher McLaren)
Yup, theylle for your blood, thats for sure.
I get you. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Seeing that Yi Ji-Hyuk was nodding his head in agreement again, Christopher McLaren quickly carried on.
Besides all that, our situation has devolved into one giant mess now. If I tell the d*mn eggheads to take a vacation, well, thats gonna p*ss me off a lot, know what I mean? Shouldnt they join in my suffering by spending a few sleepless nights tearing their hairs out trying to solve something that cant be solved by their abilities?! (Christopher McLaren)
Oii, this uncle.... hes got a bit of a rotten personality, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly felt as if hed found a kindred spirit here.
Well, okay. You do you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Okay, but now, why did I even bother toe here if theres literally nothing I can do for them? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk realised that he wasted his precious time making this trip, Christopher McLaren threw out a question to him, his voice sounding rather expectant.
By the way, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes?
Do you have a solution in mind? (Christopher McLaren)
Mm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt immediately reply and kept his mouth shut. Christopher McLaren tried to press him further for an answer.
Didnt youe all this way because you have a solution? (Christopher McLaren)
Wasnt this ahjussi far too sharp for his own good?
Please, just tell me, what should we do? (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon whispered to Yi Ji-Hyuk from the side.
There isnt a problem from telling him, is there? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, yeah. Its not like we were nning to hide it from him, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let off a groan and continued on.
Hey, ahjussi?
Choi Jung-Hoon too carried on with his job of the faithful interpreter again.
Those guys cant be cured or be dealt with modern medicine or any other scientific methods you can think of. To be honest, even I dont have any way to solve this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Then, what are we supposed to do? (Christopher McLaren)
Even the one and only Christopher McLaren ended up blurting that out. Thats how badly he felt at a loss by this crisis that seemingly had no solution or a way out in sight.
Thats why were trying to bring someone who can deal with this situation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Someone who can deal with this situation?!
He said that medicine or science couldnt solve this crisis, yet there was someone capable of actually saving them out there?
Who is this person?? (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk confidently dered.
I dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Eh?
Christopher McLaren dazedly asked back. Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and turned around to leave.
Were going now. Do your best, okay! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-wait a minute, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Mister Yi Ji....! (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even bother to respond to Christopher McLarens desperate cries and, after grabbing Jeong Hae-Min and Choi Jung-Hoons hands, went poof! from the spot.
Groan....
Christopher McLaren could only groan in helplessness. He just couldnt figure Yi Ji-Hyuk out at all.
Feeling the signs of ulcer painful poking him in his stomach, he slowly shook his head.
*
You guys finally came. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Seo Ah-Young sitting all by herself in the NDF office and tilted his head.
Wheres everyone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theyve been dispatched. (Seo Ah-Young)
Dispatched? To where? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
American government requested for our help, you see. Their president actually called ours. Should I say that they yed it smart this time.... Anyway, our President issued the executive order and they are in the States as we speak. (Seo Ah-Young)
On whose authority?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young could only scratch her head after hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks increasingly irritated voice.
Well, theres not much we can do when the President issues an executive order. He says jump, and we ask, how high. I mean, were basically half military, you know. (Seo Ah-Young)
Heng!
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
Back when Yi Ji-Hyuk was working as the captain of a knight order, no one was allowed to wrestle the control of the knights away from him, not even the king himself. No, that authority had been bestowed to Yi Ji-Hyuk, and him alone.
And the NDF was Yi Ji-Hyuks current knight order. The mere fact that the NDF agents were being told what to do without his consent really riled him up for good.
Call all of them back home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But....
Do it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young flinched slightly at Yi Ji-Hyuks unusually firm voice.
Whenever she found a chance, shed flip out and try to push his boundaries as much as she could. But, even then, she made sure to pick the right time to do so, as well as to never cross a certain tolerance threshold.
Indeed, she knew very well that she should not go against his words when he sounded really irritable or came across as gravely serious.
What should I use as an excuse to call them back in? I mean, they have already started providing support in official capacity, so Ill need a good enough reason to bring them back, you know? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied to her with his almost-trademark unimpressed expression.
The reason is simple. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Tell them its me who wants them back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eh?
You need another reason? Tell them I want them back, and thatll be the end of it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, wait! Thats not a rea.... (Seo Ah-Young)
.....No, its fine. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Although he looked a bit dumbfounded, Choi Jung-Hoon still nodded his head.
Indeed, that excuse would work perfectly. Technically speaking, you only needed a reason in order to convince the other party involved. And who in their right minds would be stupid enough reject the reason of Because Yi Ji-Hyuk said so?
Besides, even if someone didnt want to ept that reasoning, were they brave enough to tell that to Yi Ji-Hyuks face?
They didnt want to get killed, after all!
Heck, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt even have to personally go and punish those people, either. Hed simply form that unimpressed face of his and shake his head the next time those peoplee begging for help. Horrible things would naturally happen to them all on their own, in other words.
So, who would dare to poke at Yi Ji-Hyuks irritable personality?
Well, I guess its possible. Although, I think the person feeling the most pressure from this wont be the American leaders, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Our own top office holder, most likely? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon was ovee with worry as his thoughts reached that far.
If its not going to be a real problem, why dont we just let them be for now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, this situation is going to get resolved soon enough, so is there a reason for us to get all worked up over this matter? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
H-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly, before shaking it immediately.
Nope. Call them all back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But....
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes.
Choi Jung-Hoon inadvertently ended up replying because of Yi Ji-Hyuks brooding voice rattled him somewhat.
You must be mistaken about something here. Heres the thing. You amodate someone once, then he would try asking you again, and sooner orter, hell form a habit of doing this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I understand. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon did understand that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt wrong about this and could only nod his head in agreement.
An amicable rtionship can only be maintained by two equal parties. I dont need to do that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre right. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Because, this guy was THE Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Only he could say something like that and get away with it.
Because, Yi Ji-Hyuk was....
Because, Im a b*stard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, hes a bas.... Wait a minute, thats not it!!
You arent supposed to say that in this case!
That was the perfect timing to say something cool, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Im a b*stard, so they need to understand that they shouldnt get on my nerves. Because, that would make everyones lives that much easier. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....That sounds rather agreeably logical to me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to say something else, but instead, turned his head away towards a certain direction. A red Gate suddenly began materialising there all of a sudden.
Is that a monster Gate?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at that unfolding spectacle with a dumbfounded face.
How can one even open up in here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope, that aint it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly corrected Choi Jung-Hoons wrong assumption.
What do you mean, a monster Gate?
No, its just the lizard woman opening one up so she can get back here. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Wuooong!
The Gate vibrated powerfully, before its middle split open to reveal a pathway connecting to the other world.
Fuu-woo....
Affeldrichae walked out of the portal as a long sigh escaped from her mouth.
So, did you bring one over here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I thought it was the correct human etiquette to say Wee back, you did well first in this situation? (Affeldrichae)
Oh, sure thing. Wee back. You did well. So, did you bring one over here or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae helplessly shook her head.
From a thousand years ago, she realised that it was a waste of her time to expect this guy to behave like everyone else. Undoubtedly, it was her fault for getting her hopes up this time.
Humans learned from their mistakes, but Dragons remembered for an eternity. So, for her to make another mistake like this, well, what a sorrowful thing that was.
Affeldrichae spat out a sigh again, and then formed a slightly mischievous smile.
Yes, I brought one. (Affeldrichae)
She then pointed to the interior of the Gate. A silhouette of a person slowly walked out from other side of the red-coloured portal in a measured gait.
It was a rather memorable-looking man wearing a water-coloured priest garb. (TL note at the end)
....Huh?! Its you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks jaw slowly dropped to the floor.
What the freaking hell? Did this lizard woman lose her sh*t?!
Why did she bring this one over here?!
Out of so many holy men and women over that side, you just had to bring this one?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to stare in utter astonishment, prompting the this one to slowly open his mouth to greet back.
Its been a long time, oh Bringer of Apocalypse. (?)
Annnd with that, Yi Ji-Hyuks face began crumpling like there was no tomorrow.
< 175. Whats this? You... dont have a soul? (5) > Fin.
(TL: I had a real trouble TLing that line. The raw didnt make it clear just who could understand whos what-what, so I did my best to make it as vague as possible. Apologies if it makes no sense.)
(TL: Yes, it said water-coloured in the raw. It could have been azure or blue or something else, but I wasnt sure what the author wanted to say, so I left it as is. Also, the gender wasnt specified. I assume its a dude.)
Chapter 176: If it’s a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (1)
Chapter 176: If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (1)
Chief Wizard! Sir!
M-mm?
Something has happened and your presence is required!
One of the greatest, most respected Wizard currently alive in Berafe, Anain Deperon, could only tilt his head at this call. His apprentice dared to intrude upon hisboratory when he was upied with his research.
Entering theb of a Wizard without permission, who was doing his research, was one of the worst offences anyone couldmit. Not only that, the apprentice actually intruded into his own teacher and the top Wizard, Anain Deperonsb!
Didnt I tell you not to enter when Im performing research?! (Anain Deperon)
B-but, sir! Its a big problem!
What kind of a big problem is it? (Anain Deperon)
A G-Gate has appeared, sir!
Anain Deperons expression stiffened slightly.
Is it an enemy? Where is it opening up? (Anain Deperon)
I dont think its an enemy, sir.
What? If so, whats the big problem, then? Stop cutting your words short to frustrate me and be out with it, will you! (Anain Deperon)
The apprentice took severalrge gulpings of air and began speaking in a dignified manner.
A dimension! Its a dimensional Gate, sir!
What was that?! (Anain Deperon)
Anain Deperons white beard violently trembled.
A dimensional Gate? Why was such a thing appearing here, of all ces? Was this an invasion of another dimension?
If such a thing was possible, then Berafe was as good as finished.
If it was an existence capable of opening a Gaterge enough to let a huge army through from another dimension, then that guy would have been the greatest Wizard of them all, that was why.
Not having enough time topose his thoughts, Anain Deperon hurriedly followed after his apprentices guidance and activated Teleport.
*
Mm??
Anain Deperon discovered the small Gate floating in the air and tilted his head. For sure, that thing was a dimensional Gate. Indeed, it was one, but....
But, that thing was a bit cking to kick up such a mighty fuss over it.
The most noticeable thing about it was its size. It was so small that whatever came out from it couldnt possibly be that powerful.
Seeing a Gate so small that a person might barely squeeze through, Anain Deperon broke out in a loud guffaw.
You fool! (Anain Deperon)
Anain Deperons hapless apprentice, Lopes, flinched greatly and lowered his head.
You should have developed your eyes enough by now. Yet, you got scared by a Gate that small and ended up making a busy person waste his precious time! Do you not remember that your teacher has a mountain of research still toplete?? (Anain Deperon)
Even though its small, its a dimensional Gate, so I was only.... (Lopes)
Youre supposed to calcte the amount of Mana used to create a Gate. Look at that one. Whoever crosses over, he wont be of any threat. (Anain Deperon)
Oh.....
Hearing the words, amount of Mana used, Lopes could only nod his head. He did panic when the dimensional Gate suddenly opened up, and ended up raising a big fuss, but if he thought about it some more, there was certainly a limit on what or who could cross over using such a Gate.
Im really sorry, teacher. (Lopes)
Tsk. Youre my apprentice, yet you forget about things like this... Who else did you call beside me? (Anain Deperon)
I thought it was an emergency so I summoned the Royal Magic Squadron, as well. Let me cancel that right now. (Lopes)
Dont. (Anain Deperon)
....Teacher? (Lopes)
Something is crossing over anyway. Let those guys deal with it. (Anain Deperon)
Oh, I see. I shall. (Lopes)
Anain Deperon turned around to leave in a bit of a huff, but then, the Gate began vibrating all of a sudden.
Groan.....
Anain Deperon looked at the vibrating Gate and spat out a sigh.
If he hadnt seen it, fine. But having seen the dang thing getting ready to open up with his own two eyes, he couldnt leave now as that was a conduct unfitting for a government official like him who made a living from peoples taxes.
And I dont have time to waste like this, too! (Anain Deperon)
The moment a Wizard stopped researching something, thats when he would start stagnating. Everyone else was surging forward with an unstoppable momentum, but him being stuck unmoving? That was the same thing as going backwards.
Anain Deperon felt enraged towards his fool of an apprentice who managed to rob him of his precious time, while slowly lifting up the staff he held in his hands.
He didnt know who would dare to cross over to Berafe like this, but he nned to show off how incredible his magical prowess was to this intruder.
Wuuuoonng-!!
The vibrating Gate finally opened up in full, and....
....A human?? (Anain Deperon)
Anain Deperons brows shot up.
The dimensional Gate opened up, yet a being with a humans appearance popped out from there. Which was odd. From what he knew, monsters and demonic creatures would normally jump out of dimensional Gates.
But then again, this woman possessed a pair of eyes that glowed so brilliantly in a distinct golden hue. A woman with an all-conquering beauty capable of enving any who looked at her was slowly walking out of the Gate.
A human? No, it cant be....
There was no way that was a human.
That was a dimensional Gate, of all things. That was one of the highest form of magic out there. Even someone like Anain Deperon wouldnt even dare to cast it without making an extensive prior preparations.
Of course, you could open a dimensional Gate without resorting to magic, but regardless of which method you choose, the fact of needing to spend an incredible amount ofbour and resources still didnt change.
And that why that young-looking female walking out of such a Gate couldnt have been no ordinary human being.
Who are you? (Anain Deperon)
Anain Deperons voice, amplified greatly by sound amplification magic, reverberated throughout thend.
At the same time, the womans eyesnded on Anain Deperon.
....Heok?!
Seeing those eyes that pierced deep into his soul, Anain Deperon immediately realised that this woman wasnt an existence he could possibly resist against.
Of course, the name of this woman was Affeldrichae. She was called the Lord even among the ranks of great race of Dragons.
H-mm....
Affeldrichae sucked in a lungful of Berafes air. She always felt frustrated from the feeling of missing something in Yi Ji-Hyuks home world with no Mana in it. But, now that she breathed in Berafes air, she felt like life was pouring back into her.
I should revert back to my original form, yes? (Affeldrichae)
An unbelievable amount of Mana was flooding into her all of a sudden. She recalled her real body, the one she had to leave behind when crossing over to Earth.
RUMBLE-!!!
Ah, ah, ahahah....
Anain Deperon was ovee with a profound sense of tion and at the same time, unbridled fear from the massive shock waves of Mana spreading out in the skies above his head.
C-could she be....?? (Anain Deperon)
Rumble!!
There werent that many creatures capable of wielding this much Mana. Especially if it was this enormous amount of naturally-urring Mana, then the answer became even more obvious.
The perfect lifeform, born from the Mana itself.
A Dragon!
Before long, her true shape was revealed to the world.
From the twelve distinct horns adorning herrge head...
....To four giant bat-like wings and a tail that seemed to stretch on forever.
A gloriously eye-catching torso seemingly made out of pure molten gold ready to flip the world upside down. A massive being over 30 metres long was now flying in the air.
Anain Deperon plopped down on his butt after witnessing this spectacle.
The L-L-Lord?! (Anain Deperon)
He only knew of one giant Dragon with a golden colour scheme living in Berafe. And that would be the Lord of Dragons, Affeldrichae. The de facto ruler of this continent, and an agent of goddess Latrel.
And this mighty being had finally revealed itself back in Berafe. The Dragon Lord that hadnt been seen for quite some time had appeared once more.
Anain Deperon feared that her re-emergence would bring out a new wave of instability in Berafe.
[Oh, human.]
Anain Deperon fell to his knees as the voice speaking in thenguage of the Dragons called out to him.
To a regr person, a Dragon was an existence to be feared. But, for a Wizard like him, a Dragon was a divine existence that they would never dare to carelessly offend.
As a human walking on the road of magic, he knew very well that a Dragon was an incredible Wizard that needed to be held in reverie.
Countless Wizards came and went throughout the history of Berafe Some among them were called Great Sages, and some were even revered as Arch Wizards. But none of them managed to reach the same level as that of the Dragons.
Not even a human who had achieved the status of legendary master in a single field was qualified to discuss magic with a Dragon.
In Berafes extensive history, there had ever been only one wielder of magic who managed to exceed the level of Dragons.
Indeed, there had only been one.
That man didnt stop after reaching the realm of Dragons. No, he continued to climb until he reached the realm that not even Dragons could dare to approach.
So many legends of the past, now alling across as tall tales. If it werent for all those clear-as-day remnants of destruction still visible in this era, then no one wouldve believed in those stories.
[Where is the main temple?]
The shivering Anain Deperon hurriedly nted his head on the ground as the massive voice reverberated within his head.
O-oh, great and noble existence.... (Anain Deperon)
Affeldrichae quietly stared down at Anain Deperon on the ground. In the past, she might have ripped this poor little Wizard to shreds simply because he failed to answer her right away. However, she didnt do that.
She had acknowledged that even these weak beings had their purposes and was worth something in this world. The life she lived alongside Yi Ji-Hyuk certainly managed to shake up her identity as a Dragon.
[I shall ask again. Where is the main temple?]
W-which temple do you seek, oh great one? (Anain Deperon)
[The temple of Latrel.]
Ah!!
Anain Deperon pressed his head even deeper into the ground and shouted out.
I shall guide you there, oh great one!
*
Terra Latrel.
It was once called the holynd of Latrel, but it lost all its might in one fateful day.
That man.
Back then, when that man named Bringer of Apocalypse nearly drove Berafe to the brink of extinction C the holy castle of Latrel that stood tall on calm, peaceful Terra Latrel was destroyed, and thend surrounding it waspletely levelled t.
The holy castle crafted from thebined strength of humans and the blessings from the goddess Latrel herself disappeared without a trace. Countless men and women of clergy also lost their lives, too. The temple of Latrel, never once relinquishing the title of number one religion in Berafe until then, was driven to the brink of eradication that day.
With much time having passed now, the temple of Latrel had finally recovered somewhat from that devastating loss. Their number one priority had been the restoration of Terra Latrel, and they poured all their effort in reconstructing the glorious castle back to how it was.
And finally, today was the day!
All those involved began shedding tears of joy as they gazed at the beautiful castle, fully restored to how it was in the past.
Finally!
The current pope of the temple of Latrel didnt even try to hold his tears back.
If someone saw him like this, they would berate him, a pope, for shedding tears for something this minor.
But that was only because they didnt know anything!
The restoration of Terra Latrel had a far, far deeper significance then simply building new structures and carving out thend. Indeed, it signified that they had finally broken free from the long and unforgiving age of darkness.
Just how much pain and hardship did the temple of Latrel had to go through ever since that day of destruction?
From henceforth, there shall never be another day where this ce falls again. I swear it in her holy name!
The moment the pope resolved himself!
Wuuoonng-!!
Suddenly, pure white rays of light gathered in the sky. And then, massive creature materialised there C a creature capable of rendering all who looked at it in an utter daze.
.............
In less than three seconds, the pope reversed out of his previous resolution.
Well, if its destroyed, we can just rebuild it again.
Pardon me, your worship?
....Its nothing.
Well, there were certainly several irresistible forces in this world, true. Such as, a colony so painstakingly built by ants being destroyed in seconds under the trampling feet of a naughty kid, for instance.
If it was destroyed, just rebuild it again. No problem.
Seriously now, could ants even mount a resistance against the human to protect their colony?
Yup, my sessor will surely take care of it now.
Excuse me?
The reactions trying to butt in from the side were getting on his nerves somewhat, but the pope simply chose to keep his mouth shut and slowly formed the seal of prayer with his hands.
It was impossible to deal with a Dragon that big. Humans and their abilities had clear limitations, you see!
Well, maybe if they had made some preparations, they might be able to put up some resistance. But that notion was simply impossible with the forces currently residing in Terra Latrel right now.
Fighting a regr Dragon was already tough, but to fight against onerge enough to cast a shadow covering the entirety of the Latrel castle?
The pope could only wryly chuckle to himself.
The remaining issue was to figure out why a Dragon showed up here....
It was then, his head reverberated with a powerful voice that seemed to directly enter his mind.
[Where is Dioreh the first?]
Who was it looking for, again??
The pope stared at the Dragon with dazed eyes.
....I think that Dragons gone mad.
This could be a big problem.
< 176. If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! -1 > Fin.
Chapter 177: If it’s a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (2)
Chapter 177: If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (2)
(TL: Unedited, unfortunately. TLed in a hurry, so you might find quite a bit of mistakes here and there. Sorry.)
The pope rubbed his eyes and took another look at the Dragon filling up the heavens above.
It was still a Dragon. The worst lifeform there was. An existence no human could possibly cope with. Just a single Wyrm-level Dragon would almost be enough to blow up a single nation to smithereens, so....
Indeed, Dragons were the worst existences, ever.
The thing was, other races unhesitatinglybelled the whole of humanity as the number one worst lifeform in existence, all thanks to a certain someone who went on a rampage throughout the entire continent in the distant past. What a wrongful defamation that was!
Regardless of how one came to be in this world, a Dragon would at least be capable of matching the military might of a single nation. But a human born with an exceptional talent would never be able to get anywhere remotely near the level of a Dragon in his or her lifetime.
It was unfair to be treated like the most feared race just because of a single irregr popping up in the entire history of Berafe.
Besides all that, that Dragon was probably....
Isnt that the Dragon Lord? (pope)
He looked at that giant golden body. If you were talking about a gold-coloured Ancient-grade Dragon, then there was no need to evenb your memories for an answer.
It had to be the Dragon Lord.
The title didnt carry the same meaning as a king in human lexicon, but one could still call it an existence that best represented the race of Dragons.
Thest recorded sighting of the Dragon Lord was the day of the apocalyptic destruction.
The Dragon didnt show up again since, leading others to suspect that either the creature had perished in the battle or was recovering from the grievous wounds it suffered at the hands of the Bringer of Apocalypse. But today, it had revealed itself in its full glory.
Alright, so. What am I supposed to do with a Dragon like that? (pope)
Just as the pope spat out another groan, the Dragons voice resounded within his head again.
[I shall ask again. Where is Dioreh the First?]
The pope felt like a spoon was shoved in his ear to stir his brain into a milkshake, and barely managed to suppress his meal from gushing out of his mouth. He quickly got to the window of his office and shouted out.
Hes no longer here, Oh the Lord of all Dragons! (pope)
The terrifying golden eyes of the Dragon Lord urately located the pope and locked onto his position.
[If that robe youre wearing is the popes cassock symbolising the Order of Latrel, then you must be its current pope. Is my deduction correct?]
Youre indeed correct, oh the Lord of Dragons. (pope)
[If thats the case, then where is your predecessor, Dioreh the First?]
The popes voice contained just a hint of dumbfounded confusion he was feeling at that moment.
He died a long time ago? (pope)
[....Eh?]
The pope got to learn that a Dragon could also form a dazed expression as well, and was getting stupefied over this earth-shattering revtion. In the meantime, blinding light escaped from Affeldrichaes huge body, before she changed back to her human appearance and descended towards the popes window.
Tap!
Affeldrichae stepped through the window frame and set foot on the office floor. The pope hurriedly took a couple of steps back and made some room for her.
Wee to my abode. (pope)
He wasnt sure if that was the right thing to say under the circumstances, but he couldnt think of anything else to say, unfortunately.
Hes dead? (Affeldrichae)
Yes, thats correct. (pope)
Affeldrichae furrowed her brows.
She recalled the visage of Dioreh the First, armed to the teeth with mighty divinity and looking as if hed defy even the death itself. She just couldnt imagine such a man kicking the bucket like this. Not at all.
What could have been the cause of his passing, then?
How did he die? (Affeldrichae)
Well, that is.... (pope)
The pope hesitated for a bit, before blurting out the truth as if his innards were burning up from frustration.
Its obviously due to old age. What other reason could there be, mydy? (pope)
Old age?! (Affeldrichae)
Yes, old age. He died of natural causes. (pope)
....I know that human lives are short, but to think he died of old age. Just how much time did pass by here? (Affeldrichae)
Its already been half a century since his passing. (pope)
Ehh?
Affeldrichaes eyes were instantly dyed in the colours of pure confusion.
That day, uhm.... How much time did it pass since the day of the apocalypse? (Affeldrichae)
The pope replied, sounding nonplussed.
One hundred years have passed. (pope)
Ah..........
D*mn that stupid time scale!!
Ipletely forgot about it!
I forgot that the time scale of that world is different from this one! And its a huge difference, too!! (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
You say its been a hundred years?? (Affeldrichae)
Yes.
Affeldrichae needed only a short time, rtively speaking, to recuperate from her wounds before she was mended enough to chase after Yi Ji-Hyuk, so by reverse-calcting from the time she arrived there....?
....One month over there is equivalent to roughly thirty years in this ce?? (Affeldrichae)
The pope couldnt understand a single word being muttered out by Affeldrichae.
However, he wasnt stupid enough to try and understand what a Dragon was muttering to herself about, so all he could do now was to stare at the distant mountain outside the window and patiently wait until she was done with organising her thoughts.
Fine. That means that Dioreh the First is no longer in this world. What is your name, then? (Affeldrichae)
Its Dioreh the Second.
....Can you name yourself anything you feel like nowadays? (Affeldrichae)
Even your conduct seems a bit different from the Dragons that I know, Lord.... (Dioreh the Second)
Im sure it is. Ive lived with a human for a long time, after all. (Affeldrichae)
Dioreh the Second observed Affeldrichae for a bit, before shaking his head.
If a Dragon started behaving simr to humans just because she lived together with one, shouldnt a human start behaving like his pet dog because hes been living with one, too???
What would other people call a guy behaving like his pet dog?
A loon.
Yup, that sounded about right.
Dioreh the Second fell into a bit of dilemma, wondering if this Dragon Lord before his eyes had gone utterly insane from the wounds she received back then.
Whats the hell, why are you looking at me like that? (Affeldrichae)
....Its nothing. (Dioreh the Second)
That had to be it, because she sounded way too much like a human now.
So, what should I call that? Hmm. Right....
Its like, Im listening to a third rate hoodlum.... (Dioreh the Second)
Dioreh the Second spat out a deep and lengthy groan after being inundated with this hopeless feeling of looking at a well-behaved daughter from a respected family gradually losing her ways ever since she began dating the local hoodlum.
In any case, why do you seek the former pope? (Dioreh the Second)
I need someone with powerful divinity. (Affeldrichae)
Why do you seek someone like that? (Dioreh the Second)
I wanna purify zombies. (Affeldrichae)
So, like.... whats wrong with the way she speaks?
Something about it just gets on my nerves.... It sounds wrong, but at the same time, it also doesnt sound wrong, too..... (Dioreh the Seconds inner monologue. Yknow what, screw it. Im just gonna call him the pope from now on.)
Indeed, if it was someone else using this tone of speech, it wouldnt havee across as weird, but when the pope remembered that it was a Dragon talking like this, it simply felt way too bizarre to behold.
More than that, the fact that a female Dragon, and the Dragon Lord to boot, was speaking like this, it was just a bit....
Nope, make that really weird.
Purifying zombies, you say.... But, Im sure that you dont need someone of Dioreh the Firsts calibre. Surely, just a single suitable priest should be more than enough for the job at hand. (pope)
Sure, youre a Dragon, alright.
But, this is the Order of Latrel.
You want to take the leader of an organisation with tens of millions of believers to do.....
What was that? Purifying zombies? (popes inner monologue)
There was a little doubt now that his Dragon was off her rockers.
The pope heard that the way Dragons operated was on another realm altogether in terms of scale, so they would sometimes cause an incident that exceeded most peoplesmon sense. This had to be one such instance, then.
She could have resorted to using a mass-scale destruction magic to blow the zombies away to bits, or roast them all away with Hellfire or something.
....There are a million zombies. (Affeldrichae)
Oh. Well then, that makes sense. (pope)
Yup, a pope should definitely go!
One shouldnt tarry about like things like that!
Yup, he need to go, even if he has to get out of his grave first! (popes inner monologue)
In an instant, his evaluation of Affeldrichae did a 180.
If there were a million zombies, then forget about a single pope, even the popes grandpa should participate. Who cares about ones reputation when the whole continent was about to perish?
....However, is it really a million strong? (pope)
Yup. (Affeldrichae)
Where are they, then? (pope)
In the other dimension. (Affeldrichae)
.............
Dioreh the Second took off his zhetto and roughly scratched his white hair.
How many can travel there? (pope)
Just one. (Affeldrichae)
Mm, so thats how it was.
Alright, let me put this thing in its correct order.... Shes saying that, there are a million zombies making a mess of things in another dimension that has no rtion to us, and only ONE, I repeat, ony ONE freaking person must cross over there and fix the situation.
Im kinda embarrassed to repeat myself like this, but....
This Dragon is mad.
Shes definitely not right in her head. (popes inner monologue)
Come on now! No one can do what you say! Just who is capable enough to purify a million zombies all alone?! (pope)
Dioreh the First might have been able to do it, thats why I came to fetch him..... (Affeldrichae)
Thats only because he was the greatest, most powerful cleric in the history of the Order! He was someone who could blow away a mountain with the Divine Emperor Cannon! (pope)
Oh. Really? (Affeldrichae)
....Well, you all look simr, thats why. (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
Youre also a pope like him, so cant you do at least that much? (Affeldrichae)
Im the administrative type of pope, you know!! Back then, we had no choice but to elect abat-type pope because of the chaotic state of the world! But, Im an administrative type of pope, who has to work hard and make enough money to rebuild the order!
Oh......
Affeldrichae swept her gaze all over Dioreh the Second and tilted her heard.
What then? Does that mean youre useless? (Affeldrichae)
................
From tomorrow onwards, Imma quietly spread a rumour.
A rumour of the Dragon Lord going mad.
This might very well be the worst crisis in Berafes history after that day of apocalypse. (popes inner monologue)
So.... (Affeldrichae)
Yup. (pope)
Who possesses greater divine powers than you here? (Affeldrichae)
....This is just my estimation, but.... (pope)
M-mm?
Its more than likely that Im the best among in the Order at the moment. Im not boasting, of course. Its just in fact. (pope)
When Affeldrichae cocked an eyebrow and leered at him, Dioreh the Second averted his gaze.
Didnt you just say that you were an administrative type? (Affeldrichae)
Lets amend that to jack of all trades, instead. (pope)
And, you also said you were weak, didnt you? (Affeldrichae)
Ah, that. Yes, whenpared to the former pope, I am hopelessly, utterly weak. That is true. (pope)
But you still im to be the strongest? (Affeldrichae)
....Regrettably so. (pope)
Affeldrichae spat out a long sigh.
Well, something like this could happen, sure.
Didnt matter which organisation it was, the harsh reality of it was that talented individuals would only flock to you when you were going through an age of great prosperity. When you were ruined, you wouldnt even be able to spot ta of talented people in the distance.
It was an obvious thing, really. More people would flock during the period of prosperity, so there would be more exceptional individuals among them. The prosperous organisation would nurture these folks, so they might be greatest talented beings of their era.
However, the Order of Latrel had to fight Yi Ji-Hyuk in the past and was pushed to the brink ofplete destruction. Hence, it had no more people and no money left. So, how would they even dream about nurturing powerful clerics?
Ones plucky attitude could only get you so far, after all.
Heck, one should actually evaluate Dioreh the Seconds set of abilities as truly excellent for reviving the once-derelict Order to this level already.
But, the real problem was....!
None of that matters right now. (Affeldrichae)
Not to her, and also not to him, as well.
Itll be so much better for you to quicklye up with a solution. (Affeldrichae)
How will Ie up with one, when there isnt any? (pope)
No, listen to me. This is just my prediction, but you will definitely think of a solution very soon. (Affeldrichae)
I dont quite understand you....? (pope)
A smile formed on Affeldrichaes face.
Take a guess who ordered me to bring over a cleric capable of solving the zombie crisis over on the other dimension.
I dont know. (pope)
Its the Bringer of Apocalypse. (Affeldrichae)
Ah, sure, so it was the Bringer of..... Eh? What did you just say? Apocalypse? THE Bringer of Apocalypse?! (pope)
Why did his name jump out of her mouth now?
I mean, that guy isnt even the bogeyman moms use to calm their crying children, either!
No, hang on. Didnt I hear somewhere thatmon folks actually do use his name?
Something like, If you keep crying, Yi Ji-Hyuks gonnae and get you? (popes inner monologue)
T-the Bringer of Apocalypse is still alive? (pope)
Yup. (Affeldrichae)
But, its been over one hundred years?! (pope)
He hasnt changed at all, though? (Affeldrichae)
Did he drink from the fountain of youth or something?!
No, hold up! He lived for over one thousand years, so believing that hes dead after only a hundred years is THE strange thing to do, isnt it? (popes inner monologue)
That mans military feats were still being told like some mythical legendary tale to this day.
The problem was, perhaps regrettably, there werent that many survivors from that day still alive in the current age, and his story was being treated like a real folklore now.
Thats why this pope here mistakenly thought that it all happened in the distant, ancient past, but.... But, when he thought about it some more, that man was around only one hundred years ago.
And the records said he was living in Berafe for over 1200 years before those hundred, too. Indeed, him dying would be an even more weirder urrence, alright.
So, you should hurry up. (Affeldrichae)
Pardon? (pope)
If you hesitate and cant get things done, wouldnt he cross over here personally? What with his personality being like that? (Affeldrichae)
Ahhh. So, like.... Mmm.... Yes, indeed. (pope)
Dioreh the Second only needed a moment to quickly understand his current situation. He turned around and took a deep, deep breath. And then, yelled out loudly as if he was trying to cough out his heart or some such.
Summon all the other poooooooooopes!! (pope)
Dioreh the Seconds heaven-shaking roar reverberated with the Latrel castle.
And so, a new conference of all the religious orders in Berafe took ce one hundred years after the invasion of the Bringer of Apocalypse.
< 177. If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! -2 > Fin.
Chapter 178: If it’s a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (3)
Chapter 178: If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (3)
(TL: Another unedited chapter. Sorry about that.)
Everyone has gathered.
The rtionship between twelve religious orders wasnt the same as before. They were at their closest during the most dangerous period in the history of this world.
They had to put aside countless grievances and old grudges to work together when Yi Ji-Hyuk came invading Berafe. In a way, he forcibly united the whole of the continent.
Sure, they had formed united fronts whenever they were facing history-altering moments, such as an advent of a demon king or something major happening in the continent, but Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance was the only time that all 12 Orders formed an alliance of one heart and one goal.
And now....
One hundred years after that event, the popes of the twelve Orders had gathered in one spot once more.
These folks all snorted in derision when the Order of Latrel summoned them here, but then, dropped what they were doing and teleported to Terra Latrel after the name of the Bringer of Apocalypse was brought up.
Just what is going on here?
As befitting a pope serving the God of Fire, Faro, he was the first one to ask in an urgent, impatient voice. Dioreh the Second sighed out grandly and made his reply.
It is as you heard. (Dioreh the Second)
What do you mean by that, as I heard?? Are you saying that the Bringer of Apocalypse will descend on ournd once more?!
Im saying there is a high possibility that he will show up. If we dont fulfil the condition he set forth, then yes, hed most likely make his return. (Dioreh the Second)
Back to this world??
Dioreh the Second smirked and replied.
Who knows? If he had be more tolerant, gentler or even understanding, then he might decide note here and quietly wait for us. (Dioreh the Second)
Yup, hesing.
Hell definitelye.
Maybe, hes already on his way?
Seeing that these popes were showing such a remarkable solidarity, Dioreh the Second formed a smile of contentment.
These abominable geezers, why cant you all act like this everyday?
Would you look at these trash heap of humanity acting all so friendly like this? When they would randomly start talking about going on a holy crusade against you simply because Sleeves of your new clergy uniform has stolen the colour scheme from our Order?!
Utterly disgusting. (Dioreh the Seconds inner monologue)
It was unknown whether these popes knew what Dioreh the Second was thinking about or not, but never mind that, they were far too absorbed on re-enacting the FHO phenomenon at the moment.
But, soon enough, several oundish ims and usations were beginning to get thrown around at each other C ims such as I still havent forgotten about your punks invading my territory to try converting my people or stuff like, Morals dictate that you shouldnt have lowered your taxes below 30%, so where is your business ethics? rose up from here and there.
When the peoples shoulders began quivering as if they would start grabbing at each others throats, Dioreh the Second finally opened his mouth, unable to hold it in.
Imma just, with the Divine Emperor Cannon! (Dioreh the Second)
Eh?
N-no, its nothing. (Dioreh the Second)
Oops, I blurted out what was on my mind. Gotta be more careful next time. (Dioreh the Seconds inner monologue)
Every second counts, people. The Bringer of Apocalypse wants a high-ranking cleric to purify a million-strong zombie horde. If any one of your Orders possess an individual capable of doing that, please tell us. (Dioreh the Second)
There was no reply.
....You all dont have one? (Dioreh the Second)
The pope of Gabein Order threw a question back to him, instead.
Oh the pope of Latrel.
Yes, please go ahead. (Dioreh the Second)
To put it bluntly, dont we need someone on the level of the legendary pope from your own Order, Dioreh the First, in order to face off against such a horde?
That is true. (Dioreh the Second)
Our Orders were also driven to destruction and only managed to regain some breathing spacetely, so why do you think we have someone like that in our midst?
Of course you wouldnt have.
My Order dont have such an individual, so you obviously wouldnt have one, either.
I know that full well. I know it, but.... (Dioreh the Seconds inner monologue)
We should just give him a divine artefact, instead.
How many do you think you can purify with that? Besides, all of our true divine artefacts were destroyed back then!
However, thats better than not....
Its a million zombies! A million!
H-mm. Indeed, a million is a bit too much.
The pope of Faro asked again.
But, why does it have to be only one person? This would be simpler if we dispatch several at the same time.
Since we need to use a dimensional Gate, sending several over will be impossible. (Dioreh the Second)
M-mm....
It was then C the door to the conference chamber was flung open and Affeldrichae strode right in.
M-mm?
The collective brows of the popes here all furrowed from a rude woman suddenly barging into the meeting of the heads of twelve religions. But, no one stepped up first to criticise her insolent actions since Dioreh the Second didnt try to stop this mystery woman.
It was at that moment that an old man sitting by the corner and watching the situation develop, raised his body up and lowered his head.
He was the pope of the Buzugote. He was the oldest among the twelve popes, and also the lone survivor from that day of apocalypse, even though he actually had participated in it.
Have you been well, oh Lord of all Dragons? (pope of Buzugote)
The Lord.
The ripple effect that single word possessed was immense.
Every single one looking at her in dissatisfaction quickly averted their gazes, their expressions frozen solid now.
There may be countless nicknames and titles in this world, but there could only ever be one entity that could use the title of the Dragon Lord in thend called Berafe. These folks knew that fact very well.
The de facto leader of the Dragons, and the agent of the goddess, the Lord of all Dragons.
Finally getting to meet a figure from the legends and rumours, some of the popes here suddenly began feeling queasy. First, it was the Bringer of Apocalypse, and now, the Dragon Lord, too? Wasnt this as if they were being thrust inside a legendary tale or something?
You seem to remember me, yet the time has taken its toll, judging from your countenance. (Affeldrichae)
Rather than taking away, it has given me much more, mydy.
Enough time has passed that an once rosy-cheeked youngster has be an old man. Even though it was just a blink of time. (Affeldrichae)
The pope of Buzugote Order quietly stared at Affeldrichae with a pair of eyes oozing with liquid discharge before forming a simple smile. (TL: This is what was on the raw, literally liquid discharge.)
You are different from the past you, mydy. (pope of Buzugote)
Can you really remember the past in clear detail? (Affeldrichae)
Although it is nowhere as concise as the great beings memories, but well, humans remember in their own little ways. (pope of Buzugote)
Is that so? In your eyes, then, how did I change? (Affeldrichae)
You wish to understand more. (pope of Buzugote)
Understand humans, is it? (Affeldrichae)
Not just us, but everything else, as well. The past you, no, the beings known as Dragons in general, only wished to learn but not understand. But now, I see that you have learned of what it means to understand. (pope of Buzugote)
A sly smile crept up on Affeldrichaes lips.
A human is lecturing me? (Affeldrichae)
There is no way thats true. (pope of Buzugote)
Fine, that does not matter. You have been responsible for the welfare of your religious order since you were a rosy-cheeked youngster. It has been one hundred years since then. You must have seen more than anyone, and had the opportunity toprehend more than anyone here. In that case, will you be able to answer my question? (Affeldrichae)
Mydy, the answer never was a difficult thing to grasp. (pope of Buzugote)
Oh, oh.....
Oh!
Other popes gasped out in excitement.
As expected of the pope of Buzugote Order! Never mind him having a rtively normal-sounding conversation with the Lord of all Dragons, he even said that he knew the answer to the quandary none of them could solve.
What is that answer, then? (Affeldrichae)
Purification is done by water. God Buzugote can purify not just a million, but tens of millions of evil creatures. (pope of Buzugote)
Im well aware that purification and restoration is the speciality of Buzugote. However, who will do it? You surely cant cross the dimensional doorway with that aged body of yours. (Affeldrichae)
Buzugotes pope shook his head.
It will be far too difficult for me. Even if I can endure the travel itself.... I simplyck the requisite divinity. (pope of Buzugote)
Which means? (Affeldrichae)
There is someone else beside me. (pope of Buzugote)
There is? (Affeldrichae)
Oh the Lord of all Dragons. Your clear memories should still hold that persons existence. The one that possesses iparable divinity, yet couldnt let the world know of its existence. (pope of Buzugote)
....Ah!
Affeldrichae nodded her head, evidently recalling something only just then.
You are correct. I shouldnt havee here, then. (Affeldrichae)
I wish my words have proven useful to you. (pope of Buzugote)
Indeed, they have. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae turned around after leaving those words behind. However, the pope of Buzugote seemingly wasnt finished, and called out to her with a soft voice.
Oh the Lord of Dragons.
She stopped walking, but didnt turn around.
Water naturally flows from top to bottom. (pope of Buzugote)
...........
Humans will try to change the waters direction and stop its flow by buildingrge dams, but that is all temporary. In the end, water will keep flowing lower and lower. No one can stop its flow. Lord, are you following the flow, as well? (pope of Buzugote)
Youre being quite insolent, human. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae replied without looking back. Her voice contained a trace of icy coldness. However, if she was genuinely trying to pressure the other party, then she wouldnt have spoken in such a way.
If so, what would be the reason for her voice sounding so cold?
Was it because of her emotions?
Everything flows ording to their nature. Im merely trying to advance that flow. (Affeldrichae)
Not defying it, but to advance it forward, you say? (pope of Buzugote)
Thats right. (Affeldrichae)
Ill pray that everything you wish for flows in their natural course. (pope of Buzugote)
A slight grin formed on Affeldrichaes lips.
She was possibly being ridiculed. Or, maybe he was being sarcastic. But, should she thank that mans wisdom built up from years of experience for her not feeling enraged by his mockery?
She momentarily thought that a hundred years of a human could mean different things to a hundred years of a Dragon.
And thats why he cant feel like a human being, can he... (Affeldrichae)
He was a man who didnt change regardless of how much time had passed him by or how many events he had to live through. He also possessed the true immortality, the one Dragons often mistakenly believed that they too had possessed it.
Maybe, just maybe, that was why she couldnt let that man go.
I pray that the remainder of your life be blessed with good health. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae chucked a small gemstone at the pope of Buzugote Order and went Poof!! from the spot.
H-mm....
The pope of Buzugote observed the gemstone from this and that angle. It was a bizarre looking item that looked like a gemstone smaller than ones pinky nail, but from some other angles, it resembled a fruit of some sort as well.
What could this be? (pope of Buzugote)
It was then C the pope of Dran Order, who was also staring intensely at the gemstone, jumped up from his seat and cried out in rm.
T-t-thats the Tear of Roa! (pope of Dran)
The attention of everyone in the chamber gathered on the pope of Dran Order.
Tear of Roa?
That, that! Dont you all remember? That is the Tear of Roa, renowned as the medicine of immortality! If a young man eats it, he will never suffer from any illnesses for the rest of his life, and if an old man eats it, his life will be extended even further! That is the Tear of Roa, that can cure any disease known to man! Its the base ingredient of the Elixir! (pope of Dran)
T-the Elixir!!
The legendary medicine rumoured to be capable of forcibly reviving anyone who hadnt died yet C the Elixir. A sacred medicine that every religious Order had one secreted away and being treated like a family heirloom... no, hang on, as the Orders precious treasure, instead!
That item wasnt the actual elixir, but the base ingredient, too!
The eyes of the gathered popes gleamed dangerously as they turned around to look at the old man, but...
Gulp.
........
Their expressions froze as soon as they heard the funny noise of something going down someones throat.
You ate....
The pope of Buzugote raised his hand up to his mouth and activated his authority over water, and took a few thirsty gulpings of water gushing out from his palm. He lightly drummed on his tummy and spoke nonchntly.
You are all mistaken. (pope of Buzugote)
........
And so, there was a reason why this old geezer managed to live for this long. He just didnt seem to die at all until now, but it became obvious that he must have eaten all sorts of treasures to extend his life.
Even though every single pope in here looked at him with a leer, the pope of Buzugote spoke in a jovial tone.
Besides all that.... (pope of Buzugote)
Are you trying to change the subject?
So, the Bringer of Apocalypse might descend on our world once more, is that right? (pope of Buzugote)
Dioreh the Second nodded his head.
He mighte back, is it.... (pope of Buzugote)
Buzugotesplexion that retained its calmness even in front of the Dragon Lord suddenly waned greatly. It seemed that even the legendary medicine couldnt do much about onesplexions.
We need toe up with a n. (pope of Buzugote)
If hees, then all we have to do is to drive him back, no? Our ancestors managed to chase him away, so we should be able to do the same thing again.
Chased away who now? (pope of Buzugote)
The pope of Buzugote chuckled wryly.
Who chased who away?
He wasnt chased away but left on his own volition. Every Order was united under one banner, every kingdom brought along their military might, and then, Dragons and monsters, even other races joined us, but.... But, even though every one of us fought together, he leisurely brushed us all aside and returned to where he came from. (pope of Buzugote)
On that fateful day, if it werent for Yi Ji-Hyuk staying his hands right at the final second....
....This world wouldve been destroyed for real.
However, this is rather odd. (pope of Buzugote)
The gods had called him the Bringer of Apocalypse. However, he didnt destroy this world. And the gods ordered their followers to desperately stop that man from returning to his old world, too.
Although it was a sphemous thing to question the will of the gods, it was also true that something didnt sit well with him, either.
Does that mean its not over yet? Whatever it is? (pope of Buzugote)
It was possible that the meaning of his title would only be clearer from here onwards.
The pope of Buzugote shuddered from the ominous feeling rising up from his gut.
< 178. If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! -3 > Fin.
Chapter 179: If it’s a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (4)
Chapter 179: If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (4)
A priest.
A cleric.
There might have been many variations, but still, they all meant the same thing C people who channelled the power of divine beings, the gods, and manifested them into the physical world.
This was a wholly different concept from using Mana. If healing magic followed the rule of using Mana to stimte the patients body and speed up the natural healing process, then the power of divinity would be more like reverting everything back to how it was through the power of the gods.
In Earth terms, a priest or a cleric simply meant people of cloth serving their chosen deities, but in Berafe, the concept of divinity existed for real. And that meant the strength of divinity within you was used as a yardstick to measure your level of piety.
The ins and outs of how divinity gets manifested still remained a mystery even in a world like Berafe.
Sure, there was this vague understanding that the stronger your piety got, the stronger your own divinity would be, but even then, no one living there could confidently dere that the popes possessed the greatest level of piety among the masses.
Unlike Mana, which you could get more proficient at it, build a bigger reserve of it, and even research it, the whole thing about divinity was pretty simple and extremely random.
Events such as a saintess being discovered in a back alley as far removed from the sacred halls of religious orders, or a young priest in training who joined the order recently, suddenly disying pope-level divinity happened quite often that there was no need to even mention them.
That was why people had a saying: That the gods were fickle creatures.
They did bless dedicated believers with some amount of divinity, but they would also bestow to an atheistcking even a trace of faith, with the kind of divinity that easily exceeded those who had walked the path of piety all their lives.
There was one moment in history that such fickleness was at its worst. It involved the most famous Priestess in Berafes history.
She served the god of water Buzugote, and wielded a ridiculous amount of divinity that ate regr popes for breakfast; she even went ahead and poured out that divinity like a raging waterfall, as befitting the god she served, whenever the asion called for it.
The Order of Buzugote rejoiced that they finally found an emissary of god that would take them to a higher acim than that of the Order of Latrel. Their followers also cheered on, thinking that the god of waters name would soone to dominate thend before long.
If it werent for a minor problem, that was. Indeed, it really was a minor matter, not really worthy of a mention. A very, very minor problem.
Well, her race was a bit of a problem. Because, she wasnt a human.
Nope, she was an Elf. That was the title other races took to calling her kind.
From the perspectives of regr Earth humans, there shouldnt be any problem with an Elf bing a cleric. Wasnt it the rule in dime-a-dozen RPGs to make Elves clerics and priests? Wasnt it a great romance of all hot-blooded males to see a female Elf with long blonde hair casting a healing spell at them?
What, it isnt?
If its not, then never mind. (The authors inner monologue)
In any case, that was the story for the denizens of the Earth. However, such a thing was a bit problematic in Berafe. Actually, make that a massive problem.
Elves were the beings in one with nature. They lived together with trees, ate fruits, didnt hurt a single animal, and generally lived their lives while trying not to alter the ways of other creatures existing in the world.
However, the divinity was what youd call a power that went against the nature itself.
It allowed ones wounds to forcibly heal up instead of letting nature take its course. It made a lifeform exhibit power that exceeded what it originally possessed. And it even reversed the situation where death was the only oue, and revived the subject to full health.
And then, people conveniently packaged all of that as the naturally-urring everyday thing in the name of their gods. If the title of divinity wasnt assigned to this power, then even humans would start calling it the devils power, instead.
However, Elves were capable of seeing the true nature of things. And they didnt fall for such a packaging attempt, obviously.
They might have been born originally from the gods, but had eventually went their separate ways and became the people of nature. To them, one of their own possessing the power to go against nature itself was a target for hatred, never mind scorn, and eventually, they politely requested the Order of Buzugote to hand the job of her protection over to them.
The Order found themselves in a big dilemma as they were now under pressure of potentially going to war with Elves, but then, the woman in question volunteered to go back to her Elf brethren, leaving them with not much choice but to let her go.
That happened several hundred years ago. No one knew what happened to her since then.
....That was what Yi Ji-Hyuk thought until now, but this....
Seeing that very person stepping out of the Gate, he could only grasp the back of his neck.
GOD D*MN IT!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His eyes caught the sight of an Elf with a head of brilliant silver hair. That water-coloured priest garb proved to be a perfect match for her Elvish figure, too.
Its been a long time, oh the Bringer of Apocalypse. (?)
Hey, you insane lizard woman?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled out at the top of his lungs.
Im already half dead trying to deal with an insane lizard by my side, but then, you bring along yet another lunatic over here?! Whats this, birds of a feather flocking together?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoons dazed eyesnded on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
A lunatic?
You mean, that woman? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Theres just no way..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was truly an amazing feat to say something like that after taking one look at that mysterious womans face.
How should he go about describing that face....?
Should he say that her face seemed to contain all of the benevolence and unfathomable mysteriousness found in this world?
She certainly held a different sort of a charmpared to Affeldrichaes blinding gorgeousness.
Choi Jung-Hoon had seen a lot of good-looking people in his life so he wouldnt necessarily go Holy cow! from her looks alone, but well, there was this unexinable sense offort and gentleness in her that those good-looking people didnt possess.
If he were to talk about his preference, then hed definitely choose her over Affeldrichae, even. But now, what was Yi Ji-Hyuk calling her??
A lunatic?!
Triggered by something hard to exin, Choi Jung-Hoon ended up shouting out as well.
What do you mean, a lunatic? Arent you going a bit overboard here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Swish!
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes filled to the brim with annoyance was directed in Choi Jung-Hoons direction. Thetter flinched, and quite unlike how valiant he sounded earlier, he quickly averted his gaze.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Lets say you went out on a road. No, lets say that you went on a pic to a mountainside. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Okay? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And then, pow! You run into a huge wild boar. Its a really huge-a*s boar, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That sounds scary. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But then, a rabbit passing by suddenly jumps in and rips the boars throat wide open to drink its blood, and go Kyahahaha~! and then, and then, start chowing down on the meat. How would you feel after seeing all that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I guess Id feel a dynamic range of emotions. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, itd be very dynamic.
So, like, what kind of a rabbit do you think that rabbit is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....A Battle Bunny? (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL note at the end)
Are you mad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I cant deny that. For now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded his head.
That womans exactly like that, you know!! That woman! Shes a loon of an Elf, Ill have you know!! Shes an Elf, so she should just stick to casting magic and shooting arrows like every other Elf, so why the f*ck is she messing around with divine powers?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, uh, I think divine powers sound quite fitting for an Elf, though...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wait, now that its been mentioned, shes an Elf, huh?
With those pointy ears sticking out from side of her head, yeah, I can totally see it now.
Huh. I get to see a real Elf in my life, too.
Yup, shes not a human, but a real Elf, alright.
I should stop calling good-looking people Elven from now on....
What a shocking difference in quality!! Seriously! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
What do you mean, fitting for an Elf?! Youre one of those people whod look at an Elf shoving down a te of medium rare steak and still go Ahaha, you eat well like an Elf!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Well, thats a bit of an exaggeration. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I mean, I wouldnt go that far, you know!
Exaggeration, my foot! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red briefly at Choi Jung-Hoon and shifted his arrows to Affeldrichae, instead.
And you. Dont you know that this woman is insane? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course I do. (Affeldrichae)
Then, why did you bring an insane loon over here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What were you expecting me to do? I can only bring one person over, and there was no one else capable of solving this issue other than her. (Affeldrichae)
What about that Dioreh fe?! What was he doing?? Did he say he wonte because of me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes dead. (Affeldrichae)
....Oh. I didnt even know that, and I foolishly..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to fall into a mncholic reminiscence of the past, before hurriedly shaking his head.
Hold up! Why am I feeling mncholic over Dioreh the First dying?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, good riddance to that geezer! Wait, why did he die, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He died of old age, apparently. Its been a hundred years on that side already. (Affeldrichae)
....Curse this time scale difference.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, I was really stuck in a seriously scary ce, wasnt I?
But then again, thats why only five years passed by on this side even though I spent so much time over there. Its a relief, in a way, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, whatever. Even then, this is too much. Just why did it have to be this loon.....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks crumpled expression now faced the Elf woman.
Everything about her, from her water-coloured priest garb to her silver waist-length hair, and even those crystal clear eyes.... From top to bottom, he detested it. He just couldnt stand it.
Have you been well? (?)
Id have, if it werent for you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It really has been a long, long time. (?)
Riiight. This is the first time since you nearly broke me in half with that Aqua Buster you threw my way. So yeah, its been a long time. I thought you died already. What a pity that youre still alive and kicking. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Taking the life of another goes against the nature of Elves, after all. So I was being confined for a while, thats all. (?)
Ohh, is it? That means you gotta solve this problem real sharpish and go back, right? Treat it as going on a short holiday overseas, so quickly and cheaply deal with this mess, and then, go back to your confinement, okay?
That is indeed the correct path to take, but I believe its going to be far too difficult now. My kin has expelled me as I was leaving, you see. (?)
................
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched the side of his head.
Nonono, its gonna be fine! They will surely ept you back! Elves are generous like that, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know as well as I do thats not the case, yes? (?)
....Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He knew better than anyone that Elves were utterly inflexible, incredibly old-fashioned, and devoid of any meaningful thoughts in their heads.
....Saying that you cant eat other lifeforms?
What a bunch of loons. If you wanna quibble over it, then you lot are basically waiting around for lifeforms to grow up sufficiently enough so you can clip their fingers off and gnaw on them for eternity!
Arent nts lifeforms now?!
I shouldve set that forest of Elves on fire! Only way for these loons to wake the hell up!
Argh.... I told myself to do that beforeing here, but I forgot.
I meant to rename the Elf forest as Yi Ji-Hyuk ins and level it t before heading off to Terra Latrel, but oh well..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Normally, youd genuinely feel happy to see someone after a few hundred years, but man, I really cant stand you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Our past is certainly not a simple one, after all. I was only carrying out my duty. Please forgive me for what happened back then. (?)
Your duty, my foot! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This happened some time before Yi Ji-Hyuk wasbelled as the Bringer of Apocalypse.
Back when he was still just a fledgling Dark Wizard, he got driven into a corner by the religious orders going on a Dark Wizard hunting frenzy. Back then... the person standing in the very front chasing after him with everything she had was this very woman.
He started off from the very bottom, rolled around in the mud and struggled really hard, before crawling his way up higher until eventually, he began garnering the attention of the continent as the true immortal C which led to him encountering all sorts of misfortune.
He eventually figured out that, instead of his own Mana, he could rely on an endless supply of it through signing a contract, and officially changed his ss to that of a Dark Wizard. But, before he even had a chance to properly learn something, this lunatic of a b*tch poured down a tidal wave of divinity on him andpletely obliterated him multiple times in the process.
If it werent for his immortality buff, hed been holding his funeral that day for good. He experienced death over a dozen times that day, after all.
He already disliked her because of that, but to make matters worse, she was a cleric, as well.
A dang cleric!
Yi Ji-Hyuks natural enemy!
Dark Mana was a power that opposed divinity, so in the end, he got strong enough to reverse the situation and swept all his enemies away like mes evaporating water. But the thing was, when simr amounts of divinity and Dark Mana collided, logic dictated that thetter would definitelye out much worse for wear.
I mean, I instinctively feel repulsed, man! Its a primal instinct!!
So why did you have to go and fetch this d*mn woman?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He shuddered in a barely-contained rage and red at Affeldrichae, prompting her to form somewhat of a mysterious grin.
....Didnt you have any other choice? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, I didnt. (Affeldrichae)
You aint lying to me right now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh my goodness! I told you that Dragons cant lie. How many times do I have to repeat myself? (Affeldrichae)
Sure, you may be telling the truth, but I reaaaally hope that you aint holding something back and therefore are trying to pull a fast one over my eyes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
L~~. (Affeldrichae)
This dang rotten lizard woman?!
Theres not one trustworthy person C no, hang on, a different race in this world, and sure enough, she ends up causing a massive headache! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a grand sigh and shifted his gaze over to the Elf.
Hey, uhm, what was your name again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The silver-haired Elf smiled brightly and replied.
Have you forgotten it already? But I remember the names you called me very well, though. (?)
You do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. All those nostalgic names you called me with. Such as, Despicable woman, Ill kill you, and If I ever see you again, Imma strip you buck naked, dangle you upside down and start whipping you real good. Things like that. (?)
....Did I really say that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Oh. I guess shes still really mad about them, then. Real mad.
Hold on, before all that.... Didnt I be a trash the moment I said, strip you buck naked? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk began stewing in despair, the Elf woman formed a refreshing grin aimed at him and spoke up.
Roabell. Thats my name that you have forgotten.
Roabell. Right, Roabell, is it..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, it seems like you have forgotten about something else as well...... (Roabell)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, a humongous amount of divinity suddenly began gushing out like a pool of water from both of Roabells hands.
If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order, you see!!! (Roabell)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only spit out a helpless groan as the divinity flew towards him.
See, I told you.
This woman is a total nutcase.
Am I wrong? Ah?
Hah.....
< 179. If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! -4 > Fin.
(TL: Okay, This Battle Bunny reference doesnt have anything to do the childrens book Battle Bunny by the authors Jon Scieszka and Mac Bat. Nor is it a reference to a Japanese Manga series called Battle Rabbits. Nope, in order to get a clear picture of where the author is going with this, google: ?? ??. You can thank meter.)
Chapter 180: If it’s a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (5)
Chapter 180: If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! (5)
Dark Mana was simr to negative energy. Basically, Dark Mana was all things negative and gloomy being harnessed into a half-physical state. It might have a few names, like Dark Mana or negative-attributed Mana, but at the end of the day, their origin was the same.
If you excluded the fact that it had a different foundation to Light Mana, then the Dark Manas other big difference would be its specialisation towards destruction, annihtion, as well as casting curses and hexes.
And, if one were to think of one other special point of it, then that would be....
The Dark Mana would oppose Light Mana, but it was outmatched when pitted against divinity C about that much?
In the past, Yi Ji-Hyuk got to learn about this fact while on the run for his dear life. However, he had forgotten about it in recent times, only for those memories to resurface one after the other. Seeing the divinity pouring out like a gushing waterfall right in front of his face, he felt dizziness threatening to ovee his mind.
Wowsers. I... might get traumatised at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, his ignoble memories of running away from this crazy amount of divinity in the past was flooding back into him now.
Back then, simply getting brushed by that divinity caused various effects on him, such as C snapping his spine in half, burning his innards to cinders, or making him perform a writhing dance routine on the floor as if he had swallowed a white-hot charcoal or some such.
Arghhh! Just remembering them p*sses me off!
But, its a different story now! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The current Yi Ji-Hyuk was not the same, wet-nosed amateur of a Dark Wizard from back then! Wasnt he the Bringer of Apocalypse, the one who plunged the entire Berafe and the demon world into utter chaos?
So, the current him was.....
....Huh?
Hang on, isnt the amount of Mana I possess right now pretty much the same as what I had back then??
Uh?
Wait, now that I think about it, its true, isnt it?!
So, if I get hit by that, what will happen to me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk soon got to find out.
The divinitypletely perforated through the Shield he cast out of pure reflex as if it didnt exist in the first ce and pounced on him.
Aaaaahhhhhk?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The power of divinity dug into Yi Ji-Hyuk and began burning away the Dark Mana hidden within his body. Soon, he should be wrecked by the sensation of every drop of his blood being boiled and suffer from this hellish pain.... but?
The divinity digging into Yi Ji-Hyuks body... couldnt do much and began withering away at a visible pace.
Eh?
Whats going on here?
Because, back then, I definitely..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In the past, if the power of divinity of this scale entered him, Yi Ji-Hyuk would have been utterly destroyed into tiny little pieces. Indeed, hed be busy spraying blood to all corners of the globe while performing that writhing dancing routine.
So, like, does this mean that lunatic of a woman has gotten weaker?
....No, hang on. I saw that divinity with my own two eyes, so that cant be it. Theres no way!
So, what changed? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began checking out the condition of his body once more.
Uh? Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head. He wasnt the only one tilting heads, though.
W-what happened? (Roabell)
Even Roabell was stewing in her confusion as she looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
She poured out that much power of the gods, yet Yi Ji-Hyuk was standing all fine and dandy, not a sign of bodily fluid flying anywhere, while looking back at her with a dumbfounded look on his face.
But, but, this cant be? (Roabell)
Could this be because the god Buzugotes influence didnt extend to this world, and that weakened the power of divinity greatly?
Roabell quickly gathered divinity at her fingertips. A massive amount of water-coloured divinity bubbled up instantly.
But, that isnt it? (Roabell)
It might be harder to replenish the divinity from the god once it was spent, but still, she should have more than enough within her right now, so how could a situation like this even happen?
H-mmmmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk arrogantly raised his head.
He couldnt figure out what just happened, but at least he was sure of Roabells divinity not being able to harm him in the slightest.
Most likely, the Mana residing within him became two, three times stronger after it was swapped out, so the rtionship between the power of divinity and Dark Mana could have reversed now.
Which meant....
Are you done showing off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....The woman in front of his eyes was basically a shivering little prey now.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled ominously and slowly approached Roabell.
Thanks, you just reminded me of something. All that sh*t you put me through in the past, I remember them now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm?! (Roabell)
Roabell flinched and quickly took several steps back.
But, this couldnt be happening?!
How could that evil, vile Dark Wizard receive the pure and holy divine power of god Buzugote and still be fine?
This can not be! (Roabell)
She couldnt ept this!
Roabell began pouring out more divinity out of her once more.
The power of divinity, its colour getting richer and richer until it actually resembled flowing water, oozed and danced around her entire figure. And when that flowing strands of divinity coagted into streams and eventually into a mighty river, it descended on Yi Ji-Hyuk like a flood.
The flood itself was incredibly fast, but because of its massive scale and the way it smoothly flowed out of her, it felt as if it was gently embracing him rather than pounding on him. It didnt even look scary at all.
If you were someone who could ept the divine power of Buzugote, this divinity would feel as warm as their mothers touch, but if not, then it was only obvious that youd think this river of divinity was dark and gloomy like the river Styx from hell.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk epted her divinity without flinching once as if he couldnt feel a thing.
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The river of divinity swallowed Yi Ji-Hyuk up.
Euh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He began shuddering grandly out of the blue.
D-did it work? (Roabell)
Roabell inwardly thought, I knew it!! and stared closely at Yi Ji-Hyuk, but when he straightened his back and loudly spoke up, she was ovee with a sense of helplessness.
Hey, you know..... This buzzing sensation feels really nice! Its like Im getting a massage. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A refreshing smile formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face, now utterly cleansed of years of umted fatigue. Roabell saw that, and the sceptre held in her hand slowly drooped towards the ground.
This, this cant be....
This shouldnt happen.... (Roabell)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on and approached closer while enjoying her tormented look.
So, what were you saying about a Dark Wizard and whatnot? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....T-to eradicate..... (Roabell)
M-mm? What was that? I cant hear you, since youre a loser who cant even use divinity properly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I said, I will eradicate you!! (Roabell)
Cant hear you~. I cant hear you~~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks cackles continued on as he slowly stood before Roabell.
Affeldrichae could only groan under her breath after seeing this spectacle unfold.
What a rotten personality he has. (Affeldrichae)
You were expecting something else? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt all that surprised by this development. It wasnt as if Yi Ji-Hyuks terrible personality suddenly came about yesterday.
He was always a terrible human being, he remained a rotten b*stard, and hed continue to behave like one in the future, too. Like the river flowing downstream, his personality would naturally be dirty and terrible, always.
Of course, there were some people who couldnt ept that reality.
Hold on. Wait! (Roabell)
Roabell thought that the current situation was heading in a strange direction.
The Bringer of Apocalypse. Just how often did she have to hear that name while being confined for hundreds of years within the Elf prison?
The spirits passing by whispered it, the prison guards mentioned that name so many times out of sheer fright. And when she found out that the identity of the Bringer of Apocalypse was none other than that Yi Ji-Hyuk, she was ovee with two emotions.
One, a sense of guilt for failing to finish him off for good back when she was still chasing after him. And two, a powerful sense of determination to finish her job once she was allowed to leave this prison.
It was precisely because of those two reasons that she decided to follow after the Lord of the Dragons when she mentioned needing help from Yi Ji-Hyuk, but this....
But, I underestimated everything. (Roabell)
She was confident of her chances.
If he was the Bringer of Apocalypse, capable of plunging the entirety of Berafe into hell, then even ten of her, no, one hundred of Roabell wouldnt be able to stop him. She certainly possessed a brain capable of thinking that far ahead.
However, from what Affeldrichae had told her, the current Yi Ji-Hyuk was not that much different from the Dark Wizard she used to chase after way back when.
That was why she thought of eradicating him right now to prevent him bing the Bringer of Apocalypse again in the future and sow chaos in the world, but this.....
I, cant, hear, you~~~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But now, all she could do was to facepalm helplessly as the cackling Yi Ji-Hyuk stood before her.
Its over. (Roabell)
An evil grin formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
*
You better raise your arms straight, you hear? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk started behaving like a b*stard to Roabell, currently kneeling down on the floor, both of her arms raised up high in the air.
What the heck? Would you look at the angle of her arms? The motto of an Elf is supposed to be all about being honest and trustworthy, yet you wanna cheat and maintain 178 degrees with your arms, not 180? Did you develop a problem with your sense of bnce or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tremble, tremble....
Roabell could only shudder from this unbridled shame, but there was no one here that could help her out. Basically, she was all by herself in this world.
Sure, she had some vague semnce of what could barely qualify as an acquaintance with Affeldrichae, but from the Dragons perspective, an argument between a human and an Elf woulde across much the same as a dog and a cat bickering to a human being.
She didnt have any reason to be on Roabells side, nor would she have any desire to do so, either. That meant that Roabell alone had to contend with Yi Ji-Hyuk, but well....
Please, repent now! Its not toote for you! (Roabell)
Repent what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your sin of tormenting countless people of the world. (Roabell)
Why dont you repent for your sin of tormenting me first? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
God Buzugote has forgiven me already. (Roabell)
Ohhh, really now? Well, thats one heck of a convenient religion, no? I mean, you can be forgiven without involving the victim in question, too. Maybe, I should make a religion of my own? How about, the Order of Yi Ji-Hyuk? And sooo, I asked for forgiveness there, and since Ive been forgiven, everythings cool now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youremitting sphemy! (Roabell)
Yup, that I did. So, whatcha gonna do about it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh.... (Roabell)
sphemy or shoe philosophy, who cares? So? What will you do now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You could only convict someone if you possessed necessary strength.
Throughout history, many weak religions faded into the rivers of obscurity without even anyone remembering their names. Without power, even religions would be a waste of space, instead.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Roabell going through her deserved punishment and fell into a bit of dilemma.
If it were any other times, hed be tempted to break off all of her limbs and stuff her inside a small box before throwing her into a river or something. But, he couldnt deny the simple fact that she could very well be the only hope for saving this right now.
Why did you have to go and fetch someone like this.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you think there was another way? (Affeldrichae)
There always is another way. You just didnt want to think about those, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why didnt you think about them yourself? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuks narrowed eyes red at Affeldrichae.
Why does it feel like shes bing more and more rebellious as time goes on....?
Wait, why is it that every female around me bes coarser and more violent with every passing day? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk never worried about the reasons, though. He only cared about the end results.
Well, I guess its toote to worry about it now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his attention back to Roabell.
Hey, you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes? (Roabell)
Can you purify a couple of zombies? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll depend on their conditions, but yes. (Roabell)
They got bitten by some bugs and changed to zombies. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm.....
Roabell nodded her head.
This wouldnt be hard, considering that a high-ranking demon didnt personally turned the victims into zombies.
I believe its possible. (Roabell)
Indeed, it wont do if you couldnt do that much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roabell thought she heard him mutter out Thats why Im keeping you alive really softly under his breath, but she desperately pretended to not hear it.
She crossed over to another world thinking that she was embarking on a mission to exterminate a demon, and it sure felt like she was already fighting for her survival in less than ten minutes of her arrival.
So, how many are there? (Roabell)
Maybe, around a million? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........Excuse me? (Roabell)
Did she hear that wrong just now?
I think its a little over a million. No, wait. I think its more like a million and half right about now. Its not that many. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahhh, so it was a million. (Roabell)
Yup.
You sure its over a million zombies? (Roabell)
Yup.
Roabell suddenly formed a bright smile.
Why dont you just kill me and get it over with, you stinking evil b*stard of a monster? (Roabell)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and nced at Affeldrichae.
See, I told you. Shes aplete loon. (Yi Ji-hyuk)
If not, she will be one soon.
Kekekeke.
< 180. If its a Dark Wizard, then eradication is in order! -5 > Fin.
Chapter 181: Please, just go back to where you came from! (1)
Chapter 181: Please, just go back to where you came from! (1)
A million?? Even when the greatest army in the history of Berafe gathered, it barely broke the million mark! Dont you know that?? (Roabell)
No, not true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly corrected Roabell.
The army trying to stop me in Terra Latrel went past two million in the end, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You must feel awfully good about yourself. (Roabell)
Ehehe. Well, I mean, not really. It wasnt all that much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That wasnt a praise, you numbskull!
But now, you want me alone to deal with that many zombies? A million zombies are a serious enough threat even in Berafe to issue the general mobilisation order there. Its that much of a terrifying event! Yet, you expect me to do something about it all by myself? (Roabell)
Oh, so, like..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head leaned to a side in a rather crooked angle.
....You telling me you cant do it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
What could possibly be hidden behind those words of You telling me you cant do it??
Which one was it? Was it You dont even have that much of a drive or So, you dont have any uses for me, then?
Didnt matter which one, though; Roabell was certain that neither of them would lead to a good oue for her.
It, its not like I cant do it. (Roabell)
Oh, is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression brightened again.
Seeing that despicably immediate change in his expressions, Roabell felt iparably upset in her stomach.
Im not saying its impossible, but I am saying that its realistically not feasible. (Roabell)
No~pe. I know you can do it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng??
What is he on about now?! (Roabells inner monologue)
Yup, you can definitely do it. I dont know about others, but you, you are the Elf that mad as sh*t Buzugote has blessed. I mean, a god with its head screwed on properly wouldnt have done something like that. Meaning, that dude must reaaaally like you if it did this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will you stop insisting on profaning the name of mighty Buzugote?! (Roabell)
So what? Whatcha gonna do about it, huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euhhh!! (Roabell)
Why dontcha summon your precious god over here and perform an exorcism or something? Ohhhh wait. This here isnt Berafe, now is it? What will you do now~? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Roabell began shuddering violently, her hands clenched tightly into quaking fists.
This wasnt a thought a cleric like her should be carrying around, but right now, she was inundated with a certain desire to pulverise the pie hole of that hateful human with her sceptre.
Calm down, calm down..... (Roabell)
Whats the matter? Your god dont wannae? What, your great and mighty dear Buzugote cant even cross dimensions? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-my god is omnipotent! (Roabell)
Woooow. Must be so~ omnipotent that the fe couldnt even deal with the measly old me and had to beg its kids to beat me up, instead. Yup, what an omnipotent god you got there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Roabell was driven to the state where actual, physical bubbles began forming on her mouth, Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to stop bullying her there.
She was already a crazy Elf to begin with, so who could possibly predict what shed do next if he kept pushing her buttons? Evil men, obstinate men, rude and arrogant men... None of them were scary, but well, a crazy b*tch was the scariest opponent you could ever meet.
Roabells eyes became bloodshot.
So, what am I supposed to do now?! (Roabell)
Purifying a million plus. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill do it! Ill get it done!!!! (Roabell)
Roabell yelled out at the top of her lungs.
Ill quickly finish this mission and go back to Berafe right away!! Or else, my heart might explode from frustration first!! (Roabell)
Now that is amendable mindset. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, now thats a wonderful mindset to have there, miss.
Annnd with that, Ive got myself yet another nice little ve to lord over now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a refreshing smile.
*
Just what are you thinking of right now??
Christopher McLaren could only massage his forehead as he looked at themander of the Tenth Battalion and his bulging veins.
Christopher McLaren currently felt that, if he could just abandon everything right now and go home to a can of ice-cold beer, hed not hesitate to sell his soul to the devil. Unfortunately, it seemed that even the devil wasnt interested in buying his soul, because no tempting offer came at his way so far.
Arent they our citizens? (Christopher McLaren)
If the defensive line gets breached, then sure, they will be our citizens in the truest sense. Because, every other citizen will be like them in the end. Doesnt matter whether they are suffering from a virus or not, dont our still-healthy citizens have the right not to end up like them??
Even then, you want to kill the victims? (Christopher McLaren)
It cant be helped.
Fine, lets say it is. I also dont think thats the wrong decision to make. Instead, if only you possessed such a decisive streak from the beginning, the situation wouldnt have be this desperate. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren rxedly lit up a cigar even though he was in the presence of themander of the United States Army.
His position wasnt as high as themanders in the hierarchical terms, but this scene was only possible because his actual political power or on-job experience vastly outstripped that of themanders.
Seriously now, only someone on the level of a general might be treated as a superior officer by Christopher McLaren here, so why would be bother to do so with a meremander?
However, dont you think Im the wrong target to vent your frustration on? I dont have the authority to make such a decision. If you want to discuss such strategies, shouldnt you be talking to folks higher up in your chain ofmand? (Christopher McLaren)
You think they will give a go ahead for such a n?
So? What do you want from me, then? (Christopher McLaren)
Act now, exinter. Thats what this is.
Christopher McLaren spat out a lengthy sigh.
My friend. I see that youre thinking of spending a free vacation of around ten days or so inside the brig. (Christopher McLaren)
Im not kidding around here. You know this very well, dont you? There is no other way.
Of course I do. (Christopher McLaren)
In the end, we will be judged by history. Do you wish to go down as the greatest viin in history by wasting time doing nothing while the whole country bes a zombind?
Actually, thatd be a good end for us. (Christopher McLaren)
Indeed, Christopher McLaren would be much relieved if he was recorded in the history books as the greatest viin. Because, that implied that the country called the United States of America managed to pull through this crisis.
Regretfully, the country would cease to exist if the defensive line was breached, though. Without a doubt, the North American continent would be and of death in no time at all.
Why dont we wait for a little while longer? (Christopher McLaren)
Director!
I get you, alright?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens voice became increasing higher, prompting themander to shut his mouth up. One wouldnt get a good result by being on the bad books of this man who just so happened to possess the unspoken authority to make the final call.
Just what are you waiting for? Do you actually know how long you have been telling us to wait? The defensive line continues to be pushed back as we speak! If we get pushed back any further, the distance needed to cover would be far too great for us to maintain the line! You dont need me to exin what will happen next, do you?
Yes, I know. All too well. That is why Im telling you to wait. The line hasnt copsed yet. You can start your extermination after the line copses. It wouldnt be toote by then! (Christopher McLaren)
But, the losses to life would be enormous by then!
Im sure itll be. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren knew that. He wasnt waiting like this because he didnt know.
However, he couldnt choose the second avable option and not the best one on the table just because the situation might get even worse in the foreseeable future!
Besides, the lives of the American people were at stake here. Not just one or two, either!
Christopher McLaren gritted his teeth.
God d*mn it!! Just when will those stinking b*stards show up?! (Christopher McLaren)
This uncle, hes cussing us again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A voice that sounded both good and irritating at the same time came from his behind all of a sudden. Indeed, that voice sounded so, so weing yet so, so hateful that, Christopher McLaren should say he felt verypelled to bear-hug the owner of that voice and snap his spine in two in the process.
We go somewhere for a while, and he starts cussing us out. Hes like a sailor, man. This is why I just cant develop trust in people, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Uh?
Wait, isnt this strange?
I was speaking in English just now, yet how did he understand me?
No, no. Before that, I.... I can understand what hes saying??
Could Yi Ji-Hyuk be speaking to me in English right now?? (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Whats the matter? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
What now?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christopher McLaren hastily shook his head.
No, please dont mind me. Im just amazed by the fact that you learned to speak English so fluently in such a short space of time, thats all. Thats just incredible. (Christopher McLaren)
Ah, that...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched the back of his head.
Well, lets just move on, shall we? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Christopher McLaren)
Its not that important, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you say so.... (Christopher McLaren)
How could Yi Ji-Hyuk mention it, though?
Seriously, how would others think of him if he let it slip that, for the past three months, he hadpletely forgotten about the existence of the trantion magic?
Yup, Ive been living on my own whims for far too long. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hed been living for over a thousand years while smashing apart stuff he didnt like, and maintaining the stance of You wanna talk to me? Then you learn mynguage which led to him eventually bing far too inflexible for his own good.
I should start living like a proper person, at least starting from now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Impossible. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that after almost catching on to what Choi Jung-Hoon said behind him.
Its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cleanly avoided meeting Yi Ji-Hyuks question-filled gaze.
Anyway, have you found us a solution? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren judged quite correctly that now wasnt the time to listen to Yi Ji-Hyuks gag routine and jumped right into the main topic.
But, of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk strutted arrogantly, his stomach pushed forward.
That posture looked a bit detestable for some reason, but Christopher McLaren was an adult who knew how to keep the stuff in his head private.
Who will be helping us? (Christopher McLaren)
It was the prudent decision not to start an argument with Yi Ji-Hyuk at any cost.
Over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christopher McLaren shifted his gaze over to the spot Yi Ji-Hyuk was pointing at, and found a blindingly beautiful woman wearing a sacred-looking priest get-up.
Most importantly, though, those ears and their long pointy tips visible just below the religious headgear left such an impression.......
....An Elf?! (Christopher McLaren)
Ohh, he recognised her right away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An Elf actually exists....?? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren gazed on at Roabell with a pair of rather strangely inspired eyes.
Well, that isnt all that important, either. (Christopher McLaren)
Other people may have needed more time topose themselves, but not Christopher McLaren. He regained his reasoning way too quickly.
Indeed, he shouldnt be drowning in such inspired thoughts right now. The most important thing was to deal with the zombies trying to break past the defensive line right now.
Can you revert those zombies back to normal people? (Christopher McLaren)
Ill have to take a look first before answering you. (Roabell)
We dont have much time. Please,e with me. (Christopher McLaren)
At Christopher McLarens suggestion, the group didnt say anything else and followed after him.
They mustve been not too far from the frontlines, because they didnt have to travel for long in the military humvee before the sight of the lengthy line of make-shift barricade and the soldiers manning their position behind entered their view.
That seems pretty inefficient, doesnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks muttering caused Christopher McLaren to shake his head.
Its not like we havent tried to build taller, more sturdier barricades before. In fact, we tried all kinds of methods but it became far too difficult to push them back without injuring any. No matter how tall we built the wall, they eventually mbered over in the end. A regr person wouldnt have scaled such a height, but zombies just know how to crawl up a surface really well. That is why were using those make-shift barricades. If its in danger of copsing, we simply pull back the line and repeat the process again. (Christopher McLaren)
Cant you just catch them and imprison them somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Id love to have a facility like that myself. Now that you mention it, some of the zombies have been captured for research purposes, but.... (Christopher McLaren)
Roabell had been listening to the two mens conversation until then, but she began shaking her head all of a sudden.
This is going to be difficult. (Roabell)
....You cant revert them back? (Christopher McLaren)
No, the process of the purification itself isnt difficult. These people have been infected by lifeforms from the demon world, and thankfully not by a demon, so itll be quite easy to cleanse them, as a matter of fact. No, the real problem is.... With them gathered in one area like this, as soon as I purify some of them, they would get bitten and get infected again. (Roabell)
Ah............. (Christopher McLaren)
Now that was an unexpected problem.
Indeed, since those zombies were crowded into a single ce, even if they were to be cured somehow, itd be no different than throwing a handful of normal people back in the midst of hundreds of thousands of zombies.
Please separate them into groups of dozens or hundreds. Ill be able to purify and treat them safely after that. (Roabell)
H-mm....
Christopher McLaren formed a troubled expression.
Thats easier said than done, unfortunately. They are zombies. With what method should we employ to control them and extract only the exact right number? (Christopher McLaren)
Not control, but capturing them. And besides, you have an expert in that field with you, dont you? (Roabell)
An expert? (Christopher McLaren)
Roabell redirected her gaze towards Yi Ji-Hyuk, and Christopher McLarens eyes widened in understanding.
Ahh, now that I think about it.... Dont you control monsters? (Christopher McLaren)
....Uncle, thats apletely different field of expertise, you know? Its the same thing as telling a shepherd, Hey, dude, you know how to corral cows so why dont you train this lion over here. So, you shouldnt speak of it like its a simple thing, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, its still far better than not knowing at all, isnt it? (Christopher McLaren)
Uncle?? You surely have graduated from a top university, right? I mean, you ended up in your position cuz you are one of Americas top elite, riiight? So howe you dont know how to listen to people?! Im telling you, theres no rtion between the two! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you need from us? (Christopher McLaren)
Did you block your ears with something?! Pah, sh*t! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, everyone, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk said hell take care of it! Get ready! (Christopher McLaren)
....Maybe this uncle really has a hearing problem? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began seriously pondering how to open up those clogged ear canals of this American uncle, but then, Choi Jung-Hoon approached him and whispered in a hushed voice.
Do your best! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Should I just go back home?
And Im supposed to trust these people and do my thing?
Im beginning to miss Berafe, man.
For the first time ever.
....Eh-whew....
< 181. Please, just go back to where you came from! -1 > Fin.
Chapter 182: Please, just go back to where you came from! (2)
Chapter 182: Please, just go back to where you came from! (2)
Oh my goodness. What will happen to them now? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk stared at the TV screen, hints of worry clearly visible in her expression.
The massive horde of zombies utterly filling up the screen was unsteadily marching towards the makeshift barricade made up of all sorts of military vehicles.
The thoughtful director of the TV station mustve decided to erase all signs of English cuss words, because there was a constant stream of bleepsing from the TV speakers, as well.
In the midst of the heady mixture of screams and swearings, as well as loud yells, the members of the local police force were busy pushing back the tide of zombies clinging onto the vehicles with lengthy clubs and truncheons.
Aaaaahhk-!! God d*mn it!!
A policeman got caught by the zombies and was in the middle of getting dragged away. The people around him freaked out and hurriedly yanked at the safety rope tied around the poor policemans waist.
The copper somehow managed to get out of that sticky mess. He threw his helmet down and plopped on the ground, his entire frame drenched in cold sweat.
C The incident that began in Los Angeles not too long ago is deteriorating with every passing day as you can see,dies and gentleman. The American government is still hard at work trying to find a solution as the crisis is entering yet another day.
The screen was immediately switched to a middle-aged white man with half a head of hair making a speech at a press conference.
C We at the federal government are doing everything we can to find a permanent solution to this crisis. As we speak, scientists are hard at work, trying to find a cure through the avenues of biological and medical research. We at the federal government may have designated this incident as a natural disaster, but we still havent forgotten that those infected with the virus are still our citizens. Therefore, were doing our utmost best to ensure that every single one of them can safely return to the loving embrace of their families before long.
Next up, it was the scene of the zombie horde shot from the air.
C As you can see, the federal government is insisting on going with the n that supposedly will result in the lowest possible number of victims. But, realistically speaking, they havent been able to put forward any long-term solution. Even now, as the crisis persists on, the opinions of the American citizens are slowly changing from their initial desire to see the crisis resolved as peacefully as possible.
And then, it was now the turn of footage where a passerby walking on the street was asked with a question on camera. Seeing as these peoples faces had been mosaic-censored, what they said couldnt have been pretty.
C Itll be wonderful if all those people could be reverted back to how they were. But, if thats not possible to do so, shouldnt the government consider other alternatives? If they just try to stop the zombies without any n, like what they are doing right now, they surely will get overrun sooner orter, and wed just end up with even more victims, you know? Its just hard to carry on when youre this worried, you know??
C For sure, you should do your best to save the victims, right? I mean, those folks are our fellow countrymen, so like, the country cant just give up on them like that. Am I wrong? If I end up a zombie like that, man, Id be sh*t scared inside. Thats why we gotta save those people.
C Lets be realistic here. Those people are basically as good as dead already. Does it make any sort of sense to risk the lives of the living just so you can save the dead?
C By the way, what are those ability users doing right now?! Dont we pay them huge sries with our taxes so they can fix situations like this? They strut around when things arent so bad, but when sh*t hits the fan, all they do is sit around twiddling their thumbs? How is that fair?
The interview segment came to an end and the screen now showed the interior of the TV studio.
C This is our foreign correspondent, reporter Park Sahng-Cheon. Mister Park, does this mean that there is basically no solution in ce?
C Yes, the current situation is that, the American government hasnt been able toe up with a tangible solution to this crisis yet. They havent even been able to identify the reason for this zombie outbreak, and that seems to be hampering their efforts to find a solution to this crisis.
C If thats the case, shouldnt they try to capture the zombies roaming around and keep them locked up somewhere? Or is that simply too much of a task?
C The Americans have indeed considered doing precisely that. Initially, there were some suggestions that, since these zombies could scale any wall quite easily, they should be confined to a dome-style sports stadium for the time being. However, that idea has been shelved after the research indicated that such roofs wouldnt be able to withstand thebined impact force of the zombies. Others suggested that the zombies should be marooned off on a deserted ind, or be kept inside of Alcatraz, but now that the number of zombies has swelled up to this degree, even those ideas have been deemed unrealistic now.
C Even if thats the case, those methods should be able to decrease the overall numbers or be able to redirect their movements, wont they?
C The American government is considering many different ideas at the moment, but quite unlike the past, they are only relying on passive measures as we speak. The members of the foreign press corps believe that the current impasse hase about solely because, regardless of which road the American government takes, none in the office right now will be able to survive the ensuing political fallout.
C I see. Our foreign correspondent, reporter Park Sahng-Cheon, everyone. Thank you for your hard work, Mister Park.
I wonder, what will happen? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk shifted her gaze away from the TV screen and looked at Ye-Won busy popping roasted peanuts into her mouth next to her.
I dunno. (Ye-Won)
However, Yi Ye-Wons reaction was lukewarm at best. Her eyes might be watching the screen, but her mind seemed to be elsewhere.
Arent you worried about whats going on over there? (mom)
Why should I, mom? Its happening on the other side of the ocean, you know? (ye-Won)
Well, she wasnt wrong there.
Back when those weird bugs appeared out of nowhere, everyone was worried that those things might affect the rest of the world. But then, the bugs suddenly lost all energy as they tried to cross the ocean and eventually became fish food. Those crossing the North American continent also started losing all their powers after a short while, which meant that they couldnt increase the number of the infected anymore.
Even now, a handful of still-surviving bugs were found here and there, but none of them disyed the previous violent streaks anymore, and all died within a few days of being captured, as well.
Even then, our country will be affected a lot if America is ruined like that.... (mom)
But, why? Another country is going down the crapper, so why would my country get affected by that? (Ye-Won)
.........
Just who should Park Seon-Duk me here? Because, it was her fault for not educating her own daughter properly, wasnt it?
At this point, saying something like, Youre my daughter, yet I have to ask how stupid can you be, would only amount to her spitting in her own face.
Your older brother is keeping himself busy with this matter, but as his little sister, you....! (mom)
Park Seon-Duk couldnt use that line of attack, so she changed her strategy.
Mom, its not like he knows what hes doing. Im pretty sure hes stumbling around like a blind fool only because Mister Choi Jung-Hoon told him to do it. (Ye-Won)
Ah...... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk suddenly felt saddened by the fact that what her daughter said made some sense to her.
Indeed, she failed spectacrly at raising her kids right. Her one and only son had turned into a no-answer fool, and her one and only daughter turned into a no-brain fool.
But, a third one..... (mom)
Mm?
Its nothing. (mom)
Maybe, its not toote?
Should I try with one more child and make sure to raise that one properly? (moms inner monologue)
Dear, I think Im a bit..... (dad)
Ng?
Park Seon-Duk heard a voiceing from her back and turned her head around. She spotted her husband, Yi Cheol-Joong standing there with an awkward face.
What is it, dear? (mom)
....Wouldnt a third one asking for a bit too much? (dad)
..........
The man lowering his head C even today, father of the family had to powerlessly avoid Park Seon-Duks knife-like re in that manner. But thanks to his efforts, the potential man-made cmity of the third child of the Yi Family didnte to materialise.
Of course, the real problem was with the cmity of their first child....
*
What did you say you want from us?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
What on earth was this crazy man telling them now?
She had experienced the madness of this man countless times until she was feeling genuinely fed up with him. But this guys talent foring up with newer and more colourful ways of madness was really driving her up the wall now.
So, like..... (Seo Ah-Young)
So, like, he wants us to disperse those zombies into smaller groups, purify them and get them out of there? And repeat that over and over again?!
While making sure that not even a hair on those zombies are harmed, to boot??? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Excuse me, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk....? (Seo Ah-Young)
At least for today, Seo Ah-Young decided to let it all out. She figured that, shed die of an ulcer first if she kept on minding that mans whims and bottled up everything inside of her.
You cant be saying that your n is feasible, right? No, wait. Im sure it is feasible. You may mutter out a lot of crazy rubbish all the time, but you have also never told us to do something that was impossible, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
Why did Yi Ji-Hyuk feel this weird sensation, the one where it was like, he was being praised but at the same time she was being snarky with him, too?
He tilted his head at this weird feeling.
Okay, so what about it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt this matter a bit too ambiguous for us to butt our heads in? The only reason why I hadnt said anything when our government requested us to go and help out was only because I believed that our agents wouldnt be in a dangerous situation. However, if we press ahead with your n, our agents will definitely suffer damages and losses. What will you do when that happens? The American citizens? Yes, they are important. All human beings are important, I know that. However, Im a Korean who draws her sry from the Korean government. I cant ept this n of yours. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Well, she isnt wrong there.
But, there is something a bit off in her speech.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Excuse me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
So, what did you mean when you said damages and losses? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well be contending against those zombies, yes? So obviously, there will be some sort of injuries rising from that, right? What would you do if some of our people get infected? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ahhh. Infection, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk maintained his I sort of get it, but I also dont eyes and stared at her, before pointing at a certain person with his chin.
Will she be fine, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Roabell was standing there with a prim expression on her face.
Oh..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Wait, now that I think about it, we now have someone who can purify anyone getting bitten by zombies.
Ipletely forgot about that! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young forgot what she wanted to say and started hesitating. Choi Jung-Hoon quickly stepped forward as her relief hitter.
If you think about this, the risk factor for this mission has greatly been reduced. Yes, I know that this assignment is a difficult one. But, by making the Americans owe us, we will be profiting big time in the end. Trust me on this. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Really? (Seo Ah-Young)
Dont you agree? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young tilted her head.
I have to say this, because Ive been hearing that for a few times now.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You also said the same thingst time, about making Americans owe us and all that. You also said that well be scoring big timeter down the line, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course. Thats the truth. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, so.... When will they pay us the debt, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Ah? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young asked back, evidently not very impressed.
You keep saying that well get something out of this deal, but if you get really technical about it, isnt the situation heading in the direction of us having to do more and more for them? Gates will keep appearing and tougher problems will keep happening in the future, so if you keep saying that well get something back again and again, wouldnt we be stuck in a cycle of not getting anything back but continuously ving over for them? (Seo Ah-Young)
...........Ah??? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons dazed face was directed to Seo Ah-Young now.
Now that he heard her.... No, objectively speaking, wasnt what Seo Ah-Young saidpletely on point?
S-so, that, that is.... Well, I, uh..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even Choi Jung-Hoon and his slick tongue couldnt immediatelye up with a rebuttal.
Thanks to the carefully-cultivated image of the United States being the global superpower, he couldnt throw away the idea that Korea would progressively need more and more of their help in theing days, even though the Americans were going through the crapper right now.
However, when the current situation was analysed objectively, even he could tell that itd be the Koreans helping the Americans out more and more, not the other way around.
Sure, Korea could demand stuff like economic aid, but realistically speaking, Yi Ji-Hyuk doing his thing in other overseas territories would potentially more than what the Americans might offer, so, like...... Huh...
Hmmmmmm??? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was precisely at that moment, the whispers of a devil entered Choi Jung-Hoons ears from his back.
Sooo, weve got nothing to gain? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah, hahaha.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sooo, weve been whipped around like dogs and ran around all over the ce, but theres nothing for us at the end of the day? We ved over for nothing? We only made the other party happy? I hope you aint saying something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-theres no way thats true..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course that wont do.
Yup, indeed. That cant be.
Who knows what cmity would befall us if that happens, so Id never sit on my butt doing nothing like that! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Surely, such a thing would neeeever happen, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, something like that will not happen! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If I want to live, I need to produce results! (Choi Jung-Hoons desperate inner cry)
Choi Jung-Hoon made up his mind right away.
Its Mister Choi Jung-Hoons job to get the results. In any case, I cant help but think that were simply following what the Americans are asking of us. At first, I kinda liked the way they were prostrating before us, but when you think about it, all those people have to do is bow their heads for a couple of seconds and get away with all the benefits, no? (Seo Ah-Young)
For the first time ever, Choi Jung-Hoonsck of ability had been painfully pointed out, causing his facial features to harden like a piece of rock.
.....I guess you can look at it that way. I admit to it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
However, Choi Jung-Hoon was quick toe up with a rather cool response.
That is why I shall demonstrate to you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
GRIT!!
Seo Ah-Young heard the sound of Choi Jung-Hoon gritting his teeth and quickly corrected her initial impression of his response being cool.
This is going to get really bad. (Seo Ah-Young)
It was sometimes a pretty scary thing to see a man and his wounded ego. Especially when that man happened to be none other than Choi Jung-Hoon!!
< 182. Please, just go back to where you came from! -2 > Fin.
Chapter 183: please, just go back to where you came from! (3)
Chapter 183: please, just go back to where you came from! (3)
What was that?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren had to double check his own hearing just then.
They wont do it?? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
Christopher McLaren tilted his head this way and that after hearing his adjutants words.
What the hell? Why are these b*stards acting this way now?
Only a day ago, we were busy trying toe up with ns to do this thing together, but now, what I am supposed to do with them changing their mind like this?? (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Did something happen over there? (Christopher McLaren)
The group of dogs that wagged their tails happily when he patted them on the head only until a little while ago suddenly turned around and began flinging mud at him with their hind legs.
Sure, one of those dogs couldnt be trained at all and no one knew when itd start biting people, but still, considering that these hunting dogs listened well up until now, this was a rather unexpected development.
Is this Yi Ji-Hyuks doing? (Christopher McLaren)
That man was so unpredictable that itd not be strange at all for him to go off on another weird tirade, actually. Even then, he didnt behave this way, did he?
Make the call. I will have to speak to them personally. (Christopher McLaren)
They said that they cant be bothered toe to the States, sir.
Well, that means I can just pop over there, then! Ill head off to Korea, so get a teleporter ready. (Christopher McLaren)
Ah, sir, the thing is....
The adjutant formed aplicated expression and stared at Christopher McLaren, before resuming his words in a hesitant manner.
Sir... We dont have any teleporter with a marker ced in South Korea.
..........
Son of a b*tch....!
Christopher McLaren spat out a lengthy groan.
He thought that hed been paying attention. Only now he realised rather btedly that, even though he was aware of the importance Korea as a nation carried, he had forgotten to personally look after Americas interest in them until now.
How could they not have even a measly marker in that country?
Indeed, such a thing wouldnt have happened if he paid a little more attention. They came flying on their own volition with a simple phone call, so he mistakenly believed that having a hotline would be enough here.
I was short-sighted. (Christopher McLaren)
A persons mind was fickle, and he knew that international rtions could be even more fickle than a persons mind. His excuse of forgetting to pay more attention was that he couldnt spare enough time, what with him being waaaay too busytely.
Its my blunder on this one. (Christopher McLaren)
Anyone would make mistakes once or twice in their lifetime. The important thing was how a person would go about fixing it.
Where is the nearest marker? (Christopher McLaren)
Its in Japan, sir.
Tsk.
Christopher McLaren felt bitterness rise up in his mouth.
Japan, was it?
If current international rtions were taken into ount, Japan couldnt evene remotely close to Korea in terms of importance. Yet, there they were, wasting a marker of already-in-short-supply teleporters in not in China, but in Japan C while failing to leave one behind in Korea.
Looks like Ill have redress the bnce from the beginning again. (Christopher McLaren)
Of course, that was a matter to attend to at ater date.
Ill go to Japan first. Get a helicopter from the US troops stationed in Japan ready. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
With a bitter expression on his face, Christopher McLaren returned to his original seat.
And so, how much am I supposed to give them this time? (Christopher McLaren)
He suddenly recalled the smiling face of Choi Jung-Hoon, looking all dapper and suave.
Groan.....
It was now time to confirm how much a big shot yer that guy really was.
***
Oh, hey. Youre here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The first person to greet Christopher McLaren as he stepped foot inside the NDF building was, unexpectedly, Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
The American had a weird expression on his face as he extended his hand for a hand shake.
It sure feels different, stepping foot in another country like this. Nice to see you again, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Christopher McLaren)
Yep, me too. This way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Everything was fine when hended in Japan and took a helicopter ride to Korea.
But then, he didnt get the permission to fly into the ability user residential area near Seoul and had to change to a car to travel the rest of the way. His level of irritation was steadily getting higher from that experience.
It wasmon to see this sort of tug-of-war or show of strength in international politics, but Christopher McLaren hadnt been on the receiving end of such treatment in thest dozen or so years. So now, he was beginning to truly feel the superiority the other side had over him.
And then, to send Yi Ji-Hyuk out to greet him, of all people....
Again, it was prettymon tactic to send out your worst from the get-go to start the war of nerves. But in this case, Choi Jung-Hoon had urately figured out who Christopher McLaren was most awkward around with, and effectively used that to his advantage.
The first thing he saw after arriving here happened to be Yi Ji-Hyuks mug, and Christopher McLaren felt a stabbing paining from his stomach as a result.
Where is Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Christopher McLaren)
Were going to where he is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuks attitude said that he didnt have anything else to say. Christopher McLaren followed in to the building after him, his own expression hardening as the thoughts of This wont be easy took root in his head.
The NDF building was pretty small so they didnt need to travel too far, and indeed, only a few momentter, the two men found themselves in front of the door leading to the conference room.
Hes waiting for you inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent you joining us, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
Me? Well, even if I hear what you guys are going to talk about, I wouldnt know whats what, anyway. Its fine for you two to enjoy a little talk inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, is Mister Choi Jung-Hoon alone? (Christopher McLaren)
Yup.
....What an amateur. (Christopher McLaren)
In his hurry, Christopher McLaren couldnt bring along his usual entourage. Not a single one. In times like this, you should pressure your opponent with sheer numbers. That was the basics.
Indeed, looking rxed was important in a matter like this. So, it wouldnt do for you to reveal that you didnt have much spare room when it was you summoning the other party over here.
Sure, the Koreans had grown in status into big shots nowadays all thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk, but it seemed that they stillcked experience, and therefore didnt know how to adequately get a handle on a situation like this one.
In that case, Christopher McLaren should be able to manipte the advantage to his side.
The fate of the United States of America was hanging in the bnce here, and so, Christopher McLaren was fully resolved to resort to using threats if it needs be. He let out a fake cough to clear his throat, and opened the door to enter.
And then.... he saw it.
He saw Choi Jung-Hoon sitting at the seat of honour, his legs crossed as he leisurely smoked his cigarette.
....Uh?
Doesnt he look way too rxed?
...Now normally, you wouldnt look like that, though?
Besides all that.... Why does he look so cool in that pose? (Christopher McLaren)
A tall and handsome man was wearing an all-ck business suit while sucking on his cigarette, so quite literally, this moment felt like a snapshot from a noir film all of a sudden.
Christopher McLaren recalled a scene from a Hong Kong action film he used to enjoy watching way back when. His mind tensed up before he knew it, so as he stepped into the conference room, he did his best to control the nervousness he felt.
Obviously, Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt going to suddenly yank out a pistol and start shooting at him with no reason, so Christopher McLaren didnt have to remain so fearful here.
You are here. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon sounded so rxed and casual. Christopher McLaren wetted his lips. What a weird thing this was, his lips feeling so dry and cracked for some reason.
H-hello there. (Christopher McLaren)
Youvee a long way, so why dont we forego the pleasantries and get right to the point? Please, take a seat. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, of course! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren settled down while looking a bit flustered. Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned subtly after witnessing that and closed the door behind him.
He could personally step up here and pressure the American, sure, but since he wasnt nning to keep doing that in the future, it was far more wise to give Choi Jung-Hoon the requisite authority right now.
Thats why Yi Ji-Hyuk had left a handful of tools behind, and Choi Jung-Hoon was effectively using them already.
Mister, work hard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Mister Christopher McLaren.
***
I wonder, is everything going okay in there? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Probably? (Seo Ah-Young)
Kim Jae-Beoms worried-sounding question could only get Seo Ah-Youngs disinterested reply.
But, it shouldnt be an easy thing, two people intensely negotiating like that.... (Kim Jae-Beom)
This is Mister Choi Jung-Hoon were talking about. Hell do a good job without needing us to worry about him. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, his opponent is.... (Kim Jae-Beom)
....His opponent today was a bad match-up, for sure.
That man was none other than Christopher McLaren. He was the legendary existence that any newbie entering this field of work need to learn and memorise until their brains bled out!
If the ck Monday incident didnt happen, hed have been ruling the world of espionage with an iron fist by now. If the American President was the emperor of the day, then itd not be an exaggeration to call that man the emperor of the night.
But now, Choi Jung-Hoon was going one on one against such a man.
Wasnt this way too harsh a treatment for the poor guy?
Dont worry. Hell take care of it. (Seo Ah-Young)
........
Kim Jae-Beom continued to stare with an unconvinced expression. Seo Ah-Young had no choice left but to ask Yi Ji-Hyuk, as thetter just so happened to enter the office just then.
Dont you agree? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yeah, I do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk haphazardly nodded his head as if he couldnt care any less.
Im telling you, its not as simple as you two make it out to be. (Kim Jae-Beom)
Kim Jae-Beomsints prompted Yi Ji-Hyuk to dismissively wave his hand.
Even if it doesnt work, thats still fine. Besides, wanting to deal with that uncle using a crowd, just so we can extract more benefits this time around, will only makes us look like right royal knobster on. Itll make it more convenient for us to have a guy around who can push back just as hard as the other party. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you arent wrong there, but still.... (Kim Jae-Beom)
Even still, one shouldnt let a lone wolf fight against a lion, no?
Besides.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk carried on.
Hes not someone to get pushed around, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kim Jae-Beom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply to that and settled back down on his chair, instead.
Choi Jung-Hoon had been looking increasingly like a fooltely, but that was only because events he couldnt do anything about had been happening around him over and over again.
Even from their very first meeting, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt ignore that man Choi Jung-Hoon and the presence he carried.
Indeed, since his return to Earth, only Choi Jung-Hoon managed to make Yi Ji-Hyuk feel awkward simply by standing nearby, or make thetter think he was the indispensable ally to have around.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was someone whod slouch against the chair and disinterestedly nod his head even when meeting the president of his country. So, there was no better proof of Choi Jung-Hoons abilities being top ss than Yi Ji-Hyuk rating him that highly.
The poor guy had the misfortune of being harassed by Yi Ji-Hyuk ofte and ended up looking like a fool more often than not, but if he was really a fool to begin with, then well, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt even have bothered to deal with him.
We are done, everyone. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
People in the office all stood up after those words came from the distance. And when they saw the extremely contrasting expressions etched on the faces of two men walking into the office, they could also tell what the result of the negotiation was.
Christopher McLaren carried aplex expression where he looked like he was chewing on insects while forcing himself to grin, which only resulted in his brows twitching uncontrobly. On the other hand, Choi Jung-Hoon was trying to maintain an expressionless face, but the corners of his lips were constantly quivering up and down. So, yes, the result of the negotiation was as clear as day.
Yup, as far as his abilities are concerned.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was inwardly expressing her admiration towards Choi Jung-Hoon.
It couldnt have been easy for an early-thirties guy to get on top of an opponent who had ovee all sorts of trials and tribtions in his field.
Seo Ah-Young understood full well how burdensome the expectations of That person will definitely pull through regardless of what would be for the person in question. She too was subjected to such expectations since she was much younger, after all.
However, Choi Jung-Hoon proudly faced those expectations and oh-so proudly handled them with aplomb. As a man, as a fellow human being, he needed to be respected.
Are you finally done? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Quite unlike that man, that was.
Seo Ah-Young now could see Yi Ji-Hyuk and his annoyance-filled face.
If she got technical about this, then Yi Ji-Hyuk should be the one carrying the biggest burden of expectations of That person will definitely pull through regardless of what, and he was also the guy ably handling that expectation with an even bigger aplomb than anyone, yet....
Yet, why couldnt she feel the same sort of admiration towards this guy?!
Did he cast a recognition debuff on himself or something??
What now? Why you lookin at me like that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When the look in Seo Ah-Youngs eyes became rather weird, Yi Ji-Hyuk immediatelytched onto it and red right back at her.
Why should I even bother. (Seo Ah-Young)
What, what now?! Ah?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got triggered right away, but Seo Ah-Young simply turned her head away.
Whats the point? Itll only be me wasting my breath anyway. (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
The negotiation has concluded. I pray that the agents of South Korea will honour the part of the agreement in full. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren announced in a stiff voice. Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head and shifted his gaze to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, its your turn to step up. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, I dont wanna? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Pardon me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell, you were the one telling me to squeeze the other party dry for all the benefits we can get, so why are youing out like this now, you crazy b*stard?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Several choice words went on a riot inside his mouth trying to free themselves, but Choi Jung-Hoon remembered that there was an important guest from another country present here and did his best to suppress it.
Okay, who will do it, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They can do it themselves. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk yawned out grandly and stretched his limbs.
Looks like you lot have grown way too reliant on me cuz I did lots of stuff for youtely, but heres the thing. Its not all that dangerous and its also not that big of a deal. Its just a bother at this point, so why dont you guys step up without me for once? I already brought you the person to purify those zombies, yet you want more from me still? At this rate, you might even ask me to get you nappies and wipe your bottoms, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Miss Affeldrichae brought us the..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, so why did shee here in the first ce, again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................
Wowsers, who knew being speechless could be this infuriating! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon sighed out helplessly and stared at Seo Ah-Young.
Please, say somet.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why should I? (Seo Ah-Young)
You know its not something we can do without his help. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And, why not? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Eh?
Seo Ah-Young sounded very forthright in her reply.
Now that we got what we wanted, why shouldnt we do it by ourselves? I think youre forgetting something here.... Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, the reason why South Korea has be the most powerful nation isnt just because Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks here with us. Even if hes not here anymore, wed still be the most powerful nation. And we shall prove that point with this opportunity. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs manly deration brought about tears of powerful emotion to Choi Jung-Hoons eyes.
Thats right...
This is the me Witch, Seo Ah-Young!
She has finally returned. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Oh? Really? Does that mean I can emigrate to another country now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....You, you...
Please, just go back to where you came from. Please!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
< 183. Please, just go back to where you came from! -3 > Fin.
Chapter 184: Please, just go back to where you came from! (4)
Chapter 184: Please, just go back to where you came from! (4)
For the first time in a long while, Yi Ji-Hyuk got to observe the unfolding situation with no worries in his mind.
He was used to seeing all those ugly situations where he had to step up in order to solve them. But now, he was feeling so very happy, pleased, and chuffingfortable just from the idea of kicking back and taking it easy.... That was what it should have been like, but!!
Jeong Hae-Min spat out a long sigh after seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk chew on his nails.
If youre that worried, why dont you do something? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Worried? Who, me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively as if to dismiss her invalid ims.
What do you mean, worried?! Why would I even worry about anything?? I feel like I can fly now that I dont have to do anything! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You might really start flying away if your legs keep trembling like that, you know? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Jeong Hae-Min lightly clicked her tongue as her eyes continued to look at his legs vibrating at the speed of sound, as if an electric motor spinning at full tilt was attached to his limbs.
How could he be this distrusting?
There were some people like that in this world.
And those would be C the folks whod repeatedly mutter out How irritating, so bloody irritating non-stop when asked to do something, but then, when they actually didnt have to do anything, they couldnt trust others to get the job done and would anxiously pace up and down where they stood.
The kind of people who were born to be the leader of a group, as well as the sacrificialmb for the good of the group, too. She didnt expect him to be one such person, yet as it turned out, Yi Ji-Hyuk was exactly it.
Are you that distrusting of others?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If that was the case, why did you even bother to train them in the first ce? I mean, lets be real C you worked your butt off to train them to this degree but you havent even started using them the way you wanted to so far. (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-mm....
In truth, Jeong Hae-Min too was subjected to that brutal training regime. But in her eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk looked even more hard working as he had to constantly scoot over here and there without taking a single break, just so he could train up the NDF agents.
It was unknown whether other people saw it that way, though.
Seriously, if you analyse the things you did objectively, then youre definitely a nice guy, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh? What bullsh*t are you spewing now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You trained these kids up so they wouldnt get hurt. And you drove yourself near death for a whole six months just to train them. When we came back to reality, you didnt even try to use them as you said you would because they might get hurt, and instead you held them back and stepped up to fight by yourself. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah.....
Now that I hear her, shes right, isnt she?
What the heck was I doing until now?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I mean, you worked so hard like that, yet no one acknowledges you, instead they insult you and whatnot all the time. Why are you carrying on like this? (Jeong Hae-Min)
STHAP!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats enough!!
If you dont stop right there, I wont have any eyeballs left, you know!! So stop and give it a rest.
Because, all this moisture is building up in my eyeballs!
I never meant to live while people insulted me!
But they insult me on their own, so what the heck do you want from me now?!
....Wait a minute, isnt this way too weird?
From what I heard just now, from what she said, havent I really lived a good and earnest life so far....? So howe these guys cant wait to kill me all the time?
If I showed this much favour to someone back in Berafe, theyd trip over themselves just to show me their gratitude, you know?
Theyd even slice off and cook their own arms if I said I was starving.
For real!!
But in here, I did so much for them and all I get in return is a face full of insults and cusses..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks lengthy inner monologue)
....Yup, Berafe was far more civilised. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Nope, never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was so fed up with that world that his feeling actually verged on pure hatred. But, now that he had spent the past few months back on Earth, the world he dreamed of returning for so many years, he couldnt help but sometimes think that, at least back in Berafe, hismon sense applied just fine over there.
Indeed, how clear-cut and straightforward was that world? An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, too. As long as you remembered that basic rule, then there was nothing tooplicated or annoying matter to frown upon in that ce.
But Earth was a funny ce where a debt of gratitude could morph into a debt of hatred in the blink of an eye, and vice versa.
Could it be that Im way too used to the ways of Berafe?
He had been consciously trying to ignore this fact, but well, it could be said that the current version of Yi Ji-Hyuk was a rather different personpared to the one that had justnded back on Earth.
Back then, when his memories and his consciousness had been in a fixed position, all those things he had experienced back in Berafe was no different than his knowledge base expanding by a bit.
Just like how there was no meaning to filling up ones bookshelf with books if you werent going to read any in the first ce, the experiences of Berafe was something like a feast of knowledge left undigested to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Perhaps ironically, though C all those happenings in Berafe were beginning to affect him now that he was no longer under the influence of the fixed state.
Back in the past, things remained weird, unfamiliar and hard to understand because he simply couldnt digest everything he had experienced in Berafe.
But now, what with the memories of life lived in Berafe finally being digested, he was beginning to feel that it was Earth that was the weird one.
Yeah, I sure have changed a lot, havent I. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? What are you talking about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What would you know, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed under his breath.
Even if he told her, would she even be able to understand anything?
If he was still that Yi Ji-Hyuk right after his return to Earth, hed have done whatever possible to rip apart and kill Affeldrichae the moment she showed up before him. Itd be totally unimaginable to keep her around by his side like this.
Because, even if he liked to fool around, the existences of Berafe remained hateful and detestable things in Yi Ji-Hyuks view.
Affeldrichae would be no exception. It was true that she had shown him some favour in the past, but it was also an undeniable fact that she persistently stood in his path and tried to stop him all the time.
So, if he was still the Bringer of Apocalypse from the past, hed not have hesitated in cutting her head off at all.
However, now.... he did hesitate.
It was already unbing of the Yi Ji-Hyuk to ask her why she had to appear before him instead of immediately attacking to kill her off right away.
No, hang on. Should I say that Ive be more me now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, it was simply unthinkable for all those experiences he went through to not affect him in some shape or form during all those years. So, he should perhaps more correctly say that only now was he beginning to revert back to his original personality.
If that was the case, then he should be celebrating, but....
....But, Ive be softer.
If it was in the past, hed not be swayed by something like feelings or emotions.
Back in Berafe, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt care about the cost or the method employed as long as he reached his goal. And he definitely wasnt someone whod worry about others situations while being swayed by his feelings.
Whether his changes were due to him finally meeting proper people again thousand-something yearster, or that his personality had indeed changed for real, he couldnt tell for sure. But he knew that either case was not wee news for him.
Those who were swayed by feelings and emotions would be ruined in the end. That was one of the lessons Yi Ji-Hyuk learnt after observing the flow of history for centuries upon centuries.
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It sure was a giant mistake on his part for not dealing with it decisively enough even though he was aware of this fact. It might not be a big enough problem right now, but all these haphazardly created rtionships held the potential to tighten around his neck like a noose.
He witnessed all those giants and captains of their respective fields fall to ruin in the past through matters like this, and he always thought that they were being stupid idiots. But now that he found himself in a simr position, he kind of understood why they behaved in such a way.
One would never be able to cleanly severe the rtionships formed between human beings.
What are you thinking so hard about now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins question brought Yi Ji-Hyuk back to his senses. He let out another long sigh and replied to her.
You must be happy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
About what? (Jeong Hae-Min)
The fact that you can live without thinking about anything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the heck?! Is that something you should be saying to your noona!!! And I definitely dont live without thinking, you know?! I have my own worries and thoughts too, you know!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
And why would you be worried about now?! What would you even be thinking about in the first ce?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Like, like, what am I going to do to put food on the table, stuff like that.... In any case, itsplicated, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just carry on being an idol, will you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont you know that the current trend is for the ability user idols to quit or retire altogether? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, why?! Because we cant get any work, thats why! All those promisedmercial shoots I was supposed to film dissipated into the thin air, and even those I signed contracts with got cancelled, too. And, because the contract deals were so vague, I wont even be getting any cancetion fees at this rate, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
What are you so worried about, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why shouldnt I worry? (Jeong Hae-Min)
If you really cant work as an idol no more, then just get a job with Ub*r or with D*L. Methinks that youd have no problem making a living out of delivering emergency packages overseas. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, I was gonna get angry at you, but sadly, I think you have a point there. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Once upon a time, she was a popr idol who got recognised in all corners of the country. But now, she had to change her job as the international courier service industrys idol.
Jeong Hae-Mins shoulders drooped low, low down as aplicated, weird emotional mixture settled in, one half of that mixtureprising of the sadness at wondering how did her life turn out this way, and the rest being a certain relief from knowing that she at least had a way to earn a living now.
Who says that some jobs are better than others? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, I wanted to be an idol..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
You shouldnt, when its treating you this badly. And also, lets be real. Its embarrassing for you to keep insisting on being an idol at your age, too. Im pretty sure that other people are thinking the same thing, even if they havent said anything to you yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, I really hate you. Can I smack you in the face once??? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Of course not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decisively ignored herints and turned his head away.
People should have pretty much forgotten about that serial killer case by now, yet the ostracising of the ability users showed no signs of abating at all. Now that was definitely not good news.
Just how long will they keep their mouths shut? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In all honesty, regr people ostracising ability users wasnt all that strange an urrence in his view. There was no one alive beside Yi Ji-Hyuk who knew how badly the species called humans would treat other races, after all.
However, the story would be quite different from the perspectives of the ability users.
It was precisely these people that ensured the continued survival of this world. And these ability users didnt have much to gain from the regr people. Other than something like the basic social structure being maintained by regr, powerless folks, ability users really didnt have any reason to protect them. At all.
And those you were ostracising would scoff at the very notion of protecting other people just because they were suddenly fellow human beings as well. As for the idea of monsters taking over this world once the bnce between the ability users and regr humans broke, it just failed to register with themon men.
What would happen, then, when this situation continued to repeat itself over and over again until the ability users began an open conflict with the regr people?
Yep, itll be the end of the world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You, why are you talking to yourself like that since a few minutes ago?? Did you get a heat stroke or something?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Heat stroke, my foot!! Dont you know how cold it is?! Besides all that, you, if you got nothing better to do, why dont you scoot waaay over there and peel yourself some tangerines or something?? Why are you sticking so close and irritating me like this?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Because, youre the only one who understands what Im saying around here. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh. Yeah, I guess I get you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, it was the same story for me only until a few days ago, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Looks like they are to get started now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hmm?
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gleamed brightly as he looked to his front.
As if they hade to some sort of an agreement, Seo Ah-Young, Choi Jung-Hoon and Christopher McLaren were sharing energetic handshakes.
You should be doing that after you finish your task first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What meaning was there to say Lets do our best before starting on a task? Was there anyone who started with a thought of doing their absolute worst??
Regardless of whether Yi Ji-Hyuk was happy or not about the situation, those three went their separate ways to get to their respective positions, and then, the operation finally got on the way.
Things are gonna go very wrong at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you just jinx them, why dontcha?! Are you hoping they would seed or totally fail here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Uh, half-half? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im telling you, youre just too weird. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its my honest feeling, so what do you want from me now?!
Half of me says that itd be very nice if they get this done without me getting involved. But then, the other half says Im gonna feel jealous if they do pull that off, so I wouldnt mind one or two things going wrong, you see?
Annnd, thats how a human being operates, you know.
Even though you know you gotta let go the thing youre holding in your hands but you still end up deliberating on it C isnt that what being human is all about?
Just like, that guy named Louis 14th who proudly created an absolute monarchy only to die early from stress caused by the absolutely maddening workload?
Mm? Wait, he didnt die from overworking?
Whatever. He did die young anyway. Probably. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
They are starting! (Jeong Hae-Min)
At the same time Jeong Hae-Min made her observation, Kim Dah-Hyun standing on top of the barricade jumped down to the ground below.
Ho-oh?
It seemed that Kim Dah-Hyun was tasked with starting the operation.
He whistled leisurely even when facing a horde of million-strong zombies, before slowly taking several steps forward.
Alright. Now then..... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun shrugged his shoulders once, and got his motor running in earnest.
And soon, he left behind a long tail of afterimages like a speeding asteroid and dashed straight towards the corner of the zombie horde.
< 184. Please, just go back to where you came from! -4 > Fin.
Chapter 185: Please, just go back to where you came from! (5)
Chapter 185: Please, just go back to where you came from! (5)
His name was Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun. He was a Korean ability user who could legitimately be called the fastest not just in South Korea, but in the world, too.
Although his reality was a sad one where hed often get run over by his younger sister at home and get run over by Yi Ji-Hyuk at work, but as far as his ability was concerned, there was absolutely no doubt that he was as fast as theye.
It was just that he got mixed up with a collection of sheer monstrous individuals and didnt get to shine as much; if he was analysed by his own merits, then itd not be an exaggeration to call him one of the top ability users in the entire world.
Thats why!!!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns sorrow and anguish filled voice cried out.
Stop looking down on meeeeee!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He was currently in a state exceeding the speed of sound, so his voice was unfortunately drowned out by the shock waves and no one got to hear it.
As a small constion, zombies realised that he was running towards them at an incredible speed and redirected their attention his way.
Too bad, the distance was too short for the zombies toe up with a response, not to mention their reaction time was also rather slow, and perhaps most importantly, the Path Drifter was simply too fast for them.
Cha-haht!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun pushed the zombies around him to the side and continued to sprint forward. He didnt really need to use his hands or kick them away. The wall of air generated around him shoved the already-unsteady zombies away and created arge pathway.
Firstly, he separated a handful of zombies in a corner away from the rest of the horde.
Hmm.... (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan was diligently running after the Path Drifter.
Orya-cha!! (Park Sung-Chan)
He jumped into the new pathway Kim Dah-Hyun had carved out and began grabbing and throwing the separated zombies to a specific location.
These flying zombiesnded on arge safety installed at the designated location. Before their faltering figures could stand up, the American ability users on standby around the made sure no zombies could get out of there and suppressed them.
Where is she?!
Just as someone let out a loud yell, Jeong Hae-Min took Roabell and teleported to right in front of them.
Hurry!!
Roabell didnt bother to retort and simply raised her sceptre high in the air before shouting out her words.
Oh, dear Buzugote!!
The water-coloured divine power began pouring out like a waterfall from her sceptre.
How unsophisticated. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tutted as he looked on at this development.
Wasnt achieving highest efficiency the basics of all types of work out there? Indeed, it was the most basic of all basics to only use the strength of, say, 100 people for the work that required the presence of 100 people.
However, that fool of a human, nay, the Elf, was pouring out the power equivalent of tens of thousands when only 100 would suffice.
KUUWAAAAH-!!!
The pure divinity poured down on the zombies. They got a literal cold shower from the divine powers, and suddenly, began writhing around while issuing bizarre shrieks and yelps before eventually sagging down without an ounce of energy left.
Is that all?
Roabell nodded her head.
Thanks to the trantion magic Affeldrichae had cast beforehand, she had no problem conversing with these people.
They will be fine a littleter. Please, move them to somewhere safe. (Roabell)
Roger that.
The Americans had already been ordered to provided as much assistance as humanly possible to these Koreans, so they epted Roabells orders without any dissatisfaction.
Besides, even if they felt dissatisfied, they knew that now wasnt the right time to voice their thoughts.
More iing!
Almost as soon as the was emptied, zombies thrown by Park Sung-Chan were flying in quite rapidly.
....Hes in quite a bit of a hurry, isnt he?
But, then again C separating zombies 100 at a time and purifying them would mean she needed to perform over ten thousand purification processes, mathematically speaking.
And, even if this rate was maintained for the whole day, shed still have a long way left to go before finishing the purification.
Jeong Hae-Min grasped Roabells hand.
We dont have time to dawdle. (Jeong Hae-Min)
She then activated teleport and they disappeared from that spot.
*
Hah-aht! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs method was somewhat simplerpare to others.
Even if these zombies didnt seem to possess any intellect, they still had some capacity to perform basic reasoning, a sense of awareness, that allowed them to back off instead of advancing forward when there were huge balls of mes approaching them from the front.
Thanks to this fact, Seo Ah-Youngs job became that much easierpared to her colleagues. She only had to get some fireballs going and that would cause the zombies to separate in haste to left and right all on their own.
If you knew this wouldve worked, maybe you should have used oil and set it on fire to create a wall of mes instead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Christopher McLaren shook his head at Choi Jung-Hoons suggestion.
You think we havent considered that? However, what would you have done if they got hurt? Its possible for the me Witch to control her mes if zombies get too close, but if we resort to using mes and one of them got burnt to cinders, wed be under siege of massive criticisms from the rest of the country. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, thats politics for you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, so you know all about it, then. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren formed a deep frown.
This was a case of Easier said than done.
Indeed, the current scene was only possible because she was capable of flinging around powerful enough mes to push back that many zombies in the first ce.
A typical me-wielding ability user would struggle to consistently produce a ball of me asrge as their heads, yet she was currently producing house-sized me balls from the tip of her fingers and, as if that wasnt enough, she even proceeded to toy around with them at will, too. Now that was the disy of true power the me Witch possessed.
But, she couldnt have been that powerful.... (Christopher McLaren)
If Seo Ah-Young the me Witch was such an outstanding ability user to begin with, then Christopher McLaren would have tried anything, even underhanded tactics, to make her an American citizen C his pride be d*mned.
The thing was, though, the me Witch of the past may have been strong but she was also a me-wielding ability usermonly found pretty much everywhere. She certainly wasnt someone amazing enough to risk causing friction with the Korean government to get his hands on.
Groan....
Christopher McLaren shifted his gaze over to where Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
Just what did that man do?
If he didnt do anything, then the American intelligence agency had been wasting their time up until a few months ago. Hed think that mustve been the case if it were only Seo Ah-Young. But, then again, it was just inconceivable that they failed to urately assess every single one of the NDFs agents.
If that really did happen, then the American intelligence agency would very much be undeserving of the reputation as the eavesdropper of the entire world.
Seo Ah-Youngs mes managed to separate a portion of the zombies and drove them to elsewhere. Thats when Jeong Hae-Min and Roabell appeared together to rain down the water-coloured divinity on them. And the zombies getting showered on in that fashion soon copsed to the ground.
The American ability users and special forces operatives hurriedly dashed towards the copsed zombies, leading Jeong Hae-Min and Roabell to teleport out of there as if that was the most obvious thing in the whole world.
It was then, Christopher McLarens walkie talkie went off.
Psuhee-!
C Director.
Whats the prognosis? (Christopher McLaren)
C The copsed people have regained some colour in theirplexion, sir. We will need more time to properly assess their condition, but on the outside at least, they seem to be recovering, sir.
Dont let your guard down! Even if they look fine on the outside, dont take it easy, understand? Test them with every procedure you can think of and only then, move those victims deemed not dangerous out of the quarantine zone and into the regr hospitals! (Christopher McLaren)
C But, sir. At this rate, we will have over a million patients, and I dont think theres a hospitalrge enough to amodate them all. Even if we utilise multiple hospitals, that would pose various challenges on their own, sir.
Then set up emergency tents somewhere, you dumb f*ck!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren angrily ended the call and shifted his anxious eyes over to the remaining zombie horde.
Currently, the whole thing was in a bit of a lull and these zombies didnt show any signs of makingrge movements, but what if they suddenly began rushing forward....?
It was then C the zombies began to shuffle around again.
The American forces pulled the barricades back and that managed to temporarily halt the zombies trying to rush forward, but perhaps the attacks from the ability users agitated them, they were beginning to move again.
Secure the barricades!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren cried out loudly enough to almost tear out his vocal chords.
The important thing right now was to stop the zombies from going anywhere.
The purification might have started now, but if this defensive line was breached, then the zombies would spread across America. And when that happened, the rate of new zombies appearing could vastly outstrip the rate of catching and purifying individuals.
Were almost there! We only need to hold out for a little while longer! (Christopher McLaren)
He knew that they needed a LOT more time to purify all these zombies.
Even if the parties involved worked their butts off, no one knew how many more days they needed in the end. And it was also unknown whether Roabell could continue to pour out that divinity or whatever without a rest, too.
Unfortunately, Christopher McLaren couldnt do anything besides whipping his charges into working even harder.
Stop them! Look at the defence line over to the right side!! Its too fragile over there! Send more reinforcements in!! (Christopher McLaren)
But, sir! We dont have enough personnel at the moment with many of our ability users involved in rescue missions!
F*ck me. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren red at the countless banks of monitors filling up the situation control centre and gnashed his teeth.
Because of the sheer scale of the defensive line, it was simply impossible to analyse the developing situation with naked eyes and efficiently arrange the troops ording to their needs.
No, only by dispatchingmanders to many different locations and receiving their real time reports while scanning each of the monitors constantly could he just barely manage to arrange the troops.
That was his current situation, yet now with several ability users leaving for the rescue mission, the bnce precariously teetering on the edge was about to be broken.
T-they, the zombies are trying to charge at the barricades!
Oh, my god.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren now could see the horde of zombies dashing towards a section of the barricades through the monitors. These things were mounting a desperate attack right now.
If his troops could defend against that wave, then for sure, this disaster might be solved soon, but if not, then itd be pretty simr to poking a hos nest for no good reason.
Do whatever it takes to defend against that!! (Christopher McLaren)
He found himself to be utterly pathetic for simply shouting out like this without any concrete n whatsoever, but realistically speaking, there wasnt a whole lot he could do under the current situation.
Cant you increase the pace of purification?? (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon could only shrug his shoulders when he heard the Americans urgent voice.
Id like to help, but as you know, Im not a part of that mission so all I can do is pass on the message. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its fine even if thats all you can do. (Christopher McLaren)
Alright. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon knew doing that would be useless, but he also knew how desperate Christopher McLaren was feeling now so he didnt say anything else.
Christopher McLaren yelled into his walkie talkie again.
Defend that barricade as if your life depended on it! If it get breached, then you all better be prepared to lose your necks, got that?! (Christopher McLaren)
C Roger that, sir.
A clear and concise reply came back. Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head at this impressive spectacle. He could feel a powerful bond of trust among these Americans, which was something rather hard to achieve.
The United States wasnt called the worlds strongest not because of their cutting-edge equipment or their seemingly-endless supply of everything. No, they were strong because they could move and act as one under the banner of trust built upon years and years of shared rationale.
We should learn from them. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
There was a limit to managing stuff with haphazard nning, after all.
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head, convinced, and spoke to his ownmunication device.
The situation is getting more urgent as we speak. Please hurry up with the operation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Why dont you do it then, you effing son of a b*tch?!
C Why, is it getting toofortable for you, sitting there on your a*s and watching on? Yeah? Is it too f*ckingfortable now?!
C Where the hell are you?
C Dont tempt me, otherwise Imma throw you into the middle of the zombies! Pah, sh*t!
Choi Jung-Hoon switched his device off and stared longingly at the heavens above.
Yup, it was so, so blindingly, beautifully clear. So, so f*cking stupidly clear....
Have you passed on the message? I thought I heard urgent replies? Are their situation that serious? (Christopher McLaren)
....Well, they said that they are willing to put their lives on the line to get it done. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ohhh! I am envious of the rtionship of trust you people have cultivated. I wish we also had such a culture of passionately responding to others like that. Should we start a special learning course for that, I wonder? (Christopher McLaren)
....I strongly rmend that you dont. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Because, you might end up growing sceptical of life in general, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon continued to wipe away the streams of waterworks threatening to break out of his eyes and shifted his gaze towards the frontline.
Euh?! Look over there! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon got jolted back to his senses by what he saw and hurriedly shouted out.
They are breaking through!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Where?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren hurriedly turned his head in the direction Choi Jung-Hoon was pointing at.
An armoured vehicle had been overturned and its unsightly belly was showing. The military personnel around it had to back up in order to avoid getting crushed by it, but that created an opening. And through that opening, zombies began flooding in.
T-that?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren forgot what he wanted to say and stared at that unfolding spectacle.
In that moment, he felt the inside of his head nking out.
I, I need to stop that, but... I must do something here....
But, but, what can I do? The reserve forces are... (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Wowsers. They really broke through. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Ah, we still have someone in reserve.
Sure, we have someone ready, but.....
But, why does it have to be him?!
Out of all the countless ability user out there, just why did it have to be him?!
God d*mn it... (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
< 185. Please, just go back to where you came from! -5 > Fin.
Chapter 186: Do I look like a honourable person? (1)
Chapter 186: Do I look like a honourable person? (1)
They are breaking through! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes filled with sense of urgency stared at the zombie horde in the distance.
These so-called zombies that had been standing still and swaying around for a while, suddenly began shuffling towards a certain direction as if a switch inside them had been flipped. And now, they were sprinting towards the barricade at a fairly high speed.
The zombies who couldnt use their legs properly fell to the ground and were trampled by the frenzied zombie hordes stampede.
D*mn it!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He didnt do anything wrong here, but obviously, it still didnt feel so good to watch people die like that right in front of his eyes.
But, why are they doing this?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
No, hang on. Them hanging around like that was the strange thing, wasnt it?
They were originally like this, but the temporary lull only came about after the barricades were pushed back, didnt it? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
What should we do? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun shouted at the smartwatch device on his wrist, and in turn, he got Seo Ah-Youngs cold voice as a reply.
C We leave the front to the barricade. We gradually shave the zombie horde from the back and purify them. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, you know that aint gonna be as easy as you say! Will they able to hold on? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Merely watching the million-plus, mindless zombies rush forward in a single direction was enough to send a terrified chill down Kim Dah-Hyuns spine, even though he believed that he was a hard man after having gone through all sorts of hardships in his life.
Being asked to take care of them would make one feel not just bbergasted, but even horrified, too C yet, how was one supposed to suppress them without inflicting a single wound?
How was that even humanly possible?
C Thats not what you should be concerned about, Mister Kim Dah-Hyun. (Seo Ah-Young)
What kind of irresponsible drivel was she spewing now?
C You should do what you are capable of doing right now. Do what you were supposed to do first. If you worry about something thats not a part of your job, then you may end up messing up your own part in this mission. If youre that worried, then the best thing you can do is to quickly finish your job to reduce the pressure on the others. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keuk.
She was right.
Kim Dah-Hyun was able to escape from the state of momentary confusion thanks to Seo Ah-Youngs cold but calm words. His own eyes became icy as he red at the zombies.
Ill believe in them, then. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Indeed, he wasnt doing this alone.
Besides, if things were to be far too difficult to handle for them, then that guy staying way back and busy chewing on dried pock would probably step up, instead. (TL: Dried pock is white cod-like fish eaten by South Koreans. Also spelled as pollock. This saying simply means the person is wasting time yapping on and on.)
Yup, they had a final line of defence, hadnt they??
Kim Dah-Hyun believed that in his heart as he dashed forward.
However....
Will he really help? Someone like him....? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun remained rather realistic as he still couldnt shake off that one little tiny bit of suspicion in his head.
***
Che!
Rudra and Spitfire were both going through a tough battle of their own.
God d*mn it, cant we just wipe them all off or something? (Spitfire)
Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyuined bitterly, causing Rudra to sigh helplessly under his breath.
You do that, buddy, and youll be extradited as a wanted criminal because of the international politics. If I was the president of our country, Id not hesitate to sacrifice you if that meant all of my problems would go away. When that happens, youll probably get stuck with a ten thousand-plus year sentence and start singing Circle of Life with the criminal uncles in a jail cell. (Rudra)
What do you mean, sing Circle of Life?! (Spitfire)
Do I really need to spell it out for you? Seriously? (Rudra)
....No. On second thought, itll be for the best if you dont. (Spitfire)
For some reason, Spitfire felt his spine, no, a certain body part way below his spine suddenly pucker up.
Such a thing should not be allowed to happen, obviously.
Still, this is honestly way too sh*tty, man!! (Spitfire)
For these two men who were specialised in attacking the enemy, separating the zombie horde without injuring them was a really tall order to carry out.
It was a small constion that the risk to their lives were on the low side, but that didnt mean there was totally no risk to them whatsoever, either.
It was also unproven that these folks reverting back from the state of zombie-fication would be able to regain their former personalities, too.
They were acting on the basis of that woman Roabells assurance, so how could they feelpletely convinced? More importantly, the fact that the guarantor of her words being Yi Ji-Hyuk caused their confidence to plummet even further.
If they were to be honest with themselves, then they should me thetter for most of their scepticism, though....
That man was evil enough to throw everyone else in hell and leisurely walk away if that meant ending the annoying situation in one go.
In fact, these two felt fearful in their hearts, deeply worried that even though they had already tasted how far humanity could fall through that mans wickedness, it was possible that there was an even greater depth of depravity hiding within him.
Lets hurry up with our jobs. Our records are the worst of everyone. I dont want to hear her naggingter on, you know? Im sure you dont want to hear the Insane Witch shout at us, calling us useless b*tches and all that, right? (Rudra)
Stop saying something scary, will ya? (Spitfire)
They were S-grade ability users in South Korea, so how could they see such a thing happen to them?
Alright. Now, then.... (Spitfire)
Spitfires me cannon was fired at the ground.
Rumble-!!
The ground caved in and shook violently, and almost half of it blew away from the resulting explosion.
The zombies couldnt maintain their bnce and fell to the ground. Rudra then whipped up powerful gusts of wind to suppress the fallen zombies even further.
This might be inefficient, but we dont have a choice. (Spitfire)
Even if it was slow, all they had to do was to steadily work on it. If this was all they could do, they should just stick to it, then. Spitfire grinned and nced at his colleague, currently keeping himself really busy.
Its not like Im all alone here, is it. (Spitfire)
Of course, excluding that man, obviously.
Uh? By the way....? (Rudra)
Yeah? (Spitfire)
Spitfire quickly turned his head after he heard Rudras flustered voice.
Hey, over there, that ce got breached. (Rudra)
Eh? (Spitfire)
He took a look in the direction Rudra was pointing at, and spotted an overturned armoured vehicle, plus the masses of zombies using that opening to flood in beyond the barricades.
Uh..... (Spitfire)
Surely, that couldnt be a good thing, right?
What should we do now? (Rudra)
Rudra asked, and Spitfire lifted his wrist up to his lips. Well, the job of thinking wasnt his, after all.
Excuse me. I think the barricade got breached over there. (Spitfire)
C Dont worry about that and continue with what you were doing. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, of course, shed say that.
Ah, sure thing. Got it. (Spitfire)
Rudra tilted his head.
What did she say? (Rudra)
She says, carry on with what we were doing. (Spitfire)
...Oh. Well, in that case. (Rudra)
Spitfire stopped worrying about the breached barricade and carried on with what he was doing a moment ago. However, a single question grasped his head and didnt want to let him go.
Thinking wasnt his job, for sure. Indeed, it was Seo Ah-Youngs job to think, but....
Wait, was Seo Ah-Young really that smart to give us orders and make correct decisions in the middle of an operation, to begin with? (Spitfire)
.........
Spitfire saw Rudra turn his head away without providing an answer, and began regretting the fact that he asked something he shouldnt have.
*
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?! Please, do something and stop them!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly cried out, but Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly to the side in a crooked angle and replied with an unimpressed sounding voice.
Im off duty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Off duty?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How could he im off duty in the middle of one of the greatest cmities to befall this??
Have you ever seen a firefighter im hes off duty and walk away from a house on fire?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, I havent. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, thats the obvious thing not to do, isnt it?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, thats because that persons a firefighter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
EHH??
They are honourable folks and thats why they are willing to throw away their time off to rescue other people. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you trying to say here?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Do I really look like a honourable person to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....................
Holy moly, mother of god....
How am I supposed to answer that now?!
The only correct answer to say here is Yes, you are, but the d*mn b*stard called my conscience is busy telling me, Aigo, you rotten fool, I will never say that. Feels like the inside of my head is all going haywire! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
He had been lying through his teeth recently all thanks to what his job entailed, but even then, honestly speaking in a super-duper serious way, this would be his first time feeling this much of a guilt in his conscience.
M-maybe? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wowsers. Im telling you, youd do great as a politician. Ill sponsor you, so dont you wanna take on the world of politics? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you just insult me straight in my face?
No, hang on. That WAS an insult, wasnt it? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon wouldve preferred to be openly called a moral-less trash of humanity. Thatd be better for his heart, actually. But now that he was insulted in such a subtle, roundabout manner, he felt so indescribably soiled for some reason.
This isnt the time to crack jokes! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I wasnt joking, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you im off duty?! Just who decided that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The NDFs director. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Shes the director only when its convenient to you.
Usually, youd call her this woman, that woman, an insane spinster, or whatever takes your fancy in that moment, but only in times like this you call her the director!
Besides all that, just what did Seo Ah-Young say to him that made him behave like this?? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
What did the director say to you, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
She said, shell show me the cool sight of them taking care of this mess without me getting involved. She then said, I should not do anything and quietly stick my head in some dark, dank corner and suck on a can of c. Something along those lines. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Seriously? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Holy cow. Why did she have to say it like that?
Besides, Seo Ah-Youngs manner of speech isnt like.... No, wait. She has always been like that. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Now that Choi Jung-Hoon thought about it, Seo Ah-Young was capable of saying those words for sure, and that left him unable toe up with a rebuttal right away.
So, like, what can I do in this case, really? My superior officer gave me an order, you know? What if I end up in a brig for disobeying a direct order? Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, will you take responsibility for that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We dont have a brig in the NDF. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, then its straight to jail? To a jail, just like that?! Im a weakling so if I end up in a horrible ce like that, Ill probably die of suffocation, you know? Uh-whew, so dang scary. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Didnt you im that a prison feeds you for free, gives you a bed to sleep on, as well as free clothing.... You said you wouldnt mind going there for a few years to take a break, didnt you?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I did? When? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing those sparkling, clear eyes of Yi Ji-Hyuk as he asked back, Choi Jung-Hoon was nearly ovee with the desire to poke those eyeballs with his fingers and make them go pop. However, the superhuman level of patience designed specifically to deal with Yi Ji-Hyuk automatically kicked in and he was able to prevent a rather grisly event from taking ce.
No, hang on! This isnt the time to joke around! Please, do something! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the heck. What does this ahjussi want from me now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively and continued on.
You think Im Dorae.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehhei!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, right. You think Im some kind of a robot roon with a box of everything attached? Every time something happens, youe to me, asking me to do this and that! Youre an adult, so arent you ashamed of yourself? You should be taking care of your own c**p, you know?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I saw you trembling in anxiety because no one bothered to ask for your help earlier!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon pounded on his chest in frustration.
I definitely saw with my own two eyes you busy chewing on your nails, anxious about things going wrong somehow, all worried like a mother hen about whether we can pull this off without you or not!!
But now that youre needed, look at you acting like an entitled brat all of a sudden?!
No, this is way beyond that now.
You can only act spoiled if you have something to gain from that, but this guy, hes just enjoying this situation, isnt he?? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Your character.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm? Did you say something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, not really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Whew.
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a long sigh deep within his heart somewhere and began thinking about the best possible way to rescue this situation. First of all, he needed to soothe this guy and his sulky temper tantrums before anything else could be done.
Even though the thoughts of scepticism regarding why he should do that, even though he wasnt this guys nanny or something, rushed in his head, there was nothing he could do about that now.
His current opponent was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk, after all.
You still need to stop that, dont you agree?! If you are unhappy about something, Ill apologise on behalf of everyone! So, like, please stop the zombies!! Please! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wow! Look at you, getting all angry and stuff! Aigoo~! Help me, my good neighbours! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aaargh, seriously! Imma just!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What was that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at the heavens above and let a long sigh ofmentation escape from his mouth. Why couldnt he be an ability user, too?
If he had some sort of power, however small, he wouldve pounced on Yi Ji-Hyuk even if that meant hed get beaten up in the end. But that was an impossible dream for a normal person with a weak body.
Im not being like this because its annoying, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a confused expression.
Its not because its annoying, but... Because, I shouldnt be stepping out here. Thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why not? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I mean, I put them under special training regime and made them stronger, but I couldnt even put them properly to work because of that stinking demon king and whatnot. Its time they realise just how powerful they have be. If I keep wiping their bottoms for them, then theyd soon end up unable to do anything without me around, you know? You want that to happen? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, such a thing couldnt be allowed to happen. If that did happen, then the NDF would never be able to escape from Yi Ji-Hyuks influence, after all.
So, they gotta do this when things arent as risky. Or, they might really have to put their lives on the line just to realise that factter on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks collected, earnest words made Choi Jung-Hoon nod his head. This guy, he sometimes had a way of seeing straight through the true nature of things.
And that would be one of the reasons that made dealing with this guy such a chore. However, if there was one thing that still got on Choi Jung-Hoons nerves, then that would be....
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You arent saying that because you feel toozy to move, right? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.........
Why arent you answering me?
WHY??
Yi Ji-Hyuk avoided meeting Choi Jung-Hoons eyes right until the end.
< 186. Do I look like a honourable person? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 187: Do I look like an honourable person? (2)
Chapter 187: Do I look like an honourable person? (2)
(Not edited, unfortunately.)
Of course, what you said about them is all good and stuff! Fine! But, cant you see whats going on over there?! That ce has been breached!! We might have several millions more zombies before our people realise the extent of their own powers! The damages will be far too severe by then! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You know, I think.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I know what??? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I think, the one underestimating his own agents the most might be you, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
As if to solidify Yi Ji-Hyuks argument, a lone man suddenly dropped into the middle of the opening in the barricade. Choi Jung-Hoon looked at that and cried out.
Mister Park Sung-Chan?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The Iron Park Sung-Channded hard on the ground, and then proceeded to grab the zombies trying to pounce on new victims. He then chucked them back into the midst of the horde a far away.
Please, be careful!! What if they get hurt?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Be serious! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan shot a re back.
You think one or two getting hurt under the circumstances is a problem?! If they are unhappy about it, tell them to sort this sh*t out by themselves! Isnt this a pure bullsh*t request to begin with?! (Park Sung-Chan)
No, hang on! Its not just one or two getting hurt here!
Those you just threw at the zombie horde flew like cannon shells and blew away the others as if they are bowling pins, you know?!
Please think first before saying such a things!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Of course, Choi Jung-Hoon was the type to think first before saying his piece, so he didnt mutter any of that out this time.
In any case, please be more cautious! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cautious can kiss my a*s!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Park Sung-Chan chucked every single zombie that broke through the barricade back to the rest of the horde, picked the overturned military vehicle up, and ced it where it used to be.
Cant you all make a better barricade or something? You think this is enough for a barricade? (Park Sung-Chan)
....If we were to barricade you in, wed need the Grand Canyon. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont judge everything ording to your standards!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Park Sung-Chan finished sorting out the situation, more or less, and jumped back into the zombie horde.
Argh, again?! Now you want me to go where?? (Park Sung-Chan)
Watching Park Sung-Chan shout at the smartwatch device on his wrist like that, Choi Jung-Hoon was ovee with this thought that he was looking at a husband getting ordered around by his wife to run an errand just now.
No, hang on a minute. A wife?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How dare he, Park Sung-Chan!!
Choi Jung-Hoons head was suddenly filled with that thought, but he quickly shook his head to shake it off.
Am I going mad as well? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon blushed slightly and nced at Seo Ah-Young a bit further away.
*
This is endless. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young bit her nails.
She was all gung-ho about the whole thing when she started this mission, but now.... As it turned out, it was the case of easier said then done.
Purifying once or twice wasnt all that difficult, sure, but repeating that process tens of thousands of times proved to be really problematic.
Hmm....
This was going to take too long. She brought the smartwatch device closer and pressed the Call button.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Seo Ah-Young)
C Yes, Im here. Please speak. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
For the time being, Ill be sending half of our agents back to the barricade. Please distribute them appropriately. Ill also hand over themand to you. (Seo Ah-Young)
C Understood. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If she handed the reins over like this, then Choi Jung-Hoon would do a fine job on his own. In all honesty, leaving themand of this mission to him from the get-go would have been far more efficient, and she knew that fact very well.
However, she also wanted to show that she wasnt some useless figurehead.
....To the rest of the world, and more specifically, that d*mn detestable Yi Ji-Hyuk, too.
It wasnt as if she didnt feel a pang of regret about needlessly trying to show off here, but in order for her to stand tall as the boss of the NDF, this simply had to be done.
Because, she herself had acutely sensed herself morphing into a nominal leader after Yi Ji-Hyuk made his appearance.
There was no need for a me Witch that listened to someone elses orders and did what she was told. What she wanted was the Seo Ah-Young that thought for herself and fought for herself.
Well, thats another easier said than done, isnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Although she was stillining to herself, she didnt stop her quest to push the zombies around with her mes.
*
Im really getting dizzy here. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min grabbed her forehead and slowly shook her head. She had to give up on the markers she left all over the world and ced them near this location.
Meaning, with the sole exception of the marker in Korea so they could go back hometer, she had spent all of her avable markers in this ce.
Thanks to that, she was now able to go where her presence was required. Unfortunately, even though she was teleporting only one person to a short distance, repeating this action over and over again to this degree would tire her out greatly.
Heh-eh?
If it werent for Yi Ji-Hyuk putting her through the special training by teleporting all over the world for several days in the past, shed beid out t on the ground by now while watching the stars spin around above her head.
In that sense, she should be feeling rather grateful for what he had done for her, but well, it had to be Yi Ji-Hyuks special trait that people couldnt feel grateful towards him for some reason.
Everyone had gotten way stronger than before after encountering Yi Ji-Hyuk, they gained a certain influence for themselves that other nations could no longer ignore, and some of them even received scouting offers every now and then, too C it was a fact that everyone had be better, yet why did they keep grinding their teeth whenever they saw Yi Ji-Hyuks mug?
Hah-ah.... (Roabell)
Jeong Hae-Min shifted her gaze over to Roabell next to her. The shorty idol wasnt the only one feeling pooped out at the moment. The Elf woman too carried an utterly paleplexion at the moment.
I still havent even finished a quarter of the work yet.... (Roabell)
There mustve been some fruit of their hardbour, though, as the number of the zombies had decreased noticeably. And, in turn, the emergency evacuation centre located beyond the barricade was now brimming full with rescued people.
Ambnces and other various transportation vehicles were continuously ferrying the patients back to hospitals, forming long lines that resembled worker ants going to and fro.
Are you going to be alright? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Roabell gritted her teeth when she heard Jeong Hae-Mins question, before muttering out harshly under her breath.
That rotten b*stard of a Dark Wizard.... Ill kill him. Ill definitely kill him. (Roabell)
.........
This girl, she definitely looks like an Elf, but... No, wait. Shes an Elf, yet why is her mouth so rough like that?
Wasnt the images of Elves typically conform to things like them ying carefreely with mother nature and say stuff like Oh my goodness me? Mister Deer, your eyes are so sparklier and shinier today than yesterday! or stuff like that?? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
But for some reason, this Elf was rather...bative.
Her ss was set in the recovery section, and by listening to her talk, she mustve been a cleric, too. So why was she behaving in such an uncouth manner??
Seriously, none of the females hanging around Yi Ji-Hyuk are normal in their heads. (Jeong Hae-Min)
That girl named Dah-Som or something was a stalker-type, and Affeldrichae didnt evene across as a human being. It was also worrisome thing that Gah-Yun, who used to be such a well-behaved child, had been showing some strange changes in personalitytely, too....
Hah....
Ah, so, Im the only one whos normal in this group, arent I? Thats why he cant do anything about me, I guess. (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
All this is because that evil, vile man. (Roabell)
Pardon me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
This world will also experience a blood-soaked tragedy because of that demon of a man. (Roabell)
..........
What on earth is up her now?
Didnt she say shes a cleric? But, maybe shes a fake?
I mean, at this rate, isnt she gonna say stuff like The end of this world is nigh? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Apocalypse will descend on the world that man resides in. (Roabell)
Yup, called it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Excuse me? (Roabell)
Nah, dont mind me. (Jeong Hae-Min)
How could she be this uncannily on the money?
It was to the point that Jeong Hae-Min could hardly tell whether she was just good at predicting the flow or this Elf woman was simply being stereotypical.
Well, even then, we cant chase him out of here, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Without a doubt, this is a terribly strange world. (Roabell)
Which part is? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I should say that it is truly bizarre to see people converse with that man as if its nothing, and also proceeding to hurl abuses at his way as if its the most natural thing in the whole world. (Roabell)
Whats wrong with that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Of course there was something wrong with that. It was so wrong that, Roabell couldnt even bring herself to feel a sense of disharmony here. She didnt reply and quietly studied Jeong Hae-Min.
Did these people know of the truth?
Did they know just what kind of an existence Yi Ji-Hyuk, the one they could chat to so easily right now, was like back in Berafe?
Maybe Affeldrichae could speak to him as an equal since she was the Lord of Dragons, but Roabell was just a measly priest, one of many, that worked for the Order of Buzugote so there was no way shed be able to speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk in a normal manner.
She never really got to experience his feats in the ensuing years and only heard about them like that of a passing wind, but even then, she felt her knees buckle at the mere mention of Yi Ji-Hyuks name. So, how scary it mustve been for those people in Berafe who had personally experienced that vile mans violent behaviour?
At the very least, the existence of Yi Ji-Hyuk was treated as the darkness far above the likes of some demon kings. No, he was an existence even worse than that of a natural disaster.
However, such a cmitous being was being kicked around like a piece of rock and was busy being rolled around here and there.
The gap between the two images was simply far too vast to bridge.
For someone like her, a newbie just arriving from Berafe, the sight of this Yi Ji-Hyuk was as monumentally shocking as watching the creation of the world itself.
You people are being deceived. (Roabell)
Really? (Jeong Hae-Min)
That man is the devil.
Ahhh. Well, yeah, I think I heard him being called a demon king or whatever sometime ago. (Jeong Hae-Min)
You knew already? (Roabell)
No, not initially. But then, another demon king came invading this world not too long ago. And Ji-Hyuk beat that thing down, you see. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah.....
Yeah, thats when I heard about it. That demon guy was busy yapping on and on about Ji-Hyuk being a demon king and whatnot. (Jeong Hae-Min)
You know the truth, yet you can treat him in this manner?? (Roabell)
Mm?
Now that she thought about it, that made sense, didnt it?
Jeong Hae-Min fell into a bit of pondering as she opened her mouth.
Well, you know. It doesnt really matter, right? I mean, Ji-Hyuk will always be Ji-Hyuk, regardless of what title hes sagged with, am I right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even though hes a demon king?! (Roabell)
Of course, his personality is as rotten as a demon king, hes got no manners, hes infuriating to talk to, and yeah, hes like a total trash, but.... But, you know, hes a nice guy underneath all of that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Roabells dumbfounded eyes struck Jeong Hae-Min pretty hard.
I mustve misheard you pretty badly just now. Or is the trantion magic giving me errors? Your words dont seem to match up with each other. Ah, thats right. This must be what you humans call ironical statement, yes? (Roabell)
But, it wasnt? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min giggled softly.
He really is a nice guy. Its just that, he goes about the wrong way to express it, thats all. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Is this what they call blinded by love syndrome? (Roabell)
W-w-what are you even talking about, blinded by w-what now?!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Dont worry. Im the priest of the god of affection, Buzugote. Love between people are something to be cherished, not to be embarrassed and bashful about. (Roabell)
Kkyaahk?! No, its not true!! Never!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the two females some distance away from him going kkyah, kkyah, before wordlessly fished out a cigarette from somewhere within his pocket.
They are really having fun, arent they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are those two insane fools throwing tantrums around when the situation is still crappy?
Urgh, Id feel so much better if I could just p some senses into them right about now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Argh, my innards hurt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He felt this prickling sensation in his gut, meaning the level of his umted stress mustve been nothing to scoff at.
....You see, I might look like this now but Ill have you know that I lived a thousand plus years without suffering from stress once! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Huh. By the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Why am I picking up on this weird feeling?
What is this weird feelinging out from somewhere in there? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gradually widened, an extraordinary change began taking ce.
Ka-boooom!!
Along with a massive explosion, zombies standing to one side flew away in all directions like fired cannon shells. And then, from the falling dust, some zombies slowly walked out in a line.
Well, more zombies. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, they are zombies like the others.
Doesnt matter where I look at them from, they are still zombies, alright.
But then, why do they feel a wee bit different?
Its like, something is slightly off about these guys.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was right in that moment that mes lit up on the hands of one of the new zombies walking out of the horde.
Oh.....
Ahhh, so thats what it was.
If regr folks get infected, we get regr zombies.... And when an ability user gets infected, we get an ability user zombie, I see....
Those d*mn stupid morons, youre supposed to be ability users, so how can you get bitten by some bugs and end up as an infected?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
You should all be ashamed!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont think now is the time to argue about that, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I guess youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes right. We shouldnt be concerned with the finer points of that right now. The priority would be with defeating those zombies first, somehow. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Now lets see.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If a normal person became a zombie, they would lose all sense of pain and things like their muscr strength would leap up by nearly ten times. It was amon urrence to see peoples arms getting yanked out or bones shattering into fine dust once they get caught by a zombie.
So, what would happen if an ability user became a zombie, instead?
Rumble-!!!
A ball of mes lit up by the zombie grew as big as a medium-sized house and rose up high into the air.
Mm.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a refreshing smile and quickly assessed the current situation.
Yup, were screwed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not only that, utterly,pletely screwed, too.
Uh-whew!!
< 187. Do I look like an honourable person? -2 > Fin.
(If youve been following me on Twitter, then you probably have heard of the ongoing electricity problem where I live at the moment. Chapter release could get erratic, depending how prolonged the ckouts get. I really hope this ridiculousness wont persist for long and the the situation normalises soon.)
Chapter 188: Do I look like a honourable person? (3)
Chapter 188: Do I look like a honourable person? (3)
(Also not edited. My editor hasnt been feeling unwell, and i couldnt get this chapter ready on time. My apologies to everyone.)
So, the thing was C a zombie was basically an infected person.
It was just that, the person was not infected with some virus or poisonous substance, but by dark Mana, instead.
Once humans get tainted by this dark Mana, they would lose all their reasoning and their bodies slowly transformed. In the process, they would grow weaker, but at the same time, they would also grow stronger, too.
What did that mean, exactly?
The strength disyed outwardly would increase, but the sturdiness would decrease C thats what it meant. Going by a rough example, say a certain character possessed a bnced ratio of 5:5. The moment this person got infected by the dark Mana, this ratio of shift instantly to 9:1. Somewhere about there?
Of course, the movement speed would also decrease so it was a bit vague to say the attacking power had truly increased, either.
So, which all means!!
It means, a regr joe infected with dark Mana will end up possessing enough strength to break the arms of other regr people, thats what!
But, what would happen if ability users be infected by dark Mana? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kwa-rurururu!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at that house-sized mes burning above the zombies hand and spat out a lengthy groan.
Indeed, that was the inevitable result.
The level only Seo Ah-Young among the human ability users managed to achieve had been easily reached by a regr, run-of-the-mill ability user.
Uh-whew.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
In Berafe, one would never encounter a situation where a powerful being was turned into a zombie.
Not only was their innate resistance high to begin with, even if they were somehow infected, a passing-by priest flicking a vial or two of purifying water would utterly get rid of the offending infection anyway, so which self-respecting warrior or wizard would wait around until they transformed into a zombie?
That was why Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt really think about this sort of eventuality, but now....
Wait. Where have they been hiding all this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he knew such zombies existed, then maybe hed havee up with a n or something beforehand, but them jumping out into the fore without any warning meant he was really caught with his pants down on this one.
But then again, there were a million plus zombies out there, so even if there were a handful of ability user zombies hidden in the mix, it wouldnt really be that apparent, either.
Whether they were formerly of ability user humans or not, one would find out only after shing against them. Indeed, it was an impossible ask to search and locate ability user zombies among that wave of humans.... no, wave of zombies.
Which all led to them arriving herepletely undetected.
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
Okay, fine.... What should I do now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These ability user zombies had to be suppressed without them being injured in the slightest so they could be showered on with divinity, but would such a task as easy as these words made it out to be?
Cant we, like, call those guys exceptions and just eliminate them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked Choi Jung-Hoon, and thetter formed a serious expression as he looked at Christopher McLaren. Even at a casual nce, anyone could tell subduing such those zombies without hurting them would be an monumental task.
What on earth are you even talking about?! Ability users are US citizens, just like everyone else!! (Christopher McLaren)
Hey,e on, dude. You got plenty of citizens, so one or two shouldnt be a problem, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course it is a problem!! (Christopher McLaren)
mes were lit up in Christopher McLarens eyes.
This uncle and his inflexibility. Gimme a break. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, you shouldnt be too obstinate about this!
If this was back in Korea, the government there wouldnt even hesitate to bury two, three bodies! In any case, these Americans and their morals! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A nation exists only for her citizens! (Christopher McLaren)
Really? Whats up with all those Gates you guys are guilty of, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean? We have no control over Gates, dont you know that? (Christopher McLaren)
Well, theres the Zipperga... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
STOP. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren formed a flustered expression and cut Yi Ji-Hyuk off there.
Why couldnt that guy even control his pants and end up bing a source of national embarrassment like this?
That isnt important right now, is it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons urgent words sobered both Yi Ji-Hyuk and Christopher McLaren up instantly.
Thetter grunted out in unhappiness and turned his head around.
Talking to this d*mn guy would only lead him further down into the quagmire. Indeed, there was no such thing as progress with this man.
That ahjumma.... Doesnt she look quite heated up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the newly-developing situation and grinned ominously.
Oho? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The front bangs of Seo Ah-Young whipped around in the wind.
A zombie wielding mes was an act of insolence in itself, yet said mes being ratherrge was poking at her pride.
Sure, the me wielders were the mostmon types of ability users out there, but why did one of those just have to be a zombie, and why did said zombie oh-so ironically have to stand before Seo Ah-Young like this?
You dare to call that mes, ah?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs brows shot up as she red at the zombie, and Kim Dah-Hyun nearby spat out a long, long sigh.
Dont getpetitive against a dang zombie, please!!
A human shouldpete against another human.... Ah, should I treat that zombie as a person too? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Just as Kim Dah-Hyun fell into a deep contemtion at how to go about navigating this rather subtle distinction in a politically correct way, Seo Ah-Young began lighting up her own mes.
RUMBLE-!!
Her mes were at least twice the size of what the zombie managed to create. Seeing that spectacle, Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke in a serious voice.
Couldnt she, like, run a power station all by herself? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Choi Jung-Hoon was about to throw a ridiculing retort of Please, stop with your nonsense but shut his mouth up.
When he thought about it some more, didnt it sound rather usible?
With her firepower, spinning the turbine shouldnt be much of an issue, and as for raw materials such as fuel, they would only need food, so.... Wouldnt it prove to be fare more efficient this way?
What the heck?! What rubbish am I even dreaming about here?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was quick to reflect on himself after getting sucked into Yi Ji-Hyuks pace. A human being should think like a human, so what on earth was about that just now?
Wait, could there be a nuclear fission ability user somewhere? Wouldnt it be super if you grab someone like that and let that person run a power station? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Not nuclear fusion but nuclear fission? Thatd be like walking, talking nuclear warhead, so such a person would have been killed already or a country somewhere probably have been blown up to bits by now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Kyah, I guess you have a point there. What a miss. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head helplessly.
Just what had to be in your brain toe up with stuff like that? Besides all that, shouldnt he at least possess a modicum of respect for human rights?!
Huh? She shouldnt be throwing that around, dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice sobered up Choi Jung-Hoon right away. He quickly cried out.
You mustnt!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If Seo Ah-Young attacked with everything she had, then just the after-effects alone would wipe out at least ten thousand zombies in one go. If that happened, turning the situation around would be utterly impossible!!
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Aigo~, that ahjumma and her temper tantrums!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything else, leaped up, and practically flew to where Seo Ah-Young was.
Wow! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was stunned by that speed and began looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk in renewed light.
Because he was so unwilling andzy in his everyday life, it was hard to remember that if this guy did run seriously, he was capable of producing speed that put Kim Dah-Hyuns to shame.
That man.... He says hes not a body reinforcement type, but really now, you cant tell just how his Status points have been distributed, no? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
While Choi Jung-Hoon was swimming in his flustered state, Yi Ji-Hyuk had already arrived in front of Seo Ah-Young to grab her arms.
Hey, ahjumma!! Wake the hell up!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the heck?! Didnt I tell you to not step up today?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Then, dont create situations where I have to step up, okay!! Cant you just pull that off once in your life?? Youre supposed to take care of this all by yourself, so why are you trying to make it worse?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When did I?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Youre really hopeless. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tsk, tsk. Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Sure, the current situation had devolved somewhat, but that didnt mean he could let those curable people die like this.
How annoying! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and red at the ability user zombie.
Hey, you. Cant you just.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, even before he got to say what he wanted to, the zombies mes flew towards his and Seo Ah-Youngs location.
Argh, dang it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He quickly hugged her and dodged the iing mes.
Rumble!!
The mes rumbled up when theynded on the ground and spat out waves of such high heat that his skin was shuddering from its intensity.
I really cant figure this out. D*mn it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
He understood full well why lifeforms of Mana would get a power boost when they got infected by dark Mana. Well, technically speaking, dark Mana was a type of Mana at the end of the day, wasnt it?
Didnt matter what the type was, it was only obvious that those people using Mana would get stronger if more Mana got injected into them.
But then, these zombies werent lifeforms of Mana, now were they?
No, these things were not Mana based but lifeforms of Ether, so how could they get stronger with injection of dark Mana?
Where are guys like Eracio when you need them?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, if only there was a true, bona fide wizard specialising in research present here, not someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk who solved everything with his fists, then exining away this strange situation would be beyond easy!
Yi Ji-Hyuks head spun faster than anyone elses when it came to tormenting other poor souls, but when it came to the academic side of magic, well, he remained a dumba*s for the past thousand-plus years. If he possessed a studious mind topletely memorise a single grimoire, for instance, then hed have probably hastened his escape from Berafe by at least over three hundreds years!
Who say you can hug me without permission?! Let me go, now!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Did this gal lose her mind or something?! Why are you shouting at your saviour?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Saviour?? I couldve just blocked such pathetic lighter mes!! (Seo Ah-Young)
....Corrections. Not you, but I just saved countless people, instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled as he dropped Seo Ah-Young on the ground as if he was discarding her.
Ouch!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngnded on her butt and red back at him.
So, whats your n, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, I guess... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk redirected his gaze towards the ability user zombie, currently surrounded by other normal zombies.
Well, yeah, things would be so much easier if we subdue those ones first, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was still more than generous amount of leisure to be found on Yi Ji-Hyuks expression.
Things might have been going down a wee bit strange path right now, but still, this wasnt what hed call a difficult situation.
First of all, these zombies possessed a pretty serious drawback called their lethargic speed, and secondly, they couldnt move in organised fashion because theycked any tangible intelligence.
A zombie army of million strong could have be a horrifying force to deal with if it was led by a demon king or at least a superior grade demon. But, them wandering around all over the ce without a leader to guide them, well, these zombies were nothing more than some annoying critters to deal with now.
As long as those ability user zombies were taken care of, the rest would be purified away eventually even if the whole thing might take some time.
Chii-eeck
It was then, someones voice began leaking out from Yi Ji-Hyuks smartwatch device.
C The condition of the first purified victim has been confirmed. The purification is a sess.
Ah!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was genuinely excited to hear that, but Yi Ji-Hyuk remained not that impressed by the news.
Because, it was an obvious thing, anyways.
Obviously, the purification would work. If not, there wouldnt have been a need to bring that insane b*tch over here in the first ce.
As far as divinity is concerned, she was among the top ranker in Berafe, after all.
If I were to think about someone else possessing just as great divinity as her, then its probably that stinking Dioreh the First? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well, Dioreh the First was a pure cheat character that not only was blessed with enormous amount of divinity, but also enjoyed minute and exact control over his own powers, not to mention he was a genius when it came to applying his powers as well. So, someone like Roabell couldnt even hold a candle to that man.
....Old man, you died way too soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only that Dioreh the First was here, hed have avoided all these headaches. Probably, that man wouldnt even have broken sweat over a million zombies.
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly recalled that horrifying barrage of divine powers back then and his body shuddered involuntarily. Because it was him and not someone else, he somehow managed to endure that incredible baptism of holy powers. Any ol high-ranking demons would get cleanly killed off in one hit from that barrage.
Indeed, that Dioreh the First was the historys greatest cleric whod be able to raid a regr demon king without a single sacrifice if he was apanied by an army of holy warriors.
That would be the servant of Latrel, Dioreh the First in a nutshell.
But then, such a dude had died already....
Yup, a persons life can be really meaningless and hollow, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Seo Ah-Young)
Nah, its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Well, thats not important right now, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not practical to use something you dont have, so one should use the tools at disposal to resolve ones current situation! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Im getting fed up with this nonsense. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just how much of the valuable time did those zombies waste up until now?
He wanted to get off work already!!
Indeed, he wanted to go home now!
Wait a d*mn minute!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
mes began erupting out of Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
What time was it now?
Since when did his concept of going home on time disappear?
Yi Ji-Hyuk began shuddering where he stood.
And they said that the new employees would initially disy their rage against the unfair and illogical South Korean culture of ignoring proper time to get off work, only to be assimted by it sooner orter!!
Wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuks situation exactly it?
He had be that frog getting slowly cooked within the gently boiling pot of water! Not just anyone, but this Yi Ji-Hyuk!!
You abominable sons of b*tches...!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jet-ck mes of Mana burst into life within Yi Ji-Hyuks hands!!
Im going home, you stinking b*stards!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Getting off work on time made one a better, stronger person.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to prove this scientific fact once and for all.
< 188. Do I look like a honourable person? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 189: Do I look like a honourable person? (4)
Chapter 189: Do I look like a honourable person? (4)
Scary Mana erupting out of Yi Ji-Hyuk prompted a frightened shout toe out from Seo Ah-Youngs mouth.
Please, calm down!! (Seo Ah-Young)
What do you mean, calm down?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he thought about it, this was patently unfair.
Didnt he return to Earth for the sole purpose of taking it easy for the rest of his remaining life? However, since when did Yi Ji-Hyuk be this dog with its a**e on fire busy running around this way and that?
With things like this, what meaning was there for him to return to Earth in the first ce?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk began reflecting on himself.
Like, very seriously.
Lately, he had been busy traveling the world and didnt even get to see his moms face all that often. His original aim was to stay with his family, y some video games andze around to his hearts content until the end of his natural life and kick the bucket, so what the freak!
But now, monsters?? A freaking demon king?!
Even stinking zombies began messing up his ns now, and he was running around like a dog in heat just trying to resolve this mess. Thinking about all of this, his anger suddenly rushed up all the way to the top of his head.
Yet, these fools didnt even know the truth and were busy using him like this!
My life was going down the drain!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I have no idea what rubbish youre spewing now, but I think you need to calm down first. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot a re back at Seo Ah-Young.
If he was to get technical here, then all of this was the fault of this dang woman and Choi Jung-Hoon.
If it werent for these two, hed be lying on the floor of his living room chowing down on snacks andzily scratching his tummy as the world around him was rapidly pushed to the brink of annihtion.
Mm?
Wait, actually, am I supposed to be thankful here, instead?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to re at Seo Ah-Young withplicated thoughts swirling in his head, before shifting his re to the zombie horde, instead.
How annoying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was trying to be more considerate and used his brain instead. However, as it turned out, he hadnt at all any natural inclination for it whatsoever.
Call everyone here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
I said, call everyone here!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, yes! (Seo Ah-Young)
Without saying anything else, Seo Ah-Young summoned all the NDF agents over to their location over the radio. Not too long afterwards, all the agents were gathered in one spot.
C What are you trying to do, taking away even the agents manning the barricade?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk narrowed his eyes as Choi Jung-Hoonsints entered his ears.
C Seriously, if youre nning to start something, you shouldve consulted me first so I cane up with a suitable response, you know! If you keep impulsively creating situations like this, youre going to put me on a really tight spot! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked over to Jeong Hae-Min.
Shorty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Go and capture that fool. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng.
She went poof!! from the spot, and reappeared a moment or twoter while holding Choi Jung-Hoons arm.
........... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon saw Yi Ji-Hyuks expression and began forming a sheepish, awkward smile.
I was just saying, you know. Just saying. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Lately, havent I..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.....Been way too docile, have I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You call this being docile?
If I recount everything you didtely, then.... Mm? Eh?
He was really docile, wasnt he?
No, it cant be. He was really docile?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon began shuddering where he stood.
He tried to dig deeper, but for sure, he couldnt think of Yi Ji-Hyuk creating a mess recently. But to think, he still ended up with this much stress anyway.
So, what would happen if this guy decided to throw another tantrum like how he used to do in the past?
Would his stomach get perforated like Swiss cheese??? (TL: the raw said coal briquette but I changed to cheese reference. Cuz I like cheeses.)
I tried to stay under the radar and live my life, but then, I suddenly realised that I wouldnt be able to live a quiet life by doing exactly that.
What do you call that? A sudden enlightenment? A spiritual understanding? An awakening? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....A panic attack...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wanna die? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not at all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon lowered his head with a
sullen pout on his face.
I mean, if someonees up with a timely retort, youre supposed to y ball, you know! Youre being so stiff!
Besides, we always went along with your retorts everyday, dont you know that?? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
In any case. All this is really getting on my nerves so I cant watch on anymore. From now on, do what I tell you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon didnt reply and shifted his gaze over to Seo Ah-Young. This wasnt a decision he could make, but Seo Ah-Youngs responsibility.
If you just let us handle this for a little while longer.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
At this rate, youre gonna take thirty thousand years!! Thirty!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, we were doing our best, though.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
In all honesty, what these people did wasnt bad enough to be criticised at all.
By them managing to fix to this extent a mess that none of the countless American ability users could do anything about, the capabilities of the NDF under Seo Ah-Youngsmand had been firmly proven to the rest of the world, that they shouldnt be underestimated by others.
However....
You did all you need to do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Seo Ah-Young)
So, lets do things in a far simpler way, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Light began gleaming in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
For the time being, throw every single one of those d*mn zombies back within that portion of barricade over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Within that barricade?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Did this guy lose his mind??
If you force all those zombies in there, that barricade will be crushed in no time! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Oh, you meant we should separate them? (Seo Ah-Young)
What the hell, are you deaf? I said, shove them all in there! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not my ears but maybe your pie hole isnt functioning properly?
Havent you considered that possibility? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head for now, although her expression was filled with puzzlement and dissatisfaction.
But well, the potential damages to those defending the barricades could be great. (Seo Ah-Young)
Pull them back, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Is there a problem with your hearing? Do I need to unclog your ear canals, too?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, you gotta do something about your mouth first, you know! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young turned her head towards Choi Jung-Hoon, her expression one of asking for his help.
Just what are you nning to do? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon earnestly asked but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply red back at him.
Since when did I ever tirelessly yap on and on to you lot about things Im about to do?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I dont think Ive ever done that, have I? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Its not yapping on, but just a process of us getting on the same page, you know. Dont we have a rtionship of cooperation here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Cooperation, my foot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I turned these fools who couldnt even get their sh*t together into some semnce of human beings, but they think they have all grown up enough now to talk about cooperation this and that? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Why dont you stop with your drivel and do as youre told? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cleanly gave up on changing Yi Ji-Hyuks mind and admitted defeat. Seo Ah-Young leered at him with criticising eyes, but well, he was more forthright today than ever before!
If you feel frustrated, then why dont you do it?!
Id rather threaten the US President if you tell me to do that, instead!
Since when did talking sense work with this guy?? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Get a move on, already! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes!!
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon immediately formed teams and began nning ways to carry out what Yi Ji-Hyuk ordered them to do. Other agents surrounded those two and exchanged their opinions.
And so, only those with nothing left to do were Yi Ji-Hyuk, and....
....Why arent you doing anything? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cuz, Ive got nothing to do. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min was staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk with an innocent look on her face.
Shouldnt you, like, join the group and listen to whats what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, all I need to do is to go where Im told to, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Jeong Hae-Min who hadpletely changed her upation as a shuttle for good and shook his head.
In a way, this girl was one of the funniest characters hed run into so far. She was in demand the most by everyone, yet when the battle started for real, she was alsopletely useless. It was hard to find someone this specialised in providing support back in Berafe, so it was difficult for Yi Ji-Hyuk to get used to this arrangement sometimes.
Groan....
He spat out a groan while looking at this short woman. Meanwhile, Affeldrichae approached him from behind and spoke to him.
You need to start mopping them up soon. (Affeldrichae)
What? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those zombies. (Affeldrichae)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae rebuked him as if she couldnt believe he hadnt figured it out yet.
Their bodies are about to start copsing soon. (Affeldrichae)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Their arms will start falling off by themselves, and their flesh will rip open soon. (Affeldrichae)
....Ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
These Earth zombies seemed to possess a somewhat more wholesome outer appearancepared to those of Berafes, but then, it didnt seem to be the case at all.
In truth, it probably had something to do with them not being zombies for long and that was why their bodies were still more or less intact like that.
Im gonna deal with them soon so stop pestering me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied sarcastically.
By the way, isnt this weird? Werent you the type that didnt really care whether arms or heads of measly humans fell off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I still dont. But I know youd be feeling really guilty if you miss the things you already know and losses be far too great as a result. (Affeldrichae)
Thanks for worrying about me, miss. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not at all. (Affeldrichae)
I was being sarcastic, you dumb lizard! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk readily gave up on wasting his breath on Affeldrichae and shifted his gaze back to the zombie horde.
This sure feels strange. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Affeldrichae)
He didnt reply and closed his eyes slightly.
The thing was, he was originally nning to watch everything slowly unfold. Yet, he was getting progressively more anxious, and.... It was indeed very strange that he was getting nervous and felt more urgent than before, too.
Of course, one could argue that this constantly shifting emotional state of his was not strange at all, now that the absolute calmness of his past was no longer applicable to him. But, even then C he couldnt help but feel that his current condition was somewhat puzzling to say the least.
Was I really this short tempered in the past? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past wouldve cackled at the sight of the ability user zombie flinging around balls of mes and said something like, Roasting pork ribs in that fire would be delicious while smacking his lips. He was definitely not someone whod step up like this because he got annoyed so much.
Its obvious that Im changing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was aware of the fact that the past Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt remain for long as the memories and experiences of Berafe were influencing his personality now. Even then, he sensed that this new change didnt have anything to do with that process of evolution at all.
Being impatient.
Anxiety.
And then.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk bit down hard on his lower lip.
Hey, isnt this the so-called destrudo? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he went for somewhat grand-sounding term, but well, it was more like his temper ring up, wanting to kill and destroy everything in front of his eyes.
Whats the matter? (Affeldrichae)
Its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Even if he talked about it, there was no solution to it. And if he did talk about it, that would only serve to conte the situation, anyway.
Isnt this....
Isnt this, like, Ive gone a little bit insane? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Sure, he had to pour out dark Mana as if it was the end of the world and his body got utterly destroyed as a result before getting stitched back up again, so it was obvious that he received some internal damage. But now, the mere fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk himself was able to sense the changes in his personality now, could only mean that the damage he suffered back then greatly exceeded his expectations.
So, in conclusion...
It has sped up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk muttered to himself, but Affeldrichae next to him was biting her lower lip ever so slightly.
Even she hadnt expected to see the descent of a demon king. When that happened, she couldnt even nag Yi Ji-Hyuk anymore, telling him not to be too reliant on his magical powers.
They were about to get killed so how could she even say such things?
How about backing off on this one? (Affeldrichae)
This much is nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im sure it isnt. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard her slightly sarcastic remark and broke out in a smirk.
Hed start believing it if someone told him that she was a human now.
Were ready. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head after Choi Jung-Hoon called out to him.
Dont waste any more time and get started. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before anything else, he needed to resolve the situation in front of his face first.
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk issues his permission, Choi Jung-Hoon gave out a hand signal and with that, the NDF agents spread out to drive the zombie horde to one spot.
Uwaaah!
Kim Dah-Hyun ran around the zombies with unbelievable speed and herded them deeper into the horde.
Get out of there!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young yelled out loudly, and the soldiers and police officers manning the barricade quickly retreated away.
Push them in! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young activated her wild mes, and others also used their abilities to drive the zombies further and further towards the certain point in the barricade.
With that, the zombies spread out in a lengthy line naked eyes couldnt quite capture began to condense towards the middle a little by little.
A little bit more. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spectated on that scenery and began rousing up his Mana.
A bit more.
Just a little bit more!
The zombie horde stumbled and shuffled ungainly until they became onerge mass with the barricade itself. It was at this point that Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
Hah-aht!!
RUMBLE!!
Pitch-ck Mana began pouring out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body like unending ck rivers.
He swirled his hands to gather the ck me-like Mana leaving his body, and with a pair of slightly bloodshot eyes, he red at the zombie horde.
Its taken too long. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, time to finish this nonsense!
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his hands high above his head, and the umted
Mana thunderously ascended to the air.
It was as if the whole sky was dyeing in jet-ck colour.
Darkness.
No, it wasnt the sky dyeing in darkness.
In actual reality, the sky was getting darker.
....Darkness descended on the entire world.
< 189. Do I look like a honourable person? -4 > Fin.
(TL: Does anyone know how to select only a portion of a paragraph with a Samsung tablet? For some reason, copy/pasting chapters from my G drive to this site gets rid of all the italicised letters. I want to manually fix that, but I cant seem to select only the paragraphs I want. This thing of not having electricity at home is really, really getting on my nerves.)
Chapter 190: Do I look like a honourable person? (5)
Chapter 190: Do I look like a honourable person? (5)
Kwaaaaaah!!
The pitch-ck Mana tore through the blue sky and began writing a dark symbol up above.
Keuh-euh-euh!
The dark Mana gushing out of his flesh caused hellish pain to tear through his body. He gritted his teeth hard as he endured against this tide of pain, and acrid stink of blood leaked out of his mouth.
He had gone through this c**p far, far too many times for his liking.
However, he still walked away with an important lesson from this. And that would be C humans would never get used to pain.
Ones threshold for pleasure would continue to creep upwards. Repeatedly experiencing it would eventually lead one to not feel all that happy from the so-called small pleasures anymore. However, seeing that pain would never get blunted no matter what.... This existence called a human was inconveniently designed, thats for sure.
Keuk!
Blood seeped out of his tightly clenched fists. Fingernails dug into his palm and tore the skin.
Mana escaping his body seemed to nket the entire sky, and soon, the heavens above were dyed jet-ck. Even though it was in the middle of day, darkness had filled the world.
....What is this?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young dazedly looked up at the sky.
Just what on earth was going on here?
She thought that, having seen what Yi Ji-Hyuk was capable of so far, shed not get surprised anymore regardless of what would happen, but this spectacle easily trumped everything he had done so far.
Did day and night swap ces? (Seo Ah-Young)
But, that couldnt be.
Such a thing wasnt logically possible. Unless the was spun around in an instant, that couldnt be achieved.
If so, then what was this?
How could anyone exin why this ce was slowly bing darker and darker?
Kurururu?
Zombies mustve also realised that the surroundings were getting darker and began looking around their vicinity. Perhaps affected by the dark Mana filling the world, a portion of them began making bizarre noises as their bodies shuddered.
What the hell is going on here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon also looked around himself with a flustered expression.
The sun was nowpletely hidden behind the veil of darkness, and the ck sky with not a single blinking star was looking down on the masses below.
It was a mysterious phenomenon. There was a little doubt about that.
However, what was he trying to do with it?
What did making the world dark and solving the zombie crisis have to do with one another?
It was at that moment Yi Ji-Hyuk swung his hand down.
Veil of Darkness. (TL: was written in English in raw.)
The darkness filling up the entire sky slowly descended lower and lower.
Oh, my god. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon watched this sight and felt his legs almost giving away. Hed have plopped down on his butt already if not for his willpower.
The sky was falling.
It wasnt copsing, but just like how it sounded, the darkness filling up the sky was descending lower and lower.
Choi Jung-Hoon was instinctively terrified by this spectacle. A deathly chill broke out all over his body.
Just what..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
His wide-open eyes were quickly shifted in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Just what on earth was he?
Even though he thought he had managed peel back a lot ofyers by now, Yi Ji-Hyuk kept revealing something new.
If Choi Jung-Hoon considered the length of time and the power Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed, then such a feat shouldnte across as strange, yet even after knowing all that, hed still end up getting flustered like this because that man continued to exceed the powers he had disyed before.
Thats why controlling him is impossible. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How were you supposed to control someone you couldnt even figure out properly?
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon felt yet another bout of awe, the darkness finally descended fully to the ground.
Kureuk?
Zombies all raised their heads and stared at the darkness about to swallow them all up.
Uh? Uh, uh?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young failed to get out of the range of this descending darkness in time and, even though she was gasping out in shock and tried to escape, got herself trapped within.
W-whats this?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Panic and confusion filled up Seo Ah-Youngs eyes.
It was dark.
Everything was ck.
However, it wasnt simply that.
....Its not there?! (Seo Ah-Young)
She couldnt see her own hands. Not only that, she couldnt see anything at all.
The perfect darkness where not even a speck of light existed hadpletely enveloped her now.
......
She opened her mouth to call out, Is anyone there?
She even cried out, What the hell is going on here?
However, she couldnt hear any of them.
Her ears couldnt pick up any of her own shouted words.
Not just her sight, but even the sounds were perfectly swallowed up by the darkness. She couldnt see a thing, and couldnt hear a thing.
No, it cant be....?
She consciously pulled her arms closer and hugged herself.
....There isnt any sense of touch, either?!
The sense of sight, hearing, smell, and now, even touch...
Since she couldnt think of a way to check her sense of taste right now, shed gloss over that one, but one things for sure C four of her five important senses werent working right at this moment.
This was the perfect state of Nothingness.
A world where nothing existed.
A world where she couldnt even confirm whether she existed or not was imprisoning her.
Just what the f*ck is going on here?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuks consideration, she got to experience a rather bleak world until she grew truly fed up with the ce. However, this was on another scale altogether.
She finally got to experience how terrifying it was for a person to lose all five of her senses like this.
She couldnt see, couldnt hear, and couldnt even touch. Because of that, she had to remain rooted to her spot like a rock. She couldnt sense anything below her feet, so she thought she was swimming in the air, too.
And she felt like shed go crazy from feeling this bizarre disharmony of her being pulled away by the river of darkness surrounding her.
What am I supposed to do?
Is there anything I can do? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young instinctively gathered Ether in her hands. The terror of potentially not realising that she just got attacked drove her to a state of panic.
Before she were to get attacked, first she would....
....Ah! (Seo Ah-Young)
Suddenly, the darkness surrounding her vanished. Just like that.
Plop.
Seo Ah-Young fell down on her butt. Not a single strand of strength remained within her. When she regained her wits, she realised that her thick outer coat had be soaked through from all the sweat she had shed just now.
Tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Seo Ah-Young and lightly clicked his tongue.
So, who told you to stand still and get caught in that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was any other times, she would have started screaming at him while saying stuff like, why couldnt you aim better and tormenting me like this, and start flinging her mes every which way by now. But she simply didnt have any energy left to do that.
She wanted to at least yell at him, but even her voice didnt want toe out properly. It had only been less than a minute, yet the time she was trapped within felt like a f*cking eternity.
So long, in fact, she waspletely deprived of all energy.
Just what.... (Seo Ah-Young)
She wanted to interrogate him on what exactly he did to her, but her tongue was too stiff and didnt want to move.
Are you alright? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon realised that Seo Ah-Youngs condition was not good at all and quickly walked over to her side to lend his aid.
...I think so. (Seo Ah-Young)
She was about to say something, but chose to simply shake her head, instead. Trying to exin what she experienced just now in mere words sounded like an impossible exercise to her.
What she felt in that instant of being trapped in there was not something one could understand unless one had personally experienced it.
Would it be simr to a bird trying to exin flying to a human being?
Seo Ah-Young turned her head around and stared at the ce she had been standing only a little moment ago.
What the heck is this?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Her eyes caught the sight of a gigantic dome of darkness.
The darkness that could only be described as a huge dome had enveloped the entire area surrounding the barricade with zombies all trapped within.
I was trapped in there? (Seo Ah-Young)
Youd lose all senses by being inside that thing.
What would happen if you got attacked in a state like that?
Youd die without knowing what had happened to you.
She realised immediately that, even though it wasnt a direct attack, it still possessed a frightening level of effectiveness. She began looking Yi Ji-Hyuk in renewed light.
Hmm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, he didnt seem fully satisfied yet.
Thats the first step taken care of.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if those things were zombies, they were still fundamentally human beings.
Humans saw through their eyes, felt through their hands, heard through their ears and smelled through their noses. If all of that were to be blocked off, zombies thatcked a will wouldnt be able to do anything.
A perfectly-fine Seo Ah-Young also got lost in it and didnt know what to do, so itd be even worse for the zombies.
She at least still possessed her instinct to protect herself and tried to attack her surroundings, but zombies and their extremely limited instinct of self-preservation wouldnt even think about that.
How can I be so sure of that?
Because, Ive already tried this before, you see!
You think its my first time seeing zombies?
Actually, I saw them pretty often, you know?
I even performed all sorts of experiments on them, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When they found themselves in such a situation, zombies would start behaving in a very simple fashion. They couldnt see anything, but still, they would try to shuffle towards somewhere.
Which meant....
Heuph.
Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand began gathering Mana again.
Maybe because the Mana in his body got exchanged for something so much purer, he could now activate a spell with only a fraction of the amount he used in the past.
Rise up!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lifted both of his hands, and the ground itself began folding up.
Kwa-dududuk!!
Rumble!!
Apanied by the rumbling noises of thunder, the ground pushed and rose up until the dome of darkness waspletely surrounded by it.
Fuu-heuph.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the sweat off his forehead and stared in satisfaction at the giant dome he just created.
What do you think? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks question brought about Choi Jung-Hoons earnest impression on the subject matter.
A certain sportsmentator will like it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I mean, you will be able to to make a domed sports stadium in an instant, no? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue) (TL: TLed as is, but I dont get the reference here either.)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not important. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at that giant dome, before shaking his head in Yi Ji-Hyuks general direction.
Is it over? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, the confinement part is. Now, only the easy part remains. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The easy part? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed to the ck hole at the corner of the dome.
Over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply back to him and instead, addressed Roabell.
You know what to do, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, I do. However..... (Roabell)
Roabell formed an expression of someone seeing a disgusting bug.
I find it rather unappetizing that I have to go where such darkness exists. (Roabell)
Oh, should I throw you in there instead, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......Its the sacred duty of the priesthood to purify darkness. Yes. (Roabell)
This time, it was Seo Ah-Youngs turn to express her earnest impression.
This Elfes across as a lot different to what I know about Elves, no? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in agreement.
Yup, this ones really different. Very different, in fact. This ones a rather special case, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Roabell spat out a long groan and walked over to the passageway Yi Ji-Hyuk had created. She then drew something on the ground in front of that passageway and proceeded to plop down on her butt.
What is she doing? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and replied.
Zombies hardly stay put in a single location, so if you just let them be, they would just roam around inside the dome. And eventually, few of them will starting out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Look. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A couple of zombies shuffled out of the darkness and Roabell poured out her divinity to subdue them immediately.
Ng??
And so, all you have to do is to let her purify zombies thate out of there and move them to elsewhere. Thats the end. And if the numbers have decreased by a lot, then I can decrease the size of the dome, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah........... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Something this simple.....
And we had to work our a*ses off?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly wiped the pool of moisture rapidly umting around his eyeballs.
He wasnt a fool to not realise that, since Yi Ji-Hyuks base power level was on another scalepared to everyone else, what he could do would be different from everyone elses. Even then, he couldnt get over this feeling of eating some sort of loss this time around.
Does this mean.... Is this the end? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, yeah. When you purify those guys, that is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed to one side.
And that was where the ability user zombies stood around and ring back at him after they had somehow escaped from the range of the darkness.
Typically, regr zombies would get sucked in where they stand, but it looks like those guys retain some of their reasoning. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is it because they possessed Ether?
Arent they a bit different from regr zombies? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ho-oh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young suddenly formed an ominous grin and stood up.
She was feeling really dirty right now, so she was rather happy about this timely appearance of some targets that she could vent her frustrations out on.
I can go all out this time, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Sure, do what you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young walked over to the ability user zombies as mes began dancing all around her. Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted to himself.
Thats why you still havent found a hubby yet!
Whod wanna live with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Argh, why are my ears so itchy all of a sudden? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon began scratching his ears out of the blue. Yi Ji-Hyuk next to him was ovee with this chilling possibility and quickly looked at him.
...Eiii, theres no way, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nah, its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Such a thing can not happen!! You mustnt do that, brother-inw!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The still-unawares Choi Jung-Hoon could only tilt his head this way and that.
< 190. Do I look like a honourable person? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 191: I don’t need a reason to seek him out (1)
Chapter 191: I dont need a reason to seek him out (1)
Yaaawn~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk woke up from the first long, peaceful sleep he had in a while and stretched his limbs
Youve woken up. (Affeldrichae)
M-mm....
He saw Affeldricahes face slightly above his own and crumpled his expression a little.
You know, its kinda funny to say this when were already here, but well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, speak. (Affeldrichae)
You know, seeing your mug every time I open my eyes in the morning kind of ruins my mood. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I helped you fall asleep, yet how ungrateful you sound. (Affeldrichae)
Groan....
In all honesty, he was grateful for that.
Ever since his return from Berafe, he couldnt really fall asleep at all. Because, he wasnt confident of dealing with the invasion of dark Mana that would start the moment he let go of his consciousness.
If it was the case of I slept and died, that would be a cause for relief, but if it was I slept and turned into a devil, then he knew things wouldnt end that easily.
All thanks to that, he had to stay awake for several months, but now he could rest without worries with Affeldrichae blocking the invasion of dark Mana during his sleep.
By the way, dont you need sleep, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you asking me that because you have forgotten how long my race can go without sleep? I dont need to sleep until you die of natural causes, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, so you dont have to worry. (Affeldrichae)
Of course you dont, cuz youre a Dragon.
But then, you keep maintaining that human appearance and I cant help but do mind over such things. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even if you tell me to not to worry about it, I..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre very considerate. Which is very unlike you. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
What do you mean, unlike me? Ive always been a considerate person! Its just that you lot didnt notice it yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you believe thats the case, Im sure it is. (Affeldrichae)
You sure know how to make a person feel really bad about himself without hurling a single insult, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thank you for thepliment. (Affeldrichae)
I was insulting you, you d*mn lizard woman!!
Compliment, my a*s. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well, then. (Affeldrichae)
Wuuuoonng....
Kkeuk....
Affeldrichae didnt even wait for his reply and poured Mana into his head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered violently and grabbed the bedsheets tightly. He might have experienced all sorts of pain in his life, but then again, the process of different Mana types shing inside his body and neutralising each other easily won the position of being one of the most painful things ever.
Heok!
Once the Mana stopped flowing into his head, he spat out a long gasp and sagged on the bed even more.
I really cant stand this. Seriously, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He only wanted to kick back and enjoy his life, but who knew that doing it was such an arduous process?
You still have a way, you know. (Affeldrichae)
I told you, Im not going back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That d*mn Berafe.
He had already lived for over a thousand years there. Why should he go back when he had nothing left to look forward to in that ce?
Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes voice became more serious than before.
You shouldnt just keep denying it. If you persist on going down this path, you will reach your limit first before you die. (Affeldrichae)
I know that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And when that happens, there will be a big tragedy. You know this as well, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
I said, I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
Affeldrichae was about to say something else, but she shut her mouth.
He was already someone words didnt work all that well, but when it came to the matters of Berafe, he would be incredibly adamant about his position.
Well, he did suffer tremendously back there. (Affeldrichae)
It wasnt as if she couldnt understand where he wasing from.
Someone with a weak willpower wouldnt have an easy time enduring the life back in Berafe, even if his mind had been stuck in a fixed state.
No, wait C because of the fixed state, such a person wouldnt be able to go crazy and simply suffer from a sense of disharmony, instead.
It was indeed not so strange that someone would develop such an unreasonably hostile view of Berafe in that sort of circumstances.
I fail to understand you. (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
Never mind humanity, arent all living creatures obsessed with living longer somehow? (Affeldrichae)
Im sure they do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If so, why are you alone voluntarily throwing away the path of immortality? (Affeldrichae)
Mm....
He found it hard to exin. Because, he himself was having a hard time understanding it.
Well, there is one thing for sure..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Being able to die can be counted as a blessing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont understand. (Affeldrichae)
Thats because humans and Dragons live through different cycles. I probably look like a little kid in your eyes, whos just barely got through the hatchling stage but is busyining about how boring life has be or some such. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its not to that extent, though? (Affeldrichae)
Even when I havent got to the level of a Wyrm ss, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled to himself.
You know whats the one thing that separates humans from other lifeforms? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, I dont. (Affeldrichae)
Its that us humans canmit suicide. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
There were no Dragons that would end their own lives. Indeed, there were no other intelligent species that killed themselves, either.
She learnt of this back in Berafe that the one thing other races could never understood about human behaviour was apparently humanitys penchant for willingly ending their lives.
Humans were designed wrong from the get-go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When considering the fact that humans would resort to ending their lives if the trials and tribtions bestowed unto them proved too much, and how illogical this act was, it could very well be that humanity itself was not assembled properly from the beginning.
As we evolved, our level of intelligence should have developed as well, but I cant tell where the problem began.... A humans brain cantpletely ovee the pain its host suffers, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seems that way. (Affeldrichae)
But now, do you have any idea how long Ive been suffering that for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Its not that I want to die, I just want to let it all go. If I return to Berafe, I wont be able to do that and thats why Im not going back. Making you understand will be hard. Well, even I cant understand it properly. But, well, thats the obvious part. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Because, Im as crazy as a hat, you see.
You cant exin this with a sane persons logic, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Whew....
Affeldrichae sighed softly and stroked his hair.
I dont fully understand you, but at the same time, I feel like I can and that makes me feel sad. (Affeldrichae)
If he wanted to extend his life, he needed to deny his ways, but if he did that, then that was the same thing as denying his own life, as well.
What meaning was there to keep living a life that had no meaning anymore?
The irony of her trying to save him ending up being the same as killing him all meant that she now found herself stuck in a rock and a hard ce.
This is a troubling topic, isnt it? (Affeldrichae)
Is there actually something that can even trouble Dragons? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Us Dragons are also lifeforms. Its just that we can look a little deeper, look a little farther, and look a little longer then the rest. (Affeldrichae)
That sounds like a boasting to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled again.
To think, there woulde a day where hed get to share such a conversation with a Dragon. Indeed, one needed to live a long life to experience stuff like this.
However, you... (Affeldrichae)
Mm?
....You should also remember that many will be saddened by your death. (Affeldrichae)
I wonder about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Everything you have achieved and built up during your life so far should not be underestimated. (Affeldrichae)
Im sure they are. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, they all have disappeared into emptiness, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
None of those whom he had shared his feelings with and cared for, because he was still a human, remained alive now. Maybe that was the reason why he was so unwilling to get involved with other humans in his life anymore.
The sole reason why he was able to hold this sort of conversation with Affeldrichae could be that they simply had lived long enough lives for them to actually start and continue to interact with each other.
Its possible that youre simply tired. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm....
If so, taking a good rest will put you back on your feet in no time. (Affeldrichae)
Going by your example, then Im having the worst time of my life, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, he was being overworked to death during the period when he needed rest the most. Affeldrichae continued to stroke his hair.
Just rest for a little bit longer. A little while longer. (Affeldrichae)
m!
It was then, the room to his door was abruptly flung open and Yi Ye-Won strode right in.
Oppa!! Mister Choi Jung.....?? (Yi Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won was shouting something out, but saw what her brother and Affeldrichae were doing and stopped right there so she could spit out a long sigh.
....Oppa. (Ye-Won)
Yeah?
Just get a room in a motel, okay? (Ye-Won)
Did this girl lose her dang mind?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted at her, but his sister didnt back off and yelled right back.
Youre the one losing his mind! Mom and dad are both home, you know?! So, what the hell do you think youre doing?! At this rate, you might end up doing the Big Thing here at home! Whats the matter? Should I be considerate and get out of your hair? (Ye-Won)
Euh, euh....
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt even get angry and hurriedly grasped the back of his neck. The back of his head that not even the demon king could invade was now being bombarded by Yi Ye-Won, instead.
Ah, so this is what they say about the pain in the neck, isnt it?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks face reddened considerably from the rising blood pressure and he jumped up from the bed to pounce on his foolish sister.
Imma kill you!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, she probably wanted to prove that they shared the same bloodline, because she easily escaped from his nefarious hands and ran outside his room.
Mooooom!! (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk greeted her daughter with an unimpressed expression as thetter ran out of Yi Ji-Hyuks room.
Whats the matter? (mom)
Mom, please take a look at those two!! At this rate, they might start acting like newlyweds! (Ye-Won)
Oh, really? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk shifted her gaze back to the TV as if she didnt hold much of an opinion in that regard.
Mom, Im telling you, their blood hasnt even dried yet but theyre already acting like that! (Ye-Won)
Youll die if your bloods all dried up. (mom) (TL note at the end)
Mom, arent you angry?? (Ye-Won)
Why should I be? (mom)
......
Mom, if you ask my why, your daughter will forget what she wants to say, you know!! (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
N-no, but, a person should.... B-b-but, there are adults in this house, so like, shouldnt he be like, at least, you know?! (Ye-Won)
But, why? (mom)
No, mom, that, uh.... (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
Yi Ye-Won stood there all speechless and dumbfounded, prompting her mother to quietly pat her back.
Ye-Won-ah? (mom)
Yes, mom? (Ye-Won)
You need to think about your brothers situation. (mom)
M-mm?
Do you think he can get married to someone whos normal? (mom)
....No, that should be difficult. (Ye-Won)
Yup, it aint gonna be easy.
Whod wanna stay around that bundle of temper tantrums ready to go off at any given moment?
Its only because Im his sister that I care enough to stick around. Other people wouldve simply abandoned him by now! (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
That is why you should just let him be. Where would he find a wife material as good as her? (mom)
Mom didnt say anything wrong there.
Yi Ye-Won knew that she simply had to ept reality as mom said, but couldnt stop falling into a flustered state after realising that her body wouldnt stop trembling for some reason.
B-but, then! What about Hae-Min unni?! (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk remained unimpressed.
What about her? Is she my daughter-inw now? Is my son two timing his girl? (mom)
N-no, its not like that, but, you know, wouldnt Hae-Min unni be a better choice than her? (Ye-Won)
But, I dont see why thats the case, dear. (mom)
MOM!! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won yelled out, but that only made Park Seon-Duk to raise her brows ever so slightly.
How dare you raise your voice at your mother? (mom)
I-Im sorry, mom. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won was shot down in less than three seconds by moms imposing figure, and she began pouting unhappily.
In all honesty, she didnt like that Affeldrichae or whatever her name was. Because, she was just too beautiful.
No, it wasnt just about that womans beauty. Indeed she was beautiful, but it didnt quitee across as a humans beauty, at least to her.
And also, simply put, that woman destroyed any semnce of standards of beauty, too.
It was as if watching the scene of two puppies busy fighting with each other over a bone, only for a tiger to suddenly jump out of nowhere to snatch that bone away, leaving the two puppies to dazedly look on.
And, well.... (mom)
Yes, mom? (Ye-Won)
They might be like that for now, but you never know what will really happen in peoples rtionship. So, just let them be. (mom)
M-mm.
What mom said quietly touched Yi Ye-Won on her heart.
One would never know what could happen in rtionships....
She formed a smirk.
Now that I hear you, I guess it makes sense, mom. Shes busy being like that, while others are fighting to get noticed, so its gonna get really funny when someone else pops outter to nick him away. (Ye-Won)
Wouldnt that exactly be like a dog chasing after a chicken, no?
Yi Ye-Won thought that she was imagining some improbable things and wryly shook her head.
Even right now, he was on the receiving end of such a nice treatment even with that face of his, so how could there be yet another addition to the list at this point in time?
It seemed that shed been in contact with that flowery scenery for far too long now and have lost her grip with realitytely.
I guess I call Dah-Som overter. (Ye-Won)
You mean, that gloomy child? (mom)
Yeah, mom. But, shes actually nice underneath. (Ye-Won)
Aigoo, we wont ever need an aircon if she bes a part of this family. Im not that interested. (mom)
In that case, who do you prefer the most, mom? (Ye-Won)
I....
Park Seon-Duk pondered this quandary for a little while, before nodding her head.
Hae-Min is indeed a pleasant and cheery girl. (mom)
You see? Me too! (Ye-Won)
But then again, they need to like each other first, you know. (mom)
Well, yeah. Thats true....
Liking each other first....
Yi Ye-Won shifted her gaze and spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk walking out of his room with a slightly crumpled expression.
Now that I think about it, just who does he like, anyway?
Unless hes an eunuch, it wont make any sense that hes not interested in anyone when hes surrounded by all those beauties. (Ye-Wons inner monologue)
Oppa? (Ye-Won)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont you have a girl you like, oppa? (Ye-Won)
What the hell? Its still early in the morning, so what gives? If youve got nothing better to do, why dont you study some more or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think me studying now will help me? (Ye-Won)
........Well, uh, then go y video games. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Wons eyes began sparkling brightly ferociously as she watched how her brother tried to change the subject just then.
He must really have someone in mind, though? (Ye-Won)
This would be the moment the tenacious, sticky instincts of the Yi family was waking up.
However, she had no idea.
And that would be C Yi Ji-Hyuks woman didnt necessarily have to be by his side right in this moment.
< 191. I dont need a reason to seek him out -1 > Fin.
(TL: This line about blood drying up is amon saying in South Korea C blood in their head/forehead havent dried yet. It simply means wet behind the ears but I didnt TL it into English equivalent because that would screw up the retort from the mom.)
(Also, switching browsers on my tablet revived my italics, so hooray!!)
Chapter 192: I don’t need a reason to seek him out (2)
Chapter 192: I dont need a reason to seek him out (2)
Where did you say you want to go?? (?)
That voice was low, heavy, and thick.
This bassy voice possessed a certain something that could shake ones soul.
It didnt carry any hint of emotion, yet the voice seemed to carry this power to shake the blood filling up the empty spaces in ones body.
A ce called Earth. (??)
The replying voice could only be described as sensuously seductive.
It drifted ever so gently and caressed those who listened, but beneath the sensuousness, there was anotheryer of not-so-gentle stickiness to it as well.
This seductive voice wasnt perturbed in the slightest by her opponents heavy, sharp tone and lightly returned the ball in the other court.
Have you forgotten just who you are? (?)
Of course not. (??)
Even so, you wish to go to Earth? (?)
The voice belonged to a certain woman.
Her entire frame wrapped up tightly by a ck leather garment of unknown origin, this woman raised her head and pouted slightly.
Perhaps it was too dry in here, she wetted her lips slightly with a lick from her tongue. She then stared at the owner of the other voice, an unknown man, with a pair of sleepy eyes.
So what? (??)
Erukana! (?)
The woman called Erukana returned a look that asked, Whats the matter with you? and the mans expression crumpled in an instant.
Fine. What is your reason? (?)
My reason? (Erukana)
The woman beganughing out boisterously.
Although it was sharp and pointed, herughter still possessed that sting to utterly entrance the listeners minds.
She was the most powerful, imposing figure among the countless Subi out there, not to mention one of the demon kings residing in the demon world.
She upied the position of the 13th demon king, or queen, as it were.
The Subus Queen, Erukana.
Her reddish irises were staring straight at the other man.
You surely must be asking me that while knowing the answer, right? (Erukana)
Is it because of that fool? (?)
Obviously. If its not, why would ever I want to go to that ce? I mean, that ce is so boring and they have no sense of fun, you know? If you exclude that man, then theres not much of a redeeming quality to be found in that ce. (Erukana)
The man slowly shook his head.
This Subus Queen, the woman upying that important position. Not to forget, one of the most powerful demon kings in existence and possessing an incredible level of influence within the demon world, too.
It was simply unfathomable why such a woman would obsess over that single human being.
The 99th demon king is no more, Hes simply a human being now. (?)
I know that. (Erukana)
Even if you were once the right hand of the 99th demon king, hes now just a pathetically weak human being and nothing more. So, I cant understand your obsession with that man. (?)
Erukana looked at the man as if she couldnt believe how dumb he was being right now.
Dont be a moron. (Erukana)
M-mm! (?)
I didnt stick around him because hes the 99th demon king, okay? I was the one who made him the 99th demon king. Remember that. (Erukana)
....Ive forgotten that for a moment. (?)
Demons or Dragons were about the same when it came to not forgetting the past. However, the existence of the 99th demon king was simply that impactful enough to force others into making mistakes like this.
And so, do you wish to turn him back into the demon king once more? (?)
Nope. I dont think he wants that anymore. (Erukana)
In that case? (?)
Erukana continued to stare at the man with the exact same look of reproach as before.
You keep searching for a reason, but heres the thing. (Erukana)
.......
I dont need a reason to seek out him out. In any case, thats how it is, so take it as you will. (Erukana)
If youre leaving, then how will you manage your territory? Have you forgotten that, after absorbing the 99th demon kingsnds, yours have be the biggest within the demon world? (?)
If you want it, you can have it. (Erukana)
You...... (?)
Such things dont have much of a meaning, anyway. Im going over to his side regardless. (Erukana)
The man red at Erukana with eyes that could burn, but she no longer paid him any mind, turned around and left the meeting location.
The man bit his lower lip as his eyes caught the sight of her departing rear and her swaying tail.
You, 99th demon king..... (?)
Yi Ji-Hyuk!!
That abominable b*stard still managed to influence the demon world even now.
I should have killed him back then!! (?)
If the 13th demon king were to join him by his side, then destroying the 99th would be that much harder in the future. If that was the case, then he simply had to make his move before that.
Boro-El. (?)
Yes, oh demon king. (Boro-El)
Go summon Delkaran. (?)
Your wish is mymand. (Boro-El)
The man half-closed his eyes and leaned against his throne.
That human might have brought about a certain vitality back to the demon world, but his existence had be too threatening right now to let him be like that.
It was to the extent that the current him came across as less tolerablepared to his past when he wielded limitless power.
I shall help you sleep for eternity. (?)
....Because, you probably havent had a good rest for a long time, thats why.
***
So, like, how should I go about finding a job in that courierpany you talked about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
..................... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly stared at Jeong Hae-Min.
He could, for the time being, disregard the fact that she was sitting in his living room as if it was her own house, and peeling an apple for her consumption. Fine.
However, why was she asking him that crappy question?
Did you really give up being an idol?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I cant go on a TV show. Even cable channels dont want me. No events invited me, so.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min became depressed in an instant and Yi Ji-Hyuk could only hug his own face.
Those were all she was good for, but now, she had firmly joined the long queue of the fellow unemployed, too.
No, wait. You.... Dont you already draw sry as an ability user? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats way too little, so how am I supposed to live off that? Besides, a person shouldnt bezing around, you know! You gotta work for your keep! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Park Seon-Duk was listening to Jeong Hae-Mins deration from the side and began tilting her head.
How am I supposed to evaluate that deration, then?
I look at my boys bank bnce and his monthly wages, and think its a pretty hefty sum, but she says its small so could she, in reality, like spending money like water....?
But then, she says she doesnt want toze around and work for her living, so shes mature enough to lead a good lifestyle.....
Is this a minus or a plus point? (Moms inner monologue)
Indeed, it was a rather puzzling deration.
Wait, werent you really obsessed over being an idol? Didnt you spend ten years training up to be one, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, yeah, but now..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min formed aplicated and heavy expression.
She recently realised that what she wanted wasnt being an idol, but being acknowledged by someone else, instead.
Humans had this habit of not really understanding what they desired, to begin with.
She began thinking that it was fine to let go of the life of an idol, the one she did whatever she could to not give up, after sensing that there were a lot of people who needed her not as an idol but as an ability user. Sure, even when the treatment she got from the NDF was roughshod to say the least.
If it was in the past, shed be buried in her bed bawling her eyes out the whole day, but seeing that she didnt feel that bad right now, she mustve gotten over her obsession over being an idol somewhat.
Oh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw Jeong Hae-Mins expression and nodded his head in understanding.
You have finally realised that wasting time pretending to be an idol at your age is being too shameless! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not true!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min shuddered in barely-checked rage.
Unnis older than her were still running around in school uniforms and being adorable, so why!
Sure, she spent ten years as an idol hopeful, but then again, she signed up with the talent agency when she was really young so she was still not that old even now!
This guy, he thinks every woman older than him is an auntie!! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Right, right. Lets be honest here, you really were being a bit too shameless back then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you, thats not it!! There were plenty of people who cheered me on!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ohh. And where have they all disappeared to now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Jeong Hae-Mins shuddering intensified as she red back at him. Big tear drops began forming around the rims of her eyes.
T-thats because, I havent been on TV, so like, a bitter, they..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
A bitter, they will get on a new bus to ship younger and prettier idols. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, not true!! People still send me letters, you know!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
As much as before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Droop....
Her shoulders sagged like a sponge getting soaked in water.
How could you say, as much as before?! How could you say something so horrible!!
Youre a devil!! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
You..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its not like you can keep being an idol forever, anyway. Youve been one long enough, dont you agree? Nows the time you start your new life as the international parcel delivery specialist. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh, euh......
Jeong Hae-Mins body was quaking hard now.
In her own way, she had already made up her mind over this, yet why did she feel so saddened and dejected when hearing it from the mouth of Yi Ji-Hyuk?
This man possessed this mythical, magical ability to make others feel utterly miserable even when talking about the same thing.
How about, Courier Idol? Doesnt it sound like itll be a hit? Ladies and gents, I hereby personally deliver your parcels..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a very loud and long wail of Jeong Hae-Min*
Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped in fright from the bombardment to his eardrums that went off for the first time in a while and quickly evacuated from the location. Meanwhile, even Park Seon-Duk and Yi Ye-Won covered their ears and escaped upstairs in hurry.
Richae!! Riiiichae!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae emerged from her room after hearing themotion. She spat out a groan and cast the Silence spell.
Jeong Hae-Min cried with her mouth so wide open that her uv was in full disy. Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned slyly at that sight.
Now this feels like a proper morning. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, what a refreshing start to his morning this was.
***
Is this my lunch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
M-mm....
Kim Dah-Som waiting outside the front gate handed over rice balls and traditional soup contained in a Thermos. Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled awkwardly and received them.
Well, sure. He felt somewhat grateful, but....
Hey, you know, you should stop with this waiting outside the door thing now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
Look, the weather is getting really cold.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at Kim Dah-Soms half-frozen face and groaned out in helplessness.
The weather was okay in the past so he didnt really care if she waited outside for hours on end, but now, the temperature was dropping below zero.
Only a madman would say he felt fine about some young kid, not an ability user to boot, freezing her butt off outside while waiting for him.
Ah....Right. I am a madman, no?
Youre going to wait even if I tell you not to, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Uh-whew.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, in that case. It couldnt be helped.
From tomorrow, just press the door bell ande inside, okay? Mom will open the door for you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
Youre going to wait even if I tell you not to, so might as welle inside to fool around, right? Look at this shorty, for instance. She thinks this is her house now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, thats not true, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min, her eyes swelled up from all that crying, shook her head this way and that.
She was wearing a hat with a bell attached to it, which swayed around along with her shaking head and that came across as... pretty adorable, actually.
Got it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som nodded her head, her face still reddened from the chill. Yi Ji-Hyuk also felt somewhat less concerned, seeing a subtle smile form on that frozen face of hers.
Tsk.
....I sure have formed quite a few rtionships, havent I?
And I didnt even worry about looking after them, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, its going to be different this time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been disinterested in the rtionships in the past simply because he knew all of those would be nothing more than a passing footnote in his never-ending life.
To him who could live for an eternity, other people who were unable to live past a thousand years at a push were not existences he was willing to share his hearts with, even if he wanted to. Because, how could he be emotionally attached to those whod be gone when he closed and opened his eyes?
However, these kids were a different story altogether.
These people would walk alongside him on what remained of his life from now on. By acknowledging this fact, he thought his interest was being rekindled by just a little bit more.
And you too! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped the ground, prompting a head to pop out from the shadow below.
Please, put on some warmer clothes, will ya?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned after noticing Doh Gah-Yuns choice of attire that hadnt changed all that much from the first time he met her.
When he thought about it, even this kid turned out to be a weirdo.
Didnt she have a home to go back to?
She was always staying close to spy on him. She did disappear every now and then, but she was never gone for long. That wouldnt be possible if she had family or some other people she needed to meet.
Up until now, he remained uninvolved as he didnt care one way or the other, but now that his interests began waking up again, he finally noticed that this girl was simply a huge ball of tightly-wrapped mystery.
Hey, you. Whos your guardian? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....The Witch. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Wait.... Your guardian is Seo Ah-Young??? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered in shock right then.
Whos whose guardian now?!
Dont you have family? Like, mom, dad, anyone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
None. (Doh Gah-Yun)
....Your legal guardian is Seo Ah-Young for real? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Its the end of the world.
Really, this is it!
Hey, Ministry of Health and Welfare!!
Ah, hold on. Thats not it, is it?
Uh, is it Ministry of Gender Equality and Family?
In any case!! What is the dumb fools in the government doing?! How can a woman like that be a guardian of anything?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
No wonder. I thought this kid didnt receive any proper parental guidance, but well now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That insane witch did whatever the heck she pleased with this kid, didnt she?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk realised yet another of his oversights and spat out a sigh over and over again. It seemed that hed seriously need to tidy up the mess around his life soon.
Okay, for now, time to go to work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yet another peaceful daily life was about to start.
< 192. I dont need a reason to seek him out -2 > Fin.
Chapter 193: I don’t need a reason to seek him out (3)
Chapter 193: I dont need a reason to seek him out (3)
While Yi Ji-Hyuk was starting yet another peaceful day....
....Choi Jung-Hoon was struggling through hell.
Weve already helped you out so much, yet you want us to help you out even more?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C No one knows for sure how things will turn out, dont you get that?! So, all Im asking for is for your people to be on standby! Im not asking for too much here, arent I?? (Christopher McLaren) (TL:Im assuming it is him, as its not specified in the raw.)
Ever since this crisis began, our agents have not enjoyed a moments rest and are working their a*ses off, even now. Besides, we still have Gates opening up locally, too. We are nominally the Korean defence force, so we cant abandon our own country just to support the US all the time, now can we?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Im not saying that all of your people need to be here. If its not possible, just send that man over, that is all. (Christopher McLaren)
Hes practically our everything, to begin with, so what do you mean, that is all?! I have nothing more to say. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C No, please, listen to me, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon! (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jung-Hoon angrily mmed the phones receiver down and one-shotted the energy tonic contained in his sizeable tumbler.
Im too busy for this c**p. (Choi Jung-Hoons)
After Yi Ji-Hyuk went ahead with his special n, the zombie crisis began normalising at a rapid pace.
Just by pouring out the power of divinity on those small number of zombiesing out of the dome, almost a few thousands of them were purified every hour and got shipped off to the nearest avable hospitals.
If this rate of purification was kept up, then everything should be over within a month from now on, mathematically speaking.
Well, the problem is, will Roabell hold on until then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The thing was, Roabells schedule was being managed strictly and she was being rested whenever possible after it was discovered that the crisis wouldnt end soon. So, Choi Jung-Hoon didnt foresee anyplications on that front.
Although, he did hear some reports of Roabell, as she was being carted to a hotel to take a break, often resorting to muttering out some rough stuff about Ill kill him, That abominable dark wizard this and that, I curse him, h-h, etc., etc., which certainly didnt suit that gentle and young-looking face of hers. But then again, that wasnt something Choi Jung-Hoon should concern himself with right now....
Perhaps thankfully, those without the benefit of trantion magic wouldnt understand what she had to say, so it didnt really matter at the end of the day.
An Elf with a dirty mouth, is it.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Isnt that like, a shy Dwarf or something?
I mean, man, the sense of disharmony is strong with this one. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head.
While he was dragged into solving the American zombie crisis, the documents he needed to go through only got taller and taller until they now almost resembled a mountain. In this age, when doing things electronically was as natural as ones own breathing, it was indeed a shocking thing to see so many documents that required a manual signing-off by his hands being piled up so high before his tired eyes.
And well, it was also a terribly sorrowful thing that he couldnt just look on at this spectacle with surprised and tired eyes as well.
Why doesnt my work decrease at all? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why did his work only increase in volume, again and again?
Why did his work increase exponentially, when his sry was only creeping up even slower than a tortoise?
Groan.....
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a groan and slumped into his seat.
It was only obvious that work would pile up, since he hadnt been dealing with the local issues.
It was undeniably true that Gates continued to pop up in Korea even when Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co., were roaming the world and having a ster time of their lives.
Instead, it was all thanks to the efforts of the KSF, with no help whatsoever from the NDF, that the whole country managed to carry on as it was.
Isnt this getting way too much....? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was now time for him to refocus on the matters of his own country.
They may have weathered the storm rather amazingly well, but in order to do so, the KSF had been operating at full capacity without its members taking a break once. If this persisted, either their level of dissatisfaction would explode into something rather ugly, or some people would start copsing from overwork. One of the two.
A single agent of the NDF could easily handle arge Gate that required an entire battalion of the KSF to deal with, so from thetters perspective, they had been filling up a hole the size of several army divisionsrge.
But, for today at least, we take a break.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In any case C Seo Ah-Young, feeling greatly buoyed by the feelings of a job well done, ordered everyone to take a day off bar the minimum amount of personnel required to escort Roabell around. As a result, only Choi Jung-Hoon and Kim Jae-Beom were manning the office right now.
By the way, where is our day off? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoonined with a pout. Suddenly, Kim Jae-Beom and his gaunt, wane expression turned around and shot apletely, eerily emotionless in the formers direction.
....My bad. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
While Choi Jung-Hoon was out and about, it was none other than Kim Jae-Beom who had to guard the NDF all by himself, as he was subjected to a variety of work, hostile pressures, and pestering-rted issues.
So, one shouldnt pout in front of such a person. Oh no.
Do you really want to take a day off, sir? (Kim Jae-Beom)
No, not really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A holiday sure sounded alluring, but when Choi Jung-Hoon thought about the amount of work that would be waiting after he returned from said break.... Hed immediately refuse if he were given some time off now.
At least, what a relief it is. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, it was a relief that the office was so quiet today.
If it was like any other day, all those ability users with nothing better to do would slink around in the periphery of his vision while fooling in some corner over there with shooting arcs of electricity or something. And that would serve as a big distraction.
m!
Just as Choi Jung-Hoons thoughts came to an end, the door was abruptly mmed open and Yi Ji-Hyuk strode right into the office.
Not only that, snacks in one hand!
And in the other, Oh-Sik!
Choi Jung-Hoon became utterly dazed after seeing his very forthright footsteps.
You know you didnt have toe to work today, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup, I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, howe youre here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.....Cuz, its warm and cosy here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Such a thing....
Does really happen!
Right, there are such people in this world!!
Yes, there are some people who cant wait to go home but once they do, they have nothing else to do!
And on top of that, you will find even weirder people who, even though its their off day, would show up in their ces of employment to see if theres anything they are needed for!
However, why did such a person have to be Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
If its someone else, I could have said, dont get in the way of my work, go back home, take a cold shower and hit the sack C but why did it have to be YI JI-HYUK?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Ahh, so warm. Its so cold outside. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Annnd, why are you here?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon watched Jeong Hae-Min rxedly unfurl her scarf and spat out a grand sigh.
Seriously. Shes not even a set item, yet I always find her right next to wherever Yi Ji-Hyuk appears.
Doesnt she also have anything better to do?
Ahh, right. She doesnt.
Of course she wouldnt have any.
I mean, without events and filming, what else can a celebrity do?
Its not like shes going to record a new album or shoot a video, so she wouldnt even have to go to choreography practice either. Yup, shes got nothing better to do, alright. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly wiped the corners of his stinging eyes.
Unfortunately, were very busy today. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure. Work hard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think I can get any work done with you around?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deflected away all the hints Choi Jung-Hoon sent his way with his already-existing mental shield and settled down in front of his powered-upputer.
And what an unfortunate thing it was, thatputers screen being in full view from Choi Jung-Hoons position.
What was I saying in the beginning?
This position will be good for keeping an eye out on Yi Ji-Hyuk, because no one knows what kind of a mess hed create?
Gimme a freaking break!!
Who couldve guessed that hed install a dang game on his very first day working here and start ying away during office hours like this?
We shouldve assigned his desk waaaay over there in that dark corner where no one can see him! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Ah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats right C he had something to say, didnt he?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, the Americans have requested for assistance again. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Tell them that if they even think of muttering the word assistance or anything simr in nature, Im just going to grab some of those stinking zombies and drop them in all of their major cities, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ill convey that message in full. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Once the Yanks hear that, theyd never think about asking for assistance ever again. Probably.
By the way, we still have another request for assistance to get through.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What kinda? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I did bring this up before. Its regarding training their ability users. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...Training, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. The US requested that we train their users and make them stronger. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tore his eyes away from theputer monitor and stared deeply at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Well, now. Wouldnt that be somewhat interesting? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A rather sinister grin slowly formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
***
Off day, my a*s!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu currently found himself in Japan.
Japan sent a request for assistance to Korea after a rank 5 Gate opened there, and to amodate them, Yun Hyuk-Gyu had been chosen through a rigorous and entirely fair selection process.
Argh, god d*mn it! I shouldve picked the next one..... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Drawing straws, obviously.
Ability users making bets was a recipe for a bnce-breaking disaster, and so, Yun Hyuk-Gyu was the (un)lucky winner chosen through the most fair process of drawing straws.
Couldnt you at least teleport me or something?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Sure, Japan maybe be nearby, but still, shouldnt he be teleported here?
What did she mean, she has no marker there??
What good is a teleporter without markers?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu inwardly grumbled and walked to the location. He could see a Gate dyed in a red hue in the distance.
Okay, so. What has happened so far? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
An interpreter quickly stuck onto him and began doing his job.
Annnd, this was yet another problem.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had cast some sort of a weird skill or technique so people could converse without a need for an interpreter, so how convenient would it have been to give that thing to a guy going on a business trip to a foreign country like this?
But, what did he say?
Its too annoying??
Son of a b*tch! If its so annoying, how do you even bother yourself to eat food, then?? Why dont you just stick an IV needle in your arm and live the rest of your life on a bed?!
Uh-Whew!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
They say the Gate will open soon. (interpreter)
These d*mn Gates are always opening soon. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
By the way.... (interpreter)
Yes? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
They are also asking if Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk hase with you? (interpreter)
In that exact moment, blood uncontrobly rushed into Yun Hyuk-Gyus head.
What the hell. All these fools are busy yapping on and on about Yi Ji-Hyuk this and Yi Ji-Hyuk that! Its just a measly rank 5, so why are these d*mn fools losing their minds for?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
But, uh, a level 5 is enough to trigger a national emergency status? (interpreter)
Its just a level 5, so what need is there for an emergency like that? Even the newbie NDF agents can deal with something like that solo. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
What do you even mean.....? (interpreter)
Eh-whew, will these folks even understand anything if I waste my breath exining it to them? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
Wait, now that I think about it.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Wasnt it like only three months ago that people used to say its the end of their country once a level 5 Gate opens up?
Wow, lots of things have changed in the past three months, hasnt it? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
It felt as if there were lots more changes happening in those three months since Yi Ji-Hyuks appearancepared to the five years prior to that, when the first Gate opened up.
Cant tell whether this is for good or not, though..... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu spat out a sigh and walked over to the Gate.
W-wait, its dangerous over there!! (interpreter)
For me, or for the monsters? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyus head bobbed up and down as he studied the Gate beginning to vibrate in front of his eyes.
Come out already. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Let me mop this up quickly so I can go home and take a break, too.
Yes, me!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
It was at that moment the Gate finally opened up.
Wuuuong....
The red Gate split open and he could see the portal leading to another world within.
So, what wille out this time? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Feeling a bit of anticipation bubbling up in his chest, Yun Hyuk-Gyu stared at the Gate, only for his eyes to grow bigger.
Huh? Isnt that...?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The interpreter watching the Gate from his side slowly crumbled to the ground.
Were finished. (interpreter)
A voice thicklyden with despair leaked out of the interpreters mouth.
Well, yeah, sure. That mightve been the case, but.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu was feeling this strange discordance at the moment. The creature his eyes captured was the worst type of a monster toe out from a level 5 Gate, sure.
But then, why....
Why does it feel so intimately familiar?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
Krrrrooooaaaarr!
Yun Hyuk-Gyu was now swept up in this strange, unexinable emotion as he stared at the giant Ogre roaring at the top of it head in front of the Gate.
How should he put this....?
Would it be simr to, say, seeing a dog very simr in breed as the one you keep at your own house, baring its fangs and barking at you from the next door neighbours yard?
....Would Oh-Sik be happy if he learns of this? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Right, that things like a friend to Oh-Sik, so, uh, is it okay to kill it?
Will Oh-Sik be happy if I take back home alive? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
While Yun Hyuk-Gyu was stewing in his dilemma, the Japanese ability users as well as the members of the JSDF surrounding the Gate began pouring out theirbined firepower at the Ogre.
M-mm.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The Ogre was not harmed in the slightest by the iing bullets, cannon shells as well as shots of Ether. It issued another loud roar and pounced on the ranks of the Japanese ability users.
M-m-mm....... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Meanwhile, Yun Hyuk-Gyu couldnte to an answer, and in the end he had to pick up his phone.
Hello? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, uh, Im calling you concerning about a situation developing here. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Okay, what is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This b*stard!
I must be at least ten years older than you, yet you still dont address me like a senior?! What a rude b*stard. (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu calmed his quivering rage and asked.
Im here to assist the Japanese, but then an Ogre came out of the Gate. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Okay, so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk))
Its Oh-Siks friend, so is it okay to kill it? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Huh. Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took his time as if he was deliberating over something, before his cheerful voice came from the phones speaker.
C Is it a girl? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course I dont know that. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu couldnt even tell the sexes of regr animals apart, so how could he even know where to begin looking in an Ogre?
C Okay, then. Dont kill it, but tenderise it just so and bring it home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Got it. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The interpreter eavesdropping on the phone call couldnt hide his bbergasted expression as he stared at Yun Hyuk-Gyu.
Did these people lose their marbles??
Dont they know what an Ogre is? (The interpreters inner monologue)
This would be an obvious reaction from someone who had no clue what kind of a ce the NDF was.
Groan..... But, man. Not killing it is actually a bit harder. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Maybe, I shouldnt have called?
Yun Hyuk-Gyu felt a bit of regret seep into his mind as he strode right up to the Ogre.
Keureuk?
Perhaps it sensed Yun Hyuk-Gyus presence, the Ogre stopped flinging away the members of JSDF and their equipment to take a look behind it.
Hey, sorry about this. Ive got no grudge against you. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Indeed, itd be more like a favourable impression, instead. Out of all the monsters out there, he was the most acquainted with an Ogre, you see.
But well, what can I do, eh? He says jump, and I say how high. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Cannons of mes erupted out from the hands of the Spitfire and swept the Ogre up in their fiery embrace!
Kkwuaaaaahh!!
The pained scream of an unknown animal, along with the smell of its flesh being cooked spread in the Japanese sky.
There, there. Resisting makes it hurt even more, you know. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The interpreter stared at Yun Hyuk-Gyu figuratively beating up the Ogre, a truly powerful monster, as if it was a small kid and dazedly muttered to himself.
Just who the f*ck are these people?? (interpreter)
This would be the moment that the renown of the NDF began spreading to the rest of the world.
< 193. I dont need a reason to seek him out -3 > Fin.
Chapter 194: I don’t need a reason to seek him out (4)
Chapter 194: I dont need a reason to seek him out (4)
Itd have been utterly unimaginable for Yun Hyuk-Gyu to go one on one with an Ogre only a few months ago.
This was a dang Ogre they were talking about here. It was the worst possible monster to pop out from a level 5 Gate.
It was the most horrifying creature humanity had faced yet. So much so that just one of them appearing from a Gate would throw the entirety of America into a state of panic.
Also, didnt the Koreans fall into despair during that nuclear power station incident until Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped up to take care of the situation? Back then, there was no guarantee of stopping an Ogre even if every single ability user in South Korea were to be mobilised. That was the power of an Ogre.
But now....
There, there, now. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu leisurely approached the nicely-roasted Ogre.
The monster rolled desperately around on the ground and managed to barely put out all the mes burning on its body. It bared its fangs and red angrily at Yun Hyuk-Gyu.
Oho? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu frowned slightly at that still-rebellious re of the Ogre.
How dare a measly little Ogre re at him like this? If it was Oh-Sik, fine. That was understandable. Well, that guy had gone off the far end of the scale to be called an Ogre now, you see.
Having been injected with Yi Ji-Hyuks Mana, Oh-Sik could no longer be called an Ogre per se.
If a regr Ogre ran into Oh-Sik, then well, the poor monster would be dissected in its entirety and die in around three seconds.
....Including me, too. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Even if it was Yun Hyuk-Gyu, he simply couldntpare to Oh-Sik at all. Didnt he hear that Oh-Sik was already the most powerful being out of all the Ogres out there even before he became Yi Ji-Hyuks ve?
Indeed, if he was a gori, then hed have been a Silverback. Oh-Sik was the leader ss of all the Ogres, in other words.
So, unless it was on the level of Oh-Siks ss, a regr Ogre didnt stand a chance against the current Yun Hyuk-Gyu. Not just him, though, but every NDF agent should be able to solo an Ogre regardless of who it was. At least, thats what he thought.
Which all meant that Yun Hyuk-Gyu, an upper level ability user even among the ranks of NDF, should easily cook an Ogre like this....
Kwa-boom!!!
mes shot out from Yun Hyuk-Gyu exploded right in front of the Ogre, and that giant body was flung away like a piece of paper being blown around in the wind.
Kahaaaaahk!!
A rather bone-chilling scream resounded out in the air.
H-mm.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-gyu watched the whole thing and simply shrugged his shoulders.
Although they were nominally the same type of fire-type ability users, styles of Yun Hyuk-Gyu and Seo Ah-young were quite different.
Seo Ah-Young was the type to attack her targets with the ultra-high temperature and burning power of her mes, but Yun Hyuk-Gyu relied on the explosive power contained within his mes to blow away his opponents.
Perhaps that was why he was nicknamed the Spitfire.
Will it be fine, I wonder? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu approached the Ogre with a slightly concerned expression on his face. Yi Ji-Hyuk ordered him to capture it alive, but well, he got a bit carried away and ended up attacking a little harder than he should have.
That destructive power was enough to render regr monsters into indistinguishable lumps of bloody meat, you see.
Kurureuk....
Ho-oh? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
But then again, he could hear the familiar growling of an Ogre, causing his head to tilt this way and that. He figured that, even if it didnt die, the creature should still be covered in wounds from head to toe. Yet, its voice sounded rather healthy from what he could hear.
Well, is this because its an Ogre? Is that it? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Should he chalk this one up to the capability of one of the top ranked monsters? The Ogres sturdiness had exceeded Yun Hyuk-Gyus expectations.
All thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk throwing people into a weird world, he got to see plenty of strange, mystifying monsters. And he began thinking that a creature like an Ogre should prove to be an easy enough opponent now, but it proved to be hardier than he had imagined.
Yup, this is what an Ogre should be all about. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
In the past, Yun Hyuk-Gyu wouldnt have been able to leave even a scratch on an Ogres body no matter what he tried. Only now that his firepower had improved by several folds in the other world could he deal with such a monster.
The fur on its entire body had been scorched jet-ck, but the Ogre was still ring at Yun Hyuk-Gyu with bloodshot eyes. The mere fact that it didnt lower its tail, even though it mustve sensed the disparity in power by now, proved how violent in nature this monster was.
Looks like Ill have to get a bit more serious here, doesnt it? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu stared at the Ogre unsteadily raising itself back up with a slightly hardened face.
His firepower was enough to turn most monsters into bloody meat paste, but his body wasnt all that much stronger than that of a normal persons.
Sure, Ether did reinforce it to some degree, but whenpared to his enhanced firepower, his defensive capabilities would beughed out of the room immediately.
If the Ogre decided to attack with everything it got, then without a doubt, his body would end up in two pieces or more even before he had a chance to do anything about it.
Keurururu....
The monster managed to finally stand up somehow, and red at Yun Hyuk-Gyu with a scarily crumpled face.
You still have some fight left in you, is that it? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu put on airs for a bit.
Sure, he was trembling inside a little, but showing such a sight in front of a monster was not that different tomitting suicide. He knew that oh-so well.
Well, I shall roast you some more, then. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Reddish spheres suddenly began forming within Yun Hyuk-Gyus hands.
Rumble-!!
These spheres were burning so hot that their colours were no longer reddish and began emitting bright white light, instead. And it wasnt just one or two, either. There were five basketball-sized spheres now spinning around Yun Hyuk-Gyus body.
Hah-aaah! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
He even spat out a focused yell, too!
Eat this!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
All five spheres flew simultaneously at the Ogre at a frightening speed.
Keuruk?!
The monster immediately sensed the power contained within each of those spheres flying in and tried to retreat in a hurry, but they were too fast.
Kwah-aaaah!!
The spheres of mes, burning brightly now, mmed into the body of the Ogre and began spinning viciously against its flesh. These mes twisted the monsters body, roasted it, and grounded it to fine meat paste.
Khaaaahack!!
The Ogre spat out a pained scream.
The monster dug deeply into the ground and shivered uncontrobly, but then, the me spheres collided into each other in a single spot and they all went KWA-BOOM.
Ohhh!
Yun Hyuk-Gyu watched his creation do its thing and cried out in admiration.
Because there werent all that many locations where ability users could test out their powers, it was often the case that many hadnt been able to experiment with all the skills they had cooked up in their heads.
Yun Hyuk-Gyu hade up with this attack at the tail end of his forced stay in another world C courtesy of Yi Ji-Hyuk C and didnt find a chance to use it for real, but now that he did use it, the destructive power easily trumped his initial expectation.
By the way, wasnt it a bit too strong....? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu scratched his head.
M-m-mm....
He cautiously approached the pit where the monster was buried in and peered over the edge. He soon sighed in relief.
What a relief that its not dead, but....
But, uh, can I really say thats its not really dead? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu was in a serious dilemma after taking a look at the Ogre now resembling a scorched charcoal.
Weeell, you could legit say that its already half-dead, but its not fully dead yet, so wont I be able to get away with this one? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
....Is that really an Ogre? (interpreter)
Oh. Yeah, well.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
You could say thats definitely an Ogre a few seconds ago, but now, Im not quite sure what to call it now.
Mm.... What should I call it, then?
Rare Ogre Roast?
Or, Medium Rare Ogre barbecue? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
H-m-mm....
This was proving to be rather tough to think up of a name.
In any case, its alive so it should be fine. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Humans would have died by now and then some. But, monsters werent monsters for nothing, thats for sure. They wouldnt die from something like this.
....No, hang on. Honestly speaking, even monsters would have died by now. I should revise myself and say that Ogres possess strong vitality so that guy managed to not die until now. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
This is so troublesome. It must not die, though.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The interpreter stared agape at Yun Hyuk-Gyu.
Just what on earth was up with this man?
It was already so shocking that he was toying around with an Ogre all alone, yet he was actually serious about capturing it alive?
Are all Korean ability users like him?? (interpreter)
Even though they were both supposed to be humans, the gap between this man and the Japanese ability users were just too immense. There was no guarantee of defeating an Ogre even if a group of Japanese ability users all attacked at once, yet....
I am truly surprised. (interpreter)
....Im even more surprised. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Excuse me? (interpreter)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu spat out a sigh and picked his phone up again. He then called someone and quietly waited for the other side to answer.
C Argh, what do you want now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Yun Hyuk-Gyu forgot what he wanted to say from that voiceing from the phones speaker and his head faltered lower to the ground.
It hadnt even been ten minutes since they discussed the topic over the phone, yet he was asking what now....
You d*mn b*stard, why did you even bother to answer the phone, then?! Why do you answer it like clockwork but get dissatisfied about it, ahhh?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
You see, the thing is, I did bring down the Ogre, but... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Okay, so what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its about half-cooked, so will it be fine? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Cooked? How? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, yes. I failed to hold back my power a bit and it turned into a medium rare steak, so like, can it be revived? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu heard that sighing out of the phones speaker and also spat out a sigh.
Who should he me here except himself? It was indeed his fault for making the call when he couldve just taken care of the matters and go home, and no one would be any wiser.
Everything wouldve been fine if he just pretended to not notice and kill the dang thing. But, he just had to go and call that man....
I only started this whole thing after wondering about Oh-Sik liking this fe or not... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Trying to mind Yi Ji-Hyuks moods over a matter that Oh-Sik didnt even have any clues about really ground Yun Hyuk-Gyus gears!
C Why couldnt you just take care of such a simple thing properly, ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He thought as much. Yun Hyuk-Gyu distanced himself from the phone as the angry ranting crackled out from the devices speaker.
He thought he could hear some sort of h-h continuously spitting out from his phone, but he simply stared longingly into the blue sky above and ignored everything.
Seriously now, none of the words spoken would be pleasing in nature anyway, and listening to it wouldnt improve his life one bit, too. It was, quite literally, just incessant nagging.
....Still nagging over the spilled milk and all. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C What was that?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, it was nothing important. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
What scary hearing! How the heck did he hear me?
C I sure did hear something, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im telling you, it was nothing! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C How dare you raise your voice at me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, seriously man! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu spat on the floor.
No matter how scary that mans hearing was, there was no way hed be able to hear the sound of spit, now would he?
The frowning Yun Hyuk-Gyu could still hear more grumblings and whatnotsing out from the phone, but he kept it firmly away from his ear.
C Oii. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Looks like youre somewhatcking in discipline, so were going to have a one on one chat after youe back home, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-n-no, thats not true! Im listening to everything you say! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C But, it doesnt sound that way to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im being honest. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
A one on one session with Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
He might as well have one of those with the King Yama instead. Why would he willingly put himself through that madness??
Hed rather die than do that insane thing.
C Okay, so....Whats the problem? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This monster looks to be in a serious condition, so can you dispatch Miss Jeong Hae-Min over here? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, what if this thing wakes up and go berserk while its being transported in a ne or on a ship? Itd result in a big chaos, then. If Im taking a dead monster, fine, but since its alive, shouldnt we consider such possibilities? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Youre worried over a strange thing there, buddy. If it wants to act up, just beat it up again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you dumb insane as*hole.
You think I dont know that?
You think a ne will survive when Im beating it up again? Or for that matter, a ship?! Cant you think that far ahead? Is your brain dead?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
.....Realistically speaking, thats not feasible. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Argh, you know what, just kill it, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
C Seriously, dude. This is getting annoying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I mean, its just one teleporter, so how hard can it be? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Shes got no marker over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.....
I forgot.
Then, uh, what should I do with this one? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
C Hold on. Let me talk to Colonel Jeong and get you a helicopter. Just tie it up nicely and dangle it on the bottom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul........
Was he being asked to recreate the exact same scene from a certain movie right now??
What if it wakes up during the transport, then? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
C Cut the rope and dump it in the middle of the ocean. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Sure thing. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Although he felt it clearly, how should he go about describing this bitter aftertaste in his mouth?
C Well, then. Do your best and bring it home, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Click.
Yun Hyuk-Gyu stared at his phone with a very bitter expression, before finally losing his sh*t and flew off his handle.
Argh!! Didnt he say I should just kill it if all else fails?! What is up with this do your best c**p?! Really now?? God d*mn it! This sh*t is really killing me, man!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu seriously deliberated on whether to throw his phone in disgust or not, and in the meantime, the interpreter could only shake his head in helplessness.
This Korean man next to him was already a rather strange figure to begin with. But then, just what was up this Yi Ji-Hyuk that he couldpletely subdue the Spitfire with nothing but a few words?
For some reason, the nation called Korea seemed far, far too distant and unreachable for this interpreter today.
< 194. I dont need a reason to seek him out -4 > Fin.
Chapter 195. I don’t need a reason to seek him out (5)
Chapter 195. I dont need a reason to seek him out (5)
Urgh, Ive had it up to here, man. Seriously! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
While Yun Hyuk-Gyu was taking out his frustration on a poor pebble on the ground for no good reason, the interpreter shuddered grandly as he stared at the cooked Ogre quivering weakly down at the bottom of the pit.
Seeing the so-called apex monster ending up in such a state left this interpreter feeling quite peculiar at the moment. As far as his knowledge base was concerned, an Ogre shouldnt have been taken down this easily.
Are you really nning on taking that thing back with you? (interpreter)
Itd actually be moreforting to cross the East Sea whilst carrying a live grenade with its safety pin pulled out, instead. Crossing the sea with a living Ogre was not something a person with normal mindset would do, no?
Well, he says jump, and I have to do it. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Of course, no one else beside Yun Hyuk-Gyu himself was to me for that jump to happen in the first ce. Itd have been fine for him to just silently off this monster and go home, but well....
Eh-whew.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Realising that he had dug his own grave, he squatted on the ground in dejection.
I could use a cigarette or two right now. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
He began missing his smoking habit he quit not too long ago.
Please forgive me for asking you this, but just what kind of a person is Yi Ji-Hyuk? (interpreter)
What, that Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu could only form a smirk.
Ah, there are some people who still dont know what hes like and can ask a question such as this one, eh?
I figured that most countries would havepiled some basic information on that guy before asking us for help, though.
No, hang on. Maybe its simply because this interpreters clearance is too low and he hadnt gotten a hold of Yi Ji-Hyuks info.
Who cares, either way? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
Hes just one troublesome motherf*cker. (yun Hyuk-Gyu)
....Excuse me? (interpreter)
What was he on about here?
Well, doesnt matter if I exin to you about this and that, since words cant describe even half of what hes like to begin with. So, the most fitting description is him being a troublesome motherf*cker. That guy, hes always worrying about how to make your life more miserable. Hes too d*mn diligent only with weird c**p, you see. Son of a b*tch. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
....I see. (interpreter)
Uh-whew.... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu shook his head and stood back up, before walking over to the Ogre.
Can you get me some chains? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Chains? What for? (interpreter)
To tie that thing up so it wont run away. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The interpreter stared at Yun Hyuk-Gyu with somewhat dazed eyes. This Korean ability user seemed like one scary dude, but well, he also mustve had a dumb side to him as well.
You want to tie an Ogre with chains?? (interpreter)
Yes. Is there something wrong? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
....The way I hear it, it sounds like you want to tie someone up with paper cuffs. (interpreter)
Oh. Are chains not strong enough? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu tilted his head.
In that case, what should he use to tie this thing up, then?
Isnt there anything suitable that I can use? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Ill ask around. I think there should be some kind of a special rope designed to capture monsters alive. (interpreter)
If you do that for me, Ill be grateful. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu spoke up to there and settled down on the spot before the still-quivering Ogre. Once he got his hands on some of that rope, hed tie the monster up and wait until a transport helicopter arrived.
However, he was still feeling rather frustrated in his chest.
By the way, ahjussi? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yes? (interpreter)
By any chance, you have some smokes on you? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
In the end, Yun Hyuk-Gyu gave up on quitting smoking on this day.
***
....Hey, you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Annoyance was written all over Yi Ji-Hyuks face. Realising this fact, Yun Hyuk-Gyu squeezed his eyes shut.
Is this really an Ogre?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, it is. Is there something wrong? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Of course not. But, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, ahjussi??
There aint all that much age difference between you and I, so whats up with this ahjussi nonsense?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Didnt you say you wanted to find a friend or a girlfriend for Oh-Sik so youd capture it alive, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That I did. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
So? Think about it for a sec and look at it from the other side! From Oh-Siks view! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The proverbial mes erupted out from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
How would you feel when your blind date turns up all scorched to hell and looking like a piece of charcoal?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yeah, Id be feeling pretty p*ssed off, too.
No, hang on. Arent we, like, supposed to worry about its condition first??
Isnt this a bit weird? (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
Oh-Sik was really looking forward to this, but what are you trying to do by bringing it back in this state?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I did my best, though? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
We didnt need your best, but to do a proper job, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Im sorry. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows shot up high as he red angrily.
Look, Oh-Siks all deted now! How will you take responsibility for this?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing that, Yun Hyuk-Gyu did lower his head to the side to find Oh-Sik crouching there staring at the ground with a sulky face.
A first of its kind he saw after a while showed up looking like this, so it was somewhat understandable why he was feeling unhappy at the moment.
I didnt do it deliberately, you know. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Although that excuse sounded unconvincing, it was all he could say at the moment.
And this kid might have looked pretty adorable, too.... Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Adorable?
An Ogre is what now?
What dogsh*t is this guy talking about?
Wait, can Ogres also look cute and ugly and all that, too??? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Okay, so, what can we do now? Cant we heal this thing or something? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
M-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
If he did imnt his Seal of Obedience, then itd be able to recover pretty soon. However, hed have to pour in arge amount of Mana because its current condition was so wretched and that was his problem here.
Oh, well. I guess it cant be helped, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wasting Mana like this was unfortunate, but itd still be a whole lot better than seeing Oh-Sik so deted like this.
Hey. Dont forget, you gotta be more obedient from now on, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bark.
Oh-Sik replied with a short but heavy bark.
Huh, I guess you still wanna save this guy since its your kin and all. Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted as he caught onto Oh-Siks tail wagging slightly this way and that.
But, then again C he had plenty of his kin living in this world, but Oh-Sik crossed over all alone and had to blend in among the humans, so how lonely must he have been?
It was unknown whether monsters possessed emotion of loneliness like humans or not, and Ogres normally behaved like tigers and lived alone most of the time, so it was also unknown as to whether such a creature would miss seeing its kin, but....
Its hard to tell if Oh-Siks an Ogre or not nowadays. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, how is this guy an Ogre?
Hes more of a dog now.
Everything he does is more dog-like than ever. So he must be thinking like a dog, too.
Mm?
I wasnt insulting him, though.
Im just saying, hes just too dog-like now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hmm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk ced his hand on the burnt Ogres head.
Now normally, he could just flick the Seal from the distance and that would do the job of enving it, but it was already a miracle that the creature still managed to hold on, so he decided to be more hands-on this time round.
Or else, this guy would die of shock from getting branded by the Seal.
Yi Ji-Hyuk cautiously fixed the Seal inside, and began injecting some of his Mana into the creature.
Kururuk....
The Ogre-specific growling finally leaked out from the creature. Although still weak, the creature had recovered enough to let out a pained moan like that.
Ohh?
Yun Hyuk-Gyu watched this scene unfold and gasped out, mystified.
The monsters body was healing at the rate visible to the naked eyes. The flesh scorched like charcoal regained some redness to it, and all the fur burnt away began growing back up again.
It was indeed a mystifying sight to behold.
Sure, he had seen Oh-Siks destroyed arm regenerate or the hole in his gut get filled back up during battles before, but back then, he was way too preupied to pay attention and those times werent as amazing as what was happening right now.
Just how does it work? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
It was a special experience, witnessing the regeneration of burnt flesh like this C even if it didnt involve a human patient.
Before long, the Ogres body had almost reverted back to how it used to look.
Ohhh....
Yun Hyuk-Gyu gasped out in admiration, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to frown in unhappiness.
Whos fault was it that I gotta work this hard again?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im sorry. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The morose Yun Hyuk-Gyu crumpled to the sidelines, allowing Yi Ji-Hyuk to inject thest bit of Mana. After finishing up, he straightened his back.
It was never a good feeling, Mana leaving his body. Even if it was a necessity.
Get the hell up already! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped the side of the Ogre with his foot.
Kureuk??
The creature sensed that its body had been restored and hurriedly jumped up from the spot. Reflexively, it tried to bite the very first human its eyes caught, which happened to be Yi Ji-Hyuk, but then, its jaw stopped just before his shoulders.
You wanna die already?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
POW!
The creature did stop for sure, yet Yi Ji-Hyuks punishing hands would never consider such a thing in the first ce.
Why do all Ogres behave in the exact same stupid manner?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik hiding in the corner flinched grandly after hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks thunderous yell. Didnt the dog-fied Ogre receive the same sort of treatment back then?
Yup, you gotta get beaten up! Dogs or Ogres, they gotta get beaten up every three days so they can wake the hell up again! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His kick urately dug into the Ogre.
The ve seal was doing its thing within this Ogre now so it couldnt even think about mounting a resistance. Nope, all it could do was roll itself into a ball and endure Yi Ji-Hyuks continued kicking spree.
Woof!!
It was at this moment that Oh-Sik quickly dashed over with those short legs of his and began tugging at the leg of his pants. However, he was currently stuck in the puppy-like state and he wasnt even trying bite, so the mere fact that he was pulling at the pants with that small body of his came across as rather endearing, instead.
What now?! You dont want me to hit it anymore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
Uh-whew. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, which Ogre would enjoy the sight of its kin being beaten up? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grasped the scruff of Oh-Siks neck and lifted him up off his pant leg.
Hey you, your owner is supposed toe first before your own kind, dont you think so?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bark, bark!
....You and your temper. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything else and lightly chucked Oh-Sik over to the trembling Ogre.
You, take care of this. I dont care what you do anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Whimper....
Oh-Sik patted the back of the Ogres head in a consoling manner.
The monster waspletely terrified out of its mind right now. The Seal of Obedience ensured that the one branded with it would even have its mind ruled over by the owner.
The Ogres mind, once it had recognised that it tried to attack its owner, was now being subjected to an extreme level of fear. Only someone like Oh-Sik was capable of resisting that kind of fear, so regr Ogres simply didnt stand a shred of chance here.
The Ogre quivered in sheer terror, before it snapped its head to the side to take a look at Oh-Sik.
Kureuk??
And then... confusion and fluster filled up the Ogres eyes.
But, how could it not be confused? There was this puppy small enough for the Ogre to swallow up in one go sitting right next to its eyes, its body busy emitting the odour of one of its kin.
Kureureuk????
No, hang on a minute. It wasnt just some kin, either.
The smell definitely belonged to the most powerful male of its species, too.
The Ogre was properly flustered by this unexinable disharmony between what its eyes could see and what its nose could pick up. Meanwhile, Oh-Sik began rubbing the monsters head with its short front paw to say he understood everything.
Would you look at this punk go?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue as he observed Oh-Sik doing his thing in a slick and smooth fashion.
The dang kid didnt look like it because he was so small and cute right now, but the way he was doing his thing definitely came from the pages of Mister Casanovas book, thats for sure.
But then again, male Ogres with red fur were supposed to be the top of their species, werent they? In human terms, Oh-Sik would be someone like a super-handsome millionaireing from a good family background.
So, he probably broke the hearts of a few female Ogres in his lifetime.
....B*stard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly felt rather rotten about himself and began ring at Oh-Sik.
He couldnt help but feel like an idiot when he thought about it. Why did he go out of his way to airlift another Ogre from Japan for this dang yboy that probably fooled around with countless females until now?!
Just who was worrying about who here?!
Kurureuk??
The Ogre was busy tilting its head this way and that.
The creatures facial muscles werent as good as humans when it came to expressing their emotions, but well, this particr one was giving it a good go at expressing its confusion at the moment.
Woof, woof!!
Oh-Sik barked something or rather and carefully smoothed over the creatures fur. That led to the Ogre regaininf some of its calm, but then, it began staring at Oh-Sik with one of those types of eyes.
....! O-Oh-Sik-ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Calm down, Oh-Sik-ah!! This isnt the way to do it!!
Even if things are like this, dont forget how you look right now!
Theres no way that an Ogre would understand every single thing happening around it! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kah-aaahhh!!
Pow!
Oh-Sik got punted away by the hind leg of the Ogre and flew away into the heavens as if he was nning to be the next star to join the night sky.
Whimper!!!!!
Oh-Siks pitiful whimpering resounded within the air.
I bloody knew it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted from the sidelines.
One should be plying his tricks when one was in his regr state, so what was he thinking trying his luck while looking like that?
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled as if he felt refreshed now while watching Oh-Sik fall back down to Earth, streams of tears pouring out from the poor Ogres eyes.
Sure, the other Ogre was brought here so the things could be nicer for Oh-Sik. However, wasnt it human nature to feel a pang of stomach ache AKA jealousy when watching things go well for someone else?
I mean, even I dont have one yet, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out another angry yell thicklyced with the sorrowful jealousy of the man stuck in the solo camp. The Ogre couldnt tell what was going on here and quickly tucked its tail, fear seeping back into its eyes.
Yun Hyuk-Gyu was watching all of this unsightliness happen from the sidelines and spat out a long, long sigh.
Hes so rotten to the core. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Just take a look at his character, man!
Uh-whew!
As Yun Hyuk-Gyu shook his head, the sun was already setting on another day over his shoulders.
< 195. I dont need a reason to seek him out -5 > Fin.
Chapter 196: Who cares if they die or not (1)
Chapter 196: Who cares if they die or not (1)
(Heres the edited version. Enjoy!)
What are they trying to achieve here? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs question elicited a shrug from Choi Jung-Hoon.
I wonder about that too, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The zombie crisis was more or less on its way to being resolved for good.
Although it seemed that the incident needed a bit more time before everything would be normalised, but well, there were no major hups experienced so far and over half of the victims had been purified now.
Perhaps the people involved had gotten more skilled at the task, even the speed of purification had gone up as well.
It did take a bit of time to purify a couple of zombies shuffling out from the dome not too long ago. But now, things had gotten to the state where the party involved would physically drag out zombies because they were bored of waiting around.
Of course, Roabell would asionally go on a frenzy every so often, but such a thing could be brushed aside as a minor side effect and nothing more.
The real problem was with something else.
Training, is it. Thats easier said than done. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young vigorously shook her head.
Even though their zombie crisis hadnt been fully solved yet, the Americans were demanding for their ability users to be strengthened via Yi Ji-Hyuks mystery training method.
However, how could a thing like that be as simple as it sounded?
First of all, it was already a big headache to convince Yi Ji-Hyuk and have him actually agree to help out.
Just from thinking about convincing someone with tendencies to go off somewherepletely weird at a drop of a hat, she felt this stabbing, throbbing pain emanating from her stomach.
Also, convincing Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow would prove to be a problem in itself, as well.
Would he resort to using the same tactic as before? (Seo Ah-Young)
.....No way, he wouldnt. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The methods Yi Ji-Hyuk used to train the NDF agents were rather simple in nature.
Let them loose in another world.
That definitely cannot be allowed to happen. (Seo Ah-Young)
It was true that they had gotten much stronger by going through those hellish experiences. She wasnt going to deny that. However, this method should not be brought up ever again.
The Koreans were able to walk away without a single casualty solely because of the presence of Kitamura Ren the Japanese Healer, who yed a much-needed bncing act during their first extended stay in the other world.
If that tenuous bnce was lost, then they might have been annihted in the blink of an eye.
When they were thrown into another world for the second time.... She didnt want to acknowledge it, but they managed to survive that trip ande home all thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk running around as if his feet were on fire.
But then, putting foreigners through the same process as that?
They will all get killed. (Seo Ah-Young)
These two just couldnt imagine Yi Ji-Hyuk being considerate towards the American ability users as much as he did towards the NDF agents.
Now that I think about it.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began creasing up her brows.
She always thought that he did nothing but torment hers and everyone elses lives endlessly, but now that an event like this was staring at her face, it became somewhat clear to her that that man had been rather thoughtful towards the NDFs affairs until now.
This inly sucks. (Seo Ah-Young)
To think, shed end up feeling this way.
She thought that Yi Ji-Hyuk had treated them rather shoddily so far, but with ability users from another country entering the picture, she began feeling that such shoddy treatment itself could be seen as a form of affection. There was a big possibility that Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt care whether ability users from another country died under his watch or not, at least judging from his personality.
Just with what guts does that Christopher or Stopper guy even think about leaving his countrys ability users to Yi Ji-Hyuk? Arent their users like gold dust to them or something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, I agree. I wonder about that myself as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Especially so, when the American should know just what kind of a person Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
If they still trusted Yi Ji-Hyuk even after getting mixed up with him this much, then one could only say that Christopher McLaren was suffering from a severeck of sensible judgement.
No, hang on. If I was to get technical about it.... (Seo Ah-Young)
From that mans perspective, there wasnt all that much reason to see Yi Ji-Hyuk as a weirdo, was there?
Didnt Yi Ji-Hyuk, although heined all the time, still step up and solve all the serious incidents taking ce within the US until now?
Wait, he couldnt be mistakenly believing that Yi Ji-Hyuk is a nice guy now, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Theres no way, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon immediately and firmly shook his head.
Anyone who hade into contact with Yi Ji-Hyuk even for a few minutes would never think that way.
Definitely not!! Never!!
Maybe if it was an average Joe, sure. But Christopher McLaren was a talented, influential man who plied his trade within the intelligencemunity his entire life. So, there was just no way someone like that wouldnt have been able to figure out Yi Ji-Hyuks character from the amount of interactions they had already.
Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk had helped the US out big time, Christopher McLaren would definitely know to separately assess a persons achievements and his character.
If so, then why is heing out like this? (Seo Ah-Young)
M-mm....
Choi Jung-Hoon pondered for a while, before opening his mouth with a bit of difficulty.
It could be that he believes Yi Ji-Hyuks skills are a necessity regardless of what kind of a person he is. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, why? (Seo Ah-Young)
Because, they dont have a choice. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Choi Jung-Hoon took a second to organise his thoughts first.
During the recent series of events, the US could only defend and endure, or erect some barricades and try to block off the threats. They were unable to mount any serious offensive against the monsters at all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, that was because..... (Seo Ah-Young)
If you think about it, this would be Americas first time being put on their backfoot ever since the ck Monday incident. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I guess so. (Seo Ah-Young)
And also, they dont know what else might pop out from the Gates moving on, so its probable that they have realised the current status quo can not continue. Perhaps, they hade to a decision that raising the overall levels of theirbatants at the cost of a few sacrifices could be the best way for moving forward in the future. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sounds like a cold-hearted decision to me. (Seo Ah-Young)
She said it was cold-hearted, but....
But, could he really call this decision cold-hearted?
Choi Jung-Hoon didnt think that was the case.
If they didnt do anything and the difficulties of the Gates continued to increase, then eventually, the Americans would lose the ability to solve the uing monster crises by themselves.
Didnt history already tell us what kind of fate awaited those nations entrusting their national defences to another country?
That was why they chose to go out there and fight, instead of sitting on their a*ses and getting killedter. On that basis alone, you wouldnt say its cold-hearted, but more of a smart decision to make, but....
But, why does it have to be Yi Ji-Hyuk?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was ready to admit that there was no other way, but even then, if he were in the shoes of the Americans, hed still have searched tirelessly for an alternate method.
Whatever the case may be, lets give Mister Ji-Hyuk a call and see what he has to say. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wait, hes noting to work today? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, he showed up here when you told him not to, but when it is time to show up, he says he cant be bothered and doesnt want toe in. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Should I feel thankful for him at least giving us a heads up with a call? (Seo Ah-Young)
....His mom made the call, instead. Maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young performed a grand facepalm.
Just how old was he to have his mother call his ce of work and get her to say, My boy cante to work today??
Hes not even a high school kid too, you know!! (Seo Ah-Young)
No, well, if you get technical about it.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He went missing as a high schooler and came back five yearster, so, even though he did have his age issues, one could argue that Yi Ji-Hyuk was still a high schooler in a way. It was also true that such an argument left a bitter taste in ones mouth, though!
In any case, Ill call Hae-Min unni and ask her to bring him over here. (Seo Ah-Young)
Understood, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....How am I supposed to exin this to him now?
Choi Jung-Hoon felt a migraine creep into his head already from thinking about how hed convince Yi Ji-Hyukter on.
***
C Quadrakill!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard that derationing from theputers speakers and formed a content smile.
Right, this is it!!
Now that is what you call skill, man! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
All of you have been looking down on me for too long! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks content smile deepened as he watched his allies beat the opponents to pulp without mercy on screen.
There was only one reason why he couldnt disy his prowess in this game in the recent past: He had forgotten that this was a team-based game.
He used to pretty much y the drums, strum the guitars, dance and sing all at the same time back in Berafe, and got way too proficient at doing that, which led to him topletely distrust his own allies. And because he tried to do everything by himself, he wasnt able to showcase the depths of his talents in this game.
Now that he ced more trust in his allies and yed the game, his win ratio was climbing up in a straight line. Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt win against his rising tides of excitement and quickly initiated team chat.
C This is true ss! (TL: TLed literally. I think ss here simply means his skill level or something like that in Korean ng.)
He stared at the screen with satisfaction, and soon, reactions akin to passionately burning mes erupted on the screen.
C ss? True ss??? Seriously? You?
C Holy sh*t! Is this fool trying to troll us? Hes defo no freaking answers, man. Really now!!
C Sure, sure. Check out his true professional bus passenger ss. So bloody awesome, aint ya. (TL note at the end)
C What the **** did he even do to im his ss and sh*t? This punks got no shame.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled as he watched the explosion of dissatisfaction in the chat of the enemy team members. Typically, the losers would always have a lot of things to say.
Unfortunately, the reactions of his allies werent so hot, either.
C Without you, sir, wed have ended this match ten minutes ago.
C Yup, youre really freaking awesome, dude. Freaktastic.
C We carry you this much, yet how can you weigh us down by this much, too? If you just nted your Ward by a dang well somewhere and jerked off by yourself, wed have ended this match ten minutes ago! Seriously, man.
....Huh?
W-whats wrong with my allies reactions?
I... Didnt I do right by them on my own way? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
It was then, he heard a chilly voice stabbing him from the side.
So chilly!!
It was the emotionless voice of Affeldrichae, something he hadnt heard from her since, well, around six hundred years or so ago.
M-mm?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you dont need it, dont initiate the in-game chat. (Affeldrichae)
....Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, if you enter another match from here onwards, do your very best to stay in a corner and dont try to do anything, okay? (Affeldrichae)
N-ng.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head drooped in utter dejection.
Affeldrichae couldnt help but look at him with a bit of pity.
Even back when the entire continent pounced on him while screaming, kill him, kill him!! Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth was always working overtime to hurl insults right back at them.
But, to think, such a man was getting depressed over a simpleputer game!
Such a thing is unimaginable. (Affeldrichae)
No, such a thing shouldnt even happen in the first ce.
Such a thing should not happen from the perspective of Yi Ji-Hyuk himself, but more importantly, for the sake Berafes honour, the one he utterly trampled on, such a thing could not be allowed to happen.
I-its increasing. (Affeldrichae)
...Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression brightened again.
Yes, it is indeed increasing.
....Not your skills, but my annoyance and stress level. (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
The corners of Affeldrichaes lips twitched ever so slightly.
She was someone who maintained herposure even when receiving the reports of a demon kings descent, yet a measly littleputer game was managing to shatter her preternatural calmness.
Well, I wasnt lying. He is improving. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew full well that Affeldrichae would not lie. That was why he was being so pleased like that.
All she had to do was not mention that his so-called improvement was smaller than kes falling off from an ants eye, and everything would be a-okay.
Well, withholding the truth was not the same as lying, after all!
Affeldrichae worked extra hard to calm her minutely-trembling facial muscles. This was one of the big drawbacks of the human physiology C ones emotion being visible on ones face.
It was so much harder to express her emotions as a Dragon, but she found it difficult to disguise what she felt when in her human form.
Yes, youre improving. (Affeldrichae)
There was another problem here, and that would be other yers also improving as well.
Aputer game was a unique form of entertainment media where its users also evolved alongside the product itself. As a game became a service, the skillsets of its users would also improve and diversify alongside its evolution.
And if your own speed of improvementgged far behind that of the average rate of everyone else getting better, then youd be judged as going backwards, instead.
In overall assessment, your results might have improved, but when viewed from other peoples perspective, youd be falling way behind C that sort of a thing?
So, I am definitely not lying here. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae forced the corners of her lips arch up this time.
That is why, youll get better at this soon enough. (Affeldrichae)
Ng!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled oh-so innocently.
What is this?
This indescribable sense of guilt....?? (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
Affeldrichae felt this unfamiliar emotion that she had never ever experienced in her life C as a Dragon C before, and shuddered from the sheer shock of it all.
This world is indeed a bizarre ce. (Affeldrichae)
Berafe, one could say, was a static ce.
There would some big event happening every once in a blue moon, sure, but even with those, there was no particr noticeable change taking ce in that world.
However, the story was different in here.
The density of this world was so high that she even ended up feeling the flow of time was different.
It mustve been hard. (Affeldrichae)
A thousand years in Berafe was very different to a thousand years here in this world.
In this world, many things happened in shorter span of time C some things that might happen over a period of one month in Berafe might be done and dusted in less than ten days here, for instance. In that case, the flow of time Yi Ji-Hyuk felt mustve been so much slower than everyone else.
She could begin to understand just a little why he hated Berafe so much. Not the physical, but theparative scale of times flow was too different for him.
Is he happy here? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had already began gripping the keyboard tight and hurling all sorts of abusivenguage at theputers monitor.
It was a rather frivolous sight unfitting for the Berafes infamous Bringer of Apocalypse, but howe he looked most natural doing this?
Mister Ji-Hyuk? (Affeldrichae)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you happy now that you havee back to this world? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was lost for words from that sudden, unexpected question and simply stared at Affeldrichae.
< 196. Who cares if they die or not -1 > Fin.
(TL: Whew, all these Korean inte ngs. If you remember, theres a term in Korean MMO games called getting on a bus which means others are carrying a weak yer during a raid or a match. So, MC leeching off his LOL teammates = pro bus passenger. As for the Awesome bit, you can tell its sarcasm. Better than that, in Korean, the exact same words can also mean p*ss off or wet your pants with p*ss as well.)
Chapter 197: Who cares if they die or not (2)
Chapter 197: Who cares if they die or not (2)
You asking me if Im happy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Hmm, Im not quite sure about that, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that so? (Affeldrichae)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was being honest here.
He wanted to return to Earth not because he wished to be happy. No, he simply wanted some peace, instead. Should he say that the desire to return to the ce where he should have been was rather strong?
It was naturally a difficult thing for a person to urately diagnose ones own emotions and desires. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt clearly exin away why he wanted to return to this world.
So, that was the case. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae studied Yi Ji-Hyuk with somewhat subdued eyes.
He was not even 20 years old, a still young kid, when he first found himself in Berafe. From the perspective of Affeldrichae, a Dragon, he was more like a fetus than a kid, though.
If it was someone else, his mind would have eroded away from all the events suffered in Berafe throughout all those years and end up bing pretty much like a vegetable, instead.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuks mind had been in a constant fixed state, and so, he got to maintain the sensibilities of a child for well over a thousand years.
When one thought about it that way, then perhaps the current Yi Ji-Hyuk was the most fitting sight for him.
However.... (Affeldrichae)
The current Yi Ji-Hyuk was going through a change. There was no doubt about that.
The difference between the Yi Ji-Hyuk moments before his departure from Berafe and the one sitting in front of theputer right now was so great that itd be okay to say they were two very different people altogether.
Sure, the fundamental aspect of his character wouldnt change, but the detailed breakdown of his personality would reveal just how much change there had been so far. Affeldrichae had watched him from his side for a long time, so she could definitely tell this apart.
How will he change, moving on? (Affeldrichae)
The time he spent in Berafe had begun influencing his personality, and as of now, even Affeldrichae couldnt predict how hed change as he continued to live in the world where he originally was from.
Just as she was about to say something, Jeong Hae-Min swung open the door and strode right in.
Ji-Hyuk-ah, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon says you gottae to the office. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Annoyance quickly filled up Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
That guy, hes not even a mother looking for her kid, so why does he keep losing his sh*t just because Im not there?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Argh, Im not going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min watched Yi Ji-Hyuks whiny tantrum again and let a short sigh escape from her mouth.
Just when will his crappy temper go away?
Theres no answering him, is there?? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
She shook her head slowly and began pacifying him as if he was a little kid.
Even then, we should still go and see whats what. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Tell him I might go thereter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, you gotta be more aware of your situation. Im telling you, youre an important VIP now. You might have been one before, but youre a lot more important now. There are too many things that wont function properly without you present, you see? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
He trained these people like his butt was on fire because he didnt want this to happen, yet nothing had changed, had it?
Is this not strange? (Affeldrichae)
Excuse me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min stared at Affeldrichae.
If Mister Ji-Hyuk is such an important person, and no work can be done without him, then wouldnt it be logical for someone in need toe see him, instead? Hes supposed to be a VIP, so why is he being ordered toe and go as they please? (Affeldrichae)
M-mm.....
After all, is it notmon sense for humans to personally make their move if they need something? (Affeldrichae)
But, they are superior officers, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I wonder. Im not particrly sure about how the hierarchy system of humans work, but from where I stand, they certainly dont look to be upying higher positions than Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Euh, euh, euh....
Jeong Hae-Min took a small step back as if she was struck by a solid body blow just now.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk said those words, she could retort by saying that a young punk not knowing his ce or some such, but it was simply impossible to say that to Affeldrichae.
For some reason, everything was far more difficult with this blondie.
Groan.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just as Jeong Hae-Min fell into deep contemtion so as toe up with a sound rebuttal, Doh Gah-Yun suddenly half-emerged from the former idols shadow.
Argh, what the hell?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled out in surprise from Doh Gah-Yuns sudden appearance.
Cant you knock before entering?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Knock? (Doh Gah-Yun)
She tilted her head slightly, before pulling her hand out from the shadow and tapped on the floor.
Ah....
Seeing the spectacle of a disembodied hand suddenly jutting out from a shadow to knock like that made him realise that hed rather prefer not to see such knocking in the first ce.
That was straight out of a horror flick, that.
Fine, fine! What is it now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun didnt say anything else, strode right to where he was, and grabbed his hand.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, she reached out to grab Jeong Hae-Mins hand, too. Thetter grinned slyly, and activated her teleport ability right away.
Uht?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only the flustered gasp of Yi Ji-Hyuk was left behind in the near-empty room. Affeldrichaes circumspect eyes stared at the spot where he used to be.
Am I doing the right thing? (Affeldrichae)
She could only worry whether what she was doing right now was in fact the right thing or not. Could it be possible that Yi Ji-Hyuk inwardly didnt want this?
Affeldrichae shook her head again.
It wasnt as if something had started yet anyway, and she needed to observe how everything would unfold first.
She finished organising her thoughts and decided to follow after Yi Ji-Hyuk, but then, the door creaked open behind her. Affeldrichae tilted her head slightly at the appearance of an unexpected person through the open doorway.
Mister Ji-Hyuk went to the office. (Affeldrichae)
I know. (Kim Dah-Som)
If so, is there something I can help you with? (Affeldrichae)
She quietly studied Kim Dah-Som standing hesitantly in front of her. The young blonde girls lips bobbed up and down silently for a while, but she let a long sigh leak out of her mouth and forced herself to speak.
Unni, youre not a person from this world, are you? (Kim Dah-Som)
No, I am not. (Affeldrichae)
The abilities you use, they are different from what the people of this world use, yes? (Kim Dah-Som)
Thats correct. (Affeldrichae)
There was no reason to hide the truth, and telling Kim Dah-Som would cause a trouble, to begin with. The girl probably had figured most of those out already, anyway.
In that case.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som stared at Affeldrichae with pleading eyes.
Can I learn that as well? (Kim Dah-Som)
Affeldrichae tilted her head slightly.
If youre asking me if you can learn magic, then I should answer, yes, you can. Since Mister Ji-Hyuk has also learnt magic, it certainly isnt impossible, but.... (Affeldrichae)
Yes? (Kim Dah-Som)
The efficiency would be extremely poor, and if you start learning it now, youd need at least ten plus years before you can put it to practical use. (Affeldrichae)
Ah..... (Kim Dah-Som)
And that time frame was with Affeldrichae acting as the teacher, too.
But, why do you wish to learn magic? (Affeldrichae)
I want to be of some help. (Kim Dah-Som)
Id like you to exin more clearly to me. (Affeldrichae)
Other people fight alongside him and provide at least a little bit of help, but I... Its like all Im good for is to stay far back and spectate. (Kim Dah-Som)
H-mm....
Affeldrichae formed an expression of understanding and nodded her head.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been building his sphere of influence within this world, in his own unique way. And this sphere included the ability users of the NDF, including the likes of Jeong Hae-Min and Doh Gah-Yun.
However, there were two people upying rather special positions within that said sphere. They were Affeldrichae and Kim Dah-Som.
The former had built up a connection with Yi Ji-Hyuk from way back in Berafe, and thetter was the sole non-ability user within the group.
Now itd been normal for Affeldrichae to feel a sense of alienation in such a case, but as she was a Dragon to begin with, she wouldnt suddenly develop a feeling of being left out just because her rtionship with Yi Ji-Hyuk was different to what he had with other humans.
The remaining problem was with Kim Dah-Som. Her position in the group was neither here nor there.
She was close to Yi Ji-Hyuk, sure, but whenpared to how other people had been tied to him, her bond was simply the weakest out of them all.
You dont wish to be alienated, is that it? (Affeldrichae)
No, not at all. (Kim Dah-Som)
Unexpectedly, Kim Dah-Som firmly shook her head.
Its not that, but I wish to be of some help. Even if its only a little. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hmm....
Affeldrichae nodded her head.
It was not easy to understand, but at the same time, she could figure out what this human girl wanted. The issue here was with whether Affeldrichae wanted to perform a task with as low efficiency as this one or not in the first ce.
You can certainly learn magic, but its unknown how long youll need before you reach the level where you can aid Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Even then, do you still wish to do it? (Affeldrichae)
Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som nodded her head as if there was nothing to even consider here.
I see. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae acknowledged that there was indeed something she could get out of this teaching Kim Dah-Som deal. And that would be: finding out the difference of magicpatibility between the humans of Berafe and of this world.
There was a precedence of Yi Ji-Hyuk, but he was a Dark Wizard.
In order for him to learn magic, he needed a high-ranking wizard to teach him all about controlling Mana. From the get-go, hecked any tangible affinity with Mana whatsoever, after all.
Unfortunately, of all those worthy of teaching Mana control to him, none were interested in doing so, and Yi Ji-Hyuk had no choice but toe up with his own n.
However, the case of Kim Dah-Som would be different.
As long as Affeldrichae willed it, then shed teach this human girl magic and solve her curiosity on what would happen to the humans of this world when affected by magic.
Its not a bad idea, is it? (Affeldrichae)
She was a Dragon, but at the same time, a wizard as well.
When it came to the matters of satisfying her curiosity as well as her schrly ambition, then shed not lose out to any lifeform out there.
Alright, lets give it a shot. (Affeldrichae)
Kim Dah-Som grasped Affeldrichaes hands tightly with a bright face.
But, its too early for you to rejoice like that. (Affeldrichae)
Excuse me? (Kim Dah-Som)
You see, Im not as lenient as Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
A rather suspicious smile slowly bloomed on Affeldrichaes lips.
***
................
Utterly lost for words, Choi Jung-Hoon simply stared at Jeong Hae-Min.
What the freaking hell?! I asked her to fetch Yi Ji-Hyuk, not summon a p*ssed-off demon king!!
How am I to deal with that face full of discontentment?? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
The first thing Yi Ji-Hyuk did upon arriving in the office was to freeze up the ambient temperature with nothing but his deeply p*ssed-off aura. Choi Jung-Hoon saw all that, and could only spit out a lengthy groan.
Im screwed. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was already unknown whether Yi Ji-Hyuk would agree or not when talking nicely to him, but then, how was Choi Jung-Hoon to bring the topic up now with an atmosphere like this?!
He shot a resentful re at Jeong Hae-Min, but she simply waved her hands around to signal it was not her fault and pointed at Doh Gah-Yun.
Groan.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon immediately realised that it was impossible to get a proper exnation from Doh Gah-Yun. He formed an awkward smile and spoke to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Excuse me..... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeaaah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
The enunciation sounded a wee bit wrong there.
Thinking about how distorted with rage this guys innards must be right now, Choi Jung-Hoon could sense cold sweat forming all over his body.
I, I dont know what exactly happened, but for the time being, why dont we calm down your anger first..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Anger, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared straight at Choi Jung-Hoon, his head now leaning at a crooked angle.
....No, well, I guess its for the better that you get angry, instead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup, thatd be much easier for my stress level.
God d*mn it! Its not like Im a member of a d*mn bomb squad or something! How the heck am I supposed to keep living this way?? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon wordlessly reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a bottle of pills before chucking its contents into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch....
Pills of ulcer medication turned into gritty powder in his mouth and painfully slid down his throat.
He had initially used those gel-type liquid medications, but began thinking that he was filling his stomach up with them as if they were food, so he reverted back to pills now.
I mean, what reason is there for me to get angry? Its possible that youd call me here if you need something from me, right? Well, even if I dont want to, all you have to do is to just ask a teleporter to kidnap me here and all. Why should I get angry in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ha, hahaha.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
After quickly figuring out what might have happened, Choi Jung-Hoon kept leaking out an awkwardughter.
Kyah, this neck of the woods mustve changed by a lot while I was away, I guess? In the past, it was normal for those in need to go and see the other party, but nowadays, its the other way around and people in need are busy telling the other party toe and go as they please. So yeah, its reaaaally changed by a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon had nothing else to say. All he could do was tough awkwardly like this.
And so, like, if its not too much trouble, may I hear the reason for kidnapping someone all the way here? I mean, I feel so apologetic for stealing away the valuable time of folks who are so, so, so busy and stuff. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahh, this was how itd been like.
That manner of speech was the norm not too long ago, wasnt it? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon was briefly inundated with the less-than-rosy recollections of the past and opened his mouth.
Do you still remember, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? The Americans want to entrust the training of their ability users to you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahh, that one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and spoke as if it was no trouble at all.
Tell them toe, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was taken by surprise and hurriedly scanned Yi Ji-Hyuksplexion. But, wasnt he going to throw an almighty tantrum and yell out No!! at the top of his lungs?
Well, this is excellent. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Excellent?
What is? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
I was beginning to feel a bit peckish anyway. Tell them to hurry up ande already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-hang on a minute. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why did it feel like he had heard something quite strange just now?
Well, its not umon to see someone get destroyed during training, or even end up kicking the bucket. So, you should definitely drive home that point in their heads, okay? Tell them, its not our responsibility if some of their kids return home a bit disabled. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................
The matter at hand had been resolved.
It indeed has been, but....
But, can I honestly say it is a good resolution?? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
....Who cares if they die or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a sinister smirk and muttered to himself. Choi Jung-Hoon bore witness to this sight and realised that the matters had be even moreplicated than ever before.
For some reason, the muscles in the back of his head were cramping up.
Will this be fine?
I mean, seriously, will this really be okay?
Choi Jung-Hoons suspicions, and Yi Ji-Hyuks wicked nature were heading towards the unwitting Americans.
< 197. Who cares if they die or not -2 > Fin.
Chapter 198: Who cares if they die or not (3)
Chapter 198: Who cares if they die or not (3)
In any case, please calm down first. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon tried to pacify Yi Ji-Hyuk as gently as humanly possible. If they brought over the American ability users while this guy was behaving in this manner, there wouldnt be enough space left to load up all the coffins in the ne heading back over the Pacific Ocean.
If that happened, the rtionship between South Korea and America wouldpletely break down, shattered into a million little pieces.
Well, sure, the times had changed and there wouldnt be any big things happening just because the mighty Americas nerves were poked somewhat, but still, as the saying of old eagle being better than a young crow had alluded to, youd be doing no favours to yourself by being at odds with the most powerful nation on Earth.
Now that I think about it, it kinda irks me a little, too. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned slightly.
Although they were being requested to lend their aid, the fact that they had to worry about making the ones doing the requesting unhappy and had to tip-toe around left his nerves just a wee bit pricked at the moment.
If it was before, he would have thought this was the most obvious thing, but seeing that it was tugging at his conscience like this, Choi Jung-Hoon realised that he too didnt see America as upying the unshakable position of the No.1 in the world anymore.
Even then, we cant ignore them, now can we? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If you were talking about thebat potential of the ability users, then sure, the NDF and Yi Ji-Hyuk would overwhelm the Americans. However, if you excluded the ability users and only counted the actual military firepower, then no matter what South Korea tried, shed never ever win against the US of A.
What would happen if...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If so, what would happen if all the forces werebined in this scenario? What if there was war between the US and South Korea which included ability users?
Mm..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The end result would be rather simple, actually.
If the Americans got super serious, then Korea wouldnt be able to endure for one single day, its entire territory turning into a barren wastnd where not even an ant would survive.
Ability users might be perfectly suited for hunting down monsters, but their merits would plummet rather drastically when facing an actual army.
Even if they were able to fully showcase their monster-hunting prowess against the army, theyd still be unable to defend thisnd from the American militarysbined firepower.
If Americas firepower was not enough to deal with Yi Ji-Hyuk, then hed end up as the lone survivor in the Korean penins and proceed to systematically destroy the American territory.
But, what meaning would be there in doing that? The Republic of Korea would cease to exist by then.
Yup, worsening the rtionship is no good for us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure, the Americans wouldnte out swinging that radically. If Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to not help them, then next time another high-level Gate opens up, the United States of America wouldnt be able to avoid the fate ofplete annihtion.
Even then, Korea couldnt readily im superiority over America in this situation, either. Because, the one holding all the cards wasnt the Korean government but Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
If one couldnt tell this crucial fact apart, then one would end upmitting a grave error sooner orter.
The moment one mistakenly believes that the superiority Yi Ji-Hyuk held over others was theirs instead, one would start saying things they shouldnt and start doing things they should never do.
Thats why I have to get rid of this haughty mindset right now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was fine to be displeased about this situation. However, it was definitely not fine to let that emotion dictate the proceedings.
To be honest, those ability users havent done anything wrong, wouldnt you agree? They are not the guilty party here, you know. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, they are guilty of appearing before me when Im feeling p*ssed off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Well, uh, if you say it like that, I dont have anything clever to rebut you with....
Ahh, so this is what happens when a person throws away all notion of logic.
Since logic doesnt apply here, I cant pick the assertion apart, I cant criticise it, and I cant even retort against it.
Hang on a minute. Isnt this, like, the most unanswerable answer out there?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
....You know, a person shouldnt be saying such things. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why not?! Why not!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan.
Seriously now, what wrong did those folks about to be thrown into hell by Yi Ji-Hyukmit here?
It felt like a bit of antagonistic sentiments were slowly piling up against the American government recently, but then again, the American ability users were simply doing what their mother nation told them to do.
These folks didnt even mind being trained by ability users of another country just so that they could protect their homnd better. So, it waspletely a wrong thing to leave these people to a guy nning to practically throw them under the bus he was driving just because he didnt feel so happy right now.
Its like were the bad guys here!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons expression became rather serious now.
Now that he thought about it some more, anyone would objectively call Yi Ji-Hyuks side as undeniably the viinous ones here.
But the problem with that would be the simple fact of the NDF being dragged into that evaluation alongside him and end up being seen as the bad guys, too.
Even though the NDF was only guilty of receiving the Americans requests for help and ran around like crazy trying to answer their call, instead!
Groan.... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, those people really didnt do anything wrong. So please, calm down. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im telling you, they are guilty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And that would be appearing before you when you arent feeling so good? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled so radiantly just then.
Youre only joking, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...................... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon saw how Yi Ji-Hyuk was ridiculing him with a look that said You thought I was being serious? and just closed his eyes shut.
When you say something, you b*stard, even jokes dont sound like freaking jokes to others!
Hell, I was thinking just now that youre perfectly capable of doing exactly what you said you would do. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
For now, tell them toe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohh!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk responded coolly, and Choi Jung-Hoons expression brightened almost instantly. This guy didnt typically behave this way, so what gives?
Will it be okay with you, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Didnt you kidnap and bring me here so that you can ask me to take care of them? But now that I have said yes, your reaction is rather odd, you know.... Just what is it that you want from me, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, arent you annoyed by this? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ahh, that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly yawned and slowly waved his hand about.
Im not gonna do it, anyway. So its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Choi Jung-Hoon became somewhat dazed by that reply, but too bad for him, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt really feel the need to rify himself.
Tell them to not to worry about a thing and hurry on over. And when they arrive, just tell our own people to gather around, as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I will. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon didnt know what Yi Ji-Hyuk was scheming here, but then again, knowing what thetter was thinking about wouldnt change a thing anyway.
If he were to get even more technical here, then not even once did Yi Ji-Hyuk listen to Choi Jung-Hoons advice or opinions ever since the beginning. He always did whatever the heck he felt like.
Wait, now that irks me really bad. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
No, its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head and thought to himself.
For now, he should give Christopher McLaren a call and tell the American to send their ability users over.
And then, make sure to drive the point home that, if there were to be any unfortunate victims during the process, it would all be Yi Ji-Hyuks responsibility and the NDF had absolutely nothing to do with that!
In the meantime, he watched Jeong Hae-Min bring along cups of coffee from outside the offices and hand one over to Yi Ji-Hyuk only to be criticised unnecessarily by him. Choi Jung-Hoon felt his chest tighten.
If only this guy possessed even a modicum ofmon sense.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, by the way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Howe I dont see anyone in the office? Is there something urgent happening somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you could say its an urgent matter in a way.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon lightly scratched the side of his head and replied.
They are currently overseas lending their support. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh?
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly stared at Choi Jung-Hoon.
*
Peking duckkk! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
mes were erupting out of Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes.
Beijing!! If you were to talk about Beijing, then shouldnt one be thinking about none other than Peking duck?!
What was the biggest attraction of travelling overseas? Itd be eating new, exciting and mysterious cuisines of other nations, wouldnt it??
Just how much did heugh his a*s off when he heard of the incorrigible idiot Yun Hyuk-Gyu going to Japan only toe back right away after resolving of the monster issue over there.
What an idiot. When you go to Japan, you check out Japanese food beforeing home, and so, its only right that I get to enjoy Chinese food when Im in China! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Beijing duck!! Peking duuuck!! (Kim Dah-Hyun) (TL note at the end)
Urgh, god d*mn it!! I get it, so shut up! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng loudly yelled at Kim Dah-Hyun sitting in the back seat of the car and shouting out Peking duck!! since from a while ago.
Did you get possessed by a ghost of hunger or something?! (Xui Feng)
Peking duck! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
This crazy son of a b*tch! (Xui Feng)
They couldnt understand each other to begin with.
Initially, Xui Feng was wondering what on earth this Korean man was busy shouting about, but the moment he heard Beijing duck, he could more or less figure out what was what.
Groan....
Meanwhile, his underling who was also the assigned interpreter did his best not to do the job he was here for and concentrated on driving the vehicle, instead. It was very unwise to open his mouth when Xui Feng was not feeling happy at all!!
South Korea is a well-off country. So its not like hes some kind of a d*mn refugee! Hes here to close up a Gate, so why is he shouting out the name of some random food like this?! (Xui Feng)
I dont know, sir.
Most of all, what a maddeningly sorrowful thing this was, needing to get help from such a person.
We asked for Yi Ji-Hyuk, and this is what they do? Sons of b*tches. (Xui Feng)
What did that man say, again?
Yi Ji-Hyuk doesnt need to show up for something as minor as a Level 5 Gate?? (Xui Fengs inner monologue)
Are they making fun of the Peoples Republic of China? (Xui Feng)
They dare to refuse our request?
If it werent for the exnation provided afterwards, Xui Feng wouldve raised one hell of amotion right then and there. However, the words spoken by Choi Jung-Hoon over the phone carried enough weight to cool the irate Chinese mans mood down in an instant.
[More importantly, that person is feeling rather unhappy at the moment, so if you start telling him toe and go over such a simple matter, well, I can assure you this right now, taking care of the aftermath will not be an easy task for you.] (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, it couldnt be helped, then.
The advice regarding not to poke the hos nest called Yi Ji-Hyuks moods was one of the most important unwritten rule doing the rounds in the Chinese spy agency.
The assessment regarding Yi Ji-Hyuk as understood by the various spy agencies around the world was C he was the type toin all the time but still did what you pleaded him with.
However, he was also a morally bankrupt character and no one could predict what he might to do if he didnt get what he wanted. If such a person got p*ssed off and started acting out, then no one in this world would be able to answer that.
So, the person we got instead is.... (Xui Feng)
Beijiiiing duck!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Arrrgh!!
Xui Feng roughly scratched his head.
No, well, he understood that a person could be a weirdo sometimes. Some people were openly suggesting that more than half of the ability users were already insane to begin with. And Xui Feng himself had seen folks who were waaay more screwed up in the head than this Korean before.
Even then, what really drove him up the wall, so to speak, was the simple fact that the Korean man acting like this was a devastatingly handsome guy who could easily roundhouse kick any movie star into oblivion with his looks alone!
So, why oh why was this kid behaving this way, with that face of his?!
Xui Feng just simply couldnt understand it.
All the Koreans are weirdos. (Xui Feng)
There didnt seem to be a single normal person among them. He shouldve figured this out during the giant monster incident!
That Seo Ah-Young losing her marbles in someone elses country was insane, and there was no need to even mention what kind of a person Yi Ji-Hyuk was, when he broke out into an evil cackle while watching her go mental like that.
Out of them all, Xui Feng remembered thinking this guy was the most sane of the lot so he ended up lowering his guard, but now....
Sane of the lot, my a*s. (Xui Feng)
Unless ones idea of sanity had changed drastically, itd be a massive insult to the rest of mankind calling this guy a sane person.
It was simply that this Koreans insanity didnt get to shine because he was next to Yi Ji-Hyuk and his unanswerable ways. This guy here, he was batsh*t crazy enough to be called the districts top madman regardless of where he ended up in!
But back then, such a crazy fool came across as rtively normal inparison, so just what kind of a gathering the NDF could be with all the other insane Korean ability users working for them?
Yup, these people arepletely unanswerable. (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng helplessly shook his head.
It was a rather shocking thing for these types of mad people to continuously stream out from such a tiny little piece ofnd.
T-theres been a huge problem, sir!!
It was then, his underling driving the car cried out.
What happened? (Xui Feng)
The Gate has opened up, sir! I received the call saying that the forces on standby have engaged the monster threats!
F*ck!! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng cursed out in anger.
The initial analysis had indicated that there was still an ample amount of time remaining and that was why Xui Feng had vacated his spot near the Gate toe and fetch Kim Dah-Hyun.
But now, that d*mn Gate had already opened up?
I guess the analysis and all that stuff are useless now. (Xui Feng)
The world was undergoing a rapid change for thest few months. The methods in dealing with Gates humanity had learned in the past five years or so had now be all worthless as a result.
First of all, Gates themselves were behaving differently, and secondly, monsters that couldnt be dealt with numbers and tactics began showing up more and more. For instance, the giant monster that appeared earlier C that was something the methods of the past wouldnt have been able to do anything about.
Thats why were asking for help. But, still! (Xui Feng)
Xui Fengs pride was being ruthlessly stepped on by the fact that he had to ask for help from a nation no different from being a vassal state, and also, that small nation didnt even bother to send their best war potential but some hanger-on instead.
F*ck!! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng angrily shouted out.
Drive faster! (Xui Feng)
Yes, sir!
Screeeech-!!
The cars tires spun hard on the asphalt and issued ultra-sharp friction noises.
Uh, uh?! Why are you driving faster?! Drive safely! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Tsk.
To think, a man nicknamed Path Drifter was trembling like that just because the car picked up some speed....
We need a new n. (Xui Feng)
Both in the US, and even China....
Xui Feng felt utterly bbergasted by the current reality where the two giant nations, each ruling the East and the West, had no choice but to politely extend their hands out and quietly wait for bread crumbs to fall.
A hushed gasp of shock leaked out from Xui Fengs mouth as he consciously thought of the unbelievable changes that took ce in thest three months.
....Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Inwardly burning with the duty to win over that iprehensible existence over to their side, Xui Feng shifted his gaze over to the tablet he held in his hands.
< 198. Who cares if they die or not -3 > Fin.
(TL: Beijing and Peking both refer to the same two characters in Chinese Mandarin. You can me their different spellings on the different romanisation systems, actually. Beijing is the newer term and in vogue, I guess, as its based on Hanyu Pinyin, the current rmended romanisation system for Mandarin Chinese. In any case, Kim Dah-Hyun obviously is talking about Peking duck, but the thing is, hes alternating between English and Korean. Beijing duck in English, while ?? ?? in Korean. When I TL thetter, ites out as Peking duck. Hence, you get the line of Beijing duck, Peking duck.)
Chapter 199: Who cares if they die or not (4)
Chapter 199: Who cares if they die or not (4)
Weve arrived.
Keuk. (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng opened and jumped out of the car as if he wanted to fly the moment it came to a halt.
Why did it have to be here?! (Xui Feng)
He was busy gritting his teeth.
The location of the Gate was right between the Beijing International Airport and the city itself. Crossing a single river from this location would let one enter Beijings CBD, just like that.
He should thank his lucky stars that the Gate didnt suddenly decide to open up in the middle of the city itself, but even then, this ce was already overflowing with many potential dangers.
Did the monsterse out yet?! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng grabbed anyone he could get his hands on and shouted out his question.
A soldier wielding a rifle was about to express his displeasure but upon confirming Xui Fengs disyed rank, he quickly stood at attention and shouted back.
Yes, sir!
Where are they? (Xui Feng)
U-up there, sir!
Xui Feng redirected his gaze in the direction the soldier pointed at and immediately formed a heavy frown.
What the hell are those? (Xui Feng)
He could see several creatures flying around in the air.
Drakes? (Xui Feng)
No, these things were different. These monsters possessed apletely different shape from the Drakes he saw in the reports.
Could they be Wyverns? (Xui Feng)
He remembered hearing about one of such creature making its appearance in the past just once.
A monster that possessed a body as hard as diamond yet also using its bat-like wings to fly around in the air as freely as it wanted to. He also remembered hearing that no regr firearms damaged it so it took some mighty hard work to bring that one down.
But then, such things should be considered a regr urrence anyway. Where would you find an instance of people not going through that sort of hardship when hunting down a monster?
If it was a single Wyvern, then the Chinese ability users were more than adequate enough to turn the dang thing into a steamed meat bun in no time at all.
The problem right now was.....
They are flying up higher!!
Along with that sharp cry belonging to someone, a spectacle Xui Feng didnt ever want to imagine unfolded in its full glory.
Kaaaaah!!
Screeching loudly, the flock of Wyverns began rising up higher into the air. (TL: Uhm, would calling a big group of Wyverns a flock grammatically correct? Is there even a word for that? Huh.)
What the hell is this sh*t?! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng even forgot that he needed to control this situation and simply gazed on at this unfolding spectacle in a total daze.
Just like a flock of countless migratory birds filling up the entire sky as they prepared to fly away, equally many Wyverns were rising up higher and higher in the air.
S-stop them!!! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng finally regained his wits and cried out.
God d*mn it!! This is Beijing!
17 million people live in this city!! (Xui Fengs inner monologue) (TL: Actually, its around 21.7 million. Dunno where the author got his figures from.)
If that flock of Wyverns spread out and entered the city with that many people, just what kind of events would take ce next?
Xui Fengs hands began shaking uncontrobly.
Without a doubt, horrifying eventspletely beyond his worst nightmares would happen. A mass-scale tragedy was a given, obviously. But he couldnt even begin to imagine how big the secondary losses would be.
F*cking hell!! A d*mn Giant is more preferable than this sh*t! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng gnashed his teeth.
Although things did look bleak during the Giant incident, at least they could focus on a single tangible target back then. But now, he couldnt even begin to figure out how he should go about stopping those d*mn things.
For the time being, stop them! Do whatever means necessary to stop them from flying away!! (Xui Feng)
Xui Fengs loud, sharp yell was heard clearly by the others, and soon, shots of Ether from all over flew towards the airborne Wyverns in a shower of colourful lights.
Ah, sh*t...... (Xui Feng)
Only after that did Xui Feng realise the mistake he had made.
Just before the Ether attacksnded on them, Wyverns in the air began dispersing to avoid getting hit.
Some of them descended back to the ground to assault the soldiers and ability users that lined the ground, and as the humans became rather preupied by this bunch, the rest freely flew around with no destination in their minds.
N-no, this cant be happening. (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng dazedly stared at the unfolding situation. How could he even attempt to hunt all those hundreds of Wyverns if they managed to scatter across all over the country?
It was already tough hunting one down, yet he was looking at hundreds of them. Just how much of time would he need before the situation was fully dealt with, and just how many losses would this country suffer in the meantime?
Euh....
Just as all strength began abandoning Xui Fengs legs, his ears caught the hushed voice of a man.
Its too early to give up, ahjussi. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mm?
Xui Feng turned around to look at Kim Dah-Hyun.
What did this son of a b*tch say? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Xui Feng mouthed some choice words even before realising it. Kim Dah-Hyun simply ignored him and began picking up speed as he ran forward in a leisurely manner.
Well, my earnings and losses aint gonna match up on this one, but... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
If he were to hunt down every single one of those Wyverns, hed no doubt have to run around until his legs were ready to fall off by themselves.
The hard work he was about to put in here was simply too great to be paid off by one dish of Peking duck, but then again, if he returned home without even sorting out a situation like this one, then hed be treated the same as the human trash Yun Hyuk-Gyu who couldnt even finish a job properly.
I cant let them happen. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It was very difficult to find another asion where one would feel as humiliated and worthless as when Yi Ji-Hyuk was berating and nagging the hell out of that person.
Kim Dah-Hyun dearly wished to avoid that ignoble situation and began running hard, his unyielding desire serving as his fuel.
Chwaaaah!!
Kim Dah-Hyun ran as he split the air and literally rose up into the air above.
Kaahak??
When a human suddenly appeared right next to them, the Wyverns got flustered and began screeching in confusion.
Hmm....
Kim Dah-Hyun lightly dusted his arms and legs once, before kicking the air again to fly around like a bird. He used the gathered Wyverns as his footholds and ran around as he pleased in the sky.
Kaaahhak!
Kaahk!!
The Wyverns that were stomped on by him began dropping to the ground one at a time.
Time for a light stroll, then!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun gathered a ton of Ether around his legs next.
Orrrryyyyyyaaaahp!!
Boooom!!
He instantly broke past the sound barrier and the sonic boom created in his wake boomed throughout the surroundings. He used the air as well as the Wyverns as his footholds and began rushing around at will.
Huh.... (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng watched with a shocked expression etched on his face.
It wasnt as if he didnt see that Korean mans feats during the Giant incident.
Back then C he definitely saw Kim Dah-Hyun treating that huge Giant creature as his toy, and buying them enough time. And realistically speaking, it was also Kim Dah-Hyun who defeated the monster, as well.
However, how should Xui Feng describe this....?
....Such a thing was possible because the Giant was, well, a giant?
That kind of thought yed a substantial part in his brain.
For instance, lets say that a lion got chased away after getting stung by a wasp. You still wouldnt call a wasp stronger than a lion, now would you?
Xui Feng thought that the Giant was toyed around with by that mans overwhelming speed. He certainly didnt feel that Kim Dah-Hyun was all that strong.
However, things feltpletely different right now.
Right now, Kim Dah-Hyun was leaving behind a long trail of afterimages as he freely ran amok in the flock of hapless airborne Wyverns.
Just how can that even be possible? (Xui Feng)
It was like looking at a white ray of light with a long tail behind it spinning and swirling wildly around amidst a thick ck cloud. Kim Dah-Hyuns speed was indeed that incredible.
They are falling down!
Wyverns were now descending to earth like dark meteors.
Xui Feng gritted his teeth. He knew that they shouldnt be admiring Kim Dah-Hyuks godly performance in the air.
Make sure to kill them dead so that they wont get back in the air again! Their bodies are sturdy, so be mindful of them counterattacking, okay!! (Xui Feng)
Boom! Boom!!
Wyverns crashnded on the ground likerge raindrops.
Kaaahh!!
Although they did fall down from Kim Dah-Hyuns kicks, they didnt seem to have suffered fatal wounds from that. Wyverns hurriedly got back up from the ground and bared their fangs as they scanned their surroundings.
Too bad, now that they were on the ground, their limitations were far too obvious.
Attack!!
Ka-boom!!
Rumble!!
Attacks of Ether from the Chinese ability users quite literally crushed the fallen Wyverns into the ground again.
mes, ice particles, and lightning bolts focused on a singr point and mmed into it over and over again, causing one explosion after another to resound out.
The monster couldnt even scream properly and turned into a half-charcoal. It shivered pathetically for a little while, before flopping down, dead.
Very good!
By focusing their firepower, itd not be difficult to hunt down and kill a Wyvern, one at a time. Their problem so far was to do with the creatures flying in the air, as it was not possible to focus their attacks while they were still up there.
Ka-boom!!
Kwa-boooom!!
Explosions resounded out from pretty much everywhere, but Xui Feng didnt bother with any of them and shifted his gaze back up to the sky.
More! More!! (Xui Feng)
The situation on the ground didnt warrant any worry at all.
As far as the sheer number of ability users were concerned, no nation on Earth coulde even remotely close to China.
If around 50 users descended on a crashnded Wyvern, the monsters wouldnt even have a chance to resist before getting squashed into meat paste. So, what he needed to pay attention to was Kim Dah-Hyun, currently fighting a lone battle way up in the sky against hundreds of Wyverns.
Hes strong. (Xui Feng)
....Yes, sir. He is.
Xui Feng felt annoyed by his underling agreeing so easily like this. However, it was he who made that assessment in the first ce, so how could he get annoyed at someone else now?
In any case, that man was strong.
Like, seriously strong.
Even if he was using the Wyverns as his footholds as he ran around, it was already a shocking thing to see a human being freely moving around in the air. But then, he even resorted to stomping and kicking the monsters down to the ground, too. You wouldnt dare to try something like that unless you werepletely confident of your bnce and skills.
Is he a monster, perhaps?! (Xui Feng)
Just where did people like that keep popping up from?
All those ability users thought to be strong only a few months ago were no longer being talked about. Not anymore.
The NDF.
Xui Feng scoffed derisively when the Korean ability users and their abilities were starting to be the hot topic of conversation for the rest of the world.
But now, he had personally witnessed their powers for the second time. He had no choice but to admit that the bnce of the ability users of the world were tilting towards that small nation now.
Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk was not included in that assessment.
Even without him, Korea was already powerful enough. Even if he was not counted, just how many countries in the world could legitimately im that they were superior against the Korean ability users?
Xui Feng was confident of China not losing to anyone bar the United States, but even he was honestly thinking that his country should not get on the bad side of South Korea, when they had the likes of Kim Dah-Hyun and Seo Ah-Young in their ranks.
Worse still, there were dozens more ability users like Kim Dah-Hyun back in Korea, too.
What a horrifying thing that is. (Xui Feng)
It was a scary thing for a neighbouring country to be this powerful.
From the past, the East Asia was a vtile powder-keg of a ce where four major global powers had been sharing borders against each other.
China, Russia, Japan and then, Korea.
The tenuous bnce barely being kept still was now being broken by Koreas rather sudden and nonsensically rapid progress.
Seriously, we can no longer do much about this situation, now can we? (Xui Feng)
Were the higher-ups urately analysing this situation right now?
If those fools tried to deal with South Korea the same way as they had done in the past, then a pretty big problem may break out sooner rather thanter. Xui Feng promised himself to hold a high-level meeting with all of his superiors as soon as this incident drew to a close.
Sir, will it be fine to let it go on?
About what? (Xui Feng)
Shouldnt we lend our support, sir? Itd get harder for him to move up there once the number of Wyverns decreases.
...Ah! (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng pped his own head, hard.
How could he have failed to think of something that simple?
Support!! Lend your support! Attack the sky above you! (Xui Feng)
Xui Fengs shouts prompted the Chinese ability users to look up. And soon, colourful arrays of light began ascending from the ground below.
What the heck?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun saw that spectacle and shuddered in the air.
It felt like he was seeing a wave of rainbow rushing up from the ground.
Because there were so many ability users down there firing their attacks, this situation was no longer on the level of being dangerous, and straight into this whole thing bing remarkably unrealistic in his eyes.
Its fine that they look so nice and stuff. Its fine, but now....!! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Ill also die if I get hit, you stupid as*holes!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun yelled out loudly and began swimming in between all the rays of light pouring in. As each Ether shot brushed past him by paper-thin margins, he gritted his teeth and red at the ground below.
Seeing Xui Fengs mug down there, a groan automatically jumped out of his mouth. How could that man, with that brain of his, upy such an important position like that?
No, hang on. Well, were the same, so.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The NDF, with Seo Ah-Young as its boss, had nothing to say in that regard.
Could it be that every organisation was fated to be saddled with higher-ups whose heads werent spinning all that well?
Doing something not very helpful at all! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Although these attacks looked nice, each of these unfocused Ether shots didnt leave much of asting damage to the airborne Wyverns at all.
What should I do now? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
When there were plenty of Wyverns filling up the sky, it was pretty simple to toy with them. But now that he stomped half of them back to earth, his footholds had decreased and movements in the air had be that much more difficult.
One could definitely im that he had done all he could here, but....
Im gonna get gged off for sure. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Indeed, hed get chewed out as if theres no tomorrow.
Well, if he went and said I did my best, then that d*mn guy would more than likely start the insult train with I dont need your best so just do your sh*t properly.
Kim Dah-Hyun was just about to make his mind up about finding a different way of mopping up this situation, but then, a rather familiar, annoyance-filled voice entered his ear canals out of the blue.
Argh, d*mn it, dude. What the hell are you doing, man?
Eh?
Howe he could hear that voice in this ce?
Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes shot open wider as he hurriedly took a look below. And way down there, he spotted the distinctive, cantankerous face of a certain man.
Ah....
One thing became certain now.
Kim Dah-Hyun didnt need to worry about getting gged off when he goes back home.
Nope, he should start worrying about getting gged off now.
God d*mn it.
< Who cares if they die or not -4 > Fin.
Chapter 200: Who cares if they die or not (5)
Chapter 200: Who cares if they die or not (5)
Why did that man suddenly show up here?
What a bizarre thing this was if one thought about it for a second. It hadnt even been one hour since Kim Dah-Hyun arrived in Beijing, probably, so why did Yi Ji-Hyuk show up here?!
Kim Dah-Hyun was paying way too much attention to Yi Ji-Hyuk down below and was almost hit by an Ether attack. He freaked out and hurriedly tilted his body away.
Urgh, d*mn it! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Swearing jumped out of his mouth automatically.
Totally not caring at all about that, Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to re at Kim Dah-Hyun in his squatting position, before yelling at the man running around in the air.
Argh, I told you, what the hell are you doing up there?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, what?! (Kim Dah-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun failed to understand what on earth Yi Ji-Hyuk was talking about. He continued to hurriedly dodge this way and that while replying back with a sulky tone.
Why havent you taken a look at your watch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah?
Kim Dah-Hyun raised his wrist up and took a look at his smartwatch device.
Heol.
He found nearly 100 missed calls sitting pretty on the device, waiting for his attention.
....Is he some kind of a stalker or something?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Back when he one-sidedly broke up with a girl he used to date C even back then, he wasnt subjected to as heated and desperate attempts at trying to call him as this one. He hadnt checked his watch since disembarking from the ne, but to think, hed receive nearly 100 calls during that short period of time....
Did someone die or something? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began frowning unhappily.
Will youe down already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I just know youre going to torture me if I do! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Urgh, that d*mn blockhead!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began gritting his teeth next.
Kim Dah-Hyun saw that reaction and his determination not to descend to the ground became stronger than ever before.
If he went down there, hed get beaten to death!
Out of the blue, his nose Yi Ji-Hyuk broke on the first day the two of them met began aching for some reason. Only Kim Dah-Hyun among the members of NDF had been beaten up ck and blue by Yi Ji-Hyuk. (TL: No, Yun Hyuk-Gyu got a big beating, too.)
So, the others have no freaking idea. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Others simply had no clue how vicious and cruel Yi Ji-Hyuk could get when he was beating someone up. Back then, Kim Dah-Hyun thought hed die for sure.
He shuddered in fear from that recollection and soared even higher into the air after stepping off on the head of an irate Wyvern.
Fine, fine! Donte down, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gnashed his teeth and dusted his hands theatrically.
Dont evere down from there, got it?! Im warning you! Youe down, and I will destroy you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you trying to do now?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I definitely warned you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Soon, Yi Ji-Hyuk began waving his hands in the air.
N-no!! Euh-ahhck?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun immediately recognised what those hand gestures meant and cried out in pure panic.
What is that insane b*stard trying to do?!
Im still up here!! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Stopppp!! Dont do it!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun hurriedly yelled out, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply cackled on and continued to gather Mana into his hands.
Dont you daree down! If you do, Imma kill you for real! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uwaaah?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mana bubbling around Yi Ji-Hyuks outstretched hands suddenly poured out into the air and quickly drew a magic circle in the sky. Kim Dah-Hyun witnessed that spectacle, and without a shred of hesitation, dashed in the opposite direction.
There were plenty of times he felt reassured for some reason whenever he saw that magic circle, but right in this moment, that assured feeling was nowhere to be found.
Uwaah!! Im sorry! I was in the wrong! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He hurriedly cried out for forgiveness, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply cackled on as he watched Kim-Dah-Hyuns desperate escape attempt. Only a short breathter, the magic circle emitted bright light, and it spat out a massive river purely made up of lightning bolts.
Kim Dah-Hyuns entire body quaked as goosebumps broke out all over his skin after he saw the ck lightning bolts going on a rampage in the sky.
What the hell are those?!
No, wait, I knew that this guy was d*mn strong, but this....
Was he really that strong from the beginning to do something like that? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyuns shaking eyes caught sight of the ck lightning bolts swirling and dancing in the sky like a singr ck dragon coiling tightly around, and he screamed out at the top of his lungs.
Please, spare me!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Too bad, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a merciless being.
Youll die if youe down, anyway! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KUKUKUKU-!!!
The lightning roiled angrily in the sky before setting upon the flock of Wyverns haplessly flying around nearby. And when that happened....
Crackleeeee-!!!
Two disparate but simr sounds of electricity crackling out violently and something exploding resounded at the same time as a huge bright spark erupted in mid-air.
Heu-uh.... (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng bore witness to Yi Ji-Hyukspletely unexpected appearance and his subsequent action ofpletely blocking out the heavens with ck lightning bolts. The Chinese man simply plopped down on his butt right there.
Really, man! I cant keep enduring any more of this sh*t! (Xui Feng)
He was already in a state of shock from the feats of Kim Dah-Hyun already. Heck, the shock caused from Seo Ah-Youngs fire show from before still hadnt worn off yet, either. So, what was he to do when something this absurd was suddenly shoved in his face?!
D*mn abominable monster freak sons of b*tches!! (Xui Feng)
Only a minute ago, he simply felt deeply astonished after seeing Kim Dah-Hyun go on a rampage in the air. But now, after Yi Ji-Hyuk went and began chucking around lightning bolts, Xui Feng was genuinely feeling sorry for the Wyverns getting utterly massacred up there.
Would you look at that c**p? Seriously, man! (Xui Feng)
Kkkaaaaaahk!!
The chill-inducing death shrieks of Wyverns continued to ring out in the air. All those poor monsters were being turned into jet-ck charcoal bits after ck lightning bolts cleanly ran through their bodies.
Crackle-!!
That wasnt even the end, either.
The ck lightning bolts didnt stop at scorching their initial Wyvern victims, but continued into their next targets over and over again.
And when dozens of such lightning bolts were dancing around, it only took a couple of blinding shes to reduce the number of previously-okay Wyverns to only a handful survivors.
Run, you idiot!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun had already found himself a new Wyvern ride by then. He smacked the monster in the head repeatedly and urged it to escape from there right away.
As for the monster itself, it mustve figured out that there was no time to bicker with the insane human riding on its back, because it began flying away with all its might from the lightning bolts.
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began gleaming brightly as he watched this scene unfold.
This was none other than enemies temporarily joining hands to fight amon foe. No, hang on. Wasnt this more like a hostile takeover, instead? (TL note at the end)
Too bad for them, he wasnt thinking of wasting any more time on this.
A ck tentacle suddenly shot out from his right hand and tightly wrapped around the airborne duo of Kim Dah-Hyun and the Wyvern.
Euh-heok?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
While squealing out a sound that was remarkably simr to that of a deting balloon, Kim Dah-Hyun hurriedly looked behind him. And when he spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk ring at him with a pair of gloomy eyes, a bone-chilling shudder travelled up the poor mans spine.
H-hyung-nim!! Please, you misunderstood me!! I was just....! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt nning to humour Kim Dah-Hyuns excuses and simply yanked his tentacle back.
Uwaaaaaahk! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns body was dragged back much faster than his original escaping speed.
Ka-boom!
The Path Drifter bound by the ck tentacle crashed into the ground and a thick dust cloud was kicked up from the impact.
Groan....
Thankfully, he wasnt injured due to the Wyvern absorbing most of the impact of the fall, but still, his entire body was aching from the throbbing pain.
Come on, man!! That was way too much, you know?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns mouth was still operating at full capacity so he was about to let his dissatisfaction known, but then, he witnessed the still-groggy Wyvern getting sucked up by the tentacle while issuing the crunching noises right next to him. That shut him up real fast.
....Well, uh, hes been always like that, so.... (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun rapidly realised that dissatisfaction should always be kept to himself and formed an awkward smile as he spoke.
Ha, ahaha.... H-hyung-nim. You see, I, uh, I wasnt trying not toe down from there, but, uh.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Should I just kill you now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, spare me!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun dashed forward like a streak of lightning and clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuks legs.
Hyung-nim!! Its me, me! Kim Dah-Hyun!
I can see that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why are you doing this to meeee?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Uh-whew.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in helplessness.
His temper dictated that he should start beating up this fool right now, but he had a pretty good reason why he shouldnt do that.
Were going back home, so get ready for that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Kim Dah-Hyun stared dazedly at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Home? You mean, back in Korea? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did this mean that Yi Ji-Hyuk himself personally came here to fetch Kim Dah-Hyun home?
Did something happen back home? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
M-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head a little and quite unlike him, replied in a somewhat cautious voice.
Actually, the thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mm.... Okay, dont get any wrong ideas, got it? And dont get too angry, either. First of all, you gotta stay calm, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was he trying to say while building up suspense like this? Kim Dah-Hyun kept staring back with a suspicious re shining in his eyes. Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily avoided meeting his gaze and spoke up.
She got injured a little bit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Injured? Who is? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Well, uh, mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun watched Yi Ji-Hyuk disying obvious hints of hesitation, and his expression began crumpling more and more. When he thought about it, there could be only one answer here.
Who among the people rted to him getting injured would prompt Yi Ji-Hyuk to personallye and fetch him like this? There was only one person important enough to Kim Dah-Hyun to warrant an action such as this one.
*SFX for standing up straight quite abruptly*
Kim Dah-Hyun shot up from the ground and without even a shred of hesitation, grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks cor.
Is it Dah-Som?!?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
H-hey, calm down first, will you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, is it Dah-Som? Did Dah-Som get hurt? How?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The epitome of siscon, Kim Dah-Hyun lost his cool immediately and began shouting right in Yi Ji-Hyuks face. Even the one and only Bringer of Apocalypse was totally overwhelmed by this sudden explosion of violent aura and could only avoid meeting the enraged re of the other man.
Y-yeah.
What?! Why?! How?! Is her injury serious?! No, no, no! How did she get hurt the first ce?! Whats her current condition?! Say something!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan as he watched Kim Dah-Hyun grab and shake him by his cor.
Indeed, by his cor.
If the people of Berafe heard that the Bringer of Apocalypse was being shaken around after getting his cor grabbed by a regr person, they would probably start punching holes right through their ear canals.
My dignity..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tears should be blurring Yi Ji-Hyuks vision right about now, but Kim Dah-Hyuns aggressive aura was way too scary for him to start getting all emotional at the moment. At this rate, the mad Siscon would floor him and start the ground & pound on him next if he wasted any more time than this.
Well, its not like shes been hurt that bad, you know.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why did she get injured in the first ce?! Ah?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
She, uh, she wanted to learn magic and all that, and ended up experiencing the Mana Deviation. Well, its not as serious as you might think. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What are you even on about? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let a slight sigh escape from his mouth.
Going to see it for yourself will be far easier to understand, so get ready. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-this, this!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun began shuddering like crazy.
Dah-Som got hurt?!
My Dah-Som got... hurt!!!
The apple of my eyes, Dah-Som got hurt!! What were these d*mn NDF b*stards doing?! (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
What are you doing? Hurry up! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Y-yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk flinched slightly from Kim Dah-Hyuns overwhelming aura and nodded his head.
Im not the one in the wrong, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he were to get technical here, didnt Yi Ji-Hyuke all the way out to this ce so he could take this fool back home as quickly as possible? Which meant, he should be thanked instead. But, to receive a treatment like this....
Hah..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Forget about it.
He wanted to p the back of Kim Dah-Hyuns head silly until the fool recognised the truth of the matter. But then again, watching thetters chin vibrate up and down like an electric shaver as he stewed in rage, worry, and sheer anxiety like that, Yi Ji-Hyuks desire to raise his hand was wiped away in an instant.
Right. You didnt do anything wrong, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The only thing youre guilty of is being a siscon, thats all.
Eh-whew. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything else and waved his hands about to create a small Gate.
Here it is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....All I have to do is step through this one? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a slightly suspicious expression before throwing himself in the open maw of the Gate without saying a word.
Considering the fact that he had suffered hell after entering a Gate simr to this one, it wasnt all that hard to guess how urgent Kim Dah-Hyun was feeling at the moment.
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched him enter the Gatepletely and turned around to address Xui Feng.
Well, things have ended up this way. So, do take care of the aftermath, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Xui Feng obviously still couldnt understand a lick of Korean and tilted his head to disy his confusion. Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and stepped through the gate himself.
Wuuuongg....
And soon, the Gate disappeared from the view.
.....What the f*ck happened just now? (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng still couldnt get to grips with this sudden development and continued to dazedly stare at the empty spot where the two Koreans used to stand.
*
Wuuuong....
This Gate was definitely notrge.
A Gate barelyrge enough to let a grown person through opened up in the middle of a lush vegetation somewhere. It shone brilliantly in white light, but then, it was suddenly dyed in ck colour, and its mouth cracked open to emit rays of dark light. And then, a blurry shape of a person slowly materialised.
H-mm....
A sigh made by a high-octave voice came out from the figure.
Is this the world?
Her voice contained a certain something capable of shaking up the souls of all who listened to her.
She had a full head of luscious ck hair, and wore a tight fitting ck outfit. Her almost translucent white skin served as a perfect contrast to all those ck on disy. Finally, a pair of deeply crimson lips, so red as if they didnt belong there to begin with.
She was the 13th demon king, the Subus Queen, Erukana.
She had finally descended on Earth.
Well, well, well. This ce feels a little unpleasant, no? (Erukana)
Erukanas finger rose up to brush her lips. A sticky sensation, quite different from Berafes, was beginning to stimte her.
However, so what if it did?
She didnt care much about where this was. To her, the one and only important thing was....
The fact that he was in this world.
Well, now. Lets see.... (Erukana)
Erukana closed her eyes for a little while and scanned her vicinity, before opening her eyes again. And her gaze was fixed in a certain direction.
Its that way, is it? (Erukana)
Step.
Her feet began slowly moving towards her destination.
Im on my way now. So, wait for me, darling. (Erukana)
Her hushed, yet high-pitchedughter slowly spread out to the surrounding area.
< 200. Who cares if they die or not -5 > Fin.
(TL: Ok, so. The author actually didnt write what I TLed, but wrote This was the First United Front/Kuomintang-Communist Party Coboration. No, wait. This was more like a takeover coboration. I didnt go with this, partly because most readers of this novel wouldnt know what that even means and partly because I didnt feel like exining Chinese history. If youre curious, let Google be your friend.)
Chapter 201: What’s up with this chill (1)
Chapter 201: Whats up with this chill (1)
Euh, euh....
Yi Ji-Hyuk emerging from the Gate suddenly shuddered and quickly hugged himself.
Whats up with this chill, man? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt quite understand the reason. It wasnt as if he felt sick or something, yet why did he suddenly feel this ominous chill?
Did something strange happen to me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at his body.
Theres nothing wrong with me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a strange thing this was, this creeping chill overtaking him. It kind of felt like thest time he sensed such a chill was quite a long time ago.
Just like back when......
....It cant be that. No way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered again and shook his head around violently.
Such a thing should not happen. Never!
No, it cant be!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun next to him frowned deeply.
What cant be it? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Groan....
Kim Dah-Hyun had recovered some of his sanity while going through the Gate and stopped treating Yi Ji-Hyuk as crazily as before. However, his still-sullen tone of voice hadnt been addressed yet.
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew what the best method to deal with that attitude was, but doing that to Kim Dah-Hyun right now didnt really seem all that kosher for some reason.
Like, its tugging at my mind, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This whole thing was Affeldrichaes fault, but then again, if one thought about why that d*mn lizard woman was here in the first ce, even Yi Ji-Hyuk himself could notpletely escape the me for this one.
Groan....
If only he waspletely not guilty here. Hed have proceeded to beat that mouth up until it resembled a bill of a duck already. But now....
Okay, so where are we supposed to go now? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Shes back in the office. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Kim Dah-Hyun asked back in a rather displeased tone of voice.
Shes hurt, so why is she at our office?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I told you, its not that serious. Besides, that injury? Thats not something a doctor can fix, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, sh*t!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun managed to convey his thoughts of I might not be able to retort to that, but doesnt mean I have to like it rather sinctly.
....Should I just beat him up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since when did I ever get p*ssed off while talking about whos in the right or wrong?!
Should I just pretend I didnt see anything and p him silly now? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun left behind Yi Ji-Hyuk stewing in serious contemtion and strode gantly towards the NDF office.
Eh-whew....
Yi Ji-Hyuk failed to reach a decision in time and simply shook his head before following after him.
*
Dah-Som-ah!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun saw his little sister Kim Dah-Som lying on a bed and tears erupted out of his eyes. He quickly ran over to her side and held her hand.
Kim Dah-Som was half asleep by then, but she woke up and opened her eyes to stare in Kim Dah-Hyuns general direction.
....Oppa? (Kim Dah-Som)
Yes, Dah-Som-ah! Its your oppa! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ji-Hyuk oppa? (Kim Dah-Som)
............
Kim Dah-Soms eyes drifted towards Yi Ji-Hyuk walking in right behind Kim Dah-Hyun. Suddenly relegated to the role of an invisible man, his dejected, tearful face confronted Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Thetter nodded his head in the direction of the former.
Yes, I understand how you feel.
I know all about it, dude. So stop crying. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
...Hey. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied somewhat awkwardly.
Since the girl was hurt, he did think about being a bit more gentler and friendlier than before, but then again, he might get burned alive by theser beams shooting out from Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes if he did that. So, in the end, he couldnt bring himself to sound friendly at all.
How can a human being carry such an amount of intense hatred for anything?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head helplessly.
He had been subjected to countless peoples grudges. But, he could swear that this would be his first time being subjected to this sort of grudge in his entire life.
Griiit....
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Kim Dah-Hyun grit his teeth and began wondering just what rotting pile of rubbish was stinking up this fools head. It was at this point that Affeldrichae walked into the room.
Just what the hell happened back there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had heard the gist of the situation, but details hadnt been provided yet. Affeldrichae heard his question, but she answered in a nonchnt manner.
Its just the Mana Deviation. (Affeldrichae)
You taught her magic? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
But how? Theres no Mana in this world.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We still have Mana crystals, yes? (Affeldrichae)
Ohh....
Right, we still have some Mana crystals left, dont we?
If you extract some Mana out of those and let it enter a persons body, then well, humans of this world should be able to use magic as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
How long have you been teaching her magic? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not that long. (Affeldrichae)
But then, she experienced the Mana Deviation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Affeldrichae with an expression that clearly said, I dont get it.
Simply put, Mana Deviation was kinda like a job-rted illness unique only to wizards.
When you failed to control Mana properly and it deviated from the correct pathway to go on a rampage, that phenomenon was called the Mana Deviation.
The weird point here was C such a phenomenon would only ur to a wizard of certain calibre who possessed a fair amount of Mana in the first ce. So, the fact that a girl who didnt learn magic for that long, and the fact that she experienced this phenomenon, simply contradicted each other.
How did that happen? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll be a long story if I were to get into the details. (Affeldrichae)
M-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at Affeldrichae with deeply unconvinced eyes, before asking her another question.
Okay, but why did you even teach her magic in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She wanted to learn it. (Affeldrichae)
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She wanted to be stronger. (Affeldrichae)
...........
Yi Ji-Hyuk found it hard to understand. Why did a regr person like this girl want to learn magic so that she could be stronger?
H-mm....
He realised that the origin of the problem wasnt Affeldrichae and shifted his gaze over to Kim Dah-Som.
Dah-Som-ah, are you in pain? Did you go to a hospital beforeing here? Did the doctors say anything? Yourplexion look so pale, so like, shouldnt we go and get you another test? Or, should I kidnap a doctor and bring him over here? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng?
Youre making me dizzy, so please step outside the room for a while. (Kim Dah-Som)
........
Hurry. (Kim Dah-Som)
M-mm. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun now resembled a dejected dog with his tail lowered all the way to the ground. He then slunk off to the outside of the room.
Euh-heuph.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard the sounds of a man trying to hold back his tears and looked at the back of departing Kim Dah-Hyun with a bit of pity.
What a helpless idiot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Initially, he felt a bit of kinship due to the fact that they shared a simr sort of violent little sisters, but now that he got to know that fool a bit better, there was no doubt in his mind that Kim Dah-Hyun needed more beatings in his life.
He now even felt sorry for Kim Dah-Som since she had to live with a brother like that everyday.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze back over to the girl and asked.
Okay so. Why were you doing something so useless? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She didnt reply and sneakily avoided meeting his gaze.
Whats wrong? Did you feel left out cuz everyone around you was an ability user while you were a regr person? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not really. (Kim Dah-Som)
Okay, then why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a helpless sigh.
Heres the thing about being ability users or wizards or whatever. You think people became one of those because they really enjoy being one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
A person is at their happiest when they are being themselves. You see those ability users on TV doing their thing and you think it looks cool and all that, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
No, it aint. Being normal is for the best. Im telling you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk closed shut his mouth at the end of those words.
Kim Dah-Som saw the bitter, lonesome expression on his face and cautiously reached out to grasp his hand.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im sorry. (Kim Dah-Som)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I made you worry. (Kim Dah-Som)
Haaah?
What U on about, me worry?
Why would I worry about you?!
Its already a full-time job worrying about my own life, so where would I find time to worry about someone else? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted right away. However, he didnt yank his hand loose from her grasp, either.
Well, she was a patient, after all. She wasnt feeling okay, so he might as well behave a little bit better.
Dont push yourself, got it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wont. (Kim Dah-Som)
You nning to keep learning magic? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill be more careful in the future. (Kim Dah-Som)
......Its your life, so you do what you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In all honesty, this matter didnt have a lot to do with him. It was an incident involving Affeldrichae and Kim Dah-Som, so he didnt really have any right to butt in and tell them what to do.
No, he could onlyment to himself. By her wanting to learn magic, that also implied that she wished to live in the frontlines, as well.
She mayment the fact that she had no powers right now. However, the moment she witnessed blood being spilt and torn flesh flying up in the air, her thoughts would do a 180 quickly enough.
Just who out there fought because they liked it?
Do what you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and left the room as well. Affeldrichae cast sleeping magic on Kim Dah-Som and followed after him.
What are you trying to do here? (Yi ji-hyuk)
Affeldrichaes expression didnt even flicker once as she replied.
She wanted to learn, so I only taught her some magic. (Affeldrichae)
But then, she experienced the Mana Deviation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....She possesses talent. (Affeldrichae)
What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She turned her head towards the now-closed door and spoke.
She is very talented. Her skill level rose up so fast that I almost ended up thinking that maybe, all the humans of this world would be like her if they got to learn magic. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm....
If were talking purely about talent, then its possible that she exceeds even you, Mister Ji-Hyuk. So, she kept pushing herself a bit more and more, until she stumbled over her own limit. (Affeldrichae)
Youre supposed to be a Dragon, so couldnt you have made a logical deduction? Or did you lose your sanity for real now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, technically, what she experienced wasnt Mana Deviation. Simply put, her physical body couldnt handle the sudden increase of her Mana reserve. (Affeldrichae)
So? Whats the conclusion, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shes a born wizard. It is worth teaching her, I think. (Affeldrichae)
Hah??
Yi Ji-Hyuk red straight into Affeldrichaes eyes and spoke.
Now listen here, lizard woman. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Have you thought about how long the born wizard might need before bing a part of ourbat force? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure it might take a bit of time. (Affeldrichae)
A talent exceeding mine? Even I needed over a thousand years to get to where I am. No matter how much of a genius you are, nearly ten years are needed before you can realistically participate in a serious battle. It looks like the notion of a decadees across as a blink in the perspective of a Dragon, but lets be logical here. You cant even guarantee that this world willst even that long. So, what are you trying to achieve by teaching her magic now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You do have a point. (Affeldrichae)
Hah....
Yi Ji-Hyuk bared his fangs and growled menacingly.
Stop with your unnecessary rubbish, okay? Im telling you, stop trying to mess with my surroundings. If you insist on doing that, I might not be so gracious anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with puzzled look on her face.
This is so strange. (Affeldrichae)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I had no idea that you had any awareness of your surroundings. (Affeldrichae)
..............
Havent you always divided the world as you and everyone else? Are you actually feeling some sort of an emotional attachment with that little girl? (Affeldrichae)
Dont make meugh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively again.
In that case, isnt it fine? (Affeldrichae)
Looky here, lizard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
Humans are social creatures, got it? Doesnt matter if Im emotionally attached or not, Ill still end up minding whatever happens around me. You understand what Im saying to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, if you wish to talk about humanitys social norms, I should understand it far better than you, Mister Ji-Hyuk. Werent you the very person that broke away from all the social norms in the first ce? (Affeldrichae)
I didnt break away from it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, I just chose to stay away from it, you dang dumba*s lizard woman.
Humans of Berafe and I had nothing to do with each other.
Besides, they didnt even see me as a human, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I guess theres always something that you would never understand, regardless of how smart you are. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae tilted her head this way and that as if she was lost in a maze.
Ive been feeling this often in the past, but well, talking to you makes me feel confused and lost. (Affeldrichae)
What a relief, then. I thought it was only me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Confused and lost.
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling the contradiction in his heart as he spoke those words. In all honesty, he was not rted to this thing of Kim Dah-Som wanting to learn magic and Affeldrichae teaching her.
She might have gotten hurt during the process, sure, but the onus was on Kim Dah-Som and no one else.
But then, why was he getting this annoyed?
His head kept saying that he shouldnt get annoyed at this development, but then, he was still getting rather p*ssed off about it.
Well, Ive been feeling pretty unhappy the whole day.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His thoughts were too muddied right now to figure out whether his annoyance stemmed from his unhappiness, or it was the other way around.
Still feeling dissatisfied, he decided to close the lid on the situation, It was right then, his smartwatch suddenly issued a ring.
Hello? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, this is Choi Jung-Hoon speaking.
I have functioning eyes that can see the caller ID. Speak, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C ....The American ability users have arrived. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Well, now. Thats excellent news. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cuz, I was looking for something to do, you see.
Annoyance disappeared from Yi Ji-Hyuks face, only to be reced by a streak of mischievousness.
< 201. Whats up with this chill -1 > Fin.
Chapter 202: What’s up with this chill (2)
Chapter 202: Whats up with this chill (2)
You sure have collected quite a few, havent you? (Args)
Args received the marbles from Alpha.
Seeing all those marbles shining in the hue so ominously ck that it seemed to suck out the souls of all those looking at them, even the demon thought itd lose itself if it was not careful.
These were basically artefacts containing purified essence of negative energy.
So, what are you nning to use them for? Is it yet another Gate? (Alpha)
Thats right. (Args)
I thought that its now proven a demon king or whatever cant properly deal with Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Alpha)
Youve witnessed the event that had unfolded so far, yet you can still say something like that. The tendency of humans to rely on sarcasm to make themselves feel better, Ill never understand it. (Args)
Hmph.... (Alpha)
Alpha began ring at Args as if he didnt like this idea.
Have I not exined it multiple times that not all demon kings are the same? (Args)
That you did. (Alpha)
Alpha nodded his head.
Sure, he had heard that story multiple times. And he also heard that the lizard who showed up here just so happened to be a low-ranked one among all the demon kings.
Such a low-ranked demon king proceeded to annihte a part of the USA and drove Yi Ji-Hyuk to the brink of death.
In the end, Yi Ji-Hyuk and his gang managed to eke out a victory, but without the interference of a certain someone, it would have been Yi Ji-Hyuk dying that day, instead.
Okay, so. Youre saying that a higher-ranking demon king will show up this time? (Alpha)
Thats correct. (Args)
H-mm....
Alpha tilted his head, unconvinced.
It seems that there are quite a few interested in Earth living in the demon world you mentioned. But then, didnt you say that these demon kings arezy as*es and they dont like making waves? So, why does it sound like every Tom, Dick, and Harry wants to show up here? (Alpha)
I dont understand what youre trying to achieve by making me angry with your crappy attitude. Besides, your childish prattling does not work on me, so why dont you give it a rest? (Args)
Arent you a boring one. (Alpha)
Alpha quietly studied Args.
The so-called demons.
Alpha thought that hed get what he wanted by cooperating with these demons, buttely, that line of thinking had been going through some changes. After all, he had not gotten his hands on any of the promisedpensation until now, had he?
So, when can I reasonably expect to receive this reward youve been talking about? (Alpha)
Very soon. (Args)
You know, I cant recall just how many times youve given me that answer. ording to you, demons would never lie about the contracts they sign. But then again, creatures like demons would never speak the truth from the get-go, so am I being stupid by trusting you? (Alpha)
....You b*stard. (Args)
Argss expression crumpled rather unsightly.
Contract signing to demons was sacred.
Contracts were the very essence of all demons.
It was one of the greatest insults to a demon to suspect the legitimacy of a contract.
Its not difficult to give you what I promised right now. With what you have managed to gather, itd be perfectly doable. However, if I use these to open up a Gate instead, then you will receive far more than what you ever wanted. (Args)
I dont know that for sure. (Alpha)
Its up to you to decide. I shall simplyply with what you want. (Args)
H-m-mm...
Alpha formed an expression of a man in a slight dilemma, before opening his mouth.
Oh, well. Fine. Open this Gate of yours. (Alpha)
Do you trust me, then? (Args)
What, you? (Alpha)
Alpha beganughing out loudly as if he found the notion ridiculous.
A human trusting a demon? What a funny concept that is. My bad. When I think about it, you being in this world is pretty much the same thing as me falling into the pits of hell, but..... I should be thinking that youre a bit of an insane loon by now. (Alpha)
Sure, I did think that way before. (Args)
Mm?
I wondered if all humans liked yapping on and on after seeing how Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth didnt seem to know the meaning of taking a break. However, I thought I shouldnt generalise since humans have this thing called individual personality quirks. Now that Ive seen you speak, though, I can safely say that the humans of this world are, indeed, noisy chatterboxes. (Args)
Kekeke.
Alpha cackled out as if he was happy about something, before opening his mouth again.
Fine. Go ahead. Well, I havent done anything major for you until now anyway. I can certainly do something as minor as going around ces with lots of people dying while carrying these marbles around. But I did have to go to quite a few ces all thanks to this incident, though. (Alpha)
The difficulty of the matter at hand isnt important. No, the only thing that counts is whether it has been done or not. (Args)
Sure. So, open the Gate up and well leave it at that. I dont mind not getting my reward right now, but in all honesty, I also wanna see what kind of a demon king would show up this time. (Alpha)
Im not sure whether to say you wont be disappointed or youll regret it. (Args)
Regret? (Alpha)
Thats right, regret. The one scheduled to arrive this time isnt someone as mild-mannered as thest demon king. (Args)
Mild-mannered?! (Alpha)
That lizard-like monstrosity was mild mannered? Was the demon world only filled with batsh*t-crazy insane fools, then? How could the words mild-mannered even be mentioned in the same breath as demon king?
....Well, Im certainly looking forward to this. (Alpha)
Alpha cackled again, before turning around to leave this room. Args wordlessly watched him leave, before injecting its Mana into the marble-like artefacts on its palm.
Enjoy your leisure, what little remains of it. (Args)
Args didnt know for what purpose Alpha was helping it out. The human probably didnt trust the contract itself. Unfortunately, there was one little thing Alpha had overlooked.
Didnt matter if everything he wanted came true, because the moment this world fell into the grips of the demon world, all those things would lose their meaning.
Is that the limitation of a human? (Args)
Args turned its attention away from Alpha and focused itself in opening the Gate.
Delkaran. The great one wasing.
Once the great one had arrived, this world would finally realise what a true demon king was and start worshipping their new rulers.
*
This is really interesting. (Alpha)
Alpha cracked his neck left to right while walking out from the gloomy room.
How long are you nning to humour those strange creatures? (?)
But, dont you find them entertaining? (Alpha)
Alpha smiled brightly.
Its a sad thing to see humans in conflict with one another. So, would you believe me if I say that my earnest wish is to avoid creating situations of people fighting each other? (Alpha)
No, not really. (?)
Thatsmentable. Really. (Alpha)
Even though he was supposed to bementing, his lips were busy forming a cheery smile.
Is there a reason why you are helping those things out? (?)
Didnt I already say that its entertaining? (Alpha)
Im simply curious of the real reason. (?)
Hmm....
Alpha stopped walking. Before him, a man qualified to bebelled as his right hand stood like a firm wall.
Vito. (Alpha)
Yes? (Vito)
Stop being serious, because you arent being fun anymore. (Alpha)
My apologies. (Vito)
M-mm. Doesnt suit you. (Alpha)
Alpha shook his head and continued on.
We need lots more chaos. (Alpha)
Chaos, sir? (Vito)
Thats right. But, what we need is not the chaos created by humanitys own hands, but by monsters. (Alpha)
Vito formed a puzzled expression.
Its about time people wake up to the notion of contradiction. (Alpha)
Contradiction? (Vito)
Some people will begin to realise it as the number of sacrifices climb higher. And that would be C this world is being propped up by the support pir of sacrifices. And when that happens, someone will step up. People with loud voices wishing to be heard and not wanting to put up with any more sacrifices will increase. (Alpha)
...Sounds difficult. (Vito)
But, its not that difficult at all. (Alpha)
Alpha chuckled and began walking again.
Lets watch from the sidelines until then. Lets spectate on the fight between these demons and the guardian of the humanity. (Alpha)
Are you talking about Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Vito)
Right, that guy. (Alpha)
Have youpletely given up on winning him over? (Vito)
Yup, that I did. (Alpha)
Alpha didnt exin himself in detail. Words couldnt adequately exin why that man couldnt be won over, no matter what.
In the first ce, there was no chance to win over someone whod wilfully go the other way when you tried to coax him in another direction. Such a man would never do what you ask of him no matter how hard you wrecked your brain to think up of a method to control him.
In that case, it was better to just let him be. Which would result in others poking him and getting a bloody nose, instead. All Alpha had to do was to enjoy the spectacle.
Its still an unknown. Whether hed be an enemy or a friend.... We should observe for a little while longer. (Alpha)
Understood. (Vito)
Alpha lightly patted Vitos shoulder and continued his walk towards the surface from this underground space.
He suddenly grew a bit irritated at the sliver of sunlight leaking in from the gap of the old steel gates. Such beams of light permeating into the darkened space like this one would only stimte his deeply-repressed trauma, after all.
No need to be hasty. (Alpha)
Some time in the future, everything he wished for woulde to fruition. Until then, hed have to put up with this whole unlikely bedfellows thing with the demons.
*
So, this is South Korea, is it? (Stephen Bosch)
Stephen Bosch massaged his slightly aching shoulders as his way to express his dissatisfaction.
Obviously.
Whatever. I dont like it here already. (Stephen Bosch)
First of all, he was p*ssed off about this cold weather. He was a California-native and as a result, didnt enjoy cold ces one bit. Perhaps even more egregious was the fact that he didnte here on his own volition, but was pretty much forced toe, instead. So, there was no way hed find this ce to his liking at all.
That d*mn McLaren. (Stephen Bosch)
Bosch simply couldnt understand what that man wanted to achieve by sending them over to this tiny-a*s country.
In order to enhance their abilities?
If ability users could enhance their powers just because they wanted to, wouldnt they have done so already?!
Bosch did strongly voice his objections, but when asked if he failed to see the ability users of the NDF, he realised that he had nothing more to say. Well, he had functioning eyes and all, so there.
Back when they were confronted by that f*cking demon or whatever, or even when zombies were running amok in the streets of America, it wasnt the proud American ability users that solved both situations but those Korean b*stards, instead.
That fact alone was stomping on Stephen Boschs pride.
God f*cking d*mn it. (Stephen Bosch)
Hey, man. Dont get too worked up over it, okay?
How can I not get worked up? (Stephen Bosch)
It was already a deeply dissatisfying matter to be pushed aside by some random b*stards from a tiny country out in East Asia, but now, he even had to grovel and ask them to impart their knowledge on some stuff, too.
This wasnt some kind of transfer of technology, either. Just what on earth were they doing here? No, hang on a minute C transfer of tech would be so much more preferable than this c**p. Because, youd be exchanging stuff when doing that.
These people had always been under the protection of a powerful ally called the United States of America. So, just when would they have been on the receiving end of others grovelling and asking them for their help?
Godd*mn monkeys. (Stephen Bosch)
Hey, Stephen! Watch your mouth.
....Sorry. I was out of line there. (Stephen Bosch)
One more racist bullsh*t out of your mouth, and Ill personally yank your a*s out of here and send you back home, got it?
Tsk.
Stephen Bosch turned his head away, his expression now filled up with disgruntlement.
The friend next to him was an African American and was quite sensitive towards racism in general. Now typically, ck people would generally chuckle along at the mockery aimed at the Oriental folks. But not this guy. When it came to this kind of stuff, he was so hardcore that he even came across as a god d*mn freak sometimes.
I cant even get angry properly here. (Stephen Bosch)
Stephen Boschs irritation was piling up sky-high now.
Just when are they gonna show up? (Stephen Bosch)
The first wave of those who were scheduled to receive this training that wasnt really training, had all arrived in Korea by now. However, the ones supposed to greet them were nowhere to be seen.
Thanks to that, these Americans were left waiting on this military training field, the location designated as the meeting point of the two sides.
Im sure they are on their way. (Woody)
Stephen Boschs friend, Woody plopped down on the ground.
D*mn it. (Stephen Bosch)
It was already d*mn annoying toe here, but now, he even had to wait for some tardy b*stards, too? Once his irritation level began rising up, everything he could see became a source of even more irritation.
This bitterly-cold weather, the stupid humidity he could feel despite the cold, and even this narrow-as-hell training ground C all of it.
Hey, there they are. (Woody)
Thankfully, the NDF folks finally showed up before Boschs irritation had a chance to balloon up to even greater heights.
His sharp rended on the iing Koreans. There were three of them C two men and one woman.
Thats Seo Ah-Young.
Everyone knew who that woman was. She was the South Korean ability user thought to be one of the worlds best. The me Witch, Seo Ah-Young.
As for the good-looking man next to her, he mustve been her adjutant, Choi Jung-Hoon.
Of course, the Americans had pretty much memorised the information on all the important Koreans on their way over here. That was why they could recognise them immediately.
And the owner of the annoyance-ridden face walking in the middle of them was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
His gaze and Stephens collided in mid-air.
< 202. Whats up with this chill -2 > Fin.
(TL: Some news C Ill be temporarily slowing down the release rate of the Returner to three chaps a week for a little while so I can focus on my other two novels. One of which is quite close to its finishing line, so to speak. Well, closer than the Returner or the other one, at least. Once I manage to do that, Ill pick the pace back up. Sorry about the bad news, folks.)
Chapter 203: What’s up with this chill (3)
Chapter 203: Whats up with this chill (3)
Stephen Bosch mistook this situation as a staring contest.
When a person was about to establish a rtionship with another person, the beginning of it all was the most important part. Depending on the first impression, you might end up looking like a dumba*s, or the other party would not know how to even talk to you properly.
The American knew very well that hed not be able to deal with this guy named Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Christopher McLaren was a cold hearted b*stard, capable of making decisions to kill lots of people using various methods of torture over a cup of coffee. Yet, even he would break out in cold sweat whenever this Korean mans name was brought up.
So, there was no way Stephen Bosch would not know of the gap between him and Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Not only that, he also witnessed several times Christopher McLaren, the man who came across as the Grim Reaper in his eyes, smiling awkwardly and acting all subservient and the like towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
A manpletely at home dealing with various types of people was acting like that. And that could only mean that this Korean man was scary beyond Stephen Boschs imagination.
Even then, he wasnt nning to back down. If he did, then hed be ced on an even lower rung than Christopher McLarens level. He would not be able to lift up his head in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk. That was why, this might be his only chance.
Thankfully, he did have a mountain to lean on right now. First of all, there were 300 of hisrades that would be his source of strength all around him.
And also, Yi Ji-Hyuk was apanied by only two people currently. One of them was even a regr person, too. In a situation like this, he wouldnt be able to do something rash.
They were supposed to form a rtionship under the guise of training, so if their positions were not properly established from the word go, then who knows how much degradation the Americans would be subject to?
Stephen Bosch quietly suppressed his pounding heart and stared straight into Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
....Until the Korean man gets p*ssed off. From that mans perspective, itd be like some insignificant ant ring right back at him. So, hed get angry from it.
Yup, get p*ssed off.
When you do, Ill be the winner.
You start persecuting me over nothing, then myrades will start feeling dissatisfied by the unfairness of it all. (Boschs inner monologue)
Stephen Bosch kept his eyes wide open while kicking his brain into next gear. Unfortunately for him, though C his opponent today was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
*
What should I have for lunch today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks dilemma, as usual, was quite serious.
For the first time in quite a while, he had finally managed to get out of the dreary ability user residential area. So naturally, the first thing he thought up of was to find something delicious to eat.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, please speak. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What is this area famous for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Famous with what exactly?
What do you wish to know? This areas specialty products? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, I meant famous diners. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.....
Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt all that surprised.
Such a question would certainly be fitting for Yi Ji-Hyuks character.
Sure, todays off-kilter banter started off on a strange direction, but still, it was amon urrence for him to go off on a tangent utterly unrted to the matter at hand, anyway.
I wonder. Im not sure what is..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its the army stew. (Seo Ah-Young) (TL note at the end)
The answer actually came from the other side of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
........ (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Seo Ah-Young, prompting her to avoid meeting his eyes and resolutely fix her gaze to the front.
This area is famous for their army stew. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ohh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression brightened.
Yup, a Korean should eat Korean food.
Army stew, is it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
By the way, isnt army stew something that came out of American military bases? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats what I heard, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
So, like, it kinda feels weird talking about army stew in front of these American folks, doesnt it... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, now that you mention it, it does sound that way. (Seo Ah-Young)
*
What are they talking about? (Stephen Bosch)
Stephen Bosch paid attention to the three Koreans, but he couldnt understand a word they were talking about. Of course, he didnt understand a lick of Korean to begin with, but he was far, far too curious as to what the three of them could be busy yapping on about over there.
Are they discussing a way to deal with me? (Stephen Bosch)
Seeing how serious their expressions were, the odds of that were pretty high.
I thought as much. (Stephen Bosch)
Obviously, that wouldnt be easy.
Even if it was Yi Ji-Hyuk, even if that guy didnt behave like a normal human being, they were American ability users. Itd prove to be somewhat difficult toy a hand on them.
Christopher McLaren also did say that one needed to address Yi Ji-Hyuk in a straightforward manner, didnt he?
I need toe out a bit tougher. (Stephen Bosch)
Stephen Bosch sniggered at Yi Ji-Hyuk. All he had to was to show that he was not afraid of the Korean man. That was all.
*
So, which diner makes the best stew? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I g*ogle it? (Seo Ah-Young)
...Hang on, the lunch hour still far away so why are you so eager to find it, maam?! Director, please! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, well, its Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk whos curious, not me. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, doesnt it look like youre the most happy of us three?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youre mistaken. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young immediately yed possum.
Uh-whew. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just when will this woman grow up??
Shes been rolling around in this field for five years already, so what does she want from me by acting like this? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Whats the matter? Is g*ogling something a crime now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Choi Jung-Hoon could only stare at the heavens above after getting struck by Yi Ji-Hyuks timely support fire.
If there was indeed a god up there, the benevolent one shouldnt have done this. Didnt someone say it before? That thing about with great poweres great responsibility. In that regard, giving great power to this man was easily the biggest mistake ever.
Itspletely, utterly inconceivable, you know!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
You shouldve given it to me, instead. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head softly.
300 people are waiting for us, so we should do something about them first. You can find a delicious diner or head to the US for lunch afterwards. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, lets do that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young unhesitatingly replied, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to form a bit of unhappy expression.
Did that guy named Choi Jung-Hoon persuade Yi Ji-Hyuk not to go crazy just now? (Stephen Bosch)
Didnt the flow of situatione across that way?
Stephen Bosch stared with tense eyes and went for the final spurt C and that was when Yi Ji-Hyuk finally discovered the American.
Hey, that guy over there. Isnt he ring at us? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who is? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed with his chin and Choi Jung-Hoon followed that to spot Stephen Bosch ring at them. Those eyes clearly belonged to someone asking for trouble.
....You arent going to kill him, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the heck! Do you take me for a dang mass murderer or something?! You think Ill kill someone because hes ring at me? Do I look like a high school thug to you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although those words seemed about right....
Well, I am a mass murderer, and I didnt graduate from a high school so technically, you can still call me a, uh........ (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly shook his head.
Gimme a break, a high schooler, at my age?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Besides all that, why is he ring at me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked back at Stephen Bosch with a puzzled expression on his face.
Did I do something wrong back in the U.S.? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I dont think so? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not just from the perspective of Yi Ji-Hyuk, but also from regr peoples point of view, he certainly hadnt done anything wrong. If it was back in South Korea, the story might change a bit, but...
No, in all honesty, there should be lots if one were to dig deeper into the truth, but nevertheless, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a hero and saviour who rescued the United States of America.
So, why was that man disying so much hostility right now?
Maybe, he doesnt like you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ohh, that must be it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Oh, well. Something like that can happen, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks nonchnt reaction immediately caused Choi Jung-Hoon to throw out a proving question.
Arent you angry? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why would I be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that guy is being so openly hostile and all that, isnt he? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, that can happen, cant it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt this weird?
This guy isnt someone like this, though? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Youre nning to drag him to a quiet ceter and beat the living daylights out of him, arent you? Lets be all be open about this, shall we? Id much prefer if you beat him up in front of other people, you know? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, if you beat someone up in front of other people, at least you will stop just before killing the poor man. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seriously?! You think Im some kind of a butcher or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only chuckle wryly in sheer dumbfoundedness. What dumbfounded him even more was with the fact that Choi Jung-Hoon thought hed get angry from nothing more than some minor character ring at him.
Does he think Ive never been red at before in my life? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive been red at for over a thousand years, you fool.
It was even harder to find someone looking at him like a fellow man back in Berafe. At least, the non-human species looked at him with the eyes that said, Oh, thats a funny looking human.
The same humans as Yi Ji-Hyuk all looked at him as if he was a monster.
Hostility?
Something like that was a given.
Humans of Earth would likely never know the feeling of being subjected to res containing contempt, scorn, and fear. So, the Americans re simply came across as a little child whining a bit to Yi Ji-Hyuk. He didnt find it adorable, no C he simply couldnt give a rats a* about something like that.
You really are not angry? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whats the matter? Should I really get angry for you, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My apologies. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly changed the topic.
Besides all that. What are your ns for these people? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why are you asking me that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, youre the one who got this trainingmission, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. Didnt you say yes to it because you had something in mind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, didnt I say that the request was made to you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That you did. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, why are you saying that now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
What the heck? Oh, so when you sign up with a cram school after checking out who the director is, do you expect the director to start personally teaching you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...No, I dont. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So, entrusting me with 300 people means Im supposed to train every single one of them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, it isnt. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got triggered and shouted out.
You squeeze out all the benefits for yourself, yet you want me to train them?! Wowsers, will you look at this guy?! This heres the true master fraudster at work! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I havent squeezed any benefits from anyone! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly approached Choi Jung-Hoon and whispered to thetters ear.
When I search you and find even a single cent on your person, Imma strip you buck naked and hang you upside down in the middle of Gwanghwamum za, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I squeezed only a little bit. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Keuh....
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head, his expression one of satisfaction.
How admirable.
A truly excellent seedling of a politician is being germinated, right here.
He looks handsome and tidy, hes got a silky tongue, and possesses a charisma thatmands attention, too! And he even knows how to get his palms greased properly! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A perfect future Presidential candidate, thats for sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahaha, well, you dont have to praise me that much. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, I was insulting you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and walked up to the American group.
He knew full well hed had to get hands-on with these folks. The question was C just how little should he be hands-on with them?
Yi Ji-Hyuk cast the trantion magic on himself and opened his mouth.
Im sure the trip here have been rather boring, everyone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....There was no reply.
Cant you hear me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, no one replied back to him.
Huh? They cant really hear me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and stared at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Excuse me. Can you call that Christopher McDonald or something on the phone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Come again? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This guy, what was he thinking of doing now?
If it were any other time, Choi Jung-Hoon would have immediately tried to talk Yi Ji-Hyuk out of it, but well, he suddenly got curious what would happen next.
So, he quickly dialled Christopher McLarens number and handed the phone over.
C Why are you calling me again, Mister Choi?! (Christopher McLaren)
But, its me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C M-Mister Yi, Yi Ji-Hyuk?! (Christopher McLaren)
Well, weve got ourselves a problem here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C What seems to be the problem? (Christopher McLaren)
These kids you sent me, I dont think they can hear me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Didnt I send in an interpreter? I seemed to have made a mistake by not sending an interpreter along. I shall dispatch one right away. (Christopher McLaren)
No, no, no. I dont think its thenguage barrier posing the problem here, you see? I mean, were conversing right now, arent we? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C ....Oh. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk carried on with a tone that said, Not a problem.
Well, you know. You can only train someone when you canmunicate properly, dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Those sons of b*tches! I shall immediately discipline them! (Christopher McLaren)
No, you dont have to bother with that. Ill just return the defective goods. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Did you just say youll return the goods....? (Christopher McLaren)
Yup. If theres an issue with the product, youre supposed to return it, right? Ill just return them back to you, so send over the recements soon, okay? Oh, and Im not interested in refurbished goods, so dont send them back after fixing the faulty bits, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C B-but, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Cant you think this over just one more time? I will definitely fix this problem within a day! No, hang on! Iming there right now! (Christopher McLaren)
Hey, uncle? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Y-yes, please speak. (Christopher McLaren)
Shouldnt you be grateful that Im willing to quietly return the faulty goods without aint and ept the recements? Dont you think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C That is true. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens voice became progressively smaller.
Okay, so. Lets do it that way. Why create more source of annoyance for yourself? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I, I see. Understood. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and shifted his gaze back over to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Well, can we go and eat some army stew now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do what you want, oh great one.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon received his phone back and let a groan escape from his mouth.
I dont know whether I should say this whole thing feels gratifying or that no answers work on this guy..... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt figure out his own emotions at the moment.
As for the Americans who had no clue what was going on, they simply stood around in a daze for a while after the trio of Koreans suddenly turned around and left.
< 203. Whats up with this chill -3 > Fin.
(TL: Army stew C or, in romanised Korean, budaejjigae C is a form of a cheap stew with sausage and/or spam as its main ingredient. It can be traced back to the American military bases set up in Korea after the Korean War. More specifically, military surplus foods like spam that found their way out of those bases. They were sold cheaply to the diners in the area and became ingredients of stews designed to satisfy as many hungry bellies as cheaply as possible. Now it has evolved into something of an art form, but well, thats how it got started.)
Chapter 204: What’s up with this chill (4)
Chapter 204: Whats up with this chill (4)
You stupid b*stard! (Christopher McLaren)
Stephen Bosch was unable to rebut the outpouring of insults directed his way.
Ive told you repeatedly that this matter is of the utmost importance. Yet, the guy put in charge of the trip not only failed to resolve the situation, you actually took the lead and forced this whole thing further into a d*mn pit? (Christopher McLaren)
No, that was not.... (Stephen Bosch)
You better watch whates out of that mouth right now. Or else, were gonna confirm whether a bullet gets stuck in your neck bone or goes straight through you! (Christopher McLaren)
.........
Stephen Bosch couldnt say anything and cast his head down.
That crazy son of a b*tch. (Stephen Bosch)
Yi Ji-Hyuks way of thinking simply exceeded way beyond his imaginations. Someone with a head screwed on properly would never have acted like that.
However, sir. Common sense wise, I.... (Stephen Bosch)
Common sense?! Did you just saymon sense?? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren grabbed the ashtray and threw it at Stephen Bosch.
Really now, how dangerous would an ashtray thrown by a regr person be to an ability user? But then again, that was precisely the reason why he found himself in a dilemma.
Stephen Bosch watched the ashtray flying in a slow motion towards him and pondered whether he should get hit by it or avoid it altogether.
Since it wouldnt hurt at all, he didnt mind getting hit, but then, he didnt feel like doing that either after seeing all the cigar ash inside the ashtray itself.
In the end, he tilted his body slightly out of the way and dodged. He then quickly checked for Christopher McLarens response.
Groan....
Fortunately, his boss didnt seem to care about whether the ashtray found its mark or not at the moment. Instead, he roughly snapped the end off of a cigar, lit it up and took a long, long puff.
Now, what am I supposed to do about this mess? (Christopher McLaren)
He originally thought that there wouldve been at least one month of leeway before the second batch had to be dispatched, but this....
Since every second counted, the second batch was being hastily organised right now, but their quality would obviously becking inparison with the first group that had gone through a far more rigorous selection process.
Why?! Why did you do something this stupid?? Why!! (Christopher McLaren)
I was just trying to stare him down, sir. Thats all. (Stephen Bosch)
You think a human can start a staring contest with a lion?! (Christopher McLaren)
However, we had numbers on our side. And also, dont we have the differences in the national power? I cant understand why you want us to submit and lower our heads unconditionally, sir. (Stephen Bosch)
You cant understand it? (Christopher McLaren)
I get it that hes very powerful. But, hes not as powerful as the United States. Am I wrong? (Stephen Bosch)
Christopher McLaren silently red at Stephen before opening his mouth.
Looks like youre mistaken about something here.... (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir? (Stephen Bosch)
Are you the United States of America? (Christopher McLaren)
.......
Sure, its rathermendable that you think of yourself as the nation you represent C when youre volunteering your services to the nation, that is. However, youre sorely mistaken if you think your country will cover for every single mistake you make. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens voice grew lower and heavier the more he spoke.
Youve crossed the line this time. (Christopher McLaren)
But, sir! (Stephen Bosch)
You as the leader didnt even bother to hold back and disyed that much hostility, so who among your group would step forward willingly to let Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk train them? In the end, 300 ability users lost their chance to enhance themselves even further because of your independent actions. How will you take responsibility for this mess? (Christopher McLaren)
I was just.... (Stephen Bosch)
Murderous intent finally crept into Christopher McLarens eyes.
I shall admit that half of the me lies with me. I figured that at the bare minimum, you were someone with a functioning brain inside that cranium of yours. But as it turns out, that wasnt the case. Indeed, its somewhat my fault for judging someone incorrectly. If thats not it, then maybe Ive been too tired and stressed out recently. Especially when I think about why I failed to exin this matter in detail to you. (Christopher McLaren)
He might ostensibly be talking about his part of the me, but the contents of his words still clearly med Stephen Bosch for everything.
Sir, this is unfair. I havent done anything wrong. (Stephen Bosch)
Sure, sure. Im sure you feel that way. But, heres the weird thing. All those having this type of conversation with me in this office say the exact same thing towards the end. (Christopher McLaren)
...The end?! (Stephen Bosch)
Cold perspiration soaked Stephen Boschs back.
The meaning of the end was simple C that these two men would never meet face to face like this in the future.
He wouldnt get dragged away to a summary execution just because he p*ssed off his boss like in the past, but well, it meant that hed never get to stand in this position as an ability user ever again.
G-give me another chance. Ill redeem myself. (Stephen Bosch)
No, theres no need. You should worry about how topensate for your gaffe, rather than thinking of redeeming yourself. Actually, Id rather court marshal you right now, but that would onlyplicate matters even further, so for the time being, throw yourself in the brig. Your fate will be decided at ater date. (Christopher McLaren)
B-but, director!! (Stephen Bosch)
Thats enough. Take him away. (Christopher McLaren)
As soon as those words left Christopher McLarens mouth, the door to the office was flung open and agents decked out in ck suits entered to grab both arms of Stephen Bosch.
Director! Sir, I was only just....! (Stephen Bosch)
Lets skip this clich moment, shall we? I prefer clean exits. Carry on.
Christopher McLaren turned his attention away after finishing his words. Stephen Bosch continued to scream as he got dragged away.
God d*mn it. (Christopher McLaren)
He was really tempted to put a bullet through the head of that idiot, but.... But, this was not the seventies anymore. If he did something like that, even Christopher McLaren wouldnt be able to survive the aftermath.
Just how bad is the fallout from this? (Christopher McLaren)
He couldnt quite grasp it at the moment.
The biggest loss this time around was that nearly 300 American ability users lost their chance to get an upgrade to their powers.
If this event urred when there was only Yi Ji-Hyuk present, then he might have sneaked a few back in theter batches and smooth things over that way, but since Choi Jung-Hoon was also present there, solving this crisis that way would not work anymore.
D*mn it. (Christopher McLaren)
Which could only mean that he needed to give up on those 300.
Not all the elites had been included in that group, but still, some of the better ones out there, quality-wise, was indeed among the batch so Christopher McLaren couldnt help but feel really bitter right now.
But, the bigger problem had to do with what Yi Ji-Hyuk thought of this situation.
Christopher McLaren had to plead and beg and whatnot to finally secure the deal to train the American ability users, but then, this c**p happened on the very first day. Itd not be strange for that man to walk away from the training altogether now.
He did ask for the next batch to be sent over, so that might mean he was still somewhat willing to go through with the training, but well, a persons mind never really operated that way, did it?
Groan....
Christopher McLaren searched for his ashtray only to find it discarded at the corner of the office and angrily stubbed his cigar on his desk, instead.
He then picked his smartphone up.
I need to control this situation.
Im sure Yi Ji-Hyuks temper has cooled down somewhat by now. (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
M-mm....
Christopher McLaren felt like a kid trudging back home to his parents with an F on his school report.
What is Yi Ji-Hyuk doing right now?
What time is it in South Korea?
Will it be fine to give him a call now?
Wait, shouldnt I call Choi Jung-Hoon first to make sure? (Christopher McLaren)
This sh*t is really killing me. (Christopher McLaren)
Even back in the Cold War era, he wasnt this mindful of the other side. But what the hell was he doing now, all because of a single man?
Yup, it was way better back then. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren got to realise the direness of the situation he was in once more.
*
At the same time, Yi Ji-Hyuk spending a verynguid day.
Is it fine for us to be doing this? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Well, the training hasnt been officially cancelled so we dont have anything else to do.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even still, isnt this a bit too much? (Seo Ah-Young)
I think the same as you, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jung-Hoon were trembling ever so slightly from anxiety. Well, it wasnt as if they hated this. Actually, they liked it. Very much so, in fact.
However, the problem was with this being in the middle of office hours, and to im that they were taking a bit of a break due to a lull in the action, well, anyone could see that they were just lounging aroundpletely unchecked right now.
Where were they exactly?
Ahhh, as I thought, this spot is the best for going on vacations. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk luxuriantly stretched his limbs. He basked in the warmth of the Southern Hemispheres sunlight.
Keu-euh....
Yi Ji-Hyuk was kitted out in a bathing suit, currently enjoying the sunbath. He turned his head to the side after sensing something cold touch his cheek.
Uh?
He found Kim Dah-Som standing there while pressing a ss of juice against his cheek.
Looks like youre feeling better now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Im okay. (Kim Dah-Som)
Well, thats a relief. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything else and simply took the juice before slurping it down.
Kah-hah!
Now this is paradise.
Im telling you, a person needs to enjoy his life.
How can you even keep living in that gloomy city every single day? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As for that crazy lizard woman.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae said shed remain in the office because she wanted to y theputer game, instead.
Choi Jung-Hoon pleaded with her to go home and y the dang game there, but she declined in a very dignified way, citing the reasons of the PCs specs as well as the mouses sensitivity.
Ah-woo~. This is so nice. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min, too, was lying next to Yi Ji-Hyuk while enjoying the sun in her swimsuit.
Seriously, summer in the middle of a winter is the best, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
For some reason, that didnt sound right.
Didnt the original saying go something like, the best vacation one can have during winter is to visit a beach in the Southern Hemisphere, and in the summer, you go up north to ride on skis?
...Did you leave a marker here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, I did. By the way, you know, youre really sneaky. You coulde here whenever you wanted to, yet you made me ve over for you until now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I wasnt using you. I was just thinking about efficiency, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont make meugh. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
What would you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It really wasnt because he feltzy; the thing about efficiency did y a major factor. Trying to open up a Gate consumed quite arge amount of Mana.
If he were topare it to Ether, then the amount of Mana required to open a Gate to this tropical paradise would be equivalent to the amount of Ether Jeong Hae-Min would need to teleport around the whole day.
Having said, that he couldnt really make an urateparison since the two energy types were quite different.
Well, you brought me here this time, so Ill forgive you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min formed a cat-like expression and purred inzy happiness.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked after seeing her like that, which triggered her immediately and she began shouting angrily.
Why are youughing at me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Lie back down, will ya? Youre being noisy. Why dont you lie back down and keep writhing around? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Che.
Jeong Hae-Min wanted to say something else, but Kim Dah-Soms movements were a step quicker.
*SFX for a parasol opening up*
Arge beach parasol suddenly opened up above Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was trying to sunbathe, so what was up with this parasol?
UV rays are harmful to your body. Its for the best to avoid directly sunlight to your facial area. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh. Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, if you say so.
By the way, you. Just where did you bring a parasol from?
I mean, this ce is an uninhabited ind, you know....
Wait, when I told you to pack your swimsuits, you were busy packing some stuff, so was that when you....?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And, also.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Other things suddenly began piling up near Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
This is a bottle of sunscreen. You should apply them to avoid getting sunburn. And this is multi-vitamins. If you sweat too much, you will lose too much essential amino acids and minerals so you should take one. Also, you might get thirstyter, so you should take this.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Uhm, excuse me, miss?
Im Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If I were to suffer from something after getting a bit of sun, how would I have ever survived the trials and tribtions of Berafe? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He had quite a few things hed like to say, but couldnt.
Affeldrichae told him the gist of what was on Kim Dah-Soms mind when she wanted to learn magic. And that meant he couldnt reallye out and say the words of disapproval to her.
And this is.... (Kim Dah-Som)
....Enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt say anything else and turned his head away.
Now that he thought about it, no other woman treated him this considerately in his entire life, didnt it?
....No, hang on. There was one, wasnt there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Kim Dah-Som)
Nah, its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand around before covering his face.
Uwaaaah!!
I mustve lost my freaking mind!
Here I am, thinking about that crazy woman!!
No! I mustpletely forget about her! Yes, I must!!
Dang it. Im already forgetting some stuff of the past, yet why arent these memories disappearing from my head? Why are they clinging on and tormenting me like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly shook his head but then, his phone resting near his head began vibrating out of the blue.
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He picked up the device and looked at the screen, only to see the name of Christopher McLaren.
I saved that uncles number?? But, when? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head and answered the call.
Hello? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, he heard the iprehensible yammeringing from the other side. He quickly shouted out.
Waaait! Wait, wairuh minito! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Im sorry, what? (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly cast the trantion magic on himself and, with a much more reassured look on his face, answered the phone again.
Hello? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi, its me, Chris. (Christopher McLaren)
Ah, yes. Hello. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk arrogantly leaned his head back and asked.
Whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
He thought he could hear Christopher McLaren nervously swallow his saliva over the line.
The American was busy telling himself to throw that d*mn Stephen Bosch into the pits of hell for making him grovel before Yi Ji-Hyuk, even though he hadnt done anything wrong. He then cautiously opened his mouth to speak.
< 204. Whats up with this chill -4 > Fin.
(TL: In case you havent figure it out, Yi Ji-Hyuk was speaking in Konglish when crying out Wait.)
Chapter 205: What’s up with this chill (5)
Chapter 205: Whats up with this chill (5)
< 205. Whats up with this chill -5 >
C Im truly sorry about the mattersst time. (Christopher McLaren)
Last time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes. Didnt our people act quite rudely to you? (Christopher McLaren)
Ahh, you meant that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked in the juice with the straw, took a gulp, and replied.
Its all good. Well, Im having a nice little break right now all thanks to them, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C In that case.... Im relieved to hear that. But, still. Ill make sure that no such problem arises in the future, so I beg of you to graciously forgive them and let bygones be bygones. (Christopher McLaren)
Nah, its fine if something simr happens again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C What do you mean? (Christopher McLaren)
If it happens again, I can just send them back home. I mean, theres no reason to force someone into doing something they dont want to in the first ce, right? Im not a lecturer who gets paid bonuses depending on the test results of my students, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C ....Youre right. (Christopher McLaren)
There was a clear sign of fluster in Christopher McLarens voice. Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned and continued on.
Only those who want to get stronger should get stronger. Thats all. Its only a matter of time, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I dont understand. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, you dont really have to understand it. Anyway, was that everything you wanted to talk to me about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Oh, wait. Were currently selecting our next batch.... (Christopher McLaren)
Theres no rush, so take your time. You can discuss the date with Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Thank you very much, Mister Yi. (Christopher McLaren)
Not at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and put the phone down.
Isnt it getting a bit warmer? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for a soft breeze blowing in*
The moment his words came to an end, he felt a gentle breeze blowing in from somewhere near his head. He raised his head to look, and found Kim Dah-Som waving around a fan by his side.
Heol?! What are you doing?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thought you were feeling hot. (Kim Dah-Som)
Sure, Im hot.
Heres the thing, though. Im not King Euija from Baekjae or something, you know? You doing this makes me feel a wee bit ufortable. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue) (TL note at the end)
No, hang on. It was the same story back in Berafe too, wasnt it?
Right, although the method was a bit different back then.
Ice Widows simply froze up the surrounding air and lowered the temperature that way, didnt they?
Now that I look back on those days, yeah, that was a whole lot more efficient than this one, but hell, wheres the romance in that, man?!
What an aircon-like creatures they were.
Besides all that, though. This kid is getting even more ufortable to be around with.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was nice to see the girl lose some of her gloomy nature, but the thing was, she came across a bit more terrifying now that she had be a lot more hands-on than before.
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Kim Dah-Som with an ufortable expression on his face before spitting out a low groan.
She wasnt someone whod listen just because he told her to stop, anyway. The best thing to do right now was to switch his attention off of her. Unfortunately, not everyone seemed to agree with his train of thought.
Arent you feeling hot yourself? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins voice came out a wee bit high-pitched than her usual self.
No, Im okay. (Kim Dah-Som)
On the other hand, Kim Dah-Soms reply was delivered in a lower octave.
Youre supposed to be sick so why did you evene here? Might as well rest at home, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im injured, so shouldnt I be resting in a warmer climate like this ce? (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, my goodness. I think this must be my first time hearing about an injured person travelling to a beach, you know? Wait, maybe youre faking it a bit? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, the doctor said Im injured. But if you think Im faking it, then maybe I should get into acting, wouldnt you agree? Ah, thats right. Unni, youve never acted before, have you? Or, was that more like you cant? (Kim Dah-Som)
What was that?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Since the time immemorial, one should not intervene in a catfight. If you do, your only reward would be your busted back.
Ignoring the two females and their extended ws, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to the distant horizon where the ocean seemed to stretch on forever.
Still, this is so weird. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why was he feeling this unsettled, worried?
Now typically, if he did find himself some down time, hed stay cooped up in the house or the office to y video games. If he was really bored, then hed probably go out to the city and go on a tour of famous eateries and waste time that way.
But then, just whats gotten into him to make hime all this way? Even Yi Ji-Hyuk himself couldnt quite figure this one out.
Im getting more and more anxious.
But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He tilted his head.
Something like this had never happened before. He just felt weirded out right now. It was as if someone was busy chasing him down. A normal person would definitely feel worried and anxious with such a weird feeling.
No, hang on C itd be rather normal for a regr person to get worried sometimes for no reason whatsoever. But then, the person feeling worried this time round wasnt someone normal. It was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
See, the thing was, Yi Ji-Hyuks balls were not just made out of any steel, but they were grade A steel of the finest quality.
Thest time he felt anxious/worried would be well over three hundred years ago.
No matter what the situation was, itd only manage to annoy him to a varying degree. That was it. They never, ever made him feel this worried.
But now, he was feeling truly, utterly worried?
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered even more from this ominous foreboding.
Are you feeling cold? (Kim Dah-Som)
When he began shivering all of a sudden, Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som duking it out with their eyes quickly shifted their gazes at him. At the same time.
What do you mean, cold? In this weather? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you not feeling well somewhere? (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
No, well, its not that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How should he exin himself here?
Nah, never mind. Im fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For the time being, he mumbled something and glossed over the whole thing. He saw no solid reason to tell them about this bad feeling of his.
Shuruk...
It was right around then C Doh Gah-Yun peeked her head out from the shadow below the deck chair Yi Ji-Hyuk wasying on, and put a nket on top of him all of a sudden.
....Huh?
H-hey, its hot in here, you know....
And I havente down with a flu or anything.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Y-you know, Im fi.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keep it on. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes, you should cover yourself. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Soms joint attack instantly disintegrated Yi Ji-Hyuks resistance.
Yep, just take it as being in a sauna. A sauna..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon watching silently from the sidelines threw out a probing little question.
By the way, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah?
ording to what you told us, you have lived for a.... fairly long time on the other side. Didnt you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Long time not as in grandpa level of long time, but more like a sage type of long time.
Sure, I did. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, I was curious.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Havent you, you know, had chances to meet other women on that side? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
..........
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt this cold wind blowing against him.
A good thing that Ive got a nket now.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Without it, hed definitelye down with flu. Yi Ji-Hyuk shivered and took a look around him.
....Why are they all looking at me like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They might even start killing people with their razor-sharp res at this rate.
...Mm? Ill be the one dying?
Women, is it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared into the distance with contemtive eyes.
Didnt have any. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Liar! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young sharply and brutally interjected.
We arent talking about one, two years here! So, how does you not having a single girlfriend during all that time make any sort of sense? (Seo Ah-Young)
Nope, never had one. I definitely did not have anyone like that. Never. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Why do you sound so unconvincing? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a slightly fed-up expression and shuddered grandly once more.
You guys have no idea. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
You dont know how terrifying that was. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Everyone stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with puzzled faces after hearing that deration. Just what on earth was he talking about?
What are you even saying? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Well, there is this thing. But, dont worry about it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was way too busy trying to wipe the face of a certain person off his mind at the moment.
Im not rted to you anymore! Shoo! Shoo!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, his spine was still tingling from that creeping chill for a while now. How could Yi Ji-Hyuk not feel anxious in this case?
Maybe I should take some traditional medicine after I get back home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I must be injured or sick somewhere.
Yeah, that has to be it. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk did his very best to push away and ignore his sixth sense, which had never failed him once until now.
Of course, the price for doing that would be huge.
***
So, is it finally opening up? (Alpha)
Alpha stared at the Gate, his eyes gleaming brightly. A pretty simr phenomenon as thest time was happening before his eyes. If there was one thing different this time, then itd have to be the size of the Gates; this one was far, far bigger than before.
Correct. Its opening up. (Args)
Args agreed with Alphas assessment.
It had taken some time, but the operation to open up a Gate was a sess. Not only that, this particr Gate was not imperfect like the previous one, either.
Built upon the foundation of the negative energy Alpha managed to gather, Args was able to create a perfect portal that linked this world to the demon world.
If only the Gate I opened thest time was as perfect as this one. Lord Beltreche wouldnt have died in such an empty manner even if the thirteenth demon king intervened. (Args)
However, the story was different this time. Perhaps most importantly, the personage arriving through this Gate was on another levelpared to Beltreche.
It wasnt as simple as the packing order, either.
Beltreche was a being that climbed up to the position of a demon king through its clever schemes and the powers of the demonic creatures it controlled. However, the being about to enter this world reached its current position as a demon king simply through nothing but its own incredible magical power.
Of course, this didnt mean that Beltreche was weak. In the demon world, itd be hard to tell who was superior existence between the lizard-like demon king and this iing being.
Because, even though thetter boasted superiority in magical power, the former would boast superiority in its ability tomand monsters as well as its tactical way of thinking.
However, things would be different in this world.
In this world, one couldnt rely on the method of using ones countless subordinates. No, one had to rely on ones own powers to solve their issues in this ce.
Which meant that Delkaran would definitely be in superior position than Beltreche was. And, if the demon king got here with its magical power fully intact....
Guwoooo!!
Suddenly, the Gate began distorting out of shape.
Is there a problem? (Alpha)
This Gate cant handle the iing lords magical power. (Args)
Does that mean this is another failure? (Alpha)
I cant say for sure yet. (Args)
They didnt need to wait for a long time before finding out whether it was a sess or a failure. Because, only a short whileter, they could spot a shadow within the Gates boundary.
Ohhh.
Args watched on, before hurriedly kneeling down to the ground.
This was the glorious asion of a demon king descending to this realm. The demon quickly shot Alpha a re, but the human simply stood upright and stared at the Gate with intrigued eyes.
Keuk.
This insolent human not disying any hint of respect towards a demon king really got on Argss nerves, but unfortunately, that man was nominally the contractor.
He was not someone Args could use his power to bully.
Itsing out. (Alpha)
Along with Alphas observation, a somewhat pale figure slowly began materialising outside the Gate.
I wee your arrival, oh great demon king. (Args)
Shuwuwu....
The figure emerging from the distorting and twisting Gate, was a mysterious-looking humanoid wrapped up tightly in a ck cloak seemingly made out of unidentifiable material.
Its a humanoid this time, is it? (Alpha)
Beltreche possessed a pretty terrible imitation of a human-like shape, and anyone could tell it was a monster through and through. However, this new guy looked somewhat human, at least from the outside.
Two legs and two arms, plus one head C when considering the creature being a demon, it sure wasmendably humanoid, indeed.
Shuwuwu....
Sounds akin to leaking air escaped from Delkarans mouth.
Args. (Delkaran)
Yes, oh great demon king! (Args)
Our lord demands the head of the 99th demon king. (Delkaran)
Our lord... do you mean....? (Args)
Your master, as well as my master. The true perfect being of the demon world. Yes, I refer to him. (Delkaran)
Args trembled greatly.
Up until now, the order this demon carried out had been to find a way to turn this world into a new demon world. Args had figured that shing against Yi Ji-Hyuk was a necessity since hed prove to be a hindrance to this process.
However, the story had changed now.
If that great being demanded the execution of Yi Ji-Hyuk, then this order now became the supreme task Args had to fulfil, even if that meant sacrificing everything to do so.
It shall be done ording to the great ones wishes. (Args)
Shuwuwu....
Delkaran nodded its head and emitted that sound of leaking air again.
Hurry. (Delkaran)
.....
The 13th demon king has already arrived in this world. (Delkaran)
Euh....
Argss expression crumpled the moment it heard about the 13th demon king. It was unimaginable what might happen once that maverick of the demon world joined forces with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I shall endeavour to prevent that from happening. However, this small ones just a lowly weakling. I do not possess the strength necessary to stop the 13th demon king. (Args)
Itll be quite simple. (Delkaran)
Delkarans eyes glowed ominously in deep crimson hue from within the darkness of the cape.
I shall go to the 99th demon king before she finds him. (Delkaran)
As you wish. (Args)
I shall repay the debt of blood in the exact same manner as that man had raped and piged the demon world. If he desires to protect this world, then I shallpletely destroy it as the justpensation. (Delkaran)
Delkarans voice eerily resounded out as if it wasing straight from the deepest pit of hell.
Another demon king had descended to this world.
<205. Whats up with this chill -5 > Fin.
(TL: King Euija was thest ruler of Baekjae, one of the ancient Korean kingdoms, which perished some time in the 7th century A.D. As for the Ice Widow thing, I dont know what the author is trying to say so I just TLed it straight. I dont think hes talking about a particr strand of cannabis, though. Probably some kind of a monster/creature MC used to lord over....)
Chapter 206: And they say there’s no one to trust in this world! (1)
Chapter 206: And they say theres no one to trust in this world! (1)
However, oh great demon king. (Args)
Args lowered and then lowered its head even further.
Its not only him in this world. (Args)
H-mm?
Delkaran looked down on the demon as if it found something rather amusing.
There are others? (Delkaran)
There are existences that use magic powers in this world as well. Humans that can use special abilities by utilising something thats not Mana are abound in this. (Args)
And you say that will pose a problem? (Delkaran)
Not only that, the Dragon Lord and some other beings from Berafe have crossed over as well. Even Lord Beltreche fell to thebined resistance of these beings. (Args)
No, he fell because of the 13th demon kings whims. (Delkaran)
That is indeed true. (Args)
I understand what youre trying to tell me. (Delkaran)
This lowly being is grateful for your graciousness. (Args)
Args kowtowed once more.
The Dragon Lord, is it... Did she cross over with all of her powers? (Delkaran)
It does not seem that way. At a nce, she seems to possess not even a quarter of my current power. Even when she found herself in danger, she didnt revert back to her true self. The magical energy I could sense from her was also incredibly miniscule. (Args)
H-mm....
Delkarans eyes glowed brilliantly.
It does not hurt to be prudent, however. If the Dragon Lord is hiding her powers, then she will pose a significant enough danger. (Delkaran)
It is indeed so. (Args)
However, itll not matter in the end. Not just the Dragon Lord, but even the entire poption of Dragons from Berafe will not be able to stop me. As long as that man does not regain his former strength, that is. (Delkaran)
Delkarans gaze then shifted over to the side.
Is this the human supporting our cause? (Delkaran)
Yes, oh great demon king. (Args)
The demon king locked its eyes on Alpha.
...Keuk.
The moment his eyes met the demon kings, Alpha was overwhelmed by the sensation of all his energy abandoning him in droves.
He felt something simr from Beltreche, too. It was hard to figure out why this was happening. Was it due to some kind of power all demon kings possessed? Or, was it because of this unbridgeable gap of strength between him and these demons?
He was certain of one thing, though, and that would be the fact that the demon king in front of his eyes could easily crush him into meat paste in the blink of an eye if it suddenly decided to do so.
Oh, human. (Delkaran)
.....
You wish to aid us? (Delkaran)
Delkaran sneered as if it found that very notion rather amusing in itself.
Humans were interesting creatures to the demonic beings.
Sure, demons wouldnt be too greatly affected if there were no humans around. However, the negative energy created by human minds was the source of wealth, as it were, to the demonic world. And not to forget, if the denizens of the demon world wished to y their tricks on other worlds, they needed theplicity of humans, too.
In Berafe, that role was reserved for the Dark Wizards.
In order to carry this symbiotic rtionship forward, demonic beings supplied Mana to the Dark Wizards and lent their powers out, too. Indeed, it was a truly symbiotic rtionship where both sides helped each other out for their own interests.
Even if it was a measly little human, as long as he was helping the demons out, then a suitablepensation would be bestowed. That was the way of the demons.
What is it that you wish? (Delkaran)
Alpha began chuckling in disbelief when he heard that.
What would a human aiding demons want in return? (Alpha)
Authoritative power, financial power, or physical power. (Delkaran)
....Ah, I see. There were two others, too. My bad. Youre smarter than me. (Alpha)
Alpha scratched the back of his head as if he genuinely hadnt considered the possibility.
Well, all I need is power, but there are quite a few variety of powers out there, isnt it?
Itll be nice to have the other two, but right now, what I need is physical power. (Alpha)
If so, it shall be given to you. (Delkaran)
Thest demon king said the same thing before kicking the bucket, you know? If I can help it, Id prefer to be paid upfront. Dont you fes from the demon world know the concept of paying upfront? (Alpha)
For a moment there, Alpha thought he saw the face of Delkaran move, which had been cloaked in the darkness and couldnt be seen at all. Those pair of glowing red eyes wavered from beneath the cloaks hood.
Arent you an amusing human. (Delkaran)
You know, Ive also heard that one before, too. I guess all demon kings have simr types of personalities. (Alpha)
This is why humans can be so entertaining. (Delkaran)
Humans were a bunch of weaklings, but they somehow believed that they could manipte demon kind to do their bidding.
This human had the gumption to openly say things like this. But, even the wizards who summoned demons to their worlds would feign fear and reverence all the while scheming inwardly to use the beings from the demonic world somehow to their advantage.
This was a contrasting thought process from the demons.
A lifespan of a demon was iparably longer than that of humans. And their pecking order would be decided the moment they were born. It was pretty much impossible for a demon of low hierarchical standing to rise to a higher position.
That was why demons all recognised the position they upied in the hierarchy and submitted to the beings above their them
However, humans were different.
The history of mankind was a repetition of war and coup detat. If onecked strength, one would strive to grow stronger. One would struggle hard and fight in order to rise to a higher position.
That made humans an entertaining race to meddle with. Perhaps this was the reason why demons were so interested in the matters of humans, after all.
That was, until that d*mn human appeared out of nowhere. (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The 99th demon king.
The destroyer of the image demons had of humans for aeons of time in one fell swoop.
He proceeded to destroy the perceived notion of humans being frail and weak; he destroyed the notion of humans being easy to deceive; and he even destroyed the notion that humans could not resist against the demon kind.
Most importantly, he had reversed the position humans upied from being prey to genuine predator.
The irregr.
Even though he was different from other humans, even though he was a mutant-like existence.... There were still many, many demons who suffered from bruised egoes after getting royally piged by a lone human being.
Most demons believed that ones power decided the station of the one in question, so they epted Yi Ji-Hyuk as a demon king. But on the other hand, there were quite a few who epted the fact of a measly human bing a demon king with much displeasure.
Delkaran was one of thetter demons.
How dare a frail human.... (Delkaran)
Back when Yi Ji-Hyuk was roaming around the demon world as if it was his backyard, Delkaran wouldnt have dared to stand before him.
Because, itd be no different to killing oneself when getting spotted by that devil-like man who simply destroyed, shattered, and disintegrated everything he saw.
Even the supreme being that Delkaran served tried to avoid direct confrontation with Yi Ji-Hyuk at all cost, too.
Oii, oii. (Alpha)
Delkarans lengthening thoughts were broken off by Alphas calling.
If you cant give me the payment upfront, fine. You can give it to meter. Youre making me feel all guilty if you think that hard about it, you know? (Alpha)
Delkarans red eyes wavered again.
I was thinking about something else for a while. (Delkaran)
Delkaran raised its right hand quite slowly.
Oh, human. Hear me, all demon kind fulfil their promises. I shall even uphold the deal that foolish 82nd demon king could not. I shall grant you power. The contract of the demons are a truly sacred event. Do not forget. (Delkaran)
Wuuoonng....
Jet-ck Mana coagting on Delkarans right hand suddenly shot out towards Alpha.
Heup?! (Alpha)
He sensed something digging deep into his body and began shivering immediately.
What was this?
*SFX for a long, long painful groan from Alpha*
Too bad for him, his thoughts couldnt continue on for long, as the pain rushing in proved to be incredibly vicious.
His entire being was visited by the kind of pain that felt like a sharp dagger was making a mincemeat out of his innards as well as outside flesh by stabbing him tens of thousands, nay, millions of times.
Uwaaaah-!!
He tried to endure it, but such pain couldnt be endured by anyone. Alpha copsed to the floor and began spasming violently.
Humans always digest Mana in the exact same manner. (Args)
Delkaran shook its head at Argss observation.
Ive given him over ten times the amount of Mana that Id normally bestow unto humans. I shall praise him if he doesnt lose his consciousness or try to end his own life right here. (Delkaran)
The demon king actually gave the amount of magical energy that could be seen as a bit too much by some as the price of the humans cheekiness. But even then, Alpha was enduring against it much to Delkarans surprise.
He exceeds regr humans in terms of his mental fortitude, doesnt he? (Delkaran)
Not just by a small amount, but by a great deal, too. Although not as extreme as Yi Ji-Hyuk, this human could also be seen as an irregr, as well.
Without a doubt, there is value in researching these beings called humans. (Delkaran)
They might be a race of weaklings, but every now and then they would produce one or two beings that would make even the demons stand in awe.
Demons, as a matter of fact, could estimate the ultimate limits of the powers Dragons possessed C beings widely epted as the most powerful existences in the current times. But on the other hand, demons couldnt even begin to imagine the true limits of humans once they started growing stronger.
Keuhhhh....
Blood oozed out from Alphas fingertips as all of his fingernails had been pulled out after he wed the floor desperately. Bubbles of blood boiled out from his distorted mouth in the meantime.
Keuh....
The pained moans gradually softened. Delkaran watched Alpha with a greater deal of interest now.
Is he already adapting to the Mana? (Delkaran)
What a surprising thing this was.
Itd normally require at least one hour for all the magical energy the demon king gave to fully assimte with Alphas body. Hed need to suffer though indescribably hellish pain during that hour, yet the humans painful groans and spasms were beginning to lessen already now.
Was he enduring against the level of pain that even demons wouldnt be able to tolerate?
Indeed. Humans are entertaining creatures. (Delkaran)
This was why Delkaran opposed the annihtion of human kind.
Fuu.....
Alpha slowly raised his head back up, his eyespletely red after the blood vessels in there had all ruptured.
Now that really hurt. (Alpha)
But, that pain wasnt something those simple words could convey, though? (Args)
Yes, youre right. (Alpha)
Args tilted its head. It just realised that the way Alpha spoke had changed somewhat.
Have you grown to fear us once you tasted what true pain was like? (Args)
Alpha deeply smirked at Argss words.
Let me put it this way. Doesnt the notion of being respectful or speaking politely sound funny to you, when you havent done anything for me but kept telling me to do this and that all the time? Whats the point of having power? You were still mooching off of me at the end of the day, anyway. (Alpha)
Hmm.... (Args)
Truly, it was still difficult to understand how humans think.
Args shook its head.
Not just Yi Ji-Hyuk, but even you, too. Humans are seriously strange creatures. (Args)
You shouldnt paint the entirety of humanity with the same brush just because of two outliers. Also, I cant say the same thing about myself but heres the thing. Even among the human race, that dude Yi Ji-Hyuk is one really strange case, you know? Itll be easier if you dont think of him as a human being from the get-go. Even I find him strange, Ill have you know. (Alpha)
Is that so? (Args)
That sounded logical C even back in Berafe, almost no one saw Yi Ji-Hyuk as a human being. It was actually the Dragons that treated him as a human, while the rest of humanity treated him as an abominable devil that needed to be eradicated at all cost.
It seemed that the way people treated him hadnt changed much even in this world. Even Alpha, who was now seen as an irregr by the demons, also didnt see Yi Ji-Hyuk as a human.
Should I say he reigns supreme, or hes just lonely freak.... (Delkaran)
I beg your pardon, oh great one? (Args)
Its nothing. (Delkaran)
Delkaran shifted its gaze over to Alpha again. And it saw the Dark Mana yet to assimte with the humans body going on a rampage inside.
Regardless of what was going on inside his body, though, Alpha had regained his rxed demeanour at least on the outside.
Howmendable. (Delkaran)
Delkaran acknowledged Alpha. One would be hard pressed to find a demon capable of withstanding that much pain as easily as this human right here.
Trulymendable, indeed. (Delkaran)
I thank you. (Alpha)
Alpha politely bowed his head. Of course, Delkaran wouldnt miss the minute trace of ridicule hidden within that gesture of politeness.
Even such points are to my liking. (Delkaran)
There was no doubt that this human was one amusing existence. And also, hed prove to be a big asset moving on.
His thoughts might be unsavoury in nature, but then again, all humans possessed such sides to them so there was nothing to sweat over in that regard.
Most importantly, though....
It doesnt matter what scheme this human cooks up. (Delkaran)
In front of an absolute, overwhelming power, every carefullyid n would be empty and meaningless, anyway.
Oh, human. Weve upheld our side of the bargain. (Delkaran)
It took a long while, but still, yes. You have. (Alpha)
Which means, its time you start working for our cause once more. (Delkaran)
Hmm?
Alpha stared deeply at Delkaran.
Did he make a mistake when he thought he saw the demon kings red eyes arch slightly into some sort of a smile?
Those eyes were full of dreadful foreboding of things toe.
< 206. And they say theres no one to trust in this world! -1 > Fin.
Chapter 207: And they say there’s no one to trust in this world! (2)
Chapter 207: And they say theres no one to trust in this world! (2)
Orabeo-nim~~!! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Yi Ye-Wons voice calling out to him and turned his head towards her.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why was this rotten girl wagging her tail all of a sudden? Now typically, in situations like this one, she....
....I dont have it, you dang rotten girl! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dont even know what I want yet, so how can you not have it?! (Ye-Won)
Doesnt matter! I dont have it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt have to be a genius to figure out that she wanted him to do something for her, wanted something from him, or just as worse, wanted him to buy her something.
Indeed, he didnt have to think too hard to figure out what was in Ye-Wons brain.
Buy me a handbag, please! (Ye-Won)
...A handbag? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, a bag. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked after hearing that.
So, thats what you wanted, eh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, only this much should be considered as adorable. Just a handbag, was it?
But then again, Ye-Won was also of that age now, where carrying around a fashionable handbag was the norm, not the exception.
Only an old fogey ahjussi would recite the cliched line of You dont need one before graduating from high school, and even Yi Ji-Hyuk knew that very well.
One of the things he realised during thousand-plus years of living was that the world constantly changed. And you trying to enforce the old generations point of view on the new generation would be nothing more than you being a disagreeable geezer.
Alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohhhhh! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Wons expression brightened in an instant when her brother agreed to it so easily, and rushed in to hug him tightly.
Wow! Really? (Ye-Won)
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, she might have been rude, uncouth, and a nasty brat of a little sister, but still, buying a bag for her shouldnt pose a big problem. Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt be described as an exemry older brother either, but he could still be an older brother with abilities to her, at least.
What kinda bag is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, its this guy. (Ye-Won)
Ye-Won pulled out her phone and showed the screen to Yi Ji-Hyuk. There was an orange-coloured handbag on disy, but well, he couldnt really tell whether that was a nice-looking bag or not....
Does it matter what it looks like to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if the worlds most beautiful bag was to be brought in front of him, hed not see anything different from looking at one of those cheap knock-off backpacks sold in the flea markets, anyway.
Yi Ji-Hyuk might be number one when it came to destruction and violence, but as far as discerning eyes for aesthetics was concerned, he had built up a solid distance away from it.
Ng, okay. Here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his wallet from his inner pocket and gave her his card.
Thank you!! Orabeonim~~!! (Ye-Won)
Thats why you gotta be nicer to your orabeonim a bit more, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, yes. Ill really be nice from now on. (Ye-Won)
Fut. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A smile automatically broke out on his lips as he watched his little sister jump up and down on the spot in pure joy. Her orabeonim was making a killing every month, yet to think, shed be over the moon like that just for a single handbag.
She might try toe across as tough and jaded and all that, but at the end of the day, she was still a high-school kid, wasnt she?
Yeah, shes kinda cute when shes like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was it because they shared the same blood? Probably. Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Ye-Won still hopping about in happiness with a pleased face. He could understand just a little bit where Kim Dah-Hyun wasing from as he clung so desperately to Kim Dah-Som.
Of course, what that guy had was a sickness. Regardless, shouldnt one be able to admit ones younger sister acting cute as, well, being cute?
As an oppa, he could definitely say something like that.
Orabeonim!! (Ye-Won)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You gotta approve the purchase with the phone. Can you tell me the passcode theyll send you? (Ye-Won)
Oh, that. Well, okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head, and his phone began vibrating right away as the security passcode arrived on it. He confirmed the code and called it out to her.
Its 2580. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, thank you! Oppa, really, really thank you! (Ye-Won)
Hahaha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders opened up wider than ever before.
I see. Ive been too inattentive towards her. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All he did was bring home a lot of dough and not much else. Their house might be different now, but he didnt buy that, did he?
When thinking about this money being his, then it was rather obvious that his family members wouldnt have been able to spend it as they pleased. Which meant that he shouldve proactively taken steps to buy his sister new clothes or bags or whatever, but he was just far too busy and couldnt spare any time for his family.
....Ive forgotten why I came back here, havent I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Upon his initial return to Earth, he had made a mental list of things he needed to do for his family, but then, moms uber-powerful presencepletely disrupted his thought process.
Yup, I should start taking care of them better. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he couldnt ensure his own happiness, he might as well make sure his family was happy, at the very least.
Vrrr...
His phone vibrated again to signal the arrival of a text message.
Oh, its been approved. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kyaaaahk! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won jumped around in sheer joy while holding her phone.
Its just one handbag, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, she can be simple and honest sometimes, this kid sister of mine.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled contently and checked the rest of the message out.
Lets see. The approved purchase price is 2.4 million Won.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Around $2,111 US)
2.4 million?
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes trembled softly.
Two point four million?!
What kind of bag was this expensive?!
What the hell?? With that amount, I could probably buy a used hatchback or something. But, you wanna walk around with something this expensive around your waist?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Did she lose her dang mind? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Instead of his eyes, his entire body began trembling now.
Ive never even bought a backpack costing over thirty grand in my life, yet what do you wanna do with a handbag costing 2.4 million?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue) (TL: 30,000 Won = Just over $26.00)
Yi Ji-Hyuk recalled the thoughts of only a few moments ago and held back his rising temper as much as he could. Enforcing the way of the older generation would make hime across as a disagreeable geezer.
And also, if no one sold a bag costing 2.4 million, then no one would be buying it, to begin with. Meaning, it wasnt Yi Ye-Won who was unique, it was the world that had changed.
So much had changed in only five years! What a scary world this was!
As expected, progress waits for no man, does it?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk once more felt the renewed weight of all those years he had lived so far.
Oppa!! Thank you so much! (Ye-Won)
....Ng.
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only reply awkwardly. Seeing her being so happy like that, his stifled chest seemed to be softening up somewhat, too.
Right, right. Its just money. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was no longer a high-school thug who only lived off on the allowance money from his parents. In other words, there was a need to readjust his sense of financial thriftiness now. He had well over tens of billions of Won collecting dust in his bank ount, so shivering over 2.4 million seemed rather uncool.
Well, if its only this much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, he couldnt really get rid of this bitter taste out of his mouth, so he made sure to drill this point home.
I did buy it for you, but I have to say, its a bit too expensive for your age. So, Im telling you now, you shouldnt buy stuff like this again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng! Dont worry, Imma use it for the rest of my life! (Ye-Won)
........
Didnt shee across as rather simple and honest just now, again?
Thats right. Theres a good girl. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, orabeonim~. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won rushed up to Yi Ji-Hyuk and hugged him tightly again and went on a full-on aegyo assault.
Hmm, hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats this, this strange feeling?
Doesnt it kinda feel good? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
His little sister was one of those nasty pieces of work, but now that she had switched on her aegyo mode like this, she came across as rather adorable at this moment in his eyes.
So, this was the reason why a man would melt at the power of aegyo, then.
Keuuuuh-mm! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt want to lose this swelling emotion of pride, so he began preaching again.
Even still, 2.4 million is too much for a student! (Yi ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won suddenly began looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk with weird eyes.
D-did Ie across like an old fart just now?
N-no, it cant be!
Ive been paying so much attention to avoid beingbelled hes so old fashioned even though hes still so young until now!
Sure, Ive lived for over a thousand years and then some, so I cant really say anything about being called a grandpa, but at the least, I want to live like a young man, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Two point four million? But, that wasnt it, though? (Ye-Won)
....It wasnt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was it only two hundred forty thousand and he saw it wrongly somehow? Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled his phone out and checked the message again, before both of his brows shot up real high.
What the hell is this?
How many zeroes... are there?
One, two, three....
....T-tw-twenty four million Won?!?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Over $21,110 USD)
Twenty four?
Twenty foooour million?!?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot a wide open-re at Yi Ye-Won.
She had been still clinging onto his arm to carry on with her aegyo attack until then, but she began sneakily avoiding meeting his gaze with an awkward expression etched on her face.
Oh, well. I thought you knew? (Ye-Won)
Tehee, Yi Ye-Won suddenly formed one of those cutesy giggles. Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at her and began smiling contentedly again.
Ehehehe, orabeonim~~, thank you so much. (Ye-Won)
Oh, no. No need to say your thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks hand burst forth with an almighty momentum and snatched Yi Ye-Wons hair.
Kyyyaahk?! (Ye-Won)
He yanked her hair down as she screamed, but he didnt lose out and yelled at the top of his lungs in pure rage.
Youve finally lost your mind, you crazy rotten girl!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Adorable, my foot!!
Yi Ye-Wons screaming and Yi Ji-Hyuks yelling reverberated throughout the Yi house.
...Yet another day in this family had begun.
*
Keep your hands up, or else! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hing... (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk made sure that Yi Ye-Won remained on her knees with both of her hands raised up high, and gritted his teeth.
You really have grown a huge pair of balls, havent you?? Should I perform an operation on you? Should I remove them for you?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whyyy.... (Ye-Won)
Why?! Did you just ask me why??? You want me to beat you until you get the reason why?? Should I beat somemon sense into your brain? When I was growing up, reading up on logical thinking was a must, but this?? Is the generational gap at fault here or something?! Ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at her with scarily-burning eyes, prompting Yi Ye-Won to lower her head.
No, but, other girls also carry around their own bags, you know.... (Ye-Won)
Oh really? Do they also cost 20 million? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No. (Ye-Won)
Hah..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in disbelief.
This girl wanting to walk around with twenty million plus handbag was a crazy buffoon, sure, but the ones making such bags were just as guilty as her, too.
Just whod want to walk around with a car hanging around their waists?
Its the end of the world, thats what this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was even more shocking than learning about monsters popping out of Gates, indeed.
Oh. My. God.
Both the ones selling it, and the ones buying. All crazy. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Whats going on here? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk returned home after finishing her errand outside, only to find her daughter kneeling on the corner of the living room with her hands raised up high. She tilted her head and asked her son.
Mooooom~! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won finally found her saviour and quickly jogged over to Park Seon-Duk.
Get your a*s back here!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk angrily shouted at her, but she had already hidden herself behind mom and only peeked her head out like a frightened child.
Son, youre going overboard on this one. A child can make a mistake, you know. Besides, shes not a little girl anymore, so its not okay to punish her like this. (mom)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pounded his chest in frustration.
Okay, so. What happened? (mom)
I asked him to buy me a handbag, but hes punishing me because its too expensive! (Ye-Won)
Oh, my? (mom)
Park Seon-Duk stared at her son with a slightly sharpened gaze and addressed him.
Just how long will you treat your little sister like a little kid? High school girls walk around with branded bags nowadays, dont you know that? If it doesnt suit her age, fine, you dont have to buy it for her, but how can you punish her for asking you to buy it? Do you think youll get married at this rate? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt bother to reply to her scolding and simply pulled out his phone to show her the price of that bag.
Mm? (mom)
As soon as she confirmed the price, a visible earthquake erupted out within Park Seon-Duks eyes.
T-twenty four million?!?! (mom)
Grab!
Park Seon-Duks hand grabbed a handful of Yi Ye-Wons hair as she tried to remain in hiding behind the safety of her moms back.
Kyahk! (Ye-Won)
One of Park Seon-Duks brows shot up as she red at her son to scold him again.
Why are you letting this girl live?? (mom)
I was deliberating my options, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I see. Yes, indeed, my son is a good boy. (mom)
Murderous intent leaked out from Park Seon-Duks voice next.
You dumb crazy buffoon of a rotten girl! (mom)
aaap!!
Kyyyahk! (mom)
Moms trademark palm smashing technique was unleashed on Ye-Wons back, and she screamed out in pain while trying to escape from this dangerous situation. But too bad, Park Seon-Duks grip didnt want to let go.
Just what kind of rubbish has gotten into you?! You wanna walk around with a 20 million Won bag?! Dont you know what kind of money that is?? Your oppa put his life on the line to earn that money!! You want to walk around with the price of your orabeonims life hanging on your waist?? (mom)
Im sorry!! Im really sorry! (Ye-Won)
Thats right, you better be sorry! So, you should be punished! (mom)
p! ppp!!
The continuous stream of spike servending on Ye-Wons back ensured that shed curl up like a dried squid on top of a hot grille.
Shudder....
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this scene y out and began shuddering involuntarily, as well. Every time Ye-Won got beaten, even he began flinching ufortably.
Yup, I better not do anything wrong. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was not scared of the country, but he was definitely terrified of his mom. Yi Ji-Hyuk even treated the Lord of the Dragons as a measly lizard, but even then, hed much prefer to be a good, well-behaved son before his moms presence.
Or else, hed be killed in no time at all....
Plop.
With a soulless face, Yi Ye-Won crashed on top of the couch.
Having crushed her daughters rebellious streak, Park Seon-Duk shot her son a very irritated re next.
Flinch.
Although he hadnt done anything wrong, he found himself flinching ufortably again.
Have you cancelled the order yet? (mom)
N-no, not yet, mom. I was about to. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-mm.... (mom)
Park Seon-Duk pondered something for a while, before whispering something to her daughter.
Ye-Won jumped up from the couch and begun hurriedly searching for something online with her phone, before showing her mom the fruit of her quickbour.
M-mm, well, since theres the cancetion fee to think about, is there really a need to cancel the order? (mom)
M-mm??? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, it is a bit expensive for Ye-Won to carry around, but.... (mom)
....Mom?
Mom, please look at your son in his eyes.
Mom, didnt you say something about walking around with the price of my life or some such?
Mom?
Moooom!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Park Seon-Duk, right until the end, avoided meeting her sons pleading eyes.
Mom.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only Yi Ji-Hyuks sorrowful voice wandered aimlessly into the Ether.
Argh, what now?! Imma, really! (mom)
....Its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was left despondent and trudged back into his room.
And they say theres no one to trust in this world, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its not like I trusted mom that much from the get-go, anyway.
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuks phone suddenly began ringing loudly.
< 207. And they say theres no one to trust in this world! -2 > Fin.
Chapter 208: And they say there’s no one to trust in this world! (3)
Chapter 208: And they say theres no one to trust in this world! (3)
C This is Yi Ji-Hyuk speaking, the man who put his life on the line to buy a new handbag. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Thats how it is. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon easily guessed that something had happened after hearing the sullen tone of Yi Ji-Hyuks voice. But then again, one thing or the other kept happening around him anyway, so this wasnt anything new.
Sounds like something happened to you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Well, Im in the middle of learning about the futility of life, thats what. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How dare this kid....!
....No, hang on. Hes not a kid, is he?? His mental age is almost that of a boulders, anyway. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Ah, I see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head as he felt this rather awesome sense of disharmony.
C Okay, so. Whats going on? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A Gate has opened up. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Why are you calling me over that as if its something huge? Iming to work anyway, so you could have told me then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This ones a bitrge. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk let a groan leak out of his mouth before shutting his mouth tight. If the size of the Gate necessitated Choi Jung-Hoon to call him on the phone like this, then that could only mean the darn thing had to be massive and his help was needed to take care of it.
C Yes, yes. Time to work, I suppose. Yup, gotta work, so I can make more money. Make money, buy mom new handbags.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon closed his eyes.
He finally guessed why Yi Ji-Hyuk was being so sullen like this. Also, he felt kind of relieved about the matters this time around being simple enough, which meant that itd be just as simple to fix the situation.
Also... didnt Yi Ji-Hyuk sound a bit like a narrow-minded miser?
Just how much did he make recently?
Sure, his monthly wages might not be all that different from a pay cheque of arge corporation, but then, if one added up all the benefits and extra pay he had earned recently, then well, never mind a regr building, he might even be able to build a dang skyscraper if he wanted to. But seeing him being such a miser over a measly little handbag really ground Choi Jung-Hoons gears.
Of course, that didnt mean he coulde right out and say his piece....
Well, how much can a bag cost for you to act like this? Besides, arent you buying it for your mother? It doesnt make any sense to feel unhappy about spending that money, dont you agree? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, he just couldnt let this one go.
If he thought about it for a second, one might hold back on saying certain things regarding buying stuff for ones girlfriend or little sisters. However, regretting buying a measly little bag for ones mother was simply not cool. Really uncool, as a matter of fact.
Even though Yi Ji-Hyuk was at least hundred times older than Choi Jung-Hoon, the former didnt get to spend as much time with his mother inparison, so he didnt seem to know the concept of filial piety all that well.
Since Choi Jung-Hoon was nominally an elder in this situation, he needed to be strict and set the other man on the correct path.
C But, that handbag cost me twenty million Won? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was it made out of Dragon hide or something....?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C You see?? See what I mean?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was very quick totch onto Choi Jung-Hoons inadvertent muttering. What a blunder that was.
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly coughed to clear his throat and did his best to control his fluctuating emotions. Afterwards, he began his actions of persuading Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, with what you make every single day, that amount is just a drop in the ocean, isnt it?? I mean, for the sake of making your mother feel good about herself, anyone could spend that amount of money, but what the hell is up with that handbag and its ridiculous price?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oops!
He ended up spitting out what was in his mind again.
C See? See?? Even you think the same, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, lets be bloody honest here, why on earth is that thing so expensive?
How can a handbag cost as much as a brand new car?!
Wait, buying a car should actually be so much better, instead!
A new car will certainly make you look as if youve made it in life, but a handbag costing as much as a car..... What the freaking hell?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon quivered uncontrobly for a moment there, before snapping back to himself again.
Ah! I shouldnt be doing this!
But, but....
I know that I gotta wake up, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Cant you, like, buy a car instead for her? With that money, I mean. If you add a little bit on top, Im sure you can buy a decent mid-sized saloon car.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Mom doesnt have a drivers licence. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon became speechless but he didnt give up and searched for another way out.
W-well, then let her get the licence! Thats not a problem, is it?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C But, the bags been already ordered online, you know? So, you want me to buy a car on top of that, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ive got no answers.
What do you want from me, you dumba*s! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
It seems that this situation isnt something I can help you with. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Uhm, you know, I dont remember asking for your help? Whats up with this meddling aunty routine? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay, Im sorry.
Ive gone overboard trying to be a concerned aunty for you. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Lets get back to the matter at hand. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
On the other side of the phone line, Yi Ji-Hyuk was shrugging his shoulders.
Choi Jung-Hoon sounded as if he wanted to help somehow, but in the end, he reverted back to talking about work-rted matters. Indeed, even this dude acted like an undercover dumba*s sometimes.
C A Gate has been found in the city of Daegu. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh? What about in Daejeon, then? Nothing over there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Another major city in South Korea)
C Daejeon? What are you talking about? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You know. These Gates been opening up in Seoul, Daegu, and Busan, so I was wondering maybe its the turn of Daejeon next. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Im sure itll happen sooner orter. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Okay, fine. How big is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Its the biggest in the recorded history. Id like to tell you its level, but weve never measured a Gate of such a scale before, so Im not sure what to tell you. For the time being, the consensus is to call it a Level 8. However, the official ssification will happenter on. The international standards needs to be amended first, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Figurative mes erupted out from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
There are other countries with biggerndmasses, so howe such Gates keep opening up in our tiny backyard all the time?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I cant answer that, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is thisnd really cursed or something?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To the south, there was an endless ocean; left, right, and up were surrounded by powerful nations who proceeded to bother and annoy him all the time!
Also, only the stupid, useless dinosaurs roamed on this spot ofnd so not even a drop of oil could be found here, too!
On top of that, the Gates opening up all happened to be of the most irritating kind, too! So, how could a guy not get p*ssed of about this situation?!
C By the way, do you perhaps know why these types of Gates are opening up in our country more often than not? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How should I know something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk flinched inwardly and got angry in order to cover it up.
Actually, he suspected that the Gates were opening up where Yi Ji-Hyuk was. In the beginning, anyway. However, such an urrence ceased after a certain point in time, so he had forgotten about it.
Wait, could there really be a connection here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was far too vague to say that there was something there, but then again, it was also a bit too unconvincing to deny the possibility....
It definitely felt like there was this intangible connection of some kind.
C You really dont know? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im telling you, I dont! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In times like this, pretending to not know anything was the wisest move!
C H-mm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon didnt sound all that convinced, but probably figured out that asking anymore would be a waste of time, because he switched the topic.
C In any case, I understand. Can you mobilise right now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wait, do I really have to go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Well, its not a must, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh? Im not going, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Well, even if you ask other agents to deal with this event, its 100% guaranteed that things will get out of control and youd have to show up in a hurry anyway. So, why not just go there now and rxedly tour around the city until the Gate opens up, instead of going there in a hurry? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You and your slick way with words. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Its my only speciality, so.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a pout.
Ive been thinking that Im being a fooltely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C T-thats simply not possible. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its like, everyone takes me for granted and think Ill do stuff for them. Come here and do this, go there and solve that, buy a bag for me, etc, etc.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Its about the bag in the end.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was dead-certain of what the source of Yi Ji-Hyuks unhappiness was now. He still thought that thetters lingering attachment towards this matter seemed a bit too excessive at this point in time.
Sure, that amount of money sounded like a lot from his perspective, but really now C that amount should be nothing more than some negligible pocket change for Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Choi Jung-Hoon heard from somewhere that most regr folks, once they got their hands on as much moh as Yi Ji-Hyuk had, would suddenly be inflicted by the Nouveau Rich Syndrome and start spending as if there was no tomorrow. So, why was this guy acting like a small-minded miser even though he had that much cash burning a hole in his bank ount right now?
....Hang on a minute. He doesnt even own a car yet. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, the first thing any guy around that age do after finding himself with some wealth would be to buy a sleek European exotica, but.... This guy, wasnt he still living the life of a pedestrian even now??
His attire was still the exact same blue tracksuit, too. As for his meals, its either the grub from thepany cafeteria, or a bento from home.....
From what Choi Jung-Hoon heard, his main meal at home was ramen, because his mom couldnt be bothered to cook. But, he didnt mind that and still ate withoutints?
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Be strong and dont give up, okay? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What are you talking about, out of the blue? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No, its just that, well, I got a bit emotional.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt even begin to imagine how he should go about righting the twisted daily life of this young man. The first thing needing to be fixed was the distortedmon sense of Yi Ji-Hyuk, but then again, he was the king of Not listening to anyone beside himself so there was no suitable answer for him.
C Well, its not important right now, anyway. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, whats so important, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
C For the time being, lets go to Daegu. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You sound as if we going together has been decided already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Of course well head there together. I shalle and fetch you right away. Are you at home right now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Weve readied a helicopter on thending pad next to the HQ. I shalle and fetch you at home, so please, wait for me for a little while. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell? Since when did I agree to go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I heard that Daegus specialty called mah-yahk cornbread, is to die for.... (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL note at the end)
You think Im some kind of a glutton or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, uh, I am kinda curious, though.
Im gonna go anyway, so might as well just let it slide.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, fine. Fine! Hurry up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Thank you very much. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why was he saying thanks for?
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and sat down on the chair of his room as thoughts swirled in his head.
He hadnt given this much thought before, but well C didnt Choi Jung-Hoon live his life to the fullest? Or, should that be, living his life to the busiest, instead? It didnt look like the rewards for all the hard work he put in was worth it, but just what gave him such a drive to seed?
Did I also have a phase like that, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure I did.
Back when I was in Berafe. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Once upon a time, there was a phase when he didnt stop at nothing to achieve the goal of returning to Earth. His memories of those times had blurred a bit by now, though, and he was also way too terrified of recalling the desperation he felt back then.
H-mm....
Was Yi Ji-Hyuk being like this a result of not having a clear purpose?
Just before he could delve deeper into his psyche, the door to his room slid open ever so gently.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm, oppa.... (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won crept into his room with an awkward smile attached on her face. She began ncing at him hesitantly.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a pout.
Oppa, I was being inconsiderate earlier. You worked so hard to earn this money and all.... (Ye-Won)
......
What is this? Feels like my conscience is being pricked!
Wait, I still had stuff like conscience left?
But, how sensitive is this remaining conscience for it to react so violently like this?!
Im sorry, Ye-Won-ah.
All that money your orabeonim brought home? I got almost all of them through fraudulent means.
Heck, the money I got by putting my life on the line? Its not even deposited into the bank yet.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
S-sure. So long as you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously, I cant say that out loud, can I?!
Besides, isnt this already enough that Im saying sorry in my mind? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I get now why you were so angry. I mean, you worked so hard to make this money, right? I was too thoughtless trying to spend them, just like that. Im really sorry. (Ye-Won)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why is this girl acting like this now?
Shes definitely not someone capable saying stuff like this, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Other people might think Ah, the little sister has finally grown up and start shedding emotional tears, but Yi Ji-Hyuk shared the same bloodline as her and he knew the truth.
Growing up was something reserved for other people. Yi Ye-Won would never grow up in this lifetime.
So, so many people would choose that tech tree because that was the basics of all basics, but hell, Ye-Wons ss couldnt unlock that tech tree even if she hacked the bloody game.
At best, shed end up as one of those high-maintenance women. But, if things went wrong somewhere, then shed be........
Oppa! (Ye-Won)
Y-yeah?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk woke up from his thoughts all thanks to Ye-Wons calling and hurriedly shook his head.
R-right. Well, let me at least hear what she has to say first. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, so what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, so, like, you know.... (Ye-Won)
Ng?
Yi Ye-Won formed one of those timid little smiles as she spoke.
Can I, like, buy one thats a bit cheaper? All you have to do is to approve the transaction, you know? Ill take care of everything, and I wont bother you again. (Ye-Won)
.........
Yup, he knew it.
Right. Thats how my little sister should act like. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a content smile and nodded his head.
Look, look! Look at all my goosebumps that I got from her acting all sensible and the like! Holy moly, they dont wanna go down yet!
Anyways, now this is who Yi Ye-Won should be like! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt relieved that his little sister girl still remained as senseless as before and nodded his head.
Fine. Okay. Buy it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? (Ye-Won)
Yes, really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ye-Won mustve found her brothers response to be rather suspicious, because she began sneaking curious nces at him next.
Oppa, can I, like, choose a two-hundred-thousand Won bag? (Ye-Won)
Its fine if you want to buy a two million Won bag. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....In that case, should I choose a one-hundred-thousand Won bag, instead? (Ye-Won)
I said, its fine to buy a two million Won handbag. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Come on now. There arent any fifty thousand Won bags on sale, you know? (Ye-Won)
...........
Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling yet again.
What the hell?! You dumba*s! I told you to buy it! Buy the dang two million Won bag! Didnt I say its okay?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Won snapped back with a yell of her own.
Forget it! I wont buy it! You and your cheap a*s tactics!! (Ye-Won)
m!
The door was roughly mmed shut behind her.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stupidly looked on at this spectacle and muttered to himself.
Did she really go insane?
Im telling her to buy, yet shes still freaking out....?
I havent done anything wrong, have I?
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt figure out what just happened here.
< 208. And they say theres no one to trust in this world! -3 > Fin.
(TL: Mah-yahk literally means narcotics. Its a real bread being sold in a famous bakery in the city of Daegu. Apparently, it tastes so good that once you eat one, youre addicted for life, hence the nickname narcotics. If youre curious about what it looks like, google ?? ????)
Chapter 209: And they say there’s no one to trust in this world! (4)
Chapter 209: And they say theres no one to trust in this world! (4)
Yi Ji-Hyuk left his room and shouted at Yi Ye-Won.
What the heck?? Didnt I tell you to buy the dang thing?! So whats your problem now?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She shot him a re and yelled right back at him.
Where would you find a fifty thousand Won handbag?! (Ye-Won)
When did I tell you to buy that?! I told you to buy that two million Won bag, didnt I?! Wait, is it not enough for you?? Should I buy a five million Won bag, instead?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah! You expect me to believe that youll spend two million just like that? Yeah, right! Gimme a break! (Ye-Won)
Hul....
Yi Ji-Hyuk flinched from his little sisters response.
Why is she reacting like this?
Actually, Ive been thinking that I wasnt contributing much at all to the household other than bringing home lots of money. Thats why I said okay, but..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Y-yeah, I can certainly buy stuff like that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Wons head leaned to the side in a crooked angle. That was definitely a familiar response from her, yet why did it feel particrly harsh today, all of a sudden?
When I told you I needed a recement phone, didnt you say that a high school student doesnt need thetest model and told me to buy a filial phone, instead?? (Ye-Won) (TL note at the end)
....Im not wrong on that one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What would a top-end smartphone prove to be to a student other than a hindrance to her studies?! Besides, wasnt him permitting her to swap her phone already a big deal??
Ive been repeating myself over and over again, saying that I need to change my phone, but didnt you make me stick with it until it stopped working altogether?! (Ye-Won)
Youre supposed to use something as long as it works! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was forthright in his opinion. His logic was perfect, and he had not an ounce of shame.
Then, why did you try to fool me into buying an expensive handbag if you knew I wasnt gonna let it happen?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thought that Id be able to let it slide as long as I survived your tantrums! If, if only it wasnt for mom.... (Ye-Won)
........
This girl, she was definitely not right in the head.
Seriously.
Honestly, oppa? I really didnt want say this to you, but... (Ye-Won)
Ng?
Sure, you got a rotten personality, but never mind that. Why are you such a stingy, cheap and small-minded human being? (Ye-Won)
Small-minded??
Wait, did she just say small-minded??
What is this fool even on about?
Is she really calling me a small-minded person?
But, how could she?!
Dont I possess a generous heart asrge as an ocean?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
How dare you call me small-minded! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Won began looking at him with eyes reserved for looking at an especially disgusting insect.
Holy cow, I feel so dirty right now!
Seriously, man! As far as that talent of hers is concerned, might as well admit that shes a telepathic ability user or something!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed an immunity-like defence against mind-control magic and hexes and the like. But for her to break his calmness with nothing but just a look, now that was one hell of an ability, indeed.
Oppa. All the money you made, are you nning on taking it to the grave? You are supposed to spend it, you know? (Ye-Won)
Its better to be frugal!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If its someone running a tight budget, sure, its fine to be frugal, but when someone rich does that, its just pathetic, you know? (Ye-Won)
Euh....
He had nothing to retort with.
He witnessed countless simr cases in the past and wondered to himself why they lived like that, but now, wasnt he doing the exact same thing as them?
No, that wasnt right.
He wasnt trying to be frugal here. Yes, he simply hadnt felt the need to spend money, thats all!
Thats why! I told you that Ill buy it! I said its okay, so why are you behaving like this?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Two hundred thousand? (Ye-Won)
No! Two million! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So little? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling in rage. Werent her balls getting too big now?
Why would a high schooler need a handbag costing more than two million?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oppa, can I be brutally honest with you? (Ye-Won)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In all honesty, a student doesnt need a bag worth two hundred thousand. (Ye-Won)
.....Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was she trying to say now?
Actually, its not just the students but other people, too. We dont really need a bag with a price tag of two million Won, you know? Its not like a bags lined with bulletproof material or theres a touchscreen disy on it, and besides, why would anyone need a bag that expensive, right? (Ye-Won)
What the hell. Where is she nning to go with all this logical, sound reasoning? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was getting more scared as sensible words started flying out of Ye-Wons lips. Because, her being utterly senseless was her regr, normal state, wasnt it?
But then, can you guess why people still buy these expensive bags? (Ye-Won)
....No. Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, they are expensive. (Ye-Won)
..........
Doesnt this sound like the cause and effect have flipped sides? Or am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
People buy them because they are expensive! Forget about functionalities, forget about designs, forget about everything else cuz they are not important, okay? We buy expensive stuff so we can show off and tell the world that we are more than capable enough to carry around such things! Do you get it now? (Ye-Won)
I-is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right! I want to buy that bag because its expensive, but if you ask me why I want to buy an expensive bag, what do you think Ill say back to you? (Ye-Won)
....Im sure youll be speechless.
Because, Ive got nothing to say, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So, just shut up and buy me the bag! I also wanna walk around with my head held up high and tell people that Ive got a well-to-do oppa making a ton of money and can afford to wear a bag like that! Cant you just think of it as an investment and buy it for me already?! (Ye-Won)
...........
Yi Ji-Hyuk was rendered speechless for the first time in thest few hundred years. What should he call this now? A change of ideas?
Thats why! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Wons eyes began glowing dangerously now.
Are you going to buy it for me or not?! (Ye-Won)
I, I shall dly do so, maam.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kkyahck!
She jumped on Yi Ji-Hyuk and cutely clung onto his arm.
Oppa, youre the best! (Ye-Won)
Huh, huhuhuh..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats the meaning of this, this weird feeling of me wanting to cry?
My little sisters really happy but why do I feel this massive burden in my heart? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I knew it, theres no one better than you, oppa! (Ye-Won)
.... Youre gonna need a big a*s bar of soap to clean that mouth of yours after lying like that, you rotten little girl.
Its not no one better than oppa, its more like no one better than oppas wallet. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Hang on a second. Shouldnt you be asking your boyfriend to buy stuff like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not. (Ye-Won)
Eh? Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oppa, youre so dense. You dont know if youll end up marrying your current boyfriend. Which means, his money is mine, right? What point is there to buy a bag with my own cash? Others should buy it for me. (Ye-Won)
....Oh. Is that so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should he call this being sensible or being senseless?
Should he call this being smart, or being a dumba*s?
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply couldnt figure it out.
One could argue that he had spent way too long in Berafe and his personality changed as a result. If that was the case, then just what did this kid go through in the past five years to end up like this?!
For the first time ever, Yi Ji-Hyuk began wondering if Earth was more hazardous to ones mental healthpared to Berafe.
A-anyway, I gotta go and run an errand, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. Ill deal with everything, so text me the security codeter. (Ye-Won)
....Which one are you nning to buy now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm, well. How about a five million Won bag? (Ye-Won)
The prices gone up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You being a small-minded miser again? Since youre going to spend, why not spend like a man? I mean, I was even thinking of getting the same bag as moms but I held back, you know?! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head helplessly.
For the price of not arguing with this girl no more, he figured that the extra three million was a cheap amount to swallow.
Do whatever you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that the things had gone far, itd be easier on his stress level to let her spend as she pleased.
He knew this fact.
He knew it, so why was he still feeling so d*mn unhappy about it?
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And the wise old they said that a man couldnt live as he pleased in this world, too....
Ringgg....
The phone rang without warning, and Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly answered it.
Hello? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Im in front of your ce. You cane out now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Alright. Im on my way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Might as well go to work and escape from this ce; rather than getting pummelled in his own home, hed feel far morefortable fighting against monsters somewhere else.
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and spoke in a powerless voice.
Your orabeonim is going to work now, so do what you want, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. Oppa! Go and make lots of money, okay! (Ye-Won)
....D*mn it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked towards the front door with slumped shoulders.
*
Did something happen? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon began worrying when Yi Ji-Hyuk climbed into the car looking somewhat depressed.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....What is this thing called money? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huhuhuh. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon broke into a gentle chuckle.
You shouldnt sweat over it so much. If you have it, then you gotta spend it C thats what money is for. If you earn them but pile them up somewhere, when will you get to enjoy yourself? After all, arent you making money in order to enjoy your life? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I guess youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, he wasnt wrong there.
If one were to get technical about it, didnt Yi Ji-Hyuks n of Uplifting the Yi households living conditions involve him earning a ton of cash and making sure his family had no needs or wants for the rest of their lives?
The thing was, though C he deliberated seriously on how to go about making money and making sure the family was happy and satisfied, but never did he think about what being happy and satisfied entailed in reality. Thats where the current problem arose from.
Why not buy a car, instead?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon formed a serious expression and spoke to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You should never say that out aloud. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Excuse me? Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If youve got money, then typically, theyll make you do both, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....I see that I almost made a huge mistake just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, this man is wise!
I can trust him to get things done!
Itd be so much better if we were rted by blood, not just through work-rted matters, right?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I wonder, will he be able to withstand Ye-Wons daily budget threshold? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No matter, he needed to make sure this man brought home a solid amount of moh every month, which would ensure the evesting stability for his little sisters future family!
....What are you thinking about? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its nothing important. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon was suddenly being overwhelmed by this inexplicable chill crawling down his back after seeing that suspiciously content expression on Yi Ji-Hyuks face while thetter was staring back at him.
What could this be?
He did his best to ignore it and drive the car, but he just couldnt switch his attention away from that content expression and those eyes of Yi Ji-Hyuk looking at him.
Choi Jung-Hoon felt the cold sweat soaking his back and stepped on the elerator even harder.
Soon, the duo arrived at the helipad. Yi Ji-Hyuk climbed out of the car and frowned a bit after spotting Jeong Hae-Min standing next to the helicopter.
And why are you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im going there to leave a marker behind. As soon as Im done, Iming back home. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Tsk.
Then again, there wouldnt be a need to use a helicopter if it werent for that dang zombie crisis causing Jeong Hae-Min to throw away all her previous markers.
But, man. Do I really have to go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A lot of our people have been dispatched overseas, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its not like were operating a charity organisation, so howe were so dead-set on solving other countries problems? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were getting quite a bit of coin aspensation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You wont be able to spend that money when war breaks out, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Did Choi Jung-Hoon and Co. think that all thepensation they were earning right now would prove to be an assetter on? At the rate the world was revolving, there was a good chance that all that pensation would turn into a bad cheque not even worth the paper it was printed on.
He thought that, in a few years time, Gates would open up every single day and every single hour, so what possible meaning was there in any of that?
The important thing right now is to nurture the next generation of talents. Since we cant defend everything every day, we need to buy ourselves time to nurture new ability users. If we dont do anything, all of our neighbouring nations would cease to exist before long and we will have no one to stop the Gates opening around us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Groan....
Those words werent wrong, either.
Yi Ji-Hyuks head understood it all too well, but he was simply getting irritated by the fact that his workload had potentially increased by it, too.
Really, man. I keep feeling irritated about something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where was this dissatisfaction of hising from?
Now that a bit of time had passed already, he should be feeling better, but his dissatisfaction level was constantly on the rise. With things being like this, it had already went past the level of him feeling bad about something.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood there tilting his head, prompting Choi Jung-Hoon to point at the helicopter.
Lets get onboard. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and entered the vehicle.
For now, I should just focus on whats in front of me. I wont get any answers just because I wrack my brain. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Soon, the helicopter carrying Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co. rose up into the sky.
*
....What the hell is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even the one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk was taken by surprise. Now he finally understood why this Gate couldnt evaluated and ranked by the traditional means.
Thats how gigantic this Gate in front of his eyes was.
The thing was, he had seen his fair share of portals this big before. As a matter of fact, Gates he created while in Berafe were far bigger than this one.
However, there was something called the natural flow of things.
Until now, people thought that the Gates would progressively get bigger at a certain rate. But then, this Gate broke that mindset by being at least twice the size of the previous record holder. So, how could anyone not feel this ominous foreboding?
Will Gates like this one keep popping up in the future? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hopefully not?
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
Without a doubt, this portal did require his personal touch.
He needed to confirm just what sort of creatures would pop out from this particr Gate. If the defence was left to other agents and then, they end up fighting against creatures that they couldnt deal with, the surrounding areas would be thend of death in the blink of an eye.
I did read it in the report, but its even bigger than I thought, now that I can see it with my own eyes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im sure it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at the Gate with eyes full of dissatisfaction. For some reason, he was getting this bad feeling that this portal could not be called a simple irregrity.
A strong sense of disharmony, as if someone or something was behind this Gate. Thats what he felt.
What could this be?
As Yi Ji-Hyuk began pondering on the identity of this disharmony, a voice called out to him from behind.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He chased after that voice and looked behind him.
< 209. And they say theres no one to trust in this world! -4 > Fin.
(TL: this filial phone thing seems to be unique to South Korea and China, but I wouldnt be surprised if something simr exists in Japan, as well. Basically, its a mobile phone designed for old people who arent as tech-savvy as younger generation. Both Samsung and LG make them. Basically, they are flip phones like the old Motors, but with modern functions. Google Samsung Gxy Folder2 if you want to see what one looks like.)
Chapter 210: And they say there’s no one to trust in this world! (5)
Chapter 210: And they say theres no one to trust in this world! (5)
Uh? Its you, ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since Yi Ji-Hyuk began calling Choi Jung-Hoon Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, there was only one other person he refer to as ahjussi.
Feels like its been forever since thest time, you know? (Yi Jui-Hyuk)
Ahahaha.... (Jeong In-Soo)
A man kitted out in a certain familiar military uniform scratched the back of his neck as he stood before Yi Ji-Hyuk. He then corrected his posture at once and performed a proper military salute.
Indeed, its been awhile. (Jeong In-Soo)
The man was none other than Colonel Jeong In-Soo.
Almost forgot what you looked like, Colonel. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, Im pretty sure some have forgotten about me. Its been way too long since then.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Excuse me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, no. Its nothing. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo sheepishly chuckled.
By the way, I dont think you were supposed to salute just anybody? Dont you only salute like that to your superiors? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We are in your debt, so if I cant even salute you, then that should be fixed right away. You dont have to worry on that regard. (Jeong In-Soo)
Heh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo mustve thought that he was still in Yi Ji-Hyuks debt. But, thetter only saved the former because he happened to be in the same location, so with him saying stuff like this....
Yup, humans should be more like this guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
People of this world took for granted being in other peoples debt. And the notion of paying back that debt seemed almost non-existent, too.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was this proactive back in Berafe, then people willing to sacrifice themselves for his sake would have formed a sizeable group by now.
Ahh, hang on. Thats not quite true, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe if he was talking about non-human races, sure. But, the humans of that world would never help Yi Ji-Hyuk out. Because they basically treated him as a devil, after all.
You seem to be really busytely? (Jeong In-Soo)
Well, Im hardly in South Korea, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? But, why arent the National Defence Force working in South Korea...? (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes, I wonder about that myself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The two men sent meaningful nces to Choi Jung-Hoon at the same time. He formed an awkward smile and ably handled their probing gazes.
I dont like it as well, but we dont have a choice. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, Im sure it isnt. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yup, hes a smooth talker, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a pained groan.
In all honesty, Choi Jung-Hoon never thought hed be sending the NDF agents on overseas assignments. The organisation was created with the goal of defending the nation first and foremost. But what could he realistically do when the situation had developed in this direction?
Besides, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, youre the reason why things have worked out this way, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk protested his innocence with a face of a man being wrongly used.
You pleaded with me to work harder so I ran around like a dog for you, but now youe out and say the situations all my fault?! I only did everything you asked me to do! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, hang on. Thats not what I was saying. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon waved his hands about in a fluster. Technically speaking, it was correct to me Yi Ji-Hyuk for the current situation. The NDF was originally set up in order to respond to various types of incidents taking ce within the borders of South Korea, after all.
But then, the situation changed rather rapidly once Yi Ji-Hyuk joined the organisation.
He proceeded to level up the agents of the NDF, and the man himself also became The One in the world, which naturally led to their area of activity extending far beyond their mother nation.
Is this what they call forced overseas expansion? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
They werent even in the entertainment industry either!
However, Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt dump all the me on Yi Ji-Hyuk. It was indeed as he said; thetter did work his butt off the way the former sweet talked him into. How could anyone me someone for working hard?
What a poor showing there, fe. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo clicked his tongue as he stared at Choi Jung-Hoon.
But, you know its not my fault! Of course, its not Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks fault, either. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo shook his head.
Even then, fe, how should I say this.... In the past, (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You came across as humble and hard-working in the past, but now, its as if youre the big boss around here. (Jeong In-Soo)
.......... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt refute that.
If it was someone else telling him that exact same thing, hed be able to deny it, but since it was Jeong In-Soo, he found it hard to refute the assertion.
That was thanks to the good Colonels personality; even though he had achieved so much in the battlefield, he always attributed them to his subordinates, and made sure that hed remain at the very forefront of the bitter war against the Gates, defending the most dangerous areas.
Sure, he hated ability users as if they were a gue, so he kept his distance from Choi Jung-Hoon who used to be a part of the KSF, but even then, thetter couldnt help but acknowledge and respect the former.
Such a person was pointing out his fault now, so, Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt let it enter one ear and go out the other one.
Even if our organisations are different, am I not an elder to you? Im also pretty sure that Ive spent more time as a soldier than you, too? (Jeong In-Soo)
...That is correct. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh? So, where did you abandon the courtesy of saluting others, then? (Jeong In-Soo)
....... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was instantly rendered speechless.
Jeong In-Soo might have saluted Yi Ji-Hyuk first, but in regards to work experience or everything else, Choi Jung-Hoon should have saluted Jeong In-Soo. Or, at the least, greet him first.
However, he somehow managed to conveniently forget about it.
Now that I think about it, when we first met, it was me who went to say hello first, wasnt it...? (Jeong In-Soo)
Ah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hyah, And they say a person feels differently before entering and leaving the bathroom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, youre supposed to say that a frog cant remember the time when it was a tadpole. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
See? Did you see that? Look at him not wanting to concede an inch! Colonel ahjussi! This guys been behaving like thistely, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My friend, youve changed a lot. (Jeong In-Soo)
Groan.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out yet another pained groan.
Again, he had nothing to refute that.
He thought that he had managed to maintain who he was despite all the rough headwinds pummelling him around, but it seemed that he was wrong.
I need to reflect on myself. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Many people would think that the reason for a man on the fast track to sess stumbling and faltering was the idleness that came as a side effect of the sess itself, but in reality, it was because the man in question would change far too much in his personality or from his initial ideals.
It was impossible for a persons mindset to remainpletely unchanged since the scenery changed the higher you climbed up the careerdder. But ones attitude changing, too? That was indeed problematic.
Although these words sounded innocuous enough, the truth behind them was driven home quite painfully. Without a doubt, one might need a superior officer in moments like these.
For Choi Jung-Hoon, the only superior he could call upon was Seo Ah-Young. But she wasnt the type to point out his foibles, so it was hard for him to reject the notion that his discipline had gone softtely.
For sure.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked at Jeong In-Soo in a renewed light.
The soldier bred in the fierce battlefield had urately seen through Choi Jung-Hoons change, and he spoke the much-needed tough love at once. If only he had something like this man as his senior officer C his job would have been so much easier.
Unfortunately, nothing he could do about that now.
Now that I think about it, he was affable and so polite in the beginning, but now, hes all so haughty and stuff. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And hed love to not have a subordinate like this fool, too.
Indeed, whod want a guy who shouldve been a subordinate, but in reality, was the master of the proceedings??
He wasnt even the son of the owner starting at the bottom as a desk clerk or something, too! This guy, he was even worse than that! Uh-whew!
Yi Ji-Hyuk was far, far more scarier than the owner, even.
If you asked anyone who knew Yi Ji-Hyuk personally just who would be more awkward to deal with between him and the President of South Korea, then they would unhesitatingly choose Yi Ji-Hyuk.
So, how could he bepared to the mere son of the owner?
Why are you looking at me like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head.
What was the point of saying anything? It was all a waste of time, anyway. Choi Jung-Hoon removed his gaze from Yi Ji-Hyuk and looked at Jeong In-Soo, instead.
Looks like Ive made a mistake. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If its only a mistake, thats a relief. (Jeong In-Soo)
....I was being insolent. I mustve developed this mindset without realising it. I shall be more careful from now on. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Theres no meaning if you cant show your sincerity with your actions. Isnt social life all about keeping to yourself whatever is in your head? (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes, youre right. Thank you for reminding me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk alternated his gaze between the two men before furrowing his brows.
Whats this? Why is it so cosy between you two all of a sudden? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo and Choi Jung-Hoon both formed awkward expressions and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk at the same time.
Okay, so. What has happened with this Gate so far? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly changed the topic.
As you can see, its getting ready to open up soon. Weve stered the surroundings with reinforced concrete walls, but I dont think they will serve any purpose against monstersing out from a Gate that big. Personally, I think they would be no different from scraps of paper, but well, its better than doing nothing, yes? (Jeong In-Soo)
I guess so. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This Gate is an unknown quantity, so all of our response tactics dont work on it. Still, its a big relief that we have Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk with us. )Jeong In-Soo)
Euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was assaulted by Jeong In-Soos sparkling, expectant eyes and flinched as he took a step backwards. To think, hed be at the mercy of such an uncles dreamy gaze! No, he didnt want it!
I was wondering what should we do if you didnte. But, you havee to aid us in our time of need. (Jeong In-Soo)
He felt pricked.
Felt really, really pricked in his conscience!
He felt so pricked in his conscience by the fact that he had been throwing a tantrum not too long ago just because he didnt want toe here. As a result, it was impossible to look this uncle straight in his eyes.
Yi Ji-Hyuk reflected on hisziness and hid his embarrassment with a fake cough.
You know when its opening up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ording to the measuring device, its supposed to open up in around two hours, but.... But, its hard to trust the device nowadays so we cant be sure of the time frame. It might even suddenly decide to open up on us right now, you see. (Jeong In-Soo)
Wuuuuong!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at the Gate vibrating ominously and spoke.
Like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes. Just like that. (Jeong In-Soo)
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Careless muttering was the basis of all evil, ance of all ill fortune, or so it was said.
Jeong In-Soo bore witness to the Gate vibrating right after saying something that some people would think of wholly unnecessary, and lowered his head awkwardly.
My apologies. (Jeong In-Soo)
Well, its the case of the falling pear when the crow flies. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
However, the pear in question is a bit big.
Make that waaay too big. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk thought that he might get his head caved in from the falling pear at this rate and stared at the Gate as a long, long sigh escaped from his lips.
That thing was going to open up anyway, so nothing would change even if it opened a bit sooner orter.
The problem is with the things that mighte out of there.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theoretically speaking, even a Dragon coulde and go with a Gate that big.
The size of a Gate didnt signify the maximum limit of what could be transferred. No, it actually meant that more Mana could be moved between the locations. In that regard, a Wyrm-ss Dragon could easily utilise a Gate of such a size.
Still, a real Dragon wont pop out of there, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae alone was hard to deal with already, so if another Dragon jumped out of there, then hed definitely lose his sh*t right here.
In addition, Affeldrichae was an insane Dragon and thats why she got to maintain a sort of frenemy rtionship with Yi Ji-Hyuk. If it was another Dragon, though, itd start flinging deadly magic the moment it saw him.
Well, to the race of Dragons, Yi Ji-Hyuk was THE enemy they couldnt bear to share the same sky with.
With humans, they wouldve forgotten most of the direct hatred towards him with the passage of time, but heck, Dragons werent the type to forget just because of a few hundred years went by.
He had no doubt that there were countless Dragons blessed with absolute unfailing memories as well as evesting grudge on the other side still gnashing their teeth.
Well, its not like this Gates connected to Berafe, right....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It could be, but the odds of it being not were higher. Which meant that a new type of monster he hadnt seen before that was also on the simr level of a Dragon could appear today.
And that would be way more scarier.
If it was a Dragon, he had his own ways of dealing with it. If that didnt work, he could drag Affeldrichae over here and have a go at negotiating with the dang thing.
But, if it was a creature possessing simr level of power to a Dragon that he had never seen before, then itd be a lot tougher to deal with that.
Okay, so what the heck ising out, then?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Gates been open for a while now, so howe nothing hase out yet??
Maybe, its a misfire? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that, and just as he was about to approach it, the Gate began vibrating even more than before.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt it look like something was trying toe out now?
Wuuuuong!!
The Gate then began to twist and distort crazily. Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit at this unsettling spectacle. This phenomenon only urred when the Gate couldnt deal with the power of the being trying to cross it.
Just what is trying toe out of it now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began ring at the Gate with rather uncharacteristically tense eyes.
...Uh?
And then, a massive earthquake erupted in his irises next.
I-isnt that...??
< 210. And they say theres no one to trust in this world! -5 > Fin.
(TL: That thing about crow and pear is a Korean proverb that means that its a coincidence of two events happening at the same time. I couldve gone with an English alternative, but that wouldve screwed up the next couple of lines, so I left it as is.)
Chapter 211: Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (1)
Chapter 211: Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (1)
Yi Ji-Hyuks tense eyes red at the creature emerging from the Gate.
Why the heck did that thing pop out from there?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The being in question was actually a very small lifeform.
Such a small thing emerging from a Gate that big seemed rather strange. If it came out from a regr Gate, then the sense of awkwardness wouldnt have been so great, but....
But, on the other hand, he could understand it.
Well, that monster isnt something that shouldve walked out of a regr Gate, to begin with.
No, hang on. Can I even call that thing a monster? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
What should we do? Should we attack it? (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Jeong In-Soos urgent shouting and spat out a groan before waving his hand around.
Wait. Just wait. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah....
Attacking it feels a bit wrong, but not attacking it feels just as wrong, too. What the heck am I supposed to do now? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared hard with eyes filled with irritation, before he slowly walked closer to the Gate. The creature spotted him getting closer and flinched rather grandly.
You recognise me, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
The being that had emerged from the Gate was a really small creature. It was as small as a puppy.
As a matter of fact, it even looked like a small puppy, too. However, its maw was a bit long so rather than a puppy, it came across more as a small dog, instead.
Its snow-white fur shimmered in a silvery hue, and its four legs were adorably short, as well. As for its tail, it was rolled up into a circle, and its eyes were gleaming brightly in ck colour.
....Its a dog. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yup, a dog. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It looks like a dog. (?)
Jeong In-Soo and Choi Jung-Hoon muttered to themselves.
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue. Since this thing looked like a dog on the outside, it wasnt strange to see such a response from the unaware crowd over there.
Unfortunately for them, this little guy was no ordinary dog at all.
Maybe you havent had enough beatings yet? How dare you show your mug in this ce?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
The puppy began backing up after hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks voice.
Uh-whew.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks irritation level went up even higher from this spectacle. What a hateful little b*stard.
It was rather simple to categorise all living beings on Earth; humans, animals that werent humans, insects that werent animals, and microbes that werent insects, and finally, nts.
However, it was a bit different story in Berafe.
First of all, there were these things called monsters, which Earth didnt have. Even they were also categorised differently ording to the naturally-urring monsters or demonic beasts, but still, one could dump them into one generalised category and be done with that.
And then, there were the Spirits, there were races simr to humans, plus lots more others, but.... But, if he were to mention the most peculiar of the lot, then itd no doubt be the thing right in front of his eyes.
The Divine Beast.
....Animals born with divinity in them.
Even as a monster, some of them possessed a higher level of intellect than humans, some were blessed with iparable passive buffs, and hell, they were even worshipped in the past as gods themselves because, well, they came across as divine and all that.
Urgh, Im asking you, why the heck did youe here for?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth quite aggressively. But, his reaction was to be expected.
If the Dragon that hindered his path the most was Affeldrichae, then the Divine Beast that hindered him the most would be none other than this d*mn smelly little puppy b*stard.
This guy was actually called the Behemoth. Out of the many, many Divine Beasts in Berafe, this thing sat on the top tier level. As far as physical power was concerned, it even rivalled a Dragon.
Just one leap, and itd cleanly jump over a mountain. Just one Howling, and itd split an ocean. Not only that, it was a creature of divinity, too.
In a way, this little guy was an even more troublesome existence than Dragons to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Of course....
In thetter part of his stay in Berafe, it became the norm for him to treat the dang thing as nothing more than a stray mutt and proceeded to pummel it to within an inch of its life. But when he was still a newbie Dark Wizard, this creature had tormented Yi Ji-Hyuk just as badly as Roabell the mad Elf had done.
Arrrgh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just thinking about it drives me up the walls!
Should I just ther it in doenjang?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue) (TL note at the end)
Behemoth mustve read Yi Ji-Hyuks dangerously gleaming eyes, because it shivered and cowered its head.
What the heck....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing how it reacted to him, it didnt seem to have chased after Yi Ji-Hyuk on its own volition.
Hey, you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Flinch!
The Behemoths body flinched nastily every time Yi Ji-Hyuk said something.
The thing was....
It was really fleet of foot, and when it started running at full tilt, it could easily break the sound barrier. That allowed the creature to just barely escape the life-threatening situations, or it might have ended up as the Behemoth barbecue, or as the Behemoth roasted dog already.
Since Yi Ji-Hyuk had suffered greatly at the hands C or paws C of this thing, there was once upon a time when he deliberately singled the Behemoth out and pounded it into the ground whenever he had the chance.
Back then, his basic rule whenever he spotted Behemoth C even if it was hidden among the hundred thousand-strong army C was to Attack that guy first!
Come here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Behemoth unwillingly stood up from its spot and extended its front paw ever so slightly, before pulling it back.
Wanna die?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
The Behemoth pitifully cried out as if it really didnt want to get closer and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
What do you want now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
Even though it was a measly little dog, Behemoth spat out a resigned sigh and trudged towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Where could it run away to even if it wanted to? This wasnt Berafe, to begin with; since it didnt know anything about this world, it was impossible to escape Yi Ji-Hyuks all-seeing eye.
Hurry up! You really wanna die today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Taptaptaptap....
As soon as his words came to an end, Behemoth hurriedly ran on its four short legs and arrived right next to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Sit! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tuck!
Hand! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tap!
Good boy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Huh? Hang on, this isnt right. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Oh, my bad. You were so natural at this that I made a mistake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Driiip....
Did Yi Ji-Hyuk make another mistake when he thought he saw something clear and liquid-like drip out of Behemoths eyes?
Argh, why are you crying over a minor thing like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began patting the creature on the head.
Now that he thought about it for a second, this current situation felt a bit off to him. If he was still Berafes Bringer of Apocalypse, fine, but the current Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt really be seen as a superior being whenpared to the Behemoth.
If he were to fight with everything he had, then maybe, hed defeat the creature at the final stage, sure, but with his current level of power, they were pretty much on an equal footing.
Even then, Behemoth couldnt even dare to rebel against Yi Ji-Hyuk and simply whimpered away.
This is why you gotta discipline unruly kids early on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A few hundreds of years of constant beatdowns had deeply instilled the fear of Yi Ji-Hyuk in this creatures psyche.
But, then again...
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk felt this sense of awkwardness after being beaten up so much in the beginning, too. For instance, he still felt this unknown type of rage bubble up from deep within every time he looked Affeldrichae.
Okay, fine! So, what are you doing here? Did youe to kill me or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shake, shake!!
Behemoth vehemently shook its head left and right.
...Hey, your neck might snap off at this rate.
So, why dont you just stop? You know, Im living like a good person nowadays. If only you knew how well behaved Ive beentely, youll start crying for real.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Okay, then why did youe here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
Behemoth turned its head to look behind itself.
M-mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall be the one to exin that to you. (?)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was in that moment that yet another existence walked out from the Gate. Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes progressively widened after confirming who it was.
YOU? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The being that finally revealed itself possessed outer appearance of a slender, beautiful woman. Whitish hair reaching all the way down to her waist and gently wavering around; milky-white skin in a perfect match with her hair; her sleek, perfectly-shaped arms and legs as if she was a supermodel.
And finally....
Pointy ears.
An Elf? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cried out in surprise after confirming what had walked out of the Gate. Just from looking at the appearance that closely resembled Roabell, he could easily guess correctly the identity of this being.
She was indeed an Elf.
More important than that, though, one of the non-human races of Berafe had willingly entered this world.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head after looking at this Elf.
Havent I seen this Elf before from somewhere?
Who was this girl, again? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The Elf slowly walked over to where he was. She quietly studied him for a moment or two, before elegantly swirling her arms to perform the Elf-style greeting.
It has been a long time, oh the Ruler of Berafe. This person greets the owner of the demonic beast horde hundreds of millions strong and the possessor of a vast territory, a noble demon king of the demon world, and Berafes one and only Bringer of Apocalypse. (?)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly spat out a groan after hearing all of those. He finally remembered her.
What brings azya*s High Elf such as yourself to this world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Elf now referred to as High Elf smiled brightly and continued to look at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
We havee to seek an audience. (?)
Im guessing youre the one who forced this puppy toe along. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The great one has sent along the creature as my guardian. (?)
Its just a puppy, so whos guarding who now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
Yi Ji-Hyuk began ring angrily, prompting the Behemoth to whimper pitifully and hide behind the High Elfs legs.
Guardian, my foot!
Youre the one who needs guarding! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Fine, fine. What do you want? Why are you looking for me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Something has happened and we need to speak to you. (?)
Hah..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was really tense after such a huge Gate opened up, but why did idiots like these two had toe out and take the wind out of his sails?
....No, hang on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly and correctly re-assessed the situation and stared the High Elf straight in her eyes.
Hey, you. Are you here as the representative of your entire race? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he thought about it, either a High Elf or the Behemoth was an incredible VIP that not even a Zombie Dragon couldpare to. Even if this woman had this innocent-looking face, at the end of the day, she was the representative of the entire Elf race.
In terms of the Dragon hierarchy, she would be on the same level as a Dragon Lord. Or, if he were to give rankings to every single living creature in Berafe, then at the least, shed enter the top 10 rather easily. Indeed, she was a bigshot among bigshots in that ce.
The thing was, hed been helplessly watching a certain Lord of the Dragons lounging aroundzily in his house and ying video games the whole day, and because of that, his grasp on the severity of the situation had weakened a bit. But the truth remained that this High Elf was an existence even demon kings couldnt disparage that easily.
And such an existence had decided to cross the dimension. This couldnt have been a simple matter.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All hints of yful mischievousness were wiped away from Yi Ji-Hyuks face in an instant, his expression bing hard, cold.
What happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.... (?)
Witnessing the instant change in his atmosphere, even the High Elf corrected her posture immediately. The man standing before her was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He was the only man in history of Berafe to rebel against the teachings of the gods, and also, an unparalleled sorcerer who stepped into the realm of godhood with no help from anyone.
Even if he no longer emitted the same aura of violent devil of the past, he fully deserved to be respected for everything he had achieved so far. Of course, she couldnt outwardly express this respect, since the paths they took were quite different, after all.
Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (?)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head. How could he not remember that?
But, if she was still asking him to make sure, then did that mean this matter had something to do with the Eye?
Of course I remember. But why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After you used the Eye of Latrel and crossed over to this world, a connection point between Berafe and this world has been established. (?)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What an unpleasant piece of news that was.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out multiple groans.
Sure, even though Earth was connected to Berafe, nothing of note had happened until now, but still, the mere fact of two ces being connected was displeasing him a great deal.
Seriously now, he was really tempted to cut out and utterly iste the world of Berafe somewhere far away if he could.
Okay, so whats the problem? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The High Elf spoke with a grave expression on her face.
That means, you dont need to resort to any special means to open a Gate to Berafe from this world. (?)
But, isnt that how things ought to be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Originally, only those who had a connection to Berafe and knew its coordinates could open a Gate to our world. In this world, that would be you, the Bringer of Apocalypse, and the Lord of the Dragons. (?)
Okay...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, now, as long as you can track down the lingering trace of divinity, anyone can open a Gate leading to Berafe. (?)
Fine, so what does that have to do with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to tilt his head. The only people who could use Mana in this world was Yi Ji-Hyuk and Affeldrichae, so what did that matter, anyway?
Its because that being has entered your world. (?)
That being? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The High Elfs hardened face nodded up and down.
Yes. The Demon King of Anguish, Delkaran. (?)
....What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began quaking heavily, then.
***
The humans of this world builds rather interesting structures. (Delkaran)
Delkaran stared at the skyscrapers that seemed to rise up without an end and cackled as if it found something quite amusing.
It had witnessed the Holy Empire, purported to be at the zenith of human civilisation, building castles and spires that reached up towards the heavens. But, the structures the humans of this world had built seemed to truly touch the heavens.
And when seeing therge ships of metal being flown in the sky, the abilities of humans living in this world couldnt be underestimated, it seemed.
However, it does not matter. (Delkaran)
They were still humans, in the end.
Humans were simple existences that would scream out in despair and anguish in front of this demon king. And now, it was time to teach the humans of this world.
To teach them what a demon king truly was.
Khaaaaahh!!
Mana pouring out from Delkarans body dizzily spun around the demon kings body before rushing out towards the skyscrapers pointing to the heavens.
< 211. Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? -1 > Fin.
(TL: This ther it in doenjang is a ng for, uh, well, theres no other way of saying this, so Ill say it straight C cooking dogs. Apparently, doenjang paste is used liberally to coat the dog meat. The saying has been modified to simply mean when youre about to beat up a dog/some other fool. Yeah. BTW, I dont condone eating dogs. Nor cats. Seriously.)
Chapter 212: Do you remember the eye of Latrel? (2)
Chapter 212: Do you remember the eye of Latrel? (2)
Delkarans here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled unsightly.
You sure about this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (?)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard the High Elfs resolute, firm answer and spat out a heavy groan. It wasnt to the extent of Dragons, but still, Elves rarely lied. So much so that, while living in Berafe, he sometimes even wondered if the tendency to lie was a trait unique to humans or not.
Besides, there was no reason for this woman to cross dimensions to get here just to lie about Delkaran entering this world.
Were screwed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grasped his head.
They had barely managed to kill one demon king, yet another one came over already?
Just what the hell is going on with this world??
The advent of a demon king is a HUGE event that may or may not happen once every one thousand years in Berafe, you know!
In Earth terms, its like the Biblical great flood!
Every time a demon king shows up, a civilisation would be reset. The defender of diversity in culture is none other than demon kings, cuz they make sure to revert everything back to zero, back to the beginning!
But then, why the heck are these demon kings popping up here in what feels like every fourth day of the week as if they were going shopping for groceries at the local supermarket?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Are we coated in honey or something?! These b*stards..... Seriously, man! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled out as figurative mes erupted from his mouth.
Even if the world is different, arent the treatments way too different?!
Its like, Berafe is the inws ce and the demon kings dont wanna go there if they can help it! But, is Earth where your family lives? Is that why?!
Youe here and make a mess of things whenever you feel bored, so what the hell do you want from me now?!
Not only that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Why did it have to be that b*stard?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long sigh.
Delkaran.
A pretty rare being among the ranks of demon kings.
Out of all the demons and monstrous creatures that number dozens and dozens of times bigger than that of humanity, there had only ever been 100 beings that earned the title of demon king.
So, one could imagine how supreme an existence that was.
However, it was also quite true that there being nearly one hundred demon kings was a rather awkward thing to address.
In themon logic of Earth, there should only ever be one demon king in a generation, destined to be defeated by a brave hero at the end of the fairy tale.
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk was also taken greatly by surprise when he heard that there were almost 100 demon kings, too.
Getting back to the story C out of all the many demon kings, Delkaran had left behind a strong impression in Yi Ji-Hyuks mind.
First of all, that guy was super-famous even back in Berafe. And when he finally met the guy in person, he was dumbfounded by what he saw, wondering if someone like that could really even exist.
Delkaran Yi Ji-Hyuk knew was a demon king with a single-track mindset, recklessly rash, and that guys actions were beyondprehension, too.
Did that mean this particr demon king was a dumba*s?
No, not at all.
No demon king should be underestimated. In order to get to that level, being intelligent to some degree was a must, after all.
If one were to talk purely about IQ numbers, then out of all the demon kings, the dumbest moron of the lot would have to be Yi Ji-Hyuk, no doubt about that.
He didnt want to admit to such a painful truth, but unfortunately, reality wasnt so kind.
Existences with the title of demon king were smarter than humans in terms of pure intellect. Even then, this guy was singrly focused on one thing, and also reckless, to boot.
Now typically, smart creatures would start modifying their end goals if they realised that achieving their initial goal would be more difficult than their expectations.
However, Delkaran was the type to use its smart head to cook up all sorts of schemes and methods to break through that difficulty. If that didnt work, then itd cause some other serious incidents in order to introduce variables to the mix.
What did all this mean?
It meant that the b*stard would resort to all sorts of c**p and when that didnt work out, itd start throwing tantrums!!
There was no answering that!
Yi Ji-Hyuk had learnt that being intelligent didnt necessarily equal to being wise through Delkarans example. But now, such a demon king was on Earth?
Shudder....
Yi Ji-Hyuks body began to tremble greatly.
Wowsers. This is a huge problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, it was such a gigantic problem that he felt momentarily dizzy just now!
What am I supposed to do now?!
Are you really sure about this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (?)
How did you even find this out, in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, its not possible even for us to find out about such things. (?)
Okay, so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The High Elf stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk, her expression asking, Why are you asking me something so obvious?
The Order has informed us. (?)
The Order? Of Latrel? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. The Order of Latrel informed us that Delkaran had descended to the world where you were residing now. (?)
Mm?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wasnt so strange to see a High Elf personally making a trip regardless of which world it was, as long as something like Delkaran had descended on it. No, he should be rather thankful that she didnt drag along a massive Elf army with her, instead.
To put it bluntly, Delkaran and Elves were sworn enemies, that was why.
Even before Yi Ji-Hyuk had the chance to cross dimensions, Delkaran entered Berafe first and proceeded to destroy about half of the existing civilisation. Out of all the victims, the ones at the most horrendous receiving end was the Elf race.
It was unknown whether their disposition was a bad match-up, or maybe the demon king just didnt like them, or even worse, maybe the Elves happened to be in the creatures way.... In any case, the race of Elves were pushed to the brink of extinction by Delkarans attacks, and they just barely managed to defeat and send back the demon kings living embodiment in Berafe to the demon world. It took them hundreds of years of rebuilding to recover from those wounds.
Now that he thought about it, the term Delkaran was pretty much the strongest curse word in the Elven vocabry, wasnt it?
So, one could excuse a High Elf for crossing over in order to hunt down Delkaran, but....
....How did Latrel know about this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now this one was the real problem. This world waspletely different from Berafe.
Sure, she might be a god on that side, but that didnt mean she could interfere with the matters of Earth. If gods could interfere in the matters of other dimensions, then pretty much all living worlds would have be battlegrounds of various gods by now.
However, how did Latrel find out something that even Yi Ji-Hyuk living on Earth didnt know? How did she find it out and even deigned to hand out an oracle, to boot?
I have already told you. (?)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This world and Berafe have been connected in some way now. Although faint, a pathway has been established. (?)
How? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As Ive said before.... (?)
The High Elf became extra-patient as she continued with her exnation.
Its because of the Eye of Latrel. (?)
Eye of Latrel? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With you activating the Eye of Latrel toe here, a crack has formed between the worlds. Although minute, it definitely exists. This crack connects Berafe to this world. And that allows the power of divinity to work here, and that also allows her divine will to enter this world. (?)
M-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
Hang on. I was wondering why the heck those crossing over here could use divinity so easily, but I guess that was the reason, huh.
I figured that Roabell would keel over from exhaustion after pouring out all of the divinity in her body, but shed been enduring unexpectedly well so far. So, that was the reason, wasnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In that case, why isnt Mana crossing over? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its because Mana and divinity are two different things. The energy filling this world rejects the influence of Mana. (?)
Hmm....
So, like, this worlds foundation is with Ether, so Mana cant cross over, but since theres a void with divinity, its pretty much a fair game and Berafes divinity cane as much as it pleases, is that right?
So, which means.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Why the hell is it soplicated?! D*mn it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly flew into rage, causing the eyes of the High Elf watching on to tremble unsteadily.
But then again.... (?)
She already knew that he was a man like this, to begin with.
As a matter of fact, hed have his monster army attack or fill the skies with ck magic spells just because the story got too long and his thoughts got tooplicated as a result. But now, seeing him onlysh out with his mouth.... For sure, he had softened by a great deal.
Okay, so. Let me summarise this whole thing.... Theres a hole connecting Berafe and this world, and Latrel used that hole to see Delkaran descending here. Is that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (?)
And then, she sent an oracle to her Order and they informed you. Is that the gist of it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (?)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head before asking the High Elf.
Okay, so whats your n? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I beg your pardon? (?)
What can you possibly contribute by yourself? You people havent forgotten who you are dealing with, I hope? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, we havent. It is that detestable Delkaran, after all. (?)
Regardless of what, that guy is still a demon king. More importantly, hes not any ol regr demon king, but fresh off the produce aisle, if you get my drift. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, that guys right at the top of his game.
Overflowing with energy, overflowing with eagerness, and a demon king that just fits the description perfectly.
So, what are you nning to do to such a guy by showing up all alone with a little puppy in tow? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Im well aware that I can not be of any help to your cause. However, we decided that we simply couldnt stay back and do nothing when Delkaran has made a move. (?)
So, what youre saying is.... Ill be the one to deal with that guy, while you show up to the party just to say that you dide in order to console me that way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It is quite embarrassing, but you are correct. (?)
Most regr folks would either deny or get angry when called out like this as that would be the norm, but a High Elf was a High Elf at the end of the day.
She simply admitted to it.
Groan....
He didnt like this response one bit.
If only she tried to deny it or something, Yi Ji-Hyuk would have been able to start his verbal assaults, but now that she came out and readily admitted to it, continuing on would only make him look like he was grasping at straws.
Okay, fine! Where is Delkaran? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even we dont know that. (?)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk began tearing his hair out as he squatted down on the ground.
God d*mn it! These demon kings, crossing over whenever they feel bored or something!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since a bona fide demon king-level b*stard had crossed over, he had no choice but to fight it now. If a demon king decided to rampage around for real, then itd not even take a month for Earth to be destroyed for good.
This problem had surpassed the level of being irritating and straight into the realm of a life and death struggle, so Yi Ji-Hyuk could no longerze around and suck on his thumbs anymore.
Is that demon punk the source of the problem? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no way that demon kings could easily cross dimensions like this, so it had to be someone summoning them to this world, whether it be a demon or something else. He had to eliminate the source first, otherwise even if he managed to stop Delkaran this time around, another problem would rear its ugly head in the near future.
Well, thats a problem to considerter..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (?)
Quite frankly, Ive got no answers here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Sure, a demon king had been stopped before.
Beltreche.
Everyone went through hell, but nevertheless, they did manage to stop that b*stard, didnt they?
The thing was, though, Beltreche and Delkaran were two different types of demon kings.
If it werent for Beltreche underestimating Yi Ji-Hyuk, and crucially, the 13th demon king intervening at thest second, he wouldnt have been able to stop that creature. But, Delkaran was a far more cumbersome adversarypared to Beltreche.
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to groan.
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon quickly ran over to Yi Ji-Hyuks side.
For the time being, summon every avable agent. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Understood. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not just the NDF, but everyone that can fight. Summon them all. And call America, or everywhere else you can call, and tell them to be on high alert! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Colonel Jeong In-Soo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes! (Jeong In-Soo)
Please, you also need to mobilise the entire defence force. Although I dont think the threat will appear in our small country, itll still be a prudent thing to prepare for the worst potential situation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mobilise the whole army?! (Jeong In-Soo)
You just have to get them on standby 24 hours a day so they can react and focus their fighting power regardless of where the enemy appears. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is doable. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly issued amand that, if the soldiers throughout the country heard him, they would start vomiting blood from the unfairness of it all. He got up from the ground in one go and red at the High Elf.
And you, Elf woman! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Reah.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Have you forgotten? Im Reah.
What do you mean, forgotten?
I was never interested, to begin with. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Who cares if youre Reah or whatever. Anyway, theres a reason why you showed up with that puppy, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down, and the Behemoth whimpered before hiding behind Reahs legs.
Of course. He will help you track down the enemy. (Reah)
Hmm....
Did this mean hed be more proactive this time? That would be a hundred times more preferable than waiting around forever for a situation to break out somewhere first.
Looks like Ill be saying hello first, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You stinking demon king b*stard!
Im gonna.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly ran towards him while answering the phone. Yi Ji-Hyuk saw this scene and could only sigh under his breath.
Yup, I knew it.
With my luck, what a fat joke it is, wanting to get a preemptive strike.
Eh-whew!!
< 212. Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 213: Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (3)
Chapter 213: Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (3)
Christopher McLaren was enjoying his rare break from action to the fullest
All because of that godd*mn zombie crisis, just how many weeks did he spend repeating the hellish regime of staying awake for several days in a row or getting three hours of sleep a day at best?
Only after the situation normalised to some degree that he finally found himself with a much deserved rest, a first in many months.
Im going to retire soon. (Christopher McLaren)
At this rate, it was pretty much a sure thing that hed kick the bucket before his time.
He imagined himself dying from a hail of bullets fired by an unseen assassin, or dying in his bed surrounded by his kids and grandkids while holding their hands. However, he definitely would like to avoid the fate of keeling over at his desk from overwork and passing on like that.
Nope, that wont do. (Christopher McLaren)
He had dedicated decades upon decades of his life to this cause already. Which meant that he deserved to retire now and spend the rest of his days in peace.
He spent a better part of fifty years as a workaholic.
His wife was treating him as a stranger now. His children addressed him as if he was a strange uncle living next door. But, once he retired and his workload decreased, it should be easy to repair the damaged rtionships.
After all, Christopher McLaren was an expert when it came to manipting human minds.
Looks like I should hand in my resignation. (Christopher McLaren)
Mister President would be jumping up and down in a barely-concealed fury, but there was no way Christopher McLaren could continue on living this way.
Also, his sixth sense was rarely off the mark and it was busy warning him that things would only get worse in theing days. Once he got dragged into those incidents, then forget about keeling over his desk, his end would be on top of the toilet bowl, instead!
He definitely didnt want that.
Hmm, did I get a bite? (Christopher McLaren)
He was currently lounging on top of a yacht floating quietly on the Pacific Ocean, with a fishing rod dipped into the waters surface. He slowly got up as the line began trembling for the first time in a while.
Thats right.
A man is supposed to live like this. (Christopher McLaren)
Unfortunately, his leisure time couldntst for long.
Rinnnggg....
Christopher McLarens phone suddenly began ringing.
Mm?
He warned his underlings never to call him unless it was a serious emergency, but these d*mn fools didnt seem to know the definition of emergency at all.
They had been calling him up again and again ever since a while ago, which seeded in raising his irritation level by a notch. Seriously now, how did a potential threat to the Presidents life qualify as an emergency?
Wasnt POTUS apanied by at least a dozen top-ss snipers wherever he went?
Perhaps because these punks hadnt gone through the Cold War era espionage game, they didnt seem to understand what real danger looked like.
Christopher McLaren answered the call angrily and began yelling at the top of his lungs.
What the hell do you think a holiday is supposed to be?! Its a holiday, because youre taking a break! Stop calling me for a matter that doesnt need my attention! God d*mn it! I shouldve sided with those trying to pass thew about not calling people after the work hours! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren shouted out and with a deeply dissatisfied face, he listened to what was being said on the other side of the line before asking back.
Ennd? What the hell? Its happening not even our country but in Ennd, but you dare to interrupt my one precious day of rest? Hey, you! Are you freaking stupid?! You let the English deal with the English problem, so why are you calling...... (Christopher McLaren)
It was then, Christopher McLarens body suddenly shuddered.
What did you say?! (Christopher McLaren)
C ording to our agent on site, the unknown monster in London is disying simr traits to the creature called demon king that showed up in the desert, sir!
....What bullsh*t is this?! (Christopher McLaren)
This couldnt be happening.
There was another existence like that?
Every ounce of firepower possessed by the great United States of America failed to even leave a scratch on that monster. Not only that, even Yi Ji-Hyuk nearly died fighting that thing.
Only thanks to the intervention of the heavens did they manage to ovee that perilous situation, but if not for that, the country called America would have ceased to exist by now.
Yet, there was another one like that?
Video! Where is the video footage?! (Christopher McLaren)
C Its impossible to film the creature, sir! That thing is destroying everything around it.
What about London?! (Christopher McLaren)
C We estimate itllpletely be destroyed in less than two hours, sir!
Sh*t! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens brain began spinning at a higher gear.
If that demon king b*stardid waste to Ennd and crossed over to the European maind, then the scale of destruction would utterly be unprecedented.
And since the whole world was intrinsically connected, the annihtion of Europe would also signal the end of the world, too.
That thing had to be stopped.
Regardless of the cost, that possibility had to be stopped!
Summon the elites first and foremost! We gotta support them somehow! Send a teleporter here right now, too! And also! (Christopher McLaren)
The most important thing to do was....
Call South Korea! Contact Mister Choi and request the NDF to lend their aid to Ennd! (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk. They definitely needed that guy.
C We have contacted the Koreans already, sir! They told us that they have no method to teleport to Ennd, and asked us to supply them with a teleporter.
Send one, then! (Christopher McLaren)
C We have done that already, sir.
Okay, fine. Dont forget to send a teleporter to my location, too. And carry out the rest of my orders as quickly as possible. Ignore all inter-departmental procedures. Ill take full responsibility! (Christopher McLaren)
C Yes, sir!
Christopher McLaren ended the call and discarded the fishing rod in his hand before running straight into the yachts cockpit.
What with the end of the worlding to visit him seemingly every other day now, Christopher McLaren had no choice but to dy his nned retirement.
***
KWA-BOOM!!
Thick strands of ck-coloured demonic energy rushed along the ground.
Aaaaahk!
This demonic energy wiggled around like a massive snake; it proceeded to wrap around an entire building before crushing it outright, while flinging vehicles getting in its path far up in the air.
Help!!
What the hell is that thing?!
There were more than one gigantic snake-like demonic energy.
Dozens upon dozens of ck demonic energy spread out from the za located in the centre of London in all directions and blew away buildings and cars and any humans caught in their paths of destruction.
Fire! Fire!!!!
Tanks and APCs filling up the various streets fired their various shells into the centre of the ck snakes.
Boom!!
Bang!! Ka-boom!!
Explosions rang out and loud booms reverberated around the city.
Hmm? (Delkaran)
Delkaran stared with some interest at the bunch of metallic objects flying at it.
The humans of Berafe also thought up of flinging metallic things to attack as well. Dwarves enjoyed deploying things called firearms, after all.
However, the demon king still found it rather interesting that these metallic things automatically exploded before reaching their targets and caused damage that way.
And its not just one or two, is it? (Delkaran)
Pointed metallic objects flying in besides the exploding ones seemed to cause damage by prating the target.
Humans can evolve in this manner, I see. (Delkaran)
The humans of this world didnt know anything about magic; they certainly didnt know how to use magic to improve their lives, either. Even then, it was still praiseworthy that they managed to develop such a civilisation even when saddled with rotten a handicap like that.
No, perhaps because theycked the convenience of magic, they had no choice but to progress in this direction.
It ultimately didnt matter which direction, though. Whether humans could use magic or not, the end result would remain the same.
No method would work on Delkaran anyway.
Hmm? (Delkaran)
The demon king deflected away yet another shell and raised its head.
Hoh-oh? (Delkaran)
Large metallic things, muchrger than anything else thrown at its direction so far, were falling from the sky now.
Oh, so that wasnt the end, was it? (Delkaran)
Those alone were plenty praiseworthy enough, or so Delkaran thought, but now, there were even more?
The humans of this world truly deserved to be called magicians, didnt they? Because, it was a rather amazing feat to throw around suchrge masses of metal around without any Mana involved in the process.
But, that is all. (Delkaran)
KWA-BOOOOOM!!
Concentrated bombing enveloped the centre of London.
The British government realised that there was no hope left and promptly decided to bomb the living hell out of their own capital city.
After taking into consideration the power the demon king called Delkaran had disyed in such a short period of time, they figured that the entire country would be destroyed if they hesitated because of the potential sacrifices.
This decision was a correct one. No one should criticise this line of thinking. Unfortunately, even such a decision had no effect in slowing down Delkarans advance by one single step.
That stung a bit. (Delkaran)
The demon king tilted its head and leisurely walked forward.
Wouldnt such a destructive power be on the simr level of an Arch Mages wide area attack spell? To think, these humans with no knowledge of Mana managed to hone their technology to reach the level of an Arch Mage.
What an amusing world this is. (Delkaran)
In a way, this ce could be several times more amusing than that of Berafe. The world alone was enough to hold Delkarans interest for so long, yet Yi Ji-Hyuk also lived here, too.
Indeed, what an amusing yground this ce was.
However....
I should still make an example out of their insolence. (Delkaran)
Delkaran waved its hand around and that caused the bombers returning to base high up in the sky to all explode one at the time.
Boom!! Ka-boom!!
Like fireworks going off, mes and smoke danced in the air.
***
God d*mn it!! (Michael Dous)
The man in charge of Britains ability users, Michael Dous, stared at the developing situation through his sses while spitting out several choice words.
The ground force proved to be ineffective so he even resorted to a bombing raid, but all of them failed to inflict a single scratch on the monster.
One half of London had vanished already.
Buildings had all copsed, gas pipes in various parts had burst open and continued to blow up in a chain reaction of explosions.
Never mind the overall financial cost of this destruction, it was already impossible to tally the number of the dead right now!
What am I supposed to do about this?! (Michael Dous)
It was indeed pretty horrifying that a monster suddenly appeared in the middle of the capital city without a need for a Gate, but then, this monster just so happened to possess an unprecedented level of power, too. Not only that, it was unusually aggressive, to boot.
Now faced with a situation he had never encountered before, Michael Dous couldnt do much beside spewing out a constant stream of swear words.
What about America? What happened to the promised American support? (Michael Dous)
They said theyll do their best to support us as soon as possible! They are waiting for an assault team to be organised and then, theyll teleport over here immediately!
When will that be, then?! God d*mn it!! (Michael Dous)
He knew that getting angry wouldnt solve anything. If the situation could be changed for the better by him throwing a tantrum, then hed have thrown it dozens, hundreds of times by now, but he knew that now wasnt the time for this.
But, what else could he do? He felt way too frustrated right now to stop.
If it was at all possible, hed have forgottrn about dignity or whatever and start shedding tears right away.
Just how many people would have died underneath the crumpled ruins of those buildings? Just how much blood was being shed right now??
That monster b*stard!! (Michael Dous)
The world had more or less stabilised after the ck Monday incident. Many lives were lost that day, but the denizens of this found a way to respond against these Gates in time, and now, they even found a way to ept these portals as a part of their everyday lives.
The world had regained its stability somehow, yet this...
Just what was anyone supposed to do when an irregr monster like that popped out of nowhere without warning??
Fire!! Dont stop firing!! Shoot with everything you got! Second team, you also starting firing, too!! (Michael Dous)
Boom!! Bang!!
Tanks positioned in the first defensive line and the artillery on the second poured out a barrage of shells. At the same time, bombers filled up the sky to carpet bomb their capital city.
BOOM!!
Several areas continued to blow up, and the world-famous capital city they were so proud of was being dismantled by their own hands. How could anyone imagine what they were going through right now?
Destroy that b*stard!!! (Michael Dous)
The ability users waiting for Michael Douss order finally began shooting out their attacks; colourful arrays of Ether shots flew in Delkarans direction.
BOOOOM-!!
What resulted from that was a humongous explosion.
As if a tactical nuke had gone off, a massive mushroom cloud rose up from the explosion.
It was a spectacle created by thebined might of firepower and Ether. Although, it was a sad thing to see that such a spectacle just so happened to take ce in the middle of London.
Did we do it? (Michael Dous)
Even if they failed to kill it, as long as they managed to inflict some sort of wound, however minor, they stood a chance.
Unfortunately, Delkaran was a demon king. And before that, it was also a demon.
Demons were existences born to mock and toy with humans.
Once the huge mushroom cloud settled down, Delkarans unhurt figure revealed itself on the epicentre of the explosion, its reddish tongue slowly licking its lips.
Very good. (Delkaran)
It had never imagined that humans were capable of wielding this level of power.
Such a level of destructive power had never been witnessed from the likes of mere humans. Only the ultra-high ranking magic spells fired by an Ancient-grade Dragon could manage to leave some impact on the demon kings body.
However, that humongous explosion did just that, inflicting Delkaran with a dull ache.
Very, very good. (Delkaran)
Pain always apanied the life of demons.
Experiencing both pain and pleasure at the same time, the two red eyes of Delkaran hidden beneath the darkness began gleaming dangerously now.
Its now time to reward you. (Delkaran)
I shall show you, you humans.
In the world where there are no monsters, no divinity, and no demons....
I shall deeply brand what the existence of a demon king is!
Ahahahahah!!
A loudughter exploded out of Delkarans mouth, as impossibly thick branches of Mana wiggled out from the demon kings body like snakes and spread out to all directions.
< 213. Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 214: Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (4)
Chapter 214: Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (4)
Rather than a snake, though, it was more like an Imoogi.
The ck Mana flew out like wingless Dragons and swallowed up all the tanks surrounding Delkaran.
Aaaaaah....
The crewmen inside the tanks saw the ck Mana fly at them and swallowed back their despairden gasps.
Wuduk!! Wududuk!!
The armour ting of the tanks were torn off like scraps of paper and Mana poured in like ck tides into the vehicles. And as the soldiers watched on with despairing eyes, the ck magical energy pounced on them.
Aaaahk!!
Those who managed to scream were the lucky ones; most of the tank crewmen were disintegrated in an instant without being able to squeak out anything.
KA-BOOOOM!!
Tanks and APCs began blowing up, one by one.
Michael Dous watched this spectacle and gnashed his teeth. They hadmitted so much firepower but failed to scratch it once, so just what were they supposed to do in order to kill that monster?!
....God d*mn it. (Michael Dous)
There was only one answer remaining. And that would be to retreat as quickly as possible and try to preserve the remaining forces, and then, find a new way to damage the monster and rmence with their attack. That was it.
However, doing that left a bad taste in his mouth. Because, there were still plenty of citizens yet to evacuate right behind the defensive line.
Telling a soldier to abandon all those people and retreat?
Commander!
Michael ignored the calling from behind him. He already knew what that guy wanted to say. He too knew that, logically speaking, he needed to retreat.
However, that idea should not even be entertained right now.
As long as he was a soldier, as long as he chose to walk the path of a soldier, the choice of abandoning regr citizens did not exist in his mind.
We fight till the end!! (Michael Dous)
But,mander!
There are citizens who havent evacuated yet! If we retreat now, what do you think will happen to them? (Michael Dous)
....Even if we dont retreat in time, they will still die, sir. And lots of other people will die, as well.
You....! (Michael Dous)
Michael gritted his teeth.
He also knew that his adjutant wasnt wrong here. But, which soldier worth his salt would give out amand to retreat in a situation like this one?
As he spiralled ever deeper into a dilemma that wasnt a dilemma, tanks continuously blew up in front of his eyes.
BOOM!!
KA-BOOM!!
One hit would bring about one explosion. It wasnt as if Delkaran could only destroy tanks this way. No, it was more like a cat toying with a rat driven into a corner. The demon king nonchntly extended its snake-like Mana tentacle and destroyed tanks one at a time.
Many tank crewmen sumbed to their fear and began abandoning their vehicles to escape. Delkaran watched them flee, its eyes gleaming brightly.
Ahh, so they arent that stupid. (Delkaran)
It seemed that their primal survival instincts were still active within these humans.
Lifeforms living inrge groups tended to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the group. For instance, ants would fight against invading enemies to protect their eggs, even though they were clearly outmatched.
Insects that would avoid danger in any other normal circumstances would forget about their own lives and attack their enemies if they sensed a threat to their group.
So, what about humans, then?
They are double-sided, I see. (Delkaran)
The demon king could see that there were some soldiers standing their ground even though they were cognisant of being in the same range of destruction as with their fleeingrades.
This thing of disying different types of responses when facing same situations could be seen as a unique trait to human beings.
Out of all the simr types of intelligent creatures, humans were the most peculiar.
Among all the intelligent creatures, Dragons perhaps possessed the strongest individualistic personalities. In the name of theirmon race, Dragons might get together every once in a while, but they seriouslycked any tangible bond or fellowship among themselves, to such an extent that one could easily assume each individual being its own tribe.
As for the Elves, they were ostensibly intelligent creatures but lived their whole lives as a part of their colony. They even disyed characteristics akin to ants, too. Elves didnt think too much about sacrificing themselves if it was for the greater good of their kind.
And in the middle of these two extremes were mankind.
Humans were intelligent creatures as well as being a part of one single race, but then, there were many, many different types among them.
While there were those noble few whod readily sacrifice themselves for the sake of humanity, there were also those narcissistic ones that wouldnt bat an eyelid when sacrificing the entire human race just for his or her desires.
Chaotic.
From the perspective of other races, humanity was the chaos personified.
Thats why its so amusing. (Delkaran)
Because humans lived so chaotically and as they pleased, the energy that oozed out from them was truly, iprehensibly powerful.
The reason for not just the demons but other, strange creatures being so avaricious towards humans was simple C the energy possessed by humans were iparablyrger than any other races. That was why.
Even though they lived shorter lives than the others, they were much more passionate and proactive. And most importantly, more chaotic than anyone else.
So, how could anyone not be fascinated by this race now?
Well, our interests diverge from the others, though. (Delkaran)
Demons were interested in humans because the negative energy.
That was basically the power that allowed demons to live.
That was basically the foundation of the demon world itself.
And when a human was about to die, he or she released the most amount of negative energy.
It was obvious what Delkaran had to do in this world, then. Kill more and destroy even more.
Some demons opined that more humans should be kept alive in order to secure a steady supply of negative energy, but to Delkaran, it didnt matter either way. Well, this demon king wasnt doing this annoying little thing for the sake of negative energy, anyway.
Its reason was pretty simple, actually. Why should it go around seeking that man out?
By starting things out in a shy manner like this, that man woulde searching for Delkaran. Because, hed not want to see the world he was living in get reduced to ashes.
Fufufu.
Delkaran scanned his surroundings.
The only thing remaining right now was indeed, ash. All the buildings humans managed to construct, all the other structures with unknown purposes... all of them were destroyed and emitted ck smoke and burnt dust. And in between, the broken and wrecked green-colouredrge hunks of metal burning in mes.
Nothings changed. (Delkaran)
The world might be different, but the sight immediately after the destruction remained the same.
Besides, Delkaran wasnt nning to stop only at this.
As long as Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt show up here, the demon king was not nning to stop its path of destruction.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk decided not to show up even until the end, then this world would be a dead where not even an ant lived.
Fufufu....
An ominous, hushed cackle leaked out Delkaran as it slowly advanced forward.
This being was a demon.
By nature, it felt ecstasy from destroying and murdering things. This whole venture might have started off as a necessity, but as the destruction continued on, something deep within the demon king began boiling over.
It was this urge to destroy everything its eyes could see. This was the primal instinct to destroy, something that all beings living in the demon world must contend with.
Fuu-wuu....
Delkaran took a deep breath and suppressed its destructive urges.
A measly little city like this...
...The demon king would be able to destroy it in seconds just by getting a little bit more serious. The sole reason for doing this inefficient thing was for the sake of all the negative energy to be harvestedter on.
Its a bit irritating, but still. (Delkaran)
You aint the only one getting irritated. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hm? (Delkaran)
Hearing that voiceing from behind, Delkaran smiled to itself and turned its head back. There was a familiar face looking back.
Should I say its been a long time? (Delkaran)
Thats too brief, aint it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekekeke. (Delkaran)
Delkaran shuddered from joy as Yi Ji-Hyuk stood before its very eyes.
Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The 99th demon king.
A human who came to the demon world and obtained the title of the demon king. The man who made other demon kings tremble in fear through his sheer cruelty and decisiveness.
And that Yi Ji-Hyuk was standing right before Delkarans eyes.
I missed you. Really missed you. Perhaps these words dont suit the situation, but I really wanted to meet you again. (Delkaran)
Im not into guys. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke. Youre still the same as always, I see. (Delkaran)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
It was like, all these demon kings tried toe across as his buddies or something. These guys didnt even upy all that big of a head space in Yi Ji-Hyuks memories, yet with them all addressing him as if they were long-lost best pals, he felt really confused right now.
Ahh, so. Is that why you went ahead and caused this much ruckus? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I was being considerate. Im sure you know this already. (Delkaran)
Yup, Im so thankful that I might cry now, you snake b*stard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fufufu. (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk furrowed his brows as he watched Delkaran cackling ominously like that.
All these demon kings were insidious and treacherous, every single one of the lot. Of course, one wouldnt be able to survive in the perilous demon world without being wicked and stuff, and more importantly, one wouldnt be able to climb up to the seat of a demon king without being treacherous and all that.
What are you expecting to gain by showing up here, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you asking me because you dont know? (Delkaran)
You think Ill ask you if I know? I thought you were smart, but I guess you are just as dumb as a brick. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkarans red eyes wavered around.
Oh, the 99th demon king.... No. Oh, human Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Delkaran)
Speak. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I advise you to watch your mouth. The Mana that used to guard you is now iparably weak, while the army of monsters protecting you are not in this world. You are just a mere human, one who no longer deserve to be called a demon king. (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear canal nonchntly and blew away the resulting matter before making his reply.
Ah, ah. Right, there was another dude saying something simr to that before kicking the bucket, wasnt there? What was his name again? Bell? Belt....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beltreche. (Delkaran)
Aaah, right. It was Beltreche. Shouldnt you also watch yourself? I mean, its fine for that first guy to get killed toe up with excuses of underestimating me or making a mistake somewhere, h, h. But, you wont be able to make such excuses, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are youparing me to Beltreche now? (Delkaran)
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up breaking out into a cackle of his own.
Doesnt matter whether youre a human, a demon king, a demon.... Everyone of you say the exact same thing. Those with nothing special about them always say they are different from all the others. In my eyes, you or that other guy look pretty much the same, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that what you think? (Delkaran)
Thats right. Thats what I think. Whats the matter? You now nning to show me how different you are? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran shook its head.
If thats what you think, then Im sure it is. (Delkaran)
Ohh? Why are you so courteous? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran chuckled as a response.
The Yi Ji-Hyuk standing before the demon king was just a human. With a single thought, Delkaran was confident of turning him into a mince meat in a second.
However, he was still an existence worthy of respect.
It was already incredible that he had managed to climb up to the position of the demon king even though he was just a weak human. But then, he even climbed to the highest peak within the demon kings and eventually, reached the godhood, too.
Other demon kings would find it hard to revolt against the wills of the gods yet he directly rebelled against it anyway and in the end, managed to aplish his goal.
On that point alone, Delkaran respected him.
Although it couldnt openly disy this respect due to the one it served, was it not obvious to respect a person who had achieved so much in the past?
Once upon a time, just seeing you made me shudder in indignation. (Delkaran)
What do you mean, once upon a time? You should be doing the same thing right now, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkarans eyes narrowed down to a slit.
I now respect you. And that is why I shall grant you everything that I am capable of. (Delkaran)
H-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally finished with his ear-canal-drilling quest before using his heads sideways movement to provoke his enemy. Well, it was quite obvious what a demon king would say, anyway.
A perfect death. That will be my gift to you. (Delkaran)
Ohh, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head again.
Yeah, well, stop spewing the exact same c**p as every other third-rate viin, okay? Its getting really boring. In the end, you wanna fight me, right? So, stop beating around the bush ande at me. You tangle with me once, and youll soon know it yourself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill know soon? (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked provocatively.
Back then or now... Something like you will never be my opponent, thats what. Come, now. I shall make you feel that indignation again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ck Mana began rumbling out of Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
< 214. Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 215: Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (5)
Chapter 215: Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? (5)
Who are they?! (Michael Dous)
Michael Dous hurriedly shouted out.
As if it was all a lie, Delkaran stopped rampaging around like a bull with its tail on fire. And the ones responsible for stopping that happened to be a bunch of Asians he had never seen before.
Info! I need more information! (Michael Dous)
We dont know who they are, but sir, isnt it rather obvious which Asians would show up here in a situation like ours?
You do have a point there. (Michael Dous)
The South Koreans.
The NDF.
He could only think of them, as no one else was capable of solving a world-ending crisis like this one.
But, how did they find out ande here? Did we request for their aid? (Michael Dous)
Im not sure, sir.
H-mm.... (Michael Dous)
Michael shifted his trembling eyes back to those people.
It really didnt matter how they found out as long as they did show up before the situation got any worse. Should he say that this was a great piece of timing?
So, that man must be Yi Ji-Hyuk, then? (Michael Dous)
He stared at the young man standing at the front of the pack and muttered to himself.
He doesnt look anything like as described in the rumours. (Michael Dous)
ording to the rumours, that man should be an unparalleled scumbag that no one else in history could ever match up to. However, that young Asian man seemed to be an okay-ish person, with perhaps the sole blemish being his eyes shaped a bit more irritable than normal peoples.
On top of that, seeing him speak so calmly like that, he didnt seemed to be short-fused, either.
The rumours cant be trusted, I guess. (Michael Dous)
Indeed, you cant trust the rumours. (Christopher McLaren)
Ah? (Michael Dous)
Michael heard that voiceing from behind and urgently turned around. Christopher McLaren was walking closer to him while being heavily guarded by American ability users.
Youre here. (Michael Dous)
Been a while. Five years, hasnt it? (Christopher McLaren)
Well, we both have been rather very upied since that ck Monday response conference, so it couldnt be helped. (Michael Dous)
Indeed, we have been. (Christopher McLaren)
By the way, what did you mean by that? The thing about not trusting the rumours. (Michael Dous)
Werent you referring to Mister Yi? (Christopher McLaren)
Mister Yi?
Are you talking about Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Michael Dous)
Thats right. (Christopher McLaren)
I see. ording to the rumours, that man is supposed to be utterly beyond help, but as far as I can tell, he seems to be a normal person. (Michael Dous)
Indeed, rumours cant be trusted. (Christopher McLaren)
I guess so. (Michael Dous)
Hes far more normal than what the rumours suggest, but at the same time, mere rumours cant prepare you for how much of a crazy loon he can also be, too. (Christopher McLaren)
Eh? (Michael Dous)
What on earth was he talking about now?
He is truly an indecipherable man. Completely indecipherable. (Christopher McLaren)
H-mm...
Michael Dous had no idea what his American counterpart was talking about, but now wasnt the right time to rxedly discuss Yi Ji-Hyuks personality. They had to urgently kill that demonic being first.
You came to lend us your aid, yes? (Michael Dous)
Of course, but... (Christopher McLaren)
But? (Michael Dous)
Christopher McLaren suddenly pulled out a cigar and bit on it as a bitter expression formed on his face.
We have gathered some of our best elites beforeing here, but I cant guarantee if we will be of any help. (Christopher McLaren)
What do you mean by that? (Michael Dous)
Youve seen it with your own eyes, havent you? (Christopher McLaren)
........
We might have the numbers advantage, but our agents arent all that much better than your own people. And your people failed to even scratch that thing, so realistically speaking, theres not much we can do, either. No, were just here to fill the headcount. (Christopher McLaren)
....I see. However, didnt you stop the invasion of a demon king once already?! (Michael Dous)
You think that was us? It was them. All we did was to fill the headcount and worked as meat shields for them. (Christopher McLaren)
Seriously? (Michael Dous)
The way the narrative was told, it was the Americans who had sessfully repelled the demon king with the cooperation of the NDF.
However, there was no other nation on Earth that truly understood what it meant for a demon king to appear, so they all thought, Oh, so thats how it was.
Even back in America itself, not many people knew what really went down, and as for those who were there, they all unterally shut their mouths up.
Michael shifted his gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk, currently conversing with Delkaran over yonder.
For sure, even the mighty American government would have much to say when an existence on that level made its appearance and it was Yi Ji-Hyuk who stepped up to kill such a creature.
After all, that thing was an unexinable existence, wasnt it?
Humans wouldnt be able to do anything to that creature even after raining down a barrage of attacks and firepower. For instance, no matter how many people gathered up theirnces, they would still fail to bring down a hawk flying in the sky.
However, isnt this strange? (Michael Dous)
What is? (Christopher McLaren)
Isnt he talking to that monster? (Michael Dous)
Looks that way. (Christopher McLaren)
Just who is this Yi Ji-Hyuk that he can evenmunicate with that demonic creature? (Michael Dous)
M-mm??? (Christopher McLaren)
In that moment, Christopher McLarens eyes shot open wide. He just realised that he never paid any attention to this matter at all.
But, then again.... (Christopher McLaren)
If he thought about it, there was practically nothing anyone knew about Yi Ji-Hyuks background. All they knew was that, he was a Korean ability user that popped out of literally nowhere and that he possessed an incredible ability. That was about it.
And also, he used to be a regr student before going missing, and that he returned home after five years.
I see. (Christopher McLaren)
In that case, discovering what happened during those five years could prove to be the key to unravelling the source of Yi Ji-Hyuks power.
However, that can wait for another day. (Christopher McLaren)
Right now, they had to focus on stopping that demon first.
For the time being, get ready to provide support. I shall take overmand from here on. (Christopher McLaren)
Im afraid thats not going to happen. (Michael Dous)
Have you ever fought alongside Yi Ji-Hyuk before? (Christopher McLaren)
....No, I havent. (Michael Dous)
What were supposed to do isnt killing that monster, but to fill up the opening left by Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. You have never seen how he fights, so do you think you can do that job? I know full well its not right for me to take overmand of another countrys armed forces when Im only supposed lend my support. However, now isnt the time to nitpick about this, am I wrong? (Christopher McLaren)
Fine, I understand. (Michael Dous)
Michaels pride was getting wounded here, but he wasnt stupid enough to waste time arguing the rights and wrongs of that assertion at the moment. No, the important thing was to ensure the survival of his country.
Then, get your people ready. (Christopher McLaren)
Once Michael started busily moving around, Christopher McLaren shifted his withdrawn eyes over to the frontline.
This aint gonna be easy. (Christopher McLaren)
They required a heaven-defying luck to kill the previous demon king. So, itd not be easy at all to kill yet another demon king. Most likely, today could very well be the moment that the end of human race was to be decided.
Such a heavyweight oppressive feeling was kicking him in the guts.
And hes enduring it so well. (Christopher McLaren)
He felt this incredibly pressure simply by watching from the distance. Yet that young Korean man carrying the weight of the entire world was enduring the oppressiveness of it rathermendably well.
He was indeed a giant among men, thats for sure.
When a young man leads forward, the old man is supposed to support him from behind, isnt it... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren grasped his walkie-talkie tightly.
***
Hoh-oh? (Delkaran)
Delkaran stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with somewhat surprised eyes.
It had finally noticed that the Mana oozing out of Yi Ji-Hyuk was incredibly pure, perhaps as much as Mana flowing out from that thing that could be seen as the foundation of the demon world itself.
You did well to collect that much Mana, then. (Delkaran)
It was a gift, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From the 13th demon king, I presume? (Delkaran)
So I hear. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekekeke. Still the same. Still the same. (Delkaran)
Delkaran cackled and raised its arm just a little to jokingly mock Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Is that the source of your confidence? Your belief? With only that? (Delkaran)
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk furrowed his brows and red at Delkaran.
All the demon kings had a tendency to interpret the situation to whatever the hell they felt like and also came to whatever conclusions they felt like, too.
It was because they had been living for way too long as iparably powerful beings unmatched by pretty much everyone. It was obvious that they would interpret the surroundings in their own twisted perspective.
Its really annoying to repeat the same thing again and again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed audibly with a Whew, and continued on.
I dont believe in anything else. The only thing I trust is me, myself, and I. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, that sounds like you. (Delkaran)
Delkaran nodded its head.
That mindset alone truly befits an excellent demon king. You have been living the life of a demon king even now. (Delkaran)
Not even close. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks curt denial caused Delkarans reddish eyes to waver.
Im a human being. I came here to be a human being. So, dont arbitrarily disregard my humanity, alright? From the get-go, I never wanted to be this demon king thing, anyways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yet, you really wrecked the demon world to your hearts desire, didnt you? (Delkaran)
Oh, that? Well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
I mean, watching those weaklings strutting around as if they were hot sh*t really turned my stomach, you know? Isnt that how it is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahahahahahah!! (Delkaran)
Delkaran happily guffawed.
Those weaklings....
Surely, only Yi Ji-Hyuk would be capable of saying things like that to other demon kings. Even gods wouldnt treat demon kings in such a manner.
What a nonsensical level of confidence, manner of speech and actions!
If there was one thing different from back then and now, then itd be the fact that the Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past possessed the necessary power to realise everything he said, while the current Yi Ji-Hyukcked power to do so.
I finally understand your thought process. Indeed, I now understand you. It seems that I really liked you in the past. (Delkaran)
Im telling you, Im not into dudes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke. (Delkaran)
Demons were existences faithful to their desires. They did what they wanted to do, and took what they wanted to take. Beingpletely faithful to their urges and desires, thats what made a demon, a demon.
However, even demon kings couldnt live as they pleased. Reaching apromise with the reality of things was a fact of life, after all.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was different from everyone else, though. He lived as he pleased. He climbed up to the position of the demon king and pummelled the demon world as he saw fit.
Others wondered if he was aiming to conquer the entire demon world, but then he proceeded to do stuff that would be harmful to him just because he wasnt feeling happy. And then, hed use brute force to suppress any problems arising from there before causing another incident somewhere else.
He was a human, yet he was more demon-like than demons themselves.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk the 99th demon king shook the demon world, Delkaran felt this inexplicable sense of humiliation.
Was it because Yi Ji-Hyuk was powerful? That wasnt it. If that was the reason, then Delkaran would have felt humiliated by other, stronger demon kings.
No, there was something different about him.
And right in this moment, Delkaran finally discovered the reason why Yi Ji-Hyuk managed to make it feel so humiliated.
Yi Ji-Hyuk C this demon king was supposed to be a human, but he was the most exemry demon out there.
If I came to this world on my own volition.... we might have been sharing a ss of booze with each other. (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
Sorry, but no thanks. Booze in this world doesnt taste good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke. Thats too bad. But, its fine. I came here because Ive been ordered to, anyway. That great being wants your head. (Delkaran)
H-mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
I really dont want to get involved in the matters of the demon world, but you know, dont you think its you guys that keep harassing me? Im really getting fed up here. I promise Ill never step foot back inside the demon world, so like, how about you just quietly go back home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know thats impossible, dont you? That great beingsmand must take priority over all else. (Delkaran)
Maybe you think this is you being loyal, but you see, in this world, guys like you are called one-track-minded. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doesnt matter either way. Its not important how Im judged. There is only one important thing. Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Delkaran)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You shall die today. You shall definitely die in this ce. Allow me to end what has been a short life of yours. (Delkaran)
....It might be short in your standard, but in human terms, I seriously lived for a long time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No more chit chat. (Delkaran)
Delkarans body shifted into a fighting stance. Yi Ji-Hyuk read the change and shrugged his shoulders.
Well, it was you who insisted on shooting the breeze with a guy getting ready to fight from the get-go. So why are you making me the loudmouth here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, he was a loudmouth, but still.
Besides, I think youre still mistaken about something here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran didnt respond. Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt expecting a reply, anyway.
Those words? Thats my line, Delkaran. What a shame that the ce your long, illustrious life ising to an end isnt the demon world. But, dont you worry. If any part of your corpse remains, Ill try my best to send it back to the demon world, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began dyeing in the crimson hue as well.
Here.
In the middle of London....
....Two demon kings started their offensive to take each others neck.
< 215. Do you remember the Eye of Latrel? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 216: Imma do it my way now (1)
Chapter 216: Imma do it my way now (1)
Delkaran red at Yi Ji-Hyuk with tense eyes.
His powers were definitely weak. Compared to the old 99th demon king capable of choking others with nothing more than a single step, it was not an exaggeration to call the current Yi Ji-Hyuk apletely different existence.
The Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past was simply too powerful. Even Delkarans master avoided fighting against him.
However, what remains of you is a rather wretched sight, isnt it. (Delkaran)
Looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk who had lost majority of his strength, it didnt feel too good for the demon king.
A man who had climbed to the very top of the world, only to crash right back down to being a weak human. Some demonic beings might enjoy spectating on such a sight, but regrettably, Delkaran wasnt the type to do so.
Regardless, the one before its eyes was an enemy. He was the target of the supreme order issued by its master, an enemy that had to be destroyed.
Also, I should not let my guard down. (Delkaran)
Didnt matter what other factors yed a hand, Yi Ji-Hyuk used that little magical power to drive Beltreche to the corner. Even if the 13th demon king had intervened at the end, it still made little to no sense that he managed to fight against Beltreche with such little power.
An old king was still a king at the end of the day. Even though his Mana reserve had fallen, no other existence alive could exert better control over magic and its application than him.
Dragons, often referred to as Mana lifeforms, used to express their unreserved admiration towards Yi Ji-Hyuks precise Mana application.
As a human, it is indeed an impressive feat. And also... (Delkaran)s
It was only possible perhaps because he was a human being.
For instance, Dragons lived for tens of thousands of years. As for demonic kind, they held no concept of ones lifespan. To both of these races, they enjoyed almost an infinite amount of time. There was no reason to be driven about anything nor did they have to give their maximum effort, either.
To Dragons, magic was something naturally given to them, while to demonic beings, it was simply a type of power they were born with.
Sure, there were some Dragons that researched magic, but to them, magic itself was akin to breathing in air. Just as there was very few humans researching on breathing air, there shouldnt be that many Dragons researching magic, either.
Also, what Dragons researched wasnt magic itself, but the phenomena that happened after magic was used.
However, things were different with humans. Humans, they tend to research on every part of magic. Once they felt the need, they would start their experiments, and using their research as a foundation, a field of study would soon spring up.
They would focus on the research to find the most optimal solution with such a zeal that other races might see them as utterly obsessed.
The results of all that? Humans could only live up to one hundred years, but they still managed to produce Arch Mages.
In order to fight against an Arch Mage, youd need at least a Wyrm-ss Dragon. But, in order for a Dragon to mature into a Wyrm-ss, itd require around two thousand years.
However, humans only needed less than one hundred to catch up to a Dragons two thousand. And Yi Ji-Hyuk taught everyone what would happen when a human was given a near-infinite amount of time.
The result of a humans zealous drive and the infinite timebining together was the Bringer of Apocalypse.
But then again, will you be able to make up for theck ofbat power with only your zeal? (Delkaran)
What are you on about now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively at Delkaran.
Indeed, he used to be like this. Even back in the demon world. Regardless of what situation he was in, he never stopped mouthing off once.
Unfortunately, oh 99th demon king, you are simply a mere human now. (Delkaran)
I told you, there was this other guy who said the exact same c**p before getting killed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fufufu. (Delkaran)
Delkaran decided to stop their chitchat right here.
Wuuuoong-!!
Any furthermunication would now be performed using their own bodies.
Well, then. Take this. (Delkaran)
ck-coloured Mana shot out from Delkarans body before taking on the shape of a gigantic snake and flew towards Yi Ji-Hyuk. This illusory snake with the very-real sense of incredible weight was flying straight at him.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this scene unfold and began emitting ck Mana from his body, as well.
Beltreche was a demon that used its entire body as a weapon. If one were to forcibly assign a category to that guy, then it was a close-quarter fighter. However, Delkaran was more like an emission type demon king.
This is far easier for me to handle, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana oozing out from Yi Ji-Hyuk gathered in front of him to create a huge vortex in the air.
Deflect that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KWA-BOOM!!
Delkarans ck snake mmed into Yi Ji-Hyuks vortex and got deflected away.
Hoh-oh? (Delkaran)
Delkaran let a sigh of admiration leak out of its mouth.
It was really difficult to deflect away condensed Mana in such a fashion. Even more so, by relying on the spinning power of Mana as well as his ability to calcte urately, Yi Ji-Hyuk used the absolute minimum amount of magical energy to deflect Delkarans attack.
It was a miraculous feat that no one could imitate even if they wanted to. Indeed, it was definitely an apt assessment that, as far as his Mana application was concerned, no demon kings could evere closer to him, never mind measly Dragons.
Unfortunately....
Ouch! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly grasped his chest.
He definitely managed to deflect that attack. He did so in the utmost perfect manner, yet the impact force still managed to grind his innards to meat paste and the acrid metallic taste quickly filled up his mouth.
D*mn, you and your stupid amount of Mana. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont think you have the right to say something like that. (Delkaran)
Che. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, the Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past possessed the kind of Mana reserve that waspletely unmatched in the world. He even got his hands on the source of Mana, too.
Take this one next. (Delkaran)
Kaaahahng!!
A snake twice asrge as the previous one pounced on Yi Ji-Hyuk next.
....This guy really doesnt know the meaning of doing it in moderation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand extended out forward.
Wuuong.
Along with a loud vibrating noise, a huge Gate suddenly opened up in front of his hand.
creeech-!!!!
Next up was the ripples of space distorting and twisting out of shape. Delkarans giant snake was sucked into Yi Ji-Hyuks Gate.
If its too hard to deflect it, then I just have to get rid of it altogether. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keke. (Delkaran)
Delkaran cackled under its breath while staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Youreughing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot a re back at the demon king with an unreadable expression.
Arent you too rxed for your own good here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall... get rid of that attitude of yours. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Tentacles shot out from both of Yi Ji-Hyuks hands and flew behind him.
Euh, euh.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young formed an openly unhappy expression at the tentacle flying straight towards her, but she didnt tried to avoid it.
Now wasnt the time to avoid the pain. Indeed, it was far too obvious what would happen if they failed to stop that demon king right here, right now.
Seriously though, I really hate this c**p. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shuddered at the icky sensation of the tentacle wrapping around her. It might not feel like a real snake was touching her, but still, one would never say that being bound by what looked like a snake was a nice experience to go through.
Euh.... (Seo Ah-Young)
She gritted her teeth.
Dark Mana travelled into her body through the tentacle.
It coursed inside her and quickly mixed with her Ether. Thetter wildly rampaged about, trying to reject this new type of energy, sending a soul-searing pain from all corners of her body to her brain.
Heuuh-woop. (Seo Ah-Young)
She clenched her teeth so hard that they might end up shattering. She experienced this situation a few times already now, but regardless of what, shed never get used to this pain.
Her eyes soon became deeply bloodshot. Her anger and hatred towards Delkaran tried to go through the roof C against the one who made her feel this pain.
Fuu-woop. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young took a quick but deep breath. She heard many times that she must never surrender herself to the rage. In order to maintain her reasoning, she bit down on her lower lip. Right after tasting the bitter metallic taste of blood, it felt as if her eyesight suddenly brightened up.
Lets go! (Seo Ah-Young)
As soon as she issued her order, animal-like grunts and howls of agreement resounded out from both of her sides.
Her heart boiled over again after hearing those responses and she immediately created a pair of massive me balls in both of her hands. She then dashed forward.
H-mm? (Delkaran)
Delkarans eyes narrowed to a slit.
They epted dark Mana? (Delkaran)
This information wasnt included in the intel.
Sure, unimportant matters could be omitted in the report submitted since there was a restriction imposed on themunication with the demon world. So, it wasnt all that strange that Delkaran wasnt informed of this situation.
But, still....
Humans did...?? (Delkaran)
There were dark wizards, like Yi Ji-Hyuk, so the current scene shouldnt be that surprising.
However, it was rather weird sight to behold, to see a bunch of humans being exposed to dark Mana and not experience any changes when they hadnt even formed a contract with demonic beings.
As expected of you, 99th demon king. (Delkaran)
It couldnt have been easy to urately figure out the limits of each individuals transformation threshold and insert dark Mana ordingly.
Delkaran wasnt even trying to be generous here yet in less than a minute, it was being surprised by several unexpected developments.
What amused the demon king even more was the fact that,pared to the amount of dark Mana injected into them, these humans spirits had increased to a surprising level. The dark Mana went through strange modification once inside these humans and they emitted rather suspicious auras now.
How amusing. (Delkaran)
Once the type of energy humans of this world possessed was blended in with dark Mana, it created a certain enhancement effect. This was why new worlds always proved to be so amusing.
Delkaran reached out with both of its hands asrge me balls flew at it.
Hah-ahp! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A gigantic magic circle suddenly appeared in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk, which led to an opening of another Gate.
Come out! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wuuuong-!!
The Gate vibrated noisily before opening its mouth wide.
Kaaaah-!!
And then, something leaped out from there while roaring out like a top predator.
Hah... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head while watching that scene.
Stop roaring out when you look like that!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes were locked onto the cute, bite-sized Oh-Sik jumping out of the Gate. Another tentacle shot out from Yi Ji-Hyuk dig into Oh-Siks small physique.
Wooof!!
Initially, it looked as if Oh-Siks body was twisting horribly, but then, his size grew explosivelyrger. Having regained its former hulking, huge form of an Ogre, Oh-Sik pounced forward with its eyes glowing in crimson hue.
Doesnt he look even bigger than before? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
There was a noticeable changepared to the first time Oh-Sik made his appearance in this world. His current size was easily twice that of his old self, regardless of who thought about it.
Keurururuk!!
From another Gate, Hydra and Dae-Mahng made their entrance, as well. And from another one, massive hawk made out purely of Mana emerged and soared high up in the air.
Hah-aaah....
From Yi Ji-Hyuks back, a nasally moaning sound whispered out, and the Dark Spirit, Tirieh revealed herself.
Hah-ah?
She slithered around his surroundings as if she was swimming in air before blowing into his ear next.
Blow that thing away! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wuuuong-!!
Tirieh floated up on Yi Ji-Hyuks head and then, a strand of ck light suddenly fired out from her body!
Kwaaaahaaahng!!
The ck beam of light fired out like aser beam and prated through Delkarans body.
Keuk?? (Delkaran)
Being struck by this unexpected attack, the demon king groaned out loudly, clearly displeased.
A Spirit, is it? (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sure possessed quite a few tricks up his sleeve. The information received wasnt this much at all, so how....
Even though Delkaran told itself not to underestimate Yi Ji-Hyuk, it still made a major mistake by not paying closer attention on the information on its target.
However, this much is still not enough. (Delkaran)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked again.
The final remaining Gate began resonating now.
Wuuuongg-!!
Soon, it opened up wide and a horde of monsters utterly lost to the state of frenzy crazily rushed out as if they were water gushing out from a broken tap.
Mm?
Monsters?
In this world?
Delkarans red eyes trembled noticeably.
The demon king had to look Yi Ji-Hyuk in renewed light after being struck constantly by unexpected turn of events one after another.
You truly outdid yourself... (Delkaran)
He truly did an excellent job amassing this much of abat force even though he entered this world without a single drop of dark Mana.
If only his opponent today wasnt Delkaran....
An army of this scale could easily contend with an opponent on the level of a superior demon. Unfortunately....
Far too crude. (Delkaran)
This level of an army was not enough to deal with a demon king from the demon world. Surely, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt have forgotten that crucial fact?
But, if you have forgotten it, I shall remind you. (Delkaran)
Remind him of the terror of the demon king. To help him remember just what kind of an existence a demon king was.
Delkarans robe pped in the wind as dozens upon dozens of ck snakes shot out from below.
< 216. Imma do it my way now -1 > Fin.
Chapter 217: Imma do it my way now (2)
Chapter 217: Imma do it my way now (2)
My god.... (Michael Dous)
Michael Dous could not believe the spectacle unfolding right before his eyes.
Is he really a human being?? (Michael Dous)
He had met many, many ability users before in his life. For the past five years C since the ck Monday incident C he was in charge ofmanding the British ability users, and he had ably led them up to this point.
So, indeed, he had seen countless ability users so far.
With the unique trait of the Europeanndmass being what it was, the exchange of ideas between ability users from different nations often took ce.
Even considering all that, though, Michael Dous still fell into a pit of confusion on whether the things Yi Ji-Hyuk had shown him should even be ssified as regr abilities or not.
Just whats going on here? (Michael Dous)
Christopher McLaren clicked his tongue at that question.
This is why I told you to hand memand. (Christopher McLaren)
No, hang on. Just what the hell..... (Michael Dous)
Michael Dous couldnt continue on. Seriously now, was everything his eyes could see happening for real?
But, isnt he a human like us? (Michael Dous)
From our perspective, even normal ability users dont look like humans, does it? (Christopher McLaren)
Even then, thats just.... (Michael Dous)
What, hes far beyond that? (Christopher McLaren)
....Yes. (Michael Dous)
This was on the level of being really terrifying.
If other people saw a dude busy spitting out jet-ck smoke andmanded monsters while tentacles shot out from his body, what would they call such a man as?
....Like a devil. (Michael Dous)
Christopher McLaren formed a bitter smile. The very first impression he had after watching Yi Ji-Hyuk fight was being parroted by Michael Dous, too.
Then again, most human beings would think along the same way, now wouldnt they? Just who would think of the fight between Yi Ji-Hyuk and Beltreche as a battle between a human being and a demon?
The more apt description would be C some humans ended up getting swept up in a fight between two demons. Christopher McLaren also fell into such a dilemma.
What makes a person human isnt about being weak or strong. (Christopher McLaren)
.........
Do not forget. He may look like that, but hes shedding blood for our sake. He stepped forward to fight, so he can protect people like you who finds him disgusting to look at. (Christopher McLaren)
....I was being foolish. (Michael Dous)
No need to go that far with reproaching yourself, but you must never forget the real story just because how he looks from the outside. Even in the future, too. (Christopher McLaren)
....And also, be thankful, too.
If youve experienced Yi Ji-Hyuks personality first and then saw that spectacle, the way you see him would be at least twice as bad. (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Christopher McLaren didnt say aloud those words, though.
Get ready tomence firing! (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir!
Christopher McLarens brows creased as he heard the adjutants reply. It wasnt all that hard tounch a ranged attack whenever there was an opening. The real issue was with the deployment timing of close-quarter type ability users.
He knew very well that telling them to run towards a demon king was the same thing as telling them to go kill themselves.
But, it had to be done.
To shield Yi Ji-Hyuk and allow him enough time to prepare and rain down his attacks against the demon king, that was the best Christopher McLaren could do in this situation.
Please, help us. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher began praying again after almost giving up on religion.
*
Kuwaaaaah!!
Oh-Sik roared viciously and pounced on Delkaran. The demon kings brows furrowed from this sight.
How dare an Ogre...? (Delkaran)
A measly little monster not even worthy of being ssified as a demon dared to bare its fangs at a demon king? Of course, it knew that such a thing was only possible because the creature was under Yi Ji-Hyuks mental control. Regardless of reasons, though, stuff that felt bad would still feel bad.
ck magical aura danced like a rising dragon from Delkarans extended right hand. It soon morphed into a giant snake and flew towards Oh-Sik.
Keureuk!!
The Ogre saw that huge clump of magical energy rushing towards him and raised both of his sturdy arms to smack it away.
Kwaaaaahang!!
An ear-splitting explosion resounded out as the magical force and a monster collided violently. And shortly thereafter, Oh-Sik was thrown away at frightening speed, unable to even scream out.
Keuk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw the whole thing unfold and quickly extended his tentacle out towards Oh-Sik.
Both of the Ogres arms werepletely gone, while his stupendously sturdy torso was so badly maimed that his rib bones were showing. If it werent for the tenacious vitality of an Ogre, such a wound prove to be instantly fatal. Thats how grievous it was.
Yi Ji-Hyuk sessfully stabbed Oh-Siks body with his tentacle and injected Mana into the creature. Once the dark Mana was poured into him, Oh-Siks body began regenerating at once.
Just one hit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gnashed his teeth.
Oh-Sik had been continuously fed a steady diet of Yi Ji-Hyuks dark Mana and now, could no longer be called a normal Ogre anymore. Yet, even if there was such a gap in strength, just one hit was enough to drive Oh-Sik to the brink of death. Should he chalk this down to his opponent being a demon king?
Yi Ji-Hyuk was reminded once more of Delkarans nonsensical strength and focused wholeheartedly on making hand signs.
Go attack that thing!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At the same time, he shouted out loudly. The horde of monstersing out of the Gate tumbled and seethed in frenzy before dashing towards their target.
A monster tripped and fell only to be stomped and crushed underfoot by the endless wave of monsters as they rushed forward in their maddened state.
Kwaarururru!!
Kuwaaahh-!!
Monstrous roars and painful screams were blended into create a horrifying sound that reverberated throughout thend.
Been a while since Ist saw this. (Delkaran)
Delkaran fell into a bit of weird reminiscence while watching this spectacle.
Even if those monsters were beingpletely subservient to their master, it was still very rare to see creatures being so absolutely loyal to the order given with such a near-frenzied state.
Delkaran also was a demon king with its own sizeable demonic army, but not once did it manage to push its soldiers to disy such a sight before.
Although your magical powers had weakened, your control remains absolute, is that it? (Delkaran)
As expected of the 99th demon king.
What a pity it was, though.
The monsters under Yi Ji-Hyuks control in the past were a bunch of truly dangerous creatures even by the standards of the demon world. Delkaran would have to use all of its powers in order to deal with those monsters, and considering the sheer number of them, there was no guarantee of victory, even if it was a demon king.
But, now?
Could these weak dregs of former selves even be able to touch Delkarans body, whether they were driven by madness or nor?
Wuuuong-!!
The cape draped around the demon kings body pped around like crazy, and soon, Mana poured out from beneath to form another gigantic snake that pounced towards the rushing monsters.
Kaaaah-!!
Hmm?
Almost at the same time, the Dae-Mahng was falling towards Delkaran from the sky.
Is it a snake this time? (Delkaran)
The thing was, all snakes were what one would call Delkarans kin. Every snake would instinctively ept this particr demon kings control.
However, thisrge snake monster was attacking Delkaran with its hostility on full disy. This was control that far exceeded the realm of ones instincts.
The demon king felt its mood sour just a bit more and reached up into the sky.
This certainly feels a little bit rubbish, doesnt it? (Delkaran)
Wwuuuoong-!!
Magical energy poured out from its right hand and ballooned up noticeably.
Soon, it morphed into yet another gigantic snake-like shape several timesrger than the already-huge Dae-Mahng that seemed to fill up the sky. And then.... the ck energy simply swallowed up therge snake in one go.
Kwa-du-duk!!
Kkkiiiiiiieeee!!!
Along with the sounds of ones flesh being crushed t, Dae-Mahngs horrifying scream resounded out.
Attack!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stopped observing and doing nothing about that spectacle and fired out the mes burning around her hands. They never dreamed of easily bringing that monster down from the beginning, anyway.
Uwaaaaah-!! (Seo Ah-Young)
She roared out as drops of mes rained down on Delkaran. Following up on her, Ether attacks boasting a rainbow of colours crossed the sky and flew in on Delkarans position.
Light beams, blizzards, meballs, even des of winds endlessly poured down onto the demon king.
Support them! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren found the opening and cried out as if he was screaming. The American and British ability users observing the unfolding situation began firing their Ether attacks as well.
Ka-boooom!! BANG!!
Ether and more Ether danced and tumbled to cause one explosion after another. It was as if a bomber had dropped an endless amount of ordnance to cause a chain reaction of explosions that didnt want to end.
Yi Ji-Hyuk, meanwhile, finished making his hand signs while watching that spectacle. When he did, ck-coloured Mana that at once resembled ck mes or even rising smoke bubbled up out of his body.
Keu-euh-euh-euh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thin blood vessels were now visible on Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
He extracted an excessive amount of Mana and as a result, his body began screaming at him. This level of Mana could never be dealt with by a measly humans flesh, and as it coursed throughout his body, his bones shattered and his skin ruptured open.
This terrible pain was akin to a nest of ants biting and tearing him up all at once. As the destructive pain strong enough to make him almost lose his consciousness assaulted him, he made sure to not let up withpleting his hand signs.
Uwaaaah-!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk roared out to momentarily suppress all that pain; Mana quickly gathered around his hands and rose up in the air. The ck mes crossed the sky and began constructing a humongous magic circle.
Blood trickled down from Yi Ji-Hyuks seven orifices on his face.
There was no meaning in striking the enemy several times!
No, just one hit!
He must scrape together as much Mana as possible and crush the creature in one go!
Condense! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After he roared out, Mana dancing in the air quickly condensed in the middle of the magic circle. Meanwhile, Dragon Hearts dangling on both of his arms began emitting ck light as well.
Tirieh!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Spirit of Darkness floated up into the air and then, began shooting her barrage of ckser beams at Delkarans body faintly visible through the explosions of Ether attacks.
Just a bit more! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was done with his calctions.
He was done with his preparations, too.
All he needed now was a bit more time to gather and fire the Mana. All of these preparations were to help him endure during that time.
Keu-huehk!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana escaping from Yi Ji-Hyuks body flowed into the Dragon Hearts and became amplified before getting sucked into the magic circle in the air.
Guuoooohh-!!
Mana coalesced and condensed in the air, gradually transforming into a shape very simr to a storm cloud.
Bzzzzzz!!
Now excessively condensed, Mana tumbled and roiled around as if they were electric sparks. They even began billowing about like dancing mes, too.
Just a little bit more!
Tears of blood flooded out from Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
As if to drag out every ounce of Mana residing in his body, he flung his magical energy towards the sky.
His body screamed as it could no longer hold on from the overwhelming dark Mana and threatened to copse at any second, but hepletely ignored all the warning signs.
Because, if he failed to bring Delkaran down now, the only thing remaining would be death and destruction, anyway.
Uwaaaaaahht!!
Final bits of Mana leaked out from Yi Ji-Hyuk and got sucked into the magic circle. And at the same time, the humongous cloud of ck-coloured magical energy located high up above Delkaran began pumping out gobsmacking level of oppressive aura.
Ah, aaaah...
No one told them to, but still, the ability users stopped throwing their Ether attacks at the demon king anyway. They all stood around and stared at the magical cloud filling up the sky inplete daze.
That incredible aura tumbling within that cloud even managed to steal away their reasoning.
Eat thiiiiis!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Along with Yi Ji-Hyuks angry shout as if he was vomiting blood, the ck cloud began its descent towards the ground.
Delkaran, still trapped within the fog of dust kicked up from the various Ether attacks, raised its head.
Hah? (Delkaran)
The demon kings red eyes quivered greatly after confirming the sight of the magical cloud descending on top of itself. ck smokes bubbled and hissed while ck-coloured arcs of lightning buzzed and snapped angrily.
ck mes were burning up fiercely as if to scorch every single thing on Earth.
This was the true darkness, true power, a void capable of destroying the world. This was the magical cloud only Yi Ji-Hyuk could create.
His trademark attack that caused even the demon kings in the demon world to run for their dear lives had been activated.
This is dangerous! (Delkaran)
Even before Delkarans brain ordered its body to escape, the ck cloud swallowed up the demon king in its entirety.
< 217. Imma do it my way -2 > Fin.
Chapter 218: Imma do it my way now (3)
Chapter 218: Imma do it my way now (3)
Kwaaaaahaaah!!
The ck cloud began spinning ferociously once it touched down on the ground.
Keuk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs body shuddered uncontrobly as she watched this spectacle unfold. This wasnt her first time seeing that. Indeed, she had seen Yi Ji-Hyuks magic at work several times by now.
Still, she was confident in her assessment that the phenomenon taking ce right before her eyes possessed far greater might than any magic she witnessed until now.
If she found herself in the near vicinity of that thing, her entire body would have been torn to shreds by the wind pressure alone, generated by the whirlpool of magical energy.
Now that is freaking huge. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu standing next to her muttered and her head bobbed up and down all by itself in agreement.
Delkaran was strong. She knew this, because she felt the exact same type of terror she felt from Beltreche while looking at that creature. However, even if that thing was a demon king that no human could win against, she didnt think it would survive that storm of magical energy.
In order to produce a power greater than that, just what would one need to do next?
I cant even call him a monster. Seriously now. (Seo Ah-Young)
She felt a chill run down her spine at the fact that the man responsible for creating such a spectacle was someone who bantered andughed alongside her in their everyday lives.
The man, who had beenining like a kid about whether to train the American ability users or not, and also about his mom buying an expensive brand-name handbag only a few hours ago, was creating a storm of magical energy possessing an unparalleled destructive power capable of destroying the entire world.
That sense of disharmony made Seo Ah-Young shudder even more.
Even if that thing is a demon king, theres no way itd survive that. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
....I hope so. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu spoke with a good deal of confidence, but she could only agree with him half-heartedly.
For sure, when looking at things using either her or Yun Hyuk-Gyus logic, a lifeform made up of flesh and blood should not be able to walk out of that storm still fully intact. Definitely not!
However, how much did she or he know about the existences called demon kings, to begin with? Werent they thinking of their opponent too lightly because they somehow managed to bring down Beltreche?
Kwakwakwakwakwa!!!
While she remained submerged in such thoughts, the ck clouds continued to crazily spin around and burn up.
Its disappearing. (Seo Ah-Young)
And then, the ck whirlpool slowly thinned out.
Its dead, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
It must be dead.
Seo Ah-Young bit her lower lip.
If that creature didnt die from an attack of such a magnitude, then would Yi Ji-Hyuk be able to reproduce another attack of simr level?
This attack mustve....
No.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Unfortunately, Seo Ah-Young saw the location where the ck cloud used to be and could only spit out a helpless sigh. She had confirmed a certain silhouette just beyond the settling dust, that was why.
That thing survived something like that?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Sheer, unbridled shock filled up her expression.
Eventually, the dust cloud settledpletely and Delkarans upright figure was revealed for all to see. What an incredible feat that it had lived through that storm.
But, perhaps encouragingly, Delkaran wasnt 100%, either. For instance, the cape/hood draped over it was gone without a trace.
....Thats disgusting. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young saw Delkarans true appearance and nearly freaked out right there.
....Hehehe. (Delkaran)
Delkaran leaked out a low, hushed chuckle as it red at Yi Ji-Hyuk. The demon kings body, now on full disy without the cape, was indeed a horrifying sight to behold.
It was as if looking at thousands of snakes coiling around each other. From the top of its head right down to its toes C a truly bizarre creature seemingly made up of snakes finally revealed itself.
What a surprise that you can use magic on this scale. (Delkaran)
Delkaran was definitely not okay. Out of hundreds of snake heads jutting out of its body, over one-third of them were lifelessly sagging towards the ground. In some parts of its body, a yellowish blood-like liquid squirted out from the decapitated heads, too.
Yi, Ji, Hyuuuuukkk!! (Delkaran)
Delkaran roared out.
Unfortunately, Yi Ji-Hyuk was in no shape to reply.
Keuh-euh.....
Because, it was already incredibly tough trying to control his half-disintegrated body, thats why. If his concentration wavered even for a millisecond, his consciousness would abandon him for some other ce never to return, and his flesh would start disintegratingpletely.
Shushust....
Doh Gah-Yun rose up from his shadow and quickly supported him before he copsed to the ground. He unsteadily tottered about before resting his shoulders against her. Heavy,boured breathing escaped from his lips.
These d*mn things called demon kings.... what a seriously stubborn b*stard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly speaking, shouldnt it be good manners to die already after getting struck by an attack of that scale? But, with it surviving by doing whatever it takes, just what was the person trying to kill it supposed to do now?
Youre acting as if you dont know who youre dealing with. (Affeldrichae)
A familiar voice suddenly came from behind Yi Ji-Hyuks back.
Is it you, Richae? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae quickly walked closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk supported by Doh Gah-Yun and began studying the status of his body.
Yourete, you stinking lizard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not toote, though. The damage to your body is really extensive. (Affeldrichae)
I know that already without you telling me.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood upright as if he was trying to push the ground down and red at Delkaran.
That guy is not something we can hurt without hurting ourselves along the way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is indeed true. (Affeldrichae)
Roabell and the High Elf Rhea, as well as the Behemoth apanying Affeldrichae, appeared and stood in a line behind Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Anyway, why did you take so long trying to locate a single insane Elf? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I didnt know her exact coordinates, so I had to use Gates several times, you know. (Affeldrichae)
Youre a lizard, yet you couldnt even do that properly? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae shrugged her shoulders as if it was none of her fault.
This isnt my home world, you know. (Affeldrichae)
Chet.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
He figured that hed need all the help he could get his hands on when facing off Delkaran, so he used Affeldrichae to send Rhea and bring Roabell here. There was no better person to persuade that mad Elf than a High Elf, after all.
Unfortunately, they arrivedter than he calcted, joining in on the fun right in the middle of the battle itself.
So, what is your n? (Affeldrichae)
Dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at Delkaran with a bit of a lost expression on his face. Right at this moment, those torn-off snake heads were busy regenerating. That creature was a demon. As long as there was a supply of magical energy, its body would continuously regenerate.
The battles against demons werent about how much physical damage you could inflict, but how much of its Mana reserve you managed to scrape off.
Still, I figured itd get hurt at least a bit.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Yi Ji-Hyuk of past wouldve rendered Delkaran unable to regenerate with an attack simr to this one. Doing that now was impossible, however.
Even if he was activating the exact same magic spell, the amount of magical energy involved was iparably small.
A spell activated by scrounging up every bit of pure dark Mana existing within his body would be on the simr level of the past Yi Ji-Hyuk only needing one finger to fling about.
In times like these, I sure miss living in Berafe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was in the past, he wouldnt have gone through so much trouble just to deal with someone like Delkaran. Because, at his peak, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt need to do anything and simply let his monster underlings deal with a demon on the level of this demon king.
Too bad, he was not that Bringer of Apocalypse anymore. As a mere human, Yi Ji-Hyuk had to do whatever it took in order to stop that creature.
Delkaran!! (Rhea)
From the lips of High Elf Rhea, a harsh voice quite unfitting for such a fine facial features exploded out.
Is it a High Elf this time? (Delkaran)
Delkaran chuckled to itself.
Should I call this an amusing turn of events? Its supposed to be a different world, yet theres the 99th demon king, the Lord of Dragons, and now, we even have a High Elf. What kind of world is this? (Delkaran)
Ivee to see the end of the hateful monster that is you. (Rhea)
I shall give you high marks for your enthusiasm. However.... (Delkaran)
In an instant, Delkarans red eyes wavered ominously.
Whose end did you say you want to see now? (Delkaran)
Kwaaaaahh-!!!
Delkarans magical energy reserve was unleashed and produced stunningly powerful gale-force winds.
Keuk! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was pushed back by the winds and gasped out in pain.
Have you all forgotten the truth, since you see me in a world thats not Berafe? I am Delkaran, a noble demon king of the demon world. Have you already forgotten that I drove your kin to the brink of extinction? (Delkaran)
I have not forgotten. (Rhea)
Indeed. You were also present during that time, werent you. Back then, you failed to stop me. But now, you wish to kill me when there are none of your kin present to aid you? How will you achieve your desire, then? (Delkaran)
Delkarans mocking words caused Rheas body to shudder.
She knew she shouldnt be agitated, but seeing an enemy that had been the subject of thousands of years worth of hatred, she simply couldnt calm herself down.
She witnessed with her own two eyes the countless number of Elves dying at the hands of that dastardly creature.
Even if Elves thought of their kin as simply a part of arge group, she saw too many of her kind die and being pushed to the brink of extinction. So, the level of hatred she mustve felt would in unimaginable.
Delkaraaaaaan!! (Roabell)
Even Roabell, supposed to serve the merciful God of Water, couldnt hold back her anger, her expression distorting unsightly.
Meanwhile, Delkaran was truly enjoying itself after being on the receiving end of all that hatred. Indeed, such a level of hatred was an iparably high praise for a demon.
How unfortunate. It wouldve been even more amusing if we ran into each other back in Berafe. (Delkaran)
This ce is perfect already. We shall extinguish you. (Rhea)
Delkarans red eyes shot a re at Rhea.
If this was Berafe, Id have made you witness the deaths of your kind with your eyes again. But, there is only one more of you. What a pity. (Delkaran)
You, you!! (Rhea)
Rhea began showing signs of rushing forward in anger, and Yi Ji-Hyuk simply mocked her for it.
Hah-ah. I just cant figure out why all the Elves I meet are more hot-headed than Dwarves. Seriously, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
After hearing his words, Rhea quickly sucked in her breaths and collected her mind.
Getting angry during battles would always give birth to mistakes. This was no time to get worked up. No matter how badly her heart tried to go out of control, her head must remain cold.
Im sorry. (Rhea)
Rhea spoke with a voice that had regained its calm. Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and lightly pushed Doh Gah-Yuns support away.
Our situation still doesnt look so good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He clicked his tongue.
This situation came about only because of theck of destructive power.
He possessed a lot of methods to fight, sure. There was the Lord of Dragons, Affeldrichae; High Elf Rhea; and even Roabell, who was basically a walking, talking divinity generator.
And also, there was his monster army, plus countless ability users doing their best to help him out. When adding all thesebat potential together, itd not be an exaggeration to call this an army befitting a demon king.
But, why did it all feel so helpless at this point?
Thats all because of theck of destructive power.
No matter how many different methods were utilised here, others simply couldnt break through Delkarans defences. Just like back then with Beltreche. The only one capable of hurting this demon king directly was Yi Ji-Hyuk. No one else.
Meaning, he had to resolve this situation by himself.
I know that, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he had enough Mana to y with, sure, hed resolve this in a jiffy.
However, as long as he couldnt top up his Mana reserve, the longer he fought, the weaker hed get. Also, even if he had enough Mana at hand, when considering the damage done to his body, Yi Ji-Hyuk would suffer increasingly grievous wounds while trying to pour out powerful attacks.
No matter how hard he spun his brain around, he just couldnt get to a satisfying-enough answer.
What will you do? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae mustve recognised the truth of it since she was asking him that question. Even with her real body present, itd be a tall order to deal with a demon king. So, there was no way her human body could do something now.
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and gritted his teeth as he looked at Affeldrichae.
Heal me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Affeldrichae)
I said, heal my body. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you insane? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae suddenly got angry at him.
Yi Ji-Hyuks body was thoroughly tainted by dark Mana. In other words, dark mana had permeated throughout every cell in his body.
Now normally, it would produce a strong bacsh against light Mana as well as divinity whening into contact. If arge amount of magical energy was poured in, his body might heal somehow, but then, hed have to bear the bacsh in full.
The pain from it alone would be more than enough to send a regr person through at least over a thousand shocks.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and replied to her.
Im not going to die. Seriously. I know what Im doing, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae stared at him with anxious eyes.
< 218. Imma do it my way now -3 > Fin.
Chapter 219: Imma do it my way now (4)
Chapter 219: Imma do it my way now (4)
If you got a better idea, why dont you tell me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You.....! (Affeldrichae)
Uncharacteristically of her, Affeldrichae became really annoyed as she red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Well, then. Time to buy some time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk made a hand gesture, prompting his monsters waiting around to rush towards Delkaran once more.
Seo Ah-Young!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs reply to Yi Ji-Hyuks summoning was also resolute. She knew very well what he wanted here.
Her job now was to buy him enough time to recover, as well as to fill up the opening that existed between each spell. She sent a signal with her eyes, and Kim Dah-Hyun stepped forward unhesitatingly, his re getting sharper by a notch.
Im pretty sure I wont die twice, right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He didnt bother to suppress the boiling blood rushing up to his head, and as a result, even his eyes began dyeing in a crimson colour. The desire to destroy coursing throughout his flesh was now fully redirected to the demon king, Delkaran.
Haaaaht-!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun dashed forward like a streak of lightning; meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young behind him flung her mes at the target as well.
Spitfire! (Seo Ah-Young)
I know! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu also gathered his hands and concentrated his firepower.
Eat this!! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Kwaaaaaah-!!
The sea of mes gathered in his hands spread out like wildfire and chased after dashing Kim Dah-Hyuns back.
Delkaran watched this meaningless struggles of the insignificant beings with its two eyes. Even then, its antennae never stopped looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk at the far back getting ready to do something else.
Im not nning on getting hit a second time. (Delkaran)
It could just ignore the attacks of these humans. The important thing here was to prevent Yi Ji-Hyuk from using other magic spells.
The problem began with giving a sorcerer the safety of distance, and if that man was allowed to fling whatever spells as he pleased, then even Delkaran would find it hard to deal with the potential danger.
The demon king gathered its two hands and pushed them out to front.
All those heads of snakes standing up from its body opened their maws wide. Sharp, venomous fangs gleamed threateningly under the light.
*
Heal me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She knew that Yi Ji-Hyuk was being serious here. Unfortunately, Affeldrichae didnt dare to heal him at all.
B-but, Mister Ji-Hyuk.... (Affeldrichae)
She swallowed back her gasps while looking at his body.
Soaked in blood C from the top of his head right down to his toes, not a spot on his body was okay. Tiny blood vessels in his eyeballs had ruptured to create a pair of eerie dark red irises, and parts of his arms and legs were protruding out, forcing him to stand at an awkward angle.
Most of his muscles had ruptured, his skin was torn in several ces, while his blood had formed a thick pool on the ground.
His human body was paying for the cost of over-using the dark Mana right in this moment.
Its a relief that his mind is holding up, but... (Affeldrichae)
But, his condition was far too grave to feel relieved by that small thing. Would his body be able to withstand the bacsh from being exposed to the light Mana?
Perhaps he figured out what Affeldrichae was thinking of, Yi Ji-Hyuk addressed her apathetically.
Well all die anyway at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Besides, looks like Im dying already. I dont think these kinds of wounds will get better with time, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae bit her lower lip.
I alone wont be able to do this. (Affeldrichae)
I know. It doesnt matter, though, since we got Miss Divinity here. You now have a perfect assistant. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Roabell.
They wouldnt even dare to try if it was only Affeldrichae present here. Healing done by magic and healing done by divinity were two fundamentally different things. With Roabell here, healing him just might work.
You keep doing that, and.... (Affeldrichae)
You think we have time for a chitchat? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae shut her mouth up after hearing his retort.
A certain final method did exist. Too bad, that method couldnt be told to Yi Ji-Hyuk. Also, it wasnt as if he didnt know of that method and was trying to end things in this manner here, either.
Do what you want. (Affeldrichae)
In the end, she acknowledged that Yi Ji-Hyuks mind couldnt be changed.
What are you nning to do? (Roabell)
Roabell asked them after listening to their conversation.
....I shall heal Mister Ji-Hyuk by injecting magical energy into his body. You need to help me. (Affeldrichae)
You want to heal a dark sorcerer with divinity and magic?! Thats going to cause his body to disintegrate. (Roabell)
Yes, it will. (Affeldrichae)
A person tainted by dark Mana to this extent would have his bodypletely disintegrate from the bacsh of light Mana. Affeldrichae knew this and that was why she couldnt dare to heal him thest time around.
However, their situation was a bit different now.
Dont think of it as trying to heal someone, but rather, do it as if youre trying to pour in all of your divinity, instead. (Affeldrichae)
Could you be thinking of....? (Roabell)
As long as our healing speed exceeds that of the rate of disintegration, itll be fine. (Affeldrichae)
Forget about his body for a second, will his mind even survive that? Such a thing has never been attempted before.... (Roabell)
Normal people would go insane, or bite their own tongue to kill themselves. However.... (Affeldrichae)
They were talking about this man. He was most familiar with pain and death than anyone alive in the universe, so he might be able to withstand the pain.
You two are taking way too long. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyukined and red at Roabell.
Hey, you. Didnt you want to kill me before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
So, like, pour your c**p in me as if youre trying to kill me, okay? Who knows? Maybe youll really kill me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those words, you better not regret themter. (Roabell)
Roabell venomously shot back at him.
Get started. We dont have time for any more chitchat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae reached out and tightly grasped his shoulders.
Well really do this. (Affeldrichae)
Just do it, will ya?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk urgently shouted out.
Even though he was pretending to be unconcerned, he simply couldnt shake off this thought that, the longer they wasted time here, the greater the danger NDF agents would find themselves in.
Affeldrichae quietly stared at him before squeezing her eyes shut and shouted out as well.
Healing! (Affeldrichae)
Oh, dear Buzugote, bless your flock with your grace! (Roabell)
Light Mana and divinity began pouring into Yi Ji-Hyuks body at the same time.
Heu-ah....!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt endure the pain assaulting him and screamed out.
This pain that easily surpassed all imaginations caused his mouth to split wide open all by itself to emit a throat-tearing scream.
However, no actual sound came out.
In that moment divinity and light Mana flooded in, both his vocal cords and his neck blew up and as a result, he couldnt make a single sound now.
All he could do was to repeatedly emit noises of winds leaking out while his entire body convulsed.
Just a little bit more!! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae cried out, her eyes still locked onto Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The water-coloured divinity poured out by Roabell dyed the surroundings in blue as it got sucked into his body.
His flesh exploded.
His body melted down.
However, his burst flesh regenerated in an instant, and the melted-down spots were quickly, and without exception, covered by newly-grown flesh.
Keuh-euh....... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally stopped spasming violently on the spot and began sagging powerlessly to the ground, but Affeldrichae didnt let go of his shoulders. If they stopped now, his body would disintegrate in an instant. That would signify his permanent death.
More! More!! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae urged on. Cold sweat trickled down Roabells face as she flooded his body with divinity without rest.
Seeing him trying to shrink back while spasming again, Affeldrichae felt her own chest ache painfully all of a sudden.
Whats this? (Affeldrichae)
She didnt have the leeway to analyse what this ache could even mean as she continued to focus on pouring Mana into Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
*
Kekeke!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes were flickering dangerously.
You insignificant fools!! (Delkaran)
With an expression filled with irritation, Delkaran released a powerful wave of magical energy in Kim Dah-Hyuns direction.
The funny thing was, the Path Drifter managed to evade the attacksmendably well, even though his current appearance could only be described as truly wretched.
One of his arms was missing, with only the stump dyed in red remaining, while blood constantly trickled down from his head; even then, he didnt stop running.
He knew it so, so well.
The moment he stopped running, all those supporting him from behind would all get killed. The sole advantage humanity possessed against Delkaran just so happened to be Kim Dah-Hyuns speed.
His role was to buzz around like an annoying insect and make sure that his target didnt have any time to pay attention to Yi Ji-Hyuk. And the role of other ability users was to assist him in this mission.
This is it. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun faced off against the iing magical attacks, kicked the air and nimbly avoided them. Even in the midst of this, he began smirking softly to himself.
In a way, it was not Yi Ji-Hyuk, not Seo Ah-Young, but Kim Dah-Hyun himself carrying the fate of humanity on his shoulders right now.
Ever since awakening his powers, he had made up his mind to save the world in a crisis like this one.
His resolution had been shattered about half-way all thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuks entrance, but it was now fully revived at this moment.
Excessive blood loss meant he was feeling really dizzy. And the mere pressure from brushing past the Mana attacks caused his bones to tumble as if they were about to break, but regardless of what, Kim Dah-Hyun was enjoying the strongest sense of fulfilment he ever felt.
I am the Path Drifter!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Thats why, stop looking at me with those eyes, alright?!
Im doing better than anyone out there right now. Cant you see that this abominable demon b*stard doesnt know what to do with me? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Mister Dah-Hyun!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs urgent cry stabbed him in the ear just then.
Uh?
Whats up with her? (Kim Dah-Hyuns inner monologue)
Abruptly, he sensed something rapidly approaching him and took a look behind. One of the magic attacks he thought he had nimbly dodged changed its trajectory and was flying back towards him.
Ah....
He knew it right away.
He couldnt dodge that one. And without a doubt, his body wouldnt be strong enough to withstand that attack. In that case, there could only be one end result waiting for him.
Death.
Realising that his death was fast approaching him, Kim Dah-Hyun gritted his teeth.
Although he couldnt avoid dying, his role remained the same, and that would be to endure as long as possible, even if that was for a one thousandth of a second or less.
Kim Dah-Hyun summoned forth all of his strength and flung himself backwards.
If he could just dy the time that magic attack took to kill him, then that would mean Yi Ji-Hyuk gained just as much time to get healed up.
Dah-Som-ah. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns brows rose up high as he red at the magic attack just about to collide against his body. Squeezing his eyes shut the moment he died didnt sit so well with his life philosophy, you see.
Even until his final moments, hed hold his head high!
Kuwaaahk! (Park Sung-Chan)
However, Kim Dah-Hyuns wishes didnte true.
Park Sung-Chan had jumped into its path and, after rousing up as much Ether as he could, he smacked the magic attack away with his fists.
BOOOOM!!!
Along with a heavy impact noise, the magic attack was redirected past their heads.
You stupid b*stard!! (Park Sung-Chan)
Hah?! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Park Sung-Chan spun around once in the air and proceeded to kick Kim Dah-Hyun right there and then.
Ah-ahhk!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Thetter was urately struck down by the formers powerful kick and flew away like a bullet.
Afterwards....
....Having sessfully saved Kim Dah-Hyun, Park Sung-Chan had no choice but to greet the barrage of magic attacks with his body.
Boom!! Bang!! Ka-boom!!
Each of those hits caused enormous explosions as if they were missiles being fired by fighter jets.
Park Sung-Chaaaaaan!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun crashednded on the ground, barely able to raise his head. He roared out in despair as he watched the explosions envelop Park Sung-Chan.
Keuh-euk.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
His legs trembled uncontrobly, but he still forced himself to stand back up.
It was hard to bnce himself now that he was missing an arm, and it was also getting harder to produce his top speed, but there simply wasnt enough time to leisurely lie around like this.
Park Sung-Chan might have died just now.
Even then, he had no time to wallow in sorrow.
Trying to say thank you for saving him was also wasting time.
Again! One more time!
He began running again.
Uwaaaah-!! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Delkaran watched Kim Dah-Hyun run towards itself at full tilt again and shuddered with a fed-up expression on its face.
How dare these weaklings.... (Delkaran)
Didnt humans possess instincts to save themselves?
Were the humans it dealt with in the past this desperate?
Delkaran sensed its own preconception of humans being rocked greatly here. Humans of this worlds were markedly different from those of Berafe, it seemed. But why was that the case?
What is the difference? (Delkaran)
Kim Dah-Hyun with his reddened eyes pounced forward, and Delkaran extended both of its arms out with a roar, its massive magical energy exploding outwardly.
Guhoooooo!!
A ck snake made out of magic cracked open its maw wide and flew towards Kim Dah-Hyun.
Mister Dah-Hyuuuun!! (Seo Ah-Young)
As if to make a mockery of Seo Ah-Youngs cry, Kim Dah-Hyuns body was pounced upon by the giant ck snake far too easily.
< 219. Imma do it my way now -4 > Fin.
Chapter 220: Imma do it my way now (5)
Chapter 220: Imma do it my way now (5)
Keuh-heuk!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body began melting down to resemble a slime.
This doesnt look so good!! (Roabell)
Roabell shouted out in an urgent voice. Even then, Affeldrichae remained steadfast. If this method failed to work, then everyone here would be dead, anyway.
This world would perish, and so would Yi Ji-Hyuk. Might as well take the gamble on the horse with slightly higher odds of sess in the race!
Mister Ji-Hyuk! (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt answer her. But, that was obvious, since a man with all of his voice-rted organs having melted wouldnt be able to squeak out a word, to begin with.
Just a little bit more!! Youve got to endure it for a little bit longer!! (Affeldrichae)
It was the same story for his eardrums, as well. Her words were probably not reaching him at all. So, there was no need to even speak here.
She knew that well enough already.
It was simply unimaginable that a Dragon like her, who based all of her actions in logical reasoning, would do somethingpletely meaningless. In any other normal circumstances, shed never do that.
However, Affeldrichae did have to shout out. Yi Ji-Hyuks ears may not be able to hear her, but she still had to shout out loudly, her voice thicklyden with her earnest plea.
His head slowly rose up. Now looking utterly nightmarish after his skin had melted down, he began roaring without a sound at the heavens above.
And in that moment.
Rumble-!!!
The surrounding Mana and divinity got sucked into his body in an instant.
Ah!! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae gasped out in surprise after witnessing this spectacle.
Mana being sucked in rapidly regenerated Yi Ji-Hyuks body. New bones grew, new muscles were generated in ce of the old; nerve ends grew anew, and skin crept back to their original ces.
Kkeuh-heuk!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even his vocal cords seemed to have found their original position, as pained groans escaped from Yi Ji-Hyuk lips.
Ah.... Ah...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He panted out low, pained moans, but then, his eyes abruptly shot wide open.
tion quickly filled Affeldrichaes face. He had achieved a feat that was, at best, a high-risk gamble. He had endured it. Of course, she couldnt be 100% rxed about the result yet.
His body might have reverted back to his original condition, but it was still too early to confidently say that his mind was unaffected in some way.
It was far toomon to see a person experiencing extreme pain lose their sanity for good. Especially so for Yi Ji-Hyuk, who used to possess an unchanging psyche due to his curse and therefore, potentiallycked the immunity needed for situations like this one.
Affeldrichae cautiously moved closer to take a look at his expression.
There was no need for that, though. Even before she could get to his side, Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth shot wide open and he began screaming at the top of his lungs.
Uwaaaaaah-!!
Seeing him scream like that, Affeldrichaes own expression hardened like a rock.
Could he be....? (Affeldrichae)
Roabell also formed a poor expression as she looked in Affeldrichaes direction.
It couldnt be.
However, this wouldnt have been such a strange urrence, after all. Indeed, he went through such an incredible amount of pain for a sustained period, so it would actually be even more strange for him to maintain his sanity.
No!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that moment, Yi Ji-Hyuks brows rose up high and he extended his hand out.
Wuuuong-!
A small-ish Gate suddenly materialised in front of his outstretched hand.
M-mm? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae flinched as she stared at this unfolding situation.
What could he be trying to achieve here...?
Wuuong!!
Soon, though, battered and bloodied Kim Dah-Hyun rolled out of the Gate and copsed onto the ground. Just before he got swallowed up by Delkarans attack, Yi Ji-Hyuk created a Gate to extract Kim Dah-Hyun out of there.
....!! Heal him! (Affeldrichae)
Although it was hard to figure out what was going on here, Affeldrichae nevertheless needed only a second to realise that Kim Dah-Hyuns condition was really terrible and urged Roabell to get on with healing him.
Thetter didnt hesitate and began pouring out divinity on the unmoving Path Drifter.
Groan... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the meantime, Yi Ji-Hyuks body tilted forward.
Affeldrichae reached out towards him, but he still fell helplessly, face first into the ground.
Mister Ji-Hyuk! (Affeldrichae)
What followed afterwards was his loud, loud screaming.
Aiiiiiigggooooo!! It freaking huuuuurts!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Heol.... (Affeldrichae)
She dazedly stared at this... spectacle.
Yi Ji-Hyuk rolled around on the ground unsightly and kept on crying out loudly.
Aigo!! Ouch!! Im dying, dying!! F******ck me, why the hell did it have to hurt like that?! Seriously man! This is bullsh*t!! Come on, man!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................
Affeldrichaes expression became a bit hard to read next. It seemed to her that if she were to smack the back of his head with a Meteor, then he might regain his sanity for good, so.....
Urgh, I thought I was really dying there! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head hard and took a look at his bodys condition.
Looks like Im all healed up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure you are. (Affeldrichae)
Ohh? Maybe I should do this every now and then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You really want to die, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
That, well... Why do those words sound like they have double meaning to them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Like, if I do something like this again Ill die for real, or youre just going to kill me right here and right now, instead.....
Which one is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
However, he couldnt work up the courage to ask her. If he retorted without thinking too much and got a st of Hellfire to the face, then itd get too hot for his taste, that was why.
Dying?
Ah, right. I might really die. Yup, I could, for real. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Anyways, I was really on the brink just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
mes erupted out of Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes. Putting aside all that pain for a second here, he was seriously on the brink of going into shock.
If he died here, hed not be able to revive again!
Yi Ji-Hyuks burning eyesnded straight on Delkaran.
That son of a bi*ch.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There it was, the source of his pain.
But then again, Delkaran ring back at Yi Ji-Hyuk could not be described as favourable, either.
You d*mn rat-like b*stards! (Delkaran)
Perhaps p*ssed off by Yi Ji-Hyuk saving Kim Dah-Hyun at thest second, Delkaran began gritting its teeth.
Yi Ji-Hyuuuuuk!! (Delkaran)
Hah, d*mn it. Did that stupid snake b*stard lose his sanity or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began to walk towards the demon king in slow, measured steps.
Mister Ji-Hyuk! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae called out to him with a worried voice, but he simply shook his head.
Time to get rid of that b*stard for good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Upon hearing him say that, her eyes trembled greatly.
Where was his confidenceing from?
If he hadnt spent a sizeable chunk of his Mana reserve in the previous attack, they wouldnt even have dared to heal him.
So, him not having enough Mana helped him keep his life, but on the flip side, that meant he didnt even have half of his Mana reserves avable.
He should only be able tounch one more attack like the one he used just now. Worse still, it had been proven that such an attack wouldnt be able to harm the enemy in any meaningful way.
So, what could he be believing in to feel that confident of his chances?
Support him! (Affeldrichae)
Yes.
It was unknown what he was betting on right now. However, she knew that he wasnt acting like this because he finally lost his mind for good.
If it was Yi Ji-Hyuk, she believed he had some kind of a n up his sleeve.
Why? He was Yi Ji-Hyuk, after all.
He was the Bringer of Apocalypse, wasnt he?
He was the man who, as a human possessing nothing, climbed up to the peak of the world with his own powers. Regardless of the situation, he should have found a solution by now.
Oh, you recovered back to how you were? Having a humans physique must be really inconvenient, is it not? It ends up bing a torn rag only from such a little bacsh and all. (Delkaran)
Hahaha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkarans eyes narrowed to a slit.
Hesughing? (Delkaran)
When he was standing before a demon king?
Delkaran felt emotions of anger and an unexinable sense of trepidation at the same time.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had already seen that his attack wouldnt work against the demon king. Yet, he was stillughing? Did he go insane from the terror?
But, that cant be it. (Delkaran)
Unless it was someone else, there was just no way that could be true, especially with Yi Ji-Hyuk. Even if he had been weakened by a great deal, disying such a pathetic sight would sully the title of the 99th demon king.
In that case, what could he be thinking of now?
....I cant figure out whats on your mind. (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly red at Delkaran before opening his mouth.
You cant? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. What are you nning now? (Delkaran)
Youre asking me the obvious thing here. First of all, Im nning to... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out with his right hand.
Rumble....
The ground rumbled noisily. The debris strewn about messily began rising up, and a figure of a person rose up among them before flying in towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was none other than Park Sung-Chans body, wrecked and damaged beyond recognition. Yi Ji-Hyuk carefully observed the unmoving man before sending thetter away towards Roabell.
Hes still alive. Heal him! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Of course. (Roabell)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around, his teeth gritting loudly.
If it werent Park Sung-Chan...
If it werent him who boasted the greatest defensive capabilities within the NDF but someone else C other people would have died ten times over by now. One should really be thankful that he was still breathing somehow.
Secondly, I dont have to tell you what Im thinking of for you to figure it out, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekekeke. (Delkaran)
Delkaran cackled on. The snake heads on its body also trembled along.
You wish to fight me head on? (Delkaran)
Well, something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though you have failed once already? (Delkaran)
Mm, its a bitplicated.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
You see, I now have only one life left. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Is there an existence with two lives, then? (Delkaran)
Just shut up and listen for a second. I now have only one life. Which forced me to be far more cautiouspared to how I was before. Some stuff Id have done without hesitation, now I cant do it anymore. I get worried before doing it, you see? Like, What am I supposed to do if I do this or that and end up causing a big mess? Things like that pop up in my head and that stops me from doing the things I need to do. Whod have thunk that the one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk is a coward now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkarans red eyes wavered for a moment there.
What on earth was this b*stard talking about?
In the past, I didnt give a d*mn about the risks or whatever and did everything at full tilt, but now, Im in a position to worry about risks first. That is why I couldnt choose the best option avable here. What an idiot Ive been. Just one mistake and Id have died anyway. I almost ended up not taking you out with me as a result. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I still cant figure out what youre trying to say here. (Delkaran)
You are not an idiot so you should get it soon enough, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The light in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes slowly lowered.
This world has been invaded by a demon king once already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran wordlessly red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
That signified that another invasion could happen again. I realised that another demon king would cross over, regardless of how long it might take. So, let me ask ya, if you were in my shoes, what would you have done? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Prepare. (Delkaran)
Bingo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly pped his hands.
As expected of a demon king. So smart, I tell ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, you expected someone like me to show up in this world, and made adequate preparations, is that what youre saying? (Delkaran)
I tell you one thing, and you figure out ten more. Arent you a smart cookie. Definitely a demon king. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing that sarcastic tone of voice, Delkaran began gritting its teeth.
For a fool who almost died a minute ago, you sure can run your mouth, cant you? If youve made preparations, why havent you used them already? (Delkaran)
I told you already. And thats why Im regretting it. But, there aint gonna be a reason for regrets anymore, so you can rx now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so. Does that mean I can see this preparation of yours now? (delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned. Thats all he could do right now. It seemed that this dumba*s of a demon king thought Yi Ji-Hyuk was bluffing here.
How dare it?
Hey, Delkaran? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
You should start remembering again who I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tension began filling up Delkarans expression. One sentence from Yi Ji-Hyuk and the demon king had remembered everything that it had forgotten.
Indeed, the enemy before its eyes was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The 99th demon king, and the Berafes Bringer of Apocalypse.
Even if his powers had greatly weakened, the man before its eyes was the worst demon king in the history of demon world who did whatever he felt like it.
It seems that you lot have forgotten about me, havent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Surely, you feared me not because of my power, right?
I mean, power is merely one of the things that made me, me, after all.
Even without power, Im still me.
I guess its time to prove that. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Im going to die anyway, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively and raised both of his hands up high.
You better watch out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even I cant tell whats going to happen now on.
But, I can say one thing for sure.
This will be my first time stepping into this territory, but the ripples from my actions today should be enormous. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well, Imma do it my way now, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that moment, a raging storm of Mana poured out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
< 220. Imma do it my way now -5 > Fin.
Chapter 221: It’ll be quicker to learn with your body! (1)
Chapter 221: Itll be quicker to learn with your body! (1)
The question.
Everything began with a single question.
The folks at the NDF had be stronger.
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuks endless torture and education regime that was tailored to suit each individual did y a part, but there was no way that they would have gotten this strong with only those two factors at y.
No, what really separated the agents of the NDF from other ability users was the introduction of Yi Ji-Hyuks dark Mana.
Dark Mana C the magical power of darkness; the foundation which the demon world was built upon, and created with humanitys negative energy as its basis.
The reason why he decided to inject dark Mana into his subjects was because he became rather curious if they would really get stronger after epting the energy of the darkness.
This idea came about after considering several methods to quickly and efficiently strengthen them, and the results were far beyond Yi Ji-Hyuks expectations.
His dark Manabined with the Ether present within the ability users brought about a noticeable synergistic effect.
He simply wanted to see if the dark Mana could indeed strengthen ones constitution, but ended up gaining an unexpected harvest, instead. To Yi Ji-Hyuk, someone who had lost his former strength, this sure was an interesting development.
Thinking that, as long as he could utilise this finding properly, hed be able to regain some of his former powers C maybe not everything, but just a portion C he began experimenting fusing magical energy with Ether.
The result of that was disyed during the fight against Beltreche.
The final attack almost managing to bring down that particr demon king was Yi Ji-Hyuks brand new weapon, created by fusing Ether and dark Mana. Its destructive power was well above his expectations, but unfortunately, it also almost destroyed his own body in the process.
In simple terms, it was a double-sided de.
But it was at that moment he came up with yet another question.
It was possible to mix magical energy and Ether outside ones body. In that case, didnt that mean he could also fuse magic and Ether inside his body?
Which meant....
What would happen if Yi Ji-Hyuk fused magical energy and Ether inside his body, just like with everyone else?
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The result was unknown. Even he couldnt tell for sure. However, he didnt dare try it.
He could control other ability users so he injected just the right amount of dark Mana into their bodies C as much as they could deal with, in other words. However, it was a different story with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The amount of Mana residing within his body couldnt bepared to what was injected into theirs. Also, the amount of Ether in his body had increased exponentially since his return to Earth, too.
If he hadnt gone to Berafe and became a wizard, then no doubt, hed have awakened as an ability user by now. Thats how much Ether had piled up within his body.
So, what might happen if those two powers fused into one?
....Ill probably die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had no clue what might happen during the process, but the end result seemed to be a foregone conclusion. His body wouldnt be able to endure it.
The agents of the NDF experienced their bodies crumbling apanied by an incredible amount of pain after fusing with only a tiny amount of dark Mana.
In that case, wasnt it pretty obvious what the result of Yi Ji-Hyuk fusing all of his Mana with his Ether would be like? Besides, it was also unknown what kind of an effect the process would have on his mind, too.
For instance, if it resulted in him going insane, then Earth would be destroyed by his own hands, instead.
That was why...
....He didnt even dare to experiment until now. All he could do to was to theorise it in his head. Unfortunately, he couldnt dy it any further.
He was left with only three options C one, him destroying Earth, two, Delkaran doing that for him, or three, them all perishing together....
Who cares. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks contemtive rended on Delkaran next.
Right now, he was at his most cold-headed mental state. He might be driven to an untenable position of having to take a gamble of his lifetime as death barrelled down on him, but his mind was as calm as the still surface of ake.
Guooo....
Mana oozing out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body swirled and danced around him.
There should be a way to fuse inside his body, but he hadnt tried it yet. The best he could do under the circumstances was to extract Mana outside and then push it back in while blending it with his Ether, just like how it was done with other NDF agents.
Fuu.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked in a deep, but quiet breath.
I mean, all that can happen to me is dying, right?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All the Mana swirling around him suddenly got sucked back inside.
Keuk!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Vessels bulged within his eyes. Mana coursed throughout his body and began fusing with Ether sleeping within his body. Thunderps resounded within his ears and sparks of mes seemed to go on a riot in his vision.
However, the pain itself wasnt as great as he feared.
Was it because he already had a really high pain threshold?
Maybe, experiencing the extreme pain that a person could realistically go through earlier on mustve helped him to deal with the new pain he was worried about.
No, what he couldnt really deal with was....
....Oiii, Seo Ah-Young. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Didnt you tell me before that, once I inject you with dark Mana, you be really angry, hateful, get heated up and your desire to destroy boils over? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, thats right. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm... Right. So, thats what happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is something wrong? Wait, you cant control them?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm, well, thats not the issue, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
I dont feel anything, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Not just Seo Ah-Young, but other agents began staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk with weird eyes.
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its not that surprising, if you think about it.
Im already deeply stained by dark Mana, right?
You could just name it a Chronic dark Mana addiction or some such. Anyways, theres only one thing worth noting here. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
There could be one of the two reasons why he didnt sense any changes in his mental state when dark Mana entered his body.
One, his brain was so strong that he could ably withstand such changes in his mind. Unfortunately, that was rather imusible, so...
....Nope, Im just crazy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This meant that, either he had been always living with this chronic desire to destroy something, or had felt quite differently from everyone else.
Yup, Im really insane, arent I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whichever it was, both of them meant he was not normal. He always suspected that he was not of the right mind, but now that it was confirmed for good, he really felt hollow and dirty inside.
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and red at Delkaran.
What a relief that I do have a nice lil target to vent my anger on. No, hang on a bit. Maybe, me feeling this dirty and stuff could be because of the rage bubbling on without a reason like these other people, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont understand what rubbish youre trying to spew out here. (Delkaran)
Delkarans sharp eyes red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ive been as patient as I can. (Delkaran)
Correction. You werent being patient, but rather, you couldnt make a move. Because, you didnt know what I was going to do. Am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Think whatever you want. (Delkaran)
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks lips arched up.
So, then. How should he go about making mincemeat out of this little adorable demon king that the rumours of his feats would reach the ears in the truly far-flungnds?
No, well. He should totally rip that dude apart in a thousand little pieces as to prevent any ol demon kings from even entertaining ideas of crossing over to this world, no?
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly shook his head left and right, and marched straight towards Delkaran.
Hes getting closer? (Delkaran)
The demon king was suddenly beset with this sense of confusion.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was a sorcerer.
A sorcerer was an existence that required a safe distance. No matter how perfect one was as a sorcerer, one still needed to chant and/or make hand signs. Even if one was a sorcerer that had surpassed that level and reached the top of the pile, one would still need to spend some time to emit Mana, transform it, and fire it away.
The shorter the time was, the greater the sorcerer one would be.
The thing was, though, even if that time needed was really short, high-levelled opponents would always be able to use that gap to their advantage.
Yi Ji-Hyuk also knew this, and that was why he resorted to controlling a horde of monsters and nurtured the agents of the NDF to surround himself with, all for the sake of filling up the gap during casting his magic spells.
But then, he was willingly closing up the distance?
What are you trying to do now? (Delkaran)
Delkaran simply couldnt understand it, but still chose to walk towards Yi Ji-Hyuk as well.
Step.
The two beings distance closed up gradually.
Step.
At the same time, a heavy silence descended on the world.
Eventually, Yi Ji-Hyuk and Delkaran reached a distance where they could touch each other by simply extending ones hand.
And finally, one more step was taken.
Delkaran and Yi Ji-Hyuk became so close that their faces could almost touch.
Have you finally let go of your sanity? (Delkaran)
Delkaran mocked its opponent, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply formed a mocking grin of his own.
Arent you a mage type, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im a demon. Im not a human saddled with weak flesh like you. (Delkaran)
Oh, in that case, shouldnt you be celebrating now? I made things so much more advantageous for you, havent I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I truly cannot decipher whats on your mind. (Delkaran)
Swish, swish...
All the snake heads protruding from Delkarans body hissed, their forked tongues threateningly poking out. It was a rather grotesque scene resembling that of hundreds of worms wriggling about from a bluish body, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt give a rats a*s about it.
Mm, not really sure how to exin it to you, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Their res were now colliding violently as if to spark actual, physical mes.
Its like, Im a physical-enhancement type ability user, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm? (Delkaran)
I thought it was a bit strange. My body was tougher than normal, you see? Ive never given it too much thought until now. I mean, back then, my body regenerating to full was the most obvious thing in the world, so I had no idea what would happen if a normal person got struck by those attacks. But when I thought about it for a while, it became clear that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned meaningfully.
If I wasnt a physical-enhancement type ability user, Id have died several times over by now. Thats when I realised it. Im a sorcerer that uses Mana, but at the same time, Im a physical type ability user, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran didnt know what being an ability user really meant, but the demon king still could more or less figure out what Yi Ji-Hyuk was trying to say. So, his body had been enhanced somehow?
Is that what you are believing in? (Delkaran)
Mm, looks like you still havent fully digested it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young got to disy the firepower over five times her norm with nothing but a minute amount of dark Mana. As for Park Sung-Chan, only a tiny bit of that dark magical energy allowed him to enjoy an amazing level of defence that made it possible to survive an all-out attack by a demon king.
In that case, what would happen if Yi Ji-Hyuks Ether was reinforced by magical energy?
Well, that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cocked his head once and twisted his body.
....Itll be quicker to learn with your body! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KWA-BOOM!!
In that moment, Yi Ji-Hyuks right straight jabnded on the right side of Delkarans face. And then, apanied by the sound of a bomb going off, the demon kings body became a streak of asteroid as it flew away, before crashing into the ground with a loud crack.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA!!
Delkaran continued to slide away while creating a huge gouge in the ground of London before eventually forming a huge crater at the end of its sudden trip.
HMM?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched that spectacle and flinched a little.
Wowsers, thats awesome. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I never expected it to be this much, you know..... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even if Delkaran wasnt a physical-type close range demon king, whod think that it flew away like a home run struck by Babe Ruth??
Wow! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It felt like a knot in his heart came undone just now.
He became really strong after getting his hands on Mana, sure, but back in the early days of him wandering around in Berafe, he tried to learn countless martial techniques to get stronger somehow.
He wanted to be a knight, but couldnt go past being a second-rate. He wanted to be one of those wandering hidden experts, but even on that journey, got stuck around being a second rate, too.
He then tried to be a ranger, but couldnt even get to being a second-rate, and when he tried to be a bare-knuckle fighter, he never got past being a third-rate.
Because, he didnt have any Mana.
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt gather Mana through regr means. So, no matter how many martial techniques he learnt, he simply couldnt use Mana to enhance them the way they were meant to be.
Later in his life, he became the possessor of dark Mana and naturally, tried to utilise those techniques, but too bad C the nature of dark Mana was too different from that of the regr Mana and couldnt be applied to physical-type abilities.
But now C finally!!
After returning to this world and by being able to use Ether, Yi Ji-Hyuk was finally given the foothold to use all those techniques designed to enhance his physical capabilities.
Although, its kinda too bad that it has to be kept short. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In a certain sense, here came his opportunity to vent out his frustration on one long-a*s resentment hed been lugging around in his heart.
Hey, you dead yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on and leisurely approached where Delkaran had crashed into.
Kuwahhhhh-!!
And in that instant, hundreds of snakes shot out from that crater in question and flew towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
< 221. Itll be quicker to learn with your body! -1 > Fin.
Chapter 222: It’ll be quicker to learn with your body! (2)
Chapter 222: Itll be quicker to learn with your body! (2)
Argh, thats hot! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw dozens of snake-like shapes flying towards him and jumped up in the air.
For now, lightly eva.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
BOOM!!
A huge crater suddenly formed in the ground and his body shot up into the air at a scarcely-believable velocity.
I said lightly!!! LIGHTLY!!
I know this is supposed to be my body, but how can you not know what lightly means?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He was thinking of lightly, but the end result could definitely not be called lightly at all as he was now performing a really high jump. His much-enhanced body was not under his full, exacting control just yet, it seemed.
And Delkaran certainly didnt miss this opening.
Guooooh-!!
The snakes brushing past him quickly changed their directions and shot towards Yi Ji-Hyuk up in the air.
Hul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
During a fight, it waspletely forbidden to jump in the air where it was impossible to control ones body. Countless knights jumped up, just like Yi Ji-Hyuk had done now, only to get toyed around to death.
....By Yi Ji-Hyuks own hands, no less.
Back then, he ridiculed them for being so dumb, yet here he was, doing the exact same thing.
Wowsers. So, when your body bes like this, you naturally want to do this, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He always wondered why those knights did something so stupid, but as it turned out, when ones strength level rose up, it became easier to dodge upwards rather than to the side. And that was why he also ended up jumping straight up, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuk inwardly apologised to all those knights he ridiculed for being dumba*ses.
Yup, this hyung didnt know until now.
Why didnt you all say something, though? Id never have made fun of you all then. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He was casually thinking of some things that might make those involved hurl a torrent of abuse in his direction were they to hear him.
Now isnt the time to think about other c**p, though.
I gotta evade these things, so. Mmm....
What did those knights do to dodge when in simr situations like this one? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk forced his brain to recall the memories from his past, but the only stuff being brought back up were the sights of various knights getting pummelled by his magic and getting killed in the air.
O-oii....
Thats gonna be troublesome, aint it?
Hang on, does that mean Im gonna get pummelled by those things, too?
But, my bones and flesh will get crushed, though??? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He immediately recognised that things were going downhill real fast and shouted out at the top of his lungs.
Afffffffeeeeel!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae, observing the unfolding situation from the ground, spat out a lengthy groan and began making hand signs.
Just when will he be dependable, I wonder.....? (Affeldrichae)
Her emotions would always be a mixed bag whenever she was looking at him. She definitely respected him for what he had aplished so far. And because of that, she also believed that hed be able to aplish anything, too.
However! Why oh why, looking at his everyday actions made him look so undependable? In that case, shed prefer to see the end result to be sub-par, too!
The thing was, he continued to produce results after results even though he acted so untrustworthy. Just how was she to go about assessing this situation, then?
Whew.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae groaned out, which was uncharacteristic for a Dragon, and extended her hand out.
Wuuuong!
An impact wave created with a simple hand sign flew towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What the hell?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He saw what was flying at him and hurriedly cast Shield around his body.
Bang!!
Like a baseball being struck by a bat, he was hit by the impact force and flew out of range of the snakes pouncing up from underneath, beforending back on the solid ground.
Couldnt you have thought of a safer way?! You dang roughneck lizard woman!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And he stillins. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae shook her head helplessly.
In any case, fighting alongside him always seemed to pervert the situation somehow.
Whether they were on opposing sides or asrades, it was rather hard to work up ones tension during a fight when Yi Ji-Hyuk was around.
We are still in the middle of fighting a demon king, arent we? (Affeldrichae)
Before Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance, an advent of a demon king was enough to bring about a gloomy atmosphere akin to the apocalypse to entire Berafe.
Under the intense, choking pressure, everyone gritted their teeth and for the sake of their survival, aided one another and did everything in their power.
But now, here was a demon king making its descent just like in the past, yet...
Hey, you stinking snake b*stard! Youre supposed to admire the cool scene of a dude flying up high in the air, you know!! Dont you know what living a cultured life is supposed to be?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichaes expression hardened visibly to a naked eye.
Right now, its the same situation, yet...
Why does the atmosphere feel so different?
Does he know what being serious even means?? (Affeldrichaes inner monologue)
....Ive also bex, too. (Affeldrichae)
The fact that she was thinking of stuff like this could only mean she herself wasnt feeling all that tense even under the current situation. Affeldrichae reflected on herckadaisical attitude and shook her head.
In any case, hespletely beyond help. (Affeldrichae)
Her eyes nowtched onto the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk, a slimy smile on his face, walking towards where Delkaran was.
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head swayed this way and that, and with a wonderfully exemry walking posture for any thugs out there to take note, he approached Delkaran in cheery steps.
....Thats amazing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons body shuddered upon seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk behave like that.
What could this be?
This, this strange, weird feeling?
It was like C like, seeing a man who used to wear clothes that didnt quite fit properly throw off those ungainly apparels and put on the right-sized ones instead for the first time.
So, howe.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young provided the timely support from the side.
That suits him amazingly well, doesnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh. Youre right. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, that had to be it.
Choi Jung-Hoon began nodding his head without noticing it himself.
Truth be told, there always had been this sense of discord regarding Yi Ji-Hyuk. He acted exactly like a local low-rent thug most of the time, yete battle time, hed stay away and go pew-pew with his magic spells, so how could anyone not feel weirded out by that?
Plus, witnessing that rather memorable scene of Yi Ji-Hyuks first fight probably yed a big part in Choi Jung-Hoons mind, too.
The scenes of him climbing up on top of a Goblin to pound it to death, as well as using hand-to-handbat to beat up a Builder Monkey still remained vivid in Choi Jung-Hoons brain, so seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk shoot magic from a distance brought about a subtle but persistent case of disharmony in him.
Whether one was looking at his personality or his everyday behaviour, didnt Yi Ji-Hyuk seem like the type to pursue the tactic of running straight into the frontline and perform hit-and-run just to drive the enemies up the wall with anger?
The image in Choi Jung-Hoons mind was finally matching up with the current Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Just take a gander at that thug-like gait! Look! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Hehehehet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be enjoying himself.
Oh, you awake now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran staggered back to upright position, its pair of brightly-burning, wavering eyes ring straight back at him.
Aigoo~, so scary! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His mouth also didnt seem to take a break, either. Delkaran spoke with a tone of voice that sounded like teeth gnashing in anguish.
You b*stard!! (Delkaran)
Aigoo~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on.
Would you hear yourself? You really are itching to devour me whole, arent you? What happened to all your leisurely demeanour now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh!!! (Delkaran)
Delkaran was in the middle of a great fluster.
The damage suffered from Yi Ji-Hyuks attack hadnt fully recovered yet. It was a simple, in-looking right straight, yet during the moment of impact, Delkaran thought its head might fly away.
What sort of destructive power is this?! (Delkaran)
It was still a demon king worthy of that title.
Before it climbed up to this position, it had experienced countless battles, and even after bing a demon king, it still had to fight countless more battles. Amongst its enemies, there had been many demons that pushed their physical bodies to the extreme as well. The destructive power those enjoyed did prove to be threatening even to Delkaran.
But, even then, their attacks didnt manage to shake Delkaran to its core like this. It was shocked not by the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk used his body to attack, no, but from that unexpectedly high destructive power.
*SFX for a wound aching. Yes, theres a word for that in Korean.*
Its still-recovering cheek ached painfully. Its head felt dizzy, too.
How dare you!! (Delkaran)
Delkaran red at Yi Ji-Hyuk with pure rage. He simply formed a sly grin and replied.
Its way too surprising, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Im sure it is. Even Im surprised, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt lying, of course.
Even he was feeling somewhat taken aback right now. It was a bit of a spur-of-the-moment thing, and he sure as heck didnt expect to see his experimentation to bear such a fruit.
Indeed, he was thinking of being happy if he got barely enough power to contend against this one demon king, that was all.
But, to think, Id end up like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It felt quite surreal to him.
It also felt like there was this pit ofva continuously boiling inside his body. It was a different type of sensationpared to the pleasure he felt when endless amount of Mana flowed into him.
An emotion quite different from the sense of pure satisfaction was causing Yi Ji-Hyuk to feel all excited and giddy.
This is a great feeling. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks tongue slid out and licked his lips.
Tendency-wise, I think this suits me better.
In that case....
Should we find out how much it suits me better? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He even had a perfect test subject right in front of him, too. He was talking about a wonderful test subject called demon king, something that couldnt be found even if one went searching for it.
You better be careful now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cuz, I cant control my powers yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
BOOM!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped the ground with his foot. However, no one would say that the resulting shockwave was light at all. Yet another massive crater caved into the ground and the whole world trembled as if an earthquake broke out.
Keuh!! (Delkaran)
Too bad, Delkaran didnt even have enough leeway to deal with all this shaking. Before the earthquake could get to it, Yi Ji-Hyuk had already arrived before the demon kings nose.
And his tightly-clenched fist was drawing a straight line towards Delkarans face. The demon king clearly saw all these unfold.
However, there mustve been a sizeable gap between the rate of perceiving it and its body reacting to the threat, because even though the eyes could see, Delkaran couldnt avoid this punch.
F*ck m.... (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuks straight punch connected splendidly with Delkarans face once more.
There was no sound. Not initially.
Only after Delkarans body shot back like a cannon shell did the ear-bursting explosion of noise resound throughout thend.
BAAAANG!!!
And then, a loud sonic boom exploded right behind Yi Ji-Hyuk, too. He dashed forward at a speed far surpassing the sound itself, so the resulting sonic boom only arrived well after he came to stop.
BOOOOM-!!
Delkaran body flying away seemed to have broken past the speed of sound as well, loud echoes of sonic booms continuously exploding out as it got further and further away.
Keuh~! This isnt even an orchestra, yet...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although a bit monotonous, couldnt this be at least on the level of a choir now?
Boom! Bang! Crash! Thud!
Like a thrown stone skipping on thekes surface, Delkarans body bounced around the ground as it flew away. Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned ominously as he watched that before kicking the ground.
Ka-boom!!
He caught up in less than a blink and proceeded to punch Delkaran into the ground.
BOOOOM-!!
The demon king mmed into earth, and the whole world rocked viciously.
Uwaaah!! That crazy idiot...!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Be careful!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Debris, both big and small shot out like meteors in all directions.
Seo Ah-Young pulled Choi Jung-Hoon in and hurriedly jumped down toy t on the ground. The impact force was so enormous that the resulting debris flew right past just above their heads like bullets.
Whooooosh-!!
The debris shooting past created vacuum in its path and sucked in the air, causing their clothes to p around.
What the heck was all that?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That crazy b*stard!! (Seo Ah-Young)
These two people just couldnt get a grip on their panicking hearts.
It was already a matter worthy of great fluster that Yi Ji-Hyuk transformed into a brawler all of a sudden; yet, what on earth was up with this destructive power, too?
Every time he punched, an impact force that easily exceeded bombs and straight into the realms of ballistic missiles exploded out.
Euh, euh.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon somehow managed to push himself up from the ground. Yi Ji-Hyuk was pounding down with both of his fists where Delkarans body should be.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!!
As his continuous barrage of punchesnded, the ground caved in as if it was made up of regr soil and his figure began sinking lower and lower.
Am I dreaming this right now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Didnt this world have something calledws of physics?!
Stop digging the ground with your fists!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Euh-hahahahahat!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whether he knew what Choi Jung-Hoon was thinking about or not, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply continued to pound the ground away.
Hes really excited, isnt he? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....His true nature has finally revealed itself, I think. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shook her head in helplessness.
That guy, he might have been stingy, rude, and a genius when it came to tormenting other people, but he didnt really show any violent tendencies so that did count as his saving grace, but now....
But now, what he was doing there, that was definitely the sight belonging to the God of Violence!
Hes literally beating up a demon king like a dog. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with disbelieving eyes.
Wasnt that thing supposed to be a demon king?
They had to give their utmost everythingst time when fighting against Beltreche and still, almost died back then. However, the situation had changed far, far too much now.
Where did this change evene from?
Wuuuong-!!
It was then, a powerful burst of light exploded from beneath Yi Ji-Hyuks feet.
< 222. Itll be quicker to learn with your body! -2 > Fin.
Chapter 223: It’ll be quicker to learn with your body! (3)
Chapter 223: Itll be quicker to learn with your body! (3)
Uwaahh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A massive clump of light quite literally blew Yi Ji-Hyuk away.
He rose up high into the air and iled about helplessly before somehow regaining his bnce. He urgently took a look back at the ground.
Keuh-euh.... (Delkaran)
Delkaran and its utterly messed-up figure was ring up at Yi Ji-Hyuk in the sky.
A measly human dares to!! (Delkaran)
Its previous calm demeanour long gone now, the demon king was shuddering with profound rage. Every single snake head sprouting out from its body revealed their razor-sharp fangs, screeching noisily with their maws wide open.
A human!! A human!! A human dares to...!! (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
Does this guy have some kind of a human-o-phobia or something? Still repeating Human this, human that? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Fuu! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And, doing something so stupid, too.
You shouldnt have blown me away, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
There would have been some meaning in creating distance between itself and a close-range fighter. But it mustve known that doing so would only be in Yi Ji-Hyuks favour, surely?
He cackled and quickly formed hand seals. ck Mana poured out in thick strands from his body.
Uwaaaah-!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana mushroomed out of his body, apanied by his pained grunts and gathered in front of him.
Die!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He shouted out and the clump of Mana formed a violent, powerful whirlpool as it flew towards Delkaran.
Kuwaaaaah-!!
It was spinning so viciously that it felt as if the surrounding space was distorting and twisting apart.
Keu-euhk!! (Delkaran)
Delkaran saw that spectacle and hurriedly spun around to run away from that spot.
Kwa-du-du-du-duk!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks Mana bullet prated into the ground like a high-powered drill.
Tap!
Hended lightly back on the ground and whistled, impressed by what he saw.
Hey, isnt this somewhat convenient? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
If the enemy tried to get close, just pummel the living daylights out of it. If they wanted to create distance, well, just fling some magic at it, then.
He had been doing whatever he could do to create as much distance from his opponents all his life, so right now, he felt like shedding a silent tear or two from his overflowing emotions.
Who would have thought that being able to do both close-range attacks and long-distance attacks would be this convenient?
I spent a thousand years doing hardbour for nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only he went over to Berafe after his Ether concentration had grown above average, then his return trip back to Earth would havee around at least five hundred years early!
He felt deep regret for the past that couldnt be changed at this stage.
Besides all that....
Oho, you dodged that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A cackle automatically leaked out of his mouth.
These creatures called demon kings were well known for their strong pride. Even if he used to be a demon king like others, they still wouldnt have thrown away the notion that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt up to their ss anymore.
Itd have been a different story when he was still the Bringer of Apocalypse. Because, they would have witnessed with their own eyes the spectacr sight of ones body disintegrating into atomic molecules when facing head-on one of Yi Ji-Hyuks attacks back then.
They would have tripped over each other to get away from him, but now...
...Itd be a different story now.
Starting with Beltreche, and now, even Delkaran.
Not once did they try to dodge Yi Ji-Hyuks attacks. There should have been a variety of reasons why that was so, chief among which were their pride being wounded if they had to evade the human-ified Yi Ji-Hyuks attacks.
However, Delkaran had, for the first time ever, had to run away from his attack.
Oh, hey! How does it feel like to run away from the attacks of a measly little human now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk mocked the demon king.
....You b*stard!! (Delkaran)
Delkaran was so enraged that it was on the verge of losing its reasoning.
Just how could this happen? Yi Ji-Hyuk was a fearsome existence. Delkaran knew this fact very well. However, the reason why he was so feared was because as a Sorcerer, he wielded an unlimited amount of Mana.
The moment his Mana supply had be restricted, he had fallen well below even that of a regr demon, never mind a demon king! Meaning, the current him shouldnt pose any sort of threat to Delkaran.
What is happening here?! (Delkaran)
Not too long ago, Yi Ji-Hyuk did something strange to himself, and the aura emitted by his body changed then. The sizeable reserve of dark Mana wasbined with minute level of strange energy form that was hardly detectable and they morphed into something else.
Just what did you do?? (Delkaran)
Delkaran knew nothing about Ether, so it couldnt understand this change.
You think youll get it even if I exin it to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youvebined the two different energies? (Delkaran)
Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran shook its head, evidently still not getting the full picture.
There mustve been a big risk inbining two different energy forms! You did that, but your body hasnt copsed and can endure it?! (Delkaran)
....Arent you a sharp cookie? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
The demon kings assertion wasnt wrong.
Didnt the boys and gals of the NDF suffer from unimaginable pain and go through copsing of their body and mind from just a little bit of dark Mana mixing in with their Ether? Currently, he might not be having any issues, but the longer this fight dragged on, even Yi Ji-Hyuks body would end uppletely destroyed.
As for the result of that, well....
It wouldnt be any worse than dying, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He started this whole thing without a concrete n, and surely, the aftermath would be one hell of a thing.
He might even die, too.
You dont care if you die or not, is that it?! (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on. Seriously now, these creatures called demon kings, they were just so indecipherable, werent they?
What the heck... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They were also beyond onesprehension, too.
Why are you even worried about that, you dumb crazy snake b*stard? You should be worried about yourself, instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Even if I die, itll be after killing you, so this aint something you should be worried about, you see? In any case, you demon kings can be really nosy all the time. Even Eru...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, hang on a sec.
Why was I even thinking of muttering that womans name? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Keu-hmm!
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly formed a serious expression and began walking forward again.
Actually, even Im a bit scared, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What would happen with more time wasted was anyones guess. So, he should start to get serious about ripping apart that rather unlikeable stinking ball of snakes.
Thats why! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His body shot forward like a bullet once more.
Affected by dark Mana, his irises were ckened to an unbelievable degree, as blood vessels in his eyeballs ruptured to dye the previously-white areas in the crimson red hue.
Kuwaaaahhh-!!!
What he did just now seemed to transcend moving through space and into the realm of actuallypressing it, instead. Yi Ji-Hyuk appeared before Delkaran as if he had folded the existing space, and he tried to smack the demon king.
You! (Delkaran)
Delkaran somehow managed to evade his fist and spun its body around.
Oh, my? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then did a splendid roundhouse kick that flew in towards the demons head.
You d*mn insignificant b*stard!! (Delkaran)
Snake heads standing up on Delkarans body stretched out and tried to bite Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hundreds of snakes pounced on him all at the same time. He didnt even hesitate for a second and threw himself down to the ground.
He rolled on the ground for a long while and moved about 100 metres away or so, before standing back up while dusting himself off.
Wow, now that is convenient. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the demon king was fighting this way, close-range battles would be harder....
How can you go 100 metres by rolling on the ground? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon muttered in an energy-less voice.
The fight unfolding before his eyes was something that easily transcended a humansmon sense.
Choi Jung-Hoon always thought that he had seen his fair share of wacky fights fought by various ability users, but this battle? He just couldnt understand what the heck was going on.
The dude that was standing so far away shed and arrived as if he was teleporting, then just one hit resulted in the demon flying away for over a kilometre, then the dude rolled on the ground for freaking one hundred metres next.
Even if such scenes were shot for a movie, they would all be rejected for being too unrealistic. However, it was happening for real right before his eyes.
You have any popcorn? (Seo Ah-Young)
....I shall have them ready next time. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon didnt have enough energy to get riled up from Seo Ah-Youngs jokes. No, his remaining energy reserve would have to be utilised for the purpose of nagging from the sidelines.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you also have tentacles, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He loudly shouted out.
Oh..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk went Oopsie, just then. He got way too hyped up about his reinforced body and forgot to utilise the rest of his arsenal properly.
Well, this is my first time getting up close and personal, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that I think about it, hes right, isnt he?
You aint the only with snakes up his sleeve here.
I also have tentacles!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Youd normally use your tentacles like some pervert, so what gives?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs loud yell triggered Yi Ji-Hyuk real hard and he shot an angry re.
A pervert?!
Who you calling a pervert, when I havent done anything remotely like that with my tentacles??
You think everyone using tentacles are perverts?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had always been conscious of this little part about him, but now that she managed to urately poke him in the sore spot, he got properly ticked off.
Should I really use them like a pervert, then?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Apologies. (Seo Ah-Young)
After sessfully crushing Seo Ah-Young, he shifted his gaze over to Delkaran.
Looky here, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
This fights been dragged out long enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now normally, a fight would beprised of a series of blitzkriegs. So, wasting time like this was a definite no-no.
Shouldnt we put an end to this now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-heuh! You b*stard! Are you looking down on me?! (Delkaran)
Why act like youre so surprised? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since when did I ever respect the likes of you?
Hey, listen well. Im Yi Ji-Hyuk, you dumb son of a b*tch. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How dare a no-name demon king not even on my level pretend to be a big man in front of me?
If you forgot, then its time to remind you.
Remind you just who I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Wudududuk!
Jet-ck tentacles extended out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body like vines.
Urgh, so revolting! (Seo Ah-Young)
That dang wench! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suppressed his attention trying to shift over to Seo Ah-Young and kept his re locked onto Delkaran.
Now wasnt the time to fool around.
He might have the upper hand now, but he didnt know what would happen to his body if this went on for any longer. Wasnt itmon sense to get hit in the back of ones head if one didnt properly finish something when he had the chance?
So, finish it properly!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ck-coloured Mana oozed out from his body next.
It flowed out like roiling smoke and travelled up his figure before creating a pair of huge wings seemingly made out of ck mes.
Here Ie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You better watch out.
Cuz, even I dont know whats gonna happen for real now! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Khuawaaaaah-!!
The moment Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth, his figure flew forward like a bullet once more. The wings of ck mes spread wide open, and at the same time, his tentacles began to thrust forward as well.
Delkarans entire figure shuddered after seeing that sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk drawing ever closer.
Hes the devil. (Delkaran)
The demon kings thoughts were correct.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was a human, but he was far, far more demonic than any other demon out there, and perhaps even more so, a true devil.
Seeing the flying Yi Ji-Hyuk, Delkaran got to vividly experience a rather unfamiliar emotion called fear.
Kuwaaaahh!! (Delkaran)
The pride of being a demon king, as well as a high-ranking demon, drove it to the brink of madness. Every single snake head on Delkarans body opened their maws wide and began oozing out strands of reddish Mana. At the same time, Delkaran itself became a streak of red meteor and shot forward towards Yi Ji-Hyuk to crash into him.
Wuuuuoong-!!
As the two extremely powerful beings flew towards one another, their surroundings werepletely blown away.
Uwaaah?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young hurriedly held onto Choi Jung-Hoon tightly.
The shock waves generated from the two approaching each other caused the ground to flip, and dirt as well as rocks flew up into the air. It was as if gravity ceased to exist.
Or, maybe, like the inside of a humongous shaker and everything was being shaken around at random.
Hold on tight!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young pulled Choi Jung-Hoon in tightly and smacked away a piece of debris flying in their way.
What the hell?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes caught the collision of the two figures. Two demon kingspressing space in an instant and collided while shooting out magical energy towards each other.
No sounds could be heard now.
Choi Jung-Hoon simply watched the spectacle in a daze. His ruptured eardrums couldnt catch anything, anyway. Maybe that was for the best.
If he did hear that noise, he might have lost his consciousness from its impact alone.
ck-coloured Mana and red Mana collided and rose up in a spiral.
The rising column of arge dust devil!
Two different Mana types collided and created a ginormous tornado. This dance of red and ck-coloured dust devil eerily ascended up into the air like an evil Dragon making its appearance in this world.
Ah, aaah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon waspletely dazed by the sight of something that surely didnt belong in this world.
This was a battle between two demon kings. A fight where the fate of the world was hanging on the bnce.
Who won?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes shot open wider.
He could pretty much tell it already. In the case Yi Ji-Hyuk was defeated here, the fate of Earth would be as good as over.
Just what was the rest of humanity supposed to do against existences that could cause such phenomena as if it were the most natural thing in the world?
This wasnt even a direct attack, but just shock waves generated from the collision and those were enough to level the city of London to ashes!
This was not something a human could do!
Who?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons gaze was hurriedly fixed on the silhouette revealing itself at the foot of the choking dust devil.
< 223. Itll be quicker to learn with your body! -3 > Fin.
(TL: In Korean, dust devil is actually named so much cooler C its direct trantion is Dragon punch wind. No, Im not joking. Howme is dust devilpared to that??)
Chapter 224: It’ll be quicker to learn with your body! (4)
Chapter 224: Itll be quicker to learn with your body! (4)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cried out Yi Ji-Hyuks name with a voice filled with happiness and relief. Indeed, the person emerging from the scattering dust devil was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
Even though he was shuddering from joy, Choi Jung-Hoon still scanned the vicinity in a hurry.
And the demon king? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just where was Delkaran?
Not too long after, his searching eyes caught the figure of Delkaran. A roughly humanoid figure copsed on its knees could be seen before Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He brought it down? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon narrowed his eyes and look better. Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk cracked his neck this way and that.
Well, a demon king is still a demon king, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran stared at him with dumbfounded eyes after hearing that deration. Was that something a man who reduced a demon king to a dying mess with one hit should be saying?
I always thought that you werent really all that much to write home about even as a demon king, but well, I almost died here. I should praise you for that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Delkaran formed a despondent expression.
This human drove it to the steps of death, yet for some reason, it couldnt bring itself to hate him. Sure, it was a bit strange for a demon to hate humans, but the truth was, Delkaran wasnt the type to harbour hatred towards its opponent just because it lost in a fight.
Instead of that, it began focusing on Yi Ji-Hyuks attitude.
...On his endless arrogance and viciousness that continued to make fun of the defeated. It came about so naturally to him.
He was like this in the past, too. (Delkaran)
If the Bringer of Apocalypse didnt possess such a personality, he wouldnt have gone around smashing apart the demon world as he pleased. The peace that had returned there after his powers went away now disyed clear signs of fracture.
Did you hide your true powers while fighting Beltreche? (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Delkarans hushed question and scratched his head with a bit of sheepish expression.
No, well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How should he go about exining this?
Well, its like this. Like, Im fighting crazy-hard with a handgun, but then, I look back and there it is, an M60. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where would you even run into a situation like that?! (the Author)
....Handgun? M60? (Delkaran)
M-mm. I guess that went over your head. Okay, so. Its like, Im flinging fireballs around, but then, I thrust my hand inside my pocket only to find a scroll for a Meteor spell in there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats still apletely inadequate type of exnation. (Delkaran)
Its hard to make you understand, so just take it as it is. Im being gracious here since youre already on your way anyhow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So annoying, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk muttered unhappily, while Delkaran was chuckling in a hushed voice.
In any case, fine. The 99th demon king.... No, human Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Delkaran)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the dying Delkaran with still eyes. Even when considering the tenacious vitality of demon kinds, it was nigh-on impossible to regenerate from the giant hole stretching from ones shoulder right down to its groin.
And since Delkarans actual body crossed over, not its avatar, the only thing waiting for it was a definite and final death.
As long as that great one wishes for your death, the demon world will never let you be. Im merely the beginning. Im sure you know this already? (Delkaran)
Seriously, I can feel it just by standing here... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked softly.
You lot called demon kings do seem to have a ton of affection. You are about to die, yet youre also worried about someone else, too. Im grateful, tho. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He said he was grateful, but Delkaran could easily catch onto the thick sarcasm permeating his words.
I shall be waiting for you on the other side. (Delkaran)
Lifeforce gradually ebbed away from Delkarans body.
Seeing the demon king slowly crumble starting from its toes, Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a long sigh.
Why did you even bother to show up here only to get killed off? You couldve just stayed back home and lived. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats just how we demons are like. (Delkaran)
What an idiot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt this inexplicable sorrow.
If he didnt possess the power of immortality, then hed have died like that back in Berafe. Hed have died, with no one watching him go.
His family would have thought that Yi Ji-Hyuk not returning was a sign of him being dead somewhere and simply moved on.
Tch. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hand out.
Wuuong....
ck-coloured magic energy poured out from his hand and began permeating into Delkarans body.
This is meaningless. (Delkaran)
Delkaran shook its head.
My flesh have already exceeded its natural limit. Even magic will not be able to stop my death. Stop this, Yi Ji-Hyuk. Do not pity me. I fought with everything in my power and lost. Dying is a honourable fate. (Delkaran)
Yeah, yeah. I know so well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pouted slightly.
I know youre going to die regardless of what. However, you aint thinking of leaving behind that dirty body of yours in this ce, right? Ill give you enough magic energy, so scram back to your home world, got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Delkarans eyes quivered greatly.
Scram back?
He was wasting his Mana under the pretext of Delkaran scramming back to the demon world? Especially when no one knew just how many more demon kings and demons would invade this world in the future?
I simply cant understand you. (Delkaran)
It felt as if brand new questions regarding the human Yi Ji-Hyuk, someone Delkaran thought it had understood in full, were rising up again.
Was this because who Yi Ji-Hyuk was, or because he was a human?
It was at this point Delkaran finally realised something; it knew much about who the 99th demon king was, but didnt know anything about human Yi Ji-Hyuk.
In that case, was the being in front of its eyes the 99th demon king, or human Yi Ji-Hyuk?
But, does it matter which side is which? (Delkaran)
There might be two, but he was one existence. Nothing would change whether it was this side or the other.
Besides, what it needed to do now wasnt to worry about the true nature of Yi Ji-Hyuk. Indeed, its task now was to have a fitting send-off for demon king for itself, not for him or anyone else.
Oh, Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Delkaran)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied disinterestedly.
You are about to engage the entire demon world in war as a simple human being. Are you confident of winning against them? (Delkaran)
Stop overthinking it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He snorted derisively.
Where do you think this ce is? The idiots of the demon world wont rush here en masse. Even if they do, Ill just run away, then. But, since that isnt going to happen, Im fighting back. You see, its still doable for me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke. (Delkaran)
Delkaran chuckled out, evidently happy to hear that reply. Indeed, that sure sounded like the 99th demon king.
How enjoyable. Watching from afar whether youll win or the demon world will, might be quite entertaining. (Delkaran)
A demon king believing in the afterlife? The idea of ultism doesnt discriminate worlds, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Gods and devils exist, so theres no reason for the afterlife not to exist, too. In any case, fine. If there is indeed a life after death, then I can always go back to my home world whenever I wish. Which means.... (Delkaran)
Delkaran suddenly formed a sly grin.
I shall be choosing the more entertaining option. (Delkaran)
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that moment, pure ck Mana began flowing into Yi Ji-Hyuks body in a scary amount.
What are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im returning it back to you. With interest. (Delkaran)
Mana quickly filled up Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
All the hair on his head stood up; goosebumps broke out on his skin. The ecstasy from the pure Mana filling him up tried to take over his consciousness.
Keuh-heuh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk gasp out in heavy moans, Delkarans eyes withdrew inwardly. From here onwards, this man would be involved in a long, continuous unending chain of battles.
However, itd prove to be a rather disadvantageous warfare since hed not be able to top himself up with Mana. That was why Delkaran was required to help with the bncing of the scale somewhat.
What do you think youre doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who knows. (Delkaran)
Delkaran maintained that sly grin.
Even it didnt know exactly what it was trying to aplish here. Was it truly for the sake of entertainment, or for something else?
Now that its consciousness had faded greatly from the lifeforce leaving its body, trying to analyse its own actions had be far too difficult, anyway. It could very well be that Delkaran was doing something impulsive and beyond its own understanding precisely because its consciousness had be so faint.
However, so what?
I shall give you everything of mine. With this, you shall be even stronger. (Delkaran)
You think I will be stronger with this pathetic amount? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fufu. Still, itd be enough to stop your body from disintegrating. (Delkaran)
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
Im sure you know full well how dangerous it is to mix two different energy types and utilise them. The side effect will result in your mind and body being destroyed. It might be a glorious end to die alongside the 99th demon king, but regrettably, that wouldnt be as entertaining. (Delkaran)
How dare a dang demon....! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke! (Delkaran)
Delkaran sensed its own vision blurring now and it began trembling. It seemed to have reached the end of the road.
If there is hell, then I shall watch your struggles from there. To see how long you willst. It was fun, Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Delkaran)
Those were its final words.
Even Delkarans chest area crumbled, and eventually, the demon king reverted to a handful of ash only to scatter away in the wind.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at that spectacle wordlessly before shaking his head with a lonesome expression on his face.
D*mn stupid demon king b*stards. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Gods of another world and their so-called holy men all madly tried to kill him. The only ones to provide him with aid, even if it was nothing much, were demons and demon kings, as well as various monsters.
Somehow, he could very well be the true Bringer of Apocalypse, then.
All these demon kings, its a dang problem that they all try to look cool. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think going out like this makes you look cool or something?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The only time when such a sight looks cool is when a good-looking person is involved, you know? With your looks, you disgusting b*stard, no one will think youre a cool kid. What an idiot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat on the ground and turned around to leave. However, his shoulders were trembling ever so softly.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon ran up to him from afar.
It was unknown when he got hurt, but blood was trickling down from his forehead and he was covered in thick dust from head to toe.
Even then...
Why does he look so cool? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You see? You see that, Delkaran?
A good-looking guy like that will look cool no matter what he does. You and me, we both arent even remotely close. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Reborn as a handsome b*stard in your next life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Chiiek...
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up. He took a long puff before lightly tossing it to the spot where Delkaran breathed itsst.
Demon world didnt have cigarettes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, have one on me, okay?
Because, Im a trash that rmends other people to smoke. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
This was the best and perhaps the only sign of courtesy Yi Ji-Hyuk could make now.
Have you defeated the creature? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Argh, how annoying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jung-Hoon and furrowed his brows. Thetter had no idea what was going on and tilted its head.
But, why? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, there is this thing. Im just getting really annoyed for some reason. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a strange thing this was.
Choi Jung-Hoon and him were the same human beings, while Delkaran was a disgusting demon, yet why was he identifying more with the perspective of a demon?
This handsome b*stard came across as a bigger enemy than a demon, indeed.
Ouch, that stings. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Blood trickled into Choi Jung-Hoons eyes and he began rubbing his face. That only managed to spread the blood all over his mug, and it got caked with dust to create one heck of a dirty train wreck.
Now normally, one should feel disgusted from looking at such a face.
That should be normal, but...
Why are you so handsome, man?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk blew his top, while Choi Jung-Hoon entered a full-on panic mode. He killed a demon king, but who knew hed get all annoyed and stuff over a minor thing like this?
Why do you feel so bitter like that? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae had approached them unbeknownst to all and asked him.
What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seems to me that youre really angry about something. And thats why youre throwing tantrums with a strange reason, isnt it? Are you unhappy that the demon king had died? (Affeldrichae)
Why would I feel unhappy at some ball of snakes dying? Gimme a freaking break. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wildly shook his head. Even then, Affeldrichae stared at him with unreadable eyes.
In any case, what a relief. I thought we were in a really dangerous situation, but things worked out easier than I feared. (Affeldrichae)
Easier, you say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively.
Your head only knows about magic, so you can run your mouth like that, you dang lizard woman.
This looked easy to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Easy? Gimme a break.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body slowly began tilting to one side.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly rushed in to hold on to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Imma go to sleep now, so.... Take care of the mess, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With that, he lost his consciousness.
< 224. Itll be quicker to learn with your body! -4 > Fin.
Chapter 225: It’ll be quicker to learn with your body! (5)
Chapter 225: Itll be quicker to learn with your body! (5)
(TL: Told from Yi Ji-Hyuks 1st person view.)
You devil!!
I didnt really care much about what they called me with. There were so many names they came up with, too.
Devil, phantom, fiend, the one who brought the apocalypse, the tyrant of Berunhai....
Wasnt there some others, too?
One thing was for sure, though C Ive never, ever received a positive title before. So, there was no reason for me to feel hurt for being called all sorts of ugly names like those.
My monster army began piging some vige or rather with a name I couldnt remember.
You fiend!! What did we do to you to deserve this?!
I stared with disinterest at an old man shouting at me.
What you did to me?
I wonder. Well, I wasnt really sure whether you did something bad to me or not, you know? But, you probably hadnt done anything.
But the thing was....
I too, didnt do anything wrong in this world, you see. Even then, you lot just couldnt wait to kill me, and did everything in your power to suppress me and attack me.
How amusing all of that was.
Malice.
It didnt mean that I simply hated you. You see, if you keep enduring against the thick, pervading malice of others wanting topletely obliterate you for as long as I have, a part of your brain would surely go coo-coo in a weird way.
Me? Well, I was always forcibly put right again and again, though.
Before I crossed over to this world, I used to wonder what kind of horsesh*t was this thing about courts handing out sentences with mitigating circumstances as the used went mad due to surrounding factors.
But now that I have experienced it myself, those words sure made a great deal of sense.
If it werent for this brain of mine that did its very best to revert back to how it was, Id have be a crazed lunatic by now.
No, hang on. Maybe, I was insane to begin with?
Who cares.
(TL: Back to 3rd person perspective)
In the distance, a cloud of dust was being kicked up.
The pride of the Arke Kingdom, the order of Holy Knights were hurriedly dashing towards this location while riding on their pure-white steeds.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, I cant help but think about this whenever I see a spectacle like that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Could it be that the hardest challenge in maintaining that kind of a Knight Order had nothing to do with cultivating the next generation of Holy Knights, but actually, feeding and keeping hundreds of such pristine white-coloured horses?
I mean, its not as if white horses aremonly found everywhere, so they really did an excellent work gathering them all like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a sly grin and gestured with his hand.
His yellowing hand revealed from beneath his ck robe was now pointing at the approaching Order of the Holy Knights.
Go devour them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kaaaaaahhh-!!
There it was, the monstrous roars.
Roars of monsters, frightening enough to rip a persons heart apart resounded seemingly throughout the entire world. And then, the army of monsters advanced voraciously forward.
Indeed, the army formed with nothing but monsters andrge enough topletely fill up the entire horizon voraciously pounced towards the Holy Knights.
Hiiieek?!
Euh, euh...
These Holy Knights, brainwashed by their devotion and reputed to never fear death, slowed down their once-valiant charge and spat out frightened gasps.
This thing called faith, isnt it a funny concept?
Didnt you lot always proim that your lives are not actually yours? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Do not fear!
Advance!!
Our God is with us!!
Those words were not wrong.
In a world where divine powers were a real deal, someone being able to use divinity had this faint but undeniable connection with the idea of you being personally blessed by the God in question. So, indeed, not wrong words.
Except that, these people were deeply mistaken about something else.
Nothing will change even if your God is protecting you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was the fiend.
He was the devil.
He crawled out of the bottom of this world until he finally grabbed hold of the power that could even trample on a God. He was none other than the man who willingly joined hands with demons in order to fight against Gods.
That was why he should bebelled demon.
The Bringer of Apocalypse.
He was bringing to reality the name they stuck him with.
Kaaaahhh-!!
Ferocious beasts and monsters charged forward in a wild, crazed chaos. It was simr to a churning ck-and-red ocean.
At this endlessly-stretching, absolutely overwhelming sea of monsters, the Holy Knights all lost their cool.
Who would have thought itd be like this?
They all heard the passing rumours, but how could it be of this magnitude?
How could anyone stop this?
The Bringer of Apocalypse....
That name was no exaggeration.
As the title implied, he was the man bringing about the end of this world.
You abominable demon!!
I curse you!! Curse you!! Our God will never forgive you!!
They wanted to curse a demon?
Yi Ji-Hyuk broke out in a hollow chuckle after hearing that somewhat odd and weird notion.
Didnt that strangely sound about right?
Screams of humans being swept away and the beastly howls of monsters reverberated loudly like a massive orchestra.
Ive had enough of this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched the vige getting destroyed with a disinterested expression and sat down on the spot. Monsters used their bodies to create a chair and he took a seat there. He then pointed to the front.
Lets go. Weve wasted too much time here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An army of monsters and giants made out of steel began marching forward.
They proceeded to destroy every single thing standing in their path, and then destroyed some more while advancing forward.
The only thing remaining in their wake was rubble. Utter ruination.
The monster army that had greedily devoured everything to thest drop of blood, was now marching towards Terra Latrel.
It was here that Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his eyes.
....A dream? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it was, then what a boring dream it was.
Hed like to not participate in a dream which wascking in imagination,cked in any fun sequences and was nothing more than a repeat of the past.
It also only made him feel dirty, too.
Youre awake? (Affeldrichae)
He woke up from a Berafe-rted dream, only to see Affeldrichaes face above his, which was also not something to be all that happy about.
How long was I asleep for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe two days? (Affeldrichae)
I sure slept for long. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichaes soft, supple hair tumbled lower and tickled Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
You seem to be quite sour right now. I can also sense a minute amount of hostility directed towards me, too. Were you dreaming of Berafe again? (Affeldrichae)
Its fine for you to guess whats in another persons mind, but its really not wise to openly mention it like you have. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its fine. You have never been a man to care much about minor things, anyway. (Affeldrichae)
But, thats not true?
I do care about stuff like that?
Im really narrow-minded, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a short Groan, and raised his torso up. However, Affeldrichae quietly pushed down on his forehead.
You need to rest for a little while longer. (Affeldrichae)
But, my bodys itching to move. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, you still need to rest. I hope you arent mistakenly thinking that your body is normal now. (Affeldrichae)
H-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt refute that.
Youve went and did something pretty astonishing. (Affeldrichae)
Well, I didnt have any other choice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If Delkaran didnt help you out at the end, we wouldnt even be able to do anything to save you. What meaning is there if you died after protecting this world? (Affeldrichae)
I did it, cuz I was about to die before that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats ironic. (Affeldrichae)
Whatever it is, stop trying to argue with your logic, okay? You overweight flying lizard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks protesting only managed to elicit a gentle chuckle from Affeldrichae.
...Youughed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He stared at her with a face half mixed with surprise and dissatisfaction.
Did Affeldrichae ever chuckle like that before? Sure, she had disyed many vague, odd expressions before. And she also formed bright smiles, too.
However, it felt like this was his first time seeing her chuckle like that.
Even though youre a Dragon, you sure like to pretend as a human, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think the same, as well. (Affeldrichae)
She readily admitted that she had changed a lot. Considering that Dragons were creatures of logic, magic, and unchanging nature, such a change might not necessarily for the best.
From the get-go, changing was an event that would greatly shake up the foundation of what a Dragons ego was supposed to be.
But, in all honesty, she didnt feel that this change wasnt as bad as it seemed to be.
No need to obsess over it. (Affeldrichae)
A Dragon had to do things this way, Affeldrichae had to do things that way C that was simply a rigid idea she herself came up with, anyway.
While looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk, she realised something. Whether he was a demon king or a human, that wasnt important. No, what was important was the fact that he was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He had surpassed his kind and the gazes of everyone else to be who he was. Affeldrichae also wanted to be like him.
What are you still giggling for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichaes expression hardened next.
Im sure youll try to do something simr again in the future. (Affeldrichae)
Why dont you save your nagging for someone who listens? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont n to stop you. Because, thats just how you are. No matter how much I try to stop you, Im certain that youll never change. (Affeldrichae)
......
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly shifted his gaze away.
However, you need to remember this. For the things you wish to protect to have a meaning, you need to survive first. A world that you no longer exist cant be a world for you anymore. You mustnt try to put the cart before the horse. (Affeldrichae)
Yes, yes. I heard your nagging loud and clear. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Press....
Affeldrichaes hand pressing down on his forehead suddenly gained extra force.
....Maam, my skull might get crushed at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my. Im sorry. I momentarily forgot how fragile a humans body can be. (Affeldrichae)
But, it looks to me as if you considered that before pressing down as hard as you wanted to? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and stood up from the bed. Affeldrichae didnt try to stop his this time.
Blending two energy types is just too dangerous. (Affeldrichae)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, will you still resort to using that method? (Affeldrichae)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only he had another way. If he did, hed already began relying on it by now.
I guess Ill have to look for another way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Talking was cheap, though. In the end, there was only one other way.
And that was to find a source of Mana supply which was both stable and continuous. However, where would he find something like that in this ce?
Dark Mana was something that originated from the demon world. And if he wanted a steady supply of dark Mana, he needed to open up a link with the demon world, too.
However, opening up link with that ce meant the exact same thing as opening up a Gate that led directly to the demon world.
If a group of demon kings decided to invade this world through that link, then hed have no recourse to stop them. Itd end up as him driving this world to its doom for the sake of Mana supply.
For the time being.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to stop thinking about that matter. It wasnt something he could resolve by worrying about it now. There was something more urgent than that right now, too.
Did Delkaran really die? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You witnessed it, didnt you? (Affeldrichae)
Right, he died. Sure. I know he definitely died, but well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He fell into a deep pit of contemtion. He seemed to ponder something for a long while before tilting his head.
But, what could the reason be for my anxiety, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean? (Affeldrichae)
From a little while ago, I feel really tight-chested and anxious. I thought that this reaction was me instinctively sensing the trace of a demon king descending on this world, but that doesnt look like the cause. Delkarans dead, so my anxiety shouldve gone away, but its still there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm....
Affeldrichae formed a hard-to-read expression and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If someone else said the same thing, shed haveughed it off and glossed over the whole thing. She was neither too idle to ce great importance on a groundless anxiety that came about out of nowhere, nor did she trust the so-called sixth sense of humans, to begin with.
However, the story was different when it came to Yi Ji-Hyuk. She had experienced many times how extraordinarily sharp his sixth sense was.
So, if he began feeling weirded out by this anxiety, then there must be a good reason for it. Just like in the past.
It seems that our troubles arent over yet. (Affeldrichae)
Looks that way. Whats more strange is that, although I do feel anxious, I dont feel threatened for some reason. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His sixth sense was operating strangely indeed, giving him mixed signals.
Theres no use worrying about it for now. However, we should try to resolve the problem facing us right now first. (Affeldrichae)
Problems facing us? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What happened, then?
A demon king had been beaten back, yet there was a new problem?
While you were asleep, many things happened. (Affeldrichae)
In only two days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For sure, humans prove to be very difficult species toprehend. Rather than hearing my exnation, I believe itll be quicker to see for it yourself. (Affeldrichae)
I have no idea what youre on about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk put his clothes on and exited his room. Indeed, itd be so much better for his blood pressure to just go and find out for himself whats going on, rather than continue to talk to Affeldrichae and listen to her vague ways of exining things.
Once he opened the door to his room and came out to the living room, he was greeted by the sight of his mom and little sister, both of their expressions sombre and glum, watching the TV while sitting on the couch.
Ah, Ji-Hyuk-ah. How are you feeling? (mom)
Im fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Why do you keep getting hurt whenever you go outside? Mom is really getting worried, you know. (mom)
I was just tired this time, thats all. By the way, whats going on over there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to the TV screen and tilted his head.
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, his irises opened up wider. On it, a sight of a tank firing its lethal load was ying out, albeit in a slow motion.
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A tank firing stuff wasnt something to be surprised about. No, the real problem was with the target for the tanks strike; it was firing at other human beings.
Is it... war?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled unsightly.
Fights between monsters and people.
A battle between the demon king and humans.
Continuing on from those hellish battles, humans were now engaging each other in warfare.
What the f*ck.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tightly clenched his fists.
< 225. Itll be quicker to learn with your body! -5 > Fin.
Chapter 226: Isn’t there anything that can be done? (1)
Chapter 226: Isnt there anything that can be done? (1)
Kwaa-boom!!
The tank spewed out arge lick of me.
The shell flew like a streak of lightning and crashed into the armour belonging to a tank on the opposing side. It bore a hole through the armour ting, and molten metal gushed into the interior of the tank.
Aaaaahk!!
Along with the short but loud screams, the tank stopped moving. It didnt take a genius to figure out what happened inside the tank that had stopped moving after shaking around for a bit.
D*mn abominable sons of b*tches!!
The defence forces of Ukraine found itself helpless against the squadron of the Russian Federations tanks that invaded their borders without any warning whatsoever.
Just what the hell are they thinking?!
It wasnt as if the Russians had been moderate in their actions until now, but still, this would be their first time trying to push through with tanks in no holds-barred open warfare. An event unthinkable when considering the negative sentiments of the internationalmunity was unfolding in reality.
Even if Russia was a powerhouse nation, it still couldnt openly invade its neighbours when the whole world was watching. Yet, it had broken that unspoken rule.
What about our ability users?!
Typical firepower alone wasnt going to cut it. Of course, that didnt mean Ukrainians had no choice but to sit back and do nothing, did it?
They are en route!
What the hell is taking them so long?!
Normally, ability users formed a defensive cordon aroundrge cities and towns rather around the borders.
Their job was to speedily defend the locations where a Gate popped up. The most important part of the mission was to minimise the losses to human life, so it was only obvious that they would prioritise areas with many people.
They should arrive soon, sir.
D*mn it!!
Vitaly Bolodmirovic gnashed his teeth and red at the battlefront. His troops were desperately resisting against the enemy forces, but too bad, Russias weapons were technologically superior and more advanced. Worse still, Ukrainians lost out in the overall numbers game, too.
And also...
Euh, euh!!
Despair filled up Vitalys face.
He immediately realised who those humans appearing between the gaps of the advancing tanks were.
The KGB.
The former pride of the Soviet Union, the KGB, changed to the FSB in modern times and its heritage hade to an end then. However, the crazy Russians, under the pretext of regaining their glory from the days of the Soviet Union, named their ability user agency the KGB.
Thanks to that, the KGB that wasnt really the KGB was born, and sure enough, that name soon began striking fear into the hearts of nations once more as a symbol of terror. The KGBs ability users received intense training as per the instructions of their government and now, they were often rated as the strongestbat force in the world, alongside their counterparts in the United States of America.
Until the sudden meteoric rise of the Republic of Korea, that was.
Although their iron-d international repute had developed some cracks in it due to the man referred to as the walking, talking, ticking time bomb, Yi Ji-Hyuk making his entrance, the KGB remained a force to be reckoned with by other nations.
And the ability users of that organisation had bared their vicious fangs in the direction of Ukraine.
Vitaly looked at them with despair thickly filling up his expression.
*
Now thats a nice expression.
dimir Bergenev lowered his binocrs and grinned insidiously.
Even before ck Monday, Ukraine pleaded with the internationalmunity to stop the advent of the Russian Federation, and after ck Monday, Russia was far too busy sorting out all the Gates opening up within its borders and didnt have any leeway to mind the business of its neighbouring nations.
Russias territory was bizarrely hugepared to its overall poption, so it was only obvious that they had to work full-time to stop Gates from opening up.
However, they had finally found some leeway recently and the regime had gained some semnce of stability now.
So, youve slept peacefully during all this time, havent you?
Realising that Russia simply didnt have any room to spare, Ukraine openly began provoking and mocking their neighbour and continuously poked the beast busy minding its own business. So, it was time to pay for their indiscretions.
Internationalmunity?
dimir cackled ominously.
The whole concept of the internationalmunity had devolved into something simr to catching floating clouds now.
Each country had barely any spare breathing room from defending against Gates opening up in its borders, yet trying to police the peace and order in the international politics by cooperating with another country?
What a stupid dream that was.
The current situation easily proved that.
It had already been three days since Russian troops waltzed past Ukrainian borders; other countries had only sent warning messages, telling the aggressors to cease the invasion yet no real, actual, tangible responses had been made so far.
From here onwards, power rules.
Just like how it was back during the Cold War-era.
dimir stared at the Russian ability users charging towards the Ukrainian soldiers and cackled ominously.
***
What a d*mn mess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
He saw skirmishes taking ce in various regions of the. It was simply impossible to tell just where one should start doing something, anything, to sort this mess out.
The start was with Russia-Ukraine, while a rather suspicious atmosphere was permeating throughout the entire Europe as well. Meanwhile, Palestine and Israel were already engaged in an open conflict at the moment.
As for the Middle East, one wrong move, and World War 3 might break out at any given moment there.
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out one sigh after another.
Just sorting out the Gate problem alone proved to be hard as heck, yet what was he supposed to do to resolve this situation?
Just what is up with these fools?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dunno. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won replied disinterestedly.
Isnt war something that happens all the time? The way I hear it, there never has been a time in human history without a war happening somewhere. (Ye-Won)
Whew.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She wasnt wrong there.
Wars happened all the time in Berafe, too. There were various reasons why, but ultimately, those reasons didnt really matter. Regardless of why, wars broke out anyway.
At some point in time, Yi Ji-Hyuk even wondered if these idiots just wanted to fight each other so they started war for no reason whatsoever.
He wasnt nning to deny the fact that violent streak slept within the human nature, but still, why now all of a sudden? Couldnt they see that fighting among humanity would only elerate their own demise?
Groan....
Mom, this is boring. Lets watch variety shows instead! (Ye-Won)
Should we? (mom)
Hearing that, mighty mes of heavens erupted within Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What the heck, there are wars breaking out all over the world, so who cares about some variety shows?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Won shot him a re without holding back.
Why not?! (Ye-Won)
N-no, well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Wons head leaned at a crooked angle as she continued her re.
What can I do? (Ye-Won)
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk instantly became speechless.
Wars were breaking out even when humanity was facing a grave situation where they might perish together with one wrong move, so he said something out of frustration when his family seemed to not care about it one jot.
However, he just didnt know what to say if she came out like that.
N-no, what Im saying is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ye-Won disinterestedly cut her brothers words off.
Its not like Im gonna enlist and starting shooting guns, nor am I going to fly to Russia, so what do you want me to do here? You think anything will change if we watch the news and go, Oh my gosh, oh my gosh over and over again?? (Ye-Won)
No, not really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So? What should I do, then? Ng? Oppa? (Ye-Won)
....My bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was brought down on his knees by his sisters faultless logic. No matter how hard he racked his brain, he just couldnte up with a rebuttal.
Stuff like that is for the important people higher up to worry about, or for someone like you, oppa, who might get dispatched there immediately. Kids like me? Its fine for us to watch variety shows and giggle away. Oppa, how can you not know stuff like that? (Ye-Won)
Euh, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It feels like Im being treated like a dolt here, but Ive got nothing to fight back with!!
Come on, Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Think, man! Think!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
R-right! You, you really said something smart! Your own oppa might get called out to one of those ces any time now, so how can you be so disinterested in whats happening around the world?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your oppa might be in danger, you know?!
However, Yi Ye-Won remained steadfast from Yi Ji-Hyuks pace.
Oh, so you are going there? (Ye-Won)
Mm? N-no, I dont know that yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, tell me when youre about to. It hasnt even happened yet, so why should I start worrying about in advance? (Ye-Won)
Park Seon-Duk quickly took her daughters side.
Shes right, son. Besides, why are you getting irritated at your own sister? Shes allowed to watch whatever she wants to on TV! (mom)
Yes, mother...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The dejected Yi Ji-Hyuks head drooped lower and lower.
Was I the one in the wrong?
Really now? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He had plenty of things to whine about, but too bad, he had no one to whine to.
While suppressing this sense of sorrow in his heart, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to leave.
Are you going to wash up? (mom)
Yes, I need to go to work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, its in the middle of the day? You are going to work now? (mom)
Nah, I still need to go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He now kinda understood the mindset of those managers that went to work even during their off days. Because, rather than stay in the house while being henpecked by their significant others, it was a whole lot more preferable to go to the office where they could act like kings, instead.
Do your best, son. (dad)
Argh, what the?! That surprised me!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped in fright and shouted out.
W-who...? Ah, dad?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gasped in surprise as he stared at his own father with an apron draped on.
Have you been on a trip somewhere? Its like, I havent seen you in a really long time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B-but, Ive been at home all this time.... (dad)
Really? Thats so strange, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If thats the case, why didnt he make his appearance sooner?
Did the mister director forget about my dad?
Even then, there is the head writer and stuff, so he mustve not been forgottenpletely....
....What the hell am I even thinking about here? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk urgently shook his head and looked at his father.
S-so.... What were you saying just now, dad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, Do your best, son. (dad)
Oh....
It seemed that a father was still a father. Wasnt he the one most worried about his son in this entire family?
At first, things start this way. (dad)
Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, a little whileter, they start gradually forgetting about you. (dad)
....F-father.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly hugged his father, Yi Cheol-Joong, tightly.
Thats how it is supposed to be for a man, son. Once their backs are warm and bellies are full, we are relegated to useless extras. (dad)
Its like youre right about everything, dad. I was being fawned over in the beginning, but now, I cant even get a decent meal at home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It had be Yi Ji-Hyuks daily routine to eat left-overs nowadays.
Back in the past, he was treated like a king even though he waszing around at home, but ironically enough, now that he had started working for a living, he couldnt even receive treatment anywhere remotely near that.
You dont have long until you be like me, son. (dad)
Oh. Well, I dont want to.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly shut his mouth before he blurted out his inner thoughts. However, his generous father gently patted him on the back as if he understood full well.
A man must endure and live on. Thats the climate of our current times. Thats how the world is operating right now. A man might have been able to raise his voice back in the past, but you think thats allowed in this day and age? You do that, and I guarantee you, they will leave you. Or chase you out. A man fending for all by himself is..... (dad)
D-dad, you know, I gotta go to work soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fathers shoulders drooped visibly. Could those sparkling things near his eyes be sweat drops from his heart?
Yi Ji-Hyuks own heart ached, but there was nothing he could do now. The situation was getting worse as they stood here shooting the breeze, so it seemed that he needed to get to the office as soon as possible.
In any case, let me go wash up first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure thing, son. (dad)
There was no trace of energy in his fathers reply, but regardless, Yi Ji-Hyuk headed straight to the bathroom. That was when fathersmentation could be heard behind his back.
And they said that no matter how well you raise your kids, they are still useless.... (dad)
What a temteint that was.
*
Just what on earth is going on here? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at theputer monitor with a concerned face.
The monitor was currently showing the map of the world where conflict zones were being marked in real time. Red spots were visible on several spots of the map.
The problem was the fact that these red spots began appearing since not too long ago. After the life-or-death struggle against Beltreche came to an end, international disputes suddenly gained momentum. It was as if all the underlying issues under the calm surface were brought up all at the same time.
This cant be happening, unless someone was manipting things from behind the scenes.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, something like this couldnt have urred naturally, now could it?
Choi Jung-Hoon grasped his head. Just one Gate crisis was no different from an extinction-level threat to humanity, yet new crises kept happening around the globe and he was at a loss as to what he should do now.
Groan....
Is it really bad? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young asked Choi Jung-Hoon.
H-mm. Not sure how I can exin this to you. If a big Gate suddenly pops up in the middle of a war, now thats going to be a serious issue. A really big crisis will unfold then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, the army is more or less useless in the Gate defence operations, anyway. Im sure you only need the ability users, dont you agree? (Seo Ah-Young)
That is exactly the problem. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon pointed to theputer monitor and spoke.
Ability users are being deployed in the battlefield. Meaning, ability users are now being used in the war. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
< 226. Isnt there anything that can be done? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 227: Isn’t there anything that can be done? (2)
Chapter 227: Isnt there anything that can be done? (2)
Youre here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed an awkward smile after spotting Kim Dah-Som, waiting for him by the front entrance of his home as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Her reaction after seeing him was a brighteningplexion, plus hurriedly jogging towards him like a cute puppy dog.
Didnt she look a lot more outgoing than before?
In the not-too distant past, she carried around this image of a bitter wintry blizzard blowing down from the North Pole, but now, she did seem to have warmed up a lot in recent times.
She stared at him with sparkling eyes like a puppy waiting for a pat, so Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to change the topic of conversation in an awkward manner.
How is your older brother doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My older brother? (Kim Dah-Som)
I mean, Kim Dah-Hyun.... Wait, didnt hee home yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He did. Is there something wrong? (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som tilted her head slightly, wondering what on earth he was talking about here.
Huh. Would you look at that guy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was injured that gravely back in London, yet...
It seemed that that siscon didnt tell her of the incredible hardship he went through, then.
What a strange guy he is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Judging from his everyday actions alone, Kim Dah-Hyun was definitely a mans man, but when taking into ount his behaviour towards his sister, one couldnt really view him in such a favourable light.... What a talent that was, making people fall into an unnecessary dilemma like this.
Groan.... Fine. Never mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In any case C since he didnt say anything, it didnt right for Yi Ji-Hyuk to step forward and start gossiping about the matter. If thats what the person in question wanted, then hed respect that wish.
Besides, nothing would change just because he spoke about it, anyway. Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in helplessness.
Okay. So. What about your own body? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im fine now. (Kim Dah-Som)
I hope Affeldrichae hasnt made your life miserable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Ahh, so you cant answer me.
Then, why did you do it?
You threw a tantrum, saying youd willingly jump into the fire.... What a foolish little girl. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head again.
The Affeldrichae he knew was a cold-blooded lizard that didnt give a hoot aboutpassion or ones circumstances. Well, if she had even a speck ofpassion, then shed not have tried to stand in Yi Ji-Hyuks way in the past like that.
It took nigh-on one thousand years for Yi Ji-Hyuk and her to develop any humanistic feelings towards each other, such as consideration, or even a passing form of interest.
But well, Kim Dah-Som and Affeldrichae got to know about each other only recently, so there was just no way that dang lizard woman would hold any consideration towards the human girl.
Indeed, the Dragon was probably abusing her like there was no tomorrow. Because, that would be the most optimum way of extracting raw data, after all.
Do your best, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I will. (Kim Dah-Som)
The girl full of lively energy suddenly lost all vitality and became depressed in an instant. Yi Ji-Hyuk got flustered after seeing that scene as it felt like he was at fault somehow.
O-okay, then! Should we get going? Or you want to go home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Id like to go home now. (Kim Dah-Som)
Should I apany you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its fine. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Whats gotten into her?
Arent you busy with work? (Kim Dah-Som)
Uh? Yeah, I guess. A little. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, you should concentrate on your work. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ohh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly.
Was her personality originally like this?
Its like, something about her changed, but why?
Wait, did her personality change after she suffered at the hands of Affeldrichae? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Here. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk received the can of refreshment she pushed at him.
Chui-eeek...
She even popped the lid off before he took hold of the drink, too.
This thing.... She didnt put anything extra in it, I hope? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He believed that she wouldnt really go that far, but having seen how differently she came across today, he couldnt help but worry a bit. Even then, she was giving him something to drink, so how could he not take it? She even popped the lid for him, too.
Feeling conflicted inwardly, Yi Ji-Hyuk brought drink near his lips.
Thanks. By the way, why dont you want me to take you home today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, Ive been thinking.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tookrge gulps of the drink.
I thought that, interfering with the work of the husband isnt what a devoted wife is supposed to do.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Pu-wuuooooot-!!!
It was at that moment that the soda flew out of Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth like an exploding fountain.
Kkyahck!! (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som cried out while dodging the spray of cold drink.
....I, Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not sure if Im supposed to apologise here or not, but well, lets just say sorry for now.
By the way, what did she say to me just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head and stared at Kim Dah-Som. She simply smiled bashfully, though.
Well, she really is a pretty girl, thats for sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She might be a bit strange in the head, but as far as her looks were concerned, there was no doubt about it. She was a looker. Yi Ji-Hyuk crushed the empty can and chucked it away before shaking his hand.
Okay, well. Ill be on my way now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Ill see you after work. (Kim Dah-Som)
M-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those words of See you after work came across as rather sinister and goosebumps broke out all over his skin. With a begrudging expression on his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand and walked towards the NDF building.
Why did it feel like the rest of the day would be just as rough, too?
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that while looking at the spectacleid out before his eyes.
M-mm....
The small dog over there was without a doubt, Oh-Sik. And another small puppy-like thing next to him was, also without a doubt, the Ogre that got caught not too long ago as Oh-Siks girlfriend.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had sucked out the right amount of Mana and reduced that Ogres size down to that of a puppy. ording to Oh-Sik, that particr Ogre was on the pretty side C for an Ogre, obviously C and he seemed to really like this arrangement.
So, in that case....
....Just who was that third dog in front of the two, then?
Looks like they are fighting? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Siks girlfriend was busy woofing and growling with bared fangs at that mystery dog, while Oh-Sik himself had his head drooped low to the ground looking rather despondent.
Havent I seen this scene pretty often somewhere else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rece dogs with people, and one would get a... a bit of an awkward situation straight out of a TV drama, this.
Groooowl!!
When the atmosphere descended to the point where they might start biting each other, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly coughed out loudly to clear his throat.
Keuh-heummm!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, the gazes of the dogsnded on him next.
...Hey you,e over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik trudged with barely no energy towards him.
Okay, whats going on here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Ogre kept his head down and didnt show any signs of raising it back up. Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk expecting an exnation from a dog was a problem in itself, too.
Ah, Oh-Sik isnt a dog, is he? (the Author)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt really need to hear an exnation to figure out what happened, but then again, just where did that mystery doge from?
Didnt that thing look like a real dog, too?
.....Ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows suddenly shot up as he red at Oh-Sik.
Right! You already had a girlfriend, didnt you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper...
You two timing fool! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the mini Ogre with a dumbfounded expression.
When the Ogre crossed over to Earth, Oh-Sik was jumping up and down in joy when he asked it if he should go and catch that creature. And when its gender being female was revealed, Yi Ji-Hyuk thought that Oh-Siks jaw would tear open from how wide the smile was.
Heck, he even got stunned by the fact that a puppy-like mug could produce such a wide variety of emotions back then!
But now that he thought about this, how dare this b*stard two-time his girl like this?!
Hey, you. If you cheat on your wife that shared all the bad times with you, you are going to get punished by the heavens, dont you know that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
Hah, this b*stard.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I get you.
What can you do about being a different species?
No matter how urgent one is, a person cant go out with an ape, and just like that, an Ogre cant really date a dog now, am I right?
So, yeah. I know. I get you. I really do.
I do, but this.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The situation has be way tooplicated, hasnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt exactly have the leeway to mind the love life of his pet, but still, it didnt feel good to continue walking on by after seeing this mess. Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his head and stared at the only dog in this ce.
Maybe because a dog was, well, a dog, he couldnt easily read its expression, unlike with the Ogres.
However, Im sure its pretty p*ssed off right about now.
Id feel the same if I was a dog myself, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Keuh-hmm. In all honesty, me saying stuff like this doesnt feel right, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly feeling like a potential mother-inw opposing her sons marriage, Yi Ji-Hyuk began a long-winded speech.
You and this kid are from different species, you know? This is a love that can never be. So, how about you waking up now before its toote and searching for another good-looking dog? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, a dog wouldnt really understand humannguage. Even then, Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to talk to the dog as if he wasnt convinced about something.
Besides, when you look at it, this kid isnt even good boyfriend material, you know? Hes way too violent, loves meat too much, and although he looks cute on the outside, hes actually a savage beast inside, too. So, like, you should stop.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you doing?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
...M-mm?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head around and looked up. He found Jeong Hae-Min staring at him with a face that said, What on earth are you doing??
Mm, uh, well, I.... The thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, how should he go about exining this situation?
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling troubled by this situation, Jeong Hae-Min didnt even bother to wait for his reply and decided to resolve this matter in the most effective manner.
Why are there so many dogs here? This isnt even a pound, you know! Scram! Shoo! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min lightly kicked the mystery dog in the butt and the creature quickly scampered away with a whimper.
Kkeuh-heuk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched on and swallowed back his gushing tears.
Please forgive me.
Its my fault for forgetting about you. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
And what is wrong with you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
There was this sad story. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you talking about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its better that you dont know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from his position and proceeded to roughly kick Oh-Sik in the butt.
As for you! No food for you for a week! You d*mn fool!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
WHIMPER!!
Oh-Sik hurriedly escaped to a far-off corner somewhere while whimpering loudly, and Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shook his head and headed straight into the NDF building.
Seriously, man. Now some weird c**p is getting on my nerves, too.
Uh-whew.
*
Up until now, ability users were only deployed to defend against the Gates. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Thats right. (Seo Ah-Young)
But now, they are being deployed in wars between nations. Not only that, almost simultaneously around the globe, as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
H-mm.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young tilted her head in confusion.
Why would that be an issue? (Seo Ah-Young)
Because, its war, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Like, Im asking you why thats a problem? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoons expression hardened seriously and stared at Seo Ah-Young for a while, before replying to her with a heavy, grave tone of voice.
A war is fought against other human beings, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Eh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Meaning, ability users are now attacking regr, powerless people. Can you not see what that signifies? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Only now did her expression mimic his and harden significantly as well. She had no clue what going to war even entailed, but now that she heard Choi Jung-Hoons exnation, even she could now tell how grave this situation was.
Until now, ability users had been targets of envy and jealousy, but never were they the objects of fear and terror. However, that story will drastically change once wars start and they are thrust intobat situations. People will finally realise that the ones protecting them all along were actually weapons capable of turning on them at any given moment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Arent you going a bit too overboard with your words? (Seo Ah-Young)
As an ability user herself, Seo Ah-Young didnt like the word weapon at all.
Hah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head in helplessness.
Theres no use even if I dont say it. Most people would be thinking along that line by now, anyway. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Its not toote now and maybe we could salvage the situation. However, if the footage of ability users attacking regr soldiers emerge, then we will never be able to rescue this situation. I cant even begin to imagine the magnitude of the impact that would have. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young closed her lips shut.
Regr citizens watching the footage of the ability users attacking soldiers and killing them?
The mood of the current society was so bristle that when a foreigner murdered someone, the hatred towards that guys country would surge up with no good reason. And with the current atmosphere being like that, how would people react after seeing such footage?
We need to stop it somehow.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was at that moment that Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the door to the office and walked in.
We need to stop what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked at him and cried out.
Isnt there anything that can be done? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Nothing at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I knew it.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was grasping at straws out of sheer urgency, but even Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt have a way to salvage this situation. This was not a problem that hard work could solve, after all. Nor was it a problem with an easy answer, either.
The thing with this problem is, people around the world now recognise the fact that ability users can be used as killing weapons. Even if we somehow stop the current events, simr things will keep happening in the future. And even if we manage to stop those too, we still wont be able to change the negative public image. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-m-mm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon sucked in his cold breath while looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Every now and then, this guy made people mistakenly believe that he was some kind of a genius.
Meaning, there is nothing much we can do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sat down in his chair and scratched his head.
For the time being, we should just focus on the Gates. Just report to the higher-ups and tell them to be extra hands-on with managing the public image. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even that is not going to be easy, unfortunately. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, the public image of ability users had gotten worse recently and unemployed folks like Jeong Hae-Min had popped up, but if the top officials understood the severity of the situation, they should definitely be doing something by now, so what gives?
Thanks to the events in London, the situation has be a bit moreplicated. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with a puzzled expression.
< 227. Isnt there anything that can be done? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 228: Isn’t there anything that can be done? (3)
Chapter 228: Isnt there anything that can be done? (3)
What about London? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its been partially destroyed. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, thats not our fault, is it? Things got that bad because Delkaran went on a rampage there, so how could that be the reason for the overall atmosphere getting worse? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When you look at it rationally, youre right. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A bitter smile formed on Choi Jung-Hoons face.
Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was not at fault here. NDF didnt do anything wrong, neither did the ability users involved. If there was one thing that did go wrong, then itd be the fact that Delkaran decided to go crazy in the middle of a city like London. That was all.
Unfortunately, humans werent rational creatures.
A city of eight million people was destroyed in the proverbial blink of an eye. People who died from the aftermath of Yi Ji-Hyuk and Delkarans collision couldnt even be counted properly since there were so many.
However, the target toy their me was gone. The cause of the disaster hadnt been fully revealed to the public, too.
Besides, who would believe it when the only exnation avable was the advent of a demon king?
The cause wasnt clear, yet the lives of eight million were shattered beyond repair. To make matters worse, the city in question just so happened to be the capital city of a country called Great Britain.
That was why people were trying pretty hard to find the target to vent their resentment and anger.
Its not as if I cant understand them, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew full well that humans werent all that rational when it came to matters like this.
Humans like to think of themselves as rational and reasonable creatures, but actually, they were exceptionally irrational and emotional, not to mention unreasonable to boot, as well.
The truth was, one could even say that humans tolerating sharing living spaces with other beings up until now was amendable aplishment. If it werent for the continuous threatsing from the Gates, a big crisis would have unfolded already by now.
Boiling emotions suppressed below the surface began bursting out into the open, with the London incident serving as the trigger, and the raging wars were acting like fuel being added to the fire.
Im sure its hard for you to sympathise with.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, well, not really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ears and blew at his fingertip.
Well, its amon urrence. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A gue does its thing, and people me that on a sorcery of a witch and burn some innocent new bride to death, or when an Ogre suddenly shows up and kidnaps a few vigers, others dont even consider killing it but instead, decide to offer human sacrifices and begin hunting for a virgin or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, its amon thing, that. Its a lot more convenient to avert your gaze just enough, rather than trying to solve an unfolding incident, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....This guy, was he always this pessimistic? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Im familiar with being ostracised, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk disinterestedly leaned against the chair. Sure, he was already used to being ostracised and cursed at, but how would other ability users take the current situation?
Im sure theyll feel this whole thing is unfair. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When one looked at it logically, they were forcibly thrust into warfare by their own governments, so just who would be happy about being the targets of all those curses, malice and resentment under the current situation?
One could only hope that such an emotion of victimisation wouldnt morph into one of hatred.
It aint gonna be easy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Humans had a tendency of wanting to get even with those who wronged them. So it didnt take a genius to figure out that the ones subjected under unfair resentment wouldnt take that lying down.
Indeed, who would sit back and take all those abuses one-sidedly when they hadnt anything done wrong to begin with?
Things have gotten really troublesome. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The wars unfolding right now werent the real issue. No, the real issue was the possibility that a conflict might arise between humans and ability users, with these wars being the catalyst.
What about the local trends? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min, who was more sensitive towards these topics, quickly asked her question.
M-mm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon dyed making his reply as if he found it a bit tough, but eventually, spoke up after inwardly going, Urgh, whatever. Here goes nothing.
First of all, its the absolute worst. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Absolute worst.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
In all honesty, our country couldnt be called a ce holding a favourable view towards the ability users. We were able to suppress the dissenting views with idols and various broadcasts and public image makeovers, but the dam burst for good in recent times. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I see..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head with a despondent pout. She didnt think that things would change this rapidly.
Youve had this thing that was way beyond your own abilities, so itll be better to discard it as soon as possible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min readily agreed with Yi Ji-Hyuks assessment.
Whatever the case might have been, she had seen the view from the top of the entertainment world through her abilities already so, although she did have some lingering feelings, she didnt regret leaving it all behind.
In any case, thats not the most important thing right now.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Choi Jung-Hoon and spoke up.
Have you discovered any strange or bizarre events happening locally yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, there hasnt been any so far. We havent experienced any really big problems locally. If we had suffered a simr level of destruction as London, well, the Gwanghwamun Gate wouldve been swept away by the sea of protestors by now. Still, the opinions on the arent very favourable. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What about the inte? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When people grow dissatisfied, they begin to get antagonistic. Before the ck Monday incident, people were antagonistic towards foreigners living in Korea, but now, that antagonism has shifted towards the ability users. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm, well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
He hadnt taken the inte into ount, but still, he had seen more than enough times rumours snowballing into something much worse pretty quickly through heresy before.
However, its a bit unexpected that people are thinking of actively making a move. Surely, they should know that, without the presence of ability users, they would be facing a serious problem right away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why, for the time being, were in a situation where public dissatisfaction is overflowing but nothing else besides. However, its hard to predict what might happen moving forward. If something happens overseas first, we might see a simr thing breaking out locally as well. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
He fell into a deep thought for a long while, before shaking his head and switching on hisputer.
Are you thinking of searching for something? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in a calm, confident manner.
Im gonna y some games. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Choi Jung-Hoon became speechless and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk in disbelief. If he was going to do that, then what on earth was up with that serious atmosphere only a minute ago?
You want to y games? In a situation like this?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Theres this thing my younger sister told me this morning.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The situation wont change just because I start worrying about it, now will it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, that is.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He wasnt wrong there. Didnt matter how hard Yi Ji-Hyul pondered over it, there was not much he could do in Korea. If he wanted to change the situation somehow, he needed to go to the ces where the war was being fought, but if he did that, itd be no different than the Korean government interfering in the matter of other nations.
Such a thing had to be avoided at all cost.
Regardless of how things develop, the first thing that needs to happen is the higher-ups making up their minds. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just who in South Korea is more high-up than you?!
Even the President has to step carefully around you.
Besides, you wont lift a finger if you dont like the decisions others made for you, anyway!
So, what youre basically saying here is, while you y that stupid game of yours, we shoulde up with a suitable solution by ourselves and present it before you for your approval, is that it?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoons emotions began boiling suspiciously as he red at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Too bad, thetter still loaded up the game whether he knew about the formers sentiments or not.
Hah.....
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head in resignation.
When he looked back, just when did that man ever worry about anything with anyone? No, the worrying bit was Choi Jung-Hoons job, while Yi Ji-Hyuks job was to take care of it.
So, one should be d that he at least pretended to be worried for a second or two there.
What the hell?! You cant go in there like that! You wanna die that bad, ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began roaring at the top of his lungs less than five minutes after booting up the game and Choi Jung-Hoon could only sigh deeply in resignation.
Oh, dear God in heaven.
Just why, oh why, did you give a man like that crazy powers?!
Why couldnt you have given them to me instead?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoons grief continued to deepen.
*
Urgh, I keep getting killed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk threw the mouse away in irritation and leaned his head back.
Whether he was irritated because his gaming session wasnt going well, or his gaming session wasnt going well because he was irritated.... Finding himself stuck in this hard-to-tell boundary of understanding, he couldnt help but get deeply frustrated.
You seem to be really furious. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae smoothly extended her hands out and gently wrapped around his head.
Im not furious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you look like it, though? (Affeldrichae)
You should at least pretend to hear what the other persons saying, you know? Its like, whenever someone says something, you go like, it doesnt look that way, or it doesnt seem that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae smiled gently at him.
Words arent the only methods to voice your opinion. Your hand gestures, body movements, and even the look in your eyes can convey what you wish to say. So, when youre angry like this but deny being angry with your words, I cant be med for not believing you. (Affeldrichae)
....Yeah, yeah, youre so great. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out one groan after another.
I dont like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean, humans? (Affeldrichae)
M-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk closed his eyes.
It might not be that hard toin about how stupid the actions of the fellow humans were to another person, but trying to do that in front of a... lizard was leaving behind a sour aftertaste in his mouth.
Especially more so in front of a Dragon, which didnt really like the human race to begin with.
Humans have always been like that. They are irrational, emotional,pletely iprehensible, chaos-like existences. (Affeldrichae)
Hey, Im also a human, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed. Youre most definitely more human than other humans. (Affeldrichae)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre totally irrational, uncontrobly emotional,pletely..... (Affeldrichae)
Thats enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
This lizard dares to make fun of someone right in front of her?
Should I just yank out all of her scales and be done with it or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, I dont understand why youre so furious like this. You already knew humans behave in this manner, so howe? (Affeldrichae)
Well, thats true..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yet another sigh escaped from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
It was a well known fact that the beings called humans were not quite right in their heads. If humans were capable only of making decisions in a rational manner, there would never be conflicts breaking out in the world.
He wasnt saying that because he was some high and mighty figure, oh, no.
He too was an imperfect, not-right-in-the-head creature and that was precisely why he ended up causing so, so much trouble back in Berafe, and eventually wasbelled as a demon and was pursued by the entire world in the end.
He began thinkingtely that, if only he used his brain a little bit better back then, hed maybe have found a way toe back home without going through so much c**p like that.
Unfortunately, Yi Ji-Hyuk was just too unstable and inconsistent, and that was the only method he coulde up with. He simply couldnt assimte into their way of living, after all.
So, what are you going to do now? (Affeldrichae)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
I should find the source, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Affeldrichae)
Things happening simultaneously like this without a provocation is just too unnatural. It stinks. Some idiots are probably pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Time to find those fools. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if that theory is correct, how will you find them? (Affeldrichae)
I can think of a few b*stards off the top of my head. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae tilted her head.
Sure, you wouldnt know what Im talking about. Its only natural that you dont. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yup, it stinks pretty badly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began staring into the distance.
Demons, Dragons, demon kings, and even gods; Yi Ji-Hyuk had fought a wide variety of enemies up until now. However, this one theory rooted in his head always made Yi Ji-Hyuk feel bitter and wry.
Humanitys worst enemy will always be another human. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was this one man and his face deeply etched in his mind.
Alpha.
***
Things are unfolding in an interesting manner. (Alpha)
Alpha grinned refreshingly while looking at the monitor.
The wars of different countries could be seen clearly on screen. There was no need to go out and collect information at this point. Instead, he could simply rely on the news outlets for that, as they diligently informed their viewers of the developing situations anyway.
If someone saw you, they would think that youre a mere spectator. (?)
Alpha heard the voiceing from behind him and replied without bothering to look back.
I am spectating, that is true. (Alpha)
He was spectating on people, and the world that was rapidly changing. The refreshing grin remained on his lips as Alpha continued on.
Im truly a spectator, watching the change this world is going through. Sure, I did poke them with a stick just a little bit, but in the end, they are the ones making the choices themselves. (Alpha)
Thats true. (?)
However, they wouldnt have made those choices without you poking them in the first ce.
So, what are you nning to do next? (?)
Its simple. (Alpha)
Alphas gaze was fixed on the monitor.
< 228. Isnt there anything that can be done? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 229: Isn’t there anything that can be done? (4)
Chapter 229: Isnt there anything that can be done? (4)
We dont do anything. (Alpha)
What Alpha said sounded like him cracking a joke. No matter who saw it, they could tell that it was precisely Alpha who drove the situation to what it was right now. But, he was nning to do nothing after creating such an amazing, nay, golden opportunity?
What do you mean? (?)
It is exactly as I said. Why are you getting all worked up, though? (Alpha)
Alpha broke into a slightly-confused grin.
Alphas expressions or the way he spoke contained not one morsel of truth in them, so whenever he formed these kinds of expressions, the other party didnt have any choice but to almost blow their tops.
Indeed, he was mocking.
He mocked the world, he mocked his conversation partner, and he even mocked these things called demons, too. And he also didnt forget to mock himself in the midst of all that.
Although it hadnt been that long since this man became Alphasrade, it was still long enough to figure out what kind of a person his boss was. However, he failed to understand what made Alpha tick, even until now.
At times, Alpha came across as far-too na?ve, or on other asions, he was like the worlds worst monster.
Apletely indecipherable man C that was the only solid impression he had of Alpha.
If thats your n, why did you even start this process? Werent you nning on fracturing rtionships? (?)
Fracturing? (Alpha)
Alpha tilted his head.
What do you mean, fracturing? Fracturing what rtionships? (Alpha)
The rtionships between different nations. Since itd be difficult for us to find a gap to dig into when they enjoy such a tight-knit cooperative rtionship, I thought you were causing conflicts between them to create an opening? (?)
Alpha began studying his conversation partner with a strange look in his eyes.
Look here, Bezel. (Alpha)
Yes, Alpha. (Bezel)
Alpha tilted his head this way and that before speaking up in aughing voice.
I really cant understand what youre trying to tell me here, you know? Fracturing? Cooperation? What made you say those things? (Alpha)
........
This world is already divided, to begin with. (Alpha)
Excuse me? (Bezel)
Alpha stood up from his chair.
Step, step....
He then walked over to the only window in this darkened room that allowed the outside light in, and scratched the ss with his fingernail.
Kkeeek.....
Bezel frowned deeply after hearing that unpleasant screech. The noise capable of rubbing a persons nerves the wrong way dug into his ear canals.
Can you see it? (Alpha)
Alpha pointed at the ss and spoke.
What was he saying now? See what exactly?
Bezel shook his head.
No, I cant see anything. (Bezel)
But, why not? I mean, it came out this clearly, too. (Alpha)
I dont understand. (Bezel)
Looking a bit frustrated now, Alpha alternated his gaze between the window and Bezel, before looking around the room to find something. Soon, he located a magic marker on the corner of the desk and took it to the window to draw something on the ss.
Mm? (Bezel)
Jjeeeek....
A strange, grating noise was issued as the marker rubbed against the ss. It was indeed not a pleasant sound to listen to. Alpha soonpleted drawing the line that resembled a strand of a spiders web, grinned refreshingly, and turned around.
And now, can you see it? (Alpha)
Only a blind man wouldnt see that. Yes, I can. Well, how can I not? (Bezel)
You really can? (Alpha)
The smile on Alphas face took on a more sinister vibe.
What exactly can you see? (Alpha)
The line. (Bezel)
Which one? (Alpha)
The one youve drawn on the ss. (Bezel)
Oh, really? (Alpha)
Alpha cackled and shook his head.
Wrong. Thats not what you were supposed to see. No, you were supposed to see why I drew the line in the first ce. (Alpha)
Pardon me? (Bezel)
Seriously now, what this guy said was hard toprehend most of the time.
Look. (Alpha)
Alpha gently reached towards the ss.
Smash!!
Apanied by a sharp breaking noise, the ss shattered into pieces. And at that moment, Bezel saw it; the ss broke exactly along the line Alpha had drawn.
........
Did you see that? (Alpha)
Yes, I did. (Bezel)
Bezel did reply, but still couldnt figure out why the situation in front of his eyes was unfolding like that in the first ce.
Just because you cant see it in the open, that doesnt mean the division isnt there, that it doesnt exist. You see, this worlds fracture is on the cusp of blowing apart. Soon, everything wille to a head. (Alpha)
H-mm.... (Bezel)
This war? Its not to create divisions. Nope, its a war to create contradiction. (Alpha)
Contradiction, sir? (Bezel)
Thats right. Contradiction. (Alpha)
Alpha returned to his chair and settled downfortably on it.
I mean, lets face it C folks that are human but not really, living in harmony with normal humans is the very definition of contradiction, dont you agree? (Alpha)
Of course. However, dont they think of themselves as humans? Whether that is a contradiction as you say or not wouldnt be important to them. After all, they wish to remain as humans, do they not? (Bezel)
Thats right. And thats why this war is necessary. (Alpha)
.........
Alpha spoke up in a bright voice as if he was singing a tune.
Theyll soon learn the truth that they are not really human beings. And that they cant remain as humans even if they wanted to. There is only one way for them to remain as humans, and that is to drag those iming to be humans down from their positions. (Alpha)
Which is your end goal all along. (Bezel)
That is one hell of a cringey way of saying it. Please stop it. Youre making me feel like some kind of Hitler wannabe or something. Im not a racist, you know? (Alpha)
Which was true, in a way. In Alphas head, humans were merely creatures that needed to be exterminatedpletely out of existence regardless of their race, gender or age.
He summoned demon kings, joined hands with demons, and even encouraged wars to break out all over the globe. His actions werepletely befitting that of the final viin in a superhero movie, but well, what he wanted was fundamentally different from those made-up bad guys.
What he wanted was neither the world domination nor its destruction. No, he only wanted to see a brand new birth; the birth of a new world order.
Okay, so. What is that guy doing now? (Alpha)
When you say that guy, are you talking about....? (Bezel)
Well, there is only one guy that I keep an eye out on, anyway. That guy, who isnt even a human but works like a dog while standing on the side of humans. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, is it? (Bezel)
Bingo~. (Alpha)
Bezel began extracting all the info he had on Yi Ji-Hyuk from his head.
Hes still secluding himself from the rest of the world. (Bezel)
H-mm.... (Alpha)
Alpha tilted his head again.
My provocation isnt working? I thought that hed be really jumping up and down in anxiety by now. (Alpha)
His daily pattern doesnt seem to have changed at all. (Bezel)
In that case, he must be burning up inside, instead. Maybe, he might even think abouting to visit me personally. (Alpha)
You mean, he wille for you? (Bezel)
Bezel thought that Alpha was worrying about nothing here. Because, thetter wasnt directly involved in anything. The ones carrying out the missions were other people, and there was no one alive that could serve as proof that Alpha was behind all of this, either.
But then, Yi Ji-Hyuk figured out that Alpha was responsible for everything andes for him in this faraway foreignnd? What a nonsensical notion that was.
Maybe youre being too paranoid? (Bezel)
Im sure that I look that way to you. (Alpha)
Alpha rxedly whistled a tune.
And you finding me paranoid is perfectly fine. However, I cant help but get that feeling, you know? And my hunches are pretty spot-on most of the time, too. (Alpha)
Alpha leaned against the chair and spoke nonchntly.
I admit that he is incredibly powerful. Even through the eyes of an ability user, he has far surpassed any measurable yardstick. Hes an irregr, kind of like an MMA fighter joining in the yground fight between a couple of unruly children. However, him being strong and him possessing keen insight are two separate issues, isnt it? (Bezel)
It is. (Alpha)
He doesnt seem that intelligent to me? And even if hes a genius with intellect on the level of Einstein, no, Sherlock Holmes, he still shouldnt be able to deduce that youre the reason behind the current situation. (Bezel)
You have no idea. (Alpha)
.....I dont? (Bezel)
Alpha nodded his head in a contemtive manner.
Indeed, you dont. This aint an issue with intelligence. No, its simply about knowing. To him, and to me. (Alpha)
.........I cant understand you. (Bezel)
Yup, Im sure you cant. Even I cant exin this to you properly, anyway. How should I put this C well, him and I, were really simr, you see? (Alpha)
Pardon? (Bezel)
Thats the feeling I get. Its just that, he wants this world as it is, while I dont want this world but something else, a different one. If our positions are reversed, then hed probably destroy this world far more viciously than me. (Alpha)
Bezel shut his mouth up.
It wasnt as if he was following Alpha because he understood everything about his enigmatic boss. No, it was just that, Bezels thoughts and ideals matched up with him, that was all.
Indeed, Bezel was here simply because he believed that the brand new world would present itself eventually if he continued to follow Alpha. In that case, understanding everything about the man was not a necessity.
So, then. Youre not going to do anything? (Bezel)
What I need is more time. (Alpha)
More time, you say? (Bezel)
The time needed for the young, lost sheep wilfully ignoring reality to realise that they are sacrificialmb tied to the altar, thats what. We can just sit back and leisurely wait for that time toe. They will soon find out the truth and fall into the pit of confusion. All we have to do is to wait for that moment. (Alpha)
Of course. (Bezel)
It sounded as if they were chasing after floating clouds, but Alpha should have something up his sleeve. Thats what Bezel believed.
Thats why, I was thinking that.... (Alpha)
Yes? (Bezel)
Its like, it might be fun if I spin the table one more time. Sure, the table might break if Im not careful, but still, even that would prove to be fun, dont you think? (Alpha)
Hah-ah.... (Bezel)
Bezel shook his head in helplessness.
This guy, he always changed his mind on a whim like this. Just how long ago was it that he said he wouldnt do anything, that he shouldnt do anything with his own mouth?
What are you nning to do? (Bezel)
The demon sucking on his fingers doing nothing should start earning his keep, right? I mean, I know hes all depressed and stuff after two demon kings got killed off, but still. In a way, hes so adorable, isnt he? (Alpha)
Just how many people out there could call a demon adorable? Indeed, only him and no one else would have the balls to say that.
You wish to task that creature with a mission of some kind? (Bezel)
Mm, dont you think I should? (Alpha)
Alpha. (Bezel)
Yeah? (Alpha)
Bezel spoke earnestly.
Please, dont take my words the wrong way and listen to me. I believe that maintaining this sort of rtionship with the demons is a very bad deal for us. (Bezel)
Oh, really? (Alpha)
They are, without a doubt, demons. They may prove to be useful right now, but we dont know when they will stab us in the back. In all honesty, we dont know anything about these creatures, sir. (Bezel)
Well, thats true. (Alpha)
Even then, do you still wish to maintain a rtionship with them? (Bezel)
Hey, Bezel. (Alpha)
Yes? (Bezel)
With an expression just a bit stiffer than before, Alpha looked at Bezel straight in the eye. Thetter man unconsciously swallowed back his saliva because of the weightiness contained within that stare.
You still have no clue. No clue at all. (Alpha)
Pardon me? (Bezel)
The meaning of them stabbing me in the back, doesnt that signify Im no longer useful to them? (Alpha)
Thats correct. Thats why its a problem. (Bezel)
Nope, thats why there is no problem. (Alpha)
What was he talking about now? Was he trying to imply that such an asion would never happen, so they wouldnt betray him?
However, they are still demons. We cant be sure of that not happening. (Bezel)
Again, you have no idea. Fe, no idea at all. (Alpha)
Alpha spat out a low sigh.
Look here, Bezel. (Alpha)
Yes, Alpha. (Bezel)
If they stab me in the back, doesnt that mean they are now capable of destroying this world without my help, right? (Alpha)
Possibly, sir. (Bezel)
Isnt that fine, then? (Alpha)
..........
Bezels eyes grew wider.
If this world copses, then thats our end goal achieved, isnt it? Its not like I wanted to change the world so that I can enjoy this and that, anyway. Right? (Alpha)
Dont want to rule the world.
That was not what Alpha wanted to do C ruling over the world. He wasnt even trying to destroy the world, either.
No, he only wished to change it. Even if only destruction awaited at the end of that change, hed still not stop, though.
Thats why, lets create the ying field for that purpose. Im really curious about how that guy will react, you know? (Alpha)
While listening to Alphas hushed chuckles, Bezel fell into a pit of indescribable sadness.
The biggest mistake humanity has ever made was leaving this person alone like this. And now, they were about to bear the cost of that mistake.
With their flesh and soul.
< 229. Isnt there anything that can be done? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 230: Isn’t there anything that can be done? (5)
Chapter 230: Isnt there anything that can be done? (5)
Argh, I dont care no more! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decided not to give a d*mn anymore.
What was he supposed to do about people busy trying to hurt each other? It wasnt as if he could summon all the leaders of the world in front of him and discipline them or something.
Not only was such a task rather difficult to do, he didnt feel like doing it in the first ce. When he thought about how huge the aftermath might be, it was only right that he didnt lift a single finger here.
About what? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Doesnt matter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk furiously sucking in the Iced Americano with a straw and tilted her head.
Why was he being so cantankerous today?
Being irritated was like a passive skill to him at this point, but his current mood seemed to be slightly different to his usual temper tantrums. If his usual irritation was based off hisziness/annoyance, then he seemed to be really cross right now.
Did something happen? (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, not really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grunted apathetically and continued to suck the coffee with the straw, before reaching out to grab a bottle of syrup to pour the golden liquid into the cup.
....Why dont you just drink the sugar straight up, instead? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont understand why you insist on drinking the coffee that way. Is it delicious like that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled the straw and just tookrge gulps of the Americano. Jeong Hae-Min sighed softly under her breath.
Anyhow. Things are getting really serious, arent they? I heard that the situation between China and Tibet isnt looking too good, either. (Jeong Hae-Min)
H-mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seems like the Tibetans want to start a war for their independence. The Chinese government is trying to suppress them, but the overallbat capability of the Tibetan ability users arent a pushover, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You didnt know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
How could Yi Ji-Hyuk have known?
He didnt have much of an interest in the ability users of his own country, so it was only obvious that hed not care at all about the fighting power of other nations ability users.
Well, thats that. What about the current atmosphere over here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min sighed grandly, her expression one of concern.
I think its a lot worse than what Mister Choi Jung-Hoon said earlier. Now I cant even reveal that Im an ability user in public. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why? Someone bullied you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
First of all, the way Im looked at has changed. Were only guilty of fighting with everything we have, so I cant understand why everyones reacting like this anymore. (Jeong Hae-Min)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This time, it was Yi Ji-Hyuks turn to sigh.
What crimes did she and the restmit, anyway? If being different was a crime, then sure, they were all criminals.
Yi Ji-Hyuk put the coffee cup down and stood up from his chair.
Where are you going? (Jeong Hae-Min)
For a smoke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, the movies about to start, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its just one cigarette, so Ill be back before the start. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hurry up. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan and made his way to the third floor where the smoking room was.
What a blunder it was, saying yes absent-mindedly when Jeong Hae-Min suggested that they catch a movie together in order to lift up their moods.
He thought that she was just saying this and that back then; who wouldve guessed that she had the drive in her to make it a reality??
He retracted what he said and told her he didnt want to, but no amount of persuasion worked on her.
When she countered that a man had to keep his word, he resisted with a perfectly-timed reply of him not being a man, only to be shot down by Choi Jung-Hoons pointed nagging words of If you keep sulking over there, youre going to drag down the atmosphere of the office, so please get out of here.
Yi Ji-Hyuk became depressed by those words and in the end, got dragged out here by Jeong Hae-Mins hands.
Its still so early in the day, so what the heck.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
They could watch a movie any time, or not watch one at all, yet what was so bloody urgent that, as soon as she suggested it, she began nagging him like this?
Man, so annoying. Seriously now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk entered the smoking room and pulled out a cigarette.
If he wanted to say no, then he couldve done so. However, as he was about to reject her, a certain realisation dawned on him.
Who knew that this would be my first time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he thought about it, Yi Ji-Hyuk had never gone on a date in the modern world. In all honesty, all the rtionships he had with women were back when he was still stuck in Berafe.
Which meant that this would be his first time going on a date with a human woman. So, how could he say no to that?
Chiieekk...
He lit his cigarette up and looked out through the window, only to be greeted by this bone-chilling wind suddenly blowing inside the smoking room.
M-mm, well, it is a cold day, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered under the intense coldness of the air.
Maybe, I am dressed too lightly?
No, hang on a minute here. Even then, how can the weather suddenly bing this cold make any sense? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
After all, he was THE Yi Ji-Hyuk, wasnt he?
Heughed in the face of the bitter wintry chill blowing in from the North Pole of Berafe, yet for some reason, the chilliness today was seriously hard to bear.
Maybe, his condition wasnt so good?
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled his clothes in closer.
*
.....A date? (Kim Dah-Som)
Her eyes resembled those belonging to a wild predator ring at its prey.
In the darkened alley between two buildings, her eyes continued to gleam like a cat.
....A date. (Kim Dah-Som)
And her voice was chillingly ominous.
This could not be happening C a date....?
To make matters worse, why did he have to go on a date with that foul-tempered, short and old spinster?
This was an insult to her dignity!
Not a date. Simply watching a movie. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Nod.
She nodded her head after listening to the wordsing from her side.
That was correct.
This couldnt exactly be called a date. If one called a man watching a movie together with a colleague from work an act of dating, then pretty much everything on this world would qualify as one, too.
If one looked at the world in that way, a touch of hand while drinking coffee would lead to marriage proposal, even!
That was why this couldnt be called a date at all.
Shudder.
However, just what could this strange feeling be?
This dirty, bitter anger akin to someone stealing the ice cream in her hand made her shudder and she just couldnt stand still.
Across the road, on the third floor of the cafe C she could see Yi Ji-Hyuk by the smoking room with a cigarette hanging loose on his lips. She kept her ultra-sharp eyes on him while submerging even deeper into the darkness of the alleyway.
Since he possessed extra-special perception, she had to tail him even more cautiously.
No meaning. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Mm? (Kim Dah-Som)
She looked behind her to find Doh Gah-Yun shaking her head.
No meaning in tailing him. Nothing would change. We didntmit crime. Suggest we join him. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Haht!
She was right!
Now that she thought about it, what would change just because they were tailing him like this?
Even if she found something she could use, it wasnt as if she was in a position to demand something from Yi Ji-Hyuk, anyway. Indeed, wasting time like this and increasing alone time with Jeong Hae-Min would surely prove to be a big plus for that shorty, instead.
....Lets join them in the most natural way. (Kim Dah-Som)
Reservationplete. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Unni.... (Kim Dah-Som)
This unni, she could get pretty scary sometimes.
Did she n that far ahead and even reserved tickets for the movie? Why did it feel like that their seating area would also be right next to his?
This unni is the most dangerous one. (Kim Dah-Som)
When she got technical about it, Doh Gah-Yun was the one who got to spend the longest amount of time with Yi Ji-Hyuk, and it was quite likely that she knew the most about his tastes, too.
Initially, she came across as calm and disinterested in everything, so Kim Dah-Som didnt mind her all that much, but her recent behaviour suggested that she was not a taciturn, hands-off type girl at all.
Like, for instance, what she did just now....
Unfortunately, Kim Dah-Som couldnt think of Doh Gah-Yun as an enemy at the moment. Why? An enemy of an enemy was a friend, that was why. For the time being, they had to form a united front here.
To think that shorty unni would seize the initiative. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som began emitting a massive amount of chilly aura from her.
Cold. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Unni, how about we waltz right into the cafe? (Kim Dah-Som)
No good. Meeting coincidentally inside the cinema. Same sitting area. (Doh Gah-Yun)
That sounds good. (Kim Dah-Som)
Without a doubt, this unni was proving to be a big help right now. She might be a potentialpetitor down the line, but for the time being, her help was indispensable.
Kim Dah-Som decided to heed Doh Gah-Yuns advice for the time being.
Rrrr.....
It was then, her phone began vibrating.
With a slightly irritated face, she answered the call.
Hello? (Kim Dah-Som)
C Hey, Dah-Som-ah. When are youing back home? Your oppa has cooked up a storm for us, so youreing home soon to eat, right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
No, Im not going home. (Kim Dah-Som)
C Ng?? Dah-Som-ah, what are you talking about, youre noting home?! Are you saying that youll beter than usual today, right? Right??? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I said, Im noting home. (Kim Dah-Som)
C Dah-Som-aaaaah!! Where are you right now?! You are not with a boy, right? Tell me that it isnt true!! Tell meeee! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Click.
Kim Dah-Som ended the phone call right there and then.
And when the phone rang again, she pulled the battery out and with a pair of scarily-burning eyes, she began scanning the building where Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
I wont let you go. (Kim Dah-Som)
She was quietly burning up with fighting spirit.
Without saying anything else, Doh Gah-Yun stuck close to her back.
*
Would you look at those two? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted loudly.
He couldnt figure out what the heck was inside the heads of those two girls. Did they think he wouldnt spot them?
Well, if he was an ordinary person, then sure, hed not have noticed them. However, how could his sensory perception not pick up on them when their fighting spirits had been ignited to that degree?
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head helplessly.
Hed been realising this way too oftentely, but well, there was not one person with a sane mind around him! Not even one!
No, hang on a minute, thats not all, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When he thought about it some more, he should amend that statement by saying that there was not one creature with a sane mind around him, instead.
A Dragon near him was certifiably mad, while his pet Ogre had gone mad and started two-timing his girl, too!
Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that I think about it, where did those two insane Elves disappear to?
You know, Roabell and Rhea? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ipletely forgot about those two. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a sorrowful thing it was for those two, being lumped along with other crazies in his life like this.
Maybe I should ask Affeldrichaeter.
Its not as if they have ces to visit anyw.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze to a corner of the street below.
It had been rather deserted earlier on, yet there was quite a bit of crowd there now. Seeing that there were raised voices too, something mustve happened over yonder.
Whats going on? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk narrowed his eyes and concentrated, but his sight was blocked off by the crowd and couldnt really get a good look.
What are you looking at? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min had entered the smoking room after him and peeked her head to look as well.
What are they doing? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously, he wouldnt know what was going on over there. He couldnt hear the shouts either, since there was some distance between here and there, too.
However, he was sure of this one thing C the atmosphere over there was getting somewhat more heated than before.
Havent I seen something like that somewhere....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, there were scenes filled simr types of atmosphere back in Berafe.
....During the so-called witch hunts.
The atmosphere during when innocent people who did nothing wrong were used of being evil witches and burned at the stake was pretty much spot-on to what was happening over there. The onlookers would crowd around out of curiosity and soon get infected by this wave of anger, and then not too long afterwards, begin shouting blue murder as if they had met their irreconcble, unforgivable enemies or something.
The situation before his eyes was exactly that.
He couldnt be 100% sure of what was going on within that crowd, but there was no doubt that things were in the middle of rage steadily building up.
Something might happen at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was only normal for boiling rage to seek out an avenue to vent itself.
The ce he was looking at was boiling and seething over unnaturally. One wouldnt get such a reaction unless someonemitted a murder or something in full view of others.
Wanna go and have a look? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Jeong Hae-Min suggested the potential course of action, Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head.
Going there?
Over there?
But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
That wasnt rted to him, so why should he bother to go over there?
Why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, arent you curious? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Wait, that sorta makes sense, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Regardless of whether that matter was rted to him or not, he was still intrigued to find out what was going on over there.
But, isnt the movie about to start? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres still some time left, you know. I said that cuz I didnt wanna see you slink off somewhere to smoke. (Jeong Hae-Min)
You and your rotten personality.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What, what?! Why, what now?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and turned around so he could take the stairs.
Something was afoot among the crowd over there, thats for....
Swiiish-!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks head snapped back towards the window.
His eyes could definitely see the bluish arcs of sparks crackling on among the crowd of onlookers now.
An Ether ability?
He only spun around to look after sensing a chilly vibe on his back, but an ability user was really going to wild over there?
In the midst of all those people?
God d*mn it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Goosebumps broke out all over his body.
He seemed to extend forward out of the window as he dashed straight towards the crowd.
Meanwhile, ck Mana ever so slightly gathered on his right hand. He quickly reached out and dozens of tentacles shot out from his arm towards the location of the arcing electrical sparks.
Screeching noises of sparks going on frenzy resounded out, but thankfully, the wayward electrical energy travelled down his tentacles and got absorbed into the ground.
Which crazy as*hole is it this time?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gnashed his teeth and pushed the crowd away so he could enter their midst.
< 230. Isnt there anything that can be done? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 231: Can’t even say it when in front (1)
Chapter 231: Cant even say it when in front (1)
It all began with something small.
He worked his a*s off for over a month without taking a break, then suddenly found himself with some downtime. The nature of his job meant that he barely had any opportunity to take a break, to begin with. To make matters worse, the sry was lowpared to what his job entailed, and rather than giving the workers time off, the higher-ups made up for that by paying overtime, instead.
All thanks to the NDF going overseas for their internationalmitments, the workload of the KSF had increased explosively, which led to work hours increasing far greater than ever before. Taking a day off was an unimaginable dream at this point.
What he did today was to enjoy a simple shopping trip to destress and stretch his legs a bit after working nonstop for a whole month.
Without a doubt, everything was fine during the shopping itself. The problem arose when he tried to pay for them.
Just like before, he pulled out his ability user-specific discount card at the till point. And the starting point for his troubles was the moment the cashiers expression changing after seeing his card.
The cashier up until then had been the byword for a courteous customer service, but she became curtly sarcastic right afterwards, and since he had no idea what he did wrong, he ended up falling into a deep pit of confusion.
That was the beginning.
No matter where he went, the same thing repeated itself.
People who were so friendly and courteous all experienced changes in attitude as if they had a prior agreement right after they learned that he was an ability user.
God d*mn it. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon swore angrily and stepped outside the shop.
Items he was nning to purchase were already discarded by the counter a long time ago. How was he to understand such reactions unless his discount card wasnt working properly and it wasnt paying out as it should?
What have I ever done to you people, anyway?? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
As he was walking on the street, doing his utmost to calm his boiling head, his ears caught onto the murmurs of the crowd around him.
Whats the matter with him?
Hes an ability user, apparently.
Oh. But, whats wrong?
An ability user b*stard is using a discount card and is spending money like water, so who would think of him as a nice person? I mean, thats all taxpayer money, innit? D*mn parasites leeching off on our tax money.
Even then, they risk their lives for our sakes, dont they?
Risk their what now? I heard that they have fewer casualties than firefighters. Besides, do they look as busy as the real firefighters? How many Gates open up in a month, anyway? Theyze around as much as they want, yet get paid like crazy, and enjoy all sorts of social benefits, too. D*mn politicians created stupidws, thats what this is.
Kwok Myung-Hoon gritted his teeth.
Less number of casualtiespared to firefighters?
Try saying that afterparing the overall number of firefighters and ability users in the entire country, first. If one were to look at the mortality rate alone, the two professions couldnt even bepared at all. So, he wanted to smash that ptrap of the fool who didnt know anything but decided to yap nevertheless.
What a fortunate thing it was that hisrade who died during this months mission didnt get to hear this rubbish.
Just why did I work so tirelessly until now? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Indeed, he didnt even get to sleep properly nor took days off during the past month. It was true that he had no choice regarding the dangerous work that fell on his doorstep, but at the same time, he proudly endured knowing that his hard work had kept South Korea safe.
But to think, hed be receiving such treatment.
How could clueless idiots who knew nothing be qualified to spew such nonsense in public?
When his colleaguesined to him after browsing the inte for a bit recently, he figured that this whole thing was a storm in a teacup and it would blow over soon enough.
Regr people would be worried and anxious just like them, after all.
However, this was way beyond that, wasnt it?
This is on the level of hatred, isnt it...?
Just what did he do to deserve such hatred, though?
Was the prize for risking his life to carry out the mission issued by the government the publics hatred?
Kwok Myung-Hoon bit his lower lip.
Even if they were regr people with no knowledge on what the processes involved in defending against Gates were like, shouldnt they at least show the minimum level of respect towards those who worked for their own country?
D*mn it. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Unfortunately, all he could do was to growl out a swear word and leave the vicinity as soon as possible.
As an ability user, he should not get into trouble with regr people. This was the rule that had been drilled into his brain countless times already.
In ordance with the Ability User Special Law, an ability user was treated the same as a normal person carrying a dangerous weapon. No, when looking at the seriousness of the punishment, itd be far worse than that.
There had been a precedence of a simple punch-up ending up being treated as a grievous assault with intent to harm, and if things got unlucky, it could even be treated as attempted murder.
On top of that, the courts werent all that friendly towards the ability users as well, so they regrly handed down the heaviest sentences in the book.
What a crappy situation this is. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
They got paid a pittance, and rather than enjoying their rights as citizens of this country, they had far more duties to carry out, instead.
Besides all that, what the f*ck? Why do those b*stards get discounts, anyway? How can that make any sense? They get paid a sh*t load of money, so whats the point of giving them discounts? I mean, what did they ever do for us?
Kwok Myung-Hoons steps gained pace.
If he stayed here any longer, someone would try to be a wisea*s with him, without a doubt. Honestly speaking, though, it was more likely that hed not be able to hold back before that. If something like that happened, then his life would be finished.
I shouldnt havee out of the house today. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Indeed, maybe he shouldve taken a shower and went to sleep, instead.
He told himself that, in the future, hed only travel in less popted areas. Also, never to use this d*mn card again just for the sake of saving a few pennies.
He made the mistake by acting without thinking during these sensitive times. Kwok Myung-Hoon spat out a lengthy sigh and reflected on himself. Until these following words entered his ears, that was.
Those f*ckers, they shouldve just gotten swept away by the monsters and died.
He knew it already. He knew not to get shaken up by the mob mentality.
That fool was with a girl so he probably said those things just to look tough in front of her. If it was any ol times, hed chuckle at the cowardly fool who wouldnt dare to say something like that in front of him and let it slide.
However, he just couldnt do that right now.
His mind fighting against the sky-high level of stress finally began letting go of his reasoning.
Kwok Myung-Hoon spun his head in the direction of the voice. A well-built young man with short hair met the sharp re of the ability user and sneaked his own gaze lower as if he was taken greatly by surprise.
Let it go, man. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon tried so hard to hold it back. What would change by him grabbing a dumb civilian and getting into a scuffle here? Itd be over if he just kept walking away.
Unfortunately, the situation didnt develop the way hed like to.
Ohh, look at him ring at us like that. Wowee, he might kill someone at this rate.
Hey, man, Watch your mouth. What will you do if he really tries to kill you?
If he wants to kill me, then Ill get killed. If the high-and-mighty ability user-nim wants to kill someone, who can stop him?
Never mind. Lets get out of here. If youre p*ss drunk, you should go home and dont bother people. Why are you picking fights with someone not rted to you?
What the hell? Did I say something wrong?
Come on, man! Keep it down, will ya?
Kwok Myung-Hoon spat out another sigh.
It seemed that today wasnt his day. He tried to endure it, but he just couldnt. He turned around and walked over to the crowd of people who were talking c**p about him.
Uh, uhh??
When Kwok Myung-Hoon made his approach, the crowd panicked and theirplexion reddened instantly.
What did you all say? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
...Excuse me?
Now that an ability user decided to confront them straight-on, none of these regr people could say a word anymore. They were basically defenceless, while this mans abilities made him far worse than him pointing a gun at them. So, what could they possibly say?
N-no, it was just....
Kwok Myung-Hoon stared straight at the short-haired young man.
Didnt you say you wish I was dead? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
N-no....
Is that something you should say to another person? What did I ever do to you to deserve something like that? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Of course, there was no reply. There was only a young man with his head bowed down low.
You cant even say it when in front of me. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon didnt want to me these people. Because, he also talked trash about his superiors behind their backs. And hed not be able to talk c**p in front of them too, just like these people.
However, wasnt this case a bit too different than that?
You talked behind someones back when that someone wasnt around to hear you. Speaking trash behind the back so the person in question could hear it was no longer talking behind back, now was it?
Indeed, if they wanted to talk c**p about him, they should at least do that when Kwok Myung-Hoon had left the area first.
You should not bad mouth another person without a reason. Also, I fail to understand why you think of us that way when we clearly hadnt done anything wrong to you, to being with. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Y-yes, of course.
Please be more mindful next time. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
I understand.
Including you, too. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoons gaze nownded on the drunkard who obviously had one too many for his own good.
What do you want, you son of a b*tch?
Too bad, the drunkards response wasnt as agreeable as the young man. Indeed, what would he fear when that much alcohol was circting in his system?
He looked as if hed grab the cors of the King Yama at the moment, even.
Kwok Myung-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan and turned around to leave. What would he gain by arguing with a drunkard, anyway?
However, he made a mistake by doing precisely that.
Pow!
He felt something hitting him behind his head. Kwok Myung-Hoon couldnt immediately decipher what just happened and stood there dazed, before turning around to look.
What on earth was happening here?
He turned around to find the drunkard staggering about while failing to regain bnce, one of the mans shoes now missing. And the missing shoe that should be on that mans foot was rolling around on the ground right by Kwok Myung-Hoons own feet, instead.
You....!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
There would naturally be a limit to a persons patience.
Kwok Myung-Hoons face reddened up from anger. Too bad, there were those guilty ones who find it only obvious to turn the tables on their users in this world.
You stinking son of a b*tch! Because of you ability users, my mother passed away!! You f*cking good for nothing as*holes with stinking pieholes! What you looking at?!
Kwok Myung-Hoon gritted his teeth.
He was trying so hard to use his reasoning and logic, but it was getting so much harder to hold it back.
If it was left to me, Id just.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
He wanted to crush that drunken b*stard right here. Kwok Myung-Hoon could feel his entire being shuddering from rage.
What did he do to deserve such a crappy treatment like this?
That wasnt the only problem, however C now normally, these people would me the drunkard for his terrible behaviour, but they were shooting unfavourable gazes in Kwok Myung-Hoons direction, instead.
Why are you looking at me like that?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
It was a mistake. He wouldnt have made a mistake like this.
Unfortunately, he was just too tired right now. Both mentally and physically, he was just too tired. So, his anger rushed up to his head unchecked after being subjected under this sort of crappy treatment.
What the hell did I do wrong here? And why are you ming me for your moms death, you stupid f*cker?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon shouted out, and that prompted the drunkard to roar out like a mad beast and pounce on him.
The friend trying to hold back the drunken idiot couldnt do anything and tumbled backwards when thetter dashed forward with everything he had.
Are you being serious?? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon gruntled in unhappiness and easily dodged the drunkard lunging at him, before pushing the idiot down on the ground.
Along with a loudmotion, the drunkard rolled ungainly on the ground.
God d*mn it. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
....Im going to get scolded at his rate.
Kwok Myung-Hoon thought about what he needed to do in order to mop up this spilled milk and that made him more irritated than before. Although this was definitely a case of justifiable self-defence, he stillid a hand on a civilian, so he should prepare himself for a reduction in wages or even a suspension.
That d*mn brokenw, those d*mn broken regtions.
He was getting progressively more irritated by the fact that he was getting taken for a ride by the broken rules and regtions that punished those under the pretext to tarnishing someone or somethings prestige when they did nothing but sit still against a torrent of abuse.
It was then.
Ahhack?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon cried out. He felt an intense bout of pain rushing up from his leg. The drunkard sprawled on the ground began biting him there.
Let go!! Let go, now!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Pow! Pow!!
Kwok Myung-Hoon smacked the head of the drunkard biting onto his leg repeatedly. However, the b*stard didnt want to let go at all.
Pow! Pow!!
Only afternding a couple more solid blows did the drunkard finally release the leg and tumble away.
Son of a.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Swearing automatically leaped out of Kwok Myung-Hoons mouth. Seeing the trickle of blood oozing down on his leg, it was quite likely that the b*stard had taken a hefty bite just now.
mes of rage roared on violently inside his mind. If he could, hed just go and utterly beat up that d*mn drunkard right here and now.
But then, his ears caught onto apletely nonsensical utterance.
Isnt he going overboard there?
< 231. Cant even say it when in front -1 > Fin.
Chapter 232: Can’t even say it when in front (2)
Chapter 232: Cant even say it when in front (2)
Going overboard?
Who went overboard where?
Were they trying to say that Kwok Myung-Hoon shouldugh it off even though someone bit his leg, tearing off his flesh?
I mean, hes an ability user, so he can solve this trouble-free. Was there a reason for him to go that far here?
He probably wanted to hit that man.
Seriously, these b*stards called the ability users.
Kwok Myung-Hoon lowered his head and looked at the drunkard that bit his leg.
While looking at the moaning drunkard bleeding from the back of his head as if suffering from a grievous wound, he also wondered whether he was too heavy-handed just now or not. However, the drunkard wouldnt have let go of his leg if he didnt go that far.
Why were these people not understanding that part?
For the time being, call the cops. An ability user did beat up a regr civilian, after all.
But, wasnt that self defence?
No, it was excessive. There was no reason to go that far, you know.
Kwok Myung-Hoons face hardened even further.
They saw what happened, yet this was their reaction. Of course he knew that the unfavourable impression of the ability users was the main culprit for the crowds poor reaction towards him. Even then, he found it hard to swallow his sorrow.
Just what wrong did the ability users do to these people?
Sure, there had been criminals that used their powers during their crime spree, but the percentage of criminals within ability users were iparably lower than that of the regr people.
Well, it wasnt all that easy for the ability users tomit a crime anyway, since they would be handed heavier sentences if they were convicted of the same crime as regr criminals C not to mention, they were being strictly managed and overseen by the government, too.
Whew.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon shook his head.
In any case, it was an undeniable fact that trouble had indeed urred today, and he wouldnt be able to escape from the ensuing punishment. It was incredibly offensive and he thought it was rather unfair, but... What could he do?
That was thew, and that was the regtion.
Bloody hell. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon spat out a helpless sigh and scanned his surroundings.
He had to stay here and wait for the cops to show up, but the res being shot in his direction looked somewhat ominous. Indeed, their hostility-filled eyes were making him feel quite ufortable.
Was there a reason why he should be subjected to such looks, anyway?
Kwok Myung-Hoon gritted his teeth.
This was his reward for working his a*s off for this country.
All the hard work he and his colleagues put in wasnt even recognised, but there were plenty of as*holes foaming at the mouth, pouncing on them just because of the perceived benefits they received from the government.
And Kwok Myung-Hoon had been risking his life to protect these b*stards until now. That realisation left him so hollow and bitter that he could barely hold himself back.
To protect these worthless people, I.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
What was the point of protecting them in the first ce? They didnt even look at him as a fellow human being, anyway.
If he wasnt an ability user today, then they wouldve extended a helping hand by now. A few might have even said some consoling words such as, you must be really angry that a crazy person bit you, etc., etc.
However, just because he was an ability user, they were looking at him with such hostile eyes, even though he was clearly the victim here.
Just because of that one single reason.
Kwok Myung-Hoon heard the sounds of the distant sirens and covered his face.
He wasnt scared of the punishment. No, he was fearful of the reality.
Even if he was punished, how long would thatst? Hed probably be put under probation for a week or so, no more than that. He could ept punishment like that without a problem.
What he was really fearful of was the fact that, after his punishment was over, he had to return to fight against monsters in order to protect these people.
Kwok Myung-Hoon wasnt confident of doing that anymore.
If he hadnt known, fine. But now that he knew the reality, he wasnt sure if he could risk his life for these peoples sake.
What happened here? (Cop 1)
Uniformed police officers answering the dispatch call arrived and entered among the crowd. These folks usually would take ages before showing up, but today, they came really fast for some reason.
Its an act of violence. That guy is an ability user.
The cops surveyed the situation for a bit before staring at Kwok Myung-Hoon with troubled expression on their faces.
Arresting an ability user was going to be a migraine-inducing affair for these guys, actually. Seriously now, it wasnt for nothing that there was a special unit within the National Police dedicated to handling ability users.
However, they had already arrived so backing out wasnt an option at this point.
One of the cops began checking out the status of the drunkard on the ground, while the other cautiously approached Kwok Myung-Hoon and addressed him.
It seems that you must apany us to the station. (Cop 1)
Alright. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon nodded his head. Although he wasnt happy about this situation, he thought this was for the best. If he went with these cops, at least hed not have to look at this despicable bunch of idiots anymore.
I made a mistake,ing out to shop like this. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Hed never be able to forget todays events for the rest of his life. Kwok Myung-Hoon forcibly suppressed this thick, pervading sense of doubt tormenting him and asked the cop.
Where should I go? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
The cop carried this troubled expression while looking at him, but then, pulled out a pair of handcuffs. Kwok Myung-Hoons eyes grew even colder than before.
You want me to put that on? But, I didnt resist you in any shape or form, did I? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
I ask you for your cooperation, sir. (Cop 1)
....I dont think this is the right situation for that. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Not only was this a simple physical scuffle, he was not an instigator but a victim in this case. However, this cop didnt even bother to listen to the facts and tried to p these cuffs on him, instead.
Veins bulged on Kwok Myung-Hoons forehead.
Im the victim here, so why should I put those on? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
The cop couldnt even form a proper answer to his angry question.
Please, sir. I ask you for your cooperation. (Cop 1)
You arent even a parrot, so why.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Just as he was about to lodge anotherint, a rather sharp criticising voice flew in his direction.
He said put the d*mn thing on, so why is he yapping on so much?
With dismayed eyes, Kwok Myung-Hoon searched for the source of that voice. However, now that the dam had burst, there was no longer the need to search for the source anymore.
Because, criticising voices began pouring out from all corners now.
You couldve resolved this quietly and easily, yet why did you hurt an older man whos clearly drunk to that extent?!
He mustve done that deliberately, you know?
Look at his eyes, will ya? He might even kill someone at this rate.
Kwok Myung-Hoon formed a miserable face while closing his eyes.
Even if the crowd became emboldened by the arrival of the cops, their current behaviour simply couldnt be exined away. This was already far beyond the level of arguing who was right or wrong anymore.
No, these people were.... not right in the head.
How did thingse to be like this? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
It hadnt been that long that ability users were treated like heroes when one turned on the TV to watch the news. Not only that, ability users were indeed objects of envy and respect in everyday lives, too.
But now, these people were reacting as if they were looking at a disgusting alien or something. He just couldnt understand how could the publics perception change so much within a span of a few months like this.
Getting out of here as soon as possible is for the best. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Forget about handcuffs, if he stayed here for a minute longer, he thought that hed lose his mind and go crazy. Kwok Myung-Hoon extended his hands to the cop, his expression hard and stiff.
p those cuffs or whatever. Hurry.
I dont want to see these people and their despicable mugs anymore. (Kwok Myung-Hoons inner monologue)
Maybe the cop understood how Kwok Myung-Hoon felt, he quickly ced the cuffs on the offered wrist.
Click.
Meanwhile, the other cop supported the drunkard on the floor and helped him up to stand.
Shouldnt we take him to a hospital first? He doesnt look so good. (Cop 1)
I think he had too much to drink and thats why he looks like this. The wound is superficial and its not a big one. (Cop 2)
Even then, we should let a doctor take a look at him first. We can always write up the testimoniester. (Cop 1)
Should we do that? (Cop 2)
Kwok Myung-Hoon then followed the cops guidance and walked towards the patrol car.
What a terrible day this was turning out to be. He didnt do anything wrong, yet it felt like hed been made into a viin somehow.
Please, step aside. Move aside, everyone. (Cop 1)
The cops tried to create a path out of the crowd. Kwok Myung-Hoon walked on that path they had created.
Unfortunately, that was his mistake. He felt something get in the way of his legs, lost his bnce, and tripped forward.
D*mn! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
What are you doing, sir? (Cop 1)
Kwok Myung-Hoon gritted his teeth and looked around him. Not one tried to meet his re. However, one of these people definitely tripped his legs, without a doubt.
I asked you what youre doing, sir. (Cop 1)
The cop didnt even realise what happened, yet he kept harassing Kwok Myung-Hoon, instead. A hollow, bitter sigh escaped from his lips.
Please, stand up. If you keep insisting on resisting us, then things will get troublesometer. (Cop 1)
Resisting?
Kwok Myung-Hoons red sharpened up a notch. Just why was this dumb cop thinking that he was resisting anything? What more should he do to make them say that he was being cooperative?
Should he run towards the police station and slide into the holding cell by himself?
The cop flinched greatly when Kwok Myung-Hoon red at him with a deeply unhappy eyes, and hurriedly coughed to clear his throat.
Keu-heum. Please, stand back up. Let us continue back inside the police station. (Cop 1)
God d*mn it. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
He stood back up while grunting out in anger. It happened, then.
Stop resisting public authority!
Look at him ring at the police officers.
Im telling you, those b*stards dont give a d*mn about cops. You see now?
Kwok Myung-Hoon looked around him in a fluster. Why were they insisting on being like this when he hadnt done anything wrong here?
His anger finally boiled over.
Shut up, you f*ckers!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
If one could call it a mistake, then it surely was.
He knew logically that he shouldnt get angry under the circumstances. There really was no need to get carried away by his emotions and sink to the same level as these stupid idiots criticising him like this.
The thing was, though, things he couldve let it slide in any other circumstances got on his nerves for some reason today.
F*ckers?
The overall atmosphere rapidly became chilly rather quickly.
Kwok Myung-Hoons anger kept growing. He was angry that he fought for the sake of these despicable b*stards, and that anger grew into fury.
Just why did he sacrifice so much of himself until now? For what purpose?
ng!
It was right at that moment something fell in front of his feet. A half-empty soda can bounced off on the ground and soaked his pants with its contents.
.........
Kwok Myung-Hoon wordlessly looked down on the can.
So, this was his reward?
How many ability users were sacrificed to protect people like these so far?
Yet, the only reward was this sort of treatment?
Kwok Myung-Hoon gritted his teeth.
Tax thieves!
F*ck me. B*stards like him should just get ripped to shreds by monsters.
As*holes trying to pretend to be humans when they arent even one.
Kwok Myung-Hoons eyes became bloodshot in an instant.
What did I do wrong, ah?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
He knew he shouldnt fight, but...
What the hell? Hes trying to fight civilians now?! Go and fight monsters, instead!
B*stards who are good for nothing besides that, stop showing up in ces where normal people hang out, will ya?!
The atmosphere was boiling over in a bizarre situation.
Normally, these people wouldnt have openly said those things in front of an ability user. But now, the situation had devolved into something so twisted that they were unhesitantly pouring out those insults and jeerings.
Perhaps, their cautious nature had been forgotten due to the fact that he was handcuffed and the police was in charge of the situation.
You.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
What you looking at, you criminal scum!!
You dont do anything important but waste our tax money, anyway! Its us that pays your sry, you b*stard!
Im telling you, the specialws should be tightened even more. How can I keep carrying on when its so scary like this?
Kwok Myung-Hoon gradually began losing his reasoning altogether. He felt wronged. So wronged that he couldnt hold it back.
You sons of b*tches!! What did we ever do to you?! Is risking our necks for you a d*mn crime?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Too bad, itd been better for him not to hear the repliesing in his way next. Because, rather than rational, reasonable verbal replies, all sorts of missiles were thrown at his feet, such as cigarette packs and other trash.
........
Ah, ah. Everyone, stop throwing things. You shouldnt do that, people. (Cop 2)
The cops only pretended to stop the incited crowd.
Jeerings and booing and things kept flying in Kwok Myung-Hoons direction. Something that logic couldnt exin away was happening right now.
Kwok Myung-Hoon chuckled bitterly next.
These as*holes, they were really putting on a crazy show.
Fine. You all despise me, is that it? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Crackle.
Suddenly, sparks of electricity buzzed ominously in front of Kwok Myung-Hoons forehead.
In that case, let me give you a proper reason to really despise me, you sons of b*tches!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
His eyes grew even more murderous and electricity crackled all around him.
< 232. Cant even say it when in front -2 > Fin.
Chapter 233: Can’t even say it when in front (3)
Chapter 233: Cant even say it when in front (3)
Bzzzzzz!!!!
Pale-blue arcs of electricity buzzed threateningly in the air.
Kwok Myung-Hoon red at his surroundings with bloodshot eyes, and utter chaos broke out in an instant.
Uwaaah?! Run away!!
Crowd of onlookers witnessed the electrical sparks dancing in the air and lost their collective sh*t, before running away in the opposite direction from Kwok Myung-Hoon.
That crazy b*stard!!
This is why we gotta iste ability users!!
Kwok Myung-Hoon cackled on ominously.
What do you think youre doing?!
A policeman cried out in rm, but he or his colleague didnt dare toe closer and subdue him.
Did you just ask me what Im doing? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoons bloodshot eyes fell on the cops next as he roared out.
You asking me that because you cant see, you stupid sons of b*tches?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Youve been running your mouths off as if you are the experts in all things ability user-rted up until now, yet you asking me what? What am I doing?
Let me properly inform you, then! (Kwok Myung-Hoons inner monologue)
Please, calm down! Lets all calm down first! Nothing good wille out if you continue like this.
Its already not good anyway. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon gritted his teeth.
Ill do as you lot want. F*ck this. Yeah, Im an ability user, you sons of b*tches! Im gonna start a real bloody ident right now, so do your worst, okay?? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
CRACKLE!!!
Electric bolts flew towards the fleeing crowd.
No, nooooo!!
The cops screams resounded out sharply in the air.
It was unknown what would happen exactly if that electrical energy touched the regr citizens. Fortunately, though, what they feared didnte to pass.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Three tentacles flew in from out of nowhere and stabbed into the ground, before absorbing the electrical energy to disperse it.
Uh?
The fleeing people saw the tentacles shining in ck colour and became rather speechless next.
Just where did those thingse from?
What are those?
They shifted their gaze over in the direction of where they flew in from.
Whats going on?
They found a youth with a fairly mean-looking countenance trudging towards them.
Argh, Im out of breath now. D*mn it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The youth was, of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hey, you....! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was about to shout something, but then, rapidly breathed in air as if his lungs needed more of the stuff first. Only then did he start his foul-mouthed tirade.
Kwok Myung-Hoon dazedly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk walking in closer.
This guy...
Havent I seen him before from somewhere? (Kwok Myung-Hoons inner monologue)
Hey, you crazy f*cker! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk started swearing without even holding back an inch and that snapped Kwok Myung-Hoon back to reality.
Who is this guy?? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Of course, it was true that he had nearly caused a huge incident just now. However, this guy began pouring insults out of nowhere when they didnt even know each other, and more importantly, to someone who was clearly many years younger than him, too!
But then again....
This punk, Ive definitely seen him before somewhere. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
If you wanna die, die alone, you b*stard! You aint even a water demon, so why are you trying to cause a big incident here, you fool?! Imma grind that empty head of yours! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was uncertain when looking at the face alone, but after hearing him swear his a*s off like that, there was no doubt about it now.
This man, he.... was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Without a doubt, this guy was definitely Yi Ji-Hyuk, the ace of the NDF and the walking, talking rumour generator. Now that Kwok Myung-Hoon thought about it, he could faintly remember seeing him in front of a Gate in the past, too.
Are you insane? Yeah? Im asking you, are you mad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, Im not. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
If this youth was indeed THE Yi Ji-Hyuk, then Kwok Myung-Hoon was now facing the worst ticking time bomb in the history of the Korean penins.
Even if only half of the rumours he heard about this guy turned out to be real, no normal person alive would be able to deal with this youth, this monster of a human being. Whether it was his personality or his powers.
So, why did you do it, ah? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Kwok Myung-Hoon couldnt say anything.
Sure, he got carried away by his angry emotions, but he couldnt really put a finger on why he became so emotional in the first ce.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly studied Kwok Myung-Hoon for a bit, before waving his hand in front of thetters face.
Y-yes? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon failed to understand what was going on and tilted his head, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to frown rather deeply.
Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He then shook his head slowly.
And so, as these two began their confrontation, one of the police officers sneaked closer to Kwok Myung-Hoon and spoke in a timid voice.
S-sir, we ask for your cooperation. (cop)
He finally realised that, although the ability user was handcuffed right now, that act had no real significance in the current situation. Indeed, what point was there in handcuffing ability users in the first ce?
Kwok Myung-Hoon lowered his head dejectedly.
Im sorry. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
The cops formed somewhat of conflicted expressions and tried to arrest Kwok Myung-Hoon. He too, mustve regained his reasoning, because he was willing to follow their lead, as well.
However, there was a certain someone who decided to interfere, anyway.
Whats this? Why is he handcuffed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk. He looked at the shiny handcuffs locked around Kwok Myung-Hoons wrists with narrowed eyes.
Oh, that... Its just that, we thought there might be an issue during transport, so.... (cop)
What incident did he cause, anyway? Tell me first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (cop)
I said, exin to me the situation that made you p the cuffs on him like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke in a t tone of voice, and the cops could only form troubled expressions. Truthfully speaking, the person in question didnt resist arrest and was willing to cooperate, so there was no real need to use handcuffs here.
Well, what happened is.... (cop)
After listening to the rough overview of what transpired here, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the cops with a criticising look on his face. The officers subjected to that re began perspiring cold sweat drops almost immediately.
This guy, he carried a different atmosphere. If Kwok Myung-Hoons could be described as an aura of an ability user, then this youth, he thickly emitted this odour of a street thug.
The cops had seen enough criminals in theirbined lifetimes so far, so they instinctively understood how troublesome a person Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
I get it, so you can go now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A-alright. (cop)
The cops tried to leave with Kwok Myung-Hoon in tow, but Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth again.
No, Im saying, you can go without him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Excuse me? (cop)
Ill take care of that dude, so why dont you focus on mopping up this situation, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The cops looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk, utterly flustered now.
What are you suggesting us to do here? What authority do you have to order us around? (cop)
We do have the authority, actually. (Jeong Hae-Min)
This time, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt the one providing that reply, but Jeong Hae-Min. She strode right next to him and pulled out her identification card to show to the cops.
Im Jeong Hae-Min, from the NDF. You mustve heard by now that the NDF has priority on investigating all ability user-rted criminal activities. I hereby request that you hand this individual over to us. (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-mm....
The cops slowly nodded their heads.
They had been notified before in the past, so they at least remembered that the NDF was the ability user-rted organisation.
Can you wait for a moment, please? Im not sure what to do in a situation like this one, so Id like to confirm with the higher-ups. (cop)
Please, go ahead. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min rxedly nodded her head.
The cop finished the call and spoke with a bit of an unconvinced expression.
We shall hand over the suspect ording to the regtions. (cop)
Alright, thanks for your understanding. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min grinned brightly, and Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned in closer to quietly whisper into her ear.
There was such a thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop embarrassing me and dont say anything. Just be still and keep your mouth shut. (Jeong Hae-Min)
...Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled innocently.
What am I supposed to do about things that I dont know?
Is not knowing a crime now? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
From the get-go, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt have known that NDF possessed the power to investigate. Because, no one told him....
By the way, how did you know that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I heard from someone. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, why didnt anyone tell me that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You really think someone will actually ask you to investigate something in the first ce? (Jeong Hae-Min)
H-hey, you. You arent supposed to smile so brightly while saying stuff like that, you know??
Youre making me feel really, reaaaally awkward here, you know?!?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly thought up of a way to get rid of this awkwardness, however.
Hey, man. Want me to treat you to a cup of coffee? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwok Myung-Hoon dazedly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk in silence.
*
So, thats why.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan.
....Thats why you went crazy just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon mustve felt embarrassed as well, because the ends of his words blurred a little.
The group had changed the venue back to the cafe of earlier. Yi Ji-Hyuk sat on the opposite side of the crestfallen ability user as they conversed.
You know, you shouldve held back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im really sorry. Even I dont understand why I got so angry like that. Punishments, penalties, whatever, Im prepared to pay for my wrongdoings. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Uhm, well, no need to go that far. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Kwok Myung-Hoon with a bit of sympathetic expression on his face. It wasnt as if he couldnt understand where this guy wasing from. The reason why Kwok Myung-Hoon got angry was not his fault.
Technically speaking, sure, it was his fault, but the actual fault lied with this countrys government that failed to provide any adequate mental care for him.
I mean, you fought for that long, so theres no way your minds in the right ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Seriously. The higher-ups of this country think people are expendablemodities or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This man couldnt even take a proper break for a month while being dragged around here and there so he could fight and then, fight some more. On top of this, he even witnessed multiple times the deaths of his colleagues, too.
So, how could such a guy be of a right mental state?
If the higher-ups of this country possessed even a speck of brain cells between themselves, they wouldve done something to alleviate the possible problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, none of the b*stards knew how to think properly and that was the bitter reality of the Republic of Korea.
Tsk.
What a serious problem this is, when they didnt know the stuff even Yi Ji-Hyuk was aware of.
Hey, you. Doesnt KSF have a PTSD program or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? Whats a PTSD whatnot? Whats that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Never mind. Ill rather shoot myself first.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a scarily stupid country this was.
The higher-ups shoved people into an endless conflict with monsters over and over again yet didnt even show any discernible concern for their welfare.
They didnt seem to give a d*mn about people getting addicted to fighting or the side effects of adrenaline hypersecretion at all. So, it wouldnt be all that strange to see ability users disying signs of aggression at this point in time.
Hey, uncle? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? Ah, yes! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon replied properly as the spirit of military discipline re-entered his psyche.
First of all, the NDF agents enjoyed a far higher rank than the KSF.
Secondly, Yi Ji-Hyuk happened to be the hottest... modity in South Korea, nay, the entire world, so he simply couldnt bex with his etiquette.
You havent done anything wrong, so go home now. And, I dont care whether you decide to meditate or do yoga, you gotta do something to rx your mind, okay? Otherwise, youll end up causing something really big pretty soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You want me to go home? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Yup. Why? You dont have a home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, thats not it. I mean, even I think Ive done something wrong today, so will it be fine to let me go like this? Getting punished cer, but will it be okay to not arrest me right now? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
What do you mean, arrest? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Being sent to a jail cell, you dumba*s! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Did someone get hurt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A drunkard got... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
But, the way I hear it, that was self defence so who cares about that. Besides that one, did anyone else get hurt or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt I attack unarmed civilians? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
I stopped that, so no problem on that one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even still.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
It was at this point that Yi Ji-Hyuk began growling in irritation.
Urgh, so what the heck do you want me to do, then?? Is there a crime called attempted assault?? There is no such crime, is there?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes, there is no such crime, but... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon just couldnt get this bitter taste out of his mouth. He didnt feel too good right now. No one got hurt, sure, but without a doubt, he attacked with full intention to harm other people.
So, was it alright to gloss over this event as if he wasnt guilty of anything?
Somehow, a rather odd situation began unfolding, where the guilty one wanted to get punished for his wrongdoing, but the person that caught said guilty one didnt want to punish him.
Argh, its fine. Fine. Just go home, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B-but, still.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Argh, god d*mn it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nearly exploded from anger, causing Kwok Myung-Hoon to flinch and hurriedly lower his head. Forget about who was in the right or wrong here, he didnt want to get in the bad books of this man at all cost.
Wasnt there a saying among the Korean ability users that went along the lines of Its preferable to fight an Ogre head-on, rather than getting mixed up with Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Am I really free to go? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Argh, yes, Im telling you, go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got really irritated and Kwok Myung-Hoon slowly stood up from his spot. The thing was, though, what had happened wouldve been reported to the higher-ups by now, and hed get punishedter, anyway.
Him going home now wouldnt change anything, in other words.
Rrrr....
Sure enough, his smartphone began ringing off the hook.
Hello, this is Kwok Myung-Hoon speaking.
As soon as he answered the call, he was greeted by a torrent of cursinging from the other side of the line.
Yup, I knew it. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon spat out a lengthy sigh. He could hear a mixture of words containing prison this and sentencing that. Just before he could say that he was turning himself in right now, the phone ever so smoothly left his hand and entered Yi Ji-Hyuks grasp.
Eh? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
But, what did he want with the phone, now?
Even before that question could be asked, Yi Ji-Hyuk ced the phone against his ear and spoke.
Who the hell is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwok Myung-Hoons expression crumpled in a hard-to-describe manner.
< 233. Cant even say it when in front -3 > Fin.
(TL: The water demon reference has something to do with the Korean folklore about a wrongly drowned woman who turns into a demon/phantom that starts drowning others when they approach the spot of water where she died.)
Chapter 234: Can’t even say it when in front (4)
Chapter 234: Cant even say it when in front (4)
What?! (Lee Tae-Soo)
The Regional Director of the KSFs Gahng-book district, Lee Tae-Soo, pulled his head away from the phone and looked at its screen with a dumbfounded expression.
It said Kwok Myung-Hoon.
He initially thought that he had called the wrong number, but nope, it was the right one. Well, he was speaking to the ability user in question only up until a few seconds ago, so there was no way he got the wrong person, anyhow.
But that just showed the extent of how dumbfounded Lee Tae-Soo was right now.
The problem began with the d*mn newsing in from the higher-ups that said an ability user decided to use his powers and threaten regr civilians in the middle of a busy city street.
That alone would be enough to make him pull his hair out, but then the second problem came in the form of verbal abuse and unchecked nagging from the higher-ups, which ranged from why was his control over his subordinates so poor to how hed never get to climb up higher in the careerdder if this incident grows even bigger in scale.
And right in this moment, the third problem had reared its ugly head.
C Hey, I asked who the hell you are. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha.... (Lee Tae-Soo)
Lee Tae-Soo broke out into a dazed chuckle.
Who was he?
Wasnt he the Regional Director of the KSFs Gahng-book district?
Never mind a police stationmander, even the policemissioner wouldnt be able to speak so rudely to him like this. Indeed, unless one was on the level of a vice minister or undersecretary, one would never speak to him this way at all.
However, some punk answering the call meant for one of his subordinates was daring to speak without any honorifics whatsoever?
Is this guy insane? (Lee Tae-Soo)
He couldnt even get angry here, just utterly dumbfounded.
And who you might be? (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Hey, man. I asked you that first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha, will you listen to this guy? (Lee Tae-Soo)
Finally, Lee Tae-Soos anger level began rising up. He didnt know who the person answering the call was, but judging from the voice, this punk couldnt have been that old, it seemed.
However, he was behaving this badly?
Do I really need to show this punk what bitterness of life tastes like? (Lee Tae-Soo)
Lee Tae-Soo somehow managed to calm his boiling innards and enunciated his words as clearly as possible.
Im Lee Tae-Soo, Regional Director of the KSFs Gahng-book district. I told you who I am, so lets hear it. Who are you? (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Me? Im Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ohhh, so, youre Yi Ji-Hyuk? Sure thing. So, why.... eh? Yi Ji-Hyuuuuk?? (Lee Tae-Soo)
The hands of the Regional Director began trembling like a wet dog.
What crazy bullsh*t is this?!
He said hes Yi Ji-Hyuk? This Yi Ji-Hyuk cant be THE Yi Ji-Hyuk that I know of, right???? (Lee Tae-Soos inner monologue)
When he thought about it quickly, something seemed off.
Unless Kwok Myung-Hoon had lost his marbles, hed definitely try to snatch his phone back if some random punk tried to prank-call his superior officer. So, why would he be standing back and not do anything like this?
In that case, Lee Tae-Soo could only assume that guy holding the phone was either someone more than qualified enough to speak so curtly like this to him, or someone even Kwok Myung-Hoon couldnt use his strength to pry the phone away.
Whatever the case might have been, neither situation would be a good one for Lee Tae-Soo. And, if the one on the phone was THE Yi Ji-Hyuk he knew, then both of those options would be met, too.
So, which meant....
A-are you that Yi Ji-Hyuk from the NDF? (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................... (Lee Tae-Soo)
Argh, f*ck me sideways.
What should I do to save my a*s here??
Besides all that, why is this b*stard answering this particr call, anyway?! (Lee Tae-Soos inner monologue)
Lee Tae-Soo desperately racked his brain for solutions here. He knew not to get mixed up with this man.
He saw way too many times people vomiting blood after getting mixed up with this walking, talking human cmity. That Seo Ah-Young who often didnt even look like a human being, or even that monster-like Choi Jung-Hoon, couldnt deal with Yi Ji-Hyuks antics and became addicted to ulcer medication, didnt they?
So, how could a powerless regr person like Lee Tae-Soo survive Yi Ji-Hyuks tantrums?
Ha, hahaha... its a, uh, pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Lee Tae-Soo)
Lee Tae-Soo had no freaking idea what to say here, so heughed and greeted the other party for the time being. It wasnt important whether he epted this greeting or not. No, ending this call was the most urgent priority here.
Just as his brain urgently kicked into the next gear, the voice continued toe out from the other side of the phone line.
C Why are you calling here, trying to cause a problem? What did this guy do wrong anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Haha, well, that is.... (Lee Tae-Soo)
It was at this precise moment that he made his first mistake.
Hemitted a crime by using his powers against regr civilians. Its the same thing as wielding a deadly weapon against innocent people, you see. (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Ohh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Oh, so that means its fine to do that against an ability user, is that it? So, where are you, mister? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...You can flip the story that way? (Lee Tae-Soo)
Lee Tae-Soo covered his face.
The rumours werent wrong, as it turned out. Conversing with this guy would drive you up the wall, for sure. He simply had to resolve this situation as quickly as possible and speak to Kwok Myung-Hoon separatelyter on.
Well, uh, thats the regtion. Im sorry, but may I speak to Agent Kwok Myung-Hoon again? (Lee Tae-Soo)
C I dont know anything about some regtion or whatever, but..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you not know that?!
Youre an ability user, and more than that, an agent of the NDF, so what the heck do you mean by you dont know the regtion? (Lee Tae-Soos inner monologue)
Lee Tae-Soo hurriedly searched for a way out of this situation, only to be pped in the ear canals by what sounded like a thunderp out of the blue.
C In any case, if I hear that this guy got punished or whatever, Ill be paying you a friendly visit, understand? We cool? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It, its not my decision, you see?! The higher-ups want this done, not me! Im a nobody, so how can I punish someone?? Im just following orders, you know?? (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Is it? Then tell the fool issuing punishments to give me a call first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah..... (Lee Tae-Soo)
That... didnt sound so bad?
Even Lee Tae-Soos superior wouldnt argue at all and rubber-stamp the report with Yi Ji-Hyuks name on it. Because, that name was being treated like a master key capable of unlocking everything in the Republic of Korea by now.
I-in that case, I shall do so. (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Oh, and youll be getting a phone call soon, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Im hanging up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beep.
And thats how the call came to an end. Lee Tae-Soo wiped away the cold sweat trickling down his forehead and spat out a long sigh.
Hah...... (Lee Tae-Soo)
Why did Kwok Myung-Hoon have to be right next to that crazy b*stard?? Was he trying to reduce his lifespan or something?!
By the way, what was Yi Ji-Hyuk doing there, anyway? (Lee Tae-Soo)
Of course, it wouldnt be a stretch of the imagination to say that Yi Ji-Hyuk just so happened to pass by the area, since the incident urred on a busy street. Itd be still understandable to say that they ran into each other out of sheer coincidence.
The real hard part to understand was this, though C why was he protecting Kwok Myung-Hoon like this?
Just what exactly was happening here?
Rrrr....
It was at that moment that his phone began vibrating.
Mmmm?? (Lee Tae-Soo)
Lee Tae-Soo confirmed the name on the phones screen and his expression began to wane rapidly.
He didnt want to answer this call.
No, he shouldnt answer it. Like, at all.
Unfortunately, this call had to be answered, regardless.
Groan...
Lee Tae-Soo powerlessly picked up the phone.
Hello, this is Lee Tae-Soo of the KSF Gahng-book district speaking. (Lee Tae-Soo)
C Hello, this is Choi Jung-Hoon speaking.
Despair quickly filled up Lee Tae-Soos face.
*
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call with Choi Jung-Hoon and while forming a wry expression, put the phone down.
Its done. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon could only nod with a dazed face.
Thank you very much. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt here, then hed be stuck inside a holding cell by now, waiting for the inevitable punishment to fall in hisp. But because he was here, the situation got resolved without any problem.
By the way, why are you helping me? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon just couldnt understand this part, so he had to ask.
Because, its unfair. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Its unfair to be punished like that, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, the regtion is.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
If the regtion is c**p, then we should change it. Its wrong to uphold the crappy regtion, dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwok Myung-Hoon nodded his head. Any ol ability user wouldve thought about something simr to that at least once before. No ability user alive would not know that the current regtions werepletely disadvantageous towards them.
However, the current set of regtions were created by their government, and the ability userscked power to face off against the might of ones nation.
And, even if they did possess enough power, the ones upying higher positions happened to be stronger ability users as well, so unless the reform began from the top, there was little they could do right now.
And also.... I wasnt nning to save you originally, plus there was an extenuating circumstance, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply, choosing to sip the newly-ordered coffee through a straw, instead.
It was a rathermon thing to see soldiers involved in near-endless warfare to suffer from various stress-rted illnesses. It was only natural that a person constantly exposed to life-or-death situations wouldnt be able to function properly among the regr people while sharing the same sort of ideals and emotions as them.
Even back in Berafe, where the absolute method to cure everything called divinity existed, it wasnt all that umon to see soldiers lose their marbles and go on a violent rampage.
However, the ability users of the present were exposed to a much higher level of stress. They had to wait patiently in front of a Gate which no one knew what woulde out from, for monsters that would appear without much prior warning, and they also had to resolve themselves to lose their lives from even the most tiniest mistakes.
So, how could any one of them be able to maintain sane, properly-functioning minds?
It was the job of the government and all the rted organisations to provide care for such things. What Kwok Myung-Hoon did today was wrong. No matter what his story was, one could argue that him using his abilities against regr civilians couldnt be excused.
However, the ones that drove him to do something like that was his government, as well as the KSF. That is Yi Ji-Hyuks opinion.
If Im being honest, its p*ssing me off, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He really didnt like the fact that these people, running away from danger just because they were powerless civilians, dared to jeer and criticise those who fought for their sakes.
Well, it was possible that Yi Ji-Hyuk was thinking this way because he had a closer rtionship with ability users, but still.....
In any case, after hearing what had transpired so far, he certainly didnt feel like ming Kwok Myung-Hoon here. If there was something that needed to be changed, that it was not Kwok Myung-Hoon, but the KSF that let someone like him go uncared for.
Thats what Yi Ji-Hyuk thought.
....Hey, the movie has already started!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
......
And also, this girl needs to get her head examined, too!! Who cares about some movie or not at a time like this?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
....Well, I think its fine for you to go now. And dont start another incident while on your way, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can I really go? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
What, you want to go on a date with me, then? Sorry, Im not into guys, so what can we do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you arent interested in women, either. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Huh, now that I hear that, I guess youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwok Myung-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a slightly bewildered expression his face. He heard a lot about this guy, and although it wasnt for long, they shared a bit of a chat, too. And that made him arrive at a strange conclusion.
This guy... isnt he a good person? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Well, this man, he.... If one looked at it logically, then he stopped the incident Kwok Myung-Hoon was about to cause, he didnt lose his cool even once and resolved the situation smoothly, and then, he even stopped the potential fallout, too.
Where would you even find a guy like him?
If so, why were other people busy issuing warnings not to get close to a person like him? Someone this kind and good-natured? Maybe, the people of this world held a seriously warped perception?
In that case, I shall be on my way. Thank you for everything. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Sure thing. Take care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand.
.....Once more, thank you for your help. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
This guy, wasnt he a really good person??
While Kwok Myung-Hoon was seriously wondering about why only the bad rumours about Yi Ji-Hyuk had made their rounds, both his phone and thetters smartwatch began issuing loud rings.
Uh?
Mm?
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke with a disinterested expression.
Looks like a Gate opened up, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its red colour, so it must be an emergency. Did they discover one that has been hidden until now? Hey, isnt it nearby here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Jeong Hae-Mins words and confirmed with his smartwatch. He tapped on it a couple of times before forming a bright, innocent expression.
This thing... How do you check with this little thing, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You, dont do anything. Ill confirm it myself. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It feels like this kid has been looking down on me a bit recently.... Am I mistaken? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at Jeong Hae-Min with sharp eyes, but she didnt even care one jot about that and checked the smartwatch, only for her expression to harden considerably as she shook her head.
It is really close. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Where is it, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, its seriously close by. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Okay, so where?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Over there. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min pointed outside the cafes window.
Mm?
His gaze drifted along with her outstretched finger and eventually discovered the Gate over yonder. It was so huge that one might even make a mistake thinking that it was right in front of his nose.
It sure is big. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
It sure is close by. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ohh, its opening up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk helplessly dropped his head.
Let me take a d*mn break for once! A person needs to rest, too!!
Uh-whew, this god d*mn situation, really now....! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk powerlessly forced himself to stand up.
Aigoo, my sad, sad life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Taking a break? As if.
< 234. Cant even say it when in front -4 > Fin.
Chapter 235: Can’t even say it when in front (5)
Chapter 235: Cant even say it when in front (5)
Wuuuoong-!!!
The Gate opened up abruptly, just like that, and monsters began pouring out from the portal.
What the hell is this?!
The crowd screamed in fear.
A Gate opening up was amon urrence nowadays. Also, one opening up in the middle of a city happened every now and then, so the current situation shouldnt have been much of a surprise, either.
However, it was a first for such a huge Gate to suddenly pop up in the middle of a city and open up right away without even giving anyone the chance to get surprised.
Those folks who grew curious of the Gate and sneaked closer to get a better look screamed in panic after witnessing the blue colour change to red in an instant. As soon as the portal opened up, they all began running away without question or argument.
Run away!!
Report this!! Someone report it, right now!!
Screams and roars created a scene ofplete, utter chaos.
Kha-aaaah!!
The horde of monsters rushed out of the Gate.
Now normally, there was this certain, unspoken rule regarding monstersing out from the Gates. For instance, only Goblins came out from the Gate that Yi Ji-Hyuk first encountered. Meaning, no other type of monsters appeared, other than Goblins.
It had been the same story with the other Gates thus far.
However, the current Gate was somewhat different from the rest.
All sorts of monsters emerged at the same time from this giant portal C from the familiar Builder Monkeys and Goblins, to Wyverns taking to the skies and Giant Worms burrowing into the ground. Countless other types of monsters rushed out from the portal as if it was the gate of Hell.
Help me!!
People desperately ran away, but it was impossible to escape from monsters with human legs.
Aaaahhk!!
Soon enough, victims lost to the monster horde began appearing from everywhere.
What is the KSF doing?!
People are getting killed here!! Those ipetent b*stards!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged outside the cafe and ced a cigarette between his lips.
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What aplicated situation this was.
Indeed, itd have been far easier to deal with if it was a Dragon or something; he was facing a hordeprising of many different monster types, which meant that he had to personally kill them one at a time and well, that would be one heck of an annoying thing to do.
Ive already requested for support. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Callpleted. Will arrive, soon. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze and found Doh Gah-Yun had sneaked closer to him before he had fully noticed it. She had oh-so perfectly concealed herself until now, but was forced to appear like this due to the developing situation.
What about Dah-Som? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Over there. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Take her to a safe ce and thene back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun nodded her head before melting into the scenery and disappeared from view. He then shifted his gaze over to Jeong Hae-Min and spoke to her.
And you, isnt this going to be too dangerous for you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it gets too dangerous, I can just teleport outta here. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....What a cheat character. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that he thought about it, this girl wouldnt get done in by anyone, really. Now that he finished sorting out his own situation, he could pay more attention to the monster horde.
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He observed the rampaging monsters for a bit before looking at Kwok Myung-Hoon next to him.
Are you going to help? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Arent you a kind-hearted person. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwok Myung-Hoon heard Yi Ji-Hyuks slightly sarcastic remark and his cheeks reddened slightly. It was true that he had suffered abuse from the public, but that didnt mean he could leave these dying people behind and escape from here.
Its my duty. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Thats amendable mindset. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
It was at this moment that they saw a patrol car hurriedly driving towards them.
P-please, do something!!
The vehicle was manned by none other than the two officers who tried to arrest Kwok Myung-Hoon earlier. Back then, they had used excessive force to suppress an innocent man, but now that they desperately needed something, they showed up here to ask for help.
Wowsers, what a couple of shameless geezers. Seriously now. Dont you guys have any conscience? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theplexion of the cops reddened immediately as Yi Ji-Hyuk chided them.
Dont worry, I understand. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
However, Kwok Myung-Hoon answered the cops call with an earnest face.
Ahjussi, arent you unhappy about this situation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
You got treated that badly, yet it looks like you still want to help these people out. Were you Gandhi in your past life or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon replied with an awkwardughter.
Isnt this something that happens often? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was different before these events began happening around us? It was the same story before ck Monday. People berated soldiers for beingzy b*stards and got angry at them for being ipetent.... They always did that. However, didnt those very soldiers end up protecting this country? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
People not respecting you is the same as it was back then. But you didnt earn any points with the public for wasting two years of your life through hardbour in the past. Compared to back then, were being treated somewhat better, wouldnt you say? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
That was a story no longer rted to him, but well, it was true that you couldnt even use euphemisms to dress up the way people treatedmon soldiers.
That wasnt all, though. Like, the firefighters who had to jump into the raging mes when they couldnt even get a proper pair of gloves from the higher-ups, for instance....
The world functioned as it did because of these folks did their jobs silently from behind the scenes.
However, how long will thatst? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A foundation built upon one-sided sacrifices was destined to buckle under its own weight sooner orter.
Besides, I believe now isnt the time to worry about such things. I must look like a weakbatant in your eyes, but Im fully prepared to lend you my support, regardless. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Uhm, well, the thing is... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not nning to do anything in particr here, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
You know, I was thinking of just spectating today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Spectating? What are you talking about? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon sounded dumbfounded during his questioning.
Well, Im off work and I just came out to have fun today so there isnt something for me to do here, you see? Its the KSF that should do the work, instead. If thats not it, then some of our agents with nothing better to do will show up to take care of this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwok Myung-Hoon frowned deeply.
You possess such an incredible power, yet you are simply going to watch people getting killed and do nothing? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Im kinda like a battery that doesnt get recharged, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, what if a Demon King shows upter, and I cant fight it because I spent Mana sorting out this situation? Thatd be the end of humanity, you see?
Its not like I dont wanna do anything cuz Im toozy.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
This is no time for jokes. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
I wasnt joking, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwok Myung-Hoons face hardened.
Looks like I was wrong about you. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Excuse me, we havent known each other that long to say something like that. Its hasnt even been a hour since you saw my face for the first time, you know. And also, you get swept up in incidents because you jump to conclusions and judge people unnecessarily. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill reflect on that. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon replied as thus, but his expression didnt change.
I dont have any more time to waste like this. Excuse me. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
As soon as he was finished, Kwok Myung-Hoon dashed towards the Gate without even bothering to wait for Yi Ji-Hyuks reply.
M-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched him go and spat out a sigh.
What a nice guy.
Yup, a really nice guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He might have almost caused a huge incident, but he didnt seem to be a bad guy, that Kwok Myung-Hoon. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk would want to flip everything up if he were to be subjected under such abuse after going through a month of non-stop hardship.
Watching that man jumping into the fire while still wanting to help people even after experiencing that c**p made Yi Ji-Hyuk feel weird, though.
Arent you going to help? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, watching people die will make you feel bad, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that is true, but still... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, he didnt really feel all that bad, to be honest....
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head again. Talking to her like this seemed to only confirm that his mind wasnt normal and that sure made him feelplicated right now.
Dang it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His gazended on the back of Kwok Myung-Hoon.
*
Keuh-heuk! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon gritted his teeth.
Being pushed back by the overwhelming numbers was an apt description for this situation. Seemingly endless waves of monsters were pouring out from the Gate.
He was strongerpared to the past; it had been two months since he began training under the agents of NDF who came to visit his branch office at regr intervals, the folks that he genuinely looked up to.
The training proved to be incredibly harsh, but it allowed him to get much more familiar with effectively utilising his Ether, and as a result, he could proudly say that he was at least twice as strongpared to himself of two months ago.
Unfortunately, this situation wasnt something that could be resolved by himself just because he was twice as strong.
Indeed, even if there were a hundred of him present, it still wouldnt be enough to solve this situation. That didnt mean he could stay back and watch on disinterestedly, though.
If he couldnt solo this, then hed try to cling onto its pant leg with everything he had. He should be able to save at least one more life this way. That was all he wished for right now.
BOOM!!
Something exploded right next to him.
His ears rang loudly, and his vision grew fuzzy and blurry.
Keuk. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Even then, Kwok Myung-Hoon didnt falter. He reflexively fired electricity all around him while trying to reorient his shaking body.
Kuwaaahh!!
And his eyes caught the sight of a giant Builder Monkey swinging its huge arm towards him.
I cant dodge this?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
The end.
It was more than likely that he had over-extended himself. At a bare minimum, several KSF branches should havebined their resources together to defend against such a Gate. However, he did try to solo it, so this was an inevitable result.
He had been foolish.
He knew it oh so well.
The thing was, though C there were certain matters in this world that a man simply had to do it even if he knew that he was being foolish.
The Builder Monkeys arm was almost in touching distance from his head now.
D*mn it. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon kept his eyes wide open. He didnt want to die with his eyes closed.
Oh? Would you look at this uncle? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was right then, he heard a hallucination-like voiceing from behind him.
BANG!
Apanied by a sound akin to a leather drum being banged on, the Builder Monkey flew high up into the air.
Khhhaaaahk?!?!
It flew so, so high that it became just a little speck in the blue sky before it began its rapid descent back to Earth.
Hul..... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoons jaw dropped to the floor after witnessing this unrealistic sight.
Im telling you, guys like you get killed first, you know? Mister uncle? Youll get killed at this rate. So, you should pull yourself together. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
He looked behind him to discover Yi Ji-Hyuk busy clicking his tongue.
Are you here to help us? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
I thought about it for a bit, and.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Mana might not, but as it turns out, Ether does get recharged. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon had no clue what that even meant so he asked back, but Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt nning to exin himself and simply red at the monsters, instead.
I was kinda curious how powerful Id be using only Ether, so, like, might as well, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned confidently and spoke up.
Lets see here. Should we confirm how good you are? Stay close to me, okay? All you have to do is shock the monsters that I kick away. Do your best to get that final hit in. Cool? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehh? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Lets go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks words had just barely left his mouth before he dashed forward. Unable to understand anything he said, Kwok Myung-Hoon just chose to chase after him, instead.
And thats when the older ability user saw it. He saw why the name Yi Ji-Hyuk was stuck on everyones lips again and again in South Korean ability usermunity.
Boom! Bang! Thud! Pow! Bam!
It was like listening to musical notes.
Monsters unlucky enough to find themselves in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even have any time to do something about it before getting flung away. He swung his arms as if he was ying around, yet all those terrifying creatures were sent flying away while disregarding thews of physics.
What the hell is this?? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon couldnt believe what he was seeing. How could such a thing even be possible?
Boomboomboomboom!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk increased his speed and his arms and legs began moving even faster than before. A huge monster was struck by his fist and flew backwards while spinning like a storm cloud!
Other monsters getting swept up in that storm screamed loudly.
Urgh, this is so inefficient. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to tilt his head this way and that as if something still wasnt up to his liking.
Hey, I told you to get the final hits in! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah!! Y-yes. Yes! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
They werent even ying a game here, so why the final hit?!
This wasnt the right time to argue about that, so all Kwok Myung-Hoon could do now was to do as he was told. He fired electrical energy at the copsed monsters.
Dont kill them! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can I even control that?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
You just gotta do it right, you know! Just do it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.................
What the hell, this kid?? Isnt he a bit of a dumba*s?? (Kwok Myung-Hoons inner monologue)
Kwok Myung-Hoon was steadily realising that the good impression he had of Yi Ji-Hyuk was eroding away with every passing second.
Argh! I said, dont kill them! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was he even talking about?!
When Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly shouted out like that, Kwok Myung-Hoon got flustered and hurriedly took a look around. And then, he felt his mind nk out for a second there.
An endless rain of mes were falling on the area where he and Yi Ji-Hyuk, plus the monsters, were. He quickly realised the identity of those mes and ended up shouting out loudly, as well.
There are people in here, you crazy idioooooot!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Kwok Myung-Hoons screaming and an ear-piercing cackling left from his lips. He shouldve believed the rumour that said the folks from the NDF were a bunch of moronic thugs. Despair quickly filled his face.
I shouldnt have gotten involved.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Well, toote now, mister.
< 235. Cant even say it when in front > Fin.
Chapter 236: What did you summon, then? (1)
Chapter 236: What did you summon, then? (1)
The rain of fire descended upon Earth in a spectacr fashion.
Kwok Myung-Hoon lost all of his cool after witnessing that sight. Didnt the person firing those not give a d*mn about other people in here?
Are you trying to kill me, toooooo?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon roared out a scream filled with despair. The other person trapped in the same situation with him, Yi Ji-Hyuk, was cackling away like a viin, instead of lending an aid.
All the people from the NDF are moronic thugs, so do not ever get mixed up with them. Hell, dont even talk to them!!
....I shouldve listened to the branch directors advice. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Apparently, normal people found a few strange things when looking at ability users. It was kind of like, after getting their hands on inhuman powers, their mentality would go through a slight change from how the rest of normal humans think.
But then....
The folks of the NDF were exactly that from the perspective of regr ability users.
Meaning, these people had one or more parts about them that werepletely messed-up even when viewed by other ability users. And the two that stood at the top just so happened to be Yi Ji-Hyuk and Seo Ah-Young.
She was already nicknamed Insane Witch from her KSF days and everyone judged her to be number 1 person never to get mixed up with anyway. As for Yi Ji-Hyuk, he appeared out of nowhere like aet and turned someone like her into regr ability user A, and was rumoured to be the historys worst moronic thug himself.
I really, really shouldnt have gotten mixed up with them!!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
And some wise old man said that one had to experience it to understand it, or some such. Why oh why did he have to provoke the perfectly-calm Yi Ji-Hyuk who was simply minding his own business?
The normal reaction after realising that Yi Ji-Hyuk had shown up shouldve been Kwok Myung-Hoon high-tailing outta there without even looking back once....
Unfortunately, no matter how quickly regret arrived, itd always be toote.
He looked up at the rain of fire falling on top of his head and opened his eyes wider. He barely managed to survive the threat of death at the monsters hands only to be killed by a humans hands, instead.
Uwaaah!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
When the mes were a touching distance away from the ground, Kwok Myung-Hoon screamed out once more.
This uncle, seriously now. You are too much of a scaredy-cat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, someone tutted loudly behind him, and Yi Ji-Hyuk leaped up into the air above Kwok Myung-Hoons head. Then, he began rowing his hands towards the falling mes.
Ah! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Thats right. This man was none other than THE Yi Ji-Hyuk. He was the number one ability user in this world, someone the entire paid close attention to. A man like that was here, so such measly little mes would be nothing!!
Argggh, too hot, too hot!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
He energetically swirled his hands about, but too bad, the mes easily broke past his defences and enveloped his body. Soon, he waspletely engulfed in mes, and he came crashing down to earth and began rolling around on the ground.
Something... was being cooked rather nicely.
....W-wait, why do I even smell something enticing, too? (Kwok Myung-Hoons inner monologue)
Argh, thats too dang hot!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................
Uhm, he can still speak?
I mean, you arent supposed to talk when being burnt alive, no? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Wowsers, this.... I guess I cant do it like when using Mana, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his still-burning body up and shook his head as if he had realised something.
Uhm... Are you alright? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Ah, this much is nothing, so yeah, Im fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, youre still on fire, you know? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at his body, and hisplexion paled gradually.
Uwaaah?! Hey, Seo Ah-Young!! Put them out, no!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young clicked her tongue, her expression one of dissatisfaction.
Why dont you just die, instead? (Seo Ah-Young)
This stupid little girl?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot her an angry re.
Well, you can take care of it by yourself, so you should do exactly that! What do you want from me when Ive released my mes already?! (Seo Ah-Young)
I wouldnt be doing this if I could take care of it myself! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And why not?? (Seo Ah-Young)
I cant use my Mana, thats why! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was that?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk oh-so badly wanted to run over to Seo Ah-Young and teach her the difference between Mana and Ether, and also why he shouldnt use any of the former right now.
He somehow managed to suppress this powerful temptation to drill those important facts into that rock-hard head of hers until she could never forget them, and gnashed his teeth.
Ah, now isnt the time for this.
My body is still burning and all.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Heuph!
He unleashed just a wee bit of his Ether outside his body and that ably deflected all the mes burning on his skin. Using Mana wouldve been so much simpler, but too bad, he couldnt use that energy source willy-nilly since he couldnt replenish it.
Especially so, when he was dealing with these low-ranked mobs of small-fry.
Uwaaah!!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Hul?? What the heck?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Out of the blue, a loud scream resounded out from his side and he quickly spun his head around And thats when he spotted Kwok Myung-Hoon rolling around on the ground, trying to put out the fire burning him, which came from Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
Urgh, this uncle, seriously now. This is too much, you know? Hey, are you alright? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ask me that after putting out this fire first, you crazy as*hole!!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
....You know, Im a human being too, so do you honestly think Id wanna put out the fire when you talk to me like that? If youre asking for something, then you should speak politely, at least! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You son of a....! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
As Kwok Myung-Hoon was running out of breath, Yi Ji-Hyuk went Tsk, tsk, and waved his hand about to pour out more Ether. Indeed, he still needed to save that dude first, didnt he?
Whoooosh-!
A powerful gust of wind blew by and extinguished the mes burning on Kwok Myung-Hoons body.
Euh, euh.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Thetter quickly scanned his body and shuddered in fear. Just how wretched was his current state after getting mixed up with these people?
Are you alright now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
But, you told me to ask you after putting out the fire? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Im fine now. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Id be even more fine without you here. (Kwok Myung-Hoons inner monologue)
Kwok Myung-Hoon desperately swallowed back the other half of what he wanted to say. Hed never, ever forget what happened here today. He would definitely remember it, and alert the rest of the KSF for sure.
He needed to let everyone know what would happen if they get mixed up with a man named Yi Ji-Hyuk. Now that was his new mission, a sworn duty, in his life.
You two have enough time to twiddle your thumbs like that? (Seo Ah-Young)
....She couldve just told us to get a move on, yet she just had to be that sarcastic, eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot a renewed re at Seo Ah-Young with a deep frown. At first, she didnte across as such a hateful little character, but well, he couldnt be sure why she was steadily morphing into one.
Is there a reason for that?
Mm? Me?
Eii, I havent done anything here, so no ways. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted in derision, Kwok Myung-Hoon was frantically looking around his vicinity.
What is going on here? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
It couldnt have been more than ten minutes since the Gate opened up. The current situation was... the promised support from the nearest KSF branch hadnt shown up yet.
However, how could the agents of the NDF arrive first in this location already? It wasnt just one or two people, either.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at them and smirked.
Looks like you guys really dont have anything better to do? You all showed up at once? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course we dont have anything to do. Because, you havent caused an ident yet. (Seo Ah-Young)
What?! What ident did I cause before, then?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Well, now that I think about it, you havent caused an ident, technically speaking. Lets just say that we didnt have anything to do, because for some bizarre reason, incidents hadnt happened around you yet. (Seo Ah-Young)
Should I just smack her now and be done with it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly calcted his odds of victory when fighting her with only Ether and no Mana. Meanwhile, Kwok Myung-Hoon began roaring out at the top of his lungs.
What are you all doing?! People are dying as we waste time like this! How can you be chatting away so rxedly like this?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his dazed gaze over to him.
Uh? This dude, he didnt act like this when he was literally on fire just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A person should stay consistent no matter what, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tsk, tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in disapproval, but too bad, Seo Ah-Youngs response was quite different from his.
Oh, is that so? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes!! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Okay, so. Who are you? (Seo Ah-Young)
Excuse me? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Im asking you, who are you? Which branch do you work for? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Im from Gahng-book district, actually. (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
In that case, call your branch and tell your branch boss to get his butt over here in the next five minutes. (Seo Ah-Young)
You think thats even possible?! Where do you think we are???
How can a person from a measly little district branch that doesnt even have a teleporter in the roster show up this far in five minutes?? (Kwok Myung-Hoons inner monologue)
But, why do you.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Simple. Personally pping around a person who couldnt recognise his superior officer and continues to shout back is a bit of a waste of my mental energy. (Seo Ah-Young)
Is something like that important right now?! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Oh, when will it be important, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
People are getting killed as we speak, maam! (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young formed a derisive smirk.
Look here, mister. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Yes? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
You can stop acting as if youre the only one worried about the affairs of the world, okay? We have already grasped the situation, too. I hope you arent thinking that what you see is everyone from the NDF. Other agents are in charge of evacuating the citizens. Do you get it now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Oh.... (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
But, of course. There was just no way people of their acim would take care of business so shoddily, now was there?
Then, what you said earlier was...? (Kwok Myung-Hoon)
Kwok Myung-Hoon shifted his eyes filled with hopeful expectation and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk, but thetter proceeded to shoot the formers expectations down as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole world.
Nope, I really couldnt be bothered earlier, so I wasnt going to get involved. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Where would you ever find a b*stard like this guy?!
Kwok Myung-Hoon stared at him with eyes reserved for looking at a space alien, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to shrug his shoulders.
Well, stuff happens, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwok Myung-Hoon simply couldnt understand this human being named Yi Ji-Hyuk. Just what on earth was bubbling inside that head of his?
What are you doing wasting time like this, not clearing a Gate of this small size already? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out, and Yi Ji-Hyuk looked back at her with a pair of dumbfounded eyes.
Since when did it be so obvious that its my job to deal with every Gate opening up?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre going to do it anyway, so if youve done it already, our lives wouldve been far more simpler, you know? You have this tendency of wasting time with unnecessary side talk. (Seo Ah-Young)
..........
Something about what she said really pushed his temper to the boiling point, but what a strange situation this was, he couldnt bring himself to shoot her down with a suitable retort, either. His lips parted to say something, anything, but by then, Seo Ah-Youngs attention had shifted away from him.
Lets end this quickly! People getting hurt is one thing, but buildings getting damaged is taxpayers money down the drain, so lets deal with this situation right away! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam!!
After issuing firm, determined replies, the NDF agents scattered in all directions.
Hah-aht! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young quickly gathered Ether in her right hand and created a ball of mes the size of a house before chucking it in front of the Gates exit as monsters were still pouring out from there.
RUMBLE-!!
Gigantic, billowing mes erupted there. Confirming that spectacle, she nodded her head in satisfaction.
Fresh monsters emerging from the Gate could be handled by her all alone. The real problem was hunting down the monsters that had already scattered around the vicinity one by one. Now that was a far harder job than taking care of arge group of monsters.
Itd been so much easier if the Gates exit had been blocked off from the get-go. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Just who was she aiming for when saying those words out aloud?
Yi Ji-Hyuk began shuddering in anger.
Is this my fault? My fault?? Am I the only bad guy here? Am I the only b*stard in this situation? You should be thankful that I even bothered to step up after I clocked off from work already! This is why the so-called superior officers are....! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is no clocking off in the Republic of Korea! None! You think your work day ends when you go home? Before you decide to retire altogether, your work will never be over, so you better stop deluding yourself with that nonsense! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah, This is Hell Joseon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in disapproval.
What an innocent time it was back then, thinking that things would get resolved by themselves once one left work at the end of the day. This dang nation and this dang job didnt want to let a person be free even after the office hours were over.
Whatever. I can go home now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began frowning as she red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hmm. Maybe its time to raise a bit of fuss again? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Doesnt it feel like this older sister and other folks have regained their rebellious streaktely?
Well, its not that I dont understand it, though.
Well, humans have this tendency of bing a bit too big-headed when they get treated nicely for a while. And I have been treating them cordially, havent I?
In that case, its time to discipline them properly once more. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Wuuuuong-!!
The thing was, though, there was another being that would discipline Seo Ah-Young instead of him, as it turned out. The Gate began to rock violently all of a sudden.
Mm?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stared at the portal with nervous eyes. She thought that norge monster would pop out from it since the emerging creatures were kinda like liquorice allsorts, but it seemed that she was wrong here.
What do you think wille out now? (Seo Ah-Young)
I dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled leisurely to himself.
Please, get ready! Feels like something big is about toe out! (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, sure, maybe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began tonguidly back away.
....And where do you think youre going? (Seo Ah-Young)
Lady, didnt I tell you this before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He suddenly formed a refreshing grin.
I told you, Im off duty. Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, he energetically ran away in the exact opposite direction from the giant Gate.
W-wait.....!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shouted out loudly at the cackling Yi Ji-Hyuks back as he continued with his escape.
Where are you going, you stupid moron?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around during his sprint and replied with a hardened expression.
If the other subordinates are too scared to tell you, then allow me to be frank here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Going home on time is more important than ones life itself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Well, then. See you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing his departing back again, Seo Ah-Young cried out in pure anger.
Hey, you fool!! You are really leaving?! (Seo Ah-Young)
This time, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt bother to turn around.
...What the hell? How can someone like that exist for real?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was now looking at him in renewed light.
< 236. What did you summon, anyway? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 237: What did you summon, then? (2)
Chapter 237: What did you summon, then? (2)
Are you really leaving?! (Seo Ah-Young)
She already knew very well that he was capable of really leaving, and then some. Indeed, if it was Yi Ji-Hyuk, hed definitely leave and not even look back.
Uh-whew! What apletely hopeless man! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young gritted her teeth.
If only the Gate hadnt opened up in the middle of the city and created an emergency situation, Seo Ah-Young wouldnt have asked Yi Ji-Hyuk for his help either.
Without enough rest, one couldnt respond properly C she knew that being in top condition was incredibly important for the agents of the NDF, who had to risk their lives everyday fighting against monster threats.
She got really p*ssed off about the unfair working conditions many times during her tenure at the KSF, after all. One of the main reasons for establishing the NDF was to change such unfairness, wasnt it?
Groan....
Even still.
He shouldve at least stuck around and see what wasing out.
Argh, whatever! I dont care anymore! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young angrily spat out and spun her head around. Whatever came out from that Gate, all she had to do was to take care of it. Simple.
*
Where are you going? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Mins question was met with Yi Ji-Hyuks bright smile.
But, isnt something about toe out of that thing? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I guess so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you want to leave? Shouldnt you stay and see whates out or find out if Ah-Young can deal with it, at least? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fine. Never mind. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply after seeing how quickly Jeong Hae-Min gave up like that.
If only she spoke to me nicely, Id have helped out already.
But these fools, now that Ive begun helping them out properly, youre all taking me for granted nowadays. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Back in the beginning, he figured that things might get way too hecticter, so he spent his own time and effort to train up these NDF fools to sub for him. Yet, if they continued to call on him every time there was an incident such as this one, then what was the point of all the hard work he put in back then?
That was why he wouldnt help out today. Definitely not because he was toozy or anything like that at all.
Jeong Hae-Min quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk for a bit, before opening her mouth.
Okay, so. Where are you going now, for real? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I said, home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, what about our movie? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng??
What the heck. Who cares about a movie now, when things are like this?
Cant she see all the unfolding chaos because of the Gate? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A Gate opened here, yet you still want to watch a movie?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you already clocked off, didnt you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, what does it matter? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins words had driven Yi Ji-Hyuk to a corner. Now that he thought about it, what she said was technically not wrong.
B-but, all the cinemas have closed their doors now?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head this time.
She wasnt doing that because she failed to understand him. No, one could actually sense that she did it deliberately to silently convey her confusion regarding why Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt even think up of something so simple like this.
Youve forgotten about who I am, havent you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....Oh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, now that I think about it some more, this kid here wouldnt be affected by anything, even if its a Gate opening, a bomb going off somewhere, or even a meteor falling from the sky.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Should we go to Busan? Or Daegu? (Jeong Hae-Min) (TL: Both are major Korean cities.)
..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk shut his mouth up real tight.
No excuse would work here. If he were to argue that he didnt want to get involved with the Gate due to the simple fact of being off duty right now, then hed be left with no choice but to get dragged to a cinema by her, instead.
Grooooan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a pained moan.
As a man, you aint thinking of going back on your word, now are you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, I do that all the time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You wont do that this time. You wouldnt, riiight? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min pressured Yi Ji-Hyuk with her bright, good-natured smile.
Aha, hahaha..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk used his awkwardughter to ably deal with her pressuring attempt.
So. Are you going to watch the movie, or are you going to solve that problem? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Does that mean, as long as I solve the Gate issue, I dont have to watch the movie with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. Ill let it slide this time. Because, youd be too tired afterwards. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a grand sigh and turned around to trudge towards the Gate. She saw this wonderful spectacle and waved her hand.
Do your best, okay? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh-whew... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He continuously spat out one sigh after another. Meanwhile, she was grinning refreshingly while watching him walk away.
Anyhow, hes just so dishonest with himself. (Jeong Hae-Min)
A dude who showed no resistance towards watching a movie up until a few minutes ago suddenly began acting as if he hated doing exactly that?
Even though he pretended to not care with excuses of being off duty and whatever, in reality, he really did care.
The Jeong Hae-Min of the past wouldve lost her marbles and berated him for being such a bad person, but she had piled up enough knowledge on how to handle Yi Ji-Hyuk by now.
Mm?
You asking why Choi Jung-Hoon cant do that?
Because hes a dude, thats why.
If a dude used the same tactic, then hed get beaten up half to death. (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was somewhat weak against women. No, hang on a minute C he was openly weak against them, instead. All those people he found hard to deal with or couldnt stand were all women.
He surprisingly has a tendency of a yboy, doesnt he? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins cheeks puffed up ever so slightly.
*
What do you want now?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Argh, will you just stop. Its too annoying to exin, and its too much of a bother, and its too sad anyway and I might end up crying, even. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ive no idea what youre on about. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a dumbfounded face.
Why was he, escaping while cackling like a viin, walking right back with a despondent expression on his face now?
If you were going to do this, then why did you try to leave in the first ce? (Seo Ah-Young)
Argh... Just stop. Thats not important now, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk found it too much of a bother to exin and just waved his hand about.
Whats the current situation like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As you can see. (Seo Ah-Young)
She pointed at the Gate. Seeing how that huge thing was being distorted to an unrecognisable degree, it was rather likely that a pretty powerful being was trying to cross over.
Indeed, thatrge portal couldnt endure the aura of the monster crossing over and was now stretched to resemble a big oval now.
What about other ces? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Last I heard, things were almost mopped up there, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
By the time Yi Ji-Hyuk discovered the Gate, many monsters had already emerged and dispersed throughout the surroundings. He knew that, because he saw it happen with his own two eyes.
But to think that so many monsters were almost all taken care of in such a short period of time; one could confidently say that was one hell of an achievement. An evidence as good as any that the folks of the NDF all had experienced an eye-opening growth, that was.
I guess you werent fooling around and sucking on your thumbs, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fooling around? We worked our butts off, didnt we? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, she wasnt wrong there.
They didnt prove to be much of a help, but still, they did go up against the second demon king to step in to this world. The agents of NDF had withstood the absolute worst situation imaginable, where being brushed by that creature wouldve resulted in a quick, painful death.
Sure, that feat was only possible thanks to Park Sung-Chan and Kim Dah-Hyuns wonderful work up front, but in truth, if they werent strong enough to begin with, none of them wouldve survived no matter how much help was provided from the back.
And also, during the zombie crisis, it wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuk but these folks who worked their butts off to resolve that, too.
So, uh, they did get a bit stronger, didnt they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wasnt easy to urately measure just how much stronger they had be. Not only was Ether not Yi Ji-Hyuks speciality, he also didnt possess any talent whatsoever in measuring the strengths of those weaker than he was.
Well, from a lions perspective, both the hare and the racoon would be pretty much the same thing, which was food. And it wouldnt be all that interested in which of the two was more powerful than the other.
H-mm, so that leaves only this Gate, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the portal.
Sure enough, a huge, pitch-ck silhouette could be seen through the distorted Gate now. It was so huge that the enormous portal waspletely filled up by the shadow cast by that creature.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit.
Shouldnt a Dragon or a Giant be the only creatures capable of filling up a Gate of this size? Things might get annoying if either one of those showed up here.
Not because itd be difficult in taking care of them, no, but because they were in the middle of a city, that was why.
...Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, the monster revealing itself was a type that Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt expect at all. One couldnt say he was wrong with his guess here, though. Technically speaking, he wasnt, really.
If one were to ssify that monster by species, it would definitely fall under the Giant category, after all. It had a humanoid shape and was big enough to put a regr Giant to shame, for instance.
Now normally, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve been happy to see this creature. Although it possessed a simr physique to a real Giant, it wasparatively weaker than one and was easier to deal with as a consequence.
However, the story was a little different today. That thing was one of those creatures that hed prefer not to see in this ce.
The huge grey-coloured torso; lower half covered in leather of an unknown creature; two arms rippling with ballooned-up muscles threatening to burst at any second....
And then...
Its distinctive feature that signified its identity C the lone,rge eye shooting a fierce re.
It was a Cyclops.
Again, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt have been flustered by a Cyclops appearance like this in any other circumstances. Never.
However, things were different now. Hell, hed actually prefer to see a Dragon emerge from there, instead.
The huge mace held in the Cyclops hand was swung towards the ground, then.
N-no! Stop that thing!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cried out in panic.
God d*mn it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt do anything about that mace hitting ground from where he was.
But, why was he so flustered like this?
Because, that mace is a magic artefact!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
More specifically, whenever a Cyclops swung around its mace, the weapon would briefly transform into an artefact. You see, that thing held by the monster was referred to as the Earth Mace, and its effect was...
Ruuuumbleeeee....
When the mace mmed to the ground, gigantic ripples began spreading out with the monster as its centre.
Were all screwed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head faltered to the ground.
W-whats going on?! Just what happened here?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ehh, well, the thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How should he go about exining this situation to her?
His body began osciting along with the rippling ground by then.
Mm, well, that mace has magic cast on it, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Magic? What kind of magic?? (Seo Ah-Young)
I wonder if you know about what an Earthquake is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An Earthquake? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young tilted her head. This... Didnt she heard that word from somewhere before?
What does that mean? (Seo Ah-Young)
The direct trantion is an earthquake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahh, an earthquake, is it? (Seo Ah-Young)
She nodded her head as if she finally got it, before screaming out loudly enough to tear out her vocal cords. (TL: The word Earthquake was written in English, while lower-case earthquake was written in Korean.)
An e-earthquake?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-wait, that means my body shaking around is because....?? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
A-are you talking about this, you know, the ground shaking around? (Seo Ah-Young)
Lets just say that this is the precursor to whats toe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-then, what about the real earthquake?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yeah, well.... Itlle soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
D-do something!! (Seo Ah-Young)
I wonder about that. Its impossible to cancel a magic spell thats been activated already, so..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No way!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Wudududuk!!
Suddenly, the ground violently quaked around, and with the Cyclops as the centre, the earth began splitting up in all directions.
This is insane!! Were in the middle of the city!! (Seo Ah-Young)
I know that already, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only chuckle hollowly.
What can I do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kyaaaaahk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
RUMBLE!!!
The ground overturned en masse as if it was exploding, and a massive ripple spread out with the monster at its centre. Seo Ah-Young witnessed this spectacle in despair. Her eyes then caught the sight of countless skyscrapers in the vicinity.
Just how many people were still inside those structures? Just how many of them would be sacrificed today after those structures came crashing down?
That horrifying image managed topletely nk out the inside of her head. This was, without a doubt, a massive catastrophe.
Please, just do something!! (Seo Ah-Young)
No, hang on. Even if its me.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out another sigh.
He also knew that he had to do something here, but there was no way to stop magic that had already been activated. Of course, that didnt mean hed do nothing, though.
Groan... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, hed try to grasp at straws, then.
He quickly gathered Mana in both of his hands. Now wasnt the time to rxedlyin about wasting his Mana or whatever. He formed a quick hand sign and created a magic circle in the air, before shouting out towards it.
Open up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The circle emitted ckish light and then, its mouth split open widely.
Ng?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young dazedly stared at the newly-generated Gate.
What are you trying to do? (Seo Ah-Young)
I summoned something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, what did you summon, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm, well.... Im not sure whether itll work out well or not, but this is the best I can do in this situation, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fine, just tell me what you summoned already! (Seo Ah-Young)
Uh, well, its a..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What should I say here so that she can easily understand it?
That its a mollusc?
The mascot of countless video games?
The most-friendly monster that everyone knows? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk uttered out this one word that contained all of those exnations.
....Slime. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
From the mouth of ck Gate, something thick and viscous began flowing out.
< 237. What did you summon, then? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 238: What did you summon, then? (3)
Chapter 238: What did you summon, then? (3)
Now that was a pretty grotesque sight to behold.
Indeed, almost no one alive would find such a sight pleasing to the eyes, especially when thickly-viscous liquid slowly oozed to the ground from a giant doorway in the air.
Seo Ah-Young, of course, possessed the kind of tastes that one could refer to as normal, and rather obviously, she found this spectacle quite disgusting.
Euh, euh....
Goosebumps broke out on her skin instinctively.
Slime?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min had approached them before anyone noticed it and asked innocently enough.
Whats that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young formed this expression of really, really hating it while turning around to look at the former idol.
Hey, some people dont know what that is, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, thats not.... Unni, its just that I dont feel so good looking at that thing.
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled happily after seeing Seo Ah-Youngs reaction.
Why did she hate it so much? Wasnt a slime a popr character in various video games?
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, then again....
Yi Ji-Hyuk revealed how satisfied he was as he observed the slime that continued to ooze out from the air.
To be honest, even he didnt find this sight all that attractive. After all, it was the scene of viscous liquid with an opacity stuck perfectly between being transparent and not so much,zily drooling to the ground from a mouth in the air.
And just why did you bring something like that here?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Tsk.
He clicked his tongue while looking at Seo Ah-Young getting all worked up like this.
Why couldnt the heavens bestow two opposing qualities to a person at once? If only this woman was blessed with Choi Jung-Hoons brain, then they might have seen the birth of the historys greatest ability user by now.
Ah, its the shock-absorbing buffer material. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I knew it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Choi Jung-Hoons voiceing from behind and nodded his head. If the good points of these two couldnt be brought together to form a single person, then might as well, they should apany each other.
Choi Jung-Hoon finally arrived on site and as he observed the slime filling up the cracks in the ground, he nodded his head in understanding.
If such tenaciously tough semi-fluid seeps into the fractured ground or below the shaking buildings, we might be able to prevent them from copsing altogether. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup, youre the smart one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned in contentment.
As I thought. Having someone to provide timely exposition when youre about to do something sure makes your life easier, doesnt it?
I mean, I dont have to p my gums to say anything at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Even as Yi Ji-Hyuk was gaining a renewed appreciation of Choi Jung-Hoons usefulness, the slime continued to flood out of the Gate like azy waterfall.
Although it moved slowly due to its viscosity, the amount that poured out from the portal in the air was rather enormous.
........
....Uhm, just how long will it continue toe out? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
B-by the way.... Will it continue toe out like that? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How much of it will stille out, then?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
How much?
How should I know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....You really dont have any answers, do you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was all fine and dandy that he resorted to shoving all these buffer material here and there, but would it be fine for that thing to keep oozing out like this?
Choi Jung-Hoon was ovee with this ominous feeling that the aftermath would be rather difficult to handleter on, so he cautiously opened his mouth to speak.
You know, that slime.... Its not going to cause us a major headache down the line, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ng. Its pretty docile. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Is it even alive? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its a monster, alright. For some weird reason, people of this world have this image of a slime being a nice monster that acts as a friend to humans or melts the clothing of a beautiful girl down, but the truth is, its nothing like that. Well, its a regr, run-of-the-mill monster that swallows up a person whole, suffocates him to death and dissolves the sucker to eat it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, so, like...
Asphyxiation and liquefaction, is it.... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
The eyes of Choi Jung-Hoon began trembling more and more.
But, you said its docile?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, it is. I mean, its so dang slow that it cant really swallow you up properly, anyway. Wouldnt you say thats pretty docile for a monster? What, you were expecting an adorable puppy or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you do keep puppies around, dont you?!
And they are freaking Ogres, too! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon asked another question with a trembling voice.
I-in that case.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
His finger was now pointing at arge skyscraper. The slime was slowly flowing towards it to shove more of itself inside the structure at the moment.
....Whats going to happen to all the people trapped inside? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
They get devoured, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.................
Choi Jung-Hoons hurriedly and quite vigorously grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders.
What the heck?! Didnt you summon the creature to save people??? If they are going to die either way, why did you even bother?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, theyll die less painfully this way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly brushed aside Choi Jung-Hoons hands gripping him.
I was just kidding, so stop overreacting. Dont worry, I already ordered it to push away any humans it finds. Im sure itll push everyone ites across to higher floors. And if someone ends up falling out from the window, the monster will act as a nice cushion, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, its hard to trust you.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Urgh, dont believe me, then! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon maintained an unimpressed expression as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Seriously, man! A person should have more trust in others! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think I didnt trust you from the beginning?! Who do you think made me this way?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh-hoh??? You saying its my fault now? Am I the bad guy here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The longer a person gets to know another person, the higher their mutual trust should get, but you somehow managed to chuck any hints of trust out the window, so how can I not say it?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I havent done anything, so what gives?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon became briefly speechless.
He said, what gives.
Do I need to mouth every single one of his lengthy transgressions, then? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Should Ipile aprehensive report for you? I mean, itll be on the level of a dissertation, though? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No thank you. Itll be too annoying to read the whole thing, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh-whew. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head in helplessness.
In any case. This is pretty humongous, isnt it? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just from looking at it, the scale did indeed prove to be rather impressive, alright.
The viscous liquid still flowing out from the Gate was nowpletely filling up the city itself. As if it was some kind of flood water, the semi-transparent liquid filled up the cracks on the ground and held tightly onto the shaking buildings.
How did hee up with this idea on the fly? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon wasnt confident of using a slime to do something like this even if he knew of its existence beforehand. Because to him, a monster was a target for extermination, not a tool to be deployed in a tight situation like this one.
Such an idea could only be cooked up by Yi Ji-Hyuk, and only he could bring it to reality, too.
Dudududuk....
The ground was still shaking and quaking around all over the ce, but thankfully, no buildings came crashing down due to the slime absorbing most of the impact force.
Wow. (Seo Ah-Young)
Even Seo Ah-Young couldnt help but gasp in admiration after witnessing this scene.
This guy, hes really...
Even though he looks like a useless idiot, he really knows how to pull through during the critical moments, doesnt he? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
You managed to solve one of the problems. (Seo Ah-Young)
Nice work. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ehehehe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sheepishly scratched his head.
Nice work, was it? How long ago was thest time he got praised for what he did?
People berated him and resented him even after he ran around like crazy to put out various fires, so when he was publicly acknowledged like this, a smile automatically broke out on his lips even before he could do anything about it.
So, this is the reason why an Ogre would allegedly start dancing around if its beenplimented nicely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to the Cyclops.
Roooar!!
The monster was hurriedly pounding on the slime that was steadily surrounding it from all sides with itsrge mace.
H-mm....
All thanks to the Cyclops being so tall, the slime could only reach up to its knees even though so much of the creature had gathered there. The sight of the monster still desperately pounding at the slime around its knees with that mace came across as rather amusing to behold.
Things almost went sideways, there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a deep breath.
A Cyclops wasnt a monster strong enough to bring the humanitys downfall. Even if he wasnt here, a united front put up by other ability users wouldve defeated it sooner orter.
But then, simply by it appearing in this particr location, it suddenly morphed into the worst potential monster to deal with, ever. If Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt immediatelye up with the idea to use the slime, then this city wouldve been destroyed in half by now.
Mm?
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head a bit, and then nodded it.
Bring them in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, its nothing. I was talking to the slime. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
What did he just say?
Can he actuallymunicate with that soft, malleable lifeform?
Isnt that, like, an even more amazing ability than the animalmunicator thing?
Then again, this guy talks to Oh-Sik as if that Ogre was a human being, to begin with.
But, at least Oh-Sik resembles a dog from the outside.
Im not insulting it. Its just the truth.
No, hang on, Im telling you, it just looks like one, okay? Like a puppy! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
That thing can actually talk back to you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with a dazed expression on his face.
And how would that guy talk back to me now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Stop looking at me those eyes, please.
When you do, I feel like killing myself on the spot, you see.
I dont care if everyone else in this world looks at me like that, but not you. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Tears formed in the corners of Choi Jung-Hoons eyes.
What could this be, this sh*tty-a*s feeling?
I-if not, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We can read each others thoughts, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, thats basically the same thing....
How nice would it have been if you were quick-witted enough to get the point A when I say B? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
With that monster? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, isnt it adorable in its own way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont wish to get into an argument on the matters of aesthetics with you. Anyways, what are you trying to bring in now? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Oh, that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
What do you think? Its obviously people. You thought I was picking up coins on the ground? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks mocking chuckle caused Choi Jung-Hoonsplexion to wane at a visible rate.
***
Uwaaaah?! What the hell is this?? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik was a pretty unlucky guy.
Just take a gander at today, for instance.
It was a rare thing for Chang-Sik, a local hoodlum who preferred the cosiness of his own home more than anything else to roam around the high streets during the day like this.
While other punks were busy searching around for a pub that would sell them some booze, hed rather much prefer to search for a nice little convenience store, instead. Of course, thanks to a face that naturally came with a free pass on all ID-rted inspections, there was not one adult-only item he couldnt buy, but still.
Indeed, Chang-Sik found it too much of a bother to apany his peers whenever they begged him to take them to a pub. Such a dude had toe out to the high street for the first time in a long, long while.
All because of some dang clothes.
Seriously, wouldnt it have been okay to buy them online?!
Unfortunately, his older sister and mother proceeded to mercilessly punish him for arguing, and eventually, he was forced toe out here to buy himself new clothes.
Does it really matter what I buy, anyway?! (Choi Chang-Sik)
His family did have a good enough reason to, by the way.
His physique that had ballooned up to the limits of a human being didnt permit him to wear the pitiful clothing of any ol regr person. Most shirts sized Large would instantly be tights once he put them on, and mass-produced clothes simply couldnt adequately cover Chang-Sik at all.
So much so that he even had to have his school uniform custom-made.
Which meant that the types of clothes that he could buy online were only those big-size specials, and for some unfathomable reason, most of the big-size clothing he found in shopping malls boasted crazy uncool designs.
Thats why they told him to go out there, try a few on, and then buy them for himself.
How logical.
So, so very logical, indeed.
But what was not logical at all about this was... Trying to find the clothes that fit Chang-Sik in the clothing stores that littered these high streets was no different from finding a needle in a desert.
He felt truly sorrowful, but he had to raise a white g ande here after receiving threats of his pocket money being taken away, as well as the continuous serving of cold meals gracing his breakfast table every morning.
But then, shouldnt his family at least try toe along with him or something? So why did they send him off all alone while putting up every conceivable excuse?
Even more sorrowful was the fact that he couldnt locate any clothes for himself today.
Whenever he tried on something after being told Dear customer, this outfit might fit you, he was met with a magic trick of the hip-hop hoodie suddenly morphing into a spandex training suit.
He even encountered the situation of the clothes almost being destroyed while forcing them on himself a few times already, too.
Forget it!! I aint buying any, then!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik finally gave up and came out to the street to puff on his cigarettes in frustration. And it happened then.
Rumble-!!!
The ground suddenly began rumbling without warning.
Uwaah?! What the hell is this?! (Choi Chang-Sik)
An earthquake in Seoul? This wasnt Tokyo, for crying out loud!
He heard those stories of tectonic tes and whatnot, that Seoul wasnt in the safe zone and whatnot, but that was all true?
What was he supposed to do during earthquakes, then?
Should he rush inside a building? But, what if the building copsed while he was inside? Wouldnt he get crushed to death, then?
While Choi Chang-Sik couldnt make up his mind on how to respond and frantically looked around, the earthquake began weakening noticeably.
Is, is it over?? (Choi Chang-Sik)
But, how could it be?
He worriedly scanned his surroundings for confirmation, only to spot something rather weird over yonder. It was malleable, soft, and wiggly....
And the bizarrely grotesque liquid began creeping towards him.
U-uwaaaah?!?!
It seemed that today was the day of suffering for him.
< 238. What did you summon, then? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 239: What did you summon, then? (4)
Chapter 239: What did you summon, then? (4)
What the hell is this?!
N-no, rather than that, how can there be c**p like this?? (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
Chang-Sik was freaking out for good now.
What on earth could this thing be?
Is it a monster? Yeah, it is one, right?
But, what kind of a monster looks like that? (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
His thoughts might be on the lengthy side, but his response was simple in nature. He quickly turned around and ran hard in the opposite direction.
Uwaaahk!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Unfortunately, there was no way that he could run at his full speed when the ground was vibrating so viciously like this. In an instant, Chang-Sik lost his bnce and crashed to the ground.
Urgh, screw this sh*t!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
The only thinging out of his mouth was swearing. He turned his head around and saw that the semi-transparent viscous fluid thing had caught up to his heels now.
It looked to be creeping along at a really slow pace, yet it was surprisingly quick, as it turned out. It hadnt been that long when he saw the creature way over there, but the thing had already reached where he was.
Uwahh-!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
He tried to scream. Too bad, it got stopped before leaving his mouth properly.
Kururuk....
The viscous fluid enveloped Chang-Sik in an instant.
D*mn it!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Along with this bizarre sensation of his entire body being trapped inside this soft, malleable jelly, his view began to grow blurrier.
Uwah.... What am I suppo... Uh? Hey, I can still talk? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Even though he was surrounded by this liquid-like thing, he could still hear his own words. What a strange situation this was.
Too bad, he could only do that and nothing else besides. No matter how hard he swung and iled his arms about, his body remained trapped with the jelly and didnt even move an inch forward.
Haaa.... (Choi Chang-Sik)
This was how hed die, then.
A sense of hopelessness dyed Chang-Siks eyes.
But, I havent even gotten married yet...
Heck, I havent even graduated from high school....
I also havent returned Tae-Mins shoes I stole, and, and.... I got a lot of pocket money for this month, so to think, Ill die like this.... (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
Tears began forming on the edges of Chang-Siks eyes.
Mom, Im sorry. (Choi Chang-Sik)
He was the only son in the family, yet he couldnt even act like a filial child, not even once, before getting killed. How hurt his mom would feel now?
Why did you make mee out here and buy these stupid clothes, why??!!
Mom, this is your fault!! (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
His thoughts continued to change directions with every passing second.
However...
....Why arent I dead yet? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Now this was so weird.
His current situation was not so different from being devoured alive by a monster, but there was no change to his body at the moment. On the contrary, he could breathe just fine, he couldnt feel the vibrations from the earthquake, the surrounding temperature was perfect, and also, it kinda felt like he was lying on a soft, plush water bed or something, so, this....
....Hey, this is reallyfortable, isnt it? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Siks mentality began to ascend to higher realms now. It felt oddly warm and cushy here, so he also felt a bit drowsy, as well.
Should I take a nap for a bit, then? (Choi Chang-Sik)
He already tried resisting. He tried to bite, struck out with his fists, even tried to kick, but the end result was the same; no matter what he did, he couldnt escape from the current situation.
If that was the case, what meaning was there to continue resisting? Indeed, it was wise to give up now.
Chang-Sik arrived at that conclusion andid his body back in a reclining position. The squishy liquid didnt act like any other liquid he knew and supported his body perfectly.
Yup, lets just go to sleep. (Choi Chang-Sik)
He wouldnt get anywhere by worrying, anyways.
Wasnt there an old saying about A ghost who died after a good sleep looked nice? In that case, might as well get some shut-eye now.... (TL: No, there is no such saying in Korea. However, there is one about a person dying after eating well looking great, though.)
It was right then, the fluid surrounding him suddenly began wiggling about rather intensely.
M-mm?? (Choi Chang-Sik)
What now?
Is it finally starting? (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
And then....
Uwaaaah!!
He was momentarily taken over by the sensation of the fluid shifting his body, and indeed, he was now being transported to some ce.
What the hell?! What are you doing?!! Im not going!! I dont wanna goooo!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
He cried out, but too bad, there was no way that a monster would understand human speech from the get-go.
I know that already, but!! Theres no harm in grasping at straws, is there?! (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
His eyespletely filled with despair now, Choi Chang-Sik screamed and cried out, before twisting his body around. He kicked and struggled mightily, but nothing changed.
Like a potato being carried on top of a conveyor belt, his body was smoothly being transferred to an unknown destination.
Hah....
He didnt know where he was being shuffled to, but he could make a pretty good guess. Just like how an octopus transported a fish towards its mouth, this monsters mouth should be waiting for him at the end of this journey.
My life, filled with so much regrets...
Sure, I havent been alive for long, but... No, hang on a minute, isnt it precisely because I havent been living for long that theres so much regret in my life?! I dont want to die!! (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
Chang-Sik pulled his smartphone out from his pocket.
He thought that, since these might be hisst moments, he should at least say proper goodbyes to his family.
He switched the camera on and began recording his message. With a tearful face, he opened his lips to speak.
M-mom!
Although he was pained by the fact that the only person he could think of at his final moments was his mother, he nevertheless got to realise how precious ones family was after ending up in a situation like this one.
His so-called friends would only go through the motions of mourning for a few days before forgetting all about him through the help of booze and cigarettes. Probably.
As for those who might remember him, itd only be Yi Ye-Won and no one else, too.
Mom, I think Im going to die soon. Im sorry for causing you so much trouble all this time. Mom, that 100 grand that went missing? Im the one who did it. I took it out of your wallet when no one was looking. Oh, and the vase you liked so much, its me who broke it. I lied and said that Chi-chi did it, but actually, I broke it while going to the toilet in the middle of the night. So, please stop being mean to Chi-chi. (TL: No idea who this Chi-chi is, but sounds like a dog to me. Also, 100k Won = $86)
Feeling like he was in a confessional booth, he carried on.
And thest time, I went out while wearing dads business suit, but it got all torn up after I got drunk and fought with someone. I didnt lose it at the dry cleaners, you know. Yeah, I took it from them and wore it and got it all damaged, so I threw it away. So, you gotta apologise to the dry cleaners owner uncle, okay? And, and, what else was there? (Choi Chang-Sik)
He hadmitted lots of wrongs, but now that he tried to recall them all, I couldnt remember most of them in detail. Still, Choi Chang-Sik managed to confess to a few more of his wrongdoings and at the end of the call, sighed out deeply and said his goodbyes.
Mom, I think Ive been caught by a monster, so Ill be dead soon. Im sorry for hurting you for so long. Mom, Im sorry! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Finally ending what he wanted to say, he added that hed be more filial in the next life and that he loved her before ending the recording to send it to his mom. He wondered if the video would be sent without any issues, but contrary to his worries, it got through just fine.
Now, I dont have any regrets. (Choi Chang-Sik)
He then bravely and confidently epted his death. Indeed, a man was supposed to be brave towards his end. He didnt want to die while cowering in his boots. It wasnt as if hed not die because he did that, anyway.
However, if he had one final wish before dying, then that would be....
Hah....
Itd been nice if he could see her face one more time before kicking the bucket, though. Tears formed on the edges of Choi Chang-Siks eyes.
What a life filled with regrets!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik roared out at the top of his lungs, only for his vision to suddenly open up wide and be greeted by the face he so longed to see.
Uhh? (Choi Chang-Sik)
Whats this?
...A dream, maybe? (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
He looked at Seo Ah-Youngs facepletely filling up his view and wondered whether he was dreaming or not. A person was supposed to have shbacks to his life the moments before his death, so could this be it?
But then, Choi Chang-Sik felt wronged, somehow. No, not because he was going to die. These shbacks were supposed to be imaginary in nature, anyway, so if that was the case, couldnt she, you know, look a bit different to her usual self?
Itd been good if she was smiling brightly. Or, at the least, with no visible emotion on her face. No way shed greet him with such an annoyed and disgusted expression on her face if this was his imagination, now was there?
Besides, her face was getting progressively closer and closer, as well.
Uhhhh?
Isnt this... a prelude to a kiss???
Well, uh, Im imagining things anyway, so how about trying one before dying.... (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
POW!
It was right then C Choi Chang-Sik was greeted by an incredible amount of paining from his side.
Kkah-ruuuk?! (Choi Chang-Sik)
While issuing a rather bizarre scream, his body crashed into the ground.
Aaaaahhk???!!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
What the hell is this sh*t?!
Why does it hurt so much?? (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
While Choi Chang-Sik was shedding a flood of tears because of the pain from his side, Choi Jung-Hoon was busy scolding Seo Ah-Young.
Why are you kicking a civilian, maam?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He had the look of a pervert on his face, thats why! And hes still so young, too!! (Seo Ah-Young)
How can you tell that from just his face alone?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Because I can!! (Seo Ah-Young)
But, hoooow?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A womans intuition! (Seo Ah-Young)
...........
I can even retort if you say that..... (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon promptly gave up on talking to Seo Ah-Young. Trying to argue with her here would be a total waste of his time, and besides, she wasnt the most important matter to worry about currently, anyway.
Are you alright? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
D-do I look alright to you, uncle?! (Chang-Sik)
No, not really. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Chang-Sik with pitying eyes.
Although she didnt kick the kid with malicious intent, even a light kick from an ability user would prove to be very painful, what with their Ether-reinforced bodies and all. He couldnt help but worry if the kids ribs were still intact.
Can you breathe? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, yes, more or less.... (Chang-Sik)
Wondering what the heck was going on, Choi Chang-Sik quickly took a look around himself. The viscous fluid that surrounded them were busy ejecting people one by one at the moment.
Ah, so thats how I got here.
But, who would do something like..... (Choi Chang-Siks inner monologue)
....Hul!! (Choi Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik jumped up on his both feet and then began running at full tilt in a certain direction.
Ng? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt figure out whats going and simply watched the back of the departing boy.
What the heck? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whats gotten into the kid? He looks like hes seen a grim reaper or something. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze over to where the kid had run off to, and nodded his head in understanding.
Yup, that makes sense. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
H-hyung-nim!! (Chang-Sik)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard the voiceing from his back and looked behind him.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats this?
Who is this human-type Ogre?
No, hang on. Should I say hes an Ogre-type human, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A male human with a countenance scary enough to make people wet their pants was bowing his waist 90 degrees towards him.
Oh, youre.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The face seemed familiar, but.... Hes Ye-Wons friend, and....
Hyung-nim, its Chang-Sik.
Ahh, Chang-Sik. So thats who you were. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only now remembering the boys name, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted Chang-Siks shoulder.
Okay, sure. By the way, what are you doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, that. I was trapped inside that strange thing, so.... (Chang-Sik)
Oh, is that what happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
You shouldve been more careful out there. Okay, so. Are you hurt anywhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? N-no, Im fine, hyung-nim! (Chang-Sik)
Feeling deeply moved now, Chang-Sik looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The Yi Ji-Hyuk he knew wasnt someone whod be this nice to anyone. No, that man would yawn in disinterest even if someone died right next to him.
Such a man was asking him if he was alright.
Sure, his name might have slipped from Yi Ji-Hyuks mind, but still, didnt that mean Choi Chang-Sik was being valued greatly in thetters mind?!
Just whats going on here, anyway? (Chang-Sik)
Well, things happened, and this is what you see. You might get hurt, so step back now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, hyung-nim. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik oh-so obediently followed after Yi Ji-Hyuks words.
M-mm? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon watched that spectacle from the distance and tilted his head.
He was aware of that kid named Chang-Sik already. When the KSF was initially investigating the background of Yi Ji-Hyuk, the kid proved to rather.... special and ended up being etched in Choi Jung-Hoons memories.
A neighbourhood thug, a younger boy somewhat rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk since young, and also happened to be a friend of Yi Ye-Won. And also, the most dangerous individual out of all the high schools located north of the Han river.
A human weapon, and a legendary high school bully that, just from hearing the name Choi Chang-Sik alone, the tails of the neighbourhood thugs would firmly disappear down between their legs.
Such a kid was being overly polite to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Was it because thetter was an ability user? But, that couldnt be it....
A high school thug of that age, especially the one who was deeply confident of his own fighting ability, wouldnt be that obedient even if his opponent happened to be an ability user.
Because, that was how it went usually.
Excuse me...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon called out to Chang-Sik busy retreating away from the scene.
Yes? (Chang-Sik)
Would you look at his face when answering back?
A nervousness akin to minding a sleeping tiger next to them could be sensed from the boys face.
Are you a personal acquaintance of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, yes... He was the neighbourhood boss, actually..... (Chang-Sik)
Specifically, the boss who ruled with an iron fist, that was.
Are you two close? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
W-well, rather than close, uh.... Im not sure? (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik sneaked a nce behind him. He then shuddered a bit after spotting Yi Ji-Hyuks back and quickly shook his head.
Why are you asking me that, though? (Chang-Sik)
Theres something Ive been curious about, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
About what? (Chang-Sik)
That guy, what was he like when he was still in school? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Chang-Siksplexion paled instantly. Choi Jung-Hoon then immediately realised that he had asked one question he shouldnt have.
W-when he was back in school? (Chang-Sik)
....No, never mind. We can talk about itter. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ah, yes.... (Chang-Sik)
Choi Jung-Hoon groaned and shifted his gaze away, only to spot Yi Ji-Hyuks cackling back as theter walked towards the Cyclops.
What did you do in your past, exactly? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemingly replied with his bouncy shoulders. He then leaped up into the air and shot towards the Cyclops.
< 239. What did you summon, then? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 240: What did you summon, then? (5)
Chapter 240: What did you summon, then? (5)
Wuuuooong!
Clumps of bright white light began gathering in Yi Ji-Hyuks hands. Choi Jung-Hoon was quickly ovee with a strange inspiration after witnessing that spectacle.
Just how many times had Yi Ji-Hyuk rescued humanity so far? But, he always emitted or shot out ck-coloured stuff whenever he did and that made the spectators feel a bit uneasy.
Itd be simr to a person observing a battle between two devils, or something like that.
But now, the feeling Choi Jung-Hoon now got after seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk emit such a bright white light was quite different from the past.
Now thats what Im talking about. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It wasnt as if he had this fixed idea of what a hero should look like or behave. Unfortunately, it was also true that one couldnt do much about ones own cognisance and he just didnt like what he saw most of the time.
Now, it felt like he was looking at a proper spectacle...
Die, you stinking son of a b*tch!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah....
A hero isnt supposed to say stuff like that, you fool!
I see. Its not the colour of the light that matters. The reason why I couldnt get onboard was because the article emitting the light happens to be so crappy! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon red at Yi Ji-Hyuk as he trembled with unhappiness.
Wuuuoong!
Wuuuoong!!
....Hey, how high up is he nning to reach? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to rise up higher into the air. As if he was flying, he kicked the air over and over again to soar higher and higher.
What is he doing?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why is he trying to go higher?
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon began tilting his head, Yi Ji-Hyuk had finally reached the same height as the Cyclopss head. Afterboriously reaching the desired height, he took a mighty swing at the creature, only for the Cyclops to bow its head and easily avoid the punch. And perhaps predictably, it then smacked him down with its mace.
Heee-iiick?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
BANG!!
Since he was airborne, he was a bit slow in twisting his body around to evade and ended up getting struck dead-on by the monstersrge weapon. Like a fly getting smacked away by a giant flyswatter, Yi Ji-Hyuk came crashing down at a rate of knots into the ground.
Ka-boom!!
Dust cloud kicked up from the very spot that he collided against.
Aigoo, my back.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged out from the dust while holding his back and his waist.
Tsk, tsk... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a sigh and tutted after seeing him dust himself off. Seriously now, looking at that guy really sapped any tension out of a situation that had built up so far.
Why did you climb all the way up to its head, then?! There are its legs, theres its belly... I mean, there are so many ces you can hit it, you know!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
How na?ve! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk angrily pointed at the Cyclops and shouted back.
Cant you see its huge eye?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youre supposed to kill a Cyclops by hitting its eye! Thats like, the basics! How can you not know that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon naturally fell into confusion.
Oh. Its weakness is its eye? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nope. Its as tough as steel. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Does that mean you can only kill it after hitting its eye first? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Theres no such thing. Just hitting it enough times anywhere will kill it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, isnt that what I said?! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
In that case, why do you need to hit its eye, then?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned quite deeply.
...Did I say something wrong? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, wasnt that his Im really angry expression?
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon began tensing up, Yi Ji-Hyuk roared out at the top of his lungs.
Havent you seen a manga before?! The traditional final killshot of a Cyclops is supposed tond on its eye!! Doesnt matter if its a sword, a spear, a fist, whatever! It will go POP or Uwaahk! and die! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did this guy finally lose his marbles??
Choi Jung-Hoon was genuinely tempted to crack open Yi Ji-Hyuks head and take a gander at all the fleshy noodles upying there.
What kind of nonsense was this, him causing a scene because of such a reason??
Whos going to mop up after you if you get killed by ident, then?! Who cares if its a headshot or in the groin?! Youre going to kill it anyway! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This dude, seriously, man. How uncultured. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sniggered, causing Choi Jung-Hoon to tightly clench his fists.
If only I was an ability user, too! Id have really thrown down with that b*stard! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
He was getting real envious of Seo Ah-Young, who could at least put up some kind of resistance since she happened to be an ability user. No matter how many times he hit that guy, itd not even sting the b*stard, so there wasnt much of a point in fighting just to induce that sting, now was there?
Groan.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon fished out a cigarette and ced it between his lips.
Were in the middle of a situation, yet youre taking a smoke break?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then stop making me wanting to smoke! I might get hair loss because you!! D*mn hair loss!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I havent done anything, so what gives?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You arent asking me that because you dont know, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im asking cuz I dont know! Is there someone who asks when he knows the answer already?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre really hopeless!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ehh?
Choi Jung-Hoon finally lost his cool for the first time in a long while!
Just kill that monster already! The buildings might copse at this rate! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hul. Dang ve driver. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wouldnt be doing this if only I had power! Uh-whew! I dont understand why I have to go through this just because Im not an ability user!(Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its not all fun and games being an ability user, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Finishing his sentence, Yi Ji-Hyuk took a step forward again.
Stop aiming for the things eye and finish it off quickly, please! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
..........
Cmon, man. Im telling you, youre supposed to hit the Cyclops in the eye for that final killshot! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Although Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to say something, Choi Jung-Hoons voice distinctlycked any motivation nor energy, so decided to let it slide this time. He then gathered Ether in both of his hands.
Well, it isnt as bad as I thought.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Ether gathering at a fair bit of pace felt rather heavy. If the current him went over to Berafe, then the time needed for him to return to Earth wouldve been shortened by at least five hundred years.
....No, hang on. Maybe, itd been longer, since I might be causing all sorts of chaos trying to do something with this power?
Well, thats not important right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Wuuuuong!!
More Ether gathered and emitted bright white light. Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at that light with aplicated look on his face.
In Berafe, white-coloured rays of light were a symbol of divinity. Things like healing magic, or divine spells, whatever... stuff that was at odds with Yi Ji-Hyuk all emitted such bright, pure light.
So, it wasnt such an exaggeration to say that he was feeling quite conflicted at the moment as he himself began emitting such a light show.
This is all fine and dandy, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Without a doubt, this energy source called Ether was worth using it.
If Mana possessed endless applications due to being attribute-less, Ethers attributes were firmly set in stone but with a limited range of applications. However, it was also true that, within the limited range, Ether did exhibit a destructive power easily surpassing that of Mana.
If that wasnt it, then Seo Ah-Young wouldnt have been able to exhibit the kind of firepower equalling that of an Archmage at such a young age.
However, its still not quite enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It might be enough to deal with small-fry mobs of monsters, but not powerful enough to break past the defences of a higher-ranked creature like a Cyclops. If he were facing off against an ability user on the level of Seo Ah-Young with his Ether, then he might be able to do something by relying on his mastery of close-quarterbat, but he simply didnt possess enough attacking power to bring down a giant monster like this one.
Should I just use Mana? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, itd feel like he was going back on his word if he did use Mana here and that kind of bruised his ego a bit, so no.
Well, I already spent some Mana by opening up a Gate of my own, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Could he argue that was a different matter altogether?
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk pondered for a bit before sighing out grandly.
Ill find out once I do it, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One of the things he got to learn during training Ether users was that, Ether within a person could actually grow.
A Mana users capacity wouldnt increase just because he or she used a lot of it. To Sorcerers, Mana was and always would be expendable goods. In order to increase their reserve, they need to seek another way.
That was why knights trained their butts off, while Sorcerers researched to find new ways. If ones Mana reserve increased simply by using more magic, then well, magic research centres in Berafe would be throwing fireworks around like crazy by now.
On the other hand, Ether would increase more the one used it.
Yi Ji-Hyuk realised this after training the Earths ability users. Not just the amount of Ether they could ept increased, he was sure of the energy doing something else to proliferate once it entered their bodies.
Which meant, one needed to use more Ether if one wanted to increase its capacity.
After using it till ones very limit, and then use some more, the Ether reserve would increase, for sure. And an opponent that hed get to dump his Ether till his limit was right in front of his eyes.
Fu-wuu-heup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth and gathered even more Ether than before.
When he kept on doing that, he encountered a new problem of gathering Mana alongside as well. Hed been using that energy source for almost all of his life, so just by thinking about it, his body reacted and got ready to use it. He was aware of how difficult the task of only using Ether would be, but nevertheless, he needed to familiarise with doing precisely that.
He began pushing his Ether to the absolute limit.
Hul?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon watched this spectacle and his jaw fell to the floor.
How should he go about describing this? Yi Ji-Hyuks entire body was now emitting a bright white light. Seeing such a scene, how could he not feel weirded out?
Should I say thats an LED?
Or a lightbulb? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
For some reason, no adjectives sounded right, but still, this was a scene that such modifiers were necessary to adequately describe it.
Something is a bit.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Strangely enough, this spectacle mightve been very cool to look at were it to happen within the silver screen, but seeing a person just emit light like that, it came across as simply weird, instead.
Isnt he kinda like a firefly now? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Completely not caring what other people were thinking about him, Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to focus his being on gathering more Ether.
Urgh, this is harder than I thought. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It felt like he was trying to separate oil from water using just adle. If a small amount of water mixed in wasnt going to be an issue, hed not hesitate to scoop out as much as he wanted to. But he was trying to urately gather Ether only, and that meant he was spending a lot of mental energy here.
In any case, he had seeded in achieving the delicate control.
Okay, now then...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as he got ready to do something, the Cyclopss mace crashed down on his head.
BOOM!!
...That mustve hurt. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon clicked his tongue.
Whenever someone tried to do something grand, an unexpected tackle woulde from somewhere and derail the whole thing.
Thud!!
Bang!!
D*mn. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That evil Cyclops didnt stop at one blow and repeatedly pounded down with its mace. How could that creature be so evil?
A smile formed on Choi Jung-Hoons lips next.
Why am I feeling so pleased right now?
Its like, Im feeling a lot more refreshed than ever before. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
All the true enemies they encountered so far were either absurdly strong or not quite physical enough; Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt intuitively understand just how much damage Yi Ji-Hyuk received in a fight where magic spells were flying around everywhere. And when in a battle against a creature boasting incredible physical power, he couldnt rxedly watch on from the sidelines, either.
However, the current situation was different from all of those!
He knew that Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt get done in by a monster of that calibre, and the mace pounding away looked vicious enough, so every time itnded on its target, it felt as if every single one of his innards were feeling refreshed right now.
Hah! Cider. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cider?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: exnation at the end)
An annoyed voice suddenly resounded out from within the dust cloud, prompting Choi Jung-Hoon to quickly wipe his smile away and exin himself.
Im just saying, Id like to drink cider afterwards because of all this dust, you see. The fine dust blowing in from China is a serious problem nowadays.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youining about Chinese dust when theres one right in front of you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.... Someone must be frying a mackerel somewhere. (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL: another exnation at the end...)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth at Choi Jung-Hoon acting all innocent and like. Of course, he knew that his target right now was the monster, not a fellow human being.
You stupid son of a b*tch!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was getting ready to do something cool, so why?!
Dont you know that its amon courtesy to wait for someone to finish transforming?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How dare it break the unspoken rule of battles between heroic warriors and the viins since time immemorial?
Such a transgression couldnt be forgiven!
Yi Ji-Hyuks body began glowing once more.
Now that he had done it once before, the second time proved to be much easier.
Excuse me, will you stop gathering your Ki and start attacking already? We might be here for the whole night waiting for you to go super. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
............
Hey, since when did this guy be so cheeky like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
As if he understood Choi Jung-Hoons words, Yi Ji-Hyuk pounced forward towards the Cyclops like a bullet. Thetters speed was so fast that the former momentarily couldnt catch up to his movement.
Eyeeeee! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KWA-BOOM!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks fist mmed into the Cyclopss eye.
Although the monster quickly closed its eyelid to guard itself, the attack wasnt something that could be defended against by a thinyer of skin like that.
Kuuuuooooh!!
The monster screamed out in sheer pain.
Eye! Eye! Eyyyye!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bang! Boom! Bang!!!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk began pummelling the monster in its eye.
Choi Jung-Hoon pulled the cigarette out from his pocket once more and lit it up. He sucked in a deep, deep breath and let the smoke out from his lungs while muttering to himself.
What a clingy fe.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He then shook his head in helplessness.
Seriously, he doesnt want to listen to other people, does he?
< 240. What did you summon, then? -5 > Fin.
(TL: Cider bit, in case youre not aware, means feeling refreshed. Ites from a Korean TV advert for a soda simr to Sprite. Remember, cider means clear, transparent soda in South Korea.)
(TL: As for the mackerel bit, Im not too sure, but the closest I can think of is the stink C frying a mackerel usually causes a bit of heady stink, you see. So, Choi Jung-Hoon is pretending to not hear the MCs words and searching for the cause of the imaginary smell, instead.)
Chapter 241: Someone stop him! (1)
Chapter 241: Someone stop him! (1)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to pummel the Cyclops in its eye.
Die!! Diiiieee!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Both Seo Ah-Young and Jeong Hae-Min sighed helplessly as they bore witness to this spectacle.
How could this scene be so... uncool? It was like they were looking at a mosquito buzzing around a person right now.
Yi Ji-Hyuk buzzing around in the air sure looked uncool, but the Cyclops unable to do anything to the annoying thing and constantly going Wuu-uh, Wuu-uh was just as uncool, as well.
At least, the Giant from thest time looked scary, but this...!
Diiiieee!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even the voice entering thedies ears didnt sound all that nice, either.
Why is he so uncool like this? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min muttered out, prompting Seo Ah-Young to unconsciously nod her head in agreement.
Before Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance, when the American ability users were still enjoying their fame C those guys came across so cool and wonderful in theirbat videos, but this was...
It wasnt the fault of the camerawork. Indeed, those Americans looked great even when viewed from afar in a wide-angle shot.
So, howe this guy looked some?
Is it because of his face? (Seo Ah-Young)
Can you even see it right now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nope. (Seo Ah-Young)
Even then, he looks so uncool, right? If you do take his face into consideration... Mm, well, getting closer will make it even worse, wont it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its a sad situation. (Seo Ah-Young)
If only he had a nice face to look at C that would have covered up thecklustre action, but s.
Still, didnt he look better when the ck stuff came out from him? It kinda had that Dark Force charm to it, no? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, it was also revolting though. (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats true, I guess. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Indeed, one should ooze ck stuff in moderation. He always flung tentacles around every freaking time. Who would look at that and think thats cool?
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyuk cocked his shoulder back before firing a straight punch. The attack sent the huge body of the Cyclops flying as it became airborne.
Hul. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes opened wider.
Would this be how one feels after seeing a person get blown away by a mosquito? The sceneid out before their eyes was so strange that....
....This feels so wrong. (Seo Ah-Young)
M-mm. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just how should any of them go about describing this situation?
In any case, it should end pretty soon. (Seo Ah-Young)
One shouldnt be too rxed, though. (Jeong Hae-Min)
No ways.... Were talking about Yi Ji-Hyuk, arent we? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs assertion prompted Jeong Hae-Min to narrow her eyes to a slit.
The leader of the NDF might outwardly look like someone who alwaysined, rebelled, and plotted on how to cause Yi Ji-Hyuk more grief, but truth be told, she trusted him implicitly when it came to resolving dangerous situations.
Shes a weird kid herself, alright. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min could only sigh in resignation at Seo Ah-Young and her unconcerned face observing Yi Ji-Hyuks antics. She knew that no agent affiliated with the NDF was considered normal in the head, but....
How do I look in other peoples eyes, I wonder? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min grew fearful for some inexplicable reason.
H-hey, Ah-Young-ah? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng, unni? (Seo Ah-Young)
Do Ie across, you know, strange to you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What do you mean? (Seo Ah-Young)
Like, my personality, or.... Well, things like that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young replied with a bright smile.
Why do you care about such a thing, anyway? We just have to live the way we look, dont you think so? Dont sweat over stuff like that. (Seo Ah-Young)
M-mm.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins sorrowful face shifted over in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
It was toote to go back now; if she looked strange even in Seo Ah-Youngs eyes, then wouldnt regr people see her as an utter loon already?
I gotta get out of this ce real soon. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seriously now, Im an idol, no, a former idol no less, so how can I ept beingbelled as insane?! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Is it because I hung around Ji-Hyuk for too long? (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, unni. You were always like that. (Seo Ah-Young)
I envy you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Seo Ah-Young)
Because, you dont think about anything. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....What do you mean? (Seo Ah-Young)
Its nothing. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min shook her head and shifted her gaze back to Yi Ji-Hyuk, still busy pounding away at the Cyclopss head over yonder.
Yup, it was obvious that her personality would get warped when being surrounded by such people.
Her sighs were heavier than usual today.
*
Urah-cha!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
BOOM!
Every time Yi Ji-Hyuk took a swing, the thudding sound of something enormous smashing into the ground resounded out.
Urah-cha!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
BOOOOOM!!
Completely engrossed now, he continued his beatdown of the Cyclops.
At first, it was difficult to control his strength and the temptation to use Mana continued to lure him, but once he got going, this whole thing became quite entertaining.
When dealing with small-fries, just a simple kick or punch would send them flying, so he didnt get to enjoy that feeling of impact to satisfy him. But now, it felt oh-so-good as he pummelled the living daylights out of the one-eyed monster!
Now this is what Im talking about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now where would he find a sandbag this wonderful?
Sure, it was a living sandbag that did put up some resistance every now and then, and that made things a bit cumbersome, but still, this sensation ofnding hits should be not replicable anywhere else.
Just as the Cyclops tried to resist, Yi Ji-Hyuk twisted his waist and threw a mean hook into the monsters cheek.
Kuh-wuuuung!!
The humans fist and the monsters facial flesh collided to produce a massive explosion of sound.
It, its falling!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Along with Choi Jung-Hoons scream, the huge monster slowly began losing its bnce, falling towards the ground.
Uwaaaah!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If such a huge thing fell, then itd be no different from a real disaster.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! The building behind it!! The buildinggggg!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
His desperate cries prompted Yi Ji-Hyuk to fling himself forward, irritation written all over his face.
Argh, why are you falling that way?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he were to make sure that it fell without hitting buildings, then...
Lets see, at this angle, with this much power!
Kuuoong-!!!
Yi Ji-Hyuks roundhouse kick preciselynded on the Cyclopss waist area.
That humongous body looked as if it was sliding away and by a hairs breadth, missed crashing into the high-rise before toppling to the ground.
Ssh-!!
The slime spectacrly split up like a rising fountain and spread away like real water thanks to the incredible pressure from the falling monsters body.
BOOOOM!!!
Nicending! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spun around in the air and pointed at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Misterrr Choi Jung-Hoon! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Count to ten!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did this guy really lose his dang mind?!
One! Two! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young shot a murderous re and asked.
What are you doing?? (Seo Ah-Young)
....No, hang on, he said I should.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And you really went along with that?? Are you crazy? (Seo Ah-Young)
I was just.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon!! Please, get your act together! Dont you think youve been too negatively influenced by that mantely?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats too harsh, maam. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young shifted her attention away from the despondent Choi Jung-Hoon and shouted at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Stop messing around and finish it quickly! Dont you know that restoration efforts after the incident takes a long time? (Seo Ah-Young)
What do you mean, messing around?! You think its easy dealing with a monster of that size? It doesnt even look that hurt after I pummelled it that much, so what do you want from me then, ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you use magic or whatever to mop up quickly, then?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah, I told you! I must conserve Mana right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head. It waspletely no use talking to that woman.
Besides, it is kinda getting old, this thing.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As he began his descent, he gathered Ether in his fist. It was now time to end this.
Wuuooooh!!
Unfortunately, the Cyclops didnt seem to agree with him. The monster finally regained its wits and raised its upper torso with the kind of agility that belied its massive frame.
Ehh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, the creature swung its huge hand at the falling Yi Ji-Hyuk who was still in mid-air and couldnt do much to evade the attack.
Ehhhh?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-hey, I dont think I can dodge this??
Uh?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Pow~!
Apanied by the sound of a mosquito being smacked to death in the air, Yi Ji-Hyuks figure soared high up into the sky.
Uwaaaahhk!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His scream spread out like a loud echo and along with his figure, soon disappeared from the range of human hearing.
Hul, just how far is he going to fly away? (Seo Ah-Young)
Isnt he going to escape the Earths atmosphere at that rate? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min and Seo Ah-Young marvelled at the spectacle.
Yi Ji-Hyuks figure progressively got smaller and smaller, until eventually, it disappeared from their view altogether.
....Where do you think hellnd? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, he shouldve flown past Japan, at least. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Judging from the impact force alone, he might even circle around the once ande back from the other direction.
Well, if its him, Im sure helle back somehow. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yeah, I mean, he came back from another world and all. (Jeong Hae-Min)
That was why these twodies werent worried at all about Yi Ji-Hyuks welfare. Because, it was impossible for that man to die unless they were facing the impending destruction of all mankind.
No, hang on a minute C he waspletely capable of simply crossing over to the other world and live out the rest of his days there if things came down to that.
Indeed, their problemy elsewhere.
In that case, what should we do about that thing now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Wuuuuuuoohh!!
Perhaps stimted by the act of blowing Yi Ji-Hyuk away, the Cyclops began roaring out as if to demonstrate its powers, causing Seo Ah-Young to spit out a lengthy groan.
It was only because Yi Ji-Hyuk was here that she could nag him, telling him to finish it up quickly and stuff like that. But, without him around, that Cyclops would have to be treated as a boss-raid mob, instead.
The entirety of the NDF would have to mobilise to deal with a monster of that calibre. She couldnt even begin to imagine the extent of the potential coteral damage to the city and the roads during their struggle.
They didnt hold back and attacked the Giant monster in the past as freely as they wanted to because they were in the ins near the border area. But if they did that here, forget about being called the NDF, they would be called the National Butcher Force, instead!
What should we do? (Seo Ah-Young)
The best scenario would be to lead it outside the city limits, but even that process would result in massive losses.
Thats why I told him to finish this quickly, but he....!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young gnashed her teeth, but she could only do so much venting at the dude who wasnt even here.
How did things devolve into this....? (Seo Ah-Young)
Just as she was about to go on another tirade ofints, a ck Gate suddenly materialised in the air just above the Cyclopss head.
Ng?? (Seo Ah-Young)
That thing kinda looked familiar.
Isnt that Yi Ji-Hyuks personal Gate?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon cried out in relief.
As expected of him; even though he got smacked away to god knows where, he opened a Gate to return to the battlefield right away.
Once the ck portal opened its mouth wide, everyones gaze was locked onto it. But then, the Cyclops decided to respond in the most unexpected way, as well.
Kuwaaah!
The monster opened its mouth wide and ced itself right below the Gate.
Hul.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
T-that, what should we do now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Is it thinking of swallowing him up?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong Hae-Mins eyelids trembled with worry.
D-do something! Wouldnt Ji-Hyuk get eaten the moment he emerges from the Gate?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, I guess thatll happen next.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Why do you sound so disinterested?! You know thats no good! (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-mm... (Seo Ah-Young)
Its no good?
But, wouldnt Yi Ji-Hyuk escape no problem by ripping open the monsters stomach?
If it were me, I wouldnt even try to eat junk food like that, though. (Seo Ah-Young)
As Seo Ah-Young fell into a dilemma wondering whether to worry about the soon-to-be-eaten Yi Ji-Hyuk or the Cyclops about to eat him, a certain ck shadow could be seen within the Gate.
That shadow gradually increased its size, before finally falling outside the portal.
M-mm?!
W-what the heck?
Hul....
The reactions of everyone after seeing what came out were unsurprisingly simr in nature. Their eyes all grew wide and some even chuckled out wryly, theirughter filled one of dumbfoundedness and disbelief.
What the hell is that?!
That, that, that big ck thing!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jung-Hoon quietly muttered to himself as he watched that spectacle.
And I told him that whaling is illegal.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He still hasnt woken up after getting arrested once before!
Really man, that guy is just too....! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
A huge whale that fell out from the Gate was now firmly blocking the Cyclopss open mouth.
Kuh-uuuhh!!
Swallowing a whale in one go was going to be mission impossible no matter how huge the monsters body and its mouth was. Besides, the size of the whale itself was no joke, either.
Isnt that a sperm whale? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....He caught something pretty ridiculous in such a short time, didnt he? (Seo Ah-Young)
Report him to UNESCO!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its not UNESCO, unni. Its Greenpeace. (Seo Ah-Young)
Arent you a clever one.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
The Cyclops couldnt win against the powerful impact force of a whale mming into its mouth and its entire body tilted unsteadily, before it crashed down on its back.
Kwa-aaaahng!!
A massive dust cloud rose up next.
Did it die? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Probably. (Seo Ah-Young)
Dying is the moral thing to do, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just as everyone began focusing on the final fate of the Cyclops, Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped out of the Gate and loudly yelled out.
Where is my whaaaale?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon quietly wiped the dew streaming out of the corners of his eyes.
Someone, stop that guy, please!!
Please!!
< 241. Someone stop that guy! -1 > Fin.
Chapter 242: Someone stop him! (2)
Chapter 242: Someone stop him! (2)
I said, wheres my dang whaleeee?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon heard Yi Ji-Hyuks loud yell and quickly wiped the dew nestling around his eyes.
He thought that thetter had changed a lot, but seeing the fools behaviour today, it seemed that nothing had changed since the beginning. Indeed, it wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuk who had changed, it was Choi Jung-Hoon who had, instead.
The former didnt adopt to the ways of this world, but it was thetter who got used to his antics, instead.
....Sometimes, its better not to realise the truth. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon swallowed back the tears trying to rush out.
Argh, my whale.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahhh, its right below you, dumba*s!!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon ended up involuntarily shouting out at the top of his lungs.
Below? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head and looked below him, but he could only see huge dust cloud.
But, where? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He slowly made his descent from the air. Once the dust cloud dissipated somewhat, the Cyclops could be seen lying on its back with a huge whale stuck in its mouth.
Hul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why the hell is this fool trying to eat someone elses whale?
Besides, if you want to eat it, then you should do it properly, so why are you trying to shove the d*mn thing down your throat in one go like that?
Even if youre a monster, how can you be so stupid? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as he began worrying about the Cyclopssck of IQ, the monsters mouth began moving as if to assuage his worries.
Crunch!
Hul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How could the chewing noise be this loud??
Hey, you punk!! Youre not supposed to eat that!! Its dirty, you know!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How dare that thing try to sneakily snack on the whale he worked so hard to catch?!! Didnt that monster know how much one of those things could fetch on the market?
Sure, there was coincidentally a whale right by thending zone and all Yi Ji-Hyuk did was to crash straight into the poor creatures head, but technically speaking, he did catch it, didnt he!
Of course, one might say that the Cyclops sent him there in the first ce so it could im a share for itself, but that didnt mean it could swallow the whole whale in one go, now did it?!
Now thoroughly enraged, Yi Ji-Hyuk descended at full tilt towards the monsters tummy.
Kkeung-chaaa! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KUOOONNG!!
His drop kick crashed just below the Cyclopss sr plexus area. The monster spat out the whale from its mouth, while its body folded in half. It began making kur-urk, kur-urk grunts, and otherworldly rumbling noises resounded out scarily from the creatures stomach.
Did it hurt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked brightly.
Thats why you shouldnt drool over someone elses whale! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His fist mmed into the monsters sr plexus region again and again. Cyclops yelped out in pain and writhed around.
Ura-chaaa! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
His fist rained down mercilessly on the monsters huge frame non-stop. Cyclops tried to smack him away from its stomach, but he dodged the attacks like a rat high on crack. Which led to the creature smacking itself in the tummy, instead.
Kuwaaaaahhh!!
The monster roared in anger and tried to stand back up, but Yi Ji-Hyuks kicknded in its eye and it fell hard back to the ground while desperately shielding its head.
Ah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at the Cyclops with a pitying expression on his face.
All the gigantic monsters that had appeared so far carried this imposing, awe-inspiring atmosphere, but this Cyclops couldnt do much besides causing an earthquake in the beginning before getting pummelled one-sidedly.
Not by anyone, but Yi Ji-Hyuk buzzing around like a mosquito, no less.
When imagining a scene of a human rolling around on the ground after getting bitten by a mosquito, one could easily see how unrealistic this whole thing was.
It looks so pitiful. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Seo Ah-Young)
It seemed that both Jeong Hae-Min and Seo Ah-Young held the same opinion as well. Since a Cyclops had no redeeming qualities as far as its exterior was concerned, that could only mean that Yi Ji-Hyuk mustvee across as a horrendous viin to their eyes right now.
If hes going to kill it, why not finish it off quickly and painlessly? I mean, that things not even a sandbag, so what gives? (Jeong Hae-Min)
If he used that magic or whatever, a monster like that wouldve been taken care of in one go, but this....
Indeed, that creature only had a big body, and whenpared to those beings called demon kings, it was just an empty husk and not much else. Anyone who felt the fighting aura emitted by a demon king would feel that way.
Wait, now that I think about it, Im acting all weird, arent I? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min watched the Cyclops writhe around on the ground and shrugged her shoulders. A few months ago, shed end uppletely frozen still in fear if she saw a monster like that with her own eyes.
But now, she was already half-dismissing that formerly-scary monster.
Isnt this going to be a serious problemter on? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young seemed to be in a simr mindset as well, judging from the openly-bored look etched on her face.
I mean, a monster of that calibre appearing would normally be treated as a serious situation, wouldnt it...? (Jeong Hae-Min)
If one wanted to kill that monster without Yi Ji-Hyuks help, then the forces of the entire country would have to be mobilised. Yet, she just couldnt feel any tension in the air.
They all had encountered demon kings before, so a monster like that failed to make them feel nervous at all.
We shouldnt be like this, though.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Seo Ah-Young)
No matter what, isnt that monster qualified to be seen as a nation-destroying grade? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Well, yeah. I guess. (Seo Ah-Young)
So, is it alright for us to hang back as if were watching a movie? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its not easy to coordinate with that guy, so what can we do? (Seo Ah-Young)
H-mm.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Indeed, once Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to go crazy all by himself, then there was naught anyone could do other than to sit back and watch.
Ji-Hyuk-ah, finish it quickly! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins shout prompted a retort to fly out of Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
Hey, ahjumma....! You think killing monsters is a cakewalk?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A-ahjumma....?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
A massive earthquake erupted within Jeong Hae-Mins eyes.
An ahjumma?! He dares to call a young, fresh twenty-something an ahjumma!! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
He, he called me a-ahjumma.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
As tears began forming in Jeong Hae-Mins eyes, Seo Ah-Young hurriedly began patting her on the back.
No, thats not true, unni! I mean, you look younger than me, right? Besides, its not our first time hearing that fool spew nonsense, anyway... So, just ignore him! Unni, you still look like a twenty-something. (Seo Ah-Young)
R-right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng, of course. That fools eyes are not functioning properly, thats all! Im sure hes not saying that you look like an auntie. (Seo Ah-Young)
N-ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
After finally managing to calm Jeong Hae-Min down, Seo Ah-Young exploded in irritation next.
I said, stop wasting time and mop it up already!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Argh, I told you, Im not deliberately wasting time here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously now, Im pounding away like a madman, yet its not getting hurt at all, so what do you want me to do, then?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thinking that there was no choice, he got ready to gather Mana but then, that caught his gaze.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was a mace rolling around on the ground alongside the Cyclops.
Isnt that the Earth Mace? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was a magic artefact. More importantly, an artefact capable of causing an earthquake. And also, a mace-type weapon that only the most powerful Cyclopes carried.
No one knew how such a weapon came to be. Some monsters proliferated through procreation, but some also just appeared naturally. A Cyclops was a gender-less monster, and it was generated naturally. And during its so-called natural generation, that mace would also appear simultaneously, as well.
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An evil leer crept up on Yi Ji-Hyuks face. His figure blinked and disappeared from the spot, only to reappear next to the huge mace.
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It is pretty dang huge, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The weapon was figuratively rolling around on the ground with no one to im it; its handle alone was thicker than Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
But, that cant be. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He definitely saw quite a few folks using a mace simr to this one, so....
Indeed, this type of mace was one of the weapons that Knights just loved to use back in Berafe. Heck, he often heard stories of them getting theirs as a loot drop by killing a Cyclops, too.
As for Yi Ji-Hyuk, well....
His physical condition back then was worse than that of a regr Berafe citizen, so never mind an Earth Mace, he couldnt even swing a shortsword properly so he gave up on using one pretty early on.
However, itd be a different story now!
His body was almost on the level of Superman!!
....Mm, thats a bit of an overkill, so forget I thought about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In any case, unless it was an ability user on the same level as Park Sung-Chan, there shouldnt be that many people possessing stronger physical strength than Yi Ji-Hyuk in this world when he was using Ether.
Mmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He tilted his head slightly, an expression of a slight dilemma etched on his face, but eventually, he reached out and touched the mace.
Should I use Mana for this one, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even before he could make up his mind, the mace went Wuuong~! and began vibrating intensely.
Oooh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Smiling brightly now, he observed the maces transformation. It continued vibrating away as its overall size progressively shrunk down.
Is it the Yeoeuibong or something? (TL: The Monkey Kings magic pole that can increase or decrease its size; Dragonballs Goku also has a version of it.)
Hey, isnt this cool?
Well, its pretty interesting, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Like a little kid seeing a cool toy for the first time ever, Yi Ji-Hyuks whole body began quivering in excitement.
The mace shrunk down until it became small enough for him to hold it no problem.
By the way, this.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Could he even hold it, though?
The maces head portion was still touching the ground, but maybe because the contact patch had grown smaller due to its overall size shrinking down, the weapon was gradually sinking deeper into the concrete below.
Could Yi Ji-Hyuks scrawny figure even be able to deal with the kind of weight that caused the weapon to sink into the ground all by itself?
Well, so what if I cant? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Veins bulged on his shoulders.
Fuu-heuph! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks arms, now loaded with Ether, slowly lifted up the mace.
...Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, its lighter than I thought?
No, hang on. Maybe, Im stronger than I thought? Is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He swung the mace around this way and that, and with his face filled to the brim with confidence, he shot a re in the Cyclopss direction.
You, you took way too much of my time for a small-fry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Time to end this!
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a warcry and leaped towards the monster.
Ura-chaaaa!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then, the mace he swung at the monsters head connected with its target with unnerving uracy.
Dooooooooong!!!
Along with the loud noise of a bell being rung, gigantic ripples spread out from the top of the Cyclopss head.
As expected of the Earth Mace; Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt have to do anything but it still went and activated an earthquake on its own, shaking the monsters head around.
Kuwaaah!!
The Cyclops screamed loudly enough to almost rip Yi Ji-Hyuks ears.
I wonder, can I inject Ether into this thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He heard that, although itd ept Mana, that energy source didnt naturally possess attributes to strengthen objects on its own, and as a result, there wasnt any noticeable effect on the mace itself. Apparently.
In that case, what about Ether, then?
As an experiment, Yi Ji-Hyuk injected some of his Ether into the Earth Mace.
Wuuuuong-!!
The weapon vibrated and began emitting bright white light next.
Uh? Hey, doesnt it look like this thingsing to life or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The mace was shining brightly as if he had activated a hidden Strike ability or some such. Not only that, it was pure white light, too!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the light show and grinned brightly.
His shoulders quivered once more as he felt like he had finally stopped being the viin of the piece and became the ally of justice after looking at that bright white light.
Well, then, lets finish this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly spun the mace in his grip, before leaping up again.
Keo-uhhhng!!
The Cyclops instinctively swung its arms to resist him, but he easily dodged them all and rose up high, before using the air as a foothold to make his rapid fall back to Earth.
Uwaaaah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He cocked the mace back until his shoulder joints almost popped out of their sockets; he then swung the weapon down with enough force to almost shatter his own wrists.
The attack containing power roused from his entire being mmed hard into the Cyclopss head.
KUUUOONGG!!!
Uwahh?!?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon reflexively squeezed his eyes shut.
Even if it was a monster, the sight of a head belonging to a living being exploding in a gory fashion would always remain as a disgusting, hard-to-stomach spectacle.
....Is it over? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng, over for good. (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong Hae-Min asked a question from behind her hands covering her face, and Seo Ah-Young nodded her head in reply without hesitation.
If that thing was still alive after that, then it was not a Cyclops but a d*mn Hydra, instead. Nothing would survive its head exploding, not even if it had regenerative powers.
Uh-koo! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: variation of aigoo, but more manly, if you will.)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly jumped off from the Cyclopss chest that was still convulsing violently, andnded back on the ground.
Pretty useful, this thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he did end up using it just a wee bit, he didnt have to resort to using Mana to attack, and still managed to kill a monster of such a calibre. At this rate, itd not be an exaggeration to say that Yi Ji-Hyuks Ether application had reached the apex now.
Sure, the major reason for this victory was due to hisbat intuition, but still, wasnt this amendable achievement, anyhow?
Mm....
Looking mighty proud of himself, Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to leave. Weirdly enough, though, the faces of the folks looking back at him werent so good.
Whats wrong now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its nothing. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon sighed softly under his breath.
Can you do something about the slime next, please? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was then, something unexpected urred.
< 242. Someone stop him! -2 > Fin.
Chapter 243: Someone stop him! (3)
Chapter 243: Someone stop him! (3)
What the hell is the meaning of this c**p?!
Choi Jung-Hoon turned his head around after hearing themotioning from behind him.
What was that all about?
Mm? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When he looked, he realised that an unexpected situation had begun unfolding there.
I said, arent you supposed to exin to me what the hell is going on here!!
What the f*ck is that squishy thing?! Do you people have any d*mn idea how terrified I was when I got sucked into that thing?? How will youpensate me for this?!
You, you!! Are you an ability user?? If you are, then you better do your job properly! What about my house now?! Ah?? What will you do about it??
What on earth was going on here?
Choi Jung-Hoon observed the unfolding situation with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
People brought to one ce after being swallowed up by Yi Ji-Hyuks slime had begunining to the ability users around them.
Choi Jung-Hoon pulled out his phone and contacted the rted official from the National Police. Normal, non-ability user citizens needed to be dealt with by non-ability user officials.
He couldnt tell what might happen if ability users got into an argument with regr citizens. Even if trouble came their way regardless of how courteously and logically they treated the citizens, the size of said trouble would be on a manageable scale by then.
After ending the call for help, Choi Jung-Hoon sighed softly and fixed his appearance for a bit. Seeing the NDF agents sweating buckets, not knowing what to do next, he figured that it was his time to step up and do something.
Whats going on here, everyone? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Once he stepped in front of the agents, the angry res of the crowd quickly gathered on him, instead.
And who the hell are you?
....I wonder about that myself. Even Im not sure about that sometimes. (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
My name is Choi Jung-Hoon, Deputy Director of the NDF. If you have anyints and or requests, I believe that its for the best to speak to me, instead.
Oh, so youre the person in charge?
Uh, well, mm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Should he say that he was indeed the dude in charge? Too bad, the crowd didnt miss the slight opening created by Choi Jung-Hoon deliberating his choices.
Forget it! Just bring the boss man outta here!
The I want to see your manager skill was finally activated by the crowd, and that caused Choi Jung-Hoons cheek to tremble ever so slightly.
Why were they so obsessed in calling out the so-called manager, anyway???
Im the person in charge. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You really can take responsibility for this?
Yes, I believe I can. Thats why you can speak to me. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Even though he was speaking like that, Choi Jung-Hoon still nced around to see when the cops would arrive on scene.
....Ah, the slime! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When he thought about it, not just the roads but pretty much everywhere was plugged up by the slime, so with what method could the cops show up here now?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yep? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, do something about the slime! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What do you want me to do about it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Please, please, why cant you just get to B when Im saying A??
How could you be this dense!!! (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Please, get rid of it. Its time that we clean up this mess. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
The thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You see, there seems to be lots of buildings covered half in cracks, so will it be fine to get rid of the slime now? Wont they just copse if you leave them be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a stunned expression on his face. Why couldnt he think of that before?
Those buildings might be standing somehow through the artificial support, but who knew when they woulde crashing down?
Choi Jung-Hoon normally wouldve thought of that before, but it seemed that his focus went astray after witnessing Yi Ji-Hyuks battle just now.
I-in that case, can you shift the slime to the side a little, please? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its difficult to control the dang thing so precisely like that, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with an unimpressed look on his face and all Choi Jung-Hoon could do was sigh under his breath.
What a weird guy he was, always helping out but at the same time, also not helpful at all, too.
But, the police officers need toe through.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jung-Hoon with a strange look on his face now.
Whats the matter this time? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, its just that, I get confused sometimes wondering whether youre a smart guy or a dumba*s, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? What do you even mean.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then pointed at Jeong Hae-Min nearby.
You have an elevator here, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who the heck is an elevator?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min angrily yelled out, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt pay any mind to her outburst.
You can just tell her to go and fetch them, cant you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at Jeong Hae-Min with an expression that said Oops.
If not her, then you can order other guys here doing nothing but looking pretty to go and fetch the officers one by one, and that would solve everything real easy, so what gives? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even that sounds good, no?
Sure, it sounds rather unsophisticated, but the idea does have high utility, doesnt it? However, why couldnt I have thought of that before? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Please, use your brain more often, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, ah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons shoulders slumped forward in depression. Hearing such a thing from Yi Ji-Hyuk made him feel like killing himself.
And you, what are you still doing here? Go and fetch the cops. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Am I supposed to do that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
You are standing around doing nothing, so the least you could do is to keep your ears open, you know! Should I clean it out for you or something?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....How dare you speak to a noona like that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, what was that? Youre an auntie? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its noona!! Noona!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Auntie? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sniff.
Choi Jung-Hoon went Argh, thats trouble! after seeing moisture pooling in Jeong Hae-Mins eyes and hurriedly tried to pacify her.
H-hold up, Miss Jeong Hae-Min! People are looking at us right now. Think about the people! There might be your fans among them, you know! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Euh..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
She bit down on her lower lip. Choi Jung-Hoon was right; there was a chance that her fans might be within that crowd, so she couldnt afford to show them the sight of her crying her eyes out.
She needed to endure this somehow, and....
Fans, my a*s! Those so-called fans have moved on to bigger, better things a long time ago already! In this day and age, you gotta be prepared to put on a low-rent piece of c**p show if you want to remain as an idol, so what fans? Gimme a break! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Waaaaaaaiillll~!!!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jung-Hoon freaked out and covered up Jeong Hae-Mins mouth. Unfortunately, his hand was far too thin and small to block her sonic weapon from deafening the world. The sound escaping past his hand was actually making his whole arm tremble, even.
Did this woman have a trains horn inside her mouth or something??
He just couldnt understand how such a small body managed to produce such a loud noise like this.
Uwaahh?! Whats this??
What the f*ck?! Whats going on here?? Where is that noiseing from?
Is North Korea attacking us?!
The crowd fell into a panicked confusion at the sudden explosion of this sonic attack and hurriedly covered their ears.
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneaked closer to the wailing Jeong Hae-Min, lightly picked her up, and chucked her towards the slime.
Plunge!
The thick, viscous liquid swallowed her whole, and the noise was gone, just like that.
I better sue that little girl soon or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Considering all the damage Yi Ji-Hyuks ears had received so far, thepensation im should be quite substantial, thats for sure!
Why did you go and say stuff like that?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hey, I didnt say anything untrue, now did I? Fans? Gimme a break. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
A person should live in the present, and definitely not carry on drunk in the memories of the past, you know!
Those people will get a nasty shock whening face to face with reality, Ill have you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Uhm, excuse me....
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze to a man who hesitantly approached him.
Thatdy just now, wasnt she Miss Jeong Hae-Min?
Yes, she is. But...? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Will it be fine to ask her for her autograph?
Without answering the man, Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze back to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Thetter too didnt mutter anything, strode proudly towards the slime and grabbed Jeong Hae-Mins ankles, the only part of her body that was still sticking out from the gtinous wall of slime at the moment.
Plop!
And Jeong Hae-Min, now a mess of tears and snot, was ring straight at him after being freed from her confines.
.....Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, he needed to apologise for this gaff.
You..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
You know, that guy over there says hes your fan, and wants your autograph. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins hands moved at a lightning-quick pace.
Keuk?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fearing that a p wasing in his way, Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly distanced himself, but her hands were actually digging into the fanny pack around her waist, instead.
She wiped the tears away in an instant, and fixed her make-up in less than twenty seconds before turning around to greet her fan with a bright smile.
....Yup, shes a monster, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was that how a pro operated?
Oh my goodness, hello there! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min began speaking and behavingpletely different to how she was normally. She quickly sidled up next to the person iming to be her fan, and proceeded to sign lots of autographs and take many selfies together.
A real sucker for that, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean, the fan is? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, I meant her. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
Choi Jung-Hoon agreed with him using the power of silence. Looking at that spectacle, one would be hard pressed to figure out who was the celeb and who was the fan here.
What the hell do you think you are doing?!
Too bad, other people didnt seem to enjoy that spectacle at all.
Hey, you! You said youre the guy in charge, didnt you?!
Yes, I did. So what can I do for you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, shouldnt you take responsibility for this situation??
Choi Jung-Hoon replied with a business grin on his face.
But, sir. Ive no idea what you want me to be responsible for. If you can be more specific on what your request entails, then I shall endeavour to better reflect on the situation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wowsers, what a hateful mouth hes got. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only marvel as he looked at Choi Jung-Hoon reverting to that business tone of voice.
What will you do about this situation, then?! My heart almost leapt out of my mouth from all the shock!
You can take care of that by going to a hospital. Let me call an ambnce for you. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What about my house, then?! That weird thing is filling it up right now!
Youll have to wait until thepensation manual has been issued, Im afraid. This area will soon be demarcated as a disaster zone, and the relief team will soon be dispatched by your local government offices, so please wait for a little while longer. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Is that all you can do?!
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned ever so slightly.
I apologise that we didnt carry out our duties to the fullest and inconvenienced you. However, we did our best under the circumstances and came up with the most optimal solution the situation demanded from us. If youre still unhappy regarding this situation, then I advise you to lodge a civilint or an administrative litigation. Dont you agree that shouting is just an unproductive waste of our mental energy? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What the hell, would you listen to his b*stard talk? Hey, you stinking b*stard? Dont you have a mother or a father??
Choi Jung-Hoonsplexion hardened gradually.
Why did people always think that they could speak rudely to a public official like him? Even though they all acted servile towards the officials they elected, did they want to be treated like kings by those who worked hard to get to where they were?
No, I dont. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Are you trying to get a rise out of me? Is that it?
Once the stereotypical response that couldnt be shot down by logic came out from these idiots mouths, Choi Jung-Hoon realised how stupid this whole conversation had be.
He sucked in several deep breaths.
Although it was a waste of time talking to this lot, unfortunately it was his job to manage the situation until the cops arrived on the scene. So, he should make it crystal clear C whether they should be getting angry or be thankful right now.
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon was about to say something to that effect, someone suddenly gripped his arm tightly.
Ng? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He turned his head to the side only to discover Seo Ah-Young shaking her head, her expression frozen stiff.
Ah.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He immediately acknowledged that he had be overly agitated.
Even though the method itself had been over the top, the NDF had saved these peoples lives. It was true that he let his emotions get the better of him when these people came at him like a bunch of thieves turning on their user, demanding him to take full responsibility.
No matter how hard he tried to keep calm, Choi Jung-Hoon was a human being just like everyone else. There was no way hed feel good after being treated like this.
However, Seo Ah-Young was trying to calm Choi Jung-Hoon down. She mustve been feeling just as bad as he was, yet she was dissuading him just as he was about to give these idiots an earful.
I should reflect on myself. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs current attitude was what Choi Jung-Hoon shouldve been carrying all along. He acknowledged that he had failed to keep a calm state of mindtely, unlike his past.
Ah, I was a bit.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Just as Choi Jung-Hoon tried to open his lips to say something, Seo Ah-Young shook her head again, her expression even harder than before.
Mm?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Whats gotten into her?
She used her chin to sneakily point to behind him.
My back?
Judging from her reaction, something bad mustve happened there? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Beset with this sense of anxiety, he slowly turned his head around to look. What could possibly be the source of this worry mushrooming from deep within his chest?
What a sad thing it was, though, because....
....Choi Jung-Hoon already knew very well what the source of his worries was.
In the ce he looked, Yi Ji-Hyuk was there, his expression filled with indescribable annoyance as he shot a re at theining civilians.
Paht, sh*t! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Once Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth opened up, so did Choi Jung-Hoons tear ducts.
Were screwed. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began takingrge strides towards the crowd of people, his expression one of pure agitation.
< 243. Someone stop him! -3 > Fin.
Chapter 244: Someone stop him! (4)
Chapter 244: Someone stop him! (4)
Ehheei! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly wrapped his arms around Yi Ji-Hyuk and pulled thetter back.
Let me go for a sec, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehheeeei, what are you doing, man! Calm down, calm down! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, hang on a minute! Tsk! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Someone raising a fuss to that extent in Berafe wouldve lost his head by now. How dare he demand the rescuersing to save his sorry a*s to empty out their wallets, too?
If it were the Knights or Sorcerers from Berafe, then forget about their wallets, they would present a one-way ticket to Hell almost instantly. Like, as if to demonstrate that they would chop off the heads or roast the fools real nicely.
Unfortunately, this wasnt Berafe. And that was why even Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt make these fools admit to their mistakes and reflect on themselves like how he would do back in Berafe.
Wasnt a human supposed to reflect on his or her sins in front of King Yama? Of course, if this was Berafe, all those capable of recognising Yi Ji-Hyuks face within 1 kilometre radius would be tripping over themselves to run away first.
A person should know some sense of shame. (Seo Ah-Young)
Even Seo Ah-Young seemed deeply irritated right now.
Jeong Hae-Min observed the unfolding spectacle and spat out a long groan. She bore witness to things simr to this all the time, but that didnt mean she was getting used to seeing them.
As an idol, she was more sensitive than others when it came to the publics sentiment. She knew full well how stubborn and persistent the public could be, as well as how violent they could be, as well.
Ji-Hyuk-ah! (Jeong Hae-Min)
That was why she simply had to stop Yi Ji-Hyuk from doing something.
Didnt matter how righteous or polite his protests were, an ability user getting involved with regr citizens would always result in the sucker being painted as a viin. It was the same story with entertainers, so she knew.
It wasnt important who was in the right or wrong. No, the fact that an incident had unfolded was the crucial thing.
Even as Jeong Hae-Min was trying to defuse the situation, there was someone who didnt like Yi Ji-Hyuks attitude one bit.
Why the heck are you ring at me for?
A straight-forward provocation flew in at Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
Hul... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes grew wider.
Ah! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Euh... (Seo Ah-Young)
Both Seo Ah-Young and Jeong Hae-Min covered their faces as if they had seen something they shouldnt have. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was simply smirking insidiously.
But, I wasnt ring at you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then whats up with your eyes looking at me?
They are originally like this, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can a persons eyes be like that? Youre openly ring at me.
They are originally like this, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The middle-aged man trying to provoke Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his nce to the side ever so slightly and stared at Choi Jung-Hoon.
Nod.
Without saying anything, thetter simply nodded his head.
One shouldnt be like that regarding other persons biological features. Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt look like that because he had a choice, after all.
...Your eyes are really like that? (middle-aged man)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why do you look like that, though? (middle-aged man)
........ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even the one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk momentarily forgot what he wanted to say.
What did he mean, why?
Why did that uncle have to ask Yi Ji-Hyuk about that?
It wasnt as if he chose this look, too!
Mom.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dew formed around Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
Seriously now, hed been stressed outtely due to all the guys with otherworldly looks around him, but hearing c**p like this, his umted stress was about to reach its boiling point.
What the hell?! You think I chose to wear this face?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, why dont you just get yourself sunsses? What will a young kid like you do with such bad countenance....? (middle-aged man)
Pssssuuuh~!!
White-hot steam began shooting out from the top of Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
What the hell?! Do you really wanna have a throwdown with me, uncle? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehheeeei! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Ehhei! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuk like a tenacious leech.
Step aside!! Looky here, that uncle! Why is he worrying about someone elses looks when hes a baldy like that?! He should go and get hair imnts, instead! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the f*ck?! You little punk!! (middle-aged man)
The middle-aged man singled out by Yi Ji-Hyuks critique hurriedly grabbed his head. The sparkling skin on his head as spied between his fingers came across sorrowful for some reason.
How dare that young, full head of hair poke fun at the card-carrying member of the slicked-back forehead association of baldy uncles?!
Youre going too far!
How long do you think youll have that full head of yours?!
All those men with heads reflecting the sunlight observing the situation from within the crowd quickly took on the middle-aged mans cause.
Ah, mm... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, even I think you went too far just now. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon also sided with the middle-aged man.
....What the hell? I was attacked first, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, at least you can go for a surgery to fix your eyes, but that head condition doesnt have any cure, you see. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.....Oh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly reflected on himself.
Well, in that case. Riiise up, oh hair hair..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kuwaahk!! (middle-aged man)
Yi Ji-Hyuk went Oopsie and took a couple of steps back to avoid the enraged uncles tackle. The agents of the NDF controlling the crowd stopped the uncle from going any further.
Please calm down, sir!
Let me go! Im gonna yank out all of that punks hair today or else! (middle-aged man)
Your head will be yanked out first before that, sir.
Please, get a hold of yourself, mister. That man isnt someone you can so carelessly mess with.
And who the hell are you punks?! (middle-aged man)
The agents began sweating buckets as the baldy uncle came at them without holding back.
Look how kind-hearted they are. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was back in Berafe, that uncle wouldnt even be able to look at the ability users face properly. Because, well, his head would be chopped off the moment he was noticed just because the user felt offended by being stared at.
However, regr citizens with no power whatsoever were actually abusing the ability users, instead. A world where the notion of freedom and equality still existed C that was the greatness of the modern world.
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head while spectating on the unfolding spectacle.
He didnt dislike this. No, he actually wished for something like this.
Even if the modern world was a pretty good ce to live for the rich and the powerful, the treatment they received couldnt bepared to how it was back in Berafe.
Back in Berafe, power was authority, financial muscle, and a right to overpower the others through violence. Power could substitute for everything over there.
However, a person with power couldnt easily exercise that power against the public in this ce.
Sure, it might be a bothersome thing to those possessing power. Still, it was a modern miracle, this system that humanity had created where the weak were protected from the abuse of power.
And Yi Ji-Hyuk had been desperately waiting for such a miracle. After all, hadnt he suffered tremendously by the barbarity of Berafe for almost an eternity?
That was why he didnt have much of aint regarding the weak protesting against himself.
However, a person should still know some shame.
This was a problem well beyond the issue of whether one was powerful or not. Even if that baldy uncle was stronger than Yi Ji-Hyuk, it was still wrong for him toe out and argue like this.
How could anyone be sympathetic when he was pointing usatory fingers at the ones who did him a favour?
Looky here, uncle. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What now?? (middle-aged man)
If it wasnt for me, youd be dead by now. If you cant say thanks for that, at least you shouldnt treat us this way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Quite unlike how he behaved usually, Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke in a serious tone of voice. This was his way of being as polite as he could get.
Too bad....
So? What about it? (middle-aged man)
Hul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fell into a bit of panic here.
Unfortunately, he hadnt known the very obvious truth of the world, the one about there being a certain portion of the popce who simply couldnt be reasoned with.
Isnt that like, supposed to be your job? (middle-aged man)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your sryes from all the tax I pay, no? And in exchange, its your job to protect us from the monsters, am I wrong? Which means you obviously need to save us. So, if you cant even do that properly, shouldnt you be apologising to us, instead? (middle-aged man)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly became speechless.
Not because he was cornered by logic, but because he knew a man with such a thought process could never be talked down with mere words alone.
Indeed, continuing to mouth off here would be a total waste of time.
Uh, well.... My bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He apologised?!
Stunned silly now, Choi Jung-Hoon quickly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Who wouldve thought that his mouth was capable of actual apologies? Could it be that the uncle power was indeed, powerful? Even capable of making that one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk back down?
Never mind that, how will youpensate me for this? Hey! I said, how will youpensate me now! (middle-aged man)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and sneakily pulled Choi Jung-Hoon in before pushing him forward.
What do you want from me now?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, this is your responsibility, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since when did such a thing be my responsibility?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Since the beginning? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh. Really? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon was slightly beset with this odd feeling of being saddled with a new responsibility he was previously unaware of as he took a step forward.
When he did that, though, all those prickly res rained down on him, instead.
Hmm, hmm. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He coughed to clear his throat and to bring attention to himself. He still wasnt used to being stared at like this. Especially when those stares contained inexplicable animosity, too.
And so, can you rify where and how youve been harmed, sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I told you, my house, my car, stuff like that. (middle-aged man)
Thats not something you should lodge aint with us, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Never mind that! (middle-aged man)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What did he want to say now?
You see, my mind is all confused right now after being swallowed up by that strange liquid thing. I think my current conditions be a lot worse than before, so how will you remunerate me for that? (middle-aged man)
Excuse me? Remunerate? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What kind of dogsh*t rubbish was this?
If it werent for the slime, this uncle wouldve died for sure, yet after he was rescued, he dared to demand reparations from them?
If it was regarding damages to property or something like that, one could somehow ask for assistance and draft a suitable response manual. But to think, he was demandingpensation regarding psychological damage.
Well, its not as if hes really wrong there, though. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, it was the role of the country to provide care for the people who were inadvertently involved in a nation-destroying catastrophe and were harmed psychologically, so that they could reintegrate back into society.
Even then, though, he shouldnt be asking for that here.
Very soon, a response desk should be created to deal with the situation, and rescue personnel wille for you. I think itll be better to discuss such matters with them. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Rescue personnel?? (middle-aged man)
The baldy uncle snorted derisively and opened his lips.
Just who was it that went and caused this incident? But youre talking about rescue personnel now? Isnt this all of your peoples doing? (middle-aged man)
We arent responsible for this incident, but the monsters were. We merely took control of the situation caused by the monsters. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ohh, is that so? In that case, isnt it your fault that you failed to properly handle the situation? (middle-aged man)
By that logic, are you saying that its the polices fault when they fail to prevent a crime from happening, and its the fire departments fault for not putting out the fire before it breaks out? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Why are you stating something so bloody obvious? (middle-aged man)
Oh.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon turned his head around and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Hed been wondering why thetter chose to back away so soon, but here was the reason for that.
So, this is why the call centre agents were purported to suffer from excessive hair loss. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The stress from this unreasonable bratty customer was more than enough to make the inside of Choi Jung-Hoons head go nk, even though he was someone who dealt with temper tantrums of countless ability users up until now.
The problem here was that, even though other regr citizens knew that this baldy uncle was being way too unreasonable here, rather than stopping him, they seemed to be agreeing with him, instead.
What do they think theyll get from this, I wonder? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did they think that the remuneration amount might go up if this uncle aplished his goal?
An event utterly illogical was unfolding right now before him.
How do you expect us to remunerate you, then? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Medical fees and financialpensation, obviously. (middle-aged man)
Haha. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youughing? Did you justugh?? (middle-aged man)
The baldy uncles face reddened immediately as he rolled up his sleeves. Judging from the revealed tattoos on his arms underneath the clothing, it seemed that this man was no ordinary member of the public.
However, what did that matter now?
A person isnt called a person because he acts in a rational manner, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Either the guy in front of his eyes was irrational person, or someone who was way too rational for everyone elses sake.
So? What will you do now? Ah? What now?? (middle-aged man)
The baldy began to p Choi Jung-Hoon on the chest and pushed him back.
This fool dares to?! (Seo Ah-Young)
It was then, Seo Ah-Young took a step forward with a murderous re in her eyes.
And who is this little girl now? (middle-aged man)
Hey, you! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young had been trying to calm the situation down up until then, but even she couldnt tolerate someone putting his hands on Choi Jung-Hoon like that.
What was that? Who the hell do you think you are? (middle-aged man)
Just before she cracked and raised her fist, a certain someones booming voice resounded out from somewhere else.
Oii, uncle. (?)
The baldy shifted his head around to find out which sucker was trying to provoke him this time, only for hisplexion to be pale-white next.
< 244. Someone stop him! -4 > Fin.
Chapter 245: Someone stop him! (5)
Chapter 245: Someone stop him! (5)
Wha, what.....? (middle-aged man)
What the hell was this?
How could there be something like this?
He might seem like a human being, but how could a person with such a face even be real?
B-b-but, why do you.... (middle-aged man)
Whats that? (Chang-Sik)
N-no, its nothing. (middle-aged man)
The baldy uncle quickly lowered his head.
Wowsers, hes so scary that I might see him even in my nightmares! (middle-aged man)
This uncle wouldnt lose out on the contest of who had a tougher-looking face wherever he went, but even then, this youngsters countenance proved to be far too much to behold even to a veteran like him.
So much so that he felt apologetic for calling out Yi Ji-Hyuk on his ugly eyes earlier.
I mean, there is a face like that in this world, so who cares about such thuggish eyes?
Yup, a person should be satisfied as long as the eyes, nose and mouth are in their supposed ces. (middle-aged mans inner monologue)
Oiii, ahjussi. (Chang-Sik)
....Y-yes? (middle-aged man)
The baldy uncle looked around him before pointing to himself.
You mean, me? (middle-aged man)
Is there anyone else here besides you? (Chang-Sik)
....There are lots, actually. (middle-aged man)
What was that? (Chang-Sik)
Hul.... (middle-aged man)
The kid only shot him a simple re, yet what was up with this shudder shooting up from the baldy uncles tail bone to the top of his head?
He used to be someone in the shadier parts of society and got to throwdown with all sorts of brats back in his heyday. Not to mention, he had met his fair share of ugly motherf*ckers as well. But still, this would be his very first time running into the king of all ugly faces capable ofpletely f*cking you up just from the looks alone.
W-whats the matter, young man? (middle-aged man)
The uncle ended up speaking in a polite manner even before he noticed it.
That face might defy all attempts to guess his true age, but judging from the clothes he wore, this kid was definitely younger than the uncle, yet thetter just couldnt muster up enough courage to speak in a curt manner at all.
Ive got something to ask you. Uncle, why are you being like this? (Chang-Sik)
Y-yes?? (middle-aged man)
Freaking hell, you dont wanna say thanks to folks saving your a*s yet you what now? Compensation and what not? (Chang-Sik)
N-no, the thing is... (middle-aged man)
Just as the uncle tried to exin himself, the face of the tall kid in front of him crumpled into a scowl.
Ah.... (middle-aged)
Simply by looking at that face, the baldy uncle felt as if his head was nking out.
Urgh. Hey, Chang-Sik-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, hyung-nim. (Chang-Sik)
Dont make a face like that. It might show up in my nightmares. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik pouted slightly and shifted his head away from Yi Ji-Hyuk to re at the baldy uncle once more.
Ahjussi, whats your name? (Chang-Sik)
Oh, uh, Im Park Hyeon-Dong. (middle-aged man)
Oh, okay. So, Hyeon-Dong ahjussi. Uncle, you shouldnt be like that. A person should have some conscience, no? Did these people do something bad to you or something? (Chang-Sik)
No, they havent. (Park Hyeon-Dong)
In that case, you should be thankful, instead. They saved people who were about to be killed, so how wonderful is that? Yet, youe here and argue aboutpensation and whatnots? What will you pay them for saving your life, then? (Chang-Sik)
That, our tax..... (Park Hyeon-Dong)
Taaax? (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik snorted derisively and rummaged through his pocket to produce a ?500 coin. He then lightly tossed that to Park Hyeon-Dong. (TL: 500 Won = less than 50 U.S. Cents)
The older man inadvertently caught the flying coin and stared back at the young kid with puzzled eyes.
So? How much was the tax you paid these hyung-nims? Isnt that coin enough? (Chang-Sik)
......
Okay, your precious tax has been repaid, so what now? Its time to pay the price of saving you, isnt it? (Chang-Sik)
N-no, w-wait, I was.... (Park Hyeon-Seong)
Choi Chang-Sik gritted his teeth.
A person isnt human just because he knows how to yap on, you see. No, he should know whats right and wrong! I might be stupid, but even I know that much. But you lot, arent you smarter than me? So howe all of you are behaving like this? (Chang-Sik)
He then red at the people behind Park Hyeon-Dong and spoke.
Its the same c**p for you lot. You shouldve stopped the man when he went overboard like this. Why are you waiting around as if theres some bread crumbs for you to snack onter? (Chang-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Choi Chang-Sik and nodded his head in satisfaction. Just listen to this kid, not even 20 years old and talking to his elders like that. As expected of Chang-Sik!
This spectacle noting across as weird or awkward was only possible because it was none other than Chang-Sik himself.
But, isnt the government paying the ability users our tax money so that they can protect us? (Park Hyeon-Dong)
Choi Chang-Sik smirked in response.
Hey, uncle. (Chang-Sik)
Y-yes? (Park Hyeon-Dong)
You wanna go back to the military? (Chang-Sik)
Eh?
What kind of a chill-inducingly horrible suggestion was this?
How could any sane-minded person go back to military voluntarily?
....What are you trying to say, young man? (Park Hyeon-Dong)
Whats wrong? ording to your logic, shouldnt it be exactly the same thing as going back to the army to protect you and the nation? I mean, soldiers draw sry from your tax money, dont they? (Chang-Sik)
No, hang on. Thats a bit different, but....
But, now that I hear it, it also kinda sounds simr, doesnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Chang-Sik with surprised eyes.
Has he always been this smart?
He looks just like an Ogre, so I thought his intelligence would be simil....
Ahh, wait. Ogres are really smart, arent they? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pped his own thigh as if he finally understood all the secrets in this world.
Indeed, it was a rather dangerous and foolish thing to judge a person or a creature on nothing but their looks. It was exactly like how a cute-looking panda would prove to be a surprisingly vicious killer.
It didnt mean Chang-Sik was a dummy because of his looks, yet Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up thinking that was the case precisely because of that kids face.
This wont do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For sure, itd not be strange for Chang-Sik to be gifted with a slick tongue. Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly admonished himself for underestimating the kid, even if it was only for a short while.
But, the amount here is different, isnt it? (Park Hyeon-Dong)
Amount? From where Im standing, it looks like these folks would earn lots more if they stopped working for the government? Dont you agree? (Chang-Sik)
.........
When you get to the nitty-gritty, these people are no different from the conscripted soldiers, so howe you pity those getting drafted into the army and pray for them, but are so rude to these people working their butts off for you? (Chang-Sik)
Park Hyeon-Seong couldnt readily provide his rebuttal.
First of all, he didnt know what to say, and also, even if he did say something, he couldnt be sure of his words actually working on this youth, to begin with.
And, he was slightly fearful of getting beaten up if he muttered a wrong thing by mistake, too.
A person shouldnt be like that, no? Ah? Should I just flip a d*mn table or something? (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Siks shoulder muscles bulged and quivered in a threatening manner. Andplexions of everyone looking at those muscles became paler than sheets of white paper.
Weirdly enough, these people were confident that ability users wouldnty a finger on them. That was why they could afford to be so rude and mean.
The ability user specialw did protect them to some degree, and also, they often heard that the cases of users harming regr citizens were very few and far in between as well. As an aside, this was the reason why the previous serial killing case caused such a wave in the country.
However, Chang-Sik was a civilian, just like the rest of them.
Itd only be normal for a regr person to be scared of the ability users, at least more than what hed feel about Chang-Sik, but strangely enough, the kid came off as much more terrifying than they were.
Hey, Chang-Sik-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, hyung-nim. (Chang-Sik)
Why are you trying to create such a scary atmosphere, dude? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thought that they were being too inconsiderate towards you, hyung-nim. And also.... (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik sneaked a nce at Seo Ah-Young and blushed just a bit.
Ah, stop that. Just stop.
Chang-Sik-ah, what are you doing? Thats something you must never do.
You think blushing suits a face like yours?! Blushing???!!! You crazy buffoon!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner cry)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling in fear.
He had faced many, many demon kings in the past, yet never once did he get scared. But, he was facing off against his instinctive fear right now.
And also, things might get out of hand if you stepped forward, hyung-nim. (Chang-Sik)
What about me now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh-whew, I must step forward to make sure that things are sorted out nice and easy. I mean, with your personality from before..... Uh-whew! (Chang-Sik)
Even before Yi Ji-Hyuk had a chance to defend himself, Chang-Sik quickly shifted his gaze over to Park Hyeon-Dong.
Uncle, you should consider yourself lucky that Im here today. This hyung-nim? If he got p*ssed off for real, then all of you wouldve been holding your funerals right here. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you have any idea what this hyung-nim was like in the past? Holy cow. If I want to tell you the whole story, I might need three days and four nights straight. And all the blood I shed after getting beaten up by him back then would be enough fill up a well, you know.... (Chang-Sik)
Chaaang-Sik-ah?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Chang-Sik instantly realised that he might have gone a little too far and sheepishly chuckled in a very awkward manner.
Aha.... Ahahah. (Chang-Sik)
Rrrright. It was like that. Now I can vividly remember every single little thing. Listening to you helped me to remember it all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....H-hyung-nim. (Chang-Sik)
Right, right. Every. Single. Thing. Freaking hell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please spare me. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik hurriedly clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuks arm and pleaded for his life. Choi Jung-Hoon was ovee with a weird feeling after seeing such a huge boy disy a behaviour approaching halfway to aegyo.
Just what happened in the past? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Now that he thought about it, this character called Choi Chang-Sik was quite servile towards Yi Ji-Hyuk even when he didnt know thetter was an ability user. That was back when the KSF first noticed the boy.
Sure, what with Yi Ji-Hyuks rotten personality, he still wouldve been no ordinary person without any abilities whatsoever. But, what did he do in the past that someone like Chang-Sik, who looked more than capable enough to snatch away the throne of humanitys worst thug, be so servile and respectful?
Wait, could he have actually eaten people alive or something? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Unless it was an event on that level, why would Choi Chang-Sik voluntarily lower his head to someone with a normal, frail-looking physique like Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Can you tell me what happened in the past? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt win against his curiosity in the end.
....In the past, you ask? (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik avoided meeting Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze while forming an awkward grin.
Ji-Hyuk hyung-nim really took good care of us all back then. Every kid in the neighbourhood really loved him and followed after him, you see. (Chang-Sik)
Wowsers..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
So, there was someone with such obvious telltale signs of lying in this world.
From those legs that trembled for a moment there, to his hands that just couldnt find a spot to rest and continued to wave around aimlessly, and even those worrisome eyes wandering around as if he experienced an ident of some sort not too long ago.
What an honest young man he was, indeed.
K-h-h-hmmm!! In any case! (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik attempted to quickly change the topic.
A person shouldnt do that. Were all same human beings, arent we? Ability users are trying to save us with their blood and sweat, so why are you discriminating and abusing them like that? You think youll be okay if your positions are flipped around? (Chang-Sik)
Park Hyeon-Dong replied in a bitter tone of voice.
Im sure it wont be so good. (Park Hyeon-Dong)
You know that, yet youre still behaving like this? (Chang-Sik)
I know it wont be good, but... These people can flip the situation whenever they want, cant they? (Park Hyeon-Dong)
What was that? (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik narrowed his eyes to a slit.
These people can do anything they want, right? I mean, regr folks like us might end up as their ves or something. (Park Hyeon-Dong)
.........
So, like, when we still have this small upper hand, we gotta drive home the point properly, or else well all be stepped onter, you see? (Park Hyeon-Dong)
What kind of a dogsh*t is.... (Chang-Sik)
Thats enough, kiddo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, hyung-nim! (Chang-Sik)
I said, enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yessir. (Chang-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then wordlessly stared at Park Hyeon-Dong.
Thetter was about to say something to the former, but abruptly shut his mouth up. Seeing that Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes had changed from how they were like before, the baldy uncle couldnt bring himself to say anything anymore.
The light in his eyes are....? (Park Hyeon-Dong)
This was apletely different atmospherepared to back when Yi Ji-Hyuk was yfully arguing with him. This incredibly weighty feeling that put Choi Chang-Siks exterior to shame was pressing down heavily on Park Hyeon-Dongs crown.
Well, its okay for people to think that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt bother to wait for the baldy uncles reply and shifted his gaze over to Jeong Hae-Min.
Take these folks outta here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
She too didnt seem to have anything particr to say, and did as she was told. When Yi Ji-Hyuk was emitting such an aura, she found herself unable to yfully tease him anymore.
Everyone, gather around here. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Y-yes.
The crowd wisely sensed that the overall atmosphere had be rather tense and without furtherints, quickly gathered around Jeong Hae-Min.
Shouldnt you be going, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Id like to remain here for a little while longer, hyung-nim. (Chang-Sik)
But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I just dont want to go with them, thats all. (Chang-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuk broke into a slight smirk.
Do what you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min and the crowd disappeared from the spot, and Choi Jung-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan.
Not everyone is like that, you know. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, the majority would be just as worried as these people.
The subtle falling-out Yi Ji-Hyuk felt initially after his return was growingrger andrger. If things continued at this rate, then an event of estrangement that could never be healed would ur between ability users and regr people, for sure.
Can that be prevented? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, Yi Ji-Hyuk was sceptical.
Not only was preventing such a thing monumentally difficult, even if he did seed, events simr in nature would happenter on, anyway. And it was impossible for him to show up to stop that every single time.
While subjected to an extraordinary length of time, hadnt he already learned the harsh lesson that a societys advancement would always be apanied by sacrifice and pain?
Lets mop this up and go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes.
They managed to stop a Gate without seeing too much casualties today, but the expressions of the ones responsible for that feat werent all that bright.
< 245. Someone stop him! -5 > Fin.
Chapter 246: Can you get me a phone number? (1)
Chapter 246: Can you get me a phone number? (1)
He was a lifeform that didnt know the meaning of defeat.
Although he couldnt proudly boast that he was the strongest existence under the sun, hed still be able to achieve victory against an opponent he chose to bare his fangs at.
From where he came from, the differences in species were simply too wide. No matter how powerful one was, one couldnt bridge that cruel gap. However, he won against creatures simr or on the same level as him over and over again.
Not one defeat, and a continuous chain of victories.
Wild beasts lowered their heads before him, and demonic creatures were too busy getting out of his way.
What about humans, then?
Well, humans werent even worthy of bing his meals.
He was the destroyer.
He was the ughterer.
He was the piger of thends.
And such a being was staring with tense eyes at the new opponent before him. All the fur on his body was standing up.
The white living thing right before its eyes was definitely a bad match-up with his natural inclination. Just by staring at it, his rage instinctively boiled over, and his ultra-sharp ws began quivering in anticipation. He wanted to rip that white body apart and drink its blood.
The urge to destroy was dyeing his eyes crimson red.
It seemed to be the same story for the other party, though.
Groooowl.....
A sharp, low-pitched growling could be heard now.
They were beings at odds with each other from birth.
Two creatures, bound by the chains of fate to destroy each other if they ever came face to face, and grow listless if they couldnt kill each other quickly enough.
Such creatures had finally met on a grand stage, with no room to retreat.
He issued a loud roar containing his rage that welled up from the deepest part of his belly.
Woof!
Eh? Thats wrong, though?
Bark!
Uh! Thats also wrong??
Oh-Sik was flustered by the cute little yelpsing out from his throat. Unfortunately, his current body was too weak and small to roar out a spirited Howling.
Smirk.
He could hear his opponents mockingughter.
To think that a fox-like creature would mock him to the point that a sound of leaking wind came out from that body!
Veins bulged on Oh-Siks forehead.
Woof! Woof, woof! Bark!!
Now thoroughly irritated, Oh-Sik mmed his cute little paw on the ground.
Boom! Boom!!
His mouth might not be able to produce a proper roar, but his paw still managed to create a powerful impact noise. Finally feeling satisfied now, Oh-Sik raised his head and bared his fangs.
The pure-white fox on the other hand, though, rocked her head around a few times as if this whole thing wasughably ridiculous. She then bared her own pure-white fangs and red back at Oh-Sik.
She was none other than the Behemoth.
A divine beast and a demonic beast couldnt get along and ended up baring their ultra-sharp fangs at each other.
Grrrr....
Growl....
Remaining wary still, they shot intense res for a long while before circling around each other, their eyes locked and unmoving. Slowly, and carefully.
The Behemoth, referred to as the top dog in the echelons of divine beasts, and an Ogre, the top dog among the demonic beasts out there.
Now originally, an Ogre wouldnt dare to fight against a Behemoth. However, Oh-Sik was the red-furred Ogre Lord, and in terms of power he was more or less on the same level as the Behemoth.
On top of that, didnt he grow ridiculously strong thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Grrrr.....
Oh-Siks threatening growl overflowing with confidence prompted the Behemoth to stare back with slightly tenser eyes than before.
She had finally realised that the small puppy before her was no ordinary creature, thats why.
Keu-reuk.
Behemoth gritted her teeth.
How dare a measly little demonic beast bare its fangs at her? A measly little thing that would be too busy running away with his tail between his legs if this was Berafe!
Behemoths eyes glowed in the pure azure light.
How dare that insolent creature!
However, Oh-Sik wasnt pushed back at all.
Even if the Behemoth was a tough divine beast for an Ogre to handle, Oh-Sik was not just any regr Ogre, but one that was put through his paces by none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
Meaning, there was a huge gulp in experience points. Thats right, experience points!
Oh-Siks crimson-red eyes red straight at the Behemoths face.
On the outside, this might have looked like a stand-off between a slick, slender fox and a cute little puppy, but in reality, this was a face-off between a demonic beast and a divine beast capable ofpletely throwing a whole continent into chaos.
Palpable, heightened tension flowed between these two creatures.
Shu-shut!
Paht!!
In that blink of an eye, the two wild beasts pounced on each other.
Ku-rah-rahrahrah!!
Wooooof!!
Their Howlings resonated throughout the surroundings.
And right afterwards...
Argh, too dang noisy!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper!!
Whimper....
Yi Ji-Hyuk easily grabbed the backs of the necks belonging to a flying baby fox and a pouncing puppy in mid-air.
You think this is your living room or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shake, shake.
Both the divine beast and the demonic beast shook their heads in perfect unison.
Why are a couple of stupid stray mutts whimpering and howling and making a d*mn ruckus so early in the morning?! And you aint even protecting the house as I told you to! Both of you, no food for the rest of the day! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tossed the two creatures away to the opposite sides from each other. Behemoth flew away without any resistance, but Oh-Sik actually clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuks hand.
Oho? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wondered whats gotten into the puppy, only to find Oh-Sik desperately lick his hand and go on a full-on aegyo attack.
Seriously though, he already was stingy with food, but now, Oh-Sik had to starve for the rest of the day, too?! No way!
Behemoth fell into a bit of dilemma watching Oh-Siks unsightly behaviour, but as if she hadnt yet thrown away her dignity, all she could do was open and close her mouth a few times and whimper repeatedly.
Never mind her pride and whatever, there was once upon a time she was having an epic throwdown with that d*mn human being, so was it really okay to start her own aegyo attack, too?
Soon, Behemoth found herself falling deeper into a massive identity crisis.
Indeed, she was the noble, proud Behemoth. Wasnt she the divine beast of Berafe, tasked with destroying evil and defending all that was holy?
Even if this was another world, how could she wag her tail to a dark wizard overflowing with such an evil, despicable aura?!
Such a thing could not....
And who you ring at, ah?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
Behemoth looking up at him slowly lowered her tail dejectedly.
What the hell? I was gonna ther you in doenjang and eat you up but didnt, cuz I thought you looked pitiful and all that, yet you dare to re at me? You wanna hold your funeral today? I mean, Ive been holding back this urge to strip you off your leather and sell it cuz it looks like itll fetch a good price on the market, so whats up with you eyeballing me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The true sorrow in the Behemoths heart was that she could understand human speech.
No, it wasnt as if both the divine beast and the demonic beast understood what was being said, but instead, understood the meanings behind the words. Thanks to that, she could definitely understand what Yi Ji-Hyuk was saying, even though he was busy yapping on in Korean.
Behemoth suddenly raised her head high up, and bluish light filled up her eyes.
Uh?
She then walked slowly towards Yi Ji-Hyuk in an elegant gait. It was so elegant that she even resembled a supermodel, albeit in a canine form.
What are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Step, step.
She walked in pure elegance and arrived right next to Yi Ji-Hyuk. She then raised her head to nce at him before leaning just a wee bit closer to lick his hand.
Spare me.
Her intentions were so, so clear that a hollow chuckle leaked out of his mouth.
A! How annoying! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk used his foot to lightly push the two licking animals away to the corner of his front yard and opened his mouth.
What are you two good for, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The two creatures dropped their heads.
Is there something for you to hunt here, or do monsters suddenlye attacking out of nowhere? Or is there a war breaking out nearby? A couple of food-wasting bugs, thats what you are. You should at least try to defend my home better. I mean, you two chow down a truck-full of grub everyday, right?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
You make a ruckus one more time, Imma really coat you two in doenjang, got it? You hear me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Bark!
Hah, at least you know how to reply. How nice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue and went back inside the building.
Whimper.
Oh-Sik nted his butt on the ground and powerlessly sagged down. Behemoth watched this scene for a bit, before her own head drooped low, low towards the ground, too.
Just who were they?
No one would ever ignore these two back in Berafe.
Before religious organisations were properly established, the divine beast Behemoth was worshipped as a god by a small tribe.
Didnt matter which monster, wizard, or priest, no one could ignore her status.
Indeed, regardless of who or what in which position, no one could ignore her. Demonic beasts were her prey, and dark wizards quaked in their boots at her mere presence.
Didnt she even stand at the forefront of resistance when the demon king suddenly made its descent all those years ago, too?!
But now...
Nothing seemed to work out after arriving in this d*mn ce.
Not only did a stinking little demonic beast bare his fangs at her, Berafes worst nightmare was slumming around as if he was the neighbourhood boss or some such.
Whimper....
Behemoth spat out a pained whimper unconsciously.
Pat, pat.
Whimper?
She raised her head after feeling something touch her back, and found Oh-Sik gently patting her with a face that said Yes, I know how you feel.
His short front paw continued to pat her on the back.
Did this d*mn demonic beast lose his marbles?
She stared at Oh-Sik with a dumbfounded expression, but he simply shook his head.
But, what could this be?
This feeling of... being consoled?
When she thought about it, though, this demonic beast also mustve gone through hell and back many times over by now.
Just like Behemoth, one could legitimately im that an Ogre Lord was at the top of the demonic beast hierarchy. Seeing how a top-ss monster capable of driving an entire continent into chaos just by showing up in Berafe, had fallen unceremoniously to the position of a house dog, something felt incredibly sad to her.
What rotten luck it was, they had to run into the man called Yi Ji-Hyuk.
From her perspective, that human being was the worst, peerless devil in existence, but to Oh-Sik, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the de facto ruler of the demons itself. Meaning, he was like the emperor of that world.
So, how badly would he have drove around the Ogre like a ve?
It was unimaginable the level of cruelty and hardship the Ogre had to experience by being under the thumb of that human with a rotten personality for hundreds of years.
Transcending the gap of their species, she felt sympathy for Oh-Sik now. Seriously speaking, shed been here only for a few days and already found things so unbearable, so how bad would it have been for Oh-Sik after all this time?
Whimper....
She extended her long, slick leg to lightly pat Oh-Siks back.
Mists from the heart pooled at the edges of Ogres eyes.
Behemoth fell into a state of panic after witnessing that.
It was already strangely funny to see a horrifying monster like an Ogre living in the form of a cute little puppy, but having seen him tear up like that, her own emotions became veryplicated as well.
By the way, isnt he, like, surprisingly cute?
No, but, I cant openly admit that.... (Behemoths inner monologue)
Whimper....
Woof....
As the two of them continued to console each others sorrow, the front entrance was flung open violently once more.
Argh! Youre still making a ruckus, so stop whining, will ya!! You stupid mutts! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Two puppies lowered their heads in despondency, and Yi Ji-Hyuk mmed the door shut in sheer irritation, going back inside.
What was the grim reaper doing, not taking a guy like that away already?
*
Uh-whew! What crimes did Imit in my past life to deserve this?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in helplessness as he continued to walk forward.
It was already tough trying to feed Oh-Sik alone, yet now he had to take care of a Behemoth, too? What kind of a burden, nay, a ticking time bomb was this?
How hopelessly inept was the so-called High Elf that she didnt even have enough money to buy pet food and end uping to Yi Ji-Hyuk for help?
They were nominally a High Elf and an Elf, but in this world, they were a couple of swans that looked pretty and not much else besides.
If only the publics perception towards the ability users were good, like in the past C then hed be able to pimp them out as ability user-c*m-entertainers, but now, unless they were willing to cut off their pointy ears, they should forget about setting foot in the entertainment industry.
Wasnt there something like Photoshop or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If not, he could argue that those ears were synthetic and push those two Elves to be fashion models.
But then again, they might faint with bubbles in their mouths if asked to wear leather products, so thats a no.
He also thought about this before, but well, these creatures called Elves were truly a useless bunch. He much preferred Dark Elves, in all honesty.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head again and pushed the door to the NDF offices wide open to enter the premises.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Argh! Stop! Enough! Stop! Please! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You only use that tone of voice to say that Something urgent hase up, dont you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you a phantom?? (Choi Jung-Hoon) (TL: In Korea, you call someone with scary-sharp intuition/wit as a ghost/phantom.)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuks frown got deeper and deeper, and Choi Jung-Hoon could only break out in an awkward grin.
The thing was, Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt had a proper day of rest recently and was forced to expend himself again and again in many different ces of the country. He knew that well.
But, what could he do?
Yi Ji-Hyuk was basically 90% of all NDFsbat potential.
Without him, the NDF was as good as a steamed bun without its red bean paste inside. The requestsing in from other countries or the Korean government itself were normally made under the assumption that Yi Ji-Hyuk would tag along, so there was little Choi Jung-Hoon could do here.
Fine, fine. What happened this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon kept his awkward smile and continued on.
< 246. Can you get me a phone number? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 247: Can you get me a phone number? (2)
Chapter 247: Can you get me a phone number? (2)
Well, its not a big deal. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Its always been not a big deal. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, really. Its not, this time. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If it isnt, then I fail to see why you need me at all. Have a nice day. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehhheii! Why are you being like this? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With a good-natured smile, Choi Jung-Hoon hurriedly stood in Yi Ji-Hyuks way.
What now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha. It really isnt a big deal. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit.
Whenever you beat around the bush like that, things are actually much more bothersome than you let on.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not true. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In any case, juste out and say it, will you. I can only decide after you tell me whats happening. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon nodded his head and continued on.
Well.... Let me just say that its something that happens often. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A Gate has opened up on our shore recently, yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yeah, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As you may well know, thest Gate was a pretty rough case for us to handle. If it werent for you being there at the right time, we cant even imagine what might have happened. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, what will happen to other countries in simr circumstances? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.......
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly pped his hands.
They are all destroyed, probably. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha! Youre right. Especially so with Japan. They have been under the constant barrage of one event after another, and they are on the brink ofplete copse. To top it all off, a new Gate appeared in the middle of Tokyo again. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ohh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
It seemed that their geographical location was pretty bad; they got bombarded by earthquakes all the time, and there were all those hailstorms, too, and didnt it feel as if typhoons were always at their shores like a passive skill?
Maybe, thatnd is cursed or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt the Zombie Dragon also pop up in Tokyo? And its that city again?
Okay, so? What happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled brightly and spoke.
Well, what do you think has happened? They are being utterly destroyed, thats what. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No answers, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk helplessly shook his head.
And so, they asked for help, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, they have. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
And we said, sure, cool, well help? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you put it that way, yes. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned brightly, and put his arm around Choi Jung-Hoons shoulders. Thetter stared at the former with an expression that said, Whats gotten into him?
Mister Choi Jung-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It seems that youve lost your touchtely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Didnt you say that they are close to being totally wiped out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, I did. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
In that case, why should we go there and help them out when theres clearly nothing in it for us? I mean, we arent a charity organisation, are we? There should be something in it for us if we were to help them out, right? Dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon grinned in response.
Of course, there is something in it for us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression brightened in an instant.
Yup, this is the Choi Jung-Hoon I know.
No freaking way that this dude would give and not take like a dumba*s. No way. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Indeed, as expected of a man he had acknowledged.
What were about to get from them are things that cant be bought with money. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ohhh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began sparkling brightly.
What is it? What? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, dont be surprised. They are cultural assets. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Cultural... assets? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon formed a content smile and nodded his head.
Yes. They must be in some urgency, because they agree to hand back all the cultural assets they stole during the Japanese upation. And the overall number turns out to be several times higher than weve previously anticipated. There should be countless national treasures mixed in among them. If we manage to bring them all back home, then wed be achieving an amazing diplomatic feat to be recorded in the annals of hist.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yup, not interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and walked straight out of the office.
M-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon ran after him in a fluster.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out a cigarette and ced it between his lips.
Cultural assets, by a*s. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why would he go there just for a bunch of stuff that he couldnt even eat?
Stuff like cultural assets couldnt even be exchanged for cash, and he couldnt quite understand why he should work his butt off so that the government got to be happy, instead.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon rushed next to him in a sh and quickly lit the cigarette stuck in his lips.
Click.
The lighter spat out the me and the end of Yi Ji-Hyuks cigarette began burning away.
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk breathed out a lengthy trail of smoke and shifted his gaze back to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Im not going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, dont be like that.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon going Ehehe made Yi Ji-Hyuk feel rather strange.
Besides stuff like that, isnt there anything more materialistically useful to me? Or, something worth good money? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you want to see cultural assets in mary value, then they are truly priceless. Its already impossible to get paid that much money. Its an amazing benefit for us. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Benefit, my foot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk broke out into a wry smirk.
He had seen countless nations die out in his lifetime, so stuff like cultural assets were nothing more than some decorations designed to evoke the reminiscence of the past. Was it really important to research on how people lived in the past, to begin with?
Indeed, the really important thing was how people were living in the present day.
Sure, if the current times were peaceful, then those assets wouldve had some value in them. But well, who cared about those assets when humanity itself might get killed offe tomorrow?
Seriously, they wouldnt even have enough time to research anything, anyway.
Arent you exhausted, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im asking you whether you arent pooped out from minding these things happening all over the ce or not. When I think about it, you always apany us wherever we go, right? Were ability users so our endurance is better and we recover quickly, but youre a regr person. If I was you, Id have passed out a long time ago. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I manage myself well, thats why. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Not sure managing can help out here, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head, and Choi Jung-Hoon could only form a bitter grin.
The total value of energy tonic he managed to chug down so far would easily surpass the annual sry of a regr sryman. Even then, he was constantly losing weight and suffered from chronic fatigue.
I cant figure out why youre working so hard, though. Mister Choi Jung-Hoon, arent you already on the fast track to sess? I mean, even if you dont do much, I think youve already carved out a nice little career path that will take you straight to the top anyway. From where I am standing, you look like youll have a breakdown if you dont work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What can I do when thats my nature? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
We dont work to rise up in the ranks, you know. We rise up the ranks so that our living condition can get better, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Youre right. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon ended up nodding his head along.
This man, he seemed to know how to get to the meaty part of things that truly mattered, sometimes.
Choi Jung-Hoon looked back and realised that recently, hed been working not with a goal, a purpose, in mind, but worked simply because it was his duty.
His mindset was one of rising up the careerdder through more and more aplishments, but then, he hadnt yet given it some thought as to why he needed to climb up thatdder in the first ce.
You see, this thing called life? It passes by faster than you think. If you dont worry about what you want to achieve now, then for sure, you will end up regretting it in the end. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that from your own experience? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, not mine specifically. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk deeply sucked in the cigarette smoke. Choi Jung-Hoon stared at him with subdued eyes.
When he thought about it at length, then this man mustve had met an incredible number of people in his life so far.
So, his insight regarding life itself should be unmatched by anyone alive. How ironic it was, then, that he chose to live like this even when he was cursed with such a deep insight to it.
You should enjoy your life a bit more. If you keep being like that and not do the stuff you want to, then sooner orter, youll end upmenting the fact that you didnt. Like, you should think about getting married, for instance. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Marriage, is it.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wasnt he at the perfect, ripe age to get married? So much so that it was about to pass him by?
By the way.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im asking out of curiosity, but well, have you ever been married before, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shut his mouth real tight and fell into a deep train of thought, but then, the light in his eyes wavered unstably as he looked at Choi Jung-Hoon.
I made a mistake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont ever get married. Ever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
What was going on? Why the sudden change of his mind?
Never! Absolutely not! One should never get married. The worst blunder humanity has ever created is the institution of marriage. That is the very act of throwing away yourself, and giving up on your dignity as a human being. Never, ever get married! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, sure thing.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What is up with this persuasive power behind his words?
Its like, I can feel his earnest heart even from here? (Choi Jung-Hoons inner monologue)
Ah. You tried it before. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
...........
Thought as much!
Those words and that sincerity couldnt havee about without actual first-hand experience.
Marriage is definitely not something you should try..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill keep that in mind. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon gravely nodded his head.
In any case, please decide on how to handle the Japaneses request. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, you spoke as if we simply have to go earlier? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, if Ive been told to jump, then I must.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
A wry, bitter grin appeared on Choi Jung-Hoons lips.
Looks like there are still some people daring to mess with you, Mister. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im just a simple civil servant. And Ive never forgotten that fact, not even once. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
But, youve been behaving like the most influential man in the world, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats just a concept, a concept. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon grinned refreshingly.
Im neither an ability user nor someone indispensable. There are plenty of people out there capable of recing me. Ive never forgotten about that fact. Im acutely aware that I could get fired at any given moment. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Recements, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a soft smirk.
There were people who could rece this guy?
Every now and then, one would run into folks who didnt know much about themselves. In simpler terms, they didnt fully understand their own worth.
However, Choi Jung-Hoon seemed to be the least likely person to fall into that category....
Being too humble isnt a good thing, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not being humble at all. Its a fact. If I havent met you, I wouldnt have been able to live my current lifestyle. I have already skipped past quite a lot of the normal career route to get here with my abilities. Its time for me to keep my head down, in other words. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If he was thinking like that, then well, he wasnt wrong.....
The really important people to the higher-ups are someone like you and Miss Seo Ah-Young. The only reason why Im entrusted with this job is because I act as a bridge connecting them to you. Ive not forgotten that is my total worth in this situation. A bridge can always be built anew, you see. You certainly wont flip Gangnam on its head just because you dont like the roads leading up to there, but you can certainly build new bridges. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Build new bridges, was it....?
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked again.
If someone attempted that, then that person was a crazy fool.
Okay, so. Whos been pressuring you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who do you think? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im asking cuz I dont know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Im not 100% sure. I always get my orders from my immediate superior, after all. However, I can make an educated guess. Surely, the one pressuring me is a person who can potentially write this one up as his own aplishment, no? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
ording to that line of logic, that left only one candidate.
Looks like staying put inside that house made the old man in question oblivious to the current affairs of the world. I mean, the era of using something like that to boost ones political ambition has long passed us by already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His position in the current situation is a bit like a window dressing, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Well, its not like I dont understand it, but still, I dont see the need to work my butt off so that his resume may gain an extra line of text. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I knew you would say something like that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Mm, well.... Sure. However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that as if he was pondering something, before shifting his gaze back to Choi Jung-Hoon.
Itll be troublesome if I just say I dont want to, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wont go that far, probably? I mean, if the person in question is not keen, what can anyone possibly say? Sure, they might nag on a bit, but that should be all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Nagging, is it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The smirk on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips deepened.
In that case, I just have to make sure that no one nags, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?
Anxiety slowly crept into Choi Jung-Hoons expression.
Whenever Yi Ji-Hyuk made that sort of a face, idents would always follow soon after.
The ident this time might be pretty serious, no? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If the uing trouble was only on the level of Choi Jung-Hoons capability to handle, then he might be able to do something about itter, but too bad, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt such a considerate man.
Can you get me a phone number? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
P-phone number?? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Suspicion began clouding Choi Jung-Hoons expression next.
A phone number?
Whose number, exactly?
< 247. Can you get me a phone number? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 248: Can you get me a phone number? (3)
Chapter 248: Can you get me a phone number? (3)
Requests are stilling in from our overseas allies. (Chief Secretary)
Oh, is that so? (President)
A certain man rxedly leaned back in his luxurious chair.
In front of him sat a huge desk that seemed a wee bit unnecessary, in terms of actual usefulness, and behind the luxurious chair he had parked his butt on, one could see the gold-ted emblem featuring a phoenix and a Korean rose.
This man leisurely perused the report before setting them aside on the desk in anguid manner.
That is excellent news. (President)
Indeed it is, Mister President. (Chief Secretary)
The man referred to as the President nodded his head.
Truly, wonderful news. (President)
His expression was overflowing with leisure andposure.
Yun Yeong-Min C that was his name, the President of South Korea. Although elected as the leader at the worst time in recorded history of humanity, he was unexpectedly spending some of the very best days in the history of the nation itself.
Now normally, a nation like Korea would be waaay too busy trying to sort out all the Gates opening up within its borders, as well as maintaining international diplomatic rtions, but thanks to a certain golden goose that appeared out of nowhere, the international acim for the country was increasing exponentially.
A nation nervously peeking its head around the corner hoping to request other governments help was now in the position of receiving those said governmentsing to seek it out, instead.
On top of this, the identities of the governments asking for help served to heighten the Presidents moods even further.
Not only the United States, but China and Russia, plus a whole host of others, were currently requesting aid from him. In the past, hed been too busy reaching out to these very same folks for help.
What about that thing with Russia? (President)
It seems that the annexation of Ukraine is almost over, sir. (Chief Secretary)
And the reactions of the internationalmunity? (President)
Statements of condemnation are still being issued, but none of them have tried to do anything as they are currently too preupied with their own internal affairs, sir. Even the Americans and the Chinese cant spare their military forces, so which government would be willing to help Ukraine out at this juncture? (Chief Secretary)
Okay. What about Mexico, then? (President)
Sir. From the get-go, they were hopelessly outgunned. They are being rapidly subjugated as we speak. Thats why I cant begin to fathom why they decided to attack the Americans in the first ce, sir. (Chief Secretary)
Well, it wouldnt be as entertaining if only the normal things happened most of the time, dont you agree? (President)
The Chief Secretary shut his mouth.
Many, many people were dying right now. Even if those events were happening innds far away, a nations President shouldnt be muttering words like entertaining in a situation like this.
Hes supposed to possess the air of a President, but.... (Chief Secretary)
The thing was, someone like this man wouldnt have been elected to this seat were it not for the chaotic times the country found itself in.
This man had preached radical ideologies during his campaign, while never failing to point out that the lives of citizens were in immediate danger.
Under normal circumstances, a candidate like him wouldve been kicked out pretty early on in the race, but in these uncertain times, he was judged to be the person with a straightced attitude and the right temperament to handle the iing dangers.
Too bad....
....Hes ipetent. (Chief Secretary)
That was the most on-the-point, sinct evaluation of the current President C ipetent.
Hell, he wasnt vicious, not even opportunistic, and morally so anonymous that he couldnt even be faulted on that front, either. His only negative point was his ipetence, and unfortunately, that was the absolute worst con for a nations President.
What happened to Japan? (President)
They are still sending us requests for aid, sir. The Japanese Prime Minister wishes to speak to you in person through the hotline, sir. (Chief Secretary)
You have rejected him, yes? (President)
Yes, sir. For the time being, we used the pretext of you currently being unavable. However, we wont be able to avoid them for long, sir. After we kept dodging their calls, I heard that their Prime Minister is nning to personallye and pay us a visit. (Chief Secretary)
H-mmmm.... (President)
Yun Yeong-Min hummed happily again and again.
The Republic of Korea was enjoying her glory days. Never before in her entire history did the Korean Penins receive such wondrous treatment.
And the dear Mister President Yun Yeong-Min was chuffed beyond belief that such heyday coincided with his reign. Just who in this countrys history had exercised as much authority as he has done so far?
It seems that the Prime Minister is starting to feel the heat now. (President)
That is so, sir. (Chief Secretary)
In that case, lets help them out at least this once. However, the pretext feels a little inadequate, so shouldnt this matter be handled on the levels of Prime Ministers? (President) (TL: Korea has both the offices of President and Prime Minister.)
Do you wish to speak to someone higher up, sir? (Chief Secretary)
There was only one other person in Japan upying a nominally higher seat than its Prime Minister.
....The Japanese Emperor.
If only such a personage makes a request directly, or promises to apologise for the historical transgressions. Im sure itd get much easier for us to make a move, then. (President)
I shall probe them for an answer, sir. (Chief Secretary)
Mm. Very good. Good. (President)
President Yun Yeong-Min worked extra hard to control the ends of his lips from curling upwards. Even if the Chief Secretary was his close aide, itd be unwise to disy such flippant attitude here.
This is so fun. (President)
Only up until a few months ago, he had to keep ulcer medication in his pocket at all times due to a stress-rted illness. But now, he got to finally learn that how wonderfully grand and fun his position could be.
We should thank our golden goose. Of course, its all due to my great skill in putting that goose to work, however. (President)
....Im sure it is, sir. (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary frowned ever so slightly.
Put that goose to work?
Just what did he do to put that guy to work, anyway?
The President hadnt done anything proactively.
No, all he did was acknowledge the requests from overseas allies, that was all. This so-called current President couldnt even negotiate properly so he delegated such important matters to some regr civil servants, instead.
What a pathetic man. (Chief Secretary)
A man who had no talent nor previous aplishments but relied on just public image to get to the most important public office in the country would eventually end up like this. This was the reason why high-ranking positions required someone with actual experience.
For the time being, please keep a close eye on Japan and North Korea. The fact that our northerly neighbour is keeping silent makes me a little bit worried. Also, the fact that there are conflicts raging on in the internationalmunity, too. (President)
Understood, Mister President. (Chief Secretary)
Knock, knock, knock.
It was then, they heard the sound of urgent knocking.
Who could it possibly be?
Well, it was rather obvious who would knock on the door to the Presidents office. No, the real puzzling bit was why would anyone knock in the first ce.
Because, intes werent installed just for show.
Enter. (President)
As soon as Yun Yeong-Min called out, the door was flung open in great haste. And a pale-faced secretary rushed inside.
The Chief Secretary frowned deeply at this sight. What was this unmannerly behaviour about?
What happened? (Chief Secretary)
It seemed that this person needed more thorough education. His pride as the head of the secretarys office was on the line here.
A, a phone call just came in, sir. (Secretary)
A phone call? (Chief Secretary)
Y-yes. A call. (Secretary)
The Chief bit his lower lip hard even before he realised it.
Who cared about some measly phone call?
They werent even answering the hot lines directly connected to the Japanese Prime Minister and the American President, so how could a phone call made by someone else be considered even more urgent?
I wont say anything for the time being, so please wait outside. I shall hand over your punishment for this gaff in due course. (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary turned back towards the President and bowed his waist deeply.
My apologies, sir. I fail to properly manage the people under me. (Chief Secretary)
M-mm.... (President)
The President seemed just a tad unhappy, but he didnt try to voice his displeasure. Itd be unbing of a President to take out his unhappiness on some small-time secretary, after all. This sort of matters should be handled by their Chief, instead.
In that case, I.... (Chief Secretary)
N-no, sirs! Thats not it! (Secretary)
Hah.... (Chief Secretary)
The Chief spat out a lengthy sigh unbeknownst to himself.
He had never failed to educate his underlings properly until now, so he was beginning to get flustered wondering how the current event could even ur.
Daring to even say Thats not it in front of them, too? How could he even say that in front of the nations President?
How uncouth.
For now, youll.... (Chief Secretary)
I think you need to answer this phone call, sir. (Secretary)
At this point, curiosity reigned stronger than anger in the Chiefs and the Presidents head. Just who had called in that the secretary was panicking like this?
Where is the calling from? Is it America? Or is North Korea calling us through the direct line? (President)
Those were the two ces they coulde up with.
Unfortunately, the secretary shook his head around wildly and gasped out in a half-torn voice.
Yi, Yi Ji-Hyuk, sirs!! (Secretary)
Ng? (President)
What did he just say?
Who was it again?
The NDFs Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is demanding to speak to you directly, Mister President! (Secretary)
..........
The Presidents office was suddenly enveloped in an icy stillness.
*
Mmm.....
This was one hell of a strange spectacle.
In the middle of a huge round wooden table, a lone telephone sat pretty for everyone else to see. And then, a bunch of middle-aged men decked out in ck business suits were staring at that very phone as if to bore a hole right through the dang thing.
Their gazes were filled with subtle hints of anxiety and fear.
He made a call, you say? (President)
Yes. (Secretary)
And for the time being, the calls been disconnected? (President)
It took a bit of time, so he got annoyed and hung up, saying that hell call us back after having a meal first. (Secretary)
Hes exactly as Ive heard. Down to a T. (President)
Everyone, from the Ministers of various government entities as well as the Prime Minister, and those who held the crucial positions of actually running the government itself, the heads of various departments as well as the intelligence chief C the higher-ups of the political world that controlled the Republic of Korea had gathered around in the Presidents office right this moment.
How should we handle the current situation? (President)
The words spoken out aloud by President Yun Yeong-Min ably expressed the minds of everyone gathered here.
Well, there is one person whos more or less resistant to crisis like this one, no? Where is the Foreign Affairs Minister? (President)
....We cant get in touch with him, sir.
Its a direct summon from the President, yet what do you mean, you cant contact him?! (President)
The moment Yi Ji-Hyuks name was mentioned, he dropped the call, sir. Hes apparently disappeared from his department building, as well. Were currently searching for his whereabouts.
Groan....
What on earth was going on here?
D-Defence Minister. (President)
Yes, your excellency. (Defence Minister)
I told you to call me Mister President, didnt I? Look at the era were living in right now. In any case, what do you think? Technically speaking, isnt the NDF a branch organisation of the Defence Ministry? (President)
The Defence Minister looked at the President with a dumbfounded expression on his face.
Both the KSF and the NDF are organisationspletely under the Office of the Presidency, sir. I mean, when I asked you to give me the authority tomand them in the past, you denied it saying that they were not affiliated with the Defence Ministry, didnt you? But now, youre saying that they are? Did you reorganise the governmental structure while I wasnt looking? (Defence Minister)
He couldve said no, nice and simple, so why did he have to go and retort like that?
I heard that all military men are hot-headed and straightforward, but maybe this guy is a fake general? I mean, why is he being so snarky like that? Is he actually from themunications department, instead? (Presidents inner monologue)
In that case.... (President)
President Yun Yeong-Mins eyes were now fixed on one person. With the current situation having devolved this far, there was only one person who could resolve it.
Director. (President)
....Yes, sir. (Director)
The director of the KSF, Bae Jeong-Kuk, stared back at the President with an unreadable expression.
Dont you have any methods avable to you? They are under your wings, arent they? (President)
Bae Jeong-Kuksplexion waned at a visible rate.
Under my wings?
God d*mn it, then why did you even give the go ahead for the NDFs establishment in the first ce?! (Directors inner monologue)
He was already feeling pretty unhappy regarding the redeployment of his best men who had been minding their own business under the pretext of creating a brand new task force, as well as the fact that they were given the full autonomy. But now, the President wanted him to do something about it when a problem urred?
This matter has been out of my hands for a long time, sir. (Director)
Is that something you should say as the director? You think its okay for you to fail in controlling one of your own subordinates? (Defence Minister)
The Defence Minister said something pretty upsetting just then.
The rtionship between the Defence Ministry and the KSF was already pretty acrimonious, so there was no way that these two men would enjoy a cordial banter in here.
In that case, why dont YOU do it, then? (Director)
What was that?? (Defence Minister)
The director red directly at the President.
Just who was it that gave them the right to self-govern and took them away from my directmand, sir? And you want me to do something about it now?? With what authority should I order them around with? Itll simply be faster to just summon the direct superior to that man! (Director)
The direct superior? (President)
Thatll be Seo Ah-Young. (Director)
...........
Theplexions of everyone here immediately became worse.
Who here didnt know Seo Ah-Young was directly responsible for Yi Ji-Hyuk? That info was a must if you wanted to be a high-ranking public official in South Korea.
The reason for these people looking even poorer than before was pretty simple, though.
The Insane Witch.
On the outside, she was known as the me Witch.
Her insane personality was so infamous that it was now on the level of official status. Yet, they needed to summon her here?
No way theyd do that when they might get humiliated by her.
K-hmmm!
Rrrrrr....
It was then, the phones bell vigorously rang out.
The hearts of these men surrounding the phone fell to the pits of their stomachs.
Nervous tension quickly filled up the office.
< 248. Can you get me a phone number? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 249: Can you get me a phone number? (4)
Chapter 249: Can you get me a phone number? (4)
Rrrrr.....
What a different experience it was, realising that a simple ringing telephone could make a person so nervous.
However, President Yun Yeong-Min would love to decline such an experience. Seriously now, who would enjoy the feeling of his heart being wrung dry like this?
A-answer it. (President)
Do I really have to, sir? (Secretary)
Well, then? Are you nning to never answer it?! Answer it, so we can do something about it, at least!! (President)
M-mm....
Everyones expressions were deeply dyed in nervous tension.
The secretary on standby next to the phone slowly reached out and grabbed the receiver.
If this thing was a smartphone, itd been far easier to answer the call; the stocky receiver that still burned the torch of analoguemunication seemed to be oppressively weighing down doubly as heavy in the poor secretarys heart.
Squeeze....
He held the receiver tightly and with pure determination, yanked the device up to ce it near his ear.
Hello, this is the office of the secretary! (Secretary)
Gulp.
Someone swallowing his saliva resounded out like a thunderp. A near-unbearable level of tension filled up the Presidential office.
The attention of everyone focused on the secretarys lips, their ears physically perking up as if to not miss a single sound, their bodies shifting closer into a huddle.
Y-yes? (Secretary)
The secretary listened with a grave expression on his face, and eventually, let a lengthy sigh escape from his lips.
....Ah, yes. (Secretary)
He ced the receiver down and ended the call there.
W-what is it? (President)
The secretary had this somewhat awkward expression as he made his reply.
That was from the Foreign Minister. He says he cante today due to an illness, so we shouldnt bother him. (Secretary)
Bloody motherf*cking son of a b*tch!! (President)
President Yun Yeong-Min forgot his stations and spat out a string of expletives.
S-sir, please. Calm down. (Secretary)
M-mmmm! (President)
The Chief Secretary watched this scene unfold and pinched his thigh to stop himself fromughing out loudly.
This.... was definitely a ckedy.
Here was the sight of South Koreas most important people in one ce sweating bucket loads at the prospect of a single phone call from a barely twenty-something punk.
If this was not aedy, then what was?
And Im a part of thisedy, too. (Chief Secretary)
What a sorrowful story that was.
Just what the hell are we doing.... (President)
I wonder about that myself, sir.
K-hmm...
Coughs to clear throats resounded throughout the room as if these men had finally realised that they had been behaving unsightly. Indeed, this was one embarrassing situation overall.
By the way, why is that man calling us? (Finance Minister)
How can anyone know that?
Dont we have anyone else to call and confirm? In a way, hes the most important person out there, so how can there be no one who might be able to shed some light on what that man is thinking about and what hes doing right now? (Finance Minister)
....There is one person. (Director of KSF)
Just one? Did you entrust someone that important to a single individual?? (Finance Minister)
Those words from the Minister of Strategy and Finance prompted the Defence Minister and the KSFs director to re at him simultaneously.
W-whats wrong? (Finance Minister)
You sure have an easy going attitude, dont you? (Defence Minister)
Excuse me? (Finance Minister)
Did you say that not knowing what kind of a person Yi Ji-Hyuk is? (Defence Minister)
..........
Do you have any idea the amount of trouble and hardship we endured while trying to insert spies around him? Just one individual? You better be thankful that at least we have one person!! (Defence Minister)
What the.... Its not as if I said something wrong.... (Finance Minister)
The Defence Minister snorted in derision.
Look here, Mister Minister. (Defence Minister)
Yes, speak. (Finance Minister)
Do you honestly think its just our government paying an enormous level of attention on Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and no one else? (Defence Minister)
No, Im sure that thats not the case. (Finance Minister)
Then, do you know just how many military satellites are following that man around? The Americans have assigned five satellites just for that purpose! Five! (Defence Minister)
Five satellites??
One person necessitated five of them?
What kind of nonsense was this?
Even the Russian head of state during the Cold War era didnt necessitate such treatment from his counterpart.
And then, do you have any idea how high the number of foreign agents trying to infiltrate Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks circle is? What do you think has happened to them so far? (Defence Minister)
Is the man named Yi Ji-Hyuk such a dangerous individual?? (Finance Minister)
Hah! I wouldnt even have brought that up if they managed to get near him. An ability user named Doh Gah-Yun who acts as his guard swept every single one of them away. They didnt even know what happened to them. (Defence Minister)
..........
Hes someone like that, yet his circle of acquaintances is tiny and he doesnt even bother to interact with someone hes never met. Under the current circumstances, its already a miracle that we do have a contact, so what were you saying earlier? Youre unhappy because theres only one? (Defence Minister)
The Minister from Strategy & Finance shut his mouth up.
This was precisely why one should keep his mouth shut when not well versed in the subject matter; he tried to sound smart, only to end up getting embarrassed.
The best course of action was to quickly change the topic.
Okay, so. Who is that lone contact? (Finance Minister)
Im sure youve heard of his name C Choi Jung-Hoon. (Defence Minister)
....Choi Jung-Hoon?
The Finance Minister tilted his head as if this was his first time hearing that name, and naturally, the expression on the Defence Ministers face crumpled unsightly.
What a tragedy this was, a man in charge of the countrys finance was so slow with acquiring crucial information.
Sure, even if all he did in his job was to act as a figurehead, he should still be aware of important info, now shouldnt he?
Whats that mans job title? (Finance Minister)
Hes the Deputy Director of the NDF. (Defence Minister)
Not even the Director, but a Deputy? (Finance Minister)
You cant put a non-ability user as the director of the NDF, now can you? The director is Seo Ah-Young, but you can think of Choi Jung-Hoon as the person performing the actual duty of one. (Defence Minister)
Oh, I see. (Finance Minister)
But then, such a man was Yi Ji-Hyuks contact? Not his superior?
But, isnt that odd? If that person is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks superior, then wouldnt he just issue an order and be done with it? (Finance Minister)
Hah....
This guy!
Did I say something wrong again? The face of the Finance Minister reddened up considerably asmentations thicklyced with contempt flew in his direction.
How can a person like him even be a government minister....?
A rather rude remark pped him in the face, too C but the Minister couldnt say anything, as it was his fault for not figuring out the situation sooner. Indeed, hed be even more of a pariah if he blurted something out in anger, so all he could do for now was to keep his mouth shut.
Did ability users listen to you when you ordered them around? They are so stubbornly proud that we have to resort to all sorts of methods to suppress them, like withws or even with stronger ability users! (Defence Minister)
....That is true. (Finance Minister)
So, how should we go about suppressing Yi Ji-Hyuk, then? Its already unknown whether we can stop him or not even if we mobilise every single ability user, military and police personnel in the whole country! If he wished for it, he could destroy the Blue House in ten minutes! (Defence Minister)
O-only ten minutes?? That fast? (Finance Minister)
The Defence Minister pounded on his chest in sheer frustration.
Thats not it! Hell need ten minutes to get here, and would need only three seconds to destroy the Blue House! No, hang on. Will he even need three seconds? (Defence Minister)
The Director of the KSF shook his head.
Well be lucky if it takes him three seconds. At least wed be able to say our prayers, then. (KSF Director)
There it is! Yet what were you saying? You want to do what? Issue an order?? (Defence Minister)
The face of the Defence Minister burned in pure rage.
Do you have any idea just how much we racked our brains whenever we needed him to go overseas? Suuuure, sending out an instruction is easy! Just order Go and convince him and itll all be taken care of, yes? However, you think its a simple matter trying to convince that man? I tried to do it once, and do you know how much I had to grovel before a young punk who wasnt even on the level of a deputy minister?! (Defence Minister)
....P-please, calm down. (Finance Minister)
But what did you say? Sit back and issue an order? An ordeeeer??? (Defence Minister)
Im sorry. (Finance Minister)
The Finance Minister lowered his head in shame.
Try to know more about the situation first before saying something. No, forget that. Try not to say anything and be still. Itll be less frustrating for me that way. (Defence Minister)
Groan....
Think about why the Foreign Minister decided to run away for a second, will you? This is noughing matter! (Defence Minister)
The atmosphere fell even further.
Yi Ji-Hyuk C he was the source of all this trouble.
Its true that he had managed to bring glory and honour to South Korea, but from these peoples perspective, he was pretty much an uncontroble bomb ready to go off at any moment.
Just from reading the analysed data, one would refrain from interacting with that man if they could help it, but after the Foreign Minister was basically ransacked clean thest time, no one wanted to get anywhere near Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If it wasnt for that, hed been awarded with medals of honour many times over by now; however, from the President downwards, not one person was confident of facing off against Yi Ji-Hyuk and surviving, so the award ceremonies had been put on an indefinite hold for the time being.
The Minister of the Department of Land, Infrastructure and Transport sneaked a question in, just then.
And so, have you tried to contact Choi Jung-Hoon yet? (Transport Minister)
Hes not picking up the phone. (Defence Minister)
Its not as if they are in cahoots, so how about trying it one more time? (Transport Minister)
At this subtle pressuring attempt, the Defence Minister quickly shifted his gaze and stared at the Director of KSF.
Groan.... (KSF Director)
The Director spat out a helpless groan and picked up his smartphone.
Sure, they might be nominally under the Presidency, but the actual managementy with him, so the right person to call Choi Jung-Hoon was none other than himself.
He dialled the phone number and waited... and then, the distinctive tone of the call getting through came out from the speaker.
Ohhh!
Its been connected!
The directorsplexion brightened and he quickly spoke.
Its me! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is trying to contact the Blue House, so can you tell me why? (KSF Director)
C Excuse me?
Hes trying to directly call the Office of the President as we speak! Im telling you to find out what the bloody hell his reason is! (KSF Director)
C But, who are you, mister?
The Directors expression crumpled in an instant.
Did this guy get heatstroke or something???
Im the KSFs director! Arent you Choi Jung-Hoon??
C Im not him, though?
Not him?
The Director distanced his face away from the phone and confirmed the name on the devices screen, before tilting his head.
But, the number was for Choi Jung-Hoon?
Okay, then who the hell are you? (KSF Director)
C Im Yi Ji-Hyuk?
............Eh? (KSF Director)
C I said, Im Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ahhhh, so youre Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (KSF Director)
The Director chuckled with an awkward expression and shifted his whole head towards the Transport Minister who told him to call Choi Jung-Hoon, to shoot a murderous re in the fools direction. It was the same story with the other Ministers, too.
Being subjected to the killing intent from someone who actually fought in the frontlines made the Transport Minister to sink further into the ground, wanting to disappear down a tiny hole.
How could I have known that?!
Besides all that, you all pressured him to make the call alongside me, but now look at you pretending that never happened! (Transport Ministers inner monologue)
The Director red at the Transport Minister for a long time, before speaking again with an awkward smile on his lips.
Ahh, so it was you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. May I ask, why do you have Mister Choi Jung-Hoons phone? (KSF Director)
C Just for fun? Why, is that against thew? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not.
If you wanna do that for fun, no ones gonna stop you. I mean, anyone trying to do that is a stupid b*stard, no? (KSF Directors inner monologue)
Ahahaha..... N-no, its not. Well, then. I shall try to speak to Choi Jung-Hoon some other time. (KSF Director)
C By the way, who did you say you were again, ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im.... the Director of the KSF.
C Oh, is the Director a high position? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pretty sure Im the highest in the organisation. (KSF Director)
C Ahh, that makes you the boss man. Thats perfect. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats perfect?
Its like hell for me.
Ive read all the reports of everything youve done so far, you know? So, like, I dearly do not wish to get tangled up with you! So, can you please just hang up the phone now? (KSF Directors inner monologue)
C Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
If he was going to say something, why not address the other party as the Director? What the freak was up with ahjussi? Ahjussi??
A sigh automatically leaked out from the Directors mouth, but then again, wasnt the very first rule of the KSF Do not expect a normal reaction or courtesy from Yi Ji-Hyuk?
C Why do you keep annoying me like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (KSF Director)
C I mean, people are getting killed because of the dang work, but rather than shoring us up with more manpower, you keep bothering me instead, so what gives? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, hang on a minute. Didnt we supply you with more men thest time? (KSF Director)
You ransacked the Foreign Minister and took away all the money and spare manpower, didnt you?! (KSF Directors inner monologue)
C ....Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice became just a bit more weightier.
Goosebumps broke out all over the Directors body; he bit into his fist and screamed out almost inaudibly. Others watching this spectacle also clenched their fists tightly from sheer nervousness.
Y-yes, please speak. (KSF Director)
Yi Ji-Hyuks curt voice leaked out from the phones speaker next.
C Where are you right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
The burning gazes of everyonended on the Director.
He felt his mouth dry up from all those piercing gazes. The thick, heavy silent oppression he was subjected under was simply too much.
....Whats this, Mister President? Why are you cing golf clubs on top of the desk? I heard that you often practice golf swings inside your office, so that rumour was all true.
....H-hey, Intelligence Chief, why dont you take your hand out from inside your jacket now? You, the belt underneath.... Thats your gun holster, right? (KSF Directors inner monologue)
Unable to win against the outpouring of intense pressure, the Director of KSF raised his very tearful voice.
Im at my office. (KSF Director)
C Iming to see you now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
O-of course..... (KSF Director)
The call ended there, and the KSFs Director covered his face.
Mister President walked over and while lightly patting him on the shoulder, spoke in a concerned voice.
Hurry and head over to your office. (President)
Trash.
The Human Trash was right over here.
The KSF Director stood up from his seat with no energy whatsoever.
.........
He wordlessly scanned his vicinity and trudged outside the office.
Come back to us alive! (President)
......Sons of b*tches. (KSF Director)
Although it seemed that something suspicious had been muttered just now, being the pro politicians that they were, they simply smiled and let him be on his way.
Rrrrr...
Unfortunately, the phone began ringing off the hook again right in that moment.
< 249. Can you get me a phone number? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 250: Can you get me a phone number? (5)
Chapter 250: Can you get me a phone number? (5)
Another phone call came in so quickly?
An earthquake erupted in the eyes of everyone present.
Just now, a man who could be called one of the most powerful men in the nation, the director of the KSF, was forced to taste shame and had to slink off to some corner somewhere. These people saw that happen, so the burden they felt right now had increased by a massive amount.
W-we should answer it, yes?
Yes, we should.
Only the merciless shrill ringing tone echoed endlessly within the eerily silent office.
H-hurry and answer it. Who knows what he might say if we dont answer it quickly enough? (President)
Groan.... (Chief Secretary)
Although that was themon consensus, everyone present could only stare at the phone with dumbstruck faces.
What a disgraceful sight this was.
To think, the core of the political power that controlled the Republic of Korea got sh*t-scared by a twenty-something year old punk and had to exhibit such an unsightly collective behaviour like this.
Its just a d*mn phone call, so what the hell!! (Transport Minister)
The Transport Minister leisurely stood up from his seat.
Ohhh?!
Others looked at him with deeply impressed eyes.
This guy, maybe he hasnt learned his lesson yet?
However, their inner thoughts proved to be slightly different in nature. Whatever the case might have been, they now had someone volunteering to bite the bullet for them, so there was no need to try and change his mind.
The Transport Minister confidently approached the phone, and after taking a deep breath, yanked the receiver up.
Hello!! (Transport Minister)
The expression of the Chief Secretary crumpled unsightly.
What kind of a government minister answers a phone call like that?? (Chief Secretary)
One would normally go, This is the office of the secretary, or even This is the Blue House..... Indeed, there were a ton of nicer sounding greeting, figuratively speaking, yet what was up with the in Hello?
Unfortunately, one couldnt argue with a Minister, and the call was answered already anyway, so things had to be left as was.
Hello?? (Transport Minister)
Groan....
The expression of the Chief Secretary crumpled even more; how the heck did a man like that get picked for a Ministerial position?
Chief Secretary sneaked closer to the phone and switched its speaker function on. He quite literally snatched the receiver away from the flustered Transport Minister and ced it on the tables surface, before sucking in a deep breath himself.
This is the Blue House. May I know who is calling? (Chief Secretary)
C I told you, I was right! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bickering could be heard from the other end of the line. The Chief Secretary lightly rubbed his eyes.
Other people might stutter from all the nervousness after calling the Blue House, yet it was as if they were ordering Chinese takeaway or something.... How could anyone be that rxed??
But, then again.... (Chief Secretary)
When one thought about it, the caller wouldnt feel nervous at all if he so happened to be Yi Ji-Hyuk himself.
He was fully capable of lounging around in front of the American President, after all. In a world where the haves and have-nots were clearly defined, you could say that Yi Ji-Hyuk was the ultimate have of this world.
Indeed, one should be thankful that he wasnt behaving like one of those abominable entitled haves right now.
Is this Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Chief Secretary)
C Uh? Do you know me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course I do.
Its not just know, though.
You think anyone can stay in their jobs here without knowing who you are? (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
Weve been waiting for you, since you informed us earlier that youll be giving us a callter. If may I ask, what made you call us, sir? (Chief Secretary)
Oh, ohhh!!
Gasps containing praises flew in from the surroundings.
His voice that didnt lose its rity and proper enunciation even when facing off against Yi Ji-Hyuk! As expected of the Chief Secretary!!
The person in question could only form a wry smile, though. The whole country was in the doldrums because a bunch of geezers who couldnt even do something this simple were upying all the important positions.
C Ah, fine, whatever. Is the President there now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Of course he was here.
If the dang President wasnt in the Presidential building, the Blue House, where else could he possibly be?
Even then, he was supposed to be the leader of ones nation, so one should at least try to keep some semnce of etiquette when referring to him. Sure, the man elected to be the President didnt act like one, but his job title was still THE PRESIDENT, so this....
The Chief Secretary shifted his gaze over to the President in question.
However, President Yun Yeong-Min was shaking his head with a strange expression on his face. Judging from his arms iling about as well, he didnt seem to be harbouring any thoughts of talking to Yi Ji-Hyuk at all.
Huh. Maybe theres no need for etiquette, after all. (Chief Secretary)
And such a man was supposed to be this nations president, too.
The Chief Secretary squeezed his eyes shut.
People on the outside might see him as the right hand-man of such an individual. Too bad, being called that was utterly humiliating at this point in time.
Ive chosen the wrong political party. (Chief Secretary)
If only he knew that such a guy would be elected as the President, hed never have signed up with the current political party. The cruel reality created by the citizens anxiety and maddened fervour felt so utterly sad right about now.
N-no, hes not in at the moment. (Chief Secretary)
C When will he be back, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not sure. (Chief Secretary)
C Is that so? H-mm, in that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What would he say next?
The Chief Secretary tensed up after sensing Yi Ji-Hyuks slight hesitation from the way he drifted off at the end of his sentence.
C Doesnt the President carry around a smartphone or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Chief Secretary)
This was an unexpected line of attack. Flustered, the Chief Secretary quickly looked at the President, only to see thetter with a smirk.
Does he have a n? (Chief Secretary)
The President leisurely pulled out his smartphone, only to hurriedly yank out its battery.
.....................
Well, that was a n, alright.
The Chief Secretary shook his head and spoke.
He currently isnt carrying one. (Chief Secretary)
C Is there any other way to contact him right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Currently, no. (Chief Secretary)
C H-mm....
The sound of a low sigh came out next.
The Chief Secretary was having a hard time trying to hide his disappointment. What was the point of avoiding him like this? It was only dying the inevitable after all.
But then again, this was how the current President did his business, anyway. He didnt want to solve a problem by facing it head on, instead devoting himself to prettying up the stuff right in front of his eyes, so itd look real nice from the outside.
He was too busy pushing back the most important and sensitive matters, and worked himself to frenzy trying to do things that might result in positive publicity, instead.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt suddenly appear and take care of all the serious problems facing South Korea, then it didnt take a bloody genius to figure out what wouldve happened to the country with such a leader at its helm.
In that case, one could legitimately say that Yi Ji-Hyuk was Yun Yeong-Mins benefactor, but rather than go visit him to say how grateful he was, he was doing his best to avoid even answering a call, instead. What a totally nonsensical situation this was.
C Well, in that case, I guess it cant be helped, then. Basically, you dont know when hesing back, and he cant be contacted, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im truly sorry about this, but yes, thats the current situation. (Chief Secretary)
C Ah, I see. Well, in that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Chief Secretary breathed a sigh of relief.
Whatever the case might have been, it seemed that he had done it. Sure, the problem of how the next phone call should be dealt with still remained, but for now...
Unfortunately, he took Yi Ji-Hyuk too lightly.
C Iming over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehh?
The Chief Secretary asked back in pure astonishment.
What on earth was this guy talking about?
C You dont know when hesing back, and he cant be contacted, so.... That leaves me with the only option of waiting for him until he decides to show up, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-well, yes, thats true, but.... (Chief Secretary)
C Hes nominally the President, so sooner orter, hell show up back in the Blue House, right? If I wait for him there, hes bound to show up, so Ill do just that. Well, is it okay if I juste over there now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that moment, the office fell into a state of pure panic.
N-no, hang on. Lets all calm down first. (Chief Secretary)
Now that Yi Ji-Hyuk disyed signs of immediately flying over here, the Chief Secretary had to do his very best to calm the young man down.
Otherwise, itd all be over.
I, Ill do my best to get in touch with him. I mean, theres no need for you to personallye here and wait while wasting your precious time, dont you agree? As soon as I get in touch with him, Ill make sure that he calls you right away. (Chief Secretary)
C H-mm....
Did that work?
C Eiii, thats just going to inconvenience you, ahjussi. Its my matter, so let me take care of that. Ill be there in a jiffy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes got suuuch good manners.
How could his considerate heart towards another person beat so powerfully and energetically like this?!
By the way, stop being so well behaved in situations like this, god d*mn it!!
Youre in a position to lord over other people, you know!! (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
No, no! Its fine! It is my job, after all! (Chief Secretary)
C Ohh! Ahjussi, arent you a diligent guy. Just like someone that I know over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Someone over there?
Was he talking about Choi Jung-Hoon?
Uhm, thank you. I shall try my best to get in touch with Mister President as soon as possible. (Chief Secretary)
C Mm, Ill be thankful if you do that, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ends of Yi Ji-Hyuks sentence drifted off again.
Cold sweat drops trickled down the Chief Secretarys forehead. It felt as if the more he talked, the deeper he was getting sucked in.
Could it be that this guy.... He already knew that the President was here and just saying stuff like this to mess with them?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, Im sure you have plenty of things to do. (Chief Secretary)
C Mm, nope, I dont have.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you not have anything to do?! (Chief Secretary)
C Eh?
Hul.
M-my apologies, that just came out of nowhere. (Chief Secretary)
C Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was the biggest mistake he made in his life. Forget trickling, cold sweat drops were now raining down the Chief Secretarys whole body.
C Calm down. I aint gonna devour you or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This son of a b*tch, is he really watching us from somewhere? (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
C I only want to get a phone call in, so I dont get why people are being so difficult like this. Even that American ahjussi is the same story, too. Did I do something wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, of course not. Never. (Chief Secretary)
You stupid fool!
How is that the problem of doing something wrong??
A person next to a live tiger will tense up not because the creature did something wrong!! Just with the tiger being there makes the person ufortable and scared, thats what!!
But then, you make a tiger look like a tame kitten inparison.
This problem wont end with finishing me off either, thats why! (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
C Mm, well, I do get it now. So, like, the President isnt in the Blue House, he cant be contacted, but hell call me the first thing after you do get in touch with him. Is that everything? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, it is. (Chief Secretary)
C How long will that take? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure it wont take that long. (Chief Secretary)
C Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Following the flow of the conversation, it seemed that this call wasing to an end soon. Although it was nothing more than a temporary measure, hell, what a feat that things got resolved in this manner.
C By the way... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Chief Secretary)
C When I think about it, Im pretty sure that I dont reaaally have to talk to the President after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Chief Secretary)
C Well, itll be fine if its someone on the high-enough managerial position, you see? For instance, like the Prime Minister. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Prime Minister shot up from his seat and hurriedly shook both his hands side to side.
C Orrr, maybe, the Defence Minister? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Defence Minister sneakily pulled his cap lower to hide his face.
C If all else fails, the boss of the KSF, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, he left for his own office earlier, though?? (Chief Secretary)
C Oh, that means the rest is with you right now, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, thats a negative! I simply overheard it just now, thats all. (Chief Secretary)
C Ahh, is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuksughter could be heard from the other end of the line.
What could this be?
Why did it feel like this man waspletely ying him for a fool right now?
C In that case, who can I talk to right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-talk, like right now? T-that is.... (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary looked around, only to be greeted by a bunch of men desperately shaking their heads.
What the hell?? What do you want from me, then?! (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
The President shot up from his seat and pointed at the Chief Secretary, instead.
Ng?
What, me?
Am I a high-ranking official now?
But, you are always so busy driving me up the wall everyday, arent you? Am I a high-ranking whatever when in times like this? Is that it?? (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
Uhm, I guess thats me? (Chief Secretary)
C And who are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its the Chief Secretary, Park Du-Jin.
C Mm, this is kinda weird, you know? I dont feel like tormenting you, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The voice of the mind could be heard, all of a sudden.
But, it sounds like youlle here to torment me, anyway?! (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
C Well, in that case, I understand. Get him to call me as soon as you get in touch with him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-thank you very much! (Chief Secretary)
C Well, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And then, the call came to an end.
The Chief Secretary Park Du-Jin spat out a lengthy sigh and sunk deeply into his chair. It felt as if he just shared a call with something that wasnt a human being; he sensed his energy abandoning him in droves.
You did well!! (President)
Almost instantly, the whole office was filled up with an air of relief.
What a pathetic bunch of idiots. (Chief Secretary)
Even if their opponent was Yi Ji-Hyuk, the shameful sight these men had shown today would forever be etched in the Chief Secretarys mind.
To think, the heads of this nation were all like that. If a war broke out tomorrow, his intuition said, the shameful sights of the prior wars in the Korean penins would be re-enacted in full, without a doubt.
Hmm, so its been taken care of for the time being, then. (President)
Even still, another problem might crop up in the future, so shouldnt we at least find out why he wanted to call here, sir? (Chief Secretary)
Hes right, sir. So, we should call that Choi Jung-Hoon person first....
It was at that moment that the space in front of them began trembling greatly.
W-whats this?!
It looked as if ck smoke was billowing out from the space just above the table, before a ck mirror-like Gate suddenly revealed itself!
Is, is it monsters?! Is that a Gate??
The Chief Secretary closed his eyes. Other folks here didnt seem to know, but just like himself, the Defence Minister mustve realised what was going on and lowered his head with a despairing expression on his face.
Wuuoonng-!!
The Gate opened up, and then.... a sulky face with slightly thuggish eyes peeked out from there.
Heh, so this is where all of you were. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahahaha....
Were so screwed.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had revealed himself in the middle of the Blue House.
< 250. Can you get me a phone number? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 251: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (1)
Chapter 251: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (1)
....Eh? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at the space in front of him inplete stupefaction. A Gate with its ck mouth wide open was floating silently where his gazended.
M-m-mmm...... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He thought that he had seen many types of situations in his life.
Post-ck Monday, his life had grown considerably distant from what one would consider to be normal; he experienced all sorts of unbelievably crappy and crazy situations, and even those moments that seemingly had no suitable solution at all.
Sure, there should be plenty of folks that were living a hard life in this world, but as far as the level of pure difficulty was concerned, one could safely designate Choi Jung-Hoons life as Rank-S Hard Mode.
But, even someone like him who had managed to pull himself through such a Hard Mode just couldnte up with a single idea on how to handle the current situation.
Did he really go? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young asked him, prompting a hollow chuckle to leak out of Choi Jung-Hoons mouth.
It seems that way. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seriously? (Seo Ah-Young)
Most likely. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young too formed an incredulous and somewhat fed-up expression as she stared at the Gate.
What an insane b*stard. (Seo Ah-Young)
Simply imagining where that Gate was connected to was already giving them terrible nightmares.
S-shouldnt we try to stop him? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min never once tried to stop Yi Ji-Hyuk whenever he did something crazy, but right now, she too carried a flustered expression while staring at the ck Gate.
That guy, he seemed to be getting all sulky while talking on the phone, then got super-irritated for some reason, and after suddenly creating a Gate, he disappeared into it.
Following that chain of events, it was oh-so obvious where that Gate led to, didnt it?
Sure, it does feel like we should try to stop him, but.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon stared at the Gate with a grave expression, but then, simply settled down on his chair, instead.
....Its not as if hed stop just because we ask him to, anyway. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Youre right about that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young mustve thought the same, as well.
B-but, shouldnt we still try something?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-mm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon covered his face. He rubbed it for a while, and while staring at the Gate, nodded his head as if he had made up his mind.
Lets leave it be. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ng? (Seo Ah-Young)
Excuse me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked as if he had given up on everything.
From the get-go, hes not someone whod listen, anyway. So, what can we really do here? Besides, I cant think of a reason why we should stop him in the first ce, either. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It seemed that Jeong Hae-Mins thoughts were different from his, however.
But.... the ce Ji-Hyuk just went to, its that ce Im thinking of, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Probably. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
I-if so, will it be alright to just let him be?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Let me think about that for a second. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You need to regain yourself, Mister Choi Jung-Hoon!! You look like yourepletely out of it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jung-Hoon rubbed his face harder this time.
Indeed, now wasnt the time to be so dazed like this. Didnt the old saying go, itd be fine as long as you kept your wits about you even if you ended up in a tigers den?
Too bad C the Gate in front of him was not an entrance to a tigers den, and the ce at the other end of the portal was a far scarier location than a mere tigers whatever.
Just as he began falling deeper into a panic mode, the hand of a saviour suddenly reached out towards him.
So, like.... What seems to be the problem? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young leaned herself against a chair and spoke.
He went to the Blue House, didnt he!! Who knows what trouble he might cause there?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
So what if he did? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Is there anyone who can do something to him because he caused trouble in the first ce? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jung-Hoons eyes shot open wide.
Thats correct! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
When he thought about it, sweating over this matter was an odd thing to do.
I was intimidated by the weight the name Blue House carried and failed to analyse the reality properly for a bit there! Right, who out there is capable of doing something to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What are you on about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jung-Hoon formed aplicated expression of two halves, one of sorrow and the other, gratification.
They better behave if they dont want to get killed. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Ehh?
*
I better behave since I dont want to get killed.
The Defence Minister inwardly made up his mind to never open his mouth.
Folks who didnt know who Yi Ji-Hyuk was staring at the youth with a bbergasted expression, but the Defence Minister knew well what kind of creature they were about to deal with, and so, he devised the wisest tactic to survive this encounter.
First of all, do not ever get noticed by that man....
Secondly, dont ever make him p*ssed off at you.
Y-you, who are you?? (Transport Minister)
A voice belonging to a fool who hadnt yet figured out the situation could be heard now.
With a brain like that, he still became a minister.....? (Defence Minister)
Did he really ask because he couldnt figure it out yet?
Just who on earth was capable of opening up a Gate and entering the Blue House under the current situation? It was already a wide-spreadmon knowledge that Yi Ji-Hyuk was the only man who could open up Gates, yet that person didnt even know that?
Well, its got nothing to do with me now. (Defence Minister)
Ones execution due to ones own ignorance was something he should deal with himself; the Defence Minister didnt have to dirty his hands there.
I-I said, who are you?? (Transport Minister)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Transport Minister cried out while pointing at the youth stepping onto the table. Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned the office, discovered the Chief Secretary, and formed a deep smirk.
Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes? (Chief Secretary)
How should I say this? Well, ahjussi, you look like someone I can talk to, so let me ask ya something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, yes. (Chief Secretary)
This uncle here, whats he supposed to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes the Minister of the Department of Land and Transport. (Chief Secretary)
I guess anyone can be a Minister nowadays? I mean, if a guy like that can be one, it must be true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Even if you had a mouth, there were some things you couldnt say out aloud; the Chief Secretary was thinking of the same thing as Yi Ji-Hyuk, but still, he was in no position to say something like that, now was he?
I said, who the hell are you?! (Transport Minister)
The Transport Ministers loud yelling finally forced the annoyance level of the Chief Secretary to go through the roof and thetter ended up shouting as well.
Argh!! Its obviously Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! Who do you think he can possibly be?! (Chief Secretary)
In an instant, chilly silence descended on the office.
Yi, Yi Ji-Hyuk???? (Transport Minister)
The Transport Minister muttered in a trembling voice and plopped down on the couch nearby.
Why did this guy suddenly appear here?
The Chief Secretary groaned under his breath and bowed his head in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Wee to the Blue House, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. May I ask what brings you here? (Chief Secretary)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze away from the Chief Secretary and looked around, and soon enough, a man sitting on the seat of honour caught his eyes.
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Didnt that geezers face appear often on TV screens?
Ahjussi, who you might be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was a straightforward and honest man. If he was curious about something, hed simply ask.
The gazes of everyonended on President Yun Yeong-Min next.
It was already a pretty embarrassing situation where a President of a nation lied about not being in his office, but he even got found out, too. None could think up of what would be the right way of responding in a situation like that.
Are you talking about me? (President)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Yun Yeong-Min formed a simple, rxed smile.
Oh!
As expected, theres theposure of the President. (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
The Chief Secretary nodded his head.
Even if the worlds current situation was responsible for his election victory, bing a President was indeed a big deal. No normal person could pull such a feat off.
One could sense the strength of a man who managed to climb up to the nations top job from that smile.
Look at thatposure!
Without a doubt, you wouldnt be able to win the seat of the President by ying a round of dang go-stop! (TL: Go-stop is a Korean card game.)
You dont have to worry about me. (President)
.......
There are enough high-ranking officials present here, as you can see. That person over there is the Prime Minister, so how about having a chat with him, instead? (President)
Well, that is somewhat crafty, sure, but......
What could this be....
Mm.... (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
Composure, my foot. (Chief Secretary)
What a snake-like human being that was.
Ah! I remember now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed an evil smirk and slowly approached Yun Yeong-Min.
Ahjussi, youre the President, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..............
Not too surprisingly, Yun Yeong-Minsplexion began to dye gradually in the colours of soot.
Y-yes, that I am. (President)
With things havinge this far, it was just too hard to deny the truth now.
Well, thats good. Why dont we.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The smirk etched on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips deepened even more.
....Have a nice little chat? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah?
Yun Yeong-Mins next expression became very hard to read.
***
Groan.....
Christopher McLaren could barely get a hold of himself.
Why dont you wanna ept my resignation?! (Christopher McLaren)
That was his lifes wish. As long as he was allowed to write a letter of resignation, then hed not hesitate to do anything and everything.
He was so fatigued and pushed to the brink by work that he was even considering defecting to the country he previously loathed, Mother Russia.
Defecting to Russia would decrease the volume of his work by a great deal. Sure, hed get really stressed out from the prospect of having to y best pals with the stinking Russian b*stards, but at the very least, he wouldnt die from overwork if he went there.
As long as they were willing to give him enough breaks, he was more than willing to y nice with the Russians.
But, why did you have to go and start a d*mn war, you crazy sons of b*tches?? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher held his head in despair.
The previously-established response manual for therge Gates had been torn to shreds, and the matters he had to attend to were raining down like snow from the heavens, yet the Mexicans decided to breach the southern border, and the dang Russians invaded Ukraine on top of that, too.
The United States referred to itself as the Worlds Police, but what with incidents happening all over the globe, it couldnt even figure out where to start first.
Thankfully, thebat forces within the country itself was enough to put out the fire burning on the foot C Mexico situation C but still, his head hurt just from trying to think up of a way to utilise all the troops stationed overseas.
That d*mn useless and ipetent Defence Minister couldnt do much and just go uh-buh-buh over and over again, meaning Christopher McLaren was now saddled with seemingly every work under the sun.
Yup, I need to quit. (Christopher McLaren)
This was a case of elder abuse.
Forget about the country and whatnot; if this lifestyle continued on for another month or so, hed die of overwork. He was sure of it.
It was then, the door to his office was flung open and one of his adjutants rushed inside. However, before the poor man could say something, Christopher McLaren seized the initiative first.
Something big has happened!! (Christopher McLaren)
...........?
...Thats what you want to say, right? Im already sick and tired of it, so pleasee up with something different, alright? (Christopher McLaren)
But sir, it really is something big. (adjutant)
I know!! I know already, god d*mn it!! Just what isnt a something big nowadays?! Everything is something big!! (Christopher McLaren)
N-no, sir. It is truly, seriously a big matter. (adjutant)
Whew.....
Christopher McLaren sighed and lit his cigar up.
He had no idea what happened this time, but something big urred over a dozen times every single day, so there was no need to get unduly flustered here.
Fuu-heu-euph.
He deeply sucked on the cigar and slowly let the smoke ease out of his lungs.
Fine. Why dont you tell me what happened? (Christopher McLaren)
The White House has been taken over, sir. (adjutant)
Mm, sure thing. Fine, in that case..... Eh? What? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren dazedly stared at the adjutant.
Wait, did I hear it wrong?
Doesnt it sound like I heard something really odd just now? (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Sir, the White House has been taken over!! (adjutant)
....Youre f*cking with me right now, yes? (Christopher McLaren)
No sir, Im being serious. (adjutant)
Hey, you crazy son of a b*tch!! Just what ce is the White House? How can anyone take it over?! Who is it?? Is it the Mexicans? Or the Russians?? If not, is it Alpha, then?? (Christopher McLaren)
N-no, sir. That is.... (adjutant)
Be out with it before I keel over from stress!!! (Christopher McLaren)
S-sir, its a faction that has not been known to us until now. No, wait. Its a bit incorrect to call that a faction, so.... its just one individual, sir. (adjutant)
Just one? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir. (adjutant)
One man managed to upy the White House?
Although what he heard sounded a bit odd, Christopher McLaren still could just about figure out what happened C the White House was the official residence of the American President, and the fact that it was taken over meant that the holder of the highest office in this country was now being held hostage.
Which in turn meant that a single person managed to barge into the White House and took the POTUS hostage.
....Son of a..... (Christopher McLaren)
Just what kind of a ce was the White House? One more time, it was where the American President resided.
And after ability users appeared, the Secret Service realised that assassination and terror attempts through them became a distinct possibility, so no expense was spared in shoring up the White Houses defences.
However, a lone individual still managed to break into that ce?
....And we havent identified the identity of the perpetrator? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes sir. Its an ability user whose looks and behaviour arepletely unknown to us. (adjutant)
What about sniping from afar? (Christopher McLaren)
Its deemed impossible, sir. (adjutant)
Whew....
Christopher McLaren scratched his head, hard.
This was the absolute worst situation. He needed a more detailed briefing to analyse it better, but just by going with what he knew so far, it was already the worst possible situation, indeed.
At least, he could take some sce in the fact that the perpetrator had taken hostages and that was it. Which meant this person had a list of demands, and if things worked out right, then he might be able to secure the Presidents safety.
Okay, so. What does our perp want? (Christopher McLaren)
That is.... (adjutant)
What is it? (Christopher McLaren)
The adjutant hesitated greatly, but eventually, opened his lips.
....Its Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, sir. (adjutant)
Ng??
Christopher McLaren dazedly stared at his adjutant.
What dogsh*t nonsense was this now?
< 251. Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -1 > Fin.
Chapter 252: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (2)
Chapter 252: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (2)
Why on earth did that name pop up in this situation?
Yi Ji-Hyuk??
Did I hear that wrong? (Christopher McLaren)
No, sir. You heard it correctly. (adjutant)
Mm, is that so? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren broke into a mirthless chuckle.
He says I heard correctly....
What a sad, sad story that is. (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
It felt as if this whole world was upied by Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk over here, Yi Ji-Hyuk over there.
No matter where he went, he seemed to be hearing only the stories of Yi Ji-Hyuk nowadays.
Okay, so. What was the demand again? (Christopher McLaren)
To find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, sir. (adjutant)
Christopher McLaren angrily threw the cigar in his hand.
This godd*mn piece of motherless sh*t...!! (Christopher McLaren)
He shot up from hisfy seat and yelled out loud enough to spit out mes.
Then, why dont you go and cause a scene in South Korea?! Why is that b*stard causing me problems here in America???? (Christopher McLaren)
The adjutant dropped his head after hearing his bosss fit of rage. Although he hadnt done anything wrong, it was basic protocol to y dead when a superior officer was having a moment like this.
You say were dealing with an unknown ability user?? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir. (adjutant)
Do we have a photo, at least? Anything? (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, yes sir. One came in just now. (adjutant)
Christopher McLaren groaned and shifted his gaze over to theputer screen.
Mm....
The photo appearing on the screen was that of a woman who made him feel a bit weird simply by looking at her.
At first, he had to question if she was okay in the head after taking a gander at that body-hugging leather outfit, but then again, there had been a fair number of ability users with out-there costume sense in the world, so he decided not to sweat it.
The problem was....
W-whats this? (Christopher McLaren)
This was just a still photograph, yet why did it feel as if he was getting sucked in? That pair of red lips spied on her blurry face imparted this sense of incredible sensuality.
I-is this an ability to charm and seduce?! But, this is just a photograph, isnt it?? (Christopher McLaren)
Even Mister President cant seem to get a hold of himself, sir. (adjutant)
I, Im sure he cant. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren hurriedly calmed his surprised heart.
He figured that his heart wouldnt have much of an opportunity to pound away again after entering old age, but it was indeed pounding away like a hammer right now.
Just what is this? (Christopher McLaren)
If this was a part of an ability, then it made no sense to make a persons heart race just from looking at a photograph. An ability was based off on the usage of Ether, and without a doubt, a photo transmitted over the inte wouldnt be imbued with that energy source.
However, if that was not it, then how could she shake a persons mind with just looks alone?
It was impossible.
Completely, utterly impossible.
Christopher McLaren emptied out his confused head.
He only needed to think about it in simpler terms. The simpler the better.
There was no need to overthink this. Keep it simple, and the desired result would be reached pretty easily.
Shes not human, then. (Christopher McLaren)
Sir? (adjutant)
I said, thats not human. (Christopher McLaren)
If this was before, hed been called insane. However, Christopher McLaren had met way too many non-human existences by now. First of all, Affeldrichae wasnt one, and those Elves were definitely not, as well.
And as for the demon kings, sure, they might look weird on the outside, but didnt they have roughly humanoid appearances?
So, it wouldnt be all that weird to think that non-human creatures would cross over to Earth.
A being that wasnt a human and knew Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now that would make everything so crystal clear. However....
Why are you throwing a tantrum in my country, then?!?! (Christopher McLaren)
mes bellowed out from Christopher McLarens mouth again.
That d*mn Yi Ji-Hyuk!!
The existence of pure evil, causing him a severe bout of migraine just from thinking of his name!!
Grab any ability user living in this world and ask them about Yi Ji-Hyuk; they would all know that he lived in South Korea. Yet, that stinking human, no, that non-human creaturecked knowledge that basic?!
Why!! Why us!!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren grabbed his own head and shook it around.
His stomach ulcer was ring up; it felt as if he was being stabbed right now.
F*ck. (Christopher McLaren)
As he spat out a helpless groan, the adjutant urged him on.
Sir, every second counts. (adjutant)
....I know. (Christopher McLaren)
He knew that, no matter how unhappy he was, now wasnt the time to wallow in self pity. He was just so annoyed that he needed to vent a bit, that was all.
First of all, dispatch the support units and surround the White House! Make sure not even a rat gets through! (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir! On it! (adjutant)
Hold it! (Christopher McLaren)
Sir? (adjutant)
Tell them to form the units with women only. Got it? (Christopher McLaren)
....Sir. (adjutant)
And bring me a teleporter. Looks like Ill have to go to the location personally. (Christopher McLaren)
The adjutant understood the gist of what was being said and left the office to carry out his orders. Christopher McLaren cut the tip off of another cigar and lit it up.
God d*mn it, why didnt she show up in the Blue House, instead? (Christopher McLaren)
He only said that because he had no idea that an even bigger cmity was visiting the Blue House at that moment.
*
W-what is it that you want? (President)
For words spoken by a nations President, theycked dignity, and the faint hint of tremor in his voice even managed to discard any sense of authority, too. However, the Chief Secretary didnt feel a single strand of desire to criticise his boss.
Anyone wouldve disyed a simr reaction had a man named Yi Ji-Hyuk been standing right in front of them, too.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
You came here because you wanted something, isnt it? (President)
Ah, sure. True. Mm, but then.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk held his head as if he couldnt think of something. The hearts of everyone watching him were getting heavier and heavier by the second.
Please, let it be something sensible. Pleeeease! (President)
They guessed that the things about toe out of Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth would make them bbergasted and frustrated to the extreme. If there was one little wish they had, then itd be him making a demand that was realistically achievable by them.
However, what he said next was somethingpletely beyond their expectations.
Uh? Why did Ie here, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.....
Oh sweet Jesus.
What should we do about this d*mn fool?!
Huh? I did have a business to attend to, so I came here, but.... Uh... What was it? Is this a sign of dementia or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A young man with dementia?!
What sort of bullsh*t was that, when there were a bunch of men with the applicable age group one should be really concerned about all around him right now!!
Their hearts were boiling over from sorrow and rage, but too bad, no one here would directly confront Yi Ji-Hyuk regarding this issue.
Uh, hang on for a sec. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his smartphone and called someone.
C Its Choi Jung-Hoon.
Uhm.... Can you tell me why I came here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Why are you asking me that?! (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Dont you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Of course not. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Huh. This is bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began tilting his head.
Excuse me.... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Chief Secretary)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Chief Secretary spoke in a sorrowful, miserable state of mind.
How about getting down from there, sir? (Chief Secretary)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled awkwardly and jumped off from the Presidents desk.
Do normal people climb up on a desk when talking to someone?
This isnt Oh President, My President, even! (Author) (TL: I dont get this reference at all. Tried google, and it was not helpful...)
Ahh! I remember now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pped his hand and shifted his gaze over to the President.
President-nim? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm.... Yes, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Please speak. (President)
Speaking politely, is it.... (Chief Secretary)
Either due tow or in society, there shouldnt be all that many whod be spoken overtly politely by a President of a nation. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk being one of them didnte across as strange at all.
It wasnt just the Chief Secretary making a mistake thinking that the bnce of influence and the weight of actual physical power had tilted quite a lot towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The NDF is an organisation under the Presidency, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (President)
It basically is, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-you are correct. (President)
Indeed, structure-wise, it was organised in that manner.
But then, why are all sorts of dogs and cows and whatnots calling the NDF and telling us what to do all the time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
President Yun Yeong-Mins stiff face shifted over to the Prime Minister.
Prime Ministers awkward expression shifted to the other Ministers present.
Buck-passing was happening in real time, but not a single person stepped forward to im responsibility.
What do you mean? (President)
This is something I figured out after observing for a while, you see.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (President)
Dogs and cows and whatnots are always phoning Mister Choi Jung-Hoon and asking him about all kinds of c**p, you know. Isnt that strange? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm... (President)
Yun Yeong-Min swallowed back his groan.
I mean, if the organisation is under the President, then shouldnt he be the only one issuing orders? But we get, Hey, Im a Minister, Im the Chief of this and that, Im the number one of something, and..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Something like that happened? (President)
That happens dozens of times a day, you know? Do you know how busy that guy is? If you keep bothering him like this, he might die of overwork soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
I dont want to see that happening, so Id much prefer that you do something about it. Why dont you unite all the contact channels into one and if they wanna ask something, have them ask through you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Mins expression grew gloomier by the second.
This man barged in here just because of that? To the Blue House??
This ce wasnt some local neighbourhood pub or something, so how could such a reason justify this invasion at all?
And its not even his own matter, but for some low-ranked public official, no less!
Although flustered initially, the Presidents pride had been wounded somewhat by this.
No matter how impossible an ability user he was, he was still talking to a countrys President. Should someone like that be treated in this manner by ones citizen?
M-mm... I understand what youre saying. However.... (President)
Yun Yeong-Min replied with a hardened face.
....That is a part of his job. Meaning, its not something that I can tell others not to do. (President)
H-mmmmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If Choi Jung-Hoon was here, hed be jolted wide awake and wouldve tried to rein Yi Ji-Hyuk back; the ends of thetters brows originally pointing slightly towards the heavens were climbing up higher and higher.
Oh, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a strange grin.
....You dont wanna? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......... (President)
Yun Yeong-Min remainedposed as he stared back. When he thought about it, it was indeed strange that he needed to assume a servile attitude towards this youth.
After all, he and his Ministers hadnt done anything wrong, have they?
Its not that I dont want to, Im just saying that its a part of his job. We have the right to know how the NDF is functioning. (President)
What, the Land and Transport Ministry does? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......... (President)
Women and Family Affairs? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: Its called Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, actually.)
M-mm..... (President)
But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min was rendered speechless by Yi Ji-Hyuks retorts and shifted his gaze over to the Transport Minister. Unfortunately, thetter also had nothing to say.
That is.... (President)
Nah, never mind that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and continued on.
I think youre mistaken about something here. I didnte here to listen to such stories. Simply put, Im not here to ask you for a favour. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If its not asking, then what?
Was this an order?
Yun Yeong-Mins face began growing redder and redder.
That was not something one should say in front of the leader of a country. This action was a breach of the minimum eptable level of etiquette.
People kept harping on about Yi Ji-Hyuk this, Yi Ji-Hyuk that, but now... (President)
He had no idea that this fool would be so utterly unreasonable.
Too bad, even if he was like that, no one had any proper means to control him anyway.
Well take care of things on our end, so stop calling us and telling us what to do. You cant expect matters to function properly when people who know nothing keep calling and demanding us to give them persimmons and dates, now can you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me.... (Defence Minister)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked behind him after hearing a responseing from there. He found the Defence Minister meekly raising his hand.
I need to call you guys because of work, though? (Defence Minister)
Who are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im the Defence Minister.
Ohh. Well, sure, if its you... You can call. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thank you. (Defence Minister)
Yun Yeong-Min and his crumpled expression red at the Defence Minister.
Was that fool trying to fan the mes or something?
The Defence Minister sneakily avoided meeting the Presidents re, though. As a matter of fact, even he found it a bit of an eyesore that unrted folks were trying to get involved in the NDFs affairs.
At least, the Foreign Minister had the pretext of needing to maintain cordial rtions with other nations, but why would other Ministers feel the need toe in contact with the NDF?
I hope you understand what Im saying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min formed a begrudging expression and just as he began shaking his head, the Presidential hotline suddenly began ringing off the hook.
Uh-uhhht?? (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary gasped out in urgency and ran towards the phone to pick it up.
< 252. Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -2 >Fin.
Chapter 253: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (3)
Chapter 253: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (3)
Hello, its the Blue House. (Chief Secretary)
The gazes of everyone present focused on the Chief Secretary.
There were quite a few people here who didnt quite understand the significance of that phone call, but then again, they could still figure out that it mustve been something extraordinary if the Chief Secretary tried to answer it no matter what even under the current situation.
Yes. (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretarys expression became sombre as he listened.
Yes, I understand. (Chief Secretary)
He put the phone down and looked around the office with a slightly sheepish expression on his face. Which only elicited puzzled looks from everyone else.
What happened? (President)
The President questioned his employee, and thetter hesitated for a bit before making his reply.
It was from the Americans, sir. (Chief Secretary)
Alright, so what did they want? (President)
.....They are requesting for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks dispatch. (Chief Secretary)
Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Everyones gaze now shifted over to Yi Ji-Hyuk next.
Argh, what now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Why was someone like him blessed with such incredible abilities?
Itd been so much nicer if it was someone with a modicum of patriotism or loyalty. Or something along that line.
Im not even Jjanga, so why am I supposed to go there just because they called? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
....That is true. (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary smiled embarrassedly.
However, this matter is of national interests. (President)
National interest?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
President Yun Yeong-Mins words were met by Yi Ji-Hyuks snort.
It is indeed so. Its in our national interest. And thates before everything else. (President)
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Excuse me? (President)
Why does national intereste before everything else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that is.... because, you... will be benefiting the majority of the fellow countrymen.... (President)
No, why should I do something so annoying for the majority of the fellow countrymen? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
If youe out like that, then theres nothing more to say.
Wouldnt such a problem be excused by everyone else?
Like, with the thoughts of patriotism... Or something like that? (Presidents inner monologue)
Isnt sacrificing yourself for the majority a noble act? (President)
Ah!
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders as if he didnt know that.
Oh, does that mean.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (President)
....I look noble to you, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sorry.
I made a mistake. Normally, Id just let it slide because it cant be helped, but... (Presidents inner monologue)
Yun Yeong-Min could only sigh in resignation.
He had already been informed that this youth couldnt be reasoned with.
This young man was utterly selfish, one couldnt understand what his goal was, and had no fixed pattern to his behaviour.
In a word, chaos C thats what he was.
I request you in the name of the President elected by the people of South Korea. Right now, the United States has sent us an urgent request for help. If you go over there, surely, well be able to get many things in return aspensation. (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear and blew away the resulting matter off of his fingertip.
Huh. Ive heard that line way too often.... Cant youe up with a different, fresher-sounding pitch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Its always Well get something, its a big profit, but I cant see what has improved for me, you know? I mean, I worked my a*s off but nothing has changed on my end. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, things dont change that quickly, you see. (President)
If it aint gonna, then why should I go through that hardship? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
What is up with this punks way of addressing me?
Im still the President of this nation, so why does he keep speaking so rudely to me? (Presidents inner monologue)
It is a good thing for.... (President)
Itll be good only for your side. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did he mean, your side!
Yun Yeong-Mins patience was reaching its breaking point.
Groan. So, you dont want to, is that right? (President)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sought out an empty spot on the couch and plopped his butt on it. He leaned his head against the cushion and spoke up again.
By the way, you dont even serve stuff like coffee to a guest here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-well get one ready. (Chief Secretary)
I want C. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Of course. (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary shuffled to the rear and whispered to a secretary standing around utterly flustered.
Go and fetch some C. Put some ice in it and make it look good. (Chief Secretary)
B-but, sir, we dont have any C.....
Is it the end because we dont have any? (Chief Secretary)
Well go and buy one right away.
Thats right. (Chief Secretary)
The secretary hurriedly dashed outside the office, and the Chief could only sigh helplessly. This youth would be the first in history to ask for C aftering for a visit in the Blue House.
But, why dont you want to do it?! (President)
Yun Yeong-Min jumped up from his seat and loudly yelled out, his face extremely red.
Argh, that startled me! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk also raised his voice, looking surprised for real.
Excuse me, ahjussi, you are too damn loud! Why are you trying to bite my head off? Did I do something wrong here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no.... (President)
So, why are you shouting at me like that without a reason?! Are you going through menopause or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Wha?! What!! (President)
The Chief Secretary hurriedly ran over to the President and supported his bosss wobbling frame.
At this rate, the top politician of thend was about to have a heart attack. His face was so red that itd not be strange to see him suddenly pantboriously out of breath.
Hey, it must be true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its nooooooot! (President)
Look! You see? If its not, its not! But look at him shout! Im telling you, that must be a sign of menopause, am I right?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked others, but no one dared to answer him. Besides, it was rather unclear whos side one should be on, to begin with.
Its nooot!! (President)
Sir, please calm down. (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary tried to calm his heavily-panting boss down, and President Yun Yeong-Min began sucking in deep, deep breaths.
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk studied this scene and tilted his head.
By the way, why is that geezer getting so worked up like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
How should one go about answering that?
What a troublesome matter this was....
Its true that the Americans have sent in a request, but is there really a reason for us to agree to that, everyone? (Defence Minister)
The Defence Minister tried to change the topic.
What do you mean by that? (President)
Were no longer in a situation where we must agree to whatever the Americans demand from us, yes? (Defence Minister)
When were we ever in such a situation? (President)
Sir, we certainly didnt deploy the missile defence system because we wanted to back then. We only went along with it because if we didnt, there would be no answering the aftermaths. (Defence Minister)
...........
However, the circumstances have changed. We dont need to worry about the Americans moods anymore. However, dispatching Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk without even establishing suitablepensation terms is akin to lowering our status, Mister President. (Defence Minister)
H-mm....
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head. That did make sense.
But then, Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled loudly.
Well, that sounds nice and all, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes?
When did I say Ill go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
I aint going nowhere, so you guys take care of it yourselves. Do I look like someone whode and go just because Ive been told to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, please. Youre in front of our nations President.... (Chief Secretary)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well, its not that we want something particr from you.... (Chief Secretary)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted again.
A President, was it?
Pre-si-deeeeent~??
A dang President of a country that didnt even upy 1% of thendmass on this, plus the number of citizens that got somewhere close to the 1% mark to the overall human poption would not be able to pose any sort of threat to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Indeed, he was someone who would make fun of the Emperor lording over the entirety of Berafe, thend that was at least twice the size of Earth, right in front of his face. Oh, and hed not hesitate to flip the bird to the man who wielded twice as much power than the Emperor, the Pope of Latrel, too.
If it was dudes with political power, then he had already experienced enough of their antics that he was now almost fed-up by them.
But here was a man who wasnt even a king, but an elected official who could hold office for only five years. It was impossible for such a person to hold any authoritative power over Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I, Im the representative of this nations citizens! (President)
Okay, so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Mins entire body began quivering next.
Just because the citizens ordered me, I should do it? Huh. I get beaten up everyday by mom because I dont even do what she asks me to do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that is also true. (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary unknowingly voiced his agreement, but after being subjected to piercing res, he sheepishly dry-coughed to clear his throat.
Of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt care about any of that.
Its the saaaaame old story, every day. Why are you telling us to sacrifice and endure? Why dont you do that instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is no meaning in us sacrificing ourselves, is there? (President)
Oh? Then, why dont you get a sry cut to match that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
K-h-hmm....
As if he was done talking, Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from the couch.
Whatever. Dont forget the reason why I came here today. Ive been holding it in because there happens to be an excellent hard worker right next to me, but if that dude keels over from overwork, let me tell ya, I shall show you what the true chaos looks like. Capiche? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you threatening me?! (President)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, it really is a threat?? (President)
Yuuup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
What the hell? Now normally, shouldnt you be saying stuff like, No, this isnt a threat per se, but...???
Why are you brazenly chucking threats around like this?! (Presidents inner monologue)
I am threatening you. So, do your best to not to rile me up, alright? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you aware that you have actually threatened the President of your own nation?! (Defence Minister)
Of course I do. Im not a dummy so you think I dont know thats the President? So yeah, I am threatening a President. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan....
Just what sort of stuff was filling up the head of this crazy b*stard?
Where would you find a guy saying things like that as if it was nothing?
With himing out in apletely unexpected direction, it became hard for the others to think up of a suitable response. Besides, President Yun Yeong-Min had never thought there would be someone openly threatening him like this, not even in his wildest imaginations.
I hope you arent thinking of walking away scot-free after saying something like that?? What you said just now is a huge crime, young man! (President)
Huuuul, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right! Dont you even know thew? (President)
Oooh, so thats how it was. Okay, so. Whatcha gonna do about it, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng? (President)
Why dont you try to arrest me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Arrest?
Arrest who, exactly? Yi Ji-Hyuk?
The Chief Secretary ended up chuckling softly.
A government capable of arresting Yi Ji-Hyuk would be designated as the worlds most powerful in an instant.
The Korean government trying to do something that not even the Americans could attempt? What a nonsensical notion that was.
Even if every singlebat-capable personnel in this country was mobilised right now, it was unknown whether they could still subdue Yi Ji-Hyuk or not.
Unknown, my foot. (Chief Secretary)
Chief Secretary Park Du-Jin felt dumbfounded by his own thoughts and chuckled again.
Unknown?
The forces that could be mobilised right now were the Korean national army, the armed police, and the KSF. That was it.
Armed forces manned by regr, non-ability users wouldnt work trying to suppress someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk. Which meant that the KSF would have to step forward, but that was....
....An impossibility, thats what it is. (Chief Secretary)
The KSF would bepletely annihted when ordered to fight Yi Ji-Hyuk. Besides, there was a higher percentage of surviving by jumping into an inferno with a jerry can full of oil, so who would obediently say yes and do as they were told?
If it was ability users from other countries, at least they might have a go first.
The folks at the KSF knew best how scary he was.
And the core fighting strength of them was the NDF C which was pretty much Yi Ji-Hyuks hands and feet by now.
ording to what the Chief Secretary managed to dig up, there was a higher chance of the NDF working alongside him, rather than hindering him, if Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to stage a coup detat tomorrow.
So, you wanted to order that NDF to stop Yi Ji-Hyuk?
How could that even work?!
....Wow, what is this? (Chief Secretary)
Mm?
Ah, its nothing. (Chief Secretary)
Now that the Chief Secretary thought about it some more, he realised that if Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to lop Yun Yeong-Mins head off right now, the Korean government didnt have any means to punish him.
No, never mind punishing him, this nationcked any means necessary to even stop him.
So, this is what they call beyond thew. (Chief Secretary)
He lived as a citizen of South Korea, but at the same time, waspletely unaffected by the Koreasw.
Rrrr.....
It was then, the phone began ringing again.
Yun Yeong-Min sighed in relief. Somehow, this situation had rapidly devolved into a crisis of facing off against Yi Ji-Hyuk, but that crisis was proving to be a huge burden on the President himself.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to the ringing phone and that allowed everyone to breathe again.
Isnt this the office of the President? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, it is. (Chief Secretary)
So, since when did this ce be a Chinese takeaway? Why does the phone keep ringing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
The Chief Secretary coughed again and picked up the receiver.
Hello, this is the Blue House. (Chief Secretary)
C This is Christopher McLaren speaking. Is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk there with you?
Yes, he is, but.... (Chief Secretary)
C Please put him on. This is an emergency situation. Besides, why does he even bother to carry around his smartphone if hes not gonna answer it?! (Christopher McLaren)
Why are you asking me that??
You, him, the whole lot.... You just dont want to let me be in peace, dont you. Seriously! (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
< 253. Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -3 > Fin.
(TL: This Jjanga reference is a pretty obscure one, even in Korea. In the early 1970s, there was a mecha anime called Astroganger which aired in South Korea dubbed as, you guessed it, Astro-Jjanga. Incidentally, its the very first giant mecha anime ever produced, beating Mazinger Z by two months. Theres a page in Wikipedia dedicated to it, so check it out if youre curious.)
Chapter 254: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (4)
Chapter 254: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (4)
One hour before Christopher McLaren contacted Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The atmosphere around here is quite brittle. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, the situation being what it is, it cant be helped, sir. (adjutant)
The situation being what it was?
Was that something any one of them should say?
Then, why didnt you defend this ce properly? Its not as if were here to close the stable doors after the horse has bolted already.... (Christopher McLaren)
It was beyond our control, sir. (adjutant)
Beyond control, is it.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren ended up smirking to himself.
By referring to this situation of the POTUS being held hostage by an unknown enemy assant in the middle of White House beyond our control, what did that make the American armed forces?
Its the same story for us, too. (Christopher McLaren)
It was Christopher McLarens job to prevent events like this from happening. However, all he did was to receive some reports in his office and failed to prevent this situation from unfolding in the first ce.
And that was the source of his current irritation.
The system and military might humanity had created were currently crumbling away under the weight of brand-new concepts.
All in a moment, no less.
The world became a lot less certain after ability users began appearing, and those who failed to respond in time were getting excluded from the natural selection.
Its the same story for me, then. (Christopher McLaren)
The fact that an event like this happened was the proof that even he was being left behind by the world. A situation that would never have happened if it was still the era of the Cold War was currently unfolding right here.
Are humans this powerless in front of ability users? (Christopher McLaren)
....Ability users are also humans, sir. (adjutant)
Right, thats true. (Christopher McLaren)
Unfortunately, the thing inside the White House couldnt be an actual human, no?
Christopher McLaren watched the feed from the White Houses CCTV system and confirmed that fact.
A lone female was striding brazenly into the building. However, not one person looking at her tried to stop her. No, they simply smiled at her, as if her entering there was the most obvious thing in the whole world.
Is it a mind-rted ability? (Christopher McLaren)
Although rare, some ability users were found to possess such powers. Sadly, though, there were none that could seduce that many people all at once.
The lone female in the CCTV footage entered the Presidents office. She then basically pulled him off his chair and nonchntly settled down on it, instead, before raising her legs on top of the Presidential desk.
Her actions were natural and smooth.
The feed stops there, sir. (adjutant)
I see. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren pulled out a cigar and bit onto it. However, the sweet chocte-like scenting from its tip made him feel irritated right now, instead.
He leisurely lit the cigar up and a little whileter, breathed out a long trail of smoke.
Okay, so. What should we do next? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren appeared to be way too rxed and that prompted the adjutant to cautiously open his lips.
Shouldnt we hurry up with the operation, sir? (adjutant)
What operation? (Christopher McLaren)
To rescue the President. (adjutant)
Oh, right. We should. (Christopher McLaren)
Quite different from what he said, though, Christopher McLaren didnt seem to be in any hurry to do anything.
Director? (adjutant)
I know. (Christopher McLaren)
But, why? (adjutant)
Christopher McLaren angrily threw the cigar away.
Tell me, then! What do you think we should do? You have any concrete n to fix this situation?? (Christopher McLaren)
....No, sir. I dont. (adjutant)
Even if we send in someone, the President is already in the firing line. If we do manage to kill the assant, well still lose if the king is lost alongside, too! (Christopher McLaren)
Thats true, sir. (adjutant)
That means, we need to try and converse with the subject by creating the right conditions, but it doesnt look like she can be reasoned with. If I waltz in there and get seduced by her, then there will be no turning back for sure. (Christopher McLaren)
I havent thought that far ahead, sir. (adjutant)
God d*mn it. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren pped his thigh.
No one had thought about an event like this taking ce beforehand, so there was no procedure to follow, either. He had to improvise on the fly, but that wasnt as easy as it sounded.
What will you do then, sir? (adjutant)
Christopher McLaren didnt answer.
The big problem with the United States was that, he was the only one who could step forward in a situation like this one, and also, he was the only one who could take charge at the same time.
He realised that rming fact one more time.
For now, we wait. What are the others doing? (Christopher McLaren)
The Pentagon or the CIA havent been able to do anything as well, sir. (adjutant)
Warn them right away. If they try to snipe that woman like a bunch of amateurs, Ill personally blow their heads away with that very rifle. (Christopher McLaren)
....Yes, sir. (adjutant)
Christopher McLaren looked down at the cigar, currently crushed against the concrete floor, and spat out a sigh.
God d*mn it, maybe I shouldve taken one more puff. (Christopher McLaren)
He regretted his actions, but there was nothing he could do now.
Okay, what did that woman want, again? (Christopher McLaren)
She wants Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk found. (adjutant)
Was she told that hes in South Korea? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir. However, it seems that there was a breakdown inmunication somewhere. The contact was lost afterwards. (adjutant)
Groan....
Christopher McLaren red up in irritation briefly, before sucking in deep, deep breaths.
Im going in. (Christopher McLaren)
But, Director! Will it be alright? (adjutant)
You have an alternative, then? (Christopher McLaren)
..........
Weve already lost. The moment the President was taken hostage, weve lost this fight already. In that case, weve got to take care of the aftermath quickly. Well, after I enter there and all contact is lost again, blow up the White House. Got that? (Christopher McLaren)
B-but, what about the President, sir?! (adjutant)
This isnt the time to worry about the President, okay? You can always rece the figurehead like that at any time. (Christopher McLaren)
But, sir, theres no one to rece you. Let me go in, instead. (adjutant)
If I fail to resolve this situation, then forget someone to rece, Im just going to quit on my own. Ive been wanting to retire so badly anyway, so maybe I should p my hands in happiness, instead. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren swore under his breath before continuing on.
I begged for a discharge but they didnt want me to. They say why not a dishonourable discharge, then? Well, if I get killed here, Im sure they might posthumously raise my rank. (Christopher McLaren)
But, is there any higher rank you can get to, sir? (adjutant)
There is, when you look at the military ranks. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren shared lighthearted but meaningless banter with his adjutant to calm his mind, and then ordered the younger man.
Ill say this again. Tell them not to do anything stupid. Ill f*cking chew their heads out if they do. (Christopher McLaren)
Understood, sir. (adjutant)
Whew....
Christopher McLaren sucked in another deep breath and walked into the White House.
Get out of the way! (Christopher McLaren)
Themanders recognised his face and quickly created a path for him between the soldiers. Before going any further, though, he looked back and shouted out.
Ah, and by the way! (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir! (adjutant)
We dont know what might happen, so call the Koreans and ask them to send Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk over. (Christopher McLaren)
....But, will he evene, sir? (adjutant)
Were grasping at straws! Straws!! (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, yes sir. Ill try. (adjutant)
God d*mn it. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat caking his forehead.
If I manage to survive this, I swear Ill retire even if it kills me. (Christopher McLaren)
*
It was eerily quiet inside the building.
Sure, there always had been a small number of people working here in this huge structure so it was usually quiet most of the time, but the White House felt especially eerie and cold today.
I cant even hear anyones voice, either. (Christopher McLaren)
Only the echoes of Christopher McLarens shoes hitting the ground rang unpleasantly throughout the corridor.
Step, step.
He did his best to suppress the urge to cover his ears and walked towards the Presidents office.
The moment their boss was taken hostage, everyone inside the White House had been evacuated. Which meant that only the President, the unidentified female hostage taker, and himself were the only three in this huge building.
M-mm....
How should he respond to this?
What were his options?
Many thoughts flitted in and out of his head. But, he couldnt think up of one good idea.
But, that couldnt be helped, because...
....He didnt have any information on that mysterious female. Hed only be able toe up with a suitable response if he knew what she was like, so what could he possibly do here when he knew basically nothing?
He couldnt help but feel like a soldier without a gun in the middle of a warzone.
The door leading to the Oval Office seemed to be weighing down all over his body.
Whew....
Taking in one more quiet but deep breath, he slowly pushed the door open.
Creaaak.....
The friction noise from the aged door made him frown just a little bit.
Someone shouldve maintained it, what an instant mood killer that was.
Once he stepped inside, though, he was greeted by a somewhat unexpected sight.
Somehow, the President found himself back on his original chair, while the mysterious female was lounging around on top of therge couch situated next to the Presidential desk.
Christopher McLaren didnt pay any attention to the President and shifted his gaze over to that female.
H-mm~?
There was the soft sound of breathinging from her.
The moment he heard that, Christopher McLaren felt his heart begin pounding away.
Its magical charm. Definitely. (Christopher McLaren)
His old, decrepit heart was racing intensely as if he had seen a cannon shell flying in his direction.
Surely, his wife would throw a hissy fit if she learned of this?
Christopher McLaren thought about something pretty inconsequential and dumb while focusing on the female.
She slowly shifted her gaze and stared at him.
Ah..... (Christopher McLaren)
His thought of never wavering no matter what remained just that, a thought. When he looked at her eyes, he knew it right away.
If she decided to make him, then hed end up as her ve, just like that.
It felt as if her eyes were sucking him in.
When he looked into those slightly unfocused eyes C as if she wasnt interested in him at all C he was nearly ovee with an urge to rip out his heart and offer it to her if thats what she desired.
Who are you? (?)
She then asked him in an innocent manner.
Hah.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren released his deeply-held breaths.
Now he understood why the President over there was still sitting on his chair even though he was not under any threat of physical harm.
She mustve told him to Sit still over there.
That would be more than enough. If you were a man, youd not be able to escape from this females devilishly seductive charm at all.
How can a woman be this beautiful and different?
He knew oh-so well that she was not a human being, that they didnt have any friendly rtionship whatsoever, yet he just couldnt tear his gaze away from this woman.
While walking in, he guessed that she mustve been a demon or an existence simr to that, but still, why was this being right before him seemed to be so lovely to his eyes?
Im C-Christopher. Ivee to bargain with you.
Bargain? (?)
She tilted her head.
Euh..... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren gasped without even realising it.
It felt as if her appearance was changing with every passing second.
In one minute, shed be oozing with seductive charm that sucked you right in, but right next second, her expression would change and an explosive amount of detestation would rece that.
And right now, the slight tilting of her head was eliciting a protective instinct strong enough to make him throw away his life if asked.
Shes a wicked beast. (Christopher McLaren)
Only now could he understand the old adage of a country falling because of a single woman.
Yes, a negotiation. (Christopher McLaren)
Just trying to say one word took all of his efforts. It was incredibly hard. Unfortunately, he had to do it.
What do you mean, negotiation? (?)
She tilted her head again.
How strange. I already know what I want, so why? (?)
What you want? (Christopher McLaren)
Ng. (?)
Christopher McLaren did hear it before, but he still needed to figure out what she meant by her demand first.
Is finding Yi Ji-Hyuk what you want? (Christopher McLaren)
Ng. (?)
A slight grin crept up on her face as she licked her lips. A tongue so red that it went beyond crimson slowly, agonisingly slowly moistened them.
One wrong move, and I might be KIAed by heart attack. (Christopher McLaren)
That was how much he was being sucked in by her looks.
Thats right. Bring him to me. That is the only thing I want. (?)
< 254. Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -4 > Fin.
Chapter 255: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (5)
Chapter 255: Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (5)
Bring Yi Ji-Hyuk over here?
Doesnt that have a slightly different connotation than to find him? (Christopher McLaren)
It felt as if the difficulty of the task he was given had increased tenfold. To a guy walking in thinking that it was an easy mode, a sudden p in the face with a hard mode like this was worth a seriouswsuit.
This was totally unfair.
He had a ton of dissatisfaction to get off his chest, but Christopher McLaren simply bit his lower lip hard as his reply. He had already learned how to tell whether his conversation partner was a reasonable person or not on a battlefield decades ago.
And he knew that, without a doubt, the being before him was as unreasonable as one could get. To her, hed not even look like a worm wiggling on the ground.
There is something Im curious about, so do you mind if I ask you about it first? (Christopher McLaren)
She disinterestedly nodded her head as her reply.
Which person told you that bying here and acting like this, Yi Ji-Hyuk will show up? (Christopher McLaren)
M-mm? (?)
As if she was finally interested in him, she stared straight at him.
Would a person ask that sort of a question in a situation like this?
Hmm, I wonder. I think your people call that ce a pub. There was a drinking ce nearby. A man with dopey eyes there told me this C that if I wanted to know, then I should head over to the White House next door and grab the President there to ask. (?)
His eyes were dopey.... (Christopher McLaren)
He didnt know which d*mn junkie that was, but Christopher would find the b*stard and show him a world of painter. He swore it in his heart.
Mm, I see. However, from where Im standing, this method doesnt seem to be the best one avable. (Christopher McLaren)
Is that so? (?)
Yes, Miss..... Mm, excuse me. Forgive me, but what should I call you with? (Christopher McLaren)
Although it really is a shameful matter to have my name spoken by a child like you, but still, itll be prudent of me to get more used to the ways of this world. Call me Erukana. And also....
Yes? (Christopher McLaren)
Its not Miss, but Missus. (Erukana)
She seductively licked her lips.
I see, Mrs Erukana. Well, then. Let me get this right. Your demand is for us to bring Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk over here. (Christopher McLaren)
Thats right. (Erukana)
And then, youll release our President. (Christopher McLaren)
Ng, right. (Erukana)
In that case, I must confirm this before we proceed. Are you in a hostile rtionship with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
Why is that important? (Erukana)
Will it be fine to use your name and ask him for his cooperation? (Christopher McLaren)
Nope. (Erukana)
...........
I wouldnt have asked you to find him, then. I cant tell you the reason why, but he must not hear my name at all. You must not tell him that Im here, either. Also, you must not say that someone who knows him is waiting for him here, too. Do you understand? He must not know about my existence. (Erukana)
Christopher McLarens expression crumpled unsightly.
What kind of horse sh*t was this?
He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a new cigar.
Crunch.
He used his bare fingers to tear the tip of the cigar and lit it up with a lighter.
Fuu-woo.... (Christopher McLaren)
He slowly sucked in the smoke and let it drift out of his nostrils, flicked the ash on the floor, before settling down on an unupied sofa.
Is there an ashtray in here? (Christopher McLaren)
Thats a very insolent question, McLaren. (U.S. President)
Were all about to die anyway, so is there a reason to keep up the good manners? Please, hand me the ashtray. (Christopher McLaren)
Here it is. (U.S. President)
The President pushed the ashtray forward and Christopher McLaren stood up to retrieve it before returning to his sofa.
H-mm... (Christopher McLaren)
He opened the lid of the ashtray to deposit more of the cigars ash and settled deeply within the cushions.
Mrs Erukana. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren called her name with a somewhat more rxed expression and looked at her.
Im sorry, but I cantply with your demand. (Christopher McLaren)
H-n-ng? (Erukana)
She let out a little hum and looked back at him with a pair of intensely sexy eyes.
You cant? (Erukana)
Inferring from what you said, it seems that you and Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk dont enjoy what one would call an amicable rtionship. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm....
And your words also seem to imply that, as long as Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is brought over here, everything will be resolved. If hees here unaware of your presence, hell probably have to contend with your sudden appearance. (Christopher McLaren)
Indeed. (Erukana)
Im not stupid enough to not realise what that signifies. Rather than seeing that spectacle, Id rather die here in this ce. (Christopher McLaren)
Ive heard that this President of the United States of America is the worlds most important being. Was I wrong? (Erukana)
There are always enough idiots to rece another, but there is no ability user who can rece Yi Ji-Hyuk. Hes the most important person to humanity, so there isnt even a need to think about this twice. (Christopher McLaren)
Erukana found this notion rather amusing as she studied Christopher McLaren.
I see. So thats how it was, human. However.... (Erukana)
......
You dont know about me. I can easily make you grovel before my feet and go fetch him if I wanted to. (Erukana)
M-mm.... (Christopher McLaren)
A human less significant than an insect wishes to resist me? I can reap your soul and trample on it before throwing you into the 99th level of infinite nothingness where youll drown in regret and suffer from pain for all eternity. If you think youll simply escape by throwing away your life, you are sorely mistaken. (Erukana)
Chills ran down his back.
What this female was saying could not be ssified as a simple threat.
Christopher McLaren knew that fact so well. A human wouldnt be threatening ants, after all. And to her eyes, hed be even less significant than an ant right about now.
So, she had no need to threaten him at all. He understood that. She was not threatening him, just telling him what the reality was.
What a scary notion that is. (Christopher McLaren)
Unexpectedly, Christopher McLaren rxedly sucked on his cigar.
Why dont you go ahead. Sure, what you want would happen. But then, me bringing Yi Ji-Hyuk here on my own volition will never happen. Maybe its nothing more than satisfying myself. I owe that guy, you see. No, make that the entirety of mankind owing him something. So, you should choose to charm me and control me anyway you see fit, instead. (Christopher McLaren)
H-ng?
Her eyes opened slightly wider as if she was genuinely surprised.
Is Yi Ji-Hyuk such an important person? Even though I think hes not really the type to impress the others? (Erukana)
Impress, my a*s. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren unwittingly spat out a derisive snort.
There is no human out there dumb enough to have a good impression of him. No, hold on. I think there are a fair number of them in South Korea. However, you wont find any insane fools like them outside of that country. (Christopher McLaren)
In that case, what is it, then? (Erukana)
Having a good impression and being loyal are two different things. I personally dislike him as a fellow human being. But I still acknowledge what he has done for us, and if I take for granted all the debt we owe that guy, then Ive lost my right to be called a man. On top of it all, hes a very important, a necessary person for humanity as a whole. (Christopher McLaren)
A deep smile suffused on Erukanas lips.
Do you know, human? (Erukana)
About? (Christopher McLaren)
Ive never let any insolent ones live after theyve dared to run their mouths off before my presence. And you have got on my nerves just now. (Erukana)
Your lead-in is rather long-winded, isnt it? If youre going to kill me, do get on with it. My knees been aching for a while now, you see. (Christopher McLaren)
What amendable mindset you have. Unfortunately for you, Im not going to kill you. (Erukana)
So, youre thinking of using me, then? (Christopher McLaren)
No, I decided not to do that, either. (Erukana)
Mm? (Christopher McLaren)
Been a while since I met a human that I like. (Erukana)
Oh, so....
Which part? (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Out of everything he said so far, did he say something that couldve tickled her fancy?
Christopher McLaren couldnt help but think that the woman before him was one of those utterly iprehensible types.
However, youre mistaken about something. (Erukana)
Regarding what? (Christopher McLaren)
Im not hostile towards Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Erukana)
.........
No, you should say that Im more like his helper, instead. (Erukana)
Maybe I look like a dumb as*hole to you because Im a regr human being. The thing is, though, a persons intelligence is not as low as you think. Judging from what you said earlier, your rtionship with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk doesnt seem to be nice at all. Am I wrong? (Christopher McLaren)
You are not. (Erukana)
She didnt try to deny it.
However, that rather awkward rtionship doesnt mean we must be enemies. Surely, a weak and pathetic brain of a human should still be able to figure that out? (Erukana)
M-mm....
He couldnt be sure of what exactly this woman before him was trying to say. But, he could surmise her words in two ways.
One, she and Yi Ji-Hyuk had an uneasy rtionship. Two, even then, she argued that she was not trying to harm him in any way.
Mm, I guess I get what youre saying. But, in that case, why cant I reveal that youre here? (Christopher McLaren)
If you do, everything will go haywire, thats why. (Erukana)
Can you unpack what that means so that this slow-as-rock head can understand? (Christopher McLaren)
Nope. (Erukana)
..........
Now, Ive answered everything you asked. I have but one demand. Bring Yi Ji-Hyuk to me. If you do that, then I shall leave willingly. If not, neither you nor this man will be fine. (Erukana)
Do I look scared by that prospect? (Christopher McLaren)
What a funny question that is. Were you thinking that Id stop this after you? No, its merely the beginning. Until Yi Ji-Hyuk shows up before me, I shall simply repeat myself. (Erukana)
......If thats your n, wouldnt it be quicker to seek him out yourself? (Christopher McLaren)
M-mm, well, I know that that is indeed the quickest method. Yes, its the wisest move. However, there is a very big problem with that. (Erukana)
And what could that be? (Christopher McLaren)
Thats rted to my weakness, so I cant tell you. Now, I gave you all the information I can give. Its your turn to choose. Are you going to bring him here, or die? (Erukana)
Christopher McLaren frowned.
Have I been charmed by her already? (Christopher McLaren)
That had to be it. If not, it didnt make sense for him to think that this creature right before his eyes couldnt be such a bad influence to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Logically speaking, a being concealing herself and waiting for Yi Ji-Hyuk to show up, and not to mention who wasnt even a human as well, could only be an enemy to that man.
However, what could this be? This strange gut feeling?
Will you promise me? (Christopher McLaren)
Promise what? (Erukana)
If you swear not to harm Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk in any shape or form, then I shall bring him here. (Christopher McLaren)
I swear. (Erukana)
And I can trust on you that, yes? (Christopher McLaren)
In that very moment, the atmosphere surrounding her changed.
Her previous atmosphere, filled withziness andnguidness, transformed in an instant, and a gloomy, dark, destructive aura began pouring down on Christopher McLaren.
Keuh-heu-euk! (Christopher McLaren)
He found it impossible to breathe as that aura forced its way into his body. But, even as acute pain began stabbing him in every corner of his flesh, there was only one thought that screamed out loudly in his head.
D-demon king!! (Christopher McLaren)
This aura belonged to demon kings.
It was strikingly simr to what Beltreche had disyed. Its just that something felt a bit different; maybe it was due to him being so near and sensing it all alone in a great density, but the aura felt just a bit stickier.
Did this mean that the woman before him was another demon king?
But, she lookedpletely different from those two monsters before?
Christopher McLaren felt the aura squeezing him suddenly disappear, and spat out rough, heaving breathing.
To the demon kind, a contract is a sacred act. It is not something you and your three inch tongue should dare to make a mockery of. (Erukana)
Hah-ah.... (Christopher McLaren)
I keep all the promises I make. Is that enough for you? (Erukana)
Is it fine to ask you one more question? (Christopher McLaren)
H-mm, what an insolent human. Fine. Ask away. (Erukana)
You.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren asked a question with some difficulty.
What is your rtionship with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
< 255. Find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -5 > Fin.
Chapter 256: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (1)
Chapter 256: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (1)
And the reason why you should know that is? (Erukana)
I need to know, so I can truly ascertain that you really dont mean to harm Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Christopher McLaren)
Existences called humans are truly bizarre, I have to say. You are even more distrusting than demons. It seems that humans think of others words as nothing more than just a collection of lies. (Erukana)
I wont deny that. (Christopher McLaren)
Fine, I shall tell you. (Erukana)
The female formed a little smile. Christopher McLarens heart pounded hard again after seeing that smile.
This is driving me nuts. (Christopher McLaren)
It was only a little smile, yet his heart was racing away; Christopher McLaren felt as if he had reverted back to a 15 year-old boy.
You see, he and I are.... (Erukana)
***
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Chief Secretary)
Yep? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its from Christopher McLaren. He wishes to speak to you right away. (Chief Secretary)
That ahjussi? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....That I do not know. Hes simply requesting to speak with you urgently, thats all. (Chief Secretary)
H-mm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt this a bit annoying?
Why does it feel like things will get super-annoying if I answer that call?
Maybe I shouldnt even bother with it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Tell him Im not here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I already told him that youre here. (Chief Secretary)
How about telling him that I disappeared while you were answering the call? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! I can hear your voice! (Christopher McLaren)
Dang it, a geezer with a good hearing. Huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Christopher McLarens faint voiceing out from the phones speaker and frowned a little.
But, man. Ive got lots of things to do here, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He shifted his gaze over to the President and smacked his lips. Others saw that meaningful nce and felt their hairs stand up immediately.
This guy, just what was he thinking of doing just now?
They couldnt even begin to guess what might have happened were it not for the phone call interrupting the proceedings.
Yi Ji-Hyuk strode over unhappily to where the Chief Secretary was and snatched the phones receiver away.
What do you want now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He yelled out, his voice full of his dissatisfaction.
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, yes, it is he~, Ji-Hyuk of Yi. It is me, so please, keep it short and simple, okay? So, whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C It seems that you muste to the States right away. To Washington. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled unsightly.
Ahjussi! Didnt you say youll be retiring soon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes, I did. (Christopher McLaren)
So, why havent you retired already? Why are you still clinging on like some disgusting goo and tormenting a poor soul like me?! Please, just retire already and stop calling me! Just go home already and enjoy your pastime entertaining your grandkids! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C My grandkids grew up a long time ago already..... No, wait! Thats not important! In any case, you definitely need toe to the United States. (Christopher McLaren)
So like, why must I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I cant tell you the reason. (Christopher McLaren)
You freaking kidding me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roared out and ended the call right there and then. He had no need to keep listening to that nonsense.
Rrrr....
Unfortunately, the phone began ringing the moment it was disconnected.
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk picked the phone up and shouted out again.
What the hell?! Why are you doing this me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, this is a serious situation. (Christopher McLaren)
Im in an even more serious situation! Yes, me!! A, seriously man! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C You know that Im not the kind of person to call you and ask you for a favour unless its a really serious situation. (Christopher McLaren)
No, I dont know! You kept calling me up for stuff that werent all that serious before, you know?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C What do you mean, not all that serious.....? (Christopher McLaren)
Werent the advent of a demon king and the zombie incident not serious enough?
Christopher McLaren had plenty of things to say, but too bad, now wasnt the time to go into a detailed breakdown of his arguments.
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, Im putting my honour on the line to ask you for this favour. Something really big has happened this side. Your help is an absolute must. (Christopher McLaren)
Like I said, what is this really big incident? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Its not something I can tell you. (Christopher McLaren)
A..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
He oh-so wanted to shout out What dogsh*t are you talking about. Before that, though, he couldnt help but despise his brain that could figure out what was going on in times like this.
Groooan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned in pain.
So, you cant tell me what it is, but its still a serious situation. Am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes, thats it! (Christopher McLaren)
Which could only mean the source, the creature, responsible for this serious situation was nearby and watching Christopher McLaren right now.
A migraine began assaulting his head.
How bad is the situation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Looks like youll need to bring everyone along. (Christopher McLaren)
Hah....... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which meant that it was almost on the level of a demon king crossing over....
What the hell?! Earth isnt some three-star restaurant or something, so howe all sorts of punks are showing up here?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, why was he the one to take care of this?
If he were to get dragged over there this time, then every time something simr happened in the future, hed be expected to show up, too.
He definitely didnt want that.
America is a superpower, so why dont you guys take care of it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C M-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! This is something only you can solve! (Christopher McLaren)
I aint running a charity organisation here, so when I dont wanna go, Im not going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Hold on! Dont hang up! What do you want from us?? Whatever it is, we shall dly make it happen! Right now, our head of state is being held hostage! (Christopher McLaren)
Why should I care about that? Him dying or not has nothing to do with me, so take care of it yourselves. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuuuuk! We will definitely do whatever you want! Please, think about it one more time! (Christopher McLaren)
No, hang on, I.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, a hand suddenly interrupted the proceedings by taking the phones receiver away from Yi Ji-Hyuks ear.
What the hell, who dares to.....?
After confirming who the owner of the hand was, Yi Ji-Hyuk pouted in a slightly unhappy tone of voice.
And when did you arrive? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just now. Let me take care of this one for you, so please, take a break. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im definitely not going! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, yes. Take a break over there, please. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Wow, look at him not even bothering to listen to me! Look! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Naturally, the one snatching the phone away was Choi Jung-Hoon.
Well, we should at least hear what they are offering first, yes? Thats the basics, after all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
No, hang on! I said! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At that precise moment, someone else grasped Yi Ji-Hyuks hand and pulled him away.
N-nng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here, I brought you C. Sit here and drink this. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hey, you think Im a C addict or something?! Just because theres some C, Ill be happy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you dont want? In that case, Ill just drink it, then. (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, well, I mean, I will. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min sneaked a giggle so that Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt see it and carefully tugged at his arm.
Here. Sit over here and drink. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Good boy. (Jeong Hae-Min)
After Jeong Hae-Min oh-so expertly dragged Yi Ji-Hyuk away to a quiet corner, Choi Jung-Hoon quickly brought the phones receiver over to his ear.
Mister McLaren, its Choi Jung-Hoon speaking.
C Call me Christopher. I wont keep you for long. Please send Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk over to Washington right away.
Isnt it normal to negotiate the terms first? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C The matters are really urgent this side. Make that truly, seriously urgent! (Christopher McLaren)
H-mm....
Choi Jung-Hoon let a soft groan escape from his lips.
Christopher McLaren might like to nag to him and the other people every single time, but well, the American could be trusted when it came topensating them for what was due.
The pride and confidence of knowing that the superpower called America was backing him allowed him to stand up straight, and he was definitely not the type to lower his head to anyone else.
But now, such a person was ignoring all the procedures and prescribed protocols that he stuck to all along to send an urgent SOS. Normally, times like this would be the best opportunity to rip off the other party for all their worth. Because, there was a higher chance of them unreservedly saying yes to whatever the demand was.
Understood. And what do you expect from us? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C The wholebat force, every single avable one. You must bring them all. (Christopher McLaren)
We shall do so. Ill call you again when were ready. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Thank you, Mister Choi. (Christopher McLaren)
Not at all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon ended the call there.
Hul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this spectacle unfold, and as if he couldnt believe it, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
What are you doing? He said that hes willing to do anything, yet you want us to go without agreeing to terms? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not the right time. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its true that you can earn a lot of things when the other party is in great urgency. However, when that urgency is gone, itll be reced by resentment, instead. That is why one shouldnt try to wrangle with really desperate people about terms and conditions. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....What are you on about now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just drink C. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk brought the soda can to his lips and began gulping it down, leaving Jeong Hae-Min to quickly and sneakily gesture with her hand at Choi Jung-Hoon, telling him to wrap this up super quick.
Since when did she be this good at handling Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
With things like this, she should be awarded with top Yi Ji-Hyuk training licence or something.
Seeing this bizarre sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk sitting around drinking C so obediently like that, when he was usually beside himself for not being able to cause a scene, made Choi Jung-Hoon feel a wee bit strange in his heart.
Mister Minister? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yes, speak. (Defence Minister)
The Defence Minister waited for Choi Jung-Hoon to finish.
I just noticed that our Director isnt here with you? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
He went back to his office. (Defence Minister)
Pardon? Everyone seems to be here, so howe he went back to his office? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
....Please pretend that you didnt notice anything. (Defence Minister)
Choi Jung-Hoon instinctively realised that the matter had something to do with Yi Ji-Hyuk and decided to change the subject. There was no reason for him to dig into the heart of an already-suffering person just to pour more salt on it, now was there?
It seems that we need to go overseas. Please grant us the permission. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You should directly request Mister President for that. Hes with us right this moment, after all. (Defence Minister)
Choi Jung-Hoon shifted his gaze over to President Yun Yeong-Min.
Well, he is just too unreliable for that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Both the Defence Minister and the Director of the KSF did their jobs properly, despite being punched around by the sheer weight of their duties as well as Yi Ji-Hyuks antics. Without those two, the Republic of Korea and her scant ability userbat force couldnt have endured until now while suffering so little damage.
Yun Yeong-Min, on the other hand, severelycked the qualifications to be a nations President from Choi Jung-Hoons perspective.
The fact that all the feats Yi Ji-Hyuk had achieved were beinguded by the internationalmunity but he hadnt done anything to award the one responsible, was good enough evidence of this man being utterly ipetent in his job.
If it werent for the NDF and Defence Ministry working their butts off....
No, more correctly, it was all thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk not really having material desires or wanting to emigrate to other countries. If another ability user possessed simr powers as him, this person wouldve stopped being a Korean citizen a very long time ago.
Unfortunately, he was still a President elected by the nations citizens and had to be treated ordingly. Indeed, no matter how much of an eyesore he was, an elected public official was supposed to represent the opinions and desires of the public, after all.
Mister President, sir. The Americans have requested us for our aid. It seems that we need to go there, so Id like you to grant us the permission. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yun Yeong-Mins brows quivered just then.
Although not a single anger-inducing word was uttered, he still felt unhappy for some reason. Itd be kind of like, the tone of the voicecked that tangible sense of respect?
No, actually, Yun Yeong-Min hadnt been feeling too good since a while ago.
His pride had been trampled after dealing with Yi Ji-Hyuk and his I-dont-care-about-you attitude earlier, but ever since the call from the U.S. came in, he waspletely relegated to an unnecessary third wheel here.
Even if one argued that he was not rted to the situation, nominally this was the Blue House and this was his personal office.
It was already against the etiquette for the guests to do whatever they want regardless of the presence of the homeowner in a regr household, yet this was the Blue House. And a measly little public servant brazenly dared to start negotiating with a foreign nation right before him? Wasnt that a serious problem?!
Did you say your name is Choi Jung-Hoon? (President)
Yes, sir. It is. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The NDF? (President)
Yes, Im the Deputy Director. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yun Yeong-Min then quite openly disyed his displeasure.
Then, you should realise that Im your direct superior officer! Im the President of this nation, as well as your directmander, yet with what gall did you start a negotiation with another country on your own? (President)
............
Choi Jung-Hoon became speechless, then.
He never expected President Yun Yeong-Min to say something that made sense. The words that wentpletely against the image of the man he held in his head were far, far too correct to argue back.
Ah, I was simply.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Indeed, even someone like Choi Jung-Hoon couldnt find a suitable excuse.
It seems that you, my young friend, have be too cocky after swimming around big fish for too long. An ass in a lions skin, thats what this is. (President)
My apologies. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
You can go now. This is not something you can arbitrarily decide on. I shall not hold you ountable, but do not try to partake in this matter anymore. (President)
But, sir.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Did you not hear what I said? (President)
Choi Jung-Hoon bit his lip, hard.
He was too focused on minding Yi Ji-Hyuk that he forgot to do the most obvious thing.
The most important thing for Yun Yeong-Min was for the authority of the President not to be ignored and breached like this. However, an event that did just that happened right before his face, so it was only obvious that hed be displeased.
What should I do? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
It was not a big problem for the President to be unhappy with him, but if the aid to the Americans got dyed because of that, now that would indeed be a big problem.
Thinking back to how urgent Christopher McLaren sounded, then every second was precious here.
Too bad, Yun Yeong-Min didnt look like he was interested in having a conversation with Choi Jung-Hoon right now.
Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jung-Hoon closed his eyes ever so slightly.
Hell, hes pretty quick to catch on in situations like this, you know!
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, nice timing!
< 256. Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 257: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (2)
Chapter 257: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (2)
Yun Yeong-Mins trembling eyes were now fixed on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What the freaking hell? Why was this dude acting like this now?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, I wasnt talking to you, but to Choi Jung-Hoon. (President)
Im gonna ask again. So, like, I can leave now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course you cant. (President)
What will we do if you leave, too?
Cant you see everything weve been talking about has to do with you? (Presidents inner monologue)
I dont have anything to do here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, the Americans are requesting for your assistance right now? (President)
Buuut, Im not nning to go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? You really arent going? (President)
Yup, I aint going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min ended up smirking right then.
Enough was enough C just how lightly was he being thought of here?
Anyone with even a passing interest in the matter would know that Yi Ji-Hyuk held a favourable view of Christopher McLaren, and that he had been helping the Americans without hesitation up until now.
So, did he really think that such a threat would work in this case?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Im aware that youll answer their request for aid anyway. (President)
Who said so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont we stop wasting each others energy over something unnecessary? What is it that you want? (President)
I said, who said something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned his back against the couch and fished out a cigarette from his pocket. Chief Secretary saw that and spoke while extending his hand awkwardly.
Smoking isnt allowed in here. (Chief Secretary)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back in an unimpressed tone of voice, prompting an immediate turn-around in the Chief Secretarys attitude.
Heres your ashtray. (Chief Secretary)
He quickly found a brand-new ashtray and handed it over as an outpouring of sharp, criticising resnded on him. However, Chief Secretary remained unperturbed as he kept his head up.
So what if I did?? All of you cant say anything either, so why are you ring at me for? (Chief Secretary)
Click.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lit his cigarette up.
Hah, seriously now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He took a long, long drag before puffing out the smoke. Frowning deeply now, he shifted his gaze back to Yun Yeong-Min.
So, you want us to stop wasting our energy on unnecessary matters, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min didnt reply. It vaguely felt as if he had said something he shouldnt, and that led to the young man feeling pretty unhappy right now, but the President of South Korea couldnt figure out just where he made a slip of the tongue.
That is.... eh.... (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the stuttering Yun Yeong-Min with eyes reserved for when staring at an idiot, before breaking out in a smirk.
A geezer like that was the President of this nation?
He had seen his fair share of wise rulers, and just as many despots, too. And he also saw enough terrible rulers utterly driving their nations into the ground.
However, one would still be hard-pressed to find a dude like this one when it came to those upying the position of king.
You see, no matter how much of a dumba* one was, the process of inheriting the throne would pretty much filter out the absolute worst of the lot. Whether one was a wise, benevolent ruler or a tyrant, they were still in many ways far more excellent than regr people.
You ask, why did such excellent people end up as tyrants?
Because the position of king came with unspeakable amounts of stress, that was why.
Now you wouldnt normally find a king bing a moron as soon as he ascended to the throne. They would hang around for two, maybe three years before going kablooey in the head after being unable to cope with the stress, and end up as a proper lost cause. That was the normal chain of events.
Driving a nation into the ground was not something any regr Joe could even try. Things like that only happened because the king possessed the type of drive iparable to what regr people had.
If that drive was heading in a good direction, that would be a grand achievement, and if it unfolded in a bad direction, then itd be recorded as another dark moment in history.
However, this so-called President was neither of those.
When in water, be like water; when in alcohol, then be like alcohol.
It was so, so easy to see this guys attitude of doing nothing but watching other people do their stuff, quietly avoiding any coteral damage before looking for a way to sneakily get himself a slice of the pie. And that was getting on Yi Ji-Hyuks nerves.
How did a dude like this be a President?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was the election rigged or something?
His lips twitched hard with the desire to ask, but he knew not to say stuff like that in front of the person in question. Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a rather sensible man, after all.
You are so right. I dont want to waste my energy with unnecessary things, so I aint going. Its not like something good will happen to me if I do go, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Mins eyes widened greatly.
This man was being dead serious?
But, that couldnt be. His logic said that Yi Ji-Hyuk was either currently insane or simply putting on airs. That was all.
But, even then....
He knew that South Koreas position was differentpared to the past. He also understood that Yi Ji-Hyuk was the one and only, impossible-to-figure-out, most important resource in the entire world.
Even then, he shouldnt be ignoring the request sent by the big shot from America.
What kind of a nation was the United States of America?
Whether it be financial or military, it was the only nation that could wipe the floor with their enemies even if the whole world decided to go after them.
It was indeed not an exaggeration to call the current era Pax Americana.
The worlds system was created with America as its centre, and the system itself was designed for America.
Sure, South Korea might enjoy much higher acim nowadays, but itd be crazy to think that it now stood on an equal footing with the U.S.
Definitely.
But, surely, one should still be able to put on some airs since Yi Ji-Hyuk was a necessity in dealing with the monster threats?
Indeed, that was why the Korean government (or its President, at least) was putting on airs right now.
Such as, when requests came in, theyd beat around the bush for a bit before saying okay, and then rip the other party off with enormous marypensation under the pretext of sending Yi Ji-Hyuk over.
Compared to the past when they had to give up a portion of thend and do whatever the Americans wanted without anypensation whatsoever, one could call the current situation a sea change.
However, to go even further than this?
No, that must not happen. (President)
If economic sanctions were imposed tomorrow, the Republic of Korea would be finished instantly. This country was just too intrinsically tied to the U.S. in terms of economy and military. If the Americans decided to sanction them, then Korea would crumble in a single moment.
Of course, the U.S. would suffer some damages, too. However, one couldntpare a finger getting lobbed off to a head being cut off, now could you?
This young man should be aware of this already, so why....
Are you really not going? (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head at an oblique angle.
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Have you thought about how much suffering the citizens might endure because of your actions? (President)
Hey, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min frowned deeply.
After hearing that for a while, he was now getting properly riled up. Just who in their right minds would keep calling a President ahjussi?
Im asking this cuz I just cant figure this one out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was he trying to say now?
Is being a politician all about clinging onto a single citizen and nagging him to do this and that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
Isnt politics originally supposed to make sure that the citizens dont end up doing what they dont want to do in the first ce? And when overseas people demand your citizens to go out there and put their lives on the line, shouldnt the leader of the nation take the lead in casting a shield to protect his people from such unfairness? Or am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min shut his mouth.
What Yi Ji-Hyuk said had urately pointed out the core of the subtle battle of wills that were taking ce until now.
In principle, there was no real reason for Yi Ji-Hyuk to go overseas to lend his aid. Under the situation where the nations government didnt possess the forceful means to send him overseas, him actually going there to help out in the name of national interest of Korea was solely out of his own decision and no one could say anything about it.
B-but, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (President)
You can keep your buts for all I care. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt feel like listening to Yun Yeong-Mins rubbish any longer.
So, like, after I went over to the States thest two times, what nice things happened to me? Do you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, the benefit to the whole nation.... (President)
Forget about benefiting the nation and tell me straight, how was I benefited from going there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min couldnt answer. More specifically, he didnt know the answer.
He only had to worry about the national interest. Why should he worry about what sort of benefit Yi Ji-Hyuk received through those events?
Honestly speaking, this was not his fault. Which President out there would think about such things in this world, anyway?
The thing was, a President had a c**p ton of things to do, which was different from what most people might envision. So, wouldnt it bepletely impossible for a President to look after every single citizen out there while also performing his official duties, now would it?
I, Im not too sure.... (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed down to a slit.
Nothing good happened, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, the Chief Secretary raised his hand.
Whats wrong now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I heard that you have received quite a significant amount of marypensation so far? (Chief Secretary)
I never needed it, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Chief Secretary)
I realised that theres this thing with money. Once it gets past a certain amount, it just bes zeroes in the bank ount and nothing much will change with my life. You see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, how could that be true?
If that was the case, why did the CEOs and Chairpersons of huge corporations work their butts off, then?
The more money you had, the better you felt about it, and youd grow even more avaricious in ruing greater wealth.
I dont need any of that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Well, if the guy himself said that, what could anyone do?
So, like I was saying, I dont get to see much of a benefit for myself after going over there to help out, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Minsplexion grew poorer and poorer.
A citizen working for ones nation isnt for the sake of profit for himself, am I wrong? (President)
Why dont you refund your sry and donate all your wealth back to society first before talking to me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Busy yapping on about some stupid nonsense here. If youre so desperate to work for your country, you should set an example first by giving up all your wealth to the nations tax coffers or something. Why are you demanding something that you arent willing to do yourself? Busy p*ssing me off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The corners of Yun Yeong-Mins eyes began twitching uncontrobly.
This... didnt sound wrong, logically speaking, yet why did he feel so terrible after listening to these words?
So, you dont want to do it? (President)
Yes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Chief Secretary! (President)
Sir? (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary awkwardly stepped forward.
What kind of legal punishment is avable for a person refusing to obey the Presidential order issued for the national interest? (President)
The Chief Secretary hesitated and stuttered greatly, apparently at a loss as to what to say next, before spotting the Presidents eyes.
What is up with those sparkling eyes??
Have you gone insane, too? (Chief Secretarys inner monologue)
T-there is no such thing, sir. (Chief Secretary)
There is none? (President)
Of course, sir. There is no suchw! (Chief Secretary)
....Ah, so there isnt one? (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuk facepalmed.
This is definitely the Blue House, so why....
Wait, maybe Im at the wrong address?
I never imagined Id be having such a conversation inside the Blue House, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In any case, politicians would always be the same regardless of what era it was.
Whatever. Im not going, so do whatever you want. Well then, have a nice day. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-where do you think youre going?! (President)
Home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, we havent finished talking here! (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively.
Hey, ah, ju, ssi~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
You talk to awyer about the legal stuff, and when you want to talk to a chairman, you go through his secretary first. So, if you wanna talk to me, you shouldnt try to contact me directly first, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I-in that case? (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over in a certain direction.
Ah.... (President)
And Yun Yeong-Min ended up seeing it, too.
He saw the dark aura emitted by someone he previously thought of as nothing more than an unimportant passerby civil servant No.1.
M-Mister Choi Jung-Hoon?? (President)
Grin.
Choi Jung-Hoon smiled oh-so brightly and looked back at Yun Yeong-Min.
Was thetterpletely mistaken when he immediately took that smile as You told me to scram earlier so why are you pretending to be so chummy now, you stinking geezer?
Choi Jung-Hoon ignored the President and instead looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Thetter understood what the former was saying with those eyes and simply grinned in reply.
Okay, got you.
If you wanna say something to me, leave it with this dude here first. Hes like my proxy and stuff, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
I aint gonna answer any direct calls. You saw how Christopher McLaren also calls him first, right? If you keep bothering me, Ill just leave. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Mins shoulders drooped powerlessly; he turned around to face Choi Jung-Hoon next. When thetter met the formers gaze, he grinned brightly again and opened his lips to speak.
Well, then. As you have ordered me earlier, I shall leave as well, Mister President. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
This dudes still so good at ending on a high note.
<257. Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 258: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (3)
Chapter 258: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (3)
What do you mean, youre leaving?? (President)
Yun Yeong-Min urgently shouted out, but Choi Jung-Hoon simply formed a very meaningful smile.
Your rmendation of a measly civil servant knowing his ce and quietly vacating from an asion like this one.... Ive definitely learned my lesson, sir. I shall never forget the golden rule youve taught me and make it my lifes shining signpost to follow for the rest of my life. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Will you look at how this punk is yapping on?
Look! Look at that face!
I can easily see how p*ssed off you are, yet your mouth is still capable of muttering such buttery-smooth words without hesitation! (Presidents inner monologue)
K-h-hmm! (President)
Yun Yeong-Min felt the need to control this spiralling situation. He needed to get a hold of it no matter what.
It seems that Ive made a slight mistake just now. (President)
Plenty of people believed that politicians were far too proud for their own good, but that was actually amon misconception.
The pride of politicians was an active skill only activated when they judged there would be no potential damage to themselves. Indeed, when benefit and ego were at odds, then a politician would always choose the former over thetter, as that was the virtue they all ascribed to.
Oh, no, not at all. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As if he was in a hurry, Choi Jung-Hoon waved his hands around.
No, sir. Its me who made a mistake. Im only grateful that you set me on a correct path without getting angry at me. Honestly, the level of the mistake Imitted is severe enough to get an immediate dismissal from the post, yet youve been so gracious like this. All I can say is that the future of our nation is in good hands. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yun Yeong-Mins two eyes were twitching almost uncontrobly now.
Did this punk just make fun of me? (Presidents inner monologue)
I said, its my mistake. (President)
Mister President. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shrugged his shoulders.
To a person holding the public office, there can never be a thing like mistake. I mean, what would admitting to ones mistake solve, anyway? No, sir. The important thing is how one goes about repairing the situation. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Groan.....
In order to calm his boiling innards, Yun Yeong-Min had to summon up every ounce of his energy. A measly little low-ranked civil servant whod not dare to even meet his gaze in normal situations was riding on Yi Ji-Hyuks coattails to say whatever the hell he pleased.
Why did he have to..... (President)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was at me here, too.
Why did that punk give such a man his backing?
Shouldnt the person backed for real not Choi Jung-Hoon but the President of the nation instead, namely himself??
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (President)
I, cant, hear, you~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear canal leisurely before addressing the Chief Secretary.
Dont you guys have any snacks here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-we do. (Chief Secretary)
Can you bring me some? Also, more C, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cs here already. Drink this. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min and Yi Ji-Hyuk began sharing a cosy little chat over by the couch. Yun Yeong-Min watched that scene unfold as tears of blood dripped out of his heart.
Why is such an insane b*stard blessed with power? (President)
The heavens were just too inconsiderate; out of 50 or so million Koreans, why did it have to be that punk?
And why did the person being protected by such a guy have to be this punk?!
What is it that you want? (President)
The President figured that arguing with these two would change nothing. In that case, might as well quickly do what they want and get them out of his hair right away.
What we want, is it..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon slowly opened his eyes wider.
What do you mean by that, sir? We dont want anything at all. Please, we beg you to understand that it is our fervent wish to work tirelessly for our country and thats why we all came here as soon as we could. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Hey, you punk!!
Everyone in this office already knows that Yi Ji-Hyuk came here to tell us to stop calling him up!
And you dare to lie with such a straight face?? (Presidents inner monologue)
Yun Yeong-Min felt like chucking the unused ashtray at the younger mans face, but by sheer superhuman-like will, he stopped himself.
I-indeed. I know. Of course, I am aware. Yes. (President)
If only it was the leader of the United States or China C at least hed not feel this aggrieved right now.
Yet, it was just a regr civil servant! Someone Yun Yeong-Min would be able to get rid of with just a snap of his fingers now needed to be treated like a President from a global superpower nation?!
Was the position of Koreas President this low? (President)
Yun Yeong-Min felt the corners of his eyes sting a little.
Its not that there is something we want exactly, sir. Except that, well, thats what life is like, sir. Just like what Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has alluded to earlier, when a person repeats performing hardbour without reward over and over again, hed eventually lose his motivation to continue on. Its not as if ones fervour can substitute for actualpensation. I believe that a person sacrificing so much for the sake of his mother nation needs to bepensated ordingly. Dont you agree with me, Mister President? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
O-of course. What, what I want to know is what thatpensation should be. (President)
Isnt that something the person giving it should figure out? Im sure its not something a person receiving has to worry about? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C-Chief Secretary! (President)
When the President urgently called out to him, the Chief Secretary lowered his head and sighed so that no one could see him.
Hes only called in a situation like this one! Only in situations as bad as this!
Yes, Mister President. (Chief Secretary)
What are the things we can do for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (President)
There is a list that has beenpiled before, sir. First thing on it is to confer him with a medal, sir. (Chief Secretary)
A medal? Ah, yes! Thats right! We already have one prepared, havent we? Why dont we bestow that first? (President)
Choi Jung-Hoon smirked briefly after hearing the word medal. In fact, he wasughing at it so openly that others were feeling embarrassed by it.
A medal, is it? Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, they want to give you a medal. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Can I eat it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont think you can. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Then, I dont need it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, there you go. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Wow....
And they said that the glib sister-inw is worse than the vindictive mother-inw! (Presidents inner monologue)
Yun Yeong-Min was almost ovee with this inexplicable desire to crack open Choi Jung-Hoons head right there and then.
I-in that case, what is it that you want? (President)
You should know this already, so why are you being like this, sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
If I knew, I wouldnt be asking! You dont want money! You dont want medals! Then, what is it that you want from us? (President)
H-m-mm.... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
As if he couldnt help it anymore, Choi Jung-Hoon pulled out a stack of nk A4 papers from his bag.
Itd be more preferable to have them drawn up in M*crosoft Word, but well, for the time being, let us agree on a couple of basics as a start. First of all, all immunity from the..... (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Immunity? (President)
What kind of rubbish was this?
He isnt even a member of parliament, so what immunity is he talking about?? (Presidents inner monologue)
If such a thing was given to an ability user, then the nations citizens would rise up in revolt with foams bubbling out of their mouths. And Yun Yeong-Min would watch theme duck situation develop in real-time with his own two eyes! (TL note at the end)
How can I grant something like that?! Say something that will make logical sense! (President)
You cant? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What would the citizens say when they find out about such a thing?! (President)
Choi Jung-Hoon grinned slyly and whispered softly.
Well, sir. You dont have to tell them, then. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
What did you say? (President)
There is no need to make it public, is there? Only the people involved have to know. Thatll be all, no? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
.......
Whats up with this guy?
He was acting all sensible and the like a minute ago, but now that the negotiating tables been set up, why is he starting to emit the distinct scent of a con man? (Presidents inner monologue)
Hell go ces in the future. (President)
This type of person should be a politician, not some bureaucrat.
Indeed, this type of person would shoot through the ranks when given a district to manage and some back-up cash.
W-wait, thats not it. (President)
Now wasnt the time to review the potential of a politician but to resolve the current situation.
I cant do something like that. (President)
Sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Im the President elected by the nations people. No matter how urgent the situation is, I cant deceive the citizens. (President)
Oh.....
Choi Jung-Hoon began looking at Yun Yeong-Min in a renewed light.
Now that he thought about it....
Although the current President had been roundly criticised for being empty-headed, thoughtless, holding radical ideologies, and lucky enough to have been elected to his office, he was also known for not having a single corruption scandal.
Hes needlessly upright in stuff like this. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Being incorruptible and driven when you were ipetent were demerits, instead.
Indeed, if the President had been someone deeply corrupt, then solutions could be reached somehow whether through the threat of impeachment or something simr.
So, you dont have any desire to support us in that regard? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That cannot be done. (President)
H-mm....
Choi Jung-Hoon frowned slightly.
Things werent unfolding in the way he had envisioned.
Fortunately, though, there was someone to help him out.
Rrrr.....
The offices phone began ringing. The Chief Secretary quickly answered it and alternated his gaze between Choi Jung-Hoon and Yun Yeong-Min.
Its from Christopher McLaren. (Chief Secretary)
Please, put him on speaker. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
The Chief Secretary shot a quick re at Choi Jung-Hoon before pressing the speaker button on the phone.
This is Choi Jung-Hoon speaking.
C Its Christopher here. What happened?
My apologies, but it seems that helping you this time might be impossible. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C What do you mean? Things looked positive not too long ago, didnt it? (Christopher McLaren)
It is regrettable, but our President has refused to ept the proposedpensation for assisting you this time. We cant work for free, now can we, sir? (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C What do you mean, for free?! Weve done so much for you guys already! Besides, havent we agreed to pay you the right amount this time as well?? (Christopher McLaren)
The financial side of things are quite enough for us. But, what Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wants isnt that. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Okay, so what does he want then? (Christopher McLaren)
Its actually pretty simple. Things like immunity, as well as some other rted matters. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Wait, what? Such things havent been given to him yet? (Christopher McLaren)
Im afraid so. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Hah....
Realising that the situation was moving in a strange direction, Yun Yeong-Min shifted his head and asked the Justice Minister.
Do other countries do that? (President)
Well, sir. Mm.... (Justice Minister)
The Justice Minister scratched his head.
Some countries did grant partial immunity towards selected ability users, sir. It cant be helped, really. If you lock up important ability users in prison because theymitted some small offence, itd be very difficult to fill up the void left behind in the manpower, so.... (Justice Minister)
Wait, now that I hear it, that does kinda make sense?? (Presidents inner monologue)
Yun Yeong Min tilted his head.
When he thought about it some more, what meaning was there for Yi Ji-Hyuk to enjoy immunity from prosecution?
Even if this guymitted a crime, he couldnt be confined to a prison, anyway. There was no prison sturdy enough to keep him locked up, to begin with. And there was no policeman brave or capable enough to arrest him, either.
And in a very unlikely case of both of those conditions being met and Yi Ji-Hyuk was indeed thrown behind bars, the losses to South Korea would be immeasurable.
C So, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk dont want to move because of something that small? (Christopher McLaren)
In a way, yes. Thats about it. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C May I speak to your President? (Christopher McLaren)
Youre on speaker. And hes currently listening in. (Choi Jung-Hoon)
C Mister President, can you hear me? (Christopher McLaren)
Yun Yeong-Min frowned again. He was the President of a nation, while the person on the other side of the line was just a director of an American government agency.
Just from ones stations alone, that American had no right to demand to talk to a President. However, that was only true when looking from outside; Yun Yeong-Min knew better than anyone what the dynamic of this rtionship was like.
I can hear you. (President)
Christopher McLaren possessed the simr amount of political clout as the American President, while Yun Yeong-Min was just a leader from a small nation.
The only reason why thetter got to enjoy higher status was simply because he rode on the back of Yi Ji-Hyuks acim. In a situation where he was at odds with Yi Ji-Hyuk, like right now, he had no real power to refuse Christopher McLarens words.
Please speak. (President)
C Currently, the American President is being held hostage as we speak. I cant help but think that cooperation from your country is not up to the eptable level in the current situation. If something untoward happens to the President of our country, are you confident of handling the associated fallout? (Christopher McLaren)
This was clearly a threat. And not something that should be said to a President of another nation.
However, the situation was such that one couldnt argue aboutmon courtesy. The American President was being held hostage, and only Yi Ji-Hyuk could resolve that crisis.
But then, he couldnt provide assistance because of Yun Yeong-Min? If something bad did happen, then all me would fall squarely upon him for sure.
No, its not that we arent trying to assist you.... (President)
C No need for a lengthy chat. Please just grant everything Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wishes for. If not, youd be held liable for the ensuing aftermaths. (Christopher McLaren)
..........
Yun Yeong-Min quietly bit his lower lip.
This was the issue with power. If only he had power, hed not be subjected to such humiliation....
Feeling utterly dejected now, he was about to say hell do it, but then Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly butted in.
By the way, ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Is that you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
Who the hell are you to speak to the President of my country like that?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C ....Eh? I was just trying to help you.... (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows shot up real high as he began shouting at the phone.
Im asking you, why were you being so dang rude to him?? Hes the President of this country, you know?! Is America that high and mighty now? Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Hul. (Christopher McLaren)
Im the only one who can kick him down! How dare you order around another countrys President willy-nilly?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A powerful earthquake rocked within Yun Yeong-Mins eyes, then.
< 258. Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? -3 > Fin.
(TL: In case you dont know, a President would end up in ame duck situation, which is real BTW, when he or she is about to be reced. For more info, check out Wikipedias me duck, politics.)
(TL: Some announcement, as well C Ill be slightly rejigging Choi Jung-Hoons name from the next chapter onwards. Ivee to learn that the official Korean romanisation rules state that certain Korean letters need to be spelled in a certain way. The Jung of Choi Jung-Hoon will be changed to Jeong. Choi Jung-Hoon Choi Jeong-Hoon.)
(Other names need to be looked at as well, but Im currently not too motivated to change them wholesale as I think they are pretty much spot-on in terms of pure correct pronunciation.)
Chapter 259: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (4)
Chapter 259: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (4)
And now, whats up with this guy?
Now that a guy who was so hell-bent on making fun of him a few minutes ago started sticking up for him, President Yun Yeong-Min felt a wee bit strange inside.
It was bizarre, sure, but also a bit surprising, too.
He wiped the end of his stinging nose.
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, I was merely trying to help you.... (Christopher McLaren)
Its nice that you wanna help, but why are you looking down on someone elses country in the process?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I never looked down on your country. (Christopher McLaren)
But, from what I heard, thats what you did? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No, never. Id never do that. (Christopher McLaren)
For real? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Of course. Not just me, but there should be absolutely no one whod look down on the country youre a part of, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Then, why are you threatening the President of another country?? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for emotions welling up*
Yun Yeong-Min wiped away the liquid quickly welling up in his eyes.
Thats right!
Do you know how aggrieved I was? (Presidents inner monologue)
This whole thing felt as if he was an elementary school kid being bullied by a bunch of middle school kids in the yground, only for his dad to rush over from the distance.
Yes! Yesss! p him some more!!
My grudge wont be satisfied by merely that much! (Presidents inner monologue)
Even if the dude is soft and indecisive! Havent done anything worthy of note yet! Even if I cant understand how he got elected as the President!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Now that I heard those words, dont they sound a bit.... weird?
Hes siding with me right now, right?
Hes not kicking me down, right? (Presidents inner monologue)
Even if hes like that, hes the President of this nation, so the people of his nation should be kicking him down! Tell me, will you feel nice or bad if foreigners did that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C But, Ive not kicked him down.... (Christopher McLaren)
Of course I understand that youll get frustrated out of your mind when talking to this dude! I really do! But! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I wasnt like that, though.... (Christopher McLaren)
Despite all that, hes the President this countrys people voted for, so an outsider like you shouldnt be like that! You get what Im saying?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes, I hear you loud and clear. (Christopher McLaren)
Tsk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk put the receiver down.
Someone, take this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you were on speaker this whole time? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
................
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood around looking a bit sheepish, prompting Jeong Hae-Min to sneak closer to take the receiver and ce it back on the phone.
Its fine, its fine. Lets head over there. (Jeong Hae-Min)
N-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The despondent Yi Ji-Hyuk was guided by Jeong Hae-Min towards the corner of the couch. He settled down as she gently pat him on the back.
Ahjussi, something warm for him, please. (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....Yes. (Chief Secretary)
Having been downgraded to an ahjussi in an instant, the Chief Secretary suddenly kicked the secretarys leg next to him standing around nonplussed until then.
Get a move on already! (Chief Secretary)
Y-yes sir! (secretary)
The secretary rushed out of the office, and the Chief Secretary sighed under his breath.
C Eh.... so.... (Christopher McLaren)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Whats going to happen with the promised support? Seriously, every second counts, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Christopher McLaren)
H-mm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head and shifted his gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Well go and help you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C The important thing is when. (Christopher McLaren)
Mister McLaren. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C I thought I said its fine with Christopher.
Very well, Chris. We will be sending help your way. We arent idiots who dont understand that South Korea will be negatively affected if something bad happens to the United States. However, wed like to resolve the issue of the how and the process of it ourselves first. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C I understand. But, the situation is truly urgent, so I ask you to send help ASAP. Ill do whatever is in my power to reciprocate the help provided. (Christopher McLaren)
Understood. Well, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended the call and looked Yun Yeong-Min next.
Mister President. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thetter flinched and looked back at the former.
W-whats the matter? (President)
We dont have much time. We need a speedy resolution, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pulled out some documents and pushed them forward.
What are these? (President)
These are demands that have been prepared in advance. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, when did you? (President)
I thought that a situation like this one might ur, so I had them drawn up just in case. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul....... (President)
Yun Yeong-Min began scanning Choi Jeong-Hoon from top to bottom in surprised eyes.
He hadnt even bugged this office, yet he had such documents prepared in advance? Did that mean he foresaw the events taking ce somehow?
Hes no ordinary man. (President)
Choi Jeong-Hoon, Choi Jeong-Hoon....
He heard that name quite a few times in recent times, but to think, hed be on this level.
Those two didnt n this ahead of time, did they? (President)
If they had nned for Yi Ji-Hyuk toe and cause a scene of this magnitude, then it made sense for the documents to be drawn up ahead of time. However, if that was true, then shouldnt the ability to exactly recreate the predicted turn of events be seen as just as incredible?
Whatever the case might have been, it was still an incredible feat.
Groan.... (President)
Yun Yeong-Min powerlessly scanned the documents.
Even though it was only a phone callter, the situation had changed a lot since then.
Christopher McLaren didnt withdraw his support of Yi Ji-Hyuk, and right up until thest moment, he made clear his backing of thetter. So, as far as the current situation was concerned, it was the same thing as Yi Ji-Hyuk riding on the back of the whale called the United States of America.
Although he helped out Yun Yeong-Min earlier, he was actually stopping the American from pressuring the Korean President, and not the man holding that office.
If the middle ground called America was removed from the equation, then Yi Ji-Hyuk and Yun Yeong-Min would end up in a problematic situation again.
And the formers proxy just so happened to be none other than Choi Jeong-Hoon.
To sum it all up, Choi Jeong-Hoon was being supported by the two very powerful factions called Yi Ji-Hyuk and the U.S.A as he stood before Yun Yeong-Min right now.
These terms are a bit.... (President)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, hang on. These terms are.... (President)
What were you saying, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Euh..... (President)
Yun Yeong-Min gritted his teeth.
You son of a b*tch.
Y-you, how long do you think you can keep this up, acting so imperious and untouchable?? (President)
Yun Yeong-Mins final hurrah was met with a calm, unflustered counter from Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Well, sir. Im sure itllst longer than your tenure at the office. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Grooooan.... (President)
Yun Yeong-Min shot up from his seat.
Chief Secretary! (President)
Sir. (Chief Secretary)
Adjust the deal ordingly and sign it. (President)
Will that be fine, sir? (Chief Secretary)
Im leaving first! (President)
Sir. (Chief Secretary)
Yun Yeong-Min left the office with a reddened face. The Chief Secretary then settled on the opposite side to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Mm...
Thetter also sat upright, which was different from when he was dealing with Yun Yeong-Min. It was only natural that one doing the actual work would recognise the other.
Choi Jeong-Hoon had tensed up after sensing a pretty tough force emanating from the other party.
Youve put on a pretty entertaining show. (Chief Secretary)
Thank you for yourpliment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its fine for a young man to have some tenacity, but you overdid it today. Indeed, its wonderful to have a stronger backer. However, do you think that backer will protect you forever? A kite with its string cut is bound to fall into the gutters. (Chief Secretary)
M-mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon let out a weighty moan.
However, a kite only exists to go higher, isnt it, sir? Even if its string will get cut someday, it still needs to climb as high as it can. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats a good way of looking at things. Still, itd be prudent to remember that higher a kite climbs, the more painful itll get when it falls back to the ground. (Chief Secretary)
Thank you for your advice. But.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But? (Chief Secretary)
I believe that advice suits you more appropriately, Chief Secretary-nim. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Haha.... (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretary spat out a sigh.
He was right when one thought about it.
Well, by casting his lot with Yun Yeong-Min, his own future was pretty easy to see.
Indeed. That wasnt something a man on his way down should say to a man on going up. (Chief Secretary)
He swallowed back his bitter heart and picked up his pen.
Where should I sign, then? (Chief Secretary)
Will it be fine not to peruse them? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the end, politics has its limits. Youd get med one way or the other, anyway. Being criticised after making it easier for you to move about is for our nations benefit, surely. (Chief Secretary)
Mm....
Choi Jeong-Hoon showed the Chief Secretary the dotted lines to sign. Thetter wrote down the name of the President and stamped the Presidential seal.
Is that all? (Chief Secretary)
Thank you for your cooperation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, then. Do hurry and head out soon. If the American President ends up dead because you were busy tussling with the Korean politicians then wed all be recorded in the annals of history as a bunch of morons. Thats not something I can ept. (Chief Secretary)
Yes, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon looked over at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
It seems that things are more or less sorted on this side. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, not yet. Theres still one thing left. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from his spot and shifted his gaze.
Government ministers holding their breaths until then all flinched rather grandly when his gazended on them.
Stop phoning us. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
His phone? Ill be carrying it around. Every time someone calls, Imma personally go over there and ask for the reason for the phone call, so you better think real carefully before making that call, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-that wont happen.
Well see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Complexions of the ministers got poorer by the second.
Unfortunately, they all witnessed how Yi Ji-Hyuk treated Yun Yeong-Min just now, so none of them could express their dissatisfaction.
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He and Choi Jeong-Hoon stood up, prompting Seo Ah-Young and Jeong Hae-Min to stand next to them. (TL: LOL? Since when did Seo Ah-Younge here, too?)
Eut-cha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand to open up a Gate and entered it. Others lowered their heads once as their goodbyes and entered the dark portal, as well.
Once they were gone, lengthy sighs escaped from the lips of the ministers present.
What an arrogant, haughty fellow!
Youre so right.
I know they are important people, but is it fine to let them do whatever they want like that?
We need to take drastic measures, I say!
The Defence Minister clicked his tongue.
Why didnt you say that in front of them, then? (Defence Minister)
What was that?
If you cant say it to their faces, then lets not badmouth them in the back, shall we? Youre all being disgraceful! (Defence Minister)
You!
Lets stop there, gentlemen. (Chief Secretary)
The atmosphere became too heated and the Chief Secretary stepped forward to restore the calmness.
Its the same story for you, too! Why didnt you read that before signing it?? Why?
The Chief Secretary rubbed his rapidly-blurring vision. Yup, no wonder he was getting fatigued since he had to work with people like these.
There was no way to resist, sirs. It was either sign quickly or waste time before signing in the end. (Chief Secretary)
But how can something like that be true?!
In that case, why didnt you say something!? (Chief Secretary)
This guy!
And also! (Chief Secretary)
The voices grew louder once more, but the Chief Secretary simply stomped the floor harder.
Dont forget, they can alwayse back anytime. Please behave yourselves ordingly so that you dont get on his nerves. (Chief Secretary)
Groan....
Only then did the Ministers shut their mouths up.
Well, then. (Chief Secretary)
As he was leaving the Presidential office, the Chief Secretary squeezed his eyes shut.
The bnce has tilted. (Chief Secretary)
It could be nothing to worry about.
Well, todays event was nothing more than Yi Ji-Hyuk intruding on the Presidential Office to throw a bit of tantrum, that was all.
Indeed, one could justbel todays incident as just a simple happening.
However, the true implication behind this incident was that the taut bnce maintained between Yi Ji-Hyuk and the government had tilted towards the formers favour quite rapidly.
In a situation where even the President threw his hands up in defeat, whod be able to control Yi Ji-Hyuk now?
Choi Jeong-Hoon, was it? (Chief Secretary)
The sole ray of hopeid with the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk paid attention to that man, and pretended to at least listen to that mans rmendations.
Not just as some simple observer or adviser, but he was also acting as a sort of handler, as well.
The Chief Secretary did receive a report mentioning this, but since Yi Ji-Hyuk logically had no real reason to listen to Choi Jeong-Hoon, he had dismissed this crucial fact until now.
But he had be the sole hope remaining for this government.
Looks like Ill have to have a serious chat with him soon. (Chief Secretary)
He didnt think that conciliation would be possible at this juncture. Even from his perspective, maintaining a friendly rtionship with Yi Ji-Hyuk had more potential benefitspared to being loyal to the country, after all.
Still, there was definitely value in maintaining a line ofmunication with someone reasonable in Yi Ji-Hyuks circle of acquaintances.
Im tired. (Chief Secretary)
The Chief Secretaryboriously settled down on his own chair.
*
You know, that ahjussi. Wasnt he an okay dude? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you talking about the Chief Secretary? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. That Defence Minister also seems to have some backbone and knows where to draw the bottom line, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That did look that way. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But then, how did that President ahjussi get elected? Looks like it happened while I was not here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, it was a turbulent time back then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With a dude like that in that position, it must be really tough for everyone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What can we do. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How old is the Defence Minister ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His age? Why do you ask? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Cant he like be the President, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I was just kidding. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When you say it, it doesnt sound like a joke, you fool! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
In any case. Now that weve decided to go, lets hurry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christopher said that we should get ready for all possibilities before going there. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, then. Get started. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What, you mean me?
Why am I supposed to get ready as if its the most natural thing? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only repeatedly shout his thoughts inwardly as they werent allowed to be voiced in public.
< 259. Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 260: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (5)
Chapter 260: Uh? Does that mean I can leave, too? (5)
East Potomac Park.
Wuoong! Wuoong!!
Ability users from the NDF, fully kitted out in theirbat uniform, teleported into the wide-open field in the middle of East Potomac Park.
Euh, euh....
The sight of an American teleporter, dry-heaving with a sickly yellowplexion every time he transferred a person but then, teleporting back to South Korea, continued on over and over again.
D-Director, I cant no more....
No more what? (Christopher McLaren)
....Its nothing, sir.
Christopher McLarens hardened voice meant that the teleporter couldnt say anything, and thetter simply teleported back to South Korea.
Tsk, tsk. Young people nowadays.... (Christopher McLaren)
When I was fighting in Vietnam, I battled the Vietcong for four nights and five days straight without a wink of sleep yet didnt mutter a singleint!
Kids these daysck backbone! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren inwardly swore to himself that once this crisis came to an end, hed get these peoples mental state in the right shape right away.
The best way to do that was to send them for a special ss with that dude....
Seeing the NDF agents standing around so imposing like that, the American ability users came off asparably shabby now in his eyes.
Director. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I told you that its fine to call me Chris, Mister Choi. (Christopher McLaren)
It just doesnt roll off the tongue, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Itll be fine for you to get gradually used to it. In any case.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren scanned the surroundings and asked.
Where is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
He hasnt arrived yet. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Howe? (Christopher McLaren)
He says its super annoying so he will only show at the veryst second. Hes currently in our office, sipping on a cup of Iced Americano while watching anime. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Doesnt he have any sense of urgency? (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wryly smiled.
The only person capable of instilling a sense of urgency in Yi Ji-Hyuk was his mother. He was someone who didnt give a rats a*s in front of a nations president, so what could possibly make him feel urgency now?
Is it on the level of a demon king? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats what Ive felt. Im not an ability user, so I cant be 100% sure, but at least ording to my senses, its vibe is pretty simr to other demon kings. (Christopher McLaren)
....Its not like theres a factory churning out demon kings, so why are there so many of them? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats what I said! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens mood was buoyed after meeting someone who agreed with him in a long while. How wonderful was it that this young man thought the same as him?
Is that why he hasnt been feeling any urgency whatsoever? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk already knew that there were plenty of demon kings in existence, so itd not be strange for him to think of one crossing over without prior warning as pretty much a non-event.
Anyway, I heard that you actually went in there earlier? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I did. (Christopher McLaren)
But, you came out unscathed? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I didnte out unscathed but was allowed to leave. I was told to find Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Christopher McLaren)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed. (Christopher McLaren)
Hmm....
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression became withdrawn.
This wasnt such a surprising or strange situation.
The goal of all the demon kings invading Earth so far had been Yi Ji-Hyuk and not the conquest of the, after all. Their destructive actions and schemes were more like attempts to draw him out, rather than to destroy the world.
And this time, its pretty much spot-on. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Holding the American President hostage and demanding Yi Ji-Hyuk be dragged out here. What a perfect, and also utterly one-track-minded, n this was.
In that case, there shouldnt be anything to worry about until Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk shows up. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm. However, Ive been told that things will change if that person were to get bored, and I should use my imagination on what will happen if we waste any more time. (Christopher McLaren)
Use their imaginations?
Well, that is...
Looking back on what other Demon Kings did, then stuff like blowing up a city or starting a zombie crisis would be amon urrence.
D*mn it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the distant white walls of the White House and spat out a pained groan.
How goes the evacuation? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Citizens in the near vicinity are still being evacuated as we speak. Do you think its easy to move everyone out on such a short notice? Besides, this is Washington, not just any other city. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, youre right about that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Evacuating at least the ones in closest proximity took precedence.
And so, are your side finished with the preparations? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Weve mobilised everybat-ready personnel. (Christopher McLaren)
Thats a relief. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You dont need to be polite. I already know. They cant possibly be any help in a situation like this one. Itll be a relief if they can serve as meat shields at least. (Christopher McLaren)
.........
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt go out of his way to use nice-sounding words to cate the Americans feelings. Reality was cruel, after all.
Looks like things will get even tougher. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the future, you mean? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I was thinking the same thing. And that was why we requested your people to train ours, but.... (Christopher McLaren)
Things went sideways because of that d*mn fool.
I should decrease the food budget for Alcatrazter. (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Even as the two of them chatted, the NDF agents continued to arrive.
Most of them have crossed over, more or less. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan came over to make a report and Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
Seo Ah-Young was already engaged in maintaining order and discipline within the agents that were here.
What about Mister Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Still wasting time messing around. (Park Seong-Chan)
I know that you hold grudges against him, but birds listen during the day and rats hear you during the night. Dont forget. (Choi Jeong-Hoon) (TL: A Korean idiom. Simply means that walls have ears. I left as is, since they are in an open field and theres no wall nearby....)
Ill be careful. (Park Seong-Chan)
I understand how you feel. Yes, I really do, but..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Please calm down, Deputy Director. (Park Seong-Chan)
Ive shown you something unsightly. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon dry-coughed andposed his heart once more.
You understand what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a scary timing this was.
Choi Jeong-Hoon did his best to form a neutral expression on his face first after hearing that voiceing from his behind.
This moment would be crucial. He must speak as if nothing was wrong.
It wasnt anything important. Besides all that, youve finally arrived. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned and looked behind him.
Will America go down the toilet if Im a bitte?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
America wont, but didnt they say that the President might die?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even still!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Ng?
Jeong Hae-Min didnt say anything else and pushed something forward to him.
Whats this now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a burger. I ordered it ahead of time. Im sure youre feeling peckish by now. Right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, dig in. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched Yi Ji-Hyuk obediently unwrap the burger and start eating it, quickly hitting himself in the head.
There was such a thing! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that he thought about it, that dude.... when he first arrived back on Earth, he polished off three peoples worth of kimchi stew, didnt he?
And didnt Colonel Jeong In-Su use snacks to subdue Yi Ji-Hyuk, as well?
How could Choi Jeong-Hoon have forgotten about that until now?
Should he be faulted for forgetting it, or Jeong Hae-Min, who figured out that Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed such characteristics early enough to utilise it to her advantage, be praised for her resourcefulness, instead?
Chew, chew...
Is it good? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its really nice!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, wait. This picture, its kinda....
Isnt it like a mom taking care of her kid?
Something feels oddly off about this. Something.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Just as Choi Jeong-Hoon fell deeply into his thoughts, Christopher McLaren approached Yi Ji-Hyuk with a bright expression on his face.
Youvee! (Christopher McLaren)
Nod.
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply nodded his head, his mouth still busy performing the actions of pulverising, grinding, and swallowing.
Looks like you enjoy burgers a lot. I shouldve readied some beforehand. When youe next time, Ill make sure to have them ready for you. (Christopher McLaren)
You want me toe again next time, too?? I aint a crazy fool so next time, I.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Drink some C. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Gulp, gulp.
Christopher McLaren observed Yi Ji-Hyuk obediently sip on C and began whispering quietly in Choi Jeong-Hoons ear.
Who is thatdy? (Christopher McLaren)
Thats Miss Jeong Hae-Min, our own teleporter. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh? I thought she was Yi Ji-Hyuks handler? (Christopher McLaren)
...........
Suddenly, the eyes of Christopher McLaren looking at Jeong Hae-Min began sparkling rather dangerously.
Forget it, mister. That woman.... Shes not someone you can lure over to your side.
By the way....
Oh, dear Gah-Yun-ah.
Why are you wiping that fools mouth for him?!
You think hes a five-year-old kid or something??
When a grown-a*s man eats a hamburger while dripping cheese all over the ce, you are supposed to scold him over it, not clean it for his sake! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head in silent resignation.
Everyones acting strange.
Indeed, everyone has gone crazy. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Okay, so whats the situation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A female-type humanoid that I think is a demon king has taken our President hostage and is in the middle of a sit-in. (Christopher McLaren)
A sit-in, is it.... And her goal is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not sure.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren blurred the ends of his words for some reason. Right away, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit.
You dont know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes, something like that. (Christopher McLaren)
Taking hostages without a clear goal? And you dont know the reason why your President is being held hostage? Yet, you nagged me toe here as soon as possible? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that thing was.... (Christopher McLaren)
Something really stinks, you know? Ahjussi, are you hiding something from me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Like I told you earlier, Im unable to tell you. (Christopher McLaren)
H-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuks narrowed eyes red straight at Christopher McLaren.
Well, fine. I came here knowing, so Ill bite. However, you understand that Ill charge you extra for danger pay, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Christopher McLaren)
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt say anything else and produced some documents before pushing it forward at Christopher McLaren.
Please sign these papers. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Groan........ (Christopher McLaren)
The American didnt bother to look at the details and simply signed them.
Arent you going to read them? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if we start negotiating now, I know its not going to help in any shape or form. And if the President dies because we wasted more time trying to negotiate, then something pretty horrible will happen to uster. So, Ill ce my faith in you and hope that you wont demand anythingpletely unreasonable from us. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up looking into the trust-filled eyes of Christopher McLaren. He hesitated greatly before flipping through the documents.
....Ill remove two of the demands. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This son of a b*tch?!
Were you trying to y me for a sucker just now?
Wowsers. And they say you cant trust anyone under the sun! (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon resolutely avoided meeting the trembling eyes of Christopher McLaren. He used his pen to quickly draw two lines over a section of the documents and signed on it.
Well, then. With this, the terms are now set.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Why dont we talk a bitter, Mister Choi? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, lets do that, Chris. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yeah, Im a Chris only in times like this! Only now!
So, like, all I have to do is to kill the fool staying inside that building? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The President must not be harmed in any way. (Christopher McLaren)
But, an old geezer like that dying wouldnt cause much of an issue, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its symbolic. Symbolic. (Christopher McLaren)
H-mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk studied the White House in with dissatisfaction before asking another question.
What about the building itself? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although Id like it to be preserved, I know that wont be easy. Do what you feel like. (Christopher McLaren)
Got it. However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Is there anyone else besides our people in this ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean? (Christopher McLaren)
Its like, there are others here besides the ability users? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Folks from the Department of Defense are here, actually. We simply had to get assistance from the military, after all. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm. As abat force, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, they arent. They are just observing the unfolding situation inside the building. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk found something strange and asked again.
In that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Christopher McLaren)
Who are they, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed in a certain direction. And there was a group of people directly in line to the window of the Presidential office.
Huh?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren gasped out in sheer fluster. But, he hadnt been informed of such a thing yet?
N-no, it cant be! (Christopher McLaren)
Those insane b*stards!
And I told them not to do something rash so many times!! (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Hey, arent they snipers? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Snipers..... (Christopher McLaren)
Did they really think that sniping into the Presidents personal office was even remotely possible? Those sses were no ordinary items, for crying out loud!
If such a thing was possible, then this building shouldnt even be called the White House!!
Looks like they are about to fire? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no! Stop them!! (Christopher McLaren)
m!!
Unfortunately, a loud gunshot rang out well before Christopher McLarens voice could reach anyone.
And a short whileter...
An eerie silence descended on the surroundings.
..............
Christopher McLaren stood there, his jaw on the floor in utter speechless stupefaction.
No.
No, it cant be. (Christopher McLaren)
Wow, that ss must be really good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Could Yi Ji-Hyuk actually see what was going on that far?
D-did the bullet get stuck in the window? (Christopher McLaren)
Nope. Just a round little hole where the bullet went through. It didnt even shatter, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Those motherf*cking sons of b*tches. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren was about to lose his mind from pure rage at that moment.
Just what the hell was this?
M-mm, by the way. Ahjussi.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Christopher McLaren)
That geezer, the President or whatever... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Christopher McLaren)
I dont think I can save him anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What do you mean by that? (Christopher McLaren)
Look. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Guoh-ohohohooooh!!
Right then, jet-ck demonic energy bubbled out from the gaps of doors and windows of the White House like toxic clouds.
Ah.... (Christopher McLaren)
Yup, down the toilet, for sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I can already tell without you reminding me, you fool!
< 260. Huh? Does that mean I can leave, too? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 261: Didn’t you miss me? (1)
Chapter 261: Didnt you miss me? (1)
Whee~yu. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield wolf-whistled as he stared at a certain woman through his rifles scope.
That aint no joke, my man. (Rumbfield)
What is? (Bradley)
Thats what you call a killer figure. (Rumbfield)
Hey, you dumba*s. (Bradley)
His spotter, Bradley, flipped him a bird through the scope.
Hey, dont block the scope, man. (Rumbfield)
Why arent you tense, dude? (Bradley)
Tense? My a*s. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield was overflowing with confidence right now.
The heavy antirge-creature sniper rifle held in his hands made his heart flutter wildly. This specially-designed and crafted rifle boasted the attack power on another dimensionpared to other sniper rifles he had been handling until now.
How shocked was he after test-firing this baby earlier?
He almost nked out after realising that this small weapon could possess such destructive power.
You gotta get it right, dude. (Bradley)
Of course. (Rumbfield)
However, Rumbfield was still yapping on non-stop, which was a sure sign of him being jittery as hell.
Through experience, he already knew that his mind wouldnt settle down in these sorts of situations just because he told himself to shut up and be steady.
He was acknowledged to be the best among all the countless snipers in the States, and that was what got him this far. He was proud of that fact, too. Still, there was nothing he could do about getting tense in the current situation.
Its a bit weird thinking that the very first thing this baby will fire at is that woman over there, though. (Rumbfield)
But, shes supposed to be an ability user. (Bradley)
Are ability users bullet-resistant or something? I mean, do we really need to use a gun like this? Its not as if were that far away either. (Rumbfield)
C Was the briefing not enough for you? (Chief of Staff)
No sir. Im sorry. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield froze up and quickly replied.
Even though the on-site judgement of the situation was left up to his discretion once the mission was underway, there was no freaking way that the current situation was anything but simple when the Armys Chief of Staff was in direct radio contact with him.
His back muscles seemed to be stretching tight.
C Its good that youre trying to stay loose, but this is one mission you must seed no matter what, so dont be too careless. (Chief of Staff)
Understood, sir. (Rumbfield)
C This matter is of utmost importance. Because its a great opportunity to put those ability users and Christopher McLaren doing whatever the hell they want in their rightful ces. Its now up to you to show these punks that we havent been sucking on our thumbs doing nothing until now. Lets ring some warning bells in their heads. You feel me? (Chief of Staff)
Yes, sir. Of course, sir. (Rumbfield)
C Very good. Then, get ready. (Chief of Staff)
Rumbfield didnt say anything else and grasped the rifle tightly.
This, just how does this baby work, anyway? (Rumbfield)
A sniper knowing his weapon inside-out was a must. The problem was, this particr rifle couldnt be disassembled, and it had been barely three hours since he got his hands on it.
He simply didnt have enough time to understand everything about this gun. The time on hand was just barely enough to set his aim and get familiarised with the handling of the weapon.
His only constion would be that the gun fitted him like a glove and he was able to at least get used to it.
Before cing his eye behind the scope, he licked the tip of his finger and raised up in the air.
Still being old school and all. Is the monitor for a show? (Bradley)
Leave me alone. This suits me better. (Rumbfield)
The device and the monitor allowing him to determine the wind direction and speed plus the distance to his target were installed right next to him, but Rumbfield trusted his own methods more.
Sure, machines were indeed convenient, but hed end up missing more if he relied on them all the time.
His proof? Hispetitors who swore on those machines not being in this position right now.
He licked his lips slightly and ced his eye behind the scope.
The angle will change once the bullet enters the ss. (Bradley)
Bradley, let me be, alright? Im not a kindergartener. Weve gone through countless simtions of simr situations and even trained for it. The number of bullet-proof sses I broke in one hour should at least be around one hundred. (Rumbfield)
Eii, its not even close to a hundred. (Bradley)
He knew that his partner was just trying to remind him of the parts he might forget and at the same time, help him out of his jitters. But when the same thing repeated over and over again, it only raised his ire, instead.
I gotta calm down. (Rumbfield)
The fact that he was getting this agitated could only mean that he was really feeling nervous right now. Such nervousness quickened his heart rate, and that also increased the rate of blood flow.
For a sniper who needed to stay still like a rock and eliminate any and all shaking of his body, nervousness was thest thing he needed.
Rumbfield took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again. He focused his mind through the scope and saw the woman lying on the couch across the ss.
D*mn it. I must kill a woman like that? (Rumbfield)
Itd be such a loss for the rest of humanity, though.
Thats a monster, man. Dont get fooled by it. (Bradley)
I know. I know, yet.... (Rumbfield)
Even then, Bradley thought that a monster like that shouldnt be too bad. (TL: Thats weird, shouldnt this be Rumfield? Did the author make a mistake with the names?)
C Are you ready? (Chief of Staff)
Sir, yes sir. (Rumbfield)
C Christopher McLaren is making a move. That d*mn monster hase, too. We dont have time to wait any longer. (Chief of Staff)
Were prepared to execute at any time, sir. (Rumbfield)
C Good, then. Commence with the mission. No mistake. End it. (Chief of Staff)
Roger that. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield sucked in another deep breath.
He felt Bradley sneak away in order to not get in his way. And at the same time, all five of his senses seemed to stretch tautly.
Have a nice trip to heaven. (Rumbfield)
He may not know how the gun worked, but still, there was no denying the fact that a truly outstanding rifle was currently sitting in his hands.
ording to what he heard, this weapon didnt use any gunpowder but some kind of electromaism instead, but that wasnt something he should concern himself with.
No, what he should be concerned with was the fact that a shot fired from this rifle could even bore straight through the high-performance bullet-proof ss installed on the White Houses windows.
Bye bye, babe. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield held his breath.
He waited for his bodys shaking to stop and sensed the direction of the wind.
And then....
BLAM!!
A single clean shot.
His bullet prated the Oval Offices ss and urately struck the head of the woman lying on the couch.
Targets been hit. I repeat, the targets been hit. (Rumbfield)
Not even an elephant wouldve survived as long as it was urately shot in the head. Rumbfield lifted his eye away from behind the scope and released his deeply-held breath.
Seeing how wet his hands were, he mustve been really tense for sure.
You did it. As expected of you! (Bradley)
It was nothing much. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield put on some airs as he distanced his shoulder away from the rifles butt stock. Thick strands of sweat rolled down his forehead, but Bradley chose not to point that out.
In any case, they sessfully pulled the mission off, didnt they?
C Whats the sitrep? (Chief of Staff)
Its been taken care of, sir. (Rumbfield)
C Did you confirm it? (Chief of Staff)
Yes, sir. Ive confirmed the bullet hitting the womans head. (Rumbfield)
C Did you actually confirm the woman dying, then? (Chief of Staff)
Of cou.... (Rumbfield)
Rumfield didnt finish his words.
He didnt think there would be a problem by not doing that, but still, the report he was making needed to be certain.
C Confirm it right now!! Right now!! (Chief of Staff)
Why is he being so overly dramatic like this? (Rumbfield)
Even if she was an ability user, there was no way shed survive after being shot in the head with a sniper rifle capable of prating a concrete wall one metre thick.
Wasnt this logically an impossibility?
Chief? (Rumbfield)
C Hurry!! (Chief of Staff)
Rumbfield heard the urgent voiceing from other side of the radio and tilted his head, before picking up the rifle again. Since he was some distance away, he needed to use the scope to make his confirmation.
However, once he did, his eyes began trembling non-stop.
Uh..... (Rumbfield)
The Oval Office. The big window situated right behind the Presidential desk. That woman was standing there, looking right back at him.
Uh? Uh?? (Rumbfield)
Something like that couldnt be possible.
He definitely saw the bullet cleanly hit her head with his own two eyes, so....
Euh, euh.... (Rumbfield)
What was even more terrifying was that....
....That woman was staring straight at him.
From where she was, Rumbfield should be smaller than an ant in her view!
B-but, how?! (Rumbfield)
Right then...
Wuoonng.....
Pitch-ck smoke suddenly filled up the office beyond the ss.
*
Christopher McLaren yanked his phone out and dialled a number. The moment the call connected, he began roaring in pure rage.
Hey, you stupid son of a b*tch!! Didnt I tell you to keep a lid on those stupid motherf*ckers?! (Christopher McLaren)
C S-sir, I definitely conveyed the message. (adjutant)
Conveyed what?? You think its over because you conveyed some d*mn message?? Find out which dumb as*hole was responsible, and drag that b*stard right in front of my face, now! If you dont want to lose your own head, too!! (Christopher McLaren)
C Ill get right on it, sir!! (adjutant)
F*ck!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren threw the phone down on the ground.
....But, that looked kinda expensive.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He heard a snarkymenting from his side, but for the time being, he decided to ignore Yi Ji-Hyuks words.
If he humoured the Korean youths glib tongue in his current mood, forget about wanting to rip his heart out, he might as well go for a nuclear strike instead!
Find out whats going on! Hurry! Get some eyes in there, and build me amand centre here, right now! (Christopher McLaren)
Sir!!
Others working for him sensed their bosss gloomy mood and began hurriedly doing their jobs. Severalputer monitors were brought in, and a big tent was erected where he stood afterwards.
Ohh, now thats super quick. Did they practice it or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Why didnt this guys mouthe with a mute button?
And why didnt this as*holes braine equipped with an ability to read the atmosphere?!
A man should read the moods before throwing around annoyingments! (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
To think that hed so diligently stick to his identity like this. Christopher McLaren was almost at the point of respecting the youth.
Here, sir!
The monitors came to life and the Oval Office as shot from within appeared on them.
Groan....
Unfortunately, the interior was filled with jet-ck smoke-like demonic energy and it was impossible to figure out what was going on inside.
If only we could confirm the Presidents safety somehow. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens head faltered as a look of despair clouded his face.
Who was it?! Which f*cker was it?! (Christopher McLaren)
He could make an educated guess.
Most likely, the Department of Defense wanting to achieve a meritorious deed before he made his move was behind this OTT tactic. He figured that it was time those fools started doing something monumentally stupid, so he told his adjutant to keep a lid on those idiots, yet....
That d*mn stinking Secretary of Defence! (Christopher McLaren)
It wasnt as if Christopher McLaren started off as a man in charge of ability users. He too had been a part of that world once upon a time. But to think, theyd try to stab him in the back like this.
His teeth began gritting all by themselves, but now wasnt the time to rake them over the coals. If he managed to resolve this situation, then hed have more than ample enough time to do exactly thatter!
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Christopher McLaren)
....Well, this, the storys a bit different, isnt it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the White House with a pouting expression.
The demonic aura leaking out from there felt rather ominously suspicious to him.
Doesnt seem to be any ol regr demon king, does it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since it did cross over to this world, he needed to kill it somehow, but the density of the demonic aura was nothing to scoff at all.
Just looking at the dark Mana good enough to call one of the purest hed ever seen pumping out continuously in such a ridiculous amount, made him frown deeply in apprehension.
The P-President is in danger. (Christopher McLaren)
Eh....
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Can I go in after ten minutes or so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why?? (Christopher McLaren)
You see, now normally, that type of demonic aura is enough topletely melt down a regr person and not leave behind any bones in ten minutes without doing anything, really. So, you could just treat him as MIA.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uwaaaah!! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuuuuk?! (Christopher McLaren)
I-I got it. Im going in, alright? Im going in! So stop crying! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grumbled unhappily and walked out from the tent.
You going now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Want me to go with you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Jeong Hae-Min with sulky eyes, before shaking his head.
Nope. It looks dangerous, so Ill be heading in alone for now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, isnt it better being with everyone else? If things be a bit tough, we can just teleport outta there, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Shes right. Lets go together. (Seo Ah-Young)
I think the same, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jeong-Hoon agreed as well, and Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head while looking still unconvinced somewhat.
Well, in that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Others began following him after he decided not to stop them.
Do these people carry extra spare lives or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They had already experienced what demon kings were like, yet why were they confidently stepping forward like this? Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan and began walking towards the White House.
By the way....
Why.... am I feeling anxious ever since a while ago?
Ng?
What is this continuous creeping chill down my back? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the White House with a weirded-out expression.
Theres definitely something in there....
Eiii, who cares about whats inside, anyway??
Yi Ji-Hyuk decisively took a step forward.
< 261. Didnt you miss me? -1 > Fin.
. (Rumfield)
Rumbfield wolf-whistled as he stared at a certain woman through his rifles scope.
That aint no joke, my man. (Rumbfield)
What is? (Bradley)
Thats what you call a killer figure. (Rumbfield)
Hey, you dumba*s. (Bradley)
His spotter, Bradley, flipped him a bird through the scope.
Hey, dont block the scope, man. (Rumbfield)
Why arent you tense, dude? (Bradley)
Tense? My a*s. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield was overflowing with confidence right now.
The heavy antirge-creature sniper rifle held in his hands made his heart flutter wildly. This specially-designed and crafted rifle boasted the attack power on another dimensionpared to other sniper rifles he had been handling until now.
How shocked was he after test-firing this baby earlier?
His head almost nked out after realising that a small weapon could possess such destructive power.
You gotta get it right, dude. (Bradley)
Of course. (Rumbfield)
However, Rumbfield was still yapping on non-stop, which was a sure sign of him being jittery as hell.
Through experience, he already knew that his mind wouldnt settle down in these sorts of situations just because he told himself to shut up and be steady.
He was acknowledged to be the best among all the countless snipers in the States, and that was what got him this far. He was proud of that fact, too. Still, there was nothing he could do about getting tense in the current situation.
Its a bit weird thinking that the very first thing this baby will fire at is that woman over there, though. (Rumbfield)
But, shes supposed to be an ability user. (Bradley)
Are ability users bullet-resistant or something? I mean, do we really need to use a gun like this? Its not as if were that far away either. (Rumbfield)
C Was the briefing not enough for you? (Chief of Staff)
No sir. Im sorry. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield froze up and quickly replied.
Even though the on-field judgement of the situation was left up to his discretion once the mission went underway, there was no freaking way that the current situation was anything but simple when the Armys Chief of Staff was in a direct radio contact with him.
His back muscles seemed to be stretching tight.
C Its good that youre trying to stay loose, but this is one mission you must seed no matter what, so dont be too careless. (Chief of Staff)
Understood, sir. (Rumbfield)
C This matter is of utmost importance. Because, its a great opportunity to put those ability users and Christopher McLaren doing whatever the hell they want in their rightful ces. Its now up to you to show these punks that we havent been sucking on our thumbs doing nothing until now. Lets ring some warning bells in their heads. You feel me? (Chief of Staff)
Yes, sir. Of course, sir. (Rumbfield)
C Very good. Then, get ready. (Chief of Staff)
Rumbfield didnt say anything else and grasped the rifle tightly.
This, just how does this baby work, anyway? (Rumbfield)
A sniper knowing his weapon inside-out was a must. The problem was, this particr rifle couldnt be disassembled, and it had been barely three hours since he got his hands on it.
He simply didnt have enough time to understand everything about this gun. The time on hand was just barely enough to set his aim and get familiarised with handling of the weapon.
His only constion would be that the gun fitted him like glove and he was able to at least get used to it.
Before cing his eye behind the scope, he licked the tip of his finger and raised up in the air.
Still being old school and all. Is the monitor for a show? (Bradley)
Leave me alone. This suits me better. (Rumbfield)
The device and the monitor allowing him to measure the wind direction and speed to his target were installed right next to him, but Rumbfield trusted his own methods more.
Sure, machines were indeed convenient, but hed end up missing more if he relied on them all the time.
His proof? Hispetitors who swore on those machines not being in this position right now.
He licked his lips slightly and ced his eye behind the scope.
The angle will change once the bullet enters the ss. (Bradley)
Bradley, let me be, alright? Im not a kindergartener. Weve gone through countless simtions of simr situations, and even trained for it. The number of bullet-proof sses I broke in one hour should at least be around one hundred. (Rumbfield)
Eii, its not even close to a hundred. (Bradley)
He knew that his partner was just trying to remind him of the parts he might forget and at the same time, help him out of his jitters. But when the same thing repeated over and over again, it only raised his ire, instead.
I gotta calm down. (Rumbfield)
The fact that he was getting this agitated could only mean that he was really feeling nervous right now. Such nervousness quickened his heart rate, and that also increased the rate of blood flow.
For a sniper who needed to stay still like a rock and eliminate any and all shaking of his body, nervousness was thest thing he needed.
Rumbfield took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again. He focused his mind through the scope and saw the woman lying on the couch across the ss.
D*mn it. I must kill a woman like that? (Rumbfield)
Itd be such a loss to the rest of humanity, though.
Thats a monster, man. Dont get blinded by it. (Bradley)
I know. I know, yet.... (Rumbfield)
Even then, Bradley thought that a monster like that shouldnt be too bad. (TL: Thats weird, shouldnt this be Rumfield? Did the author make a mistake with the names?)
C Are you ready? (Chief of Staff)
Sir, yes sir. (Rumbfield)
C Christopher McLaren is making a move. That d*mn monster hase, too. We dont have time to wait any longer. (Chief of Staff)
Were prepared to execute at any time, sir. (Rumbfield)
C Good, then. Commence with the mission. No mistake. End it. (Chief of Staff)
Roger that. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield sucked in another deep breath.
He felt Bradley sneak away in order to not get in his way. And at the same time, all five of his senses seemed to stretch tautly.
Have a nice trip to heaven. (Rumbfield)
He may not know how the gun worked, but still, there was no denying the fact that a truly outstanding rifle was currently sitting in his hands.
ording to what he heard, this weapon didnt use any gunpowder but some kind of electromaism instead, but that wasnt something he should concern himself with.
No, what he should be concerned with was the fact that a shot fired from this rifle could even bore straight through the high-performance bullet-proof ss installed on the White Houses windows.
Bye bye, babe. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield held his breath.
He waited for his bodys shaking to stop, and sensed the direction of the wind.
And then....
BLAM!!
A single clean shot.
His bullet prated the Oval Offices ss and urately struck the head of the woman lying on the couch.
Targets been hit. I repeat, the targets been hit. (Rumbfield)
Not even an elephant would survive as long as it was urately shot in the head. Rumbfield lifted his eye away from behind the scope and released his deeply-held breath.
Seeing how wet his hands were, he mustve been really tense for sure.
You did it. As expected of you! (Bradley)
It was nothing much. (Rumbfield)
Rumbfield put on some airs as he distanced his shoulder away from the rifles butt stock. Thick strands of sweat rolled down his forehead, but Bradley chose not to point that out.
In any case, they sessfully pulled the mission off, didnt they?
C Whats the sitrep? (Chief of Staff)
Its been taken care of, sir. (Rumbfield)
C Did you confirm it? (Chief of Staff)
Yes, sir. Ive confirmed the bullet hitting the womans head. (Rumbfield)
C Did you actually confirm the woman dying, then? (Chief of Staff)
Of cou.... (Rumbfield)
Rumfield didnt finish his words.
He didnt think there would be a problem by not doing that, but still, the report he was making needed to be certain.
C Confirm it right now!! Right now!! (Chief of Staff)
Why is he being so overly dramatic like this? (Rumbfield)
Even if she was an ability user, there was no way shed survive after being shot in the head with a sniper rifle capable of prating a concrete wall one metre thick.
Wasnt this logically an impossibility?
Chief? (Rumbfield)
C Hurry!! (Chief of Staff)
Rumbfield heard the urgent voiceing from other side of the radio and tilted his head, before picking up the rifle again. Since he was at some distance away, he needed to use the scope to make his confirmation.
However, once he did, his eyes began trembling non-stop.
Uh..... (Rumbfield)
The Oval Office. The big window situated right behind the Presidential desk. That woman was standing there, looking right back at him.
Uh? Uh?? (Rumbfield)
Something like that couldnt be possible.
He definitely saw the bullet cleanly hit her head with his own two eyes, so....
Euh, euh.... (Rumbfield)
What was even more terrifying was that....
....That woman was staring straight at him.
From where she was, Rumfield should be smaller than an ant in her view!
B-but, how?! (Rumbfield)
Right then...
Wuoonng.....
Pitch-ck smoke suddenly filled up the office beyond the ss.
*
Christopher McLaren yanked his phone out and dialled a number. The moment the call connected, he began roaring in pure rage.
Hey, you stupid son of a b*tch!! Didnt I tell you to keep a lid on those stupid motherf*ckers?! (Christopher McLaren)
C S-sir, I definitely conveyed the message. (adjutant)
Conveyed what?? You think its over because you conveyed some d*mn message?? Find out which dumb as*hole was responsible, and drag that b*stard right in front of my face, now! If you dont want to lose your own head, too!! (Christopher McLaren)
C Ill get right on it, sir!! (adjutant)
F*ck!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren threw the phone down on the ground.
....But, that looked kinda expensive.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He heard a snarkymenting from his side, but for the time being, he decided to ignore Yi Ji-Hyuks words.
If he humoured the Korean youths glib tongue in his current mood, forget about wanting to rip his heart out, he might as well go for a nuclear strike instead!
Find out whats going on! Hurry! Get some eyes in there, and build me amand centre here, right now! (Christopher McLaren)
Sir!!
Others working for him sensed their bosss gloomy mood and began hurriedly doing their jobs. Severalputer monitors were brought in, and a big tent was erected where he stood afterwards.
Ohh, now thats super quick. Did they practice it or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Why didnt this guys mouthe with a mute button?
And why didnt this as*holes braine equipped with an ability to read the atmosphere?!
A man should read the moods before throwing around annoyingments! (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
To think that hed so diligently stick to his identity like this. Christopher McLaren was almost at the point of respecting the youth.
Here, sir!
The monitors came to life and the Oval Office as shot from within appeared on them.
Groan....
Unfortunately, the interior was filled with jet-ck smoke-like demonic energy and it was impossible to figure out what was going on inside.
If only we could confirm the Presidents safety somehow. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens head faltered as a look of despair clouded his face.
Who was it?! Which f*cker was it?! (Christopher McLaren)
He could make an educated guess.
Most likely, the Department of Defense wanting to achieve a meritorious deed before he made his move was behind this OTT tactic. He figured that it was time those fools started doing something monumentally stupid, so he told his adjutant to keep a lid on those idiots, yet....
That d*mn stinking Secretary of Defence! (Christopher McLaren)
It wasnt as if Christopher McLaren started off as a man in charge of ability users. He too had been a part of that world once upon a time. But to think, theyd try to stab him in the back like this.
His teeth began gritting all by themselves, but now wasnt the time to rake them over the coals. If he managed to resolve this situation, then hed have more than ample enough time to do exactly thatter!
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Christopher McLaren)
....Well, this, the storys a bit different, isnt it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the White House with a pouting expression.
The demonic aura leaking out from there felt rather ominously suspicious to him.
Doesnt seem to be any ol regr demon king, does it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since it did cross over to this world, he needed to kill it somehow, but the density of the demonic aura was nothing to scoff at all.
Just looking at the dark Mana good enough to call one of the purest hed ever seen pumping out continuously in such a ridiculous amount, made him frown deeply in apprehension.
The P-President is in danger. (Christopher McLaren)
Eh....
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Can I go in after ten minutes or so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why?? (Christopher McLaren)
You see, now normally, that type of demonic aura is enough topletely melt down a regr person and not leave behind any bones in ten minutes without doing anything, really. So, you could just treat him as MIA.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uwaaaah!! Mister Yi Ji-Hyuuuuk?! (Christopher McLaren)
I-I got it. Im going in, alright? Im going in! So stop crying! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grumbled unhappily and walked out from the tent.
You going now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Want me to go with you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-mm....
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Jeong Hae-Min with sulky eyes, before shaking his head.
Nope. It looks dangerous, so Ill be heading in alone for now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, isnt it better being with everyone else? If things be a bit tough, we can just teleport outta there, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Shes right. Lets go together. (Seo Ah-Young)
I think the same, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young and Choi Jeong-Hoon agreed as well, and Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head while looking still unconvinced somewhat.
Well, in that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Others began following him after he decided to not to stop them.
Do these people carry extra spare lives or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They had already experienced what demon kings were like, yet why were they confidently stepping forward like this? Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan and began walking towards the White House.
By the way....
Why.... am I feeling anxious ever since a while ago?
Ng?
What is this continuous creeping chill down my back? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the White House with a weirded-out expression.
Theres definitely something in there....
Eiii, who cares about whats inside, anyway??
Yi Ji-Hyuk decisively took a step forward.
< 261. Didnt you miss me? -1 > Fin.
(TL: LOL, sorry about this. No fated encounter yet, it seems! Right, next chapter, then!)
Chapter 262: Didn’t you miss me? (2)
Chapter 262: Didnt you miss me? (2)
Only the small numbers will go? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren quickly sidled up to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Actually, I wouldnt have minded going with big numbers, but. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Christopher McLaren)
How can a big number go inside there? I mean, you said that I cant just blow the building up, didnt you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Well, that I did. (Christopher McLaren)
If only the building in question wasnt the White House, they wouldve created some sort of siege but regardless of what, it was impossible for arge number ofbatants to enter the structure.
If they were to give up on preserving the building, then it might be doable, but if they went ahead and bombarded the target, then there was no guarantee that the U.S. President would survive.
No, nine times out of ten, hed be dead.
The demon king in there didnt have a duty to protect her hostage, the President, after all. Now normally, a hostage would be used as a guarantee of safety for the hostage taker, but the current situation was a somewhat unique one.
Even if the President died, the demon king would lose absolutely nothing at all.
So, why did you have to go and escte the dang thing, then?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roared out angrily, and Christopher McLaren could only drop his head lower in silence.
You godd*mn DOD sons of b*tches.
Ill definitely show you what hells liketer!! (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Christopher McLaren gritted his teeth.
Never mind trying to help the one on the same side as them, they caused him to taste such humiliation in front of another countrys ability users!
Euh.... (Christopher McLaren)
He shoved his hand inside the pocket only to go, Oh, sh*t.
Argh, I threw the phone away, didnt I?!
God d*mn it, I still have a ton of sh*t I want to say to them, but I dont have a way tomunicate anymore! (Christopher McLarens inner monologue) (TL: the raw said radiomunicator, rather than his phone. I figured that the author made a mistake and changed it slightly.)
Christopher McLaren could only pull his hand out, sorrow quickly filling up his heart.
What should we do now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled to himself.
Looking at the demonic aura mushrooming around the white-coloured residence of the U.S. President sure made him feel strange inside.
That thick, dense aura was telling him that his opponent would be very tough to handle. However, there was something rather odd about it, too.
Why is it only that much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Compared to the quality of the Mana on disy, there was just not enough quantity of it.
If it got p*ssed off enough to pour out Mana like that, then even if the demon king wasnt particrly trying to do anything, the White House wouldve been blown to smithereens without leaving behind a trace, so this...
Mana was being emitted, yet seeing how little there was, he couldnt help but feel strange.
And then, there was one more strange thing, too...
Why do I keep getting the chills? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That Mana.... Its really making me feel weird, you know?
It feels familiar to me somehow. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When one got technical about it, Yi Ji-Hyuk already knew every demon king residing within the demon world, so it was not strange for him to feel a certain amount of familiarity here.
No, maybe it was an obvious thing instead, since he knew their magical energy patterns.
But how could he go about exining this chill?
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped walking then.
Whats wrong? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min asked him, but he didnt answer back and quietly red at the White House. There was some distance still left, yet how could he exin his feets reluctance to step forward?
Is it one of the top ten-ranked demon kings or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The current Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt be able to guarantee a victory over such a demon king.
In fact, the top-ranked demon kings were the kind of existences that even when he was at his peak, he still had no assurances of defeating thempletely and thoroughly.
Of course, as Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve been immortal while the demon kings were not, which was quite unfitting for their titles actually, the battles would inevitably end in his favour, but still.
That was when the bnce had been tilted to one side to create an unfair battle to begin with; if they went head-to-head with just a single coin per yer, then Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt be able to win against them. (TL: an arcade fighting game reference in case you dont get it, BTW.)
So, there was no point in even mentioning right now, when he was so much weakerpared to back then.
Arent you going? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned in distress and began walking forward again.
No matter who the opponent was, he simply couldnt end this situation with greeting the darn thing with Wee to Earth! as long as it had crossed over like this.
When considering the effort they had to put in just to get to this, they definitely didnte here for a spot of sightseeing, thats for sure.
I just cant figure out why they keep stepping onto someone elses turf. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, its not like theres something extra great on Earth, right?
Theres Berafe, too.
They originally frequented that ce often, didnt they? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Now that I think about it, it sure is strange. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Do they hate me that much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, well, I did go on a bit of rampage back then.
Okay, actually, I went on a massive rampage, didnt I.
Even then, isnt trying to take my head while chasing after me through dimensions like this a bit over the top?!
Its not even a sequel to Misery or something, too! You stinking b*stards! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I havent done anything too bad, so what gives?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? What? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....I mean, they keep showing up here to harass me. Its not like Ive done something terrible to them, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know those things? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, now that I look back... You, werent you talking to that ck thing back then? In a strangenguage? Did you actually know them? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How? (Jeong Ha-Min)
I used to live on that side. Maybe around a hundred years or so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Well, now it all makes sense. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pretty obvious why they want to kill you. Mm. Yup, they want you dead for sure. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Seo Ah-Young threw herself into the conversation, Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly dissuaded her.
Even if its the truth, thats not something you should speak in front of the person in question. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oii, oiii....
Look here, man! Whose side are you on?!
And, why does it look like youre all pitying the demon kings right now?
I havent done anything!
Its just that, because they were getting in my way, I had them lined up all nice and straight so that I could beat some sense into them, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When considering how long a demon kings natural lifespan was, what happened back then would be nothing more than a brief bleep in time, so this....
Eh-whew.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and trudged forward again.
Forget about it, then.
Seriously though, I dont know why Im feeling this way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to calm his palpitating heart and before he knew it, found himself standing before the White Houses front entrance.
M-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The thick, choking Mana cloud filling up his view stopped him from advancing forward.
He wouldnt get affected too much by entering it. Actually, he should be feeling a lot happier about this, since it was almost like a veritable banquet had beenid all around him.
But it was not the same story for hispanions.
If they were to be exposed to such dense Mana, itd only take a moment for their sanity to fly out the window.
M-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was now in a dilemma.
Itd not be too hard to advance while sucking in all this Mana, but he should not forget that there was someone controlling this Mana, an owner of it if you will.
If it pounced without warning, then dealing with the ensuing aftermaths wouldnt be easy.
Besides, it was forbidden to enter a territory where anothers Mana was running amok like this, too.
Uh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons cautious gasp prompted Yi Ji-Hyuk to raise his head.
Shu-shushushu....
The fog of Mana that blocked their passage began to smoothly recede bit by bit. Seeing this, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to a slit.
As if to create a path, the ck Mana before them continued to retreat.
Is it weing us, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A streak of cantankerousness entered Yi Ji-Hyuks expression.
Now normally, youd flee right away and dont even bother to look back in a situation like this one.
Indeed, wasnt it like the rule of this profession? Like, entering all high and mighty because of the weing reception, only to run away in tears after getting struck by all sorts of traps and suffer like crazy, or just die at the end?
Are we going in? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon asked in an unconvinced voice.
No matter what, this looks like a trap.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You think so, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its so obvious that its actuallying across as strange, isnt it? So, whod be dumb enough to walk straight in? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hng! At least our enemy has manners! I must look terrifying, then! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please stop with the cliched mutterings! Isnt that what a third-rate viin would say?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Itll be alright. Im the main character, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Says who?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cleanly ignored Choi Jeong-Hoons retort and tookrge strides forward.
How dare you set traps before me! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, stop saying those lines! Youre making it too easy to see our future! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Fut, you made a mistake thinking that such cheap traps can stop me! The overwhelming, absolute gap in strength cannot be bridged by simple tricks or traps! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh.... Hespletely helpless. Seriously. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head in resignation.
Well, besides all that.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He then studied the newly-opened path before then.
What should we do about this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We have to go in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The American ahjussi behind is looking at us with reddened eyes, right? Well have to go in eventually, so if we dilly-dally any longer, that ahjussi might end up dying of a heart attack. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan....
Choi Jeong-Hoon was still unconvinced, but nevertheless, he had to concede that the situation remained grave.
The American President needed to be saved, and there was a time limit, to boot. They simply had to risk some danger and enter.
Five of us will enter first. The rest, be on standby outside. We will call you if something happens. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes sir. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun mustve been in charge of submand, as he was the one replying before ordering the remaining group to back away.
Well then, shall we go in? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Without saying anything else, Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped inside.
This, its still kind of unsettling.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon followed after him, still carrying an unconvinced expression.
*
How gloomy. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What with the ckish Mana surrounding them, it was like they were trapped in a pitch-dark night or some such. Even though it was in the afternoon in the U.S.
Walking inside a building where no light entered made him feel just a bit queasy.
No, hang on. Maybe its not just a feeling, but happening for real? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
The surrounding Mana was now affecting their emotions as well.
Will this be fine? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nah, Im sure itll be okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, doesnt something feel off? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As long as it doesnt enter your body, there shouldnt be too much of an issue. Sure, some folks might go insane just by being near this much Mana, but thats only because they are weaklings, to begin with. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That means there definitely is a problem, you dumba*s!!
Just what the hell is in your head to fail to see the connections there?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Well, you have to risk your life in this line of work anyway, so if you cant even withstand this, you might as well quit, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That kind of made sense.
Choi Jeong-Hoon realised that Yi Ji-Hyuk said something sensible so he closed his mouth.
Even though he didnt have toe, he insisted on being here, so he was not in any position to air hisints at the moment. Without a doubt, non-ability user like himself tagging along would prove to be a burden on Yi Ji-Hyuk, after all.
What dreadful Mana this is. (Affeldrichae)
Euh-hut?! Holy sh*t?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was shocked by Affeldrichae who just appeared out of nowhere next to him and fell down on his butt.
You surprised me! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young softly muttered under her breath.
Scaredy cat. (Seo Ah-Young)
Who is scared here?! Just who?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was the most recent horror movie you watched? (Seo Ah-Young)
....I havent seen any. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Scaredy cat. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoons body began quaking from the unfairness of it all.
Hey, you!! Ask me if Ive seen a movie or not after letting me go home first!!
I cant even leave work properly, so when will I ever have time to catch a bloody movie?!
In fact, I have not stepped foot inside a cinema ever since starting work for you!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Before he could argue his innocence, though, Affeldrichae changed the topic first.
This Mana feels familiar. (Affeldrichae)
Right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head, looking ever so unconvinced.
Not only him, but seeing that even Affeldrichae felt the familiarity, then he needed to assume that they were not dealing with an ordinary demon king.
Only someone possessing the incredible might would leave behind a deep impression on their memories, after all.
By the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just before he was about to say something, they came face to face with therge door leading to the Oval Office.
Weve arrived.
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuks legs began shaking a little as he looked at that door.
Uh? What the heck, why am I so worried all of a sudden?
I cant understand this. Seriously now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Are we going in? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, what choice do we have? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the door with an ufortable expression on his face, but eventually, he bit down on his lip.
Not sure why Im getting this worried, but at least, I should confirm the reason first! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Hah. Hang on a sec. I gotta get ready first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A man should have more backbone! (Seo Ah-Young)
Does a man have to be macho all the time?! Dont you know how sensitive I am?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, sure~. (Seo Ah-Young)
Just before he could say something...!
The door flung open all by itself.
And then, the scene within the Oval Office could be seen by everyone.
There was an old man sitting so obediently in the corner, and then....
....Heeeeeeeeeiiiick?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks face was drained out of colour in an instant.
WHY?!
Why is that thing even here?!
WHYYYY!!!
< 262. Didnt you miss me? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 263: Didn’t you miss me? (3)
Chapter 263: Didnt you miss me? (3)
Euh... Euh, ah... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuksplexion paled as if hed seen the devil straight out of hell.
Others, with him, tensed up immediately when that happened.
They couldnt find any traces of Yi Ji-Hyuks usually glib-tongued, annoying attitude, never fearing even in front of other demon kings, only the version of him shaking in pure terror and shock.
How could such a thing even happen?
The Yi Ji-Hyuk they knew was basically courage personified.
Nicely put, he was a brave soul filled to the brim with fighting spirit, not knowing the meaning of retreat. If one was to get just a wee bit honest, then he had long forgotten the meaning of being scared and decided to store his liver back home before showing up here. (TL: I had to cut a substantial portion of the joke from this paragraph as it just didnt work no matter how I tried to rejig it to fit English. I left the liver reference alone, though; In Korea, anyone reckless/foolhardy was said to possess a swollen liver.)
Yet, such a man was openly disying terrified he was?
In that case, how horrifying was being inside that office, then?
Ah... Ah... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt even form a proper sentence as he raised his hand. The gazes of everyone shifted towards the direction his finger was pointing at.
Ah... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young gasped out in surprise. A being that simply didnt fit in with the rest was there.
Beautiful. (Seo Ah-Young)
Indeed, beautiful. There was no other way to describe her.
After Yi Ji-Hyuks entrance, Seo Ah-Young had encountered many women boasting drop-dead gorgeous looks. Kim Dah-Som, for instance, was overwhelmingly beautiful for a human being.
Seo Ah-Young was quietly confident of her own looks, but hell, Kim Dah-Som was just really too stunning, like some kind of life-sized doll. When looked at objectively, even the former couldnt deny being slightly inferior in contrast to thetter.
However, sheforted herself with the belief that it was fine, after all, there had to be a limit toparably beautiful people in this world anyway, right?.
Her beliefs were mercilessly shattered again after Affeldrichae made her entrance.
Her visage was simply otherworldly, not human and as it turned out, she was indeed not human at all. Her charm was so peerless that it seemed as if all the ideals of beauty had been coted to create her, so much so that saying that she surpassed the limits of attractiveness a human could possess would be no exaggeration.
Seo Ah-Young was sure that no one more beautiful than her would ever appear in this world.
But now...
Her freshly mended thoughts were once more fragmented into tinier pieces.
So different. (Seo Ah-Young)
The woman before Seo Ah-Young was emitting apletely different kind of appealpared to Affeldrichae.
With jet-ck, silky-smooth hair, and the leather tights wrapped around her figure, she diffused a different type of allurepared to the gorgeous, vibrant beauty of Affeldrichae.
However, that snow-white skin, those deep, abysmal eyes, seeming to suck her very existence, and those perfectly-shaped, crimson lips were adequate to utterly seduce even her right now.
Looking closely, a petite tongue, ever so nimble, lightly brushed those luscious lips, just like a snake poking out of its cave.
Ah..... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young was so deeply absorbed by those eyes that a soft moan subconsciously escaped her lips, helping her to regain her bearings in the process.
Oh, my god. (Seo Ah-Young)
How could a straight woman feel such intense emotions towards another woman?! In that case, what would happen to the men, then?
Heh... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Crack.
The moment she saw Choi Jeong-Hoon and his greedy eyes as well as his sweat-drooling face, veins bulged on her forehead!
aaaaap!
Uwaaaaah!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A fiery bombardment rained on his back and soon, he was cowering on the floor, crying out in sheer pain.
The sudden attack stung him all the way down to his marrows!!
W-what was that for?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You better wake up, or else!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
His cheeks flushed in embarrassment, perhaps realising his own blunder.
Even then, he couldnt bring himself to raise his head and look forward because he was not confident in keeping his wits if he ever saw that womans face again.
Should he say that it felt as if his soul was being sucked out?
It wasnt simply because the mystery woman was beautiful. No, even if she was an incredibly unattractive hag, what Choi Jeong-Hoon had felt wouldnt be any different.
Just what was that?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just by meeting her gaze, he waspletely entranced by her. That sensation of his soul being stolen away....
Is that why? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Was that the reason for Yi Ji-Hyuks current reaction?
That makes sense, no? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When one really thought about it, Yi Ji-Hyuk was still a man at the end of the day.
Even though he didnt disy much of a reaction when he was literally being submerged by females who were busy sending him positive vibes continually, causing Choi Jeong-Hoon to wonder if he was a eunuch all this time, regardless of anything, Yi Ji-Hyuk was still biologically a male.
As long as you were a man, there was simply no way youd not fall for those looks! Definitely!
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt say anything, only repeating pained grunts intermittently.
Are you alright? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then that quietughter softly rang out.
Hohohoho. (Erukana)
It was nothing more than just a chuckle. Even then, Choi Jeong-Hoon had to do everything in his willpower to calm his wildly-pounding heart.
What the hell?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Could they even fight?
Was it possible to even throw an attack here?
In a way, it might very well be that they had run into the worst type of a demon king there was for them.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up being charmed by her, then humanity would be finished for good.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon urgently shouted and raised his head upward.
Huh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He then began tilting it from side to side.
Because, Yi Ji-Hyuks current expression was.... too strange.
How should I describe that?
Its terror, alright, but what?
From the get-go, its strange to feel terror above all else when looking at such a stunning woman, yet the terror Yi Ji-Hyuk is feeling, its.... What exactly is it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Where have I seen such an expression before....? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had definitely seen an expression simr to this before. Not on Yi Ji-Hyuks face, no, but on someone elses.
Who....
...Ah!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That was it!
It happened on his fathers payday when he was still a young boy. His father spent his entire sry on booze and came home super-drunk, only to run into his mother waiting for him on the street while holding onto the young Choi Jeong-Hoons hand. The face his father made on that day was exactly the same as that of Yi Ji-Hyuks.
It was the face of a weakling, filled with thebination of terror and despair!
However....
....Why was Yi Ji-Hyuk making such an expression?
As if to satisfy his curiosity, the mystery woman slowly walked forward and approached them.
Step.
Step.
The footsteps were crisp and sturdy, echoing up from the floor and digging into his ears.
Even so, Yi Ji-Hyuk was unable to react properly.
Why!! Why!!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then that he suddenly began shouting out as if he was having a seizure.
Her lips arced upwards. It was an incredibly alluring grin too. A seductive smile bursting at the seams with an explosive amount of sensuality, thats what it was.
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt dizzy after looking at it from the side, so how would Yi Ji-Hyuk feel after seeing it head-on??
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you must not be seduc..... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What is up with this dude?
How can anyone look at such a lovely face and form an expression reserved for looking at disgusting insects?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
His mental fortitude is no joke, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As expected of Yi Ji-Hyuk!
He should not get seduced by a cheap smile like that!
Why... are you here?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was this? Did they know each other?
It was then the woman licked her lips and spoke in a sweet, smooth voice.
Darling! (Erukana)
....
......
....D-darling?
Is that darling the same darling that I know?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon freaked out and hurriedly looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
No, it cant be, right? Right? She said that just to make fun of us, right?
Please say it aint so, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Hiiiiiiieeeek?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, out of the blue, Yi Ji-Hyuk spun around and bolted straight out of there.
Uwaaaah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where do you think youre going? (Erukana)
Almost at the same time, within a blink, she disappeared from their view with a poof and reappeared right in front of the fleeing Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hiiieeek!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Like a mouse trapped by a preying cat, cold sweat flooded his features, soaking his back wet.
Didnt you miss me? (Erukana)
NO! Do I look insane to you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii~, I know you missed me! (Erukana)
No, neverrrrrr!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe~, but I really missed you~! (Erukana)
With no warning whatsoever, she dug into Yi Ji-Hyuks arms and began rubbing her head against his chin.
It was akin to looking at a kitten that finally located its long-lost mother cat or something, and Choi Jeong-Hoon watched on, his face warped in stupefaction.
What the heck was up with this situation??
Heeeiiik!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly pushed her away as if he was kicking away a dangerous serpent, and dashed in the opposite direction with everything he had.
Uwaaaah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where are you going, darling? (Erukana)
She shouted at the fleeing mans back, and he suddenly stiffened up like a rock before falling on the floor with a plop. But he didnt give up; he began crawling on all fours like a dying man before eventually disappearing from view.
........
The remaining people dazedly took in the strange spectacle.
...Well, that was very cockroach-like, wasnt it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He sure knew how to surpass the limits of a human in various facets.
M-m-mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon fell deeply in his thoughts, wondering how he should unpack this situation. Thankfully, the mystery woman shifted her gaze and ced her attention unto them next.
So, you were here, too? (Erukana)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae quietly nodded her head.
Youre still chasing after my darling, though? But, didnt I already tell you that I wont give him up? (Erukana)
....Im not following after him with that goal in mind. (Affeldrichae)
She was being pushed back?
Affeldrichae, who had always seemed to never back down, even when arguing with Yi Ji-Hyuk, was slowly but surely retreating away.
It was hard to tell exactly what kind of a person Affeldrichae was, but by listening to the conversations shed hold, one could infer that she was almost on the same level as the worlds greatest existence.
Such a person was awkwardly stepping away and that alone was weirding Choi Jeong-Hoon out.
Plus, how should he say this....
It was as if there was this vague, hard-to-describe emotion running between the two?
Did you look after my darling well? (Erukana)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Good. For a lizard, you sure know how to do things like that. Dont forget that Ill cook you alive if you cant even do that properly. (Erukana)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
If you wish to even walk in my darlings footsteps, then you better stay sharp, alright? (Erukana)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
What kind of conversation is this?
What the freak?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Uhm.... Affeldrichae-nim? (Jeong Hae-Min) (TL: -nim suffix is a genderless honorific usually used to address someone respectfully. Its usually paired with ones profession, though.)
Jeong Hae-Min spoke in a hushed voice to Affeldrichae.
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
This...dy is? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah..... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae began to visibly hesitate all of a sudden.
A Dragon is hesitating!! (Authors inner monologue)
If the good people from Berafe saw this, then they would have shouted to the high heavens that The Dragon has finally gone mad!
Thisdy is... so, mm.... (Affeldrichae)
As if she had finally organised her thoughts, Affeldrichae opened her lips to speak.
Shes the holder of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks title, if you will. (Affeldrichae)
Ehhhhk? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Excuse me?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was that? (Seo Ah-Young)
What was she even talking about here?
The trio tilted their heads, confused, unable to understand at all.
Affeldrichae formed an expression of someone agonising over her next words. She wanted to exin the rtionship between Yi Ji-Hyuk and this woman, but she wasnt sure how to do that in the context of this worlds norms.
Mm.... (Affeldrichae)
Thats enough. Step aside. (Erukana)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae submissively took a step back.
Submissively!!!!
How could this be? It wasnt as if she was a new bride meeting her mother-inw or something!
Are you lot friends of my darling? (Erukana)
......
Why arent you answering me? (Erukana)
Well, yes.... Lets say that we are. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Although the choice of the term friend was a bit awkward for everyone else, it was not really necessary to exin why that was at the moment.
It was also doubtful that a demon king would understand the nuance behind the term, work colleagues, either.
I am Erukana.
.......
The thirteenth demon king from the demon world. I came to this world to meet up with my darling. (Erukana)
Hang on a moment, please! (Jeong Hae-Min)
It was then, Jeong Hae-Min suddenly stepped forward, her eyes aze.
zing eyes?!
Against a demon king?
It wouldnt be strange for her eyes to be plucked out by the demon king for her insolence!
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt even here, too!
You keep saying darling this and darling that, but just what exactly is your rtionship with Ji-Hyuk that you keep calling him a darling? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? Have I chosen a wrong word to use, then? Thats odd. I believe Ive learned enough of this nations dialect, though? (Erukana)
Erukana looked at Affeldrichae. Thetter shook her head, looking somewhat stiff.
No, its not wrong. (Affeldrichae)
I thought so. (Erukana)
Erukana purred like a full-bellied cat.
I knew it. And it sounds just about right, too. (Erukana)
B-but, its not a wrong word? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins shaky eyes were locked onto Affeldrichae next.
Darling is the correct expression?
In that case...! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Officially, she is.... (Affeldrichae)
The end of Affeldrichaes sentence drifted away. She bit her bottom lip a little before continuing on.
Thisdy here is a demon king of the demon world. She is also, through the means of a contract, the origin of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks dark Mana, and..... (Affeldrichae)
She chose to speak her words very, very slowly.
....His current wife. (Affeldrichae)
At that moment, an earthquake seemed to have erupted within Jeong Hae-Mins eyes.
It wasnt just her, though.
Others were also rendered speechless as if they were struck silly in the head by a hammer.
After a short bout of silence though, Jeong Hae-Mins jaw fell to the floor.
Eeeehhhhhhhhk?
What on earth was this all about??
< 263. Didnt you miss me? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 264: Didn’t you miss me? (4)
Chapter 264: Didnt you miss me? (4)
Wife?
Did she just say his wife?
Wait, that wife, is it the same wife that I know?
So, let me get this straight.... she meant to say the marriage partner of someone when she mentioned the word wife, right? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Jeong Hae-Min dazedly stared at the woman before her eyes.
And your name is Erukana? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes, Erukana. (Erukana)
Her name, Erukana....
But, how was that important right now when Yi Ji-Hyuks wife popped out of nowhere without warning?
H-hang on for a second, please! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shouted out. Quite unlike his usual self, his voice was filled with trembling, panicky confusion.
Youre his wife? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. (Erukana)
D-does that mean Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is a married man? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats correct. (Erukana)
Hul.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at Erukana with utterly shocked, frightened eyes.
So, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a married dude, and this woman is his wife!
This is so...!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
But, you said youre a demon king! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes, thats correct, too. (Erukana)
A demon king is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks wife?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is there something wrong with that? (Erukana)
No, youre supposed to ask if theres nothing wrong with that, instead!
Everything is wrong! Everything!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Oh, my goodness. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even the one and only Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt readily ept this situation. He just couldnt figure out what was what, and his head was rapidly nking out.
M-married? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins voice trembled more and more.
Hul.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly approached her and grabbed both of her shoulders.
Please, calm down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Married? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Indeed, itd be one hell of a bbergasting situation from Jeong Hae-Mins perspective.
Exposing that man as married would have already been enough to shock and stun the person on the other side, but now, even the wife had shown up too.
It was almost like she was sharing a cup of coffee with a boyfriend in a nice cafe, only for an ahjumma equipped with a baby carrier to suddenly pounce on her, yanking and pulling on her hair.
Euh, euh, euh..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
P-please, you mustnt rev up your engine, either! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hey, you ahjumma! We have a demon king right before our eyes, so dont fire your sonic weapon!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Too bad, it seemed that Jeong Hae-Min was currently not in the right frame of mind to care.
Waaaaaaaail~!!!
Keok! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a pained gasp as the sonic weapon went on full st right next to him.
The high-pitched wailing digging painfully into his ears made him feel as if all of his innards were tumbling around.
Kyahk! Unni!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young also screamed alongside, but it was toote to stop the sobbing that had already begun.
Waaaaaiiil!!!
Oh, my? What is this? (Erukana)
Erukana stared at Jeong Hae-Min as if she was mystified about something.
This girl, suddenly breaking out into a loud sobbing was already a pretty strange spectacle, and the decibel of her crying was no joke either. Even back in the demon world, itd be very umon to find a lifeform capable of emitting such a loud wail, so it was quite mystifying to see a human with such a small physique like her produce that level of sound.
P-please, calm down! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong Hae-Min showed no signs of listening to his pleas and continued to wail away, so Choi Jeong-Hoon looked at Affeldrichae with an ardent, pleading look on his face.
Silence. (Affeldrichae)
She cast silencing magic, which quietened down the surroundings in an instant.
C Cheeiiik!
It was then, Choi Jeong-Hoons radio suddenly came to life.
C W-what happened in there? (Christopher McLaren)
That racket could be heard that far away?
I-its nothing to worry about. Ill contact you againter, so please remain on standby. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Got it. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought he could hear Christopher McLaren grumble away in the background, but he decided to ignore that for now. Well, he couldnt afford to waste his mental energy with that at the moment.
After all, a massive bombshell had gone off this side.
A-and, so..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon attempted to unpack the situation once more.
S-so, thisdy here is... a demon king from the demon world, and.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
A demon king from a demon world, and at the same time, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks wife. Is that right? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk was actually married? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed he is. (Affeldrichae)
Hup.
Jeong Hae-Min suddenly stopped crying, and while huping away, listened in on the conversation.
She mustve figured that although crying was important, maybe listening to the exnation should take priority for the time being.
If thats the case, you shouldve done that from the beginning! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Being married.... Why didnt he say anything about it until now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk had no real duty to inform them about his marital status, but the fact that he concealed such a piece of important information did make Choi Jeong-Hoon feel a bit betrayed somehow.
He considered himself to be his friend and all....
Wouldnt it be because it wasnt something new to him? (Affeldrichae)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It wouldnt be his first time marrying, after all. (Affeldrichae)
.............
What on earth was she even talking about??
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes shone in the light of a man desperately searching for more rification, and Affeldrichae answered in a nonchnt manner.
You are aware of how long Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has lived, yes? He has lived for thousands of years as a young man. If you want to count all of his dead wives, then both of your hands wouldnt be enough for the task. (Affeldrichae)
.....................................
Hul.
What the hell is.....
Waaaaaaaaiiiiil!!!
Ah! Why did you undo the Silence?!
Im really losing my mind over here! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
*
It took a long time for Jeong Hae-Min to calm down.
Sniff. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min continued to sniff away while Seo Ah-Young tried to diligently calm her down by petting her on the back. Thetter would get super annoyed by the formers crying if this was any other time and wouldve already started her barbed verbal attacks, but for today, she was cautiously doing her best.
Unni, please calm down. (Seo Ah-Young)
Sob, soooob... (Jeong Hae-Min)
I told you not to get involved with that guy, didnt I? (Seo Ah-Young)
Still.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
I mean, its obvious that youll run into problems after you decided to associate yourself with someone that dastardly and crappy! (Seo Ah-Young)
Right at that moment...
KWA-DEUK!!
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes opened up wider. Pitch-ck demonic aura, now shaped like an ultra-sharp needle, hovered threateningly near to her neck as if itd pierce her at any given moment.
H-m-mm, what were you saying about my darling? (Erukana)
......
Seo Ah-Young had a ton of stuff to say, but now was perhaps not the best time to say them.
A measly little human dares to badmouth my darling? You will not die gently and painlessly, that I assure you. (Erukana)
Erukanas sticky, heavy voice dug into Seo Ah-Youngs ear canals like a grim reapers whisper.
Please stop. (Affeldrichae)
Ng? (Erukana)
Affeldrichae was unable to stand back anymore and tried to dissuade Erukana, prompting thetter to shift her attention towards the former.
Were you trying to stop me just now? (Erukana)
These people are highly valued by Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. He wouldnt like it if he finds even a slight scratch on them. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, is that so? (Erukana)
The demonic energy aiming at Seo Ah-Youngs neck got sucked back into Erukana in an instant.
Well, in that case, I guess I need to hold back, then. However, itll be for the best that you stay prudent, human. (Erukana)
Erukana walked up to Seo Ah-Young and slowly stroked thetters cheek with the tip of her fingernails.
You see, I detest those who speak ill of my darling. Should I say it verges on hatred? You seem to be more like a much-loved pet to my darling, so I shall overlook this one time. (Erukana)
Euh.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young could only keep her mouth shut for now.
It was a monumental task for her to endure such provocation with her personality, but then again, the presence of the demon king right in front of her eyes was already scary enough to easily shut her mouth up.
This incredible pressure, where she thought her entire body would explode if she opened her mouth right here and now...
This is a demon king? (Seo Ah-Young)
Up until now, she either attacked one from afar or got pressured alongside other people so she never had the chance to bear the brunt of the demon kings aura all by herself.
And Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk fought against such demon kings all alone? (Seo Ah-Young)
He was not human.
Erukana was, most likely, not showering her with powerful aura. Even then, Seo Ah-Youngs back was soaked in cold sweat because of fear. Yet, that man still fought against demon kings like this woman until now?
That was not something a human could do.
Wife? (Jeong Hae-Min)
However, it seemed that such a sentiment wasnt shared by Jeong Hae-Min.
Her eyes were filled with clear signs of animosity and even Seo Ah-Young could sense it. Thetters heart nearly tumbled down to the pit of her stomach after realising that former was ring at a demon king like that.
H-mm? (Erukana)
Erukana stared at Jeong Hae-Min as if this whole thing was amusing.
You, you must be romantically interested in my darling. (Erukana)
Hup. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min began huping again.
But, that wont do. Not at all. You see, my darling isnt into humans. I mean, they all start dying just as you get affectionate with them and all, so theres no way hed like spending time with them, right? Dont you agree? (Erukana)
Affeldrichae sighed helplessly from the side.
Hes also no longer an immortal, you know. Indeed, hes be a regr human being. The longest he can possibly live is around 100 years. (Affeldrichae)
Ng? (Erukana)
Erukana tilted her head.
But, thatll be taken care of by not being a human? (Erukana)
Although true, hes also excessively obsessed with his own identity, so.... (Affeldrichae)
That was only because he can no longer be a human, thats why. And well, hell soon realise how annoying and tiresome it is to live as a human and try to go back to how he was. If all else fails, he can simply be a demon, no? (Erukana)
.....But, I believe he hates that idea the most. (Affeldrichae)
Itll be fine, fine. Its the role of the wife to set the husband on the correct path when he veers off to the wrong one. And besides, Im very good at performing the wifes duties, arent I? (Erukana)
Affeldrichae sighed under her breath again.
It was pretty much impossible to reason with this woman. A perfect example of going at my pace. She never even cared about what other people felt or what their position was.
Shed always been like that, she was like that now, and shed continue to be like that into the future.
The only person she truly cared about was Yi Ji-Hyuk, and she held not one speck of interest towards anyone else. The problem was, her interest towards him was, well, veering off in the wrong direction, far from what he actually wanted.
Youre his wife?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min opened her eyes wide and red straight at Erukana.
Thetter grinned at that hostile re. Seo Ah-Young sensed something ominous about that grin and before she knew it, found herself standing protectively in front of the diminutive former idol.
H-ng, arent you an interesting specimen. But, I wonder. What did I ever do wrong~? Why are you looking at me with such scary eyes? (Erukana)
Erukanas grin was getting deeper and deeper.
Where is your proof? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Proof? (Erukana)
Yes!! Proof!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Young looked behind her with a pair of totally bbergasted eyes.
This unni, whats gotten into her?
Why is she arguing about proof and stuff?
That ce is not Earth, and they might not even have something like the system of legally-binding marriage, so how would she even produce a tangible proof now?? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
U-unni, why are you.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Before she could finish her sentence, though, Erukana suddenly went Kyah! and rushed towards Jeong Hae-Min.
Seo Ah-Young tried to stop the demon kings unannounced advance, but too bad, thetter simply slipped past the former as if she wasnt even there and tightly embraced Jeong Hae-Min.
Ng?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What is up with that demon now??
What is she trying to do?! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Kyahk! Proof? You asked for proof, didnt you! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! (Erukana)
Was she really insane....?
Seo Ah-Young dazedly stared at Erukana.
For sure, all those rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk in some way or another were not quite right in their heads.
I do!! I do have! Did you know how much I wanted to show that off? But nobody on that side was even remotely interested in it, you know?! Idiot demon kindsck any sensibility whatsoever, so they werent interested from the beginning, too! (Erukana)
Eh...... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins trembling eyesnded on Erukana next.
This woman, she said that shes a demon king, but...
Wait, are all demon kings like her? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
She sure felt different whenpared to all the other incredulous demon kings Jeong Hae-Min had seen until now.
It was hard to chalk that down to whether it was due to the difference between male and female types, or maybe because of the differences in individuals.
Look, look! Here! (Erukana)
Erukana slipped her hand inside her pocket and then pulled something out.
Hul. (Jeong Hae-Min)
That pocket was definitely small, yet the stuff that came out of there was a huge book. This wasnt some kind of a magic trick, so how could something that bige out from such a small pocket?
Look here! Look!! (Erukana)
Erukana hummed joyously and flipped the book open.
HUL?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins eyes opened to their maximum width as she stared into the book.
There were none of the expected texts, but instead, the pages were decorated by what looked to be photographs.
T-this.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
And each of these photos captured the moments of Yi Ji-Hyuk and Erukana sharing affection towards each other.
I heard from my darling that you humans make such photo albums when you get married. Our side didnt have a tradition like that, so I tried to make one with magic. I so wanted to show this to other people, but no one understood it, and I was so distraught until now.... Hehehe. (Erukana)
Jeong Hae-Mins shoulders sagged real low to the ground.
KO. This was a perfect KO.
What an awkward situation this is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon and his not-so-quick wits managed tond yet another solid blow in the back of Jeong Hae-Mins head.
By the way, where did Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk go? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-ng? (Erukana)
Erukana grinned like a crafty cat.
< 264. Didnt you miss me? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 265: Didn’t you miss me? (5)
Chapter 265: Didnt you miss me? (5)
He should know that theres no ce to run or hide aftering in contact with me. Really now, my darling and his yful, mischievous streak. (Erukana)
Uhm, excuse me.... I dont think he was being mischievous here, you know?
Didnt he really run away from here?
Holy moly. That one-and-only Yi Ji-Hyuk ran away! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Indeed, he was the type to remain utterly, endlessly annoying even in front of demon kings, royally p*ssing them off. Because of this, Choi Jeong-Hoon began thinking that Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt know the meaning of fear, but his thoughts needed to be changed now.
He didnt even run away from his mother, who was reputedly far, far more terrifying than any demon king!
Hmm, now where could my darling be~? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk who feared nothing under the sun mustve been terrified of his own wife.
Erukana smiled seductively before suddenly going poof from the spot and disappearing.
Hul?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon searched around his vicinity in a fluster.
This woman... She can even teleport? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Where did she go? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
To find him. (Affeldrichae)
Him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, of course, said Affeldrichae as she sighed grandly.
To think that woman was the one to cross over this time. It seemed that peaceful days wereing to an end.
*
This has to be a lie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began biting his nails as if he was suffering from anxiety.
Why!
Why is something like this happening to me?!
I went through so much hardship and pain to get away from that woman, but I have to run into her here of all ces?!
Wheres a god when you need one?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
S-should I go and borrow Latrels powers or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only there was a deity residing on this, such a thing wouldnt have happened.
Right, this had to be the fault of no gods residing on this!
He seriously detested Latrel, but as long as he could escape from this situation in one piece, then forget about being the Bringer of Apocalypse, hed dly ept even if she demanded him to be Dioreh the Fifth or something simr.
That was how desperate this situation was to him.
How did she even cross over?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wouldnt have been easy to cross over to Earth from that side. Other demon kings came here because there was a coborator summoning them, so unless the idiots in the demon world shoved the disinfectant meant for humidifiers down their throats en masse, something like this shouldnt have happened.
It was oh-so-obvious that the demon king they sent over after going through much pain and misery would only cling to him all lovey-dovey and stuff, so which other fellow demon kings were insane enough to volunteer their resources for this?
Besides, it was a well-known fact that Erukana was Yi Ji-Hyuks wife in the demon world already too.
Euh, euh euh..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to chew his nails, his hands shaking uncontrobly.
No! This wont do!
My freedom!
My free life!
I cant go back! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
His eyes began shining dangerously next.
Right! I should just go back to Berafe! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Surely, she wouldnt be able to chase after him there!
Yi Ji-Hyuk did blow half of Berafe to smithereens just to get back to Earth, but for the sake of resolving this crisis, he was prepared to walk into hell if it needs be.
I, I gotta create a Gate righ..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And then in the following second...
Found you~~! (Erukana)
The sticky smooth voiceing from behind caused hisplexion to go pale-white in an instant.
Euh, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He slowly looked back to find a beautiful face without an equal in this world, brightly smiling at him.
Ha.... Ha, hah..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What an amazing thing it was to find that facial expression to be quite simr to that of a demon from hell winking at him.
N-no! It cant be! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Grab!
Right then, Erukana locked her arms around his and activated teleportation.
*
Shu-shut...
Apanied by a strange rustling noise, Erukana reappeared before the waiting group.
And next to her stood Yi Ji-Hyuk, looking enervated as if all his vitality had been sucked dry, just like a dried pock pounded on for thest three days straight.
M-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What the heck is this?!
Did he get done in by a Drain spell or something?
How can a person end up looking like that unless his vitality was sucked out of him in an instant? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Sob. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk covered his face. That action allowed Choi Jeong-Hoon to finally realise that he was wrong. That man, he... he was literally wallowing in despair right now.
Darling~? (Erukana)
Euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt you miss me? (Erukana)
I.... I.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Erukana)
I.... why would I want to see you again, you crazy demon! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lifted Erukana up and tossed her far away, just like that.
Kyah-hahahat! (Erukana)
However, she mustve found it rather amusing as she broke out into a fit of giggles.
My hubby is so yful, you know! (Erukana)
Im not aaaaaaying!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon strode over to Yi Ji-Hyuk and ced his hand on thetters shoulder.
I understand, so please, you dont have to cry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sob, sobbb.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk plopped down on the ground, his expression full of unfiltered despair.
Aigoo.... Those abominable demon king bastards. They couldnt even stop that thing from crossing over to this world. I better return to the demon world and cause a scene or something! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He unhesitantly spat out a deration that wouldve made all the demon kings listening vomit blood.
Why did you have toe?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To see you, of course! Darling, how could you not get in touch with me even once after leaving? You knew how Erukana would anxiously wait for you! (Erukana)
....Hey, you crazy little.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can I call the demon world from Earth, to begin with?!
And besides all that! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Why should I call you in the first ce?! WHY?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my? Darling, what are you talking about? If you dont call your own wifey, then who would you call? (Erukana)
Wifey?? Wifey my foot! Where did you even learn such a word, anyway?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe~, its a must to learn all the technical terms thate with the job, you know? (Erukana)
Groooooan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
Why am I your darling?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my? My darling, I didnt know youd get embarrassed in front of other people. (Erukana)
Thats not iiiiiiitttt!!! Thats definitely not it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A long strand of spit drooled out of Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth.
The one-and-only Yi Ji-Hyuk was being mercilessly pounded upon.
While he was beset with anger and didnt know what to do next, Erukana waspletely the opposite, as she locked her arms around his with a huge grin on her face and went on a full-on aegyo attack once more.
What, what kind of a situation is this?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sounded utterly dazed and confused, prompting Seo Ah-Young to sagely nod her head.
Ah, so there was indeed a poison for all asions. (Seo Ah-Young)
The for Yi Ji-Hyuk only pesticide they didnt know existed hade flying in from another world.
*
Sluuuuump....
As the word implied, Yi Ji-Hyuks whole body was in a slumped position.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon found it quite pitiful and softly called out to him, but the dude showed no reaction whatsoever.
Aigo..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was like looking at dried radish leaves, soaked until sagging powerlessly. Just how bad was his mental damage that Yi Ji-Hyuk would end up in this state?
Darling~! (Erukana)
Whats even scarier was the fact the source responsible for making him so tattered and distraught with nothing more than mental damage, was clinging real close to his side right now.
Is she trying to kill him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If this continued, then for sure, that dude would die while vomiting blood all over the ce.
And also.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Here was yet another person who might die, as well.
Tremble, tremble....
From Choi Jeong-Hoons side, he detected a faint trace of a tremor. Jeong Hae-Min was looking at the couple, her entire body trembling uncontrobly.
Well, that makes sense. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
From her perspective, itd be no different to getting struck by lightning during broad daylight.
It was already a shocking and scary thing that there was a woman called Erukana, yet a scene of pure love affair was unfolding before her eyes, so forget about heartache, her entire collection of innards must be boiling over right about now.
Unfortunately for her, the legitimacy of the im was so watertight that she couldnt even argue her case in this no-escape situation.
C Chiiiek...
It was at that moment that the radio came back to life.
C Mister Choi! Just what the hell is going on in there? Is Code One safe? (Christopher McLaren)
Code one? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C The President! Our President! (Christopher McLaren)
Ah, Ipletely forgot. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
- You what?! You forgot about the President?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher, I know that the stuff I said doesnt make a whole lot of sense. However, if you were with us here, then youd also utterly forget about that old man too.
Yup, youd be watching this spectacle alongside me, your jaw hitting the floor. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
He had a lot of things he wanted to say, but well, they were just too serious and at the same time, too trivial to share over the radio.
Ill contact you again a little whileter. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Mm? (Christopher McLaren)
N-no, hang on. Please be on standby. Itll be over soon. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shoved the radio down on his trouser pocket and looked around the Oval Offices desk.
Mm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He should be somewhere around there....
Choi Jeong-Hoon had to get closer to the big desk to find a white-haired old man copsed on the floor.
....Hes not dead, is he? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons hands began to tremble.
Even if the situation had be way too crazy to handle, how did he forget about the safety of a man who used to be the most important person in the world not too long ago?
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only reflect on his stupidity for the time being.
Are you alright? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He lightly shook the shoulder of the American President, but there was no reaction.
Oh, God. Please... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He brought his hand near the unmoving mans neck and the nose, and much to his relief, found the subject sill breathing. He didnt seem to have died.
Who knew what might have happened were he to be left unattended for longer? What a relief that he was not dead.
Excuse me.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon awkwardly asked Erukana.
Will it be fine for me to take this man out of here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-ng? (Erukana)
The corner of Erukanas eye slowly arched up.
He sensed the faint hostility in those sexy eyes and couldnt help but shudder.
N-no, I was just... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He understood very well that shed not be very happy about a human worth less than an insect trying to engage her in conversation. Even then, as a human being, he couldnt just let the American President stay like this, could he?!
M-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the end, he had no one but to extend his begging hand towards Yi Ji-Hyuk. Thetter sported this pair of eyes belonging to a dead, rotting mackerel as he waved his hand about powerlessly.
H-he says I can take him away. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Look, look! Even Yi Ji-Hyuk says its fine to take him! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Maybe Choi Jeong-Hoons inner thoughts were transmitted perfectly to her because Erukana puffed her cheeks ever so slightly. It was Choi Jeong-Hoons small secret that his heart fluttered a little just then; she looked so mesmerizingly beautiful by doing that.
Hmm, I guess theres no helping it if my darling wants that! (Erukana)
Erukana cried out Kyah!, grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks arm, and began rubbing her face all over him.
Uh, uh, uh, uh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All he could do in response was to mutter meaningless grunts like a cow being dragged to an abattoir.
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head and spoke to the radio.
Please have medical personnel ready outside the Oval Office. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Itll be done. (Christopher McLaren)
Groan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt bother to say anything else and tried to lift the American President up.
Old man, you sure are a heavy sucker, arent you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He grunted andboriously dragged the unconscious man towards the exit. He managed to pry the door open before leaving the office. Thats when he spotted the medical staff rushing in from the distance.
Over here! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They half-way shoved Choi JeongJeong-Hoon to the side in order to take over the care of the President. They quickly loaded the man onto the gurney, and like the passing wind, escaped from the White House in a blink.
Chris, your Code One has been secured. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Well done. (Christopher McLaren)
Im saying this out of the kindness of my heart, but.... now that the President is safe, Id like to let you know that we dont want to see the previous situation repeating itself in the future. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is here, remember. If that man gets p*ssed off, then itll be even more terrifying than a demon king getting angry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C I shall promise you that such a thing will never happen. It was not my intention this time. (Christopher McLaren)
In that case, well try to wrap this up from here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Thank you. Ill leave it up to you. (Christopher McLaren)
By the way, did you already know that the demon present here had some kind of a... rtionship with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Well, I still cant believe it myself. (Christopher McLaren)
I see. Well then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended themunication there.
So when he said that there was something he couldnt say, this mustve been it.
He walked back inside the office and spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly, soullessly sitting on the couch with Erukana clinging onto his arm, and finally, there were Affeldrichae watching the duo with aplicated look on her face and Jeong Hae-Min quaking dangerously in her boots.
So, like....
If Im to exin this situation, its.... Mm....
What a bloody mess this is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Huhuhuhuh....
< 265. Didnt you miss me? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 266: If the demon king is scarier than mom (1)
Chapter 266: If the demon king is scarier than mom (1)
Choi Jeong-Hoon resorted to a bout of awkwardughter to blow away his nervousness, sneaked towards the couch on the opposite of Yi Ji-Hyuk, and settled down on an empty spot.
Okay, so. How should I bring this crisis to a close? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
First of all, the initial goal of rescuing the American President was a sess. Whether the dude suffered from PTSD or some side effects, or even dying while being taken to a hospital all of that was out of Choi Jeong-Hoons hands now.
The most important thing would start from now.
So, then.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He began unpacking this situation.
You say that youre Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks wife? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That I did~. (Erukana)
So, like.... Really his wife? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Erukanas long, slender brows arched up.
You dont believe me? Even though youve seen this much? Are humans this distrusting? Should I take it as you believe everything I said as a bunch of lies, then? (Erukana)
Theres no way! I believe you! Of course I do! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Right away, Jeong Hae-Mins and Seo Ah-Youngs criticising res coldly stabbed into his back.
Stop looking at me with those eyes!
You also havent seen a demon king you can converse with before, have you?!
If I say a wrong thing here, forget about losing my head, my entire body will be smashed into its tiniest molecules, so how should I even hold out in this situation? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Even still, we should hear what the man in question has to say first, dont you agree? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The man in question? You mean, my darling? (Erukana)
Y-yes, thats correct. Regardless of what, we do have a bit of rtionship with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you see. So, we should hear him out and arrive to some kind of a conclusion next. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-ng, humans are really distrusting. What reason do I have to lie to you? What will I even gain by lying to measly humans, anyway? Alright, fine. If you want to hear it straight from my darlings lips, then so be it. (Erukana)
Erukana grinned brightly and clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Dar~ling, please tell them. (Erukana)
Hah-ahhh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply spat out a lengthy, powerless sigh.
Why...?
Why am I sympathising with Yi Ji-Hyuks current appearance? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
What a bizarre thing this was.
Even if she was a demon king, Erukana was still a stunning beauty that would make your eyes spin just by looking at her. So, making a rotten expression with such a beauty by your side was an action only reserved for a fool who was under the influence of tremendous luck.
If it was me, Id carry her around on my back if she was even half as pretty! No, hang on, not even half! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Even then, Yi Ji-Hyuks expression came off so real that Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt help but feelpassion for the former. What a bizarre situation this was.
Darling? (Erukana)
I... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? Darling? (Erukana)
Why! Am I! Your darliiiiiing?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed Erukana clinging onto him and threw her away. She spun around once in the air before lightlynding back on the floor.
Oh, my. Darling, even if youre ying, you shouldnt throw a woman around like that. Even though Im a demon king, I might get hurt if something goes wrong. (Erukana)
Hurt?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot a re at her out of sheer dumbfoundedness.
A demon king who might or might not get a single scratch from a nuclear bomb going off, getting injured by being thrown around?!
If you get hurt by something like that, then a regr womans head would explode if I try to pat her! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Besides, you call darling a darling, what else is there? (Erukana)
We are divorced!! Divorced!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who divorced? Because I sure didnt? (Erukana)
Keuh-heuk!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk plopped down on the floor.
Just let me go, will ya? Youre sucking me dry to death here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon saw Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders tremble and even without realising it, ced his hand there.
Thats how marriages are like. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kuwaaaahk!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly had an outburst, causing Seo Ah-Young who had been quietly observing the situation until then, to step in, grab his shoulders, and push him back down.
Okay, okay. Stop being like that, and.... (Seo Ah-Young)
N-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you tell us what really is going on here? I just cant wrap my head around whats up with this situation. (Seo Ah-Young)
Tell you what exactly? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How did you two meet? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Seo Ah-Young as if he couldnt believe this. They were stuck in a critical situation, yet she wanted him to start telling them a story?
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly tried to dissuade both of them.
We mustnt forget where we are currently. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What do you mean? (Seo Ah-Young)
Were still inside the White House. The area is also being surrounded as well. Its time that we vacate from the premise, wouldnt you agree? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, I guess youre right. (Seo Ah-Young)
After getting Seo Ah-Youngs consent, Choi Jeong-Hoon began studying Yi Ji-Hyuks mood before asking him next.
Excuse me.... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think its the right thing to do to leave this ce and go back to our own country. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, do that, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not an issue with the others, but uh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks dazed eyes shifted over to Choi Jeong-Hoon. Thetter did his absolute best to suppress his own tears that were threatening to break out, and asked the former for a small favour.
I think we need to take that person with us as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What person? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That person named Erukana. Your wife, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I said, she isnt my wiiiiiife!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sorrowfully cried out, but Choi Jeong-Hoon let that enter one ear and slide right out the other.
The important thing here isnt about whether she is or not. We need to go back to Korea, so please get ready. Ill go outside and talk to Christopher beforeing back inside. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why did you decide that on your own?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, do you wish to stay here, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
.....
In all honesty, I.... am not happy about taking that person with us back to Korea. I mean, which insane fool would take a demon king back home? But then, she has a rtionship with you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, and moreover, shes supposed to be your wife as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
She, she isnt..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voicecked all energy as if he finally lost his will to resist. Choi Jeong-Hoon could only look on in pity before turning around.
Ill be back soon. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As he walked out of the Oval Office, Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a lengthy sigh filled with despair.
*
What happened in there? (Christopher McLaren)
Well, you can say that it has entered a bit of a lull. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And the demon king? (Christopher McLaren)
....Shes sticking next to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk like a piece of gum. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Christopher McLaren replied in a dumbfounded voice.
So, she was telling the truth. (Christopher McLaren)
It seems that way. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ill be d*mned. His wife, is it? (Christopher McLaren)
The American clicked his tongue.
What an extraordinary development this is. Truly extraordinary. (Christopher McLaren)
I think the matter will be resolved quietly at this rate, so we can only be thankful for that, at least. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mister Choi, you havent been married before, yes? (Christopher McLaren)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If you were, you wouldnt have said something like that so easily. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled awkwardly.
The married mens bond of sympathy was a rather tough thing to get used to. Seriously now, marriage didnt seem like such an impressive thing, so what gives?
Theres no doubt that a person enjoying dominance over Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has made her entrance. This is basically a seismic shift taking ce in the power dynamics. You mustnt take this too lightly. (Christopher McLaren)
Now that I hear you.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Things can look even worse depending on your perspective. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
By the way..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons gaze shifted over to one side. There were a bunch of men tied up in the corner of themand centre.
Those people are? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, them? Its nothing much. You dont have to worry about them. (Christopher McLaren)
Even if you say that.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
All those medals hanging on the clothes of those people were definitely not there for decorations. Indeed, anyone wearing such a formal uniform mustve been pretty high up in the pecking order.
They seem to be people of some importance? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im sure they are. One of them is the Chief of Staff. (Christopher McLaren)
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Did I hear him wrong?
The Chief of Staff?
O-okay, so, is he talking about the U.S. Armys Chief of Staff?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon barely managed to grab ahold of his consciousness that was trying to run away from him.
The Chief of Staff? Is he really the Armys top man? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He is. (Christopher McLaren)
But, why is someone like that....? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats already a pretty good treatment considering hes a godd*mn traitor. (Christopher McLaren)
Traitor?
Did a rebellious uprising or something ur while Choi Jeong-Hoon wasnt looking?
What do you mean by that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, you dont have to know the details. (Christopher McLaren)
When an incident involving ability users and monsters ur, the American President would possess the authority tomand the American Army; in case he was unable to carry his duties out for some reason, then themand was supposed to fall not to the Secretary of Defense but to Christopher McLaren.
Meaning, he possessed the equal amount of authority as the President himself in this situation, so refusing to ept that and performing independent actions would go well beyond the simple crime of disobeying orders.
On top of that, their irrational actions almost resulted in the death of the President, so it wouldnt be strange to see them arrested immediately.
Choi Jeong-Hoon managed to guess that much and slowly shifted his gaze away.
M-mm. I seem to have seen something I shouldnt have. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, its fine, Mister Choi. Although it is an embarrassing sight for us, youre one of our allies, after all. (Christopher McLaren)
An ally, is it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Surely, you showing me that wasnt a mistake?
Right. Theres no way a guy like you would make such a mistake. You mustve arranged it so that I would end up seeing it. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Although it is rather burdensome, I should still ept that role. Of course were allies, and we shall continue to be so moving on. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Your words sound far more reassuring than when your own President says them. Indeed, looking at everything both you and Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk have done for us, I can definitely trust you. Well all be in your care in the future. (Christopher McLaren)
Of course. You can rest easy. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The two men shook each others offered hands.
Thoughts swirling in their heads were different, but at least in this moment, they seemed to be the perfect role model of friends and allies.
By the way.... What will happen to this demon king named Erukana? (Christopher McLaren)
For the time being, well take her back to Korea with us. Leaving her here will present a problem of its own. Since shes involved with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, one wrong move might end up as a huge diplomatic incident, so theres that, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, no. We wouldnt dare to raise an issue with such a thing. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has done so much for us already. (Christopher McLaren)
....And, he sure wrung us dry as much as he can, too. (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly studied Christopher McLaren, before forming a bright smile.
The American might be talking in such a manner right now, but that was for the sake of the immediate benefits. The pride of being a citizen of America would still be alive and kicking in his heart.
It mustve been so displeasing.
An Asian kid not even half his age was speaking to him on equal terms, acting all buddy-buddy and allies and whatnots, so the older man wouldnt be happy about it not one bit.
Even then, not disying a single hint of that outwardly was surely one of Christopher McLarens abilities.
I shouldnt get devoured, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if Choi Jeong-Hoon failed to take the lead, he should still ensure that he was not in a disadvantageous position.
For the sake of his country, and for Yi Ji-Hyuk, too.
Well then, well be on our way now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Already? I was thinking of treating Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk to some burgers he seems to enjoy so much.... (Christopher McLaren)
With the situation being what it is, we just dont have enough time to rxedly chat away, unfortunately. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I guess youre right. Too bad. (Christopher McLaren)
Oh, and also.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm? (Christopher McLaren)
Its not that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk likes burger-type foods, he simply likes all types of food. He prefers mostly something sweet, as well as meat dishes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Thats a piece of high-value information. Ill keep that in mind. (Christopher McLaren)
We shall get going now. Ill give you onest radio call before leaving, so please ensure that no one enters the building before we are gone. Id like to avoid any unnecessary stimtions, if you will. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its us that want to avoid it more than anyone. Ah, theres something I want to ask you. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Christopher McLaren shuffled closer to Choi Jeong-Hoon and whispered into thetters ear.
How did Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks rtionship to that woman look to you? Is he the one wearing the pants? (Christopher McLaren)
The tone of his voice asking that question sounded as if he was convinced of that not happening.
....It seems that hes a henpecked husband. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Badly? (Christopher McLaren)
Afraid so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Tsk, tsk. (Christopher McLaren)
ording to Christopher McLarens life experience, men who were sessful and talented in society were, most often than not, henpecked by their wives for some reason.
....For instance, the previous President who walked around with a ck eye after his wife chucked a mobile phone at him.
The numero uno has changed, hasnt it. (Christopher McLaren)
Well have to wait and see first. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What do you mean? (Christopher McLaren)
I cant say for other countries, but at least in Korea, you could say that theres a grim reaper-like existence for an aspiring wife that they must contend with first. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smirked deeply.
The time to prove whether Yi Ji-Hyuks mother was indeed scarier than a demon king or not was fast approaching.
< 266. If the demon king is scarier than mom -1 > Fin.
Chapter 267: if the demon king is scarier than mom (2)
Chapter 267: if the demon king is scarier than mom (2)
Wuuuong!
A Gate opened up in front of the NDF building. Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged out from the portal with a slightly fatigued expression on his face.
H-mm? (Erukana)
Erukana looked at him with a slightly dissatisfied expression.
Darling, your Gate was a little unstablepared to in the past. Cant you make it smoother the next time? (Erukana)
............. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think I can split your bloody head open quite smoothly, though! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk began quaking in his boots, Choi Jeong-Hoon, carrying an awkward expression, came up to him.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sorry, but uh, our agents need toe back as well, so if you could open another Gate to that ce..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You think Im a taxi or a subway train?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If we get technical about it, then its closer to a subway.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes shot up, causing Choi Jeong-Hoon to grin slyly and shifted his head away.
Ehehe, please, well be in your care. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Aigo.... What has my lifee to.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he tried to open a new Gate, Erukana suddenly began tilting her head.
Darling? (Erukana)
....What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you trying to do? (Erukana)
Hes asking me to open a new Gate so that some people cane here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Come here? Those people in that ce? (Erukana)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana giggled softly before her expression suddenly transformed into one of a scary predator ready to devour, her rending straight on Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Human, a measly little punk like you dares to boss my darling around? (Erukana)
Wu-du-duk!
Their gazes met and just like that, not only his mind but his actual body began to shrink back from the sheer, overwhelming pressure bearing down on him.
Keuh-heuk.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wanted to urgently offer up an excuse, but his muscles twisting and writhing all on their own didnt permit his mouth to open.
Stop it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, darling! (Erukana)
I said, stop it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hng. (Erukana)
Erukana turned her head away ever so slightly.
When she did, all the pressure crushing Choi Jeong-Hoons body receded away, allowing him to spit out heavy,boured breathing.
Heo-uh-uhk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The pain was akin to taking a trip to hell and back.
You should be grateful for the rest of your life that he decided to transport someone as worthless as you, yet you wish to inflict my darling with even more inconvenience? Do you really need to learn how to crawl like a bug to wake up? (Erukana)
I told you to stop it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng! If thats what you want, darling! (Erukana)
As if the re from a second was a total lie, Erukana beamed brightly and clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuks arms again.
Hah-aaaahhhh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He grabbed his head, hard.
This is why shes so dang scary! This....! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Isnt it fine to open one up for them, anyway?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, these kids might learn a bad habit if you do. So, no. Besides, why do you need to waste energy for that? What are they, anyway? (Erukana)
....Theres this thing called affection between people, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, like, with a pet? Why didnt you say so earlier? But, for a bunch of pets, these kids just dont look all that cute, dont you agree? People do have different tastes, I guess. If my darling likes them, then I also like them, too. (Erukana)
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders drooped down really low toward the ground.
Seeing that spectacle, Choi Jeong-Hoons own shoulders slumped forward, as well.
What the freak. Whats the matter with that man? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
If it was him, hed wee the expression of love from such a beautiful woman with his arms wide open, yet why was Yi Ji-Hyuk so dissatisfied with this whole thing?
Judging from how she was behaving right now, it didnt seem like she had done something bad to him in the past, either.
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily pushed Erukana clinging onto his arm and swung his hand to create another Gate.
But, there definitely is an effect. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now normally, hedin for a long time, asking why he should do something like this, but after Erukana stepped forward to cause a scene first, he was opening a Gate without saying anything else.
Didnt it feel like this might be beneficial for everyone, somehow?
Yi Ji-Hyuk finished opening the Gate and trudged back inside, prompting others to follow him as well.
Did Choi Jeong-Hoon make a mistake in thinking that his shoulders looked far heavier today for some reason?
*
Aw...... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana began raising a fuss after seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk slumped over a chair in the conference room.
My darling, you must be feeling tired after opening those Gates. Should I recharge your Mana reserve? (Erukana)
....But, you seem to have even less Mana than me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe, I had to leave some behind since I wanted to cross over on my own. Even still, I did bring a good selection along with me. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk covered his face.
He should feel some sort of affection towards her since she crossed over after going through so much hardship, yet why couldnt he stop groaning under his breath?
He desperately stopped the tears threatening to break out of his eyes.
Tremble, tremble....
Aigo, that surprised me! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was surprised by something vibrating intensely next to him and quickly looked over.
I thought theres an oscitor here or something. Your auto vibration mode is really a killer,dy. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
As a matter of fact, she was trembling so much that he ended up feeling concerned for her.
P-please, calm down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What did I do now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Whats this?
Could this be an unconscious vibration function?
If she sings in this state, she should be able to blow the roof off this ce, now wouldnt she? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon erased the dumb thoughts swimming in his head and sent a signal to Seo Ah-Young with his eye. She then cautiously embraced Jeong Hae-Min from behind and settled her down on a chair.
Please, calm down, unni. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keu-heuk. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min clenched her fists tightly.
Just how long was she supposed to endure this sight?
By the way.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon cautiously raised his voice.
How did the two of you meet? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back dazedly.
Choi Jeong-Hoon dry coughed and continued on.
Actually, dont you find it slightly weird? One person is a human being, while the other is a demon king? Thebination here is a bit strange. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Strange?? (Erukana)
Erukana began ring at him, causing Choi Jeong-Hoon to quickly rify himself.
W-what I meant was, you two dont look awkward but like, its such a miraculous encounter so, like, uh.... Right, its quite mystifying, you see! I wouldnt dream of thinking any other way, you know? Heheh. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes narrowed into slits.
Her rended like a sharp scalpel on his back and he could only shrink his neck back.
So cold.
A cold, cold re stabbed into his back.
In front of him, the scariest woman imaginable in all dimensions, while to his back, the scariest woman in mankind.
What on earth was up with this situation taking ce inside such a tiny conference room?!
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly swallowed back his tears.
I told you, even if I possess the thickest face in the world, I cant keep it up against a demon king.
Who can criticise me for prostrating in front of a demon king??
Its not like Im a warrior hero of this ce, too! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Coward. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons back suddenly stood up straight.
How dare she call me a coward? How can she say something so humiliating?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had been looking after Yi Ji-Hyuk, someone that everyone else ran away from while trying not to make eye contact, until now, even though he felt like he was being sucked dry.
Not even a brave soul unhesitantly stepping into a lions cage to tear into a dead deer alongside the lions wouldnt have the balls to call Choi Jeong-Hoon a coward.
But then, she called him a coward?!
Well, Im a bit.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hahahaha....
He wasnt like this normally, but for today, he was kind of scared.
Heughed awkwardly and shrunk away, prompting Seo Ah-Young to spat out a long sigh.
Why am I with that man.... (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
So, you want to know how I met him? (Erukana)
Fortunately, Erukana butted in and helped Choi Jeong-Hoon out of his troubles.
Kyahk! I really need to recount that with my own lips?? (Erukana)
Excuse me.
Please, dont make an embarrassed expression with a face like yours. Please.
It just doesnt go along with your regr image, you know?
I mean, an addition of a leather whip wouldplete your outfit in my eyes, so how could you be blushing so profusely like that?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon desperately worked hard to stop himself from raising his voice. Meanwhile, Erukana continued on.
It was like destiny. (Erukana)
....More like hell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even I cant tell how something so fateful could have happened! (Erukana)
It was an ident. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe~, its like, a god lead us into meeting each other. (Erukana)
....Latrel, that bi*ch!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana formed a serious expression as she spoke.
But darling, you know that Latrel doesnt have any connection with me. (Erukana)
But, shes a god, right? Isnt she like a main god on that side, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Berafe and the demon world arent the same, though. (Erukana)
Ah, youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon determined that if these two were left alone to chat among themselves, hed not get to hear the rest of the story and end up swimming in ake of tangents so he quickly set up the reference line they could follow.
He wanted to hear what he wanted to hear and nothing else!
And so, how did you two meet?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul, why are you getting angry? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Human? Did you just get snappy at us? (Erukana)
N-no, thats like, not... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He failed.
Choi Jeong-Hoon found himself in a situation of getting beaten up to death just because he dared to raise his voice, so he desperately tried to weasel his way out of it.
I was too impatient to find out, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-ng? (Erukana)
Erukana smiled seductively.
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt this momentary dizziness taking over and dazedly stared at her C only for someone behind him to pinch his back flesh and twist it, hard.
Kkeuh-euhhhhhk?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That... seriously hurt.
After being subjected to the intense force capable of tearing his clothes apart, he couldnt even scream out properly and only managed to gasp out a pained whimper through his wide-open mouth.
You better wake up! (Seo Ah-Young)
What should I call this situation?
In front of me, theres a demon king, and behind me, theres a witch.
Ah, so the old saying Enemies at all corners must mean this situation. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Well, if youre that curious, I should tell you, then. (Erukana)
Erukana looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk with love-filled eyes, before rubbing her cheek against his.
So, how did my darling and I meet? Thats very simple, really. My darling called out to me with an ardent heart. And thats why I crossed dimensions to meet him, you see! Where can you find an encounter more fated than this? (Erukana)
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Affeldrichae sighed under her breath and began interpreting what Erukana said.
The demon Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk summoned to form a contract with just so happened to be none other than Erukana-nim. (Affeldrichae)
Uh, mm, so, I guess you can only use dark magic through a contract? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now normally, yes. Or you wouldnt be able to replenish dark Mana. (Affeldrichae)
Oh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not sure what shes talking about, but well, it sounds like Yi Ji-Hyuk summoned Erukana in order to use her like a petrol station. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
By the way.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tilted his head.
It seems that humans using dark magic must be pretty rare? I mean, shes calling a meeting under such circumstances a fated one and all that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh..... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae stared at him as if he was an idiot, and he could only shrink back again.
Did I say something wrong again? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It seemed that his fortune for the day was a rough one, whats with every female under the sun criticising him from left, right, and centre.
Please think about it. In order to learn how to use dark magic, you need to summon a demon first. (Affeldrichae)
Yes, you said that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Lets say, you wanted to learn Taekwondo, so you went to the nearest gym. (Affeldrichae)
Okay. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Do you think that from the very first day you arrive there, a national representative-level coach would suddenly start talking to you? (Affeldrichae)
No, Im sure that wouldnt happen. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt know anything about dark magic, and only wanted to create a connection to the demon world. (Affeldrichae)
......... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But then, a demon king showed up. (Affeldrichae)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a glum look on his face.
Now that he thought about it, there was this preconceived notion that this guy went around causing trouble because he had gotten stronger.
But, as it turned out, he was simply a trouble ma from the get-go.
It is indeed an incredibly unlikely event. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its destiny! (Erukana)
Erukana stuck even closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk and rubbed herself all over him, causing some sort of whitish something to escape out from his mouth.
Is, is that a soul of a person? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And demons are supposed to cheat you out of your own soul!
They have so many varied methods, dont they! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
I see. So, if you contact the demon world normally, youd sign a contract with a demon. But, theres something I dont understand. ording to the lore passed down on Earth... when you sign a contract with a demon, isnt there a corresponding price to pay? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Such as ones soul or some sort of sacrifice?
Youre right. Normally, one would use their soul as the coteral and sign the contract. (Affeldrichae)
In that case? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Did that mean Yi Ji-Hyuks soul was now subservient to Erukana, then?
Wasnt that a very serious problem?
Especially so, when he couldnt even offer up any form of resistance and sit therepletely dazed?
No, what you fear didnt happen. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt offer his soul to sign the contract. (Affeldrichae)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Because, he doesnt have a soul, per se. (Affeldrichae)
........
Haha, well....
Thats not all that surprising, is it....
That man is kinda like that.
Not a thing is right with him, whether its logic or his humanity, so why should his soul be alright in that mess?
Hahahaha....
....Son of a bi*ch. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoons migraine was getting harsher and harsher.
< 267. If the demon king is scarier than mom -2 > Fin.
Chapter 268: If the demon king is scarier than mom (3)
Chapter 268: If the demon king is scarier than mom (3)
W-what do you mean by that? He doesnt have a soul?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Affeldrichae replied as if it was nothing to be concerned about.
Its not that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk doesnt have a soul, but him during that time period had his soul fixed to himself, so he couldnt use that as the price to pay for the contract. In Berafesmon sense, its not wrong to say that he didnt have a soul in that regard. (Affeldrichae)
....Im sorry, but cant you exin it in a way that I can understand? Im just a human being, you see? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm, it is very difficult to provide an exnation matching the level of a humans intelligence. (Affeldrichae)
Did you know that you treating a person like an ape really gets on my nerves?
Sure, we might look like that to your eyes, but even dog owners wouldnt go Youre like a dog and cant understand me in front of their pets, you know?!
Dont you agree thats the minimum level of consideration for others?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
I was really shocked back then. (Erukana)
Erukana broke out into a fit of delightedughter.
When one thought about it, Choi Jeong-Hoons surprise right now would be no way near of hers back then.
The first summoning in thousands of years and being transferred to that world was already surprising enough, yet the summoner didnt have a soul to offer! I was so shocked, you know. (Erukana)
Hah-ahhh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke, sounding as if his soul had been sucked out.
Why did it have to be you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-ng. Darling, you called me, thats why. (Erukana)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk covered his face.
D*mn it!!
I only did as the instructions said! I only created the summoning circle ording to what was in the textbook!!
I wasted over ten years trying to get my hands on that dark magic secret manual, but to think that Id end up summoning a dang demon king!!
And that demon king happens to be Erukana! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It was the beginning of his misfortune.
Whats this, you... dont have a soul to offer? (Erukana)
He shouldve run away the moment he heard those words.
Hah-aaahhh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a sigh so deep that he might disappear into it, prompting Erukana to primly narrow her eyes.
Darling, were sharing a story of our wonderful past, so why are you making a face like that? (Erukana)
Wonderful past, is it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can I even call that part of my history wonderful?
Youre supposed to be able to look back with rose-tinted sses when enough time passes by, but seriously, I cant seem to find sses rosy enough for that part of my life, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In this world, well, there are all sorts of ways to call reminiscence of the past, arent there.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Moisture suddenly welled up in his eyes.
Do you know how difficult it was to get away from you?
But, you just had to chase me down to this ce!
Oh, dear mother! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In any case, thats how I first met my darling. Did you know how cute he was when he asked me, Hul, does that mean I cant sign a contract with you? (Erukana)
....... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought water was filling up inside his head all of a sudden. If he cracked his own head open now, wouldnt he find his brain twisted and scrambled like crazy all by itself?
She said cute.
She said that man is cute.
Is it because shes a demon king?!
Right, her tastes are so queer that it cant be understood by a humans logic! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Well, he is kinda cute. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins follow-up deration ensured that Choi Jeong-Hoons brain would fly straight to the Andromeda gxy.
CUTE???
Oh, Im really sorry, but did you cover your eyes with something?
How can you say something like that unless youre insane??
I saw people calling snakes cute, sure, but even those people failed to make me think this way! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the two females with unreadable eyes, prompting them to shoot back knife-like res in his direction.
Is this what everyone meant by living in the age of female-domination? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon whimpered like a scolded dog and lowered his head, his shoulders twitching.
Oh, how sorrowful his life was.
So, you didnt sign the contract with him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now originally, I wouldnt have, but my darling was so cute to say no. So, I made an exception and signed it for a special price. (Erukana)
This isnt like a department store discount sale, so whats up with this special price thing? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Was that something you can decide on your own like that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Erukana)
Erukanas eyes went round in puzzlement.
Its me who wants to sign a contract, so how can anyone have an opinion about that? (Erukana)
Yes, of course. I thought youd say that.
Its not like I have a problem with it or anything.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Sure, it shouldnt have happened normally, but well, it doesnt really matter to me anyway. And thats how I got to meet my darling, too! Kyah-ah! (Erukana)
Erukana rubbed her face all over Yi Ji-Hyuks.
Was Choi Jeong-Hoon delusional when he thought that, the longer the rubbing continued, the paler Yi Ji-Hyuksplexion got?
Ah. So you met like that, and got married. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, not like that. (Erukana)
Erukana quickly and firmly shook her hand.
Nope, thats the story from over a thousand years ago! Our connection continued on afterwards and eventually, we tied the knot, you see! We definitely are not the type to get hitched based on feelings of the moment, you know! (Erukana)
....Ah, I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had no idea how to answer that, so he simply nodded his head along.
Darling, it took too long to get to this point! From now on, lets be an alkong-dalkong couple! (Erukana) (TL: Korean ng for being all lovey-dovey and stuff.)
Uwaaaah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Finally reaching his critical point, Yi Ji-Hyuk shot up from his spot and threw Erukana away again. She mustve liked it though, as she burst out in a fit of giggles as she flew away.
Alkong-dalkong, my foot!! Demon kings invade here whenever they get bored, insane idiots from Berafe and whatnot continue to invade like crazy, so what are you talking about, alkong-dalkong?! Gimme a freaking break! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do they have to do with us? It doesnt matter as long as we live our lives well, right? (Erukana)
The world is about to end! And also...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed his trembling finger at Erukana.
We divorced! Remember that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? When? (Erukana)
I told you that I dont want to live with you anymore!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, thats just you saying that. And I dont remember agreeing to that, either? Isnt divorce only applicable when both sides agree to it? (Erukana)
Keuh... Keuh-heuk! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt know what else to say in the face of Erukanas sound logic and began shuddering uncontrobly.
This demoness of a b*tch!
No, hang on, shes a demon, isnt she?
Aigo, dear lord.... how did I get involved with this woman and end up paying for it even until now?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon watching from the sidelines sneaked closer to Affeldrichae and asked her.
By the way, do you know why Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk hates her that much? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....I wonder why myself. (Affeldrichae)
Even she was tilting her head, evidently not understanding it herself.
She had already seen this a few times before, but now that she thought about it some more, she couldnt figure out why Yi Ji-Hyuk detested her that much.
When one got right down to it, wasnt she probably the best prospective bride one could ever hope for?
She was talented.
She had wealth.
And as for the looks, even Affeldrichae had to take a bow.
Not to forget, Affeldrichaes real appearance was a Dragon, but Erukana was the case of what you see is what you get. Meaning, she was the real Natural Born Beauty.
Her personality wasnt bad, she was a demon king from the demon world C not just any king, but someone who upied the supreme position of the thirteenth seat, plus she even disyed such devotion to just one man with boundless affection, so this....
....Hes being too full of himself. (Affeldrichae)
No matter how hard she thought about it, it was the darnedest thing ever.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot the two of them a powerful re.
What did I do?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its like, you dont seem to like her all that much.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hey, both of you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began shedding the unmistakable sweat drops of his heart.
...Why dont you live with her first before saying that?! Why dont ya?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The intense emotion reverberating within his voice was amplifying the sense of futility. Just what did he go through to react like this?
Did she do something terrible to you, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If so, why? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in a firm, unwavering voice.
Out of humans that cant even live past one hundred years.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Over half of their marriages end up in divorce!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, sure. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now, think about living together for over one thousand years! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Oh. So, like, that is....
Now that I think about it, it does sound rather terrifying, doesnt it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
I got sick and tired.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grabbed his head and scratched it hard.
Argh, your dandruff! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even though Jeong Hae-Min immediately started rebuking him, he continued to scratch his head in sheer stupefaction, before falling into an open spot on the couch.
With a soulless face, he muttered out loudly.
I thought I had finally gained my freedom, but who knew shed chase me down to this ce.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe. (Erukana)
It vaguely sounded as if he was insulting her, yet Erukana didnt seem hurt at all as she rubbed her head all over the slumped-and-sagging Yi Ji-Hyuks chest.
....By the way, thisdy, she... the way I see it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
She seems to be a certain type of demon that even I know of. I mean, its such a stereotypical appearance that I cant think of any other.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Your suspicion is probably correct. I also found instances of her kind being mentioned even in this world, too. (Affeldrichae)
Could she be then...? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes, she is a Subus. (Affeldrichae)
That p*ssed him off.
That really, really riled him up good!
Wasnt a Subus a demon overflowing with lust that even he had heard of??
A Subuss main job was to seduce men, but rather than seducing Yi Ji-Hyuk, she was actually seduced by him instead and was acting like that!!
Wasnt that, like, dereliction of duty??
Choi Jeong-Hoon was rapidly filling up with this rage against the inexplicable unfairness of it all.
D-does that mean? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons neither-here-nor-there question was ably answered by Affeldrichae.
Events youre thinking of didnt happen. Its true that shes a being that must suck out a persons vitality, and in all honesty, thats why she holds such a favourable view towards Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Pardon me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Shes the Subus Queen. (Affeldrichae)
Okay. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
ording to the lore known in this world, the female form is called Subus while the male version is called Incubus, but in reality, these two arepletely different races. Even though they both are referred to as nightmare demons, however. (Affeldrichae)
They are not the same? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. They drain vitality from the others in order to propagate, so that means they cant drain each others vitality, now can they? (Affeldrichae)
....Uh? Now that I hear you, that makes sense? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Subi seduced men, while Incubi seduced women to steal lifeforce from their victims, so if they tried to reproduce, wouldnt that be like draining each others lives, then?
Their ecology might be simr, but they are two different races. And they reproduce differently, as well. One receives seed from other species, while the other seeds their victims. (Affeldrichae)
H-mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The issuees from there. (Affeldrichae)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even demons have emotions. Demons are also capable of love and can hold affections, as well. To be more specific, shes not a literal demon, but one of the speciesmonly referred to as a demonic being. (Affeldrichae)
Oh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since shes a much higher level of lifeform, her love is far moreplex and also just as honest and pure, as well. However, when a Subus falls in love, inevitably, the object of her affection will die. (Affeldrichae)
Ah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could now understand what Affeldrichae was trying to say.
It was definitely a dilemma.
Sharing affection with her loved one resulting in the death of said person C when you think about it, wouldnt the race of Subus a fairly sad one?
And in case of Erukana-nim, shes not just any Subus, but their Queen. Most demon kings cant even share any intimacy with her. (Affeldrichae)
I guess so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just her gaze alone was enough to almost stop a mans heart, so....
He began to realise that it was a rather extraordinary thing.
But then, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk was unaffected. (Affeldrichae)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In Berafe, he was.... well, not only did he not die, his vitality would be restored in full immediately, and the moment hes fully recovered, everything would reset back to the beginning, so you could say that he was life personified. And on top of that, hes also a humanoid, too. (Affeldrichae)
Ah, youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk was supposed to be an immortal on the other side, wasnt he?
I keep forgetting that since I got so used to seeing him getting hurt and vomit blood all the time this side. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
So, that means? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Erukana raised her finger and wagged it side to side.
Thats wrong, human. (Erukana)
Her voice sounded firm, resolute.
Although I cant say that reason was not a factor, the really important thing wasnt that. No, the truly important factor is that my darling here is the only person who managed to steal my heart for the first time since my birth, you see? The important thing is not the body, but ones heart! (Erukana)
Uhm, that... I dont think thats something a Subus should say, maam.
Please, you need to regain your sense of identity.
Not just any Subus, but youre a Subus Queen, so you shouldnt be saying that! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Hah-ahhhh..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon kind of understand where Yi Ji-Hyuks heavy, downtrodden groan wasing from.
So, how did you fall in love with him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Itll be a long story, though.... (Erukana)
Erukanas cheeks blushed a little as she opened her lips.
< 268. If the demon king is scarier than mom -3 > Fin.
Chapter 269. If the demon king is scarier than mom (4)
Chapter 269. If the demon king is scarier than mom (4)
I was also really shocked at first. The first summoning to Berafe in several thousands of years, so I thought that at least some child on the level of an Archmage mustve been responsible for it. But when I got there, I found a young boy with not a drop of Mana in him, so can you imagine how bbergasted I was? (Erukana)
Why didnt you just leave, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehehe~, darling. Seriously, you know how to crack a funny joke. (Erukana)
....Uhm, I dont think he was cracking a joke, though?
No one on Earth would be joking with an expression like that, you know? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Groan..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned in misery, but it seemed that Erukana was oblivious to his plight as she continued on.
So, like, I was nning to go back, but then.... I was actually bored back then. I mean, it was my first real holiday in thousands of years, so there I was, thinking that maybe I should just create a connecting chain just in case, so I signed the contract with him. (Erukana)
I guess it was a sheer stroke of luck for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Luck??
Yi Ji-Hyuk was almost ovee by an impulse to stretch Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth, capable of uttering something so easily, left and right to see how far it would stretch before tearing in half.
No, it isnt. It was I who got lucky running into my darling back then. Heheh. (Erukana)
...............
Choi Jeong-Hoon covered his face.
Something... was wrong here.
This couple, they seemed to be strangely well-suited for each other, yet it was also rather disgusting to watch. It was kind of like looking at a perfect pair of cockroaches, and feeling quite irritated by that fact? Something like that?
However, their external appearance ratio is too imbnced.
Even if you say that Yi Ji-Hyuks face isnt bad enough to be unptable, you also cant objectively say hes a nice-looking guy either. Yet, Erukana is eye-searingly gorgeous, so, this....
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Definitely a squid, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was that?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, its nothing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sneakily shifted his head away.
Well, lets be frank here. Everything in this world is rtive, isnt it!!
You pair up a regr handsome dude next to a woman that gorgeous, his looks would wither in an instant, but its none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk, so.... how should I say it? Its like.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
One wouldnt im that Yi Ji-Hyuk was an ugly duckling, sure, but this pair was no longer on the level of the Beauty & the Beast but more like the Beauty & the Orc, instead.
Of course, it wasnt as if Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to be a part of this scene to begin with, but what could Choi Jeong-Hoon do when tears automatically blocked his view?
So, whenever I got bored, I went over to chat with my darling. (Erukana)
Is Berafe different from this ce in that its connected to the demon world? I was under the impression that it takes a mighty effort to cross over to this world. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, that. No, its not that different. (Erukana)
But, how did you go there so easily? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh my goodness. Youre rather stupid, arent you? (Erukana)
.............
This will be my first time being called stupid in my life!!
Sure, fine, youre a demonic being and whatnot. But the thing is, my level of intelligence falls into the top 0.1% of the entire human race, Ill have you know!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
How can you say something like that after knowing who I am? I am the Subus Queen. I can go and meet my contractor any time I want. I went through his dreams. (Erukana)
....Its been my fervent wish to fall asleep properly once in my life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So, thats why he became so twisted like this.
I shouldve known.
A dude who hadnt caused any incident of note before disappearing to another world, yet hees back as an utter scumbag. So I was wondering what happened, but here was the reason for it. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Aaaand~, after I kept meeting my darling like that, I realised how much of a cool guy he was! (Erukana)
Thats not possible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was that? (Erukana)
Oh, no. I was saying, if its Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, he is indeed a cool guy. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You think so too? Ehehe. (Erukana)
Kings ears are donkeys eaaaars!!
Kings......
Uwaah! Where the freak is a bamboo forest when you need one?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Completely not caring whether Choi Jeong-Hoons innards were rotting away or not, Erukana continued on with her tale, a bright smile still etched on her lips.
He was so gentle and smooth, you know? (Erukana)
Lies. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He was so understanding, and generous too.... (Erukana)
Youre going to need a lot of soap at this rate! (Choi Jeong-Hoon) (TL note at the end)
And to top it off, hes so romantic, too. (Erukana)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gave up right there and then on understanding anything Erukana was saying. Topensate for stop caring about her, he chose to shift his gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk instead.
Please, exin yourself. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
........ (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His attitude when asking for an exnation was so forthright that Yi Ji-Hyuk found himself instinctively opening his mouth.
You know Im not that kind of a person. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, correct. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Right, you arent. (Jeong Hae-Min)
No need to even say it. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Stop it with the vocal trio. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dry-coughed to clear his throat.
What a merciless, bloodless and sympathy-less bunch of people. Is it so difficult to just listen without retorting? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
But, think about it for a second. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
About? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What other examples would she have topare against me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ah..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could understand then.
Every single male Erukana encountered throughout her entire life mustve been either demonic beings or straight-up demon kings. So,pared to those folks, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldvee across as a perfect, polite and very romantic gentleman, indeed.
That was for certain.
B-but, if you say it like that, didnt Berafe also have human males? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Twenty years to demons are about 20 days in human time scale. What can she do with a man wholl grow old in 20 days? Itll be like, hed be dead after a nights romp. Something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, that certainly did sound about right.
And besides, men in Berafe are not that much different from demon kings, you see. If people from the Joseon era crossed over to that ce, Im sure theyd be treated as womens rights activists there. I mean, those fools, they dont even see women as fellow human beings, you know? I was so shocked about it after arriving there for the first time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
He didnt know the exact level of Berafes civilisation, but still, one only had to take a look at those numerous countries in the present-day Earth that still failed to give women equal rights as men. In fact, some of them were even worsepared to the Joseon era.
So, it wouldnt be so strange to learn that womens rights in Berafe were worth even less than a dogs balls.
And I ended up in a ce like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats the best way of describing that?
Well, its the birth of the legendary womens rights activist, then.
Even the generalmon sense of a modern person would be seen as heretical in a ce like that. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Ng! Ng! He was so gentle and sweet that I thought I was going to melt, you know? (Erukana)
....Itd been nicer if you did really melt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My darling is so good with jokes, dont you think? Kyah-hahahaha! (Erukana)
What the hell. Is she deliberately doing that?
Or, does she really think hes joking? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
He couldnt tell which one of the two it was, but Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be familiar with such a reaction by now as he simply continued to spit out one sigh after another.
Thats why I asked him to marry me first! Those surprised eyes of my darling back then! (Erukana)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his sullen gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk next.
....I was lonely, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you crashnd in a world where you know no one, and try to survive when everybody treats you like a monster? Youll soon learn how happy youd get when someone shows how much they like you. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon heard Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue and nodded his head.
I dont need anything else. Just the face alone will be more than satisfactory enough in my case. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
SLAAAAAP!!
Kkeok!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The impact force resounding from his back was so severe that Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt even scream properly as he went down on his knees.
Was this how dying feels like??
What kind of an object would make him experience this much pain??
I think your clothes are torn. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins slightly worried voice came to him next.
That looks painful. (Erukana)
As a matter of fact, the p was so vicious that even the demon king was worried about him!
Just before he could scream out in sheer pain, Affeldrichae extended her hand outwards.
Heal. (Affeldrichae)
He noticed that some kind of white rays of light entered his body. With that, all of his crippling pain dissipated.
I.... I almost died!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Itd been nicer if you did. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Lets refrain from saying scary things like that. Please. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon avoided meeting Seo Ah-Youngs gaze as she emitted bone-chilly air. It was as if Kim Dah-Som had possessed her or something.
O-okay, so.... why are you acting this way now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a soulless expression.
....I didnt know back then. I had no idea that marriage was the graveyard of ones life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, thats not true, darling. Its a blessing. (Erukana)
I didnt know itdst for over one thousand years. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its only been a short thousand years. (Erukana)
Please, stop. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tears rolled down Yi Ji-Hyuks face as he spoke.
Didnt you hit me, a perfectly okay person, with all sorts of magic with the excuse of making me stronger?! Didnt you drag me, someone who was fine without it, to the demon world, saying that I need to train there?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly nodded his head.
Mm, so this....
So, the reason for Yi Ji-Hyuks demon world sojourn that caused the demon kings to gnash their teeth is this woman, then.
If you get technical about it, shes the true enemy of the demon world, isnt she? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Thats how you got stronger, right? Hehe. (Erukana)
I only wanted to return home! There were other methods, too!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii~, thats no good. A man is all about his abilities. You gotta be sessful in life first, wouldnt you agree? Because I worked so hard for you behind the scenes, you got topletely wreck other demon kings left, right and centre, right? (Erukana)
When Choi Jeong-Hoon first heard that a mere human being had managed to utterly rape and pige all those high and mighty demon kings, he thought it was truly a victory for humanity, but as it turned out, there was such a hidden story behind it.
He couldnt tell whether he shouldugh or cry here.
So, let me get this straight.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thankfully for him, someone else here decided to step into the minefield in his stead.
You still wish to insist on being his wife, is that it? (Jeong Hae-Min)
H-nnnng? (Erukana)
Erukana let out a seductive snort and looked over at Jeong Hae-Min.
Whats the matter with that? (Erukana)
The person in question says he doesnt want you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Doesnt want me? My darling is? (Erukana)
Erukana grinned brightly and stroked Yi Ji-Hyuks cheek.
I guess you dont know much about him, then. When ites to my darling, what he says and how he acts are totally different, you see. He might say stuff like this right now, but hes not pushing me away, is he? Since you didnt even know that, you dont have any hope. (Erukana)
Eeek!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Miss Jeong Hae-Min.
You might get dragged to a research facility at this rate. Please, you gotta slow down your oscition. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Why arent you saying anything?! If you dont want to be in this situation, you gotta say it out loud! (Jeong Hae-Min)
The arrow was shifted over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Groan..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He groaned in pain.
If it could be solved with words, Id have said something already. Have you ever seen me keep quiet like, ever? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not really. (Jeong Hae-Min)
For sure, none present here had seen him behave like that.
You can only talk to someone whos willing to listen, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A lone teardrop trickled down from Yu Ji-Hyuks eye.
Why do you think I even resorted to running away? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my? (Erukana)
Erukana looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk in surprise.
Darling, you were running away?? (Erukana)
.......... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he remained sitting still and unable to say a thing, the end of her brow arched up greatly.
Is she getting angry? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched the duo, feeling like he should start getting popcorn ready just in case.
Wouldnt this situation lead to a Kdrama-like scene somehow?
Aigo, my darling, I didnt know you were under such a strain. Ill do better from now on. Ill be more hands-on when ites toforting my darlings troubles from here onwards. (Erukana)
Sob.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon bore witness to Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes producing more tears. Seeing that guy sob away in sorrow like that, even his own heart began aching, too.
Because, well, that guy wasnt that type of a person, to begin with...
Wow, she doesnt want to listen. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its no joke. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Amazing. (Seo Ah-Young)
Even the trio could now understand why Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt said anything much until now. This Erukanas white-hot passion was being focused in a strange direction in this case.
It does seem like there is one solution to this, though. (Seo Ah-Young)
A solution? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Seo Ah-Youngs words caused a bright expression to form on Jeong Hae-Mins face.
Unni, youve been seeing a dang married man until now, so you should be tearing his hair out instead of smiling like that! (Seo Ah-Young)
The formers harsh rebuke caused thetter to drop her head.
W-well, even Im to tear his hair out, we still need to resolve this situation first, right? And besides, they say theyve been together for a thousand years that side. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Okay. So? (Seo Ah-Young)
I mean, isnt it a lot better than seeing a thousand-year-old bachelor? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Now that I hear you, that kind of sounds logical? (Seo Ah-Young)
Now, this is really puzzling.
Although a married man is a bit icky, when you think about it, a bachelor going solo for over a thousand years is a seriously horrifying prospect, isnt it?
Isnt that the zenith of talentlessness at dating? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
For a moment there, Seo Ah-Young couldnt really figure out which one was worse.
You could just see other people, you know? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons easy-going reply caused Jeong Hae-Mins eyes to narrow into slits.
I hope you understand that Im not being this way because I dont know that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im sorry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
She shot him a sideways re before asking Seo Ah-Young again.
Okay, whats your solution? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Shes a demon king, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
So, she doesnt know. (Seo Ah-Young)
Doesnt know what? (Jeong Hae-Min)
In order to marry someone in Korea, one has to go through the Si-world first. (Seo Ah-Young) (TL note at the end)
........
A demon king is nothing much whenpared to ones mother-inw, you know? (Seo Ah-Young)
No matter how scary a demon was, how terrifying a phantom was, or how horrifying a demon king was C they couldnt possibly be scarier than ones mother-inw suddenly barging into your home unannounced.
Indeed, a human being was more terrifying than a ghost.
And when it came to Yi Ji-Hyuks mother....
We shall see. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young suddenly formed a meaningful smirk.
We shall see if a demon king is scarier than a mother-inw. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
You know, like, that even confuses me a bit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 269. If the demon king is scarier than mom (4) > Fin.
(TL: Choi Jeong-Hoon actually said, Wait until saliva on your lips is dry! which is a reference towards the old Korean idiom of Lie to me after wetting your lips first. It didnt seem to make much sense when TLed directly to English, so I went with soap instead. I watched a die about the movie Fight Club recently, you see.)
(TL: Si-world is a y on the Korean prefix, si. When this prefix is attached to the front of mother/father, it denotes the husbands mother/father. Just like it is the case with many other cultures, your husbands mother-inw can be a real nightmare for any prospective brides in Korea....)
Chapter 270: If the demon king is scarier than mom (5)
Chapter 270: If the demon king is scarier than mom (5)
Around the same time in the United States of America.
Just what happened back there? (President)
The American President Bruno Lawrence opened his eyes and sat up on his hospital bed, looking rather puzzled.
T-this... whats going on here? (President)
Youre awake, sir!
Secretaries rushed towards his sides, surrounding him.
Why am I here? (President)
You dont remember what happened, sir?
Bruno Lawrence seemed to be confused and lost, but he gradually regained his memories and began shuddering greatly.
What a terrifying situation that was. (President)
He was the President of the United States of America.
That job was judged to be the most important in the world in the aftermath of the First World War. He was none other than the holder of that important office.
So, it was already a rather painful thing to be held hostage and his life be threatened by an external force, but what was especially more painful was the fact that he couldnt even mount any form of resistance towards the culprit responsible.
Just what have I done? (President)
He could now remember everything.
He was indeed with the criminal in question. However, he was unable to do anything out of his own will. If it was the normal him, then he would not have hesitated to kill himself for the sake of Americas pride and her international status.
That was, if only he wasnt seduced by that woman...
This is too dangerous. (President)
Thankfully, the event this time ended without too much problem.
But, what about the next time?
If something simr happened again in the future, could anyone guarantee that itd also end without many losses too?
That woman waltzed right into where he worked without encountering any obstruction whatsoever. Could anyone confidently say that such a thing will not happen ever again?
It was a huge relief that she didnt have any other malicious goal in mind. But what if someone who desired the destruction of the world decided to rule over his mind? What might have happened by now?
These people called ability users, they are simply too dangerous. (President)
Its good that you finally understand, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
Bruno Lawrence turned his head to spot Christopher McLaren and his heavy expression walking over.
It seems that you had to step up for me. (President)
Sir, I did. If only those empty-headed fools didnt try something idiotic, wed been able to extricate you far more smoothly, however. (Christopher McLaren)
....Tsk, tsk. (President)
The POTUS didnt really need to hear anything else.
Most likely, the Department of Defense did something stupid again. He also bore witness to something prating past the window to hit Erukana in the face, after all. Seeing that he lost his consciousness right afterwards, it was clear as day that his life was under threat because of their ill-advised actions.
However, Bruno Lawrence didnt feel like getting angry at those folks in particr. No, he had no reason to get angry at all.
Maybe him dying wouldve been a better result for all those concerned. Sadly enough, the position of the American President was simply too insignificant to shake up the entire world through his death.
What about the media? (President)
They have been gagged, but its bound to get outter. (Christopher McLaren)
Try to prevent that as much as possible. (President)
Weve been using the impromptu military exercise as our excuse, but its unknown whether the folks from the other country will keep their mouths shut or not. (Christopher McLaren)
You still have to try, regardless. (President)
Bruno Lawrence looked around the hospital room, prompting Christopher McLaren to pull out a packet of cigarettes and present it before his boss.
Thanks. (President)
Christopher McLaren preferred cigars over regr cigarettes, so him producing a packet meant he brought one along especially for the President. Indeed, people voluntarily trusted him to do his job properly because he could be quite considerate like this.
Look, Chris. (President)
Sir? (Christopher McLaren)
Am I too old? (President)
....Objectively speaking, sir, both you and I cant be called youthful anymore. Well, were at an age where we should seriously think about retiring soon. (Christopher McLaren)
So, does that mean.... Im too old? (President)
Christopher McLaren resolutely shook his head.
No, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
Click.
The cigarette in his lips was now lit up.
Strange. I cant seem to shake off this feeling that Ive gotten too old for this sh*t. In the past, Id not have ended up in such a frail condition even if something simr to this happened. But now, I cant help but think that I no longer possess the ability to resolve every matter taking ce around me. (President)
Its due to shock, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
Itd be nice if this is nothing more than a momentary reaction. However, the thing is.... Christopher McLaren. (President)
Bruno Lawrence sucked in a deep drag and let the smoke slowly drift out as he continued on.
Even if I was right of mind, do you think Ill be able toe up with a suitable response for this event? (President)
........
Christopher McLaren wordlessly stared back at his President. The older gentleman with a full head of grey hair was reciprocating that gaze with a pair of sharp, intense eyes.
This old warhorse, often referred to as the final bastion of the Republican Party, never wanted to stand under the limelight, but then, the chaotic times forced him to be this nations leader. Politicians discussing politics with just their mouths only lost their purpose and iled about aimlessly, but he didnt and personally made a move to take control of his party. And eventually, even the nation itself.
So, taking into ount everything he had achieved so far, one could argue that hed be able toe up with a response.
But....
Christopher McLaren couldnt bring himself to say it.
I thought as much. (President)
It seemed that Bruno Lawrence himself wasnt expecting an answer, to begin with. He, Christopher McLaren, both of them.... They knew that they were unable to provide an answer to the current situation.
I havent forgotten that they are humans just like us. (President)
Sir.
However, I began thinkingtely that the notion of being human can mean more than one thing. How many hundreds of years has it been since we began thinking that everyone is created equal? (President)
Sir... (Christopher McLaren)
I know, I know. Its all just hot air. But then again, will it still remain as hot air in ten years time? (President)
Sir, the being that threatened you wasnt human. (Christopher McLaren)
Indeed. I know that as well. But, the thing is... (President)
Sir? (Christopher McLaren)
Those folks. Are they closer to us, or to her? (President)
Christopher McLarens eyes trembled as he stared the U.S. President.
What kind of thoughts were swirling inside the head of this very important man?
Not too long ago, a being called Affeldrichae came to see me. (President)
Yes, sir. Shes Yi Ji-Hyuks acquaintance. (Christopher McLaren)
Calling her an acquaintance is slightly strange, isnt it. She isnt even human, after all. (President) (TL: The Korean word for acquaintance has a Hanja letter human in it.)
Christopher McLaren sheepishly smiled.
That still failed to soften Bruno Lawrences expression, however.
Back then, all I could do was shake in my boots. Thats all I was able to do in front of that overwhelming presence. Ive met countless ability users before in my life, and I always believed them to be people that could be regted, and also the people that I need to protect. However, she was on another realm altogether. It was sort of like... when I was a young boy, I ended up scratching my fathers prized Cadic, and I shivered in pure fear after my old manpletely lost it. Yes, that encounter reminded me of that day. (President)
But, sir. That is a bit.... (Christopher McLaren)
Its just thoughts of a rambling old man. Still, theres no denying that I was ovee with such emotions. Even then, I believed that there was still hope for us. At least she was reasonable and you could converse with her. I cant say how she saw me from her perspective, but at least in my case, I believed that as long as the other party possessed the level of strength equal to her, wed still be able to talk our way out of the situation. Mediate, appease, that sort of thing. However.... (President)
Christopher McLaren closed his eyes shut.
He could pretty much guess what Bruno Lawrence was about to say. And the reason it pained him so much could be because he too, had been thinking about the same thingtely.
What can we possibly do against an overwhelming creature that can rule over our minds and our bodies? (President)
That woman was a special existence, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
And others are not special? (President)
They are all varying degrees of special, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
Bruno Lawrence tapped the cigarettes ash on an ashtray and sighed at length.
Look, Chris. (President)
Sir? (Christopher McLaren)
Im not trying to say something thats bleedingly obvious. I know what I need to do as the President of this nation and as a politician. My job is to ensure that the new category of ability users is epted by the rest of humanity as universally important and useful people. However, even I wont be able to prevent those ability users, now tied to the notion of being human just like the rest of us, from climbing up to the very top of humanity. (President)
..........
You know that humans draw a line between themselves and those they deem are beneath them. At first, it was species. Then, it was race. And then, whats next? (President)
Humans managed to achieve equality through rationality, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
Rationality, is it? Not benefits? (President)
Well, Id like to believe that its the former, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
Bruno Lawrence chuckled gently.
What you refer to as rationality, itd be nice for those folks to possess it, too. (President)
Sir.... (Christopher McLaren)
The weak will seek rationality from the strong, while the strong would demand subservience from the weak. For now, a bnce of sorts is being maintained. No matter how extraordinary the ability users are, there are only a few of them, and when facing off against many, they are rendered powerless. However, we now have the emergence of irregrs who cant be suppressed by the strengths of many. Such as that Yi Ji-Hyuk you seem to favour so much. (President)
But, without them, we wont be able to fight against the Gates, sir. The situation is shifting all the time, and mankind is being driven to a deeper corner as we speak. Everything that has happened so far is caused by the Gates and the invasion from other dimensions, not the ability users that are trying to protect the world, sir. You mustnt equate them with the monsters. They are still humans. (Christopher McLaren)
Humans.... indeed, they are. However, Chris. (President)
Sir? (Christopher McLaren)
That is why Im terrified. (President)
....Excuse me? (Christopher McLaren)
Bruno Lawrence shifted his gaze to look outside the window.
When a non-human being confronted them, all they had to do was to eliminate it. It had been already well established that none of those creatures came here with good intentions, anyway.
But, what about the ability users?
Even though they were humans, they couldnt be called humans and so, how should one go about ssifying them and epting them? And would the ability users even ept the new ssification in the first ce?
Theres no point in being terrified of non-human creatures. Because all we have to do is to fight til the end. Thats all. One shouldnt be scared of the end of the human race. Itll simplye to its natural end when we keep fighting and fighting but are unable to endure. However, Chris. You know this better than anyone that the true enemy of man is another man. (President)
........
That is why Im terrified. They are humans. And they can easily be the biggest enemy of mankind in the near future. (President)
Christopher McLaren shook his head.
Thatll be difficult, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
It seems that this old man said something unnecessary today. Dont mind me. For the time being, I should get back to work. (President)
Sir, you should look after your health first. (Christopher McLaren)
Are you saying that from your heart? (President)
Christopher McLaren couldnt reply to that. If he were to be brutally honest, then even if the Presidents body was about to crumble from exhaustion, he still needed to show up to his post and man it. That was exceedingly important.
However, who could possibly voice that fact out aloud?
All I ever learned by wallowing in the field of politics were how to conduct myself and how to read the current mood. Indeed, if you cant even see the things you need to do at times like this, then you might as well quit being a politician. I might not be a good man, but well, I do pride myself for being a good politician. So, can you get rid of all these things dangling off of me? (President)
I shall call some people. (Christopher McLaren)
Its good that you understand. (President)
Bruno Lawrence chuckled slightly. Christopher McLaren turned around to leave without saying goodbye.
Its gettingplicated. (Christopher McLaren)
When considering what Christopher McLarens job title was, the Presidents words couldnt be seen as good, but then again, there was a reason why he didnt go out of his way to oppose them. He had also been sucked into the simr line of thinking as his boss for some time now, that was why.
For now, things were fine.
They could continue on. For now.
However, what if the Gates stopped appearing? What then?
What would happen to the schism between the regr people and the ability users, currently suppressed by the Gates?
Complicated.
It was a problem without a solution.
He figured that, for the time being, he should dy making the report regarding some ability users starting to show signs of refusing to heed the governments orders.
There was no reason to add more fuel to the fire burning down the house, now was there?
The President is awake. Go and assist him at once. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren ordered the nurses as he walked past their station and straight towards his parked vehicle.
He yanked out a cigar and began chomping on it.
The sweet choctey aroma wafting out of the unlit cigar kept getting on his nerves especially today for some reason.
< 270. If the demon king is scarier than mom -5 > Fin.
Chapter 271. Mom, it’s your daughter-in-law (1)
Chapter 271. Mom, its your daughter-inw (1)
Oh, my goodness! Ji-Hyuks mom! (TL note: In Korea, you address the mother/father of someone not as Mrs this or Mister that, but rather, as the mother/father of that person. Kinda like, say, you dont call Trump Mister Trump, but as Ivankas dad.)
Madam Park Seon-Deok formed an elegant smile and greeted thedy walking closer with a warm expression.
Hello, there. (Park Seon-Deok)
You came to shop for groceries today?
She was a middle-ageddy wearing sleek, fashionable clothes. She also happened to be a neighbour that Park Seon-Deok got to know pretty well after moving to this neighbourhood.
Ohoho, yes, youre right. Well, Ill have to prepare a suitable meal for my son when hees back hometer. (Park Seon-Deok)
The neighbourhooddy stood next to Park Seon-Deok and spoke in an exaggerated excitement.
Ah! Your son!
The moment her son was mentioned, a warm, content smile spread across Park Seon-Deoks lips.
Preparing for his meal at this hour? He must being home from a long trip overseas?
Yes. He told me that he was travelling to America this time.... (Park Seon-Deok)
America!
If this was another district, then shed have to exin what Going to America meant, but this ce was none other than the special residential district for ability users.
Indeed, only those who could immediately understand why her son had to go to America while disying a positive reaction lived in this ce.
Oh! My goodness! To America! Really, being an NDF member is a whole different kettle of fish, isnt it? The furthest my son went to was just Busan, you know.
Its not all wonderful news, unfortunately. Im worried that my boy now has to constantly travel overseas. (Park Seon-Deok)
But, that only means he possesses great abilities! The way I hear it, your son has been greatly valued by the NDF, too.
Im not too sure. Im not too clued up on my sons work, you see.... (Park Seon-Deok)
Park Seon-Deok subtly blurred the ends of her sentence.
Sure, there was a c**p ton of things she wanted to say, but if she started gushing about her son in moments like this, she could end up looking like one of those unsightly women who didnt know when to stop praising their own offspring.
Indeed, the other party would start talking about the matter in due course anyway, so there was no reason for her to open her lips first here.
My son says he has a friend working in the NDF, and he told me that people there get really surprised when you mention Yi Ji-Hyuks name.
It must be a coincidence. (Park Seon-Deok)
Park Seon-Deok smiled graciously.
Oh, no, it cant be. Thats just not possible. I mean, its rted to his job, so hes pretty knowledgeable, you know? From what I hear, your sons tasked with the most important job in the NDF, too.
Well, the department head does sometimese to visit my ce, so my boy must be holding some kind of a position, I think. (Park Seon-Deok)
Oh, my! Goodness me! The department heades to your house??
An even more graceful smile spread across Park Seon-Deoks lips.
This was it!!
This was precisely the children battle, for the pride of all married women!! A battle, where one would get to decide who had brought up their children better! The extreme battle that women would fight and reach its conclusion by totalling whose children were better looking and who earned more money!
Park Seon-Deok now carried a smile of a victor.
Now that I think about it, Ji-Hyuks mom, youre an amazing person, arent you? You raised your child so well, yet you still remain diligent even now. Your son must be raking in a lot of moneytely, but you still cook him meals by yourself.
Ohoho~. My son is a bit fussy when ites to his food, you see. He seems to avoid food not cooked by me for some reason. (Park Seon-Deok)
She was lying, of course.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was a man who proudly boasted a trashy eating habit of even hoovering up bloated ramen if he found one by ident. A man possessing retarded taste buds whod im every single type of dish tasted good as long as it was made in Korea.
Im sure its because your skills are exemry.
Eii, thats not true. I only try my best to be as good as everyone else, you see. (Park Seon-Deok)
But, it still takes lots of effort to match up to some others, wouldnt you agree?
Ohohoho~. (Park Seon-Deok)
This neighbourhooddy sure knew how to buoy someones mood, it seemed.
Park Seon-Deok suppressed her shoulders from opening up even wider. At this rate, her head would flip back uncontrobly, too.
Praise me more!! (Park Seon-Deok)
Her husband had been doing well for himself, but a mother who lost her son wouldnt have had much chance to boast about her childs aplishments.
But now, not only did that lost sone back home, he was even a very popr ability user, too.
Only now did it feel like all the puzzle pieces had fallen into their rightful ces.
Of course, the Yi Ji-Hyuk others knew and the actual article were two very different beings. No, well, one should say that there were at least around thirty thousand light-years in the gap between the two!
All these people thought of Yi Ji-Hyuk as a sessful ability user, and that was about it.
Sure, Park Seon-Deoks timely repackaging and added spices helped that perception along, but then again, such things were pretty much the same as adding MSG to ones cooking, something everyone did, so it was all fine.
I heard that your son is very filial? Is that true?
Eii~, hes not like that. Hes just a bit scared of his mom, me, thats all. (Park Seon-Deok)
Oh, my. Youre so funny sometimes. An ability user son wouldnt fear his mother, now would he? No, hes just pretending to lose to you because his mom is such a good person. In that case, he must be really a wonderful boy.
But, Im being honest....
Park Seon-Deok did feel a pang of guilty conscience when it came to this part.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk heard this woman, hed explode in a fit of blood-vomit-inducing rage, telling her to live with his mother for a month or so first before saying that.
In any case, you must be really pleased, having such an important son.
No, Im just more concerned for him, thats all. I worry that hes being too conspicuous. Ive been telling him to do it in moderation and not stand out from the others, but.... (Park Seon-Deok)
Hes like an awl in a pocket, so its not possible for him not to stand out, you know. (TL: Another old Korean idiom C Nam-jong-ji-chu. Literally, an awl in a pocket, meaning a talented individual will always break through the ranks of their peers and shine.)
Its probably because he himself wishes for it. (Park Seon-Deok)
With this, Park Seon-Deok got to recharge her daily supply of self-esteem. Her still-hands began moving again to fill up the shopping basket.
Maybe her self-esteem had been overcharged a bit today because all the ingredients finding themselves in her grip happened to be of the expensive, high-quality variety.
She never felt much of a need to select the highest quality products thanks to her sons propensity to eat whatever was in front of him, regardless of the quality of the ingredients used, but at least for today, she was determined to give him a meal containing the best this ce had to offer.
Because hes a wonderful son when I think about it. (Park Seon-Deok)
It was indeed strange to hear about the preciousness of ones child from someone elses lips.
But, what could she do about it?
To her, her sonzing about in the house doing absolutely nothing came across as human waste. Even if he was her own flesh and blood, it was so, so awkward to see and hear other people treating him like some important ability user.
The guilty conscience of not being a good mother and causing her son to grow up as trash weighed heavily on the corner of her heart all the time, but such a boy was now being seen as indispensable to this world.
Something just felt ufortable about that.
She was wise enough not to expect him to act like a nice person. No, she simply hoped that hed act sensibly and logically, but then, he failed to act his age and wanted to lounge around the whole day, he was superzy, and to top it off, he even brought a girl home and started something of a half-cohabitation with her, too.
What kind of an uncouth behaviour was this?
If it were any other times, Park Seon-Deok wouldve already experimented with her own two hands whether her sons back was lined with reinforced steel or not. But the girl he brought home was so eyeball-poppingly gorgeous that she had no choice but to let it slide.
Well, itd be a huge benefit to gain a daughter-inw of that calibre by doing nothing but letting her stay in a room, now wouldnt it?
Park Seon-Deok was constantly worried that, even though her son was talented, hed never be able to get married because of his trashy personality. But seeing him bring home a girl that pretty, she began thinking that maybe the heavens had intervened just in time.
Now that I think about it, isnt it really strange? (Park Seon-Deok)
You could only talk about a man and his abilities when said man was a normal person.
It couldnt be all that easy for a reputable woman to be attracted to someone with a bankrupt personality like Yi Ji-Hyuk. Yet, he continued to bring home girls with extraordinary looks so at least when it came to sweet-talking the opposite sex, he seemed to have properly inherited his fathers genes.
How ridiculous. (Park Seon-Deok)
Even though she was saying that, a bright smile didnt want to leave her lips.
Her son was being acknowledged for his abilities and beautiful potential daughters-inw were lining up in a queue, so which sane-minded mother would be unhappy about this situation?
She was even on the verge of developing muscle ache because of her chest wanted to open up wider still, so why shouldnt she be chuffed about this?
Joyful hums continued to leave Park Seon-Deoks lips as she returned home.
H-mm... (Park Seon-Deok)
However, she realised that there was a problem.
The neighbourhooddies making an adequate amount of money were all driving around in their own cars, yet she didnt have one and had to lug her stuff around by relying on her two sturdy, still-healthy legs.
It wasnt because her familycked the means to buy one, just that she didnt have a drivers licence, that was all. The thing was, something that felt bad would remain bad regardless of reasons.
I will get a licence soon. (Park Seon-Deok)
Her hubby was making enough money.
Sure, he had tomit a crime to make some of that money, but well, he did earn quite a bit in the meantime, and after getting employed by a state-owned enterprise, he now brought home wages that were slightly less than before but still enough to make others gasp out Heok! when they see his paycheque.
Not to forget, what Yi Ji-Hyuk made was simply mind-bogglingly big, too.
She would sometimes take a look at his bank book in order to manage his expenses, and every single time she did that, her eyes would spin nearly out of control after seeing the amount recorded in it.
The wealth rued so far was so great that the family might not be able to spend it all in their lifetime, yet it was still climbing higher. Naturally, she even began worrying about what her boy was doing out there.
Since there was absolutely no question regarding the identity of the depositor, her son shouldnt be earning the money through less than reputable means, but still, the amount meant for an individual seemed suspiciously huge, regardless of how talented the boy was deemed to be.
He couldnt be.... (Park Seon-Deok)
No matter how rude Yi Ji-Hyuk was, and that he had inherited his fathers blood, he wouldnt dare try defrauding the government, now would he?
She might have been a hands-off type parent, but she was certain of not raising her child to be that reckless and foolish.
In any case! (Park Seon-Deok)
First things first C she made her mind up on getting the drivers licence.
With a car of her own, itd be easier for her daughter, Ye-Won, tomute to her school, and also, itd prove to be convenient in many other ways, too.
Not just for her sake, but for her familys and Yi Ji-Hyuks status. The mother of the household could no longer afford to shop for groceries on her feet anymore.
Now that she thought about it, didnt her son alsomute on foot, too?
At that moment, Park Seon-Deok reflected on her behaviour.
Indeed, she shouldnt ce the priority on herself.
Even if her boy was the type to do whatever he pleased in his own pace, he still brought home such a huge amount of money every month. Yet, it pained her greatly after realising that she hadnt done anything about him still being a public-transport user.
Was it that difficult to buy a new car?
She thought about it some more, and she also realised that Yi Ji-Hyuk simply rued wealth and didnt seem to know how to spend it, other than to buy a packet of cigarettes every now and then.
Until now, she used to think that he was a good son who shied away from overspending unnecessarily even though he made good money. But when she looked at it from a different perspective, wasnt he too disinterested in spending money to the point where he came across as a stingy miser instead?
Even then, she and Yi Ye-Won bought expensive handbags.
I heard that there are blood-sucking leeches of parents, but this.... (Park Seon-Deok)
It seemed that she had be one, didnt it?
This wont do. (Park Seon-Deok)
Park Seon-Deok bit her lower lip.
No matter what, she had decided to drag her son, whose back seemed to be glued to the floor of the house, and cover him top to bottom in proper clothes this Sunday.
She swore to throw away all those stinking blue tracksuits.
She had been trying to be more understanding, thinking that If my boy likes them, then its all good, but now, she had reached her limit.
At this rate, shed end up as one of those Makjang parents who leeched off her sons back and lived a good life while sending him off with nothing but some worn-out tracksuits.
Actually, her current lifestyle fit that assessment pretty well, though.
Park Seon-Deok reflected deeply on her mistake and began making ns for the Project: Yi Ji-Hyuks Exterior Rehabilitation as she reached her home. Thats when she saw it.
She saw arge group of people standing in front of her house, that was.
Ji-Hyuk-ah? (Park Seon-Deok)
Uh, mom? Youing home from somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I was buying groceries in a supermarket, but well, whats going on here? (Park Seon-Deok)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked behind him and replied nonchntly as if it was nothing to fret over.
Oh, them? Something happened, so I temporarily brought them here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Something? Like what? (Park Seon-Deok)
Park Seon-Deok tried her very best to suppress this rising tide of worry in her heart. Whenever her son said something like that, itd be well after he had already caused yet another incident, thats why.
Ng, well, its nothing much.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled sheepishly and pointed to a certain woman standing on a corner.
Oh my goodness. (Park Seon-Deok)
Park Seon-Deok couldnt say anything else, her jaw simply hitting the ground.
Just what on earth was... she?
Was she actually a human being?
How could any human posses such otherworldly looks as her?
Up until now, she couldnt bear to chase away that foreignerdy named Affel or whatever because of that girls incredible looks, but this new woman was on another level.
Simply put, she was head-spinningly beautiful.
Just how on Gods green earth did this son of hers find and bring such females home?? Even thosedies on TV with the titles of the most beautiful in the world wouldnt be as beautiful as this woman!
W-who is she? (Park Seon-Deok)
Unable to answer her Yi Ji-Hyuk simply grinned awkwardly.
Well, now. How should I phrase my answer so that my mom wont copse from shock?
What a dilemma this is.
< 271. Mom, its your daughter-inw. -1 > Fin.
Chapter 272: Mom, it’s your daughter-in-law (2)
Chapter 272: Mom, its your daughter-inw (2)
Ji-Hyuk-ah. (mom)
Ng, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your mom is asking you who that person is. (mom)
N-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched the back of his head.
It was already pretty tough telling other people about it, so understandably, it felt as if his mouth was drying up like a desert when trying to tell his own mother the truth.
Seriously now, how should he go about exining this situation?
Mother.
Your son has actually lived a biiiit longer than you think in the other world, and in the process, fell in love once upon a time and took someone in as a wife....? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Itd be a huge relief if she didnt outright p his face silly to next Sunday after hearing that.
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head some more.
Whats the matter, my boy? (mom)
His moms voice, utterly oblivious and asking him nonchntly, sounded more like a devils whisper right now.
A, theres a dang demon king right behind me, so how can my mom in front feel even worse to talk to?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A jokey situation had morphed into something no longer funny now.
Mom. Actually, the truth is! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk summoned up all of his courage, held his head up high, and dered.
Mom, shes your daughter-inw. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Deok grinned refreshingly and nodded her head.
Mm, I see. (mom)
....No, Im serious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, yes, indeed. That was funny. Okay, now please exin who she really is, son. (mom)
Veins were bulging on moms forehead.
Yi Ji-Hyuk backed away almost out of instinct.
Mom.... Doesnt she look really p*ssed off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was any other normal time, shed already be smashing his back apart with her palm, but now, one could easily tell that she was holding back due to the presence of guests.
If they had been inside the house, Yi Ji-Hyuks back would be on fire by now.
Moms back smash technique was shoring up more and more destructive power with every passing second, causing Yi Ji-Hyuk to seriously deliberate whether he should spend some Mana to cast a defensive spell or not.
He was even worried about his mom unlocking her ability at this rate, so there was definitely a reason to be serious here.
If I leave this alone, its not going to end with two, three shots to my back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The one thing Yi Ji-Hyuk paid the most attention to wasnt Gates nor was it the matter of the demon kings. Instead, it was his mothers moods.
If her mood on a given day was bad for some reason, he refrained from even touching his favourite game. That was how terrifying the existence of his mom was to him.
Mom, please dont misunderstand what Im about to say. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, go ahead, my son. (mom)
I know it sounds like Im joking with you here, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (mom)
This is definitely not a joke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (mom)
Okay, so, like, mom.... I know it sounds really weird and awkward and make you all speechless and stuff, but well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled awkwardly and pointed at Erukana.
She really is your daughter-inw. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
A benevolent smile formed on moms lips.
Aaaigooo~, my excellent son.
Ive been saying hes really great over and over again, and he really went and caught such a beautiful big fish from somewhere! (Moms inner monologue)
Without saying a word, mom walked over to her son and patted him on the back.
M-mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice was trembling.
Why did it have to be his back, though?
What was he supposed to do about this hair-raising feeling washing all over his entire body as she patted him there? He sneakily strengthened his back muscles in anticipation of the blow about tond there.
Too bad for him, though C Park Seon-Deok was an experienced hand. She urately sensed his back muscles twitching almost imperceptibly, and instead went for his ear which was left unguarded.
Ouchouchouchouch!! Mom! Mooom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did you just say?! What?? Whaaaat?? A daughter-inaaaaw?! (mom)
Mom!! Ouch!! Mom, my ear! Its gonna fall off! My ear! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youve got a wife?? A wife???? Right, fine! It was my deepest held wish to see a daughter-inw! You even decided to listen to your mothers wish like this.... What a wonderful son youre!! (mom)
Forget being wonderful, my ears gonna fall ooooff!! Mom!! My eaaaar! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Die! Just! Die already!! (Mom)
Others witnessing this spectacle didnt dare squeak out a word.
Because....
The strongest person in the world was here.
*
Okay, so.... (mom)
Park Seon-Deok felt as if half of her mind had already abandoned her while looking at Erukana modestly sitting on the couch.
No matter how many times she heard the story, she just couldnt wrap her head around it. The term was entering her ears, sure, but it was like her brain just didnt want to process the information and let it leak out again.
S-so, then. Shes your wife? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head, his expression somewhat strange.
Well, uh, its a bit hard to exin, but.... She is my wife, but at the same time, isnt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Deok formed a gentle smile.
Ji-Hyuk-ah? (mom)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I also find it hard to exin this, but well, I feel like killing you right now, but at the same time, I dont. (mom)
....Please spare me, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The tension from knowing that she might really kill him washed over him just now.
I dont fully understand how this situation hase about, but I simply cannot ept this oue. Just where did you go and how did you even marry her? How can you go ahead and marry without thebined consent from both families? I cant acknowledge this union. (mom)
Mother! (Jeong Hae-Min)
A bright expression formed on Jeong Hae-Mins face as she began crying out Hooray! inwardly.
I knew it.
Do you have any idea how much effort I put in this family already? Theres no way shell acknowledge the baseless marriage to a demon while ignoring me!
Did you see that, dear demon kingdy?
This is the power of a Korean mother-inw!
When you get tripped up by the Si world, it doesnt matter if youre a demon king or not, your back will get broken for sure! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
And that side as well, Park Seon-Deok red at Erukana and spoke. I dont know which country youvee from, but....
She stopped there and stared at her son again.
Others didnt fully get that, but Yi Ji-Hyuk, being her son, immediately understood what her gaze meant.
Shell understand you, mom. You can just say it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-hmm. (mom)
Ohh, Koreannguage.
Others now realised what that was about and nodded their heads.
Marriage in this ce is not something that you can just go ahead with just because you felt like it. Its an act of one family joining with another. I dont know what has happened between you two, but if you really wish to marry my son, then please, try asking for permission again while following the established etiquette and protocol. (mom)
That was perfect.
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head. It was indeed a thorough refusal with the mother not losing an ounce of her dignity in the process.
Erukana didnt know Koreas marriage tradition so she wouldnt be able to understand Park Seon-Deoks current response.
But then, the former suddenly stood up from her seating spot.
Ng??
Taken aback by this sudden movement, everyone stared at her.
Wuuuong!
Erukana then swirled her hand around to open up a portal to the subspace.
Keuk! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon jumped up in fright, while Seo Ah-Young quickly stepped in front of Park Seon-Doek.
It was hard to predict what a demon king would do at any given time. But they thought that shed not go on a rampage inside Yi Ji-Hyuks resi.....
NG?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs eyes nearly bulged out from their sockets.
Tab!
The object Erukana pulled out from the subspace caused the eyes of everyone to tremble powerfully.
Most people sitting here thought that they wouldnt get shocked by whatever came out from there. However, the thing that dide out? It was truly beyond everyones expectations.
...W-what is this? (mom)
Mahder. (Erukana) (TL: Shes saying mother in Korean weirdly.)
Eh? (mom)
Just say, mother. Or mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahh, her pronunciation is a bitcking, I see. (mom)
....Mahder, a gift. Birkin Diamond Himya. Mno Edition. (Erukana)
W-what was that?? (mom)
Gift. (Erukana)
Park Seon-Deoks eyes shook around like crazy.
A gift.
A dang gift, she said!!
Right in front of her shocked eyes was a handbag featuring an incredible beauty that at just a mere nce, anyone would be able to tell that it was an uber-luxurious item. No, even such an expression was inadequate to describe its beauty.
That dang son of hers who seemed to be disinterested in everything, might make a c**p ton of money, but he didnt even bother to buy her a nice handbag until now!
The bags orderedst time were eventually returned after they only ended up causing her heart to beat restlessly with anxiety. Even if the family made a lot of cash now, Park Seon-Deok had spent almost all of her life as a middle-ss citizen, so such an expensive bag was simply far too much for her to... digest, as it were.
Sure, she did buy it on impulse, but she couldnt fall asleep because of that, and eventually, had to return them while fighting back her bitter tears.
But now....
T-this.... (mom)
Park Seon-Deok couldnt help but ask that one question that shouldnt even be brought up.
T-this, just how much was it? (mom)
Moooom?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mother! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min cried out at the same time.
N-no, wait. She says its a gift, so at least I should know how much.... (Mom)
Anyone could tell even if theycked the discerning eye. The handbag before their eyes was of another ss altogether.
It didnt cost much at all. I just decided on the spot, you see. I learned that it was rude to visit the inws with empty hands. (Erukana)
Oh, my goodness. Youve been educated properly by your family, it seems. (mom)
She doesnt even have parents, so where would she even get such an education?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The triggered Yi Ji-Hyuk roared on, but Park Seon-Deok simply put her hand up in front of him.
A child with no parents is still so well-behaved and disciplined, yet even though youre in the presence of your own mother, you dont seem to know when to butt in and when not to. If that piehole of yours puffs up like that of a ducks bill, will the manners youve forgotten return to you? (mom)
Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was crushed back inside the couchs cushions.
Park Seon-Deok turned her head back in Erukanas direction. Her eyes looking at the Subus Queen now felt much warmer than before.
No, mother! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min felt really anxious.
That fox-like demon, where did she even produce a bag like that?? Even she could tell that the bag in question was no ordinary item.
....Here I was wondering what youve been doing during all that time after you said you arrived on Earth a while ago.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
He couldnt have imagined that Erukana would show up with such a thing. Did she actually stop by first in Mn before going over to America or something?
How did you evene up with this idea? Youve done well. (mom)
I learned it, you see. (Erukana)
From who? (mom)
A book. (Erukana)
A book? (mom)
Erukana opened the subspace again and extracted several books.
........
Choi Jeong-Hoon saw the titles of the books and his eyes trembled powerfully next.
So, this was it!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-multicultural?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young freaked out and shouted loudly.
W-well, it is multi-cultured when you think about it. You can certainly call demon worlds customs and Koreas as multiple different cultures, alright.
But then, isnt this a bit different, direction-wise??
Im pretty sure that these books arent talking about that type of multiple cultures? (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
It was then, Erukana opened her lips again.
Erukanas home, very far. Very different from here. But still want to be loved. Erukana will work hard. (Erukana)
Aigo. (mom)
Park Seon-Deoks eyes were getting wetter by the second.
H-hey, isnt this situation unfurling in a weird direction?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk urgently cried out.
M-mom, its not what you think! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You, be quiet. (mom)
Mom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you to be quiet, didnt I? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was crushed once more.
Mom effortlessly subjugated her sons resistance and stared at Erukana with warm eyes.
Indeed, you mustve suffered a lot, trying toe to a country so far away. (mom)
Nooo! Mom, Im telling you thats not it!
A country so far away?! Thats not even right!
....Uh?
Hang on, it is kind of a distant country, isnt it?
When you get down to it, where she came from is further away than any other country on this, so, uh, I guess that wasnt wrong....?
What the heck. Isnt this rebuttal a bit strange? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Alright, so you married our Ji-Hyuk-ee? (mom)
Yes, mahder. (Erukana)
Oh, you poor thing, chasing after my worthless son all this way. (mom)
H-hang on, mom.
Shes a demon king, you know?
Youre allowed to call every single person in this world poor, but that word should never be associated with that woman, you know?!?!
Just what the hell is up with this situation?!
You think she came from Vietnam or something??
You think this is a TV documentary detailing the situation in a multicultural family? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mom! Shes a demon king! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Demon king? (mom)
Ah, mom, you dont know anything about a demon king, do you. You see, a demon king is, like, simr to a real king, but in the demon world.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....So, what youre saying here is that a girl who is basically a princess, wanted to see you badly so she abandoned all of that toe here? (mom)
Eh? Is that how it sounds?
N-no, hang on.... B-but, that sounds a wee bit off, though?
But, it also kinda sound right, too? Somehow? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Did I really raise you this way? If that was her story, then you shouldve brought her home immediately and take good care of her! (mom)
T-that is why I did bring her..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, mom! You told her to scram earlier, calling her a woman with no manners, didnt you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Youre being noisy! (mom)
But I havent said anything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop grumbling inside your head! (mom)
N-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. I dont fully understand what happened here, but for the time being, think of this ce as your own home and rest well. (mom)
Thank you, mahder. (Erukana)
Indeed. Aigoo, you poor thing. (mom)
Park Seon-Deok embraced Erukana without hesitation.
From the outside, this scene looked so heart-warming and all that.
By the way, mom....
Why are your hands still patting the handbag??
WHY?!
< 272. Mom, its your daughter-inw -2 > Fin.
Chapter 273: Mom, it’s your daughter-in-law (3)
Chapter 273: Mom, its your daughter-inw (3)
Ji-Hyuk-ah. (mom)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please take the guest to the guest room. (mom)
T-to the room? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, we still have enough spare bedrooms, dont we? (mom)
Without any concrete n in mind, Choi Jeong-Hoon got Yi Ji-Hyuks family a very spacious home and that resulted in an oversupply of rooms. There were five on the ground floor alone, while the first floor had even more.
One of them was upied by Affeldrichae, but lots more were still ownerless, so the family was even seriously considering adopting cats or something.
So, itd not be a problem to rent out a room to a guest.
Erukana and Affeldrichae.
A demon king and a Dragon Lord living under the same roof would surely lead to disaster, but.... well, it wasnt as if this would be the first time that happened, so nothing new to panic over that one, really.
No, the real issue here was....
M-mom, Im telling you, you mustnt!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yi Ji-Hyuk definitely didnt want this situation at all.
He figured that Park Seon-Deok would chase this dang demon away if he brought her home, so what was up with this situation?
Basically, he wanted to film a makjang drama about a conflict between a mother and the daughter-inw, but instead, its genre morphed to a human documentary about a multicultural family!
Mom! She definitely didnte from a poor ce! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Does your mother look like an idiot to you? (mom)
N-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Deok pointed to the bag in front.
How much do you think this costs? (mom)
Well, that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Expensive.
Yup, it must be stinking expensive.
All those shiny stuff on it, Im sure its not zircon, right?
What kind of a bag is adorned from top to bottom in diamond, anyway??
And most importantly, what did she do after arriving on Earth that she was able to afford something as crazy as that??
Isnt this, like, a scary-powerful ability to adapt?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Im sure shes very wealthy. After all, do you think a poor girl would buy something like that as a gift? However, is money everything in this world? (mom)
....Well, no. Not really, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If money was indeed everything, mother wouldve been happier. You also make a lot, dont you. (mom)
Mom, that deration sounds kinda..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are you criticising your son, anyway?!
Arent I a good boy?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When you travel from a distant country, whether you have money on you or not, its your heart that grows weaker. Didnt you know that? (mom)
Of course I know. I know too dang well.
Mom, you say that because you have no idea what I did after I got there. I know that truth better than anyone alive. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long, long sigh.
Mah-der. (Erukana)
....Titles you call me with are rather colourful, it seems. Whats the matter? (mom)
I cant sleep in another room. (Erukana)
Ng? What do you mean? (mom)
Erukana tightly grasped Park Seon-Deoks hand and spoke ardently. I heard that a couple must sleep in one room. Erukana might not know much about this world, but still know that husband and wife must stay together. (Erukana)
Y-youre right. (mom)
Park Seon-Deok ended up nodding her head.
Were not a couple!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At that point, Yi Ji Hyuks loud protest didnt even enter Park Seon-Deoks ears..
Be quiet. (mom)
Mom! If you keep doing this, Ill really...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Be. Quiet. (mom)
...Yes, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The murderous intent emitted from mom caused Yi Ji-Hyuk to obediently shut his mouth.
The greatest form of opposition he could put up at the moment was to grumble at a decibel low enough for mom to barely hear him.
Mom, whose side are you on, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tsk. (mom)
Unfortunately, even that tiny bit of opposition had to dissipate into nothingness under Madam Park Seon-Deoks hostile re, like some sort of bubbles under the hot sun.
I see. You said that your name is Erukana? (mom)
Yes, mahder. (Erukana)
If youre indeed married to Ji-Hyuk-ee, then yes, its correct for you to share one room. (mom)
Yes. (Erukana)
However, it seems that there are many people here unwilling to acknowledge that. (mom)
Jeong Hae-Min vigorously nodded her head.
Doh Gah-Yun had also appeared from somewhere before anyone even noticed it, nodding her head slightly to show her agreement.
Uh? (Erukana)
And behind those two girls, Affeldrichae was maintaining a somewhat-uncertain distance from them. Erukana confirmed that and stared at the Dragon Lord in a dumbfounded expression.
But Affeldrichae was simply staring at a distant mountain somewhere.
Hoh-oh? (Erukana)
A tone of voicepletely different from when she was talking to Park Seon-Deok came out. A sheen of cold perspiration ever so slightly moistened Affeldrichaes forehead, but even then, she didnt back off.
Youve grown up a little, havent you? (Erukana)
A voice seemingly echoing straight from the depths of Hell flowed into Affeldrichaes ears directly. Other people couldnt hear a word of it, as she was the only designated recipient.
She shuddered ever so slightly.
Whats the matter? (mom)
Park Seon-Deok grew puzzled over the sudden silence, and Erukana formed a bright smile and replied as if the hardened expression of a second ago didnt even happen.
Its nothing important, mahder. (Erukana)
Hmm, is that so? In any case, you dont have anywhere else to go, so why dont you stay with us for a while? However, as were not fully prepared in our hearts, stay in separate rooms for the time being. (mom)
Yes, mahder. (Erukana)
Erukana replied modestly.
In front of them, Yi Ji-Hyuk muttered in a despairing voice.
Im screwed.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And so, Erukana ended up settling into his house without much issue as his parasitic dependent.
*
....This cant be happening. (Jeong Hae-Min)
In a cafe near Yi Ji-Hyuks home.
Three certain females were there for the purpose of a group meeting.
Slurrrp.
Affeldrichae sucked a yoghurt smoothie through a straw and tilted her head.
Such a strange taste. Its as if, the liquid is spoiled, yet it isnt? Its that sort of sour taste. Humans do enjoy consuming strange cuisine, thats for sure. (Affeldrichae)
Is that important right now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, it isnt. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae remained ratherposedpared to the other two.
The otherdies had no choice but to ept the shocking revtion of Yi Ji-Hyuk being married already, and also feel the brunt of the double torture of meeting the wife at the same time, but for the Dragon Lord, she already knew of Erukanas existence beforehand, so there was not much to get shocked about here.
No, she was somewhat flustered by the fact that Erukana actually decided toe to Earth, that was all.
Exin. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Rather surprisingly, Doh Gah-Yun was the first to ask a question. However, Jeong Hae-Min stopped her for the time being.
Hold up, Gah-Yun-ah. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....?
Wait for a little bit. Not everyones here yet. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Doh Gah-Yun tilted her head slightly. Right around then, the cafes entrance opened up and Kim Dah-Som with a seriously-stiff face quickly entered the establishment.
The former quietly stared at thetter before nodding her head. For sure, this girl also deserved to know what was going on, too.
What did you mean earlier? (Kim Dah-Som)
There was no such thing as a greeting or stuff like that.
She rushed as soon as possible after confirming the talk on her phone. Her mind was so messy that she wasnt sure how she even got here. (TL: talk as in Kakaotalk. Very popr in Korea. Kinda like Whatsapp.)
Sit down first, will you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I need to know what happened. (Kim Dah-Som)
Youll hear it soon enough, so... settle down first. (Jeong Hae-Min)
With a face full of dissatisfaction, Kim Dah-Som stared at Jeong Hae-Min for a moment, and eventually settled down on an empty chair.
You want a drink? (Jeong Hae-Min)
After hearing the story first. (Kim Dah-Som)
Get something to drink. Because youll need it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....A cup of Americano, then. (Kim Dah-Som)
Itll be better to get something cold, though. (Jeong Hae-Min)
In that case, Iced Americano. (Kim Dah-Som)
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head and ordered a cup of Iced Americano. Only after the ordered drink arrived did she took a deep breath and spoke to Kim Dah-Som.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks wife showed up. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Excuse me? (Kim Dah-Som)
Its as it sounds. While he was living in the other world, he apparently got married. And that woman came over here to find him. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Som became utterly dazed.
What on earth was she talking about?
Another world??
And also.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Theres more?! (Kim Dah-Som)
That wife is also a demon king. (Jeong Hae-Min)
The Americano spewed out from Kim Dah-Soms mouth.
Jeong Hae-Min didnt bother to wait for Dah-Soms response and shifted her head towards Affeldrichae next.
Can you exin to us in detail just what is up with this situation? Miss Affeldrichae, you knew about this beforehand, didnt you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Miss Affeldrichae, you also have feelings for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins straight punch prompted the others to look at Affeldrichae simultaneously. They all tacitly understood it, but this would be their very first opportunity to sit down and talk properly among themselves.
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae acknowledged the truth without hesitation, so much so that it was almost a letdown, actually.
Even though you knew he had a wife? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Finding these human girls reactions strange, Affeldrichae tilted her head this way and that.
Is that supposed to be a problem? (Affeldrichae)
Of course its a problem. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why? (Affeldrichae)
What did she mean, why?
Being asked about something so obvious caused these girls to forget how to answer for a second there. Indeed, where should they even start exining the wrongness of it?
Ah.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae finally seemed to understand it and nodded her head.
I seemed to have forgotten momentarily that this world pursues the concept of monogamy. In the world Im from, its normal for a man to ept several wives, so I never thought of such a practice as strange, to begin with. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min nodded her head.
If it was the question of cultural differences, then she had no choice but to ept it.
Okay, so. What is the exact rtionship between those two? (Jeong Hae-Min)
They are married. (Affeldrichae)
....But, how can a demon king marry a human....? (Jeong Hae-Min)
During his stay that side, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk was not someone you couldbel as a human being. (Affeldrichae)
He wasnt human?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Affeldrichae stared at Jeong Hae-Min with somewhat icy eyes.
You three dont seem to put any effort into understanding what sort of a life Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk had led on that side. (Affeldrichae)
............
He carries many scars. He longed for human contact badly. So, I wished for him to gradually heal his wounds by mingling with fellow human beings, but with people as indifferent as you around, I dont think he will be healed at all. Im beginning to think that maybe staying in Berafe was a better choice after all. (Affeldrichae)
Kim Dah-Som reciprocated the icy re back to Affeldrichae.
How can we know when he doesnt want to tell us? (Kim Dah-Som)
Did you even try to find out in the first ce? (Affeldrichae)
Doh Gah-Yun spoke up.
Didnt meet to fight. (Doh Gah-Yun)
.......
Make a n. Organise position. Discuss future response. Came to hear that. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun sinctly summarised the situation. Others couldnt help but agree, although the dissatisfied expressions remained on their faces.
She was right, this was no time to fight amongst themselves.
By the way, didnt Mister Ji-Hyuk seem to be very unhappy with Erukana? Like, he really didnt want to see her again and stuff? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Affeldrichae nodded her head.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk had been on the run for several centuries already, saying that he couldnt stay with her no more. (Affeldrichae)
But, why? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I cant be certain. I did ask him for the reason why, but.... (Affeldrichae)
Yes? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....His reply was rather strange. (Affeldrichae)
What did he say? (Jeong Hae-Min)
He said that all marriages are like that. (Affeldrichae)
..........?
What on earth did he mean by that?
He said that no matter how pretty and lovely a woman was, when you live together for ten years, shell look like a tiger. Twenty yearster, shell be a monster, and after one hundred years, a slime. And three hundred yearster, she bes a life-and-death sworn enemy.... Thats what he said, but I just couldnt understand him. (Affeldrichae)
H-m-mm.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
It sounded almost understandable, but at the same time, not really.
They lived for t-three hundred years together?? (Kim Dah-Som)
In the meantime, Kim Dah-Som cried out as if she was struck by some sort of culture shock.
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
H-how old is Ji-Hyuk oppa? (Kim Dah-Som)
Affeldrichae tilted her head again.
That is a bit hard to say.... (Affeldrichae)
Excuse me? (Kim Dah-Som)
When viewed from the standards of this world, hes in his twenties. But in Berafes standard, hes about one thousand three hundred? (Affeldrichae)
....Eh? (Kim Dah-Som)
And, if you add the time he lived in the demon world, it must surely be over two thousand.... (Affeldrichae)
Oh, so its two thousand...
...In that case, hes about as old as Christ-nim, then.
Huhhuhhuh. (Kim Dah-Soms inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Som ended up smirking softly.
I dont think youll have a future as a stand-upedian. (Kim Dah-Som)
......
Kim Dah-Som looked around as if she was waiting for support fire, but... both Jeong Hae-Min and Doh Gah-Yun were simply staring back at her without saying anything.
Shes being serious?? (Kim Dah-Som)
Nod.
Doh Gah-Yun nodded her head, causing Kim Dah-Som to shudder grandly as if she was struck by yet another culture shock.
Two thousand years old, she said.
What on earth did that even mean??
Any girl would feel deeply cheated after learning that the man was actually an ahjussi in his forties, but this... two freaking thousand years old??
You said that ording to this worlds standard, hes in his twenties, right? (Kim Dah-Som)
I did. (Affeldrichae)
Then, its fine. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh?
Wasnt she shocked numb just now? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Are you okay with that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes, well. When you think about it, hes still got a youthful body, his mind is also youthful, so what does his age matter, anyway? Besides, I might have been really shocked if you told me he was twenty years older, but the idea of two thousand years doesnt even feel real to me at all. (Kim Dah-Som)
It seemed that this girls thought process was still out of whack as well.
So.... (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun looked at Affeldrichae and asked another question.
Her. Okay to continue staying in this world? (Doh Gah-Yun)
And now, everyone was looking at Affeldrichae.
< 273. Mom, its your daughter-inw -3 > Fin.
Chapter 274. Mom, it’s your daughter-in-law (4)
Chapter 274. Mom, its your daughter-inw (4)
Theoretically, itll be difficult. (Affeldrichae)
Oh? (Jeong Hae-Min)
At the end of the day, shes a demonic being. Without dark Mana, she wont be able to maintain herself. There is a limit to the supply of it in this world, so once her reserve of dark Mana runs out, she will have to return to the demon world in order to survive. (Affeldrichae)
Okay, the reserve of her Mana, is it.... When will that run out, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Affeldrichae seemed to be calcting something for a little while before making her reply.
Perhaps, in around five hundred years? (Affeldrichae)
........
Jeong Hae-Min didnt really believe that this blondie was an actual Dragon until now, but it seemed that was true. By the way, were all Dragons as stupid as this one?
That means shes going to be around here basically forever. (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, like I said, she can only stay for another five hundred years or so. (Affeldrichae)
Yes, yes. Shes not going anywhere. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min cleanly ignored Affeldrichae and moved on.
Did this Dragondy fail to realise what the time period of 500 years meant to a human being?
She heard that Dragons were much smarter than humans, yet at the moment, it was hard to tell how true that was.
Okay, so.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min scratched her head.
Its already a pain in the neck that a woman iming to be his wife showed up, but then, she also happens to be a demon king too, and shes going to stay at Ji-Hyuks ce from now on. Thats the gist of it, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Soms expression hardened like stone.
What a freaking wonderful situation this is. (Jeong Hae-Min)
We must eradicate her, then. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Didnt you say that shes a demon king? We must get rid of her, then. (Kim Dah-Som)
Groan....
Although what she said was correct, talking was cheap in this case.
What can we do about a demon king thats not hostile towards humanity? The amount of fighting and sacrifice needed to kill a demon king like that is no joke you know? We cant just go on a wild adventure, now can we? And also.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min didnt want to finish her sentence, so she closed her mouth shut, instead. Without Yi Ji-Hyuk stepping up to help, she wasnt sure if all the ability users in the world would be able to subjugate this demon king on their own.
From what she observed so far, well, she was deeply sceptical about it.
Even if she was nominally a nonbatant NDF agent, she was definitely not blind and could see just how incredibly powerful a demon king was.
Anyone would think that, as long as a demon king wasnt hostile, the best choice avable was to simply leave it alone.
What a relief it is that you seem to understand that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong Hae-Min frowned slightly as Seo Ah-Young entered the cafe.
Dont try anything unnecessary, unni. If you end up causing a scene, I dont care who you are, Ill throw you inside a jail cell. (Seo Ah-Young)
Who said anything about causing a scene? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hmm, maybe my ears arent working properly? I think I heard something weird just now. (Seo Ah-Young)
...........
Jeong Hae-Min angrily chugged the meless Americano down her throat.
Aht?! Too hot!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Tsk, tsk. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shook her head.
Why were thesedies holding an emergency response meeting as if this was a huge crisis?
Not only that, this emergency meeting nominally held in order to figure out what to do against a demon king was actually a secret rendezvous of a bunch of infatuated girls.
Just what is so likeable about that guy, anyway.... (Seo Ah-Young)
I never said I like him, you know?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why dont you wet your lips with saliva first? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min swished her head away.
Why dont you worry about your own love life, instead? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Seo Ah-Young)
Sure, the bunch of us worrying about a married man are all idiots, but heres the deal C you interested in a guy drooling all over another mans wife dont seem all that impressive to us either. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Griiiit.
Seo Ah-Young gnashed her teeth.
Not because she was angry at Jeong Hae-Min, though. No, she simply ended up recalling Choi Jeong-Hoons dazed, dumb-looking face from earlier, that was all.
This isnt the time to diss each other. (Seo Ah-Young)
N-ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
The two women figured that biting at each other like this would only give them scars and no tangible solutions, so they dramatically called for a ceasefire.
It was then, Choi Jeong-Hoon also stepped inside the cafe.
Here.... Everyone gather ar.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Shut up and start exining already, will you!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Hul..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He only just got there but was already subjected to a torrent of abuse. He wanted to protest the unfairness of it all, but after seeing Seo Ah-Youngs expression exuding chilling, murderous air, he promptly gave up on even trying.
He felt that hed be under even more intense abuse for the entirety of next month if he opened his mouth and said something unnecessary.
I havent done anything wrong, though.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Obviously he was unhappy, but sadly for him, the world didnt operate logically all the time. So, he simply got right down to the briefing, instead.
Of course, he did his best to avoid Seo Ah-Youngs re in the meantime.
The NDF agents also rushed inside the cafe around this time as well.
N-ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min couldnt really understand this situation, her eyes opening up wider. Why were they suddenly showing up here, anyway?
I called them here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why? (Jeong Hae-Min)
We still need to hold an agency-wide meeting, but its a bit awkward to leave the post unattended, so this cant be helped. So, its obvious I called them here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Hyun spotted his younger sister and his eyes went rounder in confusion.
D-Dah-Som-ah? What are you doing here? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Its nothing. (Kim Dah-Som)
Doesnt seem that way, though? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He had no clue whats going on here, but too bad, Kim Dah-Soms mind wasnt settled down enough to kindly provide an exnation in front of all these people.
Lets talk about itter. Later. (Kim Dah-Som)
N-ng. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoon summarised the situation.
Indeed, its for the best to discuss this a bitter. For now, we have something we need to prioritise on first. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Before he went ahead and said something, the ck-suited agents quickly ushered every other customer in the cafe outside. In any other establishment, a storm ofints wouldve resulted from such an action, but maybe because this was the ability user residential area, things went rather smoothly.
Soon, the only folks remaining inside the empty cafe were the NDF agents as well as Kim Dah-Som. Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly stared at her, prompting Jeong Hae-Min to pout slightly.
Leave Dah-Som be for now. You can say shes also a rted party here. (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-mm. I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It wasnt as if he felt wholly satisfied by this arrangement, but well, he too had to agree that she being in the loop would be the best for everyone.
Alright. The first thing everyone here should know is.... Right now, theres a certain individual currently residing in Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks house, and its a demon king. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Euh.... (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan shuddered involuntarily.
What with his role being a Tanker, he was injured the most during their battles against the demon kings, not to mention suffering from unimaginable agony, too. Understandably, just the mere mention of demon king made his teeth tter all by themselves.
Why is a demon king living in Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks house? (Park Seong-Chan)
They couldnt help but question the logic of this development as they didnt know the details of the current situation. Everything they had witnessed so far told them that these lifeforms called demon kings were clearly hostile towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
They couldnt understand what those creatures said, but it was still not that hard to decipher the animosity from the tone of voice, the facial expressions, as well as the actions of these demon kings.
Is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk in danger? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun shot up from his chair.
The cafes owner, utterly oblivious to the context of this meeting, stopped making coffee and flinched slightly at the Path Drifters aggressive aura.
No, its not that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon calmed Kim Dah-Hyun down and inwardly clicked his tongue.
Doesnt he have any pride? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Out of everyone here who got tortured by Yi Ji-Hyuk, Kim Dah-Hyun arguably had to endure the worst of it. But a mention of the former being in danger, and thetter got all riled up like this, prompting Choi Jeong-Hoon to feel somewhat bbergasted.
He thought that all those sucking-up to Yi Ji-Hyuk with Hyung-nim this and hyung-nim that was simply a strategy to survive, but maybe it wasnt, after all?
If this guy was indeed thinking like that, then this matter couldnt be overlooked.
Its not that. It seems that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk actually is an acquaintance with this particr demon king. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With a demon king?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Wait, that doesnt sound all that strange when you think about it? (Park Seong-Chan)
Although some muttered in uncertainty for a bit, they all epted the situation pretty quickly.
For sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk and demon kings wouldnt have chatted away if they didnt know each other. Half of their conversation was filled with nothing but provocation and biting sarcasm, but still, such a thing was possible only because they were acquaintances to begin with.
Besides, the agents here thought that they wouldnt feel weirded out to learn Yi Ji-Hyuk being a pen pal with a god at this point, never mind a demon king.
Seriously now, was there anything that guy wouldnt do, anyway?
The demon king is currently iming to be Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks significant other. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, I see. Eh? Significant other? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns brows trembled.
Are you saying that its his wife? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
That question seems to be repeating itself quite oftentely, but yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
W-what did Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk say? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Hes rejecting her, but hasnt specifically denied the rtionship. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That means she is really his wife!! If it wasnt true, that guy wouldve been throwing a massive tantrum by now! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chans words prompted everyone to nod their heads.
Right, right. Hes not the type to hold back.
Hes the type to argue that something right is wrong, so theres no way hed ept something wrong as right here.
Yeah, hes ballsy enough to cause a scene in the Blue House, so he wouldnt turn a blind eye in such a situation.
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
Looking at how everythings been unfolding so far, it seems to be true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Really....?
The gaze of everyone present here suddenly focused on the group of females upying a single table.
What are you all looking at?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min bared her teeth, prompting the gazes to avert away immediately.
Keu-hmm. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon relied on a fake cough to draw the attention back to himself.
In any case, theres a demon king residing in Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks house. You all understand what this means, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You telling us to emigrate?
.............
Choi Jeong-Hoon almost ended up nodding his head unconsciously just now. But well, that did sound like the most logical response one could think of at the moment.
Its already impossible to deal with just Yi Ji-Hyuk alone, but now theres a demon king on top of that? Aigooo, my life....
Should I just really emigrate?
Grumblings bubbled up from here and there.
Everyone, please calm down.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only smile wryly.
He hadnt thought about that yet, but after seeing the reactions of these people, he finally realised that the situation was rather serious, indeed.
Thats actually the reason why I asked all of you toe here today. Regardless of what, theres a demon king in Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks house, and that creature is not very far away from the headquarters of the NDF. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A demon king in the middle of Seoul, is it....
Ennd had pretty much lost its ability to function as a nation due to the after-effects of a demon king showing up in London.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had desperately fought it and won in the end, but the city was already half-destroyed even before the NDF arrived there. And the battle between the two hadpletely levelled the ce t afterwards.
A country with its capital all blown to hell wouldnt be able to function properly, now would it?
Ennd had fallen to the level of a third-world country where it couldnt even deal with the Gates opening up within its own territory without other nations support.
Itll be the same story here, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If trouble suddenly developed between Erukana and Yi Ji-Hyuk, and that led to a fight, then it was very much possible for Seoul to be blown to smithereens.
Thats horrifying. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just imagining it alone was a scary prospect.
A quarrel between a married couple might cause the downfall of a whole nation.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The implied scale here was just enormous to imagine.
How was anyone supposed to mediate the domestic dispute between those two??
I-in any case, the NDF will enter the emergency stand-by mode for the time being. We will provide the maximum level of support until that demon king bes fully limatised to our country and prevent any mishaps from happening. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Talking is cheap, you know....
Excuse me, who here doesnt know its a difficult task?
But, it still needs to be done regardless of its difficulty, thats why were here. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head. It sure was a tough thing for a superior officer to answer every singleint from his subordinates.
By the way... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun asked again.
Lets say that we keep our eyes on them, but what do you expect us to do when they start quarrelling? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
...........
Call the cops? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
..........
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt despair at that potential situation with no answer whatsoever. It was true that there was no way to stop those two.
What are you all worried about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thankfully, though, Jeong Hae-Min came up with a simple solution for that.
Just call Ji-Hyuks mom. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, so there was that, huh.
Choi Jeong-Hoon dazedly nodded his head.
< 274. Mom, its your daughter-inw -4 > Fin.
Chapter 275: Mom, it’s your daugther-in-law (5)
Chapter 275: Mom, its your daugther-inw (5)
At the same time, in Yi Ji-Hyuks home.
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk was dazedly watching Erukanas actions. She was decorating his room while humming in happiness.
....Hey. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, darling? (Erukana)
Youre not supposed to decorate a home of human beings with a severed head of a goat.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Erukana)
There was indeed a severed head of ck goat that came out from Erukanas subspace currently resting on top of a table Yi Ji-Hyuk was staring at.
I mustnt? (Erukana)
If my mom saw that, shell probably try to ce my own severed head right next to it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmmm, if mahder doesnt like it, then Ill get rid of it. (Erukana)
No, hang on. Thats not the only one.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the rest of the room decorated by her and sighed non-stop. This wasnt some sort of a witchs chamber straight out of a fairy tale, so this....
No, he shouldnt use the term fairy tale here at all. If any young kids saw this room, it was almost a guarantee that their emotions would be messed up beyond repair.
....Why is everything in ck, even the curtains?? Is this room for a blind man?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my! ck is truth, darling. (Erukana)
That dang truth c**p again.
Youve been staring at ck colour for tens of thousands of years, so like, dont you hanker for more variation in your life or something?
Just how long will you keep harping on about the colour ck?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Euh, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He felt like losing his mind after looking at his room where literally everything had be ck, including all of his furniture as well as the pillow and bedsheets.
Even something as simple as their tastes didnt align with one another.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had figured out a long time ago that it was an act of insanity topromise oneself for another person, but even he had no way of escaping from Erukana.
As long as their contract remained intact, she coulde and visit him in his dreams at any time.
Thats why I tried to stay awake... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head dropped down.
Oh, my? Did you not sleep because you were worried about me showing up? (Erukana)
Well, honestly speaking, that wasnt really the reason.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I was thinking ofing for a visit earlier, but I found a barrier cast by that lizard, instead. I was wondering if you were two-timing me for a while there. (Erukana)
Two-timing you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled hollowly.
She was one of a few existences in the world that knew the details of the rtionship between Affeldrichae and himself. So, such words were nothing more than yful teasing on her part.
Of course, Im not really going to stop you if you wish to fool around with other women. But, dont ever forget that Ill always be your first wife, okay? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sagged down on the pitch-ck couch made out of some indeterminable material and opened his mouth.
What is your real goal here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Erukana)
Why did you evene? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I came to see you, darling. (Erukana)
Stop spewing c**p, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The human race has this strange tendency to not believe in other peoples honesty. Why would I even show up here if not for my darling? (Erukana)
You really came here to see me? Is that really everything? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats wrong? Dont you believe me? (Erukana)
Of course I dont believe you, you deviiiil! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohohoho~. (Erukana)
Erukanaughed heartily and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You werent this cynical before.... my darling, why did you be so distrusting towards other people? (Erukana)
She slowly approached him.
Even though there was no more ce to retreat in the couch, he still managed to bury himself even deeper into the cushions. She climbed up on hisp, though, and began stroking his cheek.
You dont trust me, darling? (Erukana)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head away.
If he were to name one single person he could trust the most in this world, then this demon right before his eyes had to be it.
Indeed, she was the one who extended a helping hand to him when he had no one to rely on. She gave him ess to true power.
While wanting nothing in return, no less.
When considering the fact that you needed to put your soul up as coteral to sign a contract with a demon, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply couldnt do that with any ol demon out there.
However, Erukana didnt even ask him for his soul and one-sidedly signed the contract with him, and supplied Mana to him without asking for anything in return.
For sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve returned to Earth eventually after experiencing other events, most likely. He was certain of that. He possessed an undying body and enjoyed infinite time on his side so hed have gotten stronger somehow.
However, if he didnt sign the contract with Erukana and essed dark Mana, hed not have be the Bringer of Apocalypse, and hed definitely not get his hands on the Eye of Latrel.
Even though he hated to admit it, admit it he must.
One could definitely argue that Erukana was his benefactor that allowed him to return home. A benefactor who didnt even ask forpensation.
A benefactor indeed, but....
If only you werent my wife. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Erukana)
Dew droplets formed around Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
If only she remained as an acquaintance, one wouldnt be able to find a better girl than her. But why did she have to be his wife?
Where would anyone find an existence more awkward and scary to deal with than ones wife? Their tenuous rtionship managed tost this far only because Erukana was not a demanding type, that was all.
They maintained the married life for over a thousand years when it was supposedly hard to keep it going for less than twenty....
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk helplessly shook his head, and Erukana continued to stare at him, a seductive grin etched on her lips.
Darling. (Erukana)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Her jet-ck eyes peered deeply into his. Irises cker than ck, as if not a single thing hid within. Every time he looked into those eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk had to taste the dizziness of being sucked into a bottomless abyss.
You dont trust me? (Erukana)
....I trust you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So then, why do you suspect my words? (Erukana)
Because you arent telling me everything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-ng? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice suddenly became weightier.
Its the same story for both you and Affeldrichae. You dont tell me everything. No, you only worry about how to exploit me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that what you really believe? (Erukana)
Can you deny it with a straight face, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana giggled seductively once more.
Ng, of course I can. I always act with your best interest in mind, darling. (Erukana)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned again.
She was definitely a demon.
Those born as one knew so well how to seduce a human being.
Trying to figure out just how much he could trust her was the one proposition that had tormented him after all this time.
Hmm, you dont seem to believe me? Weve stayed together as a couple for so long yet you still dont trust me. That saddens me a little. (Erukana)
Its because weve lived together for so long that I dont trust you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fu-hut. (Erukana)
Erukana stuck her blood-red tongue out and licked his cheek, seemingly trying to mess with his mind.
If you really want to know, then Ill tell you. (Erukana)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukanas eyes suddenly grew gloomier.
Darling. (Erukana)
Say it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This ce has be too dangerous. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared back at her.
Dangerous?
He had survived both Berafe and the demon world. No, never mind simply surviving, he managed to conquer both.
Yet, the Earth that should feature a much lower degree of dangerpared to both of those worlds, was now being evaluated as dangerous?
This didnt make sense.
If you oh-so kindly exin in detail, Ill be able to understand it better. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, how do you think I exist before you in this world? (Erukana)
Thats.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk promptly shut his mouth.
Erukana could show up in any world if her contractor was residing there. However, that meant she could only invade that persons dreams, and not actually teleport her physical being to another world.
If such a thing was possible, then Berafe wouldve been conquered by the demons a long time ago and not a de of grass would have survived.
The denizens of the demon world knew of Berafe and dragged the negative energy from there for their own use, yet they still couldnt invade and conquer that ce.
All because of the dimensional restrictions.
Are you saying this is different to what it was like before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fufufu. (Erukana)
Erukana rested her head on his chest.
Treating me the same as any other demon kings. I feel like getting just a little bit angry now, you know? (Erukana)
......
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered grandly.
His body trembled all by itself after his brain recalled what she was like during her fit of rage.
N-no, I didnt mean it that way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, I know. My darling has really badmunication skills. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk having badmunication skills?!
If Dioreh the First heard that, hed probably be a Lich all of a sudden and jump out of his grave! He never rested his mouth even once during such a hellish situation and earned the admiration of everyone present, yet now, that very mouth of his was being judged to be impotent???
Just what the freak did this woman see in that past thousand years?! (Author)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head again.
Youre so bad with expressing your emotions too, so you cant even say that you like something and pretend you hate it instead, acting all cold and the like. I know that side of you so well. (Erukana)
No, thats not it!
I really do hate things that I hate!
A Subus is supposed to read a persons emotions better than anyone, so howe you cant read mine at all?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
My darling is like that, so I cant let him be, you see? (Erukana)
What do you mean by this world being dangerous? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The link. (Erukana)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The demon world and this ce are linking up. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
What do you mean by that? The worlds themselves are being connected? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Erukana)
..........
His expression crumpled unsightly.
What he just heard, something like that didnt even happen back in Berafe.
Say that again. Whats happening here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana smiled meaningfully.
The face of flustered Yi Ji-Hyuk ring at her had this power to make her heart flutter every time she looked at it.
Theres no need to repeat myself, though. This world is gradually connecting up with the demon world. (Erukana)
How can such a thing even happen?! Is one world linking up with another one even possible? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could safely dere himself as the number one in history when it came to understanding the intricacies of dimensions.
However, even with his vast knowledge pool and understanding of the subject matter, he couldnt figure out how two disparate dimensions could ovep with each other.
The idea was so nonsensical, he almost assumed that Erukana made it all up on the spot, even though shed never lie to him.
Your evidence is right here, you know? (Erukana)
Evidence? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup. Me. (Erukana)
Erukana licked her lips.
Even if I can sense your presence, I shouldnt be able to cross dimensions and appear before you like this without being summoned first, right? You know how the demon world works, so you should also realise how incredibly crazy this whole thing is. (Erukana)
....Yeah, I do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This world is slowly but surely linking up with the demon world. I dont know the cause, but theres no denying that its happening gradually. And the side effects of that process should manifest themselves pretty soon, darling. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes trembled powerfully.
The demon world.
If that ce became one with this world, then that meant the monstrous creatures and demonic beings would literally flood into Earth.
Just one demon king was enough to nearly drive this to its doom, yet now, every other demon king still alive would pour in their droves?
That would basically mean the advent of Hell itself.
And its already begun. (Erukana)
What has? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are you still behaving like a little child? The darling that I know isnt a dummy like you. What happened to your ice-cold judgement? Maybe, youve be toox from the peace in this world? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt retort back to her.
Even if he was indeed tugging at the tensions strings, it was still true that he had bexpared to in the past during his stay on Earth.
Darling, this ce is no longer a safe zone. And youre no longer the same person as you were in the past. Youve be so much more frail and much, much weaker than before. (Erukana)
........
Thats why Im here. To protect you, and to revert you back to your past self. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
I cant go back after losing my immortality, dont you know? And Im not nning to revert back to my old self, either. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana slowly stood up from hisp and quietly stared into his eyes. Her expression was one of open ridicule.
Hear ye, oh the Bringer of Apocalypse. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
Oh, the mighty one who ruled over the world and terrorised the demon world. Your current weakness pains my heart. However, you have no more reason to be concerned. (Erukana)
Her voice began making fun of Yi Ji-Hyuks ears.
Because, soon, the world you cant protect with such pathetically weak self will arrive before you. Peace as you knew it is now over. (Erukana)
Erukanas high-pitchedughter resounded out in the room.
He quietly closed his eyes.
He too, had been sensing that what she said was true.
The world was distorting.
These short days of peace were precursors to the iing apocalypse.
< 275. Mom, its your daughter-inw -5 > Fin.
Chapter 276. What kind of concept is this (1)
Chapter 276. What kind of concept is this (1)
(TL: I tried to self-edit this chapter. Let me know if you spot any mistakes. Thanks.)
Hey, didnt the first sergeant look p*ssed off earlier? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Yes, he was angry at the messed-up state of the barracks. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
D*mn, hes so bloody uptight, man. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Sergeant Park Hyeong-Seok grumbled unhappily and stared at the heavens above.
Like how it always had been for him, the time seriously didnt want to shift for him. He only had two more months till his discharge, yet those two months felt as long as two thousand years to him.
Hah, this is bullsh*t. Im almost done with this c**p, too. So why....? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Eii~, you still have two months left on the clock, so you arent really almost done, you know. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Hey, you punk. Im telling you, youll drown to death in the length of time I had to spend in this d*mn ce. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
But, if you really did spend all that time as you say, sergeant, you wouldnt be in one piece like this, though? (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Park Hyeong-Seok chuckled in disbelief.
Ha, would you listen to this punk? You said Im not done yet, but youre trying to get back at me as if I am, arent you? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Lets say youre half-way done, sergeant. Its about time you let go of the stuff you can let go, but you have some time left on your clock so you still gotta do things you have to do. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Wanna die? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Eiii~, no reason to be serious like that, sir. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Park Hyeong-Seok was really tempted to kick the a*s of Corporal Yi Byeong-Tae and his glib mouth, but in the end, held himself back.
Getting caught fooling around inside the guard post they were manning wouldnt just end with them being reprimanded. If he ended up getting thrown into the brig, that would only dy him going home by a few more days.
He was already thinking that each passing day was as long as one hundred years, so there wouldnt be a worse punishment than that.
Uh-whew, time really aint flying here. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
But, arent you going home in two months time? I havent even climbed up to the Sergeant yet, you know. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Hey, you punk. Me getting out of this ce before seeing you be a sergeant is my lifes sole constion. Urgh, how can I even stand the sight of you bing one?! (Park Hyeong-Seok)
But, if things work out well, you might really see it happen, though. Why dont you stay in the army for a little while longer? (Yi Byeong-Tae)
You. You,e see me the first thing when you get back to the barrackster. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Please spare me. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Park Hyeong-Seong smirked and stared outside the guard post.
Without them shooting the breeze like this, there was no way hed endure the boredom of manning this ce.
By the way, what are those idiots on the other side thinking about? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
You mean, our North Korean counterparts, sergeant? (Yi Byeong-Tae)
I already feel sick to my stomach thinking about spending two years in the army, but how long they were supposed to stay? Was it ten years? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Thats what I heard. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Wowsers. So, when you enter in your early twenties, youe out in your thirties? Isnt that like, turning a young bachelor into an uncle? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
What a horrifying thing that is. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
If we were born slightly up north, that might have been our fate, too. You should be thankful that we were born in this country. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Yi Byeong-Tae nodded his head in agreement.
By the way, Sergeant. Is it true that they often provoked us pretty viciously in the past? And even fired weapons at our guard posts? (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Right, yeah, I heard about that, too. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
All of that stopped dead after Gates showed up, or so I heard, sir. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
True. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Does that mean these Gates are contributing towards the peace of the Korean Penins? (Yi Byeong-Tae)
You crazy fool, stop spouting bullsh*t. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Park Hyeong-Seok shook his head.
Post-ck Monday, North Koreas provocations that happened often like some kind of a nned annual event almostpletely came to a stop. However, it was bloody obvious why.
Gates randomly opened up everywhere. It didnt care about its host nations strength. So, countries boasting huge territories like Russia, China, America or even Canada were saddled with an incredible amount of burden right now.
Nations like South Korea or Japan withparatively smaller territories than others didnt suffer as much burden of the Gate problem.
The North Korean situation was a bit unique, however.
Even if not as many Gates opened up, they still proved to be a considerable headache for North Korea.
Because of the huge gap in national power, the pressure the North Korean government felt when dealing with a Gate was far heavier than that of what South Koreans felt when facing a simr sized portal.
That was their current situation, so after the Gates appeared, the North Koreans had to stop their provocations almostpletely, and thats how both countries were enjoying a period of peace and calm never seen before in the peninss history.
Those bast*rds are also suffering pretty h.... (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Yi Byeong-Tae couldnt finish his sentence and shut his mouth, instead.
Whats wrong now? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
First Sergeant Park. (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Say it, you punk. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
What are those? (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Ng? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Park Hyeong-Seok stared at Yi Byeong-Tae with a questioning look on his face.
Cant you see that, sir? (Yi Byeong-Tae)
See what? (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Yi Byeong-Tae raised his hand and pointed to the distant location in front of the guard post.
Uh?
Park Hyeong-Seok had been manning this particr post for several months already. So, quite obviously, the view in front of his eyes was intimately familiar to him. However, something rather unfamiliar had intruded upon that familiar view now.
They were very blue portals.
A gigantic doorway, as reflective as a mirrors surface, was caught in his eyes as clearly as day.
....F*ck me. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
Park Hyeong-Seok spat out a curse word even before he noticed it.
If his eyes were functioning properly, and also, if he and Yi Byeong-Tae werent hallucinating at the same time, then for bloody sure, a d*mn Gate has just materialised in front of their eyes.
Its not just one, so what the.... (Park Hyeong-Seok)
From the nearest ce, to a location some distance away. Even at a casual nce, there were nearly ten Gates here, utterly filling up his vision.
Call the HQ on the radio. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
....What should I tell them? (Yi Byeong-Tae)
Park Hyeong-Seok smirked and addressed his junior.
What do you mean, what? Dumb*ss. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
There was only one thing anyone could say in a situation like this one.
Tell them were screwed. (Park Hyeong-Seok)
***
Like a soldier manning a guard post, Oh-Sik stood by the entrance of the house with a stiff, alert posture. His previously-empty side was filled by his new mate, Oh-Sun. (TL: pronounced as Oh-Soon.)
These two were no bigger than small pet dogs so them standing at attention like that didnt look threatening at all. They just looked cute as buttons, instead. So much so that if some passersby saw the duo, they would whip out their phones and snap some photos out of sheer cuteness of it all.
However, Oh-Sik just couldnt feel at ease.
The worst threat ever to face him after crossing over to this world was now upon him, that was why.
Whimper....
Oh-Sik managed to eke out a sorrowful whimper.
He could at least whimper like that only because he was a high-ranking creature; Oh-Sun next to him couldnt even breathe properly and was frozen stiff like a stone statue.
Whimper....
Oh-Sik let out yet another sorrowful whimper.
It was already unfair to run into Yi Ji-Hyuk in this world. However, he thought that hed be able to adopt and survive somehow.
But now.....
A demon king showed up.
Every hair on Oh-Siks body stood up from the thick, heavy demonic aura of a demon king he felt on his back.
To a demonic beast like him, the existence called demon king was an absolute being. Sure, he did try to attack one earlier due to the ve seal nted in him. That was only possible because he was in a berserk state where he had lost his reasoning. But normally, a demon king was an even more frightful figure than a grim reaper to a creature like him.
Well, a reaper would simply take you to hell, but the demon king inside the house was someone whod not let you enjoy a quiet, painless death, you see.
Whimper....
Oh-Siks head dropped low to the ground.
Out of so many demon kings in existence, why did it have to be the thirteenth one?
Her infamy was a pretty well-known topic in the demon world. Even the most high-and-mighty, top-of-the-food-chain demonic creatures would all start wetting themselves the moment they saw the 13th demon king and grovel on the floor right away.
But now, such a being was staying in the house, and Oh-Sik was the guard protecting such a house.
Moisture welled up in his eyes.
Hah....
I am Oh-Sik, the one who climbed up to the position of the Ogre Lord in that perilous, tough demon world with nothing but my own power. Yet why cant I catch a break in this world? (Oh-Siks inner monologue)
Whimper....
His sorrowful whimper reverberated throughout the front yard of the house once more.
...Hey you, whats wrong with you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh-Sik raised his head. Even before he had noticed it, a group of humans with Jeong Hae-Min as its centre was standing before him.
Was it okay to let them through?
Oh-Sik pondered deeply about this before raising his front paw to point at the inte.
....I should call inside? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nod.
Jeong Hae-Min felt somewhat mystified by the fact that she was actually talking to a dog. Of course she knew that Oh-Sik was not an actual dog, but the resemnce was so uncanny that she couldnt help but feel like she was conversing with one here.
Ng, okay. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Without saying anything else, she pressed the inte.
C Who is it? (Park Seon-Deok)
Mother, its me, Jeong Hae-Min. I came with Ji-Hyuks work colleagues.
C Mm, alright. Pleasee inside. (Park Seon-Deok)
Clunk.
The front door was unlocked.
H-mm.
Jeong Hae-Min sucked in deep breaths and looked behind her. The elites of the NDF, including Choi Jeong-Hoon and Seo Ah-Young, were standing there.
She nodded her head and prepared to enter the house.
It had been about three days since the demon king Erukana settled in Yi Ji-Hyuks home. He had note to work in the meantime, so they came here to confirm with their own eyes if something had happened between him and her.
Lets go in. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked like he didnt want to enter first, simply choosing to urge Jeong Hae-Min, instead.
Alright. (Jeong Hae-Min)
With a determined look on her face, she nodded her head. She had half-way lost her mind after realising what had happened on that day, but today, she was finished with organising her thoughts.
Regardless of what was what, it was not her style to back off like this. Indeed, one should back off only after causing a proper scene first.
Were going in. (Jeong Hae-Min)
She took another deep breath and pushed the unlocked door to walk into the living room.
Ng?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But after setting her foot inside, she was greeted by a rather strange sight.
Whenever she stopped by in this house before, shed always find Yi Ji-Hyuk submerged in hisputer game, or lounging on the floor hoovering up whatever snack he could find.
However, his condition today was somewhat different.
Sporting a gaunt, pale face, he was sitting on the couch with his knees pressed against his chest like some sort of a mental patient.
Ji-Hyuk-ah? (Jeong Hae-Min)
He slowly shifted his face and stared at her with eyes decorated by thick dark circles.
S-shorty..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who the hell is a shorty?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Although she got triggered for a moment there, she did feel a pang of pity for him after seeing how gaunt he had be in only three days.
Whats wrong with you? (Jeong Hae-Min)
P-please, save me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im gonna go insane first at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you talking about? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Without saying anything else, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his finger to point in a certain direction. Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head, but still, her gaze chased after his pointing finger.
Just what the heck happened in this house?
....Ah. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Her jaw gradually dropped to the floor.
What kind of a situation was she looking at now?
Her eyes took in the sight of a spacious kitchen befitting a big house such as this one. And inside that kitchen big enough to automatically make you want to cook something, she could see both Park Seon-Deok and Erukana making something together.
That was not the strange thing, though.
Park Seon-Deok in the kitchen was as obvious as a fish swimming in a pond. And even if Erukana was a demon king, itd not be against thew for her to know how to cook, too.
Indeed, not every demon king would consume fresh uncooked meat dripping with blood, now would they?
However, this spectacle was still oddly strange to behold.
Mah-der, Im finished weeth roasting. (Erukana)
Oh, my, our Erukana is so wonderful with roasting fish! Its all in appetising consistency, too. Park Seon-Deok)
I onlyy deed what mah-der said I should. (Erukana)
Even still, its not as easy as you make it sound, you know? You need to possess a good sense to be this great. You are so amazing with everything you do. (Park Seon-Deok)
Hehe, its all because you teach me good, mah-der. Erukana, working hard. Erukana listen to mahder very much. (Erukana) (TL: Yup, Erukana is speaking in broken Korean.)
Jeong Hae-Mins face suddenly developed uncontroble twitching.
What the heck is this?
No, really! What is that??
Oh, dear demon king-nim!!
Youre the third demon king to cross over to this world.
Even if your standing is different, even if your situation is different, arent you supposed to at least uphold the basic dignity of a demon king?!
This isnt some scene of a bride from Vietnam learning how to cook Korean food, so what kind of a conversation was that?! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Jeong Hae-Mins trembling eyes shifted back to Yi Ji-Hyuk. He was looking back with a face of a man who had abandoned everything.
....Youve been suffering a lot, havent you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Keuph.
Yi Ji-Hyuk desperately covered his mouth. If he didnt, he might end up breaking out in a fit of sobs.
She shook her head in helplessness.
What a mess.
This ce was a real mess.
< 276. What kind of a concept is this -1 > Fin.
Chapter 277: What kind of concept is this (2)
Chapter 277: What kind of concept is this (2)
What is she doing?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk and his soulless face replied in a daze.
Dunno..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is she actually learning how to cook? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a scary woman that was.
Jeong Hae-Min began feeling scared by her.
The diminutive former idol was also of the opinion that conquering Park Seon-Deoks heart was the key to winning the secret war being waged over Yi Ji-Hyuk.
So, when others were stupidly wasting time being nice to him, she deliberately got friendly with his mother.
Ive beencent. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Look at that hands-on approach.
From the very first meeting, that woman used the power of the expensive, limited-edition handbag and caught the mothers attention. Then, by relying on the multicultural daughter-inw gimmick to earn the other partys sympathy, and now she was kissing up by learning how to cook, too.
Mahder, this sho tasty. (Erukana)
It is? Im d that you like it. (mom)
L-l-look!
That hateful little....! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Fire zed in Jeong Hae-Mins eyes.
Judging from that picturesque reaction, there was little doubt that Erukana had calcted all of her responses beforehand.
It was said that she had arrived here some time ago and quite likely, she used that time period to roll up her sleeve, stuff her bags and read various books toe up with a systematic way to conquer the mother-inw.
What a fearsome demon king she was.
She was doing something that a regr person wouldnt have imagined doing in such a straightforward and rxed fashion.
Erukana, you learn so quickly. (mom)
Because mahder teaches so good. Erukana learn quickly. Mister Ji-Hyuk says that mahders food is the best, thats why. (Erukana)
...Eii~. Thats not right. Hes only saying that because Im his mother. (mom)
Uhm, mother?
Whats the meaning of that content smile on your lips?
Ive never seen you smile like that even when youre talking to your son? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Mother? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (mom)
Park Seon-Deok shifted her head and looked at Jeong Hae-Min.
Ah, ng. Hae-Min-ah, youre here? (mom)
Boom!
Thetters heart fell to the pit of her stomach.
The gaze of the former looking at her had changed.
Up until now, Yi Ji-Hyuks mother always looked at her with eyes reserved for a cute, kind-hearted wife candidate ready to rescue her son from the life of an eternal bachelor. But now, her eyes became those reserved for looking at some girl child hanging around her son.
Danger!!
The sense of imminent and urgent danger crashed into Jeong Hae-Min.
Whod have thought that the crafty little demon king was capable of perfectly entrancing a mothers heart to this extent?
M-mother?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng, please have a seat. Our baby cooked something, so you came at a great time. Why dont you stay and have a taste? (mom)
W-whos your baby? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, my goodness, wheres my mind at? I shouldve said our Erukana, instead. Ohohoho~. (mom)
Stagger.
Jeong Hae-Mins body faltered greatly.
How could this be?
Even the trusted Park Seon-Deok had fallen for it!
What could be done in this case, then?
J-Ji-Hyuk-ah, do, do something. (Jeong Ha-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
You think I havent tried? Its toote now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Did this mean that she had no choice but to ept this arrangement and live on for the rest of her life??
No freaking way!
Before dirt entered her eyes, there was no way shed ept this dang situation at all!
Demon king. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun whispered softly.
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Must subjugate! (Doh Gah-Yun)
Clench.
She clenched her fist tightly, causing Jeong Hae-Min to reflexively throw herself at the younger girl to hold her back.
No, hang on, Gah-Yun-ah! If you cause a scene here, you wont be able to take it back! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Demon king. Deceiving people! Peace after its dead. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Although I agree 100% with your assessment.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Realistically speaking, its difficult to subjugate that demon king with just us, and even if we do manage that somehow, its going to backfire on us, you know? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
I told you, Ill rip you apart if you cause a scene!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shot a terrifying re but Doh Gah-Yun simply went Hmph! and turned her head away. However, as thetter always followed the formers orders obediently, she stopped trying to do anything inadvisable.
Having calmed the girl down, Seo Ah-Young then suppressed the still-trembling Jeong Hae-Min with nothing but a fierce re.
Good thing that she decided to tag along just in case.
If she let only Jeong Hae-Min and Co.e here, then the Destruction of Seoul scenario wouldve elerated to an unstoppable degree. There was no way shed let that happen.
Oh, so many of you came today? (mom)
Madam Park Seon-Deok looked at all the NDF agents filling up the living room and tilted her head. Did something happen and cause them to visit her home en masse like this?
Did something happen? (mom)
....That something is actually standing right next to you, mother.
Mother, you shouldnt look at this way, but to your side. The scariest, most terrifying cmity to ever befall South Korea in its history is standing next to you.
Compared to that cmity, wars are just cute little tantrums, indeed. (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
I-its nothing, maam. (Seo Ah-Young)
However, what could anyone say with the party in question right in front of their faces?
Was it right to mention that a bomb capable of blowing up Seoul if she felt like it, was standing right inside this living room?
Seeing Park Seon-Doek pat Erukanas head with a warm, affectionate face, indeed that was one action no one in their right mind could do.
Groan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon let out a helpless groan.
Mahder. (Erukana)
Ng? (mom)
Meat, its burning. (Erukana)
Oh, my! Wheres my mind at! Take a look, Erukana. Rather than the soy sauce, you.... (mom)
Yes, mahder. (Erukana)
Erukana stuck close to Park Seon-Deoks side and listened to the lecture on Korean cuisine.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched on, before sitting next to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Are you alright? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Do I look alright to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, when is the housewarming? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Ill kill you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled bitterly.
He never imagined that hed actually get to see Yi Ji-Hyuk stuck in such a pinch in this lifetime. Not from a threat of violence, but just merely his position had finally done him in.
Couldnt you have exined to your mother that its not what she thinks? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....She says I cant. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Divorce is uneptable, she said.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, that was an expected response from a Korean parent, thats for sure....
She said that trying to divorce such a pretty, cute and smart girl is a sign of my brain being filled with farts, caused by livingrge for too long. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did you say in response? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I told her that a brain filled with farts would kill a person. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................
Thats why you cant make any headway in this case.
Why did you crack a dumb*ss joke in that situation, you moron?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
So what happened next? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything else and lifted his T-shirt up.
Looking at the colours of Autumn scenery dyeing his back skin like that, Choi Jeong-Hoon immediately thought of the mncholic sight of falling leaves in the passing season.
But, it was only Spring right now....
Be strong. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ha..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head wordlessly.
By the way, isnt your body incredibly sturdy? I remember seeing you crashing into buildings but shake it off all fine and all? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure, that happened. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, howe your back.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly whispered to him.
So yeah, about that. I was thinking.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Cant you measure my mom, just in case? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
No matter what, I think my mom has awakened too, but because shes never been measured, no ones aware of it yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon suddenly imagined Park Seon-Deokmuting to KSF every morning. The moment one was ssified as an ability user, one would have no choice but to participate in anti-Gate operations.
However, what kind of a new situation would develop once Yi Ji-Hyuks mom was forced into such a dangerous job?
As if youd sit by and watch something like that happen. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yup, he could imagine Yi Ji-Hyuk spitting mes while going on a rampage, threatening to kill the President or whoever dared to get in his way.
Before Erukana made her appearance, the only person who could control Yi Ji-Hyuk was Park Seon-Deok, so there was no point to even thinking of putting her anywhere remotely dangerous.
He even walked in to the NDF willingly in order to secure the safety of his mom and his family, didnt he?
Ill pretend that I never heard you say that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah?? But, why?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you asking me that because you really dont know? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You think Ill ask when I know already?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh-whew.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head in resignation.
He now had to inform the relevant parties so that Park Seon-Deok would never get her Ether level measured. Not sending an ability user to abat situation was against thew, but as long as one was not ssified as it, then well, one could remain as a civilian no problem.
For the sake of world peace, and the continued stability of the Republic of Korea, this decision was for the best.
He didnt even want to imagine what would happen if Park Seon-Deok was pushed into abat situation as an ability user and ended up getting a scratch.
This godd*mn mamas boy....
What can I do? Lets not do anything pointless. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk squeezed Choi Jeong-Hoons hands tightly.
Please, please exin to my mother how strong she really is. I mean, she still thinks that shes a regr person and does full-powered swings, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, wasnt that a bit concerning?
Choi Jeong-Hoon shuddered slightly.
Does she hit other people as well? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
My mom has never ever raised her hands at anyone, beside me obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, well. In that case, its all good, isnt it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...........
He then proceeded to cleanly ignore Yi Ji-Hyuk looking at him with despair-filled eyes.
Honestly, you wont die just because you got smacked around by her.
You can also call those healers in America if you need them, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Groan....
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long, long sigh.
After Erukana settled in his house, even his mother who remained his ally in silence, turned her back on him. It was as if he was left all alone in this world.
This wasnt what I wanted.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnte back to Earth to be like this.
How could he be falling ever deeper into the pit of sorrow with every passing day?
You want to shop for groceries? (mom)
Erukana, go to market. Even without mahder around, must cook for for Mister Ji-Hyuk. Heard that making husband hungry is a bad wife. (Erukana)
Oh my goodness, you are such a kind girl. (mom)
Park Seon-Deok embraced Erukana and patted thetter on the head.
Youre so pretty, and your heart is so wonderful as well. Where did an angel like youe from, anyway? (mom)
Moooom, thats a demon king youre talking to!!
A bloody demonnnnn!
A dang demonic being!
If angels were around here, they wouldve vomited blood out of sheer frustration by now!
Ah! So this is the method demons use to fool people!
How crafty!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
By the way, Erukana? (mom)
Yes, mahder. (Erukana)
Its good that you wish to take care of your husband, but its also important to look after the guests as well. Since we have guests at home, I believe that only one person should go out to the markets today. (mom)
Mm, in that case, Erukana will go. Mahder take a break. Erukanas legs, very sturdy. (Erukana)
Oh, no no. Dont worry, Ill be back in a jiffy, so please entertain the guests for a little while. Okay? (mom)
Erukana, want to go. But, Erukana listen to mahder. Guests will be entertained. (Erukana)
Thats great. Ill be back soon. (mom)
Park Seon-Deok lightly patted Erukanas head and turned around towards the front door.
And, Ji-Hyuk-ah? (mom)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You better not bully her. (mom)
Hot tears suddenly flooded out from Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
Bully?
Wholl bully who now?!
You mean, I will?
What have you been seeing for thest three days?! Ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mom, Im not bullying.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Enough! Dont forget what I said! (mom)
....Yes, maam. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Seon-Deok emitted chilly air and turned around.
m!
As the front door mmed shut loudly, Yi Ji-Hyuks despairing eyes shifted over to Erukana next.
Ohohohohot~. (Erukana)
She broke out in a fit of seductive chuckle, lightly trotted to where he was, and dived into his embrace.
Darling, did I do good? (Erukana)
Whe..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon next to them hurriedly rubbed his eyes.
H-hang on, didnt I see something whitish leak out of Yi Ji-Hyuks lips when he was sighing just now?
It, it cant be his soul, right? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Looks like your mothers really taken a liking to me? (Erukana)
....Oh, now its mother, is it. Not mahder, but mother. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, its just a concept, you know. If Im too perfect in everything, surely shed find me a bit too overwhelming. Do you have any idea how much I mulled over this? (Erukana)
Arent you a determined one.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk covered his face.
So, this was why they were called demons. He almost felt impressed by how well she managed to fool people.
What kind of a concept is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Vietnamese daughter-inw. (Erukana)
....Did you learn that from a book, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It came out a lot on TV, you see? (Erukana)
You even watched Korean TV shows? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I researched everything that I could find. Wouldnt that ensure Id be loved as the daughter-inw? (Erukana)
....Arent you a smart cookie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Waaay too smart!!
Too much!!
< 277. What kind of concept is this -2 > Fin.
Chapter 278: What kind of a concept is this (3)
Chapter 278: What kind of a concept is this (3)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared up at the ceiling in sorrow.
This was all karma at work. Indeed, karma.
From the get-go, it was obvious what kind of an ending was in store for a person willing to form a contract with a demon. He was initially pleased to find out that he didnt have a soul so hed get to keep it, but with things like this, it might have been better to lose it back then.
If he did, then this dang demon wouldnt havee knocking on his house!
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Erukana reveal her true colours the moment mom left the house, Yi Ji-Hyuk could only sigh repeatedly.
The ground might cave in at this rate. (Jeong Hae-Min) (TL note at the end)
Itd been nice if that happened. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min looked at him and gnashed her teeth.
This whole scene was so hateful in her eyes that she wanted to pinch his cheek and stretch it all the way to Busan, but what with him looking so frail and gaunt like this, he also kind of looked pitiful too, so this.....
Whew.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
In the end, even Jeong Hae-Min had to sigh.
How did this situatione to be?
By the way.... (Erukana)
Erukana turned her head, scanned Choi Jeong-Hoon and Co., and asked in a less-than-impressed voice.
What do you want? Do you not know you shouldnt intrude upon the residence of a newly-wed couple? (Erukana)
Who the eff is a newly-wed couple?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to stand up from his anger, but Erukana simply climbed up all over him to rub her face against his and pushed him down with her body weight.
Were starting anew after being acknowledged by your mom, right? Thats why were newly-wed! (Erukana)
....Have you ever heard of dusk divorce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Nope, never heard of it. (Erukana)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only wish for all of this to quickly pass by. You could only speak to someone who was willing to listen. Against someone who didnt, even the most potent weapon Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed, his mouth, proved to be utterly useless.
Does she know of your weakness or something?? Be more upromising, will ya?! Be a man! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Erukana shifted her head and stared at Jeong Hae-Min.
H-mm? Are you dissatisfied about something? (Erukana)
Not really. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thetter spun her head away fast enough to generate cold wind.
Doh Gah-Yun manning her side was ring at Erukana with an unreadable expression on her face, while Kim Dah-Som loitering around the doorway was openly emitting hostile aura.
N-n-ng? (Erukana)
Erukana smirked after checking all three girls out.
So, thats how it was. I dont have any allies here, is that it? (Erukana)
Youre a demon king, so of course no ones your ally here!
Were all humans, so obviously youre our enemy! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Well, it doesnt matter. (Erukana)
Erukana wrapped her arms around Yi Ji-Hyuks neck.
I only need my darling and thats all. (Erukana)
Eeek! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just before Jeong Hae-Min could explode, Choi Jeong-Hoons phone exploded in a fit of noise first.
RRRRRRR!!!
Aaaahk! Hey, put it in vibration when youre in someone elses house! (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-my apologies. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon swallowed back his bitter tears after being reprimanded for no reason and pulled out his phone. Why did she unload her frustration on him after she got owned somewhere else?!
He wasnt even a sandbag, to begin with!
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly shuffled towards the corner of the living room and answered his phone.
He wasnt guilty of anything, but unfortunately, whats more important in this world wasnt whether you were innocent or guilty, but whether you could read the mood or not.
Choi Jeong-Hoon speaking.
The moment he heard the reply, his expression hardened instantly. Others picked up on his serious atmosphere and shut their mouths to stare at him.
Understood. Well be there shortly, so please continue to observe the situation in the meantime. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended the call and raised his head to find everyone looking at him.
Its another Gate. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, its that again. (Jeong Hae-Min)
However, the situation this time is a bit more serious. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong Hae-Min was about to ask what could be more serious than this, but then, a sudden burst of dissatisfactioning from her side prevented her from doing that.
What the heck? Im still nominally the head of the department, so why did such a phone call go to you instead, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? What happened to the system of hierarchy? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wordlessly stared straight at Seo Ah-Young. He didnt open his lips, but she could still feel the heaviness behind that gaze.
....What now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Why didnt you answer your phone on time in the past, then?
If not, talk to the caller in a calm, collected manner?
Weve arrived at this point after more and more people calling you got either frustrated or p*ssed off and started calling me instead....
I mean, Im even saddled with the job that youre supposed to do, so what were you saying just now? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
I-I get it, so please stop. (Seo Ah-Young)
I havent said anything in particr? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I could hear your minds voice. (Seo Ah-Young)
I guess your ability is evolving towards mind reading. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course, something like that wouldnt happen.
For the time being, let us head back to the office. It seems that well need to mobilise our forces. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon then looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
And it looks like well need your presence this time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thetter didnt say anything and used his chin to point at Erukana. He was implying that, I want to go with you, but this thing is clinging onto me, so do something about it first.
Excuse me, Erukana-nim? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
N-ng? (Erukana)
Erukanas sexy eyesnded on Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Ah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For a moment there, Choi Jeong-Hoon lost himself and stared at Erukana. He had prepared himself ahead of time, but too bad, his determination alone wasnt quite enough.
aaaap!
Keuk! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He fell down on his knees while gasping out a groan akin to air leaking out.
Euh, euh euh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It hurts.
It freaking huuuurts! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He now could understand where Yi Ji-Hyuk wasing from when pleading with him to do something that mother of his.
Should getting hit on the back hurt this much?
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked back with tearful eyes and found Seo Ah-Young and her reddened face forcing a smile on her lips.
I was worried that you might be hypnotised, you see. Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, youre an important person to us. (Seo Ah-Young)
Youre not lying?
You didnt hit me out of malice, right?
But, without your anger powering you up, theres no way you could hit someone with this much dedication?!
I even confused you for a volleyball yer just now!
If ability users were allowed to enter the sporting world, then you sure possess ample talent to be an ace of the national womens volleyball team. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
....Thank you for that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was nothing. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon staggered back to his feet.
M-Miss Erukana. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Erukana)
It seems that we need to head over to the Gates location right away. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No can do. (Erukana)
Erukana immediately rejected Choi Jeong-Hoons request.
....But, we need to go. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You said its a Gate? (Erukana)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Erukana snorted derisively.
Are you requesting my darling to waste his precious Mana and stamina because you lot cant handle some low-ranked monstersing out from a Gate? I already knew that you were a useless bunch, but that doesnt mean Ill let my darling soil his hands by fighting such insect-like creatures. Its beneath him. (Erukana)
But, we dont know what wille out of there? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It doesnt matter whates out. (Erukana)
....Strong monsters alsoe out, miss. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hah? (Erukana)
Erukanas re became sharper by a notch.
Are you trying topare measly monsters to my darling? Affel. (Erukana)
Here. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae quietly observing the situation replied in a slightly respectful tone.
What have you been doing? Is my darling someone so unimportant that hes being treated like this? Hes supposed to go around hunting monsters? (Erukana)
....Thats what he wanted. (Affeldrichae)
Is it not the role of the wife to lead the husband down the right path by bncing what he wants versus whats best for him? (Erukana)
Affeldrichaes jaw dropped slightly as she stared at Erukana.
Whats the matter? (Erukana)
Its nothing. Just that you spoke something rather logical. (Affeldrichae)
Im going to scold you. (Erukana)
My apologies. (Affeldrichae)
In any case. (Erukana)
Erukana spoke again in a determined tone of voice.
I cant sit and watch my darling waste his energy doing something like that. You lot take care of it by yourselves. (Erukana)
And who are you to decide that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks question only elicited a bright smile from her.
My darling is too kind, so you begrudgingly end up doing things that others ask of you. That simply wont do. (Erukana)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly cleaned his ears.
Did I hear it wrong?
Whos kind, again? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Miss Erukana, we definitely need Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks help. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats your problem. We arent interested. (Erukana)
If we fail to resolve the Gate issue, then the damage will eventually spread to here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well resolve it when that happens, then. (Erukana)
But, coteral damage in the meantime will be too great. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Erukana threw her head back andughed.
What does it matter to us if insect-like humans die in their droves? Humans solve human problems. Thats all there is to it. Do not forget, Im a demon king. You shouldnt expect me to sympathise with humanity. (Erukana)
What a sound argument that is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This situation was pretty much the same as asking a demon king to lend an aid to humans.
By the way.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Erukana)
I dont think Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is so weak that his stamina is damaged from lending us a bit of his help. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs impressed eyesnded on Choi Jeong-Hoon.
As expected of him!
Since asking for a favour wasnt working, he was now targetting Erukanas pride, which was currently obsessed with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If she continued to argue that itd be difficult here, then it was the same thing as she denigrating Yi Ji-Hyuk as a weakling who couldnt even deal with those so-called insect-like monsters.
Still no. (Erukana)
Unfortunately, Erukana remained resolute.
My darlings stamina is required for many other matters besides that. (Erukana)
What other matters?
Could it be?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoons brain spun into gear really quickly.
Okay, so. Erukana is the Subus Queen, and...
And, shes been living in this house for three days already....
And, and, Yi Ji-Hyuk looks like a dried-up skeleton for some reason, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Oh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He lightly pped his hands as if he had figured it all out.
I hadnt thought about that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
W-w-what kind of rubbish are you talking about?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min trembled grandly as she yelled out. Her venom-filled eyes were now ring at Erukana with enough momentum to tear her to pieces.
What dirty things have you done to him?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? Dirty things? (Erukana)
You, you, you made him look like that! (Jeong Hae-Min)
H-ng? (Erukana)
Erukana suddenly broke into a fit ofughter.
Humans can sure think up of really amusing things. (Erukana)
Erukanas mockingughter caused Jeong Hae-Mins face to burn up.
A womans jealousy can be such an amusing thing. But you can rest easy. My darling and I are not in a situation where we can entertain ourselves with such fun activities. (Erukana)
Why not? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
aap!
Choi Jeong-Hoons thoughtless question earned him a direct punishment from Seo Ah-Youngs palm.
Thankfully for him, though, Erukana provided him with an answer, anyway.
Regardless of what, I cant kill my darling, now can I? The current him cant cope with me, you know. Since I cant bear to see him die as a withered corpse, Ill have to hold back. Although its a rather unfortunate thing.... (Erukana)
With a seductive grin, she slowly stroked Yi Ji-Hyuks cheek. He simply stared at the ceiling with a soulless expression.
My darling of the past was such a cool guy. Hes definitely qualified to be my husband. Sure, he has faltered a little since then, but is it not the wifes duty to make sure such a husband reaches the top once more? (Erukana)
....Just let me be, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hohoho~. As expected of my darling. So good with jokes and all. (Erukana)
Jeong Hae-Mins expression loosened up ever so slightly.
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt miss this opening and used his second card.
In that case, Miss Erukana. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm? (Erukana)
Dont you want to see? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
See what? (Erukana)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk at work, that is. Shouldnt it be a rare opportunity to see it for yourself? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm? (Erukana)
She was wavering.
Choi Jeong-Hoon tightened the noose even more.
You might be able to see another side of him, the one you havent seen before. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm.... (Erukana)
He then went for the final blow.
Also, you mentioned the wifes duty. Wouldnt it help your cause in knowing what Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks workce is like? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He needs to keep working there? (Erukana)
Well, his mother likes it, thats why. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mmmmm. (Erukana)
The mere mention of mother, and Erukana was swaying about rather powerfully now.
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head.
Im proud of you, Choi Jeong-Hoon. You made it happen. (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Very well, Ill let him go. However, Ill be apanying him. I shall make sure to witness what my darling does for a living. (Erukana)
You made a wise decision. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk listened to their conversation and muttered powerlessly.
....Hey, have you all decided to not care about my wishes now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dang b*stards.
You abominable b*stards.
Sob.
< 278. What kind of a concept is this -3 > Fin.
(TL: This is a reference to an idiom used often in Korea whenever someones sighing C youre sighing so much that the ground beneath you might disappear.)
(TL: its a term used in Korea to denote the divorce proceedings involving elderly couples.)
Chapter 279: What kind of concept is this (4)
Chapter 279: What kind of concept is this (4)
Were short on time, so let us head directly to the office. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was unknown whether Choi Jeong-Hoon knew of Yi Ji-Hyuks sorrow as he uncaringly tried to hurry everyone along.
Please open up a Gate for us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at him, prompting Choi Jeong-Hoon to stare back with a look asking, What are you doing?
Why dont you just shoot me now.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The former didnt say anything and created a Gate directly leading to the NDF.
Thank you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stepped forward ahead of everyone else. Others followed him in an orderly fashion, and eventually, only Yi Ji-Hyuk, Erukana, and Jeong Hae-Min remained in the living room.
Arent you going? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yeah, Im going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk disinterestedly nodded his head. Unfortunately, Erukanas thoughts were slightly different.
Oh, my? Darling, if you leave just like that, mother will be surprised after shes back. (Erukana)
Youre worried about something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its the job of the daughter-inw to mind such things. Outsiders might not care about that, but Im your wife now. Shes shopping for your sake, so how badly would she feel when shees home and find out that theres no one here? Am I wrong? (Erukana)
Jeong Hae-Min trembled in rage once more.
She really hadnt thought of that one before.
Never mind whether one was a demon king or a human, a wife or not C the fact that she lost in something so basic meant that she didnt even know where toe up with her excuses.
Its fine to just call her on her phone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Call her on the phone? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
This was why a dumb demon king would never seed. Even if you were strong and tough, what was the point if you couldnt adapt to the modern world?
No, darling. Ill just talk to her. (Erukana)
N-n-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did I hear her wrong? What did she just say? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Shes busy shopping, so calling her on the phone will just inconvenience her. Ill send a talk, so itll be fine. Lets get going. (Erukana) (TL note at the end)
.........
Whats this....
This feeling of defeat?
Even I dont use talk all that much, yet shes already proficient at it! Even though it hasnt been that long since she crossed over!
No, before all that! Where did she even get herself a phone? And when did she exchange numbers with my mom?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Are you a contestant in the Survival King? Whats up with your adaptation rate?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
H-ng? My race survive by crossing over to different dimensions to suck mens vitality out. Such a thing will be impossible if weck the ability to adapt to our new environments. (Erukana)
Now that I hear you....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After thinking for a bit, Yi Ji-Hyuk remembered back to when Erukana was first summoned to Berafe by him. She told him that it had been several thousands of years since thest she came there, yet she made herself right at home and did whatever she pleased.
Didnt he fall into a panicked state when he first arrived in Berafe and couldnt act like a real human for two, three months?
Thats not the important thing. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min strode over and grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuks hand.
Lets just go. She said that shell contact your mother. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Poof.
Right away, Jeong Hae-Min teleported herself and Yi Ji-Hyuk. Erukana was now all alone after two people simply disappeared from her view. But a sly grin floated up on her face, instead.
Hmm, arent she a cute one. (Erukana)
She was a Subus.
There was simply no way that she didnt know the meaning behind the reactions of other females. She was most sensitive towards the erotic impulses of humans, after all.
My darlings such a popr guy. (Erukana)
She grinned brightly as her figure vanished from the spot.
*
Youve arrived. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sitting on the conference rooms chair greeted Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Why does the mood feel urgent for some reason? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The current situation is to me. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, what about it? This aint the first time that a Gate popped up, so what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As if he was suffering from migraine, Choi Jeong-Hoon scratched his head and pointed at the monitor.
Please take a look. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He was pointing at a giant map, and it disyed the locations of various Gates.
One, two, three.... Mm, yeah, well. Theres a fair number of them. By the way, arent they in a mountainous region? Cant you just bomb the living daylights out of that ce, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was any other ce, then yes, wed have done that. However, can you see that line over there? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ce Choi Jeong-Hoon was now pointing at C the middle of the map was marked by a red line crossing the terrain.
Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats the Military Demarcation Line. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These Gates are currently appearing within the Demilitarized Zone. And they are appearing on both sides of the Demarcation Line. On both North and South Korean territories. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked as if he was mystified by that.
Wow, they really picked an exquisite location to show up. By the way, I get the feeling that something like this has never happened before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Luckily enough, it hasnt so far. This would be our first time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Seong-Chan scowled deeply as he looked at the map.
Why did those things have to pop up there, of all ces?
This is bad. (Park Seong-Chan)
Kim Dah-Hyun nodded to indicate his agreement.
So, whats the n, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not sure. Things are really tangled up at the moment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
First of all, this falls under the Defense Ministrys jurisdiction, but also ours.... Regardless of whose jurisdiction it is, because of the tangled nature of the matter at hand, it seems that the situation is very difficult to properly sort out. The President is tasked with making a decision in situations like this one, buttely, hes been absent with the im of ill health, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The gazes of everyone present suddenly shifted over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....What? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He confronted their gazes in a proud, forthright manner.
What? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its nothing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Although there were plenty of things waiting to be said, not one here was brave enough to say them. What a sorrowful thing that was.
Yup, its hwabyung. (TL note at the end)
Ng, probably.
Must be hwabyung.
Indeed, that man was treated so badly earlier.
Even a regr person would get furious after being treated like that, so imagine a President of a nation being on the receiving end. There was no way hed be able to maintain his sanity.
Suffering from hwabyung would be at least the bare minimum requirement.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its nothing, I said. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course, it wasnt as if they sympathised with the man.
Anyone getting tangled up with Yi Ji-Hyuk would suffer from that level of stress everyday. Besides, dear President could count himself lucky after meeting him just once.
These agents were busy facing him right now, after all.
Okay, so what do you want from me, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Look at him.
Thats how he is.
Wheres all the intel he heard so far disappear to? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
It seems that the situation needs to be sorted out first so that well know how to make our move. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, why did you say that its really urgent and made mee here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
He could be so sharp sometimes.
Yi Ji-Hyuk knowing when to be strict about anything rted to his leisure/fun time was yet another charming side of him, thats for sure.
Because, being on standby will allow us to mobilise at a moments notice. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Mobilising us? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His eyes shifted back to the map.
This was the (in)famous Demilitarised Zone. Simply put, civilians werent allowed to set foot inside. Yet, the government wanted to send ability users there and start a bloody death battle?
You want me to go in there and fight monsters? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What about all thendmines, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
If my ankle gets blown up, then South Korea is blowing up alongside me, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If someone else said that, youd be able to take that as a joke, but why did it sound so scarying from this guy?
Dear, your ankle is going to blow up? (Erukana)
Out of the blue, Erukana slowly emerged from behind Yi Ji-Hyuk.
But, why? (Erukana)
mes seemed to be burning in her eyes.
Hul. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Cold sweat trickled down Choi Jeong-Hoons forehead. Even if she wasnt really angry, an existence on the level of a demon king disying her displeasure was enough to make him feel like his heart was being squeezed tightly.
Because ofndmines. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Landmines? (Erukana)
Its like magic that explodes from the ground. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can fly to avoid them, right? (Erukana)
....Thats true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This gal, shes really quick on the uptake on useless things, but can also be a klutz in times like this, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
H-mm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With an unreadable expression on his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to change the topic.
Indeed. Also, nothings been decided yet at the moment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly took charge of the reins after realising that the timing was just right. Yi Ji-Hyuk red at him for a second there, but he simply grinned and ably faced the re.
Ha, this guy....
Since when did he be so thick-faced? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ive reared a tiger cub, havent I. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began wondering that, although these ability users did get a wee bit stronger, maybe the one to get a real upgrade here was none other than Choi Jeong-Hoon.
So, whats the real problem, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please hold. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pulled his phone out and tapped on it a couple of times before opening his lips.
The current problem is that we cant bomb the DMZ. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There has never been an instance in the post-Korean War history where a government decided to bomb the Military Demarcation Line. Sure, trading fire using handguns or rifles has taken ce in the past, but dropping bombs on another nations territory is tantamount to dering war, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And why does it have to be that way? Gates popped up, so shouldnt we worry about dealing with them first? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thats what I believe as well, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, those people up north just dont listen to logic, you see.
Its not as if this is their first rodeo either.
But then again, when did they ever act logically in the first ce? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Were talking about North Korea, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but nod his head.
There was no straighter answer than that. Even someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk, who loved to find any excuse to grab hold onto and exploit it to death couldnt do that in this case. Thats how much North Korea defied ones attempt at logically dissecting it as a functioning nation.
So, were supposed to sit back and wait? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Foreign Ministry is trying to get in touch with them. I think they want to move together with the Defense Ministry and find amon ground. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned and found a seat to settle down.
It was right then that Choi Jeong-Hoons phone went off.
Here ites. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With a slightly tense face, he answered the call.
Yes, this is Choi Jeong-Hoon speaking.
Others around him could hear that several urgent words wereing out from the phones speaker, but they couldnt catch what they were about. It was only to the extent of figuring out that the slightly deep voice belonged to a man. That was all.
Yes, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoonsplexion darkened somewhat.
Those who detected that subtle change couldnt help but feel worried next.
Is that that only way? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Choi Jeong-Hoons reply and his forehead creased up immediately.
Understood. Ill give you a callter. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended the phone call and right away, studied Yi Ji-Hyuks mood.
Well, now... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thetter began gritting his teeth.
....Why dont you tell us whats what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm, hmm. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon dry coughed and pointed at the map again.
As you can see, there are a total of eight Gates. Three of them have opened up within our borders, three others on the North Korean territory, while the remaining two are, rather coincidentally, right on the Demarcation Line itself. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What a delicate location.
Indeed, that was the case.
Even if we assume that the parties involved will take care of the Gates in their respective sides, the real issue lies with those two in the middle. Their location means that its somewhat awkward for either side to deal with them, but we simply cant leave them be, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So, what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled while looking rather troubled.
So, what the higher-ups came up with is a resolutely rational decision to wait until those Gates fully open up, and if the monsters head this way, we deal with that, and if they go the other way, we let our northerly neighbours deal with them, instead. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It sure sounded pretty rational, but why did it also feel rather stunningly passive, as well....?
Well, in any case, fine. If the monsterse this side, then we roast them all. Simple. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The thing is.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The agreement by both sides mean that, rather than firepower, the higher-ups wants to deploy ability users to deal with the matter. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly.
So, what youre saying is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For a job that can be solved by simply flying in a couple of bombers to bomb the living c**p of the ce, they want us to go there personally and set up tents and have a nice little camping trip, and then..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its technically not camping, but. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....While roasting wild boars and filling our bellies like cavemen, we kill any monsters heading our way? And dont do anything if they go the other way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you put it that way, yes. More or less. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mmm. Very logical, then. So, like.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Gimme the phone number to the Defense Minister. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Please, calm down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im very, very calm and serious right now, cant you see? The number, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised the phone up, his expression stiff.
< 279. What kind of concept is this -4 > Fin.
(TL: Talk here isnt literally talking to someone, but simply a Korean ng for sending instant messages through a super-popr app called Kakaotalk.)
(TL: Survival King is a game/variety show in South Korea, shown on the channel MBC.)
(TL: Hwabyung or Hwabyeong is a generalised Korean term for a stress-rted mental disorder. Check Wikipedia out for a more in-depth exnation.)
Chapter 280: What kind of concept is this (5)
Chapter 280: What kind of concept is this (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shoved his phones screen in Choi Jeong-Hoons face and demanded to know the phone number, causing thetter to feel deeply conflicted inside.
Should I just tell him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Honestly speaking, the best way to resolve this situation was to dump everything on Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders and wait till he utterly wrecked the current problem into tiny little pieces.
Indeed, if he handed over the phone numbers of the parties involved to Yi Ji-Hyuk, put on some ear plugs and go somewhere for a ten-minute-long smoke break, he was confident of this whole crisis sorting itself out by the time he came back to the office.
Aaand, Id be sorted out as well, with my head rolling, too.
He might be overreacting a bit regarding himself being sorted out, but still, there was little doubt that his own job security was at a serious risk here. Because, the total worth of Choi Jeong-Hoon was rted to his ability to control Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If the higher-ups felt that, even though he was here, he still failed to put a leash on Yi Ji-Hyuk and got themselves badly burned, they would try whatever humanly possible to get rid of him and find a recement asap.
If overseas governments, or people rted saw that, they might get shocked to their core, but unfortunately, that was how the higher-ups of South Korea operated, and it didnt take a genius to figure out that nothing much would change in the future, as well.
If you do this, Ill get fired. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, the right thing to do was toe out clean and ask for his understanding.
I just have to make sure you dont get fired, right?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh?
That works too, I guess?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was protecting him, then Choi Jeong-Hoon was sure of never losing his job even if he disregarded all paperwork and watched the videos of idols performing the whole day at work while not even lifting a single finger.
Should I really give to him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons body began shuddering from this powerful temptation.
He also knew that the current situation was an unsightly mess.
North Korea in a way was far more sensitive topic than Japan to the Republic of Korea. Historically and politically, far too much had happened between the two nations.
After Gates started appearing, the situation between the two Koreas became somewhat like a cow looking at a chicken, meaning there was no longer a need to reaffirm each others positions every single time. The South Korean government could just leave their northern neighbours alone to their devices. But now that they were being forced to get involved in each others business once more, the politicians were understandably falling into a panicked state by what that could entail.
They were too scared to provoke their northern counterparts, but at the same time, their pride didnt allow them to lower their heads first. Choi Jeong-Hoon could read their minds so easily that it was beginning to royally irritate him.
So what they came up with was this tepid response, but the truth wasnt so kind. They might be able to somehow ovee one or two events by sticking to such tactics. But could anyone guarantee that they would never have to deal with North Korea in the future?
That was why a properly-thought out special n was needed here.
I know that already, but....
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the special n before his eyes, his teeth ttering a bit.
Now normally, a special n of this kind meant that it was a solution one simply had to carry out regardless of personal sacrifices and enormous costs involved.
The problem here was that the special n right before his eyes easily exceeded such parameters.
Sure, a certain number of sacrifices would be eptable in the grander scheme of things, but this special n, it..... So, like, the level of potential sacrifice to be made when letting Yi Ji-Hyuk loose was just far too steep for anyone to deal with.
Groooooan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head.
Sometimes, a man would suffer the sweet whispers of temptation. However, a man should also know how to suppress that, too. If it was getting too hot, one should turn on the aircon, rather than walk straight into a freezer. Thats what being a man was about.
For now, lets head to the location first. Im well aware that you dont like the way our higher-ups operate, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, I just dont want to go there, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ah, so thats what it was. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon easily epted that exnation. Of course, there was no way that Yi Ji-Hyuk was sensible enough to mind the North-South rtions.
Even if you go there, Im sure you dont have to do anything much, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont want to go in the first ce, so what does it matter if I do nothing after arrving there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuk and whispered into thetters ear.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you dont go there, then that means youll have to go back home. Meaning, youll be staying with your mom and Miss Erukana. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes trembled as if an earthquake had erupted somewhere nearby.
Can it be three nights, four days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
His sudden about-turn bbergasted Choi Jeong-Hoon somewhat, but then again, Yi Ji-Hyuks pleading eyes were just too pitiful to say no.
Choi Jeong-Hoon lightly patted him on the back and spoke reassuringly.
As long as the Gates dont open up too quickly, we might end up staying there for a while. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Lets go!! Right now!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Please, calm down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wiped the corners of his eyes.
It mustve been his first time seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk this eager to get a move on.
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes stung and his heart ached, because this was like looking at a sryman who used to think getting off work on time was the most important thing in life, only to get married and now, try his utmost best to find an excuse not to go home on time.
Yup, marriage can be this scary, everyone. (The Author)
***
What the hell are they thinking of now?! (Seol Min-Beom)
Commander of the 3rd Division, Major-General Seol Min-Beom, mmed his baton hard on the ground.
The brass wants us to be mindful of those godd*mn Commies and be on standby?! Are they f*cking kidding me?! (Seol Min-Beom)
You know thats not what they said, sir. (Jeong In-Soo)
Hey, you stinking sons of b*tches. Who cares whether youre the Capital Defense Command or not?! This is our jurisdiction! The operational rights are with us! Us! So, who the hell do you think you are to tell me where to go and what not?! (Seol Min-Beom)
Colonel Jeong In-Soos head dropped helplessly.
You b*stard, you think you being a CDC is a big deal?? You keep this sh*t up, and one day, youre going to lose everything, you hear me?! (Seol Min-Beom)
Come on now, senior-nim. You know Im not the one responsible here. (Jeong In-Soo)
If not, then who is, you b*stard? (Seol Min-Beom)
Jeong In-Soo was this close to losing his mind here.
This is why I shouldve asked them for a star.... (Jeong In-Soo)
As a measly Colonel, it was simply too hard trying to talk sense to a Major-General. And since thetter was a senior from the same military academy, the former couldnt even raise his voice here, either.
Sir, what can I do? Its the orders from the higher-ups. (Jeong In-Soo)
Hey you, even the Minister said that he cant understand what the hell is up with this situation, didnt he?! (Seol Min-Beom)
Its not the order from the Minister, sir. It came down from even higher up than him. (Jeong In-Soo)
Hah.....
Seol Min-Beom gritted his teeth after hearing that.
It didnt take a genius to know who upied the higher position than the Defence Minister. Before the election, that man said he was a hardcore extremist, yet after the election, he tried to save his skin so much so that folks by the frontlines felt as if their hearts would explode from all the built-up frustration.
Godd*mmit. (Seol Min-Beom)
Seol Min-Beom had been feeling pretty dissatisfied by the fact that, after these Gates started appearing, the national defence had shifted its focus away from protecting the nations borders to keeping its territories safe from the monster threats, instead.
One could argue that the importance of both the Defense Ministry as well as the Army had gone up since then, but in truth, most of the benefits had been sucked dry by the CDC, whilemanders like himself at the frontlines were now demoted to geezers wasting money by performing useless exercises in the background, instead.
And it was the same story even now.
Even if it was a situation involving Gates, and even if the breakout of an unwanted conflict with North Korea was a real, potential threat, this area was still under his jurisdiction, so how could it be okay for them to ask him to relinquish hismand?
Not just any ce, but in Cheorwon, no less! (TL note at the end)
If this is how you want to y, then why even bother with the army?! Why dont you just dissolve the army and absorb us into the CDC, then?! (Seol Min-Beom)
Senior-nim. (Jeong In-Soo)
Senior, my a*s! Why the hell am I your godd*mn senior, anyway?! (Seol Min-Beom)
My apologies, Commander. (Jeong In-Soo)
....Godd*mmit. (Seol Min-Beom)
Seol Min-Beom put his baton down and sighed grandly. He got to vent some steam just now, but he was not foolish enough to forget that Jeong In-Soo couldnt be faulted here. Indeed, what could they do against the ordersing from the higher-ups?
Seol Min-Beoms hands were just as tied as his junior here.
If he dared toin, then it was bye-bye, his head. Other than the inevitable dishonourable discharge, he couldnt think of any other end result.
I didnt crawl all the way up to this position to see this nonsense. (Seol Min-Beom)
Seol Min-Beom spat out yet another groan.
Although the incident had happened within his jurisdiction, the fact that he had to relinquishmand and step back clearly showed how much the position of the army had fallen.
Commander. (Jeong In-Soo)
Call me senior, you b*stard. (Seol Min-Beom)
....Yes sir, senior-nim. My apologies, but you must cede themand over to us. I heard that the NDF is about to show up, sir. (Jeong In-Soo)
You mean, those mutants? (Seol Min-Beom)
....Yes, sir. (Jeong In-Soo)
Hah, the world sure has changed a lot, hasnt it? A General has to run away as if hes being chased out by a bunch of godd*mn muties. (Seol Min-Beom)
Sir, its not that youre running away. Its simply that youre leaving for a while to avoid seeing potentially aggravating things, sir. (Jeong In-Soo)
Its the same thing, you as*hole. (Seol Min-Beom)
Seol Min-Beom shook his head before standing up from his chair.
Jeong In-Soo was right, though.
He was already old, so he might keel over from hwabyung if he ended up seeing the NDF muties go on a rampage right before his eyes. So, maybe it was a far more constructive usage of his time to go home and knock back a few soju shots rather than stick around and witness that ugly sight for himself.
Do your best, you dumb*ss. (Seol Min-Beom)
Sir. Dont worry about.... (Jeong In-Soo)
It was right then C the p to themanders tent set up right by the operational area was flipped open and two men strode right inside.
Jeong In-Soos eyes trembled.
Uh?Ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong In-Soo)
The good Colonel smiled awkwardly and extended his hand out to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Wow, nice to see you again! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Same here. (Jeong In-Soo)
Unfortunately, Jeong In-Soos grin quickly became a wry one.
If this was any other ce, hed have weed Yi Ji-Hyuk with open arms. He believed that he owed this youth that much, and even if he didnt owe the kid anything, he still held a good impression of the youth on the basic human level.
However, the current situation wasnt so good.
He definitely held no desire to let the old warhorse behind him get involved with the hot-blooded organisation called the NDF.
Seol Min-Beom was basically a dyed-in-the-wool soldier so there was no way hed tolerate the NDF that, when nicely put, operated under utter freedom. Or, as some might say, with utter disregard for rules and regtions.
You mustve been busy? Its pretty hard to see you nowadays. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not that Im busy, but you are, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Its been awhile since the NDF is mobilised for a domestic Gate situation, you see. Although I have run into other NDF agents every now and then, this must be the first time seeing you again since that day. (Jeong In-Soo)
Ah, youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk thought about it, this made sense.
He hadnt shown up to take care of any local Gates opening up recently. First of all, it was just too bothersome, and secondly, such a situation no longer required his presence.
The NDFs agents had grown stronger by being around Yi Ji-Hyuk. They were now able to deal with a level 6 Gate while experiencing no coteral damage even if he wasnt around to help them out.
So, there was no need to mobilise him in the first ce.
Currently, Yi Ji-Hyuk was being treated as a highly effective but also rather defective bomb with unnnable side effects. Earlier on when the Korean forcescked the means to deal with the various Gates, they couldnt care about defectiveness or whatever and had to deploy him to avoid dying a dogs death. But now that the NDF was more or less fully capable of dealing with most of the Gates showing up, it became a wise strategy to stick him inside an office to minimise the risk to everything else.
Choi Jeong-Hoon stepped forward.
Its been a while, Colonel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed. (Jeong In-Soo)
Completely different to how he greeted Yi Ji-Hyuk, Jeong In-Soos voice was stiff.
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt feel bad or anything like that, though. It was already an epted fact that the rtionship between the Capital Defense Command and the KSF was quite poor.
Still, he couldnt be considered as having a bad rtionship with the people from the CDC. Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the abnormal one for being all chummy with Jeong In-Soo, a rapidly-rising star within the CDC. Choi Jeong-Hoon hadnt put a foot wrong here.
Who is the Commander, Colonel? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
.........
Jeong In-Soo shut his mouth.
Technically, it was him, but if he answered like that, there was a real risk of hurting the pride of Seol Min-Beom standing behind him.
Just as he began pondering how he should answer this, the Major-Generals deep voice resounded out first.
Im the Commander of the 3rd Division, Seol Min-Beom. Do you not know to perform a salute when entering amand post?
The flustered Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly sneaked a nce at Yi Ji-Hyuk. This was a mistake on their part, sure. However, what would Yi Ji-Hyuk be thi......
I was exempted from the military, so I didnt know about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seol Min-Beom was rendered speechless as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now the truth was, to a fool who didnt go to the army, it didnt matter whether you were amander or general, you were still an ahjussi to him.
So, like, ahjussi. Youre in charge? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seol Min-Beom squeezed his eyes shut.
He shouldve left when Jeong In-Soo told him to leave earlier.
The price for ignoring one little advice was proving to be rather painful.
< 280. What kind of concept is this -5 > Fin.
(TL: Cheorwon is a country in South Koreas Gangwon Province, and its located right next to North Korea.)
Chapter 281: Check first before stretching legs (1)
Chapter 281: Check first before stretching legs (1)
Aaah, so you were exempted. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo awkwardlyughed out.
Didnt he already confirm whether Yi Ji-Hyuk went to the army or not back when he was still nning to entice thetter into joining the Capital Defense Commands folds in the past?
He knew the truth, yet he had failed to predict an eventuality where hed be so resentful of the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt get to experience the military life. At the time, he felt happy about potentially pulling the youth into the army, but....
If only he served in the army.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Even if a person didnt really understand the concept, just by going to the army would help you in realising how mighty was the position of a General was, and how highly respected such a soldier would be. But as Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt serve, he was now looking at a Major-General as if he was talking to a neighbour ahjussi.
Seeing how dark Seol Min-Beomsplexion had be, the emotions Jeong In-Soo felt went past the level of pity and straight into heartache.
This man, Seol Min-Beom, he dedicated his entire life to the army. Not like the other rubbish, fake Generals who got to their positions through gifts and behind-the-door politicking, this man climbed up to the position of Major-General via his talent and dedication. So, to see him being treated this way, Jeong In-Soo felt his ire rise up gradually.
I need to hold back. (Jeong In-Soo)
If it was someone else, Jeong In-Soo would definitely not hold back.
He too was famed for being hot-headed within the Capital Defense Command. He might be incredibly polite towards regr civilians, but wasnt he well known for being utterly merciless against ability users?
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the sole exception.
Sure, he had received the youths help in the past, but at the same time, Jeong In-Soo knew that the kid wasnt doing this out of malice.
So, seeing that he couldnt me neither this side or the other, its natural that hed find a third party to go after now!
You want to die?! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soos powerful, threatening re stabbed deeply into Choi Jeong-Hoon next.
Ha, hahaha.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoonughed awkwardly and avoided meeting the good Colonels re.
Aigoo, this in intolerable. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For some reason, it was a lot harder to deal with Jeong In-Soopared to the Generals upying far higher positions up thedder.
He didnt feel this ufortable when talking to Ministers or the President. For one, Choi Jeong-Hoon was building new bridges, as it were, with those people for the first time in his life, so itcked a certain sense of reality for him. And two, the current him was wizened-up enough to fully utilise his current position to his advantage.
However, Jeong In-Soo was different.
Even before Yi Ji-Hyuk showed up, they had spent almost five years butting heads and apologising to each other regrly; Choi Jeong-Hoon even lightly poked him with a stick and extracted some benefits, too. In other words, these two men had basically grew up alongside one another.
It was slightly awkward to call Jeong In-Soo Hyung-nim, while using the official Colonel all the time also felt a bit heartless for the rtionship these two men enjoyed.
So, such a man openly shooting him a re like that left behind a bitter taste in Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth, and it certainly was a bit uncool to ignore that, too....
Hahaha, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, even then, hes a Major-General, so calling him ahjussi is..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo nodded his head.
Right, those words were the minimum level of what had to be said in this situation. No matter how one sliced it, how could he even think of calling a Major-General as an ahjussi?
Whats a Major-General? Is that simr to an on-site manager? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
.......
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his gaze over to Jeong In-Soo and shook his head.
This is impossible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Forgive me for asking you. (Jeong In-Soo)
The Colonel also decided to give up on his quest to change Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow. Just one utterance, and he was done analysing the situation.
Rather than expecting a logical response from Yi Ji-Hyuk, it was far more efficient to iste him away from the people withmon sense in the first ce.
....I guess its expected of you to not know. Hold on for a minute. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo bowed his head a little and walked over to Seol Min-Beom.
Senior-nim. (Jeong In-Soo)
Fuu-woo. (Seol Min-Beom)
Seol Min-Beom sighed out at length and nodded his head.
Im handing over themand to you. Do what you think is the best. If I remain here for a second longer, I might end up seeing something really unsightly. (Seol Min-Beom)
My apologies. (Jeong In-Soo)
However.... (Seol Min-Beom)
mes began burning brightly within Seol Min-Beoms eyes.
Make sure that our kids dont get hurt. Even if just one fool gets injured out of sheer carelessness or through some unlucky coincidence, Ill definitely make sure that your head will roll! You hear me? (Seol Min-Beom)
Yes sir, loud and clear. (Jeong In-Soo)
Godd*mmit. (Seol Min-Beom)
Seol Min-Beom shook his head again and handed the baton over to Jeong In-Soo. The item itself didnt possess any significant meaning, but the action did signify that themand had been handed over to someone else.
I shall keep my wits about and do my best, sir. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo said that, since he couldnt say Thank you under the current circumstances.
Seol Min-Beom seemed to have understood where the Colonel wasing from, because he simply nodded once and headed towards the exit of the tent.
Step.
But then, his steps came to a stop right in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Uh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Euh?? (Jeong In-Soo)
Choi Jeong-Hoon and Jeong In-Soo gasped out at the same time.
Stopping in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk implied that he had something to say, but the thing was, this man wasnt someone you should talk to unless you simply had to.
Especially so, for a guy like Seol Min-Beom!
Are you Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seol Min-Beom)
Eh? Do you know who I am? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If I didnt, I should just jump in theke. (Seol Min-Beom)
Seol Min-Beom spoke in a dissatisfied tone of voice and scanned Yi Ji-Hyuk from top to bottom before continuing on.
Why hasnt a young man such as yourself not joined the army yet? (Seol Min-Beom)
Well, its not like I didnt want to, but the country said I shouldnt, so what can I do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you dont mind joining, then? You arent saying that just because? (Seol Min-Beom)
Eiii,e on now, old timer. Joining the army is nothing much, you know. Think of it as going out on a camping trip for a couple of years and the time will fly by in an instant. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seol Min-Beom studied Yi Ji-Hyuk with a strange expression on his face.
At a nce, what he said sounded as if he was insulting all those soldiers working their butts off out in the field, but there was this hint, a trace of unquantifiable something, in that tone of voice that prevented the Major-General from loathing Yi Ji-Hyuk right now.
Hmm..... (Seol Min-Beom)
ording to what he said, he was just a kid who hadnt even served in the military yet. But the way he spoke or the way he acted had this scent of aged wisdom. Kind of like the aura that one could get from a sergeant major who served for a long, long time C and such a rxed aura belonging to someone who knew the military life inside-out could now be felt from the kid in front of the Major-Generals eyes.
You are a strange fellow, thats for sure. (Seol Min-Beom)
Im not that strange, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And you dont want to concede a single word, too. (Seol Min-Beom)
I dont like losing, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seol Min-Beom shook his head.
I dont expect things like courtesy from you. However, youre a man who holds the fate of this nation in his hands, so shouldnt you be feeling at least some weight of responsibility? (Seol Min-Beom)
If acting all important did help, then Id have done that already. But since it doesnt, I might as well live as simply as Id like to. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Seol Min-Beom quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk before closing his eyes.
This guy.... words didnt go through to him.
I see. Doesnt matter, in the end. Thats not the important thing anyway. Your current attitude isnt the important thing, either. (Seol Min-Beom)
Suddenly, Seol Min-Beom took his cap off and bowed his head.
Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk was taken aback by this out of the blue action, his jaw dropping to the ground. What was the reason for this hardened General to lower his head like this?
Please, raise your head, ahjussi. What are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seol Min-Beom kept his head down and replied.
It doesnt matter what kind of a person youre. The truly important thing is that youre the heart of the uing operation. That is why I request this of you. Please look after our kids out there. (Seol Min-Beom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a sigh.
He really didnt like this.
This type of people who thought that, even without offering up any potential benefits, lowering their heads and swallowing back their pride would be enough to pressure the other party.
These people thought that swallowing their worthless pride was something quite amazing and all that.
He really detested that.
No, he was irritated by the fact that these people believed their pride was their everything.
More importantly, because he fully understood that to these people who had walked on the path of integrity and had nothing to hide, they wouldnt sell their pride even if someone offered them ten thousand gold pieces.
Yi Ji-Hyuk found these sorts of situations totally ufortable and he just couldnt handle it.
I-I get it, so just raise your head, will ya?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will you do your best? (Seol Min-Beom)
What the heck, what kinda geezer are you?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please answer me. (Seol Min-Beom)
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked over to an empty spot on the couch and sat down. And as if he couldnt be bothered about whether Seol Min-Beom was bowing or not, he turned his head away.
The ones that began fretting first were the bystanders, instead.
From Choi Jeong-Hoons perspective, itd been wonderful if Yi Ji-Hyuk just said Yes, I will and let it end there, but unfortunately, this guy wasnt into histrionics like this one.
Should I kneel down, then? (Seol Min-Beom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yawned and stretched his arms.
Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seol Min-Beom didnt reply and quietly stared back at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I think youre mistaken about something here. You trying to pressure me wont make me act the way you want, you know? Dont you get that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not trying to pressure you, but rather, I wish to make a request. (Seol Min-Beom)
A sudden request made with all of your heart is not a request, but pure pressure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was not my intention. (Seol Min-Beom)
Well, in that case, I can safely ignore it, yes? Okay then. Have a nice day. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up breaking out in a smirk.
Im telling you, if you were going to make that Ive-eaten-poop face just because I didnt hear your request, you shouldnt have asked me in the first ce. Ahjussi, you may have thought that you looked cool just now, but you know, it was all just out of left field to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sorry about that. (Seol Min-Beom)
Whether you request me or not, Ill just do what I want, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seol Min-Beom stopped requesting and turned around to leave.
Senior-nim... (Jeong In-Soo)
Then let me ask of you. (Seol Min-Beom)
Sir. (Jeong In-Soo)
After Seol Min-Beom left the tent, Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned against the back of the couch and whistled loudly.
Uh-whew. Now that I didnt need. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why did you do that, though? I mean, he asked you for a favour by going so far as to bow himself to you. Just saying a simple yes wouldve sufficed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Heres a question. Which is right, lying to someone saying that youll do it when youre not going to, or be honest and tell it like it is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon found Seol Min-Beom rather pitiful just now. He shifted his gaze to where the Major-General had gone off to with a concerned expression on his face.
Still, you couldve been more respectful to him, you know. Hes a General. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What about it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared with an unimpressed face at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
This was the reason why a man should join the army!
That man was a bloody two star! A two-star General!
Not just one star, but two! What will I do with you when youre asking me, What about it?!
You think youll get a proper answer when asking What about the President??
Besides all that. How can you not know about Major-General even if you didnt serve in the army?
Isnt that like,mon sense?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Why are you ring at me like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its nothing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head in resignation. He might as well just shoot himself and be done with it. It was meaningless to argue with Yi Ji-Hyuk regardingmon sense.
In any case, we have themand now, so lets discuss what we will be doing from.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just bomb the Gates to hell when they open up. Simple. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not as easy as..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Before Choi Jeong-Hoon could finish his words....
KWA-BOOM!!
His and Yi Ji-Hyuks gazes instantly shifted to outside the tent.
An explosion? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A Gate? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, there should be some time remaining before they were scheduled to open up?
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot up from his seat.
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was not impossible for a Gate to open up quickly, sure, but if something like that happened, then someone observing the situation wouldve sent the word beforehand.
So, if it wasnt rted to Gates, then he could only think of one other possibility for an explosion like that.
Are they trying to pick a fight knowing that Im here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With a face filled with annoyance, Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly trudged outside the tent.
........
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched that and crossed himself.
He might not have anything to do religions in his daily life, but when he thought about what Yi Ji-Hyuk would do next, he definitely needed a Cheongsimhwan pill and religion ASAP.
So, then.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a long sigh.
I should check first before stretching my legs first, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stretching ones legs in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction would result in ones ankles being sliced off.
And now, it was North Koreas turn to understand that.
Choi Jeong-Hoon took a deep but quick breath and followed after Yi Ji-Hyuk.
< 281. Check first before stretching legs -1 > Fin.
(TL: Major-General in Korean is ??, while on-site manager is ????. As you can see, thettersst two words are exactly the same as the former. Hence Yi Ji-Hyuks confusion.)
(TL: The original idiom for Check first... in Korean goes like this: Check where youre nning to lie down first then stretch your legs. I thought itd be too unwieldy to include the whole thing in both the chapter title as well as Choi Jeong-Hoons dialogue, so I tried to trim it down a little.)
(TL: Finally, the author seemed to have forgotten the name of the Major-General, as he kept going between Seol Min-Beom and Seol In-Beom during this chapter. I chose to stick with the former.)
Chapter 282: Check first before stretching legs (2)
Chapter 282: Check first before stretching legs (2)
Yi Ji-Hyuk exited the temporarymand tent and whistled loudly.
Okay, so. Whats going on here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing that the Gate was still azure-blue, the explosion didnt seem to be monster-rted. However, he was still able to tell something did happen, all thanks to the plume of white smoke rising up not too far from where he was.
Did a bomb drop here or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As long as its not a full-on war they are thinking about.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shuddered as if the mere idea alone frightened him.
A war must never break out.
The reason why South Korea, boasting a far superior military strength than North, responded so tepidly to all the provocations was not because they were scared of losing, but because there was nothing to gain by starting a war in the first ce.
Even if the South won, there was nothing to gain, but a war with the North would definitely result in the loss of lives.
Itd been so much nicer if both sides just sat back at a distance and fling some soldiers about, but unfortunately, as the two nations were stuck pretty darn close to one another, civilians getting involved was an unavoidable eventuality.
And even if the North waspletely overrun, that would only result in over twenty million poor, impoverished war refugees being added to the South Korean governments shoulders. No gains, but only a loss as well as civilian casualties on top of that, so the national wealth wasted would be astronomical at the end of it all.
So, then. The South Koreans ignored and only came up with lukewarm responses not because they were scared of losing, but scared of soiling their hands instead.
However, if the North began openly bombing the Souths territories, then itd be no longer possible to ignore the situation anymore.
It cant be that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats why Choi Jeong-Hoon wanted to be wrong about this.
North Koreans would definitely want to avoid being destroyed, so there was no way that they resorted to such crazy actions.
It was often rumoured that the Norths Teletubby of a leader, although not very organised up in his head, was rather meticulous when it came to protecting himself. So, as long as he had his mind screwed on properly, hed not try a provocation on such a level while risking an open warfare.
In that case, what was up with that smoke?
Choi Jeong-Hoon carefully peered at the area where the white smoke was rising up from.
For sure, it wasing from a location where he could see the Military Demarcation Line signboard. All the grass and the ground were destroyed near the smokes origin, so....
Did they really fire at this side? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Chill ran down on Choi Jeong-Hoons backside.
If they had really attacked South Korean territory, then this would be noughing matter at all.
No, it wasnt. (Seol Min-Beom)
Mm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seol Min-Beom, who had exited the tent before him, replied while putting on the military cap.
It wasnt a bomb. Rather than a weapon, it was more like an ability. (Seol Min-Beom)
An ability user did this, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, it might be one. The end result feels different from a weapon. (Seol Min-Beom)
Oh..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
For sure, if it wasnt the Norths weapons but an attack from an ability user, then the situation would be quite different. Thats true, but...
Uh, so, how is it different, exactly? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt really figure out how to interpret this situation.
This event of another countrys ability user attacking his country would probably be the first time in Koreas history that such a thing urred, and not only that, no civilians or military personnel got hurt in the process.
So, where should he draw the line and go, Right, this is how we will respond?
Ah, so this is why we have politicians. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For someone like Choi Jeong-Hoon, an on-field worker as it were, it was just impossible to draw that line correctly. Even that inept President of this country might be better suited for the task than he was right now.
While thinking that politics mustve been no childs y even whenpared to his own profession, Choi Jeong-Hoon pulled out his phone.
How should he report this, then?
It was a bit awkward to directly inform the President. And since the KSF wasnt tasked with handling a situation like this one, calling its director also seemed a bit wrong, too.
In that case....
I guess that leaves the Defence Minister, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It seemed that reporting directly to the Defence Minister in this case was the best way to go.
Below him were the four-star General, or the Joint Chief of Staff, but well, never mind him being on speaking terms with them, Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt even know a single person among them, so he couldnt tell who he needed to call to make his report.....
Much to his relief, though, there was no need for him to report to anyone in the end.
Godd*mmit, what the hell is this?! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo stepped forward and loudly yelled out.
Hey, you numbskulls! Youre supposed to figure out what happened here and report back to me!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Ah..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon realised his mistake just then.
Now that he thought about it, wasnt Jeong In-Soo supposed to deal with whatever happened on the operational area first? Choi Jeong-Hoon grew so ustomed to dealing with every situation by himself all the time that he forgot to consider that small fact.
There might be an additional attack, so pull your socks up! You fool, who told you to walk around so exposed like that?! Whos going to take responsibilities when you f*cking lose your life?! (Jeong In-Soo)
As befitting a man who rolled around in this field until he got glued to the ground itself, Jeong In-Soo organised the confused mass of the soldiers and created order in the blink of an eye.
Wow. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
An impressed gasp leaked out of Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth after witnessing that spectacle.
If only our agents were half as obedient as them.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hed exchange blows with Jeong In-Soo during normal times. When the situation demanded for ability users, Choi Jeong-Hoon would be in the superior position, but at least for now, he was genuinely envious of the good Colonel.
Look at the soldiers getting in line with just one shout from him.
If I tried the same thing with the NDF idiots, Id end up hearing the orchestra of snorts and smirks, instead. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
I shouldve joined the military. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul? You were exempted, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks stunned question prompted Choi Jeong-Hoon to sheepishly avoid meeting his gaze.
No, well, its not an exemption. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, you didnt serve in the military, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, y-yes. When you get technical about it, I didnt get drafted. But its not an exemption, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If you didnt go, then its an exemption! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, Im telling you its not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon found it difficult to fully articte his situation.
Someone who passed the Higher Civil Servant Exams would serve as amissioned officer for three years. And as he had aced the exams at a fairly young age, it was a guarantee that hed get to wear the officers uniforms.
However, ck Monday happened in the midst of that, and after getting a job in the KSF, things became rather vague about his draft situation.
It was decided that the KSF was also a military organisation, so working in it was deemed to be the same thing as joining the military.
So, basically, he didnt get exempted, but....
Well, uh, the KSF is the same thing as the army, so..... Me working alongside other ability users has substituted joining the military, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, you get paid a lot, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Im supposed to be amissioned officer, and officers are supposed to get paid higher, Ill have you know! B-besides, its a public workers sry anyway, so its not even that high, to begin with! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, werent you driving a fancy car?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats from my danger pay! Lets be honest here, even if the danger pay is good, no civilian would volunteer to work for the KSF! No, it makes more sense to join the Peace Corps headed to Uganda or something! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons true heart wasid bare for a moment there, causing Seo Ah-Young nearby to narrow her eyes.
What did you say about the KSF?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats a ce for ability users only! How can any sane-minded powerless civilian think about working there? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wow, will you listen to this guy? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon snorted vigorously.
No matter how tough it was in the army, it wouldnt even be as half as bad as serving in the KSF! But, he was being used of exemption??
What kind of injustice was this!!
I did not get exempted!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I-I get it now. Why are you ring daggers over a minor stuff like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dont touch a mans pride of his military service record! I really did serve my time properly! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I get it already. Sheesh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear and stopped paying attention to Choi Jeong-Hoons voice.
Oiii, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo called out in a less-than-impressed voice, and Choi Jeong-Hoon flinched a little before turning around to face him.
Y-yes, Colonel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Do you think this is the right time for you to fool around like that? Even if youre with the ability users, have you forgotten about your role? (Jeong In-Soo)
....No, I have not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stood at attention.
Godd*mmit, we cant even tell whether it was shelling or something else, yet youre wasting time joking around? Whats the matter with you? Should I run around and find out what happened for you so that you can issue nice-sounding orders? (Jeong In-Soo)
My apologies, Colonel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is this your office? (Jeong In-Soo)
No, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
p p p....
Yi Ji-Hyuk pped his hands.
It was true.
Choi Jeong-Hoon had been retorting back so fiercelytely that even Yi Ji-Hyuk got a bit flustered by all that sass, didnt he??
One definitely needed someone to instil military discipline if one wanted to survive properly in the world.
What are you doing?! Go and find out what happened! (Jeong In-Soo)
Y-yes sir! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly ran towards a group of NDF agents over yonder.
Even if the Colonel wasnt his superior officer, what Jeong In-Soo said wasnt wrong. Plus, Choi Jeong-Hoon respected him as a senior working in the same field, so there was no dissatisfaction here.
Wowsers, ahjussi, youre the best!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Haha..... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo could only chuckle awkwardly when Yi Ji-Hyuk gave him a vigorous thumbs-up.
He may have shown the side of a merciless soldier to Choi Jeong-Hoon, but he couldnt do that to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I thought that fellow lost a bit of his edgetely. (Jeong In-Soo)
Its not just his edge, but his mind, you know! Hes shirking off work and tries so hard to weasel out of any responsibilitiestely! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess its about time he did that. (Jeong In-Soo)
But, the current state of affairs are looking bad, so how can he?! He should wake up and start doing his job properly! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre correct. (Jeong In-Soo)
Soon, Choi Jeong-Hoon returned to Jeong In-Soo and Yi Ji-Hyuks side after roughly figuring out the situation.
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes, Colonel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the past, I held a favourable impression of you after seeing how diligent you were with your job. But nowadays, you seem to be a different person. Do you get what Im saying here? (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You do understand that youll be a goner in the blink if you forget your original intention for being in this field, dont you? (Jeong In-Soo)
I know that, Colonel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stay sharp. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon bowed his head sincerely.
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled, impressed by this sight.
Choi Jeong-Hoon had be so sarcastictely that even Yi Ji-Hyuk had to take a bow in that regard, yet seeing how such a dude got subjugated with only a few carefully ced words..... Jeong In-Soo indeed was no ordinary man.
Okay, so. What did they say? (Jeong In-Soo)
It seems that a North Korean ability user was behind the provocation. There are several eyewitnesses iming to have seen a fireball flying in from the other side of the line. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Same conclusion as our boys, then. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo quietly stared at the plume of smoke rising up.
He had already reported the situation to the higher-ups, but well, it was pretty obvious what they would say. Increase the level of surveince, and if theres no additional provocation, then do not return fire and be on standby C thats what they would say.
Very logical and wise response, that.
The problem, though, was that Jeong In-Soo didnt feel happy about it at all.
Both sides agreed to a joint operation of sorts, so such a provocation was basically the North looking down on their Southern brethren.
Sure, the North looking down on South Korea was a nonsensical idea on its own, but such a thing happened fairly regrly near the Demarcation Line.
Letting this slide isnt sitting too well with me. (Jeong In-Soo)
If he wasnt the one in charge, hed have let it go at the cost of feeling incensed about it, but right now, he was the one holding the baton, wasnt he?
How should I handle this? (Jeong In-Soo)
Now normally, hed not have minded following the order from the higher-ups. But letting such a situation slide certainly left behind a bitter aftertaste. Honestly speaking, he was thinking of adequately showing the North who the boss was without getting on the nerves of his paymasters.
Besides....
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head after Jeong In-Soo nced at him.
Here was the greatest ace up his sleeve. An absolute, overwhelming card that, never mind the North, not even America dared to think about retaliating.
If the various firearms and weapons were cards used in negotiations, then Yi Ji-Hyuk was the card designed to flip the negotiating table itself. Jeong In-Soos patience wasnt quite good enough that hed just sit on such a card and not use it.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, I was thinking that.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Hang on a minute. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped Colonel Jeong In-Soo from continuing on.
I think someonesing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Jeong In-Soo)
Thetter shifted his gaze over to where the former was pointing at and spotted a group of people approaching the Demarcation Line from the North.
mes erupted out from Jeong In-Soos eyes.
These group of people, all kitted out in the same North Korean uniforms, soon stood before the Line and looked over at where the Colonel and Co. was. One of them then shouted out loudly.
Whos your boss-man??
< 282. Check first before stretching legs -2 > Fin.
Chapter 283: Check first before stretching legs (3)
Chapter 283: Check first before stretching legs (3)
Boss-man?
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows quivered.
Did they really ask for a boss-man?
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head, which prompted Choi Jeong-Hoon to wordlessly approach him and grab hold of his arm.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please calm down for a moment. For the time being, I think itll be better to let Colonel Jeong In-Soo handle this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked quite unhappy about this, but perhaps he too had realised that Jeong In-Soo stepping forward here was the best thing, because he didnt try to add any unnecessary sarcasm to the conversation.
He agreed that, rather than worrying about his own moods, it was wiser to think about Jeong In-Soos position first.
Most of Yi Ji-Hyuks problems arose from his body acting first even before his brain had the chance to stop himself. But at least this time, even he couldnt do that to Jeong In-Soo, the one guy who maintained an amicable rtionship with him while asking for nothing in return.
Those sons of b*tches....! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo gritted his teeth and was about to walk up closer to the North Koreans.
You mustnt, battalionmander! (adjutant)
Hey, you punk! Cant you see those as*holes trying to provoke us?? (Jeong In-Soo)
The adjutant did his best to dissuade Jeong In-Soo which only made thetter yell out in anger, but the former simply hung on to his bosss waist and didnt let go.
You cant just walk over there without a n just because they provoked you, sir!! Who knows what those b*stards are thinking of doing to you?? (adjutant)
They wont go as far as killing me, so its fine! (Jeong In-Soo)
If only we can sweep those b*stards away with the pretext of your death, then Id not have stopped you, sir. However, the war wont break out because of your sacrifice, sir! Itll only be a meaningless dogs death. (adjutant)
Hey, you fool, you think they are insane enough to really kill me? (Jeong In-Soo)
Sir, when did the North Koreans ever act like sane people? Sir, your ability to read people seemed to have taken a step backwards after dealing with only the Gatestely. (adjutant)
........
Jeong In-Soo shut his mouth up.
When he thought about it, his adjutant was right. How could dealing with monsters be more logical than with these people? Since monsters behavioural patterns were well understood by now, their actions could be predicted to a degree. On the other hand, no one could really tell what these North Korean idiots would try next.
Looks like I was being thoughtless here. (Jeong In-Soo)
He quickly admitted to his mistake.
Even then, we cant let this slide, now can we? They might think were scared of them or something if we stay quiet all the time. (Jeong In-Soo)
Of course we cant let them get away with this, sir. However, you going there personally is strictly a no-no, Colonel. We need to send someone whos a good talker and can also find a suitable way to deal with them. (adjutant)
Hey, you. Where can we even find such a...... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soos gaze stopped moving at a certain spot.
....Why are you looking at me, Colonel? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The person standing in that spot took a step away. Naturally, Jeong In-Soos eyes chased after him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
N-no, hang on. I..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We do have someone perfect, dont we. (Jeong In-Soo)
Hul, but sir. Thats a high-value individual. (adjutant)
Thats right. And a situation like this demands to be handled by a high-value individual, too. (Jeong In-Soo)
But, do we really need to send someone like him to speak to a bunch of uneducated North Korean bumpkins? (adjutant)
Its the job of the important people to speak to especially-prickly idiots. Didnt you know that? (Jeong In-Soo)
Wont it be too dangerous? (adjutant)
Didnt he say something about danger pay this and that earlier? Surely, hes not being paid that for nothing, right? (Jeong In-Soo)
.......
Choi Jeong-Hoon became utterly speechless and stared at Jeong In-Soo with pleading eyes.
I havent even gotten married yet! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eiii, they arent going to kill you. Surely not. (Jeong In-Soo)
I dont think you can joke around this matter like that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, hurry up. Off you go. (Jeong In-Soo)
Choi Jeong-Hoon vigorously fought for his sake.
I havent even married yet, so wholl be responsible if those North Korean b*stards do something to me?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wasnt there something like ghost marriage? You can do that. (Jeong In-Soo)
What? Ghost marriage? Are you kidding me?! As long as I dont get killed, Ill be able to have an alive marriage so why should I?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo smacked his lips.
Thats unfortunate. (Jeong In-Soo)
What is? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If only you were a bit uglier, than I could have argued that you will never find a girl, but looking at your mug, well, I guess you might. (Jeong In-Soo)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gnashed his teeth.
Was this matter that easy to gloss over with a joke?
Whatever! Im not interested! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, well, in that case. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo suddenly exchanged nces with someone else.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong In-Soo)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can you just scoot over there and hear what they have to say? (Jeong In-Soo)
Well, sure. I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon screamed out loudly.
Uwaaaaah-?! Who are you trying to send out there now?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo replied nonchntly.
Since I cant go personally, I should send someone trustworthy in my stead, dont you agree? (Jeong In-Soo)
Trustworthy?! Trustworthy?? Did you just say hes trustworthy?!?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That I did. (Jeong In-Soo)
Out of everyone in this world, you actually choose to trust that guy?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul.
Isnt he going a bit overboard?
Did he forget that Im actually standing right behind him?
Thats not something you should say in front of the guy in question. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
If it was me, Id never trust him even if him and I were the only two human beings left in this whole world! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre crossing the line here, man! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nced at Yi Ji-Hyuk before opening his mouth again.
Well, its the truth, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Afternding a merciless strike in Yi Ji-Hyuks vitals, Choi Jeong-Hoon returned to the task of persuading Jeong In-Soo.
W-why dont we send someone else? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Such as? (Jeong In-Soo)
Such as, an adjutant you can trust. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Look here, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Didnt your agency headhunt every useful people from my side? (Jeong In-Soo)
.........
Were suffering from personnel shortage because of that, but more importantly, Im a Colonel. If someone capable enough to contact the North Koreans below the Colonel was working for me, you think Ill still be one even now? (Jeong In-Soo)
No, youd be a General by now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats right. (Jeong In-Soo)
I-I guess you have a point. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons head hung low.
That is why Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk should step forward today. He can respond immediately to whatever those fools are thinking of, am I wrong? (Jeong In-Soo)
Its his mouth that cant be responded to! His mouth!!
Forget about his body, its his d*mn piehole that cant be controlled, you fool!
Yes, Im talking about his mouth! His MOUTH!!
That thing found below his nose! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
If only they could sew Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth shut before sending him out C then hed have no objections here.
However, doing that wasnt possible, so sending Yi Ji-Hyuk as this countrys representative to contact people from another nation was going beyond the level of embarrassing Korea and straight into endangering this countrys future.
Its definitely a no. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, in that case, you have to go, then. (Jeong In-Soo)
....How did you arrive at that conclusion?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Look here, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stop saying this and that cant be done, and why dont youe up with an alternative? I cant go, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk cant go, so that leaves who? Cant you see those b*stardsughing at us right now? In that case, should we call for a diplomat, then? And tell those fools that there is no boss-man here so they should wait for a while? (Jeong In-Soo)
No, thats no good, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So you agree. (Jeong In-Soo)
Y-yes, I do. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, wholl be going, then? (Jeong In-Soo)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned refreshingly.
No matter how hard he thought about it, there was only one person here who could act as a boss-man.
Its me. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats right. (Jeong In-Soo)
Why didnt you force me to go, instead? If you did, then I couldve have refused, saying that were from different branches. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I wouldnt dream of doing that to you, what with our history and all. (Jeong In-Soo)
Hahahaha. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wiped the edges of his eyes.
And now, he couldnt evene up with an excuse anymore. He hardened his resolve and strode over to Yi Ji-Hyuk to grab thetters arm rather tightly.
....What are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-why dont we go together? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What do you mean, together?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They are asking for the boss-man, arent they? Honestly, Im a bitcking in status to call myself the boss here, dont you agree! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ill assure them that you are the boss here, so go on ahead. Whats gotten into you?? Were both men, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, Im not ying the boss, so lets go together. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You tried to stop me earlier, so what gives?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back then, my life wasnt on the line! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes opened up wide after Choi Jeong-Hoon spoke his mind.
I think you lowered it too much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, my life is on the line here, so who cares about my pride?! Please,e on! Lets go! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Argh, I dont wanna go! You didnt want me to a minute ago, anyway! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you dont want to watch me get killed, then you muste with me! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It doesnt really matter to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kaaahahk! Youre being noisy, soe with me! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got dragged forward by Choi Jeong-Hoons hands.
But, I dont have anything I want to say to them.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can just stand next to me. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, Im gonna get bored..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
y with your phone, then. Should I install some games for you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wifi doesnt work here, and I dont think theres cellr signal in this ce, either? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are games that dont need an inte connection to y. One is installed on my phone, so you can y that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, that one is boring.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh! Sh*t! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
W-wait, you arent supposed to say that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt resist against the determination shown by Choi Jeong-Hoon who had be a macho man in the face of real danger to his life, and he got dragged helplessly towards the Demarcation Line.
This dude, since when did he be a real man?
Eventually, he got dragged all the way out to the near vicinity of the Line. He quickly scanned what was waiting for him there.
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
About ten metres away from where the Line should be, there was a group of five men standing in a line.
I thought all North Koreans were scrawny and malnourished? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, you wont find anyone overweight that side. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, look at these guys. Arent they like, really huge? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im sure they are well managed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
From North Koreas perspective, using weaponry to overwhelm other countries was already asking for an impossibility from a long time ago.
They did boast the size of military personnel that, whenpared to some other regr countries, might earn themselves the nickname of a thug regime. Unfortunately for them, though, there was Russia and China above them, and below, there was the Republic of Korea, while to the side, the United States of America. So, the level of firepower the North possessed simply didnt allow them to have a particrly loud voice among its neighbours.
But when it came to the ability user firepower, then the situation was somewhat different.
The moment the folks with political power discovered the presence of ability users, they began grooming them into suitable weapons of war. And their moment to shine hade recently C with Russia as the leading example, many countries were waging war with ability users serving as the spearhead.
So, it wouldnt be surprising to learn that North Korea had nned for a while to use ability users as tools of war as well, when they were renowned for treating its own citizens as expendable goods already.
Quite likely, these ability users wouldve been managed far more strictly than the elites of the North Korean army.
And also....
These guys should be the top dogs among them, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Republic of Korea resorted to deploying the NDF for this event, so without a doubt, the North wouldve deployed their most trustworthybat unit as well. If not that, they wouldnt provoke the South so willingly and openly like this.
But if Choi Jeong-Hoons guess was wrong, then maybe this was a pre-nned action sanctioned by the Norths top brass.
Either way, he couldnt take this situation lightly at all.
Just as Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to take a deep breath, the other side started talking first.
Oh, so youre the boss-man here? (?)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nced at Yi Ji-Hyuk before replying.
Im not sure who you were looking for, but you can certainly talk to me. What can I help you with? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, nothing much, actually. I just want to see what you looked like, thats all. I mean, we are supposed to handle this situation together, so its not logical for us not to know what each other looks like, am I wrong? (?)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
I see. But for that kind of purpose, your introduction seemed a little excessive. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Were all men here, so using some fancy-pants words to call each other out is just a wee bit unmanly, no? Please understand. (?)
Hahaha.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoonughed awkwardly and continued on.
Very well. Im Choi Jeong-Hoon, Vice Director of the NDF. Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
En Dee? En what? I dont get what youre saying. Please speak in Korean. This is an asion wherepatriots are having a meeting, so arent you embarrassed to use Yankee words as if youre a Yankee stooge? (?)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled awkwardly again.
Im Senior Colonel Rhee Jin-Cheol, from the Korean Peoples Army of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Nice to meet my South Koreanrades for the first time.
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly studied Rhee Jin-Cheol.
Hes pretty outgoing, isnt he? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if this was an unofficial meeting, one held between South and North would always prove to be a rather awkward asion. However, Rhee Jin-Cheols tone of voice was natural andid-back.
If someone from North Korea, a society far more rigidpared to the South, came out this strongly, then it could only mean that the higher-ups from that side had already approved of a certain amount of collision between the two sides.
I shouldnt get sucked into their pace. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Meaning, this meeting had been a calcted one.
Meaning, they were aiming for something here.
So, definitely, not get sucked into their.....
By the way, whos therade next to you and why isnt he saying anything? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Oiiii!
You mustnt!
Dont provoke this guy.
You will get burned.
< 283. Check first before stretching legs -3 > Fin.
(TL: Rhee Jin-Cheols lines were written with heavy North Korean dialect and I had trouble TLing them properly. Uh-whew.)
Chapter 284: Check first before stretching legs (4)
Chapter 284: Check first before stretching legs (4)
This is a rare asion of fellow countrymen having a meeting, so why do you keep your mouth shut like some little girlie? What would a man with no gumption be good for? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
You talking about me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed to himself.
Looks like at least you understand Korean. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw how Rhee Jin-Cheol was trying to pick a fight with him and smirked provocatively.
Did you justugh at me? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
E-heeei!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon waved his hands around and turned his gaze to his side to whisper to Yi Ji-Hyuk in low voice.
Please, calm down. These people have a different way of looking at things than us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
By the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why are they all wearing military uniforms? Thats a uniform, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, that. Well.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The folks on the other side of the line were all kitted out in the same Mao jacket. Yi Ji-Hyuk mustve found the sight rather strange.
The North dont have a separate branch for ability users, but they are incorporated with the Army, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Uh? Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, they are all organisations under the Korean Workers Party, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Korean Workers Party?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon immediately realised that at this rate, hed end up exining the founding history of North Korea, as well as the fantastically tall tale of Kim Il-Sungs origin. So, he quickly tried to pacify Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I-in any case, just think of them as regr soldiers. Im sure you have a few questions regarding this but we simply dont have the room for a detailed exnation, so Ill tell you everythingter on. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, Im curious right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please. Stop. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grabbed his hands and pleaded ardently, so the ever-gracious Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head good-naturedly.
Well, okay. Lets do that, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thank you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wiped the sweat off his forehead.
He was facing off against a bunch of North Koreans, yet here he was, scared more of his own ally. Could anyone even understand the absurdity of this situation?
Problems were freaking everywhere. Seriously, everywhere!
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his gaze back to the North Korean soldiers.
In any case, please state the reason why you asked to see us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He said that his rank was a Senior Colonel.
In South Korea, thatd be on the same level as Colonel. Itd be the same story whether it was the North or South C climbing up to such a position would never be a cakewalk.
In that context, the man before Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes came across as far too young for the rank of Senior Colonel.
Wasnt he only about the same age as Choi Jeong-Hoon himself? Indeed, his age was more in line with the rank of Captain.
Which meant that either this guy was a son of a high-ranking official, or he relied on his ability alone to rise through the ranks really quickly.
If none of those were correct, then there was a chance that the ranking system within the Brigade of Peoples Ability Combat Force worked differently to other organisations.
What is our intelligence agency doing?
Beforeing here, Choi Jeong-Hoon had never even heard of this Brigade of Peoples Ability Combat Force. He only knew of North Koreas ability user-rted agency, the Joseon Special Ability Division.
This would be the entrance of a brand-new organisation and new characters to the world, then.
This isnt good.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course, just like how South Korea had the KSF but they still went and created the NDF, the North couldve gone and created the Brigade of Peoples Ability Combat Force as well.
The thing was, though, not having any concrete info and needing to carry this conversation along with just his assumptions alone was proving to be a bit of a difficult task for Choi Jeong-Hoon.
It was already a bit cumbersome to talk to the North Koreans that were known quantities, so imagine doing that with unknown opponents, instead.
Well, huh. Youre speaking of some strange things there. Didnt I say that I merely wish to chat to my South Joseonrades? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
But havent we chatted enough already? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Listen,rade. Dont be so curt like that now. Thats not the way to talk to one of yourpatriots. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Would you listen to this snake-like b*stard? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
A slight frown formed on Choi Jeong-Hoons face.
It was then that Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to butt in.
Well, fine. Its cool. But, hey.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rhee Jin-Cheols gazended on him next.
Why did you go and set fire to someone elsesnd? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheolughed heartily.
I did that to draw your attention, so please dont be too stiff about it. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Listen here, dude. Im asking you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clenched his fists tightly and spoke up.
How dare you set fire to our noble mothend?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grasped Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder and whispered once more.
They dont understand what youre referencing here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? But why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They dont have TVs. Only the South Koreans will get your reference. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ahh, youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He nced at Rhee Jin-Cheols face, and sure enough, the North Korean Senior Colonel seemed rather confused. To think that South Koreans knew the stuff broadcast by the North Koreans better than the North Koreans themselves C if that wasnt irony at its finest, than what was?
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and took a step back.
What an oddrade you have there. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Yup, I agree.
Very odd, actually.
But you gotta count yourself lucky there, pal. If this guy decides to go full-on odd mode, then well be holding your funeral today. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Please refrain from using the same method to call us the next time. If you try to provoke us that way again, then we wont be able to take it lying down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh? What will you do then? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Should we demonstrate it for you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons re tangled with Rhee Jin-Cheols in mid-air.
Euh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The formers back was getting soaked in sweat.
Now that their gazes were locked like this, Choi Jeong-Hoon could definitely sense it. This man in front of his eyes was a killing weapon.
Until today, he thought that a person being able to actually sense killing intent was nothing more than some stuff from a martial arts novel, but right now, he could feel something like that from this North Korean man.
But, wasnt it less like killing intent, but closer to animosity, instead?
The desire for pure violence so keen that it might slice Choi Jeong-Hoons head off in a blink was now rubbing against his skin.
However, he couldnt afford to back off here.
If it was him alone, hed not be able to continue this staring contest, but with Yi Ji-Hyuk by his side, there was nothing to fear.
If Rhee Jin-Cheol pounced forward, then Yi Ji-Hyuk would smash him and his four goons apart in a single breath.
Well, now. You spoke with a soft voice so I thought you were a bit of a pansy, but you do have some backbone, dont you. Im seeing you in renewed light here. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol withdrew his re first and chuckled.
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt think he had won, but did feel that he endured it somehow.
We did that without thinking too much, so please be more understanding. Besides, itll be weird toe this close and shout at you people to listen to us, no? Let me say this since were all here and all. We have some people watching us too, so thats why we did that. Dont be too small-minded,rades. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
He wasnt nning to worsen the situation any further. Its just that, he didnt want to let this simply slide, that was all.
In that case, lets call it a day. Is that everything you wanted to talk to us about? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nah, still havent got to the main topic yet. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Main topic, is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes narrowed to slits.
Well, looky here.... Those doors are about to open up, so whatre your ns? Its not gonna be enough trying to defend each side, you know? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
But, thats what the agreement is, isnt it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Comrade, you look like you spent some time out in the fields like us so you should know this very well. Blocking the b*stardsing our way will mean that fires and waters and whatnots will ssh a bit to your side too. If someone on your side gets hit by that, its going to be a serious problem, no? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Hmm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
Indeed, that might be an issue. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So, what do you think about working together? Im saying, we move together while we sort this mess out. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at Rhee Jin-Cheol with unreadable eyes. What was the North Korean mans real goal in suggesting this?
Wouldnt it be difficult? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Difficult about what? Arent we allpatriots here? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Wholl take themand, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Doesnt matter which side takes it, honestly. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
But then, wholl take responsibility if something goes wrong? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Responsibility? You dont want to cooperate because youre scared of that? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Seeing him try to subtly goad Choi Jeong-Hoon here, there was little doubt that Rhee Jin-Cheol was thinking of something underhanded. That didnt mean he was thinking of going along with it.
Alright, then. You people take themand. We dont need it. Is that fine? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head.
Lets just stick to being cautious. We are not thinking of takingmand of your people, nor do we want it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hoh, I thought you had some backbone in ya, but I guess I was wrong. Got it. Well just stick to each side minding their own business. But, dont you regret itter. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the distancing Rhee Jin-Cheols back.
What is he scheming? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at him smirked.
Cant you tell? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can tell? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its so in to see. Hes getting ready to cover his tracks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youll see. Its going to get really amusing soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt understand what Yi Ji-Hyuk was saying and simply tilted his head.
This is my speciality, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A meaningful smile crept up on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
In any other situations, Choi Jeong-Hoon should possess far keener insight than Yi Ji-Hyuk but when it came to humanitys penchant for malicious schemes, itd be difficult to find someone as well attuned as thetter in this world.
After all, didnt he experience an environment filled with precisely that for over one thousand years already?
He looked at the departing backs of the North Korean soldiers and clicked his tongue. A person was supposed to look first before stretching his legs.
Time to learn that one shouldntin after their ankles got sliced off because they didnt know where they were stretching their legs.
In the meantime, Jeong In-Soo cautiously approached the two men.
Those b*stards really cant be trusted. (Jeong In-Soo)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wordlessly red at him, causing the Colonel to cough and clear his throat.
I wasnt trying to save my skin here, but.... Im themander of this operation. As amander, it cant be helped. (Jeong In-Soo)
Sure. I learned it well today. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Come on now. Im telling you, thats not how it is. (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes, yes. Thank you for the lesson. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
K-h-heum. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo awkwardly smiled and patted Choi Jeong-Hoon on the back.
In any case, you did well. You showed some real backbone. And also, good job not getting sucked into their strange demands, too. (Jeong In-Soo)
Thank you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Im sorry. Fine. Ill treat you to sojuter. (Jeong In-Soo)
Buy me beef steak. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why dont you skin a flea for gods sake?! You think I dont know that you get paid better than me?? (Jeong In-Soo)
Beef! Steak! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eii, you son of a bi*ch. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo shook his head.
This guy, he wasnt originally like this, so since when did he be this sly?
By the way, what are those b*stards really thinking about? (Jeong In-Soo)
I wonder about that myself. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its obvious they are trying something underhanded here, but.... (Jeong In-Soo)
I agree with you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo narrowed his eyes.
Its my opinion, but... (?)
Ah?! What the #%#@!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo was shocked by a sudden voice from his behind and yelled out loudly.
Senior-nim. You havent gone home yet?! (Jeong In-Soo)
You think I can leave when things are like this? (Seol Min-Beom)
Seol Min-Beom joined the trio, looking somewhat sheepish.
As for those North Koreans.... (Seol Min-Beom)
Sir? (Jeong In-Soo)
Getting involved with them is a bad idea. Doesnt matter if your intentions are good or not, youll walk away a loser in the end. (Seol Min-Beom)
Ill remember that. (Jeong In-Soo)
Especially so, now that you can consider yourself as a high-ranking officer. You gotta be more mindful of politics now. You mustnt give others enough rooms to take shots at you. Do you understand what Im saying here? (Seol Min-Beom)
Sir, yes sir. (Jeong In-Soo)
But, shouldnt you be on your way now, sir?
Youve already handed over themand, so I dont understand why youre hanging around here, sir. (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
Jeong In-Soo couldnt get rid of this ufortable feeling. It was as if his teacher was behind him right now. Kind of like, as if the department head chose not to go home even after clocking off, and stuck around in the office to observe his subordinates while ying a round of Go or something.
Battalion Commander-nim!! (adjutant)
It was then, an urgent voice came from behind them.
The Gates are opening up! (adjutant)
Mm? (Jeong In-Soo)
For sure, the Gates were gradually dyeing in the crimson colour, starting from the furthest one away.
Arent they all huddled together so nicely.... (Jeong In-Soo)
In order to lessen the tension in the air, Jeong In-Soo muttered out whatever popped up in his head.
The mere fact that they needed to carry out an operation so close to the North Korean border was cing an unfamiliar burden on his shoulders.
Get ready!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Sir!! (adjutant)
The adjutant ran towards the temporarilymand centre. Jeong In-Soo looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk to his side and spoke.
Lets get going, too. (Jeong In-Soo)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thetter was guided by the Colonel to themand centre as well.
Uhhh? Why are you taking Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk away?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What now? Do you need his presence, then? (Jeong In-Soo)
Well, not particrly, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure, there are a few of them, but arent they all around level 5? If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk needs to step up for stuff like this every time, then sooner orter hell be asked to go around the whole country every single day. One shouldnt deal with these sorts of situations that way, young man. (Jeong In-Soo)
Y-youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Then, do your best. (Jeong In-Soo)
Eh?
H-hang on, Jeong In-Soo Colonel-nim.
Youre themander of this operation, right?
Excuse me??
Colonel-nim?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Jeong In-Soo headed off towards themand centre while sharing jokes with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Hah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now abandoned all alone, Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed in sorrow.
Even that mans gradually losing his marbles. Im telling you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon roughly turned around and stared at the NDF agents.
< 284. Check first before stretching legs -4 > Fin.
(TL: Im not 100% on the reference either, but its possible that the line came from one of the many hrious North Korean state broadcasters utterances. More specifically, from that olddy who seems to be the de-facto mouthpiece for the regime.)
Chapter 285. Check first before stretching legs (5)
Chapter 285. Check first before stretching legs (5)
Are you guys ready? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This dude, hes been wasting time pping his gums with his pals, but now hes asking us if were ready? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan openly aired his dissatisfaction, causing a fake cough to jump out of Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth. Although that was not his original intention, somehow things did end up that way.
Let him be. It wouldnt be his first timeing to us with a hat in his hands after searching for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk the whole day and not finding him.
If you keep feeling sour about stuff like that every time, you wont get any work done, you know. Lets just not sweat over it. (Seo Ah-Young)
H-hey?
Why is there a strange person mixed in among you?
Miss Seo Ah-Young?
Uhm, director-nim?
Why are you mingling in with them to kick me down like that??
Just who do you think was the reason for me to work like a dog over here???
Are you even aware that this bloody job is a directors in the first ce?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Miss Director. What do you think youre doing over there?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young avoided Choi Jeong-Hoons gaze and opened her lips.
Alright, everyone. The North Korean idiots are watching us, so lets get this sorted out real quickly, okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam.
Whats this?
This... this feeling of istion?
But, isnt it like, I was doing the most dangerous thing just now.....? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wiped his tears away after realising that the attitude of the NDF agents had changed even before he realised it.
But, I used to be the most trusted person in the agency. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Back when they were still a part of the KSF, Choi Jeong-Hoon was renowned as the most trustworthy administrator out there, so how did his treatment be like this?
Just what did he do wrong, anyway???
All he did was hang around Yi Ji-Hyuk, so since when their rendezvous with each other be....
Ah, hang on. Thats not it, is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
In any case, it mustve been the case of You touch a sooty pitch and youll get dirtied; being around Yi Ji-Hyuk a lot had brought about a subtle change in his actions and that seemed to have caused antagonistic sentiments to rise up from the rest of the agents.
That was totally uneptable as an administrator!!
Choi Jeong-Hoon fiercely reflected upon his failure.
I, I was merely.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Lets go and get this done, everyone. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, director!
Hah..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shuddered from the ruefulness of it all. All these people used to be on his side not too long ago, so this....
Excuse me, stop staring into the distance and start directing your agents, please. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah, of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his re towards the Gates.
They sure are clustered so closely to each other, arent they. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When looked through a cold, hard and logical viewpoint, one couldnt help but question how did so many Gates appear simultaneously in such a small area. But, they had appeared regardless.
A simr thing urred in the past, and if it werent for Yi Ji-Hyuk sorting that situation out, more questions wouldve been raised regarding the oddness of this phenomenon. However, one had no choice but to ept it, since there was now against something that happened in the past happening againter in the future.
So, the current problem was more to do with Why did they appear in this ce?; but, should he count himself lucky that no Gates opened up in the near vicinity of the DMZ up until now, instead?
All that luck has blown up at the same time, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What are you doing?! (Seo Ah-Young)
I-Im here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly scanned the operations area.
The first Gate to open up would be one at the southernmost location!
All personnel, please get the barricades erected in front of the rearmost Gate! Whateveres out, well simply pounce on them at once and vaporise them with our firepower! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Someone might get the wrong impression that youll be using your own firepower at this rate. (Seo Ah-Young)
..........
He definitely didnt know whose voice that was, but it was stabbing him in a rather painful spot.
And what saddened Choi Jeong-Hoon even more was the fact that the voice belonged to a woman.
He might have often heard that voice from somewhere, but for the time being, he didnt know that voice at all.
Definitely not.
He heard that voice everyday, but.... He didnt recognise it!
Director-niiiiim! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is this ahjumma slowly bing an old spinster or something??
Why is her hysteria getting worse? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
The NDF agents chuckled to themselves and rushed towards the front of the Gate.
*
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched that spectacle and sighed softly under his breath.
You dumba*ses!! Go and support that side!! Leave the other Gates be for now!! You cant defend against it yourselves even if you try to, anyway! So, Im telling you to go and hunt down the small fries that might escape from there!! (Jeong In-Soo)
Sir yes sir!!
Jeong In-Soo finished barking out his orders and while smiling, shifted his gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Was there something you found unsatisfactory? (Jeong In-Soo)
Mm, no, not really. But.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Jeong In-Soo)
I was just wondering since when did those folks be so high and mighty like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo tilted his head.
What was this about now?
No, well. The Gate theyre looking at, I mean, isnt it the same sort of a Gate that they would shudder in fear and run away in the past? And we have ten of them in a small area, to boot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure. (Jeong In-Soo)
But now, them joking around and giggling like that, should I say thats a bit strange, or a bit awkward to look at? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo ended up nodding his head unconsciously.
It was a true fact that the NDF now boasted abilities iparably mightier than before. The NDF used to maintain a rather taut rtionship with the Ministry of National Defense, but then, the former snatched away the leadership in an instant. Thats how their importance had risen up in recent times.
After Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance, the abilities of the organisations agents had be strong enough to be ranked among the very best in the world, and its structural integrity was also way better than in the past, too.
Well, thats because they have all grown more powerful. (Jeong In-Soo)
I wonder. Well, the thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a pout.
I definitely warned them to be careful since the North would try something underhanded, yet they are still cking around like that. Why do theyck the sense of danger that much? Do they think this is a pic or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He quietly red at the energetic and lively NDF agents.
Maybe their proverbial balls had swollen up after dealing with demon kings orrge monsters like a Zombie Dragontely, because they were just toockadaisical in front of such arge Gate.
Theyll end up seeing their own blood at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
idents always apanied onesck of caution.
In a situation where you believed you could win somehow, youd only lose in the slimmest margin imaginable. But in one of those This is a game well win without a doubt, well, you could experience aplete defeat.
Didnt matter whether it was a fistfight, a war, or even a subjugation, there was no such thing as a damage-less battle.
Maybe they had be ustomed to the fact that they won without experiencing too much losses, and they wouldnt die when injured due to the presence of reliable healers. Whatever the case might have been, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt like this development.
Looks like its time to discipline their mindset once more. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not too long ago, they would shudder in fear after seeing a Gate of that size, but now, just because they had gotten a wee bit tougher, they were now behaving like that? This really twisted his guts to knots and his body quivered all on its own.
Sure, a part of the reason was more to do with Yi Ji-Hyuk not being a nice-enough guy to let something like this slide. Still, their current behaviour certainly had gone past the level of objectivity.
Im telling you, insensitivity towards danger is a real problem these days. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He saw enough idiots die while behaving like that in the past thousand or so years. So, as Yi Ji-Hyuk greatly valued the NDF, there was no way hed let them die in vain, now would he?
He definitely should train them hard until they were reborn as the true NDF agents, armed from head to toe in self-restraint and discipline.
Its opening up! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was then C apanied by a loud call, the southernmost Gate becamepletely dyed in the crimson hue, before opening its maws real wide.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk crossed his legs and sunk deeper into the chair.
He couldnt be sure if this would be a serious situation or not yet....
Would you like something to drink? (Jeong In-Soo)
You guys have C on site? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bring me a can of C, now! (Jeong In-Soo)
Forgetting about whether it was a serious situation or not for a moment, Yi Ji-Hyuk realised how much he liked the way Jeong In-Soo operated.
Heheh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Its opening up! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shouted out in a tense voice.
We know! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young tly retorted to Choi Jeong-Hoons call.
No, hang on, but..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We have eyes too, cant you see? (Seo Ah-Young)
He tilted his head in confusion when she reacted in a somewhat mischievous manner.
Whats gotten into her? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wasnt this weird?
They had not been this excited before the start of an operation until now.
Wait, is it because they think this is a cakewalkpared to fighting against demon kings?
Whatever their reasons are..... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tightly pinched his own thigh.
Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that he thought about it, whenever they had to gather around for an operation, Yi Ji-Hyuk always took the lead.
All the tough attacks were dealt with by him, and if one of them fell into a deadly predicament, hed suddenly show up like a gust of wind and saved the ones in trouble.
That was indeed a good thing, but if the end result of that was this, then well, it presented a serious problem.
For the time being, lets take care of this situation first. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, he didnt have the leeway to worry about something else right now!
All ranks! Get ready! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The body-reinforcement type ability users with Park Seong-Chan as their lead stood in front of the Gate to act like human barricades.
If they had enough time to prepare and were able to deploy soldiers as much as they pleased, then they might have followed the established protocol and install concrete barricades, but it was not possible to bring in a whole bunch of trucks inside the Demilitarised Zone so this couldnt be helped.
By the way, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon! (Park Seong-Chan)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You know, those guns behind us keep getting on my nerves. (Park Seong-Chan)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sneaked a nce behind. The 3rd Division as well as the Capital Defense Command were busy forming a wide defensive cordon. The NDF agents were definitely in their firing arc.
In the established protocol, they couldve created the engagement points where firearms and the ability users didnt sh, but doing that wasnt so easy right now. There were too many Gates and that made the task difficult, and the terrain wasnt helping anyone out, either.
They wont fire at us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Still.... (Park Seong-Chan)
Ill make sure that they dont shoot at us, so trust me and dont worry about whats behind you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Understood. (Park Seong-Chan)
They areing!! All personnel! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan roared out his reply while ring forward.
The Gate finally opened, and monsters began flooding out.
....What the f*ck? What is this sh*t?! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan spat out a pained grunt.
Monsters that had not been seen before wereing out from the Gate.
A lifeform with indescribably strange figure, where half of its body seemed to have melted but the other half was all sharp, angr shape. A true monster, in other words.
Darkish-green monsters jiggled about in the ground and advanced forward. Park Seong-Chan was ovee with instinctive disgust that forcefully shrunk his body back.
Uwah?! I seriously hate anything that jiggles around!! (Park Seong-Chan)
He might sound a bit jokey just then, but the truth was, the back of his neck was getting soaked in cold sweat the moment he pped his eyes on these monsters.
Those jiggly bodies easily told him that pure physical strength alone would not be able to defeat them.
Fire!! Fire at them! (Park Seong-Chan)
At the end of Park Seong-Chans yell, rainbow-coloured array of Ether attacks flew above his head and rained down on the monsters.
BOOM!!
KA-BOOM!!
Explosions and blizzard smashed down. Monsters were swept up into the Ether storm.
Choi Jeong-Hoon shouted out.
Pour everything in before they arrive at our frontline! Director!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Got it! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young raised her hands high up in the air.
Go-ooooooh!!
Almost in an instant, a ball of mes as big as a building spun around viciously in the air.
Ah..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Somehow, it felt as if her firepower had stepped up a notch since thest time.
Shed have needed quite a lot of prep time in order to bring forth that amount of firepower in the past, but now, she was able to bring it out with a snap of her finger, which amply demonstrated how much she had progressed.
Get them! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
She didnt reply and just flung the me ball at the Gate.
Ruuuuumble!!
An eruption without an explosion!
The storm of mes burst out endlessly like falling napalm and began vaporising the monsters bodies.
Its working! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon clenched his fist tightly.
The most worrisome aspect of dealing with an unknown monster was the fact that you didnt know how to fight it.
Monsters had different weaknesses and strengths, so trying to fight them with a standardised tactic could worsen the losses. Thankfully, this monster type seemed to be weak against fire....
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, dodge it!!
EH?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned his head.
And his irises grew wider.
Jet-ck Ether shots flying in from his side were about to devour him like dancing demons.
< 285. Check first before stretching legs -5 > Fin.
Chapter 286: Well, let’s see if they can sort it, then (1)
Chapter 286: Well, lets see if they can sort it, then (1)
Choi Jeong-Hoons life shed before his eyes.
Before his brain had time to fullyprehend the iing danger, his body recognised the threat of death first. And he couldnt react against the sensation of death he felt in that moment.
His body froze up like a stone statue after sensing the pitch-ck Ether filled to the brim with malicious intent, and all he could do was to wait for his demise.
I told you to dodge it! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It was then, someone angrily grasped him by his waist.
Heok! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Only then Choi Jeong-Hoon was freed from his hypnosis, and he sucked in a cold breath.
The Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun rushed to his side, picked him up, and jumped.
BOOOOM!!
The spot where Choi Jeong-Hoon used to stand was soon enveloped in an explosion next.
A monster?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Still not fullyprehending the situation yet, he could only ask in a dazed voice, prompting Kim Dah-Hyun to shake his head.
Nope. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It wasnt possible to figure out yet whether these monsters were capable of emitting Ether or not. Because, well, they were new type of monsters, after all. So, it was not inconceivable that these monsters were behind that Ether attack.
But Kim Dah-Hyun was sure of that not being the case.
First of all, the direction was wrong. Indeed, that Ether attack didnte from the monsters direction.
No, it actually was in the direction of....
Over there! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The location he pointed at was beyond the Demarcation Line.
Choi Jeong-Hoons gaze chased after the pointing finger and he soon caught the sight of bright rainbow-coloured Ether attacks raining down on the Korean ability users.
Godd*mmit?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He shouted out in pure shock.
Get out of the way!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Before his shout came to an end, the Korean users quickly flung themselves out of the way and dodged the falling Ether shots.
KA-KA-KA-BOOOOM!!
A series of explosions went off.
The attacks had been so ferocious that the agents wouldve been killed for sure if they didnt react in time.
Those sons of b*tches!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
mes erupted on Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes. They openly attacked like this, and expect to be unscathed?
Put me down! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alright. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoons voice sounded gloomy so Kim Dah-Hyun quickly ced him back on the solid ground without saying anything else. The formers expression hardened to an unbelievable degree.
Once the mes from the explosion died down, he could clearly see the situation. The North Korean soldiers in not-too-far distance were looking at their South Korean counterparts while waving their hands about.
Huh, so no one got hurt, eh? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Griiit.
Choi Jeong-Hoon gritted his teeth.
Senior Colonel Rhee Jin-Cheol carried this strange grin as he made his excuses.
Our aim was slightly off just now. Thats why I suggested that we should work together earlier, didnt I? Well, we didnt do that deliberately, so please dont re at me like that, fe. You think we want to kill ourpatriots? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Choi Jeong-Hoon continued to grit his teeth.
Aim was slightly off?
Not just one or two people, but a whole stinking group was firing their Ether attacks in this direction, so which moron would believe that excuse of poor aiming?
This was the same as openly mocking another person.
When did anyone treat the NDF like this before?
For the first time ever since its inception, another countrys ability users openly provoked and ridiculed the organisation. Even though one could argue that the light cast by Yi Ji-Hyuk yed a major role, the truth was, the NDF itself had piled up enough achievements and meritorious records that could not be looked down upon by anyone in this world.
And those b*stards were busy poking that pride with a stick right now.
Those as*holes dare?! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan gritted his teeth and tookrge strides towards the north. Although the Gate behind him hadnt been closed yet, and no one knew when the others would open up so the situation remained critical, he simply couldnt let this transgression slide.
Mister Seong-Chan! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dont you try to stop me. Imma use this chance to cave their d*mn heads in. (Park Seong-Chan)
Please calm down. Thats North Korea. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Should that be a problem? (Park Seong-Chan)
They are still inside the North Korean territory! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Seong-Chan stopped walking.
The moment you set foot inside there, youll no longer be protected by the government. And the moment our sides ability users cross the border, that will serve as the pretext of armed provocation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Son of a bi*ch. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan might be a body-reinforcement type ability user, but that didnt mean his brain was made out of muscles. Meaning, he wasnt so stupid that he failed to see what the ramification of him stepping into the North Korean territory would be like.
Isnt it fine to go and bring home the heads of a few North Joseon pigs? (Park Seong-Chan)
You do realise how preposterous you sound, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
D*mmit. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan angrily spat out and kicked the ground.
You stinking punks. If youve got balls, why dont youe over here? Ill turn you all into bloody sacks of meat. (Park Seong-Chan)
Senior Colonel Rhee Jin-Cheol looked back, then asked his adjutant next to him.
What did he say just now? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
How can we understand what a fat pig is saying, sir?
Youre right,rade. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
The two of them began cackling away. So much anger bubbled up in Park Seong-Chans head that smoke was about to billow out from his ears.
Please calm down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
CALM DOWN?! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan roared out.
Godd*mmit, why must our side always remain as their stinking punching bag and cant even lift a finger as a proper response? Always holding back and stuff?! Its not as if were weak, now is it?! (Park Seong-Chan)
The reason why you dont fight the crazy fool isnt because youre scared of him. You know this, dont you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Who doesnt know that you avoid stepping on sh*t because its dirty?! However, if that very sh*t is in your front yard, of course youll have to clean it! (Park Seong-Chan)
Was Park Seong-Chan this eloquent before?
Choi Jeong-Hoon suppressed the rising tide of questions and continued on.
I understand what youre trying to say here, but our current situation isnt so good right now. Gates are opening up all around us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
F*ck. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan spat out a curse word and breathed angrily before turning around.
If they try that one more time, I aint gonna hold back, you hear me? (Park Seong-Chan)
Alright. Ill be the one who wont hold back if that happens again. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, sh*t! Man, defend that ce properly, will ya?! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan roared and rushed back into the ranks. Other reinforcement-type users were holding the fort, but the gap created by one of their strongest members recognised even within the NDF not participating proved to be fairly taxing for them.
Monsters flooding out from the Gate was now pushing against the ability users.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched him and sighed under his breath.
Hes not wrong, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The response towards the North remained pretty much the same.
When the breakout of a war was imminent, itd be the side with more to loss shrinking back first.
North Korea might still be a Makjang country even now, but the South was one of the well-off first-world countries in the world. It was rather obvious whod suffer more damage if a war did break out.
So, if there was even a tiny sign of things getting too heated up, then itd be this side that put the brakes on first.
Of course, people this side understood that repeating this would mean they would eventually run out of room to back off, but it was just too difficult to find another solution at the moment.
Im the same story. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon secretly hated that status quo too, but now that he was the one in charge, he couldnt help but stop himself from doing anything, as well.
No one in this world would want to be the reason for a war, after all. Indeed, the price his fellow countrymen would have to pay for something he did out of his emotions was too great.
Dont look at me with such eyes, fe. I mean, a man can make a mistake or two while working, no? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
We wont sit back if something like this happens again, so you better watch yourselves. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Huh. Arade with a girlie face knew how to threaten someone. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
This son of a b*tch....! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If only he could, Choi Jeong-Hoon wouldve rushed in and rip those as*holes mouths wide open.
Not wanting to waste his energy talking to them, he turned his head away.
........
And after turning around to the opposite side, he saw Yi Ji-Hyuk sitting on a chair sipping on C. Even though they were far apart, he could clearly spot thetters eyes forming a pair of smiling crescents right now.
Shudder.
He wasnt sure why, but Choi Jeong-Hoons whole body trembled uncontrobly when looking at Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
Is heughing at me right now?
Hes reallyughing at me?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
That personality of his.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He felt likeining to Madam Park Seon-Deok right now regarding her sons twisted personality, asking her what sort of mishaps happened during the childs upbringing to result in such a rotten man.
Excuse me, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe Yi Ji-Hyuk knew that Choi Jeong-Hoon was looking at him, because he suddenly called out to thetter in a loud voice.
What now?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The reply sounded rather curt.
Anyone who could reply politely in the current situation wouldnt be a normal human being, but a saint, instead.
I think itll be better if you dont show your back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
More wille, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
What is he talking about? More ising? What is? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Sudden goosebumps broke out on Choi Jeong-Hoons skin.
Sure enough, spheres of Ether flew in from the north once more.
Those sons of b*tches!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Rather fortunately C or unfortunately C those attacks werent aimed at Choi Jeong-Hoon this time, but the situation quickly got worse. Those Ether sts were flying in directly at the agents blocking up the Gate.
Dodge them!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He urgently shouted out, allowing the others to figure out what was going on. They hurriedly abandoned the monsters and escaped out of there.
You!! (Park Seong-Chan)
However, Park Seong-Chan rushed into the danger zone, instead.
Although everyone was trying to dodge, there were some who still hadnt made it out yet. They would surely get hit by the Ether shots if he escaped from here first.
Uwaaaaah!! Godd*mmit!! (Park Seong-Chan)
He roared out loudly and pounced in the path of the Ether attack aimed at them.
Mister Seong-Chan!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon yelled out, but a voice alone couldnt stop Park Seong-Chan.
Kwa-booooom!!
Ether collided with his body and exploded.
It exploded sooner and away from its initial target so the other agents were unscathed.
Griiit.
Choi Jeong-Hoon gritted his teeth.
He oh-so wanted to concentrate their firepower and destroy the North right now, but Park Seong-Chans safety was his first priority.
Medic!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If the Elves hade along, then there would be nothing to worry about, but since those two were in America, the method to quickly bring them here....
Miss Jeong Hae-Min! Please head to America and bring home the Elves! We need the healing magic! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Got it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min seemed to understand the severity of the situation as well, and was about to activate her teleportation right away.
Ahh, its fine. Fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
However, she stopped after hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks voiceing from behind her.
Hes not even badly hurt anyway, so whats up with all that overreaction? Cant you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She looked at where he was pointing at to discover the dust settling down to reveal Park Seong-Chans figure.
Although his uniform had turned into a rag, his body seemed to be in a pretty good shape. Sure, there were a handful of scorch marks here and there, but none of them looked to be life-threatening.
If he was a regr person, itd been a fatal attack. However, such a wound could be healed naturally in due course by the body-reinforcement type ability users physique.
Thats a relief. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed in relief.
Relief, my foot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly got up from his chair.
Well, I told you to stay sharp, didnt I? Look at this mess. You all keep getting yed like a bunch of fools. And even though that side is openly announcing their intentions to screw with you, you cant even do anything! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Choi Jeong-Hoon lowered his head wordlessly.
He couldnt even make an excuse here.
We need to get back at them. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You want to start a war? Forget about getting even. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, you want us to hold back? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Who said were going to hold back? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We just wont do something like revenge. I mean, well be handling the Gates on our side, and they will handle theirs, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
R-right. Sure. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly broke into a grin.
Well, in that case. Lets see if they can sort it out, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon saw that cantankerous expression and felt this ominous foreboding fill up his heart.
< 286. Well, lets see if they can sort it out, then -1 > Fin.
Chapter 287: Well, let’s see if they can sort it out, then (2)
Chapter 287: Well, lets see if they can sort it out, then (2)
You arent... thinking of opening a Gate on that side, now are you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That was the very first thing Choi Jeong-Hoon thought of when Gates were mentioned. Indeed, if Yi Ji-Hyuk opened a Gate that side and summoned a whole bunch of demonic creatures, things would get resolved pretty quickly.
Well, North Korea would cease to exist, after all.
Although someone sane-minded wouldnt resort to something that drastic, when it came to Yi Ji-Hyuk, all bets were off. Thats what made Choi Jeong-Hoon rather nervous.
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly pped his hands as if he realised something.
Ahhh, there was that too, wasnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon dazedly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What the hell?
Did I just dig my own grave? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Now that I think about it, thats also a Gate, right? I havent thought of that. Should I alter its direction that way, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im very sorry. Its my fault. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh? About what? You told me something good just now, didnt you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not at all. I made a serious mistake. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What a strange man you are. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began smiling innocently, and that prompted Choi Jeong-Hoon to grow even urgent and tightly hold onto the formers arm.
P-please tell me that you arent really thinking of opening a Gate over there. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I originally didnt, but now that I heard you, it does sound like a good idea. Those creatures should be getting really hungry by now, too. If I dont do something soon, they might starve to death. Ivepletely forgotten about them.
Demonic monsters dying of starvation is a veeeery sad thing, sure.
However, dont you think its wrong to serve people as food just so that a bunch of monsters dont die of hunger??
Seriously, if you at least pretend to wear a humans skin, then you should note up with such things.
So, like, what Im saying here is, are you even a real human being?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoons aura surged powerfully as if hed spit out mes next.
You definitely mustnt! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Definitely, never! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No need to be that serious, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A smirk broke out on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
You really think Ill summon up a Gate on that side? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup.
If its you, then sure, you might. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
You shouldnt score someone that low, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Scoring someone, is it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon instinctively started assigning the score but promptly gave up. It was a sorrowful thing for Yi Ji-Hyuk, and also for Choi Jeong-Hoon as well, as he had to cling onto such a man himself.
Still, thats a relief. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The situation wouldve be a chaotic mess the moment Yi Ji-Hyuk opened a Gate on the other side of the border.
Legally, itd be impossible to find any physical evidence of him opening a Gate, but then, there was the issue of ethics to consider. And also, if the damage to the North grew far too great, then there was a pretty good chance that a problem would ur in South Korea as well.
If the situation of North Korea not dealing the monster invasion on time ovepped with new Gates opening up, and worse still, if that situation repeated itself, then well, North would turn into and of death in the blink of an eye.
Hadnt Africa already demonstrated what would happen to humannd when the bnce tilted towards the Gates?
In just over three months, Africa had turned into a wastnd where no human could survive. It was not and teeming with wildlife anymore, but rapidly transforming into a pure hell popted by countless monsters, instead.
Those folks that were trying to stem the tide, as well as various warlords and their military factions that ruled Africa, had given up and were busy escaping to Europe and Middle East, causing quite a flood of refugees at the moment.
What if something simr happened to North, then?
South Korea and China would have to share the burden. China was a humongous nation so theyd have no problem dealing with refugees of that scale, but for South, never mind the financial side of things, receiving that many refugees would probably lead to the copse of the social order.
If the North Korean refugees spoke in one voice, then the potential societal chaos would be noughing matter, indeed. The country wouldnt be able to shoulder all that burden so the proposed idea must never be reality.
Objectively speaking, the current state of South Korea meant that it barely had enough leeway to support the North to prevent its destruction.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to drop a Gate in North Korea?
Itd be a small mercy if it only ended in a political spat between the North and South. But one wrong move, and the Norths government might crumble.
Why did the man holding the key to that have to be this dude, though?!
That was the gist of all the problems right now.
The biggest mistake God made would be giving birth to Yi Ji-Hyuk, and then sending the fool away to Berafe.
That chain of events led to the creation of historys worst headache.
Y-you arent really going to do it, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Weeeell, you know, you keep bringing it up and its sounding more and more appealing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please dont!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled loudly.
There are plenty of other ways besides that, so why should I waste my energy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt you say that monsters will die of starvation?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh? Theyll just devour each other, than. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a vicious man.
Even if they are all monsters, decreasing their numbers in such a manner is...
....Uh, its good for us? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tilted his head.
Talking to Yi Ji-Hyuk at length seemed to have this effect of blurring the line between good and evil, or the boundary separating ones ally and the enemy. Maybe, this was the state of chaos one would fall into from the mere fact that the worst inducer of headaches happened to be his ally.
It does sound like an entertaining idea when I hear it, but.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soos voice came from their behind, so Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his head to look at the Colonel.
Were in the middle ofbat, so how about we stop our yapping and focus on resolving the current situation first? (Jeong In-Soo)
The voice might have been rather gentle, but the re apanying it was anything but. He spoke gently since he couldnt be too harsh with Yi Ji-Hyuk, but as far as looking at Choi Jeong-Hoon was concerned....
Why are you only tormenting me?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt wronged here, but he couldnt argue his innocence at all.
Youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He got flustered from the idea that Yi Ji-Hyuk might end up doing something unexpected.
It was Choi Jeong-Hoon who was thinking of starting something earlier, but after Yi Ji-Hyuk got involved, he became scared that something might morph into a huuuge thing instead.
It wasnt his fault, though. Anyone wouldve reacted in a simr manner as he did. Cider would only be cider when consumed in a bottle, and no one out there would love the idea of chugging a whole barrel down.
Comrades, my apologies. Well, we were trying to be cautious, but things keep falling that side. So, wouldnt you agree that taking a shelter somewhere is the only way you can go back home in one piece? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheols voice came from the distance, but Choi Jeong-Hoon simply shook his head. He couldnt even get angry anymore.
Back when the matter was at the level of him and the NDF resolving it, it was okay for him to get angry, but now that Yi Ji-Hyuk has stood up from his chair, a cmity was about to descend, one that the poor North Koreans were about to bear the full brunt of.
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked beyond the DMZ line with a pitying face.
Oh, you poor fools. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if that was North Korea, how could they not have heard about the rumours rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk?
If other countries learned of Yi Ji-Hyuk being around, they would send along something like an entertainment troupe just to not get on his bad side, so Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt understand with what balls of steel those North Korean folks were behaving this way.
Do they really not know? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He began thinking that it might be possible, what with the North being a closed-off society and all.
The truth of the worlds best ability user living in South Korea wouldnt be good towards boosting morale of your citizens, so the information couldve been tightly controlled.
However, if the ones in charge had any functioning brain cells, they wouldve issued orders not to provoke the South simply because there was a good chance that Yi Ji-Hyuk might show up today.
Either they really had no brains, or they were cooking up something else C both of those instances wouldnt be a good thing regardless.
Youre angry,rade? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol began cackling out, and Choi Jeong-Hoon could only sigh.
You dumb*ss, its no time for you tough like that.
You shouldve checked who you were provoking today. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sneaked a nce at Yi Ji-Hyuk next to him cackling away as well, and sent the North Korean Senior Colonel a look of pity.
He doesnt know it yet.
Doesnt know what he had started here.
Actually, even Im not sure. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Erukana! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk called out, and Erukana suddenly revealed herself from behind his back.
Ng, darling? (Erukana)
Thats where you were? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was wondering why he couldnt see her earlier.
You arent even some scary ghost, so why do you keep popping up from a persons shadow....
Ah, wait. Shes a demonic being, wasnt she. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Now that he thought about it, Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to carry lots of things on his back. For one, his shadow had Doh Gah-Yun installed inside like a passive ability, then a Darkness Spirit made her home in him, too. And now, Erukana was appearing from behind his back, as well.
At this point, one had to suspect whether he had a portable Gate on his back or something.
Can you control those monsters? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? Well, it wont be that difficult, but.... (Erukana)
But? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana blushed and moistened her lips, before leaning closer to Yi Ji-Hyuks ear to whisper softly.
I heard that if a wife tries to step up in her husbands workce, it will be inauspicious. (Erukana)
.......
Yi Ji-Hyuk cocked an eyebrow and stared at her, clearly unimpressed.
But, thats what I heard.... (Erukana)
Whats up with this demon?
Shes a dang demon, but did she suddenly decide to take up a hobby in ult or something?
How dare she start superstitious nonsense around me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Youre not a human, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? You think so? (Erukana)
Right. That thing only applies to people. You dont have much of a rtion with that, so you can do whatever you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, ahhh.... (Erukana)
Erukana nodded her head after hearing Yi Ji-Hyuks logical exnation.
But, do I have to? (Erukana)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont have much Mana left, you know? (Erukana)
Why do you need Mana when youre dealing with those creatures? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, I have never seen those things before. If were talking about demonic beasts, fine, but creatures from different dimensions arent susceptible to the demon kings authority. That means I need to use power to suppress them, but then Ill have to waste Mana to do that. (Erukana)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Erukanas exnation was not wrong. No, it was him who made a mistake thinking that all monsters could be suppressed through the demon kings authority.
Oh well. Cant be helped, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If subduing with power was the only option, then why not.
Losing some Mana in the process was a bit of a shame, but heck, his body was overflowing with the stuff right now, anyway.
After he absorbed the pure dark Mana that a dying demon king gave away, about half of the Mana reserve he used to have during his peak was currently filling up his body.
Fu-wu-heuph. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grunted out a low groan, and jet-ck clouds suddenly began bubbling out from him.
W-what are you trying to do?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon cried out in sheer panic.
Yi Ji-Hyuk emitting that ck Mana in such a quantity meant that he was getting ready to cause a huge event C that knowledge had been branded into Choi Jeong-Hoons brain by now. They werent facing a demon king here, nor did a gigantic monster showed itself, so wasnt him getting ready to rampage around like this a bit too over the top?
Other Gates are about to open up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keuk! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly turned his head.
Currently, all the NDF agents were focused on the southernmost Gate that had opened up so far. But now, in addition to that, other Gates were showing the signs of simultaneously opening up.
But, why now?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Would it hurt them to open up in sequence?! Seriously??
Why did they have to open at the same time?
Niiiice timing! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, nice?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned brightly.
Why dont you just sit back and watch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Monsters began pouring out from the Gates next.
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly shouted out.
Evacuate!! Evacuate to your rear!! Hurry!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was unknown what Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to do here, but even a small kid knew that one shouldnt get swept up in whatever that was.
Get out of there!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats gotten into that dude? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan tilted his head.
It was their job to stand before a Gate when it opened, so why was he shouting at them to evacuate?
Did he finally let go of his sanity? (Park Seong-Chan)
It was then Choi Jeong-Hoons urgent voice crashed into their ears.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is about to do something!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even before his brain could process it, Park Seong-Chans mouth exploded first.
Everyone, get the hell out of here!! (Park Seong-Chan)
However, even before his shouting came to an end, the surrounding ability users had already turned around to run away in full power.
You disloyal b*stards.... (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan swallowed back the pang of tears welling up and began running after them, too.
That fool, what is he nning to do this time?? (Park Seong-Chan)
< 287. Well, lets see if they can sort it out, then -2 > Fin.
Chapter 288: Well, let’s see if they can sort it out, then (3)
Chapter 288: Well, lets see if they can sort it out, then (3)
If you get technical about it, there was no event that Yi Ji-Hyuk had failed to resolve after stepping up to the te. Didnt matter whether monsters or demon kings popped out, hed always deal with them all, although the ensuing damage would be a separate thing from what the enemies had caused.
The fact that he simply didnte across as trustworthy despite all of his feats was truly ironic, however.
Thats what Park Seong-Chan thought.
In all honesty, he might as well be the person who received Yi Ji-Hyuks aid the most out of everyone here.
Without that timely aid, Park Seong-Chan wouldve died several times over by now. Never mind rescuing him from the brink of death, Yi Ji-Hyuk even saved him as he was dying, too.
So, itd be only natural for a human being to feel boundless trust and gratitude towards Yi Ji-Hyuk. He knew this, yet
A mans heart doesnt work like that, you know! (Park Seong-Chan)
He knew that he was behaving like an ungrateful brat here, but what could he do about his heart not willing to trust that guy?!
I mean, every once in a while, a lion just might save a dying person or something!
But that doesnt mean you can safely shove your head inside its maw, either!!
Being thankful is one thing, and getting scared is another thing altogether! (Park Seong-Chans inner monologue)
If you were nning to do something, then tell us beforehand!! Uwaaaah!! (Park Seong-Chan)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body in the distance was now emitting pitch-ck smoke that rose up like billowing mes.
Urgh.
He acts like the devil himself and to top it off, hes also apanied by a pretty horrifying visual, too.
Doesnt matter who it is, people will think were the demon kings army!! The bloody demon king army!
*
Why is that dudes reaction so OTT? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
I havent even done anything yet.
I just emitted a bit of my aura, so why are you looking at me with that type of eyes? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Its not like Ive caused idents in the past, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? Did you say something? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im asking you, have I ever caused idents in the past? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You actually are asking me that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon became utterly speechless.
Such words shouldnte out of Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth. If he had at least a modicum of conscience, then he shouldnt have said them. If every little incident Yi Ji-Hyuk had caused were to be brought up, then!
Uh.. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
W-wait, what were they, again?
Huh?
Now that I wanted to bring them up, something feels off, doesnt it?
When you think about it, all the idents Yi Ji-Hyuk caused so far came about during his attempts to deal with the events unfolding at the time.
So, calling that him causing problems is a bit wrong, isnt it?
But why does it feel like he has half-way destroyed Earth and reverted it back to how it was? WHY?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
I dont get why they all behave like that. Its like Ive caused them serious harm or something in the past. What a weird bunch of people. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..Why cant I make a retort here??
WHY?!
It feels like I need to say something here, but!!
Its like I was born into this world with the historical mission to retort to those very words, yet howe I cant say anything here??
You havent harmed anyone?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
This unquantifiable sorrow continued to force tears out of Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes.
Its because you keep emitting this uselessly weird smoke out of your body. You only do that when youre about to do something big, thats why. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Useless? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, I didnt mean it that way. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With criticising eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon. Thetter felt the harshness of those eyes and felt sorrow choke up his throat.
To think that a guy with no ability toprehend is inmand of all these people. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now look closely! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the monsters flooding out from the Gates.
Can you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I do have eyes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I said, can you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, I can. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked meaningfully.
It wont be a cakewalk trying to deal with all those creatures, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks words caused Choi Jeong-Hoon to observe the monsters in a renewed light.
.Ah. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He failed to pick it up until now all thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk stealing away most of his attention, but hell, the horde of monsters before his eyes boasted a scale that couldnt be joked about at all.
I, Ive forgotten about it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, rather than forgetting it, maybe it was more urate to say that he failed to recognise it. Nasty goosebumps broke out from all over his body as he watched the monsters pouring out from the level 6 Gates like water from a fountain.
From very far away, one might get an impression of witnessing ck water flooding out from six sluice gates.
And that wont even be the end, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This sight alone already proved to be mind-numbing, yet the truly scary thing was that this wasnt the end of the monsters. Up until now, every Gate ranked level 5 or higher spat out arge-scale monster that could easily be ssified as a boss creature. So, there was little doubt that the same thing would happen here today, as well.
Considering how terrifying therge monsters could get, it was the same thing as these level 6 Gates not ying their true hands yet.
Even if that was the case..
Feels like Illpletely lose my mind at this rate. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, just the number flooding out from the Gates made him feelpletely hopeless. His legs shook unstably, and all signs of strength tried to abandon him.
But, who could me him?
Every each one of these monsters were capable of ripping a measly little human apart with nothing but their bare ws. Yet there they were, crashing in like waves stacked up high into the sky.
If a regr person saw this sight, he or she wouldve wet their pants by now and just copse on the spot. That was how frightening this spectacle was.
D-do something.. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just do something!
Choi Jeong-Hoon became utterly frustrated by Yi Ji-Hyuks rxed demeanour, and he reached out to theter.
However, the ck air currents circling around his body prevented anyone from grabbing hold of him. Choi Jeong-Hoon knew very well that the dark Mana swirling around was far more scary than those monsters, after all.
Whee-yu. Now thats a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk was impressed by this sight.
Sure, these might be level 6 Gates, but they no longer presented the NDF agents with an impossible wall to climb even if he wasnt here. However, having ten or so of them opening up at the same time did create a rather memorable spectacle to behold.
And it kind of ovepped with a certain view he used to see often in the past. Would Yi Ji-Hyuk have felt like this if he was standing on the other side back then?
He could more or less understand the reason why the NDF agents around him were standing around totally dazed, their will to fight abandoning them a while ago. He remembered that those trying to stop him in the past also carried simr expressions, too.
I kinda miss that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The d*mn stinking Berafe.
That f*cked-up ce called Berafe.
That rotten ce he never wanted to return to, that still made him feel this way every now and then.
Kurwah-raaaaah!!
Ka-rururuk!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard these creatures howls and fell into a somewhat strange reminiscence of the past.
W-what are you doing?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Argh,e on, dude. Youre a man, so whats up with this panicky nagging?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly scolded Choi Jeong-Hoon, but that only caused thetters eyes to be utterly bloodshot.
Urgh, I get it. I get it, alright? Why are you ring at me like that for? Youre super scary, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled and yapped on a bit before turning around to face the waves of monsters rushing towards him.
The military personnel had already ran away a while ago. So, all those monsters started flooding towards Yi Ji-Hyuk, Choi Jeong-Hoon, and Jeong In-Soo resolutely manning his spot.
Ahhh! Please! Do something already!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon cried out loudly, only for his head to be grabbed firmly by Jeong In-Soo.
Listen here, Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Jeong In-Soo)
Y-yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk will do his thing in due course. What a strange man you are. If youre that scared, why dont you run away like the others? Why are you sticking around here and nagging him like a little kid? (Jeong In-Soo)
.
.Well, uh, because the safest ce at the moment is right here.
If an asteroid were to crash into Earth, then Im pretty sure that the safest ce in the world is not some underground bunker somewhere, but right beside Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Ehehehe. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon discovered his true intentions, something he wasnt even aware of, and ended up grinning sheepishly.
Let him be. Its not just once or twice anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and raised both of his hands up.
Ah, by the way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He turned his head to the side and nced at Choi Jeong-Hoon.
You know, it might get a tiny bit dangerous here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? What are you trying to do? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, its not like youre going to get injured or something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But you might go crazy, instead. So, you cool with that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously not! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm, its a bit cumbersome to control it, but. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grumbled a bit before straightening his back.
His eyes scanned the waves of monsters crashing in. Half of them were familiar monsters and demonic creatures, while the rest were stuff he had never seen before.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing these demonic beasts bare their fangs towards him sure was an interesting experience, indeed.
To Yi Ji-Hyuk, demonic beasts were akin to pet dogs hed rear while feeding some pet food or something. They might have sharp fangs and could be rather threatening at times, but still, pets that would never attack him. That kind of things.
However, these feral dogs before his eyes dared to bare their fangs,pletely oblivious as to who he was.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What an amusing thing this was.
A feral dog baring fangs at people should be put down, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In normal times, that is.
Well, I have other uses for these things today, so should I just forgive them a little?
Instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I guess I should scare them a bit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, a storm-like barrage of Mana poured out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
KWAA-AAAAH!!
Choi Jeong-Hoon next to him began shivering.
He could tell.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently controlling this aura so that it wouldnt affect his allies. Even then, Choi Jeong-Hoon was shivering away like a lone leaf against the wind.
Even though he knew so well that the horrifying, violent energy would not be directed towards him, he simply couldnt stop his body from shivering instinctively.
He didnt need to experience this aura to feel indescribable fear.
In that case, what would it be like for all those monsters bearing the full brunt of Yi Ji-Hyuks aura?
Choi Jeong-Hoons question was soon answered.
It was as if time hade to a standstill.
Monsters with enough momentum to swallow everything stopped in their treks as if frozen solid, not a hint of movements visible from within the horde.
Seeing countless creatures freeze up without making a single sound caused the observers to mistakenly think that indeed, time hade to a stop.
Fu-wooo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was Yi Ji-Hyuks soft sigh that shattered this chilling silence.
Okay, now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A meaningful smile crept up on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
Here it was, the spectacle of all these innumerable monsters trembling in fear. Was there anyone else on this Earth who could induce such an event?
The absolute position, brought about by the overwhelming power. Yi Ji-Hyuk standing on this very position shuddered just a little. This ecstasy, this was something that couldnt be experienced through ones flesh.
This was one of the reasons why so many folks in power simply couldnt let go of their power. The mere fact that the masses of people would submit to you with just a single word brought about an unimaginable level of psychological pleasure.
So, how good would it feel when spectating on this amazing sight of monsters trembling in fear?
H-mm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, the answer was Not that amazing.
He had witnessed something like this way too many times before. It was nothing new to him.
Except now.
Well, then. Time to start running. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I should scare them even more, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Mana emitted from Yi Ji-Hyuks body began to violently writhe. The dark mes licked and slithered like the tongue of a devil crawling out from Hell and soared into the sky.
Go-ooooooh!!
The aura pouring out of him began to pressure the monsters. Just by being on the receiving end, the creatures felt as if their flesh was exploding and their necks were squeezed tightly.
Kiiieehck!
Kah-aaaahk!!
Monsters instinctively realised it.
Unlike with humans, they were creatures faithful to their primal instincts. And they could urately tell how dangerous and frightening a being this small human was.
Monsters, when faced with the prospect of dealing with a creature they couldnt win against, would make the next obvious choice avable.
Escape!
Kaaaahk!!
Desperate escape attempts had begun.
While stomping and stepping and ripping apart other monsters, they began running back the way they came from.
The waves were now spreading in the opposite direction.
Towards the North.
And they continued on.
Another meaningful smile formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
I told you, youll regret it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekekeke.
Chapter 289: Well, let’s see if they can sort it out, then (4)
Chapter 289: Well, lets see if they can sort it out, then (4)
It was unknown whether the monsters possessed ability to reason or not. But one thing was for certain C if they did have one, it definitely flew out the window right about now.
Monsters stomped and trampled and smacked away everything in their path while not giving a d*mn whether it was their kin or not, in their attempt to get away from Yi Ji-Hyuk.
They ran on two legs, four legs, whatever.
If something got in their way, they simply trampled past it and ran. Some rolled on the ground, some crawled, and even if blood exploded like fountains, they continued to run forward.
Towards the North.
Further and further up north.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this spectacle with a heavy cackle. This was why those North Commies were told not to provoke the South.
Ng? I havent told them anything, have I?
Oh, well. Naught I can do about that now.
I mean, they shouldve been smart enough to figure it out without being expressly told, anyway. Especially in todays tough world. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took onest look at the tsunami wave of monsters running away from him and towards North Korea, turned around, and walked back to his chair.
Sure, new monsters emerging from the Gates right now might be a problem, but it was more likely that they would follow the horde and head to the North, since they were dumb idiots to begin with.
He settled down on the chair and crossed his legs, before fishing out a cigarette.
Click.
He lit it up and breathed out a lengthy trail of smoke. Then, he waved his finger a little and pointed to his front.
From here on....
Its the monster defence time. Do your best to stop them, you dumb schmucks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
W-what is the meaning of this,rade?!
Rhee Jin-Cheol became utterly dumbfounded by the sight of the monsters rushing at them.
Indeed, what the bloody hell was up with this spectacle?
Why were these monsters rushing in this direction all at once?? And with such a maddened zeal, no less!
What should we do?!
Even if he was asked, there was no way he would have an answer.
Rhee Jin-Cheol was not someone who could solve a situation like this one. Even if the dear Comrade Chairman personally show up here, hed be unable to solve this crisis, either.
One thing was for certain, though; remaining here would mean that they would disappear from this world with not even a scrap of flesh being left behind.
Those sons of b*tches. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol shuddered where he stood.
The thing was, even if he made his escape from here, his end would not change at all.
The Party had tasked him with defending against the Gates, and to also provoke the South ever so lightly, as well.
However, what if he had to give up on that and retreat?
Even if this was the reality of the situation, the Democratic Peoples Republic demanded responsibility from those who failed to follow the given orders.
Sure, the brass wouldnt hold every ability user here today ountable, but there was little doubt that they would me Rhee Jin-Cheol. Under the pretext of not being loyal enough to the Democratic Peoples Republic, he might even get dragged to the special re-education centre.
Even though he didnt do anything wrong.
The terror from the monsters rushing in the front, and the fear of the Party standing behind him, served to nk out his brain for a moment there.
Comrade!!
Stop nagging me! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol roared out and gnashed his teeth.
Those stinking South Joseon sons of b*tches!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He wasnt sure what they had done here, but without a doubt, hed make them payter.
Comrade, we need to evacuate!
I said, stop nagging me, godd*mmit!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Losing our heads in this manner is nothing more than a dogs death!
You b*stard, keep your seditious c**p to yourself! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Forgive me.
D*mn.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol roared out at the top of his lungs.
Retreat!! Retreat now!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
It felt like he was showing his back while running away to the b*stards from the South and that p*ssed him off, but for now, they needed to survive first. It didnt take a genius to figure out that getting swept up in that wave of monsters would mean a certain death without a bone left to bury.
Retre..... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol heard the monsters growling right before his nose, promptly turned around, and began running at full tilt.
Uwaaaaah!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He could hear the panting breaths of the monstersing behind. Terror caused every hair on his body to stand up, and forced him to run even harder with everything he had.
Uwaaaah!! Comraaaaade!!
Unfortunately, not everyone could run as quickly as Rhee Jin-Cheol. Those withcking physical attributes were quickly chased down by the monsters, and their ends were gruesome, to say the least.
Crunch.
Along with the chill-inducing noise, horrible screams resounded out. Rhee Jin-Cheol didnt look behind him. He felt that he might lose his mind if he turned around to look at hisrades getting devoured by the monsters.
Why?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He bit down hard on his lip and blood spluttered out from his wound.
Why are they alling this way?!?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He just couldnt figure this one out at all.
*
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the distant North Korean Brigade of Peoples Ability Combat Force running away like crazy, and let out an impressed chuckle.
Hey, they are quicker than I thought? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon forgot what to say here.
How is this even possible? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He had been thinking that Yi Ji-Hyuk got something out during the battle against the demon kingst time.
Even if that was true, he couldnt even imagine in his wildest dreams that scaring away so many monstrous creatures was actually possible.
Darling, what are these creatures? Ive never seen them before. (Erukana)
Erukana appearing out of nowhere sat on Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder and asked him.
I dont know either. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Such creatures cross over to this world? Just what types of the dimensions are connected to this ce? (Erukana)
I told you, I dont know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre not interested, are you? (Erukana)
Tracing it back from this side is being blocked. Divinity is involved with those Gates, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Divinity?? (Erukana)
Thats right, divinity. So, detecting through Mana is impossible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-mm, so, divinity, is it? Does that mean gods are involved? (Erukana)
Not sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats like rat poison for you, darling. Wait, if its divinity, cant that lizard woman trace it for you? Didnt she receive some kind of blessing from that woman Latrel? (Erukana)
Cant do, since its not Latrel. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-h-ng. (Erukana)
Choi Jeong-Hoon next to them couldnt really understand what these two were talking about. Also, he wasnt even trying to understand them in the first ce.
They had always been like this, so leaving them alone was probably for the best. Besides, the true issue he needed to solve right now wasnt them.
What am I supposed to do about this?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As he watched all those monsters enter the North Korean territory, Choi Jeong-Hoon began feeling rather weird inside.
Something about this sight came across as rather refreshing to him, but at the same time, he felt worried about the future. Such a dualistic mind was busy lording over his thought process.
He felt good about the ones trying to provoke them first getting pummelled like that, but when he thought about whether the nation called North Korea was capable of dealing with that many monsters or not, he grew more anxious, instead.
If they cant, everything will go to hell in a handbasket. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Copse of North Korea scenario was often imagined by not just the politicians but by pretty much everyone in the spheres of influence at least once. However, none of them wouldve imagined that the copse of the Norths regime began like this.
Sure, some probably did imagine the North copsing after failing to deal with the Gates, but....
Whod thunk that I will be involved in the beginning of it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
All because he stuck around Yi Ji-Hyuk as his job. He should feel honoured for witnessing such a historical event unfold, but right now, hed like to decline such an honour if he could.
....Excuse me, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will the North Koreans be able to deal with this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A man shouldnt be that irresponsible.
A man should have at least a modicum of responsibility, you stinking, rotting piece of human tr..... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Excuse me, wouldnt the ramification our country might sufferter be enormous if the North copses like this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
First of all, the refugees flooding in alone would be noughing matter, so trying to handle that will be a back-breaking job. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dun.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, I get it! You dont know! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You just cause incidents first while not giving a d*mn about consequences and what not! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
But, thats not true, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you hear something? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Your thoughts? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a phantom-like b*stard.
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I will stop fooling around and talk to you seriously from now on. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, Ive been serious this whole time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You were?
Choi Jeong-Hoon was tempted to make a retort here, but he was smart enough to know that now wasnt the time.
People are dying. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I sent them there for that purpose. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Of course, I also find them detestable. Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Really? I didnt feel that way, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, I too dont feel that way anymore.
Right now, I find you utterly hateful, instead. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
I agree that they should be punished appropriately for provoking us in the first ce. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons voice became even more serious.
However, the North Korean citizens.... Calling them citizens sounds a bit off, so lets call them regr people. They havent done anything wrong. If monsters rush up north like that, not just the ability users but the regr, powerless civilians will also be affected. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, it wouldnt do to harm the innocent regr people, dont you agree? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned refreshingly.
I knew youd say that!
If innocent people get hurt, itd be our fault, wouldnt it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nope, wrong. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Honestly speaking, itll be my fault. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....So, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats why I say, just let them be. If someone raises a fuss, tell them I was responsible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B-but, innocent people are..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Argh, just tell whoever that I killed all those innocent people. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon recalled the truth once more.
Ah. This guy was insane to begin with. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon got to reaffirm the obvious and unshakeable truth thatmon sense didnt work on Yi Ji-Hyuk, and he decided to change his approach.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, itll get annoying for you, too! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Number of Korean citizens will increase, you see. Meaning, youll now have to protect more people. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, Im supposed to protect thend they are on, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We might even encounter daily necessities crisis! A situation where you cant even buy C might happen! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes went extra-round next.
That would certainly sting him a bit.
Cant I just hop over to America and buy it there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that I think about it, he can go anywhere he wants to, cant he?
What a bloody cheat character. A d*mn cheat character! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Public order will fall, the rtionship with China will worsen, an exorbitant amount of peoples taxes will have to be spent and make it harder to provide social welfare, and the economys growth will..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you running for President? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I also kind of felt that way while saying those things. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You certainly are suited to that field, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thank you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
T-this isnt it.
How did I veer off-course this much? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
In any case! If we leave that alone, then North Koreas system will copse! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehh~. Oh, well. I guess that will happen. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why we need to stop it! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And how should we do that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Well, thats something for you toe up with, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wowsers. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop looking at me with those eyes.
I know what I said was pretty irresponsible. I already know!
If I was an ability user, then I wouldnt be doing this right now, you know! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Ehehe, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, theres no one but you who can solve this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon discarded all of his manly pride and clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuk. They might have been chatting in a yful manner for a bit now, but truth be told, this was a serious situation, indeed.
Eh, well. Sure. However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if I wanted to do something, I cant, because I cant vacate this spot, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Howe? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Look over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked at where Yi Ji-Hyuk was pointing at, and discovered the Gates all vibrating unstably.
Uh..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why are they vibrating?
Are there more still toe?
So many monsters came out already, so what can possiblye out now.....? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
....Ah. The boss mob. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This aint a dang video game, so whats up with boss mob?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I thought it was a rather appropriate name, though.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Agreed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned and stood up from his seat.
Lets deal with those first and then worry about what happens next. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, that we should.
Because, forget about North Korea, itll be us copsing if we fail to deal with those. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan.
< 289. Well, lets see if they can sort it out, then -4 > Fin.
Chapter 290: Well, let’s see if they can sort it out, then (5)
Chapter 290: Well, lets see if they can sort it out, then (5)
The Gates were vibrating even harder now.
Park Seong-Chan, who had ran off to a far-off distance earlier, hurriedly dashed towards Choi Jeong-Hoon and asked a question.
W-whats going on here? Whats gotten into those Gates?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Choi Jeong-Hoon replied in a t voice.
Arge monster is probablying out soon. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How can you sound so disinterested about it?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Well, whether onees out or not, theres not much I can do about it, anyway. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For a moment there, Park Seong-Chan got confused if he was talking to Yi Ji-Hyuk instead of Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Why did you learn stuff like that from him? (Park Seong-Chan)
You shouldve learned good points from him, yet why did you go and learn how to be sarcastic, instead?
....Ah.
Now that I think about it, I cant tell what you could potentially learn from him. Maybe he doesnt have any good points to begin with? (Park Seong-Chans inner monologue)
Okay, so arge-scale monster ising out? (Park Seong-Chan)
Is this the first time you saw a level 6? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Well, uh, I havent seen that many. (Park Seong-Chan)
I guess thats normal. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Seong-Chan saw how curt Choi Jeong-Hoon was with his reply and sensed that something had gone terribly wrong. If this dude was behaving this way, then there was no future for the NDF.
Excuse me, stop ying around and think of a suitable countermeasure! (Park Seong-Chan)
A countermeasure, is it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nced at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Well, we do have one on standby, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah.... (Park Seong-Chan)
Indeed, thats a pretty solid countermeasure, alright.
With Yi Ji-Hyuk here, even that level 6 Gate doesnt feel all that threatening anymore. Still, I cant help but wonder if youre toocking in the tensions department, but.... (Park Seong-Chans inner monologue)
Im sure itll work out. (Park Seong-Chan)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its nothing. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan shook his head.
Rather than engage these folks in a chat and try to stop them, itd be more preferable to just sit back and watch, and do the things hes been asked to do. That was the best way not to get p*ssed off and lose his mind.
Isnt that thing vibrating even harder now? (Park Seong-Chan)
....And its not just one of them, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just what kind of grand monsters were about to show up that the Gates were behaving in that manner?
Shouldnt we get ready? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan asked, prompting Choi Jeong-Hoon to nod his head.
Yes, we should. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Although, I cant be sure how much of a help we can be. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon switched on his smartwatch and issued a new order.
Director-nim? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Yes? (Seo Ah-Young)
Were requesting your assistance. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C But, werent there a lot of monsters? (Seo Ah-Young)
Thats not the current issue. Large scale monsters will soon emerge. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C .......Excuse me? I cant hear you all of a sudden?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Director-nim!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Argh, okay, fine. I got it. (Seo Ah-Young)
This ahjumma, shes getting more and more crafty nowadays.
Choi Jeong began thinking that everyone in the NDF had be a lot more crafty than before as he red at the Gates.
They were now distorting, too.
Thats frightening. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With them looking like that, he was indeed growing apprehensive about what mighte out from them.
L~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk next to him was whistling, though. Unlike him, however, Choi Jeong-Hoon was a normal man who didnt forget his liver back home beforeing here today. Anyone with their brains screwed on properly would be scared by this situation. And when considering the number of monsters that appeared earlier, that fear should be even stronger.
By the way, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At this rate, wouldnt we have to deal with those eleven Gates all by ourselves, since the North Korean b*stards have all ran away? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Huh, is that how things worked out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared back at him with less-than-impressed eyes.
Well, sh*t can happen, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, it can happen?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his eyebrows.
Are you arguing with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not really. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure, he was arguing back, but how could he honestly voice his reply?
What a rotten world this was.
I didnt do that deliberately, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why I told you to do nothing! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And lets be honest here, them being around wont be much of a help, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He could be right on that one, though.
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
This wasnt disparaging the Norths ability users. The truth was, didnt matter which nation it was, none would prove to be all that helpful when monsters streamed out from level 6 Gates nonstop.
Even the NDF wouldve been left helpless when all eleven Gates opened up simultaneously while Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt around. Anyone looking at the deluge of monsters would think the same thing.
But now,rge-scale monsters?
Itd be a relief if they didnt run away.
This is just too insane. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A lone level 6 Gate would be more than enough to threaten a countrys survival, yet why were eleven of them opening up here all at the same time?
Even if one was praying for the destruction of a country, shouldnt there be a limit to the excessiveness or something?
Have they opened yet? (Seo Ah-Young)
The NDF agents had created a cordon in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk before long, and Seo Ah-Young among them walked in closer while looking a bit hesitant.
....Your escaping back looked rather beautiful, I must say. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, I was.... (Seo Ah-Young)
You were running so hard, I was worried that you might pull a leg muscle or something. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You actually saw that? You have a good pair of eyes, then. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, you were running the hardest in the very front of the pack, so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What a stalker, even observing things like that. If youre interested, you can just ask, you know? (Seo Ah-Young)
............
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly red at her, causing Seo Ah-Young to awkwardly avoid meeting his eyes. Everyone was also running away at the time, so why was he so cruelly singling her out like this?
Looks like they are finally opening up? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the Gates with a hardened expression.
What wille out this time? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He wouldnt get surprised by whatever crawled out from the Gates at this point, though.
Wuuuonng-!!
The Gates distorted almost halfway out of shape and some things werezilying out from them.
Uh? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs flustered voice could be heard next.
What are those? (Seo Ah-Young)
Even if you ask me.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul. (Seo Ah-Young)
She looked back at the frontlines with a dumbfounded look on her face.
Not onerge monster appearing out of a Gate so far came across as familiar to her. Well, every single one of them happened to be rare monsters that she couldnt even think up of even in her wildest dreams.
She thought that itd be the same case today.
However, what came out from the Gates now possessed apletely different outer appearancepared to their predecessors.
....Its kinda small? (Seo Ah-Young)
Youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is it another spirit? (Seo Ah-Young)
Doesnt look that way, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Click.
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.
Fu-wuuu..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He breathed out a lengthy trail of smoke and frowned slightly as he stared at the frontline.
Hah..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shururu....
Erukana made her appearance from his back and settled downfortably on hisp.
H-mm? (Erukana)
She too was carrying a displeased expression while staring at the mysterious thinging out of the Gate.
What is that? (Erukana)
She tilted her head as if she couldnt understand it either.
That was par for the course, though C the thing that came out from the Gate wasnt a lifeform.
Its a mass of Mana? (Erukana)
Every single oneing out from the eleven Gates was pure masses of Mana emitting white light.
Their density was so high that these masses were actually emitting bright light.
These masses that resembled Spirits of Light escaped from each Gate and began gathering in one spot.
Fu-wooo....
The blue-grey smoke Yi Ji-Hyuk breathed out scattered in the air.
It stinks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This is no coincidence, dont you agree? (Erukana)
Hmm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head and looked at Affeldrichae.
Oiii, lizarddy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
You know something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, I dont. (Affeldrichae)
Of course not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled. However, quite at odds with how he sounded, there was this air of mockery permeating within his expression.
It just reeks of something bad, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I really dont know anything. (Affeldrichae)
Since she was a Dragon, she probably wasnt lying. Well, this overgrown lizard wouldnt lie to him, anyway. Still, he could sense this slightly off feeling from the way she spoke her denial.
Thats why I hate this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from the spot.
Darling. (Erukana)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those Mana masses were basically like a feast prepared for Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He felt that they hid poison somewhere, yet he couldnt tell what kind it was. Except that, he just couldnt refuse such a scrumptious feast allid out before his eyes.
I cant let that go to waste, now can I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was Berafe, leaving it alone wouldve been one of his options. Too bad, this was Earth, not Berafe. Mana didnt dissipate in Earths atmosphere. It scattered away at an incredibly slow rate, so if a passing monster managed to absorb that, then itd lead to a massive-scale disaster.
How amusing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked to himself.
With this, he was half-sure of it now. There was someone deliberately opening these Gates. A creature with high intelligence was aiming for this ce and had opened these portals.
And quite likely, this creature, it knew about Yi Ji-Hyuk, too.
You didnt have to send me presents, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He began cackling away.
The monstersing out of the Gates were perfect types for him to subdue and use, and after that, this unknown being even sent him arge lump of Mana as well.
If he was told that this mysterious benefactor held good intentions, hed have totally believed it simply from this set-up alone.
But then again, it just stinks, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks gut instinct, which was more often right than wrong, was busy telling that hed get a tummy ache if he went ahead and devoured this feast.
I think the same as you, darling. (Erukana)
You too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. Lets just let it rot. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
No can do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if it was poisoned, a feast was a feast still.
It was amon sense in his household that, if he tried to flip the dining table full of food, his back would light up from his moms palm smashes.
Its not cool to be a picky eater. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and strode forward, and Erukana began giggling away boisterously while wrapping her arms around his neck.
My darling, youre so manly. (Erukana)
....Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should he say her reactions were just too one note, regardless of what he did? Well, that was one good point about Erukana, anyways.
With her tagging along on his back, Yi Ji-Hyuk walked towards therge mass of Mana.
H-mmm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A familiar scent of Mana wafted in.
It was a bit difficult to pinpoint exactly what was so familiar about it, but this Mana certainly gave him the impression that he got in a tangle with it in the past. Which meant the source of this Mana would be a ce hed been before....
....Berafe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If that was the case, then he could understand it, but the monsters that came out from the Gates werent found in Berafe.
Sure, some monsters from that world was mixed in among the horde, but in all honesty, the majority of them were types he hadnt seen before.
In that case, just where were these creaturesing from?
Howplicated. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He slowly shook his head.
This feeling of something unfolding with him in the centre C he had felt it a while ago. But, as the feeling slowly turned into a certainty, the mystery was deepening, instead.
The biggest contributing factor here for his confusion was that there was nothing to gain by targetting him like this.
If he was some kind of a legendary Dragon possessing a fabled Dragon Heart, then sure, why not. But what would the other party gain by investing in him like this?
Maybe its a god whos in love with me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, its time for your medicine. (Erukana)
...I hope its the vitamins?
You aint talking about some psychoactive chemicals or something, right? Erukana? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked again and approached the mass of Mana.
Its pretty huge. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He thought this might be his first time seeing Mana coagte like this and give rise to a physical form. A high-density lump of Mana that easily rivalled the dark Mana Yi Ji-Hyuk condensed and used was buzzing about in the air, its size as big as a house.
This is kinda heavy load, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He formed a somewhat serious expression.
Darling, you might get indigestion from this. (Erukana)
H-mm, well, stay back for a minute, Erukana. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Erukana)
Such pure Mana was indeed kind of like poison to someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk or her who used dark Mana.
Is that guy trying to assassinate me by feeding me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He thought that such a method would be pretty smart, and extended his hand out to the Mana.
Drain.
< 290. Well, lets see if they can sort it out, then -5 > Fin.
Chapter 291: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (1)
Chapter 291: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (1)
Drain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began sucking in the mass of Mana. Its concentration was so high that rather than regr Mana, it felt like apletely different something else, instead.
Keuh-euh-euhk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He gritted his teeth. The pure Mana dug into his body and shed against the dark Mana residing within him.
Wu-euhph. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He bit down hard on his lip.
It felt like a bomb had gone off inside.
The magical energy endlessly flowed in and repeatedly wrecked, cut apart, and blew up his innards. The continuous shes caused impact ripples to explode out from his body.
Darling! (Erukana)
Erukana sensed Yi Ji-Hyuks current condition and tried to approach him, but stopped herself. She remembered that interfering now would only endanger him even further so she couldnt do anything.
She was well aware of how dangerous the collision of two Manas possessing opposing qualities could be.
Not only that, Mana inside Yi Ji-Hyuk and the new Mana being sucked in were just toorge to be stored in a persons body.
Once both Manasbined into one, the total amount should easily exceed what a high-ranking Demon King possessed. Such Manas were busy colliding inside his body, so it was already a miracle that he wasnt ripped into pieces by now.
If she was talking about the sturdy physique of a demon king, fine, but Yi Ji-Hyuks body still remained within the physical constraints of a human being. Even if he came back to Earth and acquired Ether which in turn reinforced his body somewhat, it was still a humans body at the end of the day.
Even the best body reinforcement type in the world, Park Seong-Chan, was only on the level of scraps of paper easily torn apart by a single demon king.
Darling.... (Erukana)
Erukana looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk with worry-filled eyes.
She shouldve stopped this when considering the pain hed suffer and the danger hed be under, but she couldnt do that. As the boundary between Earth and the demon world grew unstable, ones weakness would eventually be the slowly-tightening noose.
He needed to regain at least half of his former strength if he wanted to have any chance of survival.
She knew that, so she couldnt stop him at all.
Keuh-euh-euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body finally couldnt endure the reaction and began rupturing in ces.
Lizaaaard!! (Erukana)
Erukana yelled out loudly, and Affeldrichae practically flew to her side.
Heal him. (Erukana)
But.... (Affeldrichae)
Cant you see its already shing inside him? (Erukana)
Understood. (Affeldrichae)
Now normally, Yi Ji-Hyuks body would be destroyed by doing that, but the light and dark Manas were already busy colliding inside his body. He was crumbling away anyway, so a little extra injection of light Mana wouldnt change the matters.
Affeldrichae understood what Erukana was saying here and quickly cast Heal on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mister Ji-Hyuk, be strong. (Affeldrichae)
This was all she could do.
Pah-aaaht!
His temple ruptured and blood spewed out like a fountain.
The crimson blood sttered on Erukanas face but she didnt back away one step and continued to observe him, both of her eyes wide open.
Keuk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
Is this really meant to kill me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If someone set this trap up knowing that Yi Ji-Hyuk would try to absorb this Mana, then it should be called a truly inspired effort, thats for sure. The concentration of Mana exceeding his prior estimation rushed into his body as soon as he began absorbing it.
This energy was so highly concentrated that he couldnt end Drain midway even though his body was rapidly filling up. Sure, it might be rather inefficient way to kill him, but it was also pretty logical, too.
He knew that his theory was nonsense, but that was how critical the condition of his body currently was.
The two Manas that could easily blow up Seoul in its entirety if they collided in the open were busy headbutting each other inside his body. Without his exacting control over Mana gained through near-infinite amount of experience, hed have died after his flesh exploded to bits by now.
A very precarious walking on a tightrope situation was currently unfolding.
....Can he continue to withstand it? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae asked but that only elicited a sharp retort from Erukana, instead.
How should I know, you dumb cow?! (Erukana)
.........
Although her expression remained the same, Erukana was deeply anxious inside, as well.
Affeldrichae studied Yi Ji-Hyuk with worried concentration.
It was almost impossible to absorb into ones body two disparate types of Manas that attacked each other. Even if that person was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He was quickly converting all regr Mana entering him to dark Mana and stored them. The problem with doing that was he needed to ept the light Mana continuously in his body.
Wu-du-duk....
Yi Ji-Hyuks tightly clenched teeth were breaking under the pressure.
His flesh was rupturing, his bones couldnt endure against the pressure and turned to powder, but all of his wounds were healed by Affeldrichaes magic C only for the cycle to repeat again and again.
What about his mind? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae urgently shouted out.
His mind will break first! This has already gone past the level of what a human can endure! He no longer enjoys an immortal body, too! (Affeldrichae)
I know, so shut up. (Erukana)
Erukana-nim! (Affeldrichae)
I said, shut up! (Erukana)
Killing intent was thickly permeating Erukanas voice.
A lizard dares to question my hubbys mental fortitude? (Erukana)
.........
As a human, he managed to climb up to the position of a demon king. No human alive couldve done that regardless of fixed body state or not. He possesses a powerful mind that the likes of you cant even fathom so keep your mouth shut and just watch. (Erukana)
Affeldrichae bit her lower lip.
She was well aware of how strong Yi Ji-Hyuks mind was. She had spent much more time with him than anyone else, after all.
However, now wasnt the time to blindly ce ones faith.
He was no longer the same man from the past who could immediately recover from whatever injuries he had suffered. His body was currently being maintained by Affeldrichaes healing magic. Even then, every repeated cycle of suffering and healing ced a heavy load on his mental state.
A regr person wouldve already died in shock in less than one second from pure pain alone, yet she had to simply watch and do nothing?
No need to worry. (Erukana)
Erukana spoke in a low, gloomy voice.
Hes not a weak man. I wouldnt have fallen for such a man, anyway. (Erukana)
Her sharp eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
However, her hands were trembling ever so faintly.
*
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk became aware of something.
Did I ck out for a moment there? Why do I feel so numb?
N-no, hang on a minute....
Why cant I see anything? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to move his body.
At the same time, indescribable pain assaulted him.
Keuh-heuk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Instantly, the memories he momentarily forgot rushed back in and he mped his mouth shut. However, a fountain of blood welling up from his innards forced his lips open and still poured out, anyway.
H-hey, wont I die at this rate? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If there was a scale indicating the bnce between life and death, it should be tilting a lot towards thetter right about now.
How embarrassing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt sure if his words came out correctly. His eyeballs had ruptured and perhaps his eardrums were gone too, because he couldnt see or hear anything.
Even then, he increased the rate of Mana absorption.
Bones in his hand dragging in the Mana couldnt endure and began to crumble to powder. Pain so severe that his lips parted all on their own rushed in, but well, he had already experienced such pain countless times before.
One would never get used to pain, sure, but still, his threshold was higher than everyon elses. As the amount of Mana entering his body increased, he thought he could hear thunderps going off inside his already-deafened ears.
He gritted his teeth and forcefully converted all Mana entering him to dark magical energy.
He continued to pile on more and more dark Mana, and soon enough, it began devouring the regr Mana entering his body.
Whew-woo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It had stabilised.
Once the dark Mana in his body grewrger than that of the iing regr Mana, he could absorb and convert thetter without experiencing a great deal of pain.
Ouch! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, Mana that didnt belong anywhere suddenly stabbed him in the side to stimte his pain sensors. His now-healed eyes shifted to the side to discover Affeldrichae pouring in healing magic.
Stop! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He waved his hand at her, and she lowered her hands.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Her expression was rather unreadable.
I didnt know that lizard woman could make a face like that.
Shes almost a human now, isnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked before addressing her.
Well, you might even start crying at this rate? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you know you almost died just now? (Affeldrichae)
I wouldnt die from something like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He almost did die, though.
He shook his head and after locking his gaze on the lump of Mana that had shrunken down to the size of a basketball, he gritted his teeth.
I dont know which insane b*stard sent me this, but well, if this was a n to get rid of me, what a cool scheme it was. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One little mistake, and hed have really died.
Unlike the attacks from demon kings that injured him on the outside, this was happening within his body. If he wasnt careful, his flesh would explode into bits and pieces, turning into meat chunks that not even healing magic could do anything about.
Darling, are you alright? (Erukana)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly nodded his head.
Forget about being alright, he felt as if he could fly now C the slight exaggeration fully intentional, of course.
Although the differing nature did cause him a bit of trouble, it was still true that he managed to get his hands on an enormous amount of Mana today.
How long has it been since I sensed this much Mana in me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd be the first time since arriving on Earth, at least.
Yi Ji-Hyuk checked the nooks and crannies of his body and nodded his head. Being unable to replenish his supply again was a fatal shoring, sure, but with this much Mana, he should be able to deal with a regr demon king all by himself.
Its a good end result, but still..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the disappearing Gates, his eyes quietly gleaming.
Those Gates were created with me as the target. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With this much, it should be fine toe to a conclusion based only on suspicions.
Not just the fact that many Gates opened up at the same time, but what came out from them were exactly the same, too C and also the fact that the only two creatures capable of wielding Mana on this were just him and Affeldrichae.
When considering all those facts, the end result should be clear.
But, I just dont get the purpose behind it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Why was the other party doing this?
Was it really to kill him?
If that was the case, then this method was just too inefficient. When thinking about the amount of energy the other side had to sacrifice while trying to send this much Mana over here, then it simply made no bloody sense. No sane person out there would want to swallow such massive losses for a method with an uncertain sess rate.
Theres definitely something Ive overlooked.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, hed not get any answers. For now, he needed to take care of the mess before his eyes first and wait. The other side would eventually seek him out, either due to good intentions or animosity.
He only needed to deal with it when that time came.
Choi Jeong-Hoon had walked closer by then, and he tried to engage Yi Ji-Hyuk in a conversation.
How are you feeling? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Where have you been? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, I was worried that you might explode, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ahhh. You were far away because you were worried about getting blood on your clothes. What a neat freak. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe. Thats not true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I heard that people supposedly dont find their own blood dirty, so should we really find out with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sorry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly changed the topic.
Can you resolve that side now, please? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That side? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, the North. If a monster horde of that magnitude rampages about..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, that. Youre right, but..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks smirk caused Choi Jeong-Hoon to shiver in anxiety.
Im starving, so lets grab a bite to eat first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, I want a hamburger. (Erukana)
.........
Choi Jeong-Hoon nced at the distant dust clouds to the north.
Sorry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I did my best, you know.
No, really.
< 291. Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 292: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (2)
Chapter 292: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (2)
Crade general! (adjutant)
The Commanding Officer of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Joseon, General Kim Ryong-Seong, simply couldnt regain his wits from all the countless iing radio calls inundating him.
What the hell are you talking about?! Gimme a straight-forward report!! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
M-monsters are advancing up north from the south, sir! (adjutant)
I asked you what the hell youre talking about! The boys from the brigade is down south, so how can monsters advance up north?! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
There are too many monsters, ording to the report, sir! (adjutant)
Rhee Jin-Cheol!! Where is Rhee Jin-Cheol?! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The report from Senior Colonel Rhee Jin-Cheol states that his team has abandoned the defensive line and they are currently retreating, sir! (adjutant)
That stinking son of a b*tch!! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong mmed themanders baton hard on the ground and yanked his pistol out.
Where is that b*stard right now?? Im going to put a hole in that b*stards head! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Comrade General, please calm down, sir. N-now isnt the time for such actions. If the Comrade Chairman gets wind of this news, then all of us will be holding our funerals today. (adjutant)
Kim Ryong-Seong finally regained his wits after hearing the words Comrade and Chairman. His body shuddered grandly next. Indeed, if his dearrade leader heard about this news, the General would be suspected of ipetence, instead.
Exin the situation in detail. Just how many monsters are we talking about? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Its impossible to urately count the numbers, but ording to the report, more than enough to fill up ones vision, sir. (adjutant)
Are they strong? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Bullets apparently dont work on them. S-sir, even the ability users are said to be helpless against them. (adjutant)
Kim Ryong-Seongsplexion turned blue next. He had finally recognised the severity of the situation. At this rate, those monsters would invade even Pyongyang.
If that happens, everything would be over.
The moment their ruling ss system densely spread out the country with Pyongyang as its centre was destroyed, then Joseon would not be able to maintain a semnce of a functioning nation anymore.
I-I must speak to the Comrade Minister of Defence. N-no. I shall go and meet Comrade Vice Marshal personally. Connect me through. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Understood, sir. (adjutant)
Kim Ryong-Seong anxiously waited for the phone to connect.
Comrade Vice Marshal. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
C What have you called me for? (Vice Marshal)
Arge horde of monsters are flooding in from the South,rade. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
C What was that? What are you talking about?? Give me a proper exnation,rade!! (Vice Marshal)
Well, uh, didnt Gates appear where the Demarcation Line is? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
C Right, that happened. (Vice Marshal)
Far too many monsters have flooded out from there and our ability user brigade cant do anything about them. They are currently retreating, apparently. And all those monsters are advancing up north as we speak,rade. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
C How far have they reached? Where are those monsters now?? (Vice Marshal)
P-Pyongsan, sir. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
C Pyongsan?! Hey, you stupid son of a b*tch!! What did you just say to me?! Are you trying to imply that those monster b*stards will invade Pyongyang soon?? (Vice Marshal)
Thats correct, Comrade Vice Marshal. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
C F*cking son of a b*tch!! Where are you right now?! (Vice Marshal)
Please calm down, sir. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
C You think I can calm down? Ah?? Dont you get smart with me, you hear!! (Vice Marshal)
Kim Ryong-Seong couldnt reply and just sat there, cold sweat dripping from his body. He could definitely understand why the Vice Marshal was this furious. Because, he too could barely hold back his own anger at the moment.
C For the time being, Ill ry the news to Comrade Chairman, so in the meantime, you do whatever you can to defend Pyongyang. The moment a single monster sets foot in the city, youll lose your stinking head! (Vice Marshal)
Ill remember that, sir. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
C Im hanging up. (Vice Marshal)
Kim Ryong-Seong ended the call and wiped the trickling sweat off his forehead.
Mobilise every singlebatant you can find and defend the route up to the capital. Right now!! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Sir! (adjutant)
Kim Ryong-Seong watched the adjutant hurriedly dash outside the office and grabbed the sleeve tightly.
Could they be able to stop the monsters by mobilising all of their avablebat force? How should they stop them when even bullets didnt work??
His sighs grew lengthier.
*
What did you say? (Kim Jung-XX)
Some said that ones enjoying the greatest authority among the Norths elites had to be the Minister of Defence and the Vice Marshal. And in actuality, they could be described as the nucleus of North Koreas power structure.
Their power was so almighty that it might figuratively shoot down a flying bird, and even if they chose to suddenly execute some people, those on the chopping block wouldnt dare to question their guilt.
But then, such a man in the almighty position of power called Vice Marshal, Choi Myeong-Hae, was currently standing straight at attention, unable to wipe away the trickling sweat covering his face. Sweat from his forehead got in his eyes and it stung, but he had little room to mind it at the moment.
If he conducted himself just a bit poorly here, then everything he had achieved so far in his life would go down the drain in an instant. A minor mistake or even small failure wouldnt shake his foundation at all, but the current situation was just too different.
More importantly, the fact that this matter could annoy the man before his eyes proved to be the worst thing ever.
Well, this man was renowned for his sensitivity towards his own safety, after all.
S-sir, monsters emerging from the Gates that appeared near the division line between us and South Joseon are all currently heading towards Pyongyang. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
What was it that you said before? Didnt you say youll send Peoples ability user brigade over there or something? (Kim Jung-XX)
T-that I did, sir. However, those d*mn reactionaries are refusing to die an honourable death under the glorious g of the Democratic Peoples Republic, and I heard that they are currently retreating, sir! (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Retreating? (Kim Jung-XX)
Please forgive us!! (Choi Myeong-Hae)
The man who was the Supreme Leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Joseon, the Chairman of the Workers Party of Joseon, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of North Korea, slowly raised his rather chubby body up from behind his desk.
Did you just ask me to forgive you? (Kim Jung-XX)
C-Comrade Chairman. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
How long ago was it when you loudly proimed that youll take full responsibility and deal with this situation? But now that things have gone wrong, you want me to forgive you? (Kim Jung-XX)
It was beyond our control. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Not because your loyalty to the Party was inadequate? (Kim Jung-XX)
C-Comrade Chairman!! (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Choi Myeong-Hae immediately knelt down on the floor.
Sir, offering up my measly life isnt hard at all. If you tell me to die because Im ipetent, Ill dly do so. However, I feel truly wronged that my loyalty to the Party is being questioned, sir. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
H-mm. (Kim Jung-XX)
If you order me to die, then I shall. If you order me to defend, then I shall do so. My loyalty has not changed. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Stand up. (Kim Jung-XX)
Comrade Chairman. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
I said, stand back up. (Kim Jung-XX)
I-I thank you. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
No need to thank me. However, Comrade Vice Marshal. (Kim Jung-XX)
Yes, Comrade Chairman. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Do whatever it takes to stop them. Remember that if Pyongyang is overrun, then the whole Republic will be overrun, too. (Kim Jung-XX)
I shall remember, sir. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
The Supreme Leader quietly stared at the Vice Marshal before opening his lips again.
I told you specifically to do... What. Ever. It. Takes. (Kim Jung-XX)
....I understand. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Then, leave me. (Kim Jung-XX)
I shall be on my way, sir. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Choi Myeong-Hae escaped from the office and spat out a lengthy sigh.
Its still attached. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
He stroked his own neck. He felt thankful for his head still attached in the right ce every time he had to enter and leave that d*mn office.
Back when the Leader was still a younger man, he seemed to have some semnce of sanity, but after he rose to power, he began changing noticeably and now, he had transformed into someone quite unpredictable.
But then again, here was a guy who blew up his own aunts husband with a bazooka, so how could anyone expect any sort ofpassion from him?
He gained power at a young age, so he probably isnt scared of anything. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
What a sad thing it was, having his life and that of all the citizens currently held as coteral in said young mans hands.
Did he say that I must do whatever it takes to stop them? (Choi Myeong-Hae)
All thanks to that useless pride of his, the dear Leader neglected to mention what he exactly meant by whatever it takes.
How deting. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Choi Myeong-Hae shook his head. He then raised his radio and issued a new order.
Convene the supreme council. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
His steps taking him to the conference chamber looked energyless for some reason.
*
What is the meaning of this??
Calm down. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Didnt you say that Pyongyang is in danger? So, how can I.....
I told you to calm down. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
....My apologies.
Others didnt try to open their lips, but displeasure was writ oh-sorge in their faces.
God d*mn pigs. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Vice Marshal Choi Myeong-Hae felt his innards twist to knots while watching these greasy-belliedzy fools that usually lounged around the whole day, suddenly sshing around noisily just because some water rose up to their ankles.
Comrade Vice Marshal.
Please speak, Comrade Standing Committee Chairman. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Just what is going on with the situation?
Kim Ryong-Seong dry coughed.
Currently, monsters are advancing towards Pyongyang. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
You think I didnt know that when I asked you?! Im asking if theres been any sort of countermeasures nned for this!! A d*mn countermeasure!!
Actually.... (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Choi Myeong-Hae fanned himself with his hand. For some reason, his face was getting heated up from a while ago.
Ive been told that its difficult to stop them. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
What was that?!
The Chairman of the Standing Committee shot up from his seat.
You, you stupid motherf*ckers, is that something you should say in this ce?!
Please, calm yourself. That isnt my jurisdiction. No, this is a matter for the Minister of Defence. I merely convened this meeting after finishing my report to Comrade Chairman. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
So where is the Minister of Defence b*****d, then?
Comrade Minister is out by the location. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Commander General, what is going on here? Youve been sucking out as much benefits as you can thanks to the Partys blessings, so you better not be thinking of giving up now that were in a dangerous situation.
Comrade, honestly speaking, its really difficult. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
You stinking son of a b*tch!!
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, Jeong Byeong-Seo, shot up from his seat and yanked his pistol out.
Is that something you should say?! All of you, your loyalty to the Party has hit the rock bottom! Today, I shall put a d*mn bullet in the heads of every son of a b*tch in this ce!! (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Calm down.
Getting angry will not solve this situation,rade!!
What did you say?! (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo panted angrily for a while, but he couldnt fire his pistol in the end. He knew that, if any of these men were to go missing and leave a void during the current crisis, then the ensuing event could flow in an unpredictable and uncontroble direction.
Comrade State Affairs Commission Chairman. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Speak,rade. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Comrade Chairman has said something to me. (Choi Myeon-Hae)
Comrade Chairman has? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Yes, thats correct. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
What did he say, then? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
He said that we need to do whatever it takes to prevent the monsters from entering Pyongyang. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
So what of it? Isnt that something obvious? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The thing is, Comrade Chairman emphasized the whatever it takes part. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
What... ever it takes, is it? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Thats right. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
Jeong Byeong-Seo swallowed back his moan.
If the dear Supreme Leader said that, then he definitely was implying something there. He had been assisting the Norths top ruler for so many years now, so how could he not realise such a simple truth?
So, what youre saying here is that our Supreme Leader deemed it impossible to protect Pyongyang in the same manner weve been employing until now? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
How can a meremon man such as myselfprehend the deeper meaning of our truly keen Supreme Leader? I only brought it up, hoping that someone of your calibre, Comrade Chairman of State Affairs, might be able to guess his true intentions. (Choi Myeong-Hae)
What a stinking b*stard. Did you oil your tongue beforeing here? Stop with your antics right this instance. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo holstered his pistol and settled back down.
...What a stinking situation this is. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
If Pyongyang was to be destroyed, then so would the Peoples Republic. Indeed, at least 80% of this nation was basically Pyongyang.
Even if the citizens were to be evacuated, the moment all the infrastructure of the capital was destroyed, Democratic Peoples Republic would no longer function like a republic anymore.
In that case, we better do whatever it takes. All of you fools, why dont you tell me this? What do you think our Comrade Supreme Leader was trying to tell us? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
.........
No one opened their mouths.
They knew that if they carelessly tried to guess what their Supreme Leader was implying only for him to have a change of heartter, then there was a real possibility of their whole family getting crushed in an instant. So, no one dared to say something.
Did you all ther glue on your lips or something? Anyone unwilling to open their mouth, allow me to put a new hole in there for you. Now, speak. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo red at everyone else, which led to the Commander General to say something finally.
Comrade. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
I said, speak your opinion. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
If Im honest with you, sir, this matter is too tough to solve with our powers alone. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
What was that, you b*stard?! How dare you say that?! (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Lets look at our reality. Both the Yankees and even the Chinese cant solve their problems alone and shamefully have to go begging for help from another nation. No matter how glorious our Democratic Republic is, we cant do everything all on our own, no? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
So? Are you suggesting we behave like the d*mn Yankees? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Even China is doing the same, isnt it, sir? I hear Russia is the same story, too. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
....Fine. Continue. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
So, shouldnt we also ask for assistance? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
From whom? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Silence descended in the chamber.
Everyone already knew where, but they simply dared not to mention it.
And then... they began ncing at each other, instead.
< 292. Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 293: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (3)
Chapter 293: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (3)
What are you talking about? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo continued on in a puzzled voice.
The thing was, though, a person dumb enough not to immediately figure out what the Commander General was saying would never be able to hold on to their position of power.
Even then, the sole reason why he pretended to not understand was because North Koreas thin ice sheet-like political world. As befitting a sly, wily fox who survived such a treacherousndscape, he was trying to shut out the potential headache at its source.
Its as the words imply,rade.
Didnt I ask you what they mean? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo now urged on with an annoyed voice next.
The Commander General swallowed back his dry saliva. Just one wrong word here, and everything woulde crashing down. He couldnt even guarantee that he wont get dragged away to the State Security Department and get branded as a reactionary.
I gotta be careful here.
Honestly speaking, what does someone like me know? We simply follow themands of our glorious Comrade Chairman, thats all.
What did he say, then? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
During thest party caucus, our dear Comrade Chairman told us to learn from those Yankee regional hegemony seekers if there is something to learn.
That he did. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Since thats the case, Im merely suggesting that we simply copy those b*stards response tactics. Didnt the Chinese also call South Joseon and ask for their help?
Did you just say South Joseon? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Clear droplets of sweat formed on the Generals forehead.
For the sake of the continued welfare of our Democratic Peoples Republic, shouldnt we use them appropriately?
Use them appropriately, is it? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo raised his head, clearly intrigued by the idea.
Thats correct,rade. Those fools always harp on anxiously about how were all one people and other nonsense like that, dont they? So, we lead them on by saying, lets fight together as one people for real.
H-mm.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo nodded his head.
It was amendable choice of words, saying that they should fight together as one people C the Norths pride wouldnt be damaged with that, for sure.
Still, will those shameless selfish capitalist foolse and fight with us? And, if we were to fight alongside someone else, we should call China or Russia instead. Why should we talk to the South Joseon b*stards? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The facial muscles of the Commander General twitched.
Did this man ask that because he really didnt know?
Comrade Chairman of the Standing Committee. Both China and Russia call South Joseon if something happens to them.
What are you talking about?? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The General quietly stared at Jeong Byeong-Seo.
Could it be that this guy really didnt know?
This man, Jeong Byeong-Seo, was sometimes referred to as the dog of Kim Il-Sung, for his incredible loyalty resembling that of a dog towards the three generations of the Kim family. Everyone knew that the older generations of high-ranking leaders from the Workers Party were hard-headed fools, but still, how was it possible for him to hold onto the position of Chairman of the Standing Committee without knowing a thing about the current state of international rtions?
Well, there is a man named Rhee Ji-Hyuk in South Joseon, you see?
Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Thats correct,rade.
And who the hell is this Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The General spat out a lengthy groan.
It was unimaginable to groan in front of the Chairman of the Standing Committee, but at least in this very moment, he simply couldnt help it.
Hes the number one ability user in South Joseon. The rumour goes that hes a seriously incredible individual.
Are you suggesting that we reach out to South Joseon just because of that one man? Are you mad? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Comrade Chairman of the Standing Committee. Rather than getting agitated, I suggest that you give the Chinese a call first. Didnt Rhee Ji-Hyuk show up to help when a giant monster appeared and caused all sorts of mayhem in China?
Are you telling me the truth? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Were not in a situation where I can freely lie to you,rade. The truth would be exposed with one phone call, so Im not crazy enough to mutter a lie to you.
Well, thats true.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo tilted his head.
China requested assistance from South Joseon?
ording to his notion of the world, China was a superpower, while South Joseon was, while moderately well-off, a vassal state of the Yankees that always was too busy sucking up to their paymasters.
Yet, China requested help from such South Joseon?
Just because of that b*stard named Rhee Ji-Hyuk?
Who the hell is this Rhee Ji-Hyuk, really? (Rhee Ji-Hyuk)
I already told you. Hes the number one ability user in South Joseon. No, make that undisputed under the heavens.
Are you telling me that the greatest ability user in existence is currently living in South Joseon? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Thats correct,rade.
Jeong Byeong-Seo suddenly felt weirded out.
He felt somewhat content, but at the same time, he felt dissatisfied and his stomach ached. While feeling such aplicated mess of emotions, he opened his mouth.
Is that confirmed already? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Have you been lied to all your life? If I was wrong, then you can throw me inside the re-education centre.
M-mm..... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
If he was prepared to go that far, then it mustve been true.
Howe I havent heard anything about this matter? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Why are you asking me that,rade?
Mm, well, fine. Got it. So, lets see. If that Rhee Ji-Hyuk shows up, then this situation will be resolved for sure? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
I heard that theres nothing he cant do. So much so that when that crisis broke out in America, the Yankees hounded the South Joseon fools all day long while asking for Rhee Ji-Hyuk this and Rhee Ji-Hyuk that.
Huhuh. The more I hear it, the stranger it gets. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo slowly shook his head.
Okay, so what youre saying is, the best option avable for us is to work together with South Joseon and defeat the monsters, is that it? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Thats correct,rade.
What are your thoughts,rades? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Others quietly observing Jeong Byeong-Seos moods until then finally chimed in.
From what I hear, thatrade from South Joseon is seriously powerful, sir.
Hes also famous in China, too.
Its just that we werent allowed to bring it up but well, he must be the most famous person in the whole world right now.
Jeong Byeong-Seo replied in sheer dumbfoundedness.
What the hell? You all knew? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
We hear his name way too many times when were overseas, so its impossible not to know about him, you see.
Hmm, fine. Got it. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo nodded his head.
If the opinions of everyone else aligned with the Commander Generals, then the skillset of this Rhee Ji-Hyuk must be a guaranteed thing, at least.
However.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo spoke in a slightly-unconvinced tone of voice.
Regardless of what, wouldnt us reaching out to South Joseons ability user be seen as an admission of our inability to deal with this crisis? What will other countries think of us, then? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Its not necessarily true that theyll think of us in a negative way. Well, didnt China also request for assistance? Its definitely not a shameful matter.
How can us reaching out to South Joseon not be a shameful matter?! (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The General Chief of Staff lowered his head and inwardly clicked his tongue.
This d*mn senile fool was throwing a tantrum again.
This guy, he knew there was no other way, yet just in case things went wrong, he was busy creating an exit for himself and in the process, didnt even hesitate to throw everyone else under the bus. But then again, hed been doing this for the past five decades or so, and that was precisely the reason why he managed to survive this hostile environment.
In that case, why dont we ask Comrade Chairman?
You want to bother Comrade Chairman with something like this? Have you gone insane?? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Then....?
He doesnt even have enough time to look after his health while leading our glorious nation, yet you wish to burden our dear Comrade Chairman with matters like this one, too? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
I was being an inconsiderate fool. Please forgive me.
The General gritted his teeth inwardly.
You scheming geezer.
He probably didnt want to be the one at the pointy end of Comrade Chairmans ire when this subject were to be brought up. This geezer made it this far and became the one referred to as Comrade Chairmans right hand man by relying on this very tactic, after all.
Its not the right hand, but a dog, though.
Realistically speaking, defending Pyongyang will be difficult without this method.
Are you implying that our glorious North Korean Peoples Army cant handle some weak monsters? You think youre making any sense right now? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
We can deal with them, sure.
Okay, what then? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The General drove the final nail in.
However, if our defensive line is breached in an unlikely scenario and those monsters invade Pyongyang and then, proceed to defile our Kumsusan Pce of the Sun....
You stupid son of a b*tch! What the hell are you even saying?! Dont you dare run off your piehole! (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Even if its unlikely, all of our heads will literally roll if something like that happens,rade. You know this.
You stinking.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo panted like an enraged bull.
However, the Commander General didnt miss the fact that Jeong Byeong-Soos eyes were trembling ever so slightly amidst all that rising steam.
Comrade Chairman of the Standing Committee.
.......
Objectively speaking, we cant stop the monsters. If the South Joseon fools dont help us, well all be purged before they even reach Pyongyang. Shouldnt we try to survive at any cost?
M-m-mm.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
In the end, Jeong Byeong-Soo had no choice but to nod his head.
The grave sin of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun being defiled by the monsters couldnt be washed away with his death. In the Democratic Peoples Republic, the failure to defend the Kumsusan was a crime that couldnt be forgiven even if hundreds upon hundreds were beheaded.
....Contact them. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
You mean, South Joseon,rade?
This..... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo gritted his teeth before nodding his head.
Thats right. Contact South Joseon. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Youve made the courageous decision,rade.
The General stood up and began pping his hands. That prompted the others to stand and p, as well.
This d*mn b*stard..... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
With this, the responsible party for the go-ahead to contact South Joseon had been set as Jeong Byeong-Seo. He too was acutely aware of this fact so he began gritting his teeth.
Once this matters settled, Ill make sure to purge all of you lot.
No one knew of his inner pledge at that moment, of course.
By the way.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Yes,rade?
Where is thatrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk right now? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Uh....
The Commander General tilted his head and replied.
Well, hes arade from South Joseon, so shouldnt he be in South Joseon right now?
You think so? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The General quietly shut his mouth.
With this, Jeong Byeong-Seo was handed all responsibility for attracting Yi Ji-Hyuk here.
If it was known at ater stage that Yi Ji-Hyuk was responsible for driving all those monsters into North Korea in the first ce, then Jeong Byeong-Seo would be met with a truly enormous level of sh*tstorm.
Well, it was the way of North Koreans to keep their mouths shut when things were going well, but start pouncing and biting like a pack of wild dogs under the pretext of finding faults when everything was over. Thats how they operated.
Old man, youve been at this for far too long.
The General Chief of Staff grinned in a slimy way.
*
My burgers! (Erukana)
Erukana smiled in happiness as she stared at the pile of burgers in front of her. That smile was so seductive that Choi Jeong-Hoon momentarily lost his bearings once more.
Oops!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A huge mistake!
He quickly ced his hand behind his back to protect himself. A back smash should being soon, so....
....Ng? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why wasnt there any impact?
Smack!
Keuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was then, hellish pain suddenly tore through Choi Jeong-Hoons shin.
Keuh-euh-euhk... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He couldnt win against this severe, breathless pain and while grabbing onto the table, he doubled over.
Oh, my? You must be feeling tired. (Seo Ah-Young)
Keuh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Tears welled up in Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes.
She had urately attacked his shin with her high heel.
Whats the matter with this ahjussi now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Dunno? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min, oblivious to it all, tilted their heads in puzzlement. Seeing a dude suddenly double over crying while holding onto the table made them wonder if he was recalling his failed first love or something.
Darling, this tastes so good. (Erukana)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Try it! Try! Darling. (Erukana)
....You enjoy yourself first, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There, say ah~~. (Erukana)
Burgers rushed into his mouth so he tried to dodge them, but in the end, he couldnt win.
What a strange feeling this was, Yi Ji-Hyuk thought.
She certainly was looking out for him, sure, but....
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew how big the disy of affection this was when someone was feeding you their favourite food first. What bummed him out though, was the method of affection, and the person expressing it just so happened to be Erukana.
The plus, and also very scary, point about her was that she couldnt wait to treat him grandly even after seeing each others mug for a thousand years when his mother had already grown sick and tired of his antics in a few weeks.
By the way, is it okay for us to be here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon finally managed to raise his head and asked, sounding anxious in the process.
Well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear and replied.
Theyll call us if things get hectic. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wasnt as if roaming on their phones was for show only, anyway.
Choi Jeong-Hoon dazedly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Didnt you make that mess in the first ce?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yet you even hopped over to America just to eat a d*mn burger!
But.... It tastes good! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Just as Choi Jeong-Hoon was moved to tears by the exquisite taste of the triple cheese burger in his mouth, his phone began ringing violently.
< 293. Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 294: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (4)
Chapter 294: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (4)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at his phone while forming a less-than-impressed expression.
You wont even give me enough time to eat a burger.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, thats the life of a civil servant, I guess.
No, hang on a minute. Most regr civil servants arent like this, are they?
I mustve developed a strange prejudice of the world after never experiencing what its like to go home on time as a civil servant. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon helplessly shook his head and picked up the phone.
M-mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The number of his superior, the Director of the KSF, showed up on the phones disy. Although, that position had be more of an in title only after Yi Ji-Hyuk started rampaging about.
Did we get found out? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He was thinking that it was only a matter of time before they were found out since the incident this time was just too big in scale, but he didnt expect it to be this quick. Hed soon be subjected to a nasty bomb of nagging and scolding from here onwards.
He always had to put out the fires he didnt even start in the first ce, so he didnt mind it at all, usually. But, for today, he felt especially wronged for some reason. He spat out a groan and answered the call.
Yes, this is Choi Jeong-Hoon speaking.
He listened to the barrage of wordsing from the other side and tilted his head.
Yes, thats correct. Yes, yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He answered with a strange expression on his face before raising his head to look at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yes, hes currently with me.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Others couldnt figure Choi Jeong-Hoons reaction out and began tilting their heads, too.
Alright, I understand. Well talk to you once we get there. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended the call.
What was that about? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young asked first, but he simply carried this hard-to-describe expression on his face. He continued staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk for a bit, before finally opening his mouth.
So, uh, the thing is, the monsters Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has chased off are now marching towards Pyongyang. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pyongyang?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs expression hardened.
Even she could understand the severity of the monsters potentially destroying Pyongyang. It was the same story as destroying North Korea itself.
Okay, so whats happening now? (Seo Ah-Young)
The North Koreans have formed defensive lines, but unsurprisingly, they have failed to stop the monsters, it seems. Itd been very tough to fight back when those Gates opened one after another, so you can probably imagine how bad the current situation is after they opened up all at the same time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes, I guess so. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young too bore witness to the endless deluge of monsters with her own two eyes.
If it werent for Yi Ji-Hyuk, she wouldnt even dare to stop that flood and simply issue an order to retreat, instead. The North failing to stop the tide would present a serious problem, but even if they did manage to stop it, another big problem would present itself.
Im sure itll soon turn into a diplomatic nightmare, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Not only that, with a country that no one wanted to get involved with in this world. Considering that, one should realise how thoughtless Yi Ji-Hyuk had been to cause such an event.
Park Seong-Chan butted in just then.
However, I dont think itll be like that. (Park Seong-Chan)
Excuse me? (Seo Ah-Young)
I mean, if Pyongyang gets swept away, the North Korean b*stards will be crushed t, too. So what could possibly be a diplomatic problem in that case? Even the higher-ups wouldnt have anything to do, so well just swallow the North up without lifting a single finger. (Park Seong-Chan)
Do you really believe that the North Korean pigs will die because some monsters showed up? Theyll probably run away to save their skin before everyone else. (Seo Ah-Young)
Even then, they will suffer a heavy blow if Pyongyangs infrastructure is destroyed, right? They wont even have enough leeway to ask us forpensation or something. (Park Seong-Chan)
He seemed to make some sense with his words there.
Was Mister Park Seong-Chan always this smart? (Seo Ah-Young)
She mustve held a prejudice against him because he was a body reinforcement type. Of course, they werent friendly enough to share any meaningful conversation, so she couldnt have guessed his level of intellect, anyways.
Ehh.... Well, thats not it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was then, Choi Jeong-Hoon opened his mouth to speak, his voice sounding a bit embarrassed, prompting others to focus on him.
The North has responded with a rather unexpected move. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
An unexpected move? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, yes. Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He scratched his head as if he couldnt figure it out either before quietly finishing what he wanted to say.
It seems that, uh, the North Korean government has requested for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks dispatch. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Everyones head slowly shifted towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Up until then, he had been hoovering up many burgers as if he couldnt care any less about anything in this world. But even he couldnt swallow the mouthful of the cheeseburger he was chewing and look a bit dazed by this news.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
***
Things have be quite interesting. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The President of the Republic of Korea, Yun Yeong-Min, was smiling happily at this piece of good news tond on hisp in a long while.
To think that North Korea would reach out first.
When viewed from the diplomatic perspective, this had to be the biggest win in thest few decades. During those years, North Korea disyed hints of going along with the Souths reconciliation efforts, but how long had it been since thest time they lowered their heads first and asked for help?
As far as achievement went, one could say this was a monumental one.
What with South Koreas current international acim being so sky-high, Yun Yeong-Min could easily be recorded in the history books as the nations greatest president ever if he even managed to improve the rtionship with North Korea using this opportunity.
Those prideful North Koreans lowered their heads first, huh. (Yun Yeong-Min)
For a bunch of beggars, their pride was uselessly high. They constantly made everyone else oh-so tired by throwing regr tantrums like clockwork and tried to pick a fight whenever they saw an opening, yet to think, they would take this position first.
Could there be an event more refreshing than this one out there?
If only Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt involved, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
The Chief Secretary Park Du-Jin decided to rain on Yun Yeong-Mins happy parade just then.
Groan..... (Yun Yeong-Min)
The South Korean President got himself a sizeable psychological trauma after getting involved in Yi Ji-Hyuks affairs and couldnt do his job properly for a little while there. Understandably, he spat out a heavy groan after hearing that name.
Right. Youre right.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
All semnce of strength went missing from Yun Yeong-Mins voice. Just thinking of Yi Ji-Hyuk drained all vitality out from the Presidents body.
Right, Yi Ji-Hyuk is the problem. He is the problem..... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sorrow could be sensed from his voice now.
Why did the heavens bestow such powers to a guy like that....
Even if opportunities always apanied dangers, wasnt imbuing both into a single persons body the same thing as the heavens making fun of humanity?
If such abilities manifested in a person like Park Du-Jin in front of the Presidents eyes, then South Korea wouldve be the world-conquering nation by now. So, why did those abilities manifest in a scumbag of a person and in turn, gradually change Yun Yeong-Min into a wastrel himself?
....So, where is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk right now? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Weve contacted him through Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Park Du-Jin)
He actually answered the phone? (Yun Yeong-Min)
It seems so, since I received the word that they are in America right now. (Park Du-Jin)
America?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Apparently, they went over to get some burgers. (Park Du-Jin)
Yun Yeong-Min squeezed his eyes shut.
They actually wanted to eat bloody hamburgers in this emergency situation??
Do they travel over to the USA just to eat some burgers all the time?
How envio..... Ah, thats not it. (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
Yun Yeong-Min quickly took hold of his scattering mind.
Okay, so what did they say? Did he agree to be dispatched? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well, uh, the thing is.... (Park Du-Jin)
Please speak. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well, Ive been told that theylle here first to discuss it. (Park Du-Jin)
Yun Yeong-Min tilted his head.
What does he mean?
Here?
Okay, so.... (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
....He wants toe to the Blue House again?! (Yun Yeong-Min)
Thats correct, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Heeeeiiick?! (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min yelled out in pure fear.
N-no, why?! Why does he want toe here?! Why!! (Yun Yeong-Min)
S-sir, please calm down. Mister President! (Park Du-Jin)
How can I bloody calm down when that guy wants toe here?? Why dont you ask the American President?? Ask him if he can calm down when Yi Ji-Hyuk wants to go and speak to him!! (Yun Yeong-Min)
D*mn, I do understand where youreing from, but this... (Park Du-Jin)
....Youre supposed to be dignified as a nations leader, so dont you think this is way too much fuss? (Park Du-Jins inner monologue)
Park Du-Jin couldnt really tell whether Yun Yeong-Min was at fault for raising a huge fuss just because a certain man was supposed to show up soon, or Yi Ji-Hyuk was a seriously amazing man for making a nations President act this way.
S-so, what did you say in response? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well, how should I discourage someone who wants toe here, sir? And when we consider the severity of the situation, shouldnt someone on the level of Minister of Defense or Director of the National Intelligence Service be here so that the conversation can move forward meaningfully? (Park Du-Jin)
Groan.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
What a perfectly logical argument, that.
They were thinking about deploying the Republic of Koreas greatestbat force in North Korea, so they couldnt treat this lightly at all. Quite obviously, holders of Souths highest positions needed to butt heads and discuss this matter at length.
That was indeed correct, but...
Ive got a stomach ache, you see.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir, not this time. (Park Du-Jin)
But, it really hurts. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I shall prepare some painkillers and suitable medicine. (Park Du-Jin)
....Cant I get admitted to a hospital, instead? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir, no. (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin remained firm, and Yun Yeong-Min could only spit out a lengthy sigh.
Im the President! And I just want to take a short break! (Yun Yeong-Min)
If you insist, I can send Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk to your hospital room, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
.....Im sorry. Looks like I had momentarily let go of my rationality just now. Where were we regarding the previous topic? (Yun Yeong-Min)
We were discussing the uing meeting, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head, his expression bitter.
Please call and tell every rted party to be ready, from the ministers of the rted ministries as well as high-level executives. (Yun Yeong-Min)
There is a slight problem, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
What is it now? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Ive already tried to call the Ministers, but even before I could mention Yi Ji-Hyuk, the Foreign Affairs Minister dropped the call and is currently staying under the radar, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
....Again? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Yun Yeong-Min shook his head.
Ill remove him from the office, then. Pick a fresh blood, as it were. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Is it negligence of his duties, sir? (Park Du-Jin)
No. Im just p*ssed off, thats all. (Yun Yeong-Min)
...........
That cheap son of a b*tch, running away by himself alone. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Park Du-Jin realised the in truth once more that you simply couldnt hold a normal conversation with his boss as long as Yi Ji-Hyuk was involved on some level, and nodded his head in eptance.
In any case, itll be done, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Okay, do that. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Oh, and also, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Please speak. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Should we inform the mass media regarding this situation? Reporters sensing a potential story are sniffing around more and more, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Block them. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Therell be a limit to that, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
.....So, are you nning to let Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks face show up in the main news bulletins on TV? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Park Du-Jin shook his head with a grave expression.
Sir, that will be a serious problem. (Park Du-Jin)
They couldnt afford to expose the existence of Yi Ji-Hyuk to the rest of the citizens. The truth was, though, the rumour of the worlds greatest ability user residing in South Korea had made rounds by now. Just that no one knew exactly who that was.
The name Yi Ji-Hyuk had already be more or less a known quantity, but his face or personal details were still being treated as the national secret.
Thankfully, the man himself rarely if ever left the ability user residential area, so the secret could be maintained until now somehow. However, if he were to publicly ept the Norths request and go there, then itd be impossible to hide his existence.
The bacsh from the media will be fierce, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Itll be better than the citizens bacsh.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well, thats true. (Park Du-Jin)
Most likely, the public would happily cheer on after Yi Ji-Hyuks existence was revealed, at least for a short while.
However, how long would thatst?
What if the citizens learn that the person representing South Korea was a scumbag that the leaders of the various nations couldnt even control and didnt want to meet if they could help it?
And, what if they realised that very ability user enjoyed the level of freedom that allowed him topletely ignore themands of the President elected by the countrys people?
The societys atmosphere should go down the drain in an instant, thats for sure.
Not to forget, the atmosphere currently was vtile to say the least, with both the ability users and regr people all iming they were being discriminated against. So, the appearance of an ability user who couldnt be controlled by the government would be like adding fuel to the already-lit fire.
Groan. Im not even Hong Gil-Dong, you know. And I cant even call an elephant an elephant too. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Thats how politics are like, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Youre right about that. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head.
How he best utilised the bomb called Yi Ji-Hyuk would be the evidence of his politicalpetence. He already knew what would happen if he failed, though.
Okay, so where is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk right now, then? (Yun Yeong-Min)
He could arrive here at any second via teleportation. If not, he could stop by the NDF first. Either way, it shouldnt take too long. (Park Du-Jin)
......I hope there wont be any problems during his trip. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Im sure there wont be. (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin spoke up without giving it too much thought, but he didnt know that what he said would end up as the seed, instead.
< 294. Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? -4 > Fin.
(TL: Hong Gil-Dong is a famous fictional character from Joseon dynasty, and his heroics are quite simr in nature as Robin Hood. Some say hes not fictional but based on a real person, though.)
Chapter 295: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (5)
Chapter 295: Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (5)
Inside the NDF headquarters.
Wait, why are we back here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, where did you want to go, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thought I asked you to go straight to the meeting location? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im not the one in a hurry, so why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt retort to that C indeed it wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuk who felt the urgency in this situation.
Y-you are supposed to go there anyway, so wouldnt going right away reduce the level of annoyance for yourself? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I gotta feed Oh-Sik, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that he thought about it, the pet food stockpile for Oh-Sik leashed to the front yard had run out quite some time ago. If it was before, Choi Jeong-Hoon wouldve taken care of it, but what with things being so hectictely, he was unable to spare enough mental power to mind that problem.
He kinda figured that Oh-Sik would be able to procure his own grub even if no one bought him pet food, too.
Seriously now, that dang Ogre could take care of own toilet needs all by himself anyway, so there was no way hed not be able to find something to snack on if left alone.
The only problem would be with him potentially devouring all the pet dogs in the neighbourhood. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was already immensely insane to let a carnivorous monster basically roam free, even if Yi Ji-Hyuk had used violence and threats to train the creature properly.
Such a thing was only possible because Oh-Sik was blessed with an umonly high level of intelligence, that was what.
Orrrr, maybe its this guy who happens to be that d*mn terrifying. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If you get technical about it, then this was the same as letting loose an adult lion in the middle of the road but using violence and psychological torment to train it so that itd never harm any passing human beings. But, if you wanted to analyse whether such a thing was physically possible or not....
Yi Ji-Hyuk, oblivious to whether Choi Jeong-Hoon was thinking of such things or not, strode gantly forward and exited from the headquarters.
By the way, we wont have anything to add even if we go there, so Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, you go with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk alone. (Seo Ah-Young)
Flustered by Seo Ah-Youngs sudden deration, Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly looked at her.
It might be fine with other agents, but youre the director of the NDF, so how can you not go to the meeting?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Itll be fine. (Seo Ah-Young)
What will?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I already know that Im just a figurehead, and they also know that. So, they probably wont mind it. (Seo Ah-Young)
........
Well, shes right, but, uh...
...Is it okay for her to say something like that with her own mouth? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
So, you do your best to appease that guy and get the negotiation done, okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon inwardly wondered if it was fine tobel the uing meeting in the Blue House as negotiation, but he didnt say anything and simply nodded his head.
Actually, he also preferred to not have Seo Ah-Young or the other NDF agents present during the meeting, as well. Because, just one more personnel present would mean hed have to worry about one more thing.
Well, then. Well be on our way. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Have a good trip. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young waved her hand with a bright expression. But when Choi Jeong-Hoon exited from the office, her expression immediately transformed into a heavy frown as she plopped down on a chair.
Are you happy now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hah, thank you so much. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan nodded his head and expressed his gratitude. Even Jeong Hae-Min was doing the same thing, too.
If we witness whats about to happen there, some of us might vomit blood and get taken to an emergency ward, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ive already suffered through an intense ulcer, so no thank you. (Park Seong-Chan)
It was a well-known fact that the NDF agents suffered from a nasty bouts of gastritis after hearing of Yi Ji-Hyuk causing a scene earlier. No one knew what would happen this time, so why should any of these people go there?
It didnt matter for Yi Ji-Hyuk regardless of what he did, but that was definitely not true for everyone else.
Once Yi Ji-Hyuks protection disappeared, they would immediately turn into helpless punching bags for those sitting in the positions of power.
H-h-ng. (Erukana)
Erukana snorted and leisurely walked towards Yi Ji-Hyuks desk.
You didnt go with him? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min asked in confusion.
Unlike her, Erukana was not tied by the authorities of this world. Besides, she didnt want to spend too much time away from Yi Ji-Hyuks side so it seemed rather obvious that shed apany him, but rather surprisingly, she remained behind for some reason.
Of course I want to go with him. (Erukana)
But? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, a wife must prioritise the matters of family first rather than apanying ones husband all the time. Now, observe. (Erukana)
Erukana pointed at Yi Ji-Hyuksputer.
Shouldnt it be obvious to you that as his faithful wife, I must find out what my husband does in his spare time? (Erukana)
She then proceeded to boot up theputer, causing Jeong Hae-Mins expression to form a deep frown.
This woman even knew how to operate a PC?
What kind of a demon king was more familiar with modern technologypared to a human living in the modern world?
What do you want to check anyway? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hidden folders? Web browser history? Or, maybements he left behind? (Erukana)
...Isnt that, like, invasion of privacy? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even though she said that, Jeong Hae-Min still sneaked closer and closer to Erukanas back.
What do you mean, invasion of privacy? Theres no such thing between a husband and wife. (Erukana)
Although such an assertion didnt have a leg to stand on as far as thew was concerned, it still felt rather logical at the same time.
Not too long afterwards, more people began gathering around Yi Ji-Hyuksputer next.
*
Hey, why does it feel so chilly all of a sudden? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted the head of Oh-Sik busy licking his foot before shuddering briefly. For some reason, he felt this chilly air creep down his backside. He wasnt sure why, but he couldnt shake off this feeling that something was going wrong somewhere.
Whimper....
Oh-Sik began rubbing against his leg, so Yi Ji-Hyuk cast out all the unnecessary thoughts from his head and happily rubbed the Ogres head.
Have you been protecting my house well? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Well done. Dont forget to eat on time, alright? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at the pile of pet food resembling a small hill and nodded his head.
H-mm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Feeding Oh-Sik pet food was fine and all, but since Ogres were carnivorous, shouldnt he feed it some meat every now and then? This little guy did his best to help Yi Ji-Hyuk out in his own way, didnt he?
It sure felt as if Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt been taking good care of the guy so far.
Wait, was I capable of thinking this way before?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it was before, hed not even care whether the demonic creatures he lorded over died or not. He mustve changed a lot aftering back home, judging from the fact that he could think of such things now.
Maybe it was an obvious result arising from his fixed state being undone. The thing was, though, he had been living for so long without experiencing any personal changes, so when confronted by one, it felt rather awkward to him.
In any case, it should be fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand about to generate a Gate.
Whimper?
As Oh-Sik tilted his head while wondering whats going here, Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hand towards the Ogre and shot his tentacle out.
Kwa-duk!!
The tentacle dug into Oh-Siks body.
Kuwaaaaah!!
The dark Mana travelling through the tentacle reverted Oh-Sik into his original appearance in an instant.
Keu-ru-ruk.
No, it was a bit wrong to call this his original appearance now.
Compared to how he was back when he first stepped foot in this world, his current appearance was.....
....Well, youve be even more uglier, havent you. Dayum. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Siks shoulders slumped in dejection.
His shoulders had indeed widened up through all the extra bulk. His height had gotten taller too, while muscles rippling on his body were not only intimidatingly firm, but more than powerful enough to cause ones jaw to drop as soon as seeing them. Even then, he still somehow managed to maintain the overall look of an agile predator.
On the whole, he kinda looked incredibly powerful and also cool in some way, but...
Euh, seriously man, youre so ugly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik pouted and dropped his head.
Sure, he might have gone past the level of an Ogre Lord and evolved into apletely new species by now, but those harsh words still managed to hurt him pretty painfully. He was already feeling unhappy about his own looks after the norms of this ce had changed his sense of aesthetics, so why!
Woof, woof, roar!!
Ng? You asking me why I turned you back? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-ruk.
Time to eat some meat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Siks short ears twitched just then.
Buzzzz....
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the resonating Gate and smirked deeply.
Ive connected this portal to a nice ce. Ill leave it open for a while, so gorge yourself ande home before sunset, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper~~.
Oh-Sik suddenlyid down t on the ground and began rubbing his huge face against Yi Ji-Hyuks legs.
Ahhh?! Stop it! Your drools getting on my pants! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-ruk.
Oh-Sik pouted again, but Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted him on the head and pushed the Ogre into the Gate.
Go and have fun. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik disappeared beyond the Gate looking clearly excited. Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled to himself while watching that.
Is it really that much fun, I wonder.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-where did you just send that guy to? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm, I wonder. Out of all the ces Ive looked at, I sent him to a world where it shouldnt be too dangerous for an Ogre, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where it wont be dangerous for an Ogre? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, can you honestly call that guy an Ogre now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
............
Yi Ji-Hyuk shut his mouth.
Y-yeah, well, he is an Ogre, alright. He sure is, but....
Mm, how should I put this?
He belongs to the species of Ogres, so....
....Super Ogre? Greater Ogre? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh-Sik had been constantly exposed to Yi Ji-Hyuks dark Mana for a long time and had changed far too much as a result. He might be an Ogre, but he couldnt be considered as one currently.
Did I send a potential demon king to an innocent little world just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk prayed that Oh-Sik was smart enough to eat only a moderate amount, then turned around to leave.
In any case, lets get going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you ignore the fact that you just dropped a nuclear warhead on an innocent dimension?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, thats how life is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head helplessly. Whatever the case might have been, it didnt change the fact that he too was in a hurry right now.
Besides, Oh-Sik devouring the folks in that dimension would prove to be a lot more advantageous thing for them anyway, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, yes, I get it. Lets get going. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon opened the door to his car.
Wow, hasnt it been a long time since I got into your car? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....This will be your first time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? But, I did ride in it before, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I had to scrap that one. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This new one is simply the same model as the old one. Nothing more. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon barely managed to hold back the flood of his tears after remembering his favoured chariot that had to be consigned to the scrap heap because the insurancepany refused to pay. He shouldve insured it from monster damages from the get-go.
How unfortunate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Let us get going. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon figured that discussing this matter any more than this might truly unleash the flood, so he quickly climbed into the drivers seat. After confirming that Yi Ji-Hyuk had entered the passengers, he turned the ignition on and drove away.
Okay, so where are we going now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For now, lets head to the Blue House. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
By the way, do they usually hold meetings like this in the Blue House? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not normally, no. However, this matter requires the Presidents participation, thats why. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chose not to voice his opinion about it this time. He should just let things be when he didnt know much about the subject matter to begin with.
Meanwhile, Choi Jeong-Hoons head was already filling up withplicated thoughts.
How should I deal with matters this time? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since the request dide in, the odds of being dispatched were pretty high. The President wouldnt say no when thinking about his own political achievements, too. His desire was problematic, but not knowing fully what might happen if Pyongyang were to be destroyed, leading to the copse of North Koreas systems, now that presented a serious problem.
Didnt matter from which angle he looked at this, Choi Jeong-Hoon just knew that protecting Pyongyang was the right call to make. Even if they wanted to unite the two Koreas, the process had to be gradual; a sudden absorption of a copsed regime would only lead to the situation of needing to deal with twice the amount of Gates, while the economy would go through hell, too.
So, we need to defend them, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That left the lone issue with the dude sitting next to him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk willingly doing what was asked of him so far sure was a relief, but something told Choi Jeong-Hoon that when the issue of going to North Korea to stop the monsters was brought up, hed suddenly start ying hard to get.
Without a doubt, hed throw a tantrum and try to rip the other party for all their worth. Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt even imagine just how much that might be.
Only that, he was certain of wanting to kill himself after getting caught in the middle of the two parties.
Groan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The rather horrible image made Choi Jeong-Hoon groan helplessly, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to ask him.
Whats wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its nothing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Looks like youre worried about something, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre the one Im worried about!!
Yes, you!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Just before he could open his mouth, several ck saloons suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gathered around his car.
Mm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
These saloons then surrounded them, forcing them towards the unupied sidene of the road.
Choi Jeong-Hoons re grew super-sharp just then.
Whats this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
These were the actions of people that clearly knew who was riding in the car. However, if they really knew, they mustve also understood that such actions would lead to a rather obvious end result, so what were they thinking here, exactly?
Eventually, he had to park his car by the side of the road. The doors of the ck sedans opened in sync and a crowd of men emerged from them.
< 295. Who the hell is Rhee Ji-Hyuk? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 296: Who sent you lot? (1)
Chapter 296: Who sent you lot? (1)
Whats going on? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though Yi Ji-Hyuk asked that, Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt have anything to say. Well, he too had no idea whats going on here, so how could he provide an answer?
They dont seem to be from a government agency.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When he first saw the rows of ck saloons, he initially thought of the National Intelligence Service. But having now seen their attire, which came across as somewhat more casual than official, he had a feeling that his initial guess was wrong.
I cant be sure. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, if they werent really from a government agency, they wouldnt dare to behave so forcefully like this. Choi Jeong-Hoons expression hardened.
Uh? Hey, those guys areing over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive got eyes, so I can see that too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Those wearing ck business suits were intermingling with those with casual clothing. ck sedans might dominate the view out in front, but there were several minibuses in the back, as well.
First of all, they knew that wed use this road. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Either they were monitoring the NDF headquarters inside the ability user residential area, or there was a spy amidst their ranks busy letting on their itinerary to other parties.
Neither possibility makes me happy, though.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, its nothing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
While leaving the ignition on, Choi Jeong-Hoon unbuckled his safety belt. He hadnt yet figured out where this was going, but he was sure of one thing.
He must definitely!
He must ensure that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt involved in this matter, no matter what!!
If these people were aiming for this car, then they were targetting Yi Ji-Hyuk, not Choi Jeong-Hoon.
If they had their heads screwed on properly, then they wouldnt dare to get rowdy with Yi Ji-Hyuk. They surely showed up today fully knowing what he was like.
Which meant that they had a different purpose foring here. Unfortunately for him, though, Choi Jeong-Hoon knew oh-so well what would be the end result of anyone getting mixed up with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Dont get out of the car, please. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I beg of you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, if you say so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How wonderful that he was willing to listen.
Choi Jeong-Hoon almost started crying just then, because all the hard work he put in just to create this bond between them had finally began showing some light.
However, what really showed light was not Choi Jeong-Hoons mind but something else entirely.
Click! Click!!
W-what the hell?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon freaked out from the camera shes suddenly exploding from all directions.
His car was fitted with heavily-tinted windows, but it wasnt to the extent where the upants were fully obscured, so with such an amount of extra light, their faces should be captured pretty clearly on film.
Argh, d*mn it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk began showing the signs of irritation, Choi Jeong-Hoon became urgent in his shouts.
Please stay here. Ill take care of this quickly! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Urgh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to exit the car, but sat back on the seat after Choi Jeong-Hoon stopped him.
Godd*mmit. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon opened the door and jumped out of the car.
Whats the meaning of this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He shouted out with a truly annoyed face, causing the focus to fall squarely on him.
Are you Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon?
What? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And the person riding in the car, thats Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, right?
....Who are you people? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt rather stupid even as he asked that question.
Indeed, hed be the stupidest man alive if he couldnt figure out who they were after witnessing this spectacle.
Why are these reporters here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He figured that there would be an attempt to cover Yi Ji-Hyuks story from the press sooner orter. However, he didnt foresee theming out this way.
Even if the reporters were renowned for pouncing like a swarm of bees after smelling a scoop, they should understand the importance Yi Ji-Hyuk carried, so they would at least refrain from behaving so thoughtlessly like this.
Does that mean they have a trusty backer supporting them? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, there must be a reason for them doing something they hadnt tried before.
Dont take the pictures! Dont! God d*mn it, stop trying to p*ss me off! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon angrily shouted out and shoved the cameras away, but unfortunately, the baptism of shutter shes aimed at Yi Ji-Hyuk showed no signs of abating.
I said, stop!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grew even more urgent.
Did they even know who they were messing with right now?
Wouldnt a reporter at least do a minimum level of research on their target first?
Did they really want to report on Yi Ji-Hyuk not knowing what might happen were he to get ticked off?!
Sure, they always harped on about freedom of the press and all that, but they were better off infiltrating the Presidents private home instead. What they were doing right now was trying to kill themselves by shoving their heads inside a tigers den.
I told you all to stop!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grabbed the nearest camera and threw it down to the ground. The noisy tter of the device resounded out, and the chaotic scene cooled down in an instant.
....What the hell.
Reporters shot Choi Jeong-Hoon with hostile, nay, murderous res.
Now normally, a regr person would flinch from so many reporters ring at them. However, just who was Choi Jeong-Hoon?
He was a hardened veteran who tagged alongside Yi Ji-Hyuk to experience all sorts of terrifying encounters that included monsters and demon kings.
Meaning, he couldnt even bother to snort at the res of some powerless civilians.
All of you, who gave you permission to take the pictures? You better get out of our way! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons forceful tone of voice pushed the reporters back and made them flinch.
We are reporters, so why do we need someones permission to do our job?
Youre supposed to be reporters, yet you dont even know about copyright to ones own images? You better bring all of your cameras here right now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The reporters quickly hid their cameras from the view.
Bring them to me, now! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon even bared his fangs at them, causing the reporters to hastily back away.
Hey, you! Dont push me!
What are you doing?! Stop shoving me!
Those at the back beganining loudly, having failed to decipher the situation yet.
Tsk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon swept back his slightly dishevelled hair.
He was currently overflowing with forceful aura befitting an elite official who was expected to achieve many great things in the future. And after he encountered Yi Ji-Hyuk, he went through an additional level of hell which in turn hardened him even further, so no regr civilian would be able to fight back and win against Choi Jeong-Hoons vigour.
If any of the outlets dare to publish the photos you took today, the NDF will officially lodge aint. And unofficially, I cannot promise you what will happen to you people. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon roared at them with words containing thinly-veiled threat.
While the reporters couldnt figure out how to respond to his threats, a calm voice suddenly entered the scene.
Theres no need to be that agitated, now is there? (?)
Mm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned around, and his eyes opened up super-wide next.
Song Jeong-Su? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He gasped out in surprise, prompting the middle-aged man identified as Song Jeong-Su to smile and answer back.
Yes, I am Song Jeong-Su.
Ah, forgive me. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly bowed his head. Regardless of what the situation was, it was bad manners to loudly yell out someones name like this, especially so when that person happened to be right in front of him. Also, when said person was older than he was.
But, why is he here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He couldnt hide surprise, though. So much so that he couldnt help but think he made a pretty sizeable blunder just now.
Song Jeong-Su.
The leader of the current ruling party.
If you excluded the current number one of the ruling party, the President, then this man should be seen as the wielder of the unimaginable authority.
No, hang on. You dont need to exclude the President, now do you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yun Yeong-Min was elected to the Presidency because he rode on the temporary wave of momentum sweeping across the nation. However, the honest truth was, he could never better Song Jeong-Su when it came to political experience and influence pre- or post-election.
In any case, why was someone like him standing here?
Did hee here to meet Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That was a distinct possibility.
He was one of the men who controlled the Republic of Korea, so no freaking way he wouldnt have thought about the existence of Yi Ji-Hyuk in his grand schemes.
Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ah, yes! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly bowed his head again.
A giant of the Korean politics was standing right before his eyes, so even someone like Choi Jeong-Hoon felt the pressure regardless of how tough he was.
This is apletely different feeling from when meeting the President. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, truth be told, he always had this low opinion of the nations President due to how much of an a*s that guy could be. So, he was able to remain firm in front of Yun Yeong-Min.
However, the feeling he got from Song Jeong-Su waspletely different.
What can I do for you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Song Jeong-Su smiled lightly.
Its somewhat obvious, isnt it. We have someone about to embark on a massive and crucial undertaking, so I merely wished to have a chat with him beforehand. Although I do regret that we must meet under such circumstances, since I needed to avoid the eyes of certain people, I didnt have much of a choice. I hope you understand. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ah, I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could barely regain himself.
So, this is the true pressure? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This man, he didnt say anything threatening at all, yet Choi Jeong-Hoon felt his body shrink back instinctively. This had to be that ever-elusive charisma at work.
So, will it be fine for me to speak to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk now? (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes trembled.
This mans goal was in to see, but now that he heard it, he couldnt help but get tense.
Im sorry, but the current situation isnt very ideal. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Howe? Is it because youre on your way to the Blue House? (Song Jeong-Su)
Its not just that, but due to how urgent our situation is. We were scheduled to partake in an emergency meeting, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I see. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su nodded his head, indicating that he understood what Choi Jeong-Hoon had said.
Indeed, it is an emergency situation. The North Koreans have requested us for aid, and so, we need to decide whether Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk will be dispatched or not, and once hes there, what he should do next. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, correct. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at Song Jeong-Su anxiously. Why did a man who knew all that already wasting time like this?
Regrettably, there are some things that needs to be said to the person in question even if the situation proves to be urgent. Because this event is simply too grave to be entrusted to our current President and Cab members. (Song Jeong-Su)
M-mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon just barely swallowed back his groan.
If someone else told him those exact same words, hed have berated that person as an insane fool. No matter what, the position of Presidency demanded one to show respect, and the current President had been elected to his office by the citizens of this nation regardless of his foibles. That fact would never change.
The thing was, though, Song Jeong-Su saying those words didnt sound wrong, somehow. After all, he wouldve be the President for sure were it not for the temporary craze that swept across the nation.
Also, when considering the amount of contribution he had made to this nation, then not many were qualified enough to speak lightly of the current President, Yun Yeong-Min.
However....
I understand what you mean. However, this is a matter of the government. I dont think were allowed to discuss it with you, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon resolutely cut Song Jeong-Su off right then.
No matter how much Song Jeong-Su had done for the country, the fact that this was a clear abuse of his authority didnt change.
Sure, he was the leader of the ruling party, but that was simply a measure of his political power, and it didnt grant him the authority to interfere with the running of the government at all.
Is that so? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons answer caused an unreadable grin to break out on Song Jeong-Sus face, however.
If thats what you believe, I guess thats how it is. (Song Jeong-Su)
He was backing off without raising a fuss?
Just before Choi Jeong-Hoon coulde up with a suitable goodbye to end this situation, Song Jeong-Su quietly opened his mouth first.
However, I believe that this isnt a matter for you to decide, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk hear you say that, mull over it first, and then agree with you, then Ill have no choice but to ept it. (Song Jeong-Su)
........
This sly old fox.
Choi Jeong-Hoon lightly bit his lower lip. He could already guess what Song Jeong-Su was about to say.
Also, Id like to personally speak to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Youre not his guardian, so you surely cant stop anyone from talking to him, now can you? (Song Jeong-Su)
....Mister Party Leader, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, uhm... Please, listen to what I have to say without jumping to the wrong conclusions. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Song Jeong-Sus brows twitched a bit.
He wasnt sure where Choi Jeong-Hoon wanted to go with this.
The younger man was making this really regretful expression for some reason, but why should Song Jeong-Su feel regret in the current situation?
What do you wish to say? (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon breathed in deeply and spoke up.
The reason why Im trying to stop you from meeting Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk isnt because I must guard him. No, its to protect you, sir. The very notion of holding a private meeting with him when youck any sort of understanding towards his personality is a dangerous and foolish one. I beg of you to reconsider. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Song Jeong-Su became utterly dazed just then.
What on earth was he talking about??
< 296. Who sent you lot? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 297: Who sent you lot? (2)
Chapter 297: Who sent you lot? (2)
It was quite hard to understand.
What do you mean by that? (Song Jeong-Su)
I thought that you knew the truth beforeing here today, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon lightly coughed under his breath and continued on.
I do not rmend that you unnecessarily stimte Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you saying that Im providing an unnecessary stimtion by being here? (Song Jeong-Su)
No, sir. Im not saying that you have, yet. However.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his gaze over to the reporters.
He figured earlier that these folks mustve had a strong backer for them to pounce on him and Yi Ji-Hyuk like this, and his guess proved to be correct.
I can definitely say that bringing this many reporters with you was a serious mistake. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A mistake, you say? (Song Jeong-Su)
A meremon man such as myself wouldnt be able to guess what youre aiming for, Mister Party Leader. However, I can be certain of one thing. I know Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk much better than you, sir. And I know he will not look favourably to the current situation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Song Jeong-Su grinned confidently.
Isnt that something Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and I should resolve together? (Song Jeong-Su)
........
If I hadnt been forced toe up with such a forceful measure like this, then I wouldnt have to ask for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks understanding in the first ce. You do know that, dont you? (Song Jeong-Su)
Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I believe Ive done all I need to do, so what do you think? (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed softly.
I shall step aside. But sir, please do remember one thing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Regarding? (Song Jeong-Su)
....If I were you, I wouldnt have. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Song Jeong-Su tilted his head this way and that. Choi Jeong-Hoon simply shook his head and stepped aside. Indeed, some people in this world had to personally experience hell before understanding it.
Now normally, politicians would often go along with the times orpromise their stances to match the popr sentiments, but also, they would sometimes rigorously stick to what they believed was right and force their way through.
Choi Jeong-Hoon definitely acknowledged that.
Song Jeong-Su was called the bulldozer of Korean politics once upon a time too, so it was likely that he paid little heed to others rmendations.
Unfortunately, you picked the wrong target to bulldoze through. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The fact that he chose Yi Ji-Hyuk as his opponent could only mean that his political sense had fallen. Maybe, he was shocked by the election defeat, and....
Well, he probably had been feeling unhappy for a while.
He was supposed to be the next President, so how could he not feel p*ssed off about his future ns going down the drain due to the social unrest rising up from the ck Monday incident? And more so, when the guy who stole his Presidency began doing all sorts of useless and bad things that steadily eroded the support for the ruling party.
At this rate, there was a good chance that Song Jeong-Su wouldnt be able to do anythinge the next election cycle and taste yet another defeat.
So, he was busy searching for another exit.
Unfortunately for you, this is not an exit but a sinkhole, you fool. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon never imagined that there would be someone dreaming of using Yi Ji-Hyuk as a political tool.
What did he think the reason was when the man achieving South Koreas greatest international acim in its history was never once used for publicity until now?
Or, did he really believe he could somehow control Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Choi Jeong-Hoon suddenly grew curious about what would happen next. And as if to resolve that curiosity for him, Song Jeong-Su walked over to the passenger side of the car where Yi Ji-Hyuk was sitting and knocked on the window.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched the development with a deeply intrigued face. He suddenly realised that he was beginning to enjoy this situation as well. Just a bit.
Whiiiir....
The cars window whirred down and Yi Ji-Hyuks face was finally revealed.
Click!! Click!!!!
Almost at the same time, camera shes exploded from all over. Photos were being taken from perfect angles to capture both Yi Ji-Hyuks and Song Jeong-Sus faces in one frame.
Youre Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, yes? (Song Jeong-Su)
After the window was fully rolled down, Yi Ji-Hyuk and his pouting face could be seen looking back at Song Jeong-Su.
That I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thetter man smiled good-naturedly and extended his hand out.
Pleasure to meet you. Im Song Jeong-Su.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the offered hand without doing anything for a while, prompting the politician to awkwardly withdraw it.
Havent you heard about me before? (Song Jeong-Su)
Nope. Dunno who you are. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You dont? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yup. Who are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Su shut his mouth.
The man before his eyes wasnt even a middle school student but someone in his twenties. A guy eligible to vote didnt know who he was?
You really dont know? (Song Jeong-Su)
....Do I need to know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Hoon shut his mouth again.
He had nothing to reply with when the other party came out like that. Because, well, knowing who he was wouldnt be seen as a necessity.
However, wasnt that, like, in the realm ofmon sense? You didnt really have to know, but knowing anyway would certainly be nice. And most people would already be aware of it, regardless.
K-hmm. Well, youre right. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su slightly chewed his lip. This mustve been his first time encountering a situation like this since his days as the newbie National Assemblyman.
As befitting a seasoned politician, however, he didnt make a simple mistake of getting red in the face or retort in dissatisfaction while saying one should know such obvious things, etc, etc.
Ah, I seemed to have made a slight mistake here. My name is Song Jeong-Su, the current leader of the Shinhan National Party.
Eh? Shinhan National Party? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........ (Song Jeong-Su)
You... dont know?
You really dont know that name?
But, weve been using the same name for the past ten years?
Wait, did my fellow party members change the name while I wasnt looking? (Song Jeong-Sus inner monologue)
It, its the current ruling party. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ruling party?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Su closed his eyes this time, instead.
With that answer, he got to figure it out C this fool before his eyes, he... was on the level of a kindergartener. Meaning, he was apletely free man, someone that Song Jeong-Sus status or political influence had no meaning whatsoever.
Y-yes. Were a political party, and we currently run the government. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ahh, I see. Okay, so what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, mm..... (Song Jeong-Su)
What did he want to say in the first ce?
Song Jeong-Su felt strange at the fact that he was stuttering for words like this.
Even if your heart is about to explode, your tongue must remain silky.
That was the most important virtue of any politician, yet to think, he just showed something pretty shameful in front of such a little punk. For a man aiming for the highest office in South Korea, this matter was quite humiliating.
Song Jeong-Su quickly took hold of his wavering resolution.
Now normally, hed not be shaken up like this by some mere words. But what made him do precisely that was the light gleaming in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
If this young man had a functioning brain, he shouldve analysed the situation at least a bit by now and realised that Song Jeong-Su was someone extraordinary, yet just what was up with those eyes reserved for ncing at a passing insect?
No, there should be at least some sort of disgust when looking at an insect. Those eyes were seemingly looking at a discarded stone on the pavement with a totalck of interest and that caused all this fluster in Song Jeong-Sus heart.
Seriously now, even if you didnt know who Song Jeong-Su was, youd still begin to think that he was someone pretty important with how things were currently unfolding.
No, hang on. Thats not the important thing here. (Song Jeong-Su)
It didnt matter who ones opponent was. No, regardless of who they were, he only needed to achieve his goal. That was all.
Are you on your way to the Blue House? (Song Jeong-Su)
I dont know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Pardon? (Song Jeong-Su)
Im just tagging along, cuz Ive been asked to. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sounded as if it was the most obvious thing ever. Song Jeong-Su became speechless once more.
Uh, mm.... (Song Jeong-Su)
....Lets not get flustered. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su nodded his head and carried on.
I see. Well, it doesnt really matter where you go, but in the end, youll still be holding the meeting about the developing situation in North Korea. Am I wrong?(Song Jeong-Su)
I told you, Im simply tagging along cuz Ive been asked to. Ahjussi, is your hearing okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a pitying expression and perused Song Jeong-Su from top to bottom, causing thetter to realise that he was an old man now.
Didnt the old saying go that you were an old man if you suddenly developed a desire to p someone from the younger generation?
In that regard, Song Jeong-Su was definitely an old man. Because, he was almost ovee by this desire to drag this punk out of the car and begin an almighty beat-down right now.
If only I was 20 years younger. (Song Jeong-Su)
Maybe not as far back when he was participating in the Vietnam War, but still, just 20 years younger, and hed be able to show this insolent youngster a thing or two.
He knew that it was a hopeless dream, though. Forget beating the punk up, hed disappear without a trace after turning into fine dust, instead.
K-h-hmm.
Song Jeong-Su realised that he was being sucked into this young mans pace. He needed to get the initiative back so that he could manipte his opponent the way he wants to.
Youll still end up going to North Korea. (Song Jeong-Su)
And why would I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats what the situation current demands. (Song Jeong-Su)
If I dont feel like it, then I wont go, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Does that mean you dont want to go? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, I dont know yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Wow!
What should I do about this b*stard?? (Song Jeong-Sus inner monologue)
Song Jeong-Su inwardly admitted that he may have run into one of the toughest foes he met in thest 30 years or so of his entire political career.
Wait, so you are nning to not go? (Song Jeong-Su)
I dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You just said that if you dont feel like it, you wont go. (Song Jeong-Su)
Sure, I said that I wont if I dont feel like it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which means you kind of feel like it. (Song Jeong-Su)
I dunno yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What are you implying? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk eventually ended up expressing his annoyance.
What the hell? How can you not understand that Ill listen to what they say first then decide Ill go or not? Ahjussi, didnt you say youre a politician? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, I did. (Song Jeong-Su)
Youre supposed to be a politician, so how could you be so deaf? Maybe you should get yourself a hearing aid or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
At the moment, a hearing aid wasnt the problem but getting a pacemaker might be more advisable.
Song Jeong-Sus heart began pounding away hard, his breathing getting shorter and shorter. Just when did anyone treat him like this after he became a member of the National Assembly?
Its not for nothing that fellow ended up in that sorry state. (Song Jeong-Su)
His friend was the Foreign Affairs Minister who was on an upward career trajectory in the past. But from a certain point onwards, that man began destroying his own career, and Song Jeong-Su had been wondering why. And now, he knew the reason.
I-Im sorry about that. (Song Jeong-Su)
He sighed out deeply.
This crazy b*stard. (Song Jeong-Su)
In all honesty, why would the government even summon him if they werent thinking of dispatching him in the first ce? Quite obviously, theyd like him to travel up north and do his thing.
But, what did you say?
Youll hear them out first, and if you like what you hear, youll go, and if you dont, youre not going anywhere? (Song Jeong-Sus inner monologue)
What kind of balls was this?
If that was his intention, then why was he even bothering to show up to the meeting?
I see. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stopped himself there.
Ending the conversation like this went against the established protocol of conversation itself. However, he needed time toe up with suitable responses in the current situation.
So, like. Why are you holding up a busy person like me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This youngster before his eyes began making an irritated, cantankerous expression. Song Jeong-Su pulled out his handkerchief and quickly dabbed away the sweat on his forehead.
I merely wished to discuss something important with you. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm? Is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can we spend a few minutes discussing it? (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm, well, that wont be hard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks reply prompted a bright smile to form on Song Jeong-Sus face. He was thinking that any chance of having a civilised conversation had halfway thrown out the window judging from the youngsters attitude, but unexpectedly, he was showing a favourable response.
Before that, Ive got something to solve, first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Song Jeong-Su)
Geezer-nim? Why dont you hang tight for a second? My priorities are a bit different from other peoples, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fearlessly opened the door and climbed out of the car.
What are you.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su was deeply puzzled, but still, took a step back.
Meanwhile, Yi Ji-Hyukpletely exited from the vehicle and stood on the pavement. He loosened his shoulders and cracked his neck muscles.
Click, click!!
The camera shes continued to go off in the meantime.
He nced at the cameras and grinned refreshingly towards them, all the while making a V sign with his hand.
Is he posing for the photos? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su grimaced a little at the actions of this young punk before his eyes. What on earth was the meaning of this when he was standing right over here?
Uh, mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then lightly scratched his head and extended his hand out.
Wuuooong!
Suddenly, there was a faint sound of air rippling, and the camera held by the nearest reporter flew into Yi Ji-Hyuks hands.
Uh-uht?!
The stunned reporter cried out, but it was already toote by then.
CRACK!!
The camera that got sucked into Yi Ji-Hyuks hand was smashed into literal pieces and fell to the ground.
Ah.....
After making sure that the device could never be used again, Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply and opened his mouth.
Hey. Who sent you lot here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The air suddenly grew cold in an instant.
At the same time, theplexion of Song Jeong-Su observing the situation from behind grew deathly pale as well.
< 297. Who sent you lot? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 298: Who sent you lot? (3)
Chapter 298: Who sent you lot? (3)
No one dared to speak up within this spine-chilling atmosphere.
I said, who sent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked again while assuming the spot-on posture of a hoodlum, prompting the reporters to swap nces with each other.
How could these people not heard about it?
Reporters were supposed to be quick with gathering info. And the most sensitive topic nowadays was ability user-rted. So, there was just no way that they wouldnt know what Yi Ji-Hyuks personality was like.
The worst scumbag in the history of South Koreas ability users.
Even other countries knew of Seo Ah-Youngs infamy as the Insane Witch, the nickname born out of her truly terrible personality, but even she had to take a bow after he made his entrance. And now, this wackjob had taken over the title of the worst ability user in history of mankind.
Anyone taking even a cursory nce at Yi Ji-Hyuks prior records would immediately reach the logical conclusion of, Ah, I should never get tangled up with this b*stard, then.
Since it was the part of their job, reporters got to meet all sorts of wackjobs before, so they were remarkably well attuned to the scents of such individuals.
Indeed, they understood that Yi Ji-Hyuk was definitely someone you shouldnt get involved with.
That was one of the big reasons why none of them dared to publish a story on Yi Ji-Hyuk even if they received information on him often. Who knew what kind of idents might befall upon them if they wanted to report on him? And who knew what kind of harassment theyd receive by writing the ensuing article?
Just a simple nce told anyone with eyes that he had already escaped from the fetters of the countrysws, so touching a nerve of someone like that would be a bad idea.
However, they thought they could step up this time because Song Jeong-Su acted as their backer. They all united under one thought that, if the one and only Song Jeong-Sus influence wasnt enough, then theyd never got to report on Yi Ji-Hyuk like, forever.
Thats why....
The gazes of all the reporters shifted over to Song Jeong-Su.
You said youd take full responsibility.
Their eyes contained their unmistakable will.
Song Jeong-Sus expression crumpled ever so slightly.
There was no point to meeting Yi Ji-Hyuk if the story of their encounter got around like some kind of an urban legend. He simply had to let everyone witness the scene of him chatting to the worlds greatest ability user personally. Even if that user was only known through gossip and rumours.
Only then would he get to reverse the free-falling atmosphere of the ruling party.
On top of that, hed be so much more obliged if the reporters, through all the hints hed been throwing their way, wrote their articles that implied Song Jeong-Su could somehow persuade Yi Ji-Hyuk, someone that not even the President of the nation or the government could control.
Thats why he started this whole thing, but...
This crazy fool.... (Song Jeong-Su)
The problem was that this man, Yi Ji-Hyuk, was far stranger than he had bargained for.
He often heard that most ability users were not normal in the head. And he had seen terrible conducts of the upper-ss ability users, including Seo Ah-Young, in the past. So, hed been feeling that....
They simply have rubbish personalities, but this....
But this guy, he was not simply a strange man.
Rather than him being strange because he was an ability user, it was actually the case of a strange guy bing a user, instead.
Why did it have to be such a case, though?!
Argh, I said, who sent you lot?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
More and more reporters started gazing at Song Jeong-Su, leading him to flinch grandly and quickly wave his hands. The truth about him being the instigator must not see the light of the day.
The reporters seemed to get the message, because they began nodding their heads in a vague manner.
We didnte because someone sent us, but to do our job as reporters.
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Is reporting on news a sin? Do you have something to hide, is that it? If not, why dont you show yourself in front of the public?
One of the reporters shouted out, and others quickly followed suit.
As a public figure, you now have the duty to answer the rights of the public to know. We need to know what kind of an ability user resides in our country.
Well, thats ones duty as a government sryman, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right!
Without saying anything sarcastic, which was unlike him, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply listened to them. He nodded his head periodically at some of the words, and even added a line of his own, too.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched this scene and his expression hardened.
This... isnt going to be pretty. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He was getting this bad feeling; the whole atmosphere was getting more ominous by the second. He was beginning to think that, when it happens, it was going to be one helluva big one.
Uh, well, sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally cut the reporters off.
Okay, I hear you.... But what Im asking here is, who sent you lot? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
The reporters shut their mouths up. What on earth did this guy listen to until now?
I told you, no one sent us. We simply came here to report on you. If someone sent us, then you could say that our bosses have.
Is that so? Well, in that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a deep breath, and spoke.
All of you, bring me your bosses. Right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
What was he on about now?
Yi Ji-Hyuk made it easier for them to understand.
I dont want to take my anger out on innocent people such as yourselves, so bring me someone who will take responsibility in your stead. One victim per person present here today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reporters were triggered immediately.
Hey, did you just threaten us??
This guy! Who do you think you are, threatening reporters in this day and age??
They knew oh-so well not to provoke the man named Yi Ji-Hyuk. As a matter of fact, they couldve usednguage several times harsher than what they used just now but didnt, choosing to hold themselves back rather admirably, instead.
Unfortunately for them, though, Yi Ji-Hyukcked the ability to understand their self-restraint.
Threaten you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
I wasnt threatening you, but trying to help you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you talking about??
It wasnt a threat, but.... mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk rested his chin on his hand as if he was pondering something, before scratching his head.
Uh, you know. Im feeling pretty unhappy right now, so I was thinking of throwing you lot into the nearest ocean, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
This son of a b*tch, hes being serious.
I, Im getting goosebumps. (A reporters inner monologue)
Reporters inwardly calcted the distance from here to the nearest ocean. In the meantime, Yi Ji-Hyuks voice invaded into their ears.
But when I thought about it, there isnt much meaning to beating you ahjussis up. My mom always says this about my dad. Hes only doing what hes been told, yet everyone just mes him for everything. Like, why are the innocent people at the bottom getting med for what the president of thepany did? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
Since it was a story they could really rte to, the reporters involuntarily nodded their heads.
My dad, he rarely interacts with strangers so he doesnt get med that often, but I thought you guys were in a lot tougher position than my dad, so I didnt feel so cool about doing something to you, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm....
Reporters began carrying slightly excited faces.
Sure, they all had experienced nice treatments and received presents, etc. However, they also tasted just as much mes and pointed gging, too. It felt as if they had met someone genuinely concerned about them for the first time today.
Maybe, hes nicer than what I heard....?
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuks voice continued on.
So, Im just gonna f*ck up the people who sent you here, instead. I really feel like throwing all of you ahjussis here into the ocean, so if I take your bosses and dunk them in the water about fifty times, I might feel better afterwards. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Trickle.
Sweat flooded down Song Jeong-Sus forehead.
B-but, wouldnt that person die if you did that?
A reporter subconsciously asked politely. He could thank his decades-long experience in deciphering whats real and whats lies as a reporter for that. He knew instinctively that what Yi Ji-Hyuk had said wasnt a mere threat.
Well, if he dies, nothing I can do about it. Not like I killed the guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, it is you killing the guy, you insane fool...!
For sure, this guys logic was out of kilter. Something had definitely gone wrong here.
Okay, so. Tell me, who sent you guys here? If you dont want to tell me, then ahjussis, prepare yourselves for a trip to the ocean. Oh, and..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look around him.
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Which way is to the ocean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Choi Jeong-Hoon seemed to be pondering something, before answering honestly.
Our nation is surrounded on three sides by oceans. Besides that direction, you can throw in any other directions. However, you need to throw at least past 600 kilometres if you wish to miss thend. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eiii, hitting thend will kill that person, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Hitting the ocean will also kill the person, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats the norm.
If you throw a normal person that far, hed die for sure, you crazy b*stard!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
In that case... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked back at the reporters.
Time to cough it up. Who sent you lot? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Well, why dont you just bring me your bosses? I mean, you guys came here after getting their permission, right? No, hang on a second. Ill end up wasting my time waiting if you guys bring them here. Change of ns. Ill go see them personally, so tell them toe to their offices tomorrow. And if they are not in their offices, then tell them to say goodbye to their office buildings. Capiche? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Reporters began weighing the scales between their bosses getting killed or their office buildings being blown up. They eventually concluded that both of those options were no good.
Well, honestly speaking, they didnt mind their bosses dying in that manner. Itd be a relief, actually, but if the bosses managed to survive somehow, then itd be the reporters on the chopping block next.
Especially for a handful of reporters working for the newspapers renowned for their infamously short-tempered bosses C theirplexions paled instantly.
Ha, haha, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, that, that is not....
Ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes?
Do I look like Im kidding around? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
You see, Im really p*ssed off right now. Even though I want to flip everything up right now, Im holding back, you know? So, stop making me more p*ssed off by wasting time and either bring me the dude who sent you, or put up your bosses as your sacrifices. Choose between the two. If you dont wanna, then youll get to solve it yourselves. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No one dared to answer him.
Who the hell do you think youre, forcibly stopping someone going somewhere to take pictures without permission? Hey, you people, is that how you do your jobs as reporters?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....N-no, thats not... it....
I was thinking of letting it slide and just continue on my way, yet you people keep getting on my nerves here. So, who sent you here? Speak! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Sus expression grew worse and worse. Now that Yi Ji-Hyuk began disying his irritation, it was getting progressively harder to breathe. Chilling sensations crept along the politicians spine, his whole body trembling out of control.
This change was far too sudden to be attributed to the person before his eyes getting angry.
Euh, euh.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stomped on the ground.
Craaaaack!!
At the same time, the asphalt below split up and caved in deeply.
Cant you hear me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Reporters looked at that sight in pure fear.
They all knew that ability users possessed incredible abilities. However, a scene like this one wasnt that easy to witness even for them. Well, the areas surroundings Gates were cordoned off in the name of public safety, after all.
Sure, they all saw abilities in action through video footages, but seeing it for real imparted apletely different feeling altogether.
Or, you people want to be on the receiving end? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
U-uh....
A reporter cautiously opened his mouth.
W-what will happen if we tell you who that person is?
I told you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in annoyance.
Ill throw him into the ocean 50 times. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....From here?
No, from where that guy is, obviously. Why would I, from here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats because that guy is already here.
Every reporters gaze wordlessly shifted over to Song Jeong-Su.
Please do something about this. (every reporter)
Pressured by their expectant gazes, he formed an awkward smile and approached Yi Ji-Hyuk. Forget about the reporters and their problems, shouldnt he do something here to protect his life, at least?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm, well, thats not that important right now, dont you agree? Regardless of who sent them, the main point is that the citizens of this nation wish to know more about you. If they made a small mistake during that process, shouldnt you forgive them as youre a kind-hearted man? (Song Jeong-Su)
But, Im small-minded, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly followed that up.
Very. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Song Jeong-Sus jaw dropped as he stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon. Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
Okay, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su muttered out a reply, prompting a smirk to float up on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
The sea water should be pretty cold, so you think youll be alright? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Despair quickly filled up Song Jeong-Sus face.
This devil like b*stard. (Song Jeong-Su)
He knew from the very beginning, but he simply was toying around with Song Jeong-Su.
The standard variety show temte is to dunk contestants in water. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even better if its ice water. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And they said that the sister-inw trying to stop the proceedings was even more hateful C Song Jeong-Su wanted to kill Choi Jeong-Hoon so badly right now.
Why dont youe here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began walking towards Song Jeong-Su.
< 298. Who sent you lot? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 299: Who sent you lot? (4)
Chapter 299: Who sent you lot? (4)
Wha, what are you doing?! (Song Jeong-Su)
The trembling Song Jeong-Su quickly backed away.
You should be able to guess, so why are you asking me that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled like a viin, causing the chilly air to creep up into Song Jeong-Sus body.
An insane man standing next to him and that insane man targetting him were two very different propositions.
The moment he realised that Yi Ji-Hyuk was targetting him, this madman before him transformed from a regr madman to a properly mad madman who no one could guess what hed do next.
It, it seems that theres been some sort of a misunderstanding.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Even a small misstep right now would be the end of Song Jeong-Su. He was sure of it.
His perception that allowed him to survive the hostile, rugged world of politics was now warning him of the iing dangers. A politician on the level of Song Jeong-Su wasnt terrified of anything. Indeed, politicians would be more terrified of a little kid walking on the street rather than actual policemen.
Because, they would be stronger when facing someone strong, thats why.
However, this guy before his eyes was different. This madman, he wasnt beholden tomon sense.
In all honesty, whod dare toy their hands on the leader of the ruling party of South Korea? He wasnt some figurehead ruler, but someone with actual influence. Song Jeong-Su should be seen as the most powerful politician in this country. Even the current President would have to take a bow to him if it needs be.
Even then.... (Song Jeong-Su)
This madman didnt give a rats a*s about such a thing.
There were some people like that in this world. People who couldnt be dealt with neither the status or political power.
The thing was, though, such people were usually country bumpkins or someone with no influence whatsoever. Those with power were worried about their power disappearing, so they would be reluctant to do anything, and they would be wary of others with simr level of power, precisely because of that reason.
Any human would act like that.
However....
This man isnt like that. (Song Jeong-Su)
First of all, the power this man wielded was so huge that Song Jeong-Su couldnt do anything about it. Secondly, even though this man possessed such power, he wasnt sensitive towards other types of power.
It was almost the same as handing over an M60 machine gun to an aborigine tribesman emerging out of the jungle. It was dangerous since you didnt know where hed go next, and it was even more dangerous because he couldnt be controlled.
Misunderstanding? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled ominously.
This ahjussi, he must be thinking that Im stupid because I have been joking around a bit. Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Am I that stupid? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No ways. Generally speaking, you are very intelligent, to the point of being a certifiable genius. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Keuh~. Arent you building me up a little too high there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, arent you two in a perfect sync?
Yup, you two are so in tune right now. (Song Jeong-Sus inner monologue)
Song Jeong-Su quickly dabbed away the sweat on his forehead.
I dont understand why youre acting this way. I only came here today with good intentions, so can you please enlighten me on what made you so angry? (Song Jeong-Su)
However, he didnt lose his courteous attitude even now.
In any other situation, such an action couldve been a plus point. Unfortunately for him, though, Yi Ji-Hyuk was never a man to care about people putting up false facade.
Wowsers. Would you look at this old man trying to back away after trying to make a fool out of another person? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and shifted his gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
You should take note, dont you think? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I should? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I thought you wanted to be a politician? This ahjussi, hes the perfect role model, isnt he? I mean, I was somewhat disappointed by our dear Mister President, but this dude? Isnt he the perfect example of a sly roon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Im pretty sure you shouldnt say that with the person in question right before you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not a lie, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes, youre right about that, but still. Saying Hey, youre really short to someone whos vertically challenged is a great social faux pas, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is that how it is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its something like that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ahh. Okay. Hey, ahjussi, my bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now thats good etiquette. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head in contentment.
How righteous it was for one to admit to ones faults and apologise to the party affected?
Contrary to Choi Jeong-Hoons thoughts, though, Song Jeong-Sus expression was figuratively speaking, rotting away.
Where would he be treated so poorly like this?
Seeing how they were so in tune with each other, there was little doubt in his heart that these two had been making fun of him since a while ago.
Look here. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus voice became weightier.
I dont know what youre trying to do here, but if you insist on making a fool out of me, I will not hold back either. I, Song Jeong-Su, isnt someone you can push around. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ohh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his eyes wide and gawked at Song Jeong-Su, before shifting his head away.
So he says? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What will happen if Iy my hands on that ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pondered something for a bit before making his answer in a quiet voice.
I dont think anything will happen to you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Well, nothing will happen as long as you dont kill him. And since Mister President isnt insane, hes not going to arrest you or anything, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, he might try to after losing his mind. What then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you can just emigrate to America. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Aha! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pped his hands. And with a strange little smile on his face, he looked back at Song Jeong-Su.
So he says? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Song Jeong-Su became utterly speechless.
Even he began thinking that nothing would happen to Yi Ji-Hyuk if this insane b*stard harmed him in some way. Hell, if he was the President, hed let it slide himself. Same for the judicial authorities, too.
The only people he could rely on at this point was the media. But his problem was that even the media folks couldnt be counted as his allies right now.
Sons of b*tches. (Song Jeong-Su)
There were dozens of reporters around him, yet not a single one raised their cameras to film this. Shouldnt they at least pretend to film this c**p? Forget about filming, they were actually not even touching their cameras right now.
Because, these reporters also knew that something had gone wrong right now. They had provoked something they shouldnt have.
Senior-nim?
One of the reporters whispered to his colleague, a fellow reporter from a major news outlet who could be considered the most veteran of them all here.
What is it?
His reply also came in a whisper. It was as if he didnt want to make a loud noise and unnecessarily stimte Yi Ji-Hyuk any further.
Shouldnt we take some pictures right now?
What will you do after you did?
Write an article?
And what will it say?
Isnt this situation where an ability user is about to physically harm the leader of the ruling party? The impact from an article detailing that should be enormous, wouldnt it?
Sure. It would be.
In that case, isnt this a scoop?
Yup, its a scoop, alright.
But then, why isnt anyone reporting on it?
The senior reporter shook his head.
You wanna go ahead? Fine. But leave me out of it.
Why?
Think about it. If you write an article about it, you might get yourself a big scoop. Fine. All sorts of chaos might get raised. Cool. And you will be a household name.
Isnt that a good thing?
However, what do you think will happen if that dude emigrates to another country because that article has started something?
Uh....
At first, people might think good riddance. However, once Gate operations dont go well and the whole country begins to suffer financially, people will start looking for the cause. Dont you know just how much that man is bringing to this country in terms of tangible and intangible benefits? So, what do you think will happen to you once its revealed that youre the culprit for chasing him out of the country?
.........
You see, our nation? Its still protecting that scientist who copied someone elses dissertation, got found out, and made us aughing stock of the world. The ones feeling truly sensitive towards the countrys status isnt the President, but us, the citizens. So, what will happen after you chased out one ability user whose equal could never be found again in Earths history with your own hands?
The junior reporter couldnt reply to that. He could easily imagine the consequences already.
So, you go ahead and write that article. Me? I dont want to get knifed to death on my way back home. And also.... The senior whispered back. Well, hes notpletely wrong here, right?
It was true that Song Jeong-Su did bring them all here.
E-even then....
Well, if you wish to uphold your journalistic integrity and report on this, fine, I wont stop you. However, do you honestly think just because you took some photos, your editor will let them be published? Im sure hed tell you to upload them on your personal blog or something.
....I guess you have a point there.
The juniors hands left the camera.
And also, if this event was all about serving greater justice or something, then sure, we could report on this. Thats the duty of us reporters, right? Our predecessors, they did risk their lives to report on the dictatorship in the past. However, that dude isnt on the side of evil. So, Im just going to watch from the sidelines.
If you say so....
The junior finally lowered his tail. He had finished calcting gains and losses in his head, and realised that turning his eyes away here would be for the best.
.......
Unfortunately for Song Jeong-Su, he thought his heart would explode from the sheer frustration.
You stinking sons of b*tches!! (Song Jeong-Su)
They were wagging their tails only a short while ago, but now they dare to wash their hands clean of this?? Even if its the nature of the mass media totch onto someone stronger, wasnt this just a bit too much?
Looks like you dont have any friends here, ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and gradually approached Song Jeong-Su.
P-please, calm down and lets talk about this. Please listen to me. (Song Jeong-Su)
Just say it. You think Ill suddenly go deaf because Im not calm? I can still hear you just fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that was true, wasnt it?
I didnt bring these reporters here out of malice towards you. You know this. (Song Jeong-Su)
This ahjussi, I didnt know he could crack jokes like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke in dumbfoundedness.
Looky here, ahjussi. Im p*ssed off because you inconvenienced me, so whats your malice or whatnot got to do with it? Should I rejoice if you screw me over with good intentions? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...O-of course not. H-however, there are extenuating circumstances at y right now, no? (Song Jeong-Su)
Oh, dont worry about that. Me, Im very meticulous with my ounting, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, hes very meticulous, alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons support fire proved to be on point even now.
If you came here nning to screw me over, then well, ahjussi, youd be talking to King Yama by now. Since thats not it, Ill make sure that you get to keep your life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although those words were meant forfort, Song Jeong-Su didnt feelforted at all.
L-lets calm down first and.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had already reached Song Jeong-Sus vicinity by then. He then ced his hand on the politicians shoulder.
Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, yes?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Im pretty sure that you came here hoping to do something. A politician of your calibre wouldnt start something without a n, and you were probably thinking that youd take the gamble after considering the risks. Am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Su nodded his head unbeknownst to himself.
This guy, wasnt he unexpectedly insightful?
In that case, you mustve thought about the potential ramifications if you failed, right? So, you should think of this as you paying the appropriate price. That should ease your burden somewhat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, I was just...! (Song Jeong-Su)
So, then. What should I do with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled in a very sinister manner.
Realising that there was no more room left to negotiate, Song Jeong-Su desperately looked around himself. This was not what he wanted at all.
Even if what he did p*ssed this man off, one shouldnt treat the leader of the ruling party this way.
W-what are you trying to do?! Dont you know who I am!! You think youll be fine afterying your hands on me?! (Song Jeong-Su)
He said Ill be. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You think I wont do anything?! Its not toote now! I will....! (Song Jeong-Su)
Argh, so noisy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly waved his right hand and opened up a jet-ck Gate, before tossing Song Jeong-Su inside it.
Uwaaaaaahk?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Oh, this old man, hes got pretty nice pipes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched the screaming Song Jeong-Su get sucked into the Gate and smiled rather viciously. He then closed the Gate and shifted his gaze over to the reporters.
Ahjussis? Im letting you go this one time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No one dared to say anything.
If you wanna write an article, you should lodge a request for an interview. Why did you have to go and harass me like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I-if we request for interviews, will you grant them?
Is there a reason not to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Reporters exchanged nces at each other.
Wasnt what he said true?
Why hadnt they make any requests until now?
However.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk used his fingers to form the unmistakable sign of a coin.
Dont forget to, you know, grease my palms, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....How could we forget...?
Well then, well be on our way now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk climbed back into the car. Choi Jeong-Hoon cleared his throat and addressed the reporters.
If any one of you write up on what happened here today and publish the article, Ill make sure that you pay dearly. With whatever means necessary. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sounds of nervous swallowing could be hearding here and there.
By the way....
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
W-what happened to Party Leader Song Jeong-Su?
..........
Choi Jeong-Hoon nced at Yi Ji-Hyuk behind him and formed an awkward smile.
Well, I, uh, am not sure... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
At that moment, reporters all had the exact same thought in their heads.
Do not ever get involved with these madmen.
What a wise decision that was.
< 299. Who sent you lot? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 300: Who sent you lot? (5)
Chapter 300: Who sent you lot? (5)
(TL: 300th chapter ahoy!! Wow. Wevee pretty far, eh.)
In any case, do not write any articles. Im warning you. Id like to maintain cordial rtionships with you folks if we can. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shot the reporters a threatening re for onest time and tried to climb into the drivers seat.
Excuse me....
However, a voice stopped him in his tracks.
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Lets say we wont report on todays matter. But then, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk said hed ept interviews, so now we wish to know. Are the NDF in the same position as him?
M-mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon frowned slightly.
The normal NDF position would be this C they wouldnt like Yi Ji-Hyuk to be exposed to the outside world, as it were. Not just the NDF, though C anyone who knew Yi Ji-Hyuk personally, they wouldnt want him to be in the spotlight of the nations citizens.
....We dont have any means to stop him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The problem was, they had no methods to dissuade Yi Ji-Hyuk if he wanted to step into the light.
The agents of the NDF werent like the NIS people tasked with protecting the top national secret so if the man wanted to, say, do interviews or shoot a reality TV show, then they couldnt do anything to stop him.
In that case, we can take that as a go-ahead, then?
Choi Jeong-Hoon took a bit of time before answering them.
As you heard it yourselves.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes?
His mouth wont start moving unless your greasing is a sizeable one. Does yourpany have a lot of budget to spare? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
.......
He makes a ton of money, so youll have to give him just as much. So, consider it carefully before you act, please. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With those words, Choi Jeong-Hoon climbed into the car and shut the door close. He turned the ignition on, and the reporters parted ways to open up a path.
What a mess this was. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt a bit peeved off. Things were already so hectic, so why....
By the way, where did you send the Party Leader to? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was ying a game on the phone, the back of the seat reclined all the way back. His reply was as disinterested as one could get.
You sent him away in a Gate, didnt you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, where was it again? Its not somewhere dangerous, at least not to his life. Ill just let him go through a bit of hell for a few days before releasing him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes not going to suffer any psychological trauma, yes? Hes a rather important person in Korea, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That sly roon was? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A roon is an animal with surprisingly many uses. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked softly.
Right. Such men are the necessary evil, arent they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It had always been like this. Didnt matter which kingdom, it felt as if every bad thing happening was the fault of the vicious, cruel politician, but when that bad man was removed from the picture, a huge void would inevitably appear in the administration of the government.
Whether youre vicious or sneaky, you have to be smart first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon willingly agreed with Yi Ji-Hyuks opinion.
By the way, arent wete? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I was thinking the same.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Vrrrrrr.
With an excellent timing, Choi Jeong-Hoons phone began ringing loudly. He quickly answered it.
Its Choi Jeong-Hoon speaking. Ah, director, sir.
A sharp and ear-piercing yell exploded out from the phones speaker. Choi Jeong-Hoon simply distanced the device away from his ear and concentrated on driving the car, and once the noise from the speaker calmed down, he spoke to the phone again.
Well be there shortly. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Click.
He ended the call without bothering to wait for the reply.
Hul, is that okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, well.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned.
Im sure they dont have any leeway to remember and get angry at a small thing like this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
When will they arrive?! (Yun Yeong-Min)
The President of the country, Yun Yeong-Min, desperately urged the general director of the KSF, Bae Jeong-Guk. Thetter man could only lower his head.
They... are on their way, sir. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Its almost been one hour since I first heard they are on their way! Just how far away is the NDF that they are taking this long to get here?? Didnt they just show up here with a Gate or whatever back then? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, the man who wouldnt show up when you needed him, and always showed up when you didnt want him to!
Why are you asking me when you already know that? (Bae Jeong-Guks inner monologue)
They should arrive soon. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
H-mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min shook his head in dissatisfaction.
Mister President, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
The Chief Secretary, Park Du-Jin quietly called out to him, and Yun Yeong-Min turned his head.
Sir, its not important when they arrive. If we dont discuss the methods to convince him right now, there will be no meaning in us holding this meeting. (Park Du-Jin)
I guess youre right. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Park Du-Jin spoke of truth.
Minister of Defense. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Defense Minister)
So, are we now set on the option of dispatching? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well, we dont have a choice, now do we, sir? (Defense Minister)
What is the exact request made by the North Koreans? (Yun Yeong-Min)
That is.... What they want is just Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk himself. When asked if they wanted additional ability users from our side, they tly refused, sir. (Defense Minister)
H-mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min swallowed back his groan.
At this rate.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
One could say that the North Koreans wanting Yi Ji-Hyuk was a positive thing for both South Korea and its President, Yun Yeong-Min. However, them wanting only Yi Ji-Hyuk and no one else was not good news at all.
Depending on how you looked at it, there was a possibility that this move could be seen as the North reaching out to the individual named Yi Ji-Hyuk and not to the South Korean government.
Some people might be wondering what the difference was, but at least in Yun Yeong-Mins view, they was a big difference.
Both the NDF and the KSF were created by the government. Meaning, they were this nations assets. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was an existence that simply fell from the heavens one day.
If it can be helped, itd be better for some to be dispatched alongside him. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The director of the KSF, Bae Jeong-Guk, nodded his head.
I agree, sir. We need to make sure that happens. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Ohh! (Yun Yeong-Min)
I dont care about anything else, but when considering what might happen if we send Yi Ji-Hyuk alone, we need to attach as many guards as we can on him. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Guards?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Since when did Yi Ji-Hyuk need protection?
To protect the North, of course. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Ah.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min ended up nodding his head.
He had never dreamed of a day when hed agree with the opinion of protecting the North. Considering that Yun Yeong-Min was a conservative leaning towards radical ideology, this event should be seen as heaven-changing.
So, then. How will we convince Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Yun Yeong-Min)
.........
Everyone suddenly became mute.
Every single minister had gathered C with the sole exception of the Foreign Affairs C yet no one could easily open their mouths.
None of you have any ideas? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min stared at his silent ministers and shook his head helplessly.
Why are you asking us that? (Land and Transport Minister)
Minister of Land and Transport clicked his tongue inwardly.
This wasnt some crappy, stuffy old-school politics, so why did every Minister get summoned to this ce to discuss the matter about dispatching an ability user to North Korea? What could the Ministry of Land and Transport do here, realistically speaking? Line the road north with flower petals or something??
Not just him, though, even the Minister of Family Affairs had been summoned here too, a rather poor expression etched on her face.
No, hang on. Thatdy always looks like that, doesnt she? (Land and Transport Minister)
First of all, isnt that a problem that someone closest to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk should solve? Meaning, people from either the Defense Ministry or the KSF, sir. For us, thest time was our first time meeting him face to face, so even if you tell us toe up with an idea.... (Land and Transport Minister)
Yun Yeong-Min found those words agreeable and shifted his gaze over to Bae Jeong-Guk.
....My apologies. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Dont apologise, ande up with an idea! What are we all doing when were the ones asking him toe here?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Its because that man Yi Ji-Hyuk is just too unpredictable.... In any case, seeing that hes on his way here, its likely that he could be intending to go to North Korea, sir. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
....Even an elementary school kid can tell you that. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min shook his head again.
No wonder the administration of the country was in the pits, what with these sorts of people running the government.
There was only one person he could trust in this situation.
Chief Secretary. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
What should we do in this situation? (Yun Yeong-Min)
M-mm.... (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin scratched his head.
ording to everything we know about Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, hes interested in only two things. (Park Du-Jin)
Two? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Its his family and money. (Park Du-Jin)
..........
Very generic pattern, that.
His attachment to his family is considerable. During thest American zombie incident, he was only persuaded to act with the promise of the underground bunker to keep his family safe. Thats how much he cares about them. So, the problem now would be with money.... (Park Du-Jin)
You think hell ask for a lot? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Besides that.... (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin shook his head rapidly.
Sure, that man seems to like money, but we dont know why, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
What do you mean? (Yun Yeong-Min)
He has been amassing a sizeable wealth, but hasnt spend a dime, figuratively speaking, sir. His bank ount is quickly filling up with money, yet he hasnt withdrawn any so far. (Park Du-Jin)
.........
Also, his lifestyle can be described as very economical. The total amount of money he spent so far only amounts to buying some clothes and bags for his family online. As for himself, its just buying a handful of tracksuits and snacks from the local convenience store. (Park Du-Jin)
Is he a bum? (Yun Yeong-Min)
.....His spending pattern shows no major difference, either. He doesnt even own a car. (Park Du-Jin)
T-then, why does such a man demands money aspensation? (Yun Yeong-Min)
I cant be sure, sir.... (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin could only feel despair at the reality of having no answers.
It was as if he was amassing wealth just because. If you logically dissected it, though, him spending all the money he already possessed would be a tall order. Even if he spent them for the rest of his life.
H-mm... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min shook his head again.
Doesnt that mean he cant be controlled that way either? (Yun Yeong-Min)
But, its been like this always.
Since when did we control Yi Ji-Hyuk that you keep saying control this and control that? (Park Du-Jins inner monologue)
For now, how about we just ask him for a favour....? (Park Du-Jin)
A favour, is it.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Everyone present in this room could be considered the nation of South Korea itself. Them leading the country was secondary C these people were the representatives of the will of this nations people.
And such folks now had to politely request someone.
Howughable we have be. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Itll still be recorded as a win, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Im sure it will. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Lowering ones head for a little while wasnt a problem at all.
Something like shame can be endured. Thats all. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min spoke heroically. But then, Bae Jeong-Guk decided to rain on his parade.
But, sir... Our problem is that hes not someone whod say yes just because we asked him for a favour. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
...........
There was only one thing circting in Yun Yeong-Mins head just then.
So? What do you want me to do about it?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
They had summoned the person, yet none could think of a solution.
Just how should they persuade Yi Ji-Hyuk and dispatch him to North Korea?
It was then, an urgent voice suddenly entered the room.
M-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has arrived.
Nervous tension instantly descended on the room.
M-mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Even Yun Yeong-Min had to pull out a handkerchief to dab away the sweat trickling down his forehead. The moment he realised that Yi Ji-Hyuk hade, he couldnt help but recall the hellish experience from thest time and it became hard to control his consciousness.
Sir, please ce your hand inside your pockets. (Park Du-Jin)
Y-yes, I should. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min quickly shoved his slightly-trembling hands inside his trouser pockets and stared intensely at the door.
Clunk.
The door was roughly pushed open, and a young man wearing a set of blue tracksuits and carrying a cantankerous expression barged in.
Your clothes, at least..... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Who would have thought that the day they see a tracksuits-wearing punk waltz around in the Blue House was today?
Sure, the manufacturer of the tracksuits would love to take a couple of pictures for publicity C no, make that lots of them C but from the perspectives of the nations President, it was like watching the dignity of the Blue House crack and shatter into a million pieces.
And also, why cant you wear proper shoes?! (Yun Yeong-Min)
Anything wouldve been fine, even sneakers.
But then, wasnt a pair of flip flops just too d*mn much??
Yun Yeong-Min squeezed his eyes shut. If he decided to start tackling issues now, then hed be stuck with the problem of there being way too many toin about. Indeed, the best thing he could do with anything rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk was to pretend that he didnt see or hear anything.
Been a while. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk greeted him and settled down on the couch on the opposite side of the President.
....As if this was his own living room.
I want C. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its been prepared. (Park Du-Jin)
The second Yi Ji-Hyuk asked for his beverage, the secretaries on standby outside the door quickly entered with a tray carrying a C bottle.
Ohh, as expected. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sent a wink at Park Du-Jin.
K-h-hmm. (Yun Yeong-Min)
In order to seize the initiative back, Yun Yeong-Min opened his mouth first.
The reason why we requested for your presence today is because.... We have an important favour to ask of you. And that is.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
You want me to go to North Korea, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
While Yun Yeong-Min closed his mouth, Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely popped the lid open and took severalrge gulps, before mming the empty bottle down on the coffee table.
You know, I was thinking..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Hey, ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked ominously and spoke.
How about unifying both countries using this opportunity? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........Eh?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins trembling eyes locked onto Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What was this madman thinking of doing now?
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ominously chuckled.
Inside of the Blue House was suddenly filled with the air of expectation and anxiety.
< 300. Who sent you lot? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 301: So, you want me to go there now? (1)
Chapter 301: So, you want me to go there now? (1)
Yun Yeong-Mins forehead was gradually soaked in sweat.
You dumba*s! (Yun Yeong-Min)
The unification of the two Koreas??
How could he mention that subject matter so casually like this?
M-mm, well, this guy isnt a politician, so... (Yun Yeong-Min)
To any Korean politician, the idea of unification was a very, very sensitive subject. Of course, it wasnt as if there never had been Presidents who came up with utterly nonsensical agendas based off on the topic of unification just to secure extra support from the voting public. However, that agenda could onlye about on the basis of the unification being a pie in the sky dream that every citizen in the country tacitly understood to be impossible already.
But then, he was asking how about unifying the two countries??
Why was he saying stuff like that as if he was dropping by at a local convenience store to pick up a packet of crisps?
Yun Yeong-Min definitely heard Yi Ji-Hyuks words, but he had a duty to sneakily dismiss thetter here.
What do you mean by that? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Im asking you, dont you want to unify the two countries? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Was he really a dumba*s?
It, its not as easy as you make it sound. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I know its not easy. Thats why Im asking you if you want to use this opportunity. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How did you arrive at that conclusion, man??
Its not something I can decide. (Yun Yeong-Min)
If its not the President, then who will? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min shut his mouth.
Well, he wasnt wrong on that one. If the countrys President didnt decide on such matters, then who else would? It wasnt as if he could hold a democratic voting process over it, now was it?
Its not easy to unify our two countries. First of all, the preparation alone can take up to several decades. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Yun Yeong-Min as if he was a pathetic fool. Thetter clenched his fist as this sense of unfairness rushed in.
He already knew that he wasnt the peoples favourite President in history. Just taking one look at the public approval poll said everything you needed to know, so how could he not realise the truth?
He thought that the regr citizens didnt know him well enough to judge him properly, but whatever the case might have been, him being a disliked President didnt change.
However, who would dare to openly disparage him like this?
He was still this nations President-elect, was he not?
Im telling you this because there is a way to shorten that decades of years. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is that? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Very simple, really. Just tell them wereing, but then we sit back and suck on our thumbs while watching the fireworks going off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.................
With that, Pyongyang will be sorted out in no time, and you will have your bloodless victory. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was a funny joke. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min ended up chuckling out.
But, I was being serious? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you have any idea how many people live in Pyongyang? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Dunno. How many live there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
I was just saying that to make my point, so why are you asking me back with such a specific question? Now I dont know what to say! (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
W-well, that is... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Park Du-Jin quietly whispered in his bosss ear.
Its three million, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
I-its three million! (Yun Yeong-Min)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Thats more than I thought. Anyways. So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just for the sake of unification, you want to watch and do nothing as three million people lose their lives? Have you thought about the level of condemnation that will be aimed at you if you did something like that? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Condemnation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Why would I be condemned? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, you wont be.
Of course no ones going to condemn you!! But Ill be instead, you fool!! (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
Yun Yeong-Min had to suppress a string of expletives he hadnt used since back in the days of being a National Assembly member, from leaving his mouth. If he lost his temper here, everything would be over.
Turning a blind eye to a massacre for the sake of ones profit is not what a human being should do. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt it obvious? (Yun Yeong-Min)
But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Excuse me? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Why is that obvious? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the? Do I really have to exin it to you? Arent we all human beings? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively.
Oh, so what youre saying is... Since were all human beings, I must obviously go and save them if they are in danger? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....If you dont have the necessary abilities, then no, but if you do, isnt it the right thing to do so? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Again, why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned his back against the couch. That reaction, a mixture of half irritation and halfzy annoyance, caused Yun Yeong-Min to momentarily forget what he wanted to say.
Well, it was the unfortunate truth that there could be no proper answers when asked, Why should he?
The wealthy donating to the poor was an act of generosity. However, that act was notpulsory. If the wealthy decided not to donate, then sure, you could condemn and criticise all you want, but you couldnt force them to give things away, either.
It was the same thing with power.
The powerful stepping forward for the weak in times of danger was an act of goodwill, but not stepping up couldnt bebelled as evil. From the get-go, the powerful would have to consider the hard work and potential losses incurred when stepping up for the weak.
I understand what youre saying here. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head again.
I understand that the current situation is making you feel really dissatisfied. I know that. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything and observed Yun Yeong-Min.
In all honesty, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you dont have any particr reasons to aid the North Koreans. I know that itll be hard for you to gain anything personally by travelling there. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk studied Yun Yeong-Min as if he was interested now.
Regardless of what, this man was still the President. Indeed, not any cats or dogs could upy this position.
However, that kind of response is quite troublesome for everyone else involved. If youre willing to talk earnestly and iron out your issues, only then will we be able to move forward properly. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Yes, that sounds about right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Mins expression brightened.
This man, he definitely had the disposition of a dumba*s, but at least, being earnest could get through to him.
In that case, let me make myself clear. I dont feel like going. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope.
Didnt get through to him. (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
T-that puts all of us in a bind. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Didnt you just say we can talk earnestly about it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What youre doing isnt talking, its just announcing! Shouldnt we talk about this? Lets talk, please! (Yun Yeong-Min)
But, Im not that interested, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please dont be like that.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min stopped himself there and shut his mouth.
He felt saddened for some reason while he was talking just now. It wasnt as if he was trying to sell something as a salesman, so clinging on like this when he was the President came across as a bit sorrowfully humorous.
Even when meeting the American President, such a one-sided power dynamic wouldnt happen, so this....
I dont have to go, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All the thoughts of dissatisfaction in the Presidents head dissipated with that question.
O-of course you have to go. (Yun Yeong-Min)
But, I really, really dont want to. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im sure you dont. However, it seems that you must aid the North Koreans this one time. Otherwise, too many lives will be lost. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Come on now, those people dying isnt my fault, so why should I be responsible for them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The jaw of Choi Jeong-Hoon next to him dropped to the floor.
It is your fault, you d*mn fool!!
You drove the monsters that way!!
Holy sh*t, a person should have a conscience, man. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
....Hul?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons body shuddered after he saw Yi Ji-Hyuks face. He was making a genuinely upset expression. Could he have forgotten about the incident he had caused already?
Is your brain removable or something? Did you switch to another one while I wasnt looking?
Wowsers, what a convenient brain you have there.
Cleanly forgetting about anything thats potentially bad for you. Scary b*stard.
No, hang on. Rather than bad stuff, you just quickly forget about stuff that doesnt interest you, right? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Well do our best to assist you. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins voice became rather desperate, but Yi Ji-Hyuk remained unmoved.
What can you assist me with, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We willpensate.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
I dont really need anything, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min swallowed back his groan.
This was indeed the big problem. No matter how much analysis and dissection of information were done, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt seem to be in need of anything in particr.
To make matters worse, he wasnt that patriotic either, so he wasnt interested in serving his country.
So, how could anyone even think of using this guy?
Also, he was smarter than he looked when it came to calcting gains and losses, so he couldnt be fooled in that regard, either. In other words, he should be considered as perfection itself. From the perspective of Yun Yeong-Min who had to entice Yi Ji-Hyuk and dispatch him to the North, this was truly a frustrating development, indeed.
You dont have anything you need? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....W-well, its not like, you know, you need to get, uh, what you need before going, so.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
At this point, even Yun Yeong-Min himself had no idea what he was trying to say.
I just dont get why youre trying to send me there. I mean, if you leave it alone, wouldnt unification happen on its own? Isnt unification the ardent wish of our people or something? Was that all bullsh*t? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Mins lips parted halfway.
No, its not bullsh*t. Its definitely not, but... The thing is, our situation has changed a lot since that song came out, you see?
You think the people who wrote that song had any idea that things would be like this?? (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
If the unification happens now, there will be so many things we will have to consider. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Okay, what will you have to consider, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where should he start the exnation?
Just as Yun Yeong-Min fell into the pit of bleak hopelessness, Choi Jeong-Hoon decided that now was the time to help his President out.
First of all, double the territory means double the Gates to deal with. Meaning, your workload will double, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Flinch.
Choi Jeong-Hoon urately caught Yi Ji-Hyuks body flinch ever so imperceptibly and began the bombardment of facts.
If its just double the load, then itd be a relief, actually. However, as it is the case with all things, the increase in the load will result in holes in the defences opening up, which will then lead to a further increase in the workload. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be lowering his head for a bit there, but then, shouted out as if he realised something.
In that case, Ill just quit! The NDF or whatever, Ill just quit and thats the end of that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon maintained his good-natured smile.
Once the refugees start streaming in and the Gate operations be harder, the whole country will be chaotic. That would lead to your familys life bing much harder as well. Dont you agree? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Fut. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked in response.
You think I havent thought that far ahead? Ill just emigrate, you know! To America! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head. Indeed, that was an option.
Didnt know you could speak English, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
W-with trantion magic. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can you cast that on other people, as well? Your parents cant speak English, yet youre asking them to live there? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
........
What about your sister, Ye-Won? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon then leaned in closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk and whispered in his ear.
Honestly, everyone already knows that South Korea is the best country in the world to live in as long as you have the money. Good public security, everythings readily avable, etc, etc. You wont find a better ce to live than here if you have the money. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
W-well, thats true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, its not like youre nning to eat burgers for all three meals every single day, so living in Korea should be more convenient for you, no? Besides, no matter which country you choose to live in, you wont be able to escape from annoying little things like this. You know this already, dont you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons relentless fact bombardment pushed Yi Ji-Hyuk deeper and deeper into the couch.
B-but, its too annoying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you can avoid a bigger annoyance with a smaller one, then thats a pretty good trade-off, dont you agree? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk closed his mouth and frowned deeply. Yun Yeong-Min had to view Choi Jeong-Hoon in renewed light now.
What the hell is up with this guy?
He handled that dumba*s so masterfully.
So, this was the reason why both the Defense Minister and the KSF director pleaded with me to keep Choi Jeong-Hoon around next to that fool.
I was thinking that a young sapling of a civil servant was enjoying too much power here, but this guy, hes not a wily fox sticking to Yi Ji-Hyuk for his own gains but more like a padlock that can lock him away, instead. (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
The problem is that hes a bit too loose, thats what. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Pardon?
No, its nothing. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Even if it was a chain that could be severed at any time he wanted, having one was better than not having it, after all.
I believe we need to exin the situation in detail to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk now. Mister President? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head.
Defense Minister. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Defense Minister)
Take the lead with the briefing. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Understood. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister stood up and at the same time, the door to the Presidents office opened. A white board was wheeled inside, with a map of Pyongyang and its vicinity hanging on it.
Dont you guys have a giant projection screen or something here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, since this isnt a conference chamber to begin with.... A beam projector will be installed shortly. (Defense Minister)
Even when I was an elementary school student, we had something much shier than this, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
K-h-hmm. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister smiled bitterly and ignored Yi Ji-Hyuks dissatisfaction to get the briefing underway.
< 301. So, you want me to go there now? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 302: So, you want me to go there now? (2)
Chapter 302: So, you want me to go there now? (2)
Currently, North Korea has set up a defensive perimeter around Pyongyang. Although the marching speed of the monsters isnt that fast, they are heading straight towards the capital city, so its not difficult to predict the potential route they might take. (Defense Minister)
The beam projector was switched on and the satellite photo of the monsters was disyed.
The monster horde has moved past Pyongsan and heading towards Hoengju. They should arrive in Gangnam soon. (Defense Minister)
Ng? Gangnam? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
What are you talking about? Why would those creatures in North Koreae to Gangnam? To shop? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its a name of a ce in North Korea. It means the south of Taedong River. (Defense Minister)
Wow, they just pped any name that worked, didnt they? Wait, does that mean our Gangnam is named so because its south of the Han River? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Defense Minister)
R-really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily shifted his head away, looking somewhat embarrassed. The Defense Minister stared at him with criticising eyes before continuing on with the briefing.
In any case, North Korea has.... (Defense Minister)
The Minister then drew a straight line somewhere south of Pyongyang.
....Created the defensive line like so. They have summoned every avablebat personnel, and long range artillery are set in ce as well. (Defense Minister)
H-mm..... (Bae Jeong-Guk)
The director of KSF, Bae Jeong-Guk, tilted his head.
Does that mean they are gathering even the regr soldiers? (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Yes. (Defense Minister)
Ive seen the video footage from the DMZ, and it doesnt seem like regr soldiers would be any help whatsoever in this situation? (Bae Jeong-Guk)
I dont think they have any leeway to mind that at the moment. If Seoul was in the same predicament, we wouldve also called for all the military personnel to show up, too. (Defense Minister)
I guess so. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Bae Jeong-Guk nodded his head.
Even if you knew it was useless, the current situation demanded that you grasp any straws you could find. Whether theyd serve any purpose or not, now thats something youd learn at ater stage.
They might be able to do something by raining down artillery like theres no tomorrow. Even if their firepower proved to inadequate, concentrated shelling could potentially stop the monsters advance temporarily.
Even if thats nothing but baseless hoping.
Unfortunately, such a measure would only be at the level of maybe it might work. It had already been established that bombing had no effect C all modern weaponry didnt work as a matter of fact, so how much more effective would ancient weapons made decades upon decades ago, be?
Other than them, Peoples Ability User Brigade as well as other ability user units are gathering in Pyongyang as we speak. Monsters are predicted to reach the target in 24 hours time from now. (Defense Minister)
You mean, at the defensive line? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes. (Defense Minister)
Yun Yeong-Min stared at the map with a serious expression.
If the monsters arent stopped by the line, what will happen? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The Minister in charge of the Ministry of Unification, Choi Seon-Hyeong, cautiously opened his mouth.
Itll be the worst, sir. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
...Please be more specific. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Eh, well. First of all.... (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Choi Seon-Hyeong coughed to clear his throat and continued on.
North Korea has abnormally high concentration of poption in Pyongyang. So much so that you can safely dere all of the Norths core ruling ss are living in the capital and you wouldnt be wrong. The moment such a city is levelled t to the ground, well, Im sure you can all imagine what will happen next. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
M-mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Since Pyongyang doesnt contribute greatly towards manufacturing sector of the North, we can assume that that part of their economy wont be affected that much. However, the moment the capital falls, the whole North Korean system will crumble to the ground. Itll lose its ability to function as a nation. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
But, you cant say its a functioning nation even now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks opinion prompted Choi Seon-Hyeong to faintly nod his head.
Although thats true, they still exercise the minimum level of governance. For instance, in order to produce electricity, you must bring in coal, and then burn them in a power station. However, with Pyongyang destroyed and their system copsed, itll be the same as people capable of deciding where the coal will be used all disappearing. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
....What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats how North Korea is like. Without someone giving them orders, no one up there will make a move. You mustnt think of how South Korea operates. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head. He didnt really get it, and he had a feeling that listening to more exnation wouldnt improve his situation. Well, he wasnt all that interested in learning, anyway.
In conclusion, if Pyongyang is destroyed, then North Korea will copse. And if North Korea copses.... (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Choi Seon-Hyeong pointed at the map.
There is a good chance that Russia and China will advance south. Although were technically still in armistice, both North Korea and we are already independent nations. We can no longer demand the right to rule the territory of a failed state, in other words. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his hand.
Yes? (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
By the way.... Ive been told that us swallowing up Norths territory will pose lots of problems, yet wont it be the same for them? We apparently dont want to, so why do they want to swallow up the territory? Doesnt make sense, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its because the cost and work involved for them will be different from us, thats why. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
What are you talking about this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
China has already halfway allowed autonomy of countless minorities within its territory. Their basic stance is, they dont have anything to support you with, so you live on your own. Its a simr story for Russia, as well. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head as if to agree with that.
However, that isnt the case with our country. As were of mono-ethnicity, the moment we ept the Norths refugees, we must treat them and support them as citizens of our nation.
First of all, meeting their need for medical insurance and national pension alone would be an extraordinary undertaking. And when the problems of finding work for nearly twenty million refugees as well as providing the minimum living expenses ovep on top of that, our country will find itself in danger of crumbling down, as well.
In order to prevent that, well have to divide the citizens and rely on a tiered support system, but even that will prove to be difficult to sustain. After such things happen and several North Koreans either start dying of starvation, or fail to adapt to the new environment and circle around the edge of society in desperation, the resulting societal upheaval will truly be horrendous. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
I dont get what youre saying, but I guess itll be a huge problem, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, thats exactly it. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Choi Seon-Hyeong mustve not ced much faith in Yi Ji-Hyuk, because he cleanly ended his exnation there.
And so..... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min spoke with some conviction.
We must prevent the destruction of Pyongyang at all cost. Currently, the Gate War has reached an unpredictable stage. Its already difficult trying to defend our original territory, so we simply dont have the necessary wherewithal to deal with countless refugees and the new territory twice the original size. (Yun Yeong-Min)
So, isnt that basically saying, you dont want to unify the two countries, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Now isnt the ideal time. Not yet. There is a right time for everything. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled loudly.
Well, fine. Its all good and stuff, and so.... How are you nning to stop the monsters? You want to open up the Panmunjeom and send in the military? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min didnt say anything and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thats a problem the NDF needs to resolve, not me. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk agreed enthusiastically.
Youre so right! Okay, what then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All gazes focused on Choi Jeong-Hoon next.
It is true that Im in charge of the NDF, more or less, but we have the Director-nim of the KSF here so why I must....? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nononono, I mean, what do I know? The person with actual authority should do it, right? I shall simply follow what you decide, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
B-but, sir! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, thats the reality of this situation. Im already up to my neck dealing with the KSF. Thats why youve been given the authority to make the important decisions. So, do what you think is the best, okay? (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Bae Jeong-Guk quickly made his exit from the matters just then, and the gazes of everyonended on Choi Jeong-Hoon once more.
Ehh.... Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon scratched his head helplessly.
That guy would always bug him for this and that with the pretext of being his superior officer, but the dear Director of the KSF loved to take a backseat when it was time to handle serious matters like this.
However, that disposition of his was why he ended up climbing up to such a position in the first ce.
Lets not forget, youre a lot more famous than me outside of these walls, so this is for the best, no? (Bae Jeong-Guk)
....And even added sarcasm as a bonus, too.
Choi Jeong-Hoon worked hard to calm his boiling mind and spoke up.
Its all because youve been supporting us from behind, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nononono. I havent done anything much, really. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a groan under his breath. Being sarcastic was one of the most basic human rights, indeed, but did it have to be this very moment?
There were too many eyes watching, so he couldnt even retort back. This was just getting rather ufortable.
Yi Ji-Hyuk studied this proceedings for a little while before suddenly asking a question.
By the way, who are you, ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Pardon me? (Bae Jeong-Guk)
I said, who are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The flustered Bae Jeong-Guk sneaked a nce at him before speaking in a quiet voice.
Im the KSFs director, Bae Jeong-Guk.
The KSF? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Howe Ive never seen you before today, ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that very moment, Yun Yeong-Mins brows twitched.
Never seen him before? But, hes the director of the KSF?? (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
The Presidents knife-like re stabbed into Bae Jeong-Guk, causing thetter to shift his head away in embarrassment.
W-well, youre a very busy person, thats why. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
I am?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes, of course. Youre always preupied. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Even though Im the only one with nothing to do back in the office? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I-is that so? (Bae Jeong-Guk)
If you were at least a little bit interested, youd have known that, so why do you sound as if you had no idea? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bae Jeong-Guk became utterly speechless.
Who didnt know that out of everyone working in the NDF, no, the KSF, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the freest?
The director simply didnt bother to meet him, because he didnt want to get involved. Besides, it was a matter for Choi Jeong-Hoon and Seo Ah-Young to handle anyway C not to mention, it wasnt as if a non-ability user had any business with an ability user, to begin with.
However, the current atmosphere was bing rather weird with every passing second.
Ahahaha, well, its because Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon is doing such a wonderful job, you see. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Yeah, thats true. Still, a man Ive never seen before sitting around here as the top representative of an organisation just feels off to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
mes burned brightly within Yun Yeong-Mins eyes.
He appointed that man to do a job, so there should be a limit to one trying to weasel out of his duties. Bae Jeong-Guk was none other than the director of the KSF, yet he never even met Yi Ji-Hyuk once?
Seriously, was there a job more important in the whole of KSF than managing Yi Ji-Hyuks matters?
Mister Director. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Y-yes, sir! Mister President! (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Why dont we have a chat separatelyter? (Yun Yeong-Min)
....O-of course. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Bae Jeong-Guks head dropped low, and in the meantime, Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted loudly.
Besides all that. I guess youre also really free like me? Pretending to be all busy and stuff, yet still have enough time to rake your subordinate over coal in front of your President, even? Maybe, you can go and take a nap until the end of the meeting and itll still be alright? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sorry. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min ended up involuntarily apologising.
Grit.
He gritted his teeth and red murderously at Bae Jeong-Guk. Thetter trembled while keeping his head low. No radical reformist in their advanced years had escaped from being called a madman. Bae Jeong-Guk knew very well what Yun Yeong-Mins personality was, so he couldnt help but tremble.
You son of a.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Ehhei!! Mister President, you must collect yourself, sir! There are people present. (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jins timely dissuasion worked like a charm and Yun Yeong-Min turned his body away to pant like an angry bull for a while. He then smiled and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Id like to apologise for showing you something quite embarrassing. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Eii, thats not true. By that logic, it should be us apologising for presenting you with an ipetent director. I mean, Ive never seen him before, never even talked to him before, and Ive no clue what he does actually, but still, hes supposed to be our director, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You sure do have a gracious heart. (Yun Yeong-Min)
And very nice manners, too.
Griiiit.
Yun Yeong-Min gritted his teeth again.
Still, theres something I really dont get.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Ive said this before, but heres the thing. Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon does a c**p ton of work, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He does? (Yun Yeong-Min)
He cant go home, sleeps for only three hours a day and needs to continue working afterwards. Ive been asking for additional people for a couple of times by now, yet that didnt seem to work, so.... was it the Foreign Affairs Minister? I requested that geezer and got a few new people, then I asked him to block the phone callsing through to us, but that also didnt work, which eventually led me to showing up in the Blue House. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I-is... that so? (Yun Yeong-Min)
So, like, I cant figure out what you did exactly to support us and stuff until now. Considering the job we do, I dont think its too much of an ask for additional personnel, you know? Didnt you give them enough money, President ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no freaking way.
The KSF and the Defense Ministry took up the lions share of the annual budget. If the budget allocated was so tight that hiring a couple more people was proving to be difficult, then well, the KSF would have closed its doors by now.
So, the President did his absolute best to support them financially, so what on earth was this??
Please hold. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins brows shot up as if he remembered something.
< 302. So, you want me to go there now? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 303: So, you want me to go there now? (3)
Chapter 303: So, you want me to go there now? (3)
Back then, when Yi Ji-Hyuk was throwing a tantrum here....
That was all the fault of Bae Jeong-Guk?
Griiiiiit.
Park Du-Jin next to his boss began thinking that he should make an appointment with a dentist soon. At this rate, the Presidents teeth might not remain in their original shape any longer.
Director. (Yun Yeong-Min)
....Yes, sir? (Bae Jeong-Guk)
What kind of an embarrassment was this because of one moron?
Yun Yeong-Mins bloodshot eyes locked on Bae Jeong-Guk. He then clenched his teeth and spoke.
Why dont we have that chat now? (Yun Yeong-Min)
M-Mister President, every passing second is.... (Bae Jeong-Guk)
Thats why we should do this quickly. Come with me. Now. (Yun Yeong-Min)
....Sir. (Bae Jeong-Guk)
The President stormed out of the office, with the lowered-head Bae Jeong-Guk powerlessly following after.
Its like watching a cow being dragged to an abattoir. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister groaned under his breath after witnessing that spectacle.
A short whileter, the President returned alone, with Bae Jeong-Guk nowhere to be seen. He didnt waste time and spoke to Park Du-Jin.
Find me new candidates. (Yun Yeong-Min)
It shall be done, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
With that, Bae Jeong-Guks dismissal had been confirmed.
Hiya~, will you look at how simple that was? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled loudly, but Choi Jeong-Hoon was carrying a mixed expression.
That was so simple.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Although Yun Yeong-Min had been used today, it was still a moment that Yi Ji-Hyuks authority had been put on full disy.
Well, that did feel kind of refreshing, actually. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When he thought back to how Bae Jeong-Guk made his life difficult by demanding so much from him while not helping out at all until now, this event certainly qualified as a good thing.
Choi Jeong-Hoons profile had risen up a lot recently so the interference had lessened somewhat, but how much of an irritation that man used to be before then?
Wait, should I have spoken about this earlier? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Then, the problem wouldve been sorted out with a proverbial snap of fingers, as demonstrated just now.
Now that he thought about it, he did feel a lot more reassured by riding on Yi Ji-Hyuks coattails, but he hadnt really taken advantage of this arrangement yet, at least not to his knowledge.
Sure, he made some money on the side by negotiating on Yi Ji-Hyuks behalf, but he certainly hadnt used thetter in the show of power until now.
Please, carry on. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min issued an order, and the Defense Minister nodded his head. With Bae Jeong-Guk gone, it was now up to him to lead this meeting forward.
I believe that the correct thing is to send the NDF over. We at the Defense Ministry initially nned to lend an aid, but after thinking about it, we now believe that sending arge contingent of armed forces across the DMZ can potentially stimte both China and Russia unnecessarily. (Defense Minister)
Stimting them, is it.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Itll be the first time since the Korean War that our forces wouldve moved up north, after all. Even if you think about it the other way, you wont be able to ay your suspicions. (Defense Minister)
H-mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head.
How are the Japanese reacting? (Yun Yeong-Min)
You dont have to mind them for the time being, sir. After the Tokyo incident thest time, they dont have the leeway to turn their gazes overseas at the moment. More importantly, the Japanese government is now in a position of nervously minding Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks moods, so they wont try anything to provoke us. (Defense Minister)
I guess youre right. (Yun Yeong-Min)
It was unfortunate that the Foreign Affairs Minister was absent and that made it impossible to confirm the exact situation. His deputy was present here, but....
If I call his name out, he might die of a heart attack. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Seeing the deputy minister sweating buckets when the weather had be rather cold recently, the President couldnt bring himself to ask the poor man any questions. He was suspicious that, even if asked, hed not be able to get any satisfactory answers, anyway.
He figured that hed get a separate briefingter; now didnt seem like a good time to ask.
In other words, itll be a good idea to lend our aid as soon as possible. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well, sir. The conclusion has been established already. (Defense Minister)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head.
Indeed, their problem wasnt about what they should do, but how to entice Yi Ji-Hyuk and make him head north, instead. So, when everything was said and done C they needed to convince this dude, but.....
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Allow me to be frank with you. For the sake of our country and her citizens, please agree to be dispatched to North Korea. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a pout.
Oh, so you want me to go there now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Y-yes, basically. (Yun Yeong-Min)
And what good will it do for me when I go there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For one, thepensation is.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Will there be any benefits for the country? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min frowned slightly. What has this guy been listening until now?
North Korea not copsing will be of a great benefit for us. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was thinking of saying anything to get himself out of this, so he crumpled his expression to express his annoyance.
There, there. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, Choi Jeong-Hoon began cating him with an excellent sense of timing.
Please calm down and think about this. Gates will open up soon anyway, and you staying put doesnt mean youll be free from any work. Isnt that right? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, by going to North Korea and taking care of business up there, you will be able to take a much-deserved rest for a while. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The North Koreans will treat you well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, arent they so poor that they cant even afford a bowl of gruel? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Norths upper ss is famed for enjoying a luxurious lifestyle, actually. Also, theres the old saying of, go South for men, while go North for women, isnt there? Ladies there will be quite pretty, and..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pretty? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Such a thing shouldnt be said to this dude.
His wife was none other than Erukana, so there was no way any other woman might take his fancy. More importantly, this insane fool even found that Erukana irritating and wanted to divorce her, so the less said the better.
....Wait, just thinking about it kinda p*sses me off? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Why are you ring at me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, its nothing. In any case, you might find quite a number of cuisines unique only to North Korea when you go there. When Kim Jung-Il was still alive, he was renowned as being something of an epicurean, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, he looked like someone whod chow down anything? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You cant tell a person by their faces. Well, then. Going there at least once might be a good experience overall for you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Groan. Fine. I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Once Yi Ji-Hyuk agreed to do it, Choi Jeong-Hoon inwardly clenched his fist.
Oh, ohh!! (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min watched this spectacle and eximed in admiration.
How should he put this? It was like he witnessed a man specialised in handling Yi Ji-Hyuks matters perform a cheap but still impressive magic trick. Such a ridiculous persuasion wouldnt work on a normal person, yet he still managed to conclude the negotiation with that very story.
His abilities are for real. (Yun Yeong-Min)
It was not for nothing that Choi Jeong-Hoon was in hot demand from everywhere.
By the way, what will they give me in return? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The smile on Choi Jeong-Hoons lips deepened.
As you may well know already.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was unknown how long it had been since one could see Choi Jeong-Hoon standing so tall and so confidently like this. The powerful dandy aura emanated from him like a flood right now.
...That is my area of expertise, isnt it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Wringing your opponents out until theres barely anything left? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You could say Im the Master of Negotiation, actually. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In any case, Ill just leave it up to you, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, dont you worry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Finishing his negotiation with Yi Ji-Hyuk, Choi Jeong-Hoon turned around and smiled brightly as he stared at Yun Yeong-Min.
Mister President, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
N-ng?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir, as you can see, my client-nim is a very reasonable person. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....In which part?
N-no, before that. Your client-nim??
What on earth is up with client all of a sudden?? (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
However, the Republic of Korea is a democratic nation that pursues the ideal of capitalism-based free economy. Isnt it, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
T-thats indeed correct. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Its the basics of basics for you to get paid what you deserve that matches your skill level. Id like to help you out by naming a moderate price, but if I do that, itd dismantle the foundation of our capitalism-based free economy and I simply cant hide my extreme and profound sorrow at that unfortunate fact. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What the f*ck... is up with this b*stard?
Why is he overflowing with a conmans aura??
He doesnt even look like one, yet hes like a natural-born fraudster. (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
Okay, so what? (Yun Yeong-Min)
If you name an appropriate price, that would certainly help alleviate my clients unwillingness to make his move. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I was already nning to give you money!
I really did!
I knew that yapping to him isnt going to work from the get-go!
But if youe out like this, Im getting less and less inclined to give you!! (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
Groan..... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min sighed in defeat.
Unfortunately, his current position meant he had to give them money whether he was inclined or not.
So, then. How much does he want.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Please hold, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
It was at that moment that Park Du-Jin silently watching from the sidelines suddenly stepped forward.
Sir, I think itll be prudent for me to participate in the negotiation from now on. (Park Du-Jin)
Ohhhh? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min looked at his Chief Secretary and nodded his head.
Park Du-Jin was a specialist in matters like this. If he stepped up here, itd make the Presidents life so much easier.
Ho-oh, so itll be senior-nim, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Didnt I tell you earlier that you will get burnt if you keep this up? (Park Du-Jin)
I have taken your advice to heart. However.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon slicked back the stray strand of hair and continued on.
That day isnt going to be today. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ho-oh? (Park Du-Jin)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled and pointed towards the exit of the office.
Shall we? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Let us. (Park Du-Jin)
And so, two men headed off to elsewhere, looking grimly determined.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now left unattended, Yi Ji-Hyuk began scanning the rest of the politicians sitting here.
H-h-hang on a second!! (Yun Yeong-Min)
If Choi Jeong-Hoon is not around, who will rein Yi Ji-Hyuk in, then?
Can anyone present here strong enough to deal with that man?! (Yun Yeong-Mins inner monologue)
Cold sweat trickled down Yun Yeong-Mins backside.
He then shot a knowing nce at the Defense Minister. Thetter was very quick on the uptake and he quickly opened his mouth.
Haha, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Defense Minister)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Have you eaten yet? (Defense Minister)
I was in the middle of my meal when you called me. I mean, what the hell, why were you telling me to hurry up ande, making me miss my mealtime?? As it turned out, it wasnt even an urgent matter, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
The poor Defense Minister, needlessly opening his mouth and ending up in this hole somehow, shifted his embarrassed gaze back to Yun Yeong-Min.
You must continue. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The President, however, figured that keeping Yi Ji-Hyuk upied right now was the utmost priority and lightly nodded his head once. The Defense Minister too formed a determined expression and carried on.
Pardon us, looks like we made a terrible mistake. Well, in that case, how about we treat you to a meal? The restaurant here is actually a world-ss. The one in Chunchugwan is very good, as a matter of fact. (Defense Minister)
Food, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk disyed hints of being interested, Yun Yeong-Min began nodding his head even unbeknownst to himself.
Should I just go get myself some food, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to stand up, the door was flung open. Choi Jeong-Hoon and Park Du-Jin strode gantly inside.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows twitched.
It hadnt been that long, yet the signs of fatigue were quite clearly etched on both mens faces.
Fuu-woo. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed out at length and turned to look at Park Du-Jin.
You were amazing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Same for you. (Park Du-Jin)
I think weve incurred too much losses this time around. However, it wont be the same story next time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im currently worried about how I should make my report. You were really thinking of wringing us dry. (Park Du-Jin)
Fufufu. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon offered his hand.
It was a wonderful negotiation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I agree. (Park Du-Jin)
The two men shook hands like a pair of real men.
Yi Ji-Hyuk witnessed this scene and voiced out his unfiltered opinion.
What the hell is this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In all honesty, he didnt want to bear witness to two ahjussis having a bromance moment.
As for the written agreement, lets get the signatures of both sides and store them separately. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, lets do that. I shallpile a formal official document as agreed in this list. (Park Du-Jin)
Alright, please do. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that the situation had been sorted out more or less, Choi Jeong-Hoon walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuk to talk to him.
I shall handle the matters rted to when youll head to the North and other sundry issues. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Do that, please. That means.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You might need to head out at any second, so please dont go back to your house.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul?? What am I supposed to do here, then? y with the dear President-nim?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Mins zing rended on Choi Jeong-Hoon immediately.
I-I shall search for a ce where you can stay for the time being. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly walked over to Park Du-Jin and whispered to him.
I need a ce with a good PC and inte. One with high specs! One that can y video games really well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I-I understand. (Park Du-Jin)
Also, please prepare lots of sodas and snacks, as well. As for his chair, please get something plushy. No, hang on.... Isnt there a PC Bang near the Blue House? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I-Im not certain. (Park Du-Jin)
....If we leave him here, hes going to, uh, y with Mister President. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I shall get right on it. (Park Du-Jin)
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched Park Du-Jin clench his fist tightly and nodded his head in approval.
There were many other things that needed to be taken care of besides Yi Ji-Hyuk. So, itd be for the best for everyone to park that mans butt in front of aputer ASAP, just like how youd pick up the toys for kids.
Ah, and hell get really cranky if hes hungry, so please hurry and provide him with food. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Understood. (Park Du-Jin)
We need to inform his mother of this situation as well. Hes going to take it out on us the next day if he goes back homete and get his back destroyed by her. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
........... (Park Du-Jin)
What the hell, who is this b*stard, really?
Is he a nanny??
Wait, did he have to act like this until now? (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin did his best to rein in the tears threatening to burst out and patted Choi Jeong-Hoon on the shoulder.
Dont worry about a thing. I shall take care of everything. (Park Du-Jin)
Ill leave it to you, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared back at Yi Ji-Hyuk with worried eyes. He was about to leave behind a bomb in the Blue House and go to work, so he couldnt help but get nervous.
By the way... if we leave now, when are we supposed toe back? I gotta watch the finals of the game tournament happening tomorrow.... Does North Korea have wifi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a lengthy sigh.
< 303. So, you want me to go there now? -3 > Fin.
(TL: Chunchgwan is one of the separate buildings within the Blue House, used for press briefings and such.)
Chapter 304: So, you want me to go there now? (4)
Chapter 304: So, you want me to go there now? (4)
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was tilting his head.
The NDF agents were standing behind him withplicated expressions on their faces.
Whats this? Were going there by a bus? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the bus with mystified eyes, while Seo Ah-Young nearby sighed helplessly under her breath.
And now, we even have to go to North Korea.... (Seo Ah-Young)
First, it was America. China next, then even London.... Since they were being sent all over the globe, she began thinking that shed not be surprised by her next destination, but still, North Korea....?
Indeed, wasnt the North that one country nobody wanted to visit, even if it was the closest to home? Well, since the higher-ups were telling her to go, she didnt really have a choice, so....
If I knew this was going to happen, I shouldve tagged along to the Blue House and caused a scene. (Seo Ah-Young)
She shook her head grandly.
They said that trying to avoid wolves will result in meeting tigers instead. She didnt want to have a heart attack by witnessing Yi Ji-Hyuk throw a tantrum in front of the nations president and decided not to tag along, but that led to her going to North Korea, instead.
What a lightning bolt out of the blue this was.
How could she not tremble in all sorts of rage right now?
Please calm down. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, unni! (Seo Ah-Young)
We all knew something like this might happen, anyway. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Uh-whew. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young groaned over and over again. Jeong Hae-Min gently patted her on the back.
They knew they couldnt avoid this situation when problems urred in North Korea and Yi Ji-Hyuks presence was required.
It wouldve been fine if we just sorted everything out by the DMZ.... (Seo Ah-Young)
They say one shouldnt poke a hos nest C they just wanted to cause those North Koreans trouble but it came back to bite them in the rear, instead.
In any case, nothing seems to go right these days. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young angrily red at Choi Jeong-Hoon, and he simply turned his head away.
I said, are we really going by bus?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thankfully, Yi Ji-Hyuk came to Choi Jeong-Hoons rescue as he was the only man here utterly unaffected by the surrounding atmosphere.
Yes, well be heading out in this vehicle. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, is there even a road connected to North Korea? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. A road had beenid out because of the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Also, we can travel through Panmunjeom, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, ohh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still looking mystified, Yi Ji-Hyuk studied the road stretching out beyond the horizon.
Are we going alone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its likely that people from the military will apany us as well, since we dont know what might happen up there. Im assuming that their representative this time will be Colonel Jeong In-Soo. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Heh, why does it feel like were running into that ahjussi pretty oftentely? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned wryly.
Instead of the good Colonel being summoned everywhere, Jeong In-Soo had been earmarked by the Defense Ministry as their exclusive go-to Yi Ji-Hyuk marker. They simply decided that hed be assigned to all matters rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk and the NDF.
This arrangement is making me feel rather ufortable, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon would rather prefer dealing with the Defense Minister. To him, Jeong In-Soo would always remain as a difficult opponent.
Hey, there he is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After hearing Yi Ji-Hyuk, Choi Jeong-Hoon turned his head to look behind him. Sure enough, he could see Jeong In-Soo riding in a jeep heading this way.
He climbed off from the vehicle and with a smile, bowed his head slightly towards Yi Ji-Hyuk first. But then, his expression transformed in an instant to a stiff one when he looked at Choi Jeong-Hoon next.
Are you Baron Ashura or something?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon) (TL note at the end)
What scared him even more was the fact that there was no pretence here at all. The only person in this entire world who had a favourable impression of Yi Ji-Hyuk was Jeong In-Soo, if you excluded Erukana.
Regardless of all that, though, why was such a man shooting a re at Choi Jeong-Hoon?
Are you finished with preparations? (Jeong In-Soo)
Yes, weve finished gathering our people. Dont you have any otherbat personnel apanying you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A special forces unit will join me. Any more than that might lead to unwanted agitation. Last time we saw them, they were dying to provoke us, so rather than poking a hos nest unnecessarily, its been decided that sending only a small elite force will be a wiser choice. (Jeong In-Soo)
Mm, I guess youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was more than sufficient enough to act as their mainbat unit anyway, so there was no need to push ahead with numbers here.
Besides, if something goes wrong, we can just open a Gate or whatever its called and get out of dodge, right? (Jeong In-Soo)
Thats true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....If only that guy wants to run, that is.
No, if we run into a problem, hell probably throw a wild tantrum, instead. Itll be a huge relief if he doesnt blow up Pyongyang with his own hands. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Hopefully, the North Korean idiots are aware of that.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Jeong In-Soo)
No, its nothing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly discarded his ominous thoughts. All of his imaginations, especially the bad ones, had a tendency of bing reality. But at least this time, such a thing must not happen.
Gather everyone for me, will you. (Jeong In-Soo)
Alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had everyone gather around. Jeong In-Soo coughed a couple of times to clear his throat and addressed them.
Good day, everyone from the NDF. Im Colonel Jeong In-Soo from the Territory Defense Command. I can see a few acquaintances among you. Actually, I shouldve offered my greetings thest time, but things got way too hectic back then. Instead, allow me to offer my greetings today. Ive asked you to gather to request something from you. (Jeong In-Soo)
He then waited for a beat before continuing on.
Soon, we will be stepping into the North Korean territory. As you may well know, North Korea is one country wheremon sense does not apply. Please, once were there, Id like to ask all of you to do your absolute best not to act alone, and to control yourselves. I know very well that each and everyone of you are ability users with excellent skill sets. However, you must remember that no one can help us when were inside that country. This is a whole different ball gamepared to being dispatched to other countries. I hope you understand. (Jeong In-Soo)
Everyone nodded their heads.
They too looked tense from the oppressive feeling the country called North Korea emanated.
To make it worse, when you recall the events back in the DMZ, then you can bet your bottom dor that they wont treat us nicely this time as well. And thats why I ask of you to control yourselves well. Is there anyone among you thinking, hell, Ill be fine even as bullets and bombs are raining down on you? Well, sure, some of you might. However, that does not mean everyone will be safe. Please remember that your mistake can potentially lead to the death of yourrades. (Jeong In-Soo)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
Those were quite wonderful words in the current circumstances.
As for pulling you back, allow our men to do that for you. Its not because were all so haughty and mighty, but.... Please, think of it this way. We are slightly more well-versed in how to respond in such situations, and how to defend ourselves when that side tries to provoke us. That is all. (Jeong In-Soo)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was first to p his hands, and soon, everyone followed suit. They rather liked Jeong In-Soos attitude, which remained humble even though he was amander.
Yup, thats how leaders should behave.
Hah, how envious.
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression crumpled. They werent insulting him, but why did he feel insulted regardless?
Well, everyone. Lets get on the bus. (Jeong In-Soo)
Alright.
These agents, always busy grumbling andining every time Choi Jeong-Hoon said something, were now orderly entering the bus. His jaw fell almost all the way to the ground.
How can this be?!
This, this is a clear betrayal! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
He had worked so hard for them until now, but to think, they would discriminate to this degree!
Lets see if Ill ever be nice to you lot again! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Regretfully, no one paid him attention.
Choi Jeong-Hoon shuddered grandly. Before he could enter the bus himself, however, an agent fully kitted out from head to toe quickly rushed towards them, then whispered something to Jeong In-Soo.
M-mm.... (Jeong In-Soo)
The good colonel formed a troubled expression as he looked at Choi Jeong-Hoon.
They say well have to be body searched before crossing the Panmunjeom. (Jeong In-Soo)
Body search?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They say its the regtion. (Jeong In-Soo)
Its not like well be taking something out from the country, anyway. So why body search us? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I hear its customary.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Did the North demand it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, I hear its actually our side asking for that. (Jeong In-Soo)
Really? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wordlessly pulled his phone out and dialled a certain number. He then handed the device over to Yi Ji-Hyuk, still remaining silent.
Thetter also didnt say anything and epted the phone.
Hello? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C What do you want now?
Ahjussi, its Yi Ji-Hyuk here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C W-what happened?! Did a problem of some kind ur??
Im told that I need to be body searched? But, I really hate someone else touching me, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Im not sure which stupid son of a b*tch came up with that, but I shall resolve it right away. Give me five minutes, and I shall sort it out, so please wait just a little bit.
Sure thing. Please get it sorted out sharpish. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo watched Yi Ji-Hyuk end the call and broke out in a smirk.
Convenient.
Seriously so.
*
Im bored. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked outside the buss window and yawned grandly.
At first, he found this country called North Korea strange so he continued to stare outside. But thatsted only for a short while. Less than one hourter, he lost all interest. All he could see on the side of the road was either mountains or agricultural fields C and that scenery continued on seemingly endlessly.
At least the road is not too bad.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
People kept saying that North Koreas level of development mirrored that of the Souths in the 70s, and as far as he could tell, that assertion was true.
Why is there nothing to see other than mountains here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned.
The northern region is known to be mountainous. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Still, isnt this too much....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even South Korea was like this in the past. Its just that we improved things a great deal byying out roads and carving away mountains. Even now, you wont see anything besides mountains when travelling on our national highwaywork. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Having lost what little interest that remained, Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out his phone next.
Uh??? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then, his eyes quaked visibly.
N-no data connection?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are no cell towers here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
E-even then! It doesnt make sense that you dont have data connection in this day and age! What am I supposed to do, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Ive heard rumours that Pyongyang does have wifi service, so if you wait a bit and reach the.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was then, the corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks brows shot up.
T-there, there. Snack on these... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Before he could start freaking out, Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly pulled out snacks from the bag and ced them before his charge.
Crunch.
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything else and began eating the snacks. Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.
Fuu-woo.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This was only the beginning, so what should he doter on?
This isnt going to be easy. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That side was a bomb waiting to go off, but then, this side was carrying a nuclear warhead.
The internationally-recognised wackjob of a state, North Korea, and the worst wackjob humanity had seen so far, Yi Ji-Hyuk C Choi Jeong-Hoon began thinking that if the encounter between these two titans ended without much of an incident, then hed have to believe God was indeed real.
Crunch, nom-nom-nom, gulp.
The sounds of Yi Ji-Hyuk hoovering up snacks quietly reverberated within the buss interior. Normally, the noisy chatter shouldve filled this space, but it was eerily quiet today.
But, then again.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They were already inside North Korea.
When he got technical about it, they were now inside the enemys territory. Even if they were a bunch of ability users who had traded their sense of fear with superpowers, they should still feel cowered by this asion nevertheless.
Yeah, even Im kinda scared. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons tense expression shifted outside the window.
The air seemed heavy.
Seeing all those snow covering the mountains, he suddenly had this hankering for a cigarette.
Theres someone on the road ahead.
Mm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon got up from his seat. Jeong In-Soo sitting in the front-most seat also raised his head and looked ahead.
Is it a checkpoint? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What a mystifying thing it was, seeing a checkpoint still being manned under the current circumstances. Their country was about to go to hell, yet they were still trying to control the popce? Was this because this was North Korea?
For now, stop the vehicle. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo issued an order with a tense expression.
Everyone, dont leave your seats. (Jeong In-Soo)
The colonel was now making a really bad expression.
The South had already sent the word to the Norths government that this group was on their way. Every second counted, so if this checkpoint was stopping the bus, then either they hadnt received the message from the higher-ups, or were trying deliberately to dampen the Souths spirit.
Either case couldnt be seen as a good thing.
Once the bus came to a stop, Jeong In-Soo opened the door and climbed outside. A North Korean soldier kitted out in the Mao uniform approached the buss entrance.
And who the hell are you? (Soldier)
Im Colonel Jeong In-Soo from Republic of Koreas Territory Defense Command.
Republic of Korea? Is that South Joseon?? (Soldier)
Jeong In-Soos expression crumpled.
Whether this guys acting was great, or he didnt really know.... It was just so natural.
What are you talking about? Wait, you saying youre b*stards from South Joseon, is that it? (Soldier)
Jeong In-Soo sensed that the situation was gradually deteriorating, and hurriedly kicked his brain into gear, only to hear a curiosity-filled voiceing out from behind him.
Hey, its an actual living North Korean. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo squeezed his eyes shut.
< 304. So, you want me to go there now? -4 > Fin.
(TL: Baron Ashura is a viinous character from the famous 70s mecha anime, Mazinger Edition Z: The Impact or its Japanese name, Shin Mazinger Shogeki! Z Hen. Originally two separate beings, one female and other male, they were revived from death andbined into one being, with a faceprising of both people. If youre curious, Google is your friend.)
Chapter 305: So, you want me to go there now? (5)
Chapter 305: So, you want me to go there now? (5)
B-but, I asked you not toe out of the bus! (Jeong In-Soo)
I was curious, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
About what exactly? (Jeong In-Soo)
I mean, this is a real North Korean, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Uhm, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?
You mustnt look at fellow human beings as if they are monkeys in a zoo. No, you definitely mustnt.
Its just North Korea and no, aliens dont live here, so how could you look at someone else with such eyes?
Ehhheeeeii!! (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
Who the f*ck is this b*stard? (soldier)
The North Korean soldier mustve been displeased with the way Yi Ji-Hyuk was looking at him, because his response couldnt be described as friendly at all.
N-no, this is.... (Jeong In-Soo)
For the first time in a long while, Jeong In-Soo got to feel what its like to be speechless. Trying to describe who C or what C Yi Ji-Hyuk was to a North Korean was rather simr to exining Antarctica to an Aborigine living in a tropical rainforest.
Indeed, this was well out of the scope of their understanding.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, please go back inside for a moment. You can meet many more North Koreans once we reach Pyongyang. (Jeong In-Soo)
....But, Im bored. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, hang on. Didnt he see North Koreans back in the DMZ?
Didnt you see those ability users back then? (Jeong In-Soo)
Its weird, but I just dont get that feeling of looking at people when looking at ability users, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Well, were in agreement there.
You also sometimes donte across as a human, you see? (Jeong In-Soos inner monologue)
In any case, let me handle this, so please. (Jeong In-Soo)
Mm, got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and went back inside.
What was that? (soldier)
Its nothing. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo shook his hand dismissively and frowned a little.
Now that he thought about it....
Where did our lead vehicle disappear to? (Jeong In-Soo)
There was a North Korean vehicle guiding the bus ahead of them. It was definitely there only a few moments ago, so....
Did it go past the checkpoint no problem? (Jeong In-Soo)
But, that made no sense.
If the vehicle tasked with guiding the bus behind it went through the checkpoint all by itself, then what exactly was the point of it guiding them in the first ce?
Oh, so you want to cause us trouble, is that it? (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo gritted his teeth a little.
Indeed, this was a clear sign of them trying to put South Koreans in a grinder. Otherwise, something like this wouldnt have urred.
Should I just flip everything? (Jeong In-Soo)
Simply having Yi Ji-Hyuk stand next to him would ensure that the flow of this event would be utterly predictable. However, he couldnt resort to that knowing why he was here in the first ce.
He couldnt understand where this attitude of the Norths ruling party wasing from, though. They definitely needed Yi Ji-Hyuk and the NDF. Yet, why were they voluntarily trying to cause trouble for themselves like this?
Even if North Korea was a deeply closed-off society, shouldnt they have at least a minimum level ofmon sense? Who would end up as the loser if Yi Ji-Hyuk got p*ssed off by this treatment and decided to head back home?
Stop wasting time and get everyone out of the vehicle, now. (soldier)
You want them toe out? (Jeong In-Soo)
You deaf? (soldier)
Jeong In-Soo leaned slightly to his side. He was no longer inclined to protect this fool if they wanted to y this way. And when he thought about it, his highest priority was to ensure that Yi Ji-Hyuks moods werent negatively affected at all times.
Oi, whats your rank, soldier? (Jeong In-Soo)
What did you say? (soldier)
Did I not reveal that Im a Colonel from the Republic of Korea? We received requests from the Joseon Workers Party and are on our way to carry out a mission for them. Yet who the hell do you think youre, daring to use curtnguage and threats? Should I lodge an officialint to the party? (Jeong In-Soo)
....Workers Party?? (soldier)
The signs of fluster quickly filled up the soldiers face.
Didnt a vehicle pass by here before us? (Jeong In-Soo)
T-that it did. (soldier)
That was our lead vehicle. There must be some kind of misunderstanding here, but heres the deal. Were currently on our way to Pyongyang after the Workers Party requested for our presence. Every second counts, yet youre wasting our godd*mn time like this, so you think you and your friends will be alrightter? (Jeong In-Soo)
The eyes of the soldiers quaked visibly.
They really have no idea? (Jeong In-Soo)
Then again, itd be an even bigger headache if these soldiers were warned beforehand and then things went wrong. The ones behind this whole thing mustve been nning to keep these soldiers in the dark and let them do their jobs, and after things went sideways, use them as scapegoats and throw them all under the bus, so to speak.
Although it was a really cheap, cowardly and irritating tactic, the fact remained that such a tactic remained rather effective nevertheless.
Even if we break through forcibly here, these fools still wont be safeter. (Jeong In-Soo)
In any case, these soldiers job was to man the checkpoint.
Indeed, it was to monitor everyone wanting to get through and search them. So, letting dozens of unidentified South Koreans through without doing anything means they would definitely have to answer for itter.
Dont you have a higher ranking officer here? (Jeong In-Soo)
....What are you talking about? (soldier)
Im saying, go and call someone in charge. Im sure youll be told to let us through. This isnt a matter you can take responsibility for, anyway. (Jeong In-Soo)
T-then, wait for a moment here. (soldier)
The soldiers sneaked several unconvinced nces at the bus before heading towards the sentry outpost. Since they were supposed to protect the roads, they at least seemed to be equipped with a radiomunication equipment. If not, the headache would certainly get far greater.
The soldiers wrestled with the equipment for a long time.
Jesus H. Christ.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong in-Soo slowly shook his head.
Once upon a time, South Korea was rocked by the unreasonably high estimation of the North Korean armys capability. Back then, people fell into the trap of overrating them and got really spooked by their own imaginations. They discussed the North Koreanbat units outfitted with chemical weaponry, their hardcore special forces, etc, at length.
But, an exceedingly simple conclusion came about after some timeter.
In the end, the thing called soldier needed to be fed well in order to fight properly, and youd need money to train one, too. It was impossible for a country suffering from food shortages to create a battalion of elite soldiers. And Jeong In-Soo was learning that fact first-hand.
Even if the Korean army was self-torturing itself by being a badly-run joke of a military, sentries being that lost and confused would still bring about a firestorm, thats for sure.
If Jeong In-Soo was the man in charge here, then hed make sure to show these fools what inside of Hell looked like for ten days straight.
These soldiers could be considered elites in their own right, tasked with guarding this important corridor, yet to think theyd disy such a shameful sight.
If theres really a war breaking out tomorrow, well be able to sweep these people away in an instant. (Jeong In-Soo)
A war not breaking out was in everyones interests, but as Jeong In-Soo was a dyed-in-the-wool military man, he couldnt help but think that way.
The soldier finally stopped wrestling with them equipment and approached Jeong In-Soo.
What happened? (Jeong In-Soo)
This son of a b*tch, you trying to make fun of me?! (soldier)
Click!
The barrel of the rifle was now pointing at Jeong In-Soos head.
*
Sh*t, look! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan shot up from his seat.
What is it now?
Others also saw what was happening outside and began standing up.
Everyone, please remain seated.
Members of the special forces squad tried to calm the NDF agents.
But, cant you see those guns being aimed at the Colonel-nim?? (Park Seong-Chan)
We can see it. However, please dont be hasty.
Your boss is in danger, yet why are you stopping us?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan grew angry, but the special forces soldier simply replied in an emotionless face.
Our mission is to escort all of you safely to Pyongyang.
No, listen here, man. Its getting dicey out there. (Park Seong-Chan)
If you wish to think about Colonels safety, then please return to your seats. As a soldier, what he wishes for right now is to fulfil his mission. There is no greater dishonour for a soldier to fail his mission while being protected by civilians.
Groan.... (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan shook his head and settled back down on his spot.
The soldier wasnt wrong, though.
Besides, theres nothing to worry about. He can subdue such a situation with his bare hands.
Really? (Park Seong-Chan)
You mustnt think that the position of Colonel in the Territory Defence Command will just fall on anyonesp from the sky. We might be known more for taking on monsters, but in truth, our unit has seen morebat situations than any other since the founding of our nation. And he implicitly trusts our gut instincts.
Mm..... (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan stared at Jeong In-Soo with worried eyes.
*
What is the meaning of this nonsense now? (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soos less-than-impressed re met with the soldiers.
The higher-ups say theres no such thing! You son of a b*tch, where did you reallye from?! Do I look stupid to you? (soldier)
Jeong In-Soo audibly clicked his tongue.
It seemed that the other side had decided to make this really difficult for them.
Lower your gun. (Jeong In-Soo)
Who do you think you.... (soldier)
I said, lower your godd*mn gun!! (Jeong In-Soo)
mes figuratively erupted out of Jeong In-Soos eyes, causing the North Korean soldier to flinch and retreat just a little.
It had been five years already since he started takingmand of the seemingly-endless battles against monsters. Meaning, no one in the countrys history had experienced as many battles as he had.
So, there was no way that a run-of-the-mill sentry could handle the fierce aura of a veteran of hundreds of battles.
You dare to raise your gun at me? You really wanna have a go, is that it, ah?? (Jeong In-Soo)
N-no, that, thats not it.... (soldier)
You stinking sons of b*tches. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo became seriously irate, and the surrounding North Korean soldiers fell deeper and deeper into the state of confused panic.
Call the Workers Party. Im not going to let this go now, you hear me? I dont know which stupid motherf*cker wrote this script, but you think South Korean soldiers are pushovers? We came begrudgingly because a bunch of beggars pleaded with us, yet you trying to insult us like this? (Jeong In-Soo)
......
Hey you stinking punks! What the f*ck are you doing! I said, call your superior officer on the phone!! (Jeong In-Soo)
T-that is... (soldier)
Call this sh*t in, now! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo became even more forceful and the soldiers began hesitating.
They too had functioning brains here; they could also figure out the meaning behind a bus full of South Koreans being in their territory like this. Unfortunately, as there was no actualmanding from the higher-ups, they had no choice but to stick to the field manual.
Call your superiors, now. I dont have anything to say to you lot. If you cant find solutions, stop wasting my time and get someone who can! (Jeong In-Soo)
The soldiers exchanged nces with each other, waiting for someone toe up with an idea all the while their lips bobbed up and down stupidly.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched this spectacle unfold from inside the bus and was thoroughly impressed by it.
But, then again.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
From the perspectives of South Koreans, the North Korean army came across as an awkward foe to handle, but there was no denying that the North thought the same about the Souths soldiers.
Sure, they wouldnt look at each other as if they were mythical animals, a Yi Ji-Hyuk, but honestly speaking, they also didnt want to get involved with one another if they could help it.
To make matters worse, if what Jeong In-Soo said was true, then these soldiers would obviously all end up in the concentration campter, so how could these North Koreans not hesitate?
Whats going on now? (?)
It was then, a man waltzed out of one of the sentry posts.
Have you all lost your d*mn minds or something? What the hell are you doing?? (?)
C-Captain, sir. Things are a bit strange with these people. (soldier)
Strange? (?)
The man referred to as captain now began scanning Jeong In-Soo and the rest. He immediately realised that the bus couldnt have been from the North and his expression hardened instantly.
Who the hell are you? (?)
Is it not an etiquette to introduce yourself first? (Jeong In-Soo)
Etiquette? Did you just say etiquette to me? (?)
Jeong In-Soo confirmed this mans rank. Judging from his army service ribbon, this new guy mustve been a major.
You, the way you speak, you are a South Joseon b*stard, arent you? (major)
So what if I am? (Jeong In-Soo)
How dare a bunch of South Joseon hickse to our glorious nation of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Joseon and raise their voices?? Hey, arrest all these as*holes and send them to prison, now. (major)
Jeong In-Soo grew utterly dumbfounded just then.
Is this guy insane? (Jeong In-Soo)
Arresting them?
Arresting those that came because of their governments request?
Even if North Korea was a joke of a state, something like this still shouldnt happen.
Wait, so its not them trying to cause us trouble? Did something really happen? (Jeong In-Soo)
Even they wouldnt go this far to create trouble to this extent.
No, you hang on for a second. Didnt the lead vehicle go past here before us? Contact them and see. (Jeong In-Soo)
A lead vehicle? (major)
Thats right. (Jeong In-Soo)
I dont get what bullsh*t youre trying to sell, and I dont give a d*mn. You have an entry permit or a pass? (major)
........
Of course Jeong In-Soo wouldnt have that.
Arrest them. These sons of b*tches, you trying to cause us big problems, arent you? (major)
Youre making a big mistake. (Jeong In-Soo)
Oh, now youre resisting us? (major)
Click! Click!
Guns were now pointing at the bus. Jeong In-Soos expression hardened.
This isnt good.... (Jeong In-Soo)
He wasnt thinking that things would get dangerous if trouble urred with North Korean soldiers. Actually, the folks in the bus couldnt be stopped by these sentries. Hell, these soldiers wouldnt even be able to deal with a single NDF agent.
No, the real issue was with the fact that trouble itself would prove to be disadvantageous to the South Koreans. Their aim this time wasnt to earn benefits by dealing with the North, but to stop the monsters and prevent the copse of this countrys systems.
Stop resisting and surrender. (major)
The encirclement began tightening and Jeong In-Soo clenched his fists harder.
< 305. So, you want me to go there now? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 306: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (1)
Chapter 306: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (1)
The situation doesnt look so good, does it? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan piped up, only to be shot down by Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Didnt we get told to sit back, since hell sort it out himself? You dont trust our military boys that much? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Then, he turned towards the special forces soldier that tried to dissuade them earlier.
Well, didnt you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
............
The soldier looking at the developing situation with a serious expression replied with embarrassment and fluster mixed in his voice.
He doesnt seem to be in a favourable situation at the moment.
..........
What will I do if you say stuff like that, my man?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Park Seong-Chan stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon with a pout next.
In any case.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt even retort and simply looked up at the ceiling.
Why does it feel like things are gettingplicated all the time nowadays? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since when did such a thing begin?
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head.
What do I even mean, when? Obviously its after Yi Ji-Hyuk showed up, thats what.
Everyone trusted me as a capable administrator before then..... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
So, what should we do now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon decided to change the topic.
We may have to observe the situation for a little longer, but if it deteriorates any further, we must consider withdrawal from here.
Withdrawal, is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We cant volunteer to aid the ones pointing guns at us, now can we?
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression became doubly serious.
More than anything, your safety is our utmost priority. If this situation persists, a firefight can potentially break out, which might cause injuries or casualties. Our mission is to safely escort you to Pyongyang. If achieving that mission is deemed impossible, then the next best thing is to return to Seoul safely.
But, how....? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wanting to go back through Panmunjeom meant they would be trying to break through the border. If it was Amnok River, the border security was ratherx there so it should be fine, but trying to force their way through one of the most heavily armed and fortified border zones in the entire world wasnt going to be a walk in the park.
If things go wrong, just open up a Gate, then.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As Choi Jeong-Hoon began thinking about this and that possibilities, he sensed a movement behind him.
Ng? (CHoi Jeong-Hoon)
Get out of the way, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk and his deeply unhappy face trying to step forward.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, lets calm down first, shall we? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Calming down can kiss my a*s. Step aside. Time to resolve this situation in a friendly manner has flown past a while ago, so stop wasting my time. If you dont want to lose practical benefits or pretexts, that is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had no choice but to acknowledge Yi Ji-Hyuk being right this time. This situation had be tooplicated to unravel smoothly. So, the best way to untangle it was use a knife to cut through it, and thankfully, the worlds sharpest knife just so happened to be right next to him.
Please dont go overboard. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly nodded his head as if he got it, and Choi Jeong-Hoon stepped aside.
Darling, what will you do? You want to kill them all? (Erukana)
Erukana clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders in clear excitement. He frowned deeply and pushed her away.
Do I look like an indiscriminate murderer to you?? You think Ill kill anyone just because they bothered me a bit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, its true, isnt it? (Erukana)
Uh.... Hey, youre right, now that I thought about it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was a period of time when I just killed everything even if they didnt get in my way, no?
Right, now that I look back, wasnt I a seriously messed-up madman? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
In any case, I aint killing anyone. If I start killing every single guy like them, there wont be anyone left alive in this world by the end. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont mind that at all. Only Darling and I will remain in this world that way. How romantic! (Erukana)
Theplexions of everyone on the bus quite figuratively rotted away.
They all sometimes would forget this crucial fact because she was such a beautiful woman C that she happened to be a demon king. Just how low of a being were humans in her eyes?
Stop uttering nonsense and go sit down! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, youre so manly! Like how you were back then. (Erukana)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He pushed away Erukanas face trying to rub against his and stepped outside the bus.
And who the hell are you? (soldier)
Once he stepped onto the ground, the barrels pointed at him instead.
Me? Im a human being. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stretched his limbs grandly. He then yawned loudly on top of that too, before cracking his neck muscles noisily. His rended on the North Korean soldiers.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Jeong In-Soo)
The surprised Jeong In-Soo tried to dissuade him, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shook his hand, instead.
Wait for a second, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Chwa-ah-ahck!
The moment he finished saying that, tentacles suddenly shot out from his entire frame.
Heok!
Uwaaak!
W-whats this?!
Bullets were sprayed everywhere C the panicking soldiers ended up firing their weapons haphazardly.
Heot! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo involuntarily freaked out after seeing the tentacles wrap around him. However, he believed that Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt harm him in the slightest, so he managed not to show any shameful sight.
m, m, m, m!
Bullets were deflected away by the tentacles.
Uwaaahk!
Soldiers were then ensnared by them and were lifted up high. Soon, every North Korean sentry ended up dangling upside down in the air.
Now, what should I do about this one? (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo observed this situation and began worrying about how to handle the potential fallout from it. But then, Yi Ji-Hyuk addressed him.
Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong In-Soo)
Did we do something wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, we didnt. (Jeong In-Soo)
Do whatever you want, then. Ill take the responsibilityter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Soo couldnt help but grin just then.
Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was right. Didnt matter whether this was North Korea or hell, he was with Yi Ji-Hyuk. What could possibly be scary in that case?
I wasnt thinking straight here. My apologies. (Jeong In-Soo)
His mission was to shield Yi Ji-Hyuk. It was never about caring for the future rtionship between the South and North. Whether incidents urred or not, as long as Yi Ji-Hyuk returned home safe and sound, he hadpleted his mission.
So, what should we do about these guys? I know of a perfect ce to lock them away, actually.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You want to send them away to a different dimension? (Jeong In-Soo)
Well, its a quiet little ce. Very quiet, in fact. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They wont be able to do anything if you take away their firearms. Please drop them on the corner over there. They are nothing more than sacrificialmbs anyway, so no need to put them through a wringer here. (Jeong In-Soo)
Well, if you say so. Then... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk controlled the tentacles and gathered up the North Korean soldiers to a side, before letting them go mid-air.
Uwaaahk?!
The poor soldiers all screamed as they fell from around three metres high.
Thud, thud, boom.
Soldiersnded on solid ground and remained lying there, moaning in pain.
That mustve hurt. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo shook his head.
Lets get going again. (Jeong In-Soo)
Just as the colonel turned around the enter the bus, a venom-filled voice suddenly pounced on them.
You stinking sons of b*tches, you think youll be okay after... (soldier)
Pow!
A clean impact noiseter, the voice stopped.
Jeong In-Soo didnt need to look back to figure out what happened.
You shouldve kept your mouth shut. (Jeong In-Soo)
It was a sort of mental illness not to be able to analyse a situation once it had reached a certain point. Meaning, one had to discern who your opponent was first before running your mouth off.
Jeong In-Soo sighed and let Yi Ji-Hyuk enter the bus first.
You mustve been frightened. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon weed the duo back with half worried, half mocking tone of voice, causing Jeong In-Soo break out in a smirk.
Would you look at this guys sarcasm?
But, what will we do now? We dont even have a lead vehicle anymore. And we cant afford to wait around forever until they show up again, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo smiled meaningfully.
Come on now, are we in South Korea? (Jeong In-Soo)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You think this ce has a dizzyingwork of roads like the South? Just head straight north, and well eventually get to Pyongyang. (Jeong In-Soo)
Ah... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well just keep ploughing ahead. There might be more idiots trying to block us, but well just break past them again. Thatll be better than wasting time and arrivingter than scheduled. We may have some leeway as far as our time table is concerned, but since we cant be certain whether the time remaining is urate or not, we need to get there as soon as possible. (Jeong In-Soo)
Understood. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Everyone, sorry about the disturbance. Well get going again now. (Jeong In-Soo)
*
The lead vehicle didnt show up again.
Jeong In-Soo continued to feel this strange sense of incongruity, but still, decided to continue their journey towards Pyongyang. He had no idea what else might happen, so he couldnt let down his gua....
SNORE.....
The snoring noise began tormenting him for real now.
Wowsers. Are your nerves made out of steel? (Jeong In-Soo)
To think that Yi Ji-Hyuk had fallen asleep even in a situation like this C the colonel just couldnt figure out how anyone could do that.
Sure, the three letters Yi, Ji, and Hyuk could exin away everything, but even then.
However, the only one seemingly disturbed by this event was Jeong In-Soo; other NDF agents didnt seem to care one jot. Meanwhile, Erukana sitting behind Yi Ji-Hyuks seat was looking at him with eyes filled to the brim with unconditional love.
Whats strange about this scene, though, was this: Erukana, known to be rather possessive about her hubby, was not doing anything about Affeldrichae next to him providing ap pillow to Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
Now that is a strange sight, indeed. (Jeong In-Soo)
Even regr women wouldnt sit back and watch their men use anothersp as a pillow to sleep, yet Erukana, a demon king with a known streak of extreme possessiveness, was letting this happen?
Jeong In-Soo couldnt understand it.
Block it properly, lizard. (Erukana)
Of course. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae nodded her head without resisting.
By the way, Erukana-nim? (Affeldrichae)
Ng? (Erukana)
Isnt it quite serious? (Affeldrichae)
H-n-ng. (Erukana)
Erukanas gleaming eyes studied the sleeping Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Its almost at the limit, isnt it? (Erukana)
....It has advanced that far? (Affeldrichae)
The mental erosion is already at an extremely advanced stage. Forget about a regr person, itd not be strange to see even the chosen hero from the legendary tale transform by now. (Erukana)
Affeldrichaes hand quietly stroking Yi Ji-Hyuks hair trembled just a little.
And if the erosion isplete? (Affeldrichae)
Hell be reborn. (Erukana)
Even Erukanas voice sounded gloomy, which was uncharacteristic for her.
....As a brand new person. He might retain all of his memories, but hell be someone you dont recognise. (Erukana)
Reborn as a demonic being, in other words. (Affeldrichae)
Thats right. (Erukana)
Erukana nodded her head.
He became a demon king with a body of a human. If he bes a demonic being, then hell be the cruellest, most dangerous and powerful demon king in history. Darlings thought process cant be seen as human already. Not even the worst dictator or the cruellest criminal dont think like my darling, you see. (Erukana)
Affeldrichae had to admit to it. Yi Ji-Hyuk was already not like any other human beings.
That could mean a variety of things, but seriously now, one didnt have to think too hard about how different Yi Ji-Hyuks logical reasoning was whenpared to regr people.
So, what would happen when someone like that acquired cruel, destructive nature of a demonic being?
Was there anything more horrifying in prospect than that?
And thats the biggest reason why the demon world is wary of my darling. They are all scared of him bing their kin, so to speak. (Erukana)
....I see. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk with concerned eyes before speaking up again.
Isnt there some other way? (Affeldrichae)
Other way? (Erukana)
A way to stop him from bing a demonic being. Im simply dying the erosion right now. But, itll be something unavoidable sooner orter. (Affeldrichae)
Right. (Erukana)
Isnt there anything to stop that before it happens? (Affeldrichae)
Erukana smiled seductively.
There is one sure way to stop that. (Erukana)
Which is? (Affeldrichae)
Death. (Erukana)
Erukana licked her lips and cackled softly.
Cut open his neck right now and drink his blood. Then, the creature called Yi Ji-Hyuk can die while still maintaining his sense of identity. (Erukana)
....Its a very logical yet truly sh*tty method. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, my? Lizard, youve be rather potty mouthed, havent you? This is amusing. (Erukana)
Erukana giggled loudly as if to mock Affeldrichae.
How can youugh in this situation? (Affeldrichae)
Hohoho. (Erukana)
Erukana wasughing, yet her eyes definitely werent.
Didnt you know it already? (Erukana)
....No, I knew. (Affeldrichae)
Dont act surprised if you already knew the truth, then. (Erukana)
Affeldrichae bit her lower lip.
She crossed over to Earth in order to prevent Yi Ji-Hyuks mental erosion. Yet, she couldnt reverse the damage with her powers.
Still, its not as if there is no other method avable, you know? (Erukana)
Pardon? (Affeldrichae)
However, youre better off not knowing, though? (Erukana)
A sharp grin formed on Erukanas lips.
The creeping foreboding Affeldrichae felt from that smile made her entire body shiver.
< 306. Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like -1 > Fin.
Chapter 307: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (2)
Chapter 307: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (2)
You cant stop the demonic energy from invading ones brain through regr means. (Erukana)
Erukana continued on with her exnation.
The reason why you cant is pretty simple. Demonic energy invading ones brain is the basis of dark magic itself. If you want to wield magic, then you dont have a choice. The problem with this is that the dark magical powers contain negative energy. (Erukana)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Humans are creatures that maintain a certain equilibrium. Their whole existence would crumble away if the bnce is tilted too far to one side. (Erukana)
Of course. (Affeldrichae)
So, the person epting far too much dark magical powers will inevitably be a creature of darkness C simply put, an undead. Because, that person wont be able to maintain life, as it were. (Erukana)
Affeldrichae didnt say anything and listened to the exnation. She already knew all of this. However, she believed that there was a reason why Erukana bothered to exin it regardless.
As for why you cant endure it? Your whole body being tainted by the dark Mana, thats what. Although its funny to call it taint since Im a demon king, thats how it is. In any case. The meaning behind dark Mana tainting you C you arent being dyed, but are being transformed. Which means.... (Erukana)
Erukanas eyes shone brightly.
Purification is impossible. (Erukana)
........
Affeldrichae sighed under her breath.
So, its an obvious ending. (Affeldrichae)
However, what if you are not trying to purify? (Erukana)
....Excuse me? (Affeldrichae)
With creation and regeneration, we might be able to revert his body back to how it was in the beginning. (Erukana)
But, thats the domain of the gods. (Affeldrichae)
Of course it is. Its a problem of the methods involved. Im saying that there is a method. Its almost impossible, but its not an impossibility, isnt it? (Erukana)
...........
Affeldrichaes thoughts became much moreplicated. The power of creation was indeed the domain of the gods.
....Latrel. (Affeldrichae)
Could the Goddess of Light, Latrel, be able to regenerate Yi Ji-Hyuks body?
No, its still difficult. (Affeldrichae)
She was sceptical about it.
If the goddess possessed enough power to bring this scenario into reality, then rather than sending her believers to stop Yi Ji-Hyuk, she wouldve simply erased the dark Mana from his body in the first ce.
Hah-ah.... (Affeldrichae)
Which meant that not even Latrel and her authority as a god could do anything to the creature from another world, Yi Ji-Hyuk. As for the gods of this world, only their traces remained.
Humans of this world were basically independent creatures that had escaped from the gods and their meddling.
Theres no point, then. (Affeldrichae)
Maybe. (Erukana)
Erukana formed a strange expression and stared at Affeldrichae before reaching out to pat thetters head.
You really like my darling, dont you? Worrying about such things and all? (Erukana)
.....You wouldnt know. (Affeldrichae)
Ng? (Erukana)
You wont understand it. Because, you cant fully understand him. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, so a lizard can? Im sure you cant understand him fully yourself? (Erukana)
Thats indeed the case. However.... (Affeldrichae)
A demon was a creature that tainted the others.
If they found someone to their liking, they would try to turn that person into a simr being as themselves. They would seduce, coerce, and ultimately, corrupt.
However, the creatures called dragons simply watched on.
Even if they found someone that defied analysis, they would simply observe from the distance. When such behaviour continued on and on....
Ive gone insane. (Affeldrichae)
Definitely. (Erukana)
Erukana stared at Affeldrichae in obvious amusement.
Dragons were unchanging creatures.
Their changes of emotions were minute at best, and since they were so-calledplete beings, they didnt get affected by other creatures, either.
They were quite strict when it came to separating ones sense of self from that of others, and didnt get affected by their environments or foreign individuals. This nature probably had something to do with them being born from eggs.
Recalcitrant, stubborn mules, thats what they were.
Youd be correct in calling thempletely unreasonable beings.
Both humans and demons didnt care who they interacted with, but dragons didnt even mingle all that much among their own kind. And that made them isted creatures.
However, Affeldrichae was different.
She had lived for a long time. She was even upying the supreme position of the Lord, yet she was still being influenced by a mere human being. Although, one couldnt reallybel Yi Ji-Hyuk as a mere human being anymore.
Will you be fine? (Erukana)
Excuse me? (Affeldrichae)
You came here after throwing away the position of the Lord. (Erukana)
Yes, I did. (Affeldrichae)
Im sure you are fine living like this. For now. However, a humans lifespan isnt infinite. Even if you manage to stop the erosion, my darling will eventually die. In that case, how are you nning to endure the remaining near-infinite amount of time left? (Erukana)
........
A dragons memoriesst forever. Youll be caught by the reminiscence of my darlings ghost and live in constant hell. You know this, dont you? (Erukana)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Yet, was it worth forsaking everything? (Erukana)
Affeldrichae smiled brightly. So much so that even Erukana momentarily thought she was beautiful.
Thats not something you should be saying, oh the thirteenth demon king. (Affeldrichae)
Touch. (Erukana)
Erukana broke into a fit of giggles. She then reached out to pinch Yi Ji-Hyuks cheek.
Hes such a bad man. (Erukana)
He sure is. (Affeldrichae)
He should be grateful that beautiful females are being affectionate to him. His head is too big for his own good. (Erukana)
Affeldrichae also broke into a gentle chuckle.
She and Erukana were two beings on the opposing sides. Without the buffer called Yi Ji-Hyuk here, they wouldve started fighting tooth and nail to kill one another the moment they met.
However, he didnt discriminate whether you were a dragon or a demon.
And thats why he mustve been so lonely. (Affeldrichae)
He was all alone, unable to feel a sense of belonging to any one species.
How long do you think he has? (Affeldrichae)
Who knows. (Erukana)
Erukana scratched her cheek.
For me, the concept of time can be really lengthy. It should be the same story for you, too. (Erukana)
Of course. (Affeldrichae)
So, its not easy for me to divide the time ording to the human lifespan, something thats about as long as a blink of an eye. It can be tomorrow, or nothing might happen until he dies of old age. (Erukana)
Affeldrichae quietly studied Erukana before opening her mouth.
Isnt this what you want? (Affeldrichae)
Want what? (Erukana)
If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk bes a demonic being, wouldnt you be able to spend a really long time with him? Isnt that scenario preferable from your perspective? (Affeldrichae)
Have you forgotten? (Erukana)
What do you mean? (Affeldrichae)
Him bing a demon does not mean that a new demon named Yi Ji-Hyuk will be born. No, the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk will disappear, and another demon will simply rece him. The memories might be the same, but everything else will be different. When that happens, my darling will no longer be my darling. (Erukana)
.........
I have no need for an empty shell. I dont care what my darling is as long as its him. Thats enough for me. However, if the innards change while the exterior remains the same, then Ill have no choice but to hate the existence wearing that exterior. Thats just what I am. (Erukana)
Affeldrichae thought that she could sympathise with that sentiment. Because she too felt the same.
Except that.... (Erukana)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
I too have a sense of aesthetics, so I get thispulsion to fix my darlings facial features every now and then. (Erukana)
Nod.
Affeldrichae nodded her head even unbeknownst to herself.
There was no issue, since they were different species? Even humans knew how to differentiate attractive dogs from ugly ones.
epting him as he is wont be an easy task. (Erukana)
I guess so. (Affeldrichae)
Snore....
Yi Ji-Hyuk remained blissfully oblivious to what others were talking about him and continued to snore away.
***
Cold.
So cold.
He stopped smelling that disgusting stench a long time ago.
But, how long had it been?
Why couldnt you at least allow me to go insane?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk listened to the falling water drops and closed his eyes.
The divide between day and night disappeared, and his sense of time was slowly fading away, too. He could only sense that he was simply alive in this ce.
Wait, am I even alive? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The meaning of staying alive seemed uncertain at this stage.
If breathing was the indication of one being alive, then he did qualify as a living creature. However, if the meaning of being alive was to move, to react and to change, then he was definitely dead.
....While he was still breathing.
This was the worst prison in the whole of the continent, the Belcatraz.
Trapped in the deepest part of a mine shaft where no light could reach C it had already been a full year since he got imprisoned here, half-submerged in icy water.
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hunger relentlessly hounded him.
Another being would have died in three days having failed to endure. But to Yi Ji-Hyuk, death was a luxury he couldnt enjoy. His senses that shouldve be numb by now remained endlessly sharp, and his mental state that shouldve broken down woke up again and again.
Not even his hatred could carry on, his resentments seemingly turning into stones. Even if there was hell, hed not suffer torment as bad as this.
Hah-ah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed under his breath.
This is tedious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The only thinging to visit him now was boredom. Also, the hatred that sometimes red up every now and then before forcibly being suppressed.
He got imprisoned here only because his skin colour and his face was different from the others.
Understanding him?
Such things didnt exist.
Dialogue?
Stop dreaming.
To them, he was simply an alien. Not someone who lived in another ce and then showing up here, but apletely alien being.
Ill kill them all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fury ruled over his entire being.
Uwaaaaaaaaah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He screamed out endlessly towards the unseen depths of darkness. The ghostly wail reverberated throughout the deep mine shaft, and it turned the Belcatraz seemingly into the den of demons.
It had been over half a year since food stoppeding.
He might have tried to escape already were it not for the fact that the iron bars here couldnt be broken; not only the insane prison guards decided to use forged steel as cells bars, but they were reinforced with magic, too.
He couldve torn his own body and escaped if these were regr metal bars, but there wasnt much he could do against magic.
No matter what he did, hed get reflected back.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out towards the steel bars.
Pah-jijijik....
His hand began burning away.
So bright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As his hand burned, the surroundings got illuminated. It was one of a few hobbies he could enjoy in this ce.
....Seeing the light burn.
....Confirming that the darkness wasnt the only thing existing in this ce.
I guess its now time to make my decision. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt stay here any longer.
The only reason why he remained in this ce for such a long time was his fear of the mine copsing on him by ident while he was digging his way out. If that happened, hed have to spend an eternity trapped under the rubble.
The only free thing his body could do C moving around C being taken away was probably the worst punishment he could think of.
Kekekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on.
And he was crying, too.
What sins did hemit to end up in such a wretched state?
Ill kill them all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Humans.
No, those wearing a facade of humanity.
As soon as he gets out of here, hell make them all pay dearly.
For the crime of imprisoning him in this ce.
Even though his hatred would get reset periodically, this thought didnt change. Meaning, he wasnt wrong. This thought didnte about from the feelings of a moment.
They might have been humans to him, but at the same time, not.
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on before taking in deep breaths.
If gods really existed....
If gods really didnt lift a finger while he suffered like this, then he swore to rip them apart, too. And hed repay in kind to those that made him this way.
With this hatred.
With this terror....
Euh, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth and threw himself forward.
Pah-jijijijijik!!
His entire body now caught fire.
This sensation of his entire body going up in mes C the worst pain a human could ever experience, along with his consciousness that didnt want to cut out, began taking over his body.
Uwaaaaaaaah-!!!
The scream exploding out from his throat soon got cut off.
His vocal chords were damaged too extensively to make a sound now.
Yi Ji-Hyuk reced his screams with silence and continued to advance forward. All the while, unable to see anything as his eyes had already melted away.
Ill kill them all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was his attempt number one thousand, eight hundred, and ny.
Yi Ji-Hyuk pressed forward before his brain could melt away.
The soundless scream filled up the mine shaft.
< 307. Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like -2 > Fin.
Chapter 308: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (3)
Chapter 308: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (3)
Uwaaaaaaaah-!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, what now?!
What was that?!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk screamed and shot up, causing the surrounding people to look at him in shock.
What the hell? Was he dreaming?
Seriously man, its one thing after another.
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly scanned his vicinity before groaning under his breath. A slender hand gently pulled him back by pushing down on his forehead. He didnt resist and lied back down.
Were you dreaming? (Affeldrichae)
.....Godd*mmit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cursed out loudly.
His brain and body not constantly refreshing was nice, but thanks to that, he had to suffer from this rubbish, icky feeling, too. Nightmares that came to visit him every once in a while was more than enough to sour his moods. Moods that were no longer protected by anything.
Its all in the past. (Affeldrichae)
Yeah, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
It was all in the past. This ce was not the same hell as there.
That d*mn stinking Berafe.
The world that only held nightmares for him. Every time he recalled that ce, it felt as if his mind was shattering into fine dust.
Darling, were you dreaming? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began shuddering.
She was supposed to be the Subus Queen, yet when her husband next to her was suffering from a nightmare, she showed no care in the world. But she was feigning interest now?
Dont look at me like that. Affeldrichae was taking care of it so I didnt need to interfere. I mean, the degree of importance is different, right? (Erukana)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled out, still feeling dirty.
Isnt there a rest stop or something nearby?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed and spoke up.
You insane fool.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was that?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, my apologies. I meant to say that in my head only. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled awkwardly, causing Yi Ji-Hyuk to grit his teeth.
Looks like I really need to set aside a date for that guy, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
This isnt South Korea, so where can we even find a rest stop? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stopping and taking a break somewhere is what a rest stop is! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Colonel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo nodded his head.
Lets take a short break here and solve our toilet issue, too. (Jeong In-Soo)
Alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The bus came to a stop on the side of the road. Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped out and immediately shoved a cigarette in his lips.
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He still felt dirty even now.
And it happened such a long time ago, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just how long must he suffer from it?
Apparently, a man who had to serve in the army would sometimes dream about his military days until well past his 60th birthday. That story seemed so true to him at the moment.
Wait, this thing wont torment me until Im also past 60, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just thinking about it made his entire body shudder uncontrobly.
Are you alright, darling? (Erukana)
Erukana approached him and embraced his shoulders.
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youve grown a lot weaker, havent you? (Erukana)
....Well, Im almost up there. Just how old am I, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, your physical age is still young? (Erukana)
Even there, Im broken all over. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrunk his shoulders like an old man and Erukana burst outughing.
Darling, youre still way younger than me, so arent you exaggerating it a little too much? (Erukana)
Were different species, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-mm.... (Erukana)
Erukana snorted and began rocking Yi Ji-Hyuk side to side.
Will you unhand him already?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Erukana)
She looked behind her to discover the trembling Jeong Hae-Min ring at them.
Werent you taught what public decency is back in the demon world? What do you think youre doing, in front of other people?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....You expecting decency from a demonic being? (Erukana)
Uh? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Now that she heard it, that sounded logical, didnt it?
E-even still, when in Rome, do as the Romans do! Dont you know that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
And where is Rome? (Erukana)
.....In Europe? (Jeong Hae-Min)
And where are we? (Erukana)
......Well. (Jeong Hae-Min)
In that case, it doesnt matter, no? Hehehe. (Erukana)
Erukana hugged Yi Ji-Hyuk even tighter, causing the hellfire to lit up within Jeong Hae-Mins eyes.
Her target was changed in an instant.
Hey! (Jeong Hae-Min)
N-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent you embarrassed by this? (Jeong Hae-Min)
You think I dont have a sense of shame? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If so, why are you letting her get away with this?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....What choice do I have? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked in the cigarette smoke before letting it out.
She wont listen anyway even if I say something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about your brute power?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....I cant win. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehck?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
You wont get it even if I exin it to you. I can never win against her. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min then got closer to whisper in his ear. She was right next to him and he could hear her just fine, so he wasnt sure what the meaning of this action was, though.
You really cant win? But, you defeated demon kings and all, right? Whats different about her? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....I told you, you wont get it even if I exin. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled bitterly.
Sure, she wasnt on the level ofpletely undefeatable, but it was also true that Erukana was Yi Ji-Hyuks perfect enemy. The thing was, the basis of all of his magical energy belonged to Erukana in the first ce, so their match-up was a pretty bad one.
Hed not be able to disy even half of his usual power.
However, exining all this to Jeong Hui-Won would be a very tall order. How was he to exin the nature of demonic magical energy to someone who waspletely clueless about it?
Forget it, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk threw the cigarette away and stubbed it with his heel.
You mustnt litter, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even in North Korea? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Did North Korea also have the crime of misdemeanour, too?
Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head.
Anyways, lets get back inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around and headed towards the bus, but then, she suddenly grabbed his arm and clung onto him.
And whats gotten into you this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
L-lets go together. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He shook his head helplessly and entered the bus while Erukana and Jeong Hae-Min tightly clung onto both of his arms.
Are we there yet?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were almost there. (Jeong In-Soo)
If you just let us ride in a helicopter or something, wed have arrived there by now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......Ah! (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo looked quite stunned just then, and Yi Ji-Hyuk simply stared at him in a less-than-impressed facial expression.
I hope you werent nning to say that you didnt think of it before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, uh.... (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo smiled awkwardly.
We genuinely hadnt thought about it. There had never been a time where he needed to traverse North Korea in such a manner before, so.... (Jeong In-Soo)
............
Now that I think about it again, that mode of transport is several times more dangerouspared to a bus, isnt it? (Jeong In-Soo)
What a nice-sounding excuse. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, were almost at our destination so it all worked out fine, yes? (Jeong In-Soo)
Hah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head again and settled down on his designated spot. This trip up north was turning out to be displeasing in variety of ways.
*
When are they supposed to arrive?? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
ording to the report, they have crossed the checkpoint, sir. They should arrive soon.
And when will that be?? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The topmander of Joseon Democratic Peoples Army, Kim Ryong-Seong, was getting even more agitated.
Arent they a lotter than scheduled? What about the idiots sent to guide them here?? What are they doing? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
W-we cant seem to contact them properly....
Those stinking sons of b*tches. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong gritted his teeth.
The biggest problem of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Joseon was that the evaluation of every action taken could only be performed by the Supreme Leader himself and no one else.
So, there were many instances of some people suddenly enjoying a quick rise in their career even after they ignored the orders of those just above them in rank, which was a result of their actions being judged as loyal in nature to the Supreme Leader.
Such a situation was never going to be healthy for an organisations long-term sustainability.
The excessive-loyaltypetition that ignored themand structure was always going to muddy the goal of the party.
This time was no different.
If only I knew this would happen.... (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong spat out a long sigh.
The ability users from South Joseon crossing over was an umon and extraordinary event happening for the first time ever since the Supreme Leaders authority had be a permanent fixture.
Meaning, it was an ideal time to prove ones loyalty.
He figured that some sort of problems would ur for sure, but not even he guessed that things would go down in such a manner.
Those sons of b*tches, arrest them all immediately. Im going to execute them all! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong fervently prayed that nothing happened to the South Joseons ability users. Although the onesing here to resolve the Norths crisis wouldnt get done in by things like that, there was always the one-in-ten-thousand chance.
Comrademander!
What is it now?! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The bus from South Joseon has apparently arrived in Pyongyang!
Really? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seongs expression brightened instantly as he shot up from his chair.
The report says the vehicle has approached the defensive line set up near the road.
Tell them to rx the line and let the bus through. And send the word out that any fool hoping to provoke them will be thrown to the re-education centre by me personally! Got that?! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Yes,rade! It shall be done!
Only then could Kim Ryong-Seong sigh in relief and settle back down.
Well, thats one problem sorted out. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
He was so preupied that he couldnt even properly pay attention to thoseing here to help. Indeed, he shouldve paid more attention to the importantbat force arriving here to lend them a crucial aid, but he left them alone thinking that someone else would do that in his stead. Which led to this situation.
My head almost rolled off my neck just now. One mistake, and I wouldve been a goner. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Shouldnt we report this to Comrade Supreme Leader?
For now, lets report this to the Comrade Chairman of the State Affairs Committee, instead. Then let him be responsible for reporting to Comrade Supreme Leader. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
But do we must....?
You should watch yourself. If you do something unnecessarily eye-catching in times like this, then having ten lives wont be enough for you. Get my drift,rade? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Yes, sir. Ill remember that.
We only have to do what we need to do. You try to show off, hoping to achieve something big, and you might end up eating tomorrows breakfast in the concentration camp. If you dont want to go to Yoduk prison camp, then keep your head down. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
I understand, sir.
Kim Ryong-Seong nodded his head and shouted at the outside of his office.
Get me a car! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Sir!
Then, he picked up his phone. He needed to report this quickly and head out to greet that man named Rhee Ji-Hyuk.
He hoped that no one was stupid enough to provoke the South Joseon people.
His urgency grew by a notch.
*
Wow~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared outside the buss window, his jaw dropping wide.
They are better off than I thought? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think so, too? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even Jeong Hae-Min was constantly nodding her head, looking surprised herself.
When I saw them on TV, I got the impression that they had to dig out tree roots to eat and survive that way, but dont they look fairly okay from what we can see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre so right. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned wryly.
Since when did TV stations show such sights of North Korea?
If only one looked on with a little more interest, then one would know that they disyed the streets of Pyongyang most of the time.
Doesnt that thing look taller than 63 Building? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the gigantic Ryugyong Hotel and gasped out in admiration. This structure wasnt all that much whenpared to, say, the skyscrapers found in New York, but still, it was quite surprising to see a building that tall amidst Pyongyangs skyline.
You must be talking about Ryugyong Hotel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats a hotel? Oh, are we going to stay there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, itspletely empty inside. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The North did want to finish constructing the interior, but ran out of money. So, they just ensured that it looks nice on the outside, at least. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....What the heck. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head after failing to understand it. Choi Jeong-Hoon maintained his wry grin and exined further.
Thats how the country called North Korea operates. The reason why Pyongyanges across as well-offpared to what you thought is because everything this nation possesses, its capabilities, its finances, they are all concentrated in this city. If we leave this road and go somewhere else,pletely different reality will unfold before our eyes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to scan outside the window, looking more intrigued than before.
Theres not much vitality to speak of. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There were a fair number of people walking on the streets, but no signs of vibrancy or vitality could be felt from them.
Actually, things have improved significantlypared to the past. With the advent of Gate incident, North Korea has met with a rather favourable turn of events, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Favourable turn of events? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The international sanctions have disappeared. Since other nations are too busy trying to protect their own borders, they simply dont have the leeway to punish the North regardless of what it does. Thanks to that, sanctions are not reinforced, and from what I hear, they seized upon the opportunity created by the current chaotic times and made a killing by manufacturing drugs. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you saying that a government is busy making drugs?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its kept low-down, hush-hush, but well, it is known to be their... national project, as it were. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wowsers, what an interesting country this is! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began studying the view outside in a renewed light. Still, he didnt really hate or detest this ce. If someone asked him which country was better between North Korea and all those kingdoms he saw in Berafe, then he wouldnt even waste a second answering that question.
This ce should be much better than a medieval kingdom, at least. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It simply had to be.
Sure, they might enjoy magic-rted civilisation, but only the upper-ist of all upper sses could enjoy such luxuries. And precisely because of magic, general social development fell far behind and the lives of Berafesmoners were worse off thanpared to Earths denizens during the B.C. era.
People here at least wore proper clothing, didnt they?
Weve arrived.
The bus came to a stop and its door opened up.
< 308. Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like -3 > Fin.
(TL: 63 Building is a famousndmark in Seouls Gangnam district. Its 63 stories tall, hence its nickname.)
(TL: Ryugyong Hotel is an actual, real building in Pyongyang. Google it to revel in its splendour C sarcasm C and read more about its history in Wikipedia.)
Chapter 309: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (4)
Chapter 309: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (4)
Where are we now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were in Pyongyang. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You think I asked that because I didnt know?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks light retort caused Choi Jeong-Hoons expression to crumple.
You think Ive been to Pyongyang before?!
How should I know where we are right now?!
Stop asking whatever pops up in your head, and think first! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Shouldnt we get off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seems that way, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong In-Soo wasnt moving at the moment, so it seemed like a good idea to wait for a while first.
The colonel was scanning the outside of the bus with ultra-sharp eyes. Since there had been a trouble earlier, he wasnt sure how the North would act this time.
It was then, someone walked over to the bus.
Knock, knock.
Even at a single nce, this middle-aged man looked to be in a high-ranking position.
Did something happen inside? (?)
A quiet, cautious voice could be hearding from him, and the special forces soldier guarding the buss door shifted his gaze towards Jeong In-Soo.
Open it. (Jeong In-Soo)
Sir.
The door opened and the middle-aged man standing before it smiled while spreading his arms wide.
Thank you foring such a long way. Wee. Im Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui, the Workers Party of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Joseon.
Im Colonel Jeong In-Soo, from the Republic of Koreas Territory Defence Command.
If its the Territory Defence Command, then thats an important organisation, indeed. And so.... (Park Yong-Hui)
The Chief of Staff scanned the interior of the bus behind Jeong In-Soo.
Who is Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from his seat.
Its me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its hard to tell from here, you see. Is it morefortable to be sitting inside the bus? Why dont you all disembark? Im sure youre hungry from the long trip, so why dont I treat you to a good meal? (Park Yong-Hui)
Keuh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed chuffed by the suggestion and stepped on the buss passageway to get to the exit.
But, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo tried to dissuade him, but thetter simply smirked instead.
These people arent brainless, probably. So its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm.... (Jeong In-Soo)
That was true. Maybe, he was being way too cautious here. For one, North Korea wasnt such a thuggish regime that itd threaten those entering the country as guests of the state.
Now normally, they did show some consideration towards the state guests in the past.
Okay. Lets disembark, then. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo, looking tense, issued a new order to the special forces soldiers. He was silently ordering them not to lower their guard.
Soldiers understood his intentions and nodded in reply.
So, thisrade here is Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yep, that I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head, and the Chief of Staff, Park Yong-Hui, smiled brightly.
Nice to meet you. Ive been hearing thattely, thanks to your hard work, our peoples international prestige has been rising up everyday, Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Park Yong-Hui)
Ehehe, thats not true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was weak against praises. Well, he hadnt been subjected to heartfelt praises not too often in his life before, so there was that.
Also, those that did praise him often fell into the categories of either demonic beings, fellow dark sorcerers, or worse, con men.
Weve prepared a feast for you, so let us head there right away. (Park Yong-Hui)
A meal, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Weve readied the cuisine only found within our Democratic Peoples Republic. I must warn you, however. They are so good that if you taste them once, you may never wish to go back. (Park Yong-Hui)
Ohhh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An expectant smile formed on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
Hey, isnt this atmosphere better than expected? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, there were countless soldiers surrounding this ce, but they werent carrying any firearms so they didnte across as heavy-handed.
No, the sense of being wholeheartedly weed was far stronger.
Now normally, our citizens should have weed you as well, but with our current situation being what it is, we couldnt ready them in time. Id like to ask for your understanding. (Park Yong-Hui)
Jeong In-Soo smiled back.
Oh, no. No need for that. With our current situation, such a wee would have proven to be more burdensome for us. (Jeong In-Soo)
Thank you for your generous words. (park Yong-Hui)
Thats that, then. But, what about the monster situation? (Jeong In-Soo)
Let us discuss that over the meal. (Park Yong-Hui)
Alright. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo nodded his head and followed after Park Yong-Hui walking ahead.
Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui walking together out in front engaged in a chat first.
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive been hearing that Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk, you are the number one warrior in South Joseon. Is that true? (Park Yong-Hui)
A warrior? Im a demon king, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahahaha. Youre pretty good with jokes,rade. (Park Yong-Hui)
But, its true? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a world it was, no one wanting to believe in the truth. Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly felt somewhat saddened.
Well, dunno anything about number one warrior or whatever, but its true that Im the strongest, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohh, I see. I also heard that youve been helping those Yankee b*stards too. Is that true as well? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yup. They keep asking me for help, so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats too bad. (Park Yong-Hui)
Howe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You showing those stuck-up Yankees a thing or two is a wonderful thing, but had you chosen to leave them alone for a bit longer, they wouldve gone through lots more hardship, you see... What a miss that is. (Park Yong-Hui)
Is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Hui nodded his head.
Isnt it true that the Americans have been interrupting our unification efforts until now? Without their interference, we might have been united as one people by now. (Park Yong-Hui)
But, our President didnt seem that keen on unification at all.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, is that so? (Park Yong-Hui)
Thats how it looked to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons jaw nearly hit the ground.
How could he so casually announce such a sensitive topic like that as if he was describing whose dog that stray mutt was??
Was he even aware of what he was saying right now?
Well, from what I hear, its not that they dont, but the situation isnt allowing them to do anything about it.... In any case, it sounded reallyplicated in every way imaginable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed. A person wanting to get married is aplicated affair already, so two nations wanting to join together can never be a simple endeavour. (Park Yong-Hui)
Now that I hear you, I guess youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, it was a pretty simple affair back in Berafe.
One only had to invade another nation and cut the kings head off which would naturally lead to the unification. So hed been thinking that it was an easy thing after all, but it seemed that matters were a wee bit different this side.
No, hang on. Its not that different, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This ce was basically a kingdom anyway, so it didnt need a whole lot to crumble this country. Just cutting off the head of the snake would do.
Sure, the aftermaths were going to be messy and that was why no one tried to do anything so far, but still.
Cant tell whether thats being selfish or realistic.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, maybe they were the same in this case.
Weve always thought that our ability users wouldnt lose out to anyone from any other nation out there, but after hearing your exploits so far, I have to wonder whether our boys are insufficiently trained or not. (Park Yong-Hui)
Well, thats something youre born with, you know. Hard work isnt going to help there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was a man who had already abandoned his modesty back in Berafe.
However, those idiots are really proud of themselves, you see. (Park Yong-Hui)
Is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Id like to ask you for a favour when youre meeting themter. They are a prideful bunch and dont want to listen to orders. In case they act all haughty and arrogant, please, be more understanding of their shorings as befitting a generous man such as yourself. (Park Yong-Hui)
But, Im narrow-minded? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhuhuhuh. As I said before, youre good with jokes. (Park Yong-Hui)
It was then, Choi Jeong-Hoons expression hardened.
That, he shouldnt take that as a joke.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
From Yi Ji-Hyuks perspective, he mustve been starting to feel frustrated by now. When one thought about it, he always spoke straightforwardly without holding himself back. Just how many incidents did ur after the other side misinterpreted or didnt believe what he was saying?
Groan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could already guess pretty much what would happenter.
***
Sir, they have arrived. (Park Du-Jin)
In Pyongyang? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. The report just came in. (Park Du-Jin)
Currently, the whole of the Blue House was in the highest state of alert.
....Maybe, we shouldnt have sent him up there? (Yun Yeong-Min)
President Yun Yeong-Min began biting into his nails again. He mustve chewed through them a lot, because one could barely see any left on his fingers.
Mister President, please calm down, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin hurriedly dissuaded his boss and Yun Yeong-Min reluctantly lowered his hand.
Groan.... I had no idea Id be this anxious. I wasnt this jittery when that man was sent to the States, so this.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir, back then you had no idea what kind of a person Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk was. (Park Du-Jin)
....Ah, so thats why. (Yun Yeong-Min)
He heard that the man was a wackjob, but whod have known that the level of wackjob-ness would be that high? After personally experiencing it, he knew now that it was on another realm from what hed been hearing so far.
And he had to send such a bundle of incidents waiting to happen to North Korea....
I, I need ulcer medication.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Here, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin quickly pushed forward a ss of water and the stomach pills.
Ohh! As expected of you, Chief Secretary. Your preparedness is still top-notch. (Yun Yeong-Min)
....Choi Jeong-Hoon has left those pills behind, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Eh? (Yun Yeong-Min)
He said that you might need them. (Park Du-Jin)
..................
Indeed, no one knew better than Choi Jeong-Hoon when it came to the matters rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Im sure its better with Choi Jeong-Hoon tagging along, right? (Yun Yeong-Min)
....Incidents that happened so far happened not because Choi Jeong-Hoon wasnt around, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Why couldnt you just agree with me??? (Yun Yeong-Min)
My apologies, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
Yun Yeong-Min spat out a helpless sigh.
Mister Minister. Youve finished with all the preparation in case of their provocation, right? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The Defence Minister nodded his head.
Yes sir, Mister President. From all forward military bases to our air force, everyone is in their highest state of alert, sir. (Defence Minister)
I still feel anxious regardless. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min stared at therge disy with an anxious face. It was currently showing Pyongyangs skyline.
I hope that there wont be any idents. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Monsters should be arriving there soon, so Im sure they wont carelessly try to provoke Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk now, sir. (Defence Minister)
I too dont think that will happen, but well, we all know what North Korea is like. I cant help but be anxious, knowing that they do unexpected things all the time as if its the most obvious thing. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Thats true. (Defence Minister)
I dont care about anything else at the moment, I just pray that he doesnt run into their so-called Peoples Chairman. Youve definitely conveyed our intentions, yes? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. Unfortunately, we just cant be sure how they would take it. (Defence Minister)
You mean, our intentions? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir. From our perspective, we are trying to spare them some potential pain, but they might take it as us trying to stop them from luring away Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Defence Minister)
Luring him away? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins expression hardened.
Is there any chance of that happening? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Ive already asked Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon regarding Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks beliefs and political leanings, just in case, but.... (Park Du-Jin)
What did he say? (Yun Yeong-Min)
He said that there is no snowballs chance in hell that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk would live in a country without C. (Park Du-Jin)
Ah..... (Yun Yeong-Min)
He wasnt choosing which supermarket to shop, so using C to decide ones country was a bit....
However, that exnation sure had some persuasive power.
Meaning, hes a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min ended up smirking a bit just then.
Youd feel worried and irritated if a man named Yi Ji-Hyuk was around you, but he could also be one of the most entertaining people to watch when thrown into someone elses backyard.
......Hang on a minute. C? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Suddenly, Yun Yeong-Mins eyes trembled.
Has Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk ever been to countries without C in the past? (Yun Yeong-Min)
No, sir. Hes been to China, Britain, the United States and Japan, so far. (Park Du-Jin)
A problem shouldnt rise up because of that, right? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Ahahaha.... (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jinsughter eventually subsided.
Im sure that wont be the case, sir. (Park Du-Jin)
No matter how badly heckedmon sense, there was just no way hed cause an incident over such a thing.
*
W-whats this?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes were visibly trembling.
Its carbonated and sweetened cocoa juice.
This.... this?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And now, his entire body was trembling.
There was a veritable feast of countless cuisinesid out before his eyes. Unfortunately, Yi Ji-Hyuks palette had been ruined by the MSG-added cheap-a*s food so such high-ss dishes came across as in and even in some cases, a bit too oily.
And thats why he asked for a bottle of C, but this....
The thing ced before his eyes only had a simr colouring to C and nothing else besides C it was simple cocoa water with this weird taste and no carbonation to speak of.
It, its not carbonated?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks hands shook uncontrobly.
No one knew how long they had to stay here, yet to think there was no C in this ce?!
Suddenly, the light in Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes became resolute.
Im going back!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon freaked out and hurriedly grabbed onto Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Let me go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did he feel happiest about whening back from Berafe? It was the fact that now hed be able to eat and drink like a real human being.
Whether it was Berafe or the demon world.... as far as food was concerned, both ces only had garbage!
But now, he couldnt have C?!
It was basically the same thing as stealing away one of the greatest pleasures he could enjoy in this world.
You, wait a bit here. Everyone going back is a bit too much, sure, so Ill just quickly pop back home ande back. Ill buy some C, and.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, you cant! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And why not?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thatll be a huge problem!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon jumped up in surprise and grabbed Yi Ji-Hyuk even tighter.
Did he not know what might happen if he showed the Norths officials his ability to open a Gate and go back to the South? It was the same thing as telling them that he could invade Pyongyang at any time he felt like it. It didnt take a genius to figure out how the North would react to such a revtion.
Seriously, whats so special about some C?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not, so let me go and get some!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk started throwing a huge tantrum, causing the Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui to dazedly ask Jeong In-Soo.
Thatrade, whats gotten into him? (Park Yong-Hui)
The good colonel was utterly lost for words and could only stare at the ceiling above.
Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like. (Jeong In-Soo)
Jeong In-Soo became infinitely sad just then.
< 309. Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like -4 > Fin.
Chapter 310: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (5)
Chapter 310: Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like (5)
Go find some C! Right now!! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui roared out at the top of his lungs.
S-sir, did you just say C?
Thats right! Youll surely find a bottle or two if you search through the residential homes. So, go through every nook and cranny in Pyongyangs homes and find me some d*mn C! (Park Yong-Hui)
But, Comrade Chief. Ever since Comrade Supreme Leader said hed thrust anyone caught using Yankee items into a bout of self reflection, all traces of foreign products have disappeared from the capital.
What did you say?! (Park Yong-Hui)
It should be far simpler to acquire South Joseon products at this stage, rather than a Yankee one, sir.
Godd*mmit... (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui hugged his head.
He needed to do whatever necessary to pacify that rampaging b*stard.
He wasnt sure how the South Joseon people perceived this event, but for him, it was an incredibly important deal. And that was precisely why he was meticulous about all the preparations, so how could he not jump up and down in fluster when measly C threatened to ruin everything?
Park Yong-Hui hardened his resolve and nodded his head.
Call South Joseon. (Park Yong-Hui)
Sir?
Are you deaf? Call South Joseon right now. Dispatch a helicopter to fetch C if you have to. (Park Yong-Hui)
Comrade Chief of Staff! What do you mean by that, sir!
You cant tell?? Im telling you to procure that d*mn C right now!
I-if Comrade Supreme Leader learns of you trying to illegally import South Joseon products, itll turn into a huge issue, sir!
What do you want me to do, then?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui roared out, prompting a flood of sweat from the adjutant to trickle down the poor mans face.
Thetter never imagined that they would have to debate to this degree over an order to buy C one day. This had to be the end of the world. Had to be.
Ill call the Chinese first since this is an emergency. Why dont we send a helicopter over to Ryongsong or Dalian and secretly ask for one?
Hurry up! (Park Yong-Hui)
If its done quickly, we might procure one in two hours.
I get it, so just hurry up, will ya?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Sir!
Park Yong-Hui sent his adjutant away and pulled out a handkerchief to dab away the sweat caking his forehead.
Just what in zes is this.... (Park Yong-Huio)
He was well informed of how illogical the man called Rhee Ji-Hyuk could be, but still, he had no idea that the illogical streak would continue even in the North, too.
Who wouldve known that there was a guy willing to go crazy in an enemy territory over theck of C?
Comrade Chief of Staff.
Ng? (Park Yong-Hui)
We just received a call from the South, sir. The caller says hes the Unification Minister. How should we proceed?
Connect me to him this instance. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui cleared his throat and answered the phone.
This is Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui from Joseon Workers Party speaking.
C Im Republic of Koreas Minister of the Unification Ministry, Choi Seon-Hyeong.
What can I do for you? (Park Yong-Hui)
C We just received a call this side that youre having a big problem. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Groan....
Park Yong-Hui rubbed his head.
A problem, he said.
Sure, it was a problem alright. But calling it a problem was a problem in itself.
Thats correct. Who knew things would escte like this over some sweetened water? (Park Yong-Hui)
C Allow me to apologise first of all. We also cant control that man, so.... (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Well, its not something you should apologise for. (Park Yong-Hui)
C We shouldve prepared for such eventualities beforehand. It was ourck of foresight to me. So, allow us to resolve that issue from our side. However, we need you to grant a special permission first. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
You will resolve it? (Park Yong-Hui)
C A teleporter will be urgently dispatched there. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Listen here! You should say something that makes sense! Dont you know how our side will react if you people in the South send a teleporter over here?? (Park Yong-Hui)
C Thats why one will be dispatched from Japan. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
M-mm? (Park Yong-Hui)
C A Japanese ability user has agreed to assist us. C will be supplied from Japan, so please grant them the necessary permission. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Park Yong-Hui nodded his head.
Something like that is not a problem. (Park Yong-Hui)
C In that case, well tell them that we have your understanding. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Alright. Ill also get my people ready this side as well. (Park Yong-Hui)
C Well, then. (Choi Seon-Hyeong)
Park Yong-Hui ended the call and told his underlings that a Japanese teleporter should be arriving soon so they should get ready to receive this person. Then, he leaned against his chair, visibly spent.
Just what the heck is this.... (Park Yong-Hui)
Just because of some stupid C, three East Asian nations had to cooperate like this?
Who the heck was this man, Rhee Ji-Hyuk?
End of the world, is it? (Park Yong-Hui)
Indeed, that sentiment seemed to be correct.
*
Kyah~! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chugged C down his throat before he started tucking in the cuisineid out before him with great relish.
Urgh, the greasiness almost killed me back there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon scanned his surroundings. The atmosphere had be so cold that he was now getting indigestion.
You insane fool.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seriously though, who wouldve thought that hed go on a temper tantrum in North Korea just because he couldnt drink C? A person should know the notion of right time and ce for some things, at least!
Crunch, chew, gulp.
Once Yi Ji-Hyuk began hoovering up the food, though, the atmosphere improved rather rapidly. Which was all thanks to those still remaining, and their desperate efforts to warm the atmosphere, actually C they all came to a mutual understanding that they couldnt afford to walk away unhappy from here just because one madman.
The hostility between nations or the awkward, ufortable atmosphere between the groups were melting away like snow when subjected to themon opponent called Yi Ji-Hyuk.
My apologies.
You mustve been suffering a lot because of that wackjob.
We cant even describe that in mere words.
So, so many words were conveyed with nothing more than their eyes.
Do you find our cuisine to your liking? (?)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked at an unfamiliar man walking up to him to engage in conversation, and greeted back to him.
Oh, hello. Well, youve been very considerate, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Who was this man?
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt help but grow wary after realising that this man was a bit too young to be included in this sort of a gathering. He could only see the wielders of considerable power getting in on their years attending this feast, so the presence of this young man came across as rather out of ce.
Im Major Jeong Min-Seong, from the Joseon Workers Party, Department of Foreign Strategies.
Ah, I see. Im Choi Jeong-Hoon from the NDF.
The man who identified himself as Jeong Min-Seong offered his hand, and Choi Jeong-Hoon shook it back.
....Department of Foreign Strategies? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Was there such a department before?
Choi Jeong-Hoon wasnt aware of such a department even existing. However, a young man from a non-existing department wouldnt be allowed to attend this feast, so he now had to think that a new department had been created not too long ago.
Ive heard a lot about you. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and you are even more famous than South Joseons President nowadays. (Jeong Min-Seong)
No, thats not true. By the way, your ent? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong Min-Seong grinned brightly.
Our department requires us to speak othernguages, so were expected to know how to speak South Joseon, as well. I guess it must be quite surreal to run into someone speaking in Seouls dialect in North Korea. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Haha. Yes, just a tad. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even though he wasughing, Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt stop studying this man called Jeong Min-Seong.
The Department of Foreign Strategies..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What a meaningful name that was.
How should I say this.... Since it is a part of our job description, Ive heard quite a few things about Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, but now that Ive met him for real, its.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
....It exceeds your imagination? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, well, its kind of like that. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong smiled brightly.
I thought that even if it was him, hed not be so carefree in this ce, yet he still acts as if this is his living room. (Jeong Min-Seong)
His voice sounded a bit thorny just then.
Hes got nothing to fear, thats why. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hes not scared of our Democratic Republic? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Its not just North Korea. He wont get scared even if the whole world tries to jump on him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong formed a smooth smile C as if his prior thorny tone was simply a test.
As Ive heard. Thats a relief. (Jeong Min-Seong)
What is? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks personality is as Ive heard, then hes not going to try anything underhanded during his stay in our nation. Hes a man greatly influenced by his moods, isnt he? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Well, its hard to argue against that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Weve prepared this asion with great care even though were under such trying times. Please rx and enjoy yourselves. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Id like to do just that. But.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned bitterly.
I see. No one alive would enjoy themselves while theres a live bomb right next to them. I assumed that youd feelfortable being around him, after everything Ive heard about you, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Jeong Min-Seong)
There is no one in the world like that. If there is, then its probably his family only. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, really? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon inwardly went, Oh, c**p.
He got swept up in the flow and ended up bbering about one too many pieces of information.
Besides all that. Is it fine to waste time like this? Werent the monsters supposed to be approaching this location? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since he gave some info away, time to receive some in return.
There is still enough time left, actually. Your people wouldnt have much to do even if you went to the location ahead of the schedule, no? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Mm, I guess youre correct. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Besides, going to the location now only will invite trouble, I believe. From our perspective, keeping you away for the time being will make things simpler for us. Folks at the defensive lines are rather belligerent to begin with, and their heads are filled with nothing but the thoughts of loyaltypetition, so they unhesitantly do things most regr people wouldnt even dream of. I think there is a serious problem there, since they dont want to change their ways even after witnessing people simr to them getting purged en masse. Dont you agree me with me on this one? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Well, I.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was up with this guy?
For a North Korean, he seemed to be quite free to express his opinions.
Compared to his age, his rank seemed high, and now, his level of freedom of speech, too....?
He was from the Jeong family? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, he couldnt havee from the highest-ss of families that referred to themselves as the Baekdu Bloodlines. Then, what exactly made this man so confident like this? Did he know that hed never get purged?
Choi Jeong-Hoon engraved the name Jeong Min-Seong in his psyche.
Either this man would be purged soon, or....
....Or, hell climb up to a very high position. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He thought that they would run into each other frequently from now on.
Now that youre finished with the meal, would you like to be guided to your rooms? It seems that they are almost finished with the preparations. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared outside the window. The sun was setting already.
Now normally, holding a feast throughout the night should be the right thing to do, but as youll be transported to the location in the dawn, I believe itll be better to get some early night in. (Jeong Min-Seong)
I agree. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon slightly bowed his head and walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuk. Seeing thetter sitting in the chair patting his bulging tummy, he.... How should he say this?
...Im relieved? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt help but smirk.
He should be stiff with nervousness, knowing that he was behind the enemy lines. Yet all of his tension flew away after witnessing Yi Ji-Hyuk acting as if nothing had changed. No, more than that, he was behaving almost as if North Korea was filled with morons.
Along with the thought of Ah, so real human beings also live here, a certain confidence filled Choi Jeong-Hoons head up, too. Confidence of knowing that no matter how unreasonable North Korea was, they couldnt do anything to him as long as Yi Ji-Hyuk was right next to him.
Wait, was he aiming for this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, that couldnt be?
He might be able to n ahead this far, sure, but Yi Ji-Hyuk really wasnt that type of a person to do that for Choi Jeong-Hoon or the other NDF agents. He might scold you for being scared, but he definitely wasnt someone whod act all nice and considerate towards you.
Lets get going. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So soon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I heard that we need to wake up before dawn. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dawn? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned widely.
Do not get angry.
Do. Not. Get. Angry.
Im a teacher in a kindergarten.
A kindergarten teacher will never get angry at children asking him the obvious things!
My mind must ept that the kids naturally dont know anything, so I must never feel weirded out for exining every little thing one by one.
Lets take a deep breath here first, and.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Its because the monsters are predicted to arrive in the morning. In that case, we should turn in early for the night. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why are they showing up in the morning? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, they are a rude bunch, thats why. As an adult, you should be more understanding, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I guess theres nothing I can do in that case. Wheres the bedroom, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from the seat and stretched his limbs. His belly bulged forward like a small mountain.
Such a person is thest hope of humanity..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My bad habit seems to have reared its head again. Please dont sweat over it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alrighty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and was guided to his room. Once he was gone, everyone within the banquet hall grandly sighed out.
For now, mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As everyone focused on him, Choi Jeong-Hoon felt that he had no choice but to say the obvious thing.
....Id like to apologise for having to bring such a person here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This was the moment that the North and the Souths sorrow became united.
< 310. Ah, so this is what national disgrace is like -5 > Fin.
Chapter 311: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (1)
Chapter 311: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (1)
Wow, this hotels pretty nice, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped into the very-plushy-looking bed.
Seeing how deep his body sank, it mustve been a really expensive mattress. How wonderful would it have been if his own house had a bed just like this one.... His mothers deration of Its too tiresome to upkeep pretty much killed all possibilities, though.
Its barely on the level of passable. (Erukana)
Unfortunately, it seemed Erukana wasnt truly satisfied.
She had enjoyed all sorts of luxuries back in the demon world, so not even the seven star hotels could catch her fancy. Indeed, this ce shoulde across more like a horse stable in her eyes. She was only willing to spend the night here simply because of Yi Ji-Hyuks presence.
What an interesting ce this is. (Erukana)
This country? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Erukana)
Erukana formed a thick, meaningful smile.
Fear and anxiety, something I hadnt been able to sense too often in this world, havepletely filled this ce up. Its the kind of mood you might feel back in Berafe. (Erukana)
Im sure it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied disinterestedly and buried himself even deeper into the bed.
Well, the worst level of unfairness existing on Earth took ce in North Korea for real, so one could say that its not that far removed from Berafe in that regard.
Still, the living standard is slightly better here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, thats true. (Erukana)
With that, Erukana purged all remnants of her interest on North Korea out of her mind. This wasnt a matter she should concern herself with.
By the way.... (Erukana)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I felt this evil intent, you know? (Erukana)
Evil intent, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. A hostile intent directed at you, darling. I sensed sticky, really tasty hostility. (Erukana)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his torso.
It wasnt strange to see someone from North Korea holding negative sentiments towards him. First of all, the NDF could very much be the biggest threat/enemy in the Norths eyes. And Yi Ji-Hyuk was the strongestbat force in that organisation.
If he were to disappear, then the impact on the South should be unimaginable. So, itd not be a surprise to find some pro-war nationalists wanting to assassinate him and hurt the South using this opportunity.
Still, they should have functioning brains at least. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The North Koreans didnt have the power to stop the monster wave without Yi Ji-Hyuks presence. So, they wouldnt try to assassinate him while fully knowing that fact.
I wonder, will they really show up to kill youter? (Erukana)
Erukana hummed slightly as if she was excited about this.
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shook his head.
Although....
Thinking of assassinating him when the Subus Queen, the protector of the night, was here? That was the same as fighting a shark buck naked underwater.
Dont go and cause an incident, you hear me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? Me? Eii~, darling. Am I the kind of woman whod go around causing incidents? (Erukana)
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk swallowed back his tears.
Did you just ask me if youre an incident-causing woman?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If Im to chronicle all the hardships I had to go through trying to put out the fires you caused, forget about one full day, I might need a whole month!
Just who do you think caused me to be a demon king in the first ce?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began trembling uncontrobly, causing Erukana to quickly pounce on him.
Kyah-hat! My darling, are you angry? (Erukana)
Grooooan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He smoothly pushed her face away from himself.
When are you going back to the demon world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I will, soon. (Erukana)
When? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, when my darling dies? (Erukana)
....Thats way scarier than the answer of Im not going back, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For Yi Ji-Hyuk, itd be for his lifetime, but for her, itd be more like the blink of an eye.
By the way, darling? (Erukana)
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent you scared? (Erukana)
Of what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This thing called dying. (Erukana)
He didnt answer right away, instead choosing to lie down and stare at the ceiling. A short whileter, he finally opened his mouth.
Ive lived for too long. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, it doesnt seem that way to me, though....? (Erukana)
Thats just from your perspective. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop judging humans through the standards of demonic beings!
When seen from a human standard, Im more like a living fossil. Ive been living for too long. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-ng? (Erukana)
Erukana snorted softly.
Stop lying. For you, darling, the time youve spent back then was nothing more than frozen, unmoving picture. Like a dream, in other words. A human wouldnt be a real old man just because he spent a thousand years in his dreams, now do you? (Erukana)
........
Darling, you might be a demon king who lived for thousands of years, but at the same time, youre a twenty-something young man, too. And the longer it goes, the closer youll get to thetter. Youre simply finding your way back to your original self, right? (Erukana)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt retort to that.
During the initial period of his return from Berafe, nothing could faze Yi Ji-Hyuk. None could have stopped him were it not for his family.
However, what about now?
He swore hed not, but somehow, he found himself tangled up in all sorts of matters already. This was what it meant to live on while forming connections.
Even if he didnt want to care, once these connections were made, he simply had to care.
Having experienced pain from countless betrayals already, yet still unable to let go of his attachments C one could say that he was being foolish here, but....
But, thats what being a human is like, right? (Erukana)
I told you to stop reading peoples minds, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana smiled seductively. It contained traces of mockery within. As she was a Subus by birth, theres nothing she could do about that smile, but he still disliked it very much.
If you really want to cut off all ties with humanity, then just dont be a human anymore. Be a demonic being. (Erukana)
Is that what you want? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling will never do that, though. I find it so funny watching you quiver in rage whenever I say stuff like this. (Erukana)
Thats why you demonic beings can be so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a sigh.
The traits of demonic beings, the one about manipting humans as a form of their entertainment, wouldnt change even if their rtionship was this advanced.
Is it fun to make a fool out of people? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope. Its fun making a fool out of you, darling. (Erukana)
Even if I dont like it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You might say that, but I know you dont really hate it. (Erukana)
Whew.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He just shut his eyes.
Knowing each other inside out could be this ufortable at times.
Just how long are you nning to help humans? (Erukana)
Depends on my whims. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though you know itll be impossible to defend them in the end? (Erukana)
Ill defend them until I cant. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling. (Erukana)
He didnt reply and simply stared at her. She too didnt avoid his gaze and held it.
Please, you must look at the reality of the situation. (Erukana)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, you are no longer the Bringer of Apocalypse, nor are you a demon king. Your back is too small to bear the weight of the entire human race. Your spine will break first, you know? (Erukana)
I know already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, do you really? (Erukana)
He frowned and stared at her. She couldnt endure it anymore and turned her head away.
Please dont look at me like that. I also dont want to say stuff like this. The fact that my husband has weakened is also deeply hurting me, the wife. Dont you know? (Erukana)
You sure know how to talk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In any case, darling. Do only what you can do. You grew more and more disinterested in the matters of humans the closer you got to godhood. Yet, why are you so obsessed about it now? (Erukana)
You think Berafes humans are the same as the ones this side? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is there a difference? (Erukana)
You saying there is none? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana formed that mocking grin again.
Dont be delusional, darling. Those people or these ones, they are the same. If something is different, than its simply the folks here see you as one of their own, and the ones over at Berafe didnt. Even here, if your outer appearance was as different as what they felt back then, the treatment towards you would still be the same. Who would call a human with five arms, six legs, and talking in an unknown foreignnguage a fellow human being? (Erukana)
..........
The humans of Berafe arent strange. Thats just the way humans are. You know this already, dont you? (Erukana)
Fine, I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
I know very well that the ones who persecuted me were humans, and the ones who tormented me were also humans. And I also know that the ones I ughtered were humans, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Denying it was simply escaping from reality, thats all.
However, Im originally a human, too. So, even though I know they are not different, I cant help but feel that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was rather simr to how a feral dog wasnt really the same as a house-trained pet dog. They might be the same in terms of being dogs, but at the same time, not.
If you say so, then I guess it is. But.... (Erukana)
Erukana stared at him withplicated eyes.
But, you know that trying to shoulder the burden you cant really handle will only lead you to a life of living hell, dont you? (Erukana)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
Are you telling me to not lift a finger since I cant handle it anyway, and when the timees, die quietly? Is that the simpler, easier way youve been touting all along? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, you dont have a reason to obsess over this ce, do you? (Erukana)
How will you react if the demon world disappeared? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill probably miss it a little. But thats all. Im more important than the demon world, after all. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Ive lived way too long for me to care more about myself rather than the world. Ive experienced way too many times first-hand how horrible it is to live a life with no ce to call home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, are you saying that the reason why you need this world is for your sake? (Erukana)
Correct. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm, its like, I can sort of understand it, but at the same time, I cant.... (Erukana)
No need to understand it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt need her to understand it, anyway.
Yi Ji-Hyuk never wanted such things to begin with. He was already ustomed to living a misunderstood life by now.
Fine. Regardless of what, Im fine with it. However.... (Erukana)
Erukana slowly approached him and licked his cheek.
If you die without my permission, I shall never forgive you. (Erukana)
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre always so stubborn. (Erukana)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You always did whatever you want no matter how much others try to talk you out of it or throw a tantrum to stop you. (Erukana)
I did? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wasting my breath mentioning it. Youre such a stubborn mule. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly studied Erukana.
She really knew how to torment people, so much so that hed get thepulsion to kill her from sheer irritation she caused. Yet, without her, could he have returned to this world in the first ce?
Compared to the likes of Affeldrichae and others who said theyd help only to block his path, Erukana really did wholeheartedly help him out.
....Although, I dont want to admit to that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-ng? (Erukana)
Erukana stroked his cheek.
Youre a man loved by a demon king, so its perfectly fine to be more proud of yourself. Especially when Im so special. (Erukana)
With your own mouth, no less?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im beautiful, arent I? (Erukana)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Sure, youre beautiful. Because youre the Subus Queen.
If were to only talk about your beauty, then you should be the best looking in the whole of the demon world. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from the bed, opened the door to his fridge and grabbed a bottle of C before popping its lid off.
Kyah~! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This is it.
Ive searched high and low for a thousand years just to taste this.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He walked over to the window and saw the darkness pervading thendscape. Looking at all the turned-off city lights made him newly appreciate the fact that he was now in North Korea.
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats wrong? (Erukana)
Mm, how should put this.... Its like, this ce feels a bit off. Should I say that I cant seem to rx here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? (Erukana)
H-mm. I wonder if I can sleep at all tonight. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana tilted her head, looking confused.
In that case, why dont you just go home? (Erukana)
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Call the lizard over. Lets go home. Youll just sleep at home ande backter. (Erukana)
That made sense?
Yi Ji-Hyuk promptly opened a Gate.
Now I see. There was a reason why I havent slept in any other ce other than home ever sinceing back to this world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was able to open a Gate, which meant he could sleep in his own bed. What was the point of sleeping in a ce like this, then?
Hotel, shmotel! His own bed was the best!!
Okay. Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk finished opening the Gate. In the meantime, Erukana fetched Affeldrichae, too.
M-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon somehow discovered her dragging the Dragon Lord away and mustve caught a certain ominous whiff from that, because he dashed into the room in a hurry.
Hey. Im going home to sleep. So, like, Ill be backter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-where are you going again?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
My home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are you going back home, you crazy fool?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Even before Choi Jeong-Hoon could say something, Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co. entered the Gate.
...........
Wow. How considerate.
He didnt even close the Gate, too. If he did close it, then.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Right then, the Gate closed.
...................
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the empty air where the Gate used to be for a long time, before shifting his gaze to the ceiling to let loose a string of loud expletives, the kind hed never utter again for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, the next thing he had to do was to desperately exin himself to the security guards that showed up soon after.
< 311. Pardon? Did you eat something bad? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 312: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (2)
Chapter 312: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (2)
Come now, why so uptight? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shudder.
Choi Jeong-Hoon red at Yi Ji-Hyuk with murderous eyes.
Argh, whats with all this fuss? I just wanted to sleep in a morefortable ce, thats all. And my phone might break at this rate. I mean, 80 missed calls? What gives? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why do you think that happened?? What do you think?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I mean, dont you trust me to show up on time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh, euh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grew genuinely frustrated that he didnt have any superpowers right now. If he did have some, then even though he knew hed lose, hed still sock this fool a big one nevertheless!
No, Im the fool. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He made a huge mistake thinking that Yi Ji-Hyuk had begun listening to him moretely. He was originally like this, wasnt he?!
This is North Korea! Freaking North Korea!! Youre supposed to participate in a mission today, so what would you have done if you failed to show up on time?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, I dide, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, you did.
After I had to call you 80 times in a row!!
I almost got dragged to the Norths security department while you were absent, you know!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was unhappy that he couldnt spit out mes from his mouth right now. If he could do that, then that would be a perfect way to describe his current emotions.
Keuh-euh-euh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
His body shrunk back as if he had swallowed a lump of charcoal just now.
Hold it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He needed to hold it in.
A crucial mission was about to start soon, so nothing good woulde about by agitating Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Indeed, nothing good....
A person should be more aware of his situation, man!! His situatioooon!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt hold it anymore and exploded in a fit of rage.
Seriously, man. So much nagging. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can this be nagging?! This is nagging to you?!?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt bother to reply and simply put on a pair of earphones before raising the volume of the music up high.
Uwaaaaah!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons rage burned even more fiercely and just as he was about to go crazy, Seo Ah-Young dashed in and dragged him away.
Please calm down. (Seo Ah-Young)
How can I calm down in this situation?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats still no excuse to disgrace our whole nation in front of the North Korean people, is it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Grooooooan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon groaned in pain before plopping back down on the seat.
Aigo.... What sins did Imit in my past life to deserve this....? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For the first time ever, she felt pity for him. Eyes of other agents also teared up just a little, too.
Thats right.
When one got technical about it, the only reason this dude acted all insane and high-handed until now was for the goal of putting Yi Ji-Hyuk to work no matter how.
Meaning, the cause of all this was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Please, you must calm down, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. You know that man is originally like this. (Seo Ah-Young)
It was a mistake to think that I knew him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was this, this emotion?
This sense of betrayal and fear? Like, having a lion as a pet and hugging it thinking that, We are all family now, only to find your head inside the animals jaw even before you realised it?
A wild animal was just that, a wild animal, like how Yi Ji-Hyuk was still Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Finally realising what a painfully pointless thing it was to believe that hed be more considerate towards you and your situation, Choi Jeong-Hoon felt like his degree of understanding on the individual called Yi Ji-Hyuk have increased substantially.
Yes, I made a mistake. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, it was his fault for expecting something he shouldnt have in the first ce. After realising this fact, Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a long, long sigh.
We cant afford to fight amongst ourselves in this ce. Am I right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun cautiously opened his lips and Choi Jeong-Hoon could only nod his head. He knew that they shouldnt behave like this considering where exactly they were.
He knew it, yet... What was he supposed to do about this rage threatening to bubble up within his heart?
His hankering for a cigarette was getting worse and worse.
....Can we stop the vehicle for a bit and have a smoke break? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly took off the earphones.
Uh? Then, Id like smoke, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uwaaaaah!! And what could you possibly be unhappy about?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, calm down!
When Choi Jeong-Hoon became frenzied once more, the surrounding passengers all jumped on top of him to subdue him.
Seriously, man. What a strange dude youre. I just wanted to smoke, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
These people understood why Choi Jeong-Hoon was losing his sh*t like this, and they could only avert their eyes.
Ah, so this guy, he was the buffer, wasnt he.
Hes the human suppressor.
Now that even Choi Jeong-Hoon began losing his sanity, others suddenly felt this heavy burden on them.
Ah, so he has been doing quite a lot of work until now.
He wasnt pretending to be busy, was he?
They finally realised the preciousness of Choi Jeong-Hoon and one by one, walked closer to pat him on the shoulder.
And then, one of them spoke.
Hey you stupid son of a b*tch. What the hell do you think you are doing?? (Jeong In-Su)
Uh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned his head and discovered Jeong In-Su gripping his shoulder tightly. The former spoke in a daze.
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Where are we right now? (Jeong In-Su)
I-its North Korea. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you sleepwalking?? (Jeong In-Su)
N-no. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This dumb as*hole, really getting on my nerves. You better wake up, or else. (Jeong In-Soo)
Im sorry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon lowered his head and quickly stood up.
Call the escorts and tell them well be stopping for a short break. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su issued an order, and a short whileter, the bus came to a stop. After he and Choi Jeong-Hoon exited from the vehicle, the former pulled out a cigarette.
Take it. (Jeong In-Su)
Thank you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon took the colonels offered cigarette and deeply sucked on it.
Listen here. (Jeong In-Su)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You dumb fool. I really cant swallow the way youre behavingtely. (Jeong In-Su)
Im sorry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stop mouthing youre sorry, will ya? You didnte here for a pic, right? (Jeong In-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt quite understand why he was suddenly being reprimanded here.
Is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk your friend? (Jeong In-Su)
No, he isnt. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Right. You came here because you are given a mission. And your mission is to control Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Am I wrong? (Jeong In-Su)
No, youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, what the hell do you think youre doing, expecting friendship from him or pleading desperately when youre supposed to control him? Would you have acted the same if you met Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk for the first time today? (Jeong In-Su)
Ah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk who has changed, but you. In the past, you had to go through all sorts of hardship just trying to send him through a Gate opening right before his house. You didnt find that strange at all back then, but now when I see you, its like you arent doing anything for him yet you take it for granted that he must work his a*s off for you. (Jeong In-Su)
...............
If that thing was so easy in the first ce, why would the government pay you such high sry like stupid fools? Its time that you show us your value, dont you think so? (Jeong In-Su)
Youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So, better wake the hell up. (Jeong In-Su)
Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt his wits wake up in an instant from those words. Jeong In-Su was not wrong here.
Since when did that guy do everything I asked of him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In actual truth, Yi Ji-Hyuking to North Korea without too much of a hassle was already something unimaginable for that man if this was in the past. Yet, Choi Jeong-Hoon was busy thinking of that extraordinary phenomenon as if it was the norm....
He could only chew on the taste of bitterness now.
And they say humans would grow conceited when treated nicely. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
After witnessing such things countless times himself, he swore hed never be like that. Yet, even before he had realised it, he had be exactly like them.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was neither his subordinate nor hisrade.
Technically speaking, he was simply a contracted external employee. Yet, here he was, expecting some sort of friendship from such an individual.
Since when did I be this sloppy? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon lit a new cigarette up.
Suddenly, his innards felt cold.
Are you finally awake? (Jeong In-Su)
Yes. I was being foolish. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I know that its hard to ept what Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk does withmon sense. However, its your job to understand it. Am I wrong? Other people can get angry, fine, but you cant lose your cool no matter what. (Jeong In-Su)
Youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So, stop behaving this way. I keep saying that youve lost your way, right? (Jeong In-Su)
You did. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon lowered his head in shame.
Half of him had been thinking that the colonel was simply being a kkondae, but that was not true. His state of mind had changed a lotpared to the past, thats what.
You need to go back to being the Choi Jeong-Hoon I remember. Looking at you nowadays kind of p*sses me off, you see? You hanging around Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk doesnt mean youll suddenly be like him, you hear me? (Jeong In-Su)
Ill take that to heart. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon climbed back on the bus and walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you going to start nagging again?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sorry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seems that Ive been acting a bit insolenttely. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats gotten into you, out of the blue? I hear that a person suddenly doing things hes never done before is a sign of his impending death, so are you feeling alright? Maybe you should go for a health check-up soon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................
This b*stard, Im trying to be nice here, yet, he....! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
I, Ill do my best to be mindful from now on. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And youre still such a young man, too. Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt tears well up once more when Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at him with pitying eyes.
This is it!
The reason why I became so weird!
Theres no way anyone can keep their sanity with this guy around! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon trembled but eventually, he had to take a deep breath.
Calm down, me. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the past, he was his role to stop Seo Ah-Young when she finally lost it, but now, that situation hadpletely reversed. Which was a problem.
He needed to get a hold of himself and....
.....Once we reach the location, we might be subjected to variety of provocations. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. However, nothing good wille about by getting tangled up with these people. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im sure it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, thats why, mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why are you stopping there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled bitterly.
This is wrong, too. When I think about it, my job isnt about asking you to hold yourself back, but to make sure that such things dont happen in the first ce. I can really see just how badly Ive been conducting myself up until now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? Wait, did you eat something bad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Should I just behave the way I have been?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Maybe, it was far more simpler to act as how he was before?
Wow, so weird. You were seriously losing your marbles over something really small earlier, then you go outside for a bit only to return and suddenly start saying that youre sorry about something. Did you take a sedative or something? Were you doing drugs just now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Right.
Just carry on with what I was doing just now! Who gives a rats a*s about going back and stuff?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoons trembling intensified, but still, he managed to rub his face, hard. He knew this couldnt go on. Unfortunately, his body stained by Yi Ji-Hyuks influence was getting furious all by itself.
I need to calm down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whew-woo....
Choi Jeong-Hoon sucked in another deep breath.
In any case, Ill do my best to stop any annoying things from happening to you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Thats why I request of you to let it slide just this once. If they do something that unfortunately crosses the line, then even I wont try to stop you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that I hear you, its a bit.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I mean, I dont go around causing incidents and stuff, so I just dont get why youre telling me all this, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly realised that there was no meaning in continuing on with this conversation.
In any case. Just be aware of that, please. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a good listener you are.
And you answer so promptly and nicely, too. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su nodded his head.
Didnt matter what Yi Ji-Hyuks personality was like, he was the most important person in the NDF and the Republic of Korea. It couldnt be helped if a person began wanting for more after he lost the sight of his ideals, sure, but if Yi Ji-Hyuk grew dissatisfied because of that, then the whole point of the NDFs existence would go out the window.
He thought that Choi Jeong-Hoon would take care of it in due course and thats why he didnt say anything until now, but now that thetter had lost his mental bnce a bit, the former needed to step up and put him on the right track.
Things will get better, surely. (Jeong In-Su)
This problem wouldnt get better overnight, but he still believed that the effects should show itself soon now that the mentality had changed.
Were almost at the destination. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Sus deration caused tension to permeate in the air once more.
Although were on our way to fight monsters, you all know that what we need to be careful against arent them. We at the Territory Defence will do our utmost best to protect your back. So, trust us to do our job and everyone, focus only on what you need to do when youre out there. (Jeong In-Su)
Yes!
The replies resounded out and soon, the bus came to a stop.
Well get off now. (Jeong In-Su)
As the buss door opened, Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from his seat.
Well now. Should I go say hi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A strange smile suddenly crept up on his lips.
Choi Jeong-Hoon caught that and felt this ominous foreboding creep up.
What are you nning to do now?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nothing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled leisurely and exited from the bus.
< 312. Pardon? Did you eat something bad? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 313: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (3)
Chapter 313: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (3)
The moment he climbed out of the bus, Yi Ji-Hyuk sensed something rather chilly creep on his skin.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He looked around, arrested by this sense of disharmony.
Something feels off.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min asked, and he simply shook his head.
I cant put my finger on it, but when I look around here, I get this strange feeling. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon interpreted Yi Ji-Hyuks moods for him.
Thats because there are no artefacts of civilisation found around here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the South, youll still find at least a power poll or some such even if you go to a remote location. You are feeling this odd sense of ipatibility because you cant see anything like that around here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is that how it is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
To say thats true, well, didnt he previously live for a long time in a world where you often couldnt find a single man-made artefact of civilisation in many of its locations?
And also, what made it a bit hard to take those words at face value was....
Arent those your so-called artefacts of civilisation, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed to the extensive line of North Korean soldiers stretching from left to right.
Wow. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even Choi Jeong-Hoon gasped out, genuinely impressed himself.
I was told that they mobilised every avablebat force, but well... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
At least hundred thousand-strong soldiers had been gathered here, and he couldnt even see their ends from where he was.
Although Id like to say this is an amazing sight, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If one seriously considered what these soldiers could realistically do to help, then this was simply an act of increasing potential losses of life, instead.
Majority of them were outfitted with firearms, and these weapons were designed exclusively for the purpose of interpersonalbat situations.
They didnt even work properly against goblinsing out from a level 1 Gate, so just how were the North nning to stop the monstersing out from level 6 Gates with such weaponry?
Sure, the South Korean army did rely on firearms during their own anti-Gate operations, but they were not used for the purpose of killing but as deterrents, instead. And the South Korean government wouldnt send soldiers en masse to a location knowing that they would all get killed and waste precious human lives that way.
No, hang on. When you think about it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Maybe, these people werent thinking of using guns but humans themselves as meat shield in this situation.
Thats horrible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its nothing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to know what Choi Jeong-Hoon was thinking about already, however, and smirked as he opened his mouth.
Well, there should be lots of higher-ups here thinking that this arrangement is more preferable to their whole country going up in smoke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
I half-way agree, though. It should bemon knowledge that, once your country gets swallowed up by another species, the remaining survivors would end up in a worse hell than before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To Choi Jeong-Hoon, such a world was too foreign to imagine. Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke nonchntly as if he had witnessed such things many times already.
Logically speaking, this isnt a bad way to deal with this event, actually. The issue here is, though, have they really thought this through logically and created this defensive line? Well, even if the intentions were different, as long as the end result is the same.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt this inexplicable persuasiveness from Yi Ji-Hyuks words. At the same time, he thought that you wouldnt be able to say stuff like that as long as you held even a speck of respect towards the human race as a whole.
In any case, it is a sheer spectacle, alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly changed the topic.
A spectacle, is it... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled softly.
Looking back to that final, decisive battle fought in Berafe where millions had been mobilised, this little number ofbatants couldnt even be counted as an additionalbat force. Them being outfitted with their own firearms was a plus point, sure, but when considering the fact that every fighter summoned to Terra Latrel back then was some of the finest, elitist holy knights and sorcerers in existence, there was no guarantee that even the modern troops could emerge victorious in a direct confrontation against them.
Long story short, these soldiers could definitely not stop the monstersing out from the Gates.
....And thats the conclusion, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
He had lent a big help solving some of the biggest threats to face Earth. However, the majority of the incidents were stopped even without him stepping up to the fore.
When he did step up, the incidents would end a bit faster and with less casualties, but that was about it.
However, a whole country might really disappear if this incident wasnt taken seriously.
With a slightly more serious face, Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned his vicinity. The darkness of the dawn still lingered, but it proved to be no obstacle in surveying the size of the troops that had gathered up here.
Seriously, though. What a disgustinglyrge number they have gathered here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall take that as apliment. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui appeared out of seemingly nowhere and walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
These are people with not much meaning, in a certain sense. (Park Yong-Hui)
He grinned and replied in a rxed manner.
Just how many of these people wille across half-way decent in your eyes, I wonder? Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (Park Yong-Hui)
H-mm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And from your perspective, Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk, does yourrades from South Joseon seem necessary to you? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply.
Humans are all the same, arent they? Only seeing those you deem worthy as equal human beings. (Park Yong-Hui)
What is it that you wanted to say here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I heard that folks from South Joseon criticise us in the North for human rights and such. (Park Yong-Hui)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows quivered.
However, that is wrong, isnt it? When you think about the money and power South Joseons wealthy elite possesses, is there any difference between us in the Democratic Republic and that of the South? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up smirking just then.
Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, please speak. (Park Yong-Hui)
The systems created by humans can never be perfect, right? Humanity itself is imperfect, so there is no way that the stuff created by such beings will end up asplete. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre indeed correct. (Park Yong-Hui)
However, at least you can tell whether they were serious about building a better society or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you saying that its not the case with our Democratic Republic? (Park Yong-Hui)
I wonder. If you guys were serious about creating a paradise on Earth, then yeah, I guess not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a meaningful smile, causing Park Yong-Huis brows to quiver this time. Thetter than turned his head away.
I believe that you should be careful with what you say around here, Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Park Yong-Hui)
Lets just stop with the loyal servant routine, shall we? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled as he continued on.
Whats the matter? Should we take you home with us? To the South? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What can I possibly do in the South? (Park Yong-Hui)
Well, I guess staying here is a better option if you want to enjoy the feeling of power. You might not know when your head will roll, sure, but having power is better than not having it, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Hui quietly red at Yi Ji-Hyuk. However, thetter returned the gaze without batting an eyelid.
Comrade, I see that youre a scarier person that I thought. (Park Yong-Hui)
I am? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Hui bit his lower lip as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
So, this young man wasnt merely a simpleton with great physical strength, was it?
But then again, if he was a muscle-brained moron, the South Joseon b*stards wouldnt have suffered so much hardship after failing to control him.
Comrade, I thought that youd be a na?ve young man, but I see that was wrong. This Park Yong-Hui made a mistake. (Park Yong-Hui)
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks cackle continued on.
I havent said anything to warrant such praises, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not what you said. (Park Yong-Hui)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its your eyes,rade. I have seen plenty of monstrous folks in this line of work already. Those animals capable of using people like toys all have this different light in their eyes, you see. (Park Yong-Hui)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything.
This couldve been a huge trouble, then. But then, that makes sense, no? South Joseons greatest warrior being a na?ve idiot wouldnt make a whole lot of sense, now would it? (Park Yong-Hui)
Lets not get bogged down on obvious topics, now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We dont have anything to do until the monsters arrive, anyway. Isnt this fine? (Park Yong-Hui)
Now that you mention it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Hui tilted his head.
When are they supposed to show up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I heard that it should be around one hour from now. Their movement speed is inconsistent so its apparently impossible to estimate their arrival. (Park Yong-Hui)
One hour, was it...
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned heavily.
Dont you have missiles or something? Instead of quietly waiting like this, isnt it better to just pummel them with everything you guys have at your disposal? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, that isnt up to me. Therademander will surely do whats right for the situation. (Park Yong-Hui)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head, evidently not happy about something.
The meaning behind not using the truly useful weaponry was clear C they wanted to preserve enough firepower so that they could continue aiming at South Korea after this event was over.
Of course, it wasnt as if he couldpletely see through the North Koreans mindset, but still.
Something feels really off for a while now, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt give a rats a*s whether the North was thinking of doing something underhanded here or not. He was a man who didnt care what the Americans were doing to begin with, so there was no reason for him to worry about the movements of a country called North Korea.
However, he simply couldnt get rid of this unclean, dirty feeling for a while now. It wasnt his reasoning acting up, but his sixth sense; it was busy shouting at him that something was grating against his nerves.
Well, its true that my sixth sense is trash. But still.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks quiet, still eyes studied his surroundings.
Since this event was something he had caused, others shouldnt have malicious designs on it at least, but for some reason, it felt as if he was moving like a piece on a chess board for a while now.
Oii. (?)
It was then, someone far away discovered Yi Ji-Hyuk and hurriedly rushed to this ce.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He looked at this new guy and smirked derisively.
Hey, havent I seen you before somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You stinking son of a b*tch! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
The man who tried to get on Yi Ji-Hyuks nerves back in the DMZ, Rhee Jing-Cheol, was striding closer with a demonic expression on his face.
You b*stard, how dare you show your face here?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol looked as if he was ready for a throwdown right now, prompting Park Yong-Hui to take a sneaky step forward and stand before Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What do you think youre doing? (Park Yong-Hui)
Comrade Chief! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
These are guests from South Joseon. Dont be so impolite. (Park Yong-Hui)
But, Comrade Chief! Those b*stards, they! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Looky here, Rhee Jin-Cheol. (Park Yong-Hui)
........
Can you stop those monsters if youre willing to throw away your life? Can you answer me in full confidence? (Park Yong-Hui)
Rhee Jin-Cheol couldnt answer and simply gnashed his teeth.
If Pyongyang is destroyed because of your pride, then how are you nning to wash away your sin? Wake up, man! (Park Yong-Hui)
Rhee Jin-Cheol bit his lip without saying anything. However, he still didnt forget to re dagger in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
This d*mn b*stard.... (Park Yong-Hui)
Just before Park Yong-Hui could raise his voice, though, Yi Ji-Hyuk started retorting sarcastically first.
By the way, did you guys perform lobotomy on your ability users or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-what do you mean by that? (Park Yong-Hui)
I mean, if he wasnt blind, he mustve seen all he needed to see back then, so with what balls is he trying to pounce on me? While swearing and stuff, no less. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
Park Yong-Hui became utterly speechless just then.
After I returned to this world, Ive been to those countries that people say are some of the mightiest on the. The thing is, though, Ive never seen a dumba*s like him trying to fight me in any of those ces. I dont know whether thats him being a retard, or just overflowing with bravery. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks snide remarks ignited mes within Rhee Jin-Cheols eyes.
There, there, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled brightly and sneakily pulled Yi Ji-Hyuk back.
It wouldnt do for an adult to get angry just because a child is angry, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, Im not an adult, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about your age....? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eiii~, my mental state is still in thete teens, you know. I mean, Im still bitter about being unfairlybelled five years older for no good reason even now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Come on, man! A person should have morals.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Looks like my inner thoughts popped out again. My apologies. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So what now? You want me to endure it, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled again and shifted his head towards Park Yong-Hui.
Mister Chief of Staff. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm, do speak,rade. (Park Yong-Hui)
If there is one more insulting remark made in Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks direction, then in order to ensure his safety, we will immediately withdraw from this location. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Right at that moment, Park Yong-Huis eyes shook visibly.
Even our Mister President ordered us to be vignt towards events that might threaten Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks safety. If thebatants of your nation continue to pose a danger to him, then I regret to inform you that, to ensure his safety, we will have no choice but to excuse ourselves from this operation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Yong-Hui red at Choi Jeong-Hoon, hisplexion alternating from green to blue, but eventually, he turned his head towards Rhee Jin-Cheol and began shouting at the top of his lungs.
What are you waiting for?! Apologise to him immediately! (Park Yong-Hui)
Rhee Jin-Cheol looked as if hed ck out from all the fury. But then, Yi Ji-Hyuk stuck his tongue out to him.
Beh~eh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched this scene with a certain contentment.
Nice going, my child.
< 313. Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (3) > Fin.
Chapter 314: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (4)
Chapter 314: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (4)
Did you just say apologies,rade?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
mes erupted out from Rhee Jin-Cheols eyes.
Just how many had to be sacrificed after that rotten b*stard drove the monsters up North? The report had already been made to the higher-ups.
Yet, he was supposed to offer his apology to the very culprit who had raped his mothend?? Just what was there to apologise, in the first ce?!
Are you deaf,rade! (Park Yong-Hui)
Unfortunately, the Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui remained adamant.
Rhee Jin-Cheol saw that unchanging light in his superiors eyes, but then, bit down hard on his lips.
I cant do that, sir. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
You stinking son of a b*tch! (Park Yong-Hui)
The Chief of Staff suddenly yanked out a pistol and aimed it at Rhee Jin-Cheols forehead.
You d*mn reactionary son of a b*tch, how dare you disobey me! Being coddled because of youre an ability user mustve emboldened you!! (Park Yong-Hui)
What do you mean, reactionary, sir! Are you truly suspecting my loyalty to the glorious Democratic Peoples Republic?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Then tell me this now, why cant you apologise?? (Park Yong-Hui)
That stinking son of a b*tch is the one who caused this whole event, so how can I apologise to him, sir?! Just put a gun to my head,rade! Because I cant do that! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
You dumb fool! (Park Yong-Hui)
Choi Jeong-Hoon realised that the situation was getting worse, so he shifted his gaze ever so slightly to nce at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....Well, you dont really need an apology, do you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont remember asking for one, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, that sly North Korean ability user started the provocation first, but the event had spilled well beyond the level of justifiable self defence and reached the realm of OTT now.
It wasparable to, say, you responding to a punch to the face with a sustained firing from an M60. So even Yi Ji-Hyuk felt a bit... awkward about receiving an apology and whatnot.
That ahjussi... isnt he going a bit overboard? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think so, too? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly wiped the cold sweat caking his forehead.
He only told the other side to cease all threatening actions, yet what was up with this pistol-brandishing and threats for an apology?
Seriously, they can be such extreme nutcases. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He was already well aware of North Koreans being rather radical in their actions, but even he couldnt have imagined they would be this extreme.
Hahaha.... Mister Chief of Staff. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tried to mediate this situation, but the Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui remained adamant still.
South Joseonrades, please wait for a bit. (Park Yong-Hui)
H-hang on, Mister Chief of Staff.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I told you to wait, didnt I? (Park Yong-Hui)
Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth was shut tight in that moment by the light burning within the Chief of Staffs eyes.
This man climbed up to this position by managing to survive in the upper ss hierarchy of North Korea, which should be no different than a treacherous den of tigers. Obviously, such a man wouldnt be ordinary; Choi Jeong-Hoon sensed this keen de-like murderous intent, and could only shudder at this inadvertent revtion of Park Yong-Huis true self.
It wasnt that he was scared, but rather, spooked.
He was this type of man? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That good-natured smile Park Yong-Hui disyed earlier was like a bad lie C he was now pretty much a raw, unfiltered something.
You, son of a b*tch.... (Park Yong-Hui)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly opened his mouth.
Monsters areing, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Im sure its going to be really entertaining to watch you flounder about when monsters show up during your little scuffle. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Hui wordlessly turned his head and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Thetter remained utterly unflustered, though.
Whew.... (Park Yong-Hui)
Eventually, Park Yong-Hui nodded his head and holstered his pistol.
I ended up showing you something unsightly over such a small matter. I must apologise to you, South Joseonrades. (Park Yong-Hui)
Well, a man will react like that sometimes when hes p*ssed off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha, I see that your heart is rather forgiving, Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Park Yong-Hui)
I used to be just like you in the past, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked meaningfully at Rhee Jin-Cheol, causing thetter to grit his teeth.
Eee-ik! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Park Yong-Hui formed an oily smile and called out to him.
Comrade Rhee Jin-Cheol. (Park Yong-Hui)
Please speak,rade. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Judgement over your actions hasnt been handed down yet, Comrade Rhee Jin-Cheol. You understand what Im saying to you? (Park Yong-Hui)
Rhee Jin-Cheol shut his mouth.
No matter how impossible the situation was, it was still all his fault for going against the Partys orders to stop the monsters at the DMZ and retreating from there.
The Party did not acknowledge things like ones limit.
Indeed, it brainwashed its subjects by reinforcing the idea of undying fighting spirit and loyalty being the only prerequisites for achieving anything that one desired.
I shall remember that, sir. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Even if he came out and argued that there was nothing anyone could have done back then, no one would listen to him, anyway. North Korea was just too corrupt to its core, so if the excuse of It couldnt be helped was epted now, then the exact same excuse would start raining down everywhere next.
If you cause one more problem here, then I wont be able to do anything for you. Remember that. (Park Yong-Hui)
So he says? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk glibly chided in, but Rhee Jin-Cheol didnt throw a tantrum this time. A warning bell was going off loudly in his head after he saw Park Yong-Huis ice-cold eyes ring at him from a while ago, thats why.
Id like to offer my apologies. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to provoke the man, but Rhee Jin-Cheol didnt respond in kind and simply bowed his head. Anyone could tell that it was forced, but still, he did bow willingly, so not even Yi Ji-Hyuk could readily tackle that down.
Well, this was in the middle of enemy territory, so one couldnt carelessly try to break the enemymanders spirit, no?
That son of a b*tch, he was the one who started this sh*t, so what the f*ck is he trying to do now? (Park Seong-Chan)
Unfortunately, someone didnt agree with that sentiment, it seemed.
The Iron Park Seong-Chan strode over to Rhee Jin-Cheol while gritting his teeth.
Ehhei! Mister Seong-Chan! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, hang on! Cant you remember how our people almost got killed by that son of a b*tch?? You forgetting peoples faces now? (Park Seong-Chan)
I know that. I do. But.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon leaned in and whispered in Park Seong-Chans ears.
Still, no one on our side died, and these people have suffered several times worse damage than us, havent they? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats no thanks to that b*stard, though? Its all due to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk working his butt off! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan didnt step forward any further after Choi Jeong-Hoon got in the way, but his zing eyes still remained locked on Rhee Jin-Cheol.
You, better watch yourself. (Park Seong-Chan)
Rhee Jin-Cheol smirked in response to Park Seong-Chans provocation.
Oh, youughing now? (Park Seong-Chan)
Ehhheeei! Mister Seong-Chan! Lets stop there! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hah, f*cking hell. Hey, you. You dont travel overseas or something? When you do, Ill go with you, so why dont we have a little chat then? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan openly growled, prompting other ability users to re daggers at Rhee Jin-Cheol.
Mister Chief of Staff! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons urgent cry caused Park Yong-Hui to nod his head.
Rhee Jin-Cheol, go and join the rest of the squad for the time being. And when the monsters show up from over there, you will start fighting from the very front of the pack. Understand what Im saying? (Park Yong-Hui)
Sir, I do. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Now, go. (Park Yong-Hui)
Rhee Jin-Cheol performed a spirited military salute, shot the NDF a re for a second, then turned around to leave.
Oii, did you just re at me? (Park Seong-Chan)
Aigo! Mister Seong-Chan, please stop! Were in North Korea. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I know where were. But if we let that b*stard go like this, what will they think of us as? (Park Seong-Chan)
Yi Ji-Hyuks underlings. (Seo Ah-Young)
...........
Park Seong-Chan shifted his dazed face around and searched for the origin of that voice. Meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young tilted her head, wondering if she made a mistake just now.
Am I wrong? (Seo Ah-Young)
Park Seong-Chan couldnt retort back to her.
Doesnt matter whether we beat him up half to death or let him go like this, theyll always think of us as Yi Ji-Hyuks underlings. (Seo Ah-Young)
Y-youre correct, Director, but.... (Park Seong-Chan)
....But, at a bare minimum, youre not supposed to say such things, you know??
Even if youre the director in name only, you still have the duty to uphold your office, so what will we do if you so unhesitantly make a deration that totally trash your own station like that....?? (Park Seong-Chans inner monologue)
Well, its the truth. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young replied nonchntly.
Still.... (Seo Ah-Young)
However, it seemed that she had more to say.
Even if were Mister Yi Ji-Hyuksckeys, we should at least show them that they cant mess with us and expect to walk away scot free. (Seo Ah-Young)
.........
What a cool yet hellish deration that was.
Park Seong-Chans head dropped low as if he had lost all motivation. He then turned around to leave.
I knew you could do it! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
After witnessing her ably subdue Park Seong-Chan with a method he hadnt thought of before, he simply had to give her a thumbs-up.
Work hard now. (Seo Ah-Young)
Dont worry, Director-nim. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I shall show you that Im not the director for nothing. (Seo Ah-Young)
I believe in you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
At least, he really wanted to believe in her for the time being.
Eh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then C Yi Ji-Hyuk staring into the far-off distance until then, suddenly grinned and addressed them.
Looks like the suns about to rise up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Already? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When they all looked, it did feel as if the eastern side was getting brighter for real.
And also, they are almost here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This time, Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt bother to ask back.
He already knew very well that, when it came to all things monster-rted, Yi Ji-Hyuk was almost always correct.
Get ready, everyone. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spoke in a serious expression. The NDF agents stoppedining and began heading towards the suitable locations for themselves.
Mister Chief of Staff. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What can I do for you now? (Park Yong-Hui)
Monsters are about to reach us. Seems like well have to get ready now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, really? (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui called an adjutant observing the situation over to him and issued a couple of orders. Thetter radioed somewhere, before rying the message back to his boss.
Well, Ill be d*mned. The report was on its way to me apparently. You dont have a satellite looking down on us right now, do you? (Park Yong-Hui)
....We have someone with a nose sharper than a dogs among us, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon used a simple joke to answer the Chief of Staffs curiosity.
By the way, arent you going to take themand? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, theres nothing for me to do here. Themand will be left to themander on site, actually. Its not something I should try to take over, at any rate. (Park Yong-Hui)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head along.
Even if this was North Korea where the politicians wielded considerable influence, it seemed that the respect towards the militarymanders still existed here.
You see, itll only take a blink for your head to roll if you step up foolishly and mess things up. You should also be mindful of such things,rade. (Park Yong-Hui)
........
Well, it seemed that he was wrong.
Choi Jeong-Hoon dry-coughed to clear his throat and took a look below as the daybreak brightened his view.
Thats.... a bit off, isnt it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was a rather impressive sight to witness under the veil of darkness a hundred-thousand-strongbat force gathering in one ce. However, now that the day had broken, he was now subjected under a somewhat different sight altogether.
Are they really soldiers? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
People so small and thin that they wouldnt have been drafted if this was South Korea, wereboriously lugging around their guns. Although pretty much every South Korean out there had some inkling as to how bad the actual living conditions in the North was like, hearing it and seeing it first-hand were indeed two very different things.
So, these are the best, elitist soldiers they could gather now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When considering the avablebat force the North could mobilise, these hundred thousand soldiers might really be nothing more than just the tip of an iceberg.
However, Pyongyang was about to be destroyed, so they wouldnt y fast and loose with their defences. You could safely say that, within the allowance of their avable weapons and budget, they mustve tried to scrounge up the best soldiers they could find.
Sure, the time was on the tighter side, but to think, itd only amount to this much....
The situation is worse than I thought. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It seemed that he needed to forget about getting any help from the regr soldiers here. Maybe the artillery and armoured vehicles might prove to be of some use, but it was unknown whether they could function properly as advertised or not.
If you considered the Norths ability to wage a lengthy war, or the ability to resupply their ranks during peacetime, then guessing just how much of their equipment had been maintained properly after all these years would be an exercise in futility.
Of course, they probably brought out their best equipment here if they were serious about surviving this event, but still....
Here theye!
Right next second, a sharp voice resounded out.
Choi Jeong-Hoons cold, gloomy eyes took in the distant horizon.
A smallish cloud was forming there.
The moment he began thinking that a very small dust cloud was rising up there, he detected mirage-like ck things wavering about among the rising dust and dashing towards them.
Ah..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon clenched his fists.
The Wave.
Monsters had tangled up into one massive lump and were madly running towards the humans. Even Choi Jeong-Hoon became momentarily speechless after witnessing that gob-smacking spectacle.
Hoh-oh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, only Yi Ji-Hyuk among them was forming an oily smile to himself.
Now thats a nostalgic sight, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 314. Pardon? Did you eat something bad? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 315: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (5)
Chapter 315: Pardon? Did you eat something bad? (5)
Ka-aaaaah!!
Gururuk!! Guruk!
Monsters growlings could now be heard. Different, unique hisses, screeches and howlsing from each monster intertwined into one and resulted in an otherworldly cacophony of horrifying noise.
Dont be scared. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min grasped her shoulders as she watched this spectacle unfold. No matter how hard she tried to calm herself down, her body wouldnt stop shuddering and her teeth continued to tter.
The wave of monsters, dashing towards her in pure maddened frenzy, imparted such arge oppressive pressure that she found it hard to stare at it in the right frame of mind.
Heee... hee-ik!
W-what the hell is that?!
At least she was faring better than some others.
The North Korean soldiers unfortunately didnt have a lot of opportunity to face monsters up until now, so naturally, they fell into a state of panic and began retreating in fear.
A regr person would freak out when seeing an actual tsunami wave of that size. Yet this was no ordinary wave of water, but oneprising entirely of monsters, so the terror these soldiers felt couldnt even be described in mere words.
Monsters hadnt even arrived yet, but the defensive line was already breaking down.
Calm down! I told you to calm the hell down!!
You stupid stinking b*stards! Man your positions, or else!!
Theirmanding officers desperately tried to get a hold of the situation, but that was simply asking for a miracle here.
Even the agents of the NDF, whod not lose against anyone in the world in terms of purebat experience against monsters, couldnt really regain their calmness from this horrifying sight, so there was simply no way a regr, powerless human being could endure psychologically.
W-well die! We are all going to diiiie!
We gotta run away! This is insanity!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this scene unfold and scratched his chin.
Ehh, what was the technical term for this again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The technical term? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Uh... so, like.... Ah, right. Its supposed to be called nada morals, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wrong!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mental Ka-pow, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop inventing weird new words, please! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If they were about to engage in a war where the armys battle spirit had arge impact like in the past, then this event was already as good as game over. There was a smidgeon of hope here, though, as they were a modern army equipped with firearms that didnt get affected by the wielders physical attributes or the mental state.
Wait, can I even call the North Korean army a modern one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you busy mumbling to yourself about? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wowsers. Even under our current situation, youre still tackling me about every single thing, arent you? What a thorough person you are! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
Choi Jeong-Hoon blushed a little. Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt wrong there.
At this rate, they might run away from here. Dont you think so? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sneakily tried to change the topic, so Yi Ji-Hyuk decided not to sweat it and simply go along.
Well, not wanting to die is a part of human nature, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly speaking, telling these folks to use their measly guns to stop that monster wave was pretty nonsensical, to begin with. If Yi Ji-Hyuk was in their shoes, hed turn around and get out of here immediately.
It was far more preferable to fight a tank with a pistol than this. Fighting that many monsters with some rifles was no different than killing yourself.
Although, its none of my business.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the South Korean military tried to do the same thing, then Yi Ji-Hyuk might have thrown a tantrum, demanding to crack open the head of the general issuing such an order and see whats rotting inside there, but this neck of the woods wasnt really rted to him, so that was that.
He shouldnt be concerned with what North Korea did to its people.
Run away! We gotta run away!!
This is madness!!
And so, soldiers breaking away from the defensive line began appearing one by one. The Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui watched that with a hardened expression.
The sense of defeat was capable of spreading around quickly like a gue. If one got away, then in less than a blinkter, many more should start breaking away from the line next.
What the hell are themanding officers doing?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui loudly yelled out.
Then, this happened.
m! m! m!!
Sharp gunshots rang out. Soldiers shifted their gaze immediately in the direction of the noises.
Step aside. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The topmander-in-chief of the Joseon Peoples Army, Kim Ryong-Seong, was pointing a pistol with thick smoke still rising out from its barrel.
The North Korean soldier trying to run away first was in front of him, bleeding profusely on the ground.
You stinking sons of b*tches! You dare to show your backs?! Our glorious Comrade Supreme Leader is watching our actions right now, yet you dare to show him your unsightly back?! Step aside, now! Want to run?? Go ahead! Youll soon learn which is faster, dying by the monsters or by my hands! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
He threatened everyone here with a high-pitched yell, which caused unrest among the North Korean soldiers to subside a tad.
It wasnt because a single pistol managed to sessfully threaten them, though. Of course they knew that a handgun pointing at their backs was iparably better than those monsters rushing in at them like rabid dogs.
It was just that they were brainwashed nonstop regarding ideals of absolute obedience to themand structure since their early years, and it prevented them from making a move here.
The fear towards the Party, and the fear towards the monsters.
These two disparate fears were suppressing the North Korean soldiers and pressuring them mercilessly.
Heeeiiiik...
The number of those faltering where they stood and wetting themselves began increasing.
And even in the midst of all these, the monsters were diligently closing the distance.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched this scene unfold and scowled deeply.
Calling them a mob of ill disciplined vagrants seemed quite justified for breaking out of the rank like that. A soldier was not supposed to escape when the enemy was right before your eyes, after all.
But when he thought about how much braver the South Korean soldiers would react in the same situation, he couldnt simply start hurling insults in their direction.
Not only that, most of the soldiers present here should know that they could never stop the march of the monsters, anyway. They were about to throw away their lives while knowing the truth, so who could dare to im that they understood these peoples plight?
Even then, that crazy as*hole! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if his ally was running away, how could he shoot without a single shred of hesitation like that! This wasnt the middle ages, so what the hell was up with that?!
Choi Jeong-Hoon silently gritted his teeth, but the Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui was actually pping his hands, instead.
As expected of Kim Ryong-Seong! He still remembers how to herd these kids well! (Park Yong-Hui)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was rapidly ovee by this sense of disharmony.
They might wear the same type of faces and speak the same way, but these people were fundamentally different from him. This was the moment that a certain expectation was copsing in on itself C the expectation, and the hope, that everyone would live in harmony while understanding where each other wasing from if the two nations managed to unify somehow.
Indeed, if one got in bed with people thinking in this way, the only thing awaiting you was discord.
Kuwaaaaah!!
When monsters got close enough for their outer appearances to be discernible by naked eyes, Kim Ryong-Seong raised his hand high up.
Fire at will!! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The moment his words ended, the long range artillery began spitting out mes. At the same time, tanks also sprayed their shells as well.
Ka-boom!! Booooom!!
Contrary to Choi Jeong-Hoons fears, the tanks managed to fire without an issue. Even the multiple-rocketunchers operated without much of a problem, flinging their cargo urately towards their targets.
What a relief it was to see that, but on the other hand, it was also a rueful thing to see, as well.
No effect as expected. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon slightly bit his lip.
He already suspected it would be the case.
The modern firearms didnt have a big effect on the monsters. Ammo designed to kill humans couldnt prate the monsters hides. The armour-piercing rounds used against tanks had some sort of an effect, but unfortunately, these monsters in front of their eyes were no ordinary creatures at all.
Indeed, they were monsters spat out from level 6 Gates. Each and every single creature here was powerful enough to be designated the threat level above level 3 Gate.
And such monsters were rushing in at the same time in humongous numbers, so how much of a help the North Koreans deteriorating, obsolete weapons could realistically provide?!
Fire!! Fire some more!! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
However, it seemed that Kim Ryong-Seongs thought process was different from his.
An endless barrage of fire rained down.
The North had been heavily investing on their defensive budget even when their citizens were dying of hunger, so it was quite likely that they did enjoy some ability to continue pouring out their attacks.
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that this was simply a waste of money, though.
Too many unnecessary personnel has been gathered here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure, he understood that they had to mobilise every avable manpower since their capital, Pyongyang, was about to be destroyed. They sought out only the so-called elites, so out of the ten million-strong North Korean army, only around hundred thousand could be summoned here.
However, Choi Jeong-Hoon still found this unnecessarily over the top.
If you want to stop monsters, you needed ability users.
If you werent going to rely on your users in times like this, then why would you go ahead and create those ability user organisations in the first ce?
It seemed that the Chief of Staff, Park Yong-Hui, thought the same as well.
Rhee Jin-Cheol! What are you doing! (Park Yong-Hui)
The Peoples Ability User Brigade.
The organisation that North Korea had so meticulously prepared until now found itself in the situation where they now had to prove their worth.
Rhee Jin-Cheol didnt budge an inch even as the shells continued to fire right behind his back and closely observed the monster wave.
This blows. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
No matter how hard he looked, he just couldnt arrive at an answer. Monsters had to be of a certain level for him to fight properly, realistically speaking.
Well, if Im told to jump, Im supposed to say how high, anyway. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Too bad, there was no such thing as second retreat for him. His standing was already hanging in the bnce after the first retreat, so if he did it again here, then even a three-year-old child could tell that hed not be able to keep his head above his neck.
Everyone ready? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Yes we are, Comrade Senior Colonel.
Running away from here means we will dieter anyway. So, lets just fight to our hearts content and go out in a ze of glory, shall we? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Understood,rade.
Hah, at least our graves will be kick-a*s. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol cackled as pure-white arcs of electricity buzzed on both of his hands.
By the way, where is our Comrade Brigade Commander? Why cant I see that person anywhere? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Ive been wondering about that as well,rade.
Seriously, man. These higher-ups, they are never there when you need them the most. I mean, hes so old already, so how much longer can he even live for, anyway? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol then shouted out loudly.
The Peoples Ability User Brigade of the glorious Peoples Democratic Republic of Joseon!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Uwaaaaah-!!
The roars following after him were filled to the brim with anger and they sounded more like screams now.
If the Party tells us to die, then its our duty to do so. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Thats right!
Lets go and die!
Ahck!!
Rhee Jin-Cheol, as soon as he was done talking, dashed towards the monsters crashing in like the tsunami waves.
Wow! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched that and eximed loudly.
Marching straight into the monster wave, now that took some guts.
Thats pretty impressive. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head in agreement.
They were a toon from a nation considered to be an enemy that adhered to a different political ideal than his, but at least in this moment, even his blood seemed to boil in excitement when they began roaring out.
Can they really stop the monsters? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you having augh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I guess not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Having drive was nice. But... How much more wonderful would it be if you could achieve anything in this world with drive alone?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt bother to wait for Choi Jeong-Hoons follow-up and nodded his head.
He could guess the contents already, anyway. Even if this monster wave was nullified, there was no meaning if the Norths Ability User Brigade was wrecked in the process. North Korea would lose the ability to deal with Gates opening up in the future if that happened, eventually leading to its inevitable destruction.
Although the idea sounded heartless, the Peoples Ability User Brigade had to be preserved even if every regr soldier present here were to be sacrificed.
Tsk. I dont like this, but still.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....The world revolved because of necessity, after all.
Should I get started? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Everyone, cover him! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The moment Choi Jeong-Hoon roared out, the NDF agents quickly stood around Yi Ji-Hyuk. Their mission during this operation was to provide protection for him, and that was it.
Go-ohhhh.....
W-what the hell?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol busy dashing forward freaked out and hurriedly looked behind him.
This chilling, terrifying sensationing from behind him felt like a bunch of needles pricking him on the nape of his neck.
W-what the f*ck is that?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheols eyes trembled as if an earthquake had erupted in them.
His vision now caught sight of a massive ck me billowing upwards as if to swallow the heavens itself.
It was a me so deep and dark, like the licking tongue of an insane devil.
< 315. Pardon? Did you eat something bad? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 316: Ahjussi, why are you coming out from there? (1)
Chapter 316: Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? (1)
W-what the hell?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He was aware of the monsters madly rushing in from his front. He wasnt a moron who didnt know how incredibly dangerous this situation was.
However, Rhee Jin-Cheol simply couldnt tear his eyes away from Yi Ji-Hyuk right now. And he was sure of being unable to look away even if the monsters pounced on him in this very moment.
That was how overwhelming the spectacle Yi Ji-Hyuk had shown today.
His figure could be called small, but the jet-ck smoke rising out from that small figure seemed to crazily explode into the heavens like an ascending dragon. Or, maybe something like a devil spreading wide its humongous wings made out of ck mes.
Is he even human?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He was well aware of the things Yi Ji-Hyuk had done. And he even knew that this South Korean ability user wasnt someone he could dare to fight against.
However, hearing it and seeing the truth were two very different things.
That... that couldnt be called human anymore.
Rather than awe, it was pure fear he sensed right now. This sense of discord arising from seeing a non-human being, as well as the listlessness resulting from facing the absolute power,pletely wrapped around Rhee Jin-Cheols body.
Comrade Senior Colonel!
Rhee Jin-Cheol heard the voice calling out to him from behind and nodded his head while looking on utterly dazed. Maybe, this was his body responding automatically. Because, his mind was stillpletely focused on Yi Ji-Hyuk; his body simply reacted instinctively to the voice, thats all.
Comrade! You need to get yourself together! Comrade Senior Colonel!
.....I know. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheols dazed eyes still remained fixed on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Can an ability user be that strong? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He too was an ability user.
He was so strong that people thought his equal could never be found within the Peoples Democratic Republic of North Joseon. The reason why he wasnt purged even after he made a huge blunder thest time was simply because his abilities had been acknowledged by the brass. And he too believed in that fact and could prioritise on saving his own skin first.
And that was precisely why Rhee Jin-Cheol was utterly confident of himself. Confident that his ability would not lose out to anyone in this world. The Chinese ability users he asionally ran across only reinforced that belief even further.
But now, that confidence of his was shattering into a million little pieces like a ss falling to the ground.
That is Rhee Ji-Hyuk.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
The number one ability user in the world.
He was supposed to be on another realmpared to other ability users, but Rhee Jin-Cheol believed that those were merely praises reserved for the Number One, nothing more.
But now, he knew.
That praise wasnt an empty one.
Yi Ji-Hyuk might be an ability user like the rest of them, but without a doubt, he existed on a differentpared to them.
Can I win against him? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Him alone definitely couldnt. Was there a hope if the entirety of the Peoples Ability User Brigade was mobilised, then?
Rhee Jin-Cheol smirked helplessly.
Hope?
If Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to direct his hostility towards Rhee Jin-Cheol, then thetter was sure of pissing his pants. Actually, the monsters rushing in at them came across as adorable whenparing them to the idea of opposing that devil-like presence.
Comrade captain!!
I said, I get it!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Thats not it! Look!
What now?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol turned his head. Then he saw it.
The seemingly-endless march of the monsters, it had been ground to a halt as if the whole thing was a lie.
....Son of a.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Forget about being dazed, Rhee Jin-Cheol felt like he was going insane at the moment. These monsters dashing forward while devouring and destroying everything in their paths hadpletely ground to a halt like a bunch of statues.
And then, there was this eerie silence, too.
As if their howls and screeches of a second ago was a hallucination, the whole battlefield was now filled with nothing but silence.
Monsters were holding their breath while lowering their heads to the ground, and meanwhile, the North Korean soldiers werepletely confused, not knowing whats going on here. But they too could sense this heavy air circting around the battlefield, so none dared to open their mouth.
Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Park Yong-Hui)
The Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui was watching all this spectacle unfold while standing behind Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Incredibly dangerous. (Park Yong-Hui)
He knew that this young man was South Joseons greatest warrior, but even he wasnt prepared for this level of power. Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt disyed any physical ability yet, but this was still more than enough to let the veteran politician estimate how deep the depth of his power was.
And the NDF isnt ordinary, either. (Park Yong-Hui)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was one thing, but the NDF agents were another thing altogether; them believing in him and creating a watertight protective cordon like that even when so many monsters were rushing at them were just as an incredible sight to behold, as well.
The agents from the Peoples Ability User Brigade showed signs of breaking down the moment they witnessed that many monsters, yet.... This wasnt even their own home but someone elses country, so it was an amazing feat indeed for them to not get shaken up after witnessing such a spectacle unfold before their eyes.
What a rtionship built on absolute trust. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui heard that there seemed to be some sort of rift happening between Yi Ji-Hyuk and the NDF, but that report should be binned now. Didnt he warn his underlings topile a report not based on the outward arguments taking ce but one on their actual, underlying foundation of trust?
Their rtionship was so tight that there was no room to dig in even a little bit.
It was then, a quiet voice entered his ears.
What are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng? (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui was taken aback by that unexpected voice.
I said, what are you doing, not attacking them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah...? (Park Yong-Hui)
The veteran politicians face reddened slightly.
What the hell? I thought you were going to do something grand after you assumed a hero pose and started summoning your powers!
Wouldnt everyone think that way??!! (Park Yong-Huis inner monologue)
Y-you want us to attack?? (Park Yong-Hui)
Whats this? Why is this ahjussi suddenly acting all stumped and stuff? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt reply.
How was he supposed to answer such a question, anyway?? Even if one had a mouth, one would still fail to say anything.
I dont know either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Deaf for three days, mute for three days, and blind for three. (TL note at the end)
Choi Jeong-Hoon squeezed his eyes shut, thinking that he was simply experiencing a newly-married wifes life under her inws roof.
Just fire away, will ya? Ive stopped monsters for you, havent I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.... (Park Yong-Hui)
Now that Park Yong-Hui thought about it, wasnt stopping the wave of monsters dead in their tracks an unbelievable achievement in itself?
F-fire! What are you doing! I said, fire away! Comrademander!! (Park Yong-Hui)
He hurriedly yelled into the radio, which in turn prompted Kim Ryong-Seong in the distance to start yelling himself. Not too long after that, the briefly-halted bombardmentmenced again.
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue while watching that scene.
And they want to wage a war with us? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They had been harping on and on about strong and prosperous nation, but this...
He had fought off against the armies of various nations before, but this would be his first time seeing such a pathetic sight.
For instance, the American army didnt stop their attacks even when faced with a despair-inducing situation. So, he couldnt help but not enjoy this utterly shambolic gathering of an untrained mob.
Will this even have any effect? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon worriedly asked, but Yi Ji-Hyuks reply was exceedingly simple.
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, why do something so useless....? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
Its like were interfering in someone elses war, you know? So, what fun is there if I solve everything for them? Also, I kinda wanted to see these folks sweating buckets for a bit longer, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...And then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Besides, they are busy wasting their ammo, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Ah. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since these peopleck the ability to manufacture their own ammo, once they are done here, they would probably have to import some more. Sanctioning themter is the job for the higher-ups, and Im simply doing what I can for now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons impressed eyes were now looking Yi Ji-Hyuk in renewed light.
This guy, he mighte across as thoughtless sometimes, but he had this tendency ofing up with a really sharp idea or two asionally.
Just how did he stumble into the idea of burning through the enemys ammo cache under such an urgent situation?
But, what if the damage to this side increases in the meantime? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats none of my business. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, he had a point there. Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt responsible for every single one of North Koreas internal strife, now was he?
Aigo~, this is tougher than I thought. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk adjusted the demonic energy pouring out of his body and stared at the monster swarm.
Its also a bit of waste to sweep all of them away, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not too long ago, trying to face all those monsters wouldve been a tough ask even for himself. But the story was different now.
First of all, he had absorbed Mana from a demon king, allowing him to regain a portion of his powers from during his peak, so these monsters no longer presented a challenge to him anymore.
And then....
Darling, they look really cute, dont they? (Erukana)
....And then, the Subus Queen was right next to him as well.
The race most suited for ruling over the monsters was definitely Subus. There was no race specialising in taming monsters in the demon world, but Subi were a race of creatures that went around seducing their victims, so they naturally possessed strong influencing power against creatures weaker than them.
And Erukana just so happened to be the Subus Queen as well as the 13th demon king, so there was no need for a lengthy exnation here.
They might serve me well as my army.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back during the initial period of his return, he began weighing the pros and cons of rebuilding his army while absorbing the monsters that appeared before him. However, the grade of the monsters crossing over was just too low and they couldnt exert much of an impact againstrge monsters or demon-king-level threats. He decided not to waste his Mana on them in the end.
But now, with these monsters before his eyes.... He felt these creatures didnt lose out too much in terms of quality against his old monster army. Although, there was a considerable difference in numbers, but still.
Feels like a few disgusting ones are mixed in among them, but I can just filter them out, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You want to bring them into the fold? (Erukana)
Im thinking about it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, arent there a few that wont let you? (Erukana)
Ill just kill them, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As expected of my darling! Youre so hot-blooded! Kyah-hahaha~! (Erukana)
Erukana pounced on him and rubbed her cheek against his.
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt try to push away Erukana clinging onto him. Because he knew that she wasnt trying to disy her affection right now.
She was a being of the demon world. If demonic energy was the symbol of power to him, then it was the energy necessary for her to keep breathing. Just like how humans had to consume oxygen in order to survive, Erukana needed to consume demonic energy in order to live.
Even if she came here with enough demonic energy reserve, it was decreasing in the same manner as the air emptying out from an oxygen tank while stuck underwater, so there was no way Erukana wouldnt feel the psychological pressure right about now.
And here he was, busy pouring out highly condensed demonic energy like this, so of course shed be very attracted to him.
There, there. Breathe in. Breathe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk intensified the demonic energy swirling around him by another notch.
Unless she added the demonic energy left behind in the Core existing in the demon world, Erukanas current reserve couldnt evene anywhere close to what Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed currently.
Hah-ah.... Its so warm and sticky, darling. (Erukana)
Stop saying weird things!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im saying that your demonic energy is sticky, thats all. (Erukana)
Erukana smiled seductively and poked her tongue out.
Her tongue seemed a tad more crimson as she licked her lips. It seemed that the Subus Queens true nature had exploded forth after tasting demonic energy.
There are less than half that can be won over to your side. But can you tell them apart? (Erukana)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
If I start blowing them away, those who dont want to die will side with me soon enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Darling, did you know that your simple brain is one of your charms? (Erukana)
Thats an insult, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope, its apliment. (Erukana)
What did it matter whether it was an insult or apliment, anyway?
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched the barrage of shells, the corners of his lips curling up. It seemed that he had exhausted the Norths stock somewhat, so he should get started, shouldnt he?
First of all....
Open. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk swung his right arm and opened up a Gate in mid-air.
Come out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youd need amander that listened well to you when wanting to order around monsters of that level. In that case, he already had a suitable creature waiting on the wings.
Yi Ji-Hyuk then summoned his right-hand-like creature out from the Gate.
Oh-Sik-ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, what popped out from the Gate wasnt his trusty Oh-Sik.
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes nearly popped out from his head after discovering this unexpected being.
Hul?? Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 316. Ahjussi, why are youing from there? -1 > Fin.
(TL: Three days is a misquote of a popr Korean saying stay blind, deaf, and mute for three years if youre a newly-married wife. Long story short, a wife should behave in front of the inws if one wants a pain-free marriage life or something to that effect.)
Chapter 317: Ahjussi, why are you coming out from there? (2)
Chapter 317: Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? (2)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the Gate in utter shock.
Ah....! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He forgot.
Indeed, he hadpletely forgotten about it.
Now that he thought about it, he did shove a man inside the Gate beforeing over to North Korea, didnt he? As for the coordinates, he haphazardly left it on auto direct and it seemed that this Gate ended up overwriting the one for Oh-Sik.
Yi Ji-Hyuk embarrassedly scratched his head.
How could he have forgotten about leaving a poor man inside a Gate...?
My guilty conscience is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if his nerves were made out of Grade-A steel wires, he still couldnt help but feel just a bit of guilt on this blunder.
W-who?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Unlike him, though, Choi Jeong-Hoon was tilting his head in confusion.
An unfamiliar man suddenly crawled out of a Gate, then began huddling on the ground all by himself next, so itd be strange for him not to get confused here.
You know.... I shoved a dude in there beforeing here, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before...ing here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Back when we were surrounded by reporters. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....P-party leader-nim?!?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon freaked out and hurriedly ran towards the Gate. However, what could potentially be the reason for his departing back looking so flustered like that?
I guess that dude also forgotpletely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Regardless of whether Yi Ji-Hyuk was clicking his tongue or not, nothing mattered to Choi Jeong-Hoon right now.
How could he make such a blunder?!
He hadpletely, utterly forgotten that the leader of his nations ruling party had been cast away in another world. This had to be one of the worst mistakes hed ever made.
Even if he was too preupied by matters of crossing over to North Korea on a short notice and before that, going on a battle of wits in the Blue House, none of these were an adequate enough excuse.
By the way, howe no one contacted us? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Never mind the Blue House, what about the reporters themselves....?
They shouldve given him a call at least once to inquire about the well-being of the party leader Song Jeong-Su.
Even the ruling party itself didnt call him. Their leader had gone missing, yet they didnt even bother to search for him?
Or, they know where he is but since its rted to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, they cant do anything about it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that he thought about it some more, if he was in their shoes, he also wouldnt be able to call Yi Ji-Hyuk and ask about the current whereabouts of the party leader. After all, this guy was the kind of man whod only escte things the more you egged him on, so it was probably the wisest not to get tangled up with him and let nature take its course.
Besides, from the perspectives of other people, they probably thought nothing too bad will happen during thest two days.
But then, how can those two days.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Transform a person to this extent?!
Choi Jeong-Hoon flinched when Song Jeong-Su slowly raised his head.
P-party leader-nim, are you alright? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Heh, hehehehehe. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su cackled as if he had lost his marbles.
Choi Jeong-Hoon was ovee with both sympathy and fluster while observing this scene. How panicked and scared would you be when finding yourself in another world without warning? The hardship one had to go through wouldve been unimaginable.
Even Choi Jeong-Hoon, a regr, powerless person, nearly went crazy trying to survive after spending six months of torture thinly disguised as training in another world, didnt he?
But this man, all alone....
Hang on a minute, party leader-nim?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon discovered something very odd here and tilted his head.
Wasnt the party leader in his sixties?
In that case, what was up with that strange body shape below his neck?
Rather than strange, it.... kinda looked grotesque?
Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to say something, but became speechless by Song Jeong-Sus body.
The expensive suit the politician wore before was nowhere to be found now, reced by an unknown animals hide tightly wrapped around his body.
But then.... the pair of arms jutting out from that brown-coloured hide covering his upper torso were just about the perfect role model in demonstrating what a mans muscles should look like. Those muscles were bulging in all the right ces, yet they didnt look overweight or fat at all; as for the torso itself, it was lean and smooth like a jaguars. The same story applied to the legs stretching tautly below, too.
This, wasnt this beyond the level of overflowing health and straight into the explosion of manliness?
Just what happened during thest two days to remould a persons physique to this extent? Choi Jeong-Hoon simply couldnt understand it.
....Party leader-nim? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hehehehe. (Song Jeong-Su)
Feeling genuinely concerned now, Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his head in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Are you sure you sent him to a safe-enough location? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Cant you see that hes still alive? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that moment, Choi Jeong-Hoon realised what his first mistake was.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk was shoving Song Jeong-Su into the Gate, he shouldve confirmed whether that ce would prove to be problematic to ones attempt at survival or not. His mistake here, then, was not realising the crucial fact that the standards of safe-enough was different between him and Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Thetter resolutely thought that a ce was safe if you could manage to hang on to your life, so the former definitely shouldve inquired in detail if he wanted to ask about stuff like that.
Hed probably try to take my head off if such a standard is also applied to his family....
Even if you were supposed to think about your family differently from strangers, wasnt this just way too much?
Besides, his physical change is quite severe for the time span of only two days, so what exactly was the time difference, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Weeeell, as far as thats concerned.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk calcted something in his head then began smiling awkwardly next.
....Yup, he did it again. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was a rare experience to see Yi Ji-Hyuk make that sort of an embarrassed expression. They had been hanging around for a while now yet him making such a face could be counted on one hand.
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt want to hear Yi Ji-Hyuks answer anymore. Unfortunately, theres nothing he could do about his functioning ears.
Hul, what should I do? I ended up sending him to a world where one day here is equal to ten years over there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-ten... years?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was two days here, so..... so....
T-t-twenty years?!?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He really imprisoned a sixty-something-year-old man in a world where one could barely hang onto their life without so much as a single knife?!
This was well beyond the level of elder abuse and straight into the human rights vition!!
J-just what on earth have you done?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, a man can make a mistake or two in his life, cant he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, a man sure can make a few mistakes in life, fine. Fine!!
But, a man should not act so unfazed like you after making such a mistake!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Keuh-heu-heu-heuk!! (Song Jeong-Su)
Suddenly, Song Jeong-Su grasped the ground below and cried out in excitement.
Im back!! Ivee back home!! (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was ovee with a vague sense of deja vu now.
This... Havent I seen this before? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He then abruptly remembered the moment when Yi Ji-Hyuk returned to Earth, and ended up saying something he shouldnt have.
Excuse me.... Would you like some C? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
I told you to fire!! Dont stop to take a breather, and keep firing!! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong roared out loud enough to tear out his own vocal cords. Since cannons were going off all around him, his voice couldnt reach anyone anyway, but even then, he didnt stop.
Monster b*stards. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
North Korea also suffered from the Gate incidents for the past five years.
In other countries, new organisations rted to ability users were set up which led to the rise of new types of influneces, but the North, infamous for its extreme istion, didnt wee the emergence of new power among its ranks.
Thanks to that, the armys topmander Kim Ryong-Seong was also now tasked with handling all matters rted to the ability users.
He had experienced enough close shaves while fighting off against monster threats for the past five years, but he definitely had to say that this event was a first even for him.
Its not working! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The artillery was pouring out their everything, yet not a single monster showed a sign of keeling over. No, it didnt even look like they were being wounded at all.
Even if modern weapons didnt work all that well on the monsters, it wasnt to this extent.
One couldnt guarantee uracy when trying to hit a high speed monster with weapons other than guns. Imagine trying to catch a cheetah or a jaguar not with a machine gun but with a single-use RPG-7.
As long as the other side didnt realise they were being targetted, this side might be able to get a direct hit somehow; but once the other side did realise it, then catching a wild animal with a great range of movements with a single-use weapon would be exceedingly difficult.
Still, themonly-epted consensus was that there should be at least some sort of an effect if you managed to hit the target, but these monsters before his eyes were currently destroying thatmon sense right now.
Since the monsters suddenly stopped moving from a while ago, this side managed to hit them with everything in their arsenal, but unfortunately, it was the North Korean army running out of steam first.
So, Kim Ryong-Seong could only shudder from this.
Will more of such monsters appear in the future? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
He heard the rough exnation on why these monsters were showing up here. If it was up to him, hed rip that son of a b*tch named Yi Ji-Hyuk into tiny little pieces, but as Kim Ryong-Seong had lived his entire life in the closed-off society called North Korea, he could only acknowledge the threat present right before his nose first.
Lets say we somehow deal with this situation. But, what are we going to do when more monsters like that show up in the future? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Indeed, even if this event had been dealt with somehow, the North simply didnt have the capacity to deal with more of such strong monsters appearing in the future, objectively speaking.
This will be a tough problem. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Its true that this Yi Ji-Hyuk was a b*stard worthy of thousand deaths, but without him, no one could resolve potential future threats that might gue North Koreater.
The North had been extending a begging hand towards the South whenever they found themselves in a situation serious enough to destroy their established systems, but even back then, they still had the luxury of n B just in case. This would be pretty much their first time relying so heavily andpletely on South Joseon to resolve a crisis.
Does this mean the lead will be handed over to thempletely....? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The North might be in possession of nuclear arsenal, yet they still didnt have a choice but to lower their heads and beg in front of the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk. The rtionship moving on should be more and more one-sided as more threatening monsters continue to emerge.
We need a n. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
However, there were several problems.
Firstly, the higher-ups hadnt yet realised the seriousness of the situation they were currently in, and secondly....
Insane son of a b*tch. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Sir?
Its nothing. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The adjutant listening next to him tilted his head.
Who would have guessed that the number one warrior in South Joseon was such an insane b*stard? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Just thinking about how such a man would start frequenting the North in the future made Kim Ryong-Seongs stomach churn real bad.
No, hang on. Dont get ahead of myself. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
He quickly shook his head.
The situation before his eyes hadnt been resolved yet. So, he shouldnt be worried about what happens next. This crisis had to be solved first somehow....
....What the freak is that?! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Abruptly, Kim Ryong-Seongs brows shot up high.
He realised that Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to do something crazy again and shouted out in sheer dumbfounded astonishment.
What is that b*stard trying to do now?! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
*
So noisy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug out his ears.
The cannons were so loud that he thought his ears were going numb. Sure, battlefields with magic attacks flying every which way also were filled with this level of noise pollution, but there was this certain sharpness in the modern weapons sounds that the magic simplycked.
Party leader-nim! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not only that, Choi Jeong-Hoon was busy crying out loudly right in front of him too, so at least right now, he found it hard to keep his wits about him.
Excuse me, theres a big battle going on here, so how about checking up on himter.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was right then, Choi Jeong-Hoon shot a re at Yi Ji-Hyuk with mes burning in his eyes.
How can you say that after causing a man to fall into such a state?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What about his state? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cant you see it for your.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pointed at Song Jeong-Su, but then shut his mouth up.
His state is....
Uh, well, what should I say his state is?
D*mn, this shouldnt be happening. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
He felt like his justification for criticism was swiftly withering away when he saw the party leaders body that looked several times, nay, several dozen times better than before he was sent to the other world.
I mean, I might be able to say something if the improvement wasnt so dramatic.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He realised that he just couldnt get his scolding off the ground when using an example of a man who returned from another world with a body that fitness centres in Gangnam would go absolutely bonkers for.
It was then, Song Jeong-Su slowly raised his head and murmured quietly.
Ive finally returned. (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, thats simr to what Yi Ji-Hyuk have said, but it feels a lot different, isnt it?
Seriously now. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
< 317. Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 318: Ahjussi, why are you coming out from there? (3)
Chapter 318: Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? (3)
I have finally returned home from that hellishnd. (Song Jeong-Su)
So heroic.
His tone of voice alone made it sound like he was a noble warrior returning from Hell itself.
No, hang on a minute, it really does feel that way, doesnt it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The old image of a sly-fox politician was washed away clean and now, Song Jeong-Su resembled a veteran warrior of hundreds of battles.
Choi Jeong-Hoon awkwardly approached Song Jeong-Sus figure so heroic that it might even get a starring role in a movie as its protagonist.
....You mustve suffered a lot. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Song Jeong-Su looked up at Choi Jeong-Hoon with remorse-filled eyes, before tilting his head a little.
Who are you? (Song Jeong-Su)
Its Choi Jeong-Hoon. We met just before you.... crossed over. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, I think I can remember you, just about. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon swallowed back his tears.
Experiencing twenty years in only two days, just how much suffering did this man experience?
But, your face doesnt seem to have aged at all. (Song Jeong-Su)
It should be so. Its only been two days this side, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
T-two days?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus expression crumpled.
I spent over a dozen years in that ce, yet its only been two days here?! I believed all this time that I had been forgotten since no one looked for me. But now youre telling me that its only been two measly days?!?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Uhm, excuse me....
Youre right about no one looking for you. Although, its only been two days, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
So, I wasnt abandoned, was it.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Moisture rapidly welled up in Song Jeong-Sus aged eyes.
No, hang on. This isnt it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly and vigorously shook his head.
He definitely didnt want to see a drama containing emotions of an old man. Heck, this picture used to be a war/military genre piece only until a few moments ago, and now it felt like the genre had switched in an instant.
What are we doing here when things are this urgent? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
There was a literal swarm of monsters before his eyes, so what on earth was up with this ckedy? Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt tell whether he shouldugh or cry here.
The current situation was tear-inducing, sure, but he couldnt do anything about hisughter threatening to break out the longer he watched on. He was fully aware that, as a fellow human being possessing empathy, he shouldnt beughing in this situation. What a relief it was that he managed to control himself.
That ce was hell.
P-please, dont start reminiscing now!
One should reminisce only after checking out the situation first!
Now was not the best time to change the scene. Choi Jeong-Hoon began worrying that, left as is, this whole event might turn into a reminiscence of the past.
Well listen to your tale a littleter. An intense battle is unfolding right now, so why dont we evacuate to a safer ce? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was that?! Ive only just begun, young man!! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su roared out in anger, but Choi Jeong-Hoon resolutely ignored that and pulled at the formers arm. However, the old man mustve transformed into the elusive Mt. Tai or something, because he didnt budge an inch.
What kind of an old man has such ridiculous strength.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As if to emphasize that the muscles on disy werent just for show, Song Jeong-Sus body exhibited the physical strength that Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt evene anywhere remotely close. The thing was, it didnt matter whether you were an athlete or a bodybuilder, a healthy adult male tugging at you would still cause your body to move at least a little bit. However, this old man didnt even show a hint of doing that.
Wowsers, would you look at this grandpas body? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk was impressed by this transformation.
Indeed, you couldnt help but wonder just what the heck happened on the other side with things like this.
Fufufu.... That ce was Hell. Initially, I truly believed that someone wille and take me back home soon enough. However, no one, absolutely no one, came to find me. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus voice was filled with unmistakable despair and remorse.
Only then did I realise the truth. No one will protect me. In that case, I need to protect myself. And so, I began training seriously, and eventually.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes yes, I get it, but lets hear the restter! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I said, this is only at the beginning! Youre a young man, so you should at least pretend to hear what an older man is trying to say to you! Young people nowadays.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Ah, so this is the side effect, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The twenty-or-so years spent in the other world had changed Song Jeong-Su from a clean-cut, meticulous politician to a stubborn old man.
I guess his political career is now as good as over.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Intertwining his past smarts with his improved physique could really help him out in reinforcing his public image, but well, itd be near-impossible to recover ones political sense after spending around 20 years away from the scene.
T-this isnt it! (Song Jeong-Su)
Suddenly, fires of madness burned fiercely within Song Jeong-Sus eyes.
Yi Ji-Hyuk!!! Where is Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Song Jeong-Su)
Murderous aura exploded from his eyes as he roared out.
Aigoooo, representative-nim!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Several of your bones might break at this rate. I understand where youreing from, but do you have any idea how many people ended up even worse than you at Yi Ji-Hyuks hands?
Sure, I guess you have been through an extremely rough ordeal, but even then, itll be wiser not to demand answers from Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Oh, hey. Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stahp itttt! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If only he stayed hidden in a corner somewhere, this situation wouldve been resolved by Choi Jeong-Hoon soon enough, so why did he have toe out and actually answer??
Yi Ji-Hyuuuuuk!! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su roared out that name with a voice of pure resentment, then madly dashed towards him.
Oho? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched that scene and suddenly pped his hand.
Hang on for a second! Hold up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su came to a stop after hearing that.
What is it?! If its yourst will, then I shall at least listen to it. (Song Jeong-Su)
....A will might be something you should be thinking about, but.... Anyways, never mind that for now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned Song Jeong-Su from top to bottom, and with a genuinely stunned expression, raised his voice.
Youve been revitalised, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Ahjussi, your physique is way better than what you had before? And also, your body age seemed to have gotten younger, too.... Just where did I send you off to, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Su flinched slightly after hearing what Yi Ji-Hyuk had to say.
Body age?
I guess your lifespan has increased, too? Wowsers, with this, cant I like, start a new line of business? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....M-my lifespan has increased?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk withpletely dumbfounded eyes.
Really?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Were you lied to all your life or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Su began hesitating greatly with an expression of not knowing what to do next.
You, you think my resentment towards you will disappear with only that?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, that. Im really sorry about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled awkwardly.
Ever since he returned to the modern world, he believed that he had never wronged another human being, but at least this time, he admitted tomitting a pretty sizeable blunder.
I-in any case, the end result was good, wasnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneakily averted his gaze.
When looking at the results only, then it was a good one for Yi Ji-Hyuk, too.
If he simply remained in this world, his life would just end as a civilian with especially terrible personality, but after his sojourn to Berafe, he was now the worlds greatest ability user.
Sure, everything would look excellent when only considering the end results. Just the results alone!! (Authors inner monologue)
Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk apologised when no one told him to and bowed his head.
Dont apologise!! Its actually better for you to stay as the bad guy, you b*stard!! (Song Jeong-Su)
No, hang on. Im really sorry about.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, dont apologise!! (Song Jeong-Su)
....Please calm down for a second. Watching your muscles ripple like that is making me queasy inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wasnt exaggerating things. He really did feel a bit weirded out right now.
It was already plenty weird for an old man in his 60s, nay, in his 80s, to possess muscles that easily pped a pro bodybuilders cheeks around, but now, those muscles were rippling and wiggling as if they had minds of their own.
Seeing them like that really did make him feel queasy.
Besides all that. Why dont we talk about thister? I mean, now isnt really the situation to fool around like this..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-heum. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su shifted his head and looked at the distant monsters before nodding his head.
Even if he spent many years as a caveman in another world, he was still Song Jeong-Su. He used to be referred to as a 9th dan politician and was the leader of the ruling party.
His mindset was that a private affair couldnt trump the matters of national importance, so with a heart akin to swallowing a hot stone, he squatted down in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
...Why dont you go and sit over there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With that scrawny, weak-a*s body of yours, youll die the moment monsters sneak-attack you! I wont allow you to die until I have my vengeance!!! (Song Jeong-Su)
As if to protect Yi Ji-Hyuk, Song Jeong-Su settled down with a straight back.
You know, it kinda worked out nicely somehow? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was trying to summon amander but it felt like he ended up summoning a guard instead, but whatever the case might be, he did summon something, alright.
....Pulled out the wrong card from my deck, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you talking about? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When Choi Jeong-Hoon asked back in confusion, Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head as his reply.
Well, its nothing important. Not enough to sweat over it, in any case. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For now, he should focus on resolving this situation.
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hand.
No mistake this time and summon properly!
Oh-Sik-ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He opened the Gate; its innards seemed to swirl and then, Oh-Sik sporting a small puppys physique popped out from there, his short legs spread open.
Kkyu??
Whats up with a cutesy kkyu, you dumba*s! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stabbed his tentacle into Oh-Sik and injected the magical energy.
Ku-aaaaaah!!
Oh-Sik ballooned up in an instant and returned to the proud figure of an Ogre. Well, it was a bit uncertain to call him an Ogre now, however. It seemed that a new species called Oh-Sik needed to be ssified now.
Keu-ruk.
Oh-Siks re shifted over to the monsters yet to escape from Yi Ji-Hyuks pressure.
Ku-rururu....
Perhaps recalling the time it spent back in Yi Ji-Hyuks monster army, Oh-Sik suddenly began disying its vicious side.
Kah-aaaaaaah!!
Argh, so dang noisy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, that vicious nature was reined in almost immediately.
They should be running out soon enough.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled down and began petting the viciously-growling head of Oh-Sik while observing the North Korean army.
Currently, they were continuously firing away as if to melt down their own cannons, perhaps not wanting to miss out on this great opportunity he had created by pressuring the monsters.
There shouldnt be much difference in ammo, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ammo types used by the North shouldnt be that different from other armies in the world, other than the difference in the ability to fire higher number in the shorter time frame at targets further away.
With that in mind, the fact that North Korean armys firepower not having much of an effect right now should serve as a proof that the levels of monsters had reached the point where modern firearm no longer worked on them.
Or, in other words....
There is no meaning in military support anymore, is there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A first-world country might try to support you through bombing raids or long distance missiles. The thing was, though, if one only looked at the size of an army, then North Korea would rank among the top in the world.
If the North was unable to provide any meaningful support, then the story should be the same with other nations.
So, then. It has begun. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Soon, this world would start revolving purely around the ability users. Yi Ji-Hyuk could already tell.
The cause of splitting the hierarchy betweenmoners and notmoners back in Berafe was also the monsters. When a monster on the level of an Ogre showed up, you should just forget about subjugating it without the presence of a sorcerer or a knight. Kinda like how a hundred rabbits couldnt deal with a lion.
So, powerless civilians would have to lower their heads and go under the wings of those who could potentially protect them from external shocks. As such things continued on, the idea of knights and sorcerers being nobles would bemonly epted.
What about Earth, though?
Ability users here would no doubt misuse their abilities far more rampantlypared to Berafe. Well, the level of education, as well as the speed of informationwork were different, so...
So, the most dangerous aspect of all that was....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Im thinking of a lot of useless stuff today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He just couldnt figure out why he felt so worried like this. When in doubt, the best remedy was to blow everything away cleanly with one shot.
Erukana! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im here waiting, darling. (Erukana)
Im gonna nicely flip the table once, so get ready with your charm technique, alright? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im still waiting, darling. (Erukana)
Erukana smiled deeply and flew towards him. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and clung onto him.
I can recall so many wonderful memories like this, you know? You looked so cool back then when you were rampaging around the demon world, darling. (Erukana)
I dont care about looking cool, and just wanna live infort, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gathered Mana on both of his hands.
Go-oooooooh!
Highly-concentrated Mana oozed out and began forming lumps in his hands next. Erukana enjoyed this goosebumps-inducing sensation and watched on.
This is it. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks powers that earned him the title of a demon king as a mere human.
The true form of the power that made other demon kings involuntarily worship it even though they were supposed to be the same, was descending to this ce.
< 318. Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 319: Ahjussi, why are you coming out from there? (4)
Chapter 319: Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? (4)
Go-ooooooh!
Mana gathering within both of Yi Ji-Hyuks hands began swirling around madly.
Kurururu....
Even Oh-Sik couldnt withstand this sight and began sneakily retreating away.
He was condensing more and more Mana as if to forcibly crush it. The magical energy failed to win against the pressure and madly wiggled about.
H-n-ng. (Erukana)
It was then, Erukana began humming slightly.
To her, dark Mana was basically the basis of life; she enjoyed the sight of life being crushed and twisted, and then, it writhing madly around.
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to condense Mana with quiet, still eyes.
Po-pop!
Muscles and skin on his arms, unable to fight against the resistance from Mana, blew up and crimson blood spewed out like a fountain.
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No matter how much Mana he possessed, there was simply no way that his body was exactly the same as before. His body that recovered from whatever damage he suffered in an instant was gone, reced by a slightly tougher humans physique.
However, he didnt regret it. Well, he got lots of things back in return. He didnt mind this sort of handicap.
Still, pain is pain, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped the blood leaking out from his mouth with the sleeve.
After repeatedly getting mortally wounded only to be healed again, he got to learn a rather useless knowledge that when a body was subjected to severe pressure affecting its entirety, the first things to go pop would be the internal organs.
If only there wasnt so much bleeding, hed be able to endure his organs rupturing, but man, this sensation of lumps of blood welling up in his throat? He could never get used to it.
Ptooey! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat on the floor and stared at the battle front.
*
Uwaaaaah! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol poured out a barrage of electric attacks as if he wanted to wring out every dollop of Ether existing inside his body.
Diiiiiie!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Pure-white arcs of electricity buzzed violently from both of his hands.
BUZZZZZ!!!
Electrical energy powerful enough to turn a human into smoking charcoal just by touch alone fired out dozens of times.
....What is the meaning of this?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Even then, monsters emerged rtively unscathed.
Im this powerless against them? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol, always confident of his own ability up until now, began shuddering at the mightiness of the monsters before his eyes. None of his abilities worked on these creatures.
Only by him focusing all of his might into one creature could he barely manage to wound it. Yet, with the situation was like this, how was he supposed to fight against thousands of simr monsters?
Despair.
Only despair remained to rule his entire body.
His teeth began ttering all by themselves.
He didnt want to admit it, but if it werent for Yi Ji-Hyuk stopping these monsters march, Rhee Jin-Cheol and his friends would be stuck inside these creatures tummies busy being digested right about now.
Pyongyang wouldve fallen in no time at all, and the nation called North Korea wouldve been wiped off the map.
Uwaaaaaah-!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
His confidence and pride were shattering into tiny shards.
By the time he was born, the Democratic Peoples Republic was already falling well behind other nations. But, that was okay C he epted that his starting point was different from those in other countries.
However, when it came to supernatural abilities, it was a different story.
The ability user awakening only began five years ago. Rhee Jin-Cheol was one of the first to awaken his, and he was confident that when standing in the same starting line as everyone else, hed leap forward further than anyone out there.
But now, he had no choice but to ept that he was wrong.
Monster b*stard!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Who was he referring to here?
Uwaaaah!! You monstrous b*stard!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Comrade captain!! Please calm down!
Shut up!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol began shouting out loudly enough to tear out his vocal cords, half of his mouth filled with foams.
Kill them!! Kill them all! Kill these monster b*stards dead!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
As more and more veins in his eyes burst, the rays of Ether fired out by the Peoples Ability User Brigade grew brighter and brighter as well.
*
That guys losing his sh*t. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Seriously man, weaklings and their stubborn, hardcore pride. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The truly-strong didnt need to be overtly proud of themselves. Well, they could earn plenty of respect through their strength alone, so why should they unnecessarily be too full of themselves?
It had always been the case with those stuck in the borders being way too proud of themselves.
You shouldvepared yourself to someoneparable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If they were in a race to see who was better, then they shouldvepeted among themselves, so why did they try to drag him into it, too?
Yi Ji-Hyuk learned about, and used, magic for well over a thousand years. He familiarised with it for over a millennium, yet a fresh hatchling with only about five years worth of experience was trying topare its height to him? What an utterly nonsensical notion that was.
Of course, Rhee Jin-Cheol didnt know for how long Yi Ji-Hyuk had been polishing his ability, so there was that, but still.
H-mm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should he show them something interesting, then?
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised the gathered Mana in both hands up to his chest level.
It was so cumbersome to alter its nature and it didnt even suit him all that well, but simply blowing everything away wasnt the correct solution for this situation.
He raised both of his hands up, causing the Mana swirling around his hands to rise up high into the sky.
Go-ooooooh!!
The gathered Mana the size of a basketball flew in the air and when it reached the skies above the monsters, it came to a stop.
W-watch out!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon yelled out as loudly as he could. He realised that Yi Ji-Hyuk was going to do something crazy again. Those hearing his yell stared at the mass of Mana maintaining its shape in the air with deeply tense eyes.
What is that thing? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheols eyes trembled.
So small.
It was too small to make him shudder in fear. However, he still felt this powerful warning bells ringing loudly inside him.
Whatever that was, it was an incredibly scary thing.
Rhee Jin-Cheol squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block that mesmerising, terrifying view.
Flinch.
It was then, he felt it.
Above his head.
More correctly, he felt something incredible right above the monster swarm. It was such an enormous power that the moment he detected it, all energy in his body abandoned him and he almost plopped down on his butt right there.
It was an amalgamation of power so enormous and overwhelming that he couldnt even imagine such a thing existing in this world.
But such a thing was indeed existing before his eyes.
He, hes not human.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
That thing had to be a devil.
Unless that man was the devil, he couldnt couldnt have wielded such power.
This was not a joke.
Rhee Jin-Cheols body shivered all on its own. His legs trembled and his teeth ttered crazily.
Was he supposed to resist?
Resist that thing?
Comrade captain!! Comrade! Whats gotten into you!
Rhee Jin-Cheols adjutants thought that they were losing their minds right about now. Their captain, usually cold-as-ice and full of confidence, seemed to be going insane and spacing out several times today for some reason.
It was as if his soul had been sucked out or some such.
Run.... away. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Sir? Did you say something?
Run!! I told you to run away! Retreat from this ce right now!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Understood!
Although still puzzled, they heeded his order and retreated from the scene. They didnt know why they had to run, but still, the order was given so they would follow. That was their way.
That f*cking son of a b*tch. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol gritted his teeth.
Just what are you trying to do here! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard Rhee Jin-Cheols roar and cackled insidiously.
Why was he going OTT like that?
If you get shocked so soon, youre going to have a heart attackter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes seemed to shine brightly.
Well, then. Time to show it to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To show what real thunderbolts looked like.
His raised hands clenched and grasped the air itself.
Explode!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that moment, the ck Mana wiggling in the sky suddenly began expanding. At first, it seemed to be ballooning up slowly, but then, less than a blinkter, its size grew and soon transformed into a storm cloud so enormous that it almost covered up the entire sky.
Seriously..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon clenched his teeth while witnessing this spectacle.
This wasnt his first time seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk start yet another incident, but what a serious matter it was, him failing to get used to seeing them.
You can only get used to something if its on a manageable scale. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The whole world seemed to be dyeing in darkness.
The Mana cloud nketed the entire sky and didnt permit even a speck of light to pass through. And the denser, cker darkness spread out from its centre next.
Just as people started growing worried that the world would be stained by this darkness, the cloud stopped expanding. And it was right about here that Yi Ji-Hyuks loud cackles could be heard behind their backs.
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Have you evermitted a sin before in your life? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
What was this about?
Asking aboutmitting a sin and all that out of the blue?
Im notpletely guilt-free, if thats what you mean. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That should be true for all living human beings, too.
In that case, you should be careful. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Because, you might get struck by lightning, you see. Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled all alone like a nutcase before shouting out loudly.
Come down now! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And that caused the world to be filled up with light.
FLASH
At first, it was just one single thunderp.
KWA-BOOOOM!!
The sound exploded a bit after that sh of light. Lightning crashed down to the ground from the Mana cloud.
...............
Rhee Jin-Cheol watched that spectacle as his jaw slowly dropped.
Lightning.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was dropping thunderbolts from the heavens, as if to mock the others that also used electrical attacks.
That single attacks destructive power was something Rhee Jin-Cheol could never get anywhere remotely close to. No human or monster would survive after getting struck by that.
....A lightning, is it?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
How could anyone believe the idea of a human being creating clouds in the sky and start dropping lightning bolts from there?
No, it was unbelievable. No one would believe it.
But, that unbelievable thing was happening right before his eyes. He just couldnt not believe it.
Ha.... haha. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
But that was merely the beginning.
RUMBLE!!
Along with loud thunderps, pure-white lightning bolts rained down from the heavens.
One bolt, then the second, and then....
And then, the rain of lightning brightened the entire world as they crashed into the ground below.
Ka-boom!! Boom!! Bang!!
R-run away!!
The adjutant grabbed Rhee Jin-Cheol and pulled him back. Even as he got dragged back without resistance, he just couldnt tear his eyes away from the lightning bolts.
It felt as if the end of the world was happening right there.
The skies were covered by the ck clouds and not a ray of light could be seen, yet lightning so searingly pure-white ceaselessly smashed down from those dark clouds. As if the god of lightning was handing down its divine punishment on the humans below.
The rain of lightning with the power to end the world continued to strike over and over again.
Ki... kikikikikik. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol cackled like a man who lost his mind.
What should a man do to acquire such a level of power?
Should he sign a contract with the devil?
Even then, it didnt feel like any devil could provide you with power to equal the absolute, overwhelming might Yi Ji-Hyuk was disying right now.
This was, quite literally, a miracle.
That person was right. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol muttered out powerlessly.
The most dangerous thing werent the monsters. No, the most dangerous thing in this whole world was that human.
Yi Ji-Hyuk.
That man was apparently more than enough to bring about the end of the world all by himself, and that assertion wasnt wrong at all.
But, what are we supposed to do about it? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Fight against him?
Him??
Kikikikikik. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol exploded in a peal of insaneughter.
Breaking down a mountain with bare fists should be an easier, faster job; how was a measly human being supposed to fight that?
Itll be impossible by myself. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Indeed, fighting alone was asking for impossibility. In that case, what about ability users uniting against him? Would that work?
Even that was uncertain.
But, one thing was for certain C without that alliance, this world would never be able to defeat this man.
Something inside Rhee Jin-Cheol snapped.
And right at that moment.
The storm cloud covering up the sky suddenly got sucked right back in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
The darkness slowly rescinded, and light filled up the world once more.
Ah..... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
And then, Rhee Jin-Cheol saw it C the devastated spectacle unfolding in the ce where the rain of lightning crashed down.
He saw the horribly mangled monsters now resembling bloodied sacks of meat wiggling about among the choking smoke and rancid odour of overcooked flesh.
< 319. Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 320: Ahjussi, why are you coming out from there? (5)
Chapter 320: Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? (5)
Rhee Jin-Cheol becamepletely speechless.
The spectacleid out before his eyes was simply impossible to be described as man-made.
....Isnt this just way too much? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
A helpless chuckle leaked out from his mouth.
Sure, he saw the advent of lightning rain straight out of hell with his own two eyes. Meaning, he had predicted an end result pretty simr to this. However, there was a noticeable difference between making a prediction and witnessing it first-hand.
How can a human.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
How could anyone wearing a humans skin do something like this?
This was crazy enough to remind him of those miracles performed by the noble Comrade Supreme Leader, currently passed down as a bit of a joke among the North Koreans.
If he wanted to, he could be an actual king. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk went to a country with an adequately-low level of education, and show off some of his miracles like this, then those people might worship him as a real god or something.
Even here in the Democratic Peoples Republic itself C how many wouldnt be moved beyond tears if they were shown the current Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Heck, even Rhee Jin-Cheol himself was feeling his chest flutter from this disy of absolute and overwhelming might. Maybe not worship him as a god, but still, respect and follow after him, probably.
Why does such a person have to be a South Joseon man?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
An enemy nation that wasnt really an enemy.
Rhee Jin-Cheol was greatly pained by the fact that such a nation was blessed by the presence of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
W-what, what the hell, just happened.... here??! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seongs confused voice helped Rhee Jin-Cheol regain his wits.
Ah.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
This affair wasnt over yet.
Didnt that guy say that hed adequately fry these monsters, so the job of finishing them off would be left to the North?
And sure enough....
The monsters that looked all dead and buried began writhing, and slowly raised their bodies back up.
They are still alive?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol couldnt figure out whether these monsters were incredible for surviving such a barrage of lightning, or that Yi Ji-Hyuk was incredible for ensuring that the monsters wouldnt get killed off by his barrage.
W-what are you all doing?! Hurry and fire away!!! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seongs flustered and urgent voice brought out a deep frown on Rhee Jin-Cheols face.
Didnt I tell you to fire?! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Comrademander. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Fire.... (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Comrademander!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Kim Ryong-Seong was jolted wide awake by the loud yell and quickly looked at Rhee Jin-Cheol. Thetter mustve bit his lower lip really hard as blood was leaking from there. He spoke in a quiet voice.
You must calm down,rade. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
....Ah. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
This is no time to lose your mind. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
R-right. Thats right. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
In any case, cannons dont work on them. This is a job we need to take care of starting from now, so rather than uselessly wasting your energy, please back away. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Will it be fine? Isnt the defensive line far too wide? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Our people getting tangled up with those monster b*stards will present an even bigger headache, wouldnt you say? If we want to save even just one more personnel, you must tell them to retreat, now. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
B-but.... (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Rhee Jin-Cheol scowled deeply. He quickly realised what Kim Ryong-Seong was worried about, and came up with a solution on the spot.
Dont retreat all the way but form a new defensive line somewhere behind us to create a smaller area to defend. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Ah, that might work! (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Rhee Jin-Cheol inwardly clicked his tongue.
You couldnt retreat in North Korea. As a matter of fact, the North even shunned the very idea of tactical retreat.
The Party never explicitly forbade retreat, sure, but the current political climate of the North, where anyone could be dragged down by their opponents even with smallest mistakes imaginable, caused the higher-ups to be far too hesitant in their decision making.
On top of this, Kim Ryong-Seong wasnt a creature of impossibility like Rhee Jin-Cheol. No wonder the former was worried about saving his own skin first.
I get it, but.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol shook his head.
Now wasnt the time to feel dissatisfied with the way the Party was run.
If only we hadnt seen that man....! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He knew very well that his Democratic Peoples Republic was in a far worse situation than the South. Even the regr citizens knew this fact.
Not only that, their military strength also lost out, too. Wasnt the reason for pursuing nuclear capability rted to the countrys inability to wage a sustained warfare?
Despite all of this, he believed that they wouldnt lose out in the ability userbat force.
Now that the aspect of warfare for the whole world was shifting towards ability user battles, he truly believed that all that weakness would be overturned in one single breath.
If only it wasnt for that monster, that was.
Well, there are some things in this world that youre better off not knowing. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol shook his head to get rid of all the useless thoughts and roared out loudly.
Lets go! We gotta kill those monsters before they recover! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Yes, sir!
The Peoples Ability User Brigade rushed out towards the still-copsed monsters.
*
Wow~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched them and cackled to himself.
That guy, hes pretty quick on the uptake, isnt he? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They might have started on the wrong foot, but Yi Ji-Hyuk did appreciate the fact that the Senior Colonel was quite snappypared to the other North Koreans he met so far. Also, since they hadnt gotten into a major tangle before, he didnt feel all that much of a bad blood between them, too.
What do you mean, hes quick on the uptake? Ah, well. Maybe he is quick. Quick to run away, that is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It seemed that Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt have any good impression, however.
But then again.... The North did try to hit the South in the back when thetter group was busy dealing with the monsters, so itd be strange to see no leftover emotions between them. Wasnt one of the most infuriating things during gaming happened to be someone sneak attacking you while you were hunting down some mobs?
Humans would almost lose their collective minds when their gaming avatar died from something like that, so imagine how bad it might get if real people almost got killed; yup, itd not be strange for them to be irreconcble enemies.
I thought you werent going to do much? Havent you used up quite a lot of energy with this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Well, uh, I couldnt control my powers all that well, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Initially, he wasnt nning to cause such a huge scene, but well, he got carried away by the overflowing Mana inside of him and used a tiny bit too much power just now.
You see, I havent felt like this in a long while, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk also felt a bit embarrassed by his blunder and said some stuff hed not usually say.
Okay, so. Will it be fine to let the Norths people mop up the rest? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A strange grin suddenly floated up on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
A-again?? What are you thinking of doing next?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon discovered mischievousness hidden behind that smile and yelled out in panic.
Whenever Yi Ji-Hyuk made that face, another incident was sure to follow. Choi Jeong-Hoon knew this fact oh-so-well, so that smile came across as the devils grin to him.
No, hang on. Maybe he really was a devil?
I aint gonna do anything, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and patted the crouching Oh-Siks head.
Woof, woof!
Oh-Sik also barked in happiness, too.
Its not that I wanna do something, but Im just gonna observe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just observe? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Do they look like easy prey to you after I left them in that state? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Yi Ji-Hyuks cackling continued on.
Bunch of weaklings. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If Berafe and Earth started fighting, itd only result in mutual destruction. That was an undeniable truth. However, when it came to defending against monsters of that calibre, then Berafe was several times better equipped than Earth.
That was the difference between two ces C the former having developed suitable response system against monster invasion for the past several tens of thousands of years, while thetter had not much of an immunity against the monsters.
High-ranking Priests might not be able to block, say, a shot from an anti-material rifle, yet they were indispensable anti-monster weapons capable of blocking thousands of monsters by themselves. As for the high-ranking sorcerers, each one was capable of altering the nearby terrain.
High-ranking knights might not be able to exercise the level of destructive power of a tank, but when fighting against monsters, they could create barricades that no tanks could evene close to.
These guys, theyve been living blindly while fighting easy targets. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They all seemed to be overconfident of themselves, thinking that they had established suitable response tactics during the past 5 years. However, real monsters werent something that could be defeated so easily.
The NDF had to get tangled up with Yi Ji-Hyuk to realise how powerless they were. America had to walk the same pathter, too. And now, it was the turn of North Korea to realise that.
*
Its not working!
I hear you, so continue attacking!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Yes sir!
Crade! Monsters are standing back up!
I told you, I have eyes too! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol was this close to losing his mind.
Sure, he had eyes too, so he could see the monsters slowly getting back up to their feet.
This is way too d*mn much!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol gritted his teeth.
They were flinging Ether with everything they had at the seriously-wounded monsters, yet rather than getting hurt even more, these ursed things were actually recovering from their injuries, instead. And that simple fact was ruthlessly crushing what little pride Rhee Jin-Cheol had left.
Just what do we need to do in order to stop these things?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Could they even stop them in the first ce?
Attack!! With everything you have, now!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Bang!! Boom!!
Noises of leather drums being pounded on resounded out from all directions. They managed to kill one every once in a while, but that was about it. They were simply far too weak to fight against thousands of monsters.
You stinking sons of b*tches.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol muttered out powerlessly.
The sense of danger had dissipated by now.
The thoughts of that b*stard named Rhee Ji-Hyuk solving everything regardless of what they did took root in the corner of his heart. He just couldnt deny that.
Meaning, he didnt just lose in strength alone, but even his mind had been broken.
Hahaha..... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheolughed hollowly.
Monsters got up one by one and began growling.
Crade!! What should we do now?!
Well get killed at this rate!
And now, having seen the proud warriors of the Peoples Democratic Republic whimpering like a bunch of little girls, what little remained of his pride was shattering into even tinier pieces.
I cant even me them. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He wouldve run away already if it werent for saving his face, as well as the weight of his position, weighing him down. Well, didnt he already retreat once before?
What do you mean, what? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol turned his head and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What else can we do besides begging? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
*
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled mischievously after spotting Rhee Jin-Cheols stare.
I told you, hes quick on the uptake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He doesnt have a shred of mans dignity, thats all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, you aint wrong about that one, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon continued to carry the expression of still not liking this situation, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
Okay, so... You want me to rake them over for a bit more? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although Id not mind that at all, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could clearly see the monsters standing back up now.
...But, they might end up getting killed at this rate. If the monsters start attacking, they will all die in an instant, right? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Probably? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that wont do. It seems that its time for us to take care of this thing now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked for some reason before making his reply.
Well, sure. I guess so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes began dyeing in the stains of puzzlement.
The current situation should prove to be ideal for Yi Ji-Hyuk. Now normally, hed try to get something out of this sort of situation through negotiation and the like, but for some reason, he was willingly stepping forward here.
Hes aiming for something here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Unfortunately, Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt even have the chance to figure it out as Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly raised both of his hands up high in the air.
Well, then. Should I feed the kids? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana oozing out from his hands drew a strange symbol in the air, which then morphed into a massive ck Gate.
......Could it be?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out at the air next.
Hey, kids! Time to eat! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-you must s-stop.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even before Choi Jeong-Hoon could dissuade him, though, the Gate opened its maw wide and monsters poured out like turbid floodwater.
Uwaaaah!! Youre insane!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Madness began filling up Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
Fighting monsters with monsters is the bestest method out there. Dont you know the phrase catch enemies with enemies? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats when dealing with the foreign invaders!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Arent monsters technically foreign invaders? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk exploded in a fit ofughter while watching the monsters crashnd, bloody foam bubbling out from their maws.
Youre all very much starved, arent you! Go and devour!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-rurururuk!!
Kkah-aaaaah!
The raucous, noisy howls of the monsters began ringing around the North Koreannd. The soldiers observing the situation until then freaked out and fell on their butts after those demonic cries tore through the air.
What the hell is he trying to do now? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheols dazed mutter spoke on behalf of everyones mind just then.
< 320. Ahjussi, why are youing out from there? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 321: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (1)
Chapter 321: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (1)
Uwaaah.... (Park Yong-Hui)
The Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui stared at the sky with half-dazed face.
A jet-ck Gate suddenly appeared and opened its mouth, then began vomiting out turbid floodwater-like monsters to the ground.
W-wh-what the freak is this sh*t?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui was this close to cking out right now.
The current number of monsters on the ground alone was enough to bring the Peoples Democratic Republic down to its knees, yet even more monsters were being added on top.
Just what is going on in this ce?!?! (Park Yong-Hui)
His yell sounded oh-so pitiful at that moment.
They couldnt deal with the monsters already present, so if more were added on top, then...
But that, his eyes grew extrarge next second.
What the hell? (Park Yong-Hui)
Somethingpletely out of his expectation happened just then.
Growl.....
Kaaaaah-!
Monsters that fell on the ground cautiously stepped back in wariness from other monsters surrounding them. But thatsted only for a second.
The first batch of monsters roared out viciously and pounced on the others without hesitation.
Keu-rururuk!!
Monsters divided into two camps and began ripping into each other.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this scene and smiled insidiously.
Go and devour. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To other people, this scene might look as if monsters were busy killing each other, but his eyes were seeing apletely different picture.
Those monsters that came from the same ce as the ones he had summoned were backing away slowly, while those he didnt recognise were fighting tooth and nail right now.
Its going well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt easily nt ve seals in a type of monsters he had never seen before. He needed at least a minimum degree of understanding here.
So, hed simply eliminate those that he deemed unnecessary.
Darling~? (Erukana)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wouldnt you be able to make them yours if you wanted to? (Erukana)
Way too much work, so no. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-ng..... (Erukana)
Erukana licked her lips.
She felt that this was a bit of a waste as far as war potential was concerned, but didnt try to stop him.
She too was a demonic being. The sight of blood and gore dancing about, a spectacle of its participants busy devouring each other C wasnt this a pretty entertaining scene for her, too?
Besides, my boys are just too starved. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, darling. Doesnt it look like its your boys are getting devoured more here? (Erukana)
Theyll all soon be my boys, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As expected of you, darling. Youre just too smart. (Erukana)
Choi Jeong-Hoon heard their conversation and couldnt help but chuckle.
You two are in such a perfect sync. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
ording to Choi Jeong-Hoons thoughts, though, the worlds most unfortunate person in this very moment had to be none other than him.
Aigo.... I told you not to open a Gate. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What with monsters currently being understood as the realistic threat to humanity, showing Yi Ji-Hyuks ability to open Gates to another countrys government had no merit whatsoever.
The creatures called humans would be swayed by ones notions.
This spectacle alone carried the danger of changing the perception of Yi Ji-Hyuk from a guardian protecting humanity from the Gates to a living weapon capable of opening Gates, instead.
So far, the only other nation that knew the truth was America, and that helped with keeping the lid on the potential bacsh. But now, who could guess what might happen next when the north-east countries that werent that friendly with South Korea learn of this fact?
Although nothing will happen right away.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For now, every country required Yi Ji-Hyuks aid.
So, there shouldnt be that many governments prepared to bare their fangs at him. However, as the Gate situation slowly normalises and be less of an issue, it was more and more likely that the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk would be seen as a threat.
Urgh, why dont you just shoot me now.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ha-ah, you and your nagging. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think Im nagging?! This?? Really now?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes~, yes~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand in Choi Jeong-Hoons general direction as if to chase away a fly and turned his head away.
Winners will be our friends, thats what. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Rooooar!!
Monsters started tearing and biting into each other.
Kuwaaaaah!
Howlings of monsters in frenzy resounded out loudly enough to shatter ones eardrums. Crimson blood formedkes on the ground, and torn tentacles, limbs and bits of flesh rained down everywhere.
H-hu-ahh.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol dazedly watched this spectacle unfold before falling on his butt. It was impossible for a mere humans mind to handle the sights of building-sized monsters busy ripping into each other.
His vision seemed to cken out for a moment there, too.
If there really was hell, shouldnt it resemble this?
Insane..... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
The one who created such a spectacle couldnt be normal at all. Rhee Jin-Cheol found it harder and harder to fathom just what kind of a person Yi Ji-Hyuk was the longer he got tangled up with him.
Comrade captain! You need to evacuate!
Evacuate? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
To where?
Where could he possibly evacuate to? The whole world seemed to be filled up with monsters, after all.
You might end up dead at this rate!
....Godd*mmit. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol turned around and began running. However, the direction he ran off to wasnt towards his allies. Nope, he was running with everything he had towards Yi Ji-Hyuk, instead.
Uh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon panicked slightly when he saw Rhee Jin-Cheol busy running towards this side.
Whats gotten into that guy now?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He had already far too many things to worry about, so this....
He grew worried that yet another problem might be added on top. However, someone was actually getting excited by this development, instead.
Niiiice! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan yelled out in delight and stepped forward.
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Park Seong-Chan)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
One of theirs rushing towards us without prior consent qualifies as a breach, right? (Park Seong-Chan)
Yes, thats correct. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, even if we call that a provocation to our side or threatening behaviour, the other side cant do sh*t about it, right? (Park Seong-Chan)
...Well, uh, no need to go that far.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes or no? (Park Seong-Chan)
Technically, yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats that, then. (Park Seong-Chan)
A bright smile floated up on Park Seong-Chans fave as he clenched his fists tightly.
You son of a b*tch. You were getting on my nerves for a while now, so this is perfect. (Park Seong-Chan)
Uhm, excuse me, Mister Seong-Chan?
I dont know about other people, but well, when you start behaving like that, then even we will get terrified, you know?
Ehhei!! Stop flexing your muscles! Dont power yourself up! And what kind of muscles look.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Ohh, what a great physique. (Song Jeong-Su)
The party leader Song Jeong-Su took a look at Park Seong-Chans physique and praised it earnestly. At the same time, his own muscles seemed to quiver as well.
....Is this a warzone, or a Mister Koreapetition preliminary rounds? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The sense of identity was shaking unsteadily here.
Rhee Ji-Hyuk!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol arrived right before the group and called out to Yi Ji-Hyuk while not even sparing a nce at Park Seong-Chan.
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head and replied.
What the hell are you doing?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Im stopping them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you call that stopping them!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Oh? What then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks replies began to get shorter. He then asked back, clear signs of irritation filling up on his face.
Well? What should I do for you, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Rhee Jin-Cheol gnashed his teeth.
He knew that without Yi Ji-Hyuk, they would have been swept away a long time ago. Pyongyang wouldve been wrecked and horrifically piged by the monsters by now.
However, here was the thing C he was sensing Yi Ji-Hyuks ill intentions and mischievousness right now.
You can solve this in a blink if you really wanted to, cant you?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
See? I told you hes quick on the uptake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon and cackled on.
Thetter couldnt go along to thatughter and simply stared at the sky above.
You like toying with people? Is that it?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol gritted his teeth even harder.
Even if you South Joseon as*holes live a better life than us, we still have our pride. Toying with people to this extent is....! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Argh, so noisy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug in his ear and blew away the resulting stuff from his fingertip before making his reply.
So, what do you want, then? Ah? Stop beating around the bush, will ya? Im a busy man, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only it wasnt for that busy man, hed not feel so much pang of guilty conscience C Choi Jeong-Hoon could only kick the poor ground in embarrassment.
What I am saying is.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
What a thick-skinned guy youre. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Yi Ji-Hyuk was now forming a mocking sneer.
You dont even have enough power to protect your own homnd and had to extend a begging bowl to someone else, yet youre p*ssed off because that someone isnt wholeheartedly helping you out? Is that how North Korea educates its people? Hey, little boy? Life is about give and take. You havent given me sh*t, so why should I do my best to help you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rhee Jin-Cheol gnashed his teeth so loud that everyone could hear him now. Actually, he didnt want to beg Yi Ji-Hyuk at all, but....
Besides, no one got injured so far, so why are you so worked up like this? Wait, should I give you a reason to really, really get worked up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that moment, Rhee Jin-Cheols back was drenched in cold sweat.
This b*stard, hell do it for real. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Just conversing like this told him all he needed to know.
This man, he was on apletely different levelpared to all the other people he met so far. He too had seen plenty of those who couldnt bebelled as humans but rather monsters inside the Democratic Peoples Republic.
However, this Yi Ji-Hyuk existed on a different ne than them.
Rather than him not being confined to the notions and ideals of humanity, it was more like he was simply a foreign creature wearing human skin, instead.
Rhee Jin-Cheol lived his life within this stiff society where he had to keep his wits about him at all times. So, he could recognise the beast hiding within Yi Ji-Hyuk faster and clearer than anyone else.
....You madman.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Kekekeke.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and replied.
Not yet. Too early to say that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was he trying to say here?
To be called a madman, I should do at least this much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At the same time, pitch-ck Mana gathered in both of his hands.
Erukana. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Got it, darling. (Erukana)
Erukana leapt off the ground and flew up into the air.
What is she going to do now?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon dazedly stared at this unfolding scene. She floated in the air and for a moment there, seemed to contort her body in an erotic manner before scattering pitch-ck rays of light in almost all directions.
Those rays soonnded on the monsters.
Kurururu....
Kaaaah....
The cries of the monsters grew softer and quieter.
These creatures that had been rampaging madly about slowed down and grew dull as if sedative had been administered. Everyone started looking at Erukana in the air.
Nice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then began emitting the Mana gathered in his hands.
Extend! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Chwaaaaaaah!
Hundreds of tentacles suddenly exploded out from his hands.
Hiiieek?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
It was indeed disgusting to look at, but more so than that, shock caused Rhee Jin-Cheols entire body to shudder.
This man, he....
The tentacles flew straight at the monsters and began stamping the seal of obedience on their necks. Since they were already in a fatigued state, not to mention charmed out of their minds too, they easily sunk under the ve seals influence.
Ku-rwaaaah!!
Kkiiiieeeek!
The painful cries of the monsters filled up thend of the North next.
Rhee Jin-Cheol almost lost his grip on reality after seeing all those monsters spitting out bloodied foams while rolling on the ground in pain.
This... couldnt even be called a game.
This swarm of monsters were powerful enough to drive the Democratic Peoples Republic to the brink of destruction, yet Yi Ji-Hyuk was treating them like a couple of little ants right now.
Just like a kid crushing ants to death with his fingertip when one crawled out from the hole.
There, there. Give it up, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk muttered something iprehensible and cackled on.
That caused the howling monsters to roll on the ground and kick up thick, choking dust clouds.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched that sight and nodded his head.
I guess its almost done? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They arent resisting too much, are they? Thank me for my efforts, darling. (Erukana)
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana hadnded back on the ground before anyone had noticed it and clung onto Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders. Quite uncharacteristically, he began patting her head.
Yup, this is really convenient, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly asked him.
W-what did you do exactly? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You asking me cuz you dont know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, thats why Im asking you! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, seeing will alleviate your problem. Take a good look. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon heard the reply and focused his gaze on the monsters revealing themselves from beyond the dust cloud.
< 321. To be called a madman, I should at least do this much -1 > Fin.
Chapter 322: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (2)
Chapter 322: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (2)
What does he mean by convenient? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Monsters were revealing themselves within the dust cloud, but that wasnt enough to spot anything strange about them; everyones been looking at these monsters for a while now, to the point where they were genuinely feeling fed up from the mere sight of them.
....Uh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, the strange thing eventually announced itself.
They arent moving? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Monsters remained fixed in their positions. They were waiting on standby so quietly that no one wouldve believed these things had been tearing into each other only a few seconds ago.
Could it be?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Earthquake erupted in Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes.
D-did you tame them just now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon) (TL: spoken in English)
Whats tame? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Like how you control other monsters, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ahh, that. Yeah, sure. Ohh, tame.... I was wondering what you were on about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now wasnt the time to proudly boast ones inability to speak English, though!
Its kinda simr. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-that many of them?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre mistaken. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
I cant enve so many at the same time. But, I did capture the ones that I could. As for the rest, they are still stuck under Erukanas charm spell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, what will happen next? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its simple, really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk maintained the smirk as he snapped his fingers.
Snap!
That was the signal.
Kurwahrahrahrah!!
Kuwaaaaah!!
A portion of monsters suddenly pounced on their peers next to them, and their sharp fangs tore into the unguarded throats.
Keuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The deeply-stunned Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at that bloody spectacle.
Just let them devour. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wu-du-du-duk...
Wu-du-duk, crunch....
The noises of flesh being torn apart and bones being crushed to bits loudly resounded out.
Choi Jeong-Hoon instinctively hugged himself tightly. Even if these things were monsters, no sane person would watch this grotesque scene of them devouring each other and feel refreshed or happy about it.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Argh, please!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats the matter now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head. That guy wasnt normal to begin with, so that was fine. Everyone else near them all had paleplexions. Indeed, the current sight was far too extreme to watch with sane minds.
Ha-ah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grabbed his own chest; felt like his heart was trying to leap out of there.
Do you really need to go that far? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What do you mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can just kill them the normal way, yes? Is it really necessary for them to devour each other like that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Weeell, sure, its not necessary, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
But, they are also living organisms, so they gotta eat something, right? Its not like I can feed them rice, so I gotta feed them meat, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....That is true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, should I feed them the other monsters, or cows and pigs? If you saw cows and pigs getting devoured by them, you probably wouldnt be saying these things to me right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those words prompted a certain image of adorable piglets and baby cows getting torn to shreds by the monsters to pop up in Choi Jeong-Hoons mind.
You made a correct choice. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
See? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall acknowledge this kind-hearted ughter. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if those were livestock meant for ones dinner te, imagining them getting eaten by the monsters made him realise that monsters devouring each other was much more of a preferable spectacle.
Euh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, the spectacle before his eyes remained horrifying enough to make him avert his eyes. Choi Jeong-Hoon lowered his gaze and took several deep, deep breaths. Only then could he stare at this sight once more.
It took a long time for this hellish event toe to an end.
Are you finished? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, only the nice guys are left. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Are they fully under your control? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Should I show it to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope. Please do not ever show it to me. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm, it wouldve been fun, though.... Thats unfortunate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk licked his lips several times.
Choi Jeong-Hoon was biting his lip, though, while looking at the great army of monsters before his eyes.
He can now control that many monsters? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuks first timemanding monsters, nor could the number he controlled before be called small. Yet, the quality of monsters he now acquired was on another realmpared to his old stock.
The agents of the NDF couldve fought against the old monsters if they got really serious about it. And that was why those creatures could only serve as meat shields when facing off against demon kings.
However, the new monsters Yi Ji-Hyuk acquired were so strong that even if the NDF as a whole attacked together, they still wouldnt get hurt in the least. In other words, here was abat force capable of utterly annihting a country even without Yi Ji-Hyuks presence.
This is no ordinary event. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk getting stronger was not a bad thing as far as Choi Jeong-Hoon was concerned. However, it was human nature to wanting to use the great power you just acquired, and since Yi Ji-Hyuk had maxed out his Too bothersome to care meter, hed strongly lean towards letting loose his monsters to take care of things rather than using his magic from now on.
What would other people think about when seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk use monsters to fight other monsters?
Which means, the important thing moving on will be with how to dissuade him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was at this moment that Choi Jeong-Hoon instinctively realised his workload had increased significantly.
He wasnt doing this because of a fear of things getting too annoying for himself. Oh, no. No, it was all because he feared things might get too annoying for Yi Ji-Hyuk, instead.
Okay. Shouldnt you do something about those monsters now, though? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I guess so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand a bit, and a giant Gate materialised in the middle of the monster swarm.
Oh-Sik-ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kurururu....
Oh-Sik in his original size stood in the centre of the monsters and roared out loudly.
Kuwaaaaaah!
That prompted the monsters to obediently file into the Gate. One couldnt call their movements rapid, but still, they disappeared quickly within the portal one by one.
....Thats how you use Oh-Sik, is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Monsters dont understand what humans say, you see. I tried to learn monster speak in the past, but well, it might be the fault of the vocal cords... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Does that mean monsters canmunicate with each other? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its like, some of them that can speak both trante for the others. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Huh. Well, Ill be. What a weird world this is.
I dont really get what youre saying here, but since you im thats how it is, I should just say alrighty then and move on, no? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon silently watched the monsters disappearing inside the Gate like water flowing down the drainage. They werent moving slowly at all, yet there were simply too many of them here, so it seemed that quite some time was required for all of them to enter the portal.
It looks like the situation has been sorted out, more or less. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The NDF agents understood what was going on here, so they also understood the behaviours of the monsters, too. However, the same thing couldnt be said about the North Koreans as they remained utterly mired in deep confusion.
Where are those monster b*stards going now?? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Themander of the army, Kim Ryong-Seong watched this scene unfold withpletely baffled expression.
Is it fine to let them go like this?
What, then? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
...What if they invade us again?
We cant even stop them now, yet you want to keep fighting them because of some unknown future? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Oh....
Why dont you grab a knife and fall on top of it? There are plenty of ways to kill yourself, so why choose to be ripped apart by monsters? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
My apologies, sir.
Godd*mmit. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong was also feeling ufortable right now, But he had no choice but to admit that he could no longer do something about those monsters. Didnt he clearly witness the once-trusted Peoples Ability User Brigade fail to even inflict a wound on those d*mnable creatures earlier?
Whatever it is, we still managed to live, didnt we? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong sighed under his breath.
However, the Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui couldnt sit around and let this slide so easily.
Just what on earth has happened here? (Park Yong-Hui)
It seemed that Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jeong-Hoon were saying something to each other, then monsters suddenly started devouring themselves only to waltz right into a Gate and disappear from the view.
As for that Gate itself, it was quite different from what he knew C it was pitch-ck in colour.
Didnt someone say that Yi Ji-Hyuks unique Gate is ck in colour? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was known around the world as the strongest ability user out there, but he was also famed for being able to use Gates, as well.
From what Park Yong-Hui had heard, that young mans Gate was ck coloured, which was different from the regr ones that spat out monsters.
However, wasnt that Gate visible among the monsters ck? Didnt this mean Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently transporting these monsters to a ce he wanted?
Does that also mean he can control monsters? (Park Yong-Hui)
He could understand everything else.
What shocked him so greatly was the fact that those monsters were obediently moving ording to Yi Ji-Hyuks will. He knew that, logically speaking, the South Korean man was far stronger than any of these monsters.
Unfortunately, humans werent logical creatures.
A wielder of absolute power with a finger on the nuclear warheadunch button was someone to be feared, of course. However, it was natural for humans to fear the ten thousand-strong army right before their eyes even more. Even though they knew they should choose the former if asked which of the two possessed higher destructive capability.
With the same logic, one should know that Yi Ji-Hyuk was stronger than all those monsters put together, but the mere idea of him being able to control the monsters caused the warning bells to go off inside ones head.
Too dangerous. (Park Yong-Hui)
It wasnt simply a threat to the Peoples Democratic Republic. It was possible that the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk was bing a threat to the rest of humanity.
Will even missiles work? (Park Yong-Hui)
Indeed, would regr missiles even work on him?
What about biological weapons?
Tactical nukes?
If humanity and he started fighting, what should they do to defeat this powerful ability user?
Park Yong-Huis expression grew super-serious.
It was then, a quiet voice entered his ears.
I can hear the gears in your head grinding, mister. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
It was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Park Yong-Hui becamepletely frozen on the spot.
Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk called out to the older man in a quiet voice.
Y-yes,rade. Please speak. (Park Yong-Hui)
Do you know how I have been living my life until now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Hui couldnt reply. Not only he didnt know, but he also realised that this question didnt require his answer, either.
You see, Im really quick on the uptake. So, like, if someone holds some kind of bad thoughts about me, I can find out pretty quickly, you see? Do you know where all those people with bad thoughts about me have ended up in? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Cold sweat trickled down Park Yong-Huis backside.
It wont work. (Park Yong-Hui)
The Peoples Democratic Republic might be one of the worlds most dangerous countries, but on the flip side, you could call it also the safest, as well.
Sure, there were mountains of dangers and problems internally, but this ce wasnt influenced all that much by external factors.
Even if the American President carried antagonistic feelings towards an official from the North, nothing much of note could be done to that person, which was quite unlike how it was with other countries.
Same thing for assassination attempts, too.
However, Park Yong-Hui could sense the tall barrier called North Korea that protected him until now crumbling away.
He finally realised how dangerous the person called Yi Ji-Hyuk was, and how fearful this young man could get. If he willed it so, then the name of North Korea nor its armies, not even its systems C nothing could save Park Yong-Huis skin.
I-I havent done anything, so why are you doing this?? (Park Yong-Hui)
Im just warning you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its definitely nothing like that, Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk! (Park Yong-Hui)
I dont believe in peoples words. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I-it definitely isnt! I swear! (Park Yong-Hui)
....But, I do believe in peoples eyes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Huis eyes quaked just then. And after meeting Yi Ji-Hyuks emotionless gaze, his entire frame began trembling like a lone leaf in the wind.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly stared at him for a while. And just before Park Yong-Hui lost to the silent pressure and fell on his butt, he smirked brightly.
Thats right. You shouldnt look at a person with so much animosity, you see? I mean, I came here to help you and all. Dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-youre indeed correct. (Park Yong-Hui)
The super-sudden change in Yi Ji-Hyuks attitude caused Park Yong-Hui to reply in a dazed voice.
Well, its all done and dusted now, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched thest monster enter the Gate and continued on.
Lets go eat something, shall we? Preferably something expensive. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Hui spat out a long, long sigh, feeling as if a decade had been shaved off his lifespan.
< 322. To be called a madman, I should at least do this much -2 > Fin.
Chapter 323: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (3)
Chapter 323: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (3)
Lets do that. Shall we have a good meal, then? (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui decided to halfway give up just then. All because he figured out that this matter wouldnt change no matter how deeply he agonised or worried about it.
And, hes scary, too. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui was genuinely scared of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
It wasnt because thetter was a powerful being, or that he could easily erase the former off the face of this Earth without even breaking a sweat. He had already seen plenty enough folks with power to do that already.
Living in the Peoples Democratic Republic was like that, anyway.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was fundamentally different from them somehow.
Is he even human? (Park Yong-Hui)
It wasnt like his humanity had been lost or he was a psychopath C not some lukewarm sensation of him being a human that didnt feel like one, no, but more like his foundation was made out of something else definitely not human.
Itd be simr to how a non-human creature was desperately pretending to be a human.
....Comrade Chief of Staff. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
The armys topmander, Kim Ryong-Seong made his way over to Park Yong-Hui and engaged him in a conversation.
What is it? (Park Yong-Hui)
What has happened here? Is this the end? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
....Why are you asking me that now? Isnt that a problem amander needs to sort out for himself? (Park Yong-Hui)
I cant seem to figure out just whats going on here anymore. There was all this rumble, rumble, boom, bang, crash, then those monsters, they all just vanished, didnt they? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Stop asking me and ask the South Joseonrades. What do I know, anyway?? (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui ended the chat right there with a burst of irritation.
He felt powerless, and also a bit cantankerous, too. Did he really need to say it out loud when ones eyes saw everything that happened here and still failed toprehend it?
Kim Ryong-Seong felt at a loss and stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Eh.... (Jeong In-Su)
Colonel Jeong In-Su confirmed the situation with Yi Ji-Hyuk first.
Is the situation all sorted out now? (Jeong In-Su)
Hul?! You were here too?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes, I was. (Jeong In-Su)
But, where were you? I couldnt even see your hair nor hide anywhere! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wouldnt be of any help even if I hung around here, anyway. So I was on standby in the bus. (Jeong In-Su)
That... was a wise choice, I guess? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su smiled awkwardly, and after seeing that, Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled as well.
Yeah, it was the right call. Anyways, the situations been sorted out. If theres something else I need to do, just holler at me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grew angry after seeing how friendly Yi Ji-Hyuk was acting towards Jeong In-Su.
Why cant you be nice to me, too?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You gotta reflect on how you behave normally before that can happen. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did I ever do, though?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You think I shouldpare a man worrying about how to make my life easier to another dude scheming lots of ways to work me to death? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth was mped shut right away.
Even dogs know which human likes them more! And Im a human, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you really, though? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you picking a fight?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, sometimes I do wonder, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jeong-Hoon began bickering, Jeong In-Su shook his head helplessly and walked over to Kim Ryong-Seong.
Commander-nim. (Jeong In-Su)
Oh, Comrade Jeong In-Su. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Ive confirmed it with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, and he says the situation has been normalised. (Jeong In-Su)
In that case, where did all those monsters go? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Unfortunately, even I do not know the details regarding that. It is our unwritten rule not to pry too closely on what the powers of individual ability users are like. (Jeong In-Su)
Is that so? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong nodded his head.
In that case, there was nothing more he could ask now. But, still....
But, its really over like this? Dont misunderstand my intentions here, because if something else happens after this, my head wont be in the same ce anymore so I have to rify it with you. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
We wont return right away, so if something does happen, we shall mobilise immediately. (Jeong In-Su)
If youre willing to do that, well, thatll take some weight off my shoulders. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Kim Ryong-Seong smiled good-naturedly and shook hands with Jeong In-Su.
I hear that youll soon reach the position of top representative in South Joseon military, Colonel Jeong. Is that true? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
When considering my age or my rank, such a position doesnt suit me at all. Its all just baseless rumours. (Jeong In-Su)
That cant be, though. As long as you have the ability, anyone can do that role, dont you agree? Our Comrade Supreme Leader didnt reach his position because of his age, you see? (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Now that I hear you, I guess you have a point. (Jeong In-Su)
If Jeong In-Su continued to deny it, then itd be akin to insulting North Korea, so he changed his tact and agreed with Kim Ryong-Seong.
Indeed. In that case, we might see each other pretty often from now on. Take a good care of me, then. Help us out whenever you can. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
As long as Im needed, I shall run over here right away. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su spoke some polite-sounding perfunctory words and tried to end their conversation there.
However, from the perspective of Kim Ryong-Seong, it was unknown when Yi Ji-Hyuks powers would be needed again so it was incredibly important to make a solid connection with the core representative of the Souths military right now. Which meant that he was rather unwilling to end the chat in this manner.
Im sure youre all worn out by now, so why dont we discuss the restter while having a good meal? (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui quickly dissuaded Kim Ryong-Seong, prompting thetter to nod his head.
Ah, I didnt think that far ahead. I shall get it ready right away. (Kim Ryong-Seong)
Please do so. (Park Yong-Hui)
Jeong In-Su looked around, his eyes catching sight of the ground bathed in torn flesh and blood.
Even though such a devastated spectacle had urred, quite miraculously the civilian or military casualty was almost at zero; excluding those who died from misfiring or friendly fire of rockets and cannons, it wasnt an exaggeration to say none had died here today.
What a scary prospect that is. (Jeong In-Su)
In the end, neither the NDF nor the Peoples Ability User Brigade did a thing here. Yi Ji-Hyuk had basically resolved this situation by himself.
Our reliance on Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is increasing day by day.... (Jeong In-Su)
Things werent like this back when Yi Ji-Hyuk first made his appearance. Jeong In-Su felt somewhat conflicted because of that.
The emergence of a powerful ability user was something to feel happy about, sure, but the emergence of a powerful individual was nothing to celebrate in the context of modern society.
Arent we going somewhere to eat now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course we will. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su grinned brightly.
Still, what a relief that hes so human. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The good Colonel genuinely thought like that.
*
Vrrooom....
The bus was currently on its way back to Pyongyang.
A much calmer atmospherepared to when they were heading to the battlefield or crossing over to North Korea permeated within the vehicles cabin.
However, there was this one thing that hadnt changed at all.
Snore......
Yi Ji-Hyuk was snoring away without a care in the world.
How could he be so adorable when snoring like this? (Erukana)
Are you serious?! Thats adorable to you?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, and you dont find him adorable? (Erukana)
Jeong Hae-Min seemed to ponder that quandary for a bit, before eventually nodding her head.
I, I agree... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Erukana grinned as if she already knew it, and then began poking Yi Ji-Hyuks cheek.
Ah-wung! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He waved his hand about, as if to chase away an annoying fly, causing Erukana to burst into a joyous peel ofughter.
Stop tormenting him, will you?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, how can I stop myself after looking at his sleeping face? (Erukana)
Do you torment him everyday like this? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Nope. (Erukana)
Erukana shrugged her shoulders.
There is this roughneck lizard who ims possession of my darling when he sleeps so I cant really touch him during then. (Erukana)
What..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Such a thing would sour her moods in the past, but why did she feel relieved to hear that in this situation?
I guess Affeldriache-nim is doing an important work, then. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I guess so? (Erukana)
Erukana puffed up her cheeks.
Seeing how that appearance looked sexy even to a fellow female, Jeong Hae-Min began thinking that there had been a good reason indeed why all the men lost their minds around Erukanas presence.
I mean, Im a girl and even I find her beautiful, so.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Surely, Yi Ji-Hyuk should find Erukana beautiful as well.
As a former idol, Jeong Hae-Min had believed that her looks didnt lose out to anyone, yet sitting next to Erukana ced a good deal of burden on her. If someone took a photo of this moment, itd be probably getbelled The Beauty and the Squid.
By the way.... he just sleeps a lot, doesnt he? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hes tired, obviously. (Erukana)
....But, was that such a tiring thing earlier? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Erukana tutted in disappointment.
This is why humans are so.... (Erukana)
What is it now?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Listen well, you ugly human. (Erukana)
Omit the ugly part first, please. Among humans, Im considered somewhat pretty, Ill have you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Whatever. Listen well, you considered-somewhat-pretty-among-humans ugly human. (Erukana)
..........Why dont you just say Im ugly and be done with it.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
You are already aware of how much of a burden using dark Mana ces on a human body, right? (Erukana)
Of course. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min had witnessed plenty enough times the other ability users from the NDF half-dying every time dark Mana was injected into their bodies. So, she of course knew that much.
The case with my darling is especially severe. Well, the amount of dark Mana he uses, and how deeply it has tainted his body, are on another scale, after all. Meaning, he must deal with the type of pain dozens of times harsher than what others experience. If any one of you experienced that much pain, you will probably die from pure shock alone. (Erukana)
It was that bad? (Jeong Hae-Min)
You didnt know? (Erukana)
B-but, hes always cackling when using his powers, so.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, thats because.... (Erukana)
Erukana reached out and stroked Yi Ji-Hyuks cheek.
As you know, my darling isnt just any regr human, thats why. (Erukana)
H-mm.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
If you were topare him to a regr human, then you could argue that his physical or magical side arent all that different from other people. The real difference is to do with the mental power. My charming technique doesnt even work on my darling, you see. (Erukana)
I cant tell whats so amazing about that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Talking to a blob of amoeba might be less frustrating than this, really. (Erukana)
What was that?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min shuddered from anger, but she knew that nothing good woulde out from getting into an argument with Erukana while Yi Ji-Hyuk was asleep C he wouldnt be able toe to her rescue if something were to happen.
But, youre adorable than a blob of amoeba, so Ill give you that. (Erukana)
Cant tell whether youre praising or insulting me.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min spat out a groan.
In any case, youre saying Ji-Hyuk is really tired right now, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Obviously. (Erukana)
Mmm.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
You humans have not been any help whatsoever. My darling took care of everything all by himself. (Erukana)
By the same logic, Miss Erukana, you havent done anything much to help, either. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, that cant be helped. You see, for the sake of meeting up with my darling, I had to leave behind my Mana back in the demon world. Mana, which is like life itself to me. (Erukana)
.......
Everything is meaningless in front of love, you know? My darling knows that, and thats why he dotes on me so much. (Erukana)
Jeong Hae-Mins face reddened up instantly.
A-arent you embarrassed?? Saying something like that with your own mouth and all?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why should I be? You humans are so strange, really. Why should anyone be embarrassed about speaking out their emotions? (Erukana)
N-never mind. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min thought that it was impossible to get through to Erukana.
And Im supposed spent who knows how long next to this kind of person? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Just thinking about it caused her head to ache profusely.
It must be tough. (Erukana)
Erukana gently stroked Yi Ji-Hyuks cheek.
He was born as a human and ended up experiencing so much. Thats why, even though I feel my darling is cool, I sometimes pity him, too. (Erukana)
Thats not very demon-like. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even a dragon thinks that, so its fine. (Erukana)
Affeldrichae received Erukanas gaze and nodded her head silently.
Whats puzzling to me is that.... this man, he was really hated by the rest of humans over there, yet in this world, he seems to be rather popr. Is it because of his looks? (Erukana)
But, hes not that good-looking, though? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thats better than nothing. He was treated like a beast on the other side. (Erukana)
But, howe? (Jeong Hae-Min)
There arent any Asians in Berafe. (Erukana)
Ah..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Remembering how Caucasians were treated like a bunch of dokkaebis when they showed up in Joseon dynasty, she could more or less imagine the suffering Yi Ji-Hyuk mustve gone through.
Even after experiencing so many things like that, my darling amazingly still hasnt given up on humanity. Well, he is a man who doesnt know when to give up, so theres that. (Erukana)
H-mm.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk before shifting her gaze away to the outside of the window.
Now that I think about it, what wouldve happened to the world if he didnt show up? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Since he was right next to her, she might not have been able to see it until now, but perhaps the truth was, he had been busy saving this world.
Snooooore.....
Even if his snoring face didnt seem that way.
< 323. To be called a madman, I should at least do this much -3 > Fin.
Chapter 324: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (4)
Chapter 324: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (4)
The feast was quite shy.
This was rather far removed from the image Choi Jeong-Hoon had of North Korea. The venues interior was a bit on the old-fashioned side, but that contributed to the overall atmosphere being a bit more ssier, or so he thought.
Gimme a freaking break, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When he thought about how all those shily-decorated walls and expensive-looking antiques symbolised the blood and sweat of this nations citizens, then forget about being ssy and whatnot, he felt thispulsion to wreck everything he could see.
No, hang on. I should sell them off, instead. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
After all, wrecking them would be a colossal waste of money.
Is the food to your liking? (Park Yong-Hui)
The Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui carrying a warm smile had approached him in the meantime. Choi Jeong-Hoon immediately reverted back to his usual business smile. The battle might be over, but an even more bloody war was about tomence here.
Ah, yes. Its quite delicious. If I could, I wouldnt mind eating it every chance I get. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hahaha. It shouldnt be too difficult to amodate that. Itll be a simple affair of you joining the Peoples Democratic Republic. (Park Yong-Hui)
If I do, will I be able to enjoy such meals everyday? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course you will. The Party highly evaluates your capabilities, Comrade Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Park Yong-Hui)
Thats an honour. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon slightly bowed his head.
Unfortunately, my family is left back in the country, so Ill have no choice but to decline the offer. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, now. A man wont be able to achieve anything grand if he clings on to his family. (Park Yong-Hui)
Besides, there is a man who cant be controlled without my presence, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You mean, Mister Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Yong-Hui formed a mysterious smile.
Thats also not a difficult problem to solve, wouldnt you say? Itll be sorted out by having Mister Rhee Ji-Hyuk join us as well, no? (Park Yong-Hui)
But, youll end up regretting it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What do you mean? (Park Yong-Hui)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned and shifted his gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Seeing thetter emptying out one te after another while sitting on a table over there, the former couldnt help but chuckle to himself.
Hes far too uninhabited as a man and hell be a poor fit for the Republic. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you saying he fits in well in South Joseon? (Park Yong-Hui)
Even our nations back is creaking under the intense pressure of having to deal with him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hahaha, you dont have to exaggerate like that. (Park Yong-Hui)
Exaggerating, is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared back at Park Yong-Hui.
I hope you arent nning to deny that you have knowledge of what transpired in the Blue House before we entered this country. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not sure I follow? (Park Yong-Hui)
I trust that your intelligencework is good enough to learn that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-hm. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui didnt reply, but silence also worked wonders as a form of tacit agreement.
Well, we werent aware initially. But, we now know after having received a report this time. (Park Yong-Hui)
Not because your interest in Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has piqued and you brushed up on all the info rted to him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is that distinction important? (Park Yong-Hui)
Of course not. No, the important point is.... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk treats the President of a nation as a neighbourhood ahjussi. No, actually, Id wish for nothing more if he actually did that. I mean, hed not be so curt and sarcastic towards a regr neighbourhood uncle, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm.... (Park Yong-Hui)
If such a thing urs in the Republic, then either Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk will die, or the Republic itself will break down.... Itll be one or the other. Doesnt matter which end it is, none of them will prove to be advantageous to either one of us, Mister Chief. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Yong-Hui immediately changed his words.
I spoke in jest, but it seems youre taking it far too seriously. (Park Yong-Hui)
My apologies. I dont have much sense of humour, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if its not our Peoples Democratic Republic, other nations should surely be lusting after Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. Will that be fine? (Park Yong-Hui)
Such countries have decreased in numbertely, actually. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Howe? (Park Yong-Hui)
Because, they cant handle him, thats why. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That sounded understandable, but at the same time, not really.
The governments that experienced Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk have realised how big the risk is when trying to naturalise him. Everyone was all hands-on trying to lure him away, but now, they all have stepped back. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, isnt it true that they still require his help? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yes, it is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nobody will want to give up on someone who they believe is essential even if there is some associated risk. Am I wrong? (Park Yong-Hui)
And thats the role South Korean government have taken on. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What are you talking about? (Park Yong-Hui)
If I am to simplify it, the South Korean government is basically working as a subcontractor managementpany. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sub... contractor? (Park Yong-Hui)
Mercenaries, in other words. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui nodded his head in understanding.
We came this time because of us beingpatriots, as well as the underlying political reason as well. However, we normally demand the kind of remuneration that will put what the Peoples Democratic Republic provided us to shame. Thanks to that, South Korea is enjoying an unprecedented economic boom at the moment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm.... (Park Yong-Hui)
Considering the amount he has earned from America alone, you could even say that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is almost on the level of a government all by himself. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is it fine to tell me all this? (Park Yong-Hui)
You already knew, didnt you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Yong-Hui smiled vaguely.
Please dont overestimate our intelligencework. (Park Yong-Hui)
Well, its not a secret to begin with, anyway. No, rather than that, the Americans are busy advertising how much they have paid us all over the ce, ensuring that no other government would juste to us with requests for aid. Their aim is, You gotta pony up this much, so dont try anything you cant handle. Well be the only ones using him in emergency. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Yankees shouldnt be doing that. (Park Yong-Hui)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt try to agree nor disagree there.
In any case, other governments are letting us manage Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, and in return, are paying us the management fee. And after receiving the portion of that fee, we dispatch him to wherever hes needed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Compared to how much the nation makes, isnt the amount he gets far too little? (Park Yong-Hui)
I couldnt have imagined that youd be the one to say such things, Mister Chief. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Fufufu. Living in our Republic doesnt automatically mean you have no knowledge of capitalism. Knowing your enemy and yourself is the only way to win, after all. (Park Yong-Hui)
Indeed, it is small. Very. The problem is, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is already content with what he has. Meaning, he doesnt require any more money than what he gets. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is there anyone who doesnt like having money? They all like it when having some, no? (Park Yong-Hui)
That may be true, but well, as you can see, hes a bit peculiar, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm, I see. (Park Yong-Hui)
Even to Park Yong-Hui, Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be an odd man. A man that, although necessary and very much needed, was way too troublesome to stay close by.
How am I supposed to make my report now? (Park Yong-Hui)
The higher-ups had already ordered him to make contact with Yi Ji-Hyuk. Not even talking to him didnt feel right, but Park Yong-Hui could already tell what the answer would be if he tried to lure the young man in.
It was normal for anyone to not be all that enthusiastic when already knowing the likely oue, even if one was supposed to ask how high after being ordered to jump.
Comrade Choi, it must be very hard for you. (Park Yong-Hui)
Its not actually a hardship. Ive earned quite a lot in the process, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Yong-Hui quietly stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon and smiled.
No one was more sensitive towards analysing the power dynamics than him. Yi Ji-Hyuk may very well be the absolute gab, but no matter what, the person influencing him the most was none other than Choi Jeong-Hoon.
By the way.... (Park Yong-Hui)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Doesnt South Joseon feed him food? (Park Yong-Hui)
...............
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt his face redden up after witnessing Yi Ji-Hyuk gluttonously shoving food down his throat with crazed fervour.
W-well, hes originally like that, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Originally? Are you telling me he eats like that all the time? (Park Yong-Hui)
....Please, dont misunderstand me. It has nothing to do with governments. Its allpletely his personal preference. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I too think that way, but.... (Park Yong-Hui)
But, that was a bit too much, wasnt it?
Doesnt he care about what others think? (Park Yong-Hui)
Now normally, youd still be mindful of other people in asions like this one, even if you were beset with hunger. Yet, it felt as if Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even have such a notion in him.
Hes not the kind to quietly endure life in our Republic. (Park Yong-Hui)
The moment he thought that, Park Yong-Hui cleanly gave up on all of his lingering attachments on Yi Ji-Hyuk. If Yi Ji-Hyuk was haphazardly brought in and it resulted in him colliding with the Party, then without a doubt, the Republic would be finished regardless of who won in the end.
Even if the explosive was a high-performance model, you couldnt live alongside it when its detonator was switched on.
Can you help us next time as well? (Park Yong-Hui)
Choi Jeong-Hoon formed a meaningful smile just then.
Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
Crunch, crunch....
Yi Ji-Hyuk was preupied with hoovering up all the food before his face.
Cant you eat more slowly?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Th-thslowly... w-why thshould, I... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, never mind. Dont speak and just eat. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min freaked out when bits of food stuff spewed out from his mouth and backed away in a hurry.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling rather aggrieved right now.
I cant afford to eat slowly, though?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Recovering spent Mana might be impossible, but that didnt mean he shouldnt recover his stamina or mental strength. And the easiest method to do so was to consume lots of calories.
The thing was, his bodys digestive power was on another realm altogether whenpared to other people. Even if he ate ten times more food than what a regr person could handle, all of that would get digested in an instant.
If he were to slowly fill himself up, then hed probably end up eating for a whole day.
Gulp, gulp.
He took hold of the C bottle standing next to the tes like some kind of a tower, and drank it in one go. He loudly burped out and shifted his gaze over to Jeong Hae-Min to protest his innocence.
Its not like I enjoy doing this, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Sure. (Jeong Hae-Min)
No, hang on. Im being serious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I get it, really. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Something really felt unfair here.
Step, step.
It was then, someone approached them.
The weighty atmosphere created by Kim Ryong-Seong and Park Yong-Hui ensured that no one dared to get anywhere near Yi Ji-Hyuk, yet someone finally did dare to do exactly that.
Uh? So you came, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was a man even Yi Ji-Hyuk remembered well.
Rhee Jin-Cheol pulled a chair and sat before Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....Youre gorging yourself without a care in the world. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Why dont you join in, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ourpatriots are working their as*es off trying to sort out the messy battle location. How can I eat when knowing that? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Why should I care about stuff like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Indeed, you wouldnt. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Chwa-ah-ahk.
Suddenly, Rhee Jin-Cheol pulled out a match and lit the cigarette in his mouth.
Hul?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gasped out in sheer amazement and stared at that sight.
R-right, that was it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This ce was North Korea!
The concept of no smoking indoors didnt exist in this country!
Is this heaven? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk rejoiced at this new discovery. He quickly pulled out his own pack of smokes, but Rhee Jin-Cheol was a step faster and had pushed forward a cigarette to him.
Smoke this. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Why, thank you kindly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt decline that and ced the offered cigarette between his lips. Rhee Jin-Cheol used his already-lit cigarette to light Yi Ji-Hyuks.
Whitish smoke swirled in the air after Yi Ji-Hyuk exhaled it.
Hah, so good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How can you smoke indoors! You barbarian! (Jeong Hae-Min)
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was utterly unfazed.
Looky here, Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol, shrouded in the rising cigarette smoke, asked him.
What should I do to be crazily strong like you? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Put in a lot of effort. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you implying that my efforts werent enough? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Not that. I can tell you have put in some real hard work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, whats the difference between you and me? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Its time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rhee Jin-Cheols brows quivered.
Time? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Right. An incredible amount of time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rhee Jin-Cheol shook his head as if he failed to understand it.
Dont try to understand it. You cant, even if you tried. You should just stopparing yourself to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meaning, I can never catch up to you? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rather than that, mm..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
If I was in your shoes, Id not try to catch up to me. You gotta abandon too many things on the way, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rhee Jin-Cheol didnt say anything and quietly red at Yi Ji-Hyuk. However, thetter didnt try to meet that gaze. He simply sucked on the cigarette a few more times, stubbed it, and returned to hoovering up the food, instead.
....I think I get what youre saying. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol got up, and bowed to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Let me say my thanks. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol then turned around to leave, allowing Jeong Hae-Min to lean closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk and whisper.
That ahjussi, what was he trying to say? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked softly.
I dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....My bad. Shouldnt have asked. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min wordlessly shoved the apple slices inside his mouth.
<324. To be called a madman, I should at least do this much -4 > Fin.
Chapter 325: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (5)
Chapter 325: To be called a madman, I should at least do this much (5)
Let me say my thanks. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol turned around to leave, allowing Jeong Hae-Min to lean closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk and whisper.
That ahjussi, what was he trying to say? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked softly.
I dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....My bad. Shouldnt have asked. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min wordlessly shoved the apple slices inside his mouth.
By the way, when are we going back home? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins inquiry prompted a puzzled expression to float up on Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
I wonder. The timing is all off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the crisis came to an end near the evening hours, they couldve eat supper, get a good nights rest in the hotel, and depart the next morning, but seeing that the sun had risen up not too long ago and they were having breakfast right now, the situation felt a bit lukewarm, to say the least.
Can we, like, depart after finishing up with breakfast? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont like it here. The atmosphere is all wrong, and something keeps bugging me. (Jeong Hae-Min)
You too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gulped down another bottle of C next to him and noisily put it down with a loud tap!
For some reason, even I find being here ufortable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can also be ufortable about something?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, its kinda like, feels more ufortable than usual, something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look around him.
Seriously, man. It just feels off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The frozen-stiff atmosphere of this ce reminded him of Berafe; everyone pretended to be happy and all that, yet they all carried this fear of not knowing when they might get killed.
The violent power of uncivilised societal constraints was getting on Yi Ji-Hyuks nerves somewhat.
Right. Makes me feel just a bit dirty inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his head towards south.
It might be called Hell Joseon and whatnot, but regardless of all that, it was the world he longed for, a country he wanted to get back to.
I didnt feel this patriotic back in America, but to think, this ce managed to do exactly that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled to himself before pulling out his pack of smokes again.
Click.
Someone used an ancient Zippo lighter to light up his cigarette from the side.
Oh, thank you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont mention it. (?)
The old man responsible for the light pulled out a chair and settled down next to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Looks like American tobo. Is my guess correct? (?)
Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at the cigarette package and nodded his head.
Looks that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those types of American cigarettes are low in quality. (?)
The old man extracted his own pack of smokes and pushed one towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Try this one. This cigarette has been rolled with special tobo leaves grown right here in the Republic. (?)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stubbed his cigarette off and ced the one offered up by the old man between his lips.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He lit it up and took a long drag, before exhaling the smoke slowly.
How is it? (?)
Its a bit smelly, but theres this strange charm to it, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha. Thats a good assessment. (?)
By the way.... Who are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that important? (?)
Well, not really, but after you sat here, grandpa, the number of people ring in this general direction has shot up a notch, you see. I figured that youre a very important person. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huhuhuh. (?)
The old man got up from his seat and offered his hand.
Nice to meet you. Im Jeong Byeong-Seo, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Joseon Workers Party.
Im Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He took the offered hand and shook it amicably.
I shall never forget how you helped the Republic. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Its alright. We should help each other out whenever we can, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Mins eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He knows how to show respect to elders?
Honestly, shouldnt me or this Jeong Byeong-Seo look like wet-behind-the-ears hatchlings to Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
I heard that youre South Joseons top warrior. And it seems that assertion isnt wrong from the report I received earlier. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Nah, its just that our boys and gals are too weak. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha. You have a good sense of humour. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo settled down on his seat again and quietly spoke.
Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youll soon be departing to South Joseon, am I correct? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Probably? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before you do, however.... Now that youvee to our Peoples Democratic Republic, dont you want to meet a certain person? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Byeong-Seo smiled broadly and replied.
The highest official of the Joseon Workers Party, and the highestmander of Joseon Peoples Army wishes for an audience with you, Mister Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The Culcuri? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
....Did you say something? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Hae-Min moved at the speed of light and covered Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth before he could rify himself.
Ahahaha, I think hes having indigestion. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Cold perspiration trickled down her forehead. Choi Jeong-Hoon in the distance was involuntarily making a strange, contorted hand sign, signalling her to perform a headlock and make Yi Ji-Hyuk faint to stop him from bbering his mouth off.
Well, if you say so. Thats a bit soft, but.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Fortunately, it seemed that Jeong Byeong-Seo didnt get to clearly hear anything.
L-looks like we might need to go back soon. (Jeong Hae-Min)
So soon? But, our Comrade Supreme Leader expressed his deepest wish to definitely meet Mister Rhee Ji-Hyuk, you see.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Realising that Jeong Hae-Min looked to be at a loss, not knowing what to do next, Choi Jeong-Hoon dashed towards her in the blink of an eye.
Hahahaha! Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Chairman. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And youre....? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
The secretary next to him whispered something in his ear, causing a bright smile to bloom on Jeong Byeong-Seos face.
Ah, so youre Choi Jeong-Hoon, the leash of the tiger, so to speak. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Its an honour to meet you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt his back getting soaked in cold sweat. It was at this point that he got to fully recognise how dangerous itd be to let that madman loose in North Korea.
Although we too sincerely wish to apany you in that glorious asion, unfortunately the void left behind in South Korea due to our absence is causing untold suffering to our citizens as Gates go by unchecked. If we dont return as soon as possible, then we might incur serious damage. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is that so? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
As youre in a position to move a country, please understand why we have no choice but to hurry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If thats the situation, theres nothing much we can do, now is there? The most important thing is securing the safety of the people. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Jeong Byeong-Seo nodded his head repeatedly.
Still, its very unfortunate. The meeting of two heroes wouldve been a wonderful spectacle to behold. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Youd take a few pictures and circte them all over the world to boast about how wonderful you are. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could easily figure out what Jeong Byeong-Seo was aiming for, but too bad, he simply couldnt y along this time around.
It is indeed unfortunate. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was then, a voice was suddenly hearding from behind.
What the? I also wanna speak to that Cul.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grabbed whatever his hand touched and chucked it behind him.
ng!
Ouch?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that he was on target, fortunately enough.
Choi Jeong-Hoon then raised his hand up and waved it urgently, causing the NDF agents indulging in breakfast to hurriedly rush over here and pounce on Yi Ji-Hyuk. They then proceeded to wrap him up tightly and carried him outside the venue.
Euph.... euph....?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that Yi Ji-Hyuk was trying to say something, but Seo Ah-Young quietly shoved more food inside his mouth.
T-thats a bit heavy-handed, dont you think? (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Hahaha, if Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk was really serious, then such a level of restraint wont work on him. Just think of it as loving prank between friends, please. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....He might die from that.... (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Trust me, hes not someone who will die from just that much. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon remained unmoving.
A-and so, we shall be on our way now. If there is anything else, please get in touch with us through the Unification Ministry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How unfortunate. Please have a safe journey home. (Jeong Byeong-Seo)
Well, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon bowed deeply and turned around to leave.
He then signalled with his hands and eyes, telling the others to quickly throw Yi Ji-Hyuk inside the bus. He then wiped the cold sweat caking his forehead.
....Ill really die young at this rate. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
Whats gotten into you, acting as if lightning has stuck your a*s or something?! I mean, we shouldve packed some of the leftovers and buy some souvenirs, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shuddered uncontrobly.
Who do you think is to me for that?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its because of you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Holy cow! How could you even dare to say Culcurius inside North Korea?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, thats what everyone calls him by, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think the North Koreans also call him with that name, too?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Aha. I guess they wouldnt. But, Culcurius is such a cute name, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head. Now normally, there should be many more procedures to go through than this, but thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk, all of that had been greatly reduced. He wasnt sure whether to thank his lucky stars, or berate the one responsible for being such an insensitive madman.
No, lets look at it positively. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No matter what, itd be wiser to leave this ce as soon as possible. It remained rather ufortable even to him.
What will you do after returning home?
Ill order some pizza.
Ill just y some games. I can endure everything else, but man, not having ess to aputer really killed me.
Its only been a day, though. You and your exaggerations.
Other agents mustve been feeling the simr sentiments, judging from their conversations.
Lets go home.
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled wryly after checking out the agents starting to hum in anticipation. Really now, even he was thinking that their office back home filled with nothing but work was much more preferable to this ce, so there should be no need to mention other peoples feelings on this one.
Well, in that case.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hold on. (Jeong In-Su)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was then, Jeong In-Su suddenly grabbed Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Thetter pointed to somewhere, and the former realised that Park Yong-Hui was walking towards the bus at that moment.
Open the door. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The vehicles front door opened, and Park Yong-Hui climbed aboard.
What can we do for you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, I just wanted to give him this. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui signalled with his eyes, and the adjutant behind him pushed forward a small box.
And this is? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its the reward from our Comrade Supreme Leader bestowed unto Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Park Yong-Hui)
Oh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Should he open it first?
He couldnt tell which would be the correct etiquette in this situation.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? Its for you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Apparently, its a reward for you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the box in puzzlement, prompting Park Yong-Hui to grin and exin himself.
Its wild ginseng found in Baekdu Mountain. (Park Yong-Hui)
Ohh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the boxs lid. A somewhat refreshing yet slightly bitter scent immediately filled up the buss interior.
Whats that?
Its supposed to be wild ginseng.
Yi Ji-Hyuk closed the lid and nodded his head.
Thanks. Appreciate it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thank you. You worked hard. Well, then. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui exited the bus, but then turned around again.
Ah, by the way, Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk? (Park Yong-Hui)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Yong-Hui stared at Yi Ji-Hyuks face for a long time, before waving his hand.
Be careful on your way. (Park Yong-Hui)
..........
The buss door closed shut, and after the members of the special forces settled down on their seats, the vehicle slowly began moving.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned himself against the seat back.
Just doesnt feel right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could sense that something was off, but he kept thinking that it was not a matter he should concern himself with.
Did you scan the bus properly? (Jeong In-Su)
Sir, yes sir.
Jeong In-Su mustve sensed the unease in the air as well, because he continued to grill his subordinates over and over again.
Right. Something just feels a bit chaotic, doesnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to stop worrying about it and closed his eyes shut. Whatever happened from now on, it was none of his business.
The bus drove on for a long while.
They ran into a slight issue on their way here, but on the way back, they got to go through all the checkpoints without a single hup.
How should this be described as?
As if they wanted the South Koreans gone from thisnd as soon as possible?
Whats going on? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon continued to sense this weird out-of-ce feeling and stared outside the windows of the bus, now getting closer and closer to Panmunjeom.
Even if something were to happen to them, they could just open up a Gate and escape right away. Although, it was questionable anyone was crazy enough to attack a bus with Yi Ji-Hyuk in it.
The North Korean ruling elite wouldnt do anything underhanded either if they got the report detailing what Yi Ji-Hyuks capability was. Because, failure wouldnt mean just their deaths only but the copse of North Korea itself.
Still, why does it feel so... wrong? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt reach any satisfactory guesses and arrived back in Panmunjeom.
The taut atmosphere permeating within Panmunjeom felt rather refreshing. And after he signed a couple of documents and crossed the border, the knife-edge air circting within the bus began to settle down for some reason.
Whew....
Were almost home.
Everyone began sighing in relief. Even though they hadnt mentioned it, the sense of heightened tension mustve been pretty intolerable for them, too.
Vrrrrrr....
It was then, both Choi Jeong-Hoons and Jeong In-Sus phones went off at the same time.
Whats this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly answered it.
Yes, its Choi Jeong-Hoon speaking.
C Listen, Choi Jeong-Hoon. Did you notice or sense something was off on the other side? (Defense Minister)
Not sure I follow....? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C This guy!! Theres been a huge uproar! A coup detat happened in North Korea! (Defense Minister)
Ehhh?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon freaked out and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Thetter opened the lid of the reward box and stared at the wild ginseng inside, before sighing grandly and closed it shut.
I knew it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The situation had gotten quite extreme now.
< 325. To be called a madman, I should at least do this much -5 > Fin.
(TL: the term Culcurius/????? is a nickname South Koreanizens assigned to the one and only Kim Jong-un. Not sure where it came from, but the first two letters in Korean is a modified onomatopoeia for the sounds pigs make, so it might havee from there.)
Chapter 326: I was too foolish (1)
Chapter 326: I was too foolish (1)
What did you just say, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon simply couldnt understand what he heard over the phone.
A coup detat?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Thats right, you fool! Its a pandemonium right now! (Defense Minister)
But, sir. Its really quiet over here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C The ripples havent reached that far yet. Besides, were all trying to analyse the situation, too. It looks like Park Yong-Hui was behind the move. (Defense Minister)
Park Yong-Hui? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression crumpled.
You mean, the Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Thats right. Him. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister shouldnt be lying here. However, it was impossible to understand why Park Yong-Hui started a coup detat. Wasnt he already the core of political power even if he didnt do anything?
Sir, I just cant believe it. The Park Yong-Hui I met didnte across as someone whod partake in such adventures. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C You think I know what happened better than you? I only know what can be gleaned from this side. The Unification Ministry and National Intelligence Agency have formed a task force to analyse the situation, so sit tight for now. Also, everythings okay with your group? (Defense Minister)
Yes, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Did you cross the border yet? (Defense Minister)
We did, just now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Thats a relief. Hurry and return to base. (Defense Minister)
Return to base.... sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Thats right. Why? Do you have something else to do? (Defense Minister)
No, sir. We shall head to the office right away. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended the chat there and dropped the call.
What on earth is going on here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He found himself swimming in deep confusion.
This was too sudden. Way, way too sudden. Even if that side had been nning this for a while, why do it now when everything was still so chaotic?
....No, hang on. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If one were to start something, now should be perfect to do so.
First of all, Pyongyang was currently mired in an unprecedented level of chaos.
Secondly, near one hundred thousand elite soldiers had gathered around the capital city. And the authority tomand them was with Park Yong-Hui.
Ah, so there is no reason not to do it. (Park Yong-Hui)
It now made sense to quickly shoo Yi Ji-Hyuk out of the country, too.
If he was still there, no one could have guessed how this variable might start reacting. Indeed, as long as he was not there, the instigators likely believed they had seeded in seizing the initiative.
Did that man n this out from the get-go? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked back at Yi Ji-Hyuk and spoke in a powerless voice.
A coup detat has urred up north, apparently. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A coup? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seems that the Chief of Staff, Park Yong-Hui is the main actor. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hah, that dude, really now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at the gift box and tutted softly.
Why the rush, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I wonder myself. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its nice to have balls, sure, but I kinda think hes being too hasty here. But then again, he should know about the Norths internal situation much better than us, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats true. A coup detat took ce in a nation where no such thing have been attempted before after the Kim family established the dictatorship, so thats what we should focus on. This monster incident mustve been a huge shock to that closed-off society, with the proof being this coup detat. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And thats what I find so weird. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What do you mean? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You see, the coup detat that I know usually takes ce during great peril. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mmm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, well, their peril has been resolved by now, right? Even in history books, it should be really rare to see a coup taking ce after the crisis was resolved. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You studied history? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not that I studied it or anything, I just saw it happen personally. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head. Yi Ji-Hyuk might be clueless about the historical events of Earth, but he personally experienced the rise and fall of many dynasties in the other world for thousands of years.
So, his ability to observe history should be on apletely different levelpared to regr people.
Sure, its a bit weird, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stretched his limbs.
What should we do? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
About this situation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
Do I look like a dokkaebis club or something to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, well. Thats not it. However.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If you were talking about monster-rted crisis, sure. But Id like not to get involved in events involving humans only. No matter what the end result is, it wont be pretty for us, thats why. Just sit back and let it y out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed helplessly.
Maybe he grew close after spending that short amount of time, because he felt slightly worried for Park Yong-Hui.
Even though that man is another ruling ss elite who leeched off the lifeblood of North Korean citizens. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What point was there to differentiate more evil men from lesser evil ones? Whether it was Park Yong-Hui, Jeong Byeong-Seo, or even Kim Ryong-Seong, them climbing up to their current positions in such a political climate was tantamount to dering that they had driven countless people to the life of despair and pain.
Lets continue on, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su too seemed to be concerned, because his nodding head looked weightier than usual.
It all looked rtively peaceful not too long ago. (Jeong In-Su)
Youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is it the case of them being a country impossible to decipher, or were we simply too ignorant? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su shook his head.
ording to the phone call, the event mustve started right after they left Pyongyang.
Lets return to base for now. (Jeong In-Su)
Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For some reason, he felt heavy-hearted. They were in North Korea for less than 24 hours, yet why did they all feel this weirded out?
It was unknown if this was because the South also experienced coup detat several times before in the past, or because they had witnessed the change in the unchanging system thats been rotting to the core.
North Koreas coup detat, is it.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon and Jeong In-Su shifted their heads away after hearing that old, wizened voice. Song Jeong-Su wearing a clean-cut business suit he got from somewhere was sitting at the back of the bus, his legs shaking a little.
Its no ordinary event, that. (Song Jeong-Su)
Do you have any rted into, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not sure. Its like there used to be something, but its been such a long time and I cant remember it all too well. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su spoke glibly and nced at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, him remembering it would be more strange. Not many would remember information twenty years old, anyway; besides, he mustve been thinking that such a thing was utterly useless to him, too.
That fool Yeong-Min will have to sweat a bit now. Well, its none of concern anyways. (Song Jeong-Su)
....Sir, dont forget that youre still the leader of your party. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You think I can carry on in that role? A politician with dead political sense cant even be used as dogsh*t. (Song Jeong-Su)
But, sir. Someone like our president can be our current president, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Uh? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su spoke in a dumbfounded voice, looking somewhat flustered.
Y-youre right. Such a fool is still a president and all, too.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Jeong In-Su coughed to clear his throat.
Please try to observe at least the minimum level of respect towards the head of our state, sir. (Jeong In-Su)
You can g off anyone when they arent here. And hes precisely not here, is he? (Song Jeong-Su)
That sounds usible, but, uh.... (Jeong In-Su)
It seemed that Jeong In-Su, a soldier through-and-through, couldnt win against the politician Song Jeong-Sus slick tongue.
Besides, thats not the important part. (Song Jeong-Su)
Excuse me? (Jeong In-Su)
Coup detat itself isnt important, but who will emerge victorious is. A failed coup will inevitably bring about a bloodbath, and even if it seeds, considering the unique nature of North Korea, things will not settle down that easily. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm.... (Jeong In-Su)
On top of that, monsters made lots of countries feel really prickly about their safetytely, so not a single one would wee the destabilisation of a dangerous rogue state like North Korea. Itll be the same story for us, too. (Song Jeong-Su)
I guess so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even then, cant we potentially be looking at a better oue if the Kim family were to be purged during this event? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Sus question prompted a rather gentle smile to form on Song Jeong-Sus face.
I personally like people like you, colonel. (Song Jeong-Su)
T-thank you, sir? (Jeong In-Su)
People with a sense of justice, only knowing how to act ording to what they had been taught, and filled to the brim with patriotism for our nation. People whod dly be meat shields even if they were cast out into the middle of warzones if it was all for the sake of their mother nation. Those types of people. (Song Jeong-Su)
.........
Jeong In-Sus expression crumpled. Unfortunately, he wasnt rude enough to shoot back at the much older man who also happened to be the leader of the ruling party.
Do you honestly believe that America, China, and also, us in South Korea didnt have the means to change the Norths government and had to sit on our as*es doing nothing? No, we simply let them be because they have their uses. (Song Jeong-Su)
But, how can that be.... (Jeong In-Su)
However, if a problem like this starts happening, its eminently possible that a government wishing to interject might appear in the future. No, hang on. Maybe someone has already started doing that. (Song Jeong-Su)
In that case, what should we do? (Jeong In-Su)
What do you mean, what? Didnt you hear him? (Song Jeong-Su)
Pardon? (Jeong In-Su)
Go home, man. Home. I want to go home as soon as possible and go to a sauna. Aigo, all my joints feel so heavy and wary right now. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoons head dropped low.
Lets go back to Seoul. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su issued an order to the bus driver and pulled his coat tighter.
The wind entering from the slightly open window felt especially cold for some reason.
*
Just what the hell happened? (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister pushed open the door to the conference venue and shouted out while rushing inside.
Take a seat first. (Yun Yeong-Min)
He then realised President Yun Yeong-Min was already sitting by the head of the table and hurriedly bowed his head in apology.
I beg your pardon. (Defense Minister)
Its fine. I feel the same way as you, anyway. Why did all these events have to happen during my term? Just why? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min rubbed his head as if he was suffering from a serious bout of migraine. Indeed, incidents that would normally be categorised as historically significant kept going off one after the other during his term in the office, so the others could understand his current sentiment rather well.
A d*mn coup detat, of all things. Why did it happen out of the blue? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir, we also received the intel just now. (Unification Minister)
The Unification Minister, Choi Seon-Yeong fixed his sses. Hisplexion was deathly pale from all the tension he currently felt.
Will it even seed? (Yun Yeong-Min)
It is very likely to, sir. (Unification Minister)
Which will be more advantageous to us, them seeding or failing? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Judging from the reputed personality of the Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui, the ringleader of the coup, there is a very high percentage of him heading towards more open policies and trades once he seeds in his quest, sir. He might even reach out to us as well, so from the perspective of the countrys economy, it should be seen as a benefit for us. (Unification Minister)
I see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
And also, it might decrease tension between us, as well. (Unification Minister)
The Defense Minister shook his head.
Its too early to draw a conclusion. Didnt they fire their missiles to South many times under the pretext of cleaning out house every time the leadership changed hands? (Defense Minister)
Mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min couldnt decide on what to do.
During the second change of leadership, there had been a period of time when a potential coup detat had been predicted to break out. However, back then, a suitable contingency preparation had already beenid out by a person nicknamed the Hardcore who also happened to enjoy overwhelmingly richer knowledge and experience than the current supreme leader.
In other words, it would have been impossible for the current folks to make preparations for such apletely unexpected coup detat.
We dont have a choice but to observe the situation, then.
How are the Americans reacting to this? (Yun Yeong-Min)
They are currently too busy securing their own borders at the moment, sir. I mean, they are even talking about withdrawing all US troops stationed in Korea, so how can they be interested in North Korea right now? Instead, its China and Japan who are getting tenser. (Defense Minister)
This is no simple matter. (Yun Yeong-Min)
It was then, Park Du-Jin quietly observing the situation offered his opinion.
In the end, there is only one thing we can do under the circumstances, yes? (Park Du-Jin)
What do you mean? (Yun Yeong-Min)
If the leadership doesnt change, itll die down soon enough as just another random event. Sure, there might be a bloodbath within North Korea, but it wont impact other countries. In that case, we just express our sympathy through official channels. What we really need to prepare for is when the leadership changes hands. (Park Du-Jin)
Mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head.
We need to gather every scrap of intel on Park Yong-Hui and investigate his personality, since he might end up as the top leader soon. Please, do hurry. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well get it ready, sir. (Unification Minister)
The Unification Minister didnt wait for the Presidents reply and began calling someone on the phone. Yun Yeong-Min watched that as his body sunk deeper into his seat.
Complicated. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The state of affairs was getting more and moreplicated with passing time.
< 326. I was too foolish -1 > Fin.
(TL: Im thinking of phasing this novel out and rece it with something else. The reader number is just too low to justify me focusing on this novel anymore. Im still searching for a suitable alternative at the moment, and if I do find one that I like, Ill most likely either drop this novel or slow down its releases.)
Chapter 327. I was too foolish (2)
Chapter 327. I was too foolish (2)
Although Choi Jeong-Hoon pleaded with Yi Ji-Hyuk to stop by at the Blue House to find more about the unfolding situation, thetter cleanly ignored the former and opened a Gate leading to the NDF, instead.
Sure, both Choi Jeong-Hoon and Jeong In-Su felt the urgency, but the ability users including Yi Ji-Hyuk werent particrly interested in whether a coup detat took ce in North Korea or it was some kind of a Gate crisis. So, they had no need to personally court a potentially annoying matter.
Aigo~, my joints and sinews.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as he emerged from the Gate, Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly pounded on various parts of his body.
Squeeze.
Suddenly a pair of hands reached out from nowhere and began massaging his body.
I-its so refreshing! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously he got spooked when a pair of unidentified hands started massaging him, but the gentle refreshment those hands brought about caused his reasoning to fly away almost immediately.
W-what is this?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What could possibly be this feeling? This feeling of his body rxingpletely?
Yi Ji-Hyuk was led around by the massaging hands and started back pedalling. This seduction was even more inescapable than a Sirens.
Plop.
He then plopped down a cushy chairmans chair that seemed to have been readied for him a while ago. The gentle pair of hands resumed massaging his neck and his shoulders.
The soft gentleness made it feel like his soul would slip out and ascend to heaven, causing him to purr like a cat next.
Hey, you! What do you think youre doing?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min cried out in sheer rage.
Whats wrong? (?)
How dare you busy touch someone without permission?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im just massaging him, though? Isnt he enjoying it? (?)
Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuk was forming a truly happy expression. His whole body had been feeling really crappytely after he had to perform so much hardbour, so this enjoyablefy-ness was threatening to evenpletely take over his consciousness if this continued on for a bit longer.
Heok!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk regained his wits and quickly turned his head around.
To think, she was capable of making him, a man who didnt bat an eye against demonic temptations and Sirens seducing him, let his guard down like this!
He discovered the identity of the one massaging his shoulders and nearly freaked out.
Hul?! What the hell, its you?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som smiled awkwardly and waved her hand.
How was your trip? (Kim Dah-Som)
Y-you, since when did you know how to perform such a skill? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I learned it. (Kim Dah-Som)
Learned it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. There are lots of ces that teach you. So, I went and learned how to massage. I originally thought about learning the Thai style, but apparently its a bit more physical, so.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Euh, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered grandly.
N-no, hang on. You surely cant make me feel this way with a simple massage alone, so what gives? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, itd be impossible to turn Yi Ji-Hyuk into a purring cat with a regr massage.
I learned magic from Affeldrichae-nim. I tried to integrate healing magic in my own way, you see. (Kim Dah-Som)
A h-hybrid, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt the greatness of mankind right then.
This was the difference between here and Berafe. Unlike that fantasy world where people rigidly followed the rules once they had been set, the Korean citizens would try to mix and match first, see what pops out next.
Korea gave birth to freaks who would take a peek at every single skill tree avable regardless of what game it is; besides, whenever a Korean saw a video sharing tform, didnt they deliberately go out of the beaten path to seek out all sorts of seriously perverted crap just for kicks?
Grafting healing magic on top of massages?
....Hey, wouldnt she be able to make a killing with this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was precisely the moment a powerful skill was born, one capable enough to buy her a huge building with massages only if she got serious about it.
This way. (Kim Dah-Som)
Uh, uh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered even more as her gentle hands went to work on his shoulders again.
Uhm, you know, its normal for me to be in pain after healing magic touches me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im just applying on the surface. It wont dig inside you. (Kim Dah-Som)
Aha! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was that why?
But, isnt it more effective if you inject it under the skin? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thatll hurt you, so I cant, Ji-Hyuk oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
....But, wouldnt controlling magical energy this way much harder for you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im doing it to make you feel better, Ji-Hyuk oppa. So, its fine. Well, even if its harder, theres no meaning if its not performed this way. (Kim Dah-Som)
*SFX for tears welling up*
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly felt the emotion that made one tear up in an instant.
Lately, all sorts of idiots had been trying their darndest to use and abuse him. However, none worried about how tough it had been for him during all that nonsense.
From their perspective, itd be like Yi Ji-Hyuk only needed to use his powers for a few seconds and everything would be sorted out. But not a single person seemed to think about how hed have to experience incredible pain if he wanted to use that power for a short while.
However, Kim Dah-Som here actually went out of her way to prepare things like this for him.
Now that he looked back on his life after his return from Berafe, he realised that the person who looked out for him was not his mother, not his little sister Ye-Won, but none other than Kim Dah-Som.
....I was too foolish. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why was he avoiding such a kind-hearted girl until now, with a flimsy excuse of being scared? A man should be more open-hearted, after all.
Fondle, fondle....
Yi Ji-Hyuk was infinitely moved by the refreshing sensation spreading out from his shoulders. This was what human life was like, being moved by something quite inconsequential at times!
That demon-girl-and-dragon-womanbo would never understand this feeling! Because they werent humans!
Why dont you give it a rest already? Where do you think youre massaging now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah, there is this shorty too. She wont get it, either. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Youre supposed to massage this part as well, you know. (Kim Dah-Som)
Now that he thought about it some more, this kid had be more talkative, too.
Although it was nice and all to see her be warmer than before, shouldnt a person have a sense of identity? Was it really alright for someone to change this much in a span of only a few months?
When I think about it that way, this kid.... Wasnt she, like, a juvenile delinquent before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not even a hint of such a thing could be spied on Kim Dah-Som now.
For sure, shed be a wonderful girlfriend material if only her personality was changed somehow. Her face was so pretty that you could safely consider her as the peak of natural beauty that human genes could achieve, and to top it off, she was extremely devoted to Yi Ji-Hyuk, as well, willing to even sacrifice herself if it needs be.
She was a type you just couldnt hate, as long as you had properly functioning eyes, that was. Except that she was a wee bit cold, and something about her was just inly scary, which made interacting with her a somewhat awkward event every single time.
Thanks, I guess, but its fine to stop now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som seemed a little rueful just then, but still cleanly withdrew her hands and lowered her head with a shy expression on her face.
By the way, how did you arrive at the office with such good timing? How did you know wed show up now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I just thought that youd arrive soon, so I waited here. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at her with a surprised expression.
She basically waited for him here with no n, even though she had no information at hand.
Arent you showing off too much?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min strongly raised her objections.
Her position had been hanging in the precarious bnce after two giant boulders in the shape of Erukana and Affeldrichae rolled in to knock her off her perch. Okay, fine, they were already secured in the ce way before her, but whatever. In any case, she was obviously unhappy at Kim Dah-Soms shining achievements right now.
By the way, did you say magic? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head before staring at Kim Dah-Som. He could detect some Mana in her.
I was thinking that with no Mana, youd go nowhere even if you learned magic. So where exactly did you get that Mana? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae-nim left me with some, saying that its an experiment. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Affeldrichae shouldnt have enough for herself, though? Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at her, and she nodded her head.
I was about to speak to you regarding that issue. (Affeldrichae)
Okay.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just hearing her tone of voice alerted him to the possibility of it not being a pleasant topic.
Well, fine. Lets talk about that after we rest a bit first, shall we? Its not like well be in a big pickle if we dont talk about it right now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head too, and stood up.
Well, in that case. Ill be clocking off for today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, its only lunch time now! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why dont you consider yesterday as overtime, then? I just returned from a business trip, so how dare you even bring up regr office hours?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Enjoy the rest of your day off. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
While Choi Jeong-Hoon was making that reply, he shot a fierce re at the rest of the NDF agents, silently ordering them to not even entertain the idea of going home now.
But, we also went on a business trip, didnt we?!
Didnt I go with you, too?? Didnt I?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, uh, it doesnt look like theres a whole lot of things to do here, anyway....
Arent you supposed to write up a report first if youre back from a business trip? And also, the KSF is having such a hard time with the shortage of personnel, so how could you even be thinking about fooling around one more day? Besides, all of you didnt do a single thing and just went around sightseeing, anyway! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What do you mean, sightseeing?!
Yi Ji-Hyuk ignored the arguments happening behind him and opened the door to exit the premises.
Hmm~. The scent of freedom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The sight of shiny buildings outside the headquarters filled up Yi Ji-Hyuks heart to full. This was it, the unique odour of South Korea, something that couldnt be smelt from the all-sorts-liquorice building styles found in Pyongyang.
Alright, Oh-Sik-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik trotting after him obediently let him attach the leash on the cor.
You gorged yourself this time around, so you better not go around starting things, okay? I already know all about the ahjussi from the butchery down the street calling the cops over the theft of his stock. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper....
You shouldnt be doing that, especially when Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon is feeding you on the side, you know? If you wanna eat some meat, you should just say so, got it? Dont go around stealing stuff from now on. This ce is different from where we used to live, so you mustnt just eat whatever you find, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Oh-Sik replied energetically, so Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded and patted the monster on the head.
By the way, where did your wifey disappear to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof! Bark!
Hey, its your wife if you live together, you fool! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Alright, alright. Seriously, though. Where did it go? Even if I did suck out its Mana, its still strong enough to wreck a dump truck all by itself, so it shouldnt just roam around unattended.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he figured nothing bad would happen, he still felt it tugging at the corner of his mind.
Anyways. Time to go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began walking towards his house.
He felt as if it had been a long time since he got to go home like this. When was thest time he got to kick back and rx at home post-American crisis?
Lets go together. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som trotted towards him from behind.
You going home, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
What about your oppa, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He says he cant get off work right now. But, I cant stay there forever, either. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hmm, is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Without saying anything else, Yi Ji-Hyuk began walking home with Kim Dah-Som in tow.
Oh, right. Are you good with studying? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, really? Im gonna ask Ye-Won for confirmation, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please dont. (Kim Dah-Som)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ye-Wonll start convulsing if you mention studying to her. (Kim Dah-Som)
....Sorry about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then again, that girl was Yi Ji-Hyuks little sister, so there was just no way shed be good with studying. He too maintained a less-than-ster academic record when he was attending school, after all.
Its the problem with the genes, I tell you. Stupid genes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom might have served him with super spike on his back if she heard his carefree utterances.
Fuu-oh. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som gathered her hands and blew warm breaths at them. Only then did he notice that the weather had gotten chilly.
Are your hands cold? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, not really. (Kim Dah-Som)
ce them in your pockets. Why are you letting them hang outside? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som pushed her hands inside the pockets without arguing back.
There you go. Why were you acting so thoughtlessly like that? Are your pockets just for show? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im sorry. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lectured her for a bit before hurrying up with his steps. Since the kid said she was cold, he figured they should reach home as soon as possible.
Okay, so. Your house is that way, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Yes, it is. (Kim Dah-Som)
Okay, take care on your way home now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
See youter. Bye. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som bowed her head with a stiff expression.
Mm, by the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Kim Dah-Som)
Im free tomorrow, so like, wanna go to a department store with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To a department store? What would you like to do there? (Kim Dah-Som)
To buy new clothes. This guys a bit worn out, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You mean, that very type of clothing? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng. Dont they look a bit worse for wear? Looks like they got busted up after I went a bit overboard this time. A person should try to look neat all the time, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
It was at that moment that Kim Dah-Som realised something new. She thought that he only owned a single set of tracksuits since thats what he had been wearinge rain or shine, but he actually owned more than one set. No, he indeed owned several simr articles, and simply swapped them out.
Dont you want to buy different designs? (Kim Dah-Som)
But, this is easiest to move around in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Let me pick one out for you. Please consider buying something new this time. (Kim Dah-Som)
Should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be seriously pondering this quandary, but eventually nodded his head.
Alright, then. I was thinking that it didnt look right wearing it even in the middle of the winter, anyway. Got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. Ill give you a call tomorrow, then! (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched Kim Dah-Soms departing back jumping up and down in delight, and finally managed to say that one question he couldnt ask a moment ago.
B-by the way, how do you even know my phone number....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is there anything you dont know?
Really?
< 327. I was too foolish -2 > Fin.
Chapter 328: I was too foolish (3)
Chapter 328: I was too foolish (3)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sent Kim Dah-Som on her way and headed home himself.
Why does it feel like Ive been away for too long? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It hadnt even been a couple of days since he left, but for some reason, it felt like he went away for a really long time. He thought about it, and figured that all sorts of events that happened so far were to me here.
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the front gate of his house and entered its foyer.
Uh? Why are you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Siks wifey trotted over to Yi Ji-Hyuk and cutely wagged its tail.
Youve been well? Have you eaten yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper, whimper....
Oh-Soon flipped around to expose its belly, so Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted the creature.
You shouldnt expose your tummy to another man so easily, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that he thought about it, this kid, she acted far more like a dog whenpared to Oh-Sik. Thetter might look like a dog, sure, but he didnt really act like one, yet this little pup not only resembled one, but acted almost exactly like one, too.
Hey, your hubby is back at the office. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe she understood what he was saying, because her ears perked up. It looked rather cute just then.
Wait, were all the Ogres this cute? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although there might be some differences since he forcibly created this look by sucking out all their Mana, he began thinking that maybe, their current small-bodied-but-big-headed look must be quite simr to how an Ogre cub looked like originally.
He had never seen a baby Ogre before, so he couldnt say much about it either way, anyway.
Okay, why dont you get going? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper!
Oh-Soon raised its body up, and Yi Ji-Hyuk beseeched it.
You mustnt toy with people on your way, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
You dont have a leash on, so if you end up in a situation of getting dragged to a dog pound, escape without hurting anyone, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched Oh-Soon trot outside the house and tilted his head.
By the way, that kid... does she even know what a dog pound is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a mystery that was.
*
Mom, Im home! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the door and entered the house.
Since the family moved into this house not too long ago, he didnt get that effect of his mind rxing immediately upon entering it. However, wasnt home supposed to be a ce where a man could rest the best in this whole world?
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been napping inside the bus or in a North Korean hotel, so the moment he stepped foot inside his house, it felt as if all the umted fatigue was suddenly being unleashed at once.
Thats weird. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It had been a really long time since he felt this much fatigue built up in his body.
Back when he was stuck in Berafe, his body regenerated and refreshed constantly, so there was no time to feel any fatigue. And right after his return to Earth, he was filled up with more than enough happiness that he couldve almost worked in a construction site for seven days straight without any sleep.
Ive got no energy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had swallowed up an incredible amount of Mana recently, yet the mere fact that he felt this tired could only mean the load his body was under was quite heavy.
The Dark Mana was supposed to continue destroying a persons body, but the thing was, his Ether reserve was skyrocketing ever since his return to Earth; his body was reinforced with Ether, which was on top of his exacting control over Mana that had reached the absolute peak in mastery, so it was safe to assume that his body shouldnt automatically get degraded.
Even then, he was feeling tired?
It was the evidence of a problem urring somewhere.
Meaning, his body had begun crumbling down. His body, the one Erukana and Affeldrichae stepped up to do whatever necessary to maintain....
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression became serious for the first time in a while.
This isnt good.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Son, youre home? (Mom)
Even before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, his mom weed him back.
Ng, mom. Im back. Wheres Ye-Won? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shes still at school, with time being what it is. (Mom)
I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Son, you must be starving. (Mom)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
It hadnt been that long since he madly gorged on the grub the North Koreans prepared for him. Even then, he still felt hungry, so that was a bit problematic.
N-ng, mom. Yeah, Im starving. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. Wash up first, Ill get something to eat ready soon. (Mom)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk headed to the bathroom as his mother pushed him from behind. As he walked towards it, he scratched the back of his head without realising it.
What a weird feeling this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some reason, it felt like he had got off work and came home like a regr person.
If he didnt get sucked into the Gate that fateful day, and if the world didnt change, it was quite likely that Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve been repeating such a daily life.
Sure, he might be suffering from pitifully-low wages and shouting Hell Joseon to high heavens every chance he gets, but still, he wouldnt be pondering dilemmas like the current one.
He finished showering and stepped outside while dusting his wet hair to find food filling up the dining table.
Why did you prepare so much food?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My son went on a business trip, so as a mother, I should be more mindful, no? (Mom)
That trip wasnt even a proper trip, you know. And Ive been away for only a day, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats the definition of a business trip, son. (Mom)
Oh, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though he grumbled softly, Yi Ji-Hyuk still settled down on his seat. He mouthed a spoonful of soup and a smile automatically bloomed on his lips.
Is it good? (Mom)
Mom, if you cant find anything to do, just open up a diner. I was eating the best dishes in North Korea, but Im telling you, not one of those can match up to you, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats only because of your taste buds, son. (Mom)
No, its the truth. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom smiled brightly and patted her son on the back before heading towards the living room.
Where are you going? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To wash your clothes. You just came home from a business trip, so you shouldve left your clothes in the washer. You shouldnt hang them up to wear them againter. (Mom)
They arent that dirty, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its dirty to me. (Mom)
Heheh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As he shoved the warm rice in his mouth, his slightly-dazed eyes were taking in the sight of the dining table.
This was it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reason why he wanted to return.
Even though it was tough and rather torturous, the fact that he had a ce where he could let go of everything and rx C that was the sole difference between here and Berafe. In a certain way, Yi Ji-Hyuk was having a much harder time, physically speaking, than in the past. He was enduring the unceasing pain, something he wouldnt have experienced back in Berafe, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Even then, the reason why he thought here was much better than Berafe was because there were people who genuinely thought about his wellbeing in this ce.
Erukana might feel a bit unhappy if she hears about this, I guess?
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly polished off every bit of food mom prepared for him.
*
Whew-woo.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon leaned against the back of his chair while sipping on the unusually-thick Americano.
What is that? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Its Americano. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Really? Looks more like Espresso to me. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I made it a big stronger than usual. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Vice director, you should also take a break. Youve been working a little too hard for a while now. I can easily see how tired you are. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Is that so? I thought I was managing it pretty well so far? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youve lost a lot of weight, actually. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Theres not much I could do about that, unfortunately. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only smile bitterly. Now that he looked back, hed been working nonstop with nary a moment to take a breather.
Yeah, I didnt even have enough time to think straight. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Post-ck Monday, he lived almost as if he had devoted himself to work, but after running into Yi Ji-Hyuk, he now had to concede that life before was cakewalk filled with lots of leeway.
After Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance, he truly lived as if the office was his real home. He even got saddled with the role of managing the incident locations too, something he didnt have to do before, and gotten tangled up in all sorts of things up over and over again.
You should consider marriage and a family, you know? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Will such a thing even be possible for my lifestyle? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What about your lifestyle? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I think its unrealistic. Besides, is marriage something that happens because I want it to? Ill need a partner for that first, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A partner, you say? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns eyes shifted to the side.
He could see Seo Ah-Young sitting by the seat of honour, busy ring daggers at herputer monitor.
....Is she even working right now? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Judging from that expression, looks like shes doing some inte shopping. There must be a discount sale going on or some such. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, her wage isnt low enough to obsess over discounts?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Youll only be wealthy by saving as much as you can. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kim Dah-Hyun ended up smirking just then. This guy, he said that there was no partner for him when he could tell what she was doing just by looking at her face.
Do I need to get the ball rolling first? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
These twos ages were getting up there, but since they had no intentions of making their moves at all, it seemed that they would be stuck forever not going anywhere fast.
Thats not my problem alone, though. Mister Dah-Hyun, you also dont have a girlfriend, no? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Me? I can always find me a girl if I want to. Its just that, havent met a girl that meets my criteria. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Is that so? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eii~, to your eyes, I maye across as a dunce who cant even do his job properly, but actually, the name NDF still has a lot of clout outside of these walls. Really, everyone here gets pretty high annual wages, and when looking at us as ability users, we upy the top 0.1% in South Korea. Thats a fact. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Now that I think about it, I guess youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That was the NDF in a nutshell, the gathering of elites.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was at fault for making them look like a bunch of agents tasked with dealing with his aftermaths, but that was nothing more than an impression they held of themselves. From other peoples perspective, they probably came across as the ability users proudly representing South Korea.
Actually, hes right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The reason for establishing the NDF initially was that very purpose. To gather the best ability users currently active in regional branches scattered around the country in one ce, and defend against Gates that opened up all over the map C that was what Choi Jeong-Hoon envisioned the NDF would be like during its formation.
By relying on the teleporter Jeong Hae-Min, provide quick support to any location within the nation, and respond quickly to threats to decrease the overall number of victims, now that was the starting goal of the NDF project.
However, after Yi Ji-Hyuk made his appearance, Gates that the NDF couldnt deal with began showing up, and then, the overall level of the KSF had gone up as well, allowing them to deal with Gates on their own somehow, leaving the NDFs position in a somewhat of a limbo.
Wait, is it a bit strange to say were in a limbo? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure, the NDF shouldve been seen as South Koreas top organisation, but thats where this story shouldve ended. But they were now seen as an international response organisation instead, so one could argue their position was far more important than ever before. The sad thing about all that was, the NDF shouldve been treated as such but the whole organisation was more or less treated like surplus that tagged along with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Indeed, when you get technical about it, you guys were referred as the elites on your own, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The past tense in that sentence is rather unpleasant, actually. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yes, youre still all elites even now. Very true. Im also the same, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Their overall pride mustve taken a nosedive what with a truly exceptional human being apanying them all the time. Especially so, when realising something this bloody obvious.
Still, its a bit better now, maybe because things have calmed down a lot. In the beginning of the NDF, we were really so busy that none of us couldnt think straight at all. Its already a big ask trying to adapt to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks ways, yet we had demon kings invading us, and a dragon showed up, etc, etc. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
That did happen. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head to indicate that it was horrible for him, too.
Maybe, things will only get better for us moving on? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Even though he was saying that, Kim Dah-Hyun didnt seem to be holding much of a hope. He already knew very well that the Gate defence would only get harder with time.
They all knew that the moment the bnce they had been maintaining until now copsed, humanity would be finished as well.
We have a cheat code so I think we can hold on somehow, but... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun shifted his head to look at theputer monitor.
Were all sitting here dying of anxiety, yet the world seemed to be so peaceful, doesnt it? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Were doing this so that the world enjoys its peace, arent we? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eii~, Im not the type to be overflowing with all that sense of duty, you know? Ill be happy if I can make enough money and live a trouble-free life. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Im the same as you, actually. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The two men looked at each other and chuckled.
By the way, how is Dah-Somtely? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dah-Som? Why? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ah, you see, I thought I saw her in the office thest time, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dah-Som is apparently going on a shopping trip with Mister Ji-Hyuk tomorrow, so I think shes getting ready for that. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
S-shopping? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
What are they nning to buy? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Clothes, I think. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes trembled.
Wait, they cant be going out to buy Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk new clothes, can they? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I think thats exactly it? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....He wears the same clothes everyday, so why a grandiose shopping trip all of a sudden? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its impossible to know what that dude is thinking. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I-I guess youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon took another sip of his coffee and looked outside the window while praying that this rare small break wouldst just a bit longer.
< 328. I was too foolish -3 > Fin.
(TL: Ive sprained my left hand over the weekend and cant type properly, and the country Im staying in is having ckout issues again, so expect future chapter updates to be sporadic. My bad.)
Chapter 329: I was too foolish (4)
Chapter 329: I was too foolish (4)
What is the current situation? (Defense Minister)
Unknown. Its too unclear to tell you in exact detail. (Unification Minister)
Is that something you should say under the current circumstances? (Defense Minister)
The iing information is limited at this stage, so what do you expect from me? Its not just us, but the Japanese, the Americans, and even the Chinese are having the same issue. (Unification Minister)
But, things are not like this normally... (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister frowned and spat out a sigh.
Its all because of the d*mn monsters. (Unification Minister)
Monsters? (Defense Minister)
The majority of our agents had to escape from Pyongyang due to the monster wave. I mean, that whole city was about to be levelled t if something went wrong somewhere, so its not realistic to order them to stick around and dig for more info, now is it? (Unification Minister)
M-mm.... (Defense Minister)
What the Unification Minister said had a point.
Even if the job of spies were to extract information, you really couldnt ask them to throw their lives away and serve their country blindly. Because, this was no longer the Cold War, nor did the tension between the two nations run at an all-time high to necessitate such a drastic measure, either.
So, it was only logical that a mission requiring the agents to bet their lives unnecessarily had to be rescinded.
Does that mean we must sit on our ar*es and do absolutely nothing? (Defense Minister)
We dont have any other choice. (Unification Minister)
Dont we have other channels? (Defense Minister)
Even Russia and China that exert the biggest influence to the North Korean government are taking a wait and see approach. (Unification Minister)
Hmm. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister was in a serious dilemma, wondering how he should go about responding to this situation.
What about the media? (Defense Minister)
Doesnt look like they caught wind of the situation yet. Well, it wasnt just the spies that escaped from the North this time, after all. All the correspondents dispatched there by newsworks withdrew, too. (Unification Minister)
That means we still have some time. (Defense Minister)
The situation isnt known yet only because the North is blocking allmunication, but the moment the lines to China open up, I predict that this whole thing will blow up big time. The American media seemed to have sensed something has happened, but maybe they are considering their rtionship with us, the American government has been gagging them for the time being. (Unification Minister)
There is a clear limit to gagging them, so we should expect our media to get a bead on this situation sooner orter. (Defense Minister)
Indeed. (Unification Minister)
Groan.... (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister fished out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips.
How are we supposed to report this to our President? (Defense Minister)
What can we do other than report it as is? Its not like we have done something wrong here, anyway. (Unification Minister)
Will our citizens think that way, though? If its known that we didnt inform the public about the coup in the North, and failed to even fully understand the unfolding situation up there, then hell, the opposition party will definitely try to crucify us all. (Defense Minister)
Well, the opposition will try to kick us down no matter what we do, so that doesnt really matter. (Unification Minister)
True that. Wed probably try something even worse if we were in their shoes. (Defense Minister)
Ministers!
It was then, the offices door was flung open and an assistant rushed inside.
What happened? (Defense Minister)
Representative Park Min-Cheol is requesting for a meeting with you, sir! (assistant)
Representative Park Min-Cheol? (Defense Minister)
Wasnt Park Min-Cheol the leader of the opposition party? So, why did such a man request for a meeting out of the blue....
....I see. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Ministers quiet mutter brought about a hardened expression on the face of Choi Seon-Hyeong, the nations Unification Minister. There was no need to ask for a meeting, unless that man had sniffed out the current situation taking ce in the North.
When does he want to meet? (Defense Minister)
Apparently, hes waiting in front of the building as we speak, sir. (assistant)
Groan..... (Defense Minister)
They couldnt even refuse while making an excuse now.
What should we do? (Defense Minister)
You think I have an answer to that? (Unification Minister)
The Unification Minister spat out a bitter retort.
The current President Yun Yeong-Min was adjudged to be rathercking in the political sense. His plus points were his strong public image, and being perceived as incorruptible, but he wasnt wily enough to endure the political world rife with all sorts of underhanded schemes and back-stabbings. Thanks to that, the Chief Secretary Park Du-Jin should be seen as in control of the political system at the moment.
Unfortunately, a man like the opposition partys leader was definitely not someone that could be controlled by a Chief Secretary alone. Indeed, not even the personal word or two from the President wouldnt faze such a man, so with what method could they stop him?
So, what must we.... (Defense Minister)
For now, lets pretend theres nothing going on. (Unification Minister)
Hes here precisely because he knows whats happening already, so what will pretending get us? If we keep our mouths shut and not share any info with him, then we might end up seeing the wretched sight of this whole thing blowing up in the media tomorrow. (Defense Minister)
Mm.... (Unification Minister)
Their words still held weight with major media publications, but if the other media houses that towed the oppositions line broke the cover of this news first, then those major publications should suffer a huge blow, as well. When that happened, it was clear who would be the target of their resentment.
What are we supposed to do in this situation....?! (Defense Minister)
What do you mean, what? Is the opposition party even allowed to demand any information on North Korea? (Song Jeong-Su)
Hul? (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister realised who was entering the office this time and gasped out in sheer shock.
P-party leader-nim?? (Defense Minister)
Was that really him?
Or not?
But, he kinda look like him, though?
Why do you act as if youve never seen me before? (Song Jeong-Su)
N-no, that is.... (Defense Minister)
How could he not be shocked, though?
Song Jeong-Su was known for being quite virile for a man in his age group, but that was only when considering his actual age. In reality, he was an old man in his sixties.
His original physique couldnt be called small, sure, but other than that, he was just about what youd expect from a man in that age group. However, didnt he change waaaay too much in thest couple of days he wasnt seen in public?
Y-your thighs, sir. They might burst out of their seams. (Defense Minister)
Hmm, I need to get my sizes taken again, but.... The timing is a bit off. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stared at his formal suit, which was indeed threatening to burst at the seams, and tutted unhappily. He purchased this expensive set from a famous tailor, but now, it looked like hed have to throw it away.
W-whats wrong with your shoulders, too? (Defense Minister)
What about my shoulders? (Song Jeong-Su)
Its, its like you have another person underneath there, sir. (Defense Minister)
Fufufu, is that so? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su lightly chuckled and strode into the office. The Defense Minister hurriedly got up from the seat of honour and offered it to his party leader.
He might be a minister of the nation, but it wasnt right for him to upy such a seat when Song Jeong-Su was around. Unless you were a President, whod dare to sit on a spot higher than him?
So, then. That wily old fox requested for a meeting, is that it? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, sir. (Defense Minister)
Ill take him on. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ohhh, party leader-nim! (Unification Minister)
The Unification Minister was startled by that deration and stared at Song Jeong-Su.
If one took into consideration Song Jeong-Sus life experience, status, and his political prowess, then the current leader of the opposition party couldnt evene anywhere close. If he did step up here, then sewing shut the opposition shouldnt be all that difficult.
However, it was well-known that Song Jeong-Su had been taking an antagonistic stance towards the current administration. He might be showing the outwardly facade of lending an aid to the rest of the countrys citizens, but everyone in the political scene knew that he had a cat-and-dog type rtionship with Yun Yeong-Min.
So, it was truly surprising to see such Song Jeong-Su voluntarily step up as a shield for the current administration.
Will you really do that, sir? (Unification Minister)
Its not going to be difficult, anyway. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su widened his shoulders and leaned against the chairs back.
Riiiip.
It was right then. The suits seams burst wide open, and Song Jeong-Sus massive thighs, and shoulders that made you suspect if pads had been secretly inserted there, revealed their bronzed skin. (TL note at the end)
Heo-urhk?? (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister witnessed that spectacle and shuddered uncontrobly.
He too was a military man, so when it came to the matters of his bodys sturdiness, he felt quite proud of his achievements. Sure, he was amander-level official so he didnt get to partake in the action himself, but his belief said that a soldier with a gut wasnt a real soldier, so he diligently looked after his physique.
However, Song Jeong-Sus figure revealed within the torn clothing was more than enough topletely smash apart the Defense Ministers pride in an instant.
D-did you juice up on something, sir?? (Defense Minister)
Juice up? (Song Jeong-Su)
Such as steroids, or.... (Defense Minister)
Huhuh. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su chuckled bitterly as he took off the torn rags off his body.
Never mind steroids and stuff, please call someone and tell them bring me new clothes. I cant waltz outside looking like this, now can I? (Song Jeong-Su)
Ill get right on it. (Unification Minister)
The Unification Minister picked up the phone and ordered the secretary to go and purchase off-the-rack business suit. Not just any, but a XXXL size, too.
This, well, how embarrassing. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su smiled awkwardly.
Now that I look at you, sir, your face seems to be younger somehow, as well? (Defense Minister)
You think so? (Song Jeong-Su)
If cameras take a look at you, soon the search engines will be lit up with the topic of Song Jeong-Su party leader-nims cosmetic surgery. (Defense Minister)
Groan.... Although any publicity is good, I would like to avoid such a publicity if I can. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su sighed and continued on.
Have you figured out the Norths current situation yet? (Song Jeong-Su)
Not at all. (Defense Minister)
I thought as much. What about the Presidents opinion? (Song Jeong-Su)
His opinion, sir? (Defense Minister)
Didnt he give you an order regarding the direction we should take? (Song Jeong-Su)
Thing is... he, uh, hadnt given us any concrete orders. Since we just dont have much info to go on, he ordered us to gather more intel first, but other than that.... (Defense Minister)
Song Jeong-Su tutted again, this time with a visibly unhappy expression.
Thats why people under him cant do their jobs properly, what with such ackadaisical approach to his role. Who would worry about their directions once they have all the info? You dont know what to do because you dont have enough info, so when things are like this, a leader is supposed to issue a coherent, consistent direction for our policy and attitude we must take. (Song Jeong-Su)
Thats what Ive been saying all along. (Defense Minister)
Ipletely agree with you. (Unification Minister)
Both ministers were in full agreement with what the party leader Song Jeong-Su was saying, although they didnt dare utter that out loud.
Ill have a chat with the President for more detailster, so for now, do what he says and gather more intel. As for our direction, go with indifference. (Song Jeong-Su)
Indifference, sir? (Unification Minister)
Dont make any rash moves. You must definitely not make a move at all. Doesnt matter what actions we take, the fallout will be major. So, in such a case, pretend to be idiots who didnt know anything and failed to understand anything. (Song Jeong-Su)
Oh.....
In times like this, its wiser to y the fool. Rather than being used of keeping your mouths shut even though you knew everything, just say you didnt know diddly-squat, instead. Dont you two already have other jobs lined up after your terms at the officees to an end? (Song Jeong-Su)
....Well, sure, we do. (Defense Minister)
See? Dont try to show off and instead, support the higher-ups. Isnt that what being patriotic means? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well do that.
The two ministers nodded their heads after listening to Song Jeong-Su.
It wasnt just anyone but none other than Song Jeong-Su. He was asking them to back Yun Yeong-Min here, so the sincerity of that statement hit home pretty hard.
By the way, Minister of Defense. (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir? (Defense Minister)
I need all the necessary information pertaining to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and the NDF. I know its top national secret, but I shall go and get permission first, so please have them ready right away. (Song Jeong-Su)
You mean, that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk....? (Defense Minister)
As if he was troubled by the request, the Defense Minister blurred the end of his sentence. Even if Song Jeong-Su was asking for it, he was just a leader of the ruling party and not someone holding a government office, so it was not feasible to hand over the nations number one top secret to him.
Thats why I said Ill go and get permission first. Im not asking you to give them to me now but at ater date, so just have them ready ahead of time, thats all. (Song Jeong-Su)
I see. I shall do that. But, why Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, all of a sudden? (Defense Minister)
Well, it seems that I was under the mistaken assumption all this time. (Song Jeong-Su)
I dont quite follow? (Defense Minister)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, he was not the key factor supporting this nation. (Song Jeong-Su)
Pardon? (Defense Minister)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, he doesnt need a government, but the nation needs him. In that case, what should the government do? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, that.... (Defense Minister)
You should discard all overbearing attitudes of an authoritative figure towards him. First of all, our job is to support that man to our fullest. (Song Jeong-Su)
The Defense Minister blinked in surprise.
He was beginning to question whether this muscr old man before his eyes was really Song Jeong-Su he knew. The thing was, the party leader was known to be famously unfriendly towards ability users. Yet, such a man was now considering a full-on support of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
No need to suspect anything or be puzzled by it. Anyone fully knowing the situation wille to the same conclusion as me. Im just a bitte to the party, thats all. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stood up from his seat.
Okay, then. Will you make the necessary report, then? Oh, and tell the sly fox from the opposition to wait a bit longer. I must speak to the President first. (Song Jeong-Su)
U-understood. (Unification Minister)
Song Jeong-Su watched the Unification Minister rush outside to make the secret call, and calmly waited for his business suit to arrive.
....Wait, will those off-the-rack suits even fit me? (Song Jeong-Su)
He looked at his rippling muscles and could only sigh.
< 329. I was too foolish -4 > Fin.
(TL: The pad bit refers to the shoulder pads inserted under the business suits to make your shoulders look straighter. They were a huge fad back in the height of the 70s and 80s.
Also, this scene reminded me of the old Angry Obama skit from the Saturday Night Live and I couldnt help but chuckle to myself....)
Chapter 330: I was too foolish (5)
Chapter 330: I was too foolish (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at himself and couldnt help but feel really weirded out by what he saw.
W-what is this?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You could call what he was wearing currently as pretty normal; a white T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a simple blouson. That was all. However, he had been wearing a set of tracksuits for the past several months straight, so this get-up felt seriously unfamiliar to him.
He did try to go to shops and buy something new to wear when he first came back to Earth, but even before he had the chance to notice it, he became utterly lost in the ways of tracksuits.
Feels just too strange. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd be rare to find an asion where the idiom of wearing ill-fitting clothes felt so right at home.
Why does this feel so weird? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the mirror and shuddered grandly.
But, it looks so nice! (mom)
Mom, I dont think this is the right look for me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What then? You wanna go out while wearing tights again?? (mom)
Its not tights, its spandex! Besides, skinny fit is all the rage these days, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oppa, the skinny fit fad is like, sooo yesterday. Like, thirty thousand years ago yesterday. (Ye-Won)
....Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Talking about something so passe and all. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pouted in depression.
By the way, why do I have to wear this to go outside? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oppa, youre going to buy new clothes with Dah-Som, right? (Ye-Won)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You go out shopping looking your usual self, and no assistants will ever give you their time of day. (Ye-Won)
Does that even matter? Ill be the one choosing what to wear, so who cares about them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, people apanying you will want to kill themselves out of embarrassment. (Ye-Won)
...............
He really, really wanted to argue back that it was not as bad as she made it out to be. What could possibly be so bad about tracksuits, anyway?!
Whats so bad about them, anyway?! Dont they look like something the makers sell?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Ye-Won shook her head with a huge frown as if she could no longer see the worth in conversing with Yi Ji-Hyuk anymore.
Whatever. Just go out like this, okay? (Ye-Won)
But, its ufortable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I make it even worse for you, then?! (Ye-Won)
Eii!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pouted even harder and looked at his mother.
Mom!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I can tell what you are about to say, so you can keep your mouth shut. (mom)
Mom replied with a smile on her face.
My son, cant you see how good you look, dressed like this? You now resemble an actual person! (mom)
Are you implying that I didnt look like a person before?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Sure, the rack where the clothes hang was in good shape so it was fine for you to just throw on some tracksuits and go outside. However, dont you want to dress like an actual person if you can help it? (mom)
.....Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his head and apologised. Not sure why he did that, but he felt this sense of duty that he needed to do it, somehow.
Thats right, son. Lets all strive to live like regr people. (mom)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly turned around. He needed to escape from his house, pronto.
Oppa, get me some ice cream on your way back. (Ye-Won)
.......Imma shove a whole dang box down your gullet, then! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, get me the expensive one! (Ye-Won)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not even conceding an inch! Not even once!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Those who always said they wanted little sisters, they should try living with this girl for a month and see what its like.
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed and stepped outside the front door.
Im just going out to buy some clothes, so whats all this fuss? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he knew this would happen, he shouldve just gone by himself. This little sister of his, since when did she get so chummy with Dah-Som and extract information so skilfully like this?
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and stepped foot outside. He decided to conclude his shopping trip ASAP ande back home.
Uh?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped outside the front gate, only to tilt his head in confusion.
Whats going on here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Soldiers that showed up even before he noticed it were standing in attention on either side of his path.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, youre outside!
The soldier standing right in front of the pack shouted out, prompting another soldier with epaulettes attached to his uniform standing at the rear to hurriedly rush towards him.
Hello, there! (adjutant)
Well, uh, hello or whatever can wait, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head and asked.
What are you all doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, that. That isnt something I can exin to you. For the time being, please answer this phone, sir. (adjutant)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk received the phone the adjutant presented him with.
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? Its the Defense Minister speaking.
Ahh, uh, hello. Whats up with all these people? Did I do something wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Oh no, not at all. Its just that, our protective detail for you was deemed not up to the necessary standards, so a special forces toon has been dispatched to your residence, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Defense Minister)
....Are you insane?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Actually, I also didnt want to do this, but.... It feels rather dumb since its like cing a bunch of rabbits as bodyguards of a tiger. However, this was an order directlying from a higher up in the hierarchy, so I just couldnt outright ignore it.... (Defense Minister)
Higher up? Was it from the president? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No. (Defense Minister)
Well? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C The thing is... Mmm, the party leader Song Jeong-Su ordered me. (Defense Minister)
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks jaw dropped.
Even if hes the ruling partys leader, can he directly order the military around like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Of course he cant, but then again, it is the role of the ruling party to help with policy decisions by making suggestions. And also.... (Defense Minister)
Also? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C If I ignored the order, he might have beaten me up half to death, so.... (Defense Minister)
Yi Ji-Hyuk involuntarily nodded his head.
That ahjussi, he.... his muscles were bursting at the seams, werent they?
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk was impressed by all those muscles so what would it be like for regr people, then? Although it was rather peculiar to feel physically threatened by a sexagenarian, reality could be quite harsh sometimes.
Did he actually try to hit you?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No, he didnt. But, every time he addressed me, something was like rippling, writhing..... (Defense Minister)
....I dont think he was doing that deliberately. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How should he put this? He was getting rather intrigued on whether Song Jeong-Sus new-found physique that could threaten other people unintentionally would aid the politicians career or be his weakness from now on.
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk, someone who had seen countless political circuses in his lifetime so far, couldnt easily predict the end result.
In any case, I get it, so please take these folks away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C That I cant do. (Defense Minister)
Ill take care of security myself, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C ording to the party leader Song Jeong-Su, the enemy nation might not be able to target you directly, but they might alternatively aim at your family and therefore make you feel disappointed in our government, instead. (Defense Minister)
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C And I think hes correct on this one. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you vacate your house every day, sometimes for well over ten hours. What will you do if something terrible happens to your family during that time? (Defense Minister)
Well, that.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae was here, so was Erukana, and then, there was Oh-Sik, too....
Now that he thought about it, those two females apanied him most of the time. As for Oh-Sik, that guy often wandered around between the NDF offices and home. If someone decided to camp out here for a week and watch the house, then they would easily find the time period where the security was at its lowest.
Ive made preparations of my own, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Can you be 100% certain that everyone will be safe? (Defense Minister)
....Sigh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this dude wasing out like this, then Yi Ji-Hyuk had nothing much to retort with.
C Im sure that you think all of these wont be much of a help to you. I also know that, to your eyes, this justes across as a bunch of children fooling around. However, an elephant cant take a gander at its butt, now can it? (Defense Minister)
...Gotta say, thats a pretty weird analogy if you ask me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C So, why dont you leave that to us? Weve reflected on a lot of things after the party leader Song Jeong-Su lectured us. Up until now, all we did was to avoid you, but never did we think of you as our nations valuable resource and do our utmost to protect you. (Defense Minister)
No, hang on a sec, I never wished for such a..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Even Mister President greatly agreed with this assessment. From here on, we shall strive to protect your daily life across the board, so even if some things inconvenience you in some ways, we ask of you to be generous and let it slide. (Defense Minister)
N-no, listen here.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Well, then, take care. (Defense Minister)
....Ah, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk found himself unable to say anything other than yes to the Defense Ministers desperately pleading tone of voice.
Seriously now, just how many people on this gods green Earth would be able to curtly refuse when the other party was so desperate?
H-m-mm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed forward the disconnected phone.
Are you done with the call, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (adjutant)
Oh. Yeah, I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The adjutant swiftly received the phone and took a step back before performing a smart military salute back to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Have a good trip, sir. (adjutant)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk awkwardly received that salute and bowed his head a little in return.
What a weird feeling this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was a time when he climbed to the leadership position of a certain empire, but the thing was, the salute he received back then and the one from today felt quite different.
Oh well, back then.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he made them submit through his powers and ability tomand, they never lost their wariness as if they were looking at a non-human creature. Berafe was, and would always be, a ce like that to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
It was a world blocked off by an innate wall that could never be bridged no matter how hard one toiled away.
Urgh, I dont know anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Once he got to a ce out of the soldiers earshot, he pulled out his own phone.
Where are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Using the text message that arrived on his phone in the morning, he called Kim Dah-Som back.
C Oppa, Im at the office. (Kim Dah-Som)
Where? The NDF? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes. (Kim Dah-Som)
Why are you there, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I was waiting for you for a while but you didnt show, and it got cold outside so I popped in for a little bit. (Kim Dah-Som)
How long have you been waiting for me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C It hasnt been that long. (Kim Dah-Som)
Like I said, how long? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Maybe from around the lunch time? (Kim Dah-Som)
And it was roughly around dinner time now, so.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head. Kim Dah-Soms personality meant that shed not tell him the truth straight up, so he could only guess that she mustve showed up early in the morning even though today was bitterly cold, waited for him until it got too unbearable even for her, and then scurried to the offices.
Naturally, his fluster could be heard in his voice.
Stay there, Iming to fetch you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Oh, no! Its fine. Ill be right there. (Kim Dah-Som)
Nope. I can just open up a Gate and show up there directly anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and opened a Gate connected to the office.
She and that dang personality of hers. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She shouldve just called him up if she came by earlier than expected. Was there a need to camp out in this cold weather while leaving behind only a single text saying call me when youre ready to go?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted as he stepped foot inside the Gate.
*
Ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The moment he stepped outside the portal, he ended up panicking slightly at the rather awkward atmosphere within the office itself.
Y-youvee?
Oh hey, youre here.
Everyone was pouting in unison as they bowed their heads towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Whats up with your weird reaction?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excluding Choi Jeong-Hoon, didnt everyone in the NDF look at him indifferently as if he was a cow or a chicken? Sure, Choi Jeong-Hoon would greet him but even he didnt seem all that enthusiastic about it, either.
So, what was up with this group reaction, then? As if they had agreed to do so beforehand??
And whats going on over there?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The spot Seo Ah-Young originally upied was now reced by an absolutely magnificent, glittering solid-wood desk.
....Its your new spot, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back with an utterly confused voice, prompting Choi Jeong-Hoon to smile awkwardly and exin himself.
It, it really is your new spot, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What are you talking about?! My usual spot is..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then realised Seo Ah-Young was sitting in his old spot, looking scary enough to make all of his hairs stand upright. He freaked out in pure shock and hurriedly shifted his head away.
She was panting like a raging bull, ready to tear anyones head off if they unwisely met her furious gaze. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk would wilt under such a scary pressure. Didnt the old saying go that when a woman harbours a grudge, snow would fall in the middle of summer? Something like that?
W-what is going on here?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, youvee? (?)
It was then, the office door was flung open and an unfamiliar middle-aged man rushed inside.
Ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This middle-aged man hurriedly dashed towards him, and performed a splendid 90-degree bent-forward bow.
I thought youd note to the office today, but you dide in the end. (?)
Who are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im the newly-appointed director of the KSF.
Ahh, is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. From now on, I will be in charge of both the NDF and the KSF. In any case, Ill be in your care. (the KSF director)
There arent all that much I can help you on that one, though. Anyways, ahjussi. Did you, you know, do this thing with the desks? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha, things wont function properly when people fooling around all the time upy the biggest spot in the office, now dont you agree? Especially when there is a certain someone whos doing all the work for them. (the KSF director)
....Weeeell, sure. Fooling around and all that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was that?!?! (Seo Ah-Young)
N-no, Im just saying, its me fooling around! Meee! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs voice infused with the Antarctic-level of coldness even managed to make Yi Ji-Hyuk wave his hands around in defeat.
Griiiiit!!!
Distinctive noises of grinding teeth resounded out. Yi Ji-Hyuk resolutely didnt turn his head around.
I shall properly manage the NDF from now on, so all the unfairness experienced so far will stop, that I guarantee you. If there are other things that need to be overhauled, please, just let me know. (the KSF director)
Sure, that sounds nice and all, but.... Just who instigated this whole thing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The middle-aged man sneakily swept his gaze around the vicinity before whispering in a voice only Yi Ji-Hyuk could hear.
The party leader Song Jeong-Su has made a special request, you see. (the KSF director)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a grand sigh.
That muscle yeonggam-nim seemed to have gone a bit overboard here.
Okay, so. Where is the yeonggam-nim now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 330. I was too foolish -5 > Fin.
(TL: Yeonggam is an informal Korean term denoting old man. With the addition of the honorific -nim, though, its now used in a sarcastic manner in this case.)
Chapter 331: It’ll soon start (1)
Chapter 331: Itll soon start (1)
Y-yeonggam-nim? Are you referring to the party leader Song Jeong-Su?? (director)
Can you think up of another yeonggam-nim other than him in this situation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....The party leader Song Jeong-Su is in the Blue House at the moment. I heard that hes currently having a private meeting with Mister President. (director)
....Annnd thats where Im going to. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A-aigo, please calm down, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Please tell me what seems to be the problem so I can quickly fix it. (director)
What do you mean, what seems to be the problem??
Itll be faster to actually think about whats not problematic here. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Why dont you deliver this message to him, then? Tell him to stop meddling in the okay life of a guy and leave him alone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall definitely deliver the message. (director)
Alright. And also.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Choi Jeong-Hoon, and thetter whispered quietly to the former.
Additional personnel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, and bring in more personnel, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Expenses. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And also, all those unpaid bills? Take care of them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Higher pay. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Feels like something weird is trying to slip in there just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only lick his lips in ruefulness.
Bring in more people and pay for all the unpaid expenses, please. Hopefully, you understand what Im talking about here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Crystal clear. (director)
Ill speak through Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon from now on, so if hes saying something, take it as itsing from me and go along with it. Ah, for the record, I aint asking you to raise everyones sry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Eiii. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon openlymented this missed opportunity, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even pretend to hear him.
Is there anything else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Youngs hand shot up.
What is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not enough vacations. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, you heard thedy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The NDF office, suddenly turning into a customerints centre, grew heated in no time at all. Yi Ji-Hyuk passed along all theints other agents were expressing and while tightly holding the directors hand, he spoke in no uncertain terms.
I hope that you can get things done. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Some of the problems cant be handled by myself alone.... (director)
I hope that you will get them done. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall discuss with the higher-ups and make them happen somehow. (director)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
For sure, it did feel somewhat more convenient after Song Jeong-Su decided to support him. Seriously, he felt that the NDF was getting a bit of a cold shoulder in the past, so this was indeed a much-needed improvement.
Okay, thats that. Why did Ie here in the first ce, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head, only for a deathly pale-faced Kim Dah-Som to trot forward and stand before him.
Ah, right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He looked at her before sighing grandly.
Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae,muting to the NDF as if it was the most obvious thing in the world nowadays, understood what Yi Ji-Hyuk was implying in a heartbeat and cast a healing magic spell on Kim Dah-Som.
Wait, dont you know how to use healing magic yourself? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I didnt learn it to cast on myself. (Kim Dah-Som)
............
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out yet another sigh. A person consistently behaving this way would be pretty tough, but this....
Whatever, its fine. Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, lets! (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som stood next to Yi Ji-Hyuk with a truly content expression.
W-where are you going?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min asked him in fluster, prompting him to reply bluntly.
Shopping. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To buy what exactly? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Clothes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill go with you, then. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stuck his tongue out.
No thank you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why not? Why is it okay for Dah-Som but not me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Youre still on duty yet you wanna go out shopping?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At the end of those words, the directors unforgiving rended on Jeong Hae-Min. She flinched and hurriedly plopped back down on her seat.
Now that I think about it, this girl, shes been trying to lord over metely, hasnt she? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was kind of amusing to toy with her in the past despite all her nagging but nowadays, her head had swollen up far too much and she had been disying certain hints of trying to manipte Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now would be a good time to manage this situation and turn the rtionship dynamics around.
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped forward, and Kim Dah-Som chased after him in a cheery trot.
*
I might get a panic disorder at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned all these crowds of people filling up his surroundings and tutted unhappily.
There are less people today, though. (Kim Dah-Som)
I wouldnt feel so bad if there were this many monsters, instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, hed just sweep them all away, thats why.
He felt tranquil when surrounded by hundreds of millions of monsters yet he was almost at the point of freaking out just by being near a few thousand humans.
Let us hurry. (Kim Dah-Som)
....We gotta jump into that sea of people? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, theyll avoid us on their own. (Kim Dah-Som)
Euh, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Kim Dah-Som with a really unwilling expression, but she remained adamant.
I have no idea how I used to live in the past. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Being surrounded by this many people was an experience he hadnt gone through in quite a while, as he mostly stayed in the ability user residential area after his return from Berafe.
Youre going to purchase the tracksuits first, right? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, this way. (Kim Dah-Som)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you hate shopping so much, how did you buy your clothes until now? (Kim Dah-Som)
You see, this thing called the inte shopping can be truly marvellous. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som ended up giggling just then.
To others, inte shopping might have been an obvious thing to do, but for some reason, Yi Ji-Hyuk shopping online just didnt match his image.
Still, it was fine for her either way.
Let us get going. (Kim Dah-Som)
N-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Led by Kim Dah-Soms hand, Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged inside the department store.
It was already so tiring trying to break through the sea of people to get this far, so just thinking about how many more were stuck inside the department store was giving him the case of hibbie-jibbies.
They eventually managed to pierce past the wall of humans and reach the store they were looking for, and almost right away, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes began burning up fiercely.
So much trouble just to buy some d*mn clothes! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its the same for everyone, you know. (Kim Dah-Som)
....I cant make heads nor tails here. Not at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There were literally thousands of varying designs hanging on the walls, and he was supposed to find the prettiest ones among them? Trying to find the best-looking Ogre out of a pack of five hundred would be simpler than this.
This brand is the one you usually buy, isnt it? (Kim Dah-Som)
I think so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please select from here. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was dauntless in this case.
Excuse me, miss! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The shopgirl grew slightly tense at the entrance of a young man emitting a somewhat strange atmosphere, and cautiously approached him.
Good day, sir. Is there something youre looking for? (shopgirl)
Tracksuits! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its this way, sir. (shopgirl)
The shopgirl directed him towards the corner disying the tracksuits. Yi Ji-Hyuk sniffed out the exact same type of tracksuits he normally wore and shouted out.
Size 95, five of them, please! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Five sets, sir?? (shopgirl)
Yes!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-will the colours be the same as well? (shopgirl)
Of course!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
The shopgirl stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk, wondering what kind of a man he was, only to realise something right then. Well, itd make somewhat of a sense if he was buying five as some sort of uniform.
Too bad, her assumption waspletely shot down the next second.
Oppa, if youre nning to buy five sets, how about varying the colours a little? I mean, if you keep wearing the same things, Im sure youll get bored of them sooner orter. (Kim Dah-Som)
But, I havent grown get bored of them yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Still, trying out different colours may change your mood a little. (Kim Dah-Som)
R-really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Think of it as being blindsided and try the ones I pick for you. (Kim Dah-Som)
N-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som coaxed the na?ve-sounding Yi Ji-Hyuk and got to purchasing clothes with varying colour schemes. In the middle of doing so, she even found opportunities to sneak in a few tracksuits not featuring his preferred three-lines design, too. Feeling satisfied now, she asked him.
Will this much be fine? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently operating like a mindless robot.
Department stores are a weird ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A normal man would be a bbering idiot after entering such a store. And he would suddenly start suffering from this strange obsession of escaping from his imprisonment.
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt this formless pressure of needing to conclude this shopping trip ASAP and escape from this ce, so he hurriedly nodded his head.
We should get you new shoes, too. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I noticed that you wear the same pair all the time, and they are worn out really badly now. (Kim Dah-Som)
....You think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Sure, he did wear the same shoes most of the time, but he hadnt really paid attention to that part of his attire. He looked down to spot a pair of sneakers about to fall apart.
Makes sense. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ever since his return from Berafe, he went around with this pair of sneakers almost all the time. So, them not being torn to bits was a miracle, to say the least, considering that he hadnt really been careful with his actions.
When he looked back, these shoes had some history too, since they even endured life-or-death battles against demon kings.
Lets go somewhere else to get you new shoes. (Kim Dah-Som)
A different store?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled, prompting Kim Dah-Som to start pacifying him once more.
Its right next door. Ill pick them out for you quickly. (Kim Dah-Som)
N-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like pacifying a child, she managed to coax and soothe Yi Ji-Hyuk before dragging him to the shop next door. He only managed to escape from the department store after buying three more pairs of shoes while making an expression of a man needing urgently to breathe.
T-that sure was tough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Weve been shopping for less than thirty minutes, though? Was it really that tough? (Kim Dah-Som)
.....I just cant breathe in a ce like this. Maybe its a neurosis or something.(Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som giggled again.
Oppa, Im starving. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Buy me dinner. (Kim Dah-Som)
N-ng, sure. Why not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk observed her and a soft grin sneaked up on his lips unbeknownst to him.
Shes now more like a normal person. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She used to be a bit too icy and gave off this strong awkward vibe in the past, but now, she was acting more like her age.
Shes changed a lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So much so that, whenpared to how she was like the first time they met, he couldnt help but wonder if this was too much of a transformation.
What will we eat, though? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? Well just try whatever you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, lets go with traditional Korean. (Kim Dah-Som)
....You like traditional food? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som didnt say anything else and simply held onto Yi Ji-Hyuks arm, pulling it closer.
*
H-m-m-mm. (Erukana)
Erukana was observing Yi Ji-Hyuk and Kim Dah-Som with an uncharacteristic expression on her face.
No normal person would be able to see the duo from her current vantage point C the rooftop of a skyscraper C without the aid of binocrs, but she was a demonic being so their figures were vividly reflected in her naked eyes.
Isnt this unexpectedly dangerous? (Erukana)
W-what is?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its been really a long time since I saw my darling make that face. That means hes currently feeling this sense of stability. (Erukana)
.....Seriously?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Panic began clouding Jeong Hae-Mins expression.
This was sopletely out of the blue. It was none other than her whom he went through all those hardships together, yet he was going on a date with Kim Dah-Som without a single warning??
Indeed, thats a rare face hes making. (Affeldrichae)
Even Affeldrichae was agreeing with Erukana.
Hmm, I guess its time to get ready. (Erukana)
Get ready? For what? (Jeong Hae-Min)
You know, the position of the second wife. (Erukana)
S-s-s-second wife?!?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min yelled out loudly.
What are you even talking about?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Erukanaughed out and replied.
If my darling wishes for it, then its the duty of his faithful wife to ept it. Actually, its normal for a man of outstanding abilities to hold a harem of hundreds of females back in the demon world. (Erukana)
H-h-hundreds??? (Jeong Hae-Min)
The difference in the scale of what constituted as an ideal marriage left Jeong Hae-Min thoroughly dumbfounded. Hundreds of wives???
Ng? From what I can gather, even human kings take on hundreds of concubines, do they not? (Erukana)
Thats all in the past. If you do that now, youll get beaten half to death. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Whatever the case may be, humans too possess such a nature, dont they? From where I stand, weing the second wife is not an issue. Especially so, if its a human female. With another demonic being as a wife, Id have to share my darling for a long, long time, but a human wont hang around for long before dying. (Erukana)
Dying? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, shedst for around a hundred years at a push. (Erukana0
Jeong Hae-Min promptly gave on conversing with Erukana just then.
A regr human like her simply couldnt understand the demonic beings concept of time or the concept of an ideal marriage.
I-in any case, both of you think Ji-Hyuk-ee is being attracted to Dah-Som, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Erukana)
It seems that way. (Affeldrichae)
Jeong Hae-Min couldnt ept this.
But, why so suddenly?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Erukana burst out into a peal ofughter and replied.
Even if its attraction, it hasnt developed into anything emotional. However, its true that my darling feelsfortable around that human female. All feelings start from something like that, dont they? (Erukana)
Ah..... (Jeong Hae-Min)
And also, my dear human female. Feelings of affection dont start from a logical basis or through ones reasoning. Love can blossom just fine from a feeling you suddenly have on any ordinary day. (Erukana)
S-so, are you just going to let it happen? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng. (Erukana)
Arent you jealous? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Of course I am. (Erukana)
Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head after hearing Erukanas answer. Now normally, shouldnt one reply Im not jealous to match what she had been saying earlier?
Even then, theres nothing much I can do about it. (Erukana)
Erukana murmured bitterly.
Because, itll soon start. (Erukana)
Erukanas words caused Jeong Hae-Min to fall further into the pit of confusion as thetter stared at the ground below.
< 331. Itll soon start -1 > Fin.
(TL: the Korean mens size 95 is equivalent US/UK 15~15.5. Or Small in the international standard. Our MC is fairly small, it seems. Or, maybe the author made a mistake. I cant be sure.)
Chapter 332: It’ll soon start (2)
Chapter 332: Itll soon start (2)
(Not edited, unfortunately.)
Thank you for the food. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som smiled brightly and raised her spoon.
N-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk also picked up his spoon and began digging into the prepared food.
You seem ufortable today for some reason. (Kim Dah-Som)
Really?
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched the back of his head.
Well, you are not mistaken. I am ufortable, actually.
He just wanted to do some shopping, but somehow, the trip turned into a date.
Sure, he was already a married man, but the thing was, going on a proper date with someone like this would be the first time in his entire life.
By the way, your personality has changed a lot, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som smiled gently.
You think so? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng. The way you speak, your expressions, they are softer now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thought you were finding it a bit too much, thats why, oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, I should be the one to change. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but chuckle hollowly.
Did I do something nice for you or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You did. Lots. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ha, haha..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he thought about it, their first encounter was definitely not what one would call normal. Even then, she was the only person who consistently looked out for his well-being until now.
Doesnt your own oppa badmouth me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, he said that he deeply respects you. (Kim Dah-Som)
N-ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He said that, even though you look annoyed, you neverined once, and he thinks that hed have turned around and ran away if such a burden was ced on his shoulders, so he says youre an amazing person for holding on. (Kim Dah-Som)
But, howe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it was thatzy-a*s Kim Dah-Hyun, he shouldve been beside himself trying to talk rubbish behind Yi Ji-Hyuks back, so what a strange revtion this was.
Everyone in the NDF like you, Ji-Hyuk oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
....I think youre mistaken about that one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk was the kind of person whod try to interpret the reactions from his surroundings in a positive light, he simply couldnt ept her deration.
But, its the truth, though? (Kim Dah-Som)
Stop riiiight there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cleanly cut off Kim Dah-Soms deration. She should say something that makes sense!
Should we catch a movie afterwards? (Kim Dah-Som)
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand away.
Why not? (Kim Dah-Som)
Sitting in the same spot for two hours straight while doing nothing doesnt suit my nature. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because you cant smoke? (Kim Dah-Som)
Bingo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som burst out in a peal ofughter, and Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled alongside awkwardly.
Oppa, you seem a little different today. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? Different how? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you are usually... How should I put this? Youre special? No, rather than special, its more like unique, I guess? In any case, I usually get that sort of feeling from you. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
To put what she said in another way, the differences between Yi Ji-Hyuk and modern humans were that easy to notice.
That cant be helped, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he took into ount the amount of time he spent in Berafe, then there was simply no way hed hold the simr type of views as with the rest of modern humanity. He had to experience the wilderness filled with barbaric mindset for well over a thousand years, after all.
He simply had to be different from the modern humans that enjoyed the rule ofw as well as protection from the functioning society.
But, you look normal today. (Kim Dah-Som)
Really? Maybe its because of my new attire? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not that. Its not the way you look, but... But, well, youe across as a regr university student today. (Kim Dah-Som)
....A regr university student, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt this sense of unfamiliarity from her observation and what that implied.
If I hadnt ended up in Berafe, then yeah, that wouldve happened to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ck Monday.
If he avoided getting sucked into a Gate on that fateful day when those dang portals opened up all over the world for the first time, then maybe, hed be attending a university like a regr person right this moment. Of course, said institution wouldnt have been something worthy to brag about to other people, but still.
It wouldve been nice if so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
Nah, its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was kind of surprising.
I feel a bit weird today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt sure why he was feeling this way. Something seemed different today.
He wasnt worrying about anything today, whether they be Gates or whatever. He shifted his head and stared outside the window of the restaurant.
People were minding their own businesses.
Some were going somewhere, while some were buying something. And then, some were meeting up with others, while some were eating food just like Yi Ji-Hyuk and Kim Dah-Som, or sitting around in cafes to chat.
It was... an ordinary day.
Its peaceful. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess so. (Kim Dah-Som)
Now that he thought about it, it seemed that he had been running breathlessly for a long, long while. He kind of understood where Erukana and Affeldrichae wereing from when they said he was trying too hard.
Even though I hadnt thought about it that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, he only did what he could, nothing more.
He returned home for the sole purpose of not getting tangled up in any more warfare and live the rest of his life as normally and inly as possible. However, his home was being invaded by the monsters, so he simply couldnt sit back and pretend to not notice, now could he?
Things began like that, and eventually led him to this ce.
He wasnt regretting it or anything, but what with all these distracting thoughts floating up one after the other, a certain realisation dawned on him.
I am fatigued, arent I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk thought that he could finally recognise his current condition.
He had been running without taking a breather. Excluding those initial weeks after his return to Earth, he had never taken a single break for the past thousand-plus years.
No wonder he felt so fatigued right now.
Maybe I should seriously go on a vacation somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He began thinking that he should hop over to that nameless ind where he left his monsters behind and enjoy a week-long vacation or some such.
He also figured that itd be good to take Choi Jeong-Hoon and the other NDF agents who didnt have much to dotely, too.
You wanna go, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked, just then.
When I do go to a university, Ill take you there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not sure what you mean, but well, will it be fine if I also enter the university? (Kim Dah-Som)
Thats right. I dont think Ye-Won can make it, so you should at least try to get admitted. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, wouldnt Ye-Won be able to enter? (Kim Dah-Som)
....Her? No freaking way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That moron entering a university? Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled wryly.
*
After having a cup of coffee in a cafe post-meal, Yi Ji-Hyuk walked home while carrying shopping bags full of new shoes and clothes. He couldve have arrived there in the blink by opening up a Gate, but at least for today, he didnt feel like doing that for some reason.
Well, Im a human being, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He began thinking that maybe, getting too used to relying on magic could prove to be somewhat of a problem. If you were a human being, then it was only obvious that youd walk with your feet and lift things up with your hands.
Since special abilities were spreading around in society, such a mindset would sooner orter be assigned to the scrap heap of history, but for now, he didnt want to use his abilities and lose this feeling, something he hadnt felt in a really long time.
Wooooof!
N-ng? Oh-Sik-ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He unexpectedly ran into Oh-Sik waiting for him on the way back home after somehow knowing that he was back.
What are you doing here? Wait, did youe here to wee me back home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly patted the Ogres head. Seeing how Oh-Sik was mewling in happiness, a smile automatically floated up on his lips.
I guess I did manage to get you out of the whole Berafe deal. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Technically speaking, he didnt get Oh-Sik from Berafe. If he was still stuck in that world, then Oh-Sik wouldve been just another Ogre among countless monsters that served him. An Ogre that wouldve died in a battlefield sooner orter.
Dont you think this connection thing is one helluva funny stuff? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe what he said was too high-levelled, because Oh-Sik couldnt understand him and tilted its head that wasparativelyrger than its torso.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly smirked and raised Oh-Sik up to ce the mini Ogre on his shoulder. After it used its ws to cling onto his back, thetter leisurely headed towards his house.
The suns setting. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The amber glow was settling down in the distant sky.
*
Im home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wee back son. Have you eaten something? (mom)
Ng. I had lunch earlier on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: This is what the raw said.)
Will you eat supper, then? (mom)
But, it hasnt been that long since I had lunch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Does that mean you wont? (mom)
.....No, Ill have some. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom grinned and lightly patted Yi Ji-Hyuks back.
Drop the new clothes in your room and quickly wash up, son. Ill prepare the food in the meantime. (mom)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dropped off his luggage and took a shower. When he emerged from the bathroom, he discovered the dining room table filled with food.
Mom, you shouldnt prepare so much food every single time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its just that I wish to feed you well, thats all. I mean, once you get married, I wont have the chance to do so. (mom)
But, I aint nning to get married, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
More specifically, Im already married, mother. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
What about Erukana, then.... (mom)
M-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Moms expression became one filled with dilemma.
Should I just ept her? What do you think, son? (mom)
Im not sure myself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If my son says I must ept her, then I should do so, no? What choice do I have? Its not like Im the one getting married but my son is, so Ill have to go with his choice. (mom)
Ehehe.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk usedughter to subtly shift attention away from this topic and settled down on his spot.
Youre home, son? (dad)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A rather familiar-looking ahjussi was sitting in the spot opposite to his own.
D-dad?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And why are you acting so surprised? (dad)
It feels like I havent seen you for a long while, thats why. Hows your worktely? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its alright. Its not all that different from what Ive been doing all my life, so I have noints. (dad)
If it gets too much, take a break, dad. I mean, we have plenty of money, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A man will growzy andcent if hes not working, son. And besides, your father gets his deserved recognition at his workce, you see. (dad)
....You sound as if no one cares about you at home, dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you all treat me as an invisible man, so theres that. (dad)
Dad, we arent treating you as an invisible man. We really cant find you.
Why are you walking around with full stealth mode activated, dad? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Ji-Hyuk-ah. (dad)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How are you holding on? (dad)
...........
Although he was holding his spoon, dad was staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk instead.
It seems that your name can be heard here and there nowadays. (dad)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. I took a closer look at what youre doingtely, and I see that youve been quite busy. (dad)
Nah, its not as busy as you think. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You used to y games the whole day right after you returned, but now, its rare to see you sitting in front of aputer. That tells me how busy you actually are, son. (dad)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt really find a suitable excuse for that. Besides, he also couldnt remember thest time he yedputer games.
Since when did my life be this hectic? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His determination to live like everyone else and pass his time as freely andfortably as possible was already a distant memory that he couldnt get back anymore. The only fate remaining for him now was to work his butt off as an ability user. That was all.
Its okay to be busy, son. Your work involves saving lives, so you being busy means one more life can be saved. (dad)
Yes, dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, dont forget that you are the most important thing to us, to your parents. (dad)
.....I wont. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You came back home after five years of absence so I definitely do not wish to see my son getting hurt somewhere trying to save other people. Even if that sounds selfish, theres nothing anyone can do about it. No matter what, Id like to see you live a simpler, safer life. As you said before, we have enough money for that. (dad)
I get what youre saying, dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright. Lets eat, then. (dad)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lowered his head and began eating his food.
For some reason, the food didnt want to go down easily. He barely managed to finish his share and stood up from his seat.
Im going back to my room. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright, son. You do look tired. Get a good nights rest. (dad)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and went straight to his room.
I look tired? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a strange thing to hear.
However, he had no choice but to acknowledge that observation.
I am tired. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
More correctly, deeply fatigued.
Yi Ji-Hyukid down on the bed.
Erukana, you there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, darling. (Erukana)
Erukana revealed her figure from the corner of the lightless room.
Ive got something to ask you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can ask me anything anytime. (Erukana)
How long do I have left? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Erukana, always happy to answer back right away, suddenly pped her mouth shut as if glue had been applied on her lips.
Be honest and tell me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling.... (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly stared at her.
....Im not sure. (Erukana)
Erukana shook her head.
Even I cant tell for certain how much time you have left exactly. However, its probably not all that much. (Erukana)
After hearing Erukanas resolute tone of voice, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze to the darkened ceiling.
I guess its about time that either death or mutation starts happening to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 332. Itll soon start -2 > Fin.
Chapter 333: It’ll soon start (3)
Chapter 333: Itll soon start (3)
So then. A new option called death is now avable, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, your bodys be far too weak right now. (Erukana)
Erukana walked over to Yi Ji-Hyuk and gently stroked his cheek.
Im not referring to the sturdiness of your physical body. In that regard, you are far stronger than youve ever been. However, you already know that thats not everything, dont you? (Erukana)
Right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, the core of your body is disintegrating. The part connecting your mind and your body cant hold on for much longer against the burden its under. (Erukana)
Im sure thats the case. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the erosion continues at this rate, you will be a demonic being. Both me and Affeldrichae are doing our best to prevent that, but its getting harder and harder. (Erukana)
Erukana sighed softly.
If your body can withstand the change, then youll be a demonic being. If not, youll die. (Erukana)
Which one has higher odds? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thetter. Overwhelmingly so. (Erukana)
Well, thats unfortunate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana shook her head.
Darling. (Erukana)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doesnt matter which side, the end result will be the same. You know what it means to be a demonic being. Even if you survive and be one, youll no longer be you. Your humanity will disappear. A new demonic being will be born. Because thats how demonic beings are like. (Erukana)
Indeed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Possessing far too much useless knowledge on demonic beings did prove to be harmful in times like this. Yi Ji-Hyuk tasted bitterness in his mouth.
This is your limit. You can also sense it, cant you? (Erukana)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling.... (Erukana)
Erukana was trying to say something. The thing was, Yi Ji-Hyuk already knew what she wanted to say.
Lets stop here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling!! (Erukana)
If I go back there, I will never be able to set foot in this world ever again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, it cant be helped, right? (Erukana)
If I hop back to Berafe after tying my soul to this ce, then sure, I should be able to live on forever. However, the flip side to that is I can nevere back home. Because, the moment I do, the transformation would elerate even faster than before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre right. (Erukana)
Just like how floodwater held back by embankments would overflow explosively the moment levees break, the demonic energy wouldpletely take over his body the moment he returned to Earth if he chose to hop over to Berafe and stop the erosion in that manner.
He had already experienced this phenomenon before.
The very reason why Yi Ji-Hyuks transformation to a demonic being was progressing at an rming rate was precisely that. Even thebined subduing efforts by the Dragon Lord and the Subus Queen couldnt stop this transformation.
Listen well, Erukana. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, darling. (Erukana)
There is a reason why a human is human. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
One of the things a human needs in order to exist as human is pretty obvious. Its the finite lifespan. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling.... (Erukana)
If I give up on my current life, head over to Berafe and get my hands on eternal life, then I will no longer be a human being. Dont you think its ironic to give up on humanity in order to avoid bing a demonic being? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you might die, you know? No, wait. Youll definitely die. Bing a demonic being is basically the same as dying for a human. (Erukana)
Ive lived for a long time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
For far too long. Undeservedly so, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you didnt get to enjoy the life of a human for long, right? Arent you bitter about that? (Erukana)
Of course I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied honestly.
If I had a way, Id like to live for another hundred years or so. This world is just too enjoyable, you see. In only a few months of stay in this world, I got to feel that sense of joy I couldnt feel during my several thousands of years in Berafe. So much so that I even thought that this must be why people want to keep living on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana wordlessly stared at him.
And thats when I had my epiphany C that its meaningless to live as a not human for thousands of years. When I think about what all those years living in Berafe mean to me, then well.... The result is rather obvious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, darling. You might be able to discover another method if you head over to Berafe. (Erukana)
Another method? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, youre the master of magic. (Erukana)
.........
Although saying this hurts my pride, but well, neither the dragons nor the demonic beings cane anywhere remotely close to the heights of magic you have reached, darling. By stopping your bodys ageing and enjoying the luxury of infinite time again, who knows, you might be able to discover a new way to purify your body somehow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I havent thought about it that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It might take thousands of years, but whenpared to the time flow of this world, itd only be ten plus years or so. And if you use the demon world instead, then youll need even less amount of time, too. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression grew a little bit sombre.
Thats why you shouldnt just give everything up without trying. Its not like you, darling. (Erukana)
He grinned after hearing her.
Yeah, I guess youre right, now that I hear you. I must be really tired. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It doesnt suit you. (Erukana)
True. Come over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-wait a minute~! Getting into the mood out of the blue and all. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled while watching Erukana distancing herself, her tail swinging to and fro.
A meaningless suggestion. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if he left his soul attached to this world and crossed over to Berafe, itd be destroyed if Earth was destroyed, too. And Earth would be destroyed in an instant if the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk was no longer around to protect it.
Once the bnce of life was shattered and death ruled over the, then his soul wouldnt be able to exist, either.
Whatever he chose, there was no future for him.
Either he crossed over to Berafe and be extinguished as the annihtion of Earth crept closer, or fight one more day in this world before going out in a ze of glory.
There is no happy ending. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He knew this from the get-go.
He became sure of it after confirming the number of Gates and their strengths getting greater with every passing day.
There was no such ending where everyone was smiling away in a happily ever after. It was truly unfortunate, but only the sad ending awaited at this farces conclusion.
You know this too, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Erukana)
So, stop acting all depressed and stuff, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im saying all this stuff because youre depressed, darling. (Erukana)
Is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk broke into a fit of cackles.
Darling. (Erukana)
Im listening. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The axis has been widened too much. (Erukana)
....I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There arent much left in your lifespan, but this worlds end isnt too far away, either. Not too long from now, the synchronisation with the demon world will ur. When that happens, this world will be finished. (Erukana)
If the doorway between Earth and the demon world opened up after the dimensional axis widened too much, then well, the world of humans would instantly turn into a living hell. As the name implied, a hell gate that infinitely spewed out demonic monsters and beings was going to open up.
So, like, shouldnt you be thinking about going back home now? (Erukana)
What, me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not you. Her. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his head to discover Affeldrichae revealing herself from the darkness.
I believe Ive made my position clear from the beginning, that I have no thoughts of returning. I came here for the sole purpose of aiding you. (Affeldrichae)
Buuut, Im pretty sure there isnt much you can help me with now, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If I can extend your life for even one minute and one second, then itll be fine. (Affeldrichae)
Is there any meaning in doing something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It might not with you, but it does with me. (Affeldrichae)
Is that so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised himself up and sat on the edge of the bed.
Right. Youre right. There is a meaning in extending the time even by one minute and one second. Well, even if the end result is the same, you cant argue that its meaningless to try different routes to get there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Although it wasnt her intentions when saying those words, Affeldrichae thought it was fine nevertheless since some vitality had returned to Yi Ji-Hyuks expression.
Lets not do this. We are not folks suitable to y the protagonists in a tragedy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Especially you, the Bringer of Apocalypse. (Affeldrichae)
Groan.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned and stretched his limbs.
Today, I somehow ended up realising that I am a human being. I did feel a bit down, sure, and wanted to taste the normal, regr life for once. I mean, I even began wondering what would it be like to live in this manner for the next few days or so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, wont you get bored if you are granted those few days? (Affeldrichae)
And thats the amusing thing about being human, you know. We always wish for something new all the time. If were messing around, we suddenly want to take a break, and if were taking a break, wed want to mess around instead. Thats what human is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on.
In any case. This is fine. I dont mind either way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It now felt as if a long vacation wasing to an end.
I dont care whatever shows up. In the end, itll have to go through me first, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That is why.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae sat behind him, and slowly tugged at him, eventually seeding inying him down on his back.
....Its time to rest now. (Affeldrichae)
....Did you cast magic on me? Why am I getting sleepy like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Slumber is simr to magic in some ways. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt retort back and closed his eyes. Affeldrichae gently stroked his forehead as he drifted off to sleep, her eyes one of pity and helplessness.
Such a poor, poor soul. (Affeldrichae)
Would there be any other human being who lived a life as wretched and sorrowful than this mans? Even a supreme existence like a dragon wouldnt be able to endure such an intense, fierce life as his.
Itd been better if only he had a little more time. (Affeldrichae)
Why dont you go and beg your Latrel for that, then? (Erukana)
....You already know that Lady Latrels influence doesnt work on Mister Ji-Hyuk. (Affeldrichae)
Hng. (Erukana)
Erukana snorted derisively.
You might be able to deceive my darling, but you cant fool me, you overgrown gecko. Just what are you scheming? (Erukana)
A being that ces much worth in seduction and bewilderment such as yourself, is interrogating me about lying? (Affeldrichae)
At a bare minimum, I never lie to my darling. (Erukana)
Subus Queen, you know very well that Dragons cannot lie, do you not? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae and Erukana locked their gazes in mid-air. Their staring contest persisted for a long while, only to be broken up by Yi Ji-Hyuk turning his sleeping body to the side.
Ive no desire to carry on with this superficial alliance. (Erukana)
Its the same for me. (Affeldrichae)
If you harm my darling in any shape or form, I swear to rip your head clean off your neck. Never forget. (Erukana)
....That wont happen. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae whispered softly.
Do not think that youre the only one who cares about Mister Ji-Hyuk. From my perspective, youre a demonic being so I cant help but wonder if you really have his best interest in your heart. (Affeldrichae)
Youre saying some hot garbage through that open hole of yours. When you were busy tormenting my darling, it was I who lent him his powers and helped him return to this world. (Erukana)
And the end result is this. (Affeldrichae)
...........
What you have done is basically delivering him to deaths doorstep. If he had stayed back there, then at least, he wouldnt have to worry about such a death. (Affeldrichae)
If this world crumbles, then Mister Ji-Hyuk will die, too! (Erukana)
I wonder about that. Wouldnt you say hed have lived on for another several hundreds of years, at least? (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae stroked Yi Ji-Hyuks hair as he quietly snored away.
....Lets not fight among ourselves. We are not the ones suffering here, after all. (Affeldrichae)
....Fine. (Erukana)
Erukanas worried eyes remained locked on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Such a poor soul. (Affeldrichae)
Stop pitying my darling, you rotten lizard. (Erukana)
Erukana spoke with a voice filled with conviction.
He is the man who stood at the apex of the demon world even though hes just a human being. Hes the kind of man who would find a way no matter what, so stop looking at him with those eyes reserved for dying man, got it? (Erukana)
....Itd be nice if thats the case. Truly. (Affeldrichae)
These two females, having sensed the encroaching end of Yi Ji-Hyuk, began throwing sharp, venomous words in each others direction.
However, this tit-for-tat didnt devolve into a serious emotional catfight, solely due to the fact that they recognised the implication behind their own venom-filled words.
Itd be nice if he can rest like this for a few more days. (Affeldrichae)
Watching Yi Ji-Hyuks figure precariously hanging on, not knowing when itd all crumble down, was proving to be torturous to these two. A man who was so powerful once upon a time that he couldve won against the entire world, was now trapped in the weak humans body and rapidly withered away. Watching this process was cruel beyond means and left them utterly saddened.
....Sleep well. At least, for tonight. (Affeldrichae)
Erukanas and Affeldrichaes hands remained stroking Yi Ji-Hyuks cheeks.
He had no clue and continued to sink further and further into a deep slumber.
< 333. Itll soon start -3 > Fin.
Chapter 334: It’ll soon start (4)
Chapter 334: Itll soon start (4)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the millions of monsters kneeling before him and felt this sense of emptiness.
So, this is the apex of true power.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He lorded over these existences that surpassed humanity as if they were his underlings and conquered Berafe. He never thought that itd be a difficult task. Because, he had done something simr back in the demon world already.
While ruling over countless monsters, he brought down the top creatures of that world called demon kings one at a time. No one born as a human had ever achieved such a feat before, and likely would never again.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt think of this fact as something to be bowled over.
Am I really a human? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Am I?
Can anyone call a man who wont die, a human being?
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned toothily.
Humans feared those that couldnt die. In the west, such folks were called hignders and were idolised, while in the east, they were referred to as immortals and were kept at an arms length, even though they were ostensibly subjects of deep respect.
Meaning, they were treated as non-human something else just because they simply couldnt die, despite theirck of any other special traits. In that case, would people from the world he lived in think of him as a fellow human if they saw him today?
What a miracle that Im not going crazy here.
The confusion regarding his own identity.
Just who or what determined whether one was a human or not?
Was it oneself, or the others....?
Even if one epted the fact that he had be an existence that others couldnt refer to as human, what would happen when he still believed himself to be human, regardless? Shouldnt that person be human, then?
Yi Ji-Hyuk thought of it as an un-answerable dilemma. For sure, he couldnt find the right answer to this quandary during his past thousands of years.
He shouldve gone insane already, just like those mathematicians that went mad trying and failing to solve unsolvable equations. However, his unchanging body didnt even permit him that luxury.
What a funny thing that was.
He learned that soul existed for real, and got to understand that it was the most important thing for a human being; however, if the body was regenerated then the soul would be regenerated alongside as well.
Grrrr....
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard the low growlings of the monsters and raised his head. He yanked back the lengthy hood covering his head and growled menacingly, too.
Sweep them all away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just one order.
An order that sounded rather ordinary, even.
However, the destructive force that single order unleashed was truly indescribable, utterly unstoppable.
Monsters all screeched and howled and roared at once, bared their vicious natures, and marched forward.
Hmph. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He knew very well that the location these cruel, vile monsters marched to was a gathering spot of human beings. Most likely, this march would bring about yet another massive bloodbath.
What a bunch of morons. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One could already see how crazy obstinate the religious fanatics could be in modern Earth. However, this world was literally filled with folks that unquestioningly believed in the various deities, and they made the modern worlds fanatics look rather cute inparison.
But then again....
Even in a world without any divinity whatsoever, people still dly sacrificed their lives in the name of their gods, so he couldnt me folks of this world for believing in the gods when there were divinity and miracles taking ce everywhere.
That didnt mean Yi Ji-Hyuk liked what he saw, though.
They arent even humans. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe, only humans could stand tall and not retreat even when knowing their immediate demise was fast approaching. The nonsensical action of sacrificing oneself in the name of their gods could only be performed because one was a human being.
However, thats what made them less than humans in his eyes.
To wit, humans were existences than progressed forward by their own powers. Thats what Yi Ji-Hyuk believed.
The difference between apes and humans was precisely that, progress.
Way back when humans were still primitive cavemen, they probably were not too different from the wild apes. However, humans progressed and developed, built up their culture and civilisation, discovering science and things like that. In only a few tens of thousands of years, no less.
However, humans of this world stayed exactly the same for the past tens of thousands of years. They ended up being stuck in a rut by not standing on their own two feet but relying solely on their chosen deities.
It was the same story even now.
Yi Ji-Hyuk never once tried to turn them into his enemies. No, he only told them to get out of his way.
The Eye of Latrel C that thing alone was his goal.
So, he threatened them.
He spoke to them.
And then, even frightened them.
He even tried to persuade them by saying that, if they opened up the path leading to Terra Latrel, not a single person would be harmed.
Even then, no one backed away.
Morons. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the special trait of humanity was progress, then the strongest point of humans was perhaps their rationality. No matter who saw this situation, they would realise that opening up the path for a little bit and pretending to not notice anything would be the most advantageous option avable. However, all these religion-mad foolspletely disregarded their own lives and pounced on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The martyrdom.
That stupid belief of entering Latrels embrace upon ones death stole away their reasoning.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was saddened and disgusted at the same time over their actions.
He felt saddened by these humans that didnt realise their own actual greatness and got kicked around by what was basically a bunch of d*mn reptiles. On the other hand, he felt utterly disgusted by them that tried to distance themselves away from all types of pain and suffering in the name of their faith.
Nope, not humans. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Humans that have lost their self identity, their independence, could no longer be called humans. Thats what Yi Ji-Hyuk believed. So, these creatures trying to stop him were some things wearing human skin. That was all.
Being able to think like humans didnt mean one could be referred to as human.
Indeed.
Just like the current Yi Ji-Hyuk, in other words.
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like the current him couldnt be called a human even though he was born as one, the ones trying to hinder him couldnt be called humans, either. No, they were all some things pretending to be humans.
A pandemonium of death and destruction unfolded, one where a creature that was not human and creatures pretending to be humans were busy killing each other.
Kekekeke.
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled on like a madman.
Id have gone insane a lot sooner. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he told himself he was still sane, how could he be sure about that? Sure, he might be endlessly regenerating, but what was the basis used to determine how much he had changedpared to the beginning?
He might have gone insane already.
No, he had gone insane probably a long time ago.
Without that exnation, he wouldnt be able to choose the option of leading an army of monsters to ughter other humans.
Without that exnation, he wouldnt have been able to hypnotise himself that these werent real humans, even though they clearly were, and unleash such an insane n.
Yi Ji-Hyukughter grew hoarse. Cacklingughter and spit rising up viciously from his throat shook his entire figure.
Kill em all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those that hinder me.
Those that block me.
Kill every existence standing on the road to Terra Latrel and create a path. The road leading back to Earth lies in waiting for me there.
If someone were to ask me if the road leading back home was worth all the lives I took away in the process, then I shall reply like so.
Obviously.
He didnt care if he was recorded as the worst devil ever lived in the history books. Whether he was referred to as the ughterer of the masses or the historys worst egotistic destroyer, such a thing didnt matter one jot to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
To him, bing a devil was hundreds, no, thousands of times more preferable than living for thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands C maybe even millions C of years in this hellish ce.
That was why....
Kill em all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Crimson light swirled within Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
He would kill them all without leaving one behind. Again, and again. He would kill over and over again, to return to his world.
For that singr purpose, Yi Ji-Hyuk marched forward.
Ahhhh-ahk!!
Kuwaaaahk!
Oh, dear Latrel......
Soldiers quite obviously died in their droves.
Humans trying to stand in the way of the great monster army would never be able to survive. Didnt matter if people of this world possessed powers iparably mightier than those of modern Earth, everything was meaningless when confronted by Yi Ji-Hyuk and his powers built up over the course of several thousand years.
Also, nonbatant humans were dying, too.
Monsters breached the fortress walls and invaded the vige beyond.
Yi Ji-Hyuk witnessed that spectacle with his two eyes. Even those not offering resistance were swept away.
Adults, children, men, women....
The great monster army didnt discriminate ones age, gender nor race, and bestowed a truly fair sentence of death to all that stood before its unrelenting march.
Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely followed after them.
Uwaaaah!!
Every now and then, there were those few who managed to break through the monsters to reach him.
In the eyes of others, they were super humans, or maybe, one of those brave warriors. Indeed, they were noble, great existences that exceeded the limitation of humanity despite being born as one.
Unfortunately, their ends were still the same.
The strain of Mana Yi Ji-Hyuk flicked from the tip of his fingers shattered and utterly disintegrated the creature once known as a human being, not even leaving a single cell behind.
Yi Ji-Hyuk observed that scene with disinterest, and while briefly thinking about how futile all of it was, continued to walk forward.
Blood, and ruins.
Those were the only things remaining after he passed by.
Before long, many took to calling him the One who brings forth the apocalypse.
What a funny thing that was.
He never once wished for the destruction of this world. No, what he truly wanted was to disappear from this world, instead.
If they were truly fearful of the apocalypse he was allegedly bringing upon them, then everything wouldve been solved by handing over the Eye of Latrel and getting the hell out of his way. But then, these fools continued rush in at him for the sake of martyrdom, the belief in the oh-so-noble religion propping up their bodies shivering in fear of him.
One would be hard-pressed to find a moment where humanitys contradiction was in such a stark disy.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped past human blood on the ground and marched forward.
Not too long left until he reached Terra Latrel.
*
..............
Hed never get used to the moment of opening his eyes.
Only after confirming the Earths air, which was slightly different from that of Berafes, did he realise that him being here was no dream.
Did you sleep well? (Affeldrichae)
....I had a nice dream. Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wasnt a nightmare? (Affeldrichae)
Nope, it was rather enjoyable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd been a bit better if only the creature right before his eyes didnt happen to be the one most capable of reminding him of Berafe in this whole freaking.
Affeldrichae gently stroked his cheek.
But, you were screaming during your sleep. (Affeldrichae)
It mustve been my version of cheering. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about your cold sweat? (Affeldrichae)
I guess it got a bit hot in here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae looked at him with pitying eyes, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to retort back.
Stop looking at me like that. If all those things Ive killed so far were not humans but dragons, do you think you can continue to look at me in the same manner? Im getting thispulsion to go out and hunt me some dragons just because Im getting fed up of that look, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know how individualistic we are as a species, yet you still say such a thing? (Affeldrichae)
Being different species can be a pain sometimes. Its so bloody hard to understand you lot using my perspective. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
These creatures called dragonscked the sense of fellowship, so much so that each of them could be called an individual species in their own right. Hell, even a parent and its offspring didnt share any special bond or anything like that, either.
And that was why Affeldrichae would never be able to understand Yi Ji-Hyuk in turn, too.
It cant be helped. (Affeldrichae)
I didnt say anything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
He then pushed away Affeldrichae embracing his head and raised his body up. His gaze drifted outside the windows. The beating rays of the sun was just about the same as Berafes.
Itd been nicer if your inside was as strong as your outside. (Affeldrichae)
Are you implying that Im a sensitive guy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and opened the door to leave the room.
Were supposed to return to work today, so stop dilly-dallying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae watched him go take a shower and sighed softly under her breath.
If only he had a little more time.... (Affeldrichae)
She couldnt fully determine whether the erosion of his body was affecting his mind, or his closely-guarded inside was being exposed as his body began deteriorating, but one thing was for certain C the mirror enveloping the existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk was shattering away piece by piece.
Just a little bit more time..... (Affeldrichae)
Her voice sounded even more hollow than usual.
< 334. Itll soon start -4 > Fin.
(TL: Merry Christmas to you all, and happy holidays to those that dont adhere to Christianity.)
Chapter 335: It’ll soon start (5)
Chapter 335: Itll soon start (5)
Aaaah-wuuuh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stretched his shoulders wide as the sunlight enveloped him.
Man, feels like that was the best sleep I had in months. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, the dream itself might have been utter crap, but for the first time in a long while, his body condition felt excellent. Recently, he had been feeling like a soaked sponge regardless of how much he slept or rested, but today, he truly felt light and refreshed.
Chilly morning air seeped in and filled up his lungs. This sensation of his chest cooling down felt quite nice, too.
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly cracked his neck from side to side, and began walking towards the office.
Woof!
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik standing next to the front gate was busy wagging its short tail.
Why are you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof! Woof!!
Although it was kinda funny to hear a deep, bassy barking out from such a small body, but never mind that C Yi Ji-Hyuk found it quitemendable that this little guy came to see its owner off.
Come over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Oh-Sik quickly dashed over to Yi Ji-Hyuk and wagged its tail even more enthusiastically.
Would anyone even think Oh-Sik was an Ogre after witnessing this scene? This little guy was busy rubbing its body against Yi Ji-Hyuks leg, maybe after it hadpletely forgotten about its identity as an Ogre.
Well, who cares about being an Ogre or a dog?? As long as you can live a nice life, its all good! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing Oh-Sik like this, he suddenly felt that the past him worrying about his humanity and identity was an idiot. What did any of that matter, anyway? No, what truly mattered was how happily one lived in the present. That was it.
Learning from a beast of all things, huh. Now thatsmendable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk left Oh-Sik there for a second or two to go back inside the house, and re-emerged with arge b of meat in tow.
Here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Siks eyes went round after seeing the meat as big as its own body. This owner of his, always feeding the poor Ogre nothing but dog food, mustve fallen off the bed or something this morning, because he was actually giving away meat.
Crunch.
The frozen b of meat, so hard that not even a knife could nick it, was easily torn to bits by the creatures fangs, leading Yi Ji-Hyuk to go, oh, as expected of an Ogre.
....No, hang on. Ones sense of identity is important, it seems. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He could feel how crucial it was to live as how one looked after observing Oh-Sik and his rather-cute looking small figure rip apart and swallow that meat, which happened to be as big as its entire body. The sense of disharmony in this scene was no joke.
In the meantime, Oh-Sik polished off the meat leaving no trace of it behind. Its belly bulged noticeably, too.
Was such a thing even physically possible??
That was basically the same as a man devouring an entire cattle in one sitting, but hell, Oh-Sik was still licking its lips as if that impromptu meal wasnt enough.
You arent getting more, kiddo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the word got out that he just fed the dog rather expensive beef, his mother might end up exploding his back. Yi Ji-Hyuks thoughts arrived that far, and he hurriedly walked outside the front gate.
Woof, woof!!
Oh-Sik barked and followed after him.
Good morning. (Kim Dah-Som)
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was taken by surprise at the sight of Kim Dah-Som standing outside the gate waiting for him.
W-what are you doing?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I waited for you, thinking that you might be going to work today. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Soms cheeks had be flushed from the coldness while she waited for him; she pulled out a tumbler from her bag on the side that kind of resembled a cooler box and pushed it towards him.
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its coffee. (Kim Dah-Som)
....But I dont usually drink stuff like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its half syrup, half coffee. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ohh, thank you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He felt slightly scared of Kim Dah-Som who seemingly hadpletely analysed his personal tastes right down to the finest details, but well, the syrupden warm coffee letting off gentle steam was too strong a temptation to fight off in this particr winter morning.
Yi Ji-Hyuk slurped on the contents of the tumbler as he began walking towards the office.
Oh-Sik quickly jumped into Kim Dah-Soms arms and went on a full-on aegyo attack, prompting the girl to pick up and hug the Ogre.
Why is he so cute today? (Kim Dah-Som)
....Actually, you should be the one that looks cute in its eyes. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
...No, hang on. Maybe its more like looking tasty? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? I dont eat dog meat. Not at all. (Kim Dah-Som)
Its the opposite of that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While watching her tilt her head in utter confusion, he began worrying about whether Oh-Sik was really thinking of Kim Dah-Som as just a snack or not, and was drooling at the prospect of devouring her whole.
He might have done some proper education on the creature, but wild beasts supposedly werent able to hide their true nature or something in the end, werent they?
That tickles. (Kim Dah-Som)
However, seeing Oh-Sik lick Kim Dah-Soms cheek like that, he thought that maybe his worries were groundless, after all.
Thats supposed to be an Ogre.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That, that is.....
Something like that little thing is....! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
The Ogres dignity, a creature so mighty that a single howling from it could make every tree and animal caught within range tremble in fear, was nowhere to be found now.
That thing... was simply a dog at this point.
Anyways. What are you doing here so early? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, its already a bitte, you know. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My school usually starts much earlier than this, so I couldnte before. However, its okay for me to go to schoolte today and thats why I came to see you. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ohh, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to generously reward the school for guaranteeing that his morningmute would be eventless up until now.
Hang on a sec. Honestly speaking, its not all that bad, I suppose.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, he was exaggerating a bit since he had been carrying on with this shtick for a while now, but in all honesty, walking together with Kim Dah-Som proved to be not as terrible as he initially thought. Besides, it wasnt as boring as walking alone, too....
Oppa, arent your hands cold? (Kim Dah-Som)
She pulled out a pair of gloves from her pocket, then personally put them on his hands.
Ill be fine without them, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, but your hands are red from the cold, you know. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? Shes right? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at his hands and was slightly taken by surprise. He had been sensing a bit of chillinessing from his hands, and sure enough, they were rather red from the cold.
Im supposed to be an ability user, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This kind of phenomenon wouldnt be out of ce for the sorcerer version of Yi Ji-Hyuk, but his current physique bolstered by Ether should have brushed off this level of coldness pretty easily, so this was....
...I guess I have be really weak. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that his body had gone out of whack for sure.
What an irony it was, realising such a thing not during a serious situation nor in the middle of a fight, but during a normal, every day moment.
Todays really cold, isnt it? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng, it is (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where is the scarf I gave you thest time? (Kim Dah-Som)
....Somewhere at home, I guess? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please put it on next time. I heard that nothing else matters as much as your health. (Kim Dah-Som)
N-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Now originally, he shouldve felt burdened by this level of interest or nagging being showered on him, but judging from how he wasnt minding hers at all, it seemed that his thought process had changed a lot. If not, maybe his wish to lean on someones shoulders mustve gotten stronger, instead.
Regardless of which one it was, though, one couldnt deny that changes had taken in him.
Is Ye-Won doing well in school? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Kim Dah-Som shifted her gaze to the distance.
....Just be honest with me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Soms expression was troubled as she spoke up.
After the transfer, she seemed to be behaving for a little while, but.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? But? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, nowadays.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt inquire any further.
Even King Sejong the Great failed to rein in Prince Yangnyeong, his brother. So, it seemed that siblings were eternally destined never to rein in their brothers and sisters the way they would have liked to.
At least, shes not bullying other kids anymore. (Kim Dah-Som)
Well, thats a relief. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had to simply ept that his guidance couldnt reach his little sister.
There is only one way remaining. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He needed to make Choi Jeong-Hoon and Ye-Won into a couple as soon as possible, no matter what.
It might be smarter to get them married right after she graduates. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If Choi Jeong-Hoon heard this, the poor man wouldve fainted with bubbles foaming in his mouth, but too bad, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt think of it that way. When ites to the matters of marriage, the opinions of the parties involved should be considered as most important, but what with the level of blindness currently possessing Yi Ji-Hyuk, he genuinely believed that his younger sister was a wonderful wife material to Choi Jeong-Hoon as she was currently.
The office building came into his view in the distance, and Yi Ji-Hyuk stretched his limbs grandly.
Dont you have to get going soon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill just apany you to the front entrance. (Kim Dah-Som)
Okay. Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was right then, something was rushing towards them from the distance at a frightening knock of speed.
Daaaaaah-Soooooom-aaaaaah! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
................
Thats not why you were given that special ability....
South Koreas fastest ability user, Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun, was dashing towards them at an incredible rate of speed. Anyone witnessing this uncool spectacle would begin to question just what an ability user was supposed to be.
Your lunch! You forgot your lunch box! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly felt thispulsion to punch the living daylights out of Kim Dah-Hyun after seeing thetter run towards here while wearing a motherly apron, its ends held in hand ever so delicately, but somehow managed to calm his boiling mind.
If only this fool was an ugly POS!
Why couldnt you gimme me that face when it was going to be misused like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt bad-looking himself, but he still felt rather burdened whenever Kim Dah-Hyun came too close, since thetter was handsome enough to utterly render any famous celebs into ugly squids in an instant.
Why are you here? (Kim Dah-Som)
You forgot your lunch box. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
My school has a cafeteria! Who packs lunch boxes these days to school?! (Kim Dah-Som)
I told you not to eat those mass-produced junk food! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The sight of the bickering siblings brought a deep sigh to Yi Ji-Hyuks lips. Sure, siblings arguing happened all the time, but there was something fundamentally wrong with these two.
....Get out of the way, siscon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
This guy didnt even notice me?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt somewhat saddened by the surprised expression forming on Kim Dah-Hyuns face.
Hey, arent you supposed to be at work? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Ill be. Right after this. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun quickly folded and stuffed the apron in his pocket.
Why did he need to act like an imbecile when he was blessed with such good looks?
Most of the time, Yi Ji-Hyuk was judged to be not normal by the others, but Kim Dah-Hyuns current behaviour made him wonder if he was one of the sanest, most well-adjusted persons among the ability users out there.
Whatever. Im leaving. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had no time to waste on a moron. Regardless of what Kim Dah-Hyun was saying, Yi Ji-Hyuk resolutely ignored them all and hurried towards the office.
The sounds of the siblings arguing caused another sigh to escape from his lips, but what could he do?
Wait, is it possible that me and Ye-Won look like them to other people? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that would be a rather terrifying prospect, indeed.
Wee back. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
After sending Kim Dah-Som away, Yi Ji-Hyuk entered the office only to be greeted by Choi Jeong-Hoon and his smooth smile.
Uh? Coffee? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keuh, I had already prepared some for you so I can give to you the moment you stepped inside, but well, too bad. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began wondering since when he became known for his penchant for drinking coffee.
Nothing happened today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A Gate is opening up, but its been determined to be a low-risk. Its level is low, so it seems that we are not required to show up there to provide support at this stage. I cant tell how long its been since we had a morning as quiet as this one. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why dont you take a break and go home for a bit, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahahaha, that was a funny joke, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I wasnt joking, though.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One should really take a break on a day like today, because Choi Jeong-Hoon might keel over from overwork at this rate. Having be aware of how badly out of whack his own body was, Yi Ji-Hyuk could now acutely tell how much strain other people was under, too.
In any case, todays aim is to go home at the designated hours. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hoh-oh, youre dreaming of something grand there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We dream so that it mighte true one day. As long as the North continue to keep quiet, then it might reallye true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, now that you mention it, whats going on with them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No notable news, so far. We cant even tell who won in the end, actually. Pyongyang is eerily silent at the moment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk recalled the good-natured face of Kim Yong-Hui. He judged that man to be a type that wouldnt go for the option of spilling blood to stand on the apex of everything, despite his lust for power. But it seemed that that analysis was somewhat wide off the mark. (TL note at the end)
Well, the mindset of Berafes humans and modern Earths arent the same, so there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Humans didnt always behave in the ways he predicted regardless of how many examples he hade across. He shouldnt havepletely trusted in his own experiences, in other words.
I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to head towards his usual spot, only for Choi Jeong-Hoon to stop him.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your seat is over there. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the massive wooden desk at the best spot in the office and spat out a lengthy sigh.
....Please revert everything back to how it was. Let Miss Seo Ah-Young sit there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, our director might rip us a new one if we did that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, and you dont mind your director getting a new one himself? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ill change right away. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Finally finding his pretext, Choi Jeong-Hoon swiftly issued his order of swapping the locations of the equipment to the new secretaries.
Ohh, how should I put this? You now look like someone really important. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fut. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned in satisfaction. Considering the importance of him, it always felt like he never really had enough subordinates to boss around, but now that more personnel had been added to their ranks, he finally gave off the right vibe of a proper bigshot.
It shouldve been like this from the beginning. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre right. I dont understand why it took so long, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats how all bureaucracy is like, unfortunately. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just before Choi Jeong-Hoon could continue on, though, the office door was pushed open and a certain figure strode inside.
< 335. Itll soon start -5 > Fin.
(TL: our author made a mistake with the name of the North Korean politician. It shouldve been Park Yong-Hui, but he wrote Kim Yong-Hui in the raw, instead. I left as is, just in case an unannounced change happens in the future chapters.)
Chapter 336: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (1)
Chapter 336: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (1)
Uh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon confirmed who entered the office and let out a gasp.
What brings you here, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats the matter? Am I not supposed to be here? (Song Jeong-Su)
No, well, thats not it, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only chuckle from who the new entrant to the scene was.
His all-gray swept-back hair and expensive-looking ck suit powerfully emitted this mans dandiness, but at the same time, his jutting pectoral muscles, as well as biceps and the femoral muscles threatening to burst out of the suits seams,pletely covered up his dandiness with this untamed, wild look.
Indeed, it was the leader of the ruling party, Song Jeong-Su.
Ohh, ahjussi. Been a really long time, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Su swallowed back his groan after hearing Yi Ji-Hyuk.
How should he put this?
That man, he sure knew how to make you love him and loathe him in equal measure.
If Song Jeong-Su thought about what this young man had done to him, then killing the punk hundreds of times wouldnt satisfy him, but he couldnt deny that his new lease on life was also due to the b*stard, as well.
He wouldve never get to enjoy this level of vigour currently overflowing within his body if he didnt get thrown into the other world. Seriously now, didnt his wife, younger than him by a dozen-plus years, throw a hubaloo yesterday while asking where he went to get a body like this one?
All thanks to that, Song Jeong-Su got to enjoy one of the most abundant morning workouts in thest decade or so. Thats why he found Yi Ji-Hyuk both hateful and thankful at the same time.
How have you been? Is everything alright? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, yeah, all thanks to your consideration. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reason why Yi Ji-Hyuks reply sounded oh-so detestable shouldnt be all down to Song Jeong-Sus personality. Surely not.
Endure it. (Song Jeong-Su)
While experiencing both North Korea and the other world, Song Jeong-Su truly got to learn Yi Ji-Hyuks importance to South Korea, no, the entire world.
In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, the existence of a lone man possessing the power to fight back was, simply put, a priceless treasure. Only after realising this crucial fact did he understand how poorly the South Korean government treated Yi Ji-Hyuk up until now.
If it was me, Id have moved to the U.S by now. (Song Jeong-Su)
There was a reason why Song Jeong-Su lived in Korea and not in America. Not because he loved staying in the country of his birth, but simply because he wouldnt get to enjoy the current position of absolute political power in the United States.
Didnt matter whether he was the leader of the ruling party or not, hed be no different from a regr Asian geezer when in the American soil. Sure, he might be treated well if he travelled to the U.S, but that was solely because of his position as the ruling partys leader, not because he was a man named Song Jeong-Su.
However, the same logic didnt apply to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If Song Jeong-Sus power was rtive, than Yi Ji-Hyuks power was absolute. Even if it wasnt South Korea, thetter would easily enjoy as good a treatment he currently received from the American government. Scratch that, hed definitely enjoy far better benefits from them, thats for sure.
Its always this sad tale for South Korea, isnt it.... (Song Jeong-Su)
It wasmon to see in Korea those with talent never getting what they deserved, whether they were scientists or whatever.
Such a situation urred with an rming regrity C a situation where a person with talent and ability get treated badly, which leads to them being taken away by another country; and when their true worth was revealed to the rest of the world at ater stage, the government suddenly invoke this thing about patriotism and ardently wish for the triumphant return of this person in question.
We simply cannot afford for something like that to happen this time around. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su had no desire to lose Yi Ji-Hyuk to another country. He was the important key that allowed the Republic of Korea to go through the most prosperous period in its history.
I tried my best to make things morefortable for you, but if there is something still bugging you, tell me. I shall try to fix it right away. (Song Jeong-Su)
Oh my, thank you so much for your consideration. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon deeply bowed, but Yi Ji-Hyuk remained unimpressed.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, is there anything youre unhappy with? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, not particrly, no. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I promise that the support towards the NDF will be prioritised over anything else from now on. (Song Jeong-Su)
Never mind the support and all that, how about a general pay rise, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It shall be done. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ehng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes went round from surprise.
He was just saying whatever that came to his mind, so he was somewhat taken aback by that unexpectedly quick reply.
Ive been looking into the matter already and as it turns out, you were all sharing the same sry system with the regr KSF agents. This issue of the elite agents having the same pay system as the lowest-grade agents will negatively affect the morals of the organisation if left alone so I shall see to it that the matter is adjusted within the next couple of weeks. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ahjussi, I thought you were a politician? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? (Song Jeong-Su)
Now normally, politicians just pay you lip service and thats about it. They usually beat around the bush and never give out a definite time table, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Su smirked meaningfully.
Thats only when they arent interested in the first ce. I am indeed a politician. However, Im also a man who firmly believes that time is life itself on the matters that has to be done right away. For now, I shall ensure that the new system regarding the NDF agents will be announced as soon as possible. And also.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su scanned Yi Ji-Hyuk from top to bottom before carrying on.
Yours will be adjusted ordingly, too. I heard that you get treated the same as contracted civil servant even now? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yup. Its true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont know which stupid jacka*s came up with that idea, but..... (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon flinched and cowered slightly.
We will immediately sign a new contract. Before you go home today, the KSF director will stop by to speak to you. (Song Jeong-Su)
....Huh. Somethings wrong here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
The Republic of Korea he knew did not operate like this. It was the norm to see people work hard but never get rewarded in this country. Those that rode in with their parachutes would settle down in their meaningless positions, and a huge amount of financial resources would be diverted to these money-wasting cockroaches, enabling them to go around buying expensive luxury goods with theirpany expenses card C now that was the Hell Joseon he was familiar with.
At this rate, this country might lose its qualifications to be called Hell whatever.
By the way.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su shifted his gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A sudden bout of military discipline entered Choi Jeong-Hoon and he stood stiffly at attention. Unlike these ability users, he was a civil servant acutely aware of how much political power the old man before his eyes possessed.
I also heard that your pay is considerably poorpared to the amount of hard work you put in. (Song Jeong-Su)
.........Sir, I thought that my wages have been quite adequate so far. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You cant say that its right to pay you the same amount as regr civil servant when you work for the NDF, with only the risk pay added on top. I promise you, both the agents working for the KSF and the NDF will be paid the amount that even the regr civil servants can agree with. However, I believe this part might require somews and bills to be passed first, so can you sit tight for a little while? (Song Jeong-Su)
Thank you, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon bowed deeply.
Ahjussi, I see that youre angling for the job in the presidential office. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su roared out inughter.
If I wish to be the president, then I should be busy criticising you. You know how negative sentiments towards the ability users are among the regr people right now, yet you can still crack jokes like that? (Song Jeong-Su)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked back and Choi Jeong-Hoon lowered his head a little.
....In that case, whats up with all this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Sus follow-up smile was subtle.
Why dont we say its all too scary? (Song Jeong-Su)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only after I ended up in the other world did I get to truly learn how terrifying these monsters can be. I heard that the world you sent me was filled with only weaker monsters. Was that right? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, sure. Something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, I still learned the hard way how cruel and vicious these monsters can actually get. Also, how scary it can be, living your entire life in the frontlines. I looked back and realised that I had never really thought about such a thing even though I live in South Korea, a country where monsters far more terrifying than them pop out of Gates all the time. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head. That was the situation urring countless times currently out in society.
In the end, our society is functioning only because of the exploitation of the ability users and their sacrifices. Im supposed to be a politician, yet failed to catch that. My eyes are open now after that sojourn to another world, however. So, I began thinking. What if ability users suddenly go on a strike as a group....? Our society will crumble down in an instant. Of course, they know full well that the nation will be destroyed if they dont work so surely, they wouldnt go on a strike, but still. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su paused for a second to take a breather, and continued on.
However, thats simply a threat, trickery, with the entire country held as coteral. If were talking about a properly-functioning government, then its only right that the ones sacrificing themselves for the sake of their mother nation should bepensated ordingly. But we got ourselves all these politicians busy criticising and bad-mouthing ability users just for some extra political points. What a frustrating thing this is. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk came to a conclusion right then.
So, basically, you ate something weird in the other world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that how it is...... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su formed a frustrated expression. He knew that conversing at length with Yi Ji-Hyuk was an utter waste of time yet he continued to yap on for a while, so who was the fool here?
....In any case, just know that this will be the norm from now on. (Song Jeong-Su)
What will be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Never mind. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stopped paying Yi Ji-Hyuk attention and shifted his gaze back to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
If there is something else, give me a call and tell me. (Song Jeong-Su)
Understood, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was fully aware of how incredible it was to have Song Jeong-Su on their side.
If you asked who enjoyed the greatest level of political power in the Korean Republic, then without a doubt, it should be its president, Yun Yeong-Min.
Even if he was rated pretty abysmally in the poprity poll, theres no denying that he still wielded considerable power. Thats how powerful the authority granted to the sitting president.
However, Song Jeong-Sus powers were easily up to par with that.
Sure, he might not be one with the actual authority, but as far as his political influence was concerned, it easily exceeded the presidents. It would be no exaggeration to say that there was no ce in the government that he couldnt reach, whether that be the legitive, judicial, or even administrative branch.
Hell, even President Yun Yeong-Min carried out this mans opinion, even though they were supposedly in an antagonistic rtionship, so there was no need to mention this any further.
Thank you, party leader-nim. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dont mention it. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su epted the gratitude and looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Although its still too early, why dont we go and eat something if you havent had breakfast yet? (Song Jeong-Su)
Ahjussi, are you buying?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you think Ill ask you to pay? (Song Jeong-Su)
M-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his head and looked at Choi Jeong-Hoon, then whispered quietly.
This, I cant go past 30,000 Won, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon deeply pondered something, before shaking his head.
I dont think thats applicable to you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre also exempt, soe with us. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ah, will that be fine, sir? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled brightly.
Ahjussi, you sound like youve got some money stashed somewhere. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thats because politics is something that only the fools with lots of money and too much free time on their hands can partake in. The ones that should really be involved are just too busy making a living so they cant even dare to enter the political scene. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ohh, I see. That kinda makes sense. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why Ive been arguing that the pension for the National Assemblymen should be guaranteed by the state, but too bad, citizens dont seem to be agreeing with that sentiment, what with every single one of our politicians being stinking thieves at heart. (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, whod like the idea of paying pension of the dudes with our taxes when they are all hell-bent on enriching themselves? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why we should let people who arent corrupt be National Assemblymen. Since you cant join a regrpany once you be an Assemblyman, its little wonder why only those with wealth are trying to enter the politics. (Song Jeong-Su)
....Ahjussi, youre definitely a politician, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is it now? (Song Jeong-Su)
You see, the stuff youre saying, it sounds pretty sweet, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huhuhuhuh. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su chuckled loudly and wrapped his arm around Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders.
Well, in that case, would you dare to eat a meal with this con man, then? If you dont keep your wits about you, I mightpletely wring you dry of every cent you have. (Song Jeong-Su)
Feels like your biceps are choking me in the arteries. What a missed opportunity this is, Mister Park Seong-Chan not being here and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was dragged outside the office by Song Jeong-Su. Choi Jeong-Hoon watched the duo for a bit, shook his head in helplessness, and followed after them.
How should he put this?
Is it like, they are utterly ipatible yet somehow, they are a perfectbination?
Ng?
What, Im also the same?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
....Eiiii, theres no way. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
< 336. That sounds like a dangerous announcement -1 > Fin.
Chapter 337: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (2)
Chapter 337: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (2)
(TL: Happy new year, everyone! May you all enjoy a prosperous year!)
The restaurant Song Jeong-Su took Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jeong-Hoon to was unmistakably a high-ss one.
W-wouldnt this prove to be a problemter? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats the matter? You think Ill ask you for a favour under the table? (Song Jeong-Su)
S-still, sir. Even if we dont look it, were still government officials, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was clearly flustered and unsettled, but Song Jeong-Su simply smirked back.
Asking for a favour or bribing someone urs when a person without power to do certain things uses wealth to entice those that do. Am I wrong? (Song Jeong-Su)
No, youre correct. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, how can this asion be called improper when it is I treating you two to a good meal? (Song Jeong-Su)
....My thoughts were immature, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Disregarding Yi Ji-Hyuk for a bit here, the truth was that whatever Choi Jeong-Hoon could do, so could Song Jeong-Su.
Just a few words from Song Jeong-Su was enough of an exnation to wash away all the bits that caused Choi Jeong-Hoon headaches.
What do they serve here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Too bad, Yi Ji-Hyuks mind was preupied by something else.
When in a restaurant, you eat. Now that was a refreshingly simple mindset.
Were in a han-jeongsik ce. (Song Jeong-Su) (TL note at the end)
Ohhh, han-jeongsik. Nice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I used to prefer western-style cuisine before crossing over to the other world, but after I came back, Ive developed this inexplicable hankering for the traditional Korean cuisine. (Song Jeong-Su)
Aha, I think I get what you mean. But this is a bit weird, though? I just find all types of food good to eat, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mmm, I guess you might. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon chuckled soundlessly while looking at these two men finding something of amon ground in an unlikely topic. But then again, these two should get what each others were feeling far better than anyone out there.
No one on this would understand or sympathise with the experience of suddenly crossing over to another world and surviving better than these two, after all.
However, there was this one thing Choi Jeong-Hoon found a bit strange.
It was possible for Yi Ji-Hyuk to sympathise with Song Jeong-Su, but thetter doing the same with the former just felt off.
Regardless of what, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the culprit that forced Song Jeong-Su to go through that wretched experience. So, from thetters perspective, it should only be obvious that hed hold deep-seated grudge against the former.
Even then, he was going out of his way to bolster the support directed to Yi Ji-Hyuk, reconsider thetters official status, and even showed up to take them out for a meal to build more friendly rtionship. It all just felt unnatural.
Is it because hes a politician? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Only those capable of smiling and shaking hands with their sworn enemies were qualified to be politicians, or so they say C in that case, the current Song Jeong-Su was the perfect example of a true politician.
One could tell how amazing he was by him smiling and conversing so cordially with the culprit responsible for putting him through that hellish ordeal.
But then again, this is Song Jeong-Su were talking about, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Song Jeong-Su didnt need any other modifiers or nicknames. His name alone was enough. Well, he was the man with the greatest influence in the South Korean political scene, after all.
Western style, traditional.... as long as the seasoning is done right, you can basically eat anything, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. I never imagined that salt was that important in my whole life. (Song Jeong-Su)
Keuh, so you finally realised it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
By the way, this....
Am I being forgotten here? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Watching these two chat away in the topic ofmon interest, Choi Jeong-Hoon suddenly felt like the unwanted third wheel.
You arent facing any difficulties with your daily life, then? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, you know how it is with life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about your family? I heard that you reside in the ability user residential area, but isnt it ufortable there? What with so many people crammed in there and all. (Song Jeong-Su)
Nah, no one knows who lives next door to them these days anyway. Been a while since we moved there, but nothing interesting happened so far. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If by any chance you run into problems regarding your stay, dont forget to give me a call right away. Should I give you my contact number? (Song Jeong-Su)
Nah, its fine. This dude should know already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon, instantly demoted to the role of phone shuttle, piped up in a voice filled with barely-contained rage.
Yes, I know it already. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon disyed his highest level of pride by not tacking on the expected follow-up of Please talk to me whenever you need it at the end.
The food was soon brought out and Song Jeong-Su encouraged his guests to dig in.
Shall we, gentlemen? (Song Jeong-Su)
Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thanks for the meal. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Perhaps due to the establishment being high-ss, the overall taste seemed to be slightly mild yet luxurious somehow. Quite obviously, the taste would be different from your run-of-the-mill diners....
....This, this doesnt taste good, though? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, so this is what tasteless food is like. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was under the impression that expensive food cant taste bad so he was about to start ming his rubbish palette, but Yi Ji-Hyuk next to him forthrightly made his case known first.
These only look nice on the outside. But they all taste so nd and forgettable. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its because there are no added artificial vours. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, why not? Tasting good is all that matters, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall take note the next time. Still, the main course should be better seasoned, so why dont we stay patient for a bit longer? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, well. It doesnt really matter to me either way. I can eat pretty much anything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was he trying to say it mattered or it didnt? Choi Jeong-Hoon found it hard to figure out.
How have you been holding up? (Song Jeong-Su)
I told you, its more or less fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that so? But, Ive been finding it hard, you see? (Song Jeong-Su)
..........
Song Jeong-Su grinned and continued on.
Even now, whenever someone is standing behind me, I get this urge to spin around and punch that person to death. Dont you have moments like that? (Song Jeong-Su)
Ah, well, I havent experienced a lot of dangers back then, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, that shouldnt be the entire story? (Song Jeong-Su)
Humans are creatures capable of fast adaptation, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm, youre indeed correct. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus smile became lighter.
However, your stay in another worldsting thousands of years could have changed everything about you, including your mentality, yet you were able to relimatise no problem? (Song Jeong-Su)
Im still getting used to things, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Will you be able to fully get used to how things are? (Song Jeong-Su)
....I wonder. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The conversation suddenly became a lot more serious.
Actually, I showed up today so I could meet and speak to you like this. (Song Jeong-Su)
Regarding? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wanted to see how someoneing back from another world is living his life. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Song Jeong-Su with a slight pout. Only now did he realise what this whole thing was about.
I guess its been tough for you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wont say its been easy. Not forck of trying. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su used the napkin to wipe his mouth.
Getting used to keeping up appearances again is proving to be quite a hard job. How should I say it.... its turning out to be quite difficult to rekindle that connection between people. (Song Jeong-Su)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Humans arent the only ones that do politics. However, non-human creatures dont try their darnedest to fool others or use each other. So now, when I see people behaving in that manner... Well, how should I exin it.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su formed a bright grin.
Should I say its all quite repulsive? (Song Jeong-Su)
...........
I cant do anything about my disgust towards other humans building up inside me. I just wanted to confirm if this was because I knew the political scene too well. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
Honestly, Im not the sharpest tool in the shed so I cant really figure out what youre trying to say here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, let me simplify it. (Song Jeong-Su)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent they getting in your way? (Song Jeong-Su)
......
Song Jeong-Sus expression suddenly became cold.
If I was in your shoes, Id probably think everything before me was just an annoyance that keep getting in my way. Although they are nominally called your support, it seems that only a teleporter named Miss Jeong Hae-Min can provide any sort of help to you. But, if were to get serious, then its also a bit vague to call what she does for you much of a help, either. Am I wrong? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Well, youre right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That means you arent getting any notable support from either the NDF or the KSF, and furthermore, the Republic of Korea itself, isnt it? Even if thats because we are not strong enough. (Song Jeong-Su)
I cant deny that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, dont you find it all too annoying? (Song Jeong-Su)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be pondering what to say here.
I wonder. Not sure how I can reply here, but... if Im being honest, then its true that the folks tagging along with me arent much of a help and sometimes, do be a bit of a hindrance, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only suck in his breath.
He already knew the truth, but hearing it from the horses mouth was making his chest feel tighter all of a sudden.
The NDF as an organisation was trying its very hardest to support Yi Ji-Hyuk, but unfortunately, there was very little they could actually do. One couldnt surpass the limitations of abilities they possessed, after all.
However, thats not the whole story, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean? (Song Jeong-Su)
Humans are efficient and rather rational creatures. But on the flip side, we can also be seriously irrational at times, too. Sure, they cant be much of a help to me, but they are helpful in other ways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....You dont need to defend them so vigorously like that, however. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was inwardly feeling a bit miserable, but it seemed that Song Jeong-Su was taking the answer in a different light.
I guess so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me, but.... I get that this is a matter you two can share intimately as both of you have experienced something rather unique, but as a guy stuck in the middle, its getting slightly harder to keep up. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its simple. If youre talking about being rational, you could say that unnecessary things do have their moments of necessity. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, sir. Lets all pretend that I get it now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression remained one of confusion.
So, he hasntpletely discarded his humanity, then. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su was deeply relieved.
The first thing he felt after his return from the other world was unfiltered malice towards Yi Ji-Hyuk. But when that cooled down sufficiently, what he felt next was his resistance towards society in general, surprisingly enough.
No, hang on C rather than resistance, itd be more correct to call it dissonance, instead. This feeling he got after looking at certain things that everyone took for granted from a different perspective, now that was something no one on this Earth could ever truly understand.
He only needed to stay there for twenty or so years to feel this much discord, so how much greater the dissonance Yi Ji-Hyuk mustve felt after his thousands of years on the other side?
When Song Jeong-Sus thoughts reached this far, he couldnt help but feel mystified by how Yi Ji-Hyuk managed to adapt to society and live trouble-free like this.
Its still fine, for now. (Song Jeong-Su)
Not one person around him proved to be useful, and only Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed enough power to protect the world. While carrying that oppressive weight, he also needed to avoid the political schemes being cooked up all around him, too.
What would Yi Ji-Hyuk be thinking of, when he took a gander at all these individual political influences scheming to use him for their nations interests, instead of uniting together in the face of iing global annihtion?
To the eyes of a man who had already half-exceeded the limitations of being human, what would other humanse across as?
No need to look at me like that. Cuz I aint gonna suddenly change my mind and try to destroy this world or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rather than you destroying the world, Im more worried about you getting fed up and dering that you wont do this anymore, instead. (Song Jeong-Su)
Eii, Ill also die if the world is destroyed, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you dont have much attachment to life anyway, no? (Song Jeong-Su)
..........
Its funny, this. A man who doesnt have much attachments to his own death is shedding his sweat and blood to protect this world. Its truly ironic, I think. (Song Jeong-Su)
To Song Jeong-Sus eyes, this creature called Yi Ji-Hyuk was full of contradictions.
Its fine either way. For now, it seems that you do want to protect this world, so I shall do everything in my power to support you. I might not have any real executive authority, but if thats needed, Im willing to even seize the position that does have it and provide you with what you need. (Song Jeong-Su)
Wait, that sounds like a dangerous announcement, doesnt it....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I didnt mean it that way. The next presidential election is not too far off, you see. The Korean presidents term in the office is only five years, after all. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ah, is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Except that.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Eh? (Yi ji-Hyuk)
For this level of support, its crucial to know whether you wish to protect this world or not. (Song Jeong-Su)
Eheeeii! I just.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its okay to not say anything. Ill hear it at ater stage. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus slight grin was enough to suppress Yi Ji-Hyuks voice.
Thetters expression hardened slightly.
< 337. That sounds like a dangerous announcement -2 > Fin.
(TL: Han-jeongsik or Korean table dh?te is a traditional Korean-style full course meal. Check it out through Google image search and marvel at its exquisiteness.)
Chapter 338: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (3)
Chapter 338: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (3)
And so, the mealtime came to an awkward end.
Choi Jeong-Hoon noticed Song Jeong-Su forming an expression of someone finding everything he wanted while climbing aboard the waiting car, and could only click his tongue.
I think the politicians are the very definition of indecipherable creatures. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in agreement. He had seen countless politicians in his life so far C he lived for thousands of years, so obviously there mustve been more than a couple of scheming b*stards showing up in his path during that time period.
Even then, he thought that the modern-day politicians were like a bunch of monsters with thousands of coiled snakes hiding within.
Its so weird. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why do such folks look like morons on TV, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahaha (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up chuckling out.
There was simply no way that politicians werecking in that aspect. Indeed, you could only try to be one if youve already tasted prior sess in your chosen field of profession, or were backed by great academic records.
Using the National Assemblymen as an example, most of them possessed quite a considerable work experience even if you removed their current job title. So it was an irony of all ironies to see the gathering of such people, the National Assembly, in utter shambles every single day, while the words and actions of these people as seen on TV were proving to be a veritableedic goldmine.
Well, who knows? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was indeed one of the modern worlds unsolvable mysteries.
A ce packed with such folks should be an abode of scheming demons, but to think, itd be that entertaining. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not every politician will be of simr capability to the party leader Song Jeong-Su. Hes got this whole country perfectly wrapped around his finger, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon genuinely believed that.
Just Song Jeong-Sus experience alone meant he had to be acknowledged as a force to be reckoned with, but what made him even more outstanding was his adaptability that, despite his two decades of stay in the other world, allowed him to sink his teeth back into the modern political scene in only a matter of days.
In all honesty, Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that Song Jeong-Sus career as a politician was as good as over after hearing how thetter had to spend two decades in another world. But then, never mind simply relimatising to the scene, he became even more active than ever before.
Hes an amazing person, alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whatever the case might have been, it was a big boon from Yi Ji-Hyuks and the NDFs perspective that someone like Song Jeong-Su was ready to back them.
Its good this way, isnt it? Someone with that much influence helping us out. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, its not much of a help to begin with, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..Thats true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that they thought about it, this was neither good or bad development for Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Lets go back. Ill y some games or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right, lets. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon inwardly told himself to work even harder during the time saved by eating an early lunch.
***
A certain man was hanging in the air, his whole figure in a wretched state.
The chains binding his wrist were digging into his flesh and the resulting blood trickled down nonstop, but maybe he was unconscious or had be too numb from the pain, the man simply remained sagging and unmoving.
Drip, drip.
Only the sounds of blood dripping on the floor rang out in this space. Which happened to be a prison.
This man was slowly dying in this prison where not even a streak of light could creep in. Sensations on his body were fading away gradually, and his consciousness was growing further and further away.
What remained in the man were dogged malice and this sense of shame.
How long has it been?
He couldnt tell how long it had been since his incarceration in this d*mned ce. It was impossible to retain ones sense of time when not even a ray of light seeped inside.
Some people would asionallye in to treat his injuries, so he tried asking them but that proved to be a waste of time.
He was slowly withering away in this darkened istion chamber.
Ka-boom!!
It was then, the mans eyes snapped wide open.
An external stimulus reached him like a massive thunderp trying to tear open the heavens and woke him up from his unresponsive state.
Kkeuh-heuk.
He raised his head only to be greeted by soul-searing pain coursing through his entire body. However, the man didnt try to fight against it; he knew that this was hundreds of times, no, maybe thousands of times better than not feeling anything at all.
Boom!! Bang!!!
The noises of explosion grew closer and closer. The man shut his eyes and concentrated on those sounds. No explosions should be going off in this ce he was currently imprisoned in.
This ce, the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun, turning into a battlefield was pretty much the signal of North Koreas destruction itself, after all.
He figured that there was pretty much no chance of external enemies invading the country. In that case, there could only be two options left.
One, monsters have managed to invade this far, and the other one was.
Comrade Chief of Staff!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
I knew it! (Park Yong-Hui)
A smirk floated up on Park Yong-Hui s lips.
His whole body was ravaged and tortured to the point where it couldnt be recognised anymore, but his consciousness hadnt yet lost the sense of who he was.
Who goes there?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Its me, Rhee Jin-Cheol!
You fool! What are you doing here?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Obviously, to break you out of here! (Park Yong-Hui)
Stop wasting time and escape from this ce! You wish to be caught as well and get killed?! You insane fool, are you trying to kill yourself?! Where do you think you are right now, busy showing your face here?! Hurry and escape, right now! (Park Yong-Hui)
Lets us escape together,rade! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Together, my foot!! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui roared out in anger. Did that man seriously not realise the severity of this situation?
You fool, listen! Our citizens are in danger of getting ughtered right now, so why do you think my own neck is more important in this situation?? You really think you should be rescuing me right now?! Hurry up and run, you fool! Now! (Park Yong-Hui)
Comrade, you need to survive so that the rest of the citizens can live, too! My men have suppressed the enemies in the immediate vicinity, sir! Please wait for a sec while I quickly open this d*mn door! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Are you deaf! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui cried out almost in sheer desperation.
Havent you figured it out yet? The ones you suppressed are only small fries!! The real deals arent here yet! Besides, how long do you think I will survive outside in my current condition?! We will all be destroyed in an instant! Dont you get that?! (Park Yong-Hui)
..Comrade. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Do you not understand what you need to do? You must stop this insane n from going forward. You miss the crucial opening by focusing on me, and that will doom us all! (Park Yong-Hui)
Then, what should I do? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Escape. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Huis voice spoke in a cadence simr to dripping blood.
Escape, and head straight to the South. To South Korea. (Park Yong-Hui)
Sir? To South Korea?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Find Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk, and tell him whats going on here. Ask him for help, and bring an army or whatever here, right away! (Park Yong-Hui)
B-but, Comrade Chief! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
This stinking son of a b*tch, whimpering like a little girl!! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui was growing desperate.
The sole remaining hope was Rhee Jin-Cheol. So how could he not get desperate when such a man couldnt seem to get the grips on the situation?
Jin-Cheol-ah!! (Park Yong-Hui)
..Sir, Comrade Chief of Staff. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Youre the only one I can trust. Now that you got this far, those b*stards will stop at nothing to kill you. Do you understand what Im saying here? (Park Yong-Hui)
Sir, yes sir. I do. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Survive no matter what, and head to South Korea. Everything depends on you. Live, and go south. Go and ask for Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuks assistance. (Park Yong-Hui)
However, will he help us? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He will. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Huis voice sounded confident.
That man, its just the way he speaks or acts thates across as unsightly, but in truth, did he not save our skins before? Without him, wed all be dead by now. Thats why he will help us this time, too. If he says he doesnt want to, cling onto his pants legs if you have to. (Park Yong-Hui)
.Understood, sir! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Hurry up and leave, you fool! If you stay here any longer, your neck will go flying, too! (Park Yong-Hui)
Ill definitely return, sir. I swear on my life, so please, survive until then,rade! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
You insane fool. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui cackled breathlessly.
He might not remain breathing for much longer now, so how could he wait for someone whose return wasnt guaranteed at all?
However, theres no reason not to say anything, now is there? (Park Yong-Hui)
Do not worry about me and escape immediately. You know how tenacious I am. Our citizens are about to get ughtered, so you know that I cant close my eyes until this crisis is over. (Park Yong-Hui)
Rhee Jin-Cheol forcibly suppressed his boiling innards.
Just by hearing that voice, he could tell how serious Park Yong-Huis current condition was. However, Rhee Jin-Cheol knew that he might get caught if he wasted anymore time than this, just like the Chief of General Staff have warned him.
F*ck! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He believed that a path might open up by rescuing Park Yong-Hui, but unfortunately, now wasnt the time to do this.
Please, you must stay alive! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Feeling like vomiting blood right now, Rhee Jin-Cheol shouted out and dashed towards the outside of the building.
What a foolish b*stard. (Park Yong-Hui)
.Survive, no matter what! You must survive! (Park Yong-Huis inner monologue)
Park Yong-Hui bit down hard on his lip.
Keuh, what a tear-jerking disy ofradeship that was. (?)
The new voiceing from outside the prison door caused Park Yong-Hui to gnash his teeth, instead. The culprit of all these insanity was right there. If only he could, hed have crawled and bite down on that abominable b*stards neck right this instance.
You, Jeong Min-Seong!! (Park Yong-Hui)
Creeeak!
The solid steel door opened up, and a certain man strode in. It was a young man with a dignified outer appearance wearing the Workers Party uniform.
It was none other than Jeong Min-Seong, who introduced himself as a Major belonging to the Department of Foreign Strategies within the Joseon Workers Party.
Please stop shouting so loudly like that. Ive got a sensitive disposition and people screaming so viciously like you can unnerve me unnecessarily, you see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seongs sly tone of voice didnt manage to stop Pak Yong-Huis gnashing teeth.
If only it wasnt for this b*stard, the situation wouldve gone in thepletely opposite direction. Park Yong-Hui couldve eliminated the swine leeching off the blood and sweat of the Norths citizens by now and freed them for real.
However, just before the big event could take ce, this d*mn b*stard ruined everything.
I will grind you b*stard to death!! (Park Yong-Hui)
You in that state will do what now? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong left behind a sly, mocking leer.
From the get-go, werent you the one making the mistake of believing that our dear Comrade Supreme Leader hadnte up with a contingency n when letting these ability users loose? Quite obviously, preparations have been made already in case you people decided to rise up one day. Thats not my fault now, is it? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cackled unsightly.
You, you! Just what are you nning?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Regarding what, exactly? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Be honest with me, now! A b*stard like you would never have stopped us out of loyalty to that swine! (Park Yong-Hui)
Oh, arent you a perceptive one? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seongs expression suddenly cooled down.
Of course, Ive no time for a swine blinded by the greed of power. Its just that, I have to follow the order of a certain great person, you see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Right now, Park Yong-Hui wasnt interested in the identity of who this person Jeong Min-Seong was talking about. No, the truly important thing had to with what this insane b*stard was nning to do, instead.
You, just what are you trying to do here?! How many citizens are you nning to ughter?! (Park Yong-Hui)
.Hmm, well, even I cant be sure. (Jeong Min-Seong)
What was that?? (Park Yong-Hui)
Lets be honest, its not my job toe up with such estimates, wouldnt you agree? I merely do as instructed, so theres not much I can do about the rise of a few sacrifices in the process, now can I? (Jeong Min-Seong)
A few?! Did you just say a few?? (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Huis brows shot up so high that they threatened to fly off.
Dont you dare running off that stinking mouth of yours, you hear me! You dare to take the lives of our citizens for granted?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Jeong Min-Seong nodded his head as if it was par for the course.
Of course. (Jeong Min-Seong)
.What? (Park Yong-Hui)
Regardless of what, arent they all just trash that fell behind in the natural evolution? (Jeong Min-Seong)
What bullsh*t are you spewing now?? (Park Yong-Hui)
Kekekeke. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seongughed in delight.
What does it matter to me if a few good-for-nothing trash heaps get eliminated in the process? (Jeong Min-Seong)
You, you.. (Park Yong-Hui)
Dear Comrade Chief of Staff, looks like youre under some sort of a mistaken assumption, but. Your side, well, youve already lost. You have all fallen behind in this race called natural evolution. And soon, this world will be ruled by the new type of mankind. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Are you saying that the ability users are this new type of humans? (Park Yong-Hui)
Its a wee bit different, actually. However, Im sure there isnt much of a difference from your perspective. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong beamed brightly.
If those insect-like lives can serve as the foundation for a brand new world, then wouldnt their deaths have meaning now? Ku-hahahahahat!! (Jeong Min-Seong)
After hearing those words, Park Yong-Huisplexion grew paler and paler.
< 338. That sounds like a dangerous announcement -3 > Fin.
Chapter 339: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (4)
Chapter 339: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (4)
There was no doubt that this b*stard was utterly insane. A person with a normal mindset would never think this way.
You crazy b*stard!! (Park Yong-Hui)
Certainly, I maye across as insane from where you stand. I wont deny that. However.... If I am to offer up an excuse, then well, Impletely motivated by my conviction and not because of a sudden whim. (Jeong Min-Seong)
How can you mouth off conviction or whatever when youre trying to drive our citizens to death?! (Park Yong-Hui)
Jeong Min-Seong tilted his head. And Park Yong-Hui wasnt stupid enough to not know that the exaggerated shaking of the head was meant to mock him.
Now that is a very normal-sounding deration, and its level of normalcy is rather mystifying to me. Comrade Chief, have you not been doing your absolute best to feed the swine by exploiting this nations citizens? (Jeong Min-Seong)
............
But now, such a man continues to mouth off something about for the people, for the citizens, so I cant help butugh at this situation. If youre really all for the sake of this nations citizens, why did you persist with what youve been doing? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Because, I didnt have enough power! (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui red with all his might.
Who wouldve endured it if they had power?! You can only hold your breath and do as youre told exactly because you dont have the necessary power! And we barely managed to raise enough strength and found the perfect opportunity to act, yet it was you that stood in our way!! (Park Yong-Hui)
Now that is amendable mindset, indeed. The end justifies the means! For the sake of freeing the citizens, a few sacrifices along the way are simply unavoidable! Now that is very much the way of this Democratic Republic! If the dear Comrade Supreme Leader hears you, who knows, he might break down in tears and start pping his hands. (Jeong Min-Seong)
You..... (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui clenched his teeth and red at Jeong Min-Seong.
How regrettable, then. Comrade Chief, your sole ray of hope, Major Rhee Jin-Cheol, is currently being pursued by the kids specially trained by yours truly. Rather than shouting at me, dont you think itll be a wiser investment of your time to pray that your friend suddenly develops an ability to fly in the air or to bend time and space to teleport to another area? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cackled hoarsely.
Fine. I shall pray. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui chewed out each of his words.
You stinking son of a b*tch! You should do well to also pray fervently that your underlings somehow catch Rhee Jin-Cheol. If not, he will soon bring Mister Rhee Ji-Hyuk over here! (Park Yong-Hui)
Hmm.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong nodded his head theatrically.
That is definitely a scary prospect. I admit that. I know full well that Rhee Ji-Hyuk is not human at all. That great person also ordered me not to oppose Rhee Ji-Hyuk or to get on his bad side no matter what, so I better do as Im told, no? (Jeong Min-Seong)
.....Just who is this person you keep bringing up? (Park Yong-Hui)
Even if I tell you, you wouldnt know. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong stood still and looked at Park Yong-Hui before turning around to leave.
Well, its all good and well to have hope, but continuing to shout like that will only worsen your condition. When Ie to visit you again next time, Ille along with Rhee Jin-Cheols head in tow, so please, do try to not die until then. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Kekekeke. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui chuckled hoarsely.
Why are you keeping me alive, anyway? (Park Yong-Hui)
Although Id like to say that the swine b*stard wanted to torture you for a bit longer and thats the real reason, but the truth is.... well.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong continued on with a slightly rueful tone of voice.
Indeed, the order to imprison you has been made, but there was nothing about ending your life. His brains been addled by drugstely, so you could say he haspletely lost it now. I think hes too busy chasing skirts nowadays to care, too. (Jeong Min-Seong)
....Haha. (Park Yong-Hui)
Park Yong-Hui could only chuckle powerlessly from that answer.
He was a rebel who failed in his coup attempt. Originally, he shouldve been ground right down to fine dust until not even a fragment of his bones could be found.
But, what was that just now?
He was forgotten?
So then. Everything has been seized already. (Park Yong-Hui)
No matter how infamous the topmander was for his crazy streak, he wasnt someone whod forget about the execution of a rebel. Sure, he also lusted after women, but not to this degree, either.
He might have be even more extreme and single-minded after killing his own uncle, but even then, he would never do something that wasnt what youd call logical or normal in a way. No, hang on C if that swine was someone like that to begin with, then hed not have been able to take over North Korea in the first ce.
Indeed, the top officials of the North werent dummies that would dly hand over everything, including the rights to determine their lives, to a wet-behind-ears hatchling who knew nothing, regardless of whether he was from the Baekdu bloodline or not.
The previous Supreme Leader might have castrated the powers and the number of underlings below them, sure, but there were still quite a few in the upper echelons of this nation remaining that wouldnt hesitate to pounce and bite down at the throat the moment the current Leader dared to show any openings.
So, Park Yong-Hui found it hard to believe that the current Supreme Leader was doing whatever he was doing right now in a sane frame of mind.
Is it really drugs? (Park Yong-Hui)
Whether it was the narcotics or brainwashing, one could safely assume that at this point, the work involving the Supreme Leader was alreadypleted.
There mustve been a reason why the state of things suddenly deteriorated right after the advent of the ck Monday. Sure, even if the monsters invaded without warning and changed the world overnight, Park Yong-Hui shouldve noticed that something was wrong when all provocations aimed at foreign countries ceased and they decided to withdrawpletely to focus on internal matters instead.
.....Its not the swine raising you lot, but rather, it was you that raised the swine, instead. (Park Yong-Hui)
Ohh, you are certainly very perceptive. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cackled in delight.
Please, just take it as a simple whim. By tomorrow, I might change my mind and let you die painlessly. Well, your problem is that I dont think Ill change my mind any time soon. How unfortunate. (Jeong Min-Seong)
You b*stard!! (Park Yong-Hui)
You see, I feel that youre that one person who will find the massacre of all the citizens in Joseon most painful to watch. Thats why, I wish you can be patient for a little bit longer. Because, Ill show you something truly entertaining soon enough. (Jeong Min-Seong)
m!
The steel door mmed shut, and Park Yong-Hui roared out loudly enough to tear out his vocal chords.
Jeong, Min, Seoooooong!! (Park Yong-Hui)
Too bad, Jeong Min-Seong mustve not heard Park Yong-Huis cry, because he didnt return.
*
I must survive. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol gritted his teeth.
Almost all of his subordinates were already dead. The surviving few had scattered and it was unknown where they were currently.
However, he had no time to grieve right now.
If Rhee Jin-Cheol failed to survive and head down to South Korea, then without a doubt, many others would follow in the footsteps of his dead subordinates.
I must reach my goal!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol ran south. And then, even further south.
Although he knew going the other way was the more obvious route, going to South Korea by escaping to China would not work in this case. He wasnt even trying to safely escape from here, anyway.
Because, this was a race against time, thats why.
If he did escape to China first, then hed end up wasting valuable time unless he hopped on a ne right away. Besides, there was simply no way that those b*stards upying the Norths ruling ss would let Rhee Jin-Cheol quietly climb aboard a South Korea-bound ne without an incident of some kind.
In that case, he only had one choice. And that was to run straight to the South with a single-track mind.
What the hell is that?!
Keuhk!
A sentry post before his eyes began spitting out a hail of bullets. Perhaps an emergency order had been issued already, because those soldiers didnt even ask or hesitate before firing indiscriminately.
F*ck!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol quickly extracted arcs of electricity from both of his hands and gathered them in front of him. The bullets flying in crashed into this shield of electricity and their trajectories were altered.
Keuh-euhk! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
However, those that didnt get deflected away continued to brush and nick past various parts of his body.
He felt something prating his side, but Rhee Jin-Cheol didnt stop. No, he couldnt stop. Because the moment he stopped would be the moment he died.
Ku-aht! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
While howling like a beast, he dashed forward and fired the arcs of electricity at the sentry post.
Uwaaaahk!
Screams resounded out. He didnt feel good at all while hurting these guys that were merely following orders without knowing anything, but he simply didnt have enough time to worry about such things.
I need to keep going. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
He needed to keep running to South Korea. And then, meet Rhee Ji-Hyuk.
U-uwaaaaah!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
And so, Rhee Jin-Cheol ran forward and then, ran some more.
*
Is that so? (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister shot up from his seat.
A cooperation, is it? (Defense Minister)
Yes, sir. We got a call from them saying that they were willing to wage war if we receive the rebel currently running towards the south. (adjutant)
And who made that d*mn call?? (Defense Minister)
Its the same guy as before. It seems that their top-level management hasnt changed, sir. (adjutant)
M-mm.... (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister groaned.
So, thats how the cookie crumbled, is it....? (Defense Minister)
He knew that for the sake of stability, it was far more advantageous if the current North Korean management stayed exactly where they were. The one country that would suffer the most while shouldering the majority of the burden from the fallout of the North Korean regime crumbling would undoubtedly be South Korea, after all.
However, he still couldnt help but feel that it wouldve been nice for the North Korean government to copse in this manner. When he thought about how abnormal North Korea was, and squalid living conditions of the citizens up north, he became even more aware of the fact that avoiding the situation was not an answer to anything.
By the way, are you saying that someone is escaping from them? (Defense Minister)
Seems that way, sir. (adjutant)
Aiding in the escape, is it.... (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister realised that this matter was already beyond his authority to make a decision.
Call the Unification Minister and tell him to head straight to the Blue House. Ill be on my way to speak to the President as well. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister hurriedly rushed outside his office.
*
An escapee?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Defense Minister)
Escaping towards the south? Is it like dering asylum with us? (Yun Yeong-Min)
No, sir. It seems that the escapee is attempting to cross the demilitarized zone by force. (Defense Minister)
But, is that even possible? (Yun Yeong-Min)
President Yun Yeong-Min asked, having failed toprehend it.
It wasnt as if no one managed to cross the barbed-wire fencing up until now. Every once in a while, some soldiers managed to make it across, while there had been a case of a whole family somehow crossing the border and iming asylum, too.
However, those events were only possible because the parties involved aimed for thepse in surveince and sneaked in during the resulting gap in border patrol. Right now, the militarys top brass were aware of an important figure trying to cross the border, so how could anyone actually seed in this situation?
It must be an ability user, sir. (Defense Minister)
An ability user, you say? (Yun Yeong-Min)
If he is one, then he might be able to cross the Demarcation Line with his own powers whether soldiers are guarding it or not. (Defense Minister)
Youre right. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head.
He was too focused on the dual facts of the Demarcation Line and the escape attempt from the North, which made him momentarily forget about the existence of ability users. If it was them, they should be able to easily cross the border even with soldiers tightly guarding it.
And youre saying that this escapee is an important enough figure for North Korea to directly threaten us? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister carefully opened his mouth.
It could very well be Major Rhee Jin-Cheol, then. He did participate in the coup attempt, after all. I mean, the Peoples Ability User Brigade was aligned closely with Park Yong-Hui, wasnt it? (Unification Minister)
I also think thats highly likely, sir. (Defense Minister)
Rhee Jin-Cheol, is it.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head.
In all honesty, he wasnt too familiar with that name, but since both the Unification and the Defense Ministries were thinking the same thing, there was a very good chance that they were right.
Should we ept him, then? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well, sir. He used to be one of the top representatives of North Koreas ability users so if we do ept him, then the amount of information we could glean should be quite considerable, sir. However, the North is quite aggressively stating their position of willing to wage war, so we need to tread carefully in this case. (Defense Minister)
Also, even if the current situation in North Korea is terrible, if they got serious and closed up their borders, not even Rhee Jin-Cheol will find it easy to cross over to this side, sir. If we thoughtlessly try to ept him only to fail at the border, then itll be us ending up in hot water instead, sir. (Unification Minister)
Thats true, too. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min fell into a dilemma. By listening to their opinions, both sides of the argument seemed to have some merits to them, but he simply couldnt figure out which side would prove to be more beneficial than the other.
What should we do now? (Yun Yeong-Min)
When both ministers didnt say anything, Yun Yeong-Min tutted and opened his mouth.
For now, lets inform the party leader Song Jeong-Su and hear what he has to say first. He travelled to North Korea recently, so maybe he has a better grasp of the current situation than us, dont you agree? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The two ministers nodded their heads to indicate that this was an excellent idea.
< 339. That sounds like a dangerous announcement -4 > Fin.
Chapter 340: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (5)
Chapter 340: That sounds like a dangerous announcement (5)
Yun Yeong-Min didnt waste a single second and made the order to contact Song Jeong-Su on the phone.
He waited anxiously for a while, and got rewarded with the message of the call going through. He quickly switched the speaker on the phone resting on top of his desk.
C What can I do for you? (Song Jeong-Su)
Ah, hello, party leader Song. Its me. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Hello, Mister President. Now this is an unexpected surprise, you giving me a call like this. (Song Jeong-Su)
A cramped smile formed on Yun Yeong-Mins face.
Since he and Song Jeong-Su werent all that close, there wasnt much of a reason for him to call the other party that often. If it werent for thetter frequently showing up here on his own to speak his mindtely, the good president wouldnt have evene up with the idea of talking to Song Jeong-Su in the first ce.
Actually.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min gave the Unification Minister a nce, prompting thetter to start his exnation. Right after the tale came to an end, Yun Yeong-Min quickly took over.
Thats how it went down. Since party leader Song has visited the North recently, we thought that youd be more knowledgeable in our neighbours current atmosphere or something simr in that naturepared to us. Thats why we decided to give you a call and hear your opinion on this matter. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C I see. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su didnt say anything for a little while after that. Others didnt urge him and waited until he finished organising his train of thoughts.
C For the time being, I believe epting him is the better option. (Song Jeong-Su)
However, the other side have threatened us with war if we do. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C They may say that, but they are also not the type to start something that will endanger their lives. And they arent so clueless to not know that, in case of war, we both might perish due to the monster invasions. (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, yes. You have a point. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Besides, North Korea simply do not have the wherewithal to wage a war, anyway. Im sure they are simply too busy trying to put their internal affairs in order right now. (Song Jeong-Su)
Even then, it still feels rather off, doesnt it? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Mm, thats true. (Song Jeong-Su)
Although it all sounded fine in theory, if a war did break out in a million to one chance, then this side would be the one to suffer the worst of the fallout.
When a nation with nothing to lose went to war with another that had too much to lose, then even if thetter won the battle, itd not be an actual victory.
C Hang on. Can you tell me the name of the ability user trying to cross the border one more time? (Song Jeong-Su)
Its Rhee Jin-Cheol. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C I see. But why is someone like Rhee Jin-Cheoling here? (Song Jeong-Su)
He participated in the coup detat but failed, so we think his life is in danger. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Someone like that is heading south to cross the border? Why? (Song Jeong-Su)
......!
Only then did Yun Yeong-Min realise that something was definitely amiss.
Under normal circumstances, someone like Rhee Jin-Cheol wouldve went into hiding or escape to China, instead. For one, itd be simpler to hide from the Norths eyes if he was in China, and also, itd be infinitely easier to cross the Amnokgang/Yalu River than attempting to navigate the DMZ.
C Something mustve happened. I believe he currently has a good reason to urgently cross the border ande to us. (Song Jeong-Su)
I see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min swallowed back his grunts after realising that hed have missed this part were it not for Song Jeong-Su. They might not be toeing the same line, but without a doubt, the party leader-nim was an excellent politician regardless.
If it werent for the ck Monday, Yun Yeong-Min wouldve never emerged victorious against Song Jeong-Su and enter the presidential race.
C Something suspicious is happening up north, it seems. And when you keep that in mind, the Norths strongly-worded threat now feels rather unnatural, doesnt it? It feels as if hes in possession of an incredibly important piece of information. (Song Jeong-Su)
M-mm..... (yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min gasped out.
What should we do, in your opinion? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Now we know this much, weve done all we could. (Song Jeong-Su)
Pardon? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C And now, we hand over everything to those capable of dissecting this information. We then sit back and enjoy our popcorn. (Song Jeong-Su)
Excuse me? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min dazedly asked back.
*
I understand what you mean, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended the call with a stiff expression.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
.............
Uhm, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dozing off on his chair snapped his eyes wide open.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you want to go to sleep, why dont you go home early? No one here will say anything if you decide to call an early day, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sleeping and dozing off are two different things, Ill have you know. If I just went ahead and fell asleep, then I wont ever get to experience this sort of moments, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groooan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head helplessly and continued on.
It seems that.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A new problem has urred!! Thats what you wanted to say, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt miss the opening created by Choi Jeong-Hoons dazed Uhh.... and struck another blow.
I knew it. No way Id be let off the hook for a few days in a row. You know what? I was starting to get a bit nervous already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its not as if we deliberately create situations for you, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont know about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pouted so much that his lips protruded several feet forward.
How many times have you tried to use me bying up with all sorts of crazy exaggerations, like how the whole country is in great peril and stuff like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, crazy exaggerations......? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seriously now, just how many incidents requiring Yi Ji-Hyuks presence could be called exaggerations??
A level 6 Gate suddenly popping out of nowhere, honest-to-god demon kings descending without so much as a single warning, etc, etc.
Sure, there was an incident of ten level 5 Gates opening up simultaneously in the past, which was treated as a world-ending cmity and ordingly, the whole country went into the highest state of alert, but since then, lots more hellish events kept breaking out and now, such levels of threat were deemed not serious enough to require Yi Ji-Hyuks presence anymore.
And also, an Ogre might have been thought of as a legendary monster back then, but nowadays, any old NDF agent could easily hunt one down.
This was the end result of diligently levelling up by continuously experiencing all sorts of crazy, oundish and urgent crises one after another.
But now, he denigrated all of that as just exaggerations!!
The powerful dissatisfaction bubbling within him threatened to soar through the sky, but Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to persuade Yi Ji-Hyuk to head off to work, so he knew not to go on the offensive right this moment.
It seems like a truly important matter, actually. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When has it ever not been important? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, its really, really important this time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yeah, yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This matter involves someone you know, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then did Yi Ji-Hyuk show some hints of interest.
Who are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont know if you remember him, but.... Its Rhee Jin-Cheol, the leader of the Peoples Ability User Briga.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ahh, that troublemaker. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course youd remember the dude gnashing his teeth towards you, now wouldnt you?
Okay, so. Did he die or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not really. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats the problem, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That man is currently attempting to escape to South. Apparently. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Wait, didnt someone say that he started that little thing alongside Chief of Staff Park Yong-Hui or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, he was involved. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hes in the middle of escaping, which means he failed miserably. Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
I thought that Chief of Staff Park was not a bad person, but I guess hes already passed on from this world, then. And they said that life is full of ups and downs. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not certain whether hes been killed or not.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, didnt know that you can still live on even after failing in a coup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, hes probably dead by now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon cleanly acknowledged Park Yong-Huis demise. It was indeed nonsensical to think that anyone would keep their lives even after failing to overthrow the regime in North Korea, of all ces.
It was unknown whether that mans dead body could be recovered or not at this point. This was a government that executed its prisoners with cannons, so youd count yourself lucky if you got a proper burial afterwards.
By the way, why is his escape a problem now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Apparently, the Norths reaction this time is quite strange. They seem to be hell-bent on ensuring that he never gets here, no matter the cost. They even threatened us with an immediate breakout of war if we ept him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Keuh. Seriously, I cant figure out why they are such an aggressive bunch. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Oh, well. Every single day, its war this, raining hellfire that, or the taste of atomic bombs.... Theres virtually nothing they arent unwilling to say, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its always the weakest pup that barks the loudest. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, so what? What do they want from us now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The higher-ups want us to take care of it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What on earth was this about?
Yi Ji-Hyuk failed toprehend what was being said and stared straight at Choi Jeong-Hoon, prompting thetter to smile awkwardly.
They, uh, they want us to decide what to do. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Did the whole brass lose their collective marbles? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since this is a seriously sensitive crisis, I believe they want us to decide whether to ept him or ignore it altogether. If we go with the former, then that means you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, will have to go there personally. If its thetter, you can stay here and continue with your gaming session. I guess thats why they want you to have thest say. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, gaming it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk came to a quick and simple decision.
....B-but, youd usually decide to save another person in distress.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That guys got no redeeming qualities, so why should I? Do I look like a UNICEF ambassador to you or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Besides, that dude tried to screw with us, didnt he? I mean, dont you loathe that man, too? Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed I do. I do hate him. Very much. However.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I feel that the information he possesses could be quite explosive. The Northing out this heavy-handed over a single person escaping ispletely unprecedented, you see. Arent you curious why? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not even remotely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, Im sure youre? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng, not really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk unhesitantly defeated all the baits Choi Jeong-Hoonid out and switched hisputer on.
....This isnt supposed to happen. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He shouldve been reeled in by Choi Jeong-Hoons enticement by now, but Yi Ji-Hyuk genuinely didnt seem interested today. Which meant panic stations for Choi Jeong-Hoon.
I, I told you already that if a problem urs in North Korea, itd be us falling into great danger. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Come on now. Id prefer to hear a more original threat at this point, you know? Hearing the same thing over and over again is getting kinda boring. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Cant you do this for me, just this once? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, sure. I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh-whew. Fine, I get it. Im sorry for asking you when I knew its impossible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hang on, I told you, I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, yes. You dont have to go. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hey, man! I told you, I get it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are you getting angry? I told you, its fine. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I said, Ill bloody go, alright?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only hold his befuddled head.
Did, did you say youll go? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes, I did. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Did you bang your head somewhere? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I change my mind! Not going now!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehhheii!! Dont do that, please! I was just kidding. I was kidding! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I aint going!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Keuh-euhk.
Rhee Jin-Cheol was holding his side.
I, I only need to go a little further....
The bleeding was getting too severe.
Although the wound wasnt fatal, he didnt stop to stem the bleeding and simply continued to run, leading him to lose too much blood.
His vision had be so blurry that the road ahead was splitting into multiple strands.
No, this cant....
He so badly wanted to copse right here and take a break, but the only thing waiting for him if he did that was sure-fire death.
And that death didnt signify only his own, either; hundreds, thousands, no, definitely tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of other deaths would apany his.
That indescribably heavy weight continued to keep Rhee Jin-Cheols eyelids open, even if they threatened to shut down at any second.
Just a little bit more.
He could see the barbed wire fencing of the DMZ in the distance. He only needed to cross that. He got this far by running on his two feet from Pyongyang nonstop.
Kekeke.
Rhee Jin-Cheol suddenly broke out in a fit of twistedughter.
Now that he thought about it, he ran away from this ce to Pyongyang recently, didnt he? But now, here he was, running away from Pyongyang to get back here.
He thought about how he had to do a round tripsting hundreds of kilometres just to run away, and couldnt stop himself from cackling hoarsely.
I only have to cross that.
If he did that, hed be in the South Korean territory. Then, hed go and meet Rhee Ji-Hyuk. That would be the conclusion of Rhee Jin-Cheols mission.
His vision continued to blur and his legs didnt want to listen to hismands.
Get a grip.
Just a little bit more.
After crossing that border and handing over his info to Rhee Ji-Hyuk, hed be free to die however he wanted. Thats why he needed to endure. He needed to endure, even if his consciousness threatened to abandon him at any second now.
You stinking son of a b*tch. You really came all this way, huh. (?)
Rhee Jin-Cheols body stiffened when he heard that voiceing from behind him.
Ka-boom!!
Almost at the same time, a huge explosion went off, followed right after by a massive wave of pain crashing into his whole body.
Keuh-euuhk. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol rolled ungainly on the ground.
Cough! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
His internal organs mustve been ruptured as blood quickly was welling up in his throat.
N-no, I, I only have to go a little further....
His eyes caught the sight of the rainbow-coloured array of Ether shots raining down on him from the sky above.
Rhee Jin-Cheol sensed his impending demise and closed his eyes.
< 340. That sounds like a dangerous announcement -5 > Fin.
Chapter 341: Time to wake up (1)
Chapter 341: Time to wake up (1)
(TL: My bad about the dyed release. Still having ckouts in my country, and its effing up my schedules atm.)
Wowsers! (?)
If that was indeed the grim reapering to visit him, then Rhee Jin-Cheol wouldve thought, what a flippant b*stard that was. Thats what he believed. After all, how could anyone say that in this sort of situation?
Boom!! Boom! Boom!! Booooom!!
Hearing the cacophony of explosion noisesing right after that, however, it couldnt have been the grim reaper, after all. However, nothing changed regardless. Along with horrifying pain, he should now....
....Ng? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
There was no pain?
Rhee Jin-Cheol pondered if theck of pain was due to his instant death, but then, he vomited out yet another mouthful of blood.
Blerrrgh!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
It seemed that he wasnt dead yet. What a wretchedly sad thing it was, to learn that he wasnt dead via such a method.
The intense pain screaming from all corners of his body flipped Rhee Jin-Cheols eyelids wide open, a loud moan escaping from his lips.
See, I told you. That ahjussi is one tough dude, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Being tough and all that is good, but doesnt he look like he might die at any second now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, we should save his sorry hide, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned and turned his head to the side. After scanning his surroundings for a bit, he then turned his attention back to Choi Jeong-Hoon and spoke in a somewhat sheepish voice.
Uh, didnt Affele with us today? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you mean Lady Affeldrichae.... I havent seen her today. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek, before addressing Rhee Jin-Cheol in a genuinely rueful-sounding voice.
Uhm, hey. Im really sorry about this. I mean, we dide here to save you and all, but... Anyways, anyst words? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I... cant... die... yet.... Cough! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol also wanted to add that he really might croak from seeing that b*stards hateful mug like this, but the blood continuously welling up in his throat prevented him from saying anything else.
Aigooo! Look at the colour of his blood! Its so dark. Dark, I tell you! I have never seen anyone make it through something like that in my whole life. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a dangerous man this guy was, capable of killing apletely healthy man with nothing but emotional distress.
He might really die at this rate, so please stop. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Still, at least Choi Jeong-Hoon hadnt lost his humanitypletely yet, and couldnt stomach Yi Ji-Hyuk making fun of the dying Rhee Jin-Cheol.
Wowsers, will you look at this dude? Didnt you say you really hate his guts? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, I do detest him, but regardless of how much you hate someone, isnt making fun of a near-dead man a manifestation of a fundamental problem with your humanity? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You saying Im a human trash?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, thats not exactly what I said, but.... If thats what you heard, then nothing I can do about it. I mean, they say the thief knows his guilt better than anyone, dont they? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wowsers, will you listen to this dude now?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rhee Jin-Cheol couldnt endure watching these two horsing around any longer, and forced his lips to open despite all the blood still spilling out.
Why.... why dont you... just kill me, you, you b*stards.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Ehheiii, and flush everything down the toilet just, like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped on Rhee Jin-Cheols head a couple of times and grinned refreshingly.
Well, well fix you up pretty soon, so sit tight, alright? Although its a bit of a problem not being able to contact Affeldrichae, but.... Well, its not like shes the only one who can use healing magic, anyway. Unless its magic, ahjussi, youd die even with the best medical treatment out there, so dont forget that Im gonna call someone just to save your a*s, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should Rhee Jin-Cheol be grateful here, or start throwing around some choice words? He fell into a serious bout of dilemma, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt seem to care about the current state of his mental turmoil.
Who the f*ck are you b*stards?
The ones pursuing Rhee Jin-Cheol shouted out in fluster after spotting Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now normally, they wouldnt have stopped to ask or analyse the situation before ripping apart all the opponents appearing before their paths, but fortunately enough, they all had eyes. And those eyes had already witnessed how Yi Ji-Hyuk seemingly appeared out of nowhere and extinguished all of their Ether attacks with just a flick of his hand.
They were all ability users, and they were all smart enough to figure out what Yi Ji-Hyuk did was an incredible, near-miraculous feat.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at those staring back at him and tilted his head.
You guys are still here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........?
Now this is strange. If you are smart enough, you should be high tailing it outta here by now, but since youre still here, that means you arent all that smart.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted and asked Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Can I kill them all? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Why are you asking me that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youin and nag every time I do something on my own without consulting you, but look at you now, trying to weasel out of a problem just because it looks a bit dicey! I better give that party leader-nim a call and tell him to put you through an education course designed for geniuses. Cuz you will be a wonderful politician at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Urgh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that this guy was a master ating up with a truly varied and colourful array of insults.
What should we do? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Honestly, though, he was in somewhat of a dilemma himself.
If this was any other times, hed have thrown a hissy fit and ask why all these people had to be killed, but if they were let go like this, then Yi Ji-Hyuk.... no, more correctly, the South Korean government retrieving Rhee Jin-Cheol would be an indisputable fact.
Even if the North wasnt ballsy enough to start a war, they still wouldnt be able to prevent the North-South rtionship deteriorating even further.
Mm, in that case, these folks.... Is it possible to confine them in a suitable location? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A suitable location, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its fine for them to end up in a distant location. As long as they cantmunicate with anyone, I dont mind wherever it is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Aha. I know of a perfect location. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand about just a little, causing two Gates to suddenly appear in mid-air.
Why two Gates? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
One is for these folks to go inside, and.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And the other one? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, if I try to personally shove them inside, the efficiency drops quite a bit, you see. Also, its not like Im physically outstanding or anything.... If I use magic to catch and shove them in, thats gonna waste a lot more magical energy than necessary, too. I mean, itll probably be simpler to kill them off here right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, so in that case? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sooo, someone else who will do it for me ising. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Asking something so obvious.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Along with that, a certain creature Choi Jeong-Hoon half-expected to see revealed itself from the Gate.
A pair of crimson eyes.
Lion-like manes whipping in the chilly winds.
Sharp ws gleaming under the light.
All the traits of a powerful wild beast in an outward packaging of a small puppy....
....Oh, so its Oh-Sik. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik came out from the Gate, spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk, quickly hopped and trotted over to his master and began rubbing his cheek on the trouser leg.
Hey, its time to work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed towards the ability users in the vicinity.
Catch all these guys and shove them inside over there. Dont kill them, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Oh-Sik sat on his butt and didnt budge as if he was waiting for something. Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue once and stabbed his tentacle on the mini Ogres back.
You couldve done it in your current form, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although, Oh-Sik needed to bite onto the arms or legs of his victims in order to throw them inside a Gate when he was supposed to not harm them, so maybe this was for the best for everyone involved. (TL note at the end)
Oh-Sik began ballooning up as magical energy filled him up, regaining his former splendour in an instant.
W-what the hell?!
A monster has suddenly appeared!
Do not falter! Its only one creature!
Indeed, it was only one.
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only look on at the victims with pitying eyes.
For sure, there was only one. However, there was a reason why people didnt say things like there was only one dragon or only one phoenix. Thats because dealing with a single individual from those species was already asking for the impossible, so there was no meaning ining up with a plural.
Oh-Sik was kinda like that.
Baaark!!
Oh-Sik pounced on the ranks of the ability users and while not minding which arms he used, he began snatching up and throwing his victims inside the Gate.
Ohh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched humans being sucked inside his Gate and pped his hands enthusiastically.
Keuh. Thats so mystifying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I mean, my boys not even bothering to take aim and just throwing people around, so like, how can he be so urate like that? Maybe I shouldve made him y basketball or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
If you let him y among regr humans, even Shaquille ONeal will get a dislocated shoulder from a light bump and get airlifted outside the venue, man.
Thats like,pletely against the rules, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Aaaaaahk!
In the meantime, Oh-Sik chucked thest of his victims inside the Gate, shrugged his shoulders, and approached Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Nice work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as he was about to recover the Mana he inserted inside Oh-Sik, the Ogre suddenly grabbed and lifted up Rhee Jin-Cheol next to his master.
Oh, not that one, Oh-Sik-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-reuk?
Thats garbage, you know. Better put it down. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik quietly and cautiously put Rhee Jin-Cheol down in the original location.
Yi Ji-Hyuk nted his tentacle and recovered his Mana afterwards. Oh-Sik, having shrunk back down to his puppy form, yawnedzily and curled up on the ground to sleep. As if to say, wake him up after their work here was all nicely wrapped up.
Just how intelligent is he, I wonder? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Maybe, he was smarter than some humans?
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought about this matter quite often, but the longer he did, the harder to answer his question became. The way the Ogre acted definitely resembled a dog, but the creature just seemed too smart to be called a dog, either.
By the way, where did you send them? Is it another world this time as well? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, itll be difficult even for me to send that many to another world, you know. If doing so was that easy, those in Berafe wouldve crossed over en masse by now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, I guess you have a point. In that case, where did you send them, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
To the equator. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The equator, is it? The equator.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What was in the equator, again?
Choi Jeong-Hoon beganbing through his memories to find out whats in the equator in rtion to Yi Ji-Hyuk and eventually, a cramped grin floated up on his lips.
....Wait, you didnt send them there, did you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats the only ce I know, so what can I do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahahaha. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This insane b*stard!
I only asked you to iste them for a bit, but you actually dropped them into the monster ind, instead?
Isnt that the most dangerous ce on this?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon recalled the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuks ind monster pen teeming with all sorts of terrifying monstrosities, and shuddered uncontrobly.
It might have been better to die here rather than getting sent over there, actually.
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt intend for something like this to happen, and he was now beset with guilty conscience, knowing he had done something he shouldnt have. Too bad, Yi Ji-Hyuk had not even one gram of anything remotely resembling guilty conscience; currently, he had already moved on and was lightly pping Rhee Jin-Cheols cheeks.
Well, now. Its time to wake up. Dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Are you dead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, Im still alive! You crazy son of a b*tch!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Hul, would you listen to this guy now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dropped his head with a wounded expression. Of course, anyone would be hurt listening to such harsh wordsing from a person they just rescued, but wasnt he a bit of special case to disy such a reaction?
I went out of my way to save your a*s, yet you dare to badmouth me?! This is why you shouldnt be nice to a ck-haired animal! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............ (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If you wanted to save someone, you shouldve been more considerate!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
And what wasnt I considerate about? Not like I blew away this entirendscape or anything, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Godd*mmit. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol spat out a blob of bloody phlegm on the ground.
Sure, he was grateful for the fact that he got rescued like this, but he just couldnt say anything nice when looking at Yi Ji-Hyuks mug.
Just how bad had his trials and tribtions been just because of this one man?
And for some reason, he got this strong instinctive feeling that he mustnt lower his head to Yi Ji-Hyuk no matter what. He had a hunch that he wouldnt be able to turn back the clock the moment he did.
This is why I told you we shouldnt rescue this guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Rather than rescuing a fellow man, think of it as securing a vital piece of information, instead. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm, well, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly kicked Rhee Jin-Cheol and continued on.
Now that things havee down to this, tell me something interesting before you kick the bucket, okay? Why were you running away? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You stinking b*stard..... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol didnt have enough energy left to argue back now.
Since a while ago, the pain seemed to be getting more indistinct, and his vision was clouding over, too. And judging from all the chills creeping in, he realised that death was closing in ever so swiftly.
He must be close to death. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Anyone can tell that by looking, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons words only elicited a disinterested reply from Yi Ji-Hyuk.
That means we need to save him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Man proposes, and God disposes..... The matters of life and death depends on the heavens will. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not how you use that phrase, actually. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head before continuing on.
If this guy dies like this, then theres no meaning in all the hard work you put in aftering all this way, right? For now, lets quickly take him back to South Korea before more people show up. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Maybe he also didnt wish for more annoying things to happen to him, because Yi Ji-Hyuk opened up a new Gate without arguing back.
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rhee Jin-Cheol seemed to show some kind of resistance, but as he probably didnt have much energy left, his response came across as feeble and hardly noticeable.
Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked the downed North Korean Majors leg once to utterly obliterate any hints of resistance, before chucking the poor man inside the Gate. And then, walked inside it himself with Choi Jeong-Hoon in tow.
The Gate slowly closed up after everyone was gone, leaving behind only the faltering noises of insects within this quiet, empty plot ofnd.
< 341. Time to wake up -1 > Fin.
(TL: That section was a bit all over the ce, structure-wise, and I couldnt fully figure out what the author was trying to say. I had to improvise a bit at thetter half of the paragraph. I hope its as close to the authors original intentions.)
Chapter 342: Time to wake up (2)
Chapter 342: Time to wake up (2)
Cough! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol emerged from the Gate and coughed a bucketful of blood on the floor, prompting the NDF agents to freak out and hurriedly retreat.
Now normally, the first thing they would think about when seeing a person do that might have been to rush in and provide medical assistance, but they couldnt help but get flustered when a Gate suddenly popped up without warning and a somewhat familiar man emerged from there only to bleed profusely right before their eyes.
Especially more so, when they also knew that this man was a North Korean ability user. That fact alone made it doubly harder for them to get closer.
Oh, wow? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk soon emerged from the Gate himself and clicked his tongue after witnessing Rhee Jin-Cheol coughing blood.
I guess you aint ready to die yet, what with all that blood stilling out of your mouth and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a devil!
Hes a monster!
The NDF agents began booing Yi Ji-Hyuk, but too bad for them, he didnt give a toss regardless.
Wait, isnt that Rhee Jin-Cheol? Its that son of a b*tch, isnt he? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan heavily scowled, but didnt do anything and simply watched on. He could very well be the one holding the worst opinion on Rhee Jin-Cheol among everyone here, and he might have rushed in and tore the b*stard to pieces if thetter was in a better physical shape. However, he wasnt merciless enough to get violent with a half-dead man busy vomiting blood on the floor.
I mean, Im still a human being, arent I? (Park Seong-Chan)
If you were indeed a human being with morals, then you shouldnt be thinking of doing something untoward to your sworn enemy when in a simr situation as this one.
Argh, step aside, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk used his foot to push Rhee Jin-Cheols side andid the man t on his back.
Hes not even human. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan shook his head.
Where is Affeldrichae? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She didnte to the office today.
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Now that I think about it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He hadnt thought about it since she was always by his side, but well, if Affeldrichae wanted to go underground, then there was no way to locate her as she didnt even carry a mobile phone. If she wasnt at Yi Ji-Hyuks house right now, then it was impossible to contact her.
.....Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a somewhat flustered expression and stared at Rhee Jin-Cheol.
Hey, man. Someone who knows how to use healing magic was supposed to be here but apparently, she isnt? What should we do now? You might really die at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cough, cough!! You... you stinking....! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Seeing how you still can swear like a sailor, I guess that means you wont die anytime soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head as if a nasty migraine was assaulting him. This feeling was simr to that feeling you get when you urgently needed to drive to a distant location today but for some reason, couldnt find the bloody car keys.
Yup, thats exactly it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was thest to emerge from the Gate. His expression hardened after looking at the copsed Rhee Jin-Cheol.
He will really die without immediate treatment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im trying to get him fixed up, you know. But I dont know how to.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon more or less figured out the gist of the situation, and his expression became sombre. If Rhee Jin-Cheol really died like this, then all of their time and effort put in wouldve been precisely for big fat zero.
Is there any other methods besides healing magic? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pondered for a bit, before nodding his head.
Should I turn him into a zombie? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
No, wait. A zombie is pretty stupid so that might be a problem. Okay, how about I turn him into some sort of a monster, then? If I pour in a bit of magical energy, there is roughly 30% chance that he will morph into a monster, you see? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about the other 70%? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Death. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That simple exnation brought about a wide grin on Choi Jeong-Hoons lips. He then turned around to shout out loudly.
Hurry and locate Lady Affeldrichae, please! Do whatever it takes, broadcasts, anything, and find her! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....And so, we now even have to find missing people, too.
At this rate, we might get asked to retrieve kittens stuck in tall trees.
All these agents were supposed to be the best of the best the Korean Republic had to offer, but all they could do now was to trudge outside the office with expressions of shame, still unable to get a recognition befitting their positions.
Uh? Hey, hang on a minute. There is another one who can use healing magic. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Fortunately enough, a voice managed to stop their feet.
Who is it? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun shouted back with a genuinely relieved face, prompting Choi Jeong-Hoon to reply with a smooth grin.
Do you know where your sister is currently? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
I dont want to. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som stared at Rhee Jin-Cheol with eyes reserved for disgusting worms. For a moment there, Choi Jeong-Hoon had to question whether it was possible or not for anyone to hold that much disgust towards another person like that.
P-please, dont be like that, and.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The clearly-flustered Choi Jeong-Hoon tried to reason with her somehow, but Kim Dah-Som simply continued to emit this biting chill, regardless of what was being said.
She came here after her brother Kim Dah-Hyun called her up, but when she got here, she was utterly bbergasted to learn that her healing skills were required to mend his orangutan-looking b*stard. Sure, she did learn how to perform healing magic, but she certainly didnt learn it to use in events like this one.
Hes a very important person to us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats that got to do with me? (Kim Dah-Som)
I-if you say it like that.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Ive got nothing to retort with.
This might be a government business, but that was no reason for a citizen to one-sidedly go along with it. Also, she might be Kim Dah-Hyuns little sister, but she was just a regr civilian, not someone in the governments payroll. Basically, she had no duty to catch a spy even if one was right next to her.
The fate of our nation depends on it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the end, he ended up resorting to spouting the most obvious line he could think of. Choi Jeong-Hoon inwardlymented his inability toe up with a much-more urgent sounding and creative argument, and spat out a long sigh.
Still doesnt concern me. (Kim Dah-Som)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had failed to break through Kim Dah-Soms perfect iron wall-like defence, and resorted to sneaking a nce at Kim Dah-Hyun, instead.
Ahaha, Dah-Som-ah. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
After receiving the baton, he immediately went to convincing his little sister.
Its not a difficult job, right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Not difficult? (Kim Dah-Som)
She stared straight at Rhee Jin-Cheol, which led her brother to look at the downed North Korean without giving it too much thought as well.
...What the hell? Who brought a corpse in here? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Wasnt this kinda like a ss where one was tasked with reviving an already-dead specimen?
He shifted his gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon and formed an expression that asked, Hey, isnt this too much?, which prompted thetter to open his mouth quite painfully.
O-one hundred million! (Choi Jeong-Hoon) (TL: around $85,770)
He wants to pay you one hundred million Won. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It doesnt matter whether its one hundred or something else, thats not really important right now. I wont do it. (Kim Dah-Som)
H-hang on.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kim Dah-Soms expression hardened, and all of a sudden, this deathly chill flooded in and began circting within the office. It was so cold that even the downed Rhee Jin-Cheol began flinching ufortably.
Hell. Instead of saving the dude, hes gonna get iced, instead. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan tutted as if this whole thing was regrettable.
D-dont be like that, and.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tried to continue the persuasion, but Kim Dah-Som used her cold air-emitting expression to utterly shut him up, spun her body away, then began looking around her vicinity.
...Oppa! (Kim Dah-Som)
Her expression filled with wintery chill suddenly melted down as if warm rays of spring had enveloped it. She discovered Yi Ji-Hyuk currently engaged in his game in the distant corner, and quickly trotted over there whilepletely disregarding everyone else.
Argh,e on, man!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot up from his chair, his re fixed to the monitor.
Why arent my stupid hands getting better yet?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe his eyes were feeling fatigued or something, he had turned the screen to grey, and right now, he was noisily grinding his teeth while looking at his K.O.ed avatar on the ground.
If only it wasnt for that d*mn jungler, Id have taken it!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon bore witness to this scene and could only shake his head.
Being able to concentrate on gaming when a person was dying right next to you, now that took some mental strength, alright. Sure, he never thought of Yi Ji-Hyuk as normal, but in times like this, hed get this powerful urge to crack open that mans brain and see just what kind of thoughts were percting inside it.
What are you ying? (Kim Dah-Som)
Hah, I dont think I can keep doing this anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yanked out a cigarette from his pocket, threw the mouse away and walked outside the office. Kim Dah-Som hurriedly stuck real close and followed him.
M-Miss Dah-Som! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon chased after them and began his nagging, too.
Cant you do this just once? Lets say youre saving a persons life. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not lets say, but its really about saving a life, isnt it? (Kim Dah-Som)
O-of course! Youre indeed saving a life! There is nothing more important than that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Instead of wasting time like this, please call 119. (Kim Dah-Som) (TL: 119 is the South Korean emergency number.)
Although that is a constructive method, indeed.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You think Id be doing this if calling 119 can solve everything?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
The only reason why that man continued to breathe was because of his cockroach-like resilience of an ability user; if a doctor saw him now, hed shout out, Aigo, hes already on his way to his funeral. Even if the legendary Chinese physician Hua Tuo came back from the afterlife, hed still not be able to do anything medically in this situation.
Choi Jeong-Hoon might be quite clueless regarding medicine, but he still could tell that much. As his proof, not one among the dozens of the NDF agents present were bothering to dial 119.
He is in possession of a vital information. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wasnt he the person who attacked our side? (Kim Dah-Som)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I heard he badmouthed Ji-Hyuk oppa a lot, too. (Kim Dah-Som)
W-where exactly did you hear such things? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
From my oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Hyun, you rotten son of a b*tch!
Having realised the reason for Kim Dah-Soms chilly air, Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly gnashed his teeth.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the end, he had only Yi Ji-Hyuk to fall back on, so while cautiously minding thetters mood, he called out the name.
What do you want now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon squeezed his eyes shut ever so slightly.
Please, please! Dont take out the stress you got from gaming on me, please!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
We, uh, we definitely need to save that man, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, save him, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In order to do that, we need Miss Kim Dah-Soms aid. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Kim Dah-Som and smirked softly.
Ah, thats right. She also learned healing magic, didnt she? Heh, shes getting treated like a full-on healer now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My Mana reserve isnt even sufficient for you alone, oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som unhesitatingly stated her position, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply nodded his head after taking another look at Choi Jeong-Hoons troubled expression.
Go and save that guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, not enough Mana.... (Kim Dah-Som)
Ill tell Affel to share some with youter, so for now, go make sure that fool keeps breathing. I mean, I had to work my butt off to bring him here, so itll be a problem if he dies now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay! (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som quickly turned around and walked back inside the office. Seeing that, Choi Jeong-Hoon could only shift his gaze to the heavens as this vague, weird emotion began filling him up.
Should I just resign and call it a day? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He was staring at the clear sky with an especially sorrowful pair of eyes today.
*
Cough! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol coughed out blood several times more before raising his upper torso up. His clothes were stained from top to bottom in ret colour, but at the very least, there was genuine hints of vitality visible on his skin now.
Its done. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som jumped up from her spot and quickly trotted towards Yi Ji-Hyuk again.
......... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol watched her distancing back and spoke with a hint of emptiness.
A healer, is it? I heard South Korea didnt have one? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Thats not important right now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon cut into the middle of Rhee Jin-Cheols questions.
Weve already invested a lot in you, Mister Rhee Jin-Cheol. And now, its time to reap our rewards. Wed like to hear about what is going on in North Korea, now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
.....I cant speak in this ce. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol replied after scanning his vicinity.
That caused Park Seong-Chans expression to crumple and he took severalrge strides towards the North Korean.
Are you suspecting us of something?! (Park Seong-Chan)
No. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol chuckled wryly and shook his head.
Lets call it a misunderstanding if you heard me that way. What Im saying is that, people here dont have the authority to choose the next course of action after hearing my information. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
........... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression grew dead serious.
I need either the top militarymander or a defence minister. Im talking about a truly grave matter here. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
A top militarymander?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had this ominous foreboding after hearing Rhee Jin-Cheol, and his expression hardened even further.
Is it at the level of war? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If your side is willing to, then it will go that far. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
.....Please wait for a moment. I shall immediately contact Defense Mini..... Hang on. Lets just go there ourselves. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon then addressed Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Please open a Gate. It seems that the situation is far worse than we thought. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and promptly opened a Gate. However, as the portal leading to the Blue House was generated, Park Seong-Chan suddenly stuck very close to Rhee Jin-Cheols side.
Where are you trying to take this b*stard?? What will you do if he suddenlymits acts of terror over there? You all being too na?ve, men! (Park Seong-Chan)
Choi Jeong-Hoon went Oops! after hearing that and quickly turned his head towards Rhee Jin-Cheol, but Yi Ji-Hyuk was equally quick toe up with a solution.
In that case, ahjussi? Stick close to him and if you think hes gonna do something, beat his a*s up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Roger that. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan grinned deeply and stuck even closer to Rhee Jin-Cheols side. The North Korean shook his head with an ufortable expression.
You South Joseon lot can be pretty extreme sometimes. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Thats not something you should be saying,rade.
< 342. Time to wake up -2 > Fin.
Chapter 343: Time to wake up (3)
Chapter 343: Time to wake up (3)
Is it okay to open the portal to the Blue House? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt help but hesitate after bing slightly concerned. He might have rushed into things because of Rhee Jin-Cheols ominous-sounding words, but when he sobered up and thought about it a bit harder, this whole thing could be a ploy cooked up by the North Korean ability user and his government.
For the time being, please wait for a moment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thinking that he was in no position to make an independent decision of such nature, Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his gaze back to Yi Ji-Hyuk. Too bad, it was foolish to expect thetter to return the eye contact in this situation.
Why are you looking at me with such sneaky eyes? Busy giving me the creeps and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Urgh... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon groaned deeply and looked at Park Seong-Chan next.
Ill make sure to babysit this b*stard real well, so please, rest easy and do what you have to do. (Park Seong-Chan)
Keuh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Both of these men were supposed to be the same human beings, yet how could their responses be so different?
Some would get it without a need to say anything, yet someone else would react so wrongly like that, too. So how could Choi Jeong-Hoons stress level not soar higher after seeing this?
Well, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
After Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly exited from the office, Yi Ji-Hyuk asked Rhee Jin-Cheol directly.
Ahjussi, what kinda dastardly schemes have you got going here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Didnt you see me at the deaths doorstep a few seconds ago?? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol would normally use the curt, abrasivenguage when talking to Yi Ji-Hyuk, but the brevity of this particr asion caused him to speak in a more polite tone well before he even realised it. Besides, didnt he already experience how painfully crappy this guys personality was earlier, too?
This guy, he deliberately didnt heal me right away and made me suffer. Has to be.
He got this feeling that what happened here was his just desserts for all the stuff he had done in the past, and that feeling directly led to a certain fear overtaking him C the fear of unexpected reprisal if he made a slip of tongue somewhere.
That means you werent cooking up a dastardly n? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats correct. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
So he says? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks sparkly eyes shifted over to Park Seong-Chan, but the big man simply snorted back viciously.
You trust what this b*stard is saying? You telling me to believe something a bloody Commie said? (Park Seong-Chan)
Hul, he said a Commie! Ahjussi, what do you mean by Commie? What era are we living in now anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, hes a Commie, isnt he? (Park Seong-Chan)
Ahjussi, you will get locked up if you keep that up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Thats only when you use a South Korean of being a Commie without proof. This guy, he is definitely a Commie, isnt he?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was that how it worked?
But, calling a dog a dog makes the dog feel bad, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why would a dog feel bad when youre calling it a dog? Its a dog, aint it?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Since when did we veer off the topic by this much? This wasnt originally it, so, uh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Utterly disregarding whether Yi Ji-Hyuk was falling into a dilemma or not, Park Seong-Chan continued with his impassioned speech.
You all know how good these b*stards are at stabbing you in the back. They start a peace conference and whatever, but behind the scenes, they send out warships to attack our country! Thats the kind of people we are dealing with, so you cant actually expect me to trust anything these as*holes say! (Park Seong-Chan)
....So he says? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks pouting face now was looking at Rhee Jin-Cheol, and thetter sighed back.
Whether you believe me or not, thats not my problem. I simply bring information this side, and figuring out what to do after listening to it will be up to you people. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
So he says? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his head left to right constantly, but then, Jeong Hae-Min walked over to where he was, grabbed his head, and made it stop right in the middle.
A man should have some dignity! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, Choi Jeong-Hoon re-entered the office.
Please open a Gate connecting to the Blue House. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dont wanna? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? But why not? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im told that a man should have some dignity. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not what I meant!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched Jeong Hae-Min angrily p Yi Ji-Hyuks back nonstop, and spat out a series of sighs.
Why couldnt she do that when it was only them here?
Choi Jeong-Hoon spotted Rhee Jin-Cheol watching the duo with bbergasted expression, and couldnt hide his embarrassment.
This was the moment the nations shameful secret was beingid bare.
*
Wuooong.
President Yun Yeong-Mins expression was calmness personified as he watched the Gate open up.
This sight no longer fazed him after witnessing it a few times already. Just that, he still felt way too ufortable with the dude about to emerge from it. That was it.
Been awhile. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He watched the bright-faced Yi Ji-Hyuk pop out of the Gate while waving his hand, and felt his stomach problems re up again. He thought it was all cured by now, but this.... Itd be so much nicer if this pain was nothing more than gastritis, but even now, he could vividly feel the sensation of gastric ulcer spreading all over his abdomen.
One should be prepared for all asions, indeed. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min swallowed the medicine prepared beforehand and greeted back with a considerably smooth smile.
Wee back, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Hi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fully emerged from the Gate before scanning the office itself.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fully-armed soldiers were pointing their barrels at the Gate. The sight of pitch-ck ballistic armour ting and helmets-wearing squad of men gave Yi Ji-Hyuk a nasty case of shivers.
Did I do something wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They arent here because of you, so please,pose yourself. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister quickly exined the situation in a flustered voice.
This is only because we dont know that mans intentions. Youre here so nothing untoward should happen, but its still prudent to be ready for all contingencies, no? (Defense Minister)
H-ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in understanding. Soon afterwards, a couple more figures emerged from the Gate and he closed the portal.
Its Choi Jeong-Hoon here. Its my honour to see you again, Mister President.
Wee back. (Yun Yeong-Min)
And this is Major Rhee Jin-Cheol that came from the North. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm..... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins contemtive eyes were now locked on Rhee Jin-Cheol.
I heard that you wish to speak to me? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Rhee Jin-Cheol smirked and replied.
Isnt South Joseon a bit toockadaisical? I only wanted to speak to the top militarymander, but to think, an actual President showed up instead. Now this is something unimaginable back in the Democratic Peoples Republic. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
How dare you, you b*stard! (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister shot up from his seat, but Yun Yeong-Min waved his hand nonchntly and calmed him down.
Its fine. (Yun Yeong-Min)
But, Mister President! (Defense Minister)
Yun Yeong-Min shook his head and addressed Rhee Jin-Cheol.
I dont know how things are like back in North Korea, but in the South, we ce great value on rationality. Its considered normal this side for a President to step up if the matter at hand requires utmost urgency on our part. So, can you tell us what this urgent matter is, then? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Rhee Jin-Cheol quietly observed Yun Yeong-Min, before standing straight and performing a military salute.
I beg your pardon. Im Major Rhee Jin-Cheol, captain of the Peoples Ability User Brigade first division, the Peoples Democratic Republic of Joseon. Its my honour to make your acquaintance, Mister President of the Republic of Korea.
Im Yun Yeong-Min. Would like to sit down?
Yun Yeong-Min pointed to the couch, and Rhee Jin-Cheol settled down without a single argument.
Well, now. Please tell us your side of the story. What happened? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol gulped once, and finally spoke his piece.
What Im about to tell you from here on might sound imusible, but I swear, its all truth. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Id like to determine that after hearing your story first, Major. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Currently, up in the North.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol sighed deeply and continued on.
....A genocide is about to take ce. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Excuse me?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins eyes trembled greatly.
***
The preparations? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Theres been no problem, sir. (adjutant)
Jeong Min-Seong hummed in good spirit. He found the darkened world outside his windows really to his liking.
You know, Pyongyang is a truly amusing city. Really. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Due to the shortage of electricity, all lights had to be turned off, yet in the middle of the za, the lights illuminating the tall statues of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il were never switched off.
These two golden statues lonesomely gleamed in the middle of the darkened cityscape, and came across as eerily bizarre to him. This country couldnt be right in the head, trying to proudly show those off as the symbol of their prestige.
They are flocking without a fuss? (Jeong Min-Seong)
We issued the order in the Partys name, so they shouldnt be able to refuse, sir. Besides, we used the bait of distributing food to everyone who show up here, as well. (adjutant)
What a garbage of nation. (Jeong Min-Seong)
To think, they had to resort to such underhanded methods to simply gather people.
If this was any other country, itd be fine to simply mobilise the necessary manpower and vehicles to bring the crowd in, but too bad, this particr country didnt have enough vehicles to do that. And besides, there wasnt enough fuel avable to power them, anyway.
A pre-nned activity could onlye about when there was enough budget for it. In the end, there was no other choice but to send out the Party members to lead the people here.
Still, its a relief that were in the middle of winter. Shortage of food means that everyone is voluntarily stepping up toe here, sir. (adjutant)
I see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong nodded his head.
This truly is a country rotten to the very core. However, our n only works because this country is so rotten in the first ce, and thats the amusing part. Its as if thisnd was prepared for the event of that persons arrival. (Jeong Min-Seong)
There were unexpectedly quite a few nations even worse off than North Korea on this.
The main issues with the North were that there was no freedom of thought, as well as the constant oppression from the Kim family, but when it came to the overall economic health, it wasnt as far behind everyone else as you might think.
As proof, just take a look at the African continent; nations with people dying of starvation could be found quite liberally. However, there was no other nation on Earth that a government managed to thoroughly control its masses like the North.
And that was what made thisnd just about the perfect location to bring their n to life.
If the lives of these worthless humans can serve to kickstart a brand new era, then well, Im sure there is no death more nobler than that. (Jeong Min-Seong)
It is, sir. (adjutant)
I hope there wont be any potential problems, moving on? (Jeong Min-Seong)
..........
Youre not answering? (Jeong Min-Seong)
The adjutant lowered his head slightly and replied.
Rhee Jin-Cheols whereabouts are currently uncertain, sir. (adjutant)
Mm? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seongs forehead creased up a little.
You dont know where he went? Did you not send our men after him? Yet, its not hes now in the South, but you dont know where he is? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Everyone chasing after Rhee Jin-Cheol have vanished into thin air, sir. It mustve happened too quickly, because none of them could radio us. (adjutant)
....Its Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong pulled the cigarette out of his lips and stubbed it out.
He couldnt think of any other exnation besides that one. No matter how hard he thought about it, there could be no one else other than that man capable of instantly erasing all the ability users they so carefully trained.
In that case, we must now assume hes in South Korea. Yi Ji-Hyuk mustve taken him. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Will it be fine, sir? (adjutant)
They wont be able to stop something that has already happened. Besides, Rhee Jin-Cheol also doesnt have the full picture of whats going on here. Meaning, the South Koreans will have to consider carefully how to respond, and by the time those slow-moving b*stardse up with a n, everything should bepleted on our end. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Indeed.... I guess so, sir. (adjutant)
Although he was saying that, Jeong Min-Seongs expression wasnt so bright.
Well, in the end we got tangled up with one person I didnt want to. (Jeong Min-Seong)
This was beyond the issue of how powerful that man was or not. They just couldnt predict what Yi Ji-Hyuk would do next. He was always ready to act on his see-sawing whims, so he could very well suddenly show up in Pyongyang one morning and flip everything on its head. Not to forget, he had the ability to do so, as well.
Hmm.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong massaged his face before continuing on.
Looks like well have to speed up the n. Send the word out to everyone and tell them to hurry up. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Understood. (adjutant)
What about the swine? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Hes currently lost in thebination of the Pleasure Group and the drugs, sir. Im sure we can even make him squeal like a real pig about now. (adjutant)
Nice. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong grinned. Personally turning that stinking insect of a man that leeched off on the blood and sweat of his citizens into a wastrel C even if he hadnt been doing it for long, this feat still nevertheless gave him a great deal of satisfaction.
A swine should live like a swine, but what an unfortunate thing is, letting that b*stard live on in that state. He belongs in the pigsty, after all. (Jeong Min-Seong)
There are just too many eyes watching, sir. (adjutant)
I told you, I know. (Jeong Min-Seong)
If only it wasnt for all the gazes, that swine wouldve been disposed of by now.
In any case. Hurry up with the preparations. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yes sir! (adjutant)
The adjutant exited from the room, and Jeong Min-Seong shifted his gaze back outside the window C at the giant statues in the middle of the darkened cityscape.
Looks like a mausoleum. (Jeong Min-Seong)
And for sure, itd soon turn into a real grave, too.
The entirety of the city named Pyongyang, that was.
Jeong Min-Seong smiled softly and observed the city soon to be turned into a graveyard.
< 343. Time to wake up -3 > Fin.
(TL: The Pleasure Group, or Kippumjo/Gippeumjo is a collection of women numbering around 2000, maintained by the leadership of North Korea to provide various pleasures to the nations top brass, mostly sexual in nature. Allegedly. There are various English names for this group, including Pleasure Squad and Joy Division. Im not making this up. There is actually a dedicated Wikipedia page on the subject, so if youre curious, have a gander.)
Chapter 344: Time to wake up (4)
Chapter 344: Time to wake up (4)
Please wait a moment. Did you just say genocide? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min was certain that his hearing hadnt failed him yet. And so, he was dead sure of correctly hearing what the North Korean had said.
Even then, he still had to reaffirm it because of what he heard just now was simply too shocking.
Yes, I have. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol stared at Yun Yeong-Min with a slightly sorrowful face.
Whats the meaning of this, w-without any exnation whatsoever?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The South Korean president alternated his re at the two ministers from the Defense and Unification ministries. Too bad, both men shook their heads as if they had no idea, too.
Its our first time hearing this, sir. (Defense Minister)
Me too, sir. (Unification Minister)
Yun Yeong-Min could only groan.
If someone else said this, then that fool wouldnt even be admitted into the building. There were too many nutters out there spreading false ims regarding North Korea nowadays, after all.
Heck, even those who defected from North Korea were mouthing off made-up bulldust on TV shows just to make a living, so it was an epted practice these days to filter out at least half of what you heard regarding all the happenings up north.
However....
This man risked his life to escape. Not only that, North Korea threatened us with war if we epted him so theres definitely something here. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sure, the North often brought up the hellfire of war whenever boredom took over, but something just felt different this time. Never before have they mentioned war because of a single individual, until now.
Indeed, the North didnt even mention anything remotely rted to war when the humongous fish called Hwang Jang-Yop escaped to reach the South.
That meant this man right here held value that surpassed Hwang Jang-Yop....
If thats the case, does that mean I have to believe him...? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Frowns deeply etched on Yun Yeong-Mins face.
I understand that you find it hard to believe. However, its the truth. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
M-mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Currently the North is gathering her citizens to Pyongyang. Do you know why? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
The Unification Minister received Yun Yeong-Mins gaze and nodded his head.
Its true, sir. The North Korean regime is summoning their masses to Pyongyang as we speak. The reason given is for the sake of a party caucus as well as the distribution of food, but their true intentions arent currently known. (Unification Minister)
I see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Minsplexion gained its calmness.
You said youre Major Rhee Jin-Cheol? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, Your Excellency. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
For a moment there, Yun Yeong-Min wondered whether he should inform the good Major or not about the abolishment of the term your excellency in South Korea, but eventually decided to let it be and continued on with the real topic at hand.
What is the reason for the Norths regime to kill its citizens? (Yun Yeong-Min)
....Even Im not sure of that reason. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min shook his head.
I shall evaluate highly your drive to escape from the North at great risk to your life in order to tell us the truth. However, without a solid proof or a reason, we cant easily make our move. (Yun Yeong-Min)
But, your excellency! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Of course, were fully aware of the Kim familymitting countless genocide in the past. However, we simply cantprehend the reason why they would start ughtering their own citizens when their society is in a period of stability. Indeed, there have been many mass murderers throughout history, but they all had a clear goal of maintaining their grip on power. But the North Korean citizens arent even trying to rebel against their regime, so my mind simply cant fathom the need for a genocide.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min blurred the ends of his words, and the Unification Minister quickly took over.
From the year 2000 onwards, North Korea preferred the option of performingbour education on those deemed to be revolutionaries rather than outright executing them, in order to bolster their workforce. The sole exception would be the ones in the ruling ss. Those who got purged would indeed be executed by a firing squad, or even through cannon fire, but still, they wouldnt put regr citizens through such extreme methods of execution. But if they were to suddenly change their directions now, there must be some kind of a catalyst for that, but we cant see any that could serve as one. (Unification Minister)
Rhee Jin-Cheols face reddened up considerably.
If thats the case, why do you think I rushed to get to this ce?! It wouldve been just fine if I stayed back there, no?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Mm.... (Unification Minister)
Although they could understand where Rhee Jin-Cheol wasing from, without a clear proof, it was going to be problematic trying to ept his words at face value.
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly addressed Rhee Jin-Cheol.
Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Yes? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol replied with a slightly crumpled expression as if the idea of talking to Yi Ji-Hyuk was irksome to him.
Did you guys start that thing as soon as we left solely because you sensed something was wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats only half right. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
What do you mean by that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We did think that the higher-ups were cooking up something. Now normally, wouldnt it be logical to evacuate your citizens first when monsters are rushing towards Pyongyang? (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
....I guess so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, even though the soldiers were brought in, the citizens werent allowed to leave the city. We all know that our Democratic Republic isnt a normal nation. However, something like that has never happened before. Our nation will allow its citizens to evacuate freely in case of war, lets not forget. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Maybe thats because the swine leader of yours went insane? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Our Comrade Supreme Leader isnt as useless as you make him out to be. That was why we found it quite strange. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
From the Souths perspective, whatever the North Korean regime did wouldnte across as strange so they didnt notice anything was amiss, but as a citizen of that country, it seemed that Rhee Jin-Cheol was quick to notice the inconsistencies somehow.
In any case.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol ended his brief chat with Yi Ji-Hyuk and continued on with his exnation.
We did know there were hints of something off from early on. And thats why Comrade Chief of Staff rushed the n into action. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
That ahjussi, he seemed like such a nice guy.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue and gathered both of his hands in front of him, causing Rhee Jin-Cheol to explode in anger and shout out loudly.
Hes still alive! Stop treating him like a dead man! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Hul, hes still breathing?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, wouldnt it be normal to be dead by now?
Huh? Wait a minute, it wont do for him to be still alive, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kah-ahck!! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol was about to fly off his handle, but Park Seong-Chan powerfully grabbed his shoulders. Even thetter with a lot of resentment reserved for the former had only one thing to say in this situation.
You gotta endure it, man. You know hes originally like this. (Park Seong-Chan)
Even then, wasnt that just too much?! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
I get it, I really do. Even we had to go through this lots of times. (Park Seong-Chan)
Keuh-euh.... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
This was the moment that the North and South joined hands just because of Yi Ji-Hyuks existence.
In the meantime, Yun Yeong-Min took a sip of his coffee in order to organise his messy train of thoughts.
What does he expect from us? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The thing was, them knowing for sure that the North was nning to kill its citizens posed a serious problem.
Is he telling us to invade North Korea or something? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sure, his emotions dearly wanted him to invade right now and flip everything on its head, but he was still the president of South Korea.
The moment he sent the army into the North Korean territory would be the moment that war broke out for real. Even if he had the pretext of preventing genocide, war wasnt something that could be started so easily. Besides, who was supposed to deal with the sacrifices associated with war?
And there was no guarantee that both the North and the South wouldnt be destroyed together when a Gate opened up in the middle of a frontal warfare.
If he were to make a cold, logical assessment...
Didnt matter whether a genocide was about to take ce in North Korea or not, there was nothing he could do about it.
Yun Yeong-Min finished organising his thoughts and looked at Rhee Jin-Cheol.
I understand what youre trying to say. The Norths ruling elites are showing signs of wanting to kill the citizens, and you crossed the DMZ in order to let us know. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, thats correct. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
I see. In that case, wed like to discuss this topic among ourselves now. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Rhee Jin-Cheol sensed negative connotation from Yun Yeong-Mins tone of voice and urgently shouted out.
Your excellency, Im not lying to you in the slightest! Jeong Min-Seong has taken over the ruling ss and hes trying to do something right now! Have you seen my Comrade Supreme Leader in public recently? Its been a long time since that ursed man has taken over the Partys top position! (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Jeong Min-Seong? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The Unification Minister could only disy a reddened face after receiving Yun Yeong-Mins questioning gaze. Sure, the ministry did its best to analyse all the big fish within the Norths regime, but there were just too many people registered with the Workers Party, and it was impossible for him to remember the names of every single one.
However, you could flip that around and say that this unknown individual was deemed not important enough and therefore, the Unification Minister hadnt heard of him before.
He doesnt seem to be an important individual, sir. (Unification Minister)
Hmm, well, North Korea is a country like that to begin with. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Excluding those from the Kim family, referred to as an utterly inane nickname of the Baekdu bloodline, the power hierarchy of the North changed frequently, sometimes even several times in a single year.
The Supreme Leaders favour decided ones political power, so someonepletely unexpected could take over the Partys hegemony in an instant.
Even if this Jeong Min-Seong has taken over the Party, is there a reason for him to start a genocide? (Yun Yeong-Min)
....He said hell bring about a brand new world. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Thats a typical saying of those nning to take over, isnt it? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Just before Yun Yeong-Min waved his hands to indicate that this was enough for now, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth again.
A brand new world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Perhaps he found Yi Ji-Hyuk showing some interest a wee change of pace, Rhee Jin-Cheol nodded his head enthusiastically.
Genocide, and a brand new world, is it..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his chin roughly before groaning out loud.
So, me being able to think up of something can also be this irritating, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks cheeks puffed up from pure cantankerousness. This ominous foreboding of something really annoying had begun gnawing on him, thats why.
Is there something on your mind? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon keeping silent until then chimed in. He thought that the conversation taking ce so far wasnt something he could interject freely C but it was the norm for him to reply when Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to say something.
Unfortunately, there wasnt all that many people who wanted to converse with him in this world, thats why.
Looks like they are trying to open a Gate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A Gate, is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Excuse me? What was that?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head theatrically as if it was too annoying to exin.
You know, that thing. Its not like you dont know the mechanism behind the demon kings descending to this world, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....But, uh, we dont know how. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sneakily turned his head and avoided meeting Yi Ji-Hyuks unimpressed re.
What do you expect from me when I never knew to begin with?
If youre such an expert, why didnt you tell us sooner, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Its death. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In order to open a Gate, youd need a massive pool of energy. In my case, I use Mana to open a Gate, but well, Mana isnt the only energy source out there, you see. The fuel the demonic beings would often use is the so-called negative energy emitted by humans when they die. Do you remember how there has always been huge-scale incidents taking ce before demon kings were summoned to this world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Theres a limit to how many people you can kill through such incidents, though. If you n it properly and get everything ready beforehand and extract the negative energy to its extreme, then one death can substitute the deaths of dozens. However, mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be pondering something, so Choi Jeong-Hoon patiently waited for him to finish. Because no one present right now had as much knowledge on the subject matter than he was.
I was thinking that such a gathering would be seen as an action of a deranged cult in this world so I figured itd never happen in any notable scale, but if its North Korea were talking about, then I guess its possible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, what will happen? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What do you mean, what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned refreshingly and replied.
The portal to the demon world will open, followed by theplete annihtion of the human race, thats what. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Stop saying stuff like that with such a deadpan face!
Choi Jeong-Hoon sensed the surrounding atmosphere be deathly cold in an instant.
< 344. Time to wake up -4 > Fin.
Chapter 345: Time to wake up (5)
Chapter 345: Time to wake up (5)
Yun Yeong-Min tilted his head as if he couldnt fully understand the conversation taking ce between Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jeong-Hoon.
A doorway to the demon world will open? (Yun Yeong-Min)
It seems that way. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Unfortunately, only Choi Jeong-Hoon was adequately equipped to provide an answer in this ce.
What do you mean by that? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Unsurprisingly, this topic was far too difficult for Yun Yeong-Min toprehend. Even Choi Jeong-Hoon himself hadnt fully understood the concept, after all.
Do you know about the existence of the demon kings? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Although not in any concrete detail, the Korean president still knew that those creatures were basically the final bosses of all the monsters emerging from the Gates. Because of them, America almost got flipped on its head, while Ennd lost her capital city. Heck, thetter nation was finding it still quite tough to maintain the minimum level of governance without foreign aid after London was blown to bits.
The demon kings reside in that world, sir. Its and teeming with countless monsters, and also with a ton of demon kings, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And youre saying well be connected to that ce?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. So, if we use what Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has said as basis of.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon calcted the effectiveness in his head from the number of people gathering in Pyongyang as well as Yi Ji-Hyuks own words, and he suddenly began smiling awkwardly.
In case everything goes ording to North Koreas n, then.... Of course, this is all under the assumption that the Norths regime is really nning to open a portal to the demon world by means of genocide. In any case, if it does go ording to their n, then we might even get to see a situation of dozen-plus demon kings showing up at once, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Forget about a dozen, they might pop out like one of those special buy one, get one free items. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Why are they suddenly on sale? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon knew too well that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt trying to scare him for fun here. When he thought about it, Yi Ji-Hyuk had never exaggerated things nor did he outright lie about something. Indeed, he only spoke truths.
Its just that his truth had this tendency to make you cover your ears desperately.
Im asking you this as our representative, so... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What will happen if a Gate with a scale youre thinking of opens up? (Yun Yeong-Min)
What do you mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What kind of an impact will that have? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Uh, mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if he were pondering something, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his hand only to lower it again, perhaps signalling that there was nothing to mull over here.
What kind of an impact do you think it will have? Its theplete annihtion of the world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
No, hang on a sec. Maybe it wont go that far. They also need humans, after all. Okay, so. Itll be a historic moment when the entire humanity bes livestock. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you just say everyone will die, instead??
That is, mm..... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min couldnt finish what he wanted to say for a short while.
Although this banter sounded jokey and all, calling its contents horrific wouldnt be an exaggeration whatsoever.
D-do we have a response in ce? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min spoke as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Sure, there had been plenty of situations that reached critical status up until now, but didnt Yi Ji-Hyuk always step up to resolve them all?
If the Gate is opened up.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Itll be better to just kill yourselves. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Yi Ji-Hyuk then added more, although he didnt really have to.
These guys called demon kings, they are not quite right in the heads, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats definitely true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head while ncing at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....And why are you looking at me like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No reason. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his gaze away.
Wasnt there a definite proof right before their eyes?
This man, he was also a demon king. And Erukana was a demon king, too.
Since the two demon kings he was acquainted with were certifiably nuts, it wasnt a stretch of imagination to think that the other demon kings would also be serious mental cases, ording to his inductive reasoning.
Creatures like him will pour out in their droves. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
At least Choi Jeong-Hoon was looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk as hisrade. What if you were thinking of him as an enemy? Just how bad would the whole thing be?
We need to stop them. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shouted out in an urgent voice.
Itll be akin to seeing a dozen-plus Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks pouring out from the other side! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Should I just hang myself? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min muttered in sheer sorrow.
Hey, listen here, you lot! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as everyone began falling into bouts of panic, the only one to retain his sanity, the Unification Minister, opened his mouth.
Its not yet clear what they are aiming for. Even if this mans testimony is true and Jeong Min-Seong has indeed taken over the Party, the Kim family is still the emperors inside the North. Without the swine... no, I mean, their Supreme Leaders consent, events of such magnitude will never happen. And he doesnt have a reason to do it either, sir. Hes lording over the isted country like an emperor already, so why should he drive the rest of humanity to hell? (Unification Minister)
Mm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Those words held some weight, indeed.
What should we do, in your opinion? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Hmm.... (Park Du-Jin)
The Chief Secretary Park Du-Jin quietly listening to the unfolding situation spoke in a mncholic voice.
Its quite difficult to do anything without the sure-fire proof of whatever North Korea is scheming, unfortunately. (Park Du-Jin)
However, wouldnt it be an even bigger problem if the crisis he spoke of really happens? (Yun Yeong-Min)
This issue must be treated like an international incident, sir. I believe that the optimal course of action is to inform the other nations of the current situation ande up with a solution together. For the time being, we should alert the Americans, Russians, the Chinese as well as the Japanese. These four nations. (Park Du-Jin)
I see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min greatly nodded his head.
He never thought about cooperating with other nations since it was rathermon these days for his government to lend an aid to them and not the other way around.
I guess being a leading nation isnt as easy as it looks. (Yun Yeong-Min)
If something like this happened in the past, hed simply inform the Americans and then take a rxing break, before doing whatever they told him to do at ater stage. But now that he had to act as a leader in this crisis, it seemed like there were far too many things suddenly requiring his attention.
In that case, inform our neighbours regarding the current situation. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. In order to do that, we need more information. (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jins hardened face shifted over to Rhee Jin-Cheol.
It seems that we have more things to discuss. (Park Du-Jin)
Yi Ji-Hyuk observed that spectacle and spoke up as if to test the waters.
You mustnt torture him or anything like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We wont do that! (Park Du-Jin)
The startled Park Du-Jin shouted out. What kind of an era were they living in for him to so casually mention torture?
I saw it in the movies, you know? Torturing and stuff. If its a North Korean, then even worse. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Do you wish to see the whole administration fall into ruin? (Park Du-Jin)
Park Du-Jin could only chuckle in disbelief.
Actually, Im just curious about what youd do when torturing an ability user. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see. (Park Du-Jin)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gazed at Rhee Jin-Cheol as if to say he could rx now.
This is fine, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rhee Jin-Cheol reciprocated the gaze with a somewhat grateful expression.
Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im truly ashamed to ask you for this favour, but... (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, save Comrade Chief of Staff, Park Yong-Hui. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Hes still alive. Hes currently imprisoned in the basement of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun. Hes slowly dying even as we speak. I beg of you, please rescue him. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Ahjussi, say something that makes sense, please. How do you expect me to go there and save that dude? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I beg of you. (Rhee Jin-Cheol)
Rhee Jin-Cheol bowed deeply in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Leaving those words behind, Rhee Jin-Cheol followed Park Du-Jin and exited from the office. Yi Ji-Hyuk watched him leave and sighed under his breath.
Well, weve done all we can, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seems that way. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the pondering Yun Yeong-Mins serious expression and nodded his head. It seemed that there was nothing for them to do here anymore.
In that case, well be going our way too, so when everythings been decided, give us a call. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, really? Can we do that? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min stood up from his seat.
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened a Gate and while entering it, waved his hand.
Bye now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Goodbye. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Once Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jeong-Hoon disappeared into the Gate, Yun Yeong-Min copsed on his chair and spat out a long sigh.
The Defense Minister sneakily pushed forward an ashtray, pulled out a cigarette from his inner pocket, and presented it before Yun Yeong-Min.
Hmm. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The President ced the cigarette between his lips and lit it up. He wanted to quit this habit a long time ago if he could help it, but matters like this one seemed to always prevent him from doing so.
A national crisis, is it.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
The ominous foreboding telling him this was no ordinary event was rocking the inside of his head.
Is it possible to call the party leader-nim Song Jeong-Su? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir.
I think we need to hear his opinion. This isnt a situation I alone can make decisions for. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well call him right away.
Good. And get other nations responses as soon as possible, too. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir.
Yun Yeong-Min shifted his gaze outside the window as deep frowns etched in his forehead.
This would be his first time sensing just how heavy this position could actually get.
*
Im going home now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nonchntly waved his hand.
Alright, see youter, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt try to stop him.
If this was any other time, he might have started nagging by now, saying that it wasnt the end of the office hours yet. However, the current situation was seemingly barrelling towards uncertainty and so....
By the way.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What will really happen if such a crisis unfolds? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I told you, itll be annihtion. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres nothing we can do? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even stop to think and replied.
Even back when I was in my prime, I couldnt fight against the entirety of the demon world. Of course, its not like the whole demon world would cross over when the Gate opens up, but if five or so demon kings decide to show up at once? Ill have to forget about everything and just run away. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im not joking here, we really dont have a way. So, we gotta stop them no matter what. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, Im going now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand again and headed in the opposite direction, so Choi Jeong-Hoon had to ask while tilting his head.
Didnt you say youre going home? But, your house is not in that direction? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ive got a lot on my mind, so I just wanted to stop by an arcade, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuks back disappearing into the distance and formed a strange expression.
Hes got a lot on his mind? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That Yi Ji-Hyuk? Really?
***
What a nightmarish situation this is. (Christopher McLaren)
The cigar-chomping Christopher McLaren chuckled bitterly.
My wife asking for a divorce might be easier on my heart than this. (Christopher McLaren)
Isnt that a good thing, sir? (adjutant)
It might have been in the past, sure. Getting divorced at my age is nothing to joke about, though. (Christopher McLaren)
His joking tone of voice had no life whatsoever.
If what the defector from the North said is real, how should we proceed next, sir? (adjutant)
What do you mean, how? We sweep the North clean, thats what. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens voice was resolute.
This wasnt an American-only problem. No, it involved all of humanity.
If a doorway to the demon world opened up, then itd not take more than three days for Asia and Europe to bepletely wiped off the map.
Didnt he personally witness the power of demon kings already? Delkaran only needed around ten minutes to blow London up into smithereens. But that was only because the ursed creature didnt have a need to urgently destroy the city. If it wanted to, then everything wouldve been destroyed in an instant.
Itll be too dangerous if a demon king-level threat crosses over. And if theres more than one, then especially more so. (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk managed to somehow resolve everything up to now, but as Christopher McLaren had watched everything from a great vantage point, he knew how precarious those processes had been.
For now, get the cooperation from the respective intelligence agencies involved and find out whats going on inside North Korea. (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, yes sir. (adjutant)
And, also.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren seemed to ponder whether he should say this or not, but in the end, decided to say it anyway.
Inform the Vice President, and ask him to get the cooperation from both China and Russia. (Christopher McLaren)
What kind of cooperation are you talking about, sir? (adjutant)
If we fail to prevent the opening of the Gate.... (Christopher McLaren)
Sir? (adjutant)
Christopher McLaren roughly stubbed the cigar on the ashtray and spoke up.
All three nations will have to rain down a shower of nukes and wipe the country called North Korea off this. (Christopher McLaren)
< 345. Time to wake up -5 > Fin.
Chapter 346: Feels like I’ve seen him before (1)
Chapter 346: Feels like Ive seen him before (1)
Cold sweat began soaking the adjutants back.
He finally realised how seriously Christopher McLaren was treating the current situation.
D-did you just say a shower of nukes, sir? (adjutant)
Did I sound over the top to you? (Christopher McLaren)
In all honesty.... (adjutant)
Ever since humanity invented the nuclear arsenal, it had been deployed only twice C the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even though humans invented nuclear weapons, they voluntarily sealed them away after witnessing the horrifying capabilities.
But now, they werent even talking about using nuclear weapons, but a shower of them?
That was no different than saying he wanted topletely erase the nation of North Korea.
Will China and Russia even agree to something like that, sir? (adjutant)
They wont have a choice. (Christopher McLaren)
They too had vividly witnessed the powers of demon kings that appeared in America as well as in London. If such demon kings poured out in their droves, then they wouldnt have a choice but to agree with the idea of utterly annihting the monsters even at the cost of abandoning a portion of their own territories.
They should be the ones in the immediate firing line, after all. If demon kings really do show up in North Korea, then the ones in most danger would be China, Japan, South Korea and Russia, these four nations. Even if it p*sses me off, itd still be a hundred times better than the whole countries getting destroyed. (Christopher McLaren)
Indeed, sir.... (adjutant)
Its pretty obvious that they will baulk badly at the idea, so tell them to carefully word the messages. Got that? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir. (adjutant)
Hurry. (Christopher McLaren)
After the adjutant left the office, Christopher McLaren covered his face.
Were already doing so much, yet.... (Christopher McLaren)
The whole world was cooperating to instantly eliminate all Gates that showed up, yet the situation was steadily getting worse.
Even if they managed to stop this event, wouldnt there be another in the near future?
Christopher McLaren was gradually getting fatigued from the seemingly-endless war of attrition.
It was then, something popped up in his head, and he quickly essed up the inte.
By the way, what is Mister Lee doing right now? (Christopher McLaren)
C Did you mean Yi Ji-Hyuk, sir?
Yeah, him. (Christopher McLaren)
C Sir, I regret to inform you that we dont have much information regarding the East at the moment. The South Korean government is behaving far too prickly regarding any and all info about Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk leaking out, sir.
Find out immediately. No, wait. Theres no need. Ill just personally call up Mister Choi. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren figured that itd be quicker to ask Choi Jeong-Hoon directly in matters rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk, so he dropped the inte and dialled the South Koreans number.
Mister Choi, been a while. (Christopher McLaren)
C Mister McLaren. Likewise. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I told you that I prefer Christopher, didnt I? Youre more stubborn than you look, it seems. (Christopher McLaren)
C Id prefer to be thought of as someone who hasnt lost his way, rather than as a stubborn mule, Mister McLaren. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Christopher McLaren smiled wryly.
This guy often came across as a truly insufferable fool, but hed also sometimes reveal his hidden edge like this, too. Considering his young age, Choi Jeong-Hoon was indeed a rather difficult customer to deal with.
If only he wasnt tangled up in Yi Ji-Hyuks matters.... (Christopher McLaren)
No matter how talented you were, itd be very difficult to shine when standing next to the sun called Yi Ji-Hyuk. Because, itd look like he was responsible for solving everything.
Its fine either way. Thank you for the news regarding North Korea. (Christopher McLaren)
C I see that youve been informed by now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The news did get to the White House first, but as you may well know, our President is a bit indisposed at the moment. (Christopher McLaren)
The American president Bruno had lost almost all of his sanity after going through the Erukana incident. Obviously, that wasnt a situation where a regr powerless person could emerge unscathed.
Its just that Christopher McLaren couldnt openly dere his own president was suffering from ill-health.
C Shouldnt you elect a new leader, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
America do have the Vice President, Mister Choi. Were different from South Korea, so you dont have to worry about us. Besides, as you know already, there arent all that many politicians willing to step up in matters like this one, anyway. (Christopher McLaren)
C I see, that is indeed different from Korea. How envious. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I wonder about that. I now have to deal with an increase in my workload all thanks to this. Im actually hoping that that side will start doing more work soon. (Christopher McLaren)
C I dont know which side to sympathise with anymore. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its a problem either way. Well, its a dilemma experienced by both sides, isnt it? No need for sympathy or anything like that. In any case.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren sucked in a deep breath and carried on.
Whats going on with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
C My English isnt quite good enough to understand you, but I still did get your intentions. I think hes at an arcade about now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
An arcade? (Christopher McLaren)
C I guess saying the game arcade might help you to understand better. Its where youll find a collection of arcade gaming cabs. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why is he there? (Christopher McLaren)
C Well, should I say hes indulging in a healthy habit? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Urgh.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren held his head. The world was on the brink of destruction, yet he was at a game arcade?
Did you just let him go? (Christopher McLaren)
C What can I do, realistically speaking? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even then, the whole world is in danger, isnt it? (Christopher McLaren)
C Thats not a new thing at this point, no? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren craned his neck after hearing that unexpected reply.
C If you think about it, the world wouldve been destroyed if we failed to stop the Zombie Dragon or the American zombie incidents, or when the demon kings crossed over. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Thats true. (Christopher McLaren)
C We naively thought back then that we could somehow stop those events regardless of how difficult they were. But when we look back now, humanity wouldve been finished for sure if Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt with us. And also, he understood the severity of those situations far better than us. All this time, he pretends to be hung up on meaningless things like money and then steps forward to resolve all the problems. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mmm.... (Christopher McLaren)
C Thats why this event shouldnt be too different in nature to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. If he stops it, then we continue to exist, but if he fails, then everything would be over. Hes been suffering under such pressure all this time. So, him needing to go to an arcade doesnt signify how nonchnt and rxed he is, but it means that the stress hes under is so extreme that he needs to seek out an alternative to upy his mind. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I see. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren had to reflect on himself.
Indeed, it was the correct call to ask Choi Jeong-Hoon about Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Christopher McLaren)
The American only saw Yi Ji-Hyuk through that mans abilities, but failed to realise that the person wielding those abilities happened to be a human being like him.
If the continued existence of humanity was hanging on his shoulders, Christopher McLaren knew that hed notst one single second from the sheer weight.
Regardless what, hes still a man. (Christopher McLaren)
A human would have no choice but to shiver away from the burden. Even if you were someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk with mentality seemingly made out of pure grade A steel.
This is worrisome. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren sighed while worrying about Yi Ji-Hyuk, who should be thinking quite seriously about this event right about now.
*
That wont do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cleanly operated the joystick.
The Wind God connected oh-so beautifully. Launched in the air with only a third of health bar left meant certain death. Yi Ji-Hyuk performed a beautiful B&Bbo and watched the golden letters of Perfect rising up on the screen with a content grin on his face. (TL note at the end)
Holy cow, this hyungs a real deal.
Thats the 40th win in a row.
Yi Ji-Hyuk heard all the words of praiseing from behind him and a happy grin floated up on his lips.
This was it.
He wasnt dead yet. His gaming sense was still alive and kicking. Just how much of his own money did he sacrifice to the altars of gaming gods before he got dragged to Berafe? If he saved that money instead, he couldve bought a rather nice mid-sized saloon car by now.
In life, you were supposed to be rewarded ording to the investment you put in.
Now originally, every arcade in every district had their own alpha yers. Gamers who preferred the cabs they were familiar with obviously went to the same arcades again and again, and if you were skilled enough, youd get acquainted with one another after going through many battles.
But then, Yi Ji-Hyuk unexpectedly showed up on this fine day and went on a killing spree, so perhaps understandably, the whole arcade was in a state of emergency.
Where did hee from?
Maybe hes from Isu?
I checked, and the people from Isu says they dont know anyone like him. Did you call Chang-Hyuk hyung yet?
Yeah, he said hes on the way.
Theres a limit to getting a beatdown like this, you know? If we get massacred like this, well lose all respect, man. We need to stomp that fool.
Of course, they didnt mean that literally, but within the confines of the game.
This was an era where skilled gamers could make a living by bing a Broadcast Jockey or enter a tournament and earn rewards while raising the level of overall awareness of the scene. Meaning, this was no longer the era where the defeated district had no choice but to swallow the shame and move on.
But then, a bunch of folks making a living in this scene was getting stomped on by a noob no one knew where he came from?
They thought they could collectively hear their ie decreasing in real time.
Having analysed the situation, they phoned the person considered to be the strongest in this particr arcade, Choi Chang-Hyuk, and summoned him here.
Hyung, youre still not here yet? At this rate, this b*stard might leave, you know?
C Im almost there. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
You gotta hurry! Seriously!
C I said, Im almost there. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
No, hang on. Stop saying that, and....
Im here now, you dumba*s!! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The dude on the phone witnessed Choi Chang-Hyuk open the door to the arcade and enter inside while shouting angrily, and promptly turned the device off.
Youre really here!
Why were you egging me on that much, man?! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk exploded in irritation before shifting his gaze over to the cabs. A rather suspicious-looking man wearing a blue tracksuit was sitting in front of one, his leg crossed a bit as he concentrated on the game.
Thats him? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yes.
Why the hell did he suddenly show up and.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks brows quivered somewhat.
Wait, you say this is his first time here? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yes, hyung. Never seen him before.
In that case, why do I feel like Ive seen him before somewhere? Thats freaking weird. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Eiii, hes got such a unique face, so if youve met him before, youd remember right away. No way you cant recognise him.
R-right? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
For sure, that guy did have a pretty memorable face, alright. On top of that, a guy with such a face that also happened to y the game really well would make him almost unforgettable. The fact that Choi Chang-Hyuk couldnt remember him properly? One could flip that around and say he had never seen that man before.
But still....
Why am I getting so anxious? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
It kinda felt like when you forgot to wipe your bottom after taking a dump. It was simr to how you keep looking back because of this somewhat-bitter aftertaste in your mouth, something like that.
In any case, please do something about him.
N-ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Didnt matter who it was, this might prove to be problematic to the broadcasters who had to stake their honour in every battle they fought. Werent they being sponsored by the owner of this very arcade with equipment in return for the advertisement of his establishment? So, if they got creamed by aplete unknown, that would utterly shatter the status of this very arcade.
Choi Chang-Hyuk settled down on the opposite cab with an uncertain expression.
For now, he figured itd be fine to worry after crushing the fool first.
But then, he heard a strange noiseing from his back.
Uh? Why are you standing up?
Is there a problem if I stand up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, its not that, but why are you suddenly standing up in the middle of gaming?
To smoke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah....
Choi Chang-Hyuks dongsaengs began panicking as they watched the blue tracksuits man suddenly stand up from his spot and try to walk outside the arcade.
Itd be bad if he left just like that....
Y-youreing back after the smoke break, right?
Whats that got to do with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B-because, wed like to challenge you for another round.
Mm, Im thinking about it.... Its not like theres anyone left to fight here, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Someone hase! Just now!
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The tracksuits man peeked around the corner and looked at Choi Chang-Hyuk on the opposite side.
Now that they were face to face like this, Chang-Hyuks attention kept getting diverted towards those arched-up eyebrows. If one took the individual facial features and looked at it critically, this tracksuits man wouldve been judged not too bad looking, but those brows werepletely ruining the overall vibe.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The man with arched brows intently studied Choi Chang-Hyuk for a bit, before tilting his head.
Cant tell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The man said something iprehensible and went outside.
A brief waitingter, he returned and settled down on the opposite side again. One of the dongsaengs sitting there and looking after the situation just in case the 40 win streak got broken by the CPU hurriedly vacated the spot.
Oh, thanks for the service. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk confirmed the man sitting down on his opposite side, and with a slightly tense face, inserted the coin in the cab.
Seriously dude, feels like Ive seen him before somewhere. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Inside of his head was getting really messy.
< 346. Feels like Ive seen him before -1 > Fin.
(TL: This whole paragraph is a reference to Tekken. The Wind God, or the Wind God Fist, is a move avable to all the Mishima characters in the newer games. As for B&Bbo, thats an abbreviation of bread and butterbo, while all avid Tekken yers will know of the golden Perfect. As an aside, In Korea, B&Bbo is known rather humorously as citizenbo, since anyone can supposedly perform one.)
Chapter 347: Feels like I’ve seen him before (2)
Chapter 347: Feels like Ive seen him before (2)
For now, lets y the game. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
It didnt really matter who your opponent was, even if it happened to be the president of the country C you were supposed to win in the game regardless.
The existence of men were allowed to taste defeat in all walks of life, but sure as hell they werent permitted to lose in a video game.
As Choi Chang-Hyuk chose his default go-to character, his dongsaengs all crowded around him.
Hyung, that guys side steps are incredible. His timing is off the scale.
He hasnt dropped hisbos not once till now, too. You get airborne, and might as well consider yourself dead.
Got it, you fools. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The character chosen by the dude in the opposite cab was, simply put, one of those limited characters that went all in with one sure-kill hit.
That character dealt such a nonsensical amount of damage the moment you went airborne, so much so that youd end up slightly worried for your own characters digital waist snapping in half. But on the flip side, it was one of those typical Onnne-puuuunch! shouting characters and was limited in its capacity as a result.
Sure, it was a fearsome character to contend with when low- and mid-tier challengers went head to head, but high-tier yers hardly ever chose this character since they wouldnt easily get hit by such one-note attacks.
But, he still managed to get a 40 win streak with such a character.
Choi Chang-Hyuks dongsaengs were pretty well-known Broadcast Jockeys in their own right, and not only that, they also managed to ce fairly high up during the recent n battles, as well. So, being able to ransack such yers with that particr character implied that he must never let his guard down, no matter what.
No. Matter. What!
*
But, I didnt let my guard down.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk stared at the winning streak count now reading 45 and spat out a long, long sigh ofmentation. Before he sat in his spot, that used to read 40, but now it was already 45.
Chang-Hyuk hyung.
....Hey, who the heck is that guy?
Hyung.
Seeing his dongsaengs unable to say anything other than helplessly call out Hyung!, Choi Chang-Hyuk became utterly ashamed and speechless. He did his best, but hell, the dude in the opposing cab? He was like some kind of a machine.
As soon as a moment of opening was created, that man, hed calcte the frame like lightning and rush in to deal some serious punishes, plus his psychological warfare as if he could read the future....
For the first time ever since he started ying video games, Choi Chang-Hyuk acutely felt the unbridgeable gap in ones abilities right down to his bones.
I cant win. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
From the get-go, it felt as if that mans reflexes werent of a human beings. No, it was more like trying to fight against thess boss with the AI set at the hardest difficulty.
No human would be able to catch those small, marginal openings, yet he did exactly that. So, rather obviously, Choi Chang-Hyuk had no answers for that.
A clean, irrefutable five straight losses.
A perfect defeat that didnt even permit any excuses whatsoever.
Hot dayum.
Even his dongsaengs were beginning to admire that mans skills.
Can he win in other arcades, too? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
He began wondering whether the yers belonging to the tournament-winning team could win against this guy or not if they showed up here today.
Choi Chang-Hyuk might not be the best yer in South Korea, but even then, hed not lose five straight sets in such a one-sided manner against the top ranked yers. He was sure of that.
Did that mean the man in the opposing cab was the unofficial top yer in the whole country?
Lets recruit him. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
You mean, that guy??
Thats right. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Deliberation was short, and the resulting action was swift.
Choi Chang-Hyuk stood up and headed to the other side. He began feeling weird for some reason after seeing the man ying the game with his legs still crossed.
Why do I feel so crappy, though? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
It couldnt have been because he lost in the game. He did think something was off even before they started ying, after all.
Haha, hello there. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre really amazing at this game. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The dudes nose seemed to be growing a bit there, just now. Maybe he was getting a bit too full of himself.
Well, its just so-so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk got this feeling that their chat might go easier than expected after seeing the mans lips quiver and his cheeks trying to suppress a grin from breaking out.
Thats why Im saying this, but well, dont you want to y the game with us? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
With you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Were like a small n, you see. But we do broadcasts and participate in tournaments and the like to earn some money. And with a skillset such as yours, I think youll be one of the very best in this field in no time. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The expression of the man sitting on the stool became somewhat disinterested, prompting Choi Chang-Hyuk to be much more urgent.
The matters of money was brought up but that didnt elicit any response whatsoever, so this guy probably ced greater importance on prestige rather than wealth, it seemed.
Or, he could be one of those who just wanted to enjoy the game.
Why dont we pop outside for a quick smoke break? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm, well, sure. But.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at the cab for some reason, and it didnt take Choi Chang-Hyuk too long to figure out why.
Aha, because of your win streak? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Nope. Its actually money. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
500 Won. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL: around 43 US Cents.)
With a slightly ungainly movement, Choi Chang-Hyuk produced a 500 Won coin from his pocket and handed it over. Yi Ji-Hyuk dly epted it with a happy grin and stood up abruptly from his spot.
Alright, lets go! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
While following after Yi Ji-Hyuk, Choi Chang-Hyuk was slowly ovee with this ominous foreboding that things werent going to be as easy as he thought.
*
You were a lot better than I thought. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yup, that I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know how gaming is like. You win, you feel great, but when you lose, its the pits. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yup, thats true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, to maintain your level, the smart thing to do is topete against other skilled yers constantly. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
You were? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Anyone couldve heard the barely-hidden insinuation of You call yourself a skilled yer with that skill level? in that simple question.
Choi Chang-Hyuk was someone acknowledged as one of the very best in the Gangbuk region, so he couldnt help but feel his sorrow well up.
M-my condition wasnt the best today, you see. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
To think that the whole groups condition wasnt the best. Wowsers, did you guys have a feasttest night or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, its not that. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk smiled ufortably.
But then again, they were resoundingly beaten up as a group, so it kind of sounded funny to say he should join their team because it was so talented.
By the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly studied Choi Chang-Hyuks face, before tilting his head.
Havent we met each other before somewhere? Feels like your face is really familiar, somehow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Since Choi Chang-Hyuk was thinking the same thing, he couldnt help but perk up immediately. Maybe they really knew each other.
What is your name? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im Choi Chang-Hyuk. And you?
Choi Chang-Hyuk, is it? Im Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk.... Yi... Ji.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks mouth was mped shut right there.
And then, he began sneakily backing away.
L-looks like I dont know that name. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
He didnt know. No, he mustnt know it.
And escaping from this ce as soon as possible was the only way for him to survive.
Why didnt I remember earlier?! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
He shouldve realised it sooner!
His younger brother told him that he had seen this b*stard before, so why couldnt he put two and two together?
Ah!! Youre Chang-Hyuk! Youre Chang-Siks older brother, right? That Chang-Hyuk? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahaha, I think you got the wrong person. Anyhow, I should be on my.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Eiii, what do you mean, the wrong person? Youre definitely Chang-Hyuk. Dont you recognise me? Im Yi Ji-Hyuk, dude. Cant you recognise your own ssmate?
Ah, hahahaha.............. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Thick sweat drops began trickling down Choi Chang-Hyuks face.
Its him. The Cmity himself. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
To think that hed run into Yi Ji-Hyuk again in this ce C Yi Ji-Hyuk the living, walking cmity of the Dongseong High School.
Wow, its been a really long time, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Realising that itd be too difficult to talk himself out of it now, Choi Chang-Hyuk began epting his reality. It was simply impossible to escape from Yi Ji-Hyuks grasp.
Wasnt he known as the Dongseongs pit bull terrier because once he got his fangs on you, hed never let go?
....Chang-Sik, you stinking son of a.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
That stupid boy shouldve told him that this was the spot where Yi Ji-Hyuk might potentially appear. If that happened, Choi Chang-Hyuk wouldve never showed up in this area for the rest of his life.
Hey, man. Im really happy to see you after all this time. By the way.... Is your head okay now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk awkwardly nodded his head.
It was around then that he could hear murmursing from behind him.
Yo, why is Chang-Hyuk hyung grovelling like that?
Dunno? Maybe they know each other?
Its my first time seeing Chang-Hyuk hyung act like that. I mean, lets be serious here, they are on the same level only during the game, but if they fought for real, most people will get beaten to a pulp in three seconds by him, right?
Youre right.
Choi Chang-Hyuk oh-so wanted to shout out Shut your pie holes! right now. If only he could, he would have ensured that all of those yapping mouths got to chew on knuckle sandwiches right about now, but he had no choice but to endure it.
Whos going to beat who into a pulp? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
If they were to fight, itd be Choi Chang-Hyuk himself getting pummelled in three seconds or less.
His little brother was capable of beating up high schoolers even when he was an elementary school kid. So, how shocked was Chang-Hyuk after finding out such a kid came back home all beaten up?
And how much greater was his shock to learn that the culprit responsible was another middle schooler, just like himself?
It didnt matter how the matter transpired, he just got royally p*ssed off by the fact that his little bro got beaten up until the boy lost consciousness. But when he showed up to take revenge, he got to see the truth.
He saw a kid with a smallish physique giggling away while eating ice cream.
Choi Chang-Hyuk was convinced that the ice cream came from the pocket money taken from his little brother, so he rushed in blindly to right the wrong, only to be taught that people were actually too resilient to easily ck out that afternoon.
Also, he learned that Chang-Sik was spared the worst of it since the boy was just an elementary schooler.
The figure of Yi Ji-Hyuk cackling like a devil while smacking the jaws of his victim became Choi Chang-Hyuks deepest trauma, and ever since then, he swore never to get into a fight with other people.
Thats how it was, but....
Looks like you stopped developing too soon, dude. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Your little bro is as tall as a mountain, you know? So howe youre so small? Dude, you gotta eat more. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
To imply that Choi Chang-Hyuk and his over 188 centimetres of height was small.
Of course,pared Choi Chang-Sik who easily exceeded 190, he was indeed smaller, but still, people wouldnt normally call him small.
H-have you been well? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-when you went missing back then, we got really worried. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not.
Nope, they were crying out Korea liberation hooray! to high heavens.
Some of the ones finally freed from the truly cruel tyranny started praising the ck Monday, saying that the monsters had liberated them, only to be smacked down by the incensed adults. That really did happen.
Now that I hear you, Im beginning to miss them a bit. Are you keeping in touch with them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
NO!! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk desperately denied it.
If he called everyone out and took Yi Ji-Hyuk to the gathering, then hell, no matter how strong Choi Chang-Hyuk was, hed be unable to escape from the lynch mob. He thought he could already imagine the sights of his former friends pouncing on him with bloodshot eyes and foams bubbling in their mouths.
Is that so? Thats too bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smacked his lips ruefully, and Choi Chang-Hyuk could only pat his chest down in relief.
By the way, arent you too old to y video games? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about you, then?! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Just who was it that yed in the arcade only until a few minutes ago??
Of course, he couldnt dare to speak out loud any of these.
Seriously now, wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuk known as the pit bull terrier because hed sink his fangs into you and beat you up half to death if he found something not to his liking? Not getting involved with him was for the best, and if you were somehow unlucky enough to get involved, then doing everything in order to stay in his good books was the only way.
I-I heard that youre working for the KSF these days. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Uh? Well, yeah. Somehow, that happened. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk could only stare at the distant sky.
Back when Yi Ji-Hyuk was a regr person, he was already no longer human, but now that he was an ability user, it was hard to imagine just how much of a monster he had be.
Their physiques werent so noticeably different now, but back then, the difference was almost the double. Even then, this b*stard beat up Choi Chang-Hyuk while cackling insidiously like a demon.
Im beginning to pity the monsters. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk could only feel sorry for the monsters that had to face off against this Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Where have you been? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Here and there. But, its not much of a fun tale, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneaked a nce at Choi Chang-Hyuk before cautiously opening his mouth.
Give the others a call. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B-but, why? Why?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
We should at least hold a reunion or something. I mean, it mustve been a really long time since you all graduated, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk wordlessly nodded his head.
He figured that saying yes now should prevent further troubles down the road.
B-but, you see, its a bit hard to get in touch with the others, so, like, uh.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Do your best. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Words werent getting through to him. Choi Chang-Hyuk could only smile ufortably after realising that fact once more.
Gimme your phone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks trembling hand pushed forward a smartphone, and Yi Ji-Hyuk snatched it up, typed his own number into the device, and tapped the call icon.
Only after confirming that his own phone started ringing did he return the device back to Choi Chang-Hyuk with a wide smirk.
Call me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Okay, Im going home now. Oh, and you should consider raising your skills a bit. I mean, man, that was too much of a letdown. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I-I will. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Okay, bye now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk watched Yi Ji-Hyuks distancing back and wiped away the cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
I better move to another arcade. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Itd be for the best not to linger around the spot where that insane b*stard was known to inhabit.
Choi Chang-Hyuk began uploading the truth of Yi Ji-Hyuks re-emergence in the private chat room with still-trembling hands.
< 347. Feels like Ive seen him before -2> Fin.
Chapter 348: Feels like I’ve seen him before (3)
Chapter 348: Feels like Ive seen him before (3)
C Who?
I told you, its Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
C Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Right, that Yi Ji-Hyuk! You know, the pit bull! That pit bull! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
C Hul....
The reactions were visceral and explosive.
The moment the news was uploaded to the private chat room, the whole dang thing was soon flooded with panicked messages, and even before Choi Chang-Hyuk had time to check them out, his smartphone began ringing off the metaphorical hook.
C Son of a b*tch!! He was away for so long, so why the hell did he suddenly decide to show up?
Didnt you hear that he came back a while ago? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
C Who said that?
My little bro. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
C Then you shouldve warned us earlier! What would you have done if we were going around minding our own business only to run into that guy?!
My bad. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Now normally, these guys wouldnt have said stuff like this C or more correctly, they couldnt, but Choi Chang-Hyuk fully understood where they wereing from so he chose not to let his displeasure known at this point in time.
Well, hed have reacted the same as them if he were in their shoes, after all.
C Okay, so what did he want?
Hey, man. Its getting tiring trying to verbally exin everything. Lets talk in the chat room. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
C Hurry up.
I got it already. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk ended the call and tried to open the chat app, but more calls kepting in without a break and he had to repeatedly make the same exnation. Only then was he free to ess the chat app.
The chat room was inplete disarray.
C The pit bull? Why did that b*stard decide toe back out of the blue?
C He ran into Chang-Hyuk, apparently.
C I thought he died?
C Witnesses were talking about his sighting, but I figured they were talking about a ghost or something....
C Nope. I heard that he became an ability user and is now working for the KSF.
C Hul, hes an ability user now? He was already a scumbag when he wasnt an ability user, but now that he has those superpowers, what should we do?
C What do you mean, what? Just avoid him. Not like this is the first time, right? Youre supposed to avoid natural disasters, dude.
Choi Chang-Hyuk spat out a long sigh and typed his own reply.
C By the way, Ji-Hyuk wanted to do a reunion. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The responses came in immediately.
C You insane?
C Dear friend, you still asleep?
C Reunion sounds nice, school reunion and all that. Its fine to hold one. Sure. By the way, Im not a Dongseong High graduate from today.
C Currently ripping my graduation cert to bits.
He had expected such reactions.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was your run-of-the-mill school bully, then such a reaction wouldnt even have urred. Most wouldve felt something like detestation, but that wouldve been it.
It was hard to tell whether this should be thought of as a pitiful thing or a sheer mystery, but the thing was, Yi Ji-Hyuk never tormented anyone in the past. For example, he never once did those typical bully things that physically strong guys would do, like ripping money off someone or stealing nice-looking shoes, that sort of things.
No, bums that did those things got caught by Yi Ji-Hyuk and ended up getting pummelled to bits, causing the very concept of bullies topletely disappear from the Dongseong High.
So, when looking at the end result, you could argue that what Yi Ji-Hyuk had done was a wonderful thing, but....
...But, the issue lies with his intentions, man. His intentions! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had never beaten up bullies for the purpose of protecting other children. No, he simply went around beating people up that got on his nerves or p*ssed him off in some capacity, which naturally led him to target the school gangs and bullies, that was all.
It was kind of like a speeding car running over a pedestrian, only for the victim to be revealed as a serial killer.
To the graduates of the Dongseong High School, Yi Ji-Hyuk was basically the same thing as a suddenly-appearing natural disaster. A cmity that, while not antagonistic towards other people specifically, he would still kick your teeth in if he found something not to his liking.
That was the Yi Ji-Hyuk they remembered.
C So? What did you say?
C Dont tell me you agreed to it?
C I aint going. Let me make myself crystal clear. I will never go.
Choi Chang-Hyuk looked at the messages and spat out another sigh.
What a bunch of pathetic fools. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
No matter how difficult they found Yi Ji-Hyuk was to deal with, they were supposed to be men, so them disying such behaviour was hard to swallow.
Choi Chang-Hyuk confidently stated his position like a true man.
C Thats why I said were no longer staying in touch. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
C Gooood!
C Keuh-euh, would you look at this guys quick wits! You might walk out unscathed even if we drop you in the middle of a desert.
C Now thats a relief.
Relief, my foot. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
This whole area had been confirmed as a named mob spawning ground, so how could anyone mouth off relief like that?
But, doesnt that qualify as relief? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I may never be able toe to this arcade, so what bloody relief are you on about?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Eiii, even then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah, sounds like you arent getting it, man. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
By the way.... Who am I even speaking to just now? (Choi Chang-Hyuks inner monologue)
Choi Chang-Hyuk and his weirded-out expression turned around to look, only to find a rather familiar grinning face standing there.
Hiiiii-eeeeeek?!?! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk jumped up in fright, and unbeknownst even to himself, he pressed his back tightly against the nearby wall.
T-t-this guy, didnt he go home earlier?? What is he doing here??? (Choi Chang-Hyuks inner monologue)
The brightly-grinning face, no, Yi Ji-Hyuk forming a very open smile was walking in closer.
Oho, you were chatting to the rest of the guys? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-n-ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
To discuss the ss reunion, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-well, you said you wanted one earlier, so... I, uh, well, I thought, might as well, so, uh, gave them a call to test the waters. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
But, didnt you say you havent stayed in touch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were not, but we do have a private chat room, so I thought if I started a convo, maybe they will respond. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
For some reason, his tongue was coated in pure silver today.
Normally, hed never be able toe up with instant excuses like this, but everything seemed to roll off his tongue so naturally. The thing about humans exhibiting superhuman powers in times of great peril mustve been true.
Okay, so what are they all saying? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-they want toe. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
I was just saying whatever, but if they really want toe, then... I better show up as well since I was the one asking for it. When you guys finish setting up the date, give me a call on the number I gave you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Oh, and I forgot to tell you this earlier. Tell Chang-Sik to stop by at the NDFter. Hell understand what that means. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk could only nod his head mindlessly.
Okay, Im really going now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked off into the distance, and Choi Chang-Hyuk plopped down on the ground.
...Were screwed. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
*
As he trudged towards his home, Yi Ji-Hyuk fell into deep contemtion.
Everyones been living their own lives. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even when he was gone, this world continued to chug forward without a problem.
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head slightly, before his expression crumpled big time.
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he felt frustrated about something, then there was no need to frown and simply take care of it. Avoiding the confrontation in this manner wouldnt help anyone C and he knew that.
Eiiing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand in the air.
Hey. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He addressed the ground beneath his feet, and a ck silhouette rose up from the shadow.
Imma head to North Korea for a bit, so if someones looking for me, tell them where I went, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shake, shake.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun emerging from his shadows shook her head.
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She wordlessly walked and stood in front of the Gate Yi Ji-Hyuk had generated.
You wanna go together? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
He studied her with a somewhat displeased face, but when he thought about it for a second, he didnt have any reason to ditch her here.
She knew how to take care of herself, thats for sure. She lunged at a demon king and still survived the encounter, so he couldnt really drop her here with a reason of North Korea being too dangerous.
Do what you want, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun nodded and stared at him without saying anything.
So, he too didnt say anything and stepped into the Gate.
Wuuuu-oooong.
*
A Gate opened up in a deserted hill not too far from Pyongyang. He had marked this coordinate earlier in case he found a need to return to this dang city.
Holy sh*t. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk confirmed that the designated point wasnt actually safe at all and hurriedly hid himself in a secluded spot.
The forest here looked pretty dense, so what the... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he looked at this mountain from afar, the forest there did look pretty thick, yet now that he was actually here, the whole dang thing turned out to be a barren mound of earth, instead. He couldnt tell whether this was because the North Korean government deliberately cut down all the trees in Pyongyangs vicinity, or just about every mountain in the North was in a simr condition.
Where was that Kumsusan Pce of the Sun, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned his vicinity, and Doh Gah-Yun pulled out her phone and began tapping on it.
Hey, we came here in secret, so you cant ask someone else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He tried to stop her, but she wordlessly showed him her phone, instead. And after witnessing the map app appearing on her phones screen, he had no choice but to nod his head.
Well, Lord G*ogle is indeed almighty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To be able to peruse the map of Pyongyang in such detail, now that wouldve been unthinkable only a few years ago.
Okay, so. It must be that way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyukpared his position to the map, found all four cardinal directions, and then shifted his head in a certain direction.
There it was, a massive structure with white outer walls in the distance.
Why would anyone imprison people in a ce like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then again, it was North Korea imprisoning their own people, so why should they care about what others think?
If it was South Korea, the whole country might go into a state of frenzy if a prison was found underneath the Blue House, but the citizens of the North might not find the whole concept all that strange.
Shall we get going, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and with an airy gait, walked towards the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
What a weird country this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
North Korea would always be a country of contradictions.
This was the country with the least amount of freedom, and its masses were being tightly, ruthlessly controlled. But on the other hand, they simply didnt have enough personnel to perfectly carry out that very act of control.
As an example, here he was, waltzing right into arguably the most important location in the North, the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun, yet he hadnt run into any security personnel so far.
He only spotted a handful of the members from the Workers Party trying to control the citizens, but that was about it C there was almost no one guarding beyond the prayer za located behind the pce itself.
For some reason, theres a big crowd here today, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he were to bring up a difference, then when he came here earlier, there were almost no signs of people but now, it was teeming with them.
What Rhee Jin-Cheol said earlier, about the citizens being gathered in Pyongyang, it was true after all.
Hey, you. Take a couple of pictures, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shake, shake.
Argh, why not? We should take some snapshots and show it to other people, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun raised her hand and pointed to the sky.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unmanned drones, satellites, filming the masses, not an issue. (Doh Gah-Yun)
....Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nod.
If that was the case, why did anyone need stupid spies, then?
Yi Ji-Hyuk came to a sudden realisation that all the spy movies he saw in his life were full of sh*t.
Bond, my a*s.
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since it was like that already, he decided that finishing up what he came here for and leaving ASAP was the best course of action.
Doh Gah-Yun then suddenly grabbed his arm.
What is it now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Many enemies inside. In case of infiltration, chaos. (Doh Gah-Yun)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Infiltration, or subjugation. Need to choose. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Hng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wagged his finger as if to imply, You think I havent thought about that?
Even if Im more of a destroy-first-and-ask-questionster type guy, I can still use basic magic spells, you dummy. For instance.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks hand suddenly emitted a soft glow.
....Like Invisibility. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The light extending from his hand enveloped both him and Doh Gah-Yun. At the same time, their figures vanished into thin air.
So, how is it? You cant see me, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Impossible to decipher the allys location. Impossible to use hand signals. Voicemunication the only method. Inefficient. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that he heard her, being unable to see each other did present a big problem since both of them were trying to infiltrate the building. Doh Gah-Yun always followed after Yi Ji-Hyuk everywhere, but that was only because he was visible to the naked eye, so logically speaking, she wouldnt be able to follow if she couldnt see him.
Well, theres only one way, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One way? (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke confidently. They couldnt see each others faces anyway, so was there a need to hold back here?
Well hold hands, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........................
If only he could see her expression right then C he wouldve witnessed Doh Gah-Yun forming the most intense, vehement expression she had ever made in her whole life. Unfortunately, her face was invisible due to the magic.
Your hand. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, I refuse. (Doh Gah-Yun)
We dont have time for this. Hurry up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She awkwardly reached out, and he located it like a phantom and grabbed her hand to pull her along.
Stick close to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I will. (Doh Gah-Yun)
< 348. Feels like Ive seen him before -3 > Fin.
Chapter 349: Feels like I’ve seen him before (4)
Chapter 349: Feels like Ive seen him before (4)
After sensing Doh Gah-Yun squeezing his hand, Yi Ji-Hyuk unhesitantly began walking forward. Although there were a few guards keeping a lookout around the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun, they couldnt spot the two hidden by the cloak of Invisibility.
Hold on tight, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I will. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk in turn held her hand tightly. If they somehow let go of the hands and lose each others presence, she might end up being an eternal lost child in this ce. Since she had not a drop of Mana in her, not even the Mana detection spell would be able to locate her.
Which meant he would have to go with casting a wide-area dispel magic, but it didnt take a genius to figure out what might happen if an unknown girl suddenly popped out right in the middle of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
Of course, as Yi Ji-Hyuk was here, shed not turn into a Swiss cheese or something like that, but still, their mission would obviously be that much harder.
He shut his mouth tightly and walked into the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
This sort of infiltration wasnt really his cup of tea, but as the other side was holding a hostage, raising a ruckus was indeed not a smart move. If he wanted to, blowing this building up to smithereens wouldnt even be an issue. But he didnt know where Park Yong-Hui was being kept, so staying under the radar and infiltrating quietly was the best course of action for everyone involved.
Unfortunately, things in life had this tendency of not working out exactly as nned.
Riiiiing~~....
Hiiii-eeek! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks hand reached into his pocket like a streak of lightning and quickly put his phone to silent.
He shouldve set it to silent mode or vibration-only beforeing in here....
What was that??
The guard soldiers rushed in their droves. Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly pulled Doh Gah-Yun in and held onto her tightly while standing dead still.
Didnt you hear something just now?
It sounded like a hand phone, sir.
A hand phone? Theres no one here, so how can a hand phone make noise in this ce?!
....My apologies.
A man who looked to be the senior officer of this group snorted derisively and scanned the vicinity before loudly shouting out.
Be more mindful with your duties! We shouldve blocked the citizens froming in here a long time ago. If someone did manage to enter, then dont forget that your necks will fly off next!
We shall remember, sir!
Now, go!
Sir!
Once the surrounding soldiers went away, Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a sigh of relief and lightly patted Doh Gah-Yun on her back.
...Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He sensed some kind of heat emanating from her.
Hey, are you feeling sick somewhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk guessed where her forehead should be and felt around there next. He could feel Doh Gah-Yun burning up like a hot coal and lightly clicked his tongue.
If you were feeling sick, you shouldve rested at home. Why did you try toe with me.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, Im not sick. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Shee! Keep your voice down. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Okay. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grasped the burning Doh Gah-Yuns shoulder and hurriedly moved towards the inside of the structure.
For the time being, lets go inside. It should be safer in there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....
She wordlessly followed after him.
They managed to sneak inside the Kumsusan and after taking a good look at his new surroundings, Yi Ji-Hyuk began tutting softly again.
They sure spent a hefty chunk in this ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Their own citizens were dying of starvation outside, yet the interior was sovishly decorated that the word opulent seemed thoroughly inadequate to describe it fully. Heck, the automatic shoe steriliser installed at the entrance was something he had never seen before, not even back in South Korea.
This is why people up here are starving to death. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He just couldnt understand how North Korea still functioned as a nation.
Of course, it wasnt as if everyone in South Korea enjoyed a wealthy, fulfilling life. Lots of people there also worried about where their next meal wasing from. If only the government chose to divert more of the annual budget to their cause, their hunger issue might get cleared up pretty easily.
The difference between the two Koreas was that in the South, the budget was used in the ces they were originally intended for.
If they decided to deify their dead leaders like how North Korea was doing and divert a ton of annual budget to that cause? A bloodbath wouldve raged on, thats for sure.
Or, maybe not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont know what youre talking about. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Dont worry about it. Just talking to myself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to walk forward.
Hand. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Inside. Fine to let go of hand. (Doh Gah-Yun)
What will you do if you get lost? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Confident of following you. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Im telling you, itll be a pain to find you if you get lost. This isnt South Korea. This isnt a ce where a single phone call will get you a friendly police officering to pick you up and take you home. So, stop wasting time and stick close to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Got it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Yes. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Once she became obedient again, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and searched for a path leading to the underground floors. ording to Rhee Jin-Cheol, Park Yong-Hui was imprisoned somewhere in the basement of this structure.
What a pain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnte here to rescue Park Yong-Hui out of some misguidedradeship or stuff like that. Its just that, he figured someone like Park Yong-Hui conveying the news instead of Rhee Jin-Cheol would hold far greater weight and impact, that was all.
If another witness was added to the pile, then the pretext for the government to move forward would be created. And itd be easier to get the assistance from the Americans, too.
Is it this way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked down a flight of stairs going down.
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The upstairs were decorated opulently, but now that they were in the basement, even the lighting had gotten much dimmer and all semnce of decoration was thrown out the window.
No matter how much of the national budget they poured into this ce, North Koreas current financial situation probably meant that they found it a bit too hard to garnish those spots that eyes couldnt easily reach.
Only the exterior is all fancy and stuff. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then again, this was none other than the one and only North Korea, so they should bemended for the efforts they had put in for the shiny exterior, at least.
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to seek out staircases that took him to lower and lower floors. Once he got to the third basement floor, he could no longer find any other stairways going even lower.
H-mm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He scanned his surroundings.
This whole floor looked just too in to serve as a prison. And also, he couldnt see anyone who might be prison guards here, too. Itd be hard to argue that someone was currently locked up in this ce.
Did they move him? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Subject of your search? (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied to Doh Gah-Yuns query.
I heard theres someone being imprisoned in this ce. But, kinda looks like that might not be it? Maybe they moved him elsewhere after the incident from before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He sensed Doh Gah-Yun distancing herself from him.
If you get lost in here, youll never be able to go back home. So dont go too far. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She didnt reply.
He clicked his tongue and continued to observe his surroundings.
Well, they still went and built basement floors and everything. I guess they at least tried to build a proper structure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Compared to what he heard about the Ryugyong Hotels interior doing a wonderful impression of a deste ghost town, the North Koreans seemed to have been much more thorough with this building, at the very least.
Well, the corpses of two men they worshipped as their gods were entombed in this ce, so of course they would be meticulous, now wouldnt they?
This was one bizarre situation where the pair of dead guys were ensuring the stability of the current regime, so they probably had to be extra meticulous, even if they didnt want to.
Here. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun called Yi Ji-Hyuk over to her position. He went to where her voice came from, and she spoke again after hearing his footsteps getting closer.
Space, below. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Say it in a proper sentence, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Theres an empty space below. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Behind the pir? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B, e, l, o, w. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Fine, fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tapped on the ground just below the wall.
He heard the dull hollow thuds and nodded his head before saying something.
Uhm, you know, I cant tell whats what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
When Doh Gah-Yun didnt say anything, Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled awkwardly.
Youre supposed tough at a joke. You youngsters. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ok, boomer. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he were to count all the years he had lived so far, being called a boomer could qualify as some kind of a back-handedpliment, but for some reason, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt feel all that great right now.
Okay, so. We know theres an empty space, but how do we get inside? Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd be simple if he just went and destroyed the wall, but that would be too eye-catching. Even if he blocked off all the sound, any guards suddenly developing an urge to go on a patrol would discover the mess in an instant.
Should we just pass through the wall? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pressed his hand against the wall.
Wuuuooong...
Arge ck doorway was generated on the wall next.
Yup, space magic is still my forte, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He smirked and jumped into the doorway. Doh Gah-Yun too mustve sensed him leaping in and followed suit without a shred of hesitation.
Wuuong...
The doorway led to a hole being generated on the ceiling. He dropped down from there and surveyed his new surroundings.
Well, now this is the proper atmosphere I was talking about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It might have been the difference of only one floor, but the gloomy, dreary aura was thickly permeating this ce. Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the dark, near-lightless corridor and smirked softly.
Now this was getting interesting.
He began walking forward while checking out his surroundings.
So, this must be that naked face thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thevish opulence upstairs was hiding such gloomy, dark inner workings. It was perfectly in line with North Koreas image..... No, hang on a second, since the Norths outer image itself wasnt all that shy to begin with, maybe that wasnt the correct analogy?
Can you sense any presence of humans? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....... (Doh Gah-Yun)
Stop nodding your head and verbally answer me. You know I cant see you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I can. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Alright, then. Ill leave it to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sensed Doh Gah-Yuns presence step forward and followed after her.
I bettere up with an Ether-detecting magic spell soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Such a thing would be useless in Berafe since Mana detection solved everything over there, but well, the dude Yi Ji-Hyuk was searching for was basically a powerless civilian in this world. Humans of this world were formed with Ether in mind, so rather obviously, Mana detection couldnt pick them up.
Way back in the past when he was learning all sorts of skills he could get his hands on, Yi Ji-Hyuk was taught the assassination and ranger techniques, but s, he never received a lesson on the ins and outs of a spy tasked with infiltrating somewhere.
In that sense, Doh Gah-Yun was proving to an indispensable help to him right now.
This way. (Doh Gah-Yun)
The location he got to with her guidance was in front of a massive steel door.
Here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Doh Gah-Yun)
You say theres someone behind it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his chin while staring at the steel door.
Weeeell, visual-wise, it does look like someone might be imprisoned here. But hey, youre sure about someone being imprisoned behind this thing? I mean, if we waltz into a guard post or something, thats gonnaplicate things massively, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uncertain whether a human is imprisoned or not. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Except that, breathing very faint. Not strange if it cuts out any time s... (Doh Gah-Yun)
Im going in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no time to dilly-dally. Yi Ji-Hyuk created a Gate on the steel door before him and walked inside.
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What greeted him after he went through the door was a man dangling in the air.
The mans hands mustve been bound for quite a long time, because the ropes had dug deeply into his flesh to the point where his bones were almost showing, while the limp torso below were so full of wounds that not one single spot looked unharmed.
It was a mystery how anyone could stay alive in that sorry state.
Crafty. They only hurt him on the outside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Signs of careful torture, where the internal organs and muscle fibres were spared as much as possible, were abundant on this mans body. Wasnt Yi Ji-Hyuk a true expert on torture himself?
However, no matter how careful the torturers were, the bleeding remained too severe, and the torturing session mustve started a while ago as evidenced by the victims stamina almost reaching the rock bottom.
The presence of people prompted the man dangling in the air to open his eyes.
...Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk. (Park Yong-Hui)
Hey, ahjussi. Looks like youve lost some weight there. Well, if you get all patched up, you might even pass off as Mister Suave. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And what is this Mister Suave thing? (Park Yong-Hui)
A handsome man, obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though Park Yong-Hui was dangling in the air, he still managed to crack a faint smile.
You can still say that after seeing the state Im in? (Park Yong-Hui)
Eiii, this is way better than your previous pot-bellied look, you know. Because now, theres this charismatic side to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Before I croak, please put me down first. (Park Yong-Hui)
Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snapped his fingers, and the ropes tying up the wounded body were automatically cut off, releasing Park Yong-Hui to free-fall to the floor. However, his figure suddenly floated up, and serenely travelled to Yi Ji-Hyuks front.
Looks like Jin-Cheol has safely arrived in South Joseon. (Park Yong-Hui)
He wanted you to be saved, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....And you somehow decided to humour him. (Park Yong-Hui)
Lets just say its my unpredictable whims. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt hesitate and opened a Gate. He still had a few quips he wanted to say, but Park Yong-Huis wounds were too severe so the mans treatment should take the priority, or so he figured.
It was then, therge steel door slowly opened.
< 349. Feels like Ive seen him before -4 > Fin.
Chapter 350: Feels like I’ve seen him before (5)
Chapter 350: Feels like Ive seen him before (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head towards the opening door. It was moving slowly, as if there was no reason for it to hurry up. And beyond it stood a man with a face that seemed almost too familiar.
Nice to see you again. (Jeong Min-Seong)
A dude kitted out in the Mao uniform politely bowed his waist to Yi Ji-Hyuk. Here was a situation where thetter had broken into the formers prison that housed a serious criminal, but the man didnt seem perturbed in the slightest.
Do you know me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk also asked back rxedly.
How can I not know who you are, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? Youre the shining beacon of all the ability users, as well as Joseons brightest star, so how could I not? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Hmm, sounds like youre from Seoul? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk intently studied Jeong Min-Seong. This mans voicepletelycked that unique intonations of the North Koreans.
With my job being what it is, I always pay careful attention to my ent. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Im guessing its not an upfront type of a job? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Absolutely correct. (Jeong Min-Seong)
That slimy, know-it-all smile on Jeong Min-Seongs face suddenly reminded Yi Ji-Hyuk of a certain someone.
Didnt we, like, meet each other before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We did meet back in the banquet. (Jeong Min-Seong)
I dont think thats the one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head, prompting a mysterious smile to float up on Jeong Min-Seongs lips.
If thats not it, then maybe youve sneaked into North Korea before. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was certain that he had already met, or at least seen, Jeong Min-Seong from somewhere, but if the dude didnt want to talk, he didnt have the necessary gift to pry open the unwilling mans mouth open.
Well, fine. Sure. Lets say thats it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shoved Park Yong-Hui inside the Gate.
Tell them to treat his injuries. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun nodded her head and stepped inside the Gate, too. Jeong Min-Seong witnessing all of this didnt show any signs of trying to stop them, however.
Arent you going to do something about this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do what, exactly? (Jeong Min-Seong)
I thought I wasnt allowed to take that guy away from here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course you arent, but Im not brave enough to stop what you wish to do, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Min-Seong)
What a strange guy youre. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, everyone only has one life, you see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Eii~, would I really go as far as to kill you, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure you wont, since youve proven yourself to be a generous individual. However, I still have no desire to withstand pain severe enough to make me long for death. No human has stood in opposition to you yet, so others just arent aware of that side of you, thats all. (Jeong Min-Seong)
You really do sound like you know me pretty well.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks lips began distorting.
This sort of one-sided exchange of information was definitely not he wanted. His opponent seemed well versed in everything about him, yet he didnt know anything about this dude at all. No one in this world would enjoy such a feeling.
Hmm, well, fine. Whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt exactly feel happy about this situation, but it also wasnt urgent enough for him to get too riled over.
Because, this was still North Korea, after all.
Well, then. Ill be on my way now. I can go, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. But before that.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
If youre letting me go, you shoulda just let me go, no strings attached. Always saying stuff like that and annoying the heck out of a poor guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I absolutely have no intentions to annoy you. Its just that... (Jeong Min-Seong)
Okay, what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seong smiled suavely and opened his mouth.
May I buy you a cup of coffee? A good blend hase in recently. (Jeong Min-Seong)
....Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
The view from here was quite exceptional.
....You know, I heard about this ce being pretty much abandoned? That its a bit of an eyesore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its all true. (Jeong Min-Seong)
The lounge located on the top floor of the Ryugyong Hotel was decorated rather well. As a matter of fact, youd have mistaken it for a South Korean hotels lounge from its modern furnishings, as long as you let go of any preconceived notions you might have of the Ryugyong Hotel first.
Its just that, the highest floors have been maintained well in case a need to serve governmental-level guests rears its head, you see. Although it sounds like a superficial scheme, thats the best this country can do, unfortunately. (Jeong Min-Seong)
I guess so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked outside the window.
The cityscape of Pyongyang could be seen in one panoramic view.
Okay, so. What are you nning here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now normally, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt even have paid a second nce and head straight back to South Korea, but this Jeong Min-Seong dude somehow managed to get his attention.
This man was ballsy enough to carefreely suggest having a cup of coffee together in that situation.
I dont have anything in mind, actually. I merely wished to share a conversation with you, thats all. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Conversation, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. No hidden agendas, just honest conversations. To me, being able to chat to the one and only Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is a great honour already. (Jeong Min-Seong)
That sounded like sarcasm, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do I look like I am mocking you? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk met Jeong Min-Seongs gaze. He soon realised that thetter was being genuine here and could only sigh grandly.
I really dont get what you want from me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dont need to sweat over it, that much I can assure you. As I said before, I just wish to share some good coffee with you. (Jeong Min-Seong)
But, Im a guy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I dont lean that way, either. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong grinned and continued on.
Actually, from the perspectives of us ability users, there is no one more deserving of our admiration and respect than you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. There hadnt been any notable reaction from us so far because your existence hasnt been fully revealed to the world, but if you were to earnestly step into the limelight, then.... well, a revolution will ur in this world. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Hearing about stuff like revolution in North Korea is kinda making me feel weird. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seong didnt reply to that and sipped on his coffee.
Please, have some. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Pass over some sugar, please. I dont like bitter things, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only after dropping a few sugar cubes into the coffee did Yi Ji-Hyuk began drinking it.
Do you find it to your liking? (Jeong Min-Seong)
My mouths rubbish so I dont really have the pte to tell apart whats expensive and whats not. Anything thats sweet all taste good to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, thats unfortunate. This coffee is truly excellent, after all. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Why dont we get to main topic now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Main topic, you say? (Jeong Min-Seong)
You didnt really bring me up here to shoot the breeze and treat me to a cup of coffee before sending me on my way, did you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If I say thats exactly the case, will you get angry at me? (Jeong Min-Seong)
I wont get angry, but since I dont wanna waste my time here, I was nning to go back home, take a shower and hit the sack. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Another mysterious smile crept up on Jeong Min-Seongs face.
Youre indeed a difficult person to deal with. (Jeong Min-Seong)
In what way? I thought that Ive been really well-behaved so far. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Certainly.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong took the spectacles off his face. He folded his eyewear neatly, ced it on the tables surface, and gazed intently at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you think about the state of this world? (Jeong Min-Seong)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you find this world to be logical and fair? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied disinterestedly.
Unfortunately for you, this concept of logical, fair world that you dream of has never oncee to reality since the dawn of mankind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
There have been countless folks throughout history wanting to create a utopia or whatever in this world. Not just this world, but also in the other one, too. But, can you guess what the end results were like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you implying that they were all failures? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Nope. They all resulted in a simple reversal of the ruling ss and the ruled ss, thats about it. When a new ideology begins to lord over the world, side effects unique to it will soon spring up. Of course, I aint gonna sit here and pretend that there wouldnt be any progress made during the process, but still. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug deeper into his rather cynical worldview.
You see, the immediate and noticeable change youre dreaming of? That doesnt happen all that often. Believing that if you change this one thing, the whole world will surely change along, now thats just some pipe dream you tell yourself when you cant drag your butt out of your own delusions. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong nodded his head greatly.
Indeed, everything you said is correct. As expected of you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong sounded genuinely impressed just then. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk still found his tone of voice strangely sarcastic.
Okay, if youre done talking, I guess I can be on my way now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Except that, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly stared at Jeong Min-Seong.
Those that did change the world always have been such idiots. Its all thanks to the idiots throwing themselves away like eggs trying to break rocks that this world managed toe this far. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Oh, so you wanna break the rock with eggs, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It does sound like an inadvisable thing to do, but.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong grinned refreshingly.
Nowadays, the rock isnt what it used to be. And were no ordinary eggs, either. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Sure thing. Sounds nice and all that. By the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk observed Jeong Min-Seong for a second or two, before continuing on.
Hows Alpha doing these days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........
Jeong Min-Seong flinched a little as if his weak point had been urately seen through.
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued on, sounding as if he already knew this would happen.
I was wondering why you felt so familiar, but sure enough. I thought I heard what youre saying from someone else before. The saying of, but of course, fits pretty nicely here, dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes doing well. (Jeong Min-Seong)
He still hasnt changed his mind, Im assuming? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im sure hell change once every human in this world has disappeared. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Well, its nigh-on impossible to stop the notion of chosen people from propagating. And normally, people who dream of stuff like that are all nutcases to begin with, anyway. Its too bad, though. I aint no shrink so I dont know how to mend the brains of mental patients, except this one way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuks expression became gloomy and serious, Jeong Min-Seong cautiously threw out his question.
May I ask what that is? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Oh, its really simple. If youre dead, it no longer matters whether you were a nutcase or a normal person. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....That is a rather scary option, isnt it? Especially when itsing directly from you. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt soften his hardened expression.
I dont know what exactly you want to achieve here, but well, I hope youve realised how insane this whole thing is by now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It may seem that way on the outside, I admit. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Honestly, Im not the type to step forward and do something heroic. But, Im more or less satisfied by the state of this world. If I think you lot have intruded upon my life, even by just a tiny bit, I will use all of my power to utterly crush you, so keep that in mind. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall remember that. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Destroying everything here right now might make me feel better, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned the surrounding view with a conflicted expression, before sighing out grandly again.
I aint no nanny, so I cant just keep doing everything on my own forever. Besides, you all are acting like this because youre confident of hindering me somehow if pushes to shove, arent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats a misunderstanding. We truly have no desire to antagonise you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Min-Seong)
You know, I seriously wanna tell you how deep your misunderstanding really goes, but for today, Im just gonna quietly go home. If I go on a rampage all by myself here, itd only result in my own position getting worse, after all. However, a word of advice, if you will. If you dont stop, Iming back. So, tell him that I wont be so reasonable next time and try to talk it out with you lot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tell him...? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Alpha, obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Understood. (Jeong Min-Seong)
With those parting words, Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand. A Gate was generated immediately right next to him and he got up from his chair.
Thanks for the coffee. Itd be nice if we can share another one in the future. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its been an honour. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared straight at Jeong Min-Seongs eyes.
Dont forget my warning. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He stepped into the Gate after leaving those words behind. And Jeong Min-Seong could rx his tense body from nervousness only after Yi Ji-Hyuk hadpletely disappeared into the portal.
Bring me a ss of water. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yes, sir.
Jeong Min-Seong ordered the waiter on standby to fetch him some water and shifted his gaze outside the window.
All the empty buildings of North Korea could be seen in one nce.
A warning, is it.... (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuks serious interference was that one variable that couldpletely wreck their n. However, this event simply had to go ahead, regardless of what.
Send the word out to all those on standby to undo the state of emergency. The target has returned home. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Understood, sir.
But, hell soone back. And itll be an unavoidable fight then. (Jeong Min-Seong)
A fight where not just them, but the whole world was at stake.
Jeong Min-Seong stared outside the window, a soft chuckle escaping from his mouth.
< 350. Feels like Ive seen him before -5 > Fin.
Chapter 351: There is no place for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (1)
Chapter 351: There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (1)
Man, it just feels so off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks moods refused to improve no matter what and his head ended up constantly cocking this way and that.
Ever since his return from North Korea, he felt tight-chested as if someone dropped a boulder inside the pit of his stomach.
Maybe its indigestion? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Indigestion? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dont get indigestion? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Should he reveal the truth about him not getting indigestion for the past two thousand years, at minimum?
Not just when he was living in Berafe, no, but he never suffered from a tummy ache in his life, like ever. So Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt know what one even felt like.
Well, its not as if I had eaten something bad, so that cant be it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min was surprised by the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk, sitting there all rxed and stuff, could actually feel some sort of difort inwardly like this.
I guess youre really a human being, after all. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its because you feel the weight of the current situation, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What weight? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....You know, the pandemonium going on right now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ive already done what I can, so what weight are you talking about? Besides all that, I havent eaten anything yet. Time to grab me some chow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min watched him nonchntly talk about food and ended up smirking softly.
But of course.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt someone whod feel unduly burdened by matters like this one.
Here. Ive readied food for you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression brightened after checking out the snacks Jeong Hae-Min pushed forward.
Recently, she developed this side to her where shed begin nagging him from time to time, but rather unexpectedly, she also had figured out how to take good care of him.
Although she wasnt to the extent of Kim Dah-Som whod go mental for not being able to look after him, she still taught herself the exquisite timing when hed get peckish and prepare stuff to fill him up without anyone noticing it. And she even worked pretty hard as the middleman, or a middlewoman as it were, that delivered Yi Ji-Hyuks opinions to the NDF.
Enjoy. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Thank you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He dug into the sandwiches with a happy face, but there was someone here who didnt look happy at all.
....Is it tasty? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why, you want one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I decline. If I eat one now, my gut might explode the very next second. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eiii, you and your exaggerations. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons brows quivered.
Just who was responsible for creating this incident in the first ce? And how dare he say something that sounded so unconcerned like this?
Park Yong-Hui, the man Yi Ji-Hyuk had brought over, created a massive ripple that extended well beyond the politicians of South Korea, to impact the rest of the world. That man ended up affirming what Yi Ji-Hyuk was suspecting all along.
Once the world got the confirmation that the North Korean ruling elites were indeed nning to sacrifice the Norths citizens to summon something, the governments of all the powerful nations receiving this news went into overdrive as if their butts were on fire.
But, that was to be expected. They had already bore witness to the two separate crises involving summoning of demon kings, after all.
Based on their experiences so far, it was almost a certainty that the Gate about to be generated in Pyongyang would be of a scale iparable to anything that came before.
Which meant that more than one demon king could potentially show up this time.
Yi Ji-Hyuk even added that both demon kings had to useparatively small Gates and ended up being nerfed by a great deal, which naturally caused an emergency response conference between the world leaders to be convened in a hurry.
So, how does the situation look? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only sigh at Seo Ah-Youngs question.
Im not sure. Im not deemed high enough in the hierarchy to be privy to the details, unfortunately. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yun Yeong-Min was participating as the President of South Korea, but itd be unwise to expect him to have a real voice in the conference.
Indeed, what could a President of South Korea potentially say when in a conference attended by the top representatives from the US of A, China, Russia, and Germany?
Thats why I begged you to participate as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Too annoying, so no. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand as if to chase away annoying flies.
Urgh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If only Yi Ji-Hyuk showed his mug during the conference, that wouldve given Yun Yeong-Min considerable weight and freedom to voice his opinions. Even if this was a meeting of the worlds political heavyweights, not a single one of them could afford to ignore Yi Ji-Hyuk.
No, itd be rather obvious they would never ignore him. More specifically, they would try their best not to get on his bad books. So, if such a man stood next to Yun Yeong-Min, then the Korean President wouldve found it so, so much easier to voice his thoughts.
And perhaps that was why Yun Yeong-Min, who always found Yi Ji-Hyuk to be his bane, requested for thetters participation, but s, that earnest plea was tly refused with a tone of voice that implied, Ive done what I can already so I cant be arsed. And now, Yi Ji-Hyuk had set up camp right here in the NDF office, not going anywhere fast.
Even then, that was a request from a President, you know! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehheii! Youre still on about that?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Groan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grabbed his chest in agony.
It so freaking hurts inside! It hurts!
After hearing what Colonel Jeong In-Su said earlier, Choi Jeong-Hoon became aware of the fact that he, and almost everyone else, took it for granted and demanded Yi Ji-Hyuk to take care of things that didnt necessarily require his presence.
So, Choi Jeong-Hoon was doing his best to respect Yi Ji-Hyuks wishes in his own way now.
He was also reminded of the fact that the influence and benefits he currently enjoyed were all based upon Yi Ji-Hyuks feats. And that was why he wanted to respect that mans wishes to the fullest if he could help it, but...
Whats so annoying about it, anyway?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Everything wouldve ended well if only he showed up once there. If things were so annoying to him, why the heck did he go to North Korea alone to extract Park Yong-Hui?
You and your... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its nothing. Hey, guys! Order some congee, okay? Were having congee today! (Choi Jeong-Hoon) (TL note at the end)
Choi Jeong-Hoon kept insisting on childishly tackling his subject, but his attacks were simply too inadequate to damage the steel wall-like mentality of Yi Ji-Hyuk. Thetter basically didnt give a flying rats a*s whether Choi Jeong-Hoon was being salty or not.
The meeting hase to an end.
Lets go! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon suddenly pounced on him, but Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back with an unimpressed expression.
Go where? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, where? To the Blue House, obviously! We need to hear what happened, dont we? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, why should I go there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, why?!?! Its obvious why! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I mean, Im supposed to just sit back and wait, then do whatever they tell me to do when they are all good and ready, so why should I bother? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since when did you do what they told you to do, anyway?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Besides, shouldnt we go after eating that congee you just ordered? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.........Congee tastes better when its cold. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With critical eyes, Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down at Choi Jeong-Hoon before opening a Gate. It was probably fine to waste time for a bit longer, but at this rate, it seemed like Choi Jeong-Hoon would keel over from the shortness of breath he was quite clearly suffering from.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jeong-Hoon jumped into the Gate, Jeong Hae-Min hurriedly ran after them as well.
*
Wuuu-ooong!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped onto the Blue Houses floor and scanned his surroundings.
Heh, no people with guns are here today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We already told you those people showed up not because of you, so why are you still hung up over that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hey, you never know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, seriously, man! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon blew his top, but Yi Ji-Hyuk remained unperturbed.
Okay, so wheres everyone? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They must be in the Presidents office. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They headed straight there. A secretary waiting for them sent the word in, and opened the doors for them.
Sirs, please wait. (secretary)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The secretary pointed at Jeong Hae-Min.
Only Misters Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jeong-Hoon are permitted to enter at this point in time. Im sorry, but youll have to wait here, miss. (secretary)
.....You mean, here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
She knew no one in the Blue House, so the prospect of waiting here alone was an unwee one for her.
So, why did you have to chase after us, then?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a free country, isnt it?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk voiced his displeasure and addressed the secretary next.
Cant you just let her in? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, sir.... (secretary)
I mean, when wee out, we will tell her everything, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, sir. We have a minimum level of decorum to uphold. (secretary)
Decorum? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....If youre displeased.... (secretary)
Just as the secretary was about to expertly smooth things over, Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly bowed slightly to the secretary, instead.
Im asking you for a favour here. Please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah..... (secretary)
Ill have a chat with the President separately, so please let her through this one time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Understood, sir. (secretary)
The secretary nearly freaked out and hurriedly nodded his head.
The Yi Ji-Hyuk he knew was not someone prone to lowering his head to another person like this.
Was I wrong? (secretary)
The secretary thought about it some more, and recalled hearing something about Yi Ji-Hyuk never going after another person first as long as he was left alone.
Leaving behind the confused secretary, Yi Ji-Hyuk and the Co. walked into the office. President Yun Yeong-Min weed them with a stiff face.
Good to see you. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Been a while, ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Have you been well, Mister President? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hello, sir. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins gaze was directed to Jeong Hae-Min.
And this youngdy is? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Even before Choi Jeong-Hoon could say something, Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped up first.
Shes a Gate ability user. I figured she might end up performing a really important role this time so I brought her along. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
Ah, I see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wordlessly red at Yi Ji-Hyuk, and thetter wetted his lips. (TL note at the end)
T-thats correct, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was left with no choice but to lie straight to the Presidents face, and afterwards, began staring at the ceiling with a nk expression.
To think, there woulde a day when he had to lie to the holder of the highest office in this nation.
Just how far must he fall from grace?
Please, take a seat. The meeting hade to an end a short while ago. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Where is that Park ahjussi? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean, Park Yong-Hui? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yeah. I went to that much trouble to save him, so its kinda weird to not see him around, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes currently being treated for his injuries, I believe. (Yun Yeong-Min)
You aint torturing him or something, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, definitely not. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to be as crystal clear as possible about this.
In all honesty, its not like Im against the idea. Im in no position to yap on about human rights and whatever, anyhow. However, those two uncles? Even though they are from our enemy nation, they still tried their best for our side. So, please try to observe at least the minimum level of respect, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded his head and essed the inte.
Please bring in both Park Yong-Hui and Rhee Jin-Cheol to my office. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The president put the inte down and raised his head.
It seemed that only after seeing for yourself will you start believing me. Im definitely not the type of a man to do something like that. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Its not like I dont believe you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, it is better to be sure. Yes, I agree. (Yun Yeong-Min)
A short whileter, the offices door opened and Park Yong-Hui and Rhee Jin-Cheol were ushered in.
Comrade Rhee Ji-Hyuk! (Park Yong-Hui)
If you wish to stay in South Korea, you gotta do something about your ent. Its not Rhee Ji-Hyuk, but Yi Ji-Hyuk, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, the South Joseonnguage just feels a bit too weeny to us, you see. (Park Yong-Hui)
Even then, you still have to get used to it, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned airily and pointed to his opposite side.
Take a seat, cuz we might need more of your help. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The slightly unconvinced-looking Yun Yeong-Min scanned the faces of the two North Korean men and nodded his head.
Although he wasnt 100% happy about discussing a national matter in front of people who used to belong to an enemy nation, there was no denying the fact that these two knew the current situation of North Korea far better than anyone here.
So, getting their help would be for the best, indeed.
Okay, so. What did you all decide to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min replied in a slightly more serious voice at Yi Ji-Hyuks question.
Including our country, the ability users from the United States, Japan, China, Russia, and Europe will attack North Korea simultaneously. (Yun Yeong-Min)
....Thats on the level of a United Nation armed force. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It is in fact on the UN level. If you discount the fact that the Americans will be the ones in charge of the operation, that is. (Yun Yeong-Min)
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Still, we havent fully confirmed what they are trying to achieve so Im kinda surprised that everyone has agreed to go all in like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the Americans said carried a great impact, you see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The Americans? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Their threat of, when the Gate opens while you do nothing, the ones to suffer the most will be you lot went down a treat, thats why. And also, the Chinese seemed to have attempted some sort of negotiation using the diplomatic channels, but the North Korean sidepletely cut off allmunication lines. That has yed a big factor, as well. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Huh. I thought that they would use dumb excuses and try to dy everyone, but wow..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We arent on the other side of the world. If the Chinese send warnes, they will reach Pyongyang in less than two hours. Meaning, they cant afford to sit back and take it easy. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I guess so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a sigh.
Well, theyll step up once the date for the d-day is set in stone first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Alright, cool. So, what am I supposed to do, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk before opening his mouth.
Please dont take this the wrong way and try to understand. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats gotten into this ahjussi all of a sudden?
There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For a moment there, Yi Ji-Hyuk became utterly dazed.
Well take care of this matter by ourselves this time. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, wed like you to carry on living your life as normal, please. (Yun Yeong-Min)
< 351. There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -1 > Fin.
(TL: The congee bit is a wordy on the Korean term for congee/gruel C ?/juk. Theres a Korean saying that goes along the line of youre wearing ? (juk). Meaning, craps not going the way you wanted or something of that nature. And the cold congee bites from the old Korean saying of its easier than drinking cold juk/congee.)
(TL: Yes, the raw specifically said Gate ability user and not a teleporter. Not sure why the author did that, but I went along with it.)
(TL: The wetting lips bit is from the Korean saying of, wet your lips first before lying.)
Chapter 352: There is no place for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (2)
Chapter 352: There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (2)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes opened real wide.
There was no ce for him?
This must be the first time something like this happened after his return to Earth. Didnt these people always try so darn hard to drag him everywhere, even though he wasnt really needed?
But now, they suddenly didnt have a ce for him?
Why now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min, perhaps finding things a bit harder than he thought, coughed to clear his throat and turned his head towards the Defense Minister.
Thetter started exining after being subjected to those eyes demanding him to step up.
First of all, we dont really require your assistance this time, thats why. (Defense Minister)
Eh?
The Norths overallbat power isnt all that strong, you see. Yes, its true that they are considered a military powerhouse that ranks in the top 20 globally. I have no desire to deny that. However, the five nations about to participate, South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and China all rank within the top ten in the world. You dont really need to step up this time, because these five countries are going to cooperate during this operation. (Defense Minister)
As if he agreed with that notion, Choi Jeong-Hoon began nodding his head.
For sure, what the Defense Minister said made some sense.
This was an operation where four of the most powerful nations on Earth were about to be joined by South Korea, considered to be the strongest in terms of ability userbat force.
No matter how almighty and prepared the North was, they shouldnt be able to fight back for long. One would be tempted to wonder if any nation on this was strong enough to withstand the assault of this alliance of nations.
And secondly.... Because this is a military operation. (Defense Minister)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Whats that got to do with anything? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All the work youve done for us so far was to counter the threat posed by the Gates. However, this military operation is about trying to stop a Gate from opening up. Im saying that, fundamentally, this is a different kettle of fish altogether. (Defense Minister)
Whats so different about it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Defense Minister pushed the sses up slightly on his nose and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
We are about to fight other humans, not the monsters. (Defense Minister)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression remained unmoved.
To put it bluntly, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, youre a civilian. You might be under contract and thats why you are required to go around killing monsters, but youre not a soldier that we can mobilise in times of emergency. (Defense Minister)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We simply cant mobilise a civilian for a military operation. (Defense Minister)
I never thought our country would be so strict about stuff like this, but I guess I was wrong on this one, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed. And also, other nations expressed their reservations regarding your potential inclusion, as well. This is a military operation, after all. (Defense Minister)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and stood up from his spot.
I get what youre saying. So, theres no ce for me during this event, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, youre right. (Defense Minister)
In that case, Ill just head home, take a shower and go to bed. Im leaving now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yun Yeong-Min stood up from his spot as well.
My apologies for how things turned out. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Not at all. I think youre trying to look out for me in your own way, so I should be thankful in this case. And needing to do one less arduousbour is pretty sweet from my perspective, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand once and exited from the office. Jeong Hae-Min, not knowing what she should do, sneakily got up and went after him.
Whew-woo.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min watched Yi Ji-Hyuk leaving and sighed deeply.
*
Should I stop by at a convenience store on my way back? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you alright? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min heard Yi Ji-Hyuks question and tilted her head.
Dont you feel bad? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why should I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, its like, you know? Theyve been nagging you to do things for them all this time, but they suddenly drop you like an unwanted pet, so whats up with that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
...Isnt it a good thing not having to work? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, thats true, but.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
However, did a persons heart really operate like that?
Jeong Hae-Min sneakily studied Yi Ji-Hyuks current mood, but outwardly at least, he didnt seem any different from his usual self.
No, more than that, he looked genuinely pleased by the prospect of not having to travel to North Korea.
Doesnt he have, like, desire for recognition or material greed? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Now normally, most people would feel some sort of negative emotions when faced with a situation like this one. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt like most people out there.
Even if you didnt hanker for public recognition or material greed, you should still have pride, at least. The Yi Ji-Hyuk Jeong Hae-Min had been observing so far really hated all potentially annoying things, but at the same time, he wasnt the type tock some semnce of pride, either. He didnt really show it, but the truth was, his level of pride could sometimes get unnecessarily high and hed disy tendencies to do stuff that he didnt have to.
So, she found it quite strange that Yi Ji-Hyuk remained this peaceful with himself.
Hey, looks like thats the new ramen. Should I try that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you really alright? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, in the middle of picking up a whole bunch of ramen packets, stopped and turned to look at her with a confused expression.
What is it this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This wont do. Follow me. Now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min grabbed him and dragged his butt outside the convenience store.
H-hey, let me pay for these first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Im not sure if we did the right thing. (Unification Minister)
The Unification Ministers unsure words prompted the Defense Minister to speak in an unwavering tone of voice.
No, this is the correct way. (Defense Minister)
M-mm.... (Unification Minister)
Yun Yeong-Min too, carried a still-conflicted expression. In the end, he had to turn to the man thought to be most knowledgeable in all things Yi Ji-Hyuk-rted and ask him.
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, Mister President. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Do you think it was the correct choice not to bring along Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt readily reply to the presidents question. This matter was far too sensitive for that.
Even a three year-old child would be able to tell that, if Yi Ji-Hyuk did participate in the operation, the danger level to everyone would decrease by a humongous amount.
However....
Choi Jeong-Hoon tookrge gulps from a ss of cold water located on the coffee table, emptied it and ced it back on the tables surface with an audible thud, and stared straight at Yun Yeong-Min.
I believe it was the right decision, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why do you say so? (Yun Yeong-Min)
There are two reasons. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min patiently waited for the exnation tomence.
Firstly, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is, no matter what, a civilian. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I agree with you on that point. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The Republic of Korea expects many things from him even as we speak, but theres no doubt that he is still a civilian. A government thatpels its civilians to participate in military operations doesnt have a bright future waiting for them. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed. (Yun Yeong-Min)
We cant be stuck in the trap of temptation rising from the power Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk possesses. Its true that if we go against our own principles just this once, things might be very much easier for us. But that is exactly why we need to stick to our principle. One time will soon be two, then the two will soon morph into three. It might be hard to break the rules the first time, but breaking it for the second time will prove to be far easier. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yun Yeong-Min silently nodded his head.
Of course he too was strongly tempted by the idea of having Yi Ji-Hyuk tag along. However, the man named Yi Ji-Hyuk was not a master key. No, even if he was such a key, it still should be used for the role it was specifically designed for. If it were to be used in every single situation imaginable, then the set of principles guiding them would break down in the end.
And secondly, just as the Defense Minister has alluded to, the enemies were about to face this time will be.... other humans. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Christopher McLaren said the same thing. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I concede that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks mentality is as hard as forged steel, but killing humans is not the same as killing monsters. And its something he hasnt done so far, either. We need to consider how Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk will react if he ends up taking the life of another person with his own hands. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
M-mm. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Only after hearing what Choi Jeong-Hoon had to say did Yun Yeong-Min feel reassured of his decision not being wrong.
China and Russia demanded Yi Ji-Hyuks participation, but the United States and Japan strongly disagreed. And the Americans were especially vocal in their opposition.
They said that, due to the continuous battles and the repeated cycle of injuries and healing, they feared Yi Ji-Hyuk might be suffering from PTSD.
The symptoms might not be serious right now, but if the illness worsened after experiencing battles against fellow humans, then a cmity exceeding that of a Gate opening up would ur, warned the Americans. That warning was the important turning point in Yun Yeong-Mins decision making process.
Indeed, we did ask a lot out of him. (Yun Yeong-Min)
It really was not their intention, but after Yi Ji-Hyuk showed up, he had to be embroiled in one battle after another.
Even a well-trained veteranbat personnel wouldin of high levels of umted stress in such a situation. Yet that man wasnt a soldier receiving focused military training but a simple civilian who had to go through that many battles, so itd be most unwise to ignore the potential implications from that.
Weve been toox. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min began thinking that maybe they should start a mental health care program for Yi Ji-Hyuk before its toote.
In any case, we wont have Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk apany us during this mission. Weve already informed other nations, but well, let us take this opportunity to internally set our direction for good. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, Mister President. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister nodded his head.
How goes with our preparation? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The KSF, the army, and the air force will be deployed at the same time, sir. (Defense Minister)
What about the navy? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The Japanese have agreed to send their fleet, so in order to avoid any confusion, we wont deploy ours, sir. We arent nning to perform a naval blockade but to strike fast and withdraw quickly, so the core of the operation will focus on thend-based skirmishes, sir. (Defense Minister)
I see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Nervousness slowly took root in Yun Yeong-Mins eyes.
This is war. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Although it had been repackaged as an operation, whats to happen was, all intents and purposes, a war of the Korean Penins taking ce half a century after thest one.
If the operation proved sessful, then the North Korean ruling system wouldpletely break down.
Meaning, the fate of another country would be over. No matter how it was branded as a limited-scale military operation carried out by the special forces, no living soul could deny that this whole thing was war.
The burden on Yun Yeong-Mins shoulders couldnt even be described, now that he became a sitting president to preside over another warfare to take ce in thest half century. It being a joint operation did console him just a tad, however.
What about the KSF? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Many will participate, sir. However, there is a threat of confusion and friendly fire, so Id like to rely mostly on the NDF, sir. (Defense Minister)
Hmm, even then, wouldnt it be more prudent to deploy as many ability users as possible? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The Defense Minister vehemently shook his head.
If you give guns to civilians, then their firepower theoretically wouldnt be too different from the trained soldiers. However, militia can never exercise thebat potential rivalling that of regr soldiers. Youd need training that makes your soldiers react instantly to any given orders and see other humans not as fellow humans but as targets. But the majority of the KSF agents were trained to prioritise saving humans when they find some during their missions. Meaning, confusion is inevitable. (Defense Minister)
What he said indeed made perfect sense.
Im sure youre right, Defense Minister. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min knew well about his own limitations. He might be the President, but that didnt automatically mean he was blessed with an abundant level of military knowledge. No, he simply was given the final say in the matter, thats all. So, listening to the opinions of the ones that knew better than him was the smartest thing to do.
Not just the fate of the Republic of Korea, but the whole world hangs in the bnce with this operation. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Defense Minister)
And do not forget that, in case of failure, it will be us needing to face the consequences head on. (Yun Yeong-Min)
We wont forget, sir. (Defense Minister)
And, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, Mister President. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Realistically speaking, youre the one in charge of the NDF. Meaning, your role in the uing operation will be crucial. You know this, dont you? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well leave it in your care, then. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I shall do my best, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon lowered his head, and at the same time, his eyes grew gloomier.
This is going to be difficult. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Didnt matter who they were facing off against, the North Koreans, Chinese, or the Americans, whoever C he was confident of the NDF not losing out to any of them when it came to the ability userbat force.
However, the North Korean ability users most definitely would have received anti-personnelbat training. Unfortunately, their South Korean counterparts had no experience in fighting fellow humans.
That part weighed especially heavily on Choi Jeong-Hoons mind.
< 352. There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -2 > Fin.
Chapter 353: There is no place for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (3)
Chapter 353: There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (3)
You really feel okay? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Gimme a break. What a weird personality youve got there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scowled at Jeong Hae-Min still ceaselessly pounding him with questions.
Why should I feel bad when they are telling me not to work but to take a vacation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk used the straw to stir the Iced Latte, but that only made Jeong Hae-Min narrow her eyes.
There are people like that in this world, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Like who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
People who really, reaaally hate working, but cant bear to watch the workce function properly without their presence. (Jeong Hae-Min)
............
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
What on earth are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It might sound weird, but actually, there are plenty of people like that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im not such a weirdo, Ill have you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd be nice if you truly werent. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins reply was on a vague side, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply smirked at her.
Im not saying you have a terrible personality, but more like, everyone will react simr like that. Youve done so much for them so far, but they want to just drop you and do things on their own. No one will like such a treatment, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
That aint me, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked on the straw.
He knew what Jeong Hae-Min was saying here, but he really didnt feel bad about stuff like that. No, what the emotion he felt from the exclusion wasnt irritation but this inexplicable sense of concern.
Im sure that guy probably has guessed a response of this nature might being. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was a scheme Jeong Min-Seong cooked up all alone, then Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt have been this bothered. Well, no matter what your intentions were, every scheme ever thought up of couldnt win against the resistance of this thing called reality, after all.
Jeong Min-Seongs n was something that couldnte to fruition. Normally.
If it had been concealed perfectly right until the final moments, then it might have been a sess, but now that things wereid bare in the open, the end result didnt take a genius to figure out.
Four of the nations possessing the mightiest militaries were about to pounce together. If North Korea was strong enough to withstand that, then they shouldve conquered the rest of Asia by now.
But, something just feels off, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What does? (Jeong Hae-Min)
A man whos definitely not stupid is acting stupid right now, so obviously something will feel off, wouldnt you say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....I dont understand what youre saying. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Forget it, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Jeong Hae-Min, but grinned suddenly as if he had thought of something quite delicious.
Now that I think about it.... Hey, you. Whats going on with your idol career? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a lot better nowadays, so Im getting back into the groove. Ive recorded a new track, too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I guess the oppressions softened up a lot? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
To Jeong Hae-Min, it looked as if Yi Ji-Hyukcked self-awareness.
The point in time when the entertainment industrys restrictions ced on the ability users eased up coincided with Yi Ji-Hyuk having a meeting with Yun Yeong-Min for the first time.
She hadnt said it outright, but the truth was, this existence called Yi Ji-Hyuk had utterly destroyed the pressure oppressing the ability users throughout all facets of society. In all honesty, those in the political circle couldnt afford to carry on with the crackdown on the ability users after learning the full extent of Yi Ji-Hyuks powers.
In the bigger scheme of things, he was also an ability user, after all.
If they wanted to oppress ability users, then they would also have to oppress him, too. Even if other ability users rebelled, the politicians were confident of subjugating them somehow. But in case of Yi Ji-Hyuk rebelling, well, the whole of South Korea would get mired in a great turmoil, thats for sure.
I mean, just letting monsters run amok alone will finish this country off. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Of course, there was a good chance that, if Yi Ji-Hyuk were to be oppressed somehow, hed chose to go with a simpler method of eliminating the source of that oppression.
From the perspective of the county, it should be seen as something to be relieved about, but as the politicians were the source, they should be quaking in their boots from the idea alone.
Thanks. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I got to do what I love all thanks to you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....What rubbish are you on about now? (Yi ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min had to shake her head. That was the part of him she just couldnt like.
By the way, why did you ask me that? You were never interested in these idol stuff, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Back during the initial stages of his return to Earth, he derived some enjoyment in such things, but now? He wasnt all that interested anymore.
At first, he found it amusing to see pretty girls prancing around in shy costumes, but this thing called stimtions had a tendency of easily losing their edge. And after he saw enough of them, all of his interest had dried up like the surface of a hot desert.
Well, you see, Ive thought up of something really fun just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im going to a ss reunionter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng??? (Jeong Hae-Min)
So, lets go together. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ng....? (Jeong Hae-Min)
The thoroughly-confused Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head again and again.
***
The entirety of the NDF seemed to be stuck under this taut tension.
No one had said anything, but the truth of being deployed to North Korea soon was slowly tightening around them like a noose.
Well, this is a really crappy atmosphere. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun looked around the office and slowly shook his head.
How can the atmosphere be nice when youre about to go to a ce where you might die? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Whos going to die? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun waved his hand, telling his conversation partner to stop saying stuff like that. Although he was trying to lighten it up, Yun Hyuk-Gyu didnt stop.
Lets be honest, were being mobilised to fight this time. Arent we? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Fighting against monsters is basically the same, no? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
No, its not. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu drew a line there.
In all honesty, fighting against monsters is simr in concept to being a firefighter, you know? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Mm.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
We are deployed where a disaster is unfolding so that we can solve the situation. This feeling you get when protecting the lives and wealth of this countrys citizens? We might have travelled overseas oftentely, but no matter where we are, that feeling overall wont change. Dont you agree? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
I guess so. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
But then, its not the same this time. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu continued on, sounding really unhappy.
This time, its like weve be soldiers. And not only that, were the invaders, too. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
It cant be helped, though. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It cant be helped? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu ended up chuckling out.
When you were being registered to work for the KSF, did they tell you well have to invade another country as ability users? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
....No, they didnt. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu continued on as if to say, See, I told you.
If I heard the exnation in the beginning that wed have to take up certain military assignments, then Id not be feeling this way right now. But they worked us like dogs as long as they wanted to, and now, they are telling us to go to war, so whod be happy about this situation? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
His words were replied by the person entering the office just then.
Youre indeed correct about that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu saw Choi Jeong-Hoon and bowed his head as a greeting.
Im truly sorry in that regard. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, Choi Jeong-Hoon also bowed his head, much deeper than his conversation partners. Yun Hyuk-Gyu got flustered and hurriedly waved his hands. He felt that what he did just now C theatrically cocking his head, his head filled with negative emotions C was a cowardly thing to do after realising how sincere Choi Jeong-Hoon was, and his face reddened up from shame.
Please dont say that. I know this is none of your fault, vice director. I mean, theres not much we can do, other than do what were told. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
...And thats why Im apologising. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only sigh. Before long, everyone in the office was now looking at him.
If I insisted on not participating, then most likely, they couldnt have forced us to go against our will. However, I judged that not participating this time will result in more losses than gains. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kim Dah-Hyun raised his hand.
Yes, please speak. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are ability users from other countries also participating? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yes, the top elites from each nation are scheduled to show up. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, in that case, it really cant be helped, right? I mean, we cant just stubbornly refuse, using we dont wanna as our excuse, now can we? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled wryly.
Youre right, there is that facet to consider. Thats why I ask for your understanding in this matter. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was then, Park Seong-Chan quietly staring at Choi Jeong-Hoon until then broke his silence with a deep voice.
Its not difficult to understand. Its just that.... (Park Seong-Chan)
Everyones gaze shifted over to him next.
We are not going there to kill monsters. No, were going to fight in a war with our lives on the line. But our participation in this war was decided without our consent, so I ampelled to raise issues in that regard. (Park Seong-Chan)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression stiffened.
We will be the ones fighting in the frontlines. Yet, why were we excluded in the decision making process? (Park Seong-Chan)
....Its not that you were excluded, but, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only stammer there, but Kim Dah-Hyun quickly came to his rescue.
What do you mean, excluded? Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon went there, didnt he? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Park Seong-Chan snorted grandly.
Does Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon have the qualification to represent us? (Park Seong-Chan)
Why wouldnt he? Hes the vice director, isnt he? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Oh, is that so? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan took a look around him and continued on.
Is everyone in agreement? (Park Seong-Chan)
The replies were lukewarm, to say the least. Everyone looked at Choi Jeong-Hoon favourably, but for this subject matter at least, they couldnt readily stand on his side.
It sure is a sensitive issue, alright. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyeuk-Gyus muttering caused Kim Dah-Hyun to furrow his brows.
Whats gotten into you? We all went through hell together, didnt we? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Thats true, too. But... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu spoke with a somewhat apologetic face to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
The truth is, vice director, youre the NDFs representative, not us. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
....Indeed, youre right. (Choi Jeong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could instantly understand the meaning behind what Yun Hyuk-Gyu said.
Only when he was affiliated with the NDF did he have the right to represent these people. However, without the organisation, he certainly couldnt represent the ability users when he was only a powerless civilian.
Kind of like how a cat couldnt represent a dog, for instance.
Id like to apologise on that front, as well. The situation was developing at such a breakneck pace that I couldnt.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, I admit that our side doesnt have anyone suitable to represent us. But next time, if its urgent, at least try to take Miss Director with you. (Park Seong-Chan)
If its really urgent, of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head at Park Seong-Chans words.
Ill try to make sure its not that urgent. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thatll be even better. (Park Seong-Chan)
If Seo Ah-Young was taken along as the representative of the ability users, then it didnt take a genius to figure out what might happen.
Alright, then. Whats going to happen with the operation? (Park Seong-Chan)
The detailed guidelines havent been issued yet. As for the time frame.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ever so slightly lowered his voice.
Itll be in three days time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Three days.... (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan shook his head.
Isnt that too soon? We all need time to prepare ourselves, you know? (Park Seong-Chan)
We currently have no concrete information on whats going on within North Korea. Meaning, we cant afford to dy things any further. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I see. (Park Seong-Chan)
Figuring that the situation had been brought somewhat under control now, Choi Jeong-Hoon looked around and spoke.
Once more, Id like to apologise for how things have turned out. However, I truly believe that this problem cant be solved without your presence. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No one replied to him.
However, he still understood where their reactions wereing from.
They were about to get dragged to a warzone in only a few days time, so rather obviously, they wouldnt feel happy about that.
What about Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? I havent seen him anywhere? (Park Seong-Chan)
He isnt going to be a part of this operation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The silent office immediately became noisy.
....Hes not going to participate? (Park Seong-Chan)
Yes. Thats how its been decided. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, howe?
For now, I can only say that the higher-ups decided to do so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Confusion filled the eyes of every agent present.
Ever since Yi Ji-Hyuk joined the KSF, not once did he get excluded from a mission of such importance.
He was the type of a man to express how much he hated the idea of getting involved, but then, would try to get involved no matter what to solve the crisis if it did require his presence. That was Yi Ji-Hyuk in a nutshell.
Everyone here mightin of getting killed, but inwardly, they were all greatly relieved by the fact that he was apanying them.
Seo Ah-Young watched every agentsplexion darken noticeably and loudly tutted.
Whats this? You think you cant do jacksh*t if Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk isnt around to babysit you? (Seo Ah-Young)
.........
We managed it just fine even before that guy showed up here. But now, you all cowering away like this because hes not going to hold your hands? Arent you ashamed? (Seo Ah-Young)
Whos cowering here?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu was triggered, but she simply smirked back.
Thats right. Thats how its supposed to be. (Seo Ah-Young)
She then shifted her gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon. He nodded and opened his mouth.
The operation willmence in three days. You will get some sort of training before then, but regardless, you need to steel yourselves before then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A soft groan leaked out from somewhere just then.
< 353. There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -3 > Fin.
Chapter 354: There is no place for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (4)
Chapter 354: There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (4)
Im home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik began wagging his tail as Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the front gate and entered the house.
Oh, you were here too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Leashes had absolutely no effect on the mini Ogre, and as a result, Oh-Sik pretty much did as he pleased and muted between the NDF offices and home nowadays.
Choi Jeong-Hoon was really worried about whod have to clean up the mess if Oh-Sik ended up causing a situation during his free roaming, which led to Yi Ji-Hyuk trying to tie the Ogre down with steel chains. Too bad, what could measly chains do, when not even the sturdiest wire ropes were able to deal with him?
In the end, Oh-Sik regained his freedom.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt worried since he had already restricted Oh-Sik from harming humans, but others in the know in regards to an Ogre living near his house was deeply concerned, to say the least.
Everyone had pretty much gotten used to his presence by now, but well, regardless of how it looked, this guy was still a dang Ogre.
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk picked Oh-Sik up and settled the mini Ogre on hisp.
Woof?
This had never happened before C Yi Ji-Hyuk being affectionate C so Oh-Sik became really confused and began tilting its head.
Do you want to go home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woooof?
I was thinking, you know, and like, isnt it hard for you to live around here? If you want to go, Ill let you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Siks head rapidly shook from side to side.
Im not testing you. And I definitely wont beat you upter, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik was still desperately shaking his head.
You dont want to go back home? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, sweat began forming on Oh-Siks small paws.
He couldnt speak, so how could he exin himself here?
Even if the ve seal enabled the linking of souls and he couldmunicate to a certain degree through that, it was still impossible to convey a detailed breakdown of ones emotional state or the current situation.
If such a thing was possible, then it shouldnt be called the Seal of Obedience, but bloody telepathy, instead.
Ive been thinking.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Siks ears perked up as Yi Ji-Hyuk continued on.
Youre a monster, right? Well, yeah, to us humans youll always be a monster, you know? Its only because of your current appearance that people arent all that repulsed by you. But what if you roamed around in your original appearance? Its gonna be a pandemonium here. Dont you think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof.
Dont you think itll be more enjoyable for you to live in a world where folks dont get shocked by your real appearance? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woooof!!
Its not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
....You prefer it here? But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk, but then, raised itself up with an expression that said, It cant be helped.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Oh-Sik leaped off hisp, then beckoned with its head.
You want me to follow you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
What are you trying to pull here....? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up and obediently followed after Oh-Sik outside the house. The mini Ogre kept ncing back at him, but still, it continued to thread its way forward pretty smartly.
Okay, so where are we going? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They seemed to be getting further and further into the outskirts, and eventually, Oh-Sik led him out of the ability user residential area altogether.
Hul?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He figured everything would be more or less fine even without a leash and let the mini Ogre freely roam around, but as it turned out, this little guy was traversing all over the d*mn ce. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt venture outside the ability user residential area all that often, yet this guy and his small figure mustve travelled to pretty much everywhere, as evidenced by how fearless his pathfinding was.
But, that makes sense, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he thought about it, a regr Ogre back in Berafe usually lived in a territory that spanned as much as 100 kilometres.
No matter how small its physique had gotten, Oh-Sik was still basically a territorial creature, so itd be strange if he didnt try to map out his own territory.
I see. Ive been too inattentive. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How lonely the mini Ogre mustve felt as he roamed around these parts all by himself?
Yi Ji-Hyuk thought that his own tale and that of Oh-Siks current state had some remarkably simr traits.
So, even if it was now, he should.......
....Ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Somethingpletely out of his expectation happened next.
Woof! Woof!!
Their eventual destination was a park located on the outskirts of the city.
Oh, my goodness! Marys here today, too!
Oh, hey! Mary! Come here!
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he witnessed a whole bunch of people weing Oh-Sik into the park.
What the heck was going on here?
As soon as the mini Ogre trotted into the park, people rushed towards him and proceeded to hug and pet him endlessly.
You came for more treats? Okay, here they are.
Oh-Sik happily gobbled up all the treats falling on hisp.
This puppys got such refined taste buds, you know?
I think the owner is feeding this puppy human food. Look at how its not even touching treats for regr puppies.
This puppy is a sausage killer. Im telling you, a sausage killer.
......................... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh, huhuhuhuh....
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched Oh-Sik wolf down sausages people fed it and could only chuckle hollowly.
Hey, Oh-Sik-ah?
Youre an Ogre.
These people in front of you? They are your food back in Berafe. Your bloody food!
How can you be putting on an aegyo show when your food is handing out treats?!
Wait, do I need to chalk this one up to the so-called adapting to your situation?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kyaaaah~! So cute!!
Young women were utterly going bonkers trying to snap selfies with Oh-Sik.
By the way, what breed is this puppy?
I think its a mix?
A mix can be this cute?
Actually, a mix wont be cute when its all grown up, but as a puppy, it can really be cute.
E-excuse me, everyone? Ladies?
You know, that so-called puppy is well over two hundred years old. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk worked very hard to suppress this inexplicable something bubbling up inside and red at Oh-Sik.
The mini Ogre looked so, so happy right now while being surrounded by humans.
But then again C they were showering him with nice food, tasty treats, and even affection, so of course hed not hate it one bit.
Even the other dog owners out to walk their caninepanions stopped and gathered around Oh-Sik to pet him.
You know, this is really strange. My dog doesnt like it when I pet another dog, but it stays still when Im petting this puppy. Maybe they are good friends?
Nope. They just dont want to get killed. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
A dog got pulled by its leash and was brought closer to Oh-Siks front. The poor thing then began p*ssing itself.
Dogs could instinctively recognise a true predator and quite unfortunately, none of them could run away from here and simply had to stay frozen while minding Oh-Siks current moods.
....What. The. Hell. Is. This?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This stinking b*stard!!
I was worried about his welfare not too long ago, but the truth is, this b*stard was living it up like a king in this ce!!
I was wondering why he often disappeared from sight, and this was why! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had always assumed that the mini Ogre sometimes got lost during hismute to and from the NDF and the house, but as it turned out, his assumption waspletely off the mark.
Oh-Sik yed with humans for a long while and after having his fill, trotted back to where Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
Woof!
Yeah, sure. I saw it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre having it way better than me.
Uh-whew. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Oh-Sik and spat out a lengthy groan. Even though he was the human here, he still hadnt fully limatised to this world yet. However, despite being a feared monster, Oh-Sik had already be a part of this world and was living its life.
Well, that might have to do with how wonderful Oh-Siks adaptability was, but still....
Okay, so its morefortable for you here, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof!
Makes sense.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When one took a serious look at it, Oh-Sik didnt need to go out of his way to hunt for food in this world. From the perspective of a simple creature, this ce was obviously morefortable to stay since itd get fed regardless of what, anyway.
It wasnt as if he was locked up inside a cage in some zoo or something, either. He was free to roam wherever he wanted.
Even then, dont you miss it a little? You want me to change your location to a mountain or some ce like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik unhesitantly shook his head.
....Right, a mountainside will get boring. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
On its own right, Oh-Sik could be called the Ogre Lord. If he were to go back to Berafe, hed bebelled as the legendary Ogre and live as the one true ruler among all the other Ogres.
But, whats so good about that? They dont even have sausages over there. Right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Woof.
Youre right. Lets just go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some reason, all of his worries until now felt like a colossal waste of time, somehow.
There was little doubt that Berafe as a world better suited Oh-Siks existence. Him going back there was probably more natural than staying here.
However, being natural didnt always equal beneficial to ones cause. Oh-Sik mustve understood this principle as well, since he had chosen Earth over Berafe.
Still, wheres your pride as an Ogre? Isnt it a bit too much getting treats from humans by wagging your tail around? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik turned his head away in the opposite direction.
....Ah. No such a thing, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then again, hes a simple beast, so what pride am I talking about?
Anyone feeding him will be good enough to be a master. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk picked up Oh-Sik trotting on the ground and ced the mini Ogre on his head.
Lets go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk entered the house.
Theres no one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Today of all days, he couldnt see anyone in the house.
I dont get why everyones so busytely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It felt like both Affeldrichae and Erukana were getting harder to find recently. Besides those two, though, where was his mother, anyway?
Did she go to the shops? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He switched on the lights and took a quick shower, went to the fridge and got himself some C to pour in a cup.
Keuh~! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Knocking back a cold one certainly refreshed his innards. How long did he need to enjoy this single cup of C?
What he was enjoying now, he didnt get it for free. No, he only earned it after paying a hefty price.
However, he sometimes would forget that fact.
I guess I did get limatised somewhat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One could argue that he had adapted well to this world, seeing how all of these felt so obvious to him now. Back when he was still a newbie returnee, hed shed a tear over a cup of C, and get impressed by a set of normal clothing, didnt he?
Of course, getting limatised doesnt mean they arent precious to me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In all honesty, Yi Ji-Hyuk became far, far busier after returning to Earth,pared to how his life was like back in Berafe.
Sure, the events he went through in the other world were considerably hectic in nature, but since he enjoyed basically unlimited time on his hands, he was never pushed for urgency. It was like, if he couldnt do it this time, then he could try again next time.
However, one failure in this world meant everything would be over.
One failure, is it.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As Yi Ji-Hyuk stood there staring at the cup of C, the front door opened and his mother entered the house.
When did youe home, son? (mom)
Just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You shouldve called me if you were nning toe home early. Id have prepared a meal for you. (mom)
Mom, Im telling you, I can take care of my meals. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, my sons a breadwinner of this family, so its my duty to feed him. (mom)
If you keep doing that, how will I cope when you arent around anymore? I gotta get used to cooking for myself, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Moms brows quivered ominously just then.
What did you just say?? (mom)
....Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, cooking for yourself?! Itll be all sorted out when you get married, wont it?? (mom)
G-get married?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For a moment there, Yi Ji-Hyuk recalled Erukanas mug.
Mom, Im already married. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rather obviously, the sight of Erukana preparing a normal meal for him, or for anyone really, would be a very rare thing to see. A demonic beings pte was fundamentally different from a humans, after all.
Even if Im married, I gotta cook for myself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why would you cook when you have a wife?? (mom)
........Mom, are you going to tell Ye-Won to cook for her husband after she gets married? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not. He should take care of that himself. What era are we living in that a husband can demand his wife to prepare meals for him?? (mom)
Mom, you know that sounds weird, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre being noisy. (mom)
Mom remained adamant, unfortunately.
Nothing else matters, as long as my children arefortable. (mom)
Although I respect your infinite love for your offsprings.... Mother, you still need to drink from the same-sized cups, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I dont have anything I want. (mom)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Weve already made more than enough money, and both you and your sister have all grown up, too. And after you get married and give me a grandchild or two, I wont have any more regrets left in this world. (mom)
....I think you might end up with some regrets, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why you gotta quickly get married. You already have a lot of money, so why dy it? Get married quickly and have children. (mom)
You cant get married alone, you know?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom began admonishing Yi Ji-Hyuk right away.
Youre practically surrounded by women all the time! All, the, time! Not only that, every single one of them is a beauty! So you dont have any right to say something like that! (mom)
Eiiii, they are.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In life, the everyday Oppa, oppa have a tendency of changing to my dear as time moves on. (mom)
With a slightly unimpressed expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk began pondering this quandary.
Strictly speaking, was it even eptable for him to get married in this world, to begin with?
It was then, the phone hidden in his pocket began crying out.
< 354. There is no ce for you in this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -4 > Fin.
Chapter 355: There is no place for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (5)
Chapter 355: There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk (5)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who would even bother to give him a call?
Since he had been excluded from the uing operation, they shouldnt have a reason to call him.
As for those connected to him in some way, all of them were pretty much on the NDFs payroll, and they were probably too busy with the preparation for the operation so no one among them would be free enough to phone him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at the name appearing on the screen and tilted his head.
N-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He confirmed that the name on it was Choi Chang-Hyuk and smirked deeply while answering it.
Hello? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Uh, hey. Ji-Hyuk-ah, its me. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng. Sure. Whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Its about the ss reunion.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C We decided to do it. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was somewhat mystified. Of course, itd be a fun distraction if the ss reunion was indeed to go ahead, but he didnt expect the others to agree to it.
He too knew how to read the atmosphere, so he understood that for some reason, his alumni avoided him like a gue.
I still dont know why, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wasnt as if he bullied or tormented anyone in particr, so why were they avoiding him like this?
Whatever the case might have been, Choi Chang-Hyuk called first saying they were going ahead with the reunion, so Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to give him an A for effort, at least.
So, you are going ahead with the ss reunion, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Uh, ng. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Hoh-oh. Sounds like fun. When? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Probably around tomorrow or the day after. We still havent decided on the exact time. When we do, Ill give you a call. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng. Got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and ended the call.
Whats gotten into him? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ji-Hyuk-ah. (mom)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom was calling out to him.
Are you going to a ss reunion? (mom)
Ng. Sounds like the guys want to meet up. Well, you know how popr I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, while dressed like that? (mom)
..........
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze naturally drifted lower.
I shouldnt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Moms face began trembling uncontrobly.
You want to stand in front of others while looking like that?! (mom)
Mother, a really famous German brand Ad*das designed this set of clothes for the most optimum performance.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Would you like to get the most optimum beating from your mother, too? (mom)
Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began pouting again.
These tracksuits satisfied all criteria includingfort, performance as well as simple and functional design, so why couldnt she understand that?
It was then, the front door opened and Ye-Won entered the house.
Ng? Is oppa going somewhere? (Ye-Won)
Hes apparently going to a ss reunion. (mom)
Wow! That sounds like fun. But why is our dear madam so unhappy? (Ye-Won)
....He wants to go there looking like this. Like this! (mom)
Mom began tugging at Yi Ji-Hyuks clothes.
Fut. Please dont look down on these high-performance clothes crafted out of finest materials, mother. They wont stretch from such a lukewarm pulling attempt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not something to be proud of. (mom)
Yi Ye-Won looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk with eyes reserved for insects.
You wanna wear that to your ss reunion? (Ye-Won)
Whats the matter? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oppa, just what do you think a reunion is? (Ye-Won)
An asion to meet up with your old pals? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won wagged her finger.
You see, a ss reunion is kinda like meeting your ex-boyfriend again. (Ye-Won)
Well, they are my friends, and they are also boys, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In your case, itll be ex-girlfriend. (Ye-Won)
My ex, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right. The moment you break up, a fierce battle to see whos living a better life begins. You might be gorging on Saewoo-kkang and soju in reality, but if you know your ex is definitely going to check out how youre doing, you gotta upload pics of yourself eating steaks and buying expensive handbags on Inst*gram and Fac*book. (Ye-Won) (TL note at the end)
.......
And if you can help it, itll be even better if you upload pictures of you travelling to exotic locales or dining out with an expensive ss of wine on the side. To show the fool that youre having the time of your life! (Ye-Won)
B-but why go so far?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then will you be able to show the b*stard that youre living a wonderful life after breaking up with him! This is the matter of pride, you know?? Pride! (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fell into a pit of confusion just then.
What on earth was she going on about??
Is there a reason to do something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The fool broke up with me so if his life is better than mine, thats going to p*ss me off, right? (Ye-Won)
....I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seemed that he didnt really need toprehend her. This whole thing wasnt in his wheelhouse, anyhow.
A ss reunion is the same in that regard. Everyones pretty much on a level ying field back in school, but after entering society, a reunion bes a battlefield to find out whos made it in life and who didnt. (Ye-Won)
Is that how reunions are like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously!! If not, why would you go out of your way to meet up with people with no connection to you anymore? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could onlyment here.
To think that a cultural event of such deep meaning as ss reunion would be so debased to this extent. If all the alumni associations in this country heard this, they would fall over themselves in sheer horror at her deration.
But you wanna go to one looking like that? (Ye-Won)
I wont let that happen. (mom)
Definitely not! (Ye-Won)
It was as if one person was saying all of these.
Thats the fashion sense of a neighbourhood thug! (Ye-Won)
You arent even a jobless bum, so why? Its not like your job description is a source of shame, or you dont make enough money, now is it? Despite how well off you are, people will still diss you and look down on you if you walk around dressed like that. Besides, you dont even have a car. Others will probably show up in theirs. (mom)
.....My friends are all still in university, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even university students own cars in this day and age. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt endure the assault anymore.
I-in that case, Ill just put on the clothes I bought while shopping with Dah-Som earlier! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No can do. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won unhesitantly cut him off.
Why not?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hng. I admit that Dah-Som has a pretty good taste, but too bad, a ss reunion isnt like that. (Ye-Won)
......? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I can already tell what she chose for you. She probably chose the brands on the mid to low end of the scale. But, that simply wont do. (Ye-Won)
Okay, so what then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You gotta go with expensive!! No matter who looks at you, they must go, wow, those should cost an arm and a leg!! Thats the kind of clothes you gotta wear! All top brands, and nothing else! (Ye-Won)
........... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was genuinely getting dizzy here.
D-do I really need to do that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reply this time came from his mother.
My son. (mom)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly, Im not a fan of such things, myself. They might be called famous brands or some such, but it doesnt make a lot of sense to pay so much money to buy clothes, now does it? Im definitely not in favour of the idea. (mom)
You think so, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuksplexion brightened instantly.
However. (mom)
N-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mother was apparently not finished with her words.
I cant stand the thought of other people looking down on my child. (mom)
..........
How should this be ssified as, a mothers deep love for her child or a simple case of vanity?
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help but ponder as he stood on this crossroad where both options seemed to bizarrely intertwine with each other.
Get ready. (mom)
F-for what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were going on a shopping trip. (mom)
........
Maybe its a prudent idea to cancel the ss reunion altogether?
*
Did we own a car like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was taken by surprise at the ck saloon car parked in front of the house.
Its your fathers car. (mom)
Dad was driving that?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How do you think hemuted to his work until now?? (mom)
Oh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You father, he used to be somebody once upon a time. (mom)
That prompted dad to cough loudly.
Dear, nothing much has changed since then. (dad)
He even earned a good living back then, too. (mom)
Dear. I still earn a good living even now. (dad)
Well, lets get going, anyway. By the way, have you seen your father? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only sigh after witnessing his father despairingly hold onto the bo of the car.
Oh, the man with his head lowered. I feel you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and climbed into the car.
This mustve been his first time aftering back home where the whole family travelled together in one vehicle like this.
Now this feels strange. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He recalled his father giving him a ride to school in the past.
Yi Ji-Hyuk, not wanting to go to school no matter what, and his mother dragging him by his ear and shoving him inside the car C and his father dropping him in front of his school.
It sure was a normal life, that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After monsters showed up in the world, so many things went out of kilter. Yi Ji-Hyuk used to think his family hadnt changed all that much, but the truth was, they mustve been affected in some way.
*
They parked the car in the department stores parking lot and climbed outside.
M-mm. Ill be around here, so when youre finished, give me a call. (dad)
Arent you going with us, dad? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Father shook his head at Yi Ji-Hyuks question.
I hate shopping, son. (dad)
Me too, dad. Me too.
Mom gave her permission with a slight nod, and dad quickly walked away in the opposite direction in cheery, airy steps.
Sob.
Traitor.
Escaping like that just to save himself.
And you,e this way. (mom)
Mothers hand roughly grabbing the scruff of Yi Ji-Hyuks neck was truly merciless. And her hand vividly emitted the experience and power of someone who had personally raised a half-insane son too out-there to be called mischievous, and a daughter who clearly had her priorities all mixed up.
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan as he got dragged inside the department store.
*
So pretty. (Ye-Won)
Ohhh! (mom)
Mom was beaming brightly, while Ye-Won looked quite impressed.
And they say that a man is half made up of clothes and hairstyle. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk normally resembled a neighbourhood thug when kitted out in his usual tracksuits. But when he was dressed up in formal suits, he came across as apletely new person.
This is crazy ufortable, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was scowling pretty deeply right now.
Something just felt too tight here.
This sensation of something getting in the way when he raised his arms was seriously ufortable to him.
Cant I just buy new tracksuits or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You want me to make you run on tracks at home, then? (mom)
.......Im sorry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom proceeded to make him wear several different sets of suits, and just before he hit his absolute limit and passed out, she finally settled on one.
How much did you say it was? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, he didnt hear the number wrong.
Considering Yi Ji-Hyuks hearing, there was no way hed hear it wrong. No, the problem here was, the number did enter his ears, but his brain just didnt want to register it.
Dear customer, its three point three million Won. (TL: Around $2770 USD)
......................... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled gently and turned around. And then, spoke to his mother in no uncertain terms by emphasizing each syble.
I am not buying!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Y-you dont want to? (mom)
Mom mustve been shocked silly by the price as well, because she was willing to agree with Yi Ji-Hyuk here.
M-mom, now that I think about it, this style is a bit too old fashioned for oppa to wear. I mean, this brand is for older uncles, right? (Ye-Won)
I-is that so? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked out of the store while shaking his head. Some random piece of clothing cost over three million Won? Just how frightening a ce could these department stores be?
Can we go home now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not yet. (mom)
Mom spoke resolutely.
I dont know about famous brands, but we must still buy you decent business suits! (mom)
Shes right, oppa. That was too expensive. I mean, youre going to wear it only a couple of times before leaving it to rot inside your closet, right? (Ye-Won)
Thats true, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk narrowed his eyes.
Now that I think about it, didnt you buy a five million Won handbag earlier? So, you wanna prance around with a bag worth five million, but cant bear to spend three million on clothes for your own older brother?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It wasnt as if he nned to buy them anyway, but he still got somewhat riled up nevertheless.
Hahaha. Too expensive, right? Right? (Ye-Won)
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
What was the point of having billions of Won in the bank ount when you were still amoner underneath?
Without some sort of a fundamental shift in ones thought process, it seemed likely that hed never get to wear anything outrageously expensive for the rest of his life.
After that, he had to endure more desperate battles to emerge with clothes, some new shirts, ties, and dress shoes. While pantingboriously, he sagged to the floor like a soggy napkin.
L-lets go home. Please, I beg you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This ce was hell.
Why didnt it have any windows, or even a single clock?
How could a building this size not have a single window built in? What about venttion, for instance??
Yi Ji-Hyuk realised why people came down with panic disorder and began pleading with his family.
Please, lets just go hooooome!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hold your horses. After we look at these first! (Ye-Won)
Cant you wait a minute?? Why are you whining so much like this? (mom)
It was a fatal mistake to let theme to thedies apparel section.
He shouldnt have been fooled by their seemingly-innocent sounding suggestion of stopping here for a minute or two. Hecked experience so he got easily duped by the two females and their shrewd tactic, and as a consequence, had to wander around the same ce for the past two hours straight.
This is why we came here, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, of course not. Were here to buy you clothes, oppa. (Ye-Won)
Youre mistaken, son. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth.
So, this thing about ss reunion or whatever was all just a ruse, wasnt it!! How despicable!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Just before he could roar out at the top of his lungs, though, a weird noise could be hearding from the outside.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was that?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head and headed in the direction of the noise, only to remember something.
Ah. There are no windows here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Son of a....
< 355. There is no ce for you during this operation, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk -5 > Fin.
(TL: Saewoo-kkang is a very popr shrimp-voured snack in South Korea. Make that insanely popr, since I can also get it all the way on the other side of the world, too. Its famous due to its great taste and low price.)
Chapter 356: If it doesn’t want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (1)
Chapter 356: If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (1)
What kinda building doesnt have a single window?! Isnt this a clear vition of constructionws or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy re-writing the South Korean building codes at the moment.
Whats the matter now? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won asked, and he pointed to his ear.
Cant you hear whats going on outside? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dunno what youre talking about. (Ye-Won)
Forget it. Why would I even waste time talking to you, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, thats right. If youve got nothing to say, just be still. Were gonna shop around for a bit longer. (Ye-Won)
....Cant we, like, have an earnest talk? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, not really. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won lightly trotted into the clothing store while looking over the moon, leaving Yi Ji-Hyuk to groan all by himself. He then took a look around him.
Excuse me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, dear customer?
Isnt there a window nearby? Somewhere I can look outside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A window.... Ah, you can view the outside on the bridge leading to the annex, sir.
The annex? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its in that direction.
Yi Ji-Hyuk followed the store clerks guidance and soon, stepped onto the bridge connecting to the department stores annex. He stared at this structure made entirely out of ss and spat out yet another groan.
The main building doesnt have a single window, yet its bridge is made out of nothing but ss. Which idiot came up with this design? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He just couldnt understand the modern building architecture at all.
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned the outside, then spotted the blue-coloured Gate in the distance.
Oh?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Waaaaaaail....!!!
Almost at the same time, the emergency broadcast started.
C This is a message addressed to all customers inside the store. A Gate has been generated in front of the department store. This location has been designated as a tier B disaster area. We implore all customers to stay calm and follow the friendly assistants guidance and evacuate from the premise. We repeat, this is.....
Ooooh?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the speaker, quite surprised by what happened.
You want us to evacuate, is it?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt department stores never eveeeer let go of their customers no matter what, regardless of whether theres an earthquake or the building itself was buckling down?
And if it became way too serious, he figured the stores higher-ups would run away themselves first, but to think, they wanted the customers to evacuate first?
The president of the store must be insane. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began cackling to himself.
But thatsted only for a short while. Soon, waves of crowd rushed into the bridge and began pushing him right up against the ss. Obviously, he began exploding in irritation.
D*mn it, man! Stop pushing, will ya?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt you hear the announcement for evacuation?! Why are you blocking the path?
Get out of the way! Hurry!!
Urgh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned his vicinity, then began walking in the opposite direction to the crowd. He hadnt spotted his mom and Ye-Won yet.
Just where could they be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He managed to extricate himself from the bridge and entered the stores main building, and finally spotted the two people right at the end over there.
Mom? What are you doing? They said to evacuate, didnt they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nothing will get done by rushing into things. We can just wait a little until the crowds been thinned a bit and then leave. (mom)
Ah.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right at that moment, Yi Ji-Hyuk thought he could tell where his innate nature hade from.
But, monsters will show up, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive got my son over here with me, so whats the problem? Its about time I get to see your skills in action, no? (mom)
Well, you arent wrong there, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head helplessly, then opened a Gate of his own.
Here. Get inside. This will take us home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my? Whats this? (mom)
Ah, mom has never seen my Gates before. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He smirked a little and after grabbing the hands of his mom and Ye-Won, entered the Gate. After bringing them safely back to the house, he turned to them and spoke.
Im gonna go back there, just in case. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What, you will? (mom)
Yeah. Whats wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, I just found you voluntarily going there a little strange, thats all. Was your stay in the department store that difficult? (mom)
....Dear mother, Im still sane-minded. So, please stop looking at me like Im a madman. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
No, Im just worried that people might get hurt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although Im happy that my one and only son now sounds like a real human being, I cant help but worry about you. When this matter is over, please take a break for a few days at home. (mom)
.......Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just how badly did he act until now for his mother to say something like this? He could only reflect on himself. He shook his head again and entered the Gate once more.
H-mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When he returned to the department store, everyone within had already long evacuated.
Hey. They even left the lights on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dear customer?! (security guard)
A security guard searching through the department store just in case discovered Yi Ji-Hyuk and hurriedly rushed in.
You need to evacuate, sir. (security guard)
Even then, the dude didnt forget to scan Yi Ji-Hyuks hands or his pockets. Well, one could say that the guards work ethic was really on point there.
Hey man, I didnt steal anything!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then again, the Korean people didnt forget to, uh, pick up some clothes back when the Sampoong department store came down. So you couldnt really say for sure that no one hid themselves in here while aiming for such an opportunity.
Yes, yes. Im on my way now. Is the first floor still open? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, sir. The ground floors been sealed tightly. You need to head to the basement. Once you get to the underground shoppingplex, a secure path leading to the outside should be waiting for you. If you take any longer, then youll have to evacuate to the underground bunker, instead. (security guard)
Really? What about cars? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You arent allowed to drive your car and leave the area, unfortunately. (security guard)
Hoh-oh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was rather methodical, in a way. Of course youd think that ones life was far more important than cars, although some people didnt act that way. If all those cars currently filling up the entirety of the five underground parking floors were to leave at once, the Gate would open up first before anyone got out of the resulting traffic jam.
Please open the door on the ground floor. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dear customer-nim, the ess there is currently restricted. (security guard)
Ah, I got that. I hear you, but the thing is.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
Im an ability user, you see. I need to go to work now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Gimme the sitrep. (Park Su-Hwan)
Itll open soon, sir. (adjutant)
Colonel Park Su-Hwan could only frown as he stared at the reddish Gate floating not too far before his eyes.
It hasnt been that long since its discovered, so why the hell is it so fast? (Park Su-Hwan)
The Gate transformation speed has be iparably faster than a few months ago, sir. (adjutant)
At this rate, we might end up seeing monsters jump out of these d*mn Gates the moment they appear. (Park Su-Hwan)
If that really happened, itd be pure pandemonium, thats for sure.
The society as a whole functioned because humans had time to prepare against the Gates. Indeed, Gates so far had been defended against with minimal losses of life because the military was able to cordon off the portals location and evacuate the civilians from the surrounding areas. But if Gates popped up and opened in an instant, such a measure would no longer be possible to carry out.
What if, you were working inside the office, but then, a Gate opened up right in front of your building and monsters leaped out?
Itd be the end, literally C you wont be able to escape nor put up any meaningful resistance. Youd be left with only one option, to pray that ability users in a far-off ce get here as soon as possible.
What will happen to this world.... (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwan sighed deeply under his breath. However, he needed to worry about such matterster. He needed to focus on solving the problem before his eyes first.
Our preparations? (Park Su-Hwan)
Were more or less ready, sir. (adjutant)
What the hell is up with more or less?? You wanna say sh*t like that when your lifes on the line?! Go and make sure everythings where it should be, and theres no stray civilian around, got that?! (Park Su-Hwan)
S-sir. My apologies. (adjutant)
And also... Uh? Whats that? (Park Su-Hwan)
There was a department store right next to the building where Colonel Park Su-Hwan had set up hismand centre on its roof. He could see that the ground floors door to this department store was opening up, and a young man kitted out in tracksuits waszily trotting out of there.
Hah....
This young man then sucked in deep breaths as soon as he got out, and pulled out a cigarette to stick it between his lips.
That, that.... (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwans expression crumpled unsightly.
I told you to make sure, didnt I?? (Park Su-Hwan)
....But, sir. We did issue orders forplete lockdown. (adjutant)
Before I lockdown your dumb head, I suggest you do your job properly. (Park Su-Hwan)
Ill do so, sir. (adjutant)
Soldiers manning the ground hurriedly rushed forward, surrounded the young man, and pointed towards the building. It seemed that they were telling the wayward fool how dangerous it was here and he needed to evacuate to the underground shelter.
At the very least, our boys are wide awake, it seems. Besides all that, kids nowadays must have some sort of death wish or something. Monsters are about to show up, yet what is he doing outside like that? Im telling you, they are all going insane.(Park Su-Hwan)
But then, something strange happened.
The soldiers and the young man seemed to chat for a bit, before the former group turned around and pointed in Park Su-Hwans general direction.
.....Ng?? (Park Su-Hwan)
Did they lose their d*mn minds, too?
What the hell are they doing, pointing out where themand centre is to a civilian?! (Park Su-Hwans inner monologue)
What are they doing? (Park Su-Hwan)
I wonder as well, sir. (adjutant)
It was then, the young man nodded his head and began walking towards the building with Park Su-Hwan in it.
Eh? (Park Su-Hwan)
The good colonel watched the young man enter the buildings foyer, and covered his face.
What the hell is this? I said, what the hell?? (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwan thought that, as long as soldiers downstairs had functioning brains, they should stop that young man on the ground floor, but that thought ended as nothing more than an unfulfilled hope.
Creak.
The ess door to the roof opened up, and while carrying a rather oily smile, the young man waved his hand at the colonel.
Hello there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Su-Hwan formed a resigned expression and asked his adjutant.
Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on here? Ng? (Park Su-Hwan)
Even Im not sure.... (adjutant)
One single crazy guy could do whatever he wanted, sure, but unless the colonels subordinates had gone insane as a group, how could a crazy dudee up to the roof without facing any opposition?
Who are you? (adjutant)
The adjutant asked, and the young man answered while taking a look around.
The KSF people havent shown up yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The KSF? (adjutant)
Ah!
The adjutant nodded his head, finally understanding whats going on here. It seemed that an off-duty ability user in the middle of a shopping trip saw what happened and decided to join the battle.
Are you affiliated with the KSF? (adjutant)
Yes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You son of a.... (adjutant)
The adjutant gnashed his teeth.
Regardless of him being an ability user or not, they were in themand centre.
Even if ability users were given ranks simr to staff sergeant the moment they joined the KSF, they still shouldnt be waltzing in and out of amand centre as they pleased.
Which division are you from? Hey, I said, whos your superior officer, you b*stard?! (adjutant)
......I dont have a superior officer? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What? You dont have one? Which division do you belong to, then? (adjutant)
Its the NDF. To be more specific, Im kinda like a guest employee? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The NDFs guest employee? (adjutant)
What did that even mean?
If you were an NDF agent, you were an NDF agent, so what was up with this guest employee thing? It was then, Park Su-Hwan reached out and grabbed the adjutants shoulder.
Hey, you.... (Park Su-Hwan)
Sir? (adjutant)
Ask him what his name is. (Park Su-Hwan)
His name, sir? (adjutant)
Hurry up and ask. Ive got this bad feeling, thats why. (Park Su-Hwan)
The adjutant looked back at the colonel with a confused expression, before asking the young man.
Whats your name? (adjutant)
Its Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Park Su-Hwan & the adjutant)
Yes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
................
Okay, so, since its Yi Ji-Hyuk.... so that means....
Uh, mm, so, you mean that Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Park Su-Hwan)
I am Yi Ji-Hyuk, sure.
Park Su-Hwans hands began trembling. He only knew of one Yi Ji-Hyuk employed by the NDF.
A man you were forbidden to evenmunicate with in the entire defence force. The number one dangerous individual that, when discovered, should be reported directly to Major General Jeong In-Su immediately.
Wha-what is this b*stard even doing here? (Park Su-Hwan)
Was this a matter requiring the NDFs assistance?
Sure, they needed to get the support of the ability users, but as the Gate was only around level 4, having Yi Ji-Hyuk show up here was equivalent to tending to your flower garden with an excavator.
Are you the real Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Park Su-Hwan)
Dunno anything about being the real thing or not, but Im telling you, I am Yi Ji-Hyuk. By the way, why havent the people from the KSF shown up yet?
They are on their way. (Park Su-Hwan)
Eh? But the defence force has already finished preparing for everything here, so howe they arent here yet? That shouldnt be happening, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....It happens all the time. (Park Su-Hwan)
But, why? If they were to mobilise, surely they must be a lot faster getting here? I mean, they dont have any equipment to worry about, just their own bodies, so why are they arrivingter than you guys? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats what Ive been saying all along!! (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwan exploded in his pant-up resentment.
There have been many operations that couldve ended without any sacrifices if those stinking as*holes showed up sooner. But they always take their d*mn time showing up, so we cant help but have casualties and sacrifices. Poor kids are getting killed off for no good reason. (Park Su-Hwan)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression hardened instantly.
Seriously? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. I wish I could do something about it. I keep lodgingints to the higher-ups of the defencemand, but this whole thing just doesnt want to improve. (Park Su-Hwan)
It doesnt? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk puffed up his cheeks and yanked out his phone.
If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 356. If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! -1 > Fin.
Chapter 357: If it doesn’t want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (2)
Chapter 357: If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (2)
The newly-appointed director of the KSF, Jo Jung-Gu, had been spending unexpectedly quiet days recently. He thought that his life would be really busy after taking on the immensely important role of running the KSF, but to his great surprise, the KSF director wasnt required to do a whole lot.
All he needed to do on the job was to get the budget and financially support the agents, and contact each branch to have them take care of the events happening there. The most important part of his job was to seek out cooperation from other departments if their jurisdiction ovepped.
Well, now. This position might be prestigious but there arent all that many things Im supposed to do. (Jo Jung-Gu)
Now normally, people wouldbel working in such a position as jackpot, or taking candy from a child.
....Itd be nice if it was really a jackpot, though. (Jo Jung-Gu)
Other people might see it as a jackpot, sure, but from Jo Jung-Gus perspective, this position was truly a stressful one.
When nicely worded, it was a role with nothing to do, and when you say it in a negative way, you were basically on standby for 24 hours a day. Gates opened up withplete disregard to whether it was day or night. Of course, it wasnt as if he was absolutely needed during the anti Gate operations, but....
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk doesnt have the concept of day or night. (Jo Jung-Gu)
The thing was, he was told of this one thing in no uncertain terms when he took over the job.
Most of the serious matters will be dealt with by Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, but... Do not ever forget that the only reason why youre in this position is to manage Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! No, wait. Forget what I just said. Throw such a line of thought in the garbage can, right now. No, think of yourself as an assistant to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Hes a lot more important than the entirety of the KSF, thats why. Do you understand what Im saying? You must remember what Im telling you.
Ill take it to heart, sir.
Those words were from the party leader Song Jeong-Su, a man who was basically a mentor to Jo Jung-Gu. Since a man he deeply, deeply respected entrusted this role to him, he needed to give his everything to this job.
The only problem was, he had nary a clue on what he needed to give his everything to.
At first, he was quite enthusiastic. He investigated everything about Yi Ji-Hyuk, including the mans tastes. He analysed his charges movement patterns and sought out what that man might enjoy doing.
After a lengthy period of investigation that allowed him to analyse everything, Jo Jung-Gu came to one single conclusion.
This man isnt someone you should provoke. (Jo Jung-Gu)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had no desire C he had no material greed, nor any form of lust for power, either.
When nicely put, he was a herbivore. Or, the local clown when put not-so-nicely. And such a man was given the nonsensical level of power, so it was rather obvious that things would not function as they should.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was someone filled with desire for power and wanted to achieve something, then Jo Jung-Gu wouldve had much easier time assisting the man. However, Yi Ji-Hyuks greatest plus point, which was also his biggest minus too, was hisck of desire for anything.
I just cant understand kids these days. (Jo Jung-Gu)
If Jo Jung-Gu possessed such astonishing levels of power, hed have swallowed up this country a long time ago. But seeing the punk with the power doing nothing but ying games everyday and generally wasting his life really churned the KSF directors stomach.
The expected result of when that punk was provoked also proved to be quite severe.
Hes like a hos nest. (Jo Jung-Gu)
Jo Jung-Gu could more or less tell why management and assistance had to happen at the same time. His job was to optimally get rid of any and all things that might irritate Yi Ji-Hyuk to the best of his abilities, and when the young man did ask for something, he needed to resolve that as quickly as possible.
However!!
Why arent you going outside the residential area?! (Jo Jung-Gu)
Sure, Jo Jung-Gu was grateful that no incidents had taken ce so far, but wasnt he more like a surplus stationery at this rate?
It was right then, his smartphone began ringing off the hook.
Jo Jung-Gu frowned and grabbed the device. All the calls rted to his job shoulde through thendline, so the only types of calls to reach his private phone would be, well, private matters.
His wife wouldnt be calling him at this hour, so most likely, someone was calling up him to ask for a favour or something.
Eii. (Jo Jung-Gu)
Feeling irritated now, Jo Jung-Gu lifted up his phone. But then, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets after confirming the name on the disy.
Hul.... (Jo Jung-Gu)
The three words Yi Ji-Hyuk were proudly on disy on his phones touchscreen.
W-what the hell? (Jo Jung-Gu)
Jo Jung-Gus eyes began trembling.
T-this guy, hes actually calling me? (Jo Jung-Gu)
Of course, he did hand out his business card back then. But well, he didnt expect to get a call for real like this. No, wait C he did think that such a day woulde, but didnt expect it to be today.
Jo Jung-Gu swallowed back his dry saliva and cautiously answered the phone.
Hello? Is this Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Yup, its me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, yes! Please speak. (Jo Jung-Gu)
C You see, Im in front of a department store. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay? So? What do you want from me, then? (Jo Jung-Gus inner monologue)
It was a skill to know when to separate whats in your mind and what actually needs toe out of your mouth. As Jo Jung-Gu dreamed of bing an excellent politician, of course he employed this indispensable skill.
Were you out shopping? Did something happen? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C A Gate opened up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jo Jung-Gus eyes shifted over to theputer monitor. He clicked on the map of currently active Gates minimised to the corner of the disy and erged it. He then searched for a Gate closest to where Yi Ji-Hyuk was living.
He erged that, and for sure, there was a department store nearby.
Ah, I see. I confirmed it just now. Is there some sort of an issue with the Gate itself? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C No, its not the Gate, but the people thats the problem. Its been a while since the Gate showed up, but the KSF havent arrived yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, so thats the issue. Please dont worry. I shall make some calls and find out what happened there. (Jo Jung-Gu)
Jo Jung-Gu sighed in relief.
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say something weird as he had initially feared. Jo Jung-Gu felt his chest tighten while wondering about what that man would say over the phone, but something of this level could be considered as pretty normal in nature, couldnt it?
Too bad, his relief didntst for long.
C I dont think you got what Im saying here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C A Gate is about to open up, but no ability uses are here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah... The situation is really urgent, then. I shall dispatch them right away. (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Awooo, really now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly raised his voice, causing cold sweat drops to form on Jo Jung-Gus forehead.
Why was this madman throwing a tantrum now?
C Right now, the defencemand has installed what needs to be installed and finished with their preparations already, so why hasnt the KSF show up here yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
C What, you dont have enough cars because of budget? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no. (Jo Jung-Gu)
C In that case, are they running over here on foot while carrying military gear?? Is that it? Marching all the way to their destination? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats not true. (Jo Jung-Gu)
Of course not. Why would ability users need military gear in the first ce?
C You think so too, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Then, why arent they here yet? Ah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
If you say it like that, then Ive got nothing to reply with. (Jo Jung-Gus inner monologue)
When Jo Jung-Gu became speechless, Yi Ji-Hyuks voice grew even louder.
C I took care of so many things for you already, but you guys cant even do this one thing properly? Isnt this wrong on so many levels? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, you havent done anything of note for the KSFtely. (Jo Jung-Gus inner monologue)
Although Jo Jung-Gu so desperately wanted to say that out aloud, there was no way he could do that.
.....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, this problem isnt as easy as you think. (Jo Jung-Gu)
He needed to buy some time here.
C Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were doing the best we can. (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Youre doing your best but things arent getting fixed. That means its beyond your ability, basically. Am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, you could say that. (Jo Jung-Gu)
C I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right at that moment, Jo Jung-Gus rm bells went off.
If this phone call ended here, then something major might go off next. To a man in an administrative position, and also as a politician, listening to his gut instinct in moments like this was absolutely crucial.
P-please wait for a moment, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you nning to do after ending the call? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C What do you mean, what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you perhaps nning to call somewhere else? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Eii, why would I do something so cumbersome like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah..... (Jo Jung-Gu)
Now that was a small relief. It seemed that he momentarily overlooked the fact that this punkcked will to act despite being a madman.
However, the next set of words nearly put Jo Jung-Gus head in a spin.
C No need to call someone, thats gonna just tire out my mouth. I can just open up a Gate and go there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-where will you go, then? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C To where the dude in charge is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im the one in charge, so who could you be....? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C I mean, its supposedly beyond your ability, so I mustnt peck at you anymore, right? That leaves me with no choice but to seek out the dude with most ability, then. I think that will fix everything, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It cant be?
Theres no way?
T-the one you were nning to talk to is....? (Jo Jung-Gu)
C I heard that theres a ce in the Blue House where civilints can be made or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you crazy son of a....! (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I-its nothing. (Jo Jung-Gu)
Jo Jung-Gu lowered his phone and tried to control his wayward breathing. One wrong thing said here wouldnt just end with his political career ending with a whimper.
Seriously now, the enraged Song Jeong-Su might rush here wanting to kill his a*s.
I-I shall sort it out right away. Ill make sure that the KSF arrives on location in less than five minutes! (Jo Jung-Gu)
C But, this isnt a problem that will get sorted out with you doing something about it just this one time, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wont be just one time! I swear, I shall rip apart the current system and get to the root of the problem. Please believe in me. (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Hmm, well then.... I shall wait and see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thank you very much. (Jo Jung-Gu)
C Okay, then. Bye. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The call hade to an end, and Jo Jung-Gu wordlessly red at his own poor phone before shouting towards the outside of his office.
Find out which branch is supposed to mobilise to where Yi Ji-Hyuk is, and call them up right now! Hurry the hell up!! (Jo Jung-Gu)
Who should we call, sir? The branch or the branch manager? (secretary)
Obviously the manager!! You asking me because you cant figure that out?! (Jo Jung-Gu)
The KSF directors aura, where he might start throwing around his ashtrays and drag people to the infamous anti-Communist department, caused the secretary to tremble in fear.
Y-youre through, sir. (secretary)
Jo Jung-Gu angrily yanked up the telephone receiver and began roaring mercilessly towards whoever was on the other side.
Hey, you stinking Commie son of a b*tch!! (Jo Jung-Gu)
*
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Su-Hwan heard Yi Ji-Hyuks perfect phone call from the side and could only shake his head.
From the perspective of a man eavesdropping, he sure felt good to know that the KSF acting all arrogant and the like had to taste a pretty bitter pill here. However, when he thought about the state of the poor man needing to answer the call, he couldnt help but feel sorry for that sucker.
I think its all sorted out now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
T-thank you. (Park Su-Hwan)
Dont mention it. Were all trying to survive together, anyway. By the way, how is Colonel Jeong In-Su these days? Last time I saw him, he seemed to have lost quite a lot of weight. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was promoted to Major General recently. As for his weight.... Well, uh, hes bulked back up, so thats fine but.... (Park Su-Hwan)
But? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But the, uh, hair loss.... (Park Su-Hwan)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiped away some tears threatening to break free.
Aigo, that man. Hes been running around all over the ce, so I was getting worried about him, but hell... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Looks like Ill have to pay him a visitter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To console him? (Park Su-Hwan)
Nah. Its to get his hair growing again. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Excuse me?? (Park Su-Hwan)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and replied.
I have a way to make hairs grow again, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was a reason why no bald uncles existed back in Berafe. Although, they did have skinheads there.
A-are you telling the truth?? (Park Su-Hwan)
Yes. Whats wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Park Su-Hwans eyes trembled hard.
The method to solving humanitys oldest unsolved conundrum, the hair loss, was standing right before him. This revtion was so monumental that he couldnt readily decide which one was more important of the two C the Gate soon to be opening up or the solution to permanent hair loss.
If you have time, uh.... (Park Su-Hwan)
Eh? But, you seem to be well endowed in that area? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its a toupee. (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwan took off both his cap and toupee, and Yi Ji-Hyuk could only frown.
What an excellent baldie uncles association this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
....Im a fully paid-up member, yes. (Park Su-Hwan)
Well, okay. Lets talk about thatter, shall we.... For now, looks like the Gates about to open up, and the promised five minutes are also.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The moment he said that, a bus appeared suddenly on the distant road crazily dashing towards his position. It was driving so fast that dust was being kicked up from the asphalt.
Oh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw that spectacle and nodded his head.
Indeed, one only had to peck away in this world.
Nothing was out of reach! This was South Korea they were talking about!
If the subcontracted employees learned of his thoughts, they might have started pelting him with rocks, but never mind that, Yi Ji-Hyuk was raising his hand to wave at the iing bus.
Argh, that b*stard!!
The manager of the KSFs Gangdong branch saw that scene and started spitting out several curse words.
What are the grim reapers doing, not taking that guy away?!
.....I know, right?
< 357. If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! -2 > Fin.
(TL: No, there isnt an actual association like that in reality. Its one of the newer ng words invented in South Korea, Min-du-no-chong/???? which is a parody of another term.)
Chapter 358: If it doesn’t want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (3)
Chapter 358: If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (3)
The manager of the KSF Gangdong branch, Wu Myeong-Sik red at the rooftop of a certain building and gnashed his teeth.
That godd*mn son of a.... (Woo Myeong-Sik)
How could he not gnash his teeth when thinking back to the phone call he got from the director of the KSF?
Regardless of what, how could the boss man say hed skin the manager alive if the team didnt reach the destination on time? They werent living in some Fifth Republic but in South Korea for Chrissake, so how could a KSF director utter something like that in the open?
The impression he gave off when the branch manager first met him was a refined gentleman, but who knew he was hiding such a fierce,bative temperament?
No, hang on. Its not like this is unexpected. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
The cause was standing over there, after all.
Every time the KSF director said something, his sentences would always, always end with Yi Ji-Hyuk this or Yi Ji-Hyuk that.
It was only one phone call, yet it felt like the name Yi Ji-Hyuk had been branded into his eardrums.
Besides all that, who does he think he is, our superior or something?! (Woo Myeong-Sik)
That oh-so important personage should have been oh-so busy with the NDF matters, but his meddling streak ran oh-so wide as well, it seemed; otherwise, why would he be oh-so worried about the KSF dispatch time, too?
The branch manager felt oh-so thankful that his teeth were gnashing all by themselves.
I mean, we still have a ton of time left, too! (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Branch manager! The Gate seems to be almost ready to open up?!
Hey, you dumba*s! Wheres your sense of timing, man!! (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Eh?
Crap. Forget what I said, you dumba*s! (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Woo Myeong-Sik did his best to calm his boiling innards and red at the Gate next. Seeing how its blue hue was almost gone, it seemed that the portal was ready to open up at any second now.
He didnt want to admit it, but well, if his team left the branch as previously scheduled, then they wouldnt have made it before the d*mn Gate opened first.
Hey, you! Stop the bus and get everyone ready! Hurry up! (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Sir, yessir!
Screeeech-!
The bus issued a sharp screeching brake noise and came to a stop. The vehicle leaned forward just a bit from the momentum before righting itself, and the moment its exit opened, the KSF agents flooded out.
Woo Myeong-Sik observed the agents finding their spots, exited the bus himself, and lightly leapt up to the rooftop.
You arete, it seems. (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwans unimpressed voice caused Woo Myeong-Sik to lower his head a little and speak up.
Well, technically, were just in time since the Gate hasnt opened yet. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Thats a relief, then. If you arrived anyter than this, you might have been treated to a really impressive sight. (Park Su-Hwan)
I guess so. How unfortunate. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
What was that?? (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwan and Woo Myeong-Sik red at each other and gnashed their teeth.
Even after Choi Jeong-Hoon and Seo Ah-Young left the scene, the cats-and-dogs rtionship between the defencemand and the KSF hadnt improved one bit. No, wait C maybe it had worsened ever so slightly, instead.
At the very least, both sides didnt openly bare their fangs when Choi Jeong-Hoon was around.
....The victor is always the right one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keuh-hmm!
Keuh-hhhmmm!!
Perhaps the two men thought they showed something unsightly in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk, because they coughed loudly to clear their throats. They then turned their heads towards thetter.
Nice to meet you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Who are you, mister? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im Woo Myeong-Sik, manager of the Gangdong branch.
Ah, is that so? By the way.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a less-than-impressed face.
Looks like your Gangdong branch is swarmed with work recently? I mean, you guys sure showed up superte today and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Well, uh, yes, we were somewhat upied. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
If you were suffering from theck of personnel, you couldve sent a request to other branches and shore yourselves up that way. I hear you guys are alwayste like this. Dont you think thats just wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wu Myeong-Sik quietly red at Park Su-Hwan.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was renowned for not caring much about worldly affairs, so he wouldnt have known about anything if it werent for the stinking colonel from the defencemand deciding to be a rat.
Everyone is suffering from personnel shortage, so.... (Woo Myeong-Sik)
You dont have enough agents? I mean, the NDF is getting dispatched to practically everywhere as if their feet are on fire, yet you still dont have enough personnel? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right at that moment, Woo Myeong-Siks lips mped shut as if someone applied superglue there.
In all honesty, it wasnt as if his branch was really suffering from ack of personnel. If they wanted to get a move on a bit early, then sure, they could have.
The truth was, they started arriving on location a littleter than usual without saying anything to anyone after realising that things proved to be just a bit more convenient for them by showing up only after the defencemand had finished setting up defensive perimeters.
Well, its true that we were beginning to get reallyte these days. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Human nature meant that once they started arrivingte, they would progressively be tardier and tardier.
Now normally, there should be someone to mediate everyone involved when such problems crop up, but too bad, the defencemand belonged to the Ministry of Defense, while the KSF belonged directly to the Presidency. So, anyints the defencemand people had, they never directly reached the ears of the higher-ups in the KSF or the Blue House.
Eh, well, that is... (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows rose up ever so slightly.
I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Woo Myeong-Sik)
I do get that you dont have enough people. Sure. However, when you said that you couldnte here on time because of theck of agents, that automatically implies your people were being dispatched somewhere else prior to this event, right? So, when was thest time you guys got dispatched? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Woo Myeong-Sik couldnt readily reply to Yi Ji-Hyuks question.
Ahjussi. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Wu Myeong-Sik)
Why dont I make it so that you dont need lots of agents anymore? Just one week, and I guarantee you, I can turn you into someone who can solo a Gate of this size while half asleep. When that happens, surely you wontin about theck of personnel or whatever, am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cold sweat began trickling down Woo Myeong-Siks back.
The story of Yi Ji-Hyuk shoving the regr KSF agents into living hell and transforming them into the NDF-level people was a really famous anecdote around these parts.
In a way, you could say it was a life-changing, once in a lifetime opportunity. Raising the skill level of the ability users was that difficult, after all. Indeed, they couldnt rely on getting stronger naturally, yet Yi Ji-Hyuk here was capable of increasing ones rank in a proverbial blink.
However, not one among the KSF wished for that.
Partly because the rumours detailing what happened to the NDF agents trained by Yi Ji-Hyuk made rounds already, but the real clincher was actually something else.
If you go through it, then youd be promoted to the NDF. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
The amount of dogsh*tbour the NDF agents had to go through so far was the stuff of legends by now.
When something big happened locally, no, globally, then the ones called into action before anyone else were none other than the NDF agents.
They mustve been half-way brainwashed at this point, seeing how they didntin much. But there was little doubt that having ten lives wouldnt be enough judging from all the stuff the NDF had to do.
So, who would want to get promoted to the NDF?
Every now and then, the NDF would say they dont have enough agents and start an evaluation process to pick new blood. However, that would mysteriously instigate a flood of sick leave applications, and some people actually even developed sudden bouts of illness, too. And when the branch managers were asked to rmend people to be promoted, it became rathermon to see despairing KSF agents showing up on the doorsteps of their superiors to plead, beg, and even threaten their way out of the predicament.
From now on, well arrive on time. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head as if he still wasnt happy.
You know, I dont really like to nag, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, so you like nagging people, then. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
The branch manager only needed to interpret whats being said here in the other direction.
But, Mister Branch Manager. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Woo Myeong-Sik)
You do know that you arrivingte might result in the deaths of people, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We make sure to evacuate any and all civilians first. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
What about soldiers, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Soldiers arent humans to you? What, you think they are made out of sand or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
You know, I really dont understand why youre letting this situation be, where people might end up dying because of your little bit of convenience. Am I wrong to feel this way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, youre absolutely correct. (Woo Myeong-Sik)
Woo Myeong-Siks expression hardenedpletely.
Here was a problem that even an elementary school kid could have figured out. Yet, he couldnt understand how he had failed to perceive it until now.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Woo Myeong-Sik, before turning his head away.
They are getting fractured. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It hadnt been that long, yet the concept of humans was changing within the consciousness of the ability users. Without them noticing it, too.
However, this wasnt all that strange to him.
It was the same story back in Berafe, too. Those wielding magic or divinity believed themselves to be from the superior race and treated those without special abilities as ves or livestock.
Humans would suddenly start believing that they were entitled to something special the moment they acquired just a little of power.
People with no differences in special abilities had already been dividing sses using the yardsticks of wealth and political power. So, when people were divided through innately-manifesting special abilities, how badly would the resulting chasm be?
Nobody seemed to have thought about a way to counter that at the moment. No, a group hoping to exploit that chasm had popped up first, instead.
Alpha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The image of Alpha fleeted in and out of Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
To the current him, Alpha was a little worm that could be killed off with just a flick of his finger. Yet, why couldnt he stop worrying about that b*stard?
Right. B*stards like him always end up doing something huge. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ording to the extensive experience earned through living a very long life, entities like Alpha would always end up causing huge incidents.
That was probably why Yi Ji-Hyuk was worried about that guy.
But, he shook his head, at least for now.
If Alpha was scheming something, killing him off would be the end of it. Yi Ji-Hyuk had enough venom and power to pursue that course of action.
In any case, I better tell someone about this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no guarantee that only the Gangdong branch was like this.
The NDF, where a powerless person like Choi Jeong-Hoon was employed among the ability users, was faring a lot better than the rest. Even then, didnt the NDF too also show the signs of fracture not too long ago?
If so, one had to assume that other branches were going through the fundamental shift in consciousness not too different from what the Gangdong branch had experienced.
The Gate is opening up.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped his thoughts on that subject matter right there.
Preventing such things were all good and well, but they needed to take care of the crisis unfolding before their eyes first.
Every personnel, maintain your positions! Well open fire when the monsters make their appearance. (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwan issued his orders, and soon, spine-tingling tension ran down the spines of the soldiers.
Have I be too rxed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some reason, Yi Ji-Hyuk felt nostalgic. Perhaps not personally participating in an anti-Gate operation for a long while was to me here.
Not to mention, this wasnt even a fun event to spectate, too.
Soon, the Gate distorted, and dark monsters began leaping out from there.
Fire!!
mmmmmm!!
Guns and support artillery began spitting out mes at the same time. Didnt matter what came out from the portal C they were all monsters, anyway.
Oh, thats a Feldrick, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was a horse-type monster.
The equivalent in this worlds lore should be something like a Pegasus? Although the Feldricks didnt have wings, their mobility was truly top-notch. So much so that some races with intelligence level higher than Orcs would sometimes catch and tame them.
Eh? Isnt that Izuka? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw therge silhouette of a snake leaping out after Feldricks and smirked.
Seeing one after such a long time sure made him feel nostalgic, alright.
Eh, Polts and Eka, too.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At this point, his expression began to crumple a little.
They were all too familiar.
Monsters emerging from the Gate were just too familiar to his eyes.
What, you think monsters looking familiar to him was unsurprising?
No freaking way!
The frequency of monsters that Yi Ji-Hyuk recognised appearing from the Gates were less than 30 percent overall. Sure, monsters with simr traits from the ones he saw back in Berafe did appear asionally, but they all had some vague differences.
But every single one his eyes could see today happened to be creatures Yi Ji-Hyuk recognised immediately.
Made in Berafe, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice was getting stiffer.
If this was all just a coincidence, fine. But if not, then something very untoward was happening with these Gates.
I gotta confirm it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While still carrying a hardened expression, Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped up to the railing of the rooftop.
M-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?! (Park Su-Hwan)
Wuuu-oooong!
It was then, ck Mana began coagting rapidly on Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand before shooting up to the skies.
N-ng??
And then, that ck Mana created thunderbolts and mmed hard into the ground.
Kwaaaaa-boooom!
Kwaaa-boooom!!
Just two thunderbolts, and all the monstersing out from the Gates were turned into charcoal.
Holy cow.... (Park Su-Hwan)
Park Su-Hwans jaw fell to the floor after witnessing that spectacle. The power of Yi Ji-Hyuk he only ever heard about in gossip turned out to be even more ridiculous than his imaginations.
Not only that, the area of effect also happened to be perfect, as well. Not a single soldier surrounding the Gate was affected by the attack just now.
Ill be leaving first, okay! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk said that, opened a ck Gate, and jumped inside. Woo Myeong-Sik, unable to say anything for a long time, finally managed to open his mouth.
....If you were going to do this, why did you even summon us here?! (Woo Myeong-Sik)
You crazy son of a....
< 358. If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! -3 > Fin.
Chapter 359: If it doesn’t want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (4)
Chapter 359: If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (4)
Wuu-ooonng...
A ck Gate opened up abruptly, and Choi Jeong-Hoon could only look at it with a slightly sour face.
It seemed that he was now waltzing around with the Gates as if it was his own private doorway to everything.
Aigo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk exiting from the Gate massaged his back.
Well, d*mn. I must be getting on in years, seeing how my body aches like this after using a bit of Mana. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Its true that youre advanced in age, so you should look after yourself a little better. Do you want me to get you some prescribed herbal tonics? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nah, its okay. Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, you dont even have much money, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Choi Jeong-Hoon, the current ages talented man who received almost perfect score from a marriage consultancy/information firm, was being denigrated as a poor sryman right at this moment.
But, Im wealthier than you think?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not as much as you, sure, but still.
Of course, he couldnt dare to bring up the topic of money if he thought about the number of zeroes currently piling up on Yi Ji-Hyuks bank ount. But there was little doubt that Choi Jeong-Hoon belonged to those who seeded in life in their own way.
Sure, he mighte across as an unfortunate neighbour whenpared to those folks born with gold spoons in their mouths, but whatever.
In any case!
What brings you here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Am I not allowed in the offices now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....No, its not that we dont want you here, its just that you popped up without warning, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
H-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared with usatory eyes, and Choi Jeong-Hoon could only scratch his head in awkwardness.
Well, the truth is, the atmosphere here is very tense, and.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon approached Yi Ji-Hyuk, wrapped his arm around thetters shoulder, and gently dragged him outside the office.
Actually, the overall mood is very vtile right now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not even all that serious, so what gives? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its war, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Like I said, whats so serious about that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared straight at Yi Ji-Hyuk and was about to say, Have you ever been involved in war before, then? but decided to forget about it.
Yeah, he probably has. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He thought about it and realised that, since the other side was a medieval world, warfare was probably a daily urrence in that ce.
And Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt just live for one, two years in such a world, but over a thousand. Even if he wasnt involved in war, he was the type to fight monsters if he got too bored anyway, so Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that it wouldnt be strange to see him not having any sort of repulsion towards the wars themselves.
Besides all that. You being here is a big no-no at the moment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Howe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whether its consciously or not, the people affiliated with the NDF rely heavily on you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. If they keep seeing you loiter around here, they might end up thinking that, although you werent supposed to go with them, you might as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why would I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats exactly why. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned refreshingly.
Thats why its better for everyone if youre not seen by them. And thats also why I havent said anything about you noting to work. For the time being, its okay not toe at all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, sure thing.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
He was told plenty of times to go to work, but this would be the very first time anyone told him not to, so he kinda felt weirded out by that.
Anyways. I didnte today for that, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Theres something I wanted to find out, you see.... I know youre busy and all, but this problem is getting on my nerves a bit, so.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression sank as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Every single thing thetter had said to be getting on his nerves a bit all ended up as huge incidents. Obviously, this wasnt a matter to take lightly.
Please speak. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I need information on the monsters that have appeared from the Gates recently. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Monsters? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes became round dots from puzzlement, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt try to dispel it for him. There was no need to make the dude worried about what hadnt been confirmed yet, now was there?
Indeed, what Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling at the moment was just a hunch. Also, it was an unknown quantity just how much of a ripple effect the world would experience from the event he suspected to have been happening until now.
Yes, monsters. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Information, is it... What kind are you looking for? There are different types of information, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Id like to have them as video footage. If not, photographs will be fine, too. I think I need to visually analyse them first and then decide. I mean, written info isnt going to help me in the slightest, I think. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Makes sense. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if the monsters were the same, the names Yi Ji-Hyuk knew and what the people of Earth called them were different. Thats why hed not be able to confirm what types of monsters were showing up through written documents only.
Most likely the KSF are in possession of such databases. Is it alright to get only the data from Korea? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Please send out the requests for help to other nations, as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, that might take a while. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats okay. Its not that urgent, anyhow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see. Then I shall send the word upstairs and get the necessary info from the other governments. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand.
In that case, Ill be on my way now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Whats the matter? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well, it kind of felt like looking at a student trying to run away from his night sses, thats why. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eii, I never did a night ss when I was still in school, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul? Why not? Didnt night sses exist back then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nah. I was told to just go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
By whom? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The teachers? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with eyes of pity andmentation.
Just what kind of school life did he have to go through?
No, actually, he shouldnt be feeling sorry for Yi Ji-Hyuk here. Indeed, he should be pitying the school Yi Ji-Hyuk attended as well as the fellow students in his sses, instead.
Not to forget, the teachers trying their best to guide such a wayward soul, too.
Still, he probably wasnt such a hard-headed jack*ss back then as he is now. Because, well, he was a regr civilian back then, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Huh. Ive really grown up a lot, havent I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Looking back, I cant even fathom what I was thinking of back then, living like that. Hahaha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was I wrong??
He cant possibly be saying that he was worse in the past?
Anyone with morals shouldnt be behaving that way, right? Right?? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt ask.
He was too scared of the potential answer, so he just couldnt.
He instead decided to get through this situation with an awkward smile.
It was right then.
Ah, when did you decide to show up? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned towards the voiceing from behind him, and saw Jeong Hae-Min trotting towards him with a bright smile.
Where have you been? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Me? I was in the TV studio. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....TV studio? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hey, you stupid little girl! A war is about to break out soon, yet youre busy doing TV shows?? Do you have rocks for brains in your head?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
War is one thing, and broadcasts are something else, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hul, will you listen to this little girl talk? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched the two bicker and couldnt help but feel this disharmony from the current situation.
Now normally, it shouldnt be Yi Ji-Hyuk but someone else pointing out the inconsistency in anothers logic, but thats exactly whats happening here, wasnt it?
Dont you know youre supposed to make hay while the sun shines? And theres plenty of sun shining right now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why dont you get a grade A suntan too, while youre at it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats what Im doing. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min then ced her hands on her hips and continued on.
And you, you should be careful with what you say. Im really popr these days, you know? You say one wrong thing about me, and a million haters are gonna follow you around forever. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Who cares. Tell them toe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......Well, no one will if you say that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
This guy, he was fully capable of beating all those million haters into a pulp.
By the way, the sun is shining or something? Whats that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theworks are throwing their weight behind the ability users recently. I told you thest time. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at her as if he was surprised by it, before tilting his head.
But, whats that got to do with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean by that? Im also an ability user sh idol, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....More like an ability user ahjumma. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Shudder.
For a moment there, Jeong Hae-Min exhibited a very faint tremor.
Choi Jeong-Hoon was well aware of how dangerous that tremor was.
Excuse me, dont you start with her, please!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, its not like I said anything weird, right? Lets be honest here, just how old is she that shes still calling herself an idol? More like a jummadol at this point. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no... The I in idol isnt that, you know!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon) (TL note at the end)
Its not? Well, doesnt matter one way or the other, does it? Im telling the truth, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon saw Jeong Hae-Mins face getting redder and redder and decided toe up with a special countermeasure.
Please, t-take a look at this! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly essed a portal site on his phone and showed the resulting articles to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Look, look! Isnt she really a hot topic right now?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Huk)
For sure, the search results showed that plenty of articles about her were currently trending online. He nced at the headlines dering stuff like Jeong Hae-Mins second wind and such, and muttered out his honest impression.
Media maniption? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hup! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min suddenly broke out in a fit of hups.
Oh, feeling guilty about something, are we? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no freaking way! Theres no maniption whatsoever! (Jeong Hae-Min)
She was carrying a triumphant look for a little bit after the articles were brought up, but she now had to wave around her hands in denial.
Choi Jeong-Hoon decided to provide support fire, too.
Even if this was media maniption, you can only do that when the public reacts to the subject matter at hand first. Now look at the number ofments. You can see for yourself just how many people are interested in her. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the article ranked highest in terms of number ofments, then with a surprised face, took the phone away and began tapping on a couple of things.
....Arent these all toxicments? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hup!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Listen to this. I wish she stopped being cute and stuff. Or, Shes working so hard even when shes so old. Also, Lets be honest, shes not even that pretty..... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh... Waaaaaaah-!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and blocked Jeong Hae-Mins mouth.
Calm down. Im just reading some of thements. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh-euhp. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min, her mouth still covered, trembled in anger as she red daggers at him.
Actually, those toxicments are proof that youre in your prime. I-its like an idols fate. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt look convinced at all, but well, since shes apparently busy with her career, he had no need to dig any deeper than this.
So, youre doing pretty well for yourselftely, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats right. Im doing really well. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Right. Its almost the end of the road, so you gotta work even harder. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whos on the end of the road?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smacked his lips inmentation.
He wanted to tease her for a bit longer, but as she was doing well for real, he now no longer had anything clever to say.
By the way, if youre popr right now, what about your peers, then? Arent they irritated by you? For having an auntie stealing their limelight or some such? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you, Im not an auntie!! How can I be one when Im still so young?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
At your age, you are an ahjumma. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You you you!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min red at him murderously as if she could no longer fight back her anger, but just who was he? Hed never cower from such res.
Well, its fine either way, but.... Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
But, arent you going to participate in the operation? Why are you ying around, anyway? It looked like everyone else waspletely upied with briefing on the operation nning and stuff? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not involved. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Howe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, everyone participating cant be transferred at once, you see. And timing-wise, theyll have to move together with the army, too. And ability users from other countries are moving in sync with them. So, they say they dont have a need for a teleporter. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Really? Even then.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And besides, I need a marker to go somewhere, right? They say theres no point since I dont have a marker in North Korea. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Unlike how it was with him, where he could basically go anywhere as long as he had the coordinates, Jeong Hae-Mins ability could only be utilised after she left a marker at a ce shed been before.
I guess its like the difference between a taxi and a subway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its nothing. Okay, so, youre not going to participate in this operation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess Ill see them off or something, but honestly, what can I do by going there, anyway? Not like they need a cheerleader there, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Only kids are supposed to be cheerleaders! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you!! You wanna keep harping on about my age?! You go anywhere and ask, and theyll all tell you Im still young! Its you whos the strange one. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes, yes. I hear you, auntie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh, euh!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched her tremble mightily and smirked to himself before tilting his head.
Hmm? Well, this means you have a lot of free time, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, it doesnt mean I have a lot of free time. Im busy going to events, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Really? I guess it cant be helped, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled back so cleanly like that, Jeong Hae-Min became anxious, instead.
W-whats going on? (Jeong Hae-Min)
< 359. If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! -4 > Fin.
(TL: The joke here is that I in idol has the same pronunciation as child in Korean. So, Yi Ji-Hyuk is jokingly saying idol = child-dol.)
chapter 360: If it doesn’t want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (5)
chapter 360: If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! (5)
Im not nning to drag around someone whos allegedly too busy, so you dont have to sweat it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, Im not that busy, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, you said you were? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...O-of course, I am busy. I am, but its not as if I cant make time if I want. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at her with an usatory re, and Jeong Hae-Min hurriedly waved her hands around.
I-its the truth. (Jeong Hae-Min)
She was lying.
Currently, her schedule was so full that she didnt have the figurative time to even take a breath.
The idea of making hay while the sun still shines wasnt just hers alone anymore. Even the president of the talent agency she belonged to agreed with her sentiment 110%.
When you lived your entire working life as an entertainer, youd learn to appreciate how important luck was in your career.
Some no-name kid might one day be a bona fide superstar after a self-shot video suddenly went viral. Or, a star at the peak of their prime might suddenlynd in the gutter through a minor scandal.
To put it simply, the career in the entertainment industry had no guarantee when and how your image might change. So, you had to rake in the dough and fill up your retirement funds when you could.
Jeong Hae-Min had already tasted the gutters before so she knew this truth almost better than anyone, and realistically speaking, she also didnt expect this sunshine tost forever, either.
If there was sunlight, then there was bound to be a night, too.
So, she was running around all over the ce as if her feet were on fire with the singr thought of building up a huge shed to stock all of her hay.
But now....
What is it? Whats going on? (Jeong Hae-Min)
The curiosity did kill the cat, it seemed.
Nah, its fine. I mean, you are too busy, so no need to y around and have fun with me, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng?? Are you going to have fun somewhere? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Her ears were literally perking up.
Nah, its fine. You can just go do your own idol things now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-where will you be going? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im telling you, go do your job. No need to concern yourself with plebeian matters, your busy-ness. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let me go, too. Please let me. Ng? Hurry and lets go! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....You sure? Werent you too busy to go anywhere? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, Im not! Im not busy anymore. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Her manager waiting by the tour van freaked out and shouted at her.
Miss Hae-Min?! (manager)
What is it?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
You know that you cant clear any of your scheduling this week! You insisted oning here today, and we barely managed to squeeze in a few minutes! If you try to free up more time, its only going to backfire on you. (manager)
Who cares, let it happen. (Jeong Hae-Min)
M-Miss Hae-Min, you shouldnt be doing this. (manager)
Argh, I dont care anymore. Tell them to go on without me. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Her manager began frothing in the mouth.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched this spectacle unfold and felt this weird sense of kinship with the manager.
Thats what life is like, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This was the fate of the have-nots, unfortunately.
The sad part of this reality was, the haves busy exploiting them werent even the real haves to begin with. If you were the so-called haves, you should act like one, not like some bloody time wasters!
O-okay, so. What brings you here today? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly changed the topic. He felt this deep sense of unease C at this rate, they might be treated to an unsightly spectacle of Jeong Hae-Minpletely forgetting about her schedule or whatever and start ying video games alongside Yi Ji-Hyuk or something.
Ah, I forgot! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min opened the vans door.
I bought lunch for everyone. I thought you guys might be too absorbed in your work and forget to eat on time again, so... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Her tour van was actually filled with boxes containing packaged lunch for everyone.
Keuh, Miss Hae-Min! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked deeply moved by her gesture.
I kinda felt bad about only me not participating in the op, and there arent any good ces around here to order takeaways, so I figured everyone wouldnt even be getting a proper meal. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....I wont deny that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This is a bit much for me to carry alone, so can you call a few people out? (Jeong Hae-Min)
What do you mean, youll carry them? No, a person paying for something isnt supposed to carry the luggage. Please stay here and dont lift a finger, please. Others will carry them in. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pulled out his phone and sent a quick message. Not too long afterwards, burly men kitted out ck suits leapt out of the building while crying out in tion, beforepletely sweeping away every single lunch box there was.
What the hell. Were they starved for a few days or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Look at all those folks with lots of money, going mental over a single lunch box and all.
Its not the matter of lunch boxes, but theyll probably upload the pics of their lunch on SNS, saying that Miss Jeong Hae-Min actually bought them food. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Uh? Hey, Ive heard about that. Its that thing, right? That attention hog thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....No, it is not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, well. In any case, Ill be on my way now. When you get the data ready, give me a shout. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
W-where are you going now? Please, just tell me, will you?! Ng? Ng?? I, I can definitely make time, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
The manager began shedding tears next.
M-Miss Hae-Min!! (manager)
Im gonna stop by at Ji-Hyuks ce for a bit, so please cancel all of my scheduling for the rest of this afternoon. Thanks! (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, but! You have a photo shootter this evening! (manager)
Its okay. Cancel it! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min trotted after Yi Ji-Hyuk while fluttering like a butterfly, and the manager could only hold his head in despair at this sight.
Choi Jeong-Hoon wordlessly ced his hand on the managers shoulder.
Well, thats life.
***
A ss reunion? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, a ss reunion, is it? That sounds so romantic, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min giggled away.
Havent you done something like that before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope. I dont have any friends so there is no need for reunions and stuff. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min somehow was able to smile so innocently while muttering something pretty sad like that.
Wait, isnt that supposed to be a depressing story? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....You said you dont have any friends, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, that. Its not that Im bad at making friends, but the thing is, I started my idol training way too early in my life and couldnt attend school regrly, thats all. Everyone I consider as my friends are all on this side of the fence, you see. I meant to say that I dont have any school friends. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If she started her idol training from early on in her student days, just how long had she been toiling away in the entertainment industry?
When he thought about it, Jeong Hae-Min could very well qualify as the idol worlds living fossil or some such.
Okay, so? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? What do you mean by that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, are you going to the reunion? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, they say they want me there, so theres no reason not to go, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you buy new clothes? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared straight at Jeong Hae-Min who was saying the exact same thing as his own family. He somehow could understand now why they liked her so much.
Their code was the same, thats why.
You, you. Youre saying the exact same thing as my family, did you know that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hang on a second. You cant possibly be thinking of going there looking like that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why not? Am I forbidden from looking like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This time, Jeong Hae-Min stared straight at him before opening her mouth.
Of course, everyone now knows that this is your trademarked look. But even Superman wont go to his ss reunion while wearing the spandex underwear over his trousers, now would he? (Jeong Hae-Min)
..........
Every asion has clothes that go with it. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Groan.... Fine. Ive already been to a department store, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There, there. Now thats a good boy. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min reached up and petted Yi Ji-Hyuk on the head. Too bad, no matter how much she tried, she could only reach the back of his head, though.
By the way, why are you telling me this? You got scared by the prospect of going alone? Should this noona chaperone you, then? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There, there. If thats what you wa... Eh? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....N-ng?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head. Why was he trying to take her to his ss reunion?
You want me? Me? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yep. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-what should I even do by going there? (Jeong Hae-Min)
You see, Ye-Won was busy telling me this.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
The ss reunion is war. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its the contest of pride for every member of society, where youpare whos managed to eke out a better life than the others. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-n-ng?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins eyes became round dots.
What on earth was he going on about?
Wasnt the ss reunion an asion for old friends to meet up and while sharing gentle chuckles, reignite the rosy memories of the past?
B-but, as far as I know, reunions are supposed to be asions where you reminisce about the past and stuff like that....? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yeah, thats what I said, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
She said, what could you possibly be reminiscing about your school days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
She said, its like, you were mostly spending your time busy talking crap about your teachers or talking behind your friends back if they were not around, went around here and there to munch on booze and snacks, stuff like that. And like, if those people were really friends you enjoyed hanging around back then, youd still be in touch with them even now so why the need for a reunion in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Isnt Ye-Won still a high school student? (Jeong Hae-Min)
She sure is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess high schoolers are pretty cynical these days. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Maybe its just her. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min recalled Yi Ye-Won and began nodding her head. For sure, that girl did have a cynical side to her.
But, whats that got to do with me tagging along? (Jeong Hae-Min)
She says itll be even better if I show up with a girlfriend. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right away, Jeong Hae-Mins face turned bright red.
G-g-girlfriend?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I thought about it, and... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I was initially thinking of taking Dah-Som with me, but well, taking a high school girl to a high school reunion is a bit weird, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Dah-Som? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins expression stiffened ever so slightly.
But then, taking Affel along is also a bit too weird, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Now its Lady Affeldrichae? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, that also doesnt mean I can take Erukana with me, either. If I do, everyone else taking one look at her wont be able to open their mouths ever again.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
As for Gah-Yun, she probably wonte out even if shes there. Am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A pale hand popped out from Yi Ji-Hyuks shadow and formed an OK sign with her fingers.
Which leaves me with only you as my sole candidate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
Okay, so. You wanna go with me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont wanna. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eh? But, you said you will only a minute ago? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, I dont wanna go!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
If you dont want to, then you dont have to, so why are you biting my head off?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled back at her, Jeong Hae-Min snorted grandly and spun her head away.
Forget it, then. It cant be helped, in that case. Ill go with someone else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who said I wont go?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Jeong Hae-Min in pure stupefaction.
....But, uh, my deardy, didnt you just say you dont wanna go like two seconds ago? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Or, are my ears just a pair of knot holes?
I thought I heard her saying she doesnt wanna go twice in a row, too....
Is there a ghost around here, directly whispering confusing words in my ear? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
I, I need to check my schedule first, so dont get your hopes up, okay! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although he had quite a few salient points hed like to bring up, it felt like now wasnt a good time to do so.
Okay, so when will it be? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Not sure yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, you dont even have a fixed date, yet you want me to match my schedule to yours? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Thats why I keep saying that you dont have to go if you dont like it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ha, you really know how to annoy people, dont you? Fine, fine! Just tell me when you have the date set and ready to go. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a sour tone of voice.
Hang on. Im telling you, you dont have toe if youre really busy. I can go with someone else, so no need to forcibly free up your schedule. Itll be me feeling bad for making you work extra when youre supposed to be too busy with your own stuff. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not busy. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....But, you said you were? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When someone says shes not busy, just take it as her not being busy. A man shouldnt beining so much! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips protruded out in a huge pout, but for some reason, he thought that he needed to concede defeat here.
It wasnt as if he only learned how to use magic in his lengthy lifetime, and this was the demonstration of that fact!
Okay, so. Were in agreement, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah, this is so annoying. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, excuse me! If its so annoying, then donte!!
No ones forcing you to show up, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks tongue moved furiously inside his mouth, but too bad, his lips didnt want to part.
You, you should count yourself really lucky. You think its so easy to go to a ss reunion with an active idol as your partner? (Jeong Hae-Min)
....More like a jummadol. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kkyaaaahk!! (Jeong Hae-Min)
It felt like something was busy going p, p! on his back, but as Yi Ji-Hyuk grew up being trained by mothers spike shots, Jeong Hae-Mins little tantrum didnt even qualify as a back massage.
His back already boasted a steel-like defensive power.
In any case, we are in agreement, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
D-dont get your hopes too high up, though. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up shaking his head.
Why was she being so coy like this, which didnt even suit her, to begin with?
By the way.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min suddenly became more sombre as she asked a question.
Are you really not going to participate in this operation? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its not that I dont want to, but they dont want me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, why dont they want you there? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im a civilian, so apparently, I cant join a military operation. Well, thats what they said, so what can I do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you really not going to follow after them? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min tilted her head.
But, you usually dont care about stuff like that and do whatever the heck you want if you think its necessary, dont you? Arent you just sulking right now? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
He just couldnt understand how womens minds worked sometimes.
< 360. If it doesnt want to improve, fixing it will solve everything! -5 > Fin.
(TL: My bad for thete post. I, uh, forgot.)
Chapter 361: I better stop being jittery (1)
Chapter 361: I better stop being jittery (1)
Are we finished with all of our preparations? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Defense Minister)
After hearing the Defense Ministers reply, the President of South Korea, Yun Yeong-Min rubbed his eyes.
He couldnt get a proper nights sleep for the past few days. Sure, he didnt have a lot of things to do, but still, the weight of the burden was figuratively crushing down on him.
A war, is it.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
If they could avoid it, hed have done so already.
Unfortunately, the North Koreans rejected outright all the windows of opportunity for openmunication. They locked themselves up tight and refused to even say a word.
What about the Americans? (Yun Yeong-Min)
They should be arriving by tomorrow. They and the Japanese have agreed to use South Korea as their first base camp and gather here before crossing the DMZ, sir. (Defense Minister)
And China and Russia will cross the borders on their own? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. (Defense Minister)
Mm... (Yun Yeong-Min)
If China and Russia, arguably only two nations with any sort of friendly intentions towards the Norths regime, had turned their backs on them, then North Korea no longer had any hopes left.
Even then, Yun Yeong-Min simply couldnt get a grip on this one question, a doubt, bubbling in his heart.
But why? (Yun Yeong-Min)
What do you mean, sir? (Defense Minister)
Dont you find it strange? The North might have been called the thug regime, the rotten apple of the world or all sorts of other unttering names until now, but when the push came to shove, they always were the first to bow their heads. When the rtionship between the United States and the North reached their lowest in history, it was the Norths leaders who bowed their heads first to grovel, didnt they? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Are you talking about that time regarding the Pygmy incident, sir? (Defense Minister)
Indeed. Back then, the Norths regimeid t down on the ground and waited for the gale winds to blow over. Honestly, its not as if they dont know the differences in the military strengths, and whenever they were pushed towards the brink of potential destruction, they always, always let others know of theirck of desire to fight first. But, its different this time. Its like, they seemed to be saying theres no helping it if war really breaks out. More correctly, they seem to not care if a war happens or not. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Youre right, sir. They do seem that way. (Defense Minister)
The Defense Minister had to agree with the president here.
In all honesty, North Koreas responses always had been one of the most sensitive issues for the South Korean government. What the North said or did always was subjected to the most intense scrutiny.
Most regr citizens would go, Argh, they are like that to begin with, whenever North Korea did something stupid/insane, and that would be perfectly fine for them. However, as far as the government was concerned, they just couldnt do that.
Especially when they shared borders and described each other as their main enemy nations.
The governments job was to agonise over everything C to the extent that they might even be able to write a dissertation regarding a photograph that probably didnt amount to anything or a simple wording/use found in an official announcement.
And as a result, their own version of the North Korea response manual had been diligentlypiled and perfected, but what the Norths regime was doing right now? That manual was being turned into a useless piece of toilet paper at the moment.
....As if their leader has been changed in the blink of an eye. (Defense Minister)
The Supreme Leader of North Korea the Defense Minister knew was definitely not a man who would shut out allmunication. Sure, he might not talk to you, but his responses had always been pretty swift in the past.
Whether it was America, China, or even South Korea doing the deed, this much of prodding should have elicited some sort of rification from the North regarding their current stance, but not a single squeak could be heard even now.
Its toote to think about this now, but.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
This ship had already set sail by now.
Not only that, the ship in question was an incredibly fast one, to boot. What with America, China, Japan and Russia all getting involved, South Korea was no longer in the position to back out from the operation. And now, it didnt matter whether they had questions about the matter or not. They simply had to get rid of the Norths top leaders.
We cannot afford to make even a single mistake. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. Please rest easy. They are old hands at matters of this nature. (Defense Minister)
Im not worried about the military side of things. Maybe not the soldiers, but at least the officers of our army are renowned the world over for their prowess, are they not? No, what Im worried about is not them, but our ability users. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I shall definitely pay proper attention to them, sir. (Defense Minister)
Since the director has been changed recently, he might have a problem with controlling his organisation, so please lend him as much helping hand you can, Defense Minister. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, sir. Please rest easy. (Defense Minister)
Im sure nothing much will go wrong. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Although it was slightly worrisome that a matter of this grave nature had to ur when the director was still new to his job, the KSF director didnt have a whole lot of things to do in reality, anyway. As the branch managers were independently taking care of the events happening in their jurisdiction, all he had to do was to rein in those managers well and that would pretty much be it.
And also, not a lot of the agents are involved in the operation, anyway. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Okay, lets forget about the KSF for now. What about the NDF? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Well, they have Choi Jeong-Hoon, so Im quite certain that things are working out painlessly there, sir. (Defense Minister)
Indeed, that Choi Jeong-Hoon is a dependable man. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Hes truly a find of the decade, that guy. Honestly, Id have made him my deputy in a heartbeat if only I could, sir. (Defense Minister)
Hahaha, thats not as easy as it sounds, is it? Who would control Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk if that happens? (Yun Yeong-Min)
And thats why its such a loss, sir. If only it wasnt for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks matters, he is talented enough for me to bring him under my wings no matter what. Despite being from the KSF, maintaining a cordial rtionship with the defencemand is what makes him even more attractive in my opinion. (Defense Minister)
Fufufu. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min chuckled happily.
It was a truly wonderful thing to watch a future pir of the nation developing so well like this. Especially so when knowing that the pir wasnt going to threaten your position C now you could enjoy watching the growth of the pir without any sense of burden.
In that definition, Choi Jeong-Hoon was truly a once-in-a-generation talent that was enjoyable to watch.
Im sure things are really hectic for him at the moment. (Yun Yeong-Min)
However, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is currently absent, so its possible that hes enjoying his freedom right now, sir. And besides, hes got this workaholic streak in him, so wouldnt it be more like a fish meeting water? (Defense Minister)
Its a relief that we have someone like that with us. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I agree, sir. Hahaha. (Defense Minister)
***
Please, someone just shoot me. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon muttered to himself without even realising it.
He had already started seeing threeputer monitors instead of one. As a quick fix, he mercilessly shoved down a tumbler full of Zoom-zoom juice in his stomach, but too bad, his innards seemed to be rebelling against all the abuse he had put them through until now and were fiercely rejecting the drink.
If someone passing by saw the dark circles sagging all the way down to his chin, they probably wouldve used him of doing a ckface. Or, maybe mistake it for a new Halloween make-up.
Are you alright?
A subordinate asked him worriedly, but right now, Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt even have enough energy to reply that he was fine.
Groan.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon waved his hand around dismissively and leaned against the back of his chair. Then, he dazedly stared at theputer screen.
My work, theres no end to it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Actually, the work did have an end, but he was the one unwilling to reach it.
Was this really the end?
Would it be fine to end it there?
Was it really okay to do only this much?
As if a doubt generator was installed inside his head, all sorts of endless doubt continued to torment him.
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young, unable to look on anymore, finally said something.
Looks like youre finished with your work, so why dont you get some rest at home? (Seo Ah-Young)
Im alright, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Do you have any idea how many nights youve been staying up in a row? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, I do. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If you were to enter the operation in your current state, you wont be able to do anything. You also know that, dont you? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head. Anyone would be able to tell that his current condition was abnormal.
This is an order from your boss. Wrap everything up in one hour and go home. Have a good rest. (Seo Ah-Young)
In one hour? Even ten will be insufficient, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not insufficient, but youre making it so. That document youve been looking at, werent you looking at it in the morning, too? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sneakily closed the document without saying anything.
What are you so concerned about? If someone new sees you like this, they might think youre a high schooler going on his first field trip. (Seo Ah-Young)
High school kids nowadays dont enjoy school trips all that much. Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stop saying dumb things and quickly wrap up your work, please. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan. Then he got up from his seat and headed outside the office.
Seo Ah-Young looked at him with dissatisfied eyes, but she already knew why he was going outside, so didnt try to stop him.
He left the building, put a cigarette between his lips and lit it up.
This is getting on my nerves. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He knew full well the reason for his anxiousness. No, he just didnt want to acknowledge it, thats all.
The agents were worried about Yi Ji-Hyuk not participating?
Yup, very true.
The problem was that the most worried one right now was none other than Choi Jeong-Hoon.
I cant even fathom how Ive been taking care of things before Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk showed up. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He used to be a perfectionist in the past, but after running into Yi Ji-Hyuk, he kept finding himself in situations that no one couldve nned in advance.
But he witnessed those situations being sorted out by Yi Ji-Hyuk, and it seemed that the idea of Things will turn out alright with that man around even without making perfect ns had taken root deep in his consciousness.
The end result of that was this pathetic sight.
When he took another look at the n with the assumption that Yi Ji-Hyuk wont help them, he discovered far too many holes and dangerous blind spots.
With that alone, he acutely realised just how badly he had been relying on Yi Ji-Hyuk until now.
Control him? Me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled wryly.
It was not control, but more like him leaning heavily on the name and the power of Yi Ji-Hyuk to have an easy passage. He might have been aware of the truth, but feeling it personally like this was a different issue altogether.
He never expected Yi Ji-Hyuk to back them up forever. No one knew whether Yi Ji-Hyuk himself really wanted to look out for Choi Jeong-Hoon and Co., but it was true everyone had that mans halo protectively hovering above them until now.
Choi Jeong-Hoon deeply sucked in thest dregs of his cigarette.
I better stop being jittery like this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He understood that his anxiousness was infecting other people around him. And thats why Seo Ah-Young wanted to send him away, telling him to go home.
She was someone who didnt care about his plight in the past, so the fact that she said something like that indicated how terrible his current condition looked to others.
Okay, lets just go home. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Him agonising over the problem wouldnt miraculously solve it, anyway. No, now was the time to drop everything and rest. At this rate, he might really copse from overwork on the day of the operation.
Vrrrrr....
It was then, the phone he left on vibration buzzed briefly.
Was that a text message? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, no one should be sending him texts at this hour?
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked into his phone, and couldnt help tilting his head.
Wha... what is this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A photo of Jeong Hae-Min dolled up all pretty and the like, with her arm around Yi Ji-Hyuks while making a V sign with her other hand, had been uploaded to the NDF agents-only chat room.
HUL?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at his phone with stunned eyes before rushing back inside the office building.
Predictably, the inside was abuzz with lots of tense noises.
Where are they going?
N-no, never mind that... but look at this! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan shouted loudly while showing everyone the photo filling up the screen of his smartphone.
He, he, hes not wearing a tracksuit!! (Park Seong-Chan)
What?! Seriously??
Wait, that wasnt his second skin?
He never, ever changed his look even when the seasons changed, yet he took that off and wore something else?
Every person looking at the photo was freaking out grandly at the moment.
But then again, all those who saw Yi Ji-Hyuk for the first time after joining the NDF had never seen him wearing anything else besides the tracksuits.
H-hey, doesnt he look pretty good like this?
You think so, too? They say good clothes will give you wings, but now I get why. Should I change my style, too?
Mm, but the one where those clothes will hang is a bit so-so....
What was that, you bastard?!
Seo Ah-Young among the bickering agents peeked her head out a little before opening her mouth.
But seriously now, whats going on here? Where are they going, looking like that? (Seo Ah-Young)
Dont their attires scream a meeting between two families to discuss marriage?
A marriage meeting?? (Seo Ah-Young)
BANG-!!
It was then, the office door was mmed shut loudly.
Everyones gaze hurriedly shifted over to the doorway.
....Dah, Dah-Som-ah.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
.......................... (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som wordlessly pushed forward the lunchbox in her hand to her older brother, Kim Dah-Hyun. He received the food with trembling hands.
The photo. (Kim Dah-Som)
N-ng. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He cautiously switched his phone on and tapped on the photo before handing the device over to his sister.
They are nearby. (Kim Dah-Som)
She nodded her head, handed the phone back to him, and rushed outside.
BANG-!!
The door was mmed shut so hard that it might havee off the hinges. Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at that spectacle and slowly muttered out.
I wonder, is it really okay to go home now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....For the time being, please be on standby. (Seo Ah-Young)
I agree. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Going home to rest? My foot.
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed softly in resignation.
< 361. I better stop being jittery -1 > Fin.
Chapter 362: I better stop being jittery (2)
Chapter 362: I better stop being jittery (2)
You know, this feels a wee bit weird.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down at the clothes draped over his body and formed an unreadable expression.
It just felt weird to wear a business suit like this when he was so used to wearing tracksuits almost all the time, and perhaps unsurprisingly, his body was reacting in a weird way, too. Every time he moved his shoulders, hed get this sensation of something getting in his way and that left a sour taste in his mouth.
A little while ago back at home, he tried to resist, asking his family if its possible to wear something else, but he had to kneel in defeat at his mothers back smashes as well as Yi Ye-Wons constant nagging.
He thought that if he heard any more of her nagging, blood might start leaking out from his ears next.
Besides all that, why the hell is that girlie beginning to resemble her mother more and more every day? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt quite remember if Ye-Won was prone to violence in the beginning, but now her hand would shoot up to p people in the back at every opportunity shed get.
It was supposedly Like mother, like daughter, but was there a need to resemble each other in that regard, too?
How would she even get married at this rate?
In the end, thats the only way left, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here was Yi Ji-Hyuk, not even thinking about Choi Jeong-Hoons feelings as he drove arge stake with a tag saying marriage partner candidate into the poor man.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He took a look at his own reflection in arge mirror installed in the street, and shrugged his shoulders despite the lingering sensation of awkwardness.
Well, its true that I do look better. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The tracksuits get-up might have be quite a familiar sight to him, but that didnt mean he was going to deny the fact that he now looked at least one percent better than his usual self.
Although, its still too ufortable and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was still debating between his appearance andfort even now.
Were there really no cool-looking clothes that also happened to befortable?
Rrrrr....
When his phone went off, he answered it without a moments hesitation.
Hello? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Uh, Ji-Hyuk-ah. Its me, Chang-Hyuk. When will you get here?
Im on my way now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C .....Oh, really? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Whats wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No, its like, you werete by over one hour so I was wondering if something had happened to you, thats all. Like, if you had changed your mind and decided to note. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Nah. Im almost there. Dont you worry and wait a little while for me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C O-okay. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and stuck a cigarette between his mouth.
Well, since they cant wait to see me, how can I not grant their wish? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While whistling loudly, he began walking to the venue.
*
Is heing?
Yeah. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks reply caused theplexions of the gathered men to go ever so slightly pale.
Really?
....He doesnt have a reason not toe, right? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
T-thats true, but....
This whole reunion thing was started by Yi Ji-Hyuk, so him not showing up would be even stranger. Everyone present knew this, but they couldnt let go of that slender glimmer of hope until now.
Its supposed to be better to get punished first, so it wouldve been so much nicer if only he arrived on time.
Youre so right, man.
Once their voices grew louder and they began to grunt noisily among themselves,dies apanying them began to mock the menfolk next.
Hey, you lot. Do you really find Ji-Hyuk that scary?
Did she say something?
Let her be. What would women know of true terror?
Its you guys who are weird. Its not like Ji-Hyuk went around tormenting everyone, is it? He wasnt like that. Besides all that, you are all adults now, so whats up with all this fuss, acting all scared and shivering like wet dogs?
Those words caused Choi Chang-Hyuk to burst into a cynicalughter.
Hey, she said adults.
If he was someone who cared about stuff like that, then we wouldnt have been worried.
What would women know, really?
....Just what did Ji-Hyuk do to you, anyway?
Choi Chang-Hyuk quietly sighed before opening his mouth.
You see, this guy named Yi Ji-Hyuk? Simply put, hes like the non-aggressive monster existing within the school. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Non aggressive monster, now thats a good term.
The woman asking the question, Choi Seon-Mi, tilted her head.
As far as she could remember, Yi Ji-Hyuk never did anything to get noticed back in school. No, he simply secluded himself in the corner at the back of the ssroom and dozed off, then dozed off some more, before dozing off even more....
....Yeah, he was pretty noticeable. (Seon-Mi)
She thought that he was like that due to how he dozed off so naturally, but now that she thought about it some more, she couldnt remember anything about him besides his sleeping figure.
Even then, its not like he harmed you guys or anything, right? (Seon-Mi)
Harm? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk beckoned at someone and called him over.
Hey, Gwon-Seok? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yeah? (Gwon-Seok)
A kid named Gwon-Seok raised his head.
Just because he was born with the best back in the ss, he had to endure one whole year sitting in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk with a straight back. Thanks to that, he now cant bend his waist forward anymore. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....... (Seon-Mi)
You think thats all? Hey, Jong-Hyuk? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....No, dont do it, man. (Jong-Hyuk)
Jong-Hyuk over there had to scale the school walls several times in a day just to get Ji-Hyuk his cup ramens. And now? Hes a pro parkour athlete. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
I said, dont. (Jong-Hyuk)
Park Jong-Hyuk wiped away his tears.
...You think they are the only victims? What about Ji-Hyuks designated homework specialist to his waterboy? Hell, he even forced someone to choose music for him! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Seon-Mi tilted her head even more as if she just couldnt understand it.
You are all built pretty big, yet you did everything Ji-Hyuk asked of you? But why did you let him roll all over you? You couldve just gotten angry once and that would be the end, right? (Seon-Mi)
The men broke out into a chorus of loudughter. Some even began to shed tears while pointing at Choi Seon-Mi.
She really doesnt know anything. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng? About what? (Seon-Mi)
Do you know why our school didnt have any bullies whatsoever? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Dunno? (Seon-Mi)
When we were freshmen, there was this time when the third years summoned some boys and told them to go collect money. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng? Something like that happened? (Seon-Mi)
Thats right. But then, the bullies disappeared on the same day. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Why? (Seon-Mi)
You see, they made a mistake and chose Ji-Hyuk as their first victim. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
...........
Park Jong-Hyuk slowly shook his head.
They showed up during the lunch break. And when they saw a kid sleeping right at the back of the ss, they probably figured hed be an easy mark. (Jong-Hyuk)
What happened afterwards? (Seon-Mi)
They were supposed to take him to the school gym and rip some money off of him, but then, Ji-Hyuk said this while smiling, how much did they say you must collect? (Jong-Hyuk)
.........
And then, the third years had to vomit out ten times that amount. He was living off of that for the next month or so, looking really pleased with himself. (Jong-Hyuk)
Choi Seon-Mi scratched her cheek, still failing to understand anything.
Even so, they are supposed to be bullies, so did they willingly give up their money? (Seon-Mi)
Willingly? (Jong-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyeok decided to help her with understanding the situation.
Well, if you wannabel that willingly, sure, go right ahead. They coughed up after being hospitalised, so... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Eh? (Seon-Mi)
It took about ten days of solid beating to get to that state, didnt it? (Jong-Hyuk)
Right. Back then, the older brother of Min-Cheol, who was one of the third year seniors in question, was probably thest one to hold out, before getting carried away to the hospital after he got beaten up real bad. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
He, he got taken to the hospital for real? But no one sued Ji-Hyuk after that? (Seon-Mi)
Choi Chang-Hyuk shook his head.
How can anyone sue him when there were no external wounds? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
No external wounds? But how? You said he beat them up? (Seon-Mi)
One of the things Yi Ji-Hyuk was really good at was to inflict you with pain so bad that youd start crying, feeling like youre about to die, but then afterwards, there wouldnt be any visible injuries left on you. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....B-but, thats not... (Seon-Mi)
Choi Chang-Hyuk looked horrified just from imagining it and carried on.
People who didnt personally witness how badly those third years got beaten up would never know. That guy, hed go around beating them up with no reason whatsoever. Like, during the breaks hed start hunting them down because he didnt feel happy, or after eating cafeteria lunch whileining about food tasting like sh*t, or during the mornings because the weather happened to be cold, or because he was feeling sleepy. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
How can anyone beat people up with those reasons?? (Seon-Mi)
Thats why hes a lunatic. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
.........
You girls, youre only saying those things because you never witnessed Ji-Hyuk going to the third year ssrooms to beat up those hyungs. Sure, no one in our ss got physically hurt by Ji-Hyuk, but theres a reason why everyone starts to freak out when you mention anything even remotely rted to him. I mean, youre busy worried that one mistake and youd end up the same as those bullies, so if it was you, you think you can talk to that guy without wetting your pants?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
But, why didnt I know about it? (Seon-Mi)
Because, no one spoke of it, thats why. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Why not? (Seon-Mi)
....If it was you, you think youll be walking around announcing to everyone what Ji-Hyuk has done? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
No, I wont. (Seon-Mi)
Thats right. And thats why no one said anything. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Seon-Mis jaw dropped pretty low.
If this was all true, then that basically meant Yi Ji-Hyuk had been ruling over at least half the schoolpletely unbeknownst to the girls.
It wouldnt have been as bad if he only tormented the seniors. Do you remember there used to be a guy named Baek Yong-Gi among our ssmates? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....No. (Seon-Mi)
Thats obvious. That guy, he was walking on the corridor during a break one day and ended up brushing his shoulder with Ji-Hyuk. And you know what, he muttered out, Watch where youre going, punk. Which sounds exceedingly normal and also in some ways, pretty ballsy thing to say, right? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Okay? (Seon-Mi)
After that, he really, really spent the rest of his days very cautiously. No, seriously, he became very cautious about everything in life afterwards. But then again, even Id have be overly cautious if I ended up in that state just because we happened to bump shoulders on the corridor. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Seon-Mi was curious about what that state actually entailed, but she couldnt bring herself to ask.
You girls, Im telling you, you really had it easy during your school life. Us guys couldnt even breathe.
Hey, you all remember that geezer, Man-Shik? He was the dean of students but he suddenly got transferred to another school, remember? The story goes, he got on Yi Ji-Hyuks nerves and ended up getting all his private affairs exposed to the public and his life was threatened or something.
No way. He was a high school student back then.... (Seon-Mi)
Even as a middle schooler, he was famous for beating up high school students and college kids. So as a high schooler, sure, he couldve taken on a teacher, no problem.
....I just cant wrap my head around this. Like, not at all. (Seon-Mi)
Okay, fine! To put it simply...! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
mes were lit up in Choi Chang-Hyuks eyes as he continued on.
Unlike how you girls saw him, Yi Ji-Hyuk is like a walking, talking time bomb ready to go off from our perspective! If you make a mistake and get tangled up with him, hes gonna rake you over the coals for one week straight, and if you get angry and decide to fight back, then hes gonna beat you up for one whole week! Hes that kind of a man! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Park Jong-Hyuk hurriedly followed that up.
The only plus point was that he didnt take our money, thats all. But that didnt mean he didnt rip off other people, though. No, no, no. Hed somehow cotton onto where those hot spots favoured by the local hoodlums were, those spots where they mug people and stuff, and deliberately go there to beat them up and take their money, instead. (Jong-Hyuk)
If he acted like a real bully, then yeah, we might have reported him or something, but he never did anything truly illegal, know what I mean? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm, well. In that case, if you didnt provoke him, everything would be fine, right? (Seon-Mi)
Park Jong-Hyuk smirked derisively.
You think you can live off only on water? (Jong-Hyuk)
Ng? (Seon-Mi)
Do you know how difficult it is for a person to walk on a straight and narrow path? You see, Yi Ji-Hyuk is a kind of person that.... when a biker gang drives past his house, hedin about the noises they made, get on his bicycle and chase after them to their meeting spot, and then proceed to wreck all of their bikes. (Jong-Hyuk)
T-they wouldnt let him off, would they?? (Seon-Mi)
They wouldnt dare. (Jong-Hyuk)
.........
If only he could be reasoned with, none of us would be like this. No, the problem is, logic andmon sense just dont apply to him, thats what. Trying to stay out of his path and not get on his nerves is far easier said than done. (Jong-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mi could only nod her head. She still couldnt understand everything being said here, but at least she did get that the boys had a really hard time because of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
....We simply didnt mention anything to you girls because we thought this is not something to be shared. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyeok groaned heavily.
After graduation, I figured wed never run into each other again, but to think, I was unlucky enough to run into him. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Well, in that case, you can just not see him again, right? You can just stop with this ss reunion stuff, right? (Seon-Mi)
....You do that, then what will you do if you run into him in the middle of a streetter? Do you have any idea how small minded he is? Until you emigrate out of South Korea, you can never rx. If thats the case, then its just better to face the tide head on. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....Is everything Im hearing right now happening in reality? (Seon-Mis inner monologue)
Choi Seon-Mi ended up chuckling to herself.
I dont get it. Ji-Hyuk was always pretty popr with girls back then. I mean, hes not that bad of a looker, right? No, you could even say hes pretty good looking.... (Seon-Mi)
Youre all crazy. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk could only shake his head.
If only these girls had tasted the agony of getting tangled up with Yi Ji-Hyuk, such thoughts would go flying right out the window. What an unfortunate thing this was, not being able to show what Yi Ji-Hyuk was like during his student days to these girls here.
Okay, so whats he doing these days? (Seon-Mi)
I hear hes working as an ability user.
Wow, in that case, he must be making pretty good money, then. I hear that most ability users make more than specialist professions. (Seon-Mi)
Hes already tasted sess in life even though hes still so young.
Choi Chang-Hyuks expression crumpled unsightly.
Hey, you lot. His job requires him to put his life on the line, so how can you say hes sessful when no one can even tell when hell die? Itll be over if he dies, you know? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
H-hey, arent you being a bit too much? (Seon-Mi)
Too much of what? Every ability user, lets be honest, they have to risk their lives all the time. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The atmosphere cooled down a little just then.
< 362. I better stop being jittery -2 > Fin.
Chapter 363: I better stop being jittery (3)
Chapter 363: I better stop being jittery (3)
You dumba*s, you shouldnt be saying stuff like that. They work for our country, you know.
Working for our country, my a*s. They get paid for it, dont they? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Oh, so you think soldiers and firefighters work for free, then? Getting paid for your work is the same for everyone.
Choi Chang-Hyuk was getting unnecessarily agitated here.
Let me ask you this, then. Isnt it true that the ability users receive special treatment ever since they started appearing in public? What was that thing called? Special residential area? Im not in favour of that thing. Why did they have to get and of their own? Only for ability users and no one else? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
A man named Jo Ji-Woong stared straight at Choi Chang-Hyuk and replied.
Thats obviously because ability users living alongside regr people will cause lots of friction. The area first came about because those regr people startedining about how worried they were. (Jo Ji-Woong)
In that case, wouldnt it have sufficed if they were provided with an apartment block or something? Why is there a need to separate an expensive piece ofnd off Seoul and create a residential zone? Does that even make sense? I thought I was looking at Miami or something, you know? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....Thats because they are worth investing in, thats why. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Eh-whew. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk continued on with a bitter expression on his face.
Lets be honest here. Forget about me for a second here, since Im already halfway a loser in life. But lets take people like Seon-Mi over here as an example. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
What about me? (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mis expression hardened, wondering why she was brought into this conversation.
I mean, look at her. She studied her butt off for 12 years to go to a good university and is about to graduate from it all. But, even if she was to start working for a big corporation, how much do you think she will be making? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
..........
She studied hard for 16 years but can only make pocket change, but these ability user punks literally make millions just because some abilitiesnded on theirp one day. So how can I not get p*ssed off? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Thats how life is. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Thats why Im p*ssed off, you know. If those ability things manifested in people who worked their butts off, then I wouldnt be saying this crap, either. But thats not how it is, right? I mean, you just wake up one day with an ability, right? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Well, yeah. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Choi Chang-Hyuk did have a point there.
Thats why its so d*mn frustrating. At the very least, there should be a good reason why that punk is making lots more money and living a better life than me, dont you agree? He didnt even study hard as a student, he didnt even invest a ton of money in stocks earlier, and hell, he wasnt even born with a gold spoon in his mouth. No, he just woke up one day and found himself with superpowers and thats whats been driving me crazy. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong sucked in his breath.
But then, its not much different to pro athletes, right? They are all born with athletic talents, arent they? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Choi Chang-Hyuk looked on disbelievingly at Jo Ji-Woong.
Hey, man. You can y basketball, right? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Eh? (Jo Ji-Woong)
How about baseball? Football? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Of course I can. (Jo Ji-Woong)
If they were doing something you can also do but at a much higher level than you, then I wouldnt even be saying this. But hell, can you spit out mes? Some people can shoot a ball of mes as big as a house, but can you spit out one the size of a lighter fire? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....Of course not. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Thats the crux of the problem. This aint an issue of who can do better and who cant. No, its got to do with opportunities. Opportunities arent given equally to everyone here. Sure, I know that no matter how hard I work my a*s off, I can never be as good as Jordan or Bryant, but at least I have the opportunity to work hard and try to be an athlete of their calibre. Im free to make my choice, in other words. But thats not how it is with ability users, no? From the get-go, you are either an ability user, or youre not. What Im saying is, no matter how hard you try, a regr person can never enjoy what ability users are enjoying. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
I guess thats true, but. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong still didnt seem to agree with his friend.
When you look at it from the other side, those people also suddenly woke up one day as ability users, am I wrong? It wasnt as if they wanted to be one in the first ce. The moment they be ability users, they are drafted into active service regardless of their wishes and are ordered to fight monsters. Have you ever thought about how stressful that can be? (Jo Ji-Woong)
They get paid a lot, dont they? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Are you willing to do anything if you get paid well? Really now? Wow. If the French foreign legion is willing to pay you a crap ton of money, are you going to join them and participate in wars? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Eii, thats a bit.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jo Ji-Woongs voice gained more fervour than before.
Thats right, man. The lives of ability users arent as simple as you make it out to be. And if you think for some reason that ability users do receive special treatment, then you should be ming the government treating them differently. Why are you ming the ability users instead? Thats what Im saying. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Choi Seon-Mi looked at Jo Ji-Woon and smirked.
Wow, since when were you such an eloquent speaker? (Seon-Mi)
Ng? (Jo Ji-Woong)
If it was before, youd never have been so confident like this in front of Chang-Hyuk, so Im guessing a lot has changed for you. (Seon-Mi)
N-no, not really. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong shook his head, looking a bit flustered.
What do you do for a living nowadays? (Seon-Mi)
Ng? (Jo Ji-Woong)
It doesnt look like youre in college at the moment, so you must be doing something else, right? (Seon-Mi)
M-me? (Jo Ji-Woong)
If its not you, who could I have been talking to just now? (Seon-Mi)
When Jo Ji-Woong started nervously shifting his gaze around, the corners of Choi Seon-Mi slowly curled upwards.
Now normally, people who usually speak up so highly of ability users have someone in their families as one or are a user themselves. (Seon-Mi)
........ (Jo Ji-Woong)
Am I right? Is it you, or is it someone from your family? Why dont you answer me? (Seon-Mi)
Jo Ji-Woong spat out a sigh and opened his mouth.
Its me. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Heu-euh? (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mi suddenly formed an unreadable smile.
I knew it. I was wondering why you were suddenly being so passionate like this. Okay, so. How much is our high and mighty ability user-nim making these days, I wonder? (Seon-Mi)
Jo Ji-Woong quietly scanned his surroundings.
Up until a few seconds ago, people had been looking at him in a fairly favourable light, but it now felt like that emotion hadpletely dissipated.
When did you be an ability user? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk asked, and after a short hesitation, Jo Ji-Woong made his reply.
Its been about a year or so. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Oh, really? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk continued on with an unimpressed tone of voice.
That means you must be rolling in dough by now, right? Enjoying special privileges and treatments, too. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
I told you, its not like that. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong sighed and replied.
You all know Ive been preparing to enterw school, right? But out of the blue, stuff manifested one day and now I have to fight monsters everyday, so you think Im happy about my situation? I too studied my a*s off for twelve years and had dreams of my own, but my ability just manifested without any warning and because of the ability user special legition, Im forcibly drafted into the KSF, you know. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Hmm? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Even my seniors are in a serious dilemma at the moment. If someone told you one day to go fight monsters from now on and you dont have a say in it, you think you can calmly ept that? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Well, I think Ill be over the moon, actually (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Thats only because you havent experienced it personally. There are so many restrictions imposed on you when you are an ability user, too. (Jo Ji-Woong)
You sound like a spoilt brat, you know that? (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mi cut in, sounding rather irritated.
How can you say something like that while enjoying lots of benefits? You honestly think srymen can do whatever they want with their lives? The difference here is that you now have money so you can do what you want during your downtime, am I wrong? (Seon-Mi)
Choi Chang-Hyuk nodded his head.
Shes right, you know. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Im telling you, its not how you think it is. (Jo Ji-Woong)
In that case, do you want to go back to university and pursue your dream once more if that ability user special legition goes away? (Seon-Mi)
Jo Ji-Woong didnt answer right away and hesitated.
Seeing this spectacle, Choi Seon-Mi smirked even more.
Dream? Now thats a nice sounding notion. But why dont you tell me just how many people in South Korea are living their dreams today? Everyone wishes to live their dreams, but they cant. So, dont speak as if youre a special case with a stolen dream or whatever. Get my drift? (Seon-Mi)
A certain coldness could be found in her voice now.
Someone has to study till they almost die of stress just to build up their resume but still cant even earn half of what you make. Yet some people dont have to put in any work whatsoever but still rake in lots of money just because they got themselves fancy special abilities and stuff. Dont you agree? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Yeah, you have a point. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Although he didnt agree with everything Choi Seon-Mi had said, he didnt want to make the atmosphere even worse on a day like today.
Does that mean Ji-Woong makes the most money among us? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Now that was a question that stepped on their pride.
I heard that Tae-Sik started his own business and now is rolling in dough, though? He must be making more than Ji-Woong, surely?
Hey, hey! Stop with this money talk, will ya? This aint a reunion of ahjussis in their 40s or something, and besides, whats the point of discussing money matters when were still so young? I mean, the majority of people here are still stuck in universities anyway, so why worry about money so soon? We can talk about it in ten years time, you know?
Thats true.
Perhaps to blow away the awkward atmosphere, booze soon began flowing rather freely among the group next.
By the way, why hasnt Ji-Hyuke yet?
Dunno.
Hey, Chang-Hyuk?
Ng? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Did anything change with Ji-Hyuk, like,pared to how he was?
Mmm.... ( Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk seemed to be pondering something before opening his mouth.
Well, its a bit of a push to say something has changed about him, but it did feel like words were now getting through to him, somehow. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Words got through to him?
I mean, you know, he never paid any attention to what others said, remember? He wasnt interested in what others were doing, either. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yeah, youre right. He was the type to make everyone an outcast except himself back then.
Right, but thest time I met him, he actually showed some interest in people, you know? I had no idea hed recognise me first. And even if he did, I wouldve never thought hed start talking to me first, too. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jo Ji-Woong nodded his head.
Well, people do change, after all. (Jo Ji-Woong)
I never expected Yi Ji-Hyuk to change, though. The moment I saw him changed like that, thats when I realised we were getting older for real. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
That makes sense. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Does that mean we can rx a bit now?
A loud peal ofughter soon spread out among the venue.
By the way, how much does Ji-Hyuk make, anyway? You think he makes as much as Ji-Woong?
Jo Ji-Woongsplexion changed to blue and he hurriedly replied.
Im still a first year newbie and I dont make much, you know. (Jo Ji-Woong)
But, isnt Ji-Hyuk also a first year newbie? It hasnt been all that long since he came back after going missing, right?
Sure, he might be a first newbie but our story is different. He and I arent even in the samemand structure. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Ng?
Jo Ji-Woong looked around and continued on.
I work under the KSF, while Ji-Hyuks affiliated with the NDF, you know? The NDF people get paid on apletely different pay scale than mine. If youpare it to the military, then they are like the elite special forces, while Im just a lowly grunt. Never mind how they are treated, from what I understand the differences in wages are pretty enormous, too. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Oh, really?? (Seon-Mi)
....Not only that, I heard that Ji-Hyuk receives special treatment from the NDF, too, I cant be sure, but he probably gets paid billions. (Jo Ji-Woong) (TL: In Wons, not Dors.)
Wow!! (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mis eyes sparkled dangerously.
Is this true? (Seon-Mi)
You think Ill lie about stuff like this? As far as I know, the NDF people get treated real well because the work they do is famed for being really harsh. Even then, there arent all that many people wanting to join them. They say its just too dangerous. (Jo Ji-Woong)
In any case, that means Ji-Hyuk is making a killing, right? (Seon-Mi)
Dont you know? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Know what? (Seon-Mi)
Every single ability user in South Korea has heard of the name Yi Ji-Hyuk by now. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Seriously? (Seon-Mi)
I find it strange that you guys havent heard of Ji-Hyuks feats until now. Even if youre a regr citizen, it still doesnt make any sense that you havent heard about him yet. (Jo Ji-Woong)
We cant know about every single ability user, you know. (Seon-Mi)
You know Seo Ah-Young, right? The me Witch? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Of course I know who she is. Shes our countrys best ability user, right? (Seon-Mi)
And Ji-Hyuk is even better than her. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Seriously?! (Seon-Mi)
Were you lied to your entire life or something?
Everyone present seemed to be quite shocked by the revtion.
Seo Ah-Young the me Witch was an ability user acknowledged not just in South Korea but the rest of the world as well. So the assertion of Yi Ji-Hyuk being better than her signified that he was the true number one among the South Korean ability users
It was then, the venues door opened and a certain man peeked his head through the open gap.
Hi.
< 363. I better stop being jittery -3 > Fin.
Chapter 364: I better stop being jittery (4)
Chapter 364: I better stop being jittery (4)
Choi Chang-Hyuk was the first person to recognise the man peeking his head inside the venue, and he shot up from his seat as a result.
Ji, Ji-Hyuk-ah, youre here? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at him before stepping into the venue proper.
I guess Im a bitte? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk hurriedly shook his head.
What do you mean, yourete. Hahaha.... You are... a bit early? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk was an hour and a halfte, but no one here was brave enough to criticise him for his tardiness.
I mean, this guy usually showed up at school when the second period of ss was about to end, so.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Anyone who knew anything about Yi Ji-Hyuk would never ever think that hed show up on time to any asion.
I wanted toe early for today, but got dyed a bit because of how awkward these clothes were. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk scanned Yi Ji-Hyuks attire before smiling brightly.
Now that I look at you, you really dressed up for the asion, didnt you? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Does it even suit me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
O-of course. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
After Yi Ji-Hyuk stepped fully inside the reunion venue and sat on a chair, others started shifting their gazes at him. The first person to open his mouth was Jo Ji-Woong.
Hey, Ji-Hyuk. Been a while. (Jo Ji-Woong)
....Ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at him and tilted his head.
Who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Jo Ji-Woong smiled awkwardly and exined himself.
I dont think my face has changed that much, but.... Im Ji-Woong. Jo Ji-Woong. Dont you remember?
Jo Ji-Woong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk started tilting his head even more, causing Jo Ji-Woongs expression to crumple gradually.
When the atmosphere became somewhat unbearable, Choi Chang-Hyuk hurriedly intervened, hoping to make it better.
S-sure, Ji-Woong has changed a lot, hasnt he? Hey, Ji-Hyuk-ah, dont you really remember this kid? He used topete for the first ce with Seon-Mi back in school. Back then, he was a model student, wasnt he? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
If Im being honest, I dont quite remember the faces of my ssmates, unfortunately. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Then why did you even call us here?
Choi Chang-Hyuk dazedly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk. He was the one demanding a reunion in the first ce, but now hes saying he didnt remember anyones faces? Seriously?
H-hes now working as an ability user. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk now seemed quite interested as he looked at Jo Ji-Woong.
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yeah. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong scratched his head.
Normally, your back would straighten a bit when mentioning the fact of your job as an ability user, regardless of where you were. However, mentioning stuff like that in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk made things rather awkward in the extreme for Jo Ji-Woong.
Was it kinda like showing off how sharp your cat ws were in front of a lion or something?
Ive been hearing a lot about you. (Jo Ji-Woong)
About me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah. Youre working for the NDF, right? Us at the KSF hear lots of stories about that organisation, you see. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Really? Like what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right at that moment, Jo Ji-Woong realised that he made a terrible mistake by saying something he shouldnt have.
W-well, the stories I heard about were.... (Jo Ji-Woong)
All the stories rted to the NDF were inevitably leaked by the NDF agents themselves. And it was rather obvious what they would talk about when it came to the matters rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
The devil. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Not only that, a tiny-minded stingy devil, at that.
T-they are all good stories. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Like I said, what does those good stories entail? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hahahaha.... (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong could onlyugh awkwardly here.
I mean, you shouldve at least behaved like a nice person so that people will have nice things to say about you in moments like this!! (Jo Ji-Woong)
He only got to hear monstrous tales from the NDF agents, so what kind of good stories could there even be?
Y-you know, those stories. Like, what you did in America, or when you were in China.... (Jo Ji-Woong)
H-nng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Yeah, I had to go through a lot back then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If judging by what Jo Ji-Woong had heard, then Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt possibly have been the one going through a lot, but it was the poor folks of the countries that needed to receive him, instead. But there was no need to bring that up andplicate the atmosphere even further.
Ji-Hyuk-ah, its been a while. (Seon-Mi)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at a woman lightly shaking around a beer ss while sitting on a chair next to him and tilted his head.
Who? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dont you remember me? Im Choi Seon-Mi.
Choi Seon-Mi.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk kicked his unwilling, half-dead brain into full gear and went through his memory banks.
That name, it definitely sounded familiar, but...
...Ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Finally recalling the owner of the name Choi Seon-Mi from the recesses of his brain, Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned her from top to bottom, before tilting his head again.
But, it cant be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm? What do you mean? (Seon-Mi)
....Did you get stic surgery? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Seon-Mis expression crumpled instantly.
The Choi Seon-Mi I remember didnt look like you, though? How can I say this.... So, like.... Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk hurriedly intervened once more.
D-dont you know that girls change a lot once they graduate and start looking after themselves a bit more? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Even then, this is a bit.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, a person willpletely transform with just a change to their hairstyle, you know?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Is that how it is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Besides, Seon-Mi didnt really try to doll up back when we were still in school. Because she was too busy studying and all. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
I guess youre right, but.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Choi Seon-Mi, before tilting his head once more.
But can you get, like, double eyelids if you apply make-up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Choi Chang-Hyuk sneakily averted his gaze and spoke up.
W-well, anyways! Everyone, lets make a toast! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jo Ji-Woong hurriedly raised his ss.
Others also raised theirs while speaking out in loud, boisterous voices in an obvious attempt to get rid of this really awkward atmosphere.
Wait, now that I look back, what do you think our homeroom teacher from the third year is doing?
....Come on, dude. Why are you bringing that guy up and ruining my appetite?
Arent you a little bit curious?
Dont even bring that guy up, man. Just thinking about that teacher gives me the shivers. I dont think you will ever find anyone as hardcore as that guy.
Yi Ji-Hyuk listening in nodded his head.
Right. Even I think he was a bit too much when I look back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Everyones gaze was directed at him next.
What, you dont agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no....
Y-youre right.
Their replies might be like that, but their hearts were united in a sentiment slightly different from his.
If it was someone else, fine, but you? You shouldnt be saying that.
The Dongseong Highs infamous demonic teacher, Park Hwan-Gyu, ended up suffering from nervous breakdown, and the culprit was none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yeah, you seriously went too far overboard back then.
Wowsers! Holy crap, how did he manage to turn a teacher into an object of pity and sympathy for the rest of the students?
Being a teacher isnt a job for normal human beings. I mean, what will you do if you end up with a student like him?
A teacher that ruled his ssroom with an iron fist could no longer deal with Yi Ji-Hyuk, and begged thetter to leave the ss. So much so that, as soon as the sses were over, hed run in like gale-force winds and personally packed Yi Ji-Hyuks belongings.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk stubbornly refused to leave, saying he had nothing to do back at home, the poor teacher even shelled out his own money and told the kid to go to a PC Bang or something. What a dedicated modern-era educator that man was.
Now that I think about it, he sure was a good person, alright.
He was a man who would use his own money to eliminate the obstacle to the education of the students under his care. Back then, they all thought of him as a bit too heavy-handed geezer, but by looking back, they realised that perhaps he was a wonderful man, instead.
They began looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk in less-than-impressed eyes, causing him to tilt his head quizzically.
You dont think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, youre right.
Yeah, agreed.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was forcing the fellow graduates to view the student rights in a negative light now.
Does anyone know what happened to that teacher?
I hear he just quit outright.
Really? He quit teaching altogether? But, being a teacher pretty much guarantees your retirement funds, right? But why would he give all that up?
I heard that he quit right after we graduated due to high levels of umted stress.
..............
Everyone inwardly sent their thoughts and prayers.
A man who shouldve been living a fairly good life as a teacher was unfortunate enough to get tangled up with Yi Ji-Hyuk, and ended up losing his livelihood as a result. Thinking about how he must be struggling with his life right now, the people gathered here felt their tear ducts suddenly starting to itch a little.
By the way, Ji-Hyuk? You work for the NDF, right? (Seon-Mi)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Seon-Mi began showing interest in Yi Ji-Hyuk once more.
That means youre earning big every month, right? (Seon-Mi)
....My sry, you mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yeah, that. Is it big? (Seon-Mi)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Actually, Im not sure how much it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its that much?! (Seon-Mi)
No, its not that. But.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sheepishly scratched his head.
Ive never really checked my bank bnce or anything like that, so Im not sure how much Im getting every month. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Choi Seon-Mi stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with an unreadable expression before nodding her head.
When put nicely, he was being broad-minded, generous even. But when put not so nicely, he was utterly clueless when it came to all things money rted.
I hear that your organisation is where our countrys top ability users gather. Is that true? (Seon-Mi)
Well, yeah. Kinda.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That means its filled with seriously impressive people, right? (Seon-Mi)
Impressive? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk recalled the NDF agents in his mind, and spoke his rather frank impression of them.
You know, it feels like every single one of them has a problem or two.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the NDF folks heard him, they wouldve vomited blood by now.
Not just anyone, but Yi Ji-Hyuk had no right to say stuff like that, after all.
Ohoho~, youre joking, right? (Seon-Mi)
Im being serious, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..................
Yi Ji-Hyuk had this uncanny ability to bring a conversation to a screeching halt. It was to such an extent that his conversation partners would get confused on how they should proceed from there onwards.
Jo Ji-Woong decided to butt in just then.
Even then, there are plenty of famous and cool people working there, right? Like, for instance, Seo Ah-Young. (Jo Ji-Woong)
You mean, the Hysterical Witch? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Okay, like Park Seong-Chan. (Jo Ji-Woong)
That muscle brain? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jo Ji-Woongs lips began to tremble grandly.
I-if not, then what about, what about, uh... Kim Dah-Hyun! Yeah, him! Hes famous for having killer looks, right? Just his face alone, he can easily make it in the entertainment industry, but he chose to work for the NDF! I hear he even has a big fan club and everything! (Jo Ji-Woong)
Hes the biggest problem child, you know? Hes a certifiable siscon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This was the moment of the fantastical mirage surrounding the NDF shattering to tiny little pieces.
D-does that mean not one normal person works there? (Seon-Mi)
The clearly-flustered Choi Seon-Mi asked that question, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to ponder his answer rather seriously. And when some time went by like this, everyone present began thinking of one exact same question.
Did that question require such lengthy deliberation?
After an arduous pondering session, Yi Ji-Hyuk finally opened his mouth.
I guess if its that jummadol, then maybe she just about sneaks into the category of normal people. Even though shes not really normal in the head, but well, shes alright on her own way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Jummadol?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A-ah, thats right! Jeong Hae-Min was also in the NDF! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The moment Jeong Hae-Mins name was brought up, a very noisy, enthusiastic response exploded out.
Ng?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head at this iprehensible reaction.
Whats gotten into you?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its Jeong Hae-Min, right? The one and only Jeong Hae-Min! Now that I think about it, Ji-Hyuk! You get to see her pretty often, dont you? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Uhm, well yeah, I do see her almost everyday. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
R-really?! Can you, uh, can you get me her autograph?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Foams began bubbling out of Choi Chang-Hyuks mouth.
Her autograph? And why the heck would you even need an autograph from an ahjumma like her? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean, shes an ahjumma?! Dont you know how hot shes trending right now?! Shes basically in every TV channel, man! Andmercials with her in them are everywhere! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....But, howe?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldntprehend it at all.
Because, shes cute.
And also, really pretty, too.
Shes a great singer, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuk pouted and asked again.
But, there are plenty of younger idols who are cute, pretty, as well as being good dancers and singers, so what gives? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There is no one who meets all those criteria except Jeong Hae-Min, you know? Besides, shes not even that old. Why are you calling her an ahjumma when shes still so young? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
H-n-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched how Choi Chang-Hyuk passionately defended her and realised the true level of Jeong Hae-Mins poprity, which seemed to be at least much higher than what he had expected.
Okay, so. You want her autograph? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yeah. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Why dont you get it yourself? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Shes on her way here anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....What are you talking about? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned as if he didnt get why his words werent getting through.
I said, shes on her way here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who is? Wait, you mean Jeong Hae-Min? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Obviously. Who do you think I was talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-what? Really? Why is sheing here in the first ce? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
What do mean, why? I asked her, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk dazedly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He just couldnt figure out whether to believe this guy or not.
Sure, since they worked in the same organisation, it wouldnt be surprising for Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min to know each other, but they were actually close enough to apany one another to a ss reunion?
With that Jeong Hae-Min?
Wait, now that I think about it, why is she sote? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned and pulled out his phone. He then dialled a number, before exploding in irritation.
Why arent you here yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Others listened to Yi Ji-Hyuk with deeply tense expressions.
What do you mean, your schedule? Okay, so? What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that for real?
They still couldnt choose between believing him or not even now.
Cant you juste?? What do you mean, theres no one around? Argh, seriously? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and stood up from his seat.
Imma go and get her. See you in a bit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He quickly strode outside, and this strange silence descended on the venue.
< 364. I better stop being jittery -4 > Fin.
Chapter 365: I better stop being jittery (5)
Chapter 365: I better stop being jittery (5)
You think hes telling the truth? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The first one to break the silence was Choi Chang-Hyuk.
No freaking way. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mi waved her hand around.
Even if they work in the same ce, Jeong Hae-Min is a superstar. Why would someone like that even want toe to a reunion like this? (Seon-Mi)
You think so? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Besides, she probably doesnt even have time for it. Just how busy is she, anyway? I heard that Jeong Hae-Min even spends her personal time to meet her schedule. Members of reasonably famous girl groups apparently copse often from pushing themselves too hard and constantly going on tours, so are you telling me that a top trending megastar is willing to do something that wont pay a single cent? No freaking way. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mis face was reddened slightly from all the excitement.
And I still dont get why shes famous, to begin with. (Seon-Mi)
Everyone here knows, yet you dont? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Its you lot who are weird, not me. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Chang-Hyuk could only grin here. Sure, he had plenty of things to say, but saying something now and starting a verbal tussle with her was definitely not a smart thing to do.
By the way.... (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong silently observing the proceedings until then finally opened his mouth.
I did hear that Ji-Hyuk is friends with Jeong Hae-Min. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Uh? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks brows rose up a little.
They arent just work colleagues? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
I dont have any concrete details on what happened, and everything I heard is all from the grapevine, but... I heard that Ji-Hyuk isnt on good terms with Seo Ah-Young, but quite friendly with Jeong Hae-Min. (Jo Ji-Woong)
That doesnt sound like something youd hear from the grapevine, you know? Thats like the scoop on the inside story. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
To the people of the KSF, the NDF affiliated agents are like celebrities, you see. Just like how all of you are interested in scandals of celebs, the NDF matters are sources of gossip for us. So, we get to hear all sorts of stuff. I even know what colour Kim Dah-Hyun likes. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Choi Seon-Mi ended up chuckling out.
Hey, even I know that. Its white, right? (Seon-Mi)
Eh? How do you know that? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Only a dummy wouldnt know that. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mi clicked her tongue.
And sure, its possible for her to show up. Fine. Not an issue. Its not such a big deal, anyway. Youre all acting as if this is your first time seeing a celebrity. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mis words brought about a deep, deep sigh from Choi Chang-Hyuk.
We have yet another withoutmon sense here. Someone please go buy a pack ofmon sense. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Whats the matter? Did I say something wrong? (Seon-Mi)
Of course you did. You are wrong by a country mile. You think were happy because Jeong Hae-Mins supposed to show up here? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
You arent? (Seon-Mi)
Choi Chang-Hyuks expression crumpled.
Of course I am. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
................ (Seon-Mi)
Seon-Mi started frowning heavily, prompting him to hurriedly wave his hands around.
N-no, hang on a minute. Thats not right! No! Thats not the reason, Im telling you, thats wrong! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Your power of persuasion is a bit.... (Seon-Mi)
Im serious, its not!! That was just a slip of tongue! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk desperately defended himself until his face turnedpletely red. Who knew his true self would get revealed inadvertently like this?
O-of course, Im happy. Im chuffed about the prospect, obviously! However!! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Just stop. I dont think I need to hear the rest. (Seon-Mi)
N-no, hang on a sec! The rest is where the important part is, so how can you cut me off like that! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
I think we heard everything that we need to hear from you already. (Seon-Mi)
...Dang witch.
Instead of bbing that out aloud, Choi Chang-Hyuk swallowed back his saliva as he sensed the icy-cold res from the other females. If his next response came across as weird in any shape or form, then his image would instantly end up as an idol-obsessed nerd/freak for the rest of his life.
Jo Ji-Woong quickly came to Choi Chang-Hyuks aid.
Dont be like that. Isnt it fine to like idols? (Jo Ji-Woong)
This idiot?!
Choi Chang-Hyuks brows shot up high when Jo Ji-Woong tried to provide fire support.
Indeed, liking idols in this day and age wasnt to be faulted upon. As a matter of fact, there should be a few folks present today who could easily recite the names of every new idol making their waves in the scene off the top of the head. Sure, they currently werent saying anything that could potentially make them stand out, but they were definitely here.
However, openly making noises about such a topic did pose a problem. Especially when you were in an event like this one and womenfolk were ring daggers in your direction and all.
Choi Chang-Hyuks survival instinct quickly went into overdrive.
Of course!! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
His voice grew many decibels louder.
The event of Jeong Hae-Min showing up today will no doubt be a wonderful asion. Sure. Itll be wonderful, alright. But!! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
He then pointed at Seon-Mi.
What she said is right, you know? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Eh? (Seon-Mi)
She looked utterly confused as she asked back.
About what? Not needing to hear the rest? (Seon-Mi)
No, not that one! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk desperately held onto his dangerously-wavering consciousness and continued on.
This should be the busiest time in Jeong Hae-Mins life. So busy that she can barely get a good nights sleep, probably. Hyuk-Jae over here should be able to corroborate that, since hes been an idol otaku from his high school days. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The man named Hyuk-Jae nodded his head.
During their most active period, most mid-to-top tier idols dont even have guarantees on their sleeping hours. And if youre talking about someone on the level of Jeong Hae-Min, then she must be seriously busy and stuff. She should be touring the whole country, unable to even catch a wink of rest. (hyuk-Jae)
Choi Chang-Hyuk nodded his head.
....Did you waste all of our time just to tell us something that is bleeding obvious?? (Seon-Mi)
N-no, hang on. Thats not.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk hurriedly said something else in order not to get pushed back by Seon-Mi.
Do you think it makes any sense for someone that busy toe to a measly little reunion like this one? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Of course not. And thats what Ive been saying all along. (Seon-Mi)
Thats right. Right, so if she doese, then that means shes really close to Ji-Hyuk, doesnt it? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng? (Seon-Mi)
If she can humour a request like that, their rtionship is not to be scoffed at. Have you thought about the possibility of that? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Seon-Mi spat out a grand sigh.
You think people in this ce are too dumb to even guess that? (Seon-Mi)
W-wait, is that how it is? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong muttered out softly in a confused voice.
Choi Chang-Hyuk quietly stared at Seon-Mi and spoke.
Theres someone. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....Yeah, sure thing. One person. (Seon-Mi)
Yet another sigh apanied her words.
Anyone can guess that much. And thats why Im saying she wont show up. Why would someone like Jeong Hae-Min get into such a rtionship with Ji-Hyuk, anyway? (Seon-Mi)
Eii, thats not strictly right, though?
Ng? (Seon-Mi)
The one to put the brakes on Seon-Mis assertion was a woman named Min Ye-Jeong. She and Seon-Mi had been on bad terms even back in their school days, and perhaps unsurprisingly, she decided to trip the arguments of her rival today, as well.
Whats so wrong about Ji-Hyuk? (Min Ye-Jeong)
....What do you mean? (Seon-Mi)
If you input his details in a matchmaking website, youll definitely get an S grade, wouldnt you say? Hes so young, yet hes making millions, isnt he? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Millions in annual wages isnt all that special, Ill have you know. (Seon-Mi)
No, it is special. Sure, it may not be as special as you say, but dont forget C just how many men in Ji-Hyuks age group can boast making millions every year? (Min Ye-Jeong)
M-mm.... (Seon-Mi)
Seon-Mi could only concede at this point, although she didnt look pleased in the slightest. She couldnt fight against Min Ye-Jeongs logic, at least not right now.
Hes young, hes a civil servant, gets paid a lot C thats pretty much perfect, isnt it? And hes good-looking too. (Min Ye-Jeong)
Choi Chang-Hyuk raised his hand.
Objection. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Overruled. (Min Ye-Jeong)
Che. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk started booing with a simmering expression.
Sure, well. In that case, Ill revise that to not a bad-looking face, hows that? Anyways, doesnt that make him pretty high-levelled in everyones book? I cant see any problems with him hanging out with Jeong Hae-Min at all. Dont you agree? (Min Ye-Jeong)
....Even then, there are different sses. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Arent idols a bit unsuitable to hang around Ji-Hyuk? I mean, their fame onlysts for about fifteen minutes, right? (Seon-Mi)
But they make as much during that fifteen minutes as what others make in their lifetime. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Even then, would it be as high as a man in his 20s working for the NDF? (Min Ye-Jeong)
The NDF where you dont even know when youll end up dying. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mi didnt want to acknowledge right until the end, prompting Min Ye-Jeong to snort grandly.
You may think that, but it looks like Jeong Hae-Min doesnt agree with you, does it? Shes supposed to be on her way here, right? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Shes noting. (Seon-Mi)
So, youre saying Ji-Hyuk lied to everyone? (Min Ye-Jeong)
I dont even have to be there to know that he begged her toe, and she probably said something in the line of willing to make time for him, but then, he ended up interpreting that as a definite yes or something. I mean, lets be honest here, hes not the type to figure out what other people are implying, is he? (Seon-Mi)
Mm.... (Min Ye-Jeong)
This time, it was Min Ye-Jeongs turn to retreat.
Choi Chang-Hyuk watching these twos verbal back-and-forth while sipping on his drink decided now was the good time to jump in.
By the way, why are we even discussing this? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
What do you mean? (Seon-Mi)
Hes gone to get her, so the truth will be revealed sooner orter, right? Whether shees here or not, all we have to do is wait for a little while so why all this bickering for something so minor? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
You still dont have a girlfriend, do you? (Seon-Mi)
....Whats that got to do with anything? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
I can already tell why you dont have one. (Seon-Mi)
Stop hitting me with fact bombs! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk got triggered and he loudly yelled out.
Besides, you lot also dont have boyfriends, so what gives?! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
And how do you know that? Did you hire an investigator or something? (Seon-Mi)
What a stalker. (Min Ye-Jeong)
It was right then that the truth of letting others pummel you being a better alternative when in times like this hit Choi Chang-Hyuk like a tidal wave.
But, why is he sote? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Hes probably busy talking to her on the phone right now. And she most likely blew him off, saying theres no opening in her schedule. Still, they are acquainted enough to share phone calls, so there. Its a problem with men that they think youre interested in them just because you decided to talk to them for a bit. (Seon-Mi)
I said, stop hitting me with fact bombs! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Although it was Yi Ji-Hyuk being ndered here, for some reason Choi Chang-Hyuk felt his own moods souring quite rapidly.
Just from listening to her talk, it felt like the dark history he had buried deep, deep inside his subconsciousness was threatening to ooze out.
Whats wrong? Pricked a nerve? (Seon-Mi)
Lets end it at pricking today, okay? Before youe up with skewers or something. How can anyone be so cruel, anyway? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk agreed wholeheartedly with Seon-Mis opinion.
Not logically, but he did want to side with Choi Seon-Mi at least emotionally. Because, he was not a generous man whod celebrate the fact that a fellow ssmate he didnt even like was about to show up to a reunion with a super-famous celebrity as a date. You were supposed to go green with jealousy if your cousin ended up buying expensive real estate so his thought process couldnt be helped at all.
Im telling you, you dont know that. (Min Ye-Jeong)
Both Seon-Mi and Choi Chang-Hyuk decided to cleanly ignore Min Ye-Jeong. Too bad, she had an unlikely ally in this ce.
No, hang on. I definitely heard that those two are really friends. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong butted in, disying how slow he was on the uptake in the process.
Even if theyre friends, you think shede to a ss reunion of all things?! If she really did, then forget about being friends, might as well set a wedding date, then! (Seon-Mi)
You said you heard it through grapevine, so how can you be so sure? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jo Ji-Woong looked dissatisfied, but the public opinion had already swayed away from him.
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk could be seen trudging towards the reunion venue outside the window.
Eh? Theres Ji-Hyuk.
....Hes alone, though?
Choi Seon-Mi formed a deeply triumphant grin.
Told you. (Seon-Mi)
Well, d*mn. Now thats a pretty good picture to look at.
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be making a really crumpled expression from what they could spy through the window, which could only mean that things did go ording to Seon-Mis predictions.
She nced at Min Ye-Jeong and snickered derisively.
Busy showing off when you dont even know anything. Thats why you dont have a boyfriend. (Seon-Mi)
A pot calling the kettle ck, is it? You dont have one all thanks to your rubbish personality. (Min Ye-Jeong)
What was that?! (Seon-Mi)
Just as mes were about to erupt from the eyes of these two females, someone cried out in a loud voice.
H-hey, hang on a second!
Ng? (Seon-Mi & Min Ye-Jeong)
S-someone is behind him. Shes following him, it looks like?
The gazes of everyone here hurriedly shifted outside the windows once more.
Uh? T-that, isnt that??
A woman with a face they all had seen before somewhere was hurriedly trotting after Yi Ji-Hyuk and grabbed onto his sleeve. He jerked his arm back while clearly looking irritated, but this woman didnt let go and walked side by side with him.
She, uh, she definitely looks like Jeong Hae-Min, doesnt she?
Shes really short.
Jeong Hae-Mins famous for being a real-life hobbit, though.
....I-it must be true, then? Look how small her face is. Thats not the face of a regr person, you know??
Choi Chang-Hyuks jaw slowly dropped lower and lower.
What kinda dog sh*t is this?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
That was Jeong Hae-Min.
Not just anyone, but Jeong Hae-Min the idol, one of the hottest, most trending celebrities out there. Such a personage wouldnte to Yi Ji-Hyuks ss reunion because she didnt have enough on her te, now would she??
It, it simply couldnt happen.
But it was happening for real right now.
She, shesing inside?
Everyone stared at the door with nervous expressions.
N-no, it cant be. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
They mustve seen it wrong.
Even if they did see it right, it still couldnt be.
Finally, the door opened with a loud Du-ru-ruk! and Yi Ji-Hyuk walked inside with a cantankerous expression etched on his face.
And right behind him was....
Is she an angel? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min smiling shyly but brightly also entered the venue and waved her hand.
Hello, everyone. (Jeong Hae-Min)
This was the moment that Choi Chang-Hyuks world came crashing down.
< 365. I better stop being jittery -5 > Fin.
(TL: Everyone, please take care of yourselves as this coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the globe. Experts say you shouldnt panic, and I agree, but that doesnt mean you should beckadaisical. Wash your hands, dont touch your face, and hope for the best.)
Chapter 366: Is that a problem? (1)
Chapter 366: Is that a problem? (1)
Urgh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon frowned deeply and stabbed his hand inside his pocket.
....Not there. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He couldnt find his keys.
But then again, he had been basically living in his office for the past week or so, and itd be a bit of a mission to recall just where he misced his keys all those days ago.
Hah, seriously now.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just where would he find a taxi at thiste hour? The distance to be covered wasnt to be scoffed at, either.
They said that a luckless fool would break his nose while falling backwards. Who wouldve thought that hed lose his car keys just as he was ready to go home for the first time in seven days?
Whew.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned around. Now that things hade to this, he was nning to cleanly give up on going home and simply head back to the office.
Honk, honk!
But it was just then, someone noisily honked their car horn. He frowned slightly and looked behind him.
Ng? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A white sports car was shining its headlights at him.
What are you doing? (Seo Ah-Young)
The drivers side window wound down, and a familiar face peeked out.
I dont have my keys. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young chuckled as if she couldnt believe it.
And why dont you have them? (Seo Ah-Young)
Not sure. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, what were you nning to do next? (Seo Ah-Young)
I was thinking of going back, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, its a bitte to catch a taxi, so.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Gimme a break. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spat out a groan and beckoned him.
Get in. (Seo Ah-Young)
.....Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I said, get in. Ill give you a ride. Just because you dont have the keys, you are not going home anymore? Thats nonsense. (Seo Ah-Young)
N-no, hang on a minute, maam.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly shook his head.
If I dont take my car, itll be pretty inconvenient to get back to work tomorrow morning. So Ill just sleep in the office and call the service centre tomorrow and have someonee over. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just get in, will you? Dont worry, Ille to get you tomorrow morning, as well. (Seo Ah-Young)
You dont have to go that far, maam.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How many times did I tell you to get in? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoons head dropped low.
Seo Ah-Young would be a stubborn mule once she came out like this. He realised that he no longer had a choice in the matter and trudged towards the vehicle, before opening the passenger door and climbing aboard.
So tight. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since he preferredrge saloons, Seo Ah-Youngs car felt just too small for him. Even the seat felt too hard.
He just couldnt understand why anyone would buy a car like this.
Okay, were off. (Seo Ah-Young)
You know where my house is, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not my first time, okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
I thought it was? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
......... (Seo Ah-Young)
Okay, maybe two times. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young groaned.
I remember where it is, so dont worry. (Seo Ah-Young)
Alright, then. Ill be in your care. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Vrooooom~
The loud engine notes apanied the car elerating forward at a rate of knots. The ride height was so low that he thought his a*s was busy kissing the tarmac. As for the harsh ride quality, Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt help but frown once more.
I dont get why anyone would want to ride in a car like this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure, sports cars were nice. Fine. However, just where would anyone find a ce to drive such cars in a city like Seoul? Why would you waste money to buy cars like this, then?
Are you unhappy about something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Not really. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When in front of Seo Ah-Young, even if he was unhappy about something, everything must be a-okay. This was a different type of ufortable atmosphere from Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now that I think about it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned his head slightly and observed the side of her face. The first time he saw her, she was still a wet-behind-ears ability user newbie, but even before anyone had realised it, she had be a veteran widely acknowledged by her peers in this profession.
Sure, thats how the passage of time worked, but still, that truth felt kind of awkward to Choi Jeong-Hoon today for some reason.
You need to take more breaks, you know. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not like in the past, right? Back when we needed to run around everywhere. You know, thats you being addicted to work. (Seo Ah-Young)
I understand what youre saying, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled bitterly.
Well before Yi Ji-Hyuk made his entrance C how hard did Choi Jeong-Hoon work in order to create an organisation that improved the poor treatment towards the ability users as well as to respond to a crisis in a timely manner?
The societal treatment had improved by a good deal nowadays, and he was now a part of the ability user organisation that the entire world respected, yet his old work habit didnt want to disappear at all.
Ill have you know, its the other people who are getting more anxious when you keep pushing yourself so hard like this. (Seo Ah-Young)
....I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He nodded his head in defeat.
What are you so concerned about, exactly? (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It doesnt look like a simple work-rted issue. Actually, it feels like youve gotten worse recently. What makes you so concerned that you keep looking over those documents? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, thats because Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, it started before that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon dyed his answer and instead shifted his gaze outside the window.
I thought you knew the way to my home? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I do. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, maam. This doesnt look like the road thatll take us to my ce. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre right. (Seo Ah-Young)
Is this a kidnapping? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It wont take long. (Seo Ah-Young)
What a scary prospect that is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, what could he do? He was already riding in Seo Ah-Youngs car, anyway. They drove for a long while, before she parked the car next to the riverside.
She climbed out and spoke as if she was being gracious here.
You can smoke if you want. (Seo Ah-Young)
Why, thank you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pulled out a cigarette and ced it between his lips.
Lets talk for a bit. (Seo Ah-Young)
I never said I didnt want to, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs dissatisfaction-filled eyes were now directed at him.
Do you know what your problems are, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm. Well, Im not sure. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
There are lots. (Seo Ah-Young)
..........
Now normally, when a conversation started in that manner, you werent supposed to respond like that, no?
Wasnt her reply wee bit off?
You have lots. Too many. But your worst problem is that, even though you pretend to worry about other people, you never tell anyone if you have a problem yourself. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
She hit the nail in the head, and he couldnt really refute her.
But, maam. That applies to most other people as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont know anyone whos as bad as you, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
You think so? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked a bit embarrassed as he lit his cigarette up.
So, just talk to me what the problem is. It feels like youre getting more and more jittery as time goes on. There must be a reason for that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon exhaled the cigarette smoke out the cars window.
Its because Im worried. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
About what? (Seo Ah-Young)
About our current world, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young tilted her head. She couldnt really understand what he was trying to say here.
The Gate appearance frequency has decreased a little bit. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I know. And thankfully, thats giving us a bit more downtime. (Seo Ah-Young)
However, the ranks of the Gates are steadily increasing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Really? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
Since we dont get dispatched too often for such matters, its only normal for us to not realise it. If we take into ount the entire world, then the Gates average level has gone up by around two. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....That much? (Seo Ah-Young)
Have you seen a level one Gate recently, maam? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No. (Seo Ah-Young)
Itll be okay to revamp our grading system now. Because, it wont be an exaggeration to say that the Gates lower than level two have almostpletely stopped appearing, maam. Right now, we are at the point where we need to reassign the level three Gates as level ones. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, well, I admit that situation has be strange. But, is that really important? (Seo Ah-Young)
Rather than important, it.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stuck yet another cigarette between his lips.
Thats enough cigarette for you. Your lungs will rot if you dont stop. (Seo Ah-Young)
But, you told me its fine? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Who said you can smoke two in a row? (Seo Ah-Young)
...Damn, so cheap. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Cheap?! (Seo Ah-Young)
mes erupted out of her eyes.
Fine! Smoke all you want!! Get lung cancer and just die, why wont you? (Seo Ah-Young)
Even though he heard all of Seo Ah-Youngs venomous words, he unwaveringly lit his cigarette anyway. Then, quickly changed the subject.
Currently, the Gates are growing stronger with every passing day. However, the frequency of new ability users appearing around the world hasnt changed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay. (Seo Ah-Young)
In other words, our situation will remain the same, but the enemies we need to face will get stronger and harder. And its about time the bnce starts tilting the wrong way. At this rate, it wont take long before something somewhere is broken. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Youngs expression hardened.
But, weve be stronger, havent we? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smirked deeply.
Just how much percentage do we take up in the world of countless ability users and Gates opening up constantly? A single fistful? Im sure its not much more than that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head.
He was right. The poption of South Korea should be less than 0.1% of the entire worlds. It shouldnt be too different when talking about the ability user numbers, as well.
And the NDF only upied around 0.1% of the Korean ability user pool. So, it was rather obvious that they wouldnt be able to deal with the massive and urgent Gate crises urring throughout the world.
Physically and realistically, it wasnt possible.
Even then, we have Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, and.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled bitterly next.
This part was what tormented him the most. He was definitely not a slow witted man. What Affeldrichae told him during the consecutive battles against the demon kings, and the side effects the ability users told him about after receiving a bit of dark Mana in their bodies, made the situation abundantly clear to him.
That Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk youre talking about, he has reached his limit now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He never thought that that guy would stay as a guardian protecting them for all eternity, but still, he didnt expect a void to form so soon.
....Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk cant solve everything. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure. (Seo Ah-Young)
The bnce has already been tilted. If my thoughts are correct, then we will no longer be able to stop the Gates within a year. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What about the other people? (Seo Ah-Young)
Which other people, maam? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are the Americans or the Japanese making the same assessment as you? (Seo Ah-Young)
Im not sure. Ive never spoken to them about this matter. However, their own assessment shouldnt be too drastically different from mine, maam. Because, its something you can see rather easily for yourself. Analysing it isnt even all that difficult. They are probably searching for a response of their own right now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a long sigh.
Unfortunately, we just dont have a good response and thats the problem. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head.
I think I understand what youre saying. Okay, so. Youre under a lot of stress while worrying about something utterly useless, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
.......Utterly useless?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression crumpled. The end of the world was right before their nose, yet she called it a useless worry?
Look here, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre not a Superman. (Seo Ah-Young)
.........
You need to recognise and separate what you can do and what you cant. And your job isnt to worry about the worlds situation, but to secure enough time tonight to get a good nights rest. (Seo Ah-Young)
I know that, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, you dont. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young resolutely shook her head.
No, you think you know, but you dont. Youve been thinking that, since we still have some cards left, well somehow find a way if you look at the problem hard enough, am I right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt answer right away. But he still had no choice but to admit that she was on the money.
Youre someone so predictable like that, after all. Its so obvious what youre thinking about. However, you should leave that to the higher-ups, okay? Thats not part of your job description, anyhow. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Youre correct. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And besides, lets say we failed to stop a crisis and the world is destroyed. (Seo Ah-Young)
Okay. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is that a problem? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoons bbergasted face looked back at her.
What do you mean, is that a problem?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, is it really a problem? Its not like youre going to die alone, but everyone will die together, right? Thatll be the end of humanity, then. (Seo Ah-Young)
What a carefree observation that is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young smirked a little.
Im not joking. Surely, everyone out there mustve thought about it at least once after the ck Monday. But well, if its something inevitable, then you simply have no choice but to ept it. What would change by shivering away like a wet dog? (Seo Ah-Young)
...
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, you might be a talented man, but if this matter was something that you could resolve by yourself, then trust me, there will be other people in the world who can also solve it. And if its not something you can solve alone, then your current way of looking at it and agonising over it is all wrong. (Seo Ah-Young)
...I guess so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats why Im saying, dont worry about unnecessary things. Its only making people around you stressed out. (Seo Ah-Young)
Was this what others would call cheering someone up?
Choi Jeong-Hoons unconvinced face shifted over to Seo Ah-Young.
< 366. Is that a problem? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 367: Is that a problem? (2)
Chapter 367: Is that a problem? (2)
Maam, you are trying to cheer me up, arent you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh? Cheer you up? I got irritated by looking at you moping around, so Im simply telling you to pull your socks up, nothing more. (Seo Ah-Young)
Urgh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head in resignation.
Whatever the case may be, isnt it time to focus on the present? In two days time, well be heading to North Korea, so I dont think now is the right time for you to worry about world peace and prosperity. (Seo Ah-Young)
You arent wrong there, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For sure, Seo Ah-Young was right in saying those things. He hadnt even taken care of the affairs staring right back at him so it was wrong to pull his hair out over the matters of the distant future.
I know that. I really do, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, the problem with him was that, although his head knew, his heart didnt want to.
You are so weird, you know that? (Seo Ah-Young)
Urgh.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon groaned when she red at him with criticising eyes.
You werent used to be like this. (Seo Ah-Young)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When I met you the first time, you still had a lot of leeway even though work was trying to bury you under. And thats why other people could ce their trust in you and do their jobs. If you didnt act as the core for everyone like that, none of us wouldvested this long, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
When you say the first time you met me.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The first time they met each other was when their branch had only him and Seo Ah-Young in it and nobody else. Sure, they steadily hired more and more agents afterwards, but well, back then they were operating like a first-ever experimental branch and not some full-fledged head office.
So, the only person who could trust him and do her job back then was Seo Ah-Young.
I see. Is that how it was? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began grumbling again, however.
Compared to back then, now youre...!! (Seo Ah-Young)
....Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre like a narrow-minded nitpicker. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression crumpled.
Why did she have to go and say stuff like that?
And also, youve gotten really old, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
H-hey, look here, maam! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And youve be unsightly, too. (Seo Ah-Young)
He began to quiver in barely-checked rage.
Unfortunately for him, shepletely disregarded stuff like his feelings and continued to speak of her honest impression of him.
It feels like, meeting the cool guitar-ying oppa from the church again after a few years only for him to have morphed into a boomer. Thats why you need to put a lid on it. You gotta think about the sentiments of other people around you, you know. (Seo Ah-Young)
Y-you couldve put it in a nicer way, couldnt you?! What do you mean, Im a boomer?! Im not that old!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What else would you call someone acting like a boomer beside boomer? (Seo Ah-Young)
Urgh..... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quivered even more grandly.
Yes, it was true that when a man grew older, people would start referring to him as an uncle. However, he was still at an age where hed dearly love to avoid being called an uncle, especially by the opposite sex.
Ill reflect on it, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Please do. And do it properly. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up chuckling just then.
Im the sucker. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He always thought that it was his role to care for and cheer up the NDF affiliated agents. However, he never thought Seo Ah-Young would end up caring for him, instead.
Its as you said, I guess. No matter what, we gotta take care of the uing affairs first, maam. Its not a simple problem in the first ce, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon with a dissatisfied expression.
Whats wrong? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nothing. Nothing at all. (Seo Ah-Young)
What an idiot he was.
What could she expect from a guy like him, honestly?
Anyways. Are we done with the preparations? (Seo Ah-Young)
I wanted to say that the preparations seem to be endless, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon scratched the back of his head.
In all honesty, its not endless but I just dont know where to even start. We might be pros when ites to all things Gate-rted, but were no different fromymen in matters like this, wouldnt you agree? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well yeah, thats true. (Seo Ah-Young)
Just when did they have an opportunity to fight other humans? Never, thats what.
....And to make matters worse, the incident itself is just too strange. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Strange? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon slowly nodded his head.
If things unfolded in the way he predicted, then this affair would go down in history as the very first ability user warfare where various users attacked other users with the aim of ending each others lives.
Sure, ability users had been mobilised in the theatres of war before. But those could be seen as nations breaking the unspoken rule of never deploying ability users in the battlefronts and taking their opponents by surprise. This particr mission, though, was being nned around the fact of ability users participation from the get-go.
I hope theyll perform well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In times like this, not being an ability user himself really irritated him. Hiding somewhere safe and cheering on the others wasnt something a man should be doing.
If he was an ability user himself, then at least hed be alongside them during the battles.
I think I know what youre grumbling about inside. Dont forget that people have their own different roles to y. (Seo Ah-Young)
I know, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And besides all that, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. Youve been doing your job better than anyone, anyway. (Seo Ah-Young)
An unexpected ttery caused his cheeks to blush a little.
ttery will get you nowhere, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That wasnt my aim. I really do think that way. Without you, the NDF wouldnt have be what it is today. No, it wouldnt even have existed in the first ce. Thats why Im always grateful. (Seo Ah-Young)
Im telling you, you will get nothing this way. What is it that youre trying to get your hands on, anyway? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tried to use a light-hearted joke to let this slide, but Seo Ah-Young was sneakily biting her lower lip.
You said that the world will be destroyed, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How long do you think we have left? (Seo Ah-Young)
ording to my calction, it cant be more than one year. But Im not 100% sure about it. There are simply too many variables to count, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And the biggest variable is right beside us, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No one knew what Yi Ji-Hyuk would do if the push came to shove. They might have gone through lots of incidents together by now, but still, Choi Jeong-Hoon hadnt figured out the depth of Yi Ji-Hyuks abilities yet.
To make matters worse, his ability waspletely unique in this world, as well. A variable capable of using Gates and monsters was a weapon that no other ability user possessed.
Okay, so we have around one year left, is that what youre saying? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Isnt it our job to ensure that doesnt happen? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What if we cant? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, in that case... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons voice trailed off.
....Everything will be over, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young stared straight at Choi Jeong-Hoon, before shifting her gaze outside the cars window.
That means youll die without getting married to someone. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon imagined a depressing future and wiped away at his eyes.
I-Ill be alright. Im a firm believer in celibacy, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A forced believer, isnt it? (Seo Ah-Young)
N-no, Im not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im still pretty d*m popr on the outside, Ill have you know.
Its just that I cant find time to go outside in the first ce! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Now that I think about it, you are a born-again solo yer, arent you? Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Seo Ah-Young)
.........
More tears welled up around Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes.
To think that hed die without even holding a womans hands. He would definitely like to avoid such a future if he could.
W-we need to stop that from happening no matter what. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young smirked in his direction.
You said you were a believer in celibacy, but I guess you do want to get married. (Seo Ah-Young)
Of course Im still a believer, but... Its just too unfair to die without even going out on a date with someone. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Going out with someone? You can just do that, cant you? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon got somewhat ticked off just then.
You cant go on a date with yourself, you know. You need someone whos willing to go out with you first. And even if I try to date someone, just who in their right mind would want to go out with a man who onlyes home two, three times a week just to sleep and go right back to work? I might as well stay single and save others from the inevitable pain and suffering. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You dont have to worry about that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh? Why not? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I can do that for you. (Seo Ah-Young)
.......Ehh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Clunk.
Right in that instance, Seo Ah-Young slotted in the reverse gear and stomped hard on the elerator.
Vrrrrooooom!!
Uwaaaahk?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I know youre a fancy sports car and all, but why do your reverse also have to be so d*mn sporty?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
The car powerfully reversed without any warning and caused his body to bend forward in half.
P-please be gentle with your driving. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dont worry. Ive never got into an ident before, so itll be fine. Ill take you home safe and sound, I promise. (Seo Ah-Young)
N-no, hang on a second!! It looks like you just cut in front of that car, didnt you?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon cried out loudly enough for mes to spit out from his mouth. However, Seo Ah-Young kept depressing the elerator as if she couldnt hear him and rolled down the windows.
Powerful gusts of wind rushed inside the cabin.
B-by the way, what did you say earlier? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? (Seo Ah-Young)
You said something to me earlier, didnt you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I didnt say anything? (Seo Ah-Young)
No, hang on a minute here. I definitely heard you say something. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What did you hear, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
Wowsers, will you just listen to her? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked at her with a bbergasted face and shouted out.
I said, I did hear you saying something to me earlier. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And Im asking you what exactly you heard. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth mped shut just then.
He was suddenly ovee with this fear of being on the receiving end of an unknown reprisal if he opened his mouth carelessly first. And if the false usation of him trying his luck with her got out, then he wouldnt even be able to save his skin, either.
I-its nothing, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nitpicker. (Seo Ah-Young)
What did you say? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its nothing, mister nitpicker. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stomped on the elerator once more.
Uwaaah?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What kind of a car kept going faster and faster just because youmanded it to?!
Choi Jeong-Hoon held on to the seat belt for dear life and cried out.
Youre speeding!! Cops will show up! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
There arent any cops around at this hour, you know. (Seo Ah-Young)
Even if they are not, you should still not break the speed limit!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hah.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young ended up shaking her head.
Why did I, with a guy like him....
*
By the time they arrived at his house, Choi Jeong-Hoonsplexion was as blue as one could humanly get.
If I knew this was going to happen, I shouldve just stayed in the office.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Trying to calm his pounding heart would probably require the whole night, meaning he should kiss his sleep goodbye now.
T-thank you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Still, he should express his gratitude.
What time are you nning to go to work? (Seo Ah-Young)
Eh? Why are you asking me that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....I told you, Ille get you in the morning. (Seo Ah-Young)
N-no, its fine!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon resolutely shook his head.
When I think about it, I just cant bear to inconvenience you any further like this. Ill grab a taxi tomorrow morning, so please dont concern yourself with my situation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well be going the same way anyway, so its fine. (Seo Ah-Young)
N-no, Ill take care of it, so please dont worry about it. Im an adult, so surely I canmute on my own no problem, wouldnt you say so? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What time? (Seo Ah-Young)
....Around seven. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, then. Ille around seven to pick you up. Dont bete and wait for me. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled.
Awkwardly, and rather sorrowfully, too.
Oh, and also.... (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
She quietly stared at him for a bit.
That stare made the atmosphere just a bit too unbearable, so he ended up coughing a couple of times in a row.
A man should.... (Seo Ah-Young)
....Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Thats why you dont have it. (Seo Ah-Young)
Excuse me, maam. Isnt it about time that I get to figure out what youre trying to tell me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young spat out a helpless sigh, and waved her hand dismissively.
Its nothing. See you tomorrow morning. (Seo Ah-Young)
Be careful on your way home. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And next time, man up some more, please. (Seo Ah-Young)
..........
Her car then elerated away twice as fast as when he was still riding in it.
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only chuckle hollowly, and stuck another cigarette between his lips.
This is why Ill die way before my time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It felt like his life expectancy was decreasing at the rate of knots. A situation like this was probably the hardest for him to deal with in this entire world.
Urgh....
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head and turned around to enter his home.
Suddenly, he began recalling Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
He couldnt even deal with one woman and was going through so much hardship here, yet that guy was practically surrounded by females 24 hours a day. How did he even cope?
And the personalities of every one of thosedies were... more particr than Seo Ah-Youngs, werent they?
What is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk doing now, I wonder? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon suddenly missed Yi Ji-Hyuk for some reason just then.
***
J-Jeo-Jeong, Jeong Hae-Min??? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks jaw dropped all the way to the floor.
It was real.
The small and cute woman right before his eyes was the very same person from the TV screens.
He blinked his eyes several times and even wondered if his vision was tricking him, but there was no questioning it. The one and only Jeong Hae-Min was really waving her hand right before him.
Hello, everyone. (Jeong Hae-Min)
A-ah, yes!! Hello! How are you!!! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk jumped up from his chair in a hurry and bowed 90 degrees forward.
It-its my absolute honour to meet you like this. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Its nice to meet you too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
A wide smile spread on Jeong Hae-Mins face as she offered her hand towards Choi Chang-Hyuk.
He swallowed nervously as he stared at that hand.
I-is it really okay?
C-can I really shake that hand? (Choi Chang-Hyuks inner monologue)
To think that hed one day get to shake hands with Jeong Hae-Min of all people.
Choi Chang-Hyuk shuddered grandly and reached out in a hurry, but too bad C Jeong Hae-Mins hand shifted directions by then and now was extending towards Choi Seon-Mi, instead.
Seon-Mi looked a bit unhappy, but nevertheless, shook the offered hand of the diminutive idol.
He might have lost his timing and couldnt shake the offered hand, but regardless of what, Choi Chang-Hyuk still felt happy at the fact that he got to see Jeong Hae-Min from up close like this.
However, if happiness existed, then misery was soon to follow, as well.
Why dont you just drop the act, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And Yi Ji-Hyuk was the very symbol of misery.
< 367. Is that a problem? -2 > Fin.
(TL: For what its worth, my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the coronavirus. My parents fall under the so-called danger zone for the covid-19 as well, and although rtively calm, Im still very much worried. I can only hope that scientistse up with vine or cure as soon as possible.)
Chapter 368: Is that a problem? (3)
Chapter 368: Is that a problem? (3)
What do you mean, drop the act?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min got triggered by that, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply looked at her and tutted grandly.
Since she was already in the full fan meet-and-greet mode, she could only shoot him a subtle re while smiling radiantly to everyone else.
Do you have to be like that even in here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And why shouldnt I? Isnt this an official event? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yeah, sure. Veeeery official. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to tut away.
He just couldnt figure out why this shorty transformed into a weird little creature when she was shooting TV shows or standing beforeplete strangers.
Just how long do you think youll add on top by being like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Add what on top? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Extra time added to your remaining career, obviously. It looks to me almost on its dying legs. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You!! Imma kill you! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min tried to pounce on him like a feral beast ready to tear him apart, but Yi Ji-Hyuk simply extended his hand, grabbed her head, and lightly pushed her away.
There you go. Keep being yourself, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my goodness me. What was I doing? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min quickly covered her mouth and smiled in a very fakey way.
Ohohoho~, Im so sorry about that. This kid can be so naughty and sometimes, unfortunate scenes do ur when dealing with him. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I, I see.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks expression was deeply crumpled by then.
They are way too freaking friendly!! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Oh, dear Jesus, dear Buddha-nim....
How can that Yi Ji-Hyuk be in such a rtionship with Jeong Hae-Min?
How can heavens be so uncaring like this? This is so unfair, you hear me?!
This is simply too much!! (Choi Chang-Hyuks inner monologue)
How do you do? (Seon-Mi)
Choi Seon-Mi smiled brightly. Although her face was smiling, Jeong Hae-Min didnt miss the displeasure hidden beneath that smile.
Would you look at this girl? (Jeong Hae-Min)
She had been battling it out in the entertainment industry for over a decade. Even if you were supposed to hide your true intentions and emotions then show only a smile outwardly in wider society, nothing could even remotelye close to the entertainment industry in terms of faking it.
Jeong Hae-Mins been so battle-hardened by now that she was no longer a veteran soldier but straight up a living legend, so of course she wouldnt miss such obvious signs.
Hello to you, too. Its nice to meet you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ah, yes. Me too. I heard you were really busytely, so what brings you here exactly? (Seon-Mi)
I wonder about that myself. I am indeed really busy, but he begged me toe and brighten up this ce a little. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion.
He?
Is she talking about me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
When did I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He reacted rather honestly just then, but Jeong Hae-Min utterly ignored him with a bright smile.
You see? He can be so mischievous. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Aha, thats why youre here. (Seon-Mi)
However, Choi Seon-Mi didnt let go of the opening.
By the way, what is your rtionship with Ji-Hyuk? I mean, to me it looks a bit weird seeing youe to an event like this. (Seon-Mi)
Jeong Hae-Mins eyshes trembled imperceptibly.
This girl, shes still on it? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why did you even show up here in the first ce? (Seon-Mi)
Jeong Hae-Min maintained that bright smile. It was her business smile perfected through countless past encounters. Meaning, shed not make a simple mistake of baring her emotion to a little kid before her eyes.
Isnt it fine for a friend to apany him? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Is that what you think? (Seon-Mi)
....Ah! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min suddenly covered her mouth and formed a surprised expression.
Ah, Im so sorry. I was in your way, wasnt I? I hadnt thought about that. Im a little clueless on matters like that, you see. In that case, I shall be on my way now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....Excuse me? (Seon-Mi)
That prompted rather vigorous and vocal reactions from the males.
W-where are you going, Miss Hae-Min?! But, you just arrived!
Hey, Choi Seon-Mi! Who do you think you are, questioning Miss Hae-Min for gracing us with her presence?! Get outta way!
An autograph! Please!
Hey, get away from there!
The sudden outpouring of criticism finally cracked Seon-Mis expression just a little.
T-this dang nine tail fox of a woman....! (Seon-Mi)
Kiddo, youre still way too early to touch this. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min smiled triumphantly and turned around while looking suitably ufortable.
C-can I sit over here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Of course, of course! Please, have a seat over here!
N-no, this here is morefortable to sit! See how wide the cushion is!
Yi Ji-Hyuk silently observed the ongoing spectacle, before opening his mouth.
Well, this is a fine mess, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was exactly what this was.
The atmosphere was getting weirder and weirder still.
Something or rather finally settled down within the previously-boisterous mood, but that led to everyone present to think about quite a lot of things.
For the dudes, they began sharpening their senses, hoping to figure out the reason why someone like Jeong Hae-Min listened to Yi Ji-Hyuks request and showed up here, while thedies had grown very wary of her unexpected entrance to the scene.
Especially for Choi Seon-Mi, as she was practically grinding her teeth.
That nine tail fox of a woman! (Seon-Mi)
Since she was also in the same category of foxes(?), she knew the truth. That current outward appearance of Jeong Hae-Min? That waspletely fake, systematically built up to look pretty to the onlookers.
Her broadcast-worthy reactions when dealing with this particr private function was causing Choi Seon-Mi endless amounts of ire, but somehow, she didnt mind that as much.
No, what made her innards boil was the fact that the diminutive idol was sitting riiight next to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Sure, Seon-Mi might have said some disparaging things about him, but the truth be told, she wasnt stupid enough to not recognise how sessful Yi Ji-Hyuk was. No, hang on a minute C if they were talking about the ability to judge a mans worth, then Min Ye-Jeongs eyes werent even on the same level as hers.
Out of the same-old, same-old school alumni present, Yi Ji-Hyuk was the best-positioned out of them all, whether it be his background, his current job, or well, even his character.
But then, the spot right next to him was being upied not by her former ssmates but some random tumble-weed that rolled in with the passing wind, so rather obviously, Seon-Mis innards continued to boil away.
What p*ssed her off even more was...
Ah, you said youre an NDF agent, yes? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ah, yes. I am. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Chang-Hyuks question was answered by Jeong Hae-Min with a bright smile. That smile was basically an automated response system. Seon-Mi even began worrying about the idols facial muscles developing a sudden case of cramp from all that forced smile.
Working as an entertainer must be really difficult, yet you even protect our country, too! Youre truly amazing, Miss Hae-Min! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
No, not at all. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min politely waved her hand around.
Im not an entertainer working for the NDF, but an NDF agent who received the blessing from the organisation to also have a side job as an entertainer. Thats why Ill always be grateful when doing my job. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ahh, as expected! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk continued to nod his head as if he wanted the whole world to know about Jeong Hae-Mins wonderful heart.
That stupid dumba*s.... (Seon-Mi)
What was he doing, busy praising Jeong Hae-Min like that in this ce? That was an action of a man who still hadnt figured out that praising her would naturally mean praising Yi Ji-Hyuk, instead.
You shouldnt talk crap behind his back, then. (Seon-Mi)
That dude was busy saying all sorts of rubbish about Yi Ji-Hyuk when thetter was absent about a minute ago but now, he was doing things that elevated the target of his scorn to a new height. What a fool he was being right now.
Miss Jeong Hae-Min, youre a space/dimension rted ability user, yes? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yes. Im a teleporter. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Wow. Isnt that, like, really rare? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min smiled bashfully.
Honestly, Im not much of a help. Ji-Hyuk and the others fight the monsters, and Im more like a shuttle for them. Kinda like a bread shuttle, if you will. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eii, what do you mean, youre a shuttle. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Still, its a nice ability to have when youre touring. I can just zip to my destination even if its far away. (Jeong Hae-Min)
It was here that Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to butt in with a less than impressed expression on his face.
Oh, so youre a tour shuttle, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
I was wondering why they were letting an ahjumma participate, but I guess she has her own... Ouch?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He jumped up in pain when a hand sneaked under the table to angrily pinch his thigh.
Is there a bug in there or something? Did you get bitten? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....Theres a human-sized bug here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, my? Is it a pretty bug, then? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and settled down on his chair again.
Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Jeong Hae-Min. Im Jo Ji-Woong, affiliated with KSF.
Oh, my? You work for the KSF? Does that mean we met each other before in the past? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Technically, yes. I did see you in the distance during one of the operations. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Ah, I see. Its nice to meet you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jo Ji-Woong smiled refreshingly.
The celebrity version of Jeong Hae-Min was nice and all, but to him, every person from the NDF was the object of respect.
Of course, hed still unhesitantly refuse without even giving it a moments thought when asked to join that organisation.
My life is important, after all. (Jo Ji-Woong)
If he was like Jeong Hae-Min who was a nonbat agent, then sure thing, why not C but as he was abatant who needed to use his own body, hed be on his one-way trip to the underworld during the very first mission by joining a hardcore organisation like the NDF.
It seemed that both Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min werent aware of it, but the gap between the NDF agents and none NDF agents was basically an uncrossable wall of 4 dimensions. The organisation began as a gathering of the strongest ability users in South Korea, but the difference in power initially wasnt this great.
Which made sense considering that there wasnt a big difference between the weakest agent in the NDF and the strongest one in the KSF who couldnt quite cross over the line.
But now, things had drastically changed.
In the past, people loudly wondered why someone like Park Seong-Chan the Iron was qualified to join the NDF. But him utterly,pletely destroying a level 4 Gate all by himself had be a stuff of legend by now.
Also the stuff of legend was his reply when people asked him for his secret boost in strength C Why dont you spend just one single month with Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Jo Ji-Woong finished his greeting, stepped back, and nced at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Its so weird, isnt it. People know who Seo Ah-Young is, but they dont have a clue on who Yi Ji-Hyuk is. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Seo Ah-Young and Yi Ji-Hyuk could no longer bepared to each other, at least ording to a consensus among the ability users. Just listening to the eyewitness ounts of the NDF agents or from the other folks, would amply tell you that he was now on a realm that she couldnt even dare to approach. Meaning, there was not a shred of doubt on who the stronger one between the two was.
But the story publicly announced to society atrge was that Seo Ah-Young the me Witch was still the number one in South Korea.
Is it because he hasnt stepped forward during the normal Gate operations? (Jo Ji-Woong)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk participated in the Gate defence operations and disyed scenes of him sweeping all the monsters away just like how Seo Ah-Young had done in the past, then rumours about him couldnt be stopped even if the government tried its hardest. However, he was currently not even remotely involved in dealing with the so-called regr Gates.
And so, normal citizens had little to no avenue to learn about his existence.
The government bigwigs tried to mp down on stories of the NDF leaking out, but how could a living, breathing human being resist spilling the beans on something that he or she knew?
Thanks to that, the stories of Yi Ji-Hyuks existence spread out with the KSF agents families as the epicentre, but honestly, he was being treated like a spooky urban legend more than anything else at the moment.
His status, in other words, was being treated differently from the likes of the officially recognised representative of South Korea, Seo Ah-Young.
And thats why hes losing out to a celebrity right now. (Jo Ji-Woong)
If the folks in this asion werent former ssmates but the KSF agents, then objectively speaking, Jeong Hae-Min wouldnt be able to garner any attention whatsoever. Seriously now, Yi Ji-Hyuk was standing right before their eyes, so who would even care about her?
Well, anyways. Imma use the john, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up from his chair, but that prompted Jeong Hae-Min to shoot up from hers as well.
Ill go with you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What the?! Why would you follow me to the toilet of all ces?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I have to. Being alone is gonna feel weird, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Arghhh, gimme a freaking...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got seriously irritated, but he didnt try to push away Jeong Hae-Min following after him.
And so, when the two of them opened the door and disappeared beyond it, an incredibly heavy silence descended on the venue.
Hah.... (Min Ye-Jeong)
The one to shatter this silence was Min Ye-Jeong.
What was that? Theres no way shede? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Even if Choi Seon-Mi had ten mouths, she still wouldnt have anything clever to say.
You sounded so slick and educated just then, so why arent you saying anything now? Wowsers, this is how rumours start, isnt it? I nearly believed it to be true, too. Isnt it amazing, Choi Seon-Mi? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Seon-Mis face was trembling uncontrobly.
Too bad for her, she just couldnt shoot back with a retort after everything she had said already.
Thats enough from you. Lets be honest, what Seon-Mi said made sense, didnt it? Choi Chang-Hyuk)
What is this, are you siding with her now? (Min Ye-Jeong)
When Choi Chang-Hyuk spoke up for Seon-Mi, Min Ye-Jeong shot him a murderous re.
No, its not like Im siding with her or anything but lets be real here. Its only logical to think like her. This is exactly like the sun rising up from the west when everyone says thats not possible, so its not right ming her for it, you know? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Min Ye-Jeong still carried an expression of disagreement.
Choi Chang-Hyuk opened his mouth, hoping to change the subject.
By the way, whats the real story between those two, I wonder? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
He said that out loud to change the subject, but that instead hit the nail in the proverbial head. The venues mood rapidly cooled down.
< 368. Is that a problem? -3 > Fin.
(TL: Ive often heard people decry the cancel culture attacking our freedom of speech, but well, this coronavirus thing is turning out to be the biggest culprit of them all. Events of both entertainment and educational nature are being cancelled left, right, and centre. I dont want to make a light of this situation, but couldnt help but chuckle a little at the irony of it all.)
(TL: As usual, please stay safe and practice good hygiene. See you again next time.)
Chapter 369: Is that a problem? (4)
Chapter 369: Is that a problem? (4)
What do you mean, the real story? They are probably just friends.
Why would a friende with him to a reunion?
Shes a celebrity. He mustve figured that wed be happy to meet her.
Thats from Ji-Hyuks perspective. From Jeong Hae-Mins perspective, there is no reason to hold a free event just because a friend asked her toe, now is there? You have any idea how much she could make by participating in an actual event instead ofing here? (Seon-Mi)
....Okay, so? What are you trying to say about their rtionship, then?
Choi Seon-Mi mped her mouth shut just then. If she blurted out whats in her mind, the situation would snowball into something even bigger.
No matter what, they were talking about Jeong Hae-Min, one of the most trending celebs currently active!
M-maybe, shes having a fling. Or something. (Seon-Mi)
Thats ridiculous!
Can we hold you responsible for saying that?
Choi Seon-Mi remained unfazed.
Think about it logically, will you? Ask any girl you know if she wants to apany you to a reunion. You think theyll agree? (Seon-Mi)
....No.
Even if were talking about a girlfriend, they would still be reluctant to show up on a school reunion where you hardly know anyone. So, logically, itd be only normal to think that the rtionship must be something special if shes willing to show up here. (Seon-Mi)
Everyone here knew what Seon-Mi said was logical. However, not one person here wanted to admit to that fact.
Maybe its because shes a kind person.
Hah?!?! (Seon-Mi)
Seon-Mi snorted grandly in derision.
All of you lot, you always say that the world of celebs is dirty and immoral and filled with scandalous affairs, but when ites to discussing your fav celebs, you all go like, theres no way our oppa would do that or our Hae-Min cant possibly be like that. Hey, you all better wake up. That woman? Shes been battling out in that very entertainment industry for ten years. Kind?? If she qualifies as kind, then hell, everyone on this will also qualify, too. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Chang-Hyuk dazedly stared at the doorway Jeong Hae-Min and Yi Ji-Hyuk had disappeared to. Seon-Mi checked that spectacle out and snickered mockingly.
Whats wrong? Does it sting that much? (Seon-Mi)
....So, she did go. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng? Go where? (Seon-Mi)
Choi Chang-Hyuk replied with a half-soulless face.
Jeong Hae-Min also needs to use the bathroom. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
What the hell is wrong with you, you dumb sh*t! (Seon-Mi)
....I thought she only needed to drink the morning dew.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Even if you only drink that, you still gotta go when you gotta go!! She aint a d*mn alien, so what the....?! (Seon-Mi)
Others slowly nodded their heads.
Although, it was unknown which opinion they agreed with more.
H-here theye.
They could hear the bickeringing from the outside.
Ng?
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt enter the venue right away and instead stood outside near the windows to smoke, while Jeong Hae-Min was standing next to him, busy nagging away.
As he smoked, she continued to nag and nag, but when he curtly shot back at her, Jeong Hae-Min got clearly triggered and pounced on him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply grabbed her by her head and pushed the irate woman back.
Seeing all that bickering going on, well....
....They are really close, arent they? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk muttered in a bitter, hollow voice.
No matter how much he wanted to deny it, it just couldnt be done. That scene couldnt be described as a rtionship of regr friends.
Looks that way. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Even Jo Ji-Woong had to acknowledge it. It seemed that now he had plenty of things to talk about when hes back at work in the morning. If he tells his fellow ability users that he met both Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min, and even got to converse with them, then hell, hed be the object of sheer envy from the others in no time at all.
Someone ends up as an ability user and not only that, is in a nice little cosy rtionship with Jeong Hae-Min, yet someone else is.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks depressed face was staring up at the heavens.
Suddenly, he thought he could hear the voices of his juniors busy saying that they needed to definitely win the uing tournament.
That stupid game. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Moisture was rapidly welling up around his eyeballs.
How could life be so unfair like this?
Someone was so sessful in life like that, yet someone else had to live off on minimum wage from a local convenience store.
This cannot happen. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
If it was any other ssmate, then fine, he could congratte that person. The man named Choi Chang-Hyuk? He wasnt such a small minded guy.
But, why did it have to be Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The one man everyone in the ss wouldnt have minded seeing going straight to hell was the most sessful person out of them all. He felt so foolish for thinking, Thats unfortunate back then after hearing the news of Yi Ji-Hyuk going missing during the ck Monday incident.
Why did only Yi Ji-Hyuk seed, though? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
It was then, Jo Ji-Woong smirked and provided the answer.
Isnt it because hes Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Ng? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Well, his type either makes it big time or loses everything, right? We are too scared to make the necessary plunge, but Ji-Hyuk? Nicely put, hes a daredevil without a shred of fear, and when not so nicely put, hes just an insensitive prick, isnt he? (Jo Ji-Woong)
....Well, yeah. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk suddenly recalled the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk pouncing on a group of ten uncles spotting dragon tattoos all those years ago. His reason? Those uncles allegedly stepped on his shoe. Back then, he got beaten up pretty bad, but also, he defeated them all, too.
A regr person wouldnt choose to fight even if he or she possessed enough strength to face off against ten people.
No, hang on, isnt that more like how rotten his personality is, instead? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....Not sure what youre thinking of while saying that, but in any case. Its a big problem that Im sympathising with you. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong slowly nodded his head.
Looks like they areing back inside. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng, seems that way. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk finished smoking and was walking back inside. Jeong Hae-Min stuck pretty close behind him. The door opened and he entered, prompting this awkward atmosphere to pervade inside the venue once more.
The absolute majority of them just couldnt ept the situation unfolding before their eyes.
...Whats wrong with this mood? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Choi Chang-Hyuk sent signals with his eyes to Seon-Mi. She chewed her lower lip, before finally opening her mouth.
Okay, so. What exactly is the story between you two? (Seon-Mi)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You and Miss Jeong Hae-Min. (Seon-Mi)
Choi Chang-Hyuk went, Ohh, ohhh! and looked at her.
He only gave her some light signals, yet to think shed go for the jugr.
So proud of you, Choi Seon-Mi. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
They all expected Yi Ji-Hyuk to stammer and hesitate, or least try to change the subject, but too bad C Yi Ji-Hyuk replied nonchntly.
Shes a workce colleague. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul. (Jeong Hae-Min)
It was Jeong Hae-Mins jaw that dropped low from his reply.
And this very scene hit Choi Chang-hyuk with a fresh round of punches to the gut.
N-no, it cant be. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
It must never be.
At the very least, this rtionship had to be the one where Yi Ji-Hyuk was clinging onto Jeong Hae-Min. Why would someone like her cling onto a man with such a mean personality? Because shecked something?
Are you really just work colleagues? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm? Did you say something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min was wordlessly chugging down the ownerless mug of beer resting in front of her. Everyone watching her let out a helpless groan.
This, this shouldnt be happening... (everyone)
In a variety of ways, this was so wrong.
H-hahaha, Miss Hae-Min. L-let me pour you another round. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk tried his best to alter the rapidly-declining mood, but Jeong Hae-Min replied while smiling refreshingly.
Oh, my. Thank you, but I dont drink. (Jeong Hae-Min)
..............
In that case, were you drinking water just now, maam?
The foams inside that mug havent even fully disappeared yet, so what are you even saying?! (Choi Chang-Hyuks inner monologue)
I-I see. Then, how about c? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Its fine. I can pour it myself. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Chang-Hyuks shoulders dropped in dejection and he slunk off to his own chair.
Shes like an iron wall. (Seon-Mi)
Seon-Mi shook her head.
By the way, Ji-Hyuk? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong called out, and Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to him.
Yeah? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive heard the story that you guys are preparing for a big mission or something. Is it okay for you to be hanging out here? I mean, I also heard that the whole NDF is in a state of emergency... (Jo Ji-Woong)
Ah, that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in a dismissive tone.
Ill be alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Im not involved in the mission this time, you see. There are two surplus folks in the NDF, and one of them is me. As for the other one.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneaked a nce only for Jeong Hae-Min to re murderously at him.
Im not surplus, you know! (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Well, so she says. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe thats the story with you, but with me, its just that my ability doesnt suit this mission, thats all! Who can possibly be more important than me in the NDF?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Okay, except him. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Sure, Jeong Hae-Min was a teleporter, but she still wouldnt trump Choi Jeong-Hoon for his importance to the organisation. Even she herself had to acknowledge this fact. She could tell that without him, the NDF wouldnt function properly.
Okay, okay. Lets just make a toast. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks suggestion prompted everyone to raise their sses.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Yi Ji-Hyuk drank soju, and he frowned slightly.
Hey, you arent so good with alcohol. Who knew?
Nah, its just that I dunno why the booze on this side doesnt taste so good. Sometimes when I get irritated, I feel like going over to the other side and bringing their booze here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Berafes booze should go for a quite handsome amount of moh if he decided to bring some over here, thats for sure. But then again, he already had enough money anyway, so there was no reason to do so.
Hey, Ji-Hyuk-ah? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Min Ye-Jeong had sneaked closer to his side and began pouring him a new shot.
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt your work, like, super hard? (Min Ye-Jeong)
You asking me whether its difficult or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
It was a bit strange to say it was tough, but then again, itd be also strange to say that wasnt so.
Well, leeching off money from someone else isnt a childs y, thats for sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that something you should say when you suck on your thumbs for six days a week? (Jeong Hae-Min)
...Sometimes, it can get pretty tough with work, even if its only a single day. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lazybones. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Min Ye-Jeongs brows quivered.
She was the one who brought the subject up, yet Jeong Hae-Min was able to smoothly steal the initiative away. Thetters masterful manoeuvring technique really got on the formers nerves.
What do you do exactly in the NDF, anyway? (Min Ye-Jeong)
What, me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, you. Isnt the work the NDF people do different from the KSF? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Everyone shifted their gaze over to Min Ye-Jeong and Yi Ji-Hyuk. Actually, they were rather curious about this, as well. They often heard lots of stories about the NDF doing some stuff overseas, but the media had been tightly gagged from reporting on what the organisation was doing exactly.
The thing was, though, the matters of battles against the demon kings, or how this world might have been destroyed if not for Yi Ji-Hyuks feats, were not really something that could be reported through mass media.
As a matter of fact, even those media outfits that knew the truth self-censored themselves. The current world was too precariously bnced to discuss the merits of ones rights to know.
Well, I just kill monsters. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That doesnt sound too different from what the KSF does? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Monsters are a bit tougher, but yeah. Not much difference there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
Ohhh.
Others took his words as him being humble and stuff, but Yi Ji-Hyuk was simply being earnest here.
Sure, the locations and the opponents might be slightly different, but fundamentally speaking, what he did and what other ability users did wasnt different at all. It was possible to exin his job as killing monsters when they invaded, after all.
Ah, I see. (Min Ye-Jeong)
Min Ye-Jeong grinned slightly.
In that case, when you go kill monsters next time, can you take me with you? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im kinda curious, you see. I wanna see what happens. (Min Ye-Jeong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked back at Jeong Hae-Min.
I dont think thats allowed? Civilians are prohibited from entry, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I heard that you got some clout in that ce, so is it still not okay even if you say something? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Now those were words designed to tug at someones pride. Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a slightly flushed expression.
Of course its not okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehh? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Who do you think I am, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug through his ear canal and blew away the resulting matter.
When someone says dont do it, then just dont. If you still want to do it and throw a tantrum, its only gonnae back to bite you in the end. And when someone asks you why you did it when you were told not to, you aint gonna have anything clever to reply with. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Y-yeah. (Min Ye-Jeong)
That, well, didnt work.
Min Ye-Jeong changed tact.
In that case, can you get me a permit to enter? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Enter? Where? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Inside the ability user residential area. (Min Ye-Jeong)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head. That ce wasnt even a tourist attraction but just another regr neighbourhood filled with normal buildings, so why did she even want to enter there?
Youre weird. What do you want to see in there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just curious, you know? (Min Ye-Jeong)
Curious about that ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng. Maybe you cant feel it since you live there everyday, but none of us can enter it, so we get this urge to go inside and take a look. (Min Ye-Jeong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only snort just then.
Hey, when you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
SLAM-!
It was then, the entrance was flung open quite violently.
Yi Ji-Hyuk got startled and he quickly looked over, only to discover a really familiar face standing there.
D-Dah-Som?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 369. Is that a problem? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 370: Is that a problem? (5)
Chapter 370: Is that a problem? (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression grew utterly dazed.
Why was Dah-Som here, of all ces?
He went, Could it be that she knows someone else in here? and scanned the rest of the crowd in the venue, but they were all looking at her with expressions that said, Who the heck is that girl?
Although the door was wide open, Kim Dah-Som only ever so slightly peeked her head in. Soon enough, though, she spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk and Jeong Hae-Min, and quietly stared at them.
S-so cold.
Did someone leave open the window?
This creeping coldness began pervading inside the venue.
One of her ancestors must be the dang Ice Queen or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The problem wasnt with why she came here C no, itd be more to do with someone needing to evaluate her Ether output sooner rather thanter. At least, thats the impression one would get from her deeply cold re plus the atmosphere oozing from her entire frame.
W-what are you doing in here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som wordlessly entered the venue, strode over to where they were, and quietly stared at Min Ye-Jeong.
Euh.... (Min Ye-Jeong)
Min Ye-Jeong was defeated by her cold aura and physically backed off without even realising it. Kim Dah-Som nonchntly settled on the empty chair next to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She then wordlessly pushed forward an empty ss towards him, and he reflexively lifted up a beer bottle.
Hey, shes underage, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min quickly reminded him, so he put the beer down and instead poured some c in the girls cup.
Gulp, gulp.
Kim Dah-Som wordlessly emptied the c in one go, before mming the cup down on the table with a loud thud. Even the one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk flinched from her chilly aura just then.
W-what are you doing here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just. (Kim Dah-Som)
O-oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although her reply didnt make one lick of sense, it still ended up as an eptable answer. Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt dare to ask any other questions, and simply nodded his head.
If it was just, then that would just have to do.
Especially when it felt like his head might go flying away if he asked another unnecessary question here. However, there was someone here unaffected even by this head might fly away atmosphere.
No, why did you evene here? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.......
Intense sparks went off between Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Min.
Argh, too hot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The poor, innocent Yi Ji-Hyuk trapped between these two females reflexively yanked his body back. Something felt just too unbearably hot while being stuck between their scorching res.
A kid shouldnt show up to an asion like this, you know? I mean, it wont look good for a high schooler to show up to a high school reunion, wouldnt you say? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I dont want to hear that from someone who showed up to anothers reunion, thank you very much. (Kim Dah-Som)
I only came because Ji-Hyuk asked me toe, thats all. I mean, he pleaded with me toe no matter what, so how can I refuse? (Jeong Hae-Min)
When did I... Ouch?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shut his mouth when his side was painfully pinched.
If this was any other time, hed have thrown a tantrum while shouting out that this crazy woman was trying to kill him, but not today. Jeong Hae-Mins own aura was just as terrifying and he simply had to hold himself back.
This is why I dont like hanging out with women.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Starting from Affeldrichae, Erukana, Jeong Hae-Min, and now even Kim Dah-Som. Every single female around him couldnt be called normal in his book.
And when he recalled his mom and Ye-Won back at home, it suddenly became a lot harder to figure out whether only the women around him were strange or every female in the world was just as crazy, instead.
Completely disregarding what he was thinking about at the moment, Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Min continued on with their psychological warfare.
Isnt it even more weird toe just because you were asked to? If you have any shame, then you should know how to differentiate between where you can and cannot go. (Kim Dah-Som)
Unlike you, people wee me regardless of where I go, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Looks like youre feeling quite confident about yourself. Youd be an even better person if only you realised that confidence only applies to you. (Kim Dah-Som)
Nope, Im fine just as I am. (Jeong Hae-Min)
And besides, if everyone here is Ji-Hyuk oppas friends, isnt there too much of an age gap for you to ovee? (Kim Dah-Som)
Grit.
The sound of Jeong Hae-Min gritting her teeth could clearly be heard.
The one thing she felt truly sensitive about, her age, had been urately and ruthlessly attacked by Kim Dah-Som. She was already simmering inside after Yi Ji-Hyuk kept calling her an ahjumma, so she got royally angry after a girl who was even younger than him said something so damaging straight to her face.
....Im still young, Ill have you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes, of course youre. Although, youre still older than Ji-Hyuk oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
No one cares about stuff like that nowadays, you know. Look at Ji-Hyuk, for instance. There are Miss Affeldrichae and Miss Erukana, who are practically a pair of grandmo.... N-no, well, anyways, hes got no problem with them, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Hell, hes even married to one.
Argh, thinking about it makes me mad even more. (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
In order to calm her boiling heart down, she one-shotted the beer in the cup nearby.
.........
Yi Ji-Hyuk was flustered by this sudden onset of psychological warfare, but truth be told, the others around him were even more flustered.
Here was a strange young girl who just waltzed in without any warning, didnt pay a single heed to any of them, and started a war of words with Jeong Hae-Min.
Judging from what they could hear, this girl was clearly bickering with the diminutive idol over the rights to Yi Ji-Hyuk at the moment.
That alone was more than enough to churn their stomachs, but....
Is she a goddess?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks jaw was almost on the floor.
Jeong Hae-Min already possessed the kind of beauty that would make any regr person do a double take. One could say that her adorable cuteness was utterly unmatched anywhere.
But then, this girl appearing out of nowhere possessed otherworldly looks that were on a different dimension to Jeong Hae-Min.
There was a girl like that in South Korea?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
If that girl was to enter the entertainment industry, then hell, all those actors and actresses iming to be hot and beautiful needed to bury their heads in the sand right away. One would have to earnestly question why someone of her peerless beauty had not been known to the wider world at this stage.
Her pure-white, blemish-free skin and clearly-defined facial features were so arresting that you couldnt tear your eyes away from her.
But, but why.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Why were all these beauties gathering around Yi Ji-Hyuk, of all people? Just what kind of heroic feats did he achieve in his past life!!
Choi Chang-Hyuk spat out a deep groan, prompting Jo Ji-Woong to lightly pat him on the shoulder, perhaps to signal that he understood his friends internal conflict.
Things will get easier if you just ept it. (Jo Ji-Woong)
....Shut up. Like hell Ill ept this sh*t. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Even while these two men were conversing, Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som were still bickering away with enough force to potentially devour each other. Yi Ji-Hyuk was sitting between them, sipping his c with a somewhat dazed expression.
Well, its nothing special. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He then shrugged his shoulders.
It felt like his past life was getting blurrier and harder to recall recently so he wanted to retrace his steps, but even after meeting his former ssmates, he didnt feel anything special or particr at all.
Kids should just go home. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I heard that as you get older, you start sleeping less, but I guess thats all true? When I take a look at you being like this and all? (Kim Dah-Som)
I dont sleep because of my age, but its my job preventing me from getting a good sleep, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
And who told you to work, anyway? (Kim Dah-Som)
What was that? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stuck his index fingers in his ears.
This is why Ill die before my time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why did these girlies have to be so antagonistic towards each other?
They seemed to be getting along more or less okay initially, but things were deteriorating pretty rapidly with every passing day. What a big problem this was.
Eiiing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in helplessness.
It was right then, an empty cup was slowly pushed forward from behind his back.
....Please stop. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even you? Why?? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Doh Gah-Yun pushing forward that empty cup from behind and spat out a lengthy groan.
Yup, this is why Ill die before my time.... (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
It wasnt only him who was in danger of dying before his time, however.
Choi Chang-Hyuks cheeks were trembling visibly.
Who was this new girl now?
Hey, Ji-Woong. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm? (Jo Ji-Woong)
This is supposed to be a reunion, right? Or is it that guys blind date or something? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm, well. I do understand how you feel. I do. But.... (Jo Ji-Woong)
But? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
But, I dont think youre the most p*ssed off person in this room, actually. So I was thinking that maybe its okay to ept the truth, if its only on that level. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Eh? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
After hearing Jo Ji-Woongs words, Choi Chang-Hyuk quickly looked behind him only to discover every female in the venue ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk with faces resembling scary spectres.
....And what are they all so riled up about? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
No other creatures are asplicated as women, dude. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Some should be hating this spectacle of Yi Ji-Hyuk being surrounded by several girls, while some others hoping to suck up to him while using this asion should be angry at the fact that they couldnt find a single opening.
What was for certain, though, was that the atmosphere was rapidly getting worse by the second.
I didnt organise the reunion for this. Im getting really embarrassed here. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jo Ji-Woong smirked just then.
Still, Ji-Hyuk isnt someone you can casually meet, you know. Im an ability user living not too far from where he lives, but even then, I can hardly ever see his face. Thats how rare it is. (Jo Ji-Woong)
You guys are that busy? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Nah, he just doesnte outside his house often. (Jo Ji-Woong)
...........
Should he say thats amazing or, as expected from a surplus?
....Lets just call it a day and go home. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
From the look of things, it was far toote to salvage this reunion. And he certainly didnt want to waste his limited free time on spectating some girls fighting over Yi Ji-Hyuk.
But then, something Choi Chang-Hyuk didnt expect happened out of the blue.
Weeeeeeeee-!!
Ng?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk hurriedly looked outside the windows in shock.
Sirens were going off everywhere.
Is this a civil defence exercise? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
But that couldnt be. The sun had set a long time ago already, so who in their right minds would initiate a defence exercise sote in the day?
However, the sirens he could hear now were definitely different from the likes of ambnces or fire engines.
Choi Chang-Hyuks expression hardened as he shouted out.
Hey! Someone check out the news! See what happened! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Everyone hurriedly pulled their phones out and essed the inte.
Vrrr, bzzzz....
However, even before they could tap on their inte browser icons, texts began flooding their devices first.
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head as he watched the rapidly-unfolding situation.
...Ah! (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong looked at his phones screen and shouted out.
Its not that big of a deal. No, hang on, maybe it is a big deal? Anyways. There was an anti-Gate operation taking ce but it went sideways and monsters apparently broke through the defensive lines. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Hul. Does that mean its chaos out there? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm, yeah. I guess so. But, things should calm down after enough time passes by. Still, its a relief, you know. I thought North Korea fired a nuke in our direction or something. I mean, you know how weird the mood in the north has been liketely. (Jo Ji-Woong)
N-ng, sure. Thats true. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
In the middle of this conversation, Choi Chang-Hyuk felt something was off somewhere. This unholy, unclean feeling just didnt want to let him go.
Hey, man. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm? (Jo Ji-Woong)
So, whats the name of the area with monsters running loose? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Its Daeyeon-dong, apparently. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Ohhh. So its Daeyeon-dong? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Okay, so if its Daeyeon-dong....
Seon-Misplexion paled instantly as she cried out.
Thats where we are!! (Seon-Mi)
Aha, I was wondering where I heard of that name before, but its actually this area, eh? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong smiled awkwardly.
Hahaha, its going to be alright. Ability users arent here just for a show, you see. And if we stay put indoors and not try to go outside, nothing much will happen, I think. Im sure the others are busy going around killing the monsters as we speak. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Hey, look at this. Main pages of every portal site is filled with the evacuation notice. They are telling us to run right now, you know?! (Seon-Mi)
....Oh, really? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Yeah, the order to evacuate from the area just came up. Were supposed to head to the nearest shelter, and not hide inside regr buildings! (Seon-Mi)
Jo Ji-Woong shot up from his seat.
Looks like its not a simple situation, then. Everyone, lets hurry and head to the shelter. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Y-yeah, we should. Right? (Seon-Mi)
They all knew this was a serious situation, but this wouldnt be their first time experiencing it, either. People living alongside the threats of Gates post-ck Monday all had to experience mass evacuation once or twice in their lives before.
We need to get there in a calm manner, but... (Jo Ji-Woong)
Outside the windows was already a sea of crowd rushing towards the nearby evacuation shelter in sheer pandemonium.
Youre right. These people are really in a hurry, arent they? An ident might happen at this rate. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
It was like watching a zombie movie or some such. Even if an urgent evacuation notice was sent out, why were they in such a....
....By the way, whats that over there? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Mm? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Choi Chang-Hyuks question prompted Jo Ji-Woong to peek his head outside the window. Then, he pulled his head back and opened his mouth with a rather pale face.
...Ji-Hyuk? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm, a horde of monsters is headed this way. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Well, it cant be that many, can it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its almost on the level of a disaster movie, actually. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Ng?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from his seat and looked outside the window as well.
....Ehh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was treated to a spectacle of countless monsterspletely filling up the road in the distance, busy rushing towards in his direction.
He spat out a groan while watching that view.
A ss reunion, my foot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, it was a reunion, alright.
The only problem was, it was a reunion with monsters.
< 370. Is that a problem? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 371: That’s also not a bad idea (1)
Chapter 371: Thats also not a bad idea (1)
(TL: My bad, the chapter isnt edited. You may find spelling mistakes and grammar faux pas here and there. Do forgive me.)
W-what should we do? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woongsplexion was paler than a sheet of paper as he asked Yi Ji-Hyuk. Others only thought of this situation as being quite serious, but he was a currently-serving member of the KSF and knew how much worse it actually was.
A humans frail body would be ripped to tiny little shreds after getting swept up in the iing waves of monsters. No, forget about tiny shreds C itd be a miracle if some of them even remained afterwards.
Ji-Hyuk. (Jo Ji-Woong)
And so, the only person Jo Ji-Woong could cling onto was Yi Ji-Hyuk. It was far toote to evacuate at this point. The moment he stepped outside the venue, hed end up bing a target.
But, even if its Yi Ji-Hyuk.... (Jo Ji-Woong)
Could he pull it off?
That number of monsters wasnt something a single KSF branch could deal with. At the very least, over five branches would have to mobilise every single personnel on their payroll to construct a dra, and then request the defencemand to perform air raids.
And if he was being brutally honest...
Even then, Im not so sure. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong had never ever seen nor heard about an asion when that many monsters appeared all at once.
If we can somehow get the NDF to support us.... (Jo Ji-Woong)
Thankfully, there were two NDF agents currently present, so he was hoping to receive speedy assistance from the organization. As long as he did his best to assist Yi Ji-Hyuk and defend this ce until then....
Jo Ji-Woong had made up his mind by then and he turned towards Yi Ji-Hyuk, only to discover something rather odd.
Gulp, gulp.
Completely not caring whether the monsters wereing or not, Yi Ji-Hyuk was back in his chair, emptying a cup of c in one go before grandly burping out.
Jeong Hae-Min watching on from the sideline opened her mouth.
What should we do? Run? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, thats also not a bad idea, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk licked his lips.
Cant we just let the others handle this? If I call Dah-Hyun and tell him that Dah-Som is drinking alcohol here, he might show up in three seconds or less, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its not like they are ying around in the office, is it? They must be really busy right now.... Still, they wouldnt know youre here, so at the very least they should mobilise.... (Jeong Hae-Min)
It was right then C no one could tell just when she even started it, but well, Doh Gah-Yun was already ending the phone call to someone.
Report,plete. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, present in the incident location. Report,plete. Requested for halt in dispatch. (Doh Gah-Yun)
.....Okay, so. You called Seo Ah-Young on the phone and told her that Im here, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats... correct. (Doh Gah-Yun)
...And what did she say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please take care of it. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Urgh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
Why did you go and do something no one asked you?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Strange. Error inmunication? Mymander, not Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Following directives from Director Seo Ah-Young. Commanding authority during non-emergency situations, with Director Seo Ah-Young. Hermands, prioritised. Development of unexpected situations, reporting in, a priority. (Doh Gah-Yun)
....Get away from me!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My orders, surveince on Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Cantply with the get away request. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly stared at Doh Gah-Yun before turning his head over to Jeong Hae-Min.
Hey, you know, that order? Dont you think she was given that order, like, all the way back in the beginning? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Looks that way. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, it still hasnt been updated yet or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, Ah-Young is.... Mm, how should I say this, when nicely put, shes got a manly personality that doesnt sweat over minor details, and when not so nicely put, she can be really brainless, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mmmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended up nodding his head. For sure, that simple exnation made a whole lot of sense.
Whatever the case may be, looks like youll have to do some work now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Still driving me like a ve and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wheres your conscience? Lets be honest, youve been doing nothing but sucking on your thumbstely. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What do you mean, sucking on my thumbs?! A firefighter not needing to work is a good thing, so you shouldnt denigrate that with such a demeaning euphemism! The ident not happening in the first ce is the best for everyone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, yes. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jo Ji-Woong became dazed for a moment there.
These two, dont they have eyes?
Couldnt they see all those monsters rushing towards this ce?
J-Ji-Hyuk!! (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong urgently called out Yi Ji-Hyuks name and walked in closer.
Look, everyone is really scared right now. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked around him. His former ssmates were all clearly panicking, theirplexions deeply pale. They had finally realised that it was toote to evacuate from here.
Going outside would surely make them the targets of those monsters, but things wouldnt improve just because they stayed put inside the building. They could see the monsters breaking into various structures from where they were.
Ji-Hyuk!
Beginning with Choi Seon-Mi and Min Ye-Jeong, all the other females hurriedly rushed towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Y-you can do something about them, right? We, we wont die here today, right??
Hah... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a long sigh.
Guys. A human life is not that easy to end as you fear. Even if you wanna die, its not that simple. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was sure of this, since he was talking from experience.
But, but, all those monsters areing this way.
Eh-whew. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out another sigh.
But then again, itd be too much of an ask for anyone to keep their cool after seeing that many monsters flooding in this direction. These folks were normal, powerless civilians, after all. Unlike him or his peers, they couldnt even deal with a single goblin.
Stop being like this, and please do something. We arent the only people here, you know? I dont think the surroundings have been fully evacuated yet, so if you take even more time, more people will die. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yes, maam. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grunted loudly as he stood up from his chair. Although it was annoying, Jeong Hae-Min wasnt wrong there.
Considering the time gap between the evacuation order being issued and the monsters showing up, it was only obvious that the area hadnt been fully evacuated as of yet. In that case, the waves of monsters had to be stopped here.
Oopsie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly waved his hand in the air.
A ck Gate suddenly opened outside the venue, and Oh-Sik leapt out from there.
N-ng?!
Since a strange ck hole suddenly materialised out of thin air, his ssmates were waiting with bated breaths to see what would happen next, but then, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when a tiny little puppy showed up, instead.
What was the meaning of this? Was he joking around?
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt need to provide an exnation whatsoever. Because, a ck tentacle shot out from his hand and it looked as if Oh-Siks body was cleanly prated by it. Then, the tiny puppys body instantly ballooned up into an over-five-metres-tall physique of a massive Ogre. Thats why.
...Wha, whats that??
Kuroooooaaaaar-!!!
Oh-Sik regaining its Ogres silhouette performed a loud Howling. No, rather than a regr Howling, now it was much closer to Fear, instead.
All the monsters hearing that frightening roar came to a screeching halt and focused their attention on Oh-Sik.
They stopped?
ssmates watching on stared at the frozen monsters in disbelief. All those scary creatures violently flooding in all stopped still as if they had made a prior agreement or some such.
How could such a thing even be possible?
Krrrrreuk....
Oh-Sik bared his vicious, violent nature, and started threatening other monsters with a guttural growl.
Is, is that THE Ogre? (Jo Ji-Woong)
It was already a famous story within the KSF that Yi Ji-Hyuk controlled an Ogre. Far too many people had witnessed it, after all.
Heck, there were witnesses present when he captured the poor creature, so why even waste time disputing it?
Even then, Jo Ji-Woong could hardly believe his own eyes witnessing this spectacle.
But, is that really an Ogre?? (Jo Ji-Woong)
He had already participated in a fair number of operations so far as a proud member of the KSF.
Only about half a year ago, an Ogre was ssified as a super-boss level monster threat that no regr ability users could deal with. But now, it was treated as any other monster that showed up with the frequency of at least once a month these days.
Even if that was the case, Jo Ji-Woong could swear upon his heart that he had never ever seen nor heard about an Ogre like this one. Just from its physique alone, it must be at least double the size of a regr Ogre.
Not just that, but the crimson fur reminiscent of burning mes and its looks many times more dignified than any of its ilk C there was just no way that this guy was a regr Ogre at all.
Doesnt it look at least ten times stronger? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Of course, it was foolish to determine a monsters strength by its exterior, but even after considering that, Jo Ji-Woong couldnt help but feel that Yi Ji-Hyuks Ogre was many times stronger than regr Ogres.
First of all, it was double the size, and with its roar alone, it managed to tie up all those monsters previously rushing towards this ce.
That was not something a regr Ogre could do.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Jeong Hae-Min and spoke.
Hey. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Monsters showing up here like this, it means that the Gates been fully opened up, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng, I guess so? (Jeong Hae-Min)
In that case, check out what happened to the defencemand and the KSF people defending there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Ng. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins expression became just a little flustered. She hadnt thought about that.
Hes surprisingly thoughtful in things like this, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min looked back and discovered Doh Gah-Yun already calling someone on the phone.
Swift retreat, after the copse of the defensive line. Some losses incurred, but not serious enough to warrant anxiety. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuk furrowed his brows.
Retreating from the defensive line? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course he could easily tell that the number of monsters far exceeding ones expectation came flooding out from a single Gate simply by taking one look at the current situation.
But then, his nerves were pricked after hearing that the KSF people managed to retreat without incurring any major losses when knowing that powerless civilians were behind them.
What about the defencemand? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Currently regrouping, after experiencing extensive losses. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to fine slits.
Okay, so... they didnt give a rats a*s about their allies or civilians and hurriedly high-tailed outta there to save their hides? Is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.......
Even Doh Gah-Yun had nothing to say.
Surely, no one would be able to answer his pointed question right now.
They really know how to live it up, dont they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt want to criticise the KSF. Nothing was more important to a human being than ones own life, after all. So, ordering them to sacrifice their lives for the sake ofplete strangers was a disy of worst dictatorship imaginable.
If it was them voluntarily stepping forward, sure. But systematically demanding such a sacrifice was not a right thing to do. So, they should bemended for their efforts, pulling out from the danger zone without too much losses, but....
It still doesnt sit well with me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The recent actions of the KSF seemed to indicate that they were heading in the opposite direction to his expectations.
Okay, for now, I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes remained narrowed.
Whatever the case might have been C the monsters before his eyes had inflicted untold amount of losses to the defencemand before showing up here.
In that case, I wont be holding back, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A dog that bit humans would be put down. That wasmon sense. And that wouldnt change because he was dealing with monsters, not dogs.
Okay, then. Ill be right back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk walked over to the door and opened it, while Jeong Hae-Min was waving her hand to bid him goodbye.
Be careful during your fight, okay? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just before he got out through the door, Kim Dah-Som trotted towards him and grabbed his hand and whispered softly.
You mustnt get hurt, okay? (Kim Dah-Som)
....Got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doh Gah-Yun looked at them with a slightly unimpressed pair of eyes before sticking very close to his back to step outside as well.
Seon-Mi asked Jeong Hae-Min.
Arent you also in the NDF? (Seon-Mi)
Yes, I am. (Jeong Hae-Min)
In that case, why arent you going with them? (Seon-Mi)
Oh. Im in the support division, you see. Even if I went with them, I wont be able to do much, anyway. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....I see. (Seon-Mi)
Cheering him on from here will give Ji-Hyuk the boost he needs. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Are you a mascot or something? (Seon-Mi)
Or should it be a cheerleader?
Jeong Hae-Minpletely disregarded Choi Seon-Mis unimpressed re and instead chose to shout loudly at Yi Ji-Hyuk outside the windows, currently walking towards the monsters.
Make sure civilians dont get caught in the middle! (Jeong Hae-Min)
*
Roooooaaaar-!!
Argh, too noisy! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-Sik roaring out an explosive howl flinched from Yi Ji-Hyuks yell and hurriedly cowered before him.
Tsk. Why the hell did it have to be today, of all days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it was any other day, he couldve left this matter to someone else then take it easy for a while. Too bad, though, he was off-duty today and everyone else was just too d*mn busy toe. That meant he had to take care of it himself.
Okay, then.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised both of his hands up in the air.
Humans are scheduled to experience yet another tragedy of same-species killing today, so you lot should also join in the proceedings, dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Three pitch-ck Gates were generated in the air his hands were pointing at.
< 371. Thats also not a bad idea -1 > Fin.
Chapter 372: That’s also not a bad idea (2)
Chapter 372: Thats also not a bad idea (2)
Krrrrr-!
Krooooaaar!!
Impossibly vicious roars and growls escaped from the inside of the Gate as ck as the deepest abyss.
W-whats going on? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong stared at the Gate with a pair of deeply tense eyes.
He already had heard about a rumour that Yi Ji-Hyuk controlled monsters. That Ogre right before his eyes alone easily proved that assertion.
However, there was a massive difference between knowing the truth and seeing/hearing it with his eyes and ears first-hand. Just the growls leaking out from that Gate alone made him all shrivel up from fear.
W-what was that noise just now? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk also jumped up in fright and hurriedly asked Jo Ji-Woong.
I, Im not sure myself. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Although he could guess, he wasnt 100% sure about it.
Choi Chang-Hyuk then peeked his head outside the window to see just what on earth was going on here. He saw a pitch-ck Gate in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
H-hey, isnt that a Gate? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yeah, it is. (Jo Ji-Woong)
W-why did a Gate suddenly appear there? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Because Yi Ji-Hyuk can control Gates? (Jo Ji-Woong)
N-ng?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk failed to understand what Jo Ji-Woong was saying and tilted his head this way and that.
However, it seemed that Seon-Mi was far more interested in something else at the moment.
W-we will be safe if we stay here, right? Right? (Seon-Mi)
Jo Ji-Woong couldnt answer her.
Who exactly knew the correct answer in a situation like this one?
Itll be safe, so you can rx now. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min went ahead and gently consoled Seon-Mi. Seeing how thetter was so pale all the way right down to her lips, she mustve been really terrified right now.
W-we will really be safe? (Seon-Mi)
Yes. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min squeezed Seon-Mis hand tightly.
Sure, Ji-Hyuk can be a bit unreliable, but at least when were talking about a situation like this one, he can be trusted sometimes, so you dont have to worry. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Are you trying to say that we can believe in him or we shouldnt even bother?? (Seon-Mi)
That was so vague.
Just sit back and rx. Youll see. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min gently patted Seon-Mis shivering shoulders.
On the other hand, Yi Ji-Hyuk was observing the monsters madly rushing in his direction once more with a pair of narrowed eyes.
Its like, they are from Berafe, but not really.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Creatures that seemed rather familiar filled up the ranks of the iing horde. Even if not all of those monsters were made-in-Berafe, he still couldnt deny the fact that the frequency of monsters seemingly from Berafe appearing among the hordes had increased a lot recentlypared to the first time he saw one.
I wonder, did the data I ask fore in yet...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It had been a while since he requested for that data, so howe it didntnd in hisps yet?
Sure, Choi Jeong-Hoon was really busytely so it was understandable, but still.
Well, when thirsty, youre supposed to dig a well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While thinking that he shouldnt bother Choi Jeong-Hoon but talk directly to the KSFs director, Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hand forward.
Alright, then. Youre all hungry, arent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since he had them confined to a remote ind out of nowhere, his monsters must be really starving.
The old saying went chicken instead of pheasant, so even if they couldnt eat humans, they should at least fill themselves up by devouring other monsters.
If he hadnt branded those monsters with ve seals and forcibly made them recognise each other asrades, then well, that ind wouldve turned into a living hell on earth after they began devouring themselves.
Kuwooooaaaar-!!
Oh-Sik continued to howl out Fear.
You lucky son of a gun. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While his fellow monsters were starving on a remote ind, he was busy gorging on pet food or tasty sausages in dog parks.
You wouldnt find an Ogre with such a wonderful life than this guy in the whole world.
Thats why its time to vent. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snapped his fingers, causing the ck Gate to emit ominous light. And a short whileter....
Monsters issuing blood-soaked howls and screeches jumped out from the Gate, like water exploding out from a tap turned all the way open.
Kuwa-rahrahrahrah-!!
Kkiiiaaaahhhk!!
The roars and cries of monsters rocked the world.
Yi Ji-Hyuk began humming as he watched this spectacle.
Now this feels nice. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some reason, those cries seemed to contain a certain something capable of heightening Yi Ji-Hyuks focus. When he heard the monsters cry, he felt a bizarrebination of his excitement rising up as well as this inexplicablefort of havinge home from a long journey.
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While he was observing the monsters pouring out from the Gate, Doh Gah-Yun manning the rear addressed him.
Contact with the defencemand and the KSF,plete. Currently en route to provide support. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Tell them to dont bother. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Why not? (Doh Gah-Yun)
The corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks lips curled up.
Them showing their faces around here will only get these guys agitated unnecessarily. If they dont want to get ripped to shreds by monsters, tell them to donte. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Doh Gah-Yun nodded her head and radioed in once more.
...Still on their way. (Doh Gah-Yun)
The KSF? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
KSF, still waiting for a reply. (Doh Gah-Yun)
Hng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted unhappily. Now normally, it should be the KSF rushing here the first thing under the current circumstances, not the defencemand. So, he was really not liking this sort of response.
Rotten to the core, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, this was merely a job for them, so why should he expect a sense of duty from them? Such a negative side effect was an obvious end result when the government forcibly gathered anyone who was an ability user and had them enlisted to the KSF.
Whatever. Its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The soldiers showing up would get a bit annoying, but fine.
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned insidiously at the monsters still rushing in the distance.
Didnt the two sides look about the same in their numbers now?
However, theres a difference in quality, dude. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One shouldntpare a ragtag bunch of monsters summoned haphazardly to a proper armymanded by Yi Ji-Hyuk.
For one, his monster army received his orders and moved systematically.
I only know one tactic, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled loudly. He pointed to his front, and his monsters waiting patiently issued vicious howlings and began dashing forward.
In the middle of a city, two groups of monsters were dashing towards each other.
Their seething, maddened screeches and roars utterly filled up the heavens.
W-what the hell is that sh*t?! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk freaked out and yelled at the top of his voice.
Monsters were pouring out from a Gate that Yi Ji-Hyuk had supposedly generated. And their numbers were now practically overtaking the other group in the distance.
It... its a monsters paradise. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Even now, more monsters were pouring out from the Gate.
That aint even a bloody hatchery, so what the.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
His voice was now filled up with disbelief. He couldnt help but suspect whether the scene before his eyes was even real or not.
After hearing that Yi Ji-Hyuk was going to fight the monsters, he was looking forward to seeing a shy spectacle filled with Ether flying everywhere, kinda like those ability user promotional clips shown on TV. But this scene right now? It was more like monsters and a demon were baring fangs at each other while getting ready to fight or something.
W-what should we do now??
Others couldnt figure out whats going on here and could only press themselves tightly against the walls and shiver away.
Jeong Hae-Min was doing her best to calm them down.
Its alright, everyone. Those are on our side. (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, they are monsters?
Yes, they are monsters, but... friendly monsters, I guess? (Jeong Hae-Min)
.........
Kim Dah-Som slowly shook her head while looking at the diminutive idol. That womans brain sometimes spun so fast that she came across as genuinely wicked, but in times like this, she was like an utter moron.
Ji-Hyuk oppa has summoned them. (Kim Dah-Som)
R-really? Can monsters even be summoned? S-so, if you think of it in gaming terms, then Ji-Hyuks like a tamer or a necromancer? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....Gaming? (Kim Dah-Som)
This time, it was Kim Dah-Soms turn to be speechless. Never before in her life did she y an RPG or anything remotely simr to that.
So it wasnt strange to see such a reaction from her when mentioning things like necromancers.
I-in any case, I get what youre saying. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk turned towards Jo Ji-Woong and asked.
Am I right? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng. More or less. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Of course, this wasnt the extent of Yi Ji-Hyuks powers if what Jo Ji-Woong heard was true, but for now, he thought itd be for the best if the civilians were calmed sufficiently down first.
T-they are about to fight.
Monsters Yi Ji-Hyuk summoned and the iing horde of monsters dashed towards each other, and began colliding violently.
KWA-BOOOOM!
Quite unexpectedly, a massive explosion went off when two hordes collided. Bits of monster flesh raining down could clearly be seen next.
Euh, euh.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk reflexively gasped out in disgust and shock. Sure, he had seen simr scenes in animations and movies before, but the real thing possessed far more impact than any make-belief, as it turned out.
Monsters were tearing, ripping, punching, and devouring each other.
W-wheres my camera? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk began looking for a camera in the middle of this situation, causing Jo Ji-Woong next to him to tut loudly.
What now?! Of course I gotta film this! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
You cant even sell the clips of monster incidents even if you film them, you know. Did you forget that its prohibited? (Jo Ji-Woong)
But, some still got uploaded in secret, though? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....Those are illegal, you know. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong left Choi Chang-Hyuk alone and focused on the events happening in the distance while thetter busy filmed the asion with his phone.
This is no joke. (Jo Ji-Woong)
A whole KSF branch couldnt even dare to block those monsters and had to beat a hasty retreat.
In the past, something like this wouldnt have happened C but recently, the size of a Gate didnt necessarily indicate the actual power of said Gate.
Even stronger monsters in much higher numbers began pouring out from them, thats what.
But then, Yi Ji-Hyuk was fighting them all by himself.
So, is this what being an NDF agent means? (Jo Ji-Woong)
It was called the internationally-acknowledged organisation of South Koreas best and greatest ability users. Jo Ji-Woong was nowing to realise that the im wasnt baseless after all.
Just Yi Ji-Hyuk alone was like this, so what would it be like if the whole of the NDF was mobilised?
Euh.... (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The thick stench of blood wafted in even to the distant reunion venue.
Choi Chang-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk next.
Monsters were ripping into each other to create a hell on earth, yet Yi Ji-Hyuk watching the whole thing y out lookedpletely unperturbed.
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his chin.
Arent they surprisingly tough? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He began tilting his head a little, because he now realised that his calctions were a bit off. ording to his calctions, such a tightly-contested scene shouldnt even happen.
Even if the gap in the monsters strengths werent that great, he was still controlling them, so his creatures should be able to exert much greater levels of power than the other side.
The monsters he controlled didnt possess the instinctive fear of death all lifeforms were blessed with, nor were they scared of pain, either.
But then, there was not much of a difference between the two groups, which could mean either those monsters were stronger than he thought, or....
....My side is weaker? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that, then frowned somewhat after looking at Oh-Sik rampaging around unchecked in the middle of the chaos.
But for that exnation, isnt that kid way too energetic...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, he suddenly pped his hands.
Ah!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....They were far too starved.
Now that he thought about it, the monsters under his control had not been fed properly once after being summoned to this world.
Ah. No wonder they were so frail. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thinking to himself that, as soon as this event was over, he should send a herd of cattle to the remote ind as food, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his hand up in the air and formed hand signs.
Well, thats the story forter...
Since he couldnt feed them in the middle of a battle, he should do something else to strengthen them instead, no?
Wuuuooong!
His hand danced in the air, creating a massive magic circle in the sky.
Go!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He lowered his hand causing the magic circle to emit ckish light that flew into the monsters under his control.
Kuwaaaaahh!!
The monsters bathed in the ck light screamed in sheer pain, before goingpletely berserk and rampaging around.
These guys, stillining after I buffed them up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The eyes of the monsters under the baptism of the dark magic turned blood-red. They then mercilessly pounced on the enemies in pure frenzy. The flow of the battle tilted in his favour in an instant.
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this spectacle and nodded his head.
A man has his face to worry about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As a man, he couldnt sit back and watch the monsters he controlled pushed around by naturally-urring monsters.
It was then, someone quickly ran towards Yi Ji-Hyuk from behind.
< 372. Thats also not a bad idea -2 > Fin.
Chapter 373: That’s also not a bad idea (3)
Chapter 373: Thats also not a bad idea (3)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Jeong In-Su)
Argh, what the hell?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk jumped up in surprise and looked behind in the general direction of the voice.
....Sorry about beingte. (Jeong In-Su)
Hul? I thought you were too preupiedtely? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Id have nothing more to ask for if I was given four hands right about now. (Jeong In-Su)
Although your new silhouette might be a bit too grotesque, but... That could be pretty useful. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked towards the wryly-smiling Jeong In-Su.
Anyways, I thought the defencemand was overseeing the North operation thing? What happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not true. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su shook his hands around in denial.
We dont have any reason to go up north, actually. No, we are the defencemand, not an assaultmand. That job will be left to another division. (Jeong In-Su)
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Jeong In-Su with somewhat mystified eyes. Since it felt like all military-rted actions taken so far had been overseen by Jeong In-Su as themanding officer, it kind of seemed natural for him to takemand of the North operation too, but when one thought about it, what the good former colonel said was right.
The defencemands job was not to deal with the ability users, but the monsters. As long as the North Korean regime didnt start wielding a monster army, they didnt have a business stepping forward here.
But well, Im fully confident of doing a better job than regr soldiers if we were given the mission. (Jeong In-Su)
That could very well be. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There were no other advantages to the so-called elite forces besides the fact that they were very thoroughly trained than the regr grunts. It made sense to think that a military division that didnt see much on-field action wouldnt be able to best the defencemand that fought their butts off against monster threats every single day.
Even then, were a division tasked with defence, after all. (Jeong In-Su)
Not because no other division can fill up the gap in defence? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly, that also yed a big factor, as well. (Jeong In-Su)
Of course, it wasnt as if the higher-ups didnt entertain the idea of deploying thebat personnel from the defencemand, but there was just too much risk associated with utilising them in that manner.
They had to worry about the absence of the NDF during this situation, so if the defencemand was also absent at the same time, responding to arge Gate suddenly opening up would be pretty much impossible, even with Yi Ji-Hyuks presence.
When considering that, it seems like the higher-ups do value the existence of the defencemand pretty highly... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If only the KSFmanders in the frontlines valued the defencemand half as high as the higher-ups did, then they wouldnt be behaving so superciliously.
....Thats a spectacle, alright. You summoned them this time too? (Jeong In-Su)
Yes. Well, things might have been simpler if I got hands-on here, but honestly speaking, Im a bitcking in the precision department, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Precision department?? (Jeong In-Su)
If I use an example from your side, then Im kinda like a cannon? Sure, I have no problem blowing away the pockets of enemies here and there, but killing the creatures that are weaving in between structures without destroying said structures, is not really my forte, so to speak.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back in Berafe, he didnt really need to worry about such things.
He didnt have a reason to differentiate the enemies he needed to kill and the allies he needed to protect. As a man using monsters to fight other humans, he had no reason to worry about coteral damage to his own forces.
But after finding himself in the position to protect humans, there were just way too many things for him to worry about now.
If he caused an explosion over there where a high concentration of monsters could be seen, then sure, he might be able to kill quite a lot in one hit, but that might in turn also cause the surrounding buildings to copse in a heap of rubble, too.
So, its a simr reason to why we dont deploy self-propelled artillery in city warfare. (Jeong In-Su)
Something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, such an aspect does make city battles like this one a bit of a headache. (Jeong In-Su)
From the perspective of the defencemand, the best possible location for a Gate to generate was somewhere preferably uninhabited.
The perfect scenario would be in a remote mountainside or some such C a Gate like that was thought to be a free meal. They would set up a rather sparsely-manned encirclement at a suitable distance away from the portal, then when monsters show up, they would let the artillery prepared in advance rain down a hellstorm of fire down on their targets.
The absolute majority of monsters would inevitably end up as medium-to-well-done monster roasts, and those small number of persistent ones that managed to hang in until the end would be taken care of by the KSF agents. If not, they could use the repurposed KP-SAM rockets to blow away the nasties, instead.
However, itd be a migraine-inducing problem if a Gate popped up in the middle of a city.
First of all, arge-scale firepower couldnt be called upon. Modern buildings wouldnt be able to survive the impact, thats why. The destroyed buildings being a serious waste of resources was one thing, but more importantly, the second wave of damages resulting from said destruction would be very hard to cope with.
Never mind the economic ruin that would surely follow after an entire city becamepletely paralysed, one had to be resolved for the potential losses of civilian lives if some were unable to evacuate on time.
Hmm. I have to wonder if the wide-area firepower is indeed necessary, in this case. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Sus question could be seen as rather logical.
Because, the great monster army before his eyes seemed more than capable enough to utterly sweep away the horde of monsters that came out from a Gate.
....By the way, do you always let them charge forward like that all the time? (Jeong In-Su)
Eh? Should I do something else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent those monsters under your control? (Jeong In-Su)
Yes, they are. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, why not use some kind of tried-and-true war tactics? That would allow you to more effectively suppress your targets with less losses to your side. For instance, make those monsters doing nothing at the rear go around left and right to encircle the enemies. Its themon hammer and anvil tactic. (Jeong In-Su)
Why are you looking for a hammer here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Mm.... (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su quickly recognised his mistake. When exining something to Yi Ji-Hyuk, it should be unpacked enough to be easily digestible. As if you were exining it to a kindergartener, for instance.
Simply put, if you fight while surrounding your enemies, the battle will unfold in a far more efficient manner. (Jeong In-Su)
Ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in understanding.
Thats not possible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? Why not? (Jeong In-Su)
There are several reasons. One, those guys are monsters. Its really hard to make them ignore their enemies right before their noses and go around to the sides. Should I say that its going against their instincts? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see. (Jeong In-Su)
It took humanity centuries to tame wild horses until they could be ridden on by humans. So, even if monsters had been suppressed, it couldnt have been easy to make them do what you wanted them to do.
Secondly, my head might explode. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Oh. (Jeong In-Su)
How should I say this... Those things are not humans, you see. I cant simply order them to do this and that, but have to use my willpower and Mana to control them. However, its not like they have identification numbers stuck to their backs or something, and its almost impossible tomand them with thoughts like,e over here by that much and go over there by that much, you know? Sure, theoretically its possible, but my brain will overload first and explode. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, I see. That makes sense. (Jeong In-Su)
This time, it was Jeong In-Sus turn to nod his head in understanding.
And finally... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Jeong In-Su)
I tried this and that before, you know? But this had the best overall efficiency in the end. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean, this shut-up-and-attack strategy? (Jeong In-Su)
Humans usually lose their will to fight after witnessing the front rows get killed in situations like this. But monsters have a tendency to get even more agitated and rampage around when they see a battle in front of their eyes. So, with every passing second, they will be even more vicious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed to his front and lightly snapped his fingers.
Khaa-aaaaah!!
At the same time, monsters issued thunderous roars and began jumping over their fellow monsters in front to madly pounce on their enemies with utter reckless abandon.
Just like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su watched that spectacle and shuddered ever so slightly.
It will have to be a surprise attack. (Jeong In-Su)
How would he respond if the monster army controlled by Yi Ji-Hyuk bared their fangs towards humanity?
Jeong In-Su already knew the best method avable, actually.
And that was topletely ignore the secondary wave of damages, economic ruin or whatever, and simply rain down tactical nukes near where Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
That should be enough to wipe out every monster, then.
Although, itd still be unknown if thats enough to deal with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
No, itll still be difficult. (Jeong In-Su)
If the n was to defeat Yi Ji-Hyuk, then he had to be dealt with right at the beginning.
He could simply open a Gate and go somewhere else if he sensed something was wrong. To a man who waltzed in and out of the Blue House or for that matter, the White House, as if it was his own living room, the bombardment attacks would only pose a minimum threat.
Wait, what the hell am I even thinking about here? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su hurriedly shook his head.
Even if he was the part of the defencemand tasked with defending his home country and therefore needing to consider all possibilities, it was still too disrespectful and wrong to earmark Yi Ji-Hyuk as an enemy.
Sure, this man might grumble andin all the time, but hadnt he saved South Korea and the world many times by now?
ording to Jeong In-Sus memories, there had been five crises that couldve directly led South Korea to destruction if Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt step forward to stop them. Here was a man who saved his mother nation many times in a short period of time, yet to think a battle simtion was being thought up of against such a person.
Jeong In-Su spat out a sigh. It seemed that he was on edge after things got too hectictely.
Besides all that. It feels like their charge has slowed down somewhat... What are your monsters doing? (Jeong In-Su)
For some reason, the monster army didnt seem to be advancing all that muchpared to how frenzied their aura was. But there was a reason for that.
The monster army was currently devouring the dead monsters, thats why.
....I guess they were starving? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Should that be called the literal dog eat dog situation? Cannibalism, maybe?
Although it was a bit wrong to say that they were all from the same species... Just like how creatures living on earth didnt refer to each other as their kin, monsters probably didnt recognise their fellow monsters as kin, either.
What a relief that there are no eyewitnesses around here. (Jeong In-Su)
But, there are? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh?? (Jeong In-Su)
*
Choi Chang-Hyuk continued to stare outside the window with a paleplexion.
W-what the hell is that?? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
The monsters Yi Ji-Hyuk controlled were busy devouring the enemy monsters.
Hiii-eeek?! (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Of course, the idea of monsters devouring other monsters didnte across as strange to him. Well, wild animals also preyed on other animals, after all.
No, his issue was with the scene of devouring being so explicit and grotesque. Such as, the limbs of the fallen monsters were ripped off before being eaten, or dozens of creatures pounced on a dead monster to start a bloody carnival, etc.
This is definitely not suitable for persons under the age of eighteen. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
If not, it seemed likely that this footage would have to be released in the so-called restricted showing only. This spectacle was not good for your mental health even if you were a functioning adult.
People called Choi Chang-Hyuk pretty fearless but even he felt his stomach churn right now, so what would it be like with regr folks, then?
I-its a lot different from what I thought. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong agreed with Choi Chang-Hyuks opinion.
He too expected a shy disy since this was going to be Yi Ji-Hyuks fight. He was anticipating a superhero-type battle as seen in various movies, but what he was treated to instead was a big monster carnival, so he couldnt help but feel this disharmony.
Does Yi Ji-Hyuk fight like that all the time? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Yeah. (Jo Ji-Woong)
....To think that its like this. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk dazedly muttered, and Jo Ji-Woong replied to him in a grave tone of voice.
Didnt you say that being an ability user is nothing much, thats its a cakewalk? (Jo Ji-Woong)
.....
Yi Ji-Hyuk is the most special ability user in South Korea. On the other hand, the regr ability users like me need to physically stand up against the monsters rushing in like that. P*ssing in your pants and losing your mind at least once is seen as a rite of passage to us, you know. (Jo Ji-Woong)
............
So, dont ever think that the ability users have it easy. If it werent for that d*mnw, Id have run away many times over by now. If we were told that we can live like regr civilians but have to give up all of our special privileges, then over 90% of the ability users would quit the KSF right away. The government knows that, and thats why they created this specialw or whatever to force us. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Im sorry. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuk willingly lowered his head.
Indeed, the difference between seeing it from a screen and seeing it live was too big. Choi Chang-Hyuk would rather kill himself first than stand in front of those monsters. How would he feel if his abilities suddenly manifested today and was told to enlist in the KSF?
He might have epted it with a happy mindset if it was yesterday. But now, he simply couldnt. He had to give up on too many things for just a little bit of special privileges.
It was not easy. I didnt know that. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks observation caused others to nod their heads. None of them had any idea how terrifying monsters could actually be.
By the way, what is he doing now? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
It was then, they caught the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly coagting a massive ck cloud-like thing in the air.
Oh my god.....
< 373. Thats also not a bad idea -3 > Fin.
(TL: Everyone, do your best to stay safe. Lets beat this coronavirus together.)
Chapter 374: That’s also not a bad idea (4)
Chapter 374: Thats also not a bad idea (4)
That spectacle was like something youd only see inside a living hell.
A thundercloud? No, it was different from that.
The darkness emanating from it was differentpared to regr stormy clouds. That dark colour, that ckness, made one feel unsettled just from looking at it. It was depressing, gloomy, and the longer you stared at it, the tighter your chest would be.
The ck smoke oozing out from a mans body rose up in the air and began creating a mass of ck clouds.
Hey, Ji-Woong. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Hes still on our side, right? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
....I think so? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Choi Chang-Hyuk continued to speak in a trembling voice while looking at Yi Ji-Hyuks figure.
But why do I get the feeling that I should be more wary of him than the other side? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Jo Ji-Woong gritted his teeth without saying anything. Because, he too was getting the same vibe. For sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk was fighting for humanity here, but despite everyone obviously knowing that, they just couldnt help but feel this ominous foreboding when looking at him.
To make matters worse, Im also an ability user like him, too. (Jo Ji-Woong)
One of the things that got proven after the monsters and ability users appeared on Earth was the unrealistic expectation of superhero tropes.
How the world and most of its denizens would react when superheroes really did appear had always been a hot topic of discussion. Some said that everyone would wee their advent with open arms, while others said that the heroes would be ostracised.
Too bad for everyone, though, the truth was revealed with a whimper.
Humanity found out that it enjoyed being jealous and envious of those with abilities rather than idolised or worshipped them. Especially so when a person with innate abilities C the generally-epted theory was that the jealousy would run even deeper, but....
But, thats not the whole story, was it? (Jo Ji-Woong)
Jo Ji-Woong could acutely feel it.
He too could proim to be an ability user, yet to feel this kind of emotion, it.... The cause of that ostracism of the ability user might not be as simple as jealousy or envy.
Fear.
The most basic, instinctive fear felt towards an existence that you could never deal with.
This feeling of hopelessness at being unable to do anything besides just watching as a wild tiger loitered around the street.
People probably felt like this towards regr ability users.
If so, what would those normal people feel when looking at Yi Ji-Hyuk right now?
Could it be simr to looking at a devil that one would never be able to see in real life?
Jo Ji-Woong possessed special abilities and theoretically could fight back to an extent yet was still feeling this way. So, it didnt take a genius to figure out what itd be like with normal, powerless civilians who couldnt even offer that minimal amount of resistance when looking at the current Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Like this guy over here. (Jo Ji-Woong)
Choi Chang-Hyuk was staring at Yi Ji-Hyuk with apletely pale-whiteplexion. The emotions that had been ruling him up until just now, like jealousy, were nowhere to be seen on that expression.
He, hes not human. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Excuse me, please dont say something so inconsiderate like that. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min immediately raised an issue with what Choi Chang-Hyuk muttered out.
....Ah, sorry. (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Ji-Hyuk might look that way, but hes very much a human like us. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Really? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Very much so. Hes totally obsessed with food, and he... likes wasting time, ying games, and his mother torments with constant nagging... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Now that I hear you, yeah, thats very human.
So human, in fact, its like listening to my own life story. (Choi Chang-Hyuks inner monologue)
The thing about enjoying video games, wasting time and getting tormented by his mothers nagging all so perfectly fit Choi Chang-Hyuks own life story that he could even write a dang diary about them.
So, judging him with those eyes is aplete no-no. And thats something Ji-Hyuk is most sensitive about, too. (Jeong Hae-Min)
...Really? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Choi Chang-Hyuks tilted this way and that out of confusion.
The Yi Ji-Hyuk he knew definitely didnt not have the word sensitive in his vocabry. Indeed, Yi Ji-Hyuks character more suited the type that just let things slide while saying, thatll do.
Of course, its all guesswork, but still. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min then sneakily backed out a bit just then, prompting Choi Chang-Hyuk to stare at her with a pair of less than impressed eyes. However, he quickly shook his head.
How dare I do something so disrespectful towards our dear goddess? (Choi Chang-Hyuk)
Sure, the current situation was crazy and wacky, but how could he even dare to narrow his eyes at the one and only Jeong Hae-Min? Such sacrilege couldnt be tolerated.
....What is he nning to do now? (Jo Ji-Woong)
It was then C after hearing Jo Ji-Woongs voice, Choi Chang-Hyuk hurriedly shifted his gaze back over to where Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
*
...If you wait a bit longer, the support division of the defencemand should arrive on location. How about holding yourself back a little until... (Jeong In-Su)
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked back in a nonchnt-sounding voice.
....For one, we need to get rid of all those monster corpses, yes? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su didnt think that Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt be able to handle a monster horde of this scale without the presence of the defencemand.
However, there was still a chance that some civilians hiding nearby mistakenly believed that the situation had been resolved and emerged from their spots. So, if the defencemand didnt secure the perimeter, some problems might crop up in regards to guaranteeing the safety of all civilians.
You dont have to worry about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Jeong In-Su)
Ill make sure that this ce is spotless. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and began rising up in the air gradually.
Jeong In-Su watched this spectacle unfold with a pair of slightly dazed eyes. However, him not being shocked by a flying man came across as far more bizarre to him.
But, this is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, after all. (Jeong In-Su)
Indeed, Jeong In-Su wouldnt be shocked to hear if that guy was capable of turning rocks into gold bullions at this stage.
Right then, a storm-like barrage of demonic aura gushed out from Yi Ji-Hyuks airborne figure.
Just like that, Jeong In-Su took back everything he thought up of a second ago. Seeing that demonic aurapletely envelop Yi Ji-Hyuk caused another round of fresh shock to his system. And soon afterwards, the instinctive fear thatpletely overwhelmed that shock began to dig deep into his heart.
ck, ck, ck....
Jeong In-Sus lower jaw trembled all on its own and his teeth began ttering.
Every single monster stopped moving the moment Yi Ji-Hyuk started spilling the demonic aura outside. The allied creatures hurriedly lowered their heads and pathetically whimpered, while the enemy monsters began trembling in fear while dazedly stared at him.
It was at this point that he extended his hand to the front. At the same time, the demonic aura coagting in the air like ck clouds spread out to all sides.
N-ng?? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su observed the demonic aura with puzzled eyes. He had seen Yi Ji-Hyuk call forth high-ranking magic spells several times before, but he couldnt quite recall seeing anything simr to this one.
For one, the way that ck stuff moved slowly came across rather foreign to him.
The demonic aura slowly spreading out soon began settling down over the monsters.
Kneel. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes emitted a crimson glow. At the same time, the demonic aura began permeating into the monsters bodies.
Uh?? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Sus eyes grew wider as he observed the monsters reactions.
They began writhing around in pain right after that ck energy entered their bodies. Yi Ji-Hyuks monsters, meanwhile, became utterly frightened and hurriedly backed away, and then backed away some more.
Kah-aaaaaah!!
The screams capable of wringing the hearts of all listeners resounded out. All sorts of different monsters screamed out in their unique voices to create a truly monstrous and bizarrebination of noises that couldnt be described in mere words.
Since you all had your fill and then surrendered to me... This should work a treat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
It might have been tough to make monsters submit to him when they were still full of rebellious spirit, but once they tasted fear, it would be so much easier.
Kkiiii-eeeehk!!
Screams of pain and despair.
Monsters writhed and rolled around where they stood in sheer maddened frenzy. The whole world seemed to rumble as if an end-time earthquake had begun after a massive horde of monsters rolled around on the ground.
Uwaaaah-!! (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su also hurriedly crouched and hugged himself. The world was shaking so much that standing upright was no longer possible.
Wont buildings copse at this rate?! (Jeong In-Su)
There was no way that Hell Joseon-era buildings were constructed with earthquake-resistance properties in mind. It wouldnt be strange to see high-rises copse with this much shaking. Thankfully, though, no such event urred, and the shaking eventually died down.
Kkiii-eeeiii...
Monsters issued soft, defeated whimpers and began rising up one by one. Then, they suddenly attacked other monsters in their vicinity.
Ng?? (Jeong In-Su)
Monsters that challenged Yi Ji-Hyuks army only until a minute ago were now fighting among themselves. The divide wasnt equal in number, though. And owing to the fact that the skirmish took ce between one big side and one not-so-big side, the situation got sorted out in the proverbial blink.
The remaining monsters all stopped moving and stood still.
The end. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly floated back down and waved his hand around.
A ck Gate was generated in the middle of the monster horde, and then, the surrounding monsters all hurriedly rushed inside the portal.
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in satisfaction.
The monster horde that easily numbered tens of thousands were all orderly entering the Gate.
W-what did you do exactly? (Jeong In-Su)
I swallowed them all up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Jeong In-Su)
They are all on our side now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Or more specifically, they were now Yi Ji-Hyuks ves.
In the past, there was no specific restriction on pping the Seal of Obedience on the monsters far weaker than he was. But the current him was nowhere near his past peak, so he had to jump through a few hoops to break them mentally which would then make the job much smoother.
Although, it was cumbersome and all.
....I-is that so? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su watched the monsters gradually disappearing inside the Gate and could only sigh hollowly.
I always feel this whenever I see him at work, but well, this is a bit too much. (Jeong In-Su)
This monster horde broke through the defensive line despite the best efforts of both the defencemand and the KSF.
So, it was indeed a relief that Yi Ji-Hyuk happened to be around the location and things got resolved very easily. But there was nothing Jeong In-Su could do about feeling hollow after things got taken care of far too easily like this.
Besides all that. You arrived a lot sooner than I expected. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I was in my office when the news came through. I got here as fast as I could, actually. But if I knew you were here, then maybe I shouldnt have. (Jeong In-Su)
Hmm, but the KSF isnt here yet? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats mostly because the KSF branches all have their strictly defined jurisdictions, thats why. It makes providing timely support rather tricky. The HQ do exercise the overallmand, but normally in situations like this, rather than seeking extra support from other branches, the KSF agents will instead request NDF for help. But well, you know that the NDF isnt in a position toe today. (Jeong In-Su)
Seeing how Jeong In-Su was sticking up for the KSF, Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt help chuckle hollowly. Especially after remembering that this guy used to rake both Choi Jeong-Hoon and Seo Ah-Young over the coals in the past.
You know, you dont need to protect them to this extent.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its an aggrieving situation for everyone, after all. Its true that the KSF has lost their edgetely, but todays situation was basically an amalgamation of irresistible factors. (Jeong In-Su)
If the defencemand only managed to arrive now, will that narrative change? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm. My tone of voice might have, but the overall story would still remainrgely the same. (Jeong In-Su)
In that case, Ill ept it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
He was not a fan of arguing unnecessarily, anyway. Except that, he did think it might be a problem if no one was capable enough to control the KSF if that organization continued to disy such ckadaisical attitude.
Actually, theres something Im kinda curious about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Jeong In-Su)
Objectively speaking, what will happen if the defencemand and the KSF start fighting? Can the defencemand deal with them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su pondered this for a while before asking back.
What about you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? Do I need to include you in the hypothetical? (Jeong In-Su)
No, without me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, the forces of the defencemand should be about on the same level, and if all thebat personnel in the South Korean army are mobilised, then its a crushing victory. (Jeong In-Su)
Its that much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su replied as if it was obvious.
The reason why the military requires ability users is because we dont see firearms as an effective countermeasure against the majority of monsters. After guns were developed enough to perfectly destroy human bodies, the subsequent development no longer was focused on the amplification of the weapons destructive power but mostly on the uracy and rapid, sustained fire, instead. (Jeong In-Su)
I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With the ability users, excluding a few handful special cases, they cant defend themselves from a hail of bullets hitting their bodies. We dont even need snipers, just the regr fire alone will make it impossible for them to raise their heads. (Jeong In-Su)
Mm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
That certainly made some sense.
In that case, thats a relief. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Relief? (Jeong In-Su)
Just before Jeong In-Su could express his confusion, Yi Ji-Hyuk asked one other thing.
Did the NDF leave already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 374. Thats also not a bad idea -4 > Fin.
Chapter 375: That’s also not a bad idea (5)
Chapter 375: Thats also not a bad idea (5)
Wasnt the departure date the day after tomorrow? (Jeong In-Su)
That means they are still here, arent they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I believe so. (Jeong In-Su)
Hmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One could tell from how the NDF didnt show up here, presumably prevented from doing so, that the government was taking the uing excursion up north as an incredible grave matter.
In any case, Ill leave the clean-up to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, even though its supposed to be the clean-up.... (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su smiled bitterly.
Almost no remains of monsters could be found. The only thing his eyes could see was the ground pockmarked by pools of dark red or blue blood here and there.
All the monsters Yi Ji-Hyuk had summoned, plus the suppressed ones, had all entered the Gate and disappeared from the view a while ago.
Do we really need to, uh, literally clean this ce? (Jeong In-Su)
Of course, the real clean-up would involve searching for civilians who might still be found inside nearby buildings and sending them home, plus filling up all the paperworks back in the office.
And there was also the small matter of getting cussed and questioned by the brass on why the defensive line had been breached. Most definitely, hed have to write up a rather extensive, detailed report on the subject, too.
In any case, thank you for your hard work. (Jeong In-Su)
Its fine. Well, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand, and headed towards a building to the side.
...Where are you going? (Jeong In-Su)
Ah, this? Actually, I was attending the school reunion, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su asked back in a dumb-sounding voice.
*
Nice work. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min grinned and lightly massaged Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders.
No biggie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Som wordlessly came closer to him and pushed forward a cup brimming with cold drink. He took it and gulped it down in one go, before letting out a loud exmation of admiration.
Yup, a chilled cup of c after work is the best. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Seon-Mi asked him with a still-trembling voice.
I-is everything really, really over? (Seon-Mi)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C-can we go home now? (Seon-Mi)
I dont think thats an issue, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked back towards Jo Ji-Woong, and thetter took over the exnation.
For the time being, the surroundings will be in the lockdown. Itll be better to sit tight until the defencemand arrives to guide us out. (Jo Ji-Woong)
So he says? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng. (Seon-Mi)
Seon-Mi maintained a deeply anxious expression.
There are no more monsters here. You dont have to be so nervous now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She nodded her head.
Today, she learned for the first time that she was an easily-scared type. If it wasnt for Jeong Hae-Min staying by her side to keep her calm, she might have lost her mind from the shock and done something unwise.
....Hae-Min eonni, thank you. (Seon-Mi)
Seon-Mi even felt sorry for behaving so rudely up until now.
Oh, no. No need to mention it. We obviously need to help each other out. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min smiled brightly.
Shes really an angel. An angel. (Seon-Mi)
Despite being an entertainer, she had a kind heart. To add on top of this, she was pretty, she was a good singer, had a warm personality, and even danced well....
Indeed, one couldnt help but think that she was basically perfect.
Ill join her fan club. (Seon-Mi)
If not, maybe itd be a swell idea to create a dedicated personal fan club and actively promote it. Like, naming it as Milky-White Jeong Hae-Min or some such...
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly raised his voice.
By the way, you.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Instead of wasting time like that, why didnt you teleport everyone outta here? Especially when they were so scared like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, things were gonna get sorted out soon, anyway. Too much work, you know. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Snap.
Seon-Mis eyes shook hard and her fists automatically clenched by themselves.
T-teleport?? (Seon-Mi)
Now that she thought about it, wasnt Jeong Hae-Min an ability user capable of teleporting? As long as she wanted to, she couldve evacuated everyone in this venue to a safe zone.
It, its too much work?? (Seon-Mi)
Because of such a stupid reason, she let everyone in here shiver non-stop from terror??
....Yeah, it is a bit of work, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied nonchntly and began putting on his jacket.
Since things turned out like this, I guess its impossible to carry on with the reunion now. Why dont we meet up again some timeter? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-ng... (Seon-Mi)
In that case, see ya around. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk strode outside, prompting both Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som to hurriedly chase after him, too.
Take care, everyone. (Jeong Hae-Min)
The ssmates dazedly waved their hands. After the exit was closed behind them, a lengthy silence descended in the venue.
....A tornado swept by here.
Guess so.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk emerged outside, and trudged towards his home. He could see armed soldiers rushing in his general direction from a far.
Will they be fine? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt help but think that while looking at all those soldiers.
The NDF felt burdened by the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt going to apany them. On the other hand, he too didnt feel settled when thinking about how the NDF would be carrying out the mission without him. It was kinda like leaving a little kid near a big body of water or something.
Hey, Ji-Hyuk-ah. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min smiled brightly and asked.
Should we go somewhere to have fun the day after tomorrow? My schedule ispletely open on that day, you see? Because Im on emergency standby. (Jeong Hae-Min)
.....Youre on standby, so where do you think youre going?! (Kim Dah-Som)
Even before Yi Ji-Hyuk could reply, Kim Dah-Som retorted first.
I can be on standby anywhere I want, you know? Waiting for a call is my version of standby, you see. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....Keuk. (Kim Dah-Som)
Indeed, she was right. What reason was there for a teleporter to care about where she was on standby?
E-even still, shouldnt you be upholding the basic principle of being on standby, at least? (Kim Dah-Som)
Dont you sweat it and just keep attending school, little miss. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I will. And it must be so nice, having graduated after getting too old for school. (Kim Dah-Som)
What?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at the two of them bickering away and could only sigh.
Is it me whos too worried, or are these two just tooid-back? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yet another long, long day was drawing to a close.
*
On the day of the operation.
With a really tense expression, Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the scene unfolding in front of him.
This... Will this be okay? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since this was supposed to be a sudden incursion, he thought hed jump out of a helicopter or some kinda drop ship and parachute towards the destination. However, the route the army had chosenpletely betrayed his expectation.
....Of course, since its big enough for a person to stand up straight, Im not reallyining, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)s
Colonel Gwok Min-Ho currently overseeingmand exined it to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Basically, allnd-based missions will have to go through the demilitarized zone first, but thatll give the enemy time to organise their defences. No matter how quickly we advance towards Pyongyang, that option is still too limited, unfortunately. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Yes, I understand that.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its no different with air transport, as well. The North pays especially careful attention over their air defence systems. Although its difficult to prate their airspace with fighters or guided missiles, we can still perform bombing raids, but that wont guarantee a thorough elimination of the designated targets. (Gwok Min-Ho)
I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
More importantly, Pyongyang is currently teeming with civilians. With over five million people living in that city alone, its simply impossible to bombard the targets. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
If you didnt know the Norths situation beforehand, then youd be tempted into thinking that the North Korean government deliberately brought in all those people just for this purpose. Thats how lob-sided the distribution of poption was.
There are around twenty million people living in North Korea, yet to think that five million of them live in Pyongyang alone.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, a lot of people have been gathered there. But you could also say that, even after they used all sorts of methods, they only managed to gather that many. Which in turn could be interpreted as the authority of the Norths ruling elite having waned significantlypared to before. Back when Kim Il-Sung was still alive, over ten million wouldve showed up, at least. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Most likely. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That certainly made some sense. Didnt mean Choi Jeong-Hoon felt any better, though.
Thats why the sea is the best avable route for us. If we could prate through Daedong River, that would be ideal, but if we cant and have tond somewhere, as long as we can get to Nampo and find a road, well only need to cover 50 kilometres. Meaning, we can advance to Pyongyang in one go. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head again.
From his perspective, it made more sense to use aerones or helicopters to get to Pyongyang, but the colonel was a military specialist, so his opinion should be the more educated one in this case.
How will the other countries move? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Both China and Russia will divide their forces and advance throughnd and sea. Well definitely need upying forces, after all. A small portion will move by ne, however. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon let out a worried groan.
South Korea didnt choose thend route, so he couldnt help but worry about China and Russia choosing to go ahead using precisely that.
Its an obvious choice. The absolute majority of the Norths armed forces are concentrated on the south of their territory. Why do you think those attempting to escape the Norths regime dont bother with the demilitarized zone but try to cross the Amnok River, instead? (Gwok Min-Ho)
I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon expressed his agreement and looked to his side, over the railings of the huge ship. The vast, endless ocean entered his view, the waves breaking below the advancing hull.
In that case, are we heading to Pyongyang right now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? Ah, no. Were currently en route to China. Our destination is Qingdao. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Eh? Qingdao? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Hang on a minute. Didnt you say a minute ago that thending forces will be invading Pyongyang directly by boat? Why are we headed to China, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Gwok Min-Ho grinned brightly.
You mustnt forget that this operation is a joint cooperation between multiple forces. Although South Korea doesnt have a direct route to invade Pyongyang, its a different story for the Chinese. The Chinese army, for instance, has a teleporter who maintains a mark in Pyongyang. Through that ability user, we can all reach there in one breath. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Ah! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Only then did Choi Jeong-Hoon understand their situation.
Teleporting the majority of thending forces was impossible. If not, air force pilots would be out of jobs.
However, this wasnt the case with the NDF C even if the entire roster of the agents were teleported, there werent that many to begin with so it was definitely possible to do so.
But, doesnt the Chinese side have ability users participating in the operation as well? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When considering the size of the Chinese poption, Im sure you can probably guess how many teleporters are in their ranks. (Gwok Min-Ho)
....I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If one estimated the number of teleporters per poption by using South Koreas example, then China could easily have over twenty teleporters.
This was why Miss Jeong Hae-Min didnt need to step up. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In South Korea, she was seen as basically indispensable, but when looking at the matter internationally, she was merely only one of many teleporters avable.
Choi Jeong-Hoon then remembered that, unlike other ability users who could be a great help as long as lots of them gathered regardless of how good their abilities were, a teleporter would end up as a surplus goods the moment they finished their assignment of moving people around.
...Does this mean well be the first to advance to Pyongyang? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Gwok Min-Ho resolutely shook his head.
Please dont underestimate yourselves. The Americans, Chinese, and even the Russians all have acknowledged that the NDF is currently the strongestbat force present within the alliance. Meaning, we cant just haphazardly deploy such assets in the frontlines. Once the armysnding forces arrive and render the enemys defence systems inoperable, well be advancing towards Pyongyang apanied by the American special assault forces.
Youll only enter Pyongyang then. Youll be grouped with the elite of all elite ability users from other countries excluding America. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded yet again.
By the way. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
ording to my knowledge, you are not an ability user, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Thats correct. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, do you really need to go to the frontlines as well? (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled wryly and looked behind him.
The faces of the NDF agents sitting around in the chairs and on standby were filled with anxiety.
Im also questioning that, but.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Telling them to go to war and fight wasnt technically all that different from telling a firefighter to go and put the fire out from some burning buildings.
Maybe this was for his self-satisfaction and nothing more, but Choi Jeong-Hoon was not the kind of man whod boss around people fighting in the frontlines while hes sittingfortably far, far away.
Im aware that I could be a hindrance. But, no matter what, I cant just sit back and watch the situation unfold. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....If thats how you feel. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Gwok Min-Ho didnt press the matter further. Choi Jeong-Hoon entering the frontlines had been agreed upon earlier, anyway. The colonel was asking the intentions one more time out of concern, but in reality, he didnt have the authority to force Choi Jeong-Hoon out of the operation.
I know that I wont be much of a help once we get to the ground zero. But, there must be something only I can do when we get there. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Gwok Min-Ho suddenly smiled brightly.
Im sure that plenty of people believe that, but thinking that and personally jumping into the field are two different things. Your life might be in danger yet youre still volunteering like this. I can see now why the name Choi Jeong-Hoones up first when people talk about the NDF. (Gwok Min-Ho)
....No, the name Yi Ji-Hyuk should pop up first. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Reality was reality, after all.
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the distantnd and swallowed his saliva.
Is that China? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. Not just us, but even the Russians will enter through this side, as well. Also, the Japanese have dispatched some ability users. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Japan did? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They are just putting up a show. I mean, they are famous for willing to do anything as long as they can weasel themselves into the matters of other countries, after all. Since they cant deploy their JSDF, they chose to send ability users, maybe hoping to slowly and gradually find the right pretexts. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Did the Americans greenlight this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They probably did, wouldnt you say? (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoons head nodded again. Although he didnt like this news one bit, now wasnt the time to argue about such things.
Ill have to ask Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk to pay the White House a visitter. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He smirked a little after imagining Yi Ji-Hyuk throwing a tantrum in the Oval Office, demanding for a burger to be delivered or some such.
That was all he could to lessen the tension currently filling him up. Well, they were about to invade North Korea, after all.
The operationunch hour was rapidly closing in.
< 375. Thats also not a bad idea -5 > Fin.
chapter 376: Ah, so I was that kkondae (1)
chapter 376: Ah, so I was that kkondae (1)
(TL: Kkondae is a Korean derogatory term for older people who try to enforce their views on the younger generation. Kinda like the Korean equivalent of boomer, basically.)
It mustve been tiring toe this far. (Gwok Min-Ho)
No, not at all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon scanned his vicinity and fell into a deep train of thoughts.
What a spectacr mess this is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if this was a gathering of only the finest, bestest and elite-est, folks from four nations had gathered here so the number present couldnt be described as small at all.
In terms of the ability user rankings, they all belong to the countries that hover around the top five in the world. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He ended up gaining a renewed appreciation on how dangerous a ce East Asia was. Just the military capabilities alone, both China and Russia vied for the second ce in the world, while Japan wasnt too far behind, either. Even South Korea easily made it to the top ten.
And if one narrowed the field to include only the ability users, then the nations gathered today all belonged to the top five in the entire world.
To think that this massive force has gathered here just to attack North Korea. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In a way, one could say that this reaction bordered on mass hysteria. But it was also easy to sense how much the world feared the existence of the demon kings, too.
If a doorway to the demon world opens up, then everything will be destroyed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was a small mercy that the nation trying to cause such an incident was North Korea and not someone else. Sure, they might be quite strong, but the event urring there was one hundred times better than it happening in either America or Russia. Of course, neither the Americans nor the Russians were mad enough to do something like this.
For the time being, please be on standby. (Gwok Min-Ho)
When will be themencement of the operation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It will be three hours from now. (Gwok Min-Ho)
I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
To be deployed in three hours....
Choi Jeong pulled out a cigarette.
You know where Im allowed to light one up? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up smiling wryly just then.
He momentarily forgot that this was not Korea. When he mouthed the cigarette, Colonel Gwok Min-Ho also pulled out one for himself.
Soon, the army will begin their invasion. At the same time, thending operation willmence. (Gwok Min-Ho)
I guess so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
After that exchange, silence descended between the two men.
The palpable tension grew thicker in the air. A short whileter, Choi Jeong-Hoon stubbed the cigarette and headed towards where the NDF agents were.
How are you feeling? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young replied with a stiff expression.
Feels the same as that day. (Seo Ah-Young)
....Even if we forget about theck ofpleteness in that reply, I can still understand how you feel, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And how can a man know that?! (Seo Ah-Young)
In that case, why did you even bother to answer like that?! Why are you even shouting at me?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a groan and shifted his gaze to the others.
The nervousness and tension were writrge on their faces.
But, why wouldnt they be?
Despite doing his best to not look perturbed, Choi Jeong-Hoon too was having a tough time trying to calm his tense heart at the moment.
He could proudly boast that his mentality was rock-solid. No, maybe even more than that C he was sure of his mentality being tougher than anyones in South Korea. Yet he was feeling this much stress already, so how bad must it be for the others?
Why dont we drink some warm coffee, everyone? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Where do you think were to drink coffee as if its nothing to worry about? (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, we did prepare drinking water and instant coffee, didnt we? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We didnt bring a stove so how will we even boil the water? (Seo Ah-Young)
That shouldnt be too hard. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his gaze back to Seo Ah-Young. When that happened, though, she began shuddering like a boiler about to go off.
You know, Im feeling really sh*tty right now, so how about I roast you real good instead?? (Seo Ah-Young)
*
Driiiip.
Warm water was poured into the paper cup.
Hmph!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Having finished warming up the kettle, Seo Ah-Young began sipping away on her coffee. Despite her earlier threat, she still did as asked and warmed the water. This sight caused other people to whisper among themselves behind her.
Now that I think about it, she really listens to Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, doesnt she?
You think so, too?
If you look back to her old personality, something like that is unthinkable. Lets be honest here, the department head Seo Ah-Young was the one who benefited the most when Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk showed up, am I wrong? Back then, people used to call her the Insane Witch and stuff, but after he showed up, her tale got buried under his infamy, didnt it?
Yeah, for sure that did happen. But from my memories, didnt she, like, do pretty much everything Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon asked of her waaay before that?
Wait, now that I hear you, you might be right.
Seo Ah-Young and of course, Choi Jeong-Hoon, were already famous celebrities back in the KSF days, well before the NDF was even established.
In the past, I thought that she listened to him since Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon is the most rational out of the lot, but now, that might not have been the real reason. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It isnt?
Maybe, shes interested in him? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
It was then, a hushed but threatening voice could be heard.
Sounds like someone is feeling cold today? (Seo Ah-Young)
.....Ah, ahahaha.... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun smiled ufortably and started sipping on his coffee. If he continued to run his mouth off here, then he might get really warm on this bitter wintery day.
Never mind being warm, his hide might get burned to crisp, instead.
Once the warm coffee entered his system, it felt like his mood was settling down somewhat.
When will the operation start? (Park Seong-Chan)
Apparently, itll be in three hours. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Holy sh*t. They are taking their sweet time. Cant they get a move on already? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan muttered out while sounding restless. Others grew silent as if to agree with him.
The thing was, getting punished first was always for the best. Waiting around like this only seemed to make the tension climb up even higher.
I think this might be my first time feeling this tense ever since my first dispatch? (Park Seong-Chan)
....Is that so? But, this feels hundreds of times better than facing the demon king, though? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Forget what I said. Yeah, this is better. (Park Seong-Chan)
At least, they were not under the constant pressure of gettingpletely wiped out because of a moments slip-up.
We need to do this right. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun piped up with a stiff face.
Whats up with you being so stiff, dude? (Park Seong-Chan)
....Thats because Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is not participating in this operation. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
What about it? (Park Seong-Chan)
Think about what will happen if we fail the very first mission without his presence. Especially when its a mission involving America, China, Russia and even Japan. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mm.... (Park Seong-Chan)
If we fail, people will start saying that the NDF cant do anything without Yi Ji-Hyuk. And that will be the fact. We wont even be able to make excuses afterwards. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoon eavesdropping from behind silently nodded his head.
That assertion was correct.
The NDF could be referred to as the organisation of the strongest, highest-ranked ability users in the whole world. But the majority of their international partners mostly thought of it as a government department Yi Ji-Hyuk worked for.
Sure, even without his presence, the overall level of the NDF was still high, but the number of its agents was desperately low, so the organisation was in danger of being treated as yet another elite force that was a bit difficult to deploy as the mainbat unit.
If you wanna avoid hearing crap like that, we definitely must seed. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Easier said than done. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan tutted loudly.
You havent even served in the military, so dont make light of warfare, dude. (Park Seong-Chan)
Well, have you been to one, then? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Do you even know what 1111 is? (Park Seong-Chan)
....Your password? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Park Seong-Chan shook his head rather theatrically.
Its true that not knowing can be good for you sometimes. However, remember this. Fighting a fellow human is definitely not an easy thing. (Park Seong-Chan)
Okay. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned brightly.
What a relief that hes here with us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Iron Park Seong-Chan was a career soldier before bing an ability user. Because he was here, the others felt like they could settle down just a little. And he seemed to understand his role, because he continued to stand tall among them.
For now, lets keep ourselves warm somehow. I thought they would provide us with barracks at least, but didnt expect them to make us wait in the open like this. Should I say, as expected of the maind? (Park Seong-Chan)
Wont you get disappeared without a trace if you keep saying stuff like that? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....Ill treat it as an unexpected vacation, then. (Park Seong-Chan)
Ill make sure that they cant kidnap you. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
In the meantime, the soldiers were bringing in nkets they had procured from somewhere.
Thats quick. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was as if they knew what was needed right now.
Gwok Min-Ho walked over to Choi Jeong-Hoon and addressed thetter.
They entered enemy territory just now. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Mm. Its begun for real. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. Youll be on standby for a while, so please keep yourselves warm with these nkets and make sure to not waste your stamina unnecessarily. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Thank you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Being covered in a nket and drinking coffee made him feel like his heart was slowly sinking down.
So, it finally has begun for real. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Up until now, this whole thingcked the tangible sense of reality as if he was only half awake. However, his tension red up the moment he heard the news of the incursion.
This was war.
Half a century of uneasy peaceter, the Korean penins was plunged into yet another mes of war.
Even though our side isnt responsible for starting it, it just doesnt feel so good. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was unknown what the ruling elite of the North was thinking of. But it was quite unlikely that they were capable of withstanding thebined military assault of five nations C South Korea, America, China, Japan, and Russia. And that was when not including the NDF.
Itd be a miracle if they couldst one full day. Especially when America brought forth their full might that included even aircraft carriers, their sole aim being to erase the North beyond the demilitarized zone, not just their ruling elite only.
Choi Jeong-Hoon questioned whether or not that was a step too far, but Christopher McLaren was adamant that they would all end up regretting it if they didnt do everything in their power the first time out.
Hes not wrong there, but. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, those words still rang hollow simply because they had left behind the most powerfulbat personnel back home. Without Yi Ji-Hyuk, it just didnt feel like they had managed to gather up the strongestbat force on earth.
Should I rest for a bit? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)s
Choi Jeong-Hoon suppressed his worried mind and closed his eyes.
He wasnt thinking of catching some Zs, of course. He wasnt sleepy to begin with, but well, he might lose his focus if he did and wouldnt be able to respond properly if the agents, currently on a knife edge, caused a scene.
Indeed, he was simply closing his eyes for a little while.
*
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon?
M-mm?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was jolted awake and shot up from his chair.
But, when did I? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He was only nning to keep his eyes shut for a little while, but ended up falling asleep somehow. Now that his eyes were wide open, he realised that the NDF agents were currently surrounding him.
Wow, he sure slept soundly.
Is his nerve made out of nylon or something? How can he sleep so happily in a situation like this?
Hes just showing us that this much is nothing to him. Keuh, look how rxed he is, and look at his fighting spirit! We need to learn from his example.
Choi Jeong-Hoons face reddened up immediately. Others seemed to have finished gearing up already, yet he was soundly snoring away all by himself.
The time? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thirty minutes before the deployment.
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed softly. The remaining time wasnt a problem since he participated in the mission briefing many times before. Its just that he didnt know what to do with this embarrassing situation.
He mustve been really tired.
That makes sense. I dont remember him going home from work recently.
He might as well just sleep through it.
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook off the nket and stood up proper. His eyelids still felt heavy.
Gwok Min-Ho approached him and handed over a cigarette.
Click.
Once the strong, acrid smoke filled his lungs, Choi Jeong-Hoon sensed his drowsiness disappear in an instant. He shook his head a couple of times to get rid of the cobwebs and scanned his vicinity.
Not just the South Koreans, but even the ability users of other nations had gathered up nearby.
Maybe its because this is an international situation, but well, it sure feels different somehow. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If an event like this urred in South Korea, then someone who thought of himself as the top dog wouldve stepped up to the front to start making some grand speech or two.
However, maybe because this was an international affair, no kkondae like that stepped forward. Of course, even if someone wanted to, there was a slight problem of whod do it as this was a gathering of people from different countries.
You should get ready as well. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon began recalling the simtion he went through many times before. If he closed his eyes right now, the map of Pyongyang would spread out in his head but still, he went through everything over and over again with a fine toothb just in case.
This should be enough. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if it wasnt, he had no choice but to believe that it was. The only thing remaining was his conviction.
Excuse me, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon?
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Looks like its about time we make our entrance.
I believe so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, dont you have to say something?
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked back to discover that the agents were all staring at him.
.....Ah, so I was that kkondae. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression crumpled.
< 376. Ah, so I was that kkondae -1 > Fin.
(TL: Happy April Fools day. Thats what Id like to say, but....)
Chapter 377: Ah, so I was that kkondae (2)
Chapter 377: Ah, so I was that kkondae (2)
Do I have to do this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Then, who should do it if its not you? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun stared at Seo Ah-Young next.
Ah. Thats definitely a no.
If you let her make a speech, then she may start saying stuff like, Burn them suckers to the ground, no mercy!!
Well, it might do wonders for the team spirit, thats for sure.... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
...Why didnt Major-General Jeong In-Sue together with us? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If Jeong In-Su was here, Choi Jeong-Hoon couldve dumped the responsibilities on that mans shoulders and escaped. However, since that was not possible, he was the only one capable of sorting this situation out. That fact made him feel especially sorrowful today, though.
Hmm, hm. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since it couldnt be avoided, hed have to man up, then.
Honestly, Ive never been a fan of someone making a grand speech before something big is about to go down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The agents began murmuring to themselves.
Hey, that means he actually likes doing it, right?
Yeah, I heard youre supposed to interpret such things the other way.
No, its not!!
You all forced me into doing this, so why are you getting on my case like this?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Although he felt aggrieved here, Choi Jeong-Hoon knew that there were just too many eyewitnesses to start arguing back.
Please carry on.
....Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon coughed to clear his throat and opened his mouth again.
This event about to go down is a truly monumental point in South Koreas history. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hes really revving it up, isnt he?
Argh, Im feeling sleepy already.
Thats a pretty grand opening, isnt it? Wait, this aint gonnast for one hour, I hope?
Choi Jeong-Hoon mped his mouth shut.
Im gonna get you back for this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young suddenly raised her hand.
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its too long. (Seo Ah-Young)
I havent even started yet!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, sounds like it might get long, so. (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up shaking his head in helplessness.
Thankfully, though, it seemed that these folks had loosened up a lot by now, seeing how they could crack jokes like this.
I apologise for making you do something that youre not familiar with. However, Id like to ask you to consider this as a part of your mandate to protect the civilians. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon took a deep breath before continuing on.
Itd be great if everyone present today can meet up at the end of the operation to share a cup of warm coffee. That is all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ohhh! That was pretty short and sweet.
Isnt that because hes feeling tired? Or hes not fully awake yet?
Aha, that could be it.
Then dont ask me to do this!! Just dont!! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon silently gnashed his teeth. Why did it feel like these people were getting even more mischievous with every passing day??
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We have ten minutes. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded after hearing Gwok Min-Hos words.
Ten minutes from now, the NDF will join the ability users from China, Russia and Japan to rush into Pyongyang. Currently, the Korean and Chinesending forces have closed in on the vicinity of Pyongyang. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Mm, I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Five minutester, the American special forces and ability users will make their descent. We will begin our teleportation then, so I ask you to prepare yourself. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked behind and asked.
Did you hear that, everyone? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes, yes.
Agents replied in disinterested voices.
...........
Choi Jeong-Hoon was ovee by this weird emotion while looking at their response.
Itll be nice if they can still maintain such reactions after the operation is over. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He knew that such a thing wasnt going to be easy.
Even then....
Everyone... dont get hurt and lets meet againter. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A quiet reply came in his way.
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, you need to get ready now. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Yes, of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon scanned the faces of the agents one more time, before following Gwok Min-Hos lead to get to where the teleporter was currently waiting.
Feels strange. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Anxiety and excitement were coexisting together in his heart. Choi Jeong-Hoon rubbed his face hard and slowly walked forward.
***
Soon, our agents will enter Pyongyang. (defense minister)
Mmm.... (Yun Yeong-Min)
South Koreas President Yun Yeong-Min stared at the map appearing on the screen with a tense expression. The locations of the troops currently approaching Pyongyang were being marked in real time on this very map.
Any engagements with the enemies? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The defense minister replied with a weighty voice.
No, sir. Nothing that could be called a real skirmish yet. Our forces encountered sporadic resistance around the border area, but we broke through far easier than expected, sir. (defense minister)
Is that so? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins expression brightened.
If this continues on, maybe we can resolve this crisis without too much sacrifice. (Yun Yeong-Min)
It seems that way, sir. (defense minister)
It was then a loud sound of tutting could be heard. Yun Yeong-Min looked over to Song Jeong-Su and frowned slightly.
Do you have a differing opinion, party leader Song? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Now normally, Song Jeong-Su shouldnt have been allowed to stay inside this very conference room where national secrets were discussed quite often. However, Yun Yeong-Min realised that this event couldnt be solved by his own abilities alone so he immediately appointed Song Jeong-Su as the prime minister.
In the past, Song Jeong-Su would never ept being a prime minister under Yun Yeong-Mins presidency, but with the crisis being what it was, he didnt say anything else and duly epted the post.
Mister President. Are you aware of the exact military strength of North Korea? (Song Jeong-Su)
....Well, more or less. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Its true that the might of the allied forces are overwhelming, but its still bizarre that we havent encountered any real resistance. Not even from patrolling soldiers? Cant be. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm. Indeed, that is bizarre. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Mister defense minister. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, Prime Minister Song. (defense minister)
Whats the situation in the demilitarized zone? Has any anomaly been detected there? (Song Jeong-Su)
No, sir. Apparently, its eerily quiet there. (defense minister)
How strange. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su pulled out a cigarette only to stop his hand and stare at Yun Yeong-Min. Thetter nodded his head once.
Having gotten his permission, Song Jeong-Su lit the cigarette up.
Since the war has already begun, the news should have spread out to the rest of North Korea by now. Which means, there shouldve been some kind of movement in the DMZ where their forces are most heavily focused. However, nothings happening there? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su shook his head.
This makes no d*mn sense. Contact the Americans. It looks to me that something has gone wrong somewhere. If its at all possible, we need to dy the invasion of Pyongyang. (Song Jeong-Su)
But, were scheduled to invade soon, sir. (defense minister)
Song Jeong-Sus voice grew louder.
Thats why I told you to contact them! Our healthy young men and women might end up losing their lives for no good reason at this rate! Dont you get that?! (Song Jeong-Su)
The defense minister hurriedly nodded his head and ran outside the room.
M-mm.... (Song Jeong-Su)s
Song Jeong-Su watched the departing back and spat out a sigh.
Hes too inflexible. (Song Jeong-Su)
Analysis like this shouldnt be his job but the defense departments. However, they had never experienced realbat so their thought process was rather inflexible.
I too used to be like that. (Song Jeong-Su)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt send him away to another world and let him taste hell, then Song Jeong-Su probably wouldnt have analysed the situation any differently from them.
There are no easy matters, only the ones that look easy, thats all. (Song Jeong-Su)
If the initial stages were easy, then situations several times harder and more ridiculous would be lying in wait a bit further down the road.
Everyone stared at the map on the screen with tense, anxious minds, and not too long afterwards, the defense minister rushed back inside.
....The Americans say its too difficult to change the operations itinerary at this time. (defense minister)
Why not? (Song Jeong-Su)
How about directly speaking to.... (defense minister)
Song Jeong-Su scowled deeply and picked up the phones receiver.
This is Song Jeong-Su speaking.
C This is Voyreck, the secretary of defense.
I wish to speak to Christopher McLaren. (Song Jeong-Su)
C What did you say? (Voyreck)
Were in the middle of war. I need to urgently get in touch with the person in actualmand and thats why Im requesting you to put me through to Christopher McLaren. (Song Jeong-Su)
C That is not possible. (Voyreck)
If he doesnt want to see a certain ck Gate opening up in his front yard, tell him to pick up the d*mn phone, please. If you dont tell him for some reason, then I guarantee that he will rip you a new one. (Song Jeong-Su)
For a short while there, silence was the only thinging out from the phone.
C Please wait. (Voyreck)
Yun Yeong-Min eavesdropping on the conversation could only admire Song Jeong-Su just then. One could argue that the American secretary of defense enjoyed a far higher standing than the South Koreas president. If it was him making the call then hed not be able to say much, yet here was Song Jeong-Su, easily making a mincemeat out of the American.
Is this because of years of experience and knowledge? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Those were aspects that Yun Yeong-Min didnt possess. However, he didnt feel jealous or anything as he was already in the twilight of his political career. No, he felt rather reassured, instead.
Hes definitely more suited to this position than me. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Yes, Im here. This is Christopher McLaren. And you are?
Im Song Jeong-Su, prime minister of South Korea.
C The real big fish has stepped forward, I see. (Christopher McLaren)
The secretary of defense on the phone earlier felt like an inexperienced gopher after hearing the rxed voice of Christopher McLaren.
We dont have much time, so let me get straight to the point. The movements of the North Koreans are very suspicious right now. Id like to propose a slight dy to the incursion of Pyongyang. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Thatll be difficult. (Christopher McLaren)
Why? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Our agents have already set off to their destination. And this isnt an issue that can be solved by us two discussing over the phone. The pride of each participating nation is at stake here. They are our allies, yes, but they also have no reason to heed our orders. (Christopher McLaren)
However, Im sure it can be done as long as you willed it? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Hmm.... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens soft sigh could be heard next.
C Prime Minister Song. (Christopher McLaren)
Please speak, Mister McLaren. (Song Jeong-Su)
C I know that youre worried about the potential sacrifices. However, freedom and peace can only bloom through countless sacrifices. If we miss this timing because of a moments hesitation, then a sacrifice that cant even bepared to anything else will urter. (Christopher McLaren)
Do you have new information that we dont? (Song Jeong-Su)
C We have some evidence to suggest that someone were most wary of has insinuated himself into this situation. This individual is deemed as dangerous as Yi Ji-Hyuk, no wait, even more dangerous than him. (Christopher McLaren)
....There was such an individual? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Its difficult to exin everything right now. But please know this. Were also dispatching our top agents to Pyongyang as well. Meaning, its not just your countrys ability users shouldering the risk here. Even if they find themselves in mortal danger, entering Pyongyang right now is the best option avable. I hope that you can make the correct decision for your country and for the world! (Christopher McLaren)
....Godd*mmit. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su felt the pressure crush down on his shoulders.
Now normally, Yun Yeong-Min should be the one to make this decision, yet even after listening to the contents of the phone call, he was still staring at Song Jeong-Su like a little kid.
Song Jeong-Su sure had to experience all sorts of ups and downs during his storied political career, but even he found it hard to make a decision on a matter of this nature.
....Lets proceed ahead. (Song Jeong-Su)
C You made the right call. Well, then. (Christopher McLaren)
The call came to an end, and while groaning deeply, Song Jeong-Su pulled out yet another cigarette and stuck it to his lips.
Freedom is a flower blooming on a field of corpses, is it? (Song Jeong-Su)
Did the American say that while knowing how heavy a burden those words carried?
Song Jeong-Su shook his head.
One shouldnt look back and question the decision that had already been made. Maybe, his choice today could have driven countless many to their graves, but it was the job of themander to ponder which option would result in the least number of casualties overall.
Even then, one should be capable enough to take care of the aftermaths. (Song Jeong-Su)
Excuse me? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min asked back with a confused expression, but Song Jeong-Su ignored that and shot up from his seat. He then yanked out his phone and began calling someone.
Yeah, its me. (Song Jeong-Su)
Who is he talking to? (Yun Yeong-Min)
My man, I want you to go to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks residence and ask him to be on an emergency standby. Mm? What? You dont want to die? Then, you want me to kill you, instead?! (Song Jeong-Su)
The tense atmosphere suddenly began changing to something more... weird.
Resignation?! Listen here, you son of a b*tch! (Song Jeong-Su)
................
Before I ept your resignation, youre still my godd*mn secretary, so do what I tell you to do first! What was that?! Did you just swear at me, you stinking son of a gun?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Yun Yeong-Min facepalmed just then.
No answers. Seriously.
< 377. Ah, so I was that kkondae -2 > Fin.
Chapter 378: Ah, so I was that kkondae (3)
Chapter 378: Ah, so I was that kkondae (3)
Were setting off. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon scanned his vicinity with a tense expression.
Everyone was clearly nervous, tense. Even if he or someone else tried to lighten up their tension, they were about to jump into a warzone so it was nigh-on impossible not to get tense.
Take care, everyone. (Gwok Min-Ho)
....Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Colonel Gwok Min-Ho could only look on at Choi Jeong-Hoon with a pitying expression.
Even if China enjoyed an abundance of teleporters, there was a clear limit to the number of people that could be transported at once. They also didnt have plenty of Ether allowing them to make several trips in a row, either. So the decision was made to teleport as many agents as possible in one go.
That meant that no open slots became avable to the special forces made up of regr, ability-less soldiers.
Gwok Min-Ho vehemently opposed this arrangement, but ended up conceding to the logic of No need to deploy special forces through the teleporters since the other special forces personnel advancing through the Daedong River basin had already reached the vicinity of Pyongyang.
Besides, he figured that no matter how strongly he voiced his objections, it wasnt as if the Chinese would listen to him, anyway.
I shouldnt be saying this just before the operation is about tomence, but well, I hope that you and your men do their best not to step to the front early on. The most dangerous moments during an operation are when the allied forcese in contact with the enemy. Your scope, your perspective, narrows due to the tension and nervousness, you see. (Gwok Min-Ho)
I see. Ill remember that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I wish you all a safe return. Do not forget that the fate of our nation hangs on your shoulders, everyone. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only smile bitterly then. Wasnt the pressure just too d*mn ridiculously strong?
Some people performed better when under pressure but some didnt. As for Choi Jeong-Hoon, if someone asked him to describe which camp he belonged to, then hed say that he was the type toe alive when ced under some amount of pressure.
Even then, I really dont want to hear such things in a situation like ours. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Especially so when their role wouldnt be too different from how it was usually.
It was around then, a soldier wearing the Chinese Mao uniform began shouting something towards them.
Theyre ready to deploy. (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt look back at Gwok Min-Ho, and instead turned around to face the agents behind him.
Step aside. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan then pushed Choi Jeong-Hoon slightly behind him and stepped forward.
Ehng?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We dont know what might happen the moment we arrive there, so what do you think will happen to someone like you who cant even defend himself, other than to die like a dog? So, behave yourself and just give usmands from somewhere in the back. (Park Seong-Chan)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes shook.
Hes right, you know. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun also stepped past Choi Jeong-Hoon, but he was immediately greeted by a chorus of booing, instead.
Even if you wanna step in front, all you can do is dodge, right? Dont be a jack*ss who talks big only to end up as Swiss cheese, and quietlye back here.
Wait, that idiot, hes gonna run at his top speed the moment bulletse flying. I mean, hes really great at running away, isnt he?
....Urgh. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The man named Kim Dah-Hyun, known only as a possessor of a rather speedy pair of legs, could only groan under his breath.
In the meantime, the NDF agents began surrounding Choi Jeong-Hoon. He couldnt say anything and simply lowered his head.
Hey, someone get Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon something cold to drink while hes there. So he can be his usual flippant self!
What do you mean, flippant?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Everyone let out a peal ofughter when Choi Jeong-Hoon got triggered.
He wryly smiled back at them.
Now that I think about it, weve been at it for a long time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They had crossed a lot more than one or two warzones together before. Indeed, they felt more like family to him than his rtives he hadnt seen in many years. Although, it was unknown how they thought of him.
Were departing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Three Chinese agents that looked to be their teleporters approached them. Choi Jeong-Hoon tightened the straps of his helmet and zipped up the bulletproof vest.
So bloody ufortable.
Every agent tightening their current equipment voiced their discontent. They always participated in their operations while wearing casual clothes, so it made sense that they felt ufortable wearing the military uniforms and bulletproof equipment, something they begrudgingly agreed to put on after the defense minister roared at them.
But, Mister Park Seong-Chan doesnt need this, does he?
W-wait, thats right. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan, trying to force an ill-fitting bulletproof steel helmet on his head, scowled angrily and chucked the equipment away.
Now that I think about it, why am I even wearing such things, anyway?! (Park Seong-Chan)
Even Park Seong-Chans eyeballs should be tougher than a bulletproof helmet to begin with. Probably.
Hey, bro. A helmet doesnt even fit you, so what did you do exactly when you were still a special forces soldier? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
....It fit me after draining some blood out, okay? (Park Seong-Chan)
Eiii, that cant be right. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Unfunny jokes were shared among the group to ease the tension while they waited for the teleportation tomence.
You know, it feels like the loading time is really long.
Man, I wish we were there already.
Gwok Min-Ho received a radio message, then shouted out loudly.
Ten seconds before deployment! (Gwok Min-Ho)
Choi Jeong-Hoon checked his pistol one more time. Although it might not see any action today, it was deemed unwise to head to the enemy territory without any weapon, so he was provided with a gun.
Having confirmed that there were no issues, he hardened his expression and stared at the teleporters.
Advance! (Gwok Min-Ho)
Then, the world brightened.
***
Yaaaaawn. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cking off on the living room couch stretched his limbs grandly.
The TV was showing only useless news pieces. As far as he knew, today was the day of the operation yet the news people were not saying a single word about it C as if this whole thing was happening in another gxy or something.
Is it fine like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Regardless of what, a war had broken out less than 500 kilometres away so he couldnt help ponder whether or not it was the right thing not to mention it to the public.
Sure, no mention of it before the operation in fear of information leaking to the North made sense, but now that the battle had begun, shouldnt the public be informed of it, at least?
Eiii, I dont care anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Care about what, son? (mom)
Mom entered the living room with a tray of sliced fruits and asked him, so he replied in a nonchnt manner.
You know, the war happening right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where? In the middle east? (mom)
What do you mean, the middle east... South Korea invaded the North today, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.....Were you dreaming just now? (mom)
She was always like this. Even if it was The Truth, she still didnt believe it, so obviously hed end up speechless.
The special forces and the NDF went north to take the head of the piggy as we speak. Even the Americans, Japanese, Chinese and the Russians are tagging along, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think you better go to bed now. (mom)
Look! Looook!!
She just doesnt believe anything I say!! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pouted and shoved a sliced piece of apple in his mouth.
Mom, dont you think youre too distrusting of your own son? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats because youre saying something so unbelievable, you know. Werent you watching the news until now? If something like that really happened, it should be a pandemonium with news people, no? (mom)
Thats how South Korean media is like, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fine, lets say thats the Korean media. But if youre right, then the media from America or some other country wouldnt be sitting still, now would they? (mom)
....Did I really dream up this whole thing, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After hearing his moms argument, something did feel a bit weird here. If the media of another country reported on the war situation, then the Korean media people would only be too happy to trante that and use it. However, there was not even a hint of doing that?
Now that is bizarre. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ding-dong....
It was then, someone pressed the doorbell.
Who could it be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head. It was already past nine in the evening, so who could possiblye to visit him at this hour?
N-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed himself off from the couch and picked up the inte, and without missing a beat, spoke up.
We dont read newspapers. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I, Im not from the papers.
Then, we dont drink milk here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Im not a milk delivery guy!
Not interested in aloe vera prod.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, its me! Jeong In-Su!
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Only then did Yi Ji-Hyuk take a closer look at the intes monitor. For sure, he could see Jeong In-Su standing in front of the gate looking somewhat ufortable.
What are you doing here at this hour? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Theres something Id like to speak to you about. (Jeong In-Su)
Okay, then. Come on in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it was anyone else, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve kicked their a*ses while using them of being inconsiderate jerks, but Jeong In-Su was a different story altogether.
He electronically opened the door and turned the inte off then slowly walked outside the front door.
Uwaaht?! H-hey, its me! Me! Its not even your first time seeing me, so what gives?! (Jeong In-Su)
Grrrrrowl!!
For some reason, Oh-Sik was busy tormenting Jeong In-Su.
Hey, Imma roast you in doenjang, got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whimper...
How could an Ogre understand him so well like this? Spooky, wasnt it?
Oh-Sik tucked its tail between its legs and retreated to a corner of the front yard. Yi Ji-Hyuk then addressed Jeong In-Su.
Its even nicer to see you in the middle of the night. Really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ahahaha. My apologies. (Jeong In-Su)
Nah, dont sweat it. Why dont youe in? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me for this intrusion. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su carried a basket of fruits and entered the house. Mom weed him with a warm smile.
Wee. Would you like a cup of coffee? (mom)
A soldier never says no to coffee, maam. (Jeong In-Su)
Hohoho, youre funnier than I thought, sir. (mom)
Thank you. (Jeong In-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked a little as he observed Jeong In-Su.
I know youre a soldier and all that, but shouldnt you be off the clock by now? I mean, you still walking around wearing the uniform just doesnt feel right somehow? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, Im still on duty, so.... (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su smiled wryly.
He also didnt want to pay a visit to Yi Ji-Hyuks home looking like this, either. If only it wasnt for the When asked to jump, answer with how high situation he found himself in.
Soon, coffee was brought out and mom left so the two men could converse privately. Jeong In-Su finally opened his mouth.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong In-Su)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehh... well, its actually.... Ive been told to inform you that something bad might happen before the end of tonight, and also, ask you if youre gracious enough to be on emergency standby just in case. (Jeong In-Su)
Ehng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in disbelief.
You folks told me to butt out earlier, but now its not even please butt back in, but.... on emergency standby, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....Im really sorry about this. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su spat out a sigh.
Prime Minister Song Jeong-Su wasnt wrong. With the unfolding situation being what it was, Yi Ji-Hyuk should be ready to step in at any given moment.
The problem, of course, was with the fact that they already told him to Take a long, long vacation at home since theres no ce for you in this operation.
So, someone had to bite the bullet and exin to Yi Ji-Hyuk that the previous decision had been rescinded. And somewhat predictably, no one wanted to take on that role.
The unfolding crisis up north was not something youd inform the other party over the phone, but that didnt mean Song Jeong-Su coulde here personally, either. He couldnt even leave his post for a second at the moment, after all.
And that was why he called his secretarial team, but all of them fainted with bubblesing out of their mouths so he was left with not much of a choice.
He kept searching for that one person who wouldnt get... burned by Yi Ji-Hyuk after delivering the message, and eventually arrived at Jeong In-Su.
Although it was rather strange for a soldier to act as a messenger handing over new national policy, the order still came through the defense ministry after it was decided that no one suited the role better than Jeong In-Su.
Why are you, a certifiable major general, delivering this message?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....I wonder about that myself. (Jeong In-Su)
A bitter grin spread on his lips.
This is why a person should wear clothes that fit them.... (Jeong In-Su)
When he got evaluated as the best avable anti-Yi Ji-Hyuk weapon by the defense ministry and had his rank jump up by two grades, he sure felt weirded out and somewhat sceptical. He was promoted ostensibly to a suitable post that allowed him to oversee every facet of the defencemand, but in actual truth, the brass was saying to him, Well make you a major general, so please do something about this crazy loon.
I shouldve clearly rejected it back then. (Jeong In-Su)
Just like what Song Jeong-Su said before, he too was a human being. Since he had received favours, it was only natural that hed have to reciprocate one or two.
Back then, his unhappiness regarding the inefficient administration and operation of the defencemand was at its boiling peak. He also thought that if he was the one holding the real reins of the organisation, then he should be able to decrease the sacrifices his subordinates had to experience. So, despite his misgivings, he squeezed his eyes shut and epted the appointment. If he knew hed be asked to waste his time doing crap like this, then he shouldve firmly refused.
But what good was it to reflect on his mistake now?
Whatever the case may be, thats the position of the higher-ups. I can imagine that youre not too pleased with this situation, but I beg of you to consider how hard it is to maintain a consistent position when the situation were facing right now is at a critical stage. (Jeong In-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a distorted expression.
I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh! (Jeong In-Su)
Didnt he ept it much quicker than expected?
However, as soon as he made his reply, Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly pulled his phone out.
At the same time, uneasiness began filling up Jeong In-Sus face.
< 378. Ah, so I was that kkondae -3 > Fin.
Chapter 379: Ah, so I was that kkondae (4)
Chapter 379: Ah, so I was that kkondae (4)
W-who are you trying to call? (Jeong In-Su)
The defense minister. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats a relief.
Its not like hes directly calling the president or Song Jeong-Su, so....
N-no, hang on a minute!
They are all together right now, anyway! What does it matter with who he calls right now?! (Jeong In-Sus inner monologue)
What will you even speak to him about?? (Jeong In-Su)
Easy now. I just wanted to ask them how long I should be on standby for. I dont even know how long the operation is supposed tost or when its supposed to end, you know. I mean, I gotta know how long I must be on standby so that I cane up with a n or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that I hear him...? (Jeong In-Sus inner monologue)
Jeong In-Su began cussing inwardly at the brass that simply told him to show up here and request Yi Ji-Hyuk to be on standby. Seriously now, shouldnt they at least give him some information necessary to brief Yi Ji-Hyuk on the situation?
Of course, rather than cussing at his superiors for ordering him toe and speak to Yi Ji-Hyukte at night, he should acknowledge his portion of the me for not thinking of the briefing himself.
W-will it be fine for me to find out and inform you instead? (Jeong In-Su)
I suppose. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright, then. Ill confirm right away and tell you everything you need to know. (Jeong In-Su)
Sure. Please go ahead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The moment Yi Ji-Hyuk gave his permission Jeong In-Su yanked his phone out like a cowboy from a western movie drawing his revolver.
This is Jeong In-Su. I require information regarding the current operation. Send them to my PC right away, please.
While on the phone, he opened the front door to head outside.
Excuse me?! (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Sus expression crumpled instantly.
Sir, you think I dont know its the top national secret?! But do you wish to bring upon a real national disaster by trying to keep it a secret? Tell the higher-ups that this is rted to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and youll get your permission in an instant, so please hurry up and get me the files. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Sus loud, agitated voice caused Oh-Siks ears to perk up. Having seen that, he slowly distanced himself from the resting Ogre and continued with the call.
You should also tell them that every minute dyed equals an increase of one percent in the likelihood of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk barging into the Blue House. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su ended the call and began sucking on his cigarette.
I cant stand this sh*t. (Jeong In-Su)
The higher one climbed in thedder, the easier it was to find out how shambolic the governance of this country was. The system itself was just an empty shell and everything that mattered was decided by the few folks dominating the uppermost echelons of the governance.
Normally there was no problem for a country to be governed in this manner. However, the issue would rear its ugly head once an emergency situation suddenly urred. Such a crisis could only be solved when many different agencies and countless individuals worked together, but everyone would end up hesitating and wasting time while waiting for the orders from the higher up in the food chain.
Such as now.
This situation was easily the most grave one ever since the countrys founding. Well, it was the first time South Korea invaded another nation on its own volition, after all.
Even with the utmost perfect system controlling everything, youd be a fool to think that events would unfold smoothly C yet here they were, utterly clueless and confused about the current situation with perhaps the sole exception of the folks at the top.
Vrrrrr!
....And they are so bloody quick on things like this. (Jeong In-Su)
He didnt even have to be there to know. The moment the brass heard the name Yi Ji-Hyuk, they probably didnt even bother with the rest of the report and just yelled at the phone saying Do everything that man wants!!
Hell, even the president suffered from the Yi Ji-Hyuk neurosis, so with what balls of steel the people below him dared to ponder the crisis rted to Yi Ji-Hyuk the man?
Jeong In-Su was royally irritated that he needed to go through such a cumbersome process of reporting in and getting permission for something so bleeding obvious.
He pulled out his notebook PC from the bag, confirmed the info attached to the email, and hurriedly re-entered the residence with hisptop in tow.
Mister Yi....? (Jeong In-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was no longer in the living room. Jeong In-Su followed after the trail of the half-open door and reached the formers bedroom, and discovered his quarry sitting in front of a PC, browsing the. The major general settled down on the edge of the bed behind him.
Are you looking at the news? (Jeong In-Su)
.....Wowsers. I wondered if any rted news articles have popped up online or not, but theres nothing at all. Now thats an amazing lockdown on the media. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its an operation involving only a handful of elite units, after all. Also, Im sure the defense ministers threat of figuratively chopping the heads off of anyone leaking the secret also worked wonders in this case, as well. And the Blue House side probably gagged the media in their own way, too. (Jeong In-Su)
First time learning that those folks can be so sharp like this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su chuckled wryly.
In all honesty, it was not those folks but Song Jeong-Su who did all of these. Majority of South Koreans probably knew already that their elected president Yun Yeong-Min wasnt capable enough to do such things.
Okay, so. What am I supposed to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su browsed through the operation blueprint and spoke in a troubled voice.
ording to the n, the operation is scheduled to end around six AM tomorrow morning. Until then, I think.... (Jeong In-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around on his chair with a grave expression on his face.
In that case.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Jeong In-Su)
I dont have to go to work tomorrow, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........................
Jeong In-Su felt greatly troubled after realising that he had no answer.
***
Wuuooong....
The bright light receded and an unfamiliar terrain entered Choi Jeong-Hoons vision. He sucked in a deep breath. Ability users besides his group were continuously arriving all around them.
There are more than I thought? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
From what he could see, the number of the NDF agents seemed to be the lowest of the lot. All of them were supposedly the elites hand-picked from the best units in their respective countries, yet to think their numbers far exceeded the NDFs.
It was easy to see where the assertion of South Koreas ability user pool being unable to evenpare to other big nations came from. Before Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance the only ability user the Koreans could realistically boast to the internationalmunity was Seo Ah-Young.
Now that he thought about it, ability users from, say, North America or from Korea were talked up in the media as heroes of the people in the past.
Post-Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance, though, everything just petered out. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was truly a relief that the government didnt go through with the ability user crackdown policy. If two Yi Ji-Hyuk-like individuals grew hostile to each other and started fighting, itd not take much for a country caught in the middle to go kablooey, after all.
What should we do next? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs question prompted Choi Jeong-Hoon to shift his head around. Now wasnt the time to think about unrted matters.
For now, we wait. The American special forces should currently be in the process of securing the area. We follow their lead and advance towards the presidential pce. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Presidential pce?? (Seo Ah-Young)
The Kumsusan Pce of the Sun, maam. Weve been briefed about it several times. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....Ah. Of course. I remember it. Yes. (Seo Ah-Young)
...She was definitely napping through them. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed under his breath and scanned the immediate vicinity, searching for someone to brief him on the current situation with the operation. Sure enough, the American special forces members kitted out in ck from head to toe were approaching them.
Mister Choi? (American soldier)
I am he. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nice to meet you. (American soldier)
The American soldier didnt reveal his name. Choi Jeong-Hoon wasnt curious, either. Not at the moment, anyway.
The current situation? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No anomalies so far. Thats why were on a brief standby. (American soldier)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....The No anomalies situation is presenting us with problems. (American soldier)
Only then did Choi Jeong-Hoon raise his head and study Pyongyang in the distance.
Whats this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was like staring at a city of darkness.
Sure, Pyongyangs power supply was not what youd call perfectly stable and the lights had to be turned off during the night, but back when he first visited it, it wasnt to this extent.
Wait, did they leave some lights on because we were here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, that exnation didnt feel quite right.
It wasnt just on the scale of being lights-off dark, but rather more like the whole city was dyed in pure darkness. So much so that he wondered whether or not people could even move inside such a thick fog of darkness.
Also, there are zero patrolling enemy forces, as well. We cant detect whats going on inside the city and thats making it hard for us to decide on what to do next. (American soldier)
What was the operation directive before this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We were supposed to enter right away. The main assault forces are already in the vicinity of Pyongyang, actually. Well match their timing and breach the city limits simultaneously. (American soldier)
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In other words, the assault forces also got flustered by this development and came to a stop, too.
Didnt your higher-ups say theyd send in extra troops via aerones? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They are currently circling around in Pyongyangs airspace at the moment. (American soldier)
Doesnt seem to me the situation will change much even if we wait here. Have the scouts already go in? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. Not too long ago. (American soldier)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
He wasnt even the fieldmander, anyway. The decisions would be made by the higher-ups. His job was to follow their orders, direct the NDF well, and see to the end of the operation as speedily as possible while minimising sacrifices on his side.
Besides all that, why did this guye to speak to me about this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Christopher McLaren mustve said something to this soldier prior to the operation, because he didnt even bother to look at Seo Ah-Young and briefed Choi Jeong-Hoon straight away. One part of him did feel like he had be an international celebrity, but actually, the weight of the situation easily trumped any satisfaction he might feel.
I see. So all we have to do for the time being is to wait. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Basically, yes. (American soldier)
About ten minutes of standbyter, their new order came through.
Its a go. We breach in five minutes. (American soldier)
Alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon slowly nodded his head.
D*mn, waiting around is a big ask in itself. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dys such as this couldnt be helped since many governments and their soldiers were trying to coordinate with each other, but he still thought something about this whole thing felt way too inefficient to him.
Maybe it was a side effect from being basically carried on Yi Ji-Hyuks back and only pursuing the absolute efficiency at the expense of the higher-ups and their orders.
Feels like Im thinking about unrted stuff more than usual today... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon lightly jumped up and down on the spot to loosen himself. Although he shouldnt have much opportunity to move around a lot, he must definitely not get too stiff and be a hindrance to others.
Were breaching. (American soldier)
Lets go. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The NDF agents all nodded their heads at Choi Jeong-Hoons order and followed behind him. To get to the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun from where they had teleported in, they needed to cross Pyongyang itself. Sure, they could have taken a detour and gone around, but it was decided that there was no need to waste even more time by going through mountainous trails.
There was the risk of an open street battle, but no nation participating in this war knew what was hidden within the mountains surrounding Pyongyang. If they got careless and stepped into andmine-filled area, then the casualties arising from that could potentially be far worse than a street battle.
The leading American soldiers hurriedly descended the mountain, so Park Seong-Chan followed after their example and took the lead of the group. Others followed him and made their descent, as well.
Once we enter Pyongyang, well be exposed to far more sniping points. All physical enhancement-type agents, take Mister Seong-Chans lead and protect us well when the firing starts. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....So, were supposed to take a few for the team, is that it? (Park Seong-Chan)
Bingo. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
....F*ck, man. Doesnt matter who were fighting, men or monsters, our role is still the same. (Park Seong-Chan)
Haha. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt only smile wryly at Park Seong-Chans quip.
But when the sights of the buildings grew much taller in his eyes, Choi Jeong-Hoon stopped smiling altogether. The operation was about to get under way for real now.
Just as the tautly-stretched tension began to envelop them, amotion broke out from the front of the pack.
Whats going on? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon narrowed his eyes and focused on the front, but then, an American soldier hurriedly rushed towards him and grabbed his arm.
Your presence is required up front, sir.
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Please hurry up.
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head and stepped forward. Without saying anything else, Park Seong-Chan stuck close to his rear. But it wasnt just them alone C folks that could be considered as the representative of their respective forces were also being led towards the front of the pack.
What is going on here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This was definitely not a part of the operation nning. Which meant that a problem big enough to temporarily halt the operation had....
Choi Jeong-Hoon finally broke past the crowd and stepped into the front only to involuntarily spit out an expletive.
< 379. Ah, so I was that kkondae -4 > Fin.
Chapter 380: Ah, so I was that kkondae (5)
Chapter 380: Ah, so I was that kkondae (5)
Humans.
There were humans.
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt help but be stunned by the seemingly-endless sea of humans filling up his view.
He heard that five million people had gathered. Although that number didnt feel like much, in reality it was a massive total. This number of people could easily fill up the city called Pyongyang and then some.
Just what is the meaning of.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, he knew that five million people had congregated in Pyongyang. Although, he didnt know whether the purpose was to use them as meat shields or for the sake of a bloody massacre Rhee Jin-Cheol had mentioned earlier.
However, despite that, Choi Jeong-Hoon was sure of this one thing.
What the hell is going on here?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The sea of humans before his eyes were definitely not normal. They just stood around unmoving and dazed, their eyescking any hint of life or focus.
It was like looking at a bunch of soulless zombies.
If there was one thing differentiating them from the movie zombies, then itd be theirck of aggressiveness towards the iing intruders.
Grit.
Choi Jeong-Hoon gnashed his teeth.
Five million lives.
No less than five million people had ended up in this state.
At this utterly unbelievable situation, even the one and only Choi Jeong-Hoon became speechless. How was he to interpret this situation?
They dont seem to have any intelligence at all.
His tightly clenched fists trembled.
It wasnt because he thought of the Norths citizens as hispatriots or people belonging to the same ethnicity. Choi Jeong-Hoon would still be enraged if the same thing happened to the people of another country, not just North Korea.
This action was one thatpletely disregarded even the most basic etiquette towards human life.
Which insane son of a b*tch would do something like this?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon roared out, and that prompted one of the medics examining the dazed crowd in the front to look behind and say something.
Doesnt seem to be the result of narcotics. (medic)
What then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im also not sure how they caused all these people to reach this state.... (medic)
Amotion was raised just then. However, that noise oddly felt so distant to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Just what do they think humans are? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The representatives of all the participating nations had gathered in one ce, yet none of them could figure out what to do next in this illogical situation. In a way, this was a clear proof of their ipetence, but well, itd also be rather strange to make a snap decision after witnessing five million people standing around dazedly like a bunch of vegetables.
The whole scene was captured and transmitted in real time via bodycams, but even Christopher McLaren didnt have an answer right now.
C What the hell is the meaning of this? Da*mit! (Christopher McLaren)
He had already seen the photographs taken by the spy satellites as well as reconnaissance nes. But he only thought in passing that the crowd seemed somewhat lifeless for some reason. Never did he imagine hed witness such a scene.
Christopher McLaren just couldnt decide what to do and hesitated for a moment there.
It was then, Choi Jeong-Hoon finally made his move.
Were taking a detour. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Mister Choi? (Christopher McLaren)
If they are not going to react to us, we dont have a reason to respond to them, as well. Well let them be and keep going. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C ....That sounds reasonable. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was quickly regaining his cool.
No one knew how these people ended up like this, but the Norths ruling elite mustve had a hand in this. If these people were to be turned back to normal, they needed to attack the higher-ups as soon as possible rather than wasting time like this.
They are just standing around because of theirck of consciousness. But I think they should be in a near-exhausted state by now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The medic nodded his head.
Some of the people have begun showing signs of necrosis in their leg muscles. If left unattended for another day, the number of victims will shoot up exponentially. (medic)
You heard him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The representatives of other nations nodded their heads at Choi Jeong-Hoons words. Although, the Russian representative was tilting his head in confusion, so with the exception of him.
We take the detour, then. Not because of any humanitarian reasons, but for efficiency. Trying to advance while pushing aside these many people will waste way too much time. You all understand, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay.
Once the next course of action was set, the n was decided on in an instant. The new detour route was immediately mapped out, and not too long after that, the American special forces located up front began to orderly move out.
Have the American ability users arrive yet? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Theyve sessfullynded on thending point B1. Theyll join us soon. Things have been dyed a little after the rendezvous point has changed.
Understood. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression remained stiff as he urged them on.
They didnt have enough leeway to stand around and drag things on. He understood that others were currently flustered by this development, but right now, they had to focus on their mission above all else.
Lets go. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes.
While heading towards the new route, Choi Jeong-Hoon looked behind him. He ended up biting his lip in anguish after seeing all those countless people silently standing around within the veil of choking darkness.
Just what the hell is going on in this ce?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He originally thought that the assertion of both Rhee Jin-Cheol and Park Yong-Hui didnt sound realistic, but after witnessing this scene, maybe there was some veracity to what they had said. If these b*stards were willing to do something like this, then it wasnt so strange to think that they wanted the demon world to descend on modern Earth.
But, whats their end game? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was just that Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt figure out what they were aiming for. What did they stand to gain by bringing the advent of the demon world to Earth?
I dont get it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For the time being, he couldnt figure it out. However, he should learn the truth soon enough.
The elite units centred around Choi Jeong-Hoon took a long detour around Pyongyang and advanced forward. Their speed wasnt that great since they had no idea whaty before their path, but without a doubt, they were still making good progress towards the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
Strange. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was here that Choi Jeong-Hoon was ovee with an ominous foreboding.
Theres just too little resistance. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He already heard the report that there were no patrolling enemy units. However, it was still undeniably problematic that not even a single unit observing the dazed crowd could be seen.
He frowned deeply.
What is happening here, seriously?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pyongyang felt like a city of the dead right about now. Not a single trace of any living soul could be felt. A city from a movie where its poption was wiped out by a pandemic should feel pretty much like this one.
The only difference between it and this ce was that the people who should be dead were still somehow alive and without any consciousness whatsoever, filled up the za.
And in a few days, none of them would be left alive anymore.
Everyone did their best to speed up the preparation, but Choi Jeong-Hoon still felt the lingering regret after thinking that the operationunch date came about far toote.
I can see it, over there.
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
The Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
Something was happening underground of that building. ording to what Yi Ji-Hyuk said, there didnt seem to be a plethora of guards or defensive measures put in that ce.
Those wouldnt have mattered, anyway. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even after excluding the armed forces diligently making their way towards Pyongyang right now, just this group of people alone was more than enough to utterly obliterate your average global powerhouse nation in an instant.
No matter how the North Koreans intricately nned their defences, they still wouldnt be able to stop such abat force.
But why do I feel so worried? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The statues of the father-and-son pair of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il located right in front of the Kumsusan were the only things still brightly lit up. That spectacle came across as indescribably creepy.
Halt. Standby.
A short order came from the Americans takingmand, and a hand was raised from there.
The front entrance is too narrow. Its not possible for everyone to enter at the same time. Well be the first to enter, of course, but we need to decide who wille in right after us.
A poignant silence descended on the group.
Honour of their respective nations, the desire to survive, and suspicion of the reasonable-ness of the situation. Elites of each nation unpacked and assessed everything in the brief window of time and began voicing their individual opinions.
How about we pick a few people again and reposition them to the rear?
Thatllpromise themand structure.
Then, how about sending in the group with the highest number?
If an unexpected situation develops, itll be trickier to respond with higher numbers.
It seemed that a consensus couldnt be reached after so many countries had gathered in one spot.
D*mmit. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed in frustration.
ording to their original n, battles should have been fought by now. The discussion involving the entering of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun wouldve been all about the post-victory rewards waiting back home or securing the final targets.
However, things ended up this way after not a single battle urred in Pyongyangs streets.
How about the NDF taking the lead? As far as the strength of a single group is concerned, no one can best the NDF, am I correct?
The Americans probed Choi Jeong-Hoon for his thoughts.
Mm.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
His expression crumpled slightly.
The American side did say something rather logical just then. And as they had agreed to take the lead, their potential sacrifices would be a lot higher than the ones following right behind them.
Even then, I dont like it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What Gwok Min-Ho said before the operation perfectly surmised his opinion on this. If sacrifices had to be made, then they would deal with that when the timees, but he certainly didnt want to stand out in front and act as meat shields for the other nations.
Even if that was a rather selfish way of looking at things.
We.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well take the lead.
It was then, some folks cut Choi Jeong-Hoons words abruptly to step forward. His expression brightened as he nced to his rear.
Oh!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Japanese side was now stepping up to the te.
Then again, these folks were in a position of needing to achieve something somehow during this operation. Well, you wouldnt get much justification or pretext by simply tagging along as the so-called peacekeepers, after all.
For sure, your groups number is small. Also, the Japanese personnel are all from the JSDF, so one could say that this job is well suited for them. In all honesty, our organisation is not all that different from a civilian entity, so a military operation like this presents us with somewhat of a problem. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon naturally took a step back.
In that case, well support your group from the rear.
Now that the Japanese had stepped up, the Chinese side was quick to follow up, as well. After they returned home, quite a few heads might roll if they said they simply watched on as the Japanese stepped up to take all the glory.
And as for Russias representative....
What?
Someone bring us a Russian trantor. Please.
Sir, yes sir.
Things went on and on for a bit, and eventually, the NDF was tasked to manning the rear of the group. Choi Jeong-Hoon had to try his hardest to suppress his risingughter as he got back to his group.
Were stonest?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young sounded deeply dissatisfied, but other agents were over the moon at the moment.
Keuh, as expected of our vice director!
Choi Jeong-Hoon, my man!!
Choi Jeong-Hoon replied with a hardened expression.
Everyone, its fine tobel me as a coward. Because, its all true. Kekekeke. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You live a lot longer by being a coward, you know!
Regrettably, the NDF didnt have a single noble soul willing to risk their life all for the honour of their country. This moment was exactly when youd feel the anguish in Song Jeong-Sus heart C the one where he had to send in a bunch of people like these as the representative of their country.
If you die here today, you wont even get a proper pension or insurance payout. Meaning, you must survive like a cockroach until the end, and live out the rest of your natural lives. You all understand what Im talking about, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course!
Now, please be quiet. Were about to enter the pce. As a pretext, I said wed be guarding the rear since everyone would be massacred if the enemy hits us from behind, so please do not let your guard down. I wasnt kidding on that one, as it can really happen. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We understand.
Choi Jeong-Hoon saying all that stared at the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun with a pair of slightly anxious eyes.
What will happen if everyone rushes in there and the building explodes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He felt this chilling, creeping feeling, and began dashing towards the front.
< 380. Ah, so I was that kkondae -5 > Fin.
Chapter 381: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (1)
Chapter 381: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (1)
Hang on a minute! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly approached the units in the front getting ready to enter the building, and raised his voice.
The entrance being too small shouldnt be the problem. The real issue should be, why does everyone have to go in there at once? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Excuse me?
If they have nted explosives inside the building, then all of you will get killed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Japanese agents began sneering after hearing that.
People present today arent ordinary by any stretch of imagination, so we wont get crushed to death by something like that.
Yes, youre all sturdier than regr people. However, if this whole building blows up, none of you will remain unscathed. The building copsing on top of you isnt the main thing to worry about. Do you think you can withstand the heat of the explosion, for instance? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm....
After hearing Choi Jeong-Hoons argument, others began nodding their heads, perhaps thinking that he indeed had a point.
Lets revise our n. Weve wasted too much time already to send in scouts or search the area again, so lets send in the body reinforcement type users first. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Opinions were quickly exchanged among the members of the U.S. special forces tasked with nning of the operation. The report mustve been then sent to Christopher McLaren as well, because they silently waited for the radio chatter. After nodding at the returned message, they agreed with Choi Jeong-Hoons idea.
In that case, please select the entry personnel right away.
Alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What with all these lengthy dys, they had to pick the right people from each of the countries as quickly as possible.
From the NDF side, it was....
Isnt this, you know, way too unfair? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan was pouting so much that his lips now resembled a duckbill, and he shot a re in Choi Jeong-Hoons direction. Thetter could only smile awkwardly.
Seriously, dude! All I have is this slightly tough body of mine, yet you want me to waltz in there where traps might be waiting for us? Isnt that just too unfair?! (Park Seong-Chan)
Hahahaha.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You shouldnt beughing, man! Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, do you have something against me personally? If you do, why dont we talk about it first like men?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Eiii, you know Im not asking you to go in there because of any personal issues. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, that sounds exactly like it?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Kim Dah-Hyun sneaked in closer to Park Seong-Chan and whispered quietly.
Hey, bro. You look like a narrow-minded fool right now. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Shut up, you dumb*ss!! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan continued to explode in his resentment-filled rage, but after seeing the other countries body reinforcement-type ability users starting to gather, his lips could only quiver in silence, realising that he had not much of a choice left now.
Fine! Well see after Ie back, you hear me?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Hahahaha. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stopughing, okay?! You might make me miss you! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan continued to grumble away right up until he joined the group gathered at the front. The American special forces took the lead once more and without giving everyone enough time to get ready, they guided Park Seong-Chan and the rest of the ability users into the gates of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
Seo Ah-Young wordlessly observing the scene turned her head and asked Choi Jeong-Hoon.
What should we do in the meantime? (Seo Ah-Young)
.....How about some popcorn, maam? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This isnt entertainment, you know. (Seo Ah-Young)
I was just joking to ease the tension... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How can you crack a joke in this situation?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Im sorry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his gaze over to the pce with a dejected expression.
How spooky. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With the exception of the infamous Ryugyong Hotel, the Kumsusan Pce was considered the most luxurious structure in the whole of North Korea. Unlike how it was with that hotel, where only the exterior was mocked up to look nice to the onlookers, even the pces interior was meticulously maintained, since it was undoubtedly thought of as the Norths symbol.
It wasnt an exaggeration to say that the Norths ruling elite paid a lot of attention to the building as it housed the remains of both Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jung-Il. But seeing how it was so spookily dark like this, it strangely felt like they were looking at a massive mausoleum, instead.
Did you hear something just now? (Seo Ah-Young)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sounds like gunfire? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs words caused Choi Jeong-Hoon to tilt his head.
Gunfire? But I didnt hear.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
m!
His mouth stopped moving. Almost at the same time, his eyes shot towards the entrance of the Sun Pce.
W-well, we expected there to be resistance of some kind, so its not that strange for some gunfire to... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
m, m, m, m!!
It was then, the sound of sustained gunfire echoed out.
Arent they, like, firing indiscriminately? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wiped away the flooding sweat off his forehead.
They are Americans, alright?! The Korean soldiers are taught to fire only in burst mode or in single shots, but Yanks are known for shoot first and askter policy, arent they?! I mean, they dont need to sweep the floors to find the ejected shells like our poor soldiers, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is that how it is? (Seo Ah-Young)
Despite his own mouth uttering that out, even Choi Jeong-Hoon was dismayed by himself. The thunderous, continuous stream of loud gunfire resembling a roaring waterfall could not be created by one or two people firing their weapons nonstop.
Something was definitely happening inside that ce.
S-someone came out!
It was then, Park Seong-Chan keeping his head low dashed out of the wide-open front gate of the pce with great haste.
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That guy wasnt the type to run away before everyone else. Did something really happen?
Choi Jeong-Hoons confusion was solved pretty quickly, however.
Park Seong-Chan raised his pale-as-sheet face and began shouting like a madman.
Mister Choi, Jeong, Hoooooooon!! (Park Seong-Chan)
.....Y-yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi, Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Park Seong-Chan)
Yes?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (Park Seong-Chan)
NG??? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even before those words came to an end, more people began flooding out from the buildings gate.
W-what the hell? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young cried out in fluster.
What were any of them supposed to do now when the brave folks sent in to take the head of the piggy all came out with tails between their legs like that?
She was about to shout something at them, but her mouth mped shut when the ear-splitting screeches exploded out from inside the building.
Kkiiiii-eeeeeeh!!
Kha-aaaaaah!
Seo Ah-Young and her slightly hardened expression shifted over to Choi Jeong-Hoon next.
Isnt that the noise weve heard a lot before from somewhere? (Seo Ah-Young)
He replied to her with a bitter chuckle.
I was wondering what madness drove the higher-ups to deploy the NDF in a war, but there was a deeper meaning to their decision, it seems. Looks like I owe Prime Minister Song Jeong-Su an apology. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
To think that they would run into their speciality this far from home.
Why dont we quickly end this and.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, right now in there...! (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan became even more animated and pointed at the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun. Choi Jeong-Hoon realised the situation was probably worse than it looked, so he narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the building.
A short whileter.
Craaaaack!!
Rumble, boom! Bang!!
The noises of heavy machinery pounding and destroying a building resounded out, and the whole of the pce began shaking precariously.
The escaping ability users shouted something or rather in their native tongues, and Choi Jeong-Hoon could see their respective camps hurriedly getting ready to fight.
Right after that....
KWA-BOOOOOM!!
A thunderous boom akin to a descending lightning deafened everyone, and the front of the building copsed in a spectacr fashion C only to reveal all sorts of monsters gushing out of there like flood water breaking free from the copsed levee.
Son of a b*tch!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The spectacle briefly reminded him of the ckish tsunami waves crashing in during the massive earthquake that rocked the east of Japan in the past.
A familiar spectacle, yet oh-so alien, too.
Choi Jeong-Hoon roared out.
Everyone, get in the formation, now!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Everyone moved lightning-fast after realising the situation was grave.
Retreat? (Seo Ah-Young)
Not feasible! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Retreat from here?
They couldnt even dream of doing such a thing. Right behind them were five million civilians without any consciousness whatsoever. Them retreating from here meant all those people would end up as monster snacks.
Even if their nationalities were different, others seemed to be thinking the same thing, as well. That made sense, though C who could possibly remain nonchnt about the idea of five million sacrifices?
We must not let them get past! Stop them right here! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned his head and looked at Kim Dah-Hyun.
Roger that. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun dashed out and began maintaining the formation. Meanwhile, Choi Jeong-Hoon ran towards the back, pulled out his radio and shouted into the device.
Connect me to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Right now!!
***
Dont you have anything to eat? (Jeong Hae-Min)
No. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt there anything inside your fridge or something?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
How should I know that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you dont know whats in your own fridge, who will?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Euh, euh.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You can find out for yourself, so I dont understand why youre bothering oppa like this. (Kim Dah-Som)
Why are you butting in here for? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I cant help but wonder, is it okay for you to eat sote at night? Wont you gain weight that way? (Kim Dah-Som)
Its fine for me to eat since Im so active these days. I need lots of calories, you see. (Jeong Hae-Min)
....But, your love handles surely dont agree? (Kim Dah-Som)
Wanna die?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong In-Su stared at this trio with a somewhat numb expression.
Some time ago, Jeong Hae-Min barged into Yi Ji-Hyuks house with an excuse of being bored of waiting alone after her housemates all went to bed. But not too long after that, Kim Dah-Som somehow cottoned onto whats going on like some kind of a phantom and also barged in unannounced, as well.
This was the end result.
Hes rather... popr, isnt he. (Jeong In-Su)
It wasnt so strange if he thought about it for a second.
Someone like Yi Ji-Hyuk was easily the best son-inw material, after all.
Wait, now that I thought about it some more, its all true. (Jeong In-Su)
Not only Yi Ji-Hyuk made a lot of money, he was also the type to not care much about the running of the household, either. Someone like him was definitely the type to toss the bank bnce book at his significant other after getting married and live a jolly life while ying video games all the time.
But wait, wasnt he married already? (Jeong In-Su)
Didnt I hear that info from somewhere before?
Completely ignoring the deeply-confused Jeong In-Su, the trio continued to bicker among themselves.
Wuoooong...
It was then, Jeong In-Sus phone went off.
Jeong In-Su here.
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, is he there with you?
Yes, hes with me. (Jeong In-Su)
C Have hime to the operationmand centre, right now! Hurry!
Jeong In-Su didnt need to hear anything else but the urgency in the voice alone was enough to know that the situation had turned for the worse.
Things have gone wrong for sure. (Jeong In-Su)
I shall have him mobilised right away. (Jeong In-Su)
C Please hurry.
Yes, sir. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su ended the call and stood up from his spot immediately.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong In-Su)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighing nonstop between the two girls raised his head at Jeong In-Sus call.
It looks like things have gone sideways. We need to head to the Blue House right away. (Jeong In-Su)
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk also stood up from his spot.
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh! (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Sus expression brightened considerably when Yi Ji-Hyuk got up without any arguments whatsoever.
Looks like youve realised the severity of the situation. (Jeong In-Su)
Now normally, it was Yi Ji-Hyuks style to add lots of unnecessaryments even to the things he should obviously be doing. Jeong In-Su couldnt help but feel moved by how he readily recognised the severity of this situation threatening the very survival of their nation.
...Doesnt matter where, it should still be better than being here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.............
At Yi Ji-Hyuks resigned muttering, Jeong In-Su shifted his gaze over to the two girls bickering away, noticing that they were almost ready to tear each others hair out.
...Is that their version of contributing towards world peace? (Jeong In-Su)
Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk was willing to make a move thanks to them, so maybe they should be awarded with an appreciation que or some such.
In any case, lets be on our way. (Jeong In-Su)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand and generated a Gate. But just before he could enter it, the door to the room was pushed open to reveal a familiar face walking inside.
Darling. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the women entering and frowned heavily.
You two, where have you been? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana and Affeldrichae who had been absent for some time recently were striding into the living room. Their entrance brought about a brief halt in Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Mins bickering as well.
Erukana formed an uncharacteristically sombre expression and opened her mouth.
....Darling, theres no time to fool around here like this. (Erukana)
What are you on about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It has begun. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression hardened instantly.
What did you say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The doorway is opening up. Soon, this world will be connected to the demon world. (Erukana)
Hold up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand and spoke.
The North Koreans havent opened the doorway yet, right? But youre saying that its already open? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana nodded her head.
This is merely the beginning. No one can stop it. The pathway to the demon world is opening up right now. (Erukana)
< 381. Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! -1 > Fin.
Chapter 382: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (2)
Chapter 382: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (2)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression hardened to its coldest ever.
The demon world.
The sense of oppression that one name gave off was more than enough to suppress even him.
Itll be over if the doorway opens up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The world would transform into a living hell.
But, opening a gateway between the demon world and Earth should not be this easy?? I mean, its impossible to supply enough energy necessary for that, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The rift. (Erukana)
The rift? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre right. Opening a portal between two worlds should normally be very difficult to pull off. However, the current situation isnt about forcibly tearing open the dimensional wall, is it? Did you forget that a crack has formed in this world? Its not that hard to widen that crack. (Erukana)
....That makes sense. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head and looked at the others.
Go on ahead first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong In-Su)
Ill be there as soon as possible, so just go on ahead first.
Jeong In-Su realised that this was a politely-worded request for some privacy, so he nodded his head in acknowledgement.
However, we dont have much time. (Jeong In-Su)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, then. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su dragged both Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som into the ck Gate. Yi Ji-Hyuk then turned back to the two remaining women.
What were you two doing until now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We were trying to stop it in our own way. Although, it was impossible to do so, as it turned out. (Erukana)
....And you didnt even tell me anything? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae replied with a hardened expression.
You know what your current condition is like, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
..........
If we told you, then no doubt youd have exerted yourself unnecessarily again. We attempted to shut the dimensional portal with help from the ones in America, but the other side is just too strong. So much so that I cant help but wonder who is actually behind this event. (Affeldrichae)
Mmm.... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, a certain individual popped up in Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
As powerful as that guy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, that couldnt be.
We tried our best, but we can no longer hold back the widening of the gap between the dimensions. And its time you need to make your decision. (Affeldrichae)
My decision? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae nodded her head.
This world is finished. It will turn into a demon worlds ve colony. Before that happens, you must abandon this world and escape. (Affeldrichae)
Abandon my world and go where, exactly? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, to Berafe. You arent asking me because you dont know, are you? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked back.
How is that ce any different from the demon world? From my perspective, thetter should be a bit more convenient for me, wouldnt you say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This is not the right time for jokes. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes expression hardened even further.
This is not simply for the sake of this world, either. You already know this, dont you? Your body has reached its critical point. If you insist on using your powers, then you will really turn into a demon. (Affeldrichae)
...........
Yes, its all good and well to fight against your enemies. However, fighting like that will only bring about the descent of a true demon king to this world. When that happens, this world will either be destroyed by the demon world, or by your own hands. One of these two. (Affeldrichae)
In a situation where the demon world was about to invade, the man who can potentially stop that might be an even bigger threat to Earth. Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled at the sheer irony of that.
Okay, so. What is it that you want to say here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The matter will be solved by taking along everyone you know with you. (Affeldrichae)
................
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt reply to what Affeldrichae said just then.
The sole reason why you couldnt let go of your lingering attachment to Earth is because you love this world too much, isnt it? You cant bear to abandon those people who have formed connections with you. (Affeldrichae)
He continued to stare at her without saying anything.
If so, the problem will be sorted out if we take everyone along. And with your power, you should be able to find your footing back in Berafe quite easily. You can even establish your kingdom where no one can invade you. The possibilities are endless as long as you manage to survive. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
You came up with that idea only because youre a dragon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whats so different about me? (Affeldrichae)
Lets say we go around and gather up everyone rted to me. Well, what about the families of those people, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....
If I cut off their connections and evacuate only them and no one else, you think they can live a normal life? Its impossible. Which means, Ill have to take everyone who is rted to them now, too. However, you think those people dont have connections of their own? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae couldnt answer that.
However, it wasnt because she was rendered speechless, but more like she had failed to fully understand what he was saying.
Look here, Miss Lizard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began sneering at her.
This is why you and I can only stand on the parallel lines forever. A dragons thought process cannot understand humanity, but the thing is, us humans dont live alone. The moment we form connections, we begin to influence each other. Such a thing cannot be forcibly cut off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you referring to a colony? (Affeldrichae)
Its not the same, but not too far off, either. In any case, if I wanted to maintain my world by transferring everyone connected to me like what you have said, then well end up in a situation where the entirety of South Korea needs to be transferred. We dont have the power to do that, now do we? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana groaned loudly.
Darling, we dont have time to bicker like this. The situation has be too serious, and you dont have a choice anymore. Even if thats a difficult thing to do, there is no other alternative. (Erukana)
No, there always is an alternative. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
Ive always been thinking about this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Erukana)
Would you consider it to be unfair if an asteroid hit the and wiped everyone off? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
Or, do you think itd be unfair if a pandemic went around and killed every single person on this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana didnt reply.
It wouldnt be unfair if all of us are dead together. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you saying that youll meet your end with this world? I had no idea you were such a romantic. (Erukana)
Nah, thats different. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out a cigarette and mouthed it.
This isnt some petty sense of justice or my conscience speaking. From your perspective, it might be closer to giving up, in a way. Ive been living for far too long. And thats why I dont want to make the choice where I have to cut off the most of me just to keep living. I dont have much of an attachment to life, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
....
Rather than living a wretched life, might as well die like a man C well, my sentiments are a bit too vulgar to dress up with such flowery words, but whatever. Soon, people capable of assessing my vulgar self will disappear too, so it wont matter much, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling. (Erukana)
Enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
I know what youre going to say. And I also know why youre saying that. Im grateful to you both for thinking about my welfare right up until the end. Im being serious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression became uncharacteristically sombre.
However, I want you two to remember this one thing. I came back to Earth to die as a human being. If you think Ill abandon this world and return to Berafe just so that I can keep existing as a being other than human, then you all have failed to truly understand me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He never expected them to understand him.
Even back when he suffered through all those trials and tribtions in Berafe just to return to Earth, they didnt try once to understand why he persisted in doing that.
Maybe, its me whos wrong. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Compared to them, this existence called human was a really cumbersome, inconvenient lifeform. Unlike demons or dragons who lived only for themselves, humans as a species wouldnt feel fulfilled if they didnt manage to build their little empires and at the same time, maintain some sort of connections to other people around them.
To Yi Ji-Hyuk, who longed to build rtionships with other people for two thousand-odd years, telling him to cut off his current connections and go back to that lifestyle was not much different than a death sentence.
If Im to choose between a cool death or a pathetic life, Ill always choose the former. Of course, it might look like a meaningless suicide to you two. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
Born as a human but after living for dozens of times longer than everyone else, bookending that life with a suicide C that doesnt sound like a bad way to go. Dont you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont get it, darling. I dont get what youre saying. (Erukana)
.....Right. Yeah, it wont be easy for you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled.
A measly demon was working so hard to save a human, yet still failed to understand the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuk the human was trying to maintain his connections with the others. In that regard, Erukana was so very un-demon-like, yet at the same time, very much a demon through and through.
Lets stop with all thisplicated back and forth, shall we? What I want to say is this one thing. I dont care if its the demon world or the gods invading this world, there can only be one conclusion. Earth is my territory. If anyone wishes to trample on this ce, they better get my permission first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks cackles grew hoarse.
Besides, we mighte across some kind of a new solution along the way, right? Okay, well. Weve wasted too much time. Im off now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, darling! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled refreshingly at the two.
Lets not get sappy about this, alright? That doesnt suit us, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Leaving behind those words, Yi Ji-Hyuk strode inside the Gate. Not even Erukana nor Affeldrichae could stop him in his tracks.
Wuuuuoong.
The ck Gate disappeared, and for a while, the two of them stared at the space where the portal used to be inplete silence.
....In the end, it went as we expected it to. (Affeldrichae)
Right. I knew that my darling can be a stubborn mule, but never guessed hed act like one in this situation. (Erukana)
Well, hes always been like that, after all. (Affeldrichae)
Indeed, hes like that. (Erukana)
They just couldnt figure him out with their thought process. However, that was the reason why they felt attracted to the man named Yi Ji-Hyuk, as well.
Ah, ah.... Now Im in a tight spot. Even though I look like this, Im still a demon king, you know. The demon world is about to invade, and if I stand next to my darling and fight them, theyll surely start calling me a traitor or something. (Erukana)
I didnt know you were the type to care about that. (Affeldrichae)
Of course I dont care. (Erukana)
Erukana smiled seductively.
I dont understand what hes been telling me. Ive spent a long time with him, but honestly, there were lots of times when I just couldnt understand what he was thinking of. But, what can I do? If my darling wants it, then Ill have to follow through. What about you, though? (Erukana)
I.... (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes eyes cast down in a heavy, gloomy manner.
....Still have something I must do first. (Affeldrichae)
Determination filled up her expression.
***
What the hell is all this?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only scream out.
It was as if the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun had morphed into a gigantic Gate. Monsters continued to pour out endlessly from there.
Ive never seen those types before, too! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
These monsters even looked different from the regr monsters they usually fought. Creatures with truly horrifying shapes continued to flood out with no end. The elites of the five different nations were doing their best to stem the tide, but were helplessly being pushed back by this seemingly-infinite wave.
Did you get in contact with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk yet?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shooting mes towards her front shouted as if she was having a seizure.
Soon! Hell be here, soon! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Da*mit! How many more times do I have to hear that?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs rage was understandable. Choi Jeong-Hoon felt his whole body going numb from fear right now and he was doing nothing of note, so how bad must have it been for the ones currently fighting the wave of monsters?
How can something like this even happen? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt figure out the current crisis at all.
Did a Gate coincidentally open within the Kumsusan, or did a doorway open up just like what Park Yong-Hui had alluded to earlier?
If both of them were incorrect, then...
His confusion intensified, but no one could solve it for him at the moment. The best thing, and the only thing, they could do right now was to block the flood of monsters and protect the unconscious five million people behind them.
Ng??
It was then, a silhouette of a person leisurely strode out from the wrecked remnants of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
< 382. Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! -2 > Fin.
Chapter 383: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (3)
Chapter 383: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (3)
W-who is that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at that scene with a serious expression.
But, that was only obvious.
Why? Because, the monsters were still pouring out from the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun even now, thats why.
Anyone would be surprised if a human waltzed out nonchntly amid the monster wave as if this whole thing had absolutely nothing to do with him.
And that person isnt even Yi Ji-Hyuk, so what the (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression gradually hardened.
He recognised the face of the man walking out. It couldnt be said that they were well acquainted or anything of that nature, but there was no denying they knew of each other.
That man was a strange person alright, someone who lived in North Korea but didnt feel like a North Korean at all.
Jeong Min-Seong was slowly walking among the monsters.
Hello, there. (Jeong Min-Seong)
He mustve discovered Choi Jeong-Hoon, because he began waving his hand next.
Well, isnt this a surprise? Been a while. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Seeing how rxed he was, Choi Jeong-Hoon almost ended up swearing out aloud.
What is up with that guy?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How could a human being so nonchnt andid back among the monsters like that? That b*stard did give Choi Jeong-Hoon weird vibes from the very first moment they met, but this
You want to exchange pleasantries in this sort of a situation? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong scanned the surroundings and smirked deeply.
Ah, youre right. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Snap!
He then snapped his fingers, and just like that, every single monster madly dashing towards the international team of soldiers and ability users suddenly stopped in their tracks as if everything was a lie.
What the hell?
.What just happened??
The NDF agents and ability users from other nations got flustered and hurriedly looked around.
Jeong Min-Seong smiled broadly as he watched this spectacle unfold.
Well, then. Do you find this more conducive towards a constructive conversation now? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was rendered speechless.
The more I see, the more simr he feels to the other guy. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It felt like an air of nonchnce was added to Yi Ji-Hyuks ability. Whether it was about controlling monsters or that oily, snaky aura he gave off.
Are you the one who took over North Korea? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm? Are we talking about that from the get-go? I believed that you, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, are a man who understands etiquettes and romanticism, but to think you were a workaholic, instead How disappointing. Yes, I understand since your livelihood hangs in the bnce, but still (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong smiled radiantly again.
Still, looks like I can afford you some small respite, so how about it? Would you like a cup of coffee? A wonderful blend just shipped in from Kenya, you see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gritted his teeth.
Even as they chatted like this, countless units were currently barrelling down towards Pyongyang. Yet where was that mans confidence and leewaying from?
.I get the feeling that youre rather optimistic about your chances. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not at all. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong raised both of his hands up as if to signal his defeat.
No matter how determined I am, theres no way I can stop all these powerful nations invading us all at once. Mentally speaking, Im already feeling groggy, you see. The future waiting for me is probably getting assaulted by perverted guards everyday after being imprisoned in Alcatraz. Alternatively, get thrown into a prison with a 24-hour CCTV surveince, and live a life of even my toilet time being broadcast in real time. Either case is not what youd call attractive, wouldnt you agree? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon found it hard to describe the emotion he was feeling as he watched Jeong Min-Seong cackle away.
How bizarre. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This was indeed a very weird development.
That man appeared in this ce where an intense battle against monsters was unfolding, and managed to gain control over the atmosphere. Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt want to ept it, but right now, no one could take their eyes off of every action and every word Jeong Min-Seong performed or spoke.
Is this all part of your n? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong formed an unreadable expression.
You can say thats the case, but at the same time, not really. Honestly, its a bit difficult to say who was truly responsible for this event. Sure, I did this, but he also did it, too. (Jeong Min-Seong)
He? Are you talking about the b*stard inside the building? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kekekeke. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cackled as if he was surprised by something.
Would you look at that? Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, I expected you to be all stiff upper lip and everything, but didnt anticipate that youd throw in a really funny joke like this. I hope you werent genuinely asking me that. If you were, well, you can colour me slightly disappointed. (Jeong Min-Seong)
As I thought. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed under his breath.
He had expected it, but the process of re-confirming it didnt make him feel any happier.
The database on the Norths ruling elite had been built up rather extensively over the years and their behavioural patterns could more or less be predicted, but the actions of the ones that had taken over now could not be predicted at all.
It was not an exaggeration to say that what might happen in the future was aplete mystery to everyone.
Park Seong-Chan gnashed his teeth.
What are you doing, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon?! (Park Seong-Chan)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt bother to reply to Park Seong-Chan.
We need to buy more time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It had already been proven that the currentbat force was simply inadequate to oppose the great army of monsters visible before their eyes. In that case, the advantage would be theirs by wasting time until the units approaching Pyongyang could secure their positions and lend their support.
.Arent there more monsters now? (Park Seong-Chan)
You think so, too?
Actually, it was unknown whether the advantage was with them or not. Even now, monsters were still pouring out endlessly from inside the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun, after all.
I dont get it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shouted out.
Arent you a human being, too? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm? (Jeong Min-Seong)
What will you gain by infesting the world with monsters? Do you wish for the destruction of the world? Is that it? You want to die together with everyone? Just what can you possibly gain by doing this?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, mm. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong hmphed and opened his mouth.
Looks like some things need to be corrected in your statement, first. One, Im not the same human as you. (Jeong Min-Seong)
.What was that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong Min-Seong theatrically threw his arms wide open.
Ah, ah. That doesnt mean Im some kind of a devil or a demonic being or some such. No, Im a regr, normal human. Its just that Mm (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong raised his hand and pointed at Choi Jeong-Hoon next.
Im a different humanpared to you. (Jeong Min-Seong)
A different human? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, on this asion at least, I should rify that you, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, and the American soldiers are different from the rest. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was definitely not a slow-witted man. Of course he knew what Jeong Min-Seong was implying here.
Are you thinking of going with the ability users are new human types theory? What a cliched, tired old theory that is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, ah Now this is troubling. I believed that youre at least more understanding than the rest of your peers, so how could you be looking down on another person like that? And besides, my side didnt start that argument. As a matter of fact, it was your side that came up with the idea first. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Our side? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Correct. It was your side that started discriminating against us, not the other way around. Even now, look around you. This ce can easily be ssified as the most dangerous ce on Earth. So tell me, can you see ordinary people nearby you? (Jeong Min-Seong)
.
Special forces and ability users. The fact that not regr troops but ability users are being deployed in the frontlines, isnt that the admission of you people viewing the ability users differently from regr humans? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong mockinglyid out his case, and Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt find the right words to retort with.
The situation was too easy to see, after all.
Even if these ability users were seen as a powerfulbat force, they were still civilians, werent they?
Well, its unfortunate that you dont find it strange these days since it has be so natural over the years. But that goes to show how prevalent and endemic the discrimination towards ability users are. However, my side has no problem epting it if things were only that much. The truth is, though, youll definitely get a shock of your life if you learn of whats happening deep beneath the surface. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Deep beneath the surface? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong Min-Seongughed like a little kid.
What are you doing, acting like an amateur? We the ability users are the mysterious cases that humanity hadnt encountered before, arent we? The reason why a human can be a human is because of your abundant curiosity and your willingness to delve deep into scientific research. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression hardened even further.
I guess thats not how it is in South Korea, then? Im pretty sure that youll find some basement floors of a few nations around the world are filled with hundreds of ability users. Who knows, they might be researching how we might react if our skin gets peeled off or some such. Kekekeke. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Bullsh*t!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to disy a very agitated reaction, but Jeong Min-Seong cut him off by raising a hand first.
Surely, you do understand that not knowing about it doesnt equate to it not happening. Or are you one of those self-centred people who are utterly convinced that things you havent experienced or seen dont exist? (Jeong Min-Seong)
.
If not, then perhaps you earnestly believe that humanity is too upstanding and moral, so such a thing would never happen. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Again, Choi Jeong-Hoon was rendered speechless.
The fact that humans were perhaps the most immoral creatures on Earth was an irrefutable fact, after all.
I knew it. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cackled on when Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt reply.
What Im saying now is this. We live on in silence while considering the possibilities of such atrocities beingmitted, all the while consciously exorcising these ugly thoughts out of our heads. And the ones to get the short end of the stick is our side only. (Jeong Min-Seong)
So what? Thats why you want to destroy the world? There are injustices in this world, so you want to reset everything? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course not. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong wagged his finger before continuing on with his exnation.
Our side has a n of our own, so you dont have to worry about things like that. (Jeong Min-Seong)
While Choi Jeong-Hoon was talking to Jeong Min-Seong, he was constantly receiving updates through an in-ear radio piece.
Sounds like they have more or less finished assembling (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Units entering Pyongyang were amassing in one location. However, Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt issue themand to attack just yet.
Where is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not having Yi Ji-Hyuk in a situation like this proved to be too much of a heavy burden.
A n, you say? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I hope that you realise making demands for the details of our n in this situation is being too optimistic. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to retort, but then Jeong Min-Seong cut him off again.
But well, looks like the person youre waiting for hasnt arrived yet? Im also getting bored of waiting, you see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
So, you knew. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh my, my. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong sighed grandly.
My side has evaluated your side fairly highly, but your side continues to look down on me. Howmentable this is. (Jeong Min-Seong)
That wasnt my intention, so if you felt that way, yeah, howmentable. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ill take that as your version of apology. Since you apologised, maybe I can tell you one more thing Well, if you have anything to ask, please go ahead. (Jeong Min-Seong)
That helped Choi Jeong-Hoon to remember one of the things he was really curious about.
Has the doorway open yet? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Excuse me? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong looked at the monsters behind him, before exploding in a fit ofughter.
Ah, ah! You came to that conclusion after seeing these things, didnt you. Unfortunately for you, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, it seems that your scale is a lot smaller than I thought. You mustnt think that this is all the demon world has to offer. No, these creatures simply popped out from a small distortion that showed up before the doorway was fully opened up. Once the real door opens up, it wont be these small fries, but. Really terrifying ones will show up. Ones so terrifying that even I will have to run away. (Jeong Min-Seong)
.You mean, the demon kings? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whistle~! Just hearing that alone gives me goosebumps. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong joked around before getting more serious.
Even then, you have nothing to regret. In fact, you could say youre the lucky ones. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Lucky ones? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Because, you will get to witness the advent of a brand new world. (Jeong Min-Seong)
.
Dont look at me like that. Im not some cartoon viin. You could say that Im merely one of many humans found in abundance among humanity. The human race has found an opportunity to evolve even further. So, we should not miss this chance and grab onto it. For the sake of our next thousand years, that is. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cackling away slowly raised his hand.
< 383. Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! -3 > Fin.
Chapter 384: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (4)
Chapter 384: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (4)
Bang! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seongs hand descended, and the people around Choi Jeong-Hoon flinched before stumbling backwards.
Kekeke. (Jeong Min-Seong)
He stared at that as an amusedughter leaked out of his mouth.
This is why the creatures called humans are so entertaining to watch. You are all so frightened silly like that, yet you still persist with putting up a tough exterior. So very entertaining, dont you agree? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Choi Jeong-Hoon no longer felt like chatting to this nutcase before his eyes anymore.
The way he saw it, Jeong Min-Seong didnt belong here but in an ability user-specific mental ward located in the deepest, darkest corner hidden from the view. If no such ces existed, then one should be built immediately so that this nutcase could be locked away in there. Thats how insane this guy sounded.
Oh, my goodness. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong shook his head and spoke up.
You dont have to worry about that. Im perfectly sane-minded, you see. But if I look crazy to your eyes, then let it be known that Im not the insane one, but the way this world operates is. (Jeong Min-Seong)
.Is that everything you want to say? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I still have some more, so are you willing to listen for a little longer? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Hah. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A thought abruptly popped up in Choi Jeong-Hoons head. If Yi Ji-Hyuk became his enemy, then most likely, hed be feeling this exact emotion, too.
With that thought in his mind, he couldnt help but feel happy and grateful about being able to stand on the same side as Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If that dude starts to get snarky with me, I might really keel over from an aneurysm of my brain or some such. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even before Choi Jeong-Hoon could retort, though, someone from the American side stepped up first and threw out a question at Jeong Min-Seong.
What is your rtionship with Alpha?
Alpha? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Right in that moment, Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes gleamed in understanding.
Alpha? Is he talking about that guy from back then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Jeong Min-Seong formed an unreadable smile after hearing the name Alpha.
Ehh Well You could say that were rted, but at the same time, not really. Im not quite sure how to frame my answer for you. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Thought as much.
That reply was plenty enough already.
The American began reporting something back through the walkie talkie, which caused deep frowns to etch on Jeong Min-Seongs forehead.
Excuse me, I said we might not be rted at all, so why are you acting this way? Holy cow, this is so unbelievable. (Jeong Min-Seong)
He shrugged his shoulders and continued on.
Well, weve bought as much time as possible anyway, so Ill just go back inside now. Im nning to continue with the work topletely flip this world on its head, so what you people need to do now is to also continue with your quest to stop me. I get this feeling that, depending on who wins, the future of the world will go through a dynamic change. (Jeong Min-Seong)
He mockingly sneered and turned around to leave.
Oh, and by the way. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong looked like he was about to leave, but turned back again towards Choi Jeong-Hoon.
If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk shows up, do you mind alerting me as well? I really find that dude scary as f*ck, you see. Im nning to run away as quickly as possible when hes here. (Jeong Min-Seong)
..Are you seriously going to mock us right till the end? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, Im genuinely scared of him. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cackled on.
Sounds like you guys just dont have any idea how frightening Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk can really be. You should be very careful, because you might get massacred not by my hands, but by his. Then again, you wouldnt get it even if I told you. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Stop right there!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tried to say something, prompting Jeong Min-Seong to turn his head back. Thetters re caused him to flinch and stumble back.
The mischievousness disyed so far was now nowhere to be found, and Jeong Min-Seong was ring with chilling, hostile eyes now.
You dont seem to be a good listener. Didnt I say this already? The conversation is over. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Almost at the same time as he opened his mouth, the monsters slowly began advancing towards the humans before them.
History is written in blood. Whether that blood will be mine or yours, that all depends on what you people do next. Well, then C my dear warriors, wee to the demon king raid. This dungeon is three underground floors deep, and of course, the first floor is all about dealing with your regr mob of monsters. Im not a fan of cheaters, so if you wish to continue this conversation,e find me on the third floor. Au revoir! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong performed an exaggerated salutation, spun on his heels, and re-entered the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun. At the same time, the monsters that had not moved suddenly began rushing towards humans again.
Dam*it!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nothing had been sorted out properly yet, so how could that guy retreat in there so soon?!
Are TOT ready yet?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
They are firing now!
Ka-boom! Boom!! BANG!!
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched the artillery shells rain down on the monsters still flooding out from the structure and could only clench his teeth.
Fine! Well talk once we get there! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
I thought an earthquake broke out just now. (Jeong Min-Seong)
The whole building began rocking precariously, and Jeong Min-Seong helplessly shook his head and made a simple joke.
This building will copse at this rate. Youd do well not to put much faith in North Koreas construction techniques. Its already under enough of a strain dealing with the weight of all these monsters, you hear me? Hey, you demonic being? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Args did indeed hear Jeong Min-Seong. And the demons lips distorted unsightly as a result.
I have indeed observed humanity for a very long time, but this would be my only second time finding a human as flippant as you. (Args)
Oh, that means there was a first. As expected, it should be him, right? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Of course. Although, there is the question of whether to ssify him as a human being or not. (Args)
Args shifted its gaze away from Jeong Min-Seong and extended its hand towards the ck Gate. Bone-chilling demonic energy continued to ooze out from this portal nonstop.
Wu-du-du-du-duk
Soon, the space behind Jeong Min-Seong let out a creaking, crushing noise and began distorting. Countless monsters erupted out from this ripped space and madly dashed outside next.
Is that the sixth? At this rate, the world will be destroyed even without opening the portal, wont it? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Args shook its head.
How amusing. Im the invader and I rate this worlds capacity quite highly, yet you see this world as a pathetic weakling. (Args)
You rate humanity through their firepower. But I rate humans as human beings. Humans are greedy, merciless and terrible lifeforms that not even you demons canpare, but at times, they can also be surprisingly weak, too. (Jeong Min-Seong)
.Thats a rather contradictory statement. (Args)
Im sure thats how it sounds to you. Humans are a bunch of contradictions, after all. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Args stared at the gradually-strengthening Gate and cackled on.
We only need to wait for a little while longer. (Args)
Eh, well. I get that, but As I said before, that little while longer will be very hard to endure for us. (Jeong Min-Seong)
But are we not hitting them with sheer numbers? (Args)
Hah? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong stared at Args with a dismayed expression.
I told you already, didnt I? Humans can be incredibly cruel and vicious. (Jeong Min-Seong)
What are you talking about? (Args)
Jeong Min-Seong grinned brightly.
If the higher-ups think the situation cannot be resolved, then nukes will be dropped on top of us under the pretext of protecting the world. And Im not talking about just one or two, either. When nukes literally rain down, every single monster filling up the ground above will evaporate in an instant. And we will also turn into ashes without even realising that we died, too. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Im already well aware of the firepower the ones called nuclear bombs possess. But, other surrounding areas will also suffer the consequences if a nuclear arsenal is to be used here, am I wrong? (Args)
Humans will readily sacrifice a hundred for the sake of the remaining thousand. Thats why you demonic beings cant evene close to humanitys capability for cruelty and viciousness. (Jeong Min-Seong)
I cant figure out if thats supposed to be a praise or insult. (Args)
Args tutted unhappily.
This demon had already experienced humanitys vicious streak through the actions of the 99th demon king, after all.
You can rest your fears, as not much time remains. (Args)
Im not particrly worried. If this thing falls through, Ill just die and thatll be the end. Its just that, Ill be irritated like crazy if I survive and people start nagging me for messing up their perfect little lives. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Args frowned even deeper than before.
For sure, this human, he was rather weird.
Which numbered personality did you say you were? (Args)
What a dumb thing to say. Why would I number individual personalities? (Jeong Min-Seong)
To think that youd split your personalities over several bodies. Even though youre merely a human, you readily do things that not even demonic beings would think of doing. Just where is your main body, then? (Args)
Where is it, I wonder? That side can check everything happening this side, but as you may already know, Im just a copy. A hand cant possibly know what the head is thinking of, right? Or, maybe you didnt even know that? Ng? (Jeong Min-Seong)
.Im sure killing a hand or two wont be an issue (Args)
Kekekeke. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong guffawed at Argss grumbling.
Sure, there wont be a problem if you kill me. However, you wont be unscathed either if you do that. I mean, there wont be anyone left whod control them for you, right? Right? (Jeong Min-Seong)
If it wasnt for that job, youd be rotting in hell by now. (Args)
Youre a demonic being but you believe in hell? Well, now that is ckedy. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Args was so tempted to rip that mouth bbering away nonstop to pieces, but the demon somehow managed to endure with a superhuman level of patience.
The mission would reach its conclusion not too long from now.
A doorway that perfectly connected this world and the demon world would open up. And demon kings should be able to freely descend to this as they pleased.
Even if the 99th demon king lived here, without his immortal body, hed be too powerless to stop all those demon kings now.
And the 13th demon king will surely have to pay for her sins, too. (Args)
Demons had lusted after Berafe for tens of thousands of years yet they consistently failed in their ambitions. But here was Args, about to achieve that incredible aplishment all by itself.
By the way, didnt you say that this operation was going to be truly arduous? But, why did it happen so quickly and easily? I mean, it hasnt been that long since we chose North Korea and infiltrated it, has it? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Its because they dont exist here. (Args)
Who? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Those ursed gods and dragons. This world does not have existences capable of purifying all the negative aura, yet there are more humans in this worldpared to Berafe and they are also a lot more insidious to boot. Obviously, minus energy wouldpletely fill such a world up. Even if I didnt use this energy, this world wouldve destroyed itself eventually. (Args)
You know, I really dont get what youre harping on about this negative aura or that minus energy or whatever. You demonic beings just love to talk about iprehensible nonsense. In any case, the portal will soon open up, right? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Thats right. (Args)
Mm, well. In that case, Ill just go over there and enjoy my snacks (Jeong Min-Seong)
RUUUMBLE!!
Jeong Min-Seong, about to leisurely recline, was stunned by that and hurriedly sat back up.
W-what was that? Nukes? (Jeong Min-Seong)
No. (Args)
Args shook its head.
Im confident that an existence far more terrifying than your nukes or whatever has arrived. Human, its your turn to step up. Do whatever it takes to dy the 99th demon king and ensure he doesnt interrupt me. (Args)
.Dy him? You shouldve said I must deal with him. Thats how all the cool viins speak, you know. (Jeong Min-Seong)
The measly little you want to do what? (Args)
Args cackled on.
Oh, dear conceited human, listen well. Your pathetically weak body and magical powers cant even hope to meet the eyes of the 99th demon king. Although he has fallen so low that hes no longer qualified to even mention his glorious past, you still are not strong enough to deal with just a tiny bit of his old power that remains with him. Look to the two demon kings as your proof. (Args)
Yes, yes. I understand. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Dy him. Do whatever it takes to buy more time. As long as you do that, you shall be able to witness the birth of a new era, the new world, with your own two eyes. (Args)
Jeong Min-Seong didnt say anything and headed back outside, his tongue slowly wetting his lips.
Well have to wait and see about that. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Just who this brand new world would be for, that was.
< 384. Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! -4 > Fin.
Chapter 385: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (5)
Chapter 385: Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! (5)
Wuuoonng.
When Yi Ji-Hyuk revealed himself from the Gate, the South Korean president Yun Yeong-Min shouted out with a noticeably brighterplexion.
a??Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!!a?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
a??Yes, yes.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As if he couldnt be bothered to reply, Yi Ji-Hyuk let the presidents greeting slide by and instead directly asked Song Jeong-Su.
a??Whats the current situation like?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??The worst.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su pointed at the screen. It disyed the scene of monsters rushing out of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun like tidal waves.
a??Mm...a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk observed that spectacle and groaned loudly.
a??We need to make sure first whether the doorway to the demon world is already open or thats caused by some other phenomenon.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??The doorway isnt open yet. If it was, then we wouldnt be seeing the run-of-the-mill mobs like those guys.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Does that mean we should consider ourselves fortunate?a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Fortunate...a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
a??Well, looks to me the doorway is almost open and thats causing the space to distort here and there, leading to various Gates being generated.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??...Ah, so its unfortunate, then.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su spat out a lengthy groan.
a??We require your opinion on this matter. How should we proceed from here?a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Get our people outta there.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??M-mm?a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Tell them to retreat, and rain down nukes in that ce. Thatll blow up all the Gates and whatever.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Were asking you because thats not an option.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Why not?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head in confusion, so Song Jeong-Su gave a signal to change the feed. The waiting secretary manipted the screen, which then disyed a photograph taken from the air.
a??From over here, all the way to the front of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun. All these ck dots you see are human beings.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Humans?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk furrowed his brows.
a??Cant you evacuate them or something?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Weve been informed that they seem tock intelligence. And we will need at least six hours minimum if we want to evacuate that many people.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Urgh.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head even harder.
a??How many are we talking about?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Five million.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly pulled out a cigarette, mouthed it, then snapped his fingers to light it up. Those watching him also joined in and lit their own cigarettes.
a??What a bloody mess.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Even if he didnt ce much value in human life, it was still impossible for him to suggest sacrificing five million lives in one go.
a??Is there a way to, you know, use nukes without hurting those people somehow?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??....Ive never heard of a precision nuclear strike before. Maybe itll be possible with a nuclear bomb strapped to a backpack, but if the situation was such that you could infiltrate there with a device like that, we wouldnt even have called you here.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??You have a point there.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Did that guy predict this and spread those people around? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Not to forget, our nation doesnt possess any nuclear arsenal. Meaning, America, China, or Russia has to make that decision.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Oh,e on now. Lets be honest here. Surely you have at least one or two stashed away somewhere?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??No, we....a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su was about to make his reply, but perhaps having realised that something didnt quite feel right, he shifted his gaze over to Yun Yeong-Min, instead.
a??W-we really dont have.a?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
a??So he says?a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head again.
a??What the heck. Everyone seems to have one or two lying around these days, so just what have you been doing until now, not even securing one for ourselves already?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??If it was that easy to acquire, we wouldnt be stuck in this sh*t creek without a paddle.a?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
a??Thats true, I guess.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk too seemed to have realised the helplessness of the situation, since he stopped grilling Yun Yeong-Min.
a??Urgh. Which means, no choice but to go in there and personally wreck everything...a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Can you do it?a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Why are you asking the obvious? Whether I can or cant, I still need to go there regardless, right?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??....Well, yes.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??If you were going to ask me to do this, then you shouldnt have told me to take a hike in the first ce.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??No one couldve predicted that the situation woulde down to...a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??And we have a bunch of misters who cant even predict such an event as our supposed leaders.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Urgh....a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
Although those words were spot-on... Song Jeong-Su couldnt quite figure out the reason why that punks mouth felt oh-so detestable right now. Was it because he was now sitting in a position of authority a?? and at that age, too a?? where he didnt want to hear any criticism? Or was it because that mouth was simply too detestable and hateful and nothing else besides?
a??Tsk. So, the conclusion is pretty much obvious, then.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk swiped his hand in the air to open up a new Gate.
a??Ill go take a look.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Well leave it in your hands.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Oh, and by the way.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression hardened uncharacteristically.
a??Talk to the Americans beforehand, okay?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??About?a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??If the situation doesnt look so good, bring down the hellstorm.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??...Hellstorm... of nukes?a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Yes.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Sus expression hardened just as gravely as he stared straight at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
a??Even when the lives of you and the NDF agents cant be guaranteed?a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??If we get connected to the demon world, well all be dead, anyway. If we can ensure our future with the least amount of sacrifices, then we should always choose that.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Youre suggesting that option far too easily.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Thats how it is with making tough decisions. You also know this, dont you?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Song Jeong-Su could only sigh as he listened to Yi Ji-Hyuk speaking in an unperturbed manner as if he was reading off a prepared script.
a??Alright. I swear, if the situation reaches the point of no return, well wipe North Korea off the map without any regards to your life.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
a??Finally something manly to listen to.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and strode inside the Gate.
Yun Yeong-Min addressed Song Jeong-Su with a trembling voice.
a??P-prime Minister Song, are you, are you being serious?a?? (Yun Yeong-Min)
a??A man prepared to throw away his life by going there has said that to us. We simply have no choice but to agree.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
If things were pushed to the absolute brink, then they wouldnt even have wasted time discussing this option.
Well, the life of one Yi Ji-Hyuk was perhaps more important than the fate of the whole world, after all.
However, Song Jeong-Su couldnt do anything about this bitterness crushing down on his chest.
a??This d*mn situation....a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
He could only pray that Yi Ji-Hyuk resolved this crisis as quickly as possible.
a??Connect me to Christopher McLaren.a?? (Song Jeong-Su)
*
Wuuuong!
Yi Ji-Hyuk strode outside the Gate and shivered at the sight of the waves of crazed monsters rushing in.
a??Ohh, who knew Id get to see this kinda sight even back on Earth?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, he thought hed only ever get to witness such a spectacle only in the demon world. Hell, even back in Berafe, such an event wouldve been ultra-rare and precious as well.
Whatsmentable about this whole thing was that this rare spectacle was happening for the purpose of destroying his world.
a??Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk walking out from the newly-generated Gate and hurriedly ran over with a brightplexion.
a??Why are you sote??a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??What the heck? Is that something a man who told me not toe should say?? A person should have conscience, man! Conscience! If someone unrted heard you, they might mistakenly think that I was supposed to be here but was cking off somewhere else!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While listening to Yi Ji-Hyuks retort, Choi Jeong-Hoon was ovee by this bizarre emotion.
Yup, as I thought, this guy is the Real Deal. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The other fakey-fake sarcastic dude earlier was capable of driving a person up the wall, sure, but despite that, Choi Jeong-Hoon could definitely feel the proper inner power cultivated to its zenith from the Real Deal.
This ability that could instantly switch your mood from the unbridled happiness of seeing the man to unbridled detestation, now this was not something you could simply learn.
a??In any case, our situation is as you can see.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Holy freakin moly!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk blew his top.
a??All of you from Im the superpower nations are in one spot but cant even deal with this situation? Just what have you all been doing until now?!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??....Apologies.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wouldnt have any excuses to say even with ten mouths. The same applied to the leaders of each nationsbat units a?? after hearing the tranted version of what Yi Ji-Hyuk said, they were too embarrassed to meet his re and could only stare at the distant hills or some such.
a??Aigoo, youre all so super. Super, I say.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted unhappily and began waving his hand in the air.
Hed have liked nothing more than to rake them over the coals for four days and three nights straight, but too bad, he didnt have the luxury of time to do that. Even as he stood here, the portal connecting to the demon world was opening up.
a??Defend my front.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Excuse me?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??I said, defend my front! Protect me!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Ah, yes!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon realised what Yi Ji-Hyuk was nning to do and hurriedly issued new orders.
Up until now, the only asions where Yi Ji-Hyuk wanted to buy some time to chant his spells were when demon kings had descended to Earth. So, him giving out such an order meant that he believed this situation to be just as urgent and serious as the advent of a demon king.
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly got the cooperation from other countries through the walkie talkie and had people pile up in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk to create a thick wall.
a??Gimme a freaking break!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk started his chanting and slowly waved his hand. ck Mana oozing out from his moving arm rushed up and gathered in the air to create a massive magic circle.
a??What is that?a??
The ability users from other countries had never seen Yi Ji-Hyuk cast something before, so they stared at that bizarre phenomenon with confused expressions.
In front of them were crazed monsters madly dashing in, while on the other side, a bizarre and unexinable pattern was lighting up the night sky.
Here was a spectacle they wouldnt get to see again any time soon, and also one they definitely wouldnt want to see ever again, either.
a??Kkeuh-euh....a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana continued to leak out from Yi Ji-Hyuks body. Even blood began trickling down from the corner of his mouth, too. Choi Jeong-Hoon could only look on with a worry-filled face.
His body cant endure it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the past, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt disy this sort of expression before. Seo Ah-Young did say that the pain she felt when the dark Mana coursed through her veins was truly hellish. But Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that, since Yi Ji-Hyuk used magic so, so easily, maybe Mana affected his body differently to that of a regr ability users.
But now, he could see how much pain Yi Ji-Hyuk was in.
a??Orrryaaaah!!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk loudly cried out, and the dark Mana exploded out from him like jets of mes. The burning ck-hued Mana mes unfurled from his shoulder des to assume the shapes of wings, and eventually, his whole body was enveloped in the dark Mana.
a??....F*ck me, now thats the proper demon, man.a?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan stared at Yi Ji-Hyuks new form and shuddered ufortably.
His body,pletely enveloped in the ck mes, while the ck wings of fire extended well past ten metres from his back. That sight alone made you think that hes not here to fight the monsters, but as themander of the horde, instead.
Guoooooh!
The magic circle began twisting and distorting next, then a massive cloud of Mana began condensing in the heavens.
a??Die already!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clenched his fist before opening his hand, which prompted the condensed Mana to spread out like a t sheet, only for clumps of Mana to shoot out from it.
Boom!!
A small clump of Mana flew towards the monster horde.
And then...
KWA-BOOOOM!!
The Mananding on the ground came in contact with the monsters and caused a massive explosion, before morphing into an even bigger ck vortex. Monsters getting sucked into this vortex couldnt even scream before disintegrating into tiny little chunks, eventually turning into bloody mist in the end.
a??Holy sh*t....a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young watched this scene unfold and chewed on her lip.
Her mes barely managed to wound these monsters, yet they were not just being killed, but were literally getting split into their atoms?
Just how strong is that guy, really?? (Seo Ah-Young)
She believed that she had more or less figured it all out, but the more she learned about Yi Ji-Hyuk, the harder it became to truly understand the level he had managed to attain.
Kwa-boooom!!
KWA-BOOOOM!!
Tens of Mana clumps rained down and quite literally, started erasing the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun off the map. Which included monsterspletely filling up the area near the pce as well a?? they were being so perfectly wiped out that no extra cleaning seemed necessary at this point.
a??Oh, my god.a??
The ability users from other countries who only had heard about Yi Ji-Hyuks name could only look on at this spectacle in a pure daze, their hands slowly faltering lower.
a??.....This is insane. Is he, like, doing an air raid all by himself?a??
How could a human being disy such a level of power?
They all saw it, yet still couldnt believe it.
a??Wake the hell up, will ya??a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks voice resounded out, and they all snapped wide awake from their daze.
a??Its not over yet!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 385. Call Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk here! Right now! -5 > Fin.
Chapter 386: What the! Isn’t this a bit too much?! (1)
Chapter 386: What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! (1)
Yi Ji-Hyuks yell prompted everyone to focus their gazes back to the front.
a??...Godda*mit, theres no end to them.a??
Despite Yi Ji-Hyuk cleanly wiping all the monsters away, more of them continued to pour out from the interior of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun. Not only that, the monsters near the defensive line the ability users had put up were unaffected by his magic, so the pressure the humans felt right now hadnt changed all that much.
Wuuuooong!
Yi Ji-Hyuk must be aware of this fact as well, since he didnt stop chanting even after getting rid of almost every monster his eyes could see.
a??Heuph!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana gushing out of his body shot up to the sky, before raining down on the NDF agents.
a??....Goddam*it!!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spat out a curse word after spotting the dark strand of magical energy approaching her. With the current situation being what it was, she couldnt afford to reject it, but a swear word still leapt out of her mouth after she recalled the pain shed suffer by epting that ck Mana.
Shu-wuwuwu...
She gritted her teeth as the sounds of Mana being absorbed entered her ears.
a??Urgh.a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
She ended up plopping down on the ground even before realising it as the horrendous pain washed over her C pain akin to every bone in her body breaking and every muscle being ripped to shreds. It felt like mes were burning inside her body.
a??Argh, seriously!!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
The other NDF agents in the nearby area also formed pained expressions.
a??What is going on here?!a??
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly fired out some kind of evil-feeling energy, then this thing seemingly attacked his allies, and those who got hit by it all showed extreme pain and suffering so understandably, the ability users from other countries had fallen into a pit of confusion.
a??I-is he betraying us??a??
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled bitterly.
a??No, he isnt. Dont worry about it, and please focus on filling up the opening.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
By the time he was finished with calming everyone down, the downed NDF agents began standing back up one by one.
a??Imma kill that b*stard one of these days for sure.a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young wiped away the blood oozing down from the corner of her lips and gnashed her teeth. Then she began creating a ball of mes the size of a house with her hands.
Those who witnessed this massive ball of mes with sinister pitch-ck light writhing within freaked out and hurriedly stumbled backwards.
a??Holy sh*t!a??
a??This is... the real me Witch!a??
The spectators estimated her mesa?? destructive power and failed to hide their astonishment.
From the get-go, Yi Ji-Hyuk was seen as an a??irregra??. Even his own country didnt ssify him as an ability user a?? instead, he was seen as a human exceeding that category. So, whatever he did wasnt as shocking to these people as some might think.
However, the story was different with Seo Ah-Young.
More than quite a few people present right now were rated to be about the same level as her. No matter how famous she was in East Asia, she was not quite high-levelled enough to aim for the top spot in the world.
But the power she disyed just now easily exceeded their expectations by a great margin. And then some.
a??So, it was by this much?a??
They had heard about how the overall ability levels of the NDF had risen up after Yi Ji-Hyuk made his entrance. But none of them thought the improvement would be this great.
a??Cha-aaaaa-aph!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young threw that massive ball of mes at the monsters flooding out from the pces destroyed entrance.
RUUUUMBLE!!
The mes danced wildly in a vortex to swallow up all the monsters.
a??Well, shoot. Youre still so shy, arent you?a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The Spitfire Yun Hyuk-Gyu left behind a snide remark and dashed forward. Crimson light radiated from both of his hands before shooting forward like a tidal wave.
KWA-BOOOOM!!
A cannon made up of mes wonderfully roasted all the monsters before him.
a??Tsk. Man, being in the same fire-type ss as her really sucks.a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
His ability in istion was indeed shocking to behold, butpared to what Seo Ah-Young disyed earlier, he was seen as far shabbier of the two. He was putting in all of his effort each and every time, yet she was continuously flinging those house-sized mes everywhere she pleased even now.
a??That woman is definitely a monster, too.a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
As if she wanted to show to the world that the fame a?? or the infamy a?? of the me Witch was not exaggerated, Seo Ah-Youngs figure really cut a witch-like silhouette right now.
a??But hell, she doesnt feel like a monster despite all that.a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
If Yun Hyuk-Gyu had been living a life where he only got to observe what other normal folks were capable of pulling off, then hed no doubt be very impressed by her disy. But after being near Yi Ji-Hyuk for so long, his nerves had grown so tough that nothing much fazed him these days, unfortunately.
a??What are you muttering to yourself for?! Get back to work, dude!a?? (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Hyun shed past and tried to bite Yun Hyuk-Gyus head off, causing thetters expression to crumple unsightly.
a??Argh, that stupid mosquito of a guy!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??Hey, man! Get back to work!a?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan stepped past and pped the back of Yun Hyuk-Gyus head.
a??Ah?! How many times did I tell you that you might kill someone by ident if you failed to control your strength?!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Park Seong-Chan smirked and dashed forward.
a??Oryaaaa!a?? (Park Seong-Chan)
He grabbed the tusks of a gigantic elephant-like monster with both of his hands, then proceeded to lift the creature up and spin it around like a toy in the air before throwing it at the mouth of the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
BOOOOM!
Monsters getting crushed to death by the gigantic elephant-like creature pitifully screamed out.
a??Niiice!a?? (Rudra)
Rudra then fired a bolt of lightning right on top of that pile.
a??I love the smell of cooked monster flesh!a?? (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chans lips quivered as he dashed forward once more.
*
a??...What the hell is up with these people??a?? (dimir)
dimir Zaitsev could only blink his eyes at the spectacles unfolding before him.
The NDF agents keeping their mouths shut until now suddenly transformed into fish swimming in water as soon as Yi Ji-Hyuk made his entrance.
a??How is that even possible?a?? (dimir)
The hulking dude who treated huge monsters like little puppies before tossing them away; the woman who chucked around house-sized balls of mes like toys; and a handsome youngster dashing between the monsters as if this was his living room.
Besides these three, other NDF agents the Russian could see were also easily dealing with the monsters as if they were nothing but a bunch of weak goblins.
Are the monsters too weak? Is that it? (dimir)
But, that couldnt be.
The Russianspatriots were having a hard time trying to deal with the same monsters. If it werent for Choi Jeong-Hoon issuing timely orders to the NDF agents and having them assist this side, their defensive line wouldve copsed a while ago and caused the deaths of everyone here.
a??Did they devour a live dragon or something?a?? (dimir)
Even if that was true, it was still far too strange for so many incredible ability users to show up at once from South Korea, which could be considered as a minor nation found somewhere in Asia.
Most of the countries that boasted being the ability user powerhouses usually had the dual foundation of financial muscle and arge poption base.
The eptedmon sense was, the more ability users you had and the greater the financial support you could provide to them, the better the quality of your ability users would end up being.
However, South Korea was quite obviously a minor nation in terms of poption, and even in the economic side of things, it was nowhere near the scales of the other four nations present today.
Even the Japanese ability users were seriously struggling right now. Japan, which had twice the poption and boasted an economy a couple of times greater than South Koreas. But how...
a??I cant figure out what sort of sorcery is at y here.a?? (dimir)
dimir Zaitsev slowly shook his head.
In that case, he now had to assume that baseless rumour to be true a?? the rumour of Yi Ji-Hyuk being capable of enhancing the powers of regr ability users. Even that was too hard to believe, though.
a??What is he nning to do this time??a?? (dimir)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began waving his hands around and naturally, everyones gaze was fixed on him.
a??Well, its no fun if you choose to keep hiding deep, deep underground, am I right?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He cackled ominously and began chanting again.
The ck Mana oozing out from his hands rose up high in the air, and soon began creating massive storm clouds right above the skies of the Kumsusan.
No, wait a?? those things were different from the regr storm clouds.
As the ck sparks danced around wildly, the clouds slowly condensed. They looked as if they were burning up, sizzling and hissing as if countless lightning bolts were exploding inside.
a??...What the hell is that thing?a?? (dimir)
The ck Mana kept oozing out from his body and rushed towards the sky. The storm clouds slowly began ballooning up in size.
It was at this point that dimir Zaitsev turned his head away.
Its like looking at a real devil. (dimir)
Yes, he knew that Yi Ji-Hyuk was an ally. But at least from this spectacle alone, he couldnt quite tell whether that man was indeed an ally or a demon. The Russian drew a cross in the air and prayed for his God to be with him in time of his need.
a??Get out of the way!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks loud yell prompted the NDF agents to hurriedly extricate themselves out of there.
a??H-hurry up!a??
a??That guy, hes gonna do it again! Again!!a??
Nowadays, they had be capable enough to badmouth Yi Ji-Hyuk even when they needed to beat a hasty retreat from a clear danger to their lives.
a??Well, now!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks lips curled up, then his raised hands were brought down.
a??Heres a present for you. I hope you enjoy it.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And right in that moment!
The ck clouds finished condensing, twisted like a drill, and began spinning viciously.
a??....Oh, hey! I think I saw that one before.a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shuddered grandly while witnessing this scene unfold.
She was sure of seeing that attack before. After recalling what happened back then, she could reliably say that it was pretty much the best magic to use in circumstances like this one.
a??Nail them down!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Along with Yi Ji-Hyuks loud yell, the condensed Mana suddenly ballooned up explosively, before drilling powerfully into the ground.
KWA-AAAAAH!!
The explosion noise loud enough to shred ones eardrums to bits; the noise was so great that the sense of alienation akin to stepping into apletely soundless room washed over everyone nearby.
The ck storm clouds transformed into a ck spear and stabbed straight down into the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun.
KWA-AAAAAH!!
It was like watching a massive tap appear in the sky, then pitch-ck water gushing out from it.
One notable difference between this and real water was that, where thetter shouldve flowed away after hitting the ground, the ck magical energy continued to bore down below the surface and drilled deeper and deeper.
As for the Kumsusan Pce of the Sun, it literally evaporated when the magical attack came in contact with it.
Park Seong-Chan shouted out.
a??Hey, the carcasses of father Kim and his son should be in there, right? Even the piggy, too?a?? (Park Seong-Chan)
a??Well, not anymore.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
Park Seong-Chan saw that smile and could only grin wryly in return.
a??Shouldnt that trio of big fish, you know, meet a suitably grand ending or something?a?? (Park Seong-Chan)
a??Too annoying, so why should I?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze shifted over to the gigantic ck spear still drilling into Earth. The massive spinning ck Mana threatening to bore a hole through thes crust began to slowly dissipate.
a??Itd be nice if they are all dead from that.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While cackling away, Yi Ji-Hyuk leisurely strode towards the impact zone.
A deep crater revealed itself there, one that looked as if a massive awl had stabbed into the ground.
If nothing remained in there, itd be Mission: Complete, but if not...
a??What the! Isnt this a bit too much?!a?? (Jeong Min-Seong)
a??Hoh-oh?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled at the voiceing out from the deeper part of the crater and got close to the edge. Then his brows quivered a bit.
He could see a small ind rising up from the centre of the cratera??s bottom like a hill. And on top of thisnd, Jeong Min-Seong and Args were looking back at him with raised heads. The appearances of these two sharply contrasted each other, however.
Jeong Min-Seong only had some trickle of blooding down from the corner of his lips, but Args was currently in the middle of slowly turning into ash-coloured dust, perhaps having spent all of its lifeforce just then.
a??Wow. You actually managed to block that?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Args with a pair of somewhat amazed eyes.
Did he get too weak, or did this demon be stronger?
a??I almost really died just now, you know!!a?? (Jeong Min-Seong)
a??I was trying to kill you, so yeah.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seongs protest was met with Yi Ji-Hyuks retort.
a??What if I really died just now, then?? What would you have done?!a?? (Jeong Min-Seong)
a??I said, I was trying to kill you. You deaf or something?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, Choi Jeong-Hoon felt like he had encountered the truth of cosmos.
Now wait a minute... I havent thought about what might happen if these two got together for any length of time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly studied Jeong Min-Seong, before opening his mouth.
a??Why is a human participating in this thing to destroy the world? Did your brain develop a misfire? If you say its a type of mental illness, I might be persuaded to understand your plight. Maybe just a little bit.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??But, Im perfectly sane?a?? (Jeong Min-Seong)
a??Dont look that way to me, though?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up shaking his head.
This... this was chaos.
< 386. What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! -1 > Fin.
Chapter 387: What the! Isn’t this a bit too much?! (2)
Chapter 387: What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! (2)
You are not a psychologist, so you shouldnt diagnose someones mental state so carelessly like that. It seems that you havent heard the phrase, get a doctor to diagnose you, but get medicines from the pharmacist. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yeah, you definitely sound like a nutcase. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Seeing how you can still crack jokes in your current situation, I should at least acknowledge the toughness of your mental state. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I thank you. (Jeong Min-Seong)
But thats about it. What will you do now? Doesnt look like you have any other cards left to y. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cards (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong shifted his gaze ever so slightly towards Args still copsed on the ground, and sighed at length.
A demon that I ced all of my hopes has ended up in this state after failing to withstand your attack, so I guess theres not much I can do anymore. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Acting all weak and stuff, are we? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at Jeong Min-Seong. To his eyes, this North Korean man seemed to possess as much strength as Args the demon.
Well, you can say this is fate, so how about having a little chat? (Jeong Min-Seong)
You wont buy enough time for your Gate to open up by doing that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We arent talking about a fruit thatll ripen by itself, so how can a portal open without a supply of magical energy? The guy supposed to be doing that is lying here looking like a well-cooked sweet potato, so thats not going to happen. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Well, you do have a point there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Args copsed on the ground and nodded his head. For sure, Jeong Min-Seong couldnt control Mana, so itd be impossible to activate a Gate on his own from this point on.
Okay, so? What do you want to talk about, then? Im willing to listen to yourst words. However, there should be a suitablepensation for extending your life, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the heck, a conversation in the middle of all this?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young suddenly blew her top, but Choi Jeong-Hoon rapidly grabbed her arm.
Whats wrong? (Seo Ah-Young)
Please, just be still and watch. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had calmly analysed the situation.
Although this crisis was about to wrap up in a rtively painless manner, there were no guarantees that simr events in the future would also conclude as easily as this one.
This isnt the only one. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If the other party was determined to try again, then they could choose other nations simr to North Korea and do their thing there. For instance, the African continent was now basically no longer within the reach of Western nations.
If it werent for Park Yong-Hui escaping from imprisonment and alerting the authorities in the South, the whole world wouldve probably had to sit back and helplessly watch the doorway open up.
There was a definite need to get some information through calm conversation if possible.
Okay, so. All these North Korean people, they havent returned to being normal yet, so how should we change them back? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, is that the prerequisite for starting this conversation? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do I really have to tell you that? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Not really. Its fine even if you dont wanna tell me, since I dont know any of those people, to begin with. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meaning, hed just beat up Jeong Min-Seong to death if thetter didnt say anything, and then stop caring about the rest afterwards.
As he was smart enough to read between the lines, Jeong Min-Seong raised a white g immediately.
They will revert back even if you just let them be. Their state needs to be continuously maintained, you see. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Its not Mana, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its one of my abilities. Please dont take me too lightly. (Jeong Min-Seong)
But you do look like a lightweight? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneered, prompting Jeong Min-Seong to spit out a groan.
Yes, yes. With our situation being what it is, I dont have anything to retort even if you see me as a lightweight. However, if only you hadnte here, things wouldnt have devolved into this state, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Stop wasting time and say your final piece already. Ill make sure to blow you apart in the blink of an eye. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im a human being, though? (Jeong Min-Seong)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You are an equal-rights activist, arent you? Someone who doesnt discriminate whether others are humans or monsters. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Something like that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seong dragged a chair from behind and settled down on it.
It seemed as if a lengthy debate was about to unfold here. Park Seong-Chan, seeing this spectacle, began grumbling out loudly.
Is it fine to be doing this right now? (Park Seong-Chan)
It was then, the American side contacted Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Were confident that this person is linked to Alpha, the number one on our most dangerous individuals list. We rmend that either you extract information rted to Alpha from him, or capture him alive.
Ill tell him that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his head back to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You heard what he said, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
.I forgot to turn on the trantion magic. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon groaned helplessly and exined.
I got it. Itll be pointless, but whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked back down into the crater and Jeong Min-Seong began talking.
Honestly speaking, I cant understand why youre siding with them. (Jeong Min-Seong)
I also cant figure out why youre over there, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The reason why Im here is because of what you did, though. Nevertheless! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Maybe he didnt want to get sucked into Yi Ji-Hyuks pace, Jeong Min-Seong began speaking up in a resolute tone of voice.
You possess the ability to rule this world. But why are you living like a dog serving those in the seats of power and the regr, powerless humans? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Because they feed me on time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, wait a minute! Im being serious, you know! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in a disinterested tone of voice.
I did the whole rule the world thing before, but it wasnt anything special. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seong formed a strange expression.
You did? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.Ah, is that so? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seong roughly scratched his head.
Urgh, this isnt supposed to happen this way. That answer wasnt in my how-to-reply manual (Jeong Min-Seong)
Then, he opened his mouth again.
Eii, even then. This world and the other one might be a different prospect, you know? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Whats so different, then? They are not. Not really. Even if I rule this world, its not like what I eat will change, or my sleeping hours will suddenly gain a couple of an extra hour or two. Every day will grow bloody tiresome and irritating after all those nagging idiots show up and ask you to do this and that for them. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh, mm (Jeong Min-Seong)
Besides, theres no reason to do that in the modern world. You should just make a lot of money, instead. With money, you can live a life that your average politician can never even dream of. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now theres advice I should engrave in my heart. Feels like Im genuinely being convinced right now. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cracked a joke.
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply ced a new cigarette in between his lips.
Okay, so. Is that all you have to say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, no. Not yet. Ill get killed if this chates to an end, so I definitely cant stop here. If the conclusion to the veryst conversation of my life is Make some money, then itd truly be the saddest thing ever, wouldnt you agree? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Is that so? If you want to continue the conversation, we will need extra information. Wheres Alpha? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, well thats a difficult question. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Then just die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, wait! I didnt mean that the question is difficult to answer, but I dont know where he might be, thats it. If he was someone who revealed such a thing so easily to anyone, then by now, hed probably be locked up and singing like a canary in an underground torture chamber run by the CIA. (Jeong Min-Seong)
That sounds usible. In that case, spit out any information you think is pertinent to me. If you dont have any, then just die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mmmm please hold. I need to think about this one first. Ah, how about this one? There are other, simr projects to this ce currently active elsewhere, so if I tell you where they are, will my life see an extension? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Choi Jeong-Hoon, and thetter nodded his head.
Okay. Spit them out, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
First of all, Antigua and Barbuda! (Jeong Min-Seong)
What was that, you b*stard?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk) (TL note at the end)
N-no, hang on! Thats the name of the country! Really! Its the name of a country north of Venezu! (Jeong Min-Seong)s
.Seriously? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres also one in Guinea Bissau, too. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned under his breath.
Eh, I think you should tell that to someone else, not me. I wont be able to remember all that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seong recited the names of other countries for a long while, and when he was finished, the Americans nodded their heads.
Okay, you may speak now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The problem isnt simply about ruling the world. Honestly, the current you can live like an emperor in any of the worlds. But separate from that, dont you find something is wrong with this world? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Whats wrong with it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A world where ability users are being persecuted, dont you find it just too funny? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Kim Dah-Hyun and asked.
Hey, did you get persecuted before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope. I dont know what insane rambling hes on about. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
So he says? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seong grandly shook his head around.
The ability users are greater than regr humans, yet were being treated the same as them. Thats reverse discrimination. But you know thats not the end of it. We the ability users are (Jeong Min-Seong)
Ah, ah. Stop right there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly cut Jeong Min-Seong off.
Thats something you lot should sort out, since Im not really interested. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre not interested?! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Thats not the issue of right or wrong, is it? If you had more power, youd been able to rule the world, as simple as that. So the reason why you ended up like this is because you were simply too weak. Stoping up with excuses andining like a little girl when it was your own weakness that caused this situation. Its really irritating to listen to. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seongs expression visibly hardened.
Okay, so. Are you finished with what you want to say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Youre mistaken about something. (Jeong Min-Seong)
About? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, Jeong Min-Seong became quite rxed.
There are a lot of ability users in the world who think the same as us. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Is that so? Well, yeah. Probably. But what would that change, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course itll change everything. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seongs voice grew more and more intense.
Dont you get it? This world is filled with unfairness. Far too many things are patently unfair! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Im sure it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The world is rotten to the core, and those in the seats of power are only interested in securing their positions of luxury and security. This world is in a steady decline because of them. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
Okay, so what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why this world needs to be reformed. The ability users appearing in this era, that is the very signal from the above to change this world. Dont you understand that? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Ah, sorry about this, but Im an atheist, you see. I dont believe in gods even if they exist. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Thats not what being an atheist means. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons tackle caused Yi Ji-Hyuk to pout unhappily.
Argh, I dont care. Whatever, I dont believe in gods. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He got denied even by the gods in the past, after all.
Is that all you have to say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This is merely a stream. A stream meant to purify the rotten humanity and reform this world for the brand new humans! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Uhm, not really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
Not sure where you got brainwashed, pal, but Im not spineless enough to fall for the speech of a pseudo religious fanatic like you, unfortunately. Okay, so. If youre done talking, have a nice trip to the afterlife, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell do you know?! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Madness began filling up Jeong Min-Seongs shouts.
Do you even know how humans treat ability users in the shadows?! Even as we speak, countlessrades of ours are dying in some undergroundb somewhere! While being cruelly, inhumanly dissected alive! Even you would be filled with hatred towards humanity if you find yourself stuck in an underground torture chamber for three days straight! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Actually, I didnt get as p*ssed off as you say. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was that? (Jeong Min-Seong)
You will also realise it after getting burned alive for, what was it, ten days? This thing called hatred? How should I say this. Well, its something you only get if you were expecting something else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Min-Seong became speechless.
This guy Nothing was getting through to him.
Ehh well. I guess it makes sense with you. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cleanly gave up on trying now. He didnt ce much hope in convincing this man named Yi Ji-Hyuk from the beginning, after all.
I shall give you high marks for expecting something from humanity. Heres the thing, though. ording to what I have seen, the current humanity isnt rotten but thats how humans are like inside. You think things will change after you drive out the ones in power and create a kingdom for yourselves? Nope, itll stay exactly the same. And thats why history repeatedly goes through revolutions to go back to how it was, after it grows sick and tired of the current reality. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Jeong Min-Seong with a disappointed, pitying look and spoke.
There is no such thing as utopia in this world. Find your utopia in your dreams, mister silver tongue. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 387. What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! -2 > Fin.
(TL: The second part of the name, Barbuda sounds simr to Youre a moron in Korean.)
Chapter 388: What the! Isn’t this a bit too much?! (3)
Chapter 388: What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! (3)
Jeong Min-Seongs eyes remained locked on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Well, Im sure thats how it is. Even then, the world managed to advance this far precisely because, despite knowing the truth, there had been some people who were still advocating for a revolution. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Uhm I think thats only because science has advanced, though? A world without science doesnt seem capable of developing a forward thinking mindset even after ten thousand years. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, is that so? Thats too bad (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong spat out a sigh and continued on.
Talking to you like this makes me wonder just what I have been doing until now. (Jeong Min-Seong)
What do you mean, what? Its all a waste of time, thats what. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, please dont point it out too sharply, because it kind of hurts. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong cracked another joke.
For sure, what you said might be right, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. What were trying to achieve might not be all that effective, and in terms of history, it might be a meaningless revolt, as well. Yes, I get all that. However (Jeong Min-Seong)
A smirk floated up on his lips.
Even then, I wont have any regrets only after going as far as I can. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Itd be nice if you get that chance. You dont need to regret anything, though. Ive seen plenty of people like you trying to achieve something only to fail and die but if its meant to happen, then itd happen sooner orter by someone elses hands. So, if you think your ideals and dreams are so wonderful and noble, then you can rx and just die now. Because, someone will make theme trueter on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I dont want to die? (Jeong Min-Seong)
No one wants to die, really. Well, Ive heard enough of yourst words. I should give Alpha the message, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And what would the message say? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Itll say that you were talking out of your a*s. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah What a terrible person you are. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong sighed over and over again, before looking back at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
It seems that youre still mistaken about something, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Jeong Min-Seong)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you think Im pushed deep into a corner right now? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Probably? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong shrugged his shoulders.
I told you this earlier, didnt I? You shouldnt take me too lightly. All those people outside, they look like theyve simply lost their minds, doesnt it? (Jeong Min-Seong)
They werent? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ding dong! Of course not. They havent lost their minds, but they are being controlled right now. You shouldve thought about the basis of the power that allowed me to easily take over the Norths ruling elite. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Huh, mind control, is it (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats a pretty unique power, wasnt it?
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted lightly.
There were some magic spells with simr effects, but it was still difficult to influence this many people in one go. Those spells worked wonders when brainwashing a handful, though.
Hmm, so what? You want to brainwash me or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, that would be impossible even for me. I already know that your mind is far tougher than me, after all. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Okay, so whats the problem? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, well. First of all, I can do this. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Snap!
Jeong Min-Seong snapped his fingers.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly scanned his surroundings, before piping up.
Nothings happening? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At least try to wait for a bit longer, will you! A man should not be so impatient, you know. Besides all that, they should be here by now? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong craned his neck a bit. Obviously, he shouldnt be able to see anything from the bottom of the crater, but he just didnt want to let go of his mischievous streak even in this situation.
B-behind us!
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze behind after hearing that urgent voice.
Wow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All those people that filled up Pyongyangs streets were slowly shuffling towards his group.
Ive seen enough of zombies, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Technically speaking, these people were still alive, but their actions didnt seem all that different from the regr zombies.
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan and looked back at Jeong Min-Seong.
Okay, so You want to stop me with them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, obviously not. They will tie you down while I (Jeong Min-Seong)
Flinch.
Suddenly, Jeong Min-Seongs body began distorting and twisting.
Godd*mmit (Jeong Min-Seong)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The North Korean was wing at his own throat and began hurdling in sheer pain.
Urgh, f*ck! Why do you only step up in moments like this? You wish to devour every tasty. (Jeong Min-Seong)
What is he talking about? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon craned his neck and paid closer attention to Jeong Min-Seong.
Uh-uht?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He initially thought that thetter was ying around again, but it didnt seem that way.
Jeong Min-Seongs body began to visibly twist around. His arms were flinging around and bending all by themselves, and several parts of his body bulged up as if small balls were bouncing around under his skin.
His hair then instantly turned white, before he crashed to the ground with a loud Thud!
Well, thats something, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He finally stopped convulsing and slowly got up.
Choi Jeong-Hoon blinked his eyes nonstop.
Although Jeong Min-Seong copsed only for a moment or two before standing back up, his face seemed to have changed somewhat. No, it was definitely different now.
The white hair and the handsome, memorable facial features.
Even more shockingly, that new face was strikingly simr to the one Choi Jeong-Hoon had seen before.
Alpha?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
As Choi Jeong-Hoons voice resounded out, Jeong Min-Seong swept his hair back.
Well, now. Its been a while, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. And also, I trust that our dear friend Mister McLaren is with us through the body cams? (Alpha)
Yo, hold up. Let me cast the trantion magic first. Stop yapping on in English out of the blue, dude. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, no. You dont have to. I should speak in Korean, instead. Mister McLaren should have an interpreter next to him right this moment, anyway. (Alpha)
Alpha grinned brightly.
Its nice to see you again. (Alpha)
You sound pretty rxed, though? I was thinking that, even if you didnt die back then, youd been halfway there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre correct. I was wounded quite heavily. However, both you and I know of what happened, so theres no need to bring it back up again, wouldnt you agree? (Alpha)
Alpha shrugged his shoulders, and Choi Jeong-Hoon could only look on in a confused state.
So, you were in disguise this whole time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No. (Alpha)
Alpha scratched his chin and exined himself.
This is so bizarre. McLaren knows all about my ability, but it seems that he has not given any information to your side. This is why the people from the intelligence agencies are an inefficient bunch despite them pretending to be otherwise. Information is only useful when passed on, so I cant understand why he didnt share any with you. Its not as if were talking about some top national secret, either. (Alpha)
Why dont you exin it in simpler terms? Stop beating around the bush. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To put it simply, that man before was simr to my clone. Although he possesses a different personality and the physical body, hes still under my control. (Alpha)
I still dont get it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared with a facial expression that said, What bullsh*t are you talking about?, prompting Alpha to break out in a bitter chuckle.
Your characters still the same, I see. (Alpha)
That other dude was simr to me, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, it seems that you influenced me by a lot, then. Although I may seem rxed, encountering someone like you for the first time back then proved to be quite shocking to me. (Alpha)
Oh, so you deigned to bring yourself here to tell me that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, of course not. (Alpha)
Alpha grinned, raised his hand and made a pistol sign, before pointing it to his head and pretending to fire.
I certainly didnte here to kill myself. No, I merely wished to tell you something, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Alpha)
Man, you sure love to talk, dont you. Ive heard enough from the other guy already, but now its your turn, too? Id like to wrap this one up and go home now, so I can take a shower and hit the sack. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It wont take long. All I wish to do is to expand upon what was being said earlier. This body was trying to exin the ability it possessed, and to simply put, its mind control. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan.
Thats enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He then raised his hand towards the air.
Wuuooong!
ck Mana strands gushed out from his hand and began creating a sizzling, hissing ball of mes up there.
Im deeply honoured by the fact that the dear cult leader-nim deigned to pay us a visit like this, but the thing is, Im getting really bored right now. Okay, so. Lets end it here today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll be wiser for you to listen to what I have to say. Because, mind control can be used in this way too, you see. (Alpha)
Right then, Alphas eyes seemed to sparkle, before rays of bright light shot out from there and swept across the surroundings.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was hit squarely in the face by the light but didnt feel anything different about him, so he tilted his head in confusion.
Nothings happening, again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course it wont affect you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. However, what will it be like with other people? (Alpha)
mmmm!
Suddenly, a barrage of bullets were fired in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Oopsie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wuuoong
An opaque barrier appeared before him and began deflecting all the bullets flying in.
D-did they lose their minds?!
He said its mind control, didnt he?!
The American special forces members observing the unfolding situation suddenly began firing their weapons in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
At the same time
W-whats wrong with this idiot all of a sudden?!
Commotion began rising up in every direction. A portion of the ability users began attacking their surroundings, thats why.
Now thats kinda amazing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was really impressed by it, but Choi Jeong-Hoon was too busy shouting at the moment to care.
Protect Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Right now! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even before his words ended, Seo Ah-Young, Yun Hyuk-Gyu, Kim Dah-Hyun and Park Seong-Chan stood around Yi Ji-Hyuk in a circle.
Wreck anyone who approaches your vicinity! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Including you, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Park Seong-Chan)
You think now is the right time to crack jokes?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Seong-Chan pounded on his chest as if to say Dont you worry after hearing Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Leave things like this to me! (Park Seong-Chan)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at the events unfolding all around him as if none of it concerned him, before shifting his gaze back to Alpha.
Thanks for the show. But what about them? No matter how I look at this, youll die way before they manage to reach me. Sure, this would be an amazing power in the middle of a warzone, but doesnt look all that effective in this ce, no? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre wrong. Allow me to correct something in that statement. Even if they manage to reach you, they wont inflict much damage to you. So, everything that happened so far is just a sideshow. (Alpha)
Sideshow?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm, it seems that I can exin more to you, since things have progressed to a degree now. Firstly, your weakness. I have analysed it in depth, and as its a rather simple one. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes narrowed to slits.
Youre a caster. No one in this world can win when fighting you over a distance. And thats also including all those terrifying demon kings. (Alpha)
Thanks for thepliment. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
On the other hand, youre shockingly weak when ites to close quarterbat. Yes, you are stronger than a regr ability user when you two start fighting with bare fists, butpared to the abilities you possess, your physical ability is basically non-existent. (Alpha)
Well, lets just say thats the limitation from my birth. However, I did get a bit toughertely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, yes. Im sure thats true. And also, it seems that youve overlooked yet another thing. (Alpha)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha smiled brightly and continued on.
Didnt this body tell you already? There are more people agreeing with us than you might think. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows quivered slightly just then.
You (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its toote, what with him being so close already. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spun around in that instance, but just as Alpha had said, it was toote by then.
Stab!
This sound was simr to a knife stabbing into ones flesh. However, it was not made by a knife.
No, it was a sound made by a hand piercing through anothers body.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down at the hand that prated through his chest in disbelief.
Whose? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He couldnt turn his head, but he knew.
He knew whose hand this was, a hand that was at least bigger than a regr persons by 50%.
Alpha watched that scene and slowly pped his hands, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes witnessing everything.
I told you. You are shockingly weak in close-quarterbat. And we have more coborators than you might think. Finally, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you regrettably have this streak of trusting other people too easily. (Alpha)
Blood gushed out from Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
He was familiar with this pain.
Indeed, he had experienced such pain tens of thousands of times before.
However
He was unfamiliar with his consciousness trying to fade away.
As his consciousness faded away slowly, he thought he could hear a dim voice.
Park Seong-Chaaaaan!!
< 388. What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! -3 > Fin.
Chapter 389: What the! Isn’t this a bit too much?! (4)
Chapter 389: What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! (4)
Kim Dah-Hyun dashed towards Park Seong-Chan with an expression of a man who lost his reasoning from sheer anger.
You son of a biii*ch! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
He could clearly see Park Seong-Chans hand piercing through Yi Ji-Hyuks back. His lightning-fast approach prompted the burly man to pull his hand out and quickly take some distance away.
Woah, woah, there Calm down, junior. (Park Seong-Chan)
Uwaaaah! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun threw a punch with everything he had and itnded on the intended target, but he couldnt inflict any damage on Park Seong-Chans body reinforced by dark Mana.
Tsk. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan grabbed the back of Kim Dah-Hyuns neck and simply tossed him aside.
You crazy b*stard?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu also lost his mind and was about to pounce on Park Seong-Chan, but then, a loud yell suddenly woke him up.
Protect him! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hadnt lost his reasoning yet. He hurriedly pulled the copsed Yi Ji-Hyuk closer to him and raised his voice even louder.
Hes not dead yet, you idiots! Surround us and make sure no one can reach us! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes, sir.
Contact the Blue House and tell Miss Jeong Hae-Min to bring Dah-Som over here, too! Others should connect Miss Affeldrichae! Hurry! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
People hearing him still showed a moment of hesitation, so Choi Jeong-Hoon roared out at the top of his lungs.
Get a move on, you stupid retards!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes, sir!
He then proceeded to press down on the gaping hole in Yi Ji-Hyuks chest and murmured in a trembling voice.
Hes fine. Hell be fine He wont die from something like this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha watching this pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and mouthed it, before tossing the cigarette packet over to where Yi Ji-Hyuk was.
He seems to enjoy smoking, so why dont you put one on his lips, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? Since hes on his way now, doing that will make this whole thing more noir-like, wouldnt you say? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon bit down on his lip.
When his rage boiled over beyond control, it felt like his head was sinking lower.
Alpha saw the light burning in Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes and shook his head, then pulled out a ck marble from his other pocket. He proceeded to lightly kick Args still copsed on the ground.
Hey, you useless demon b*stard. Its time to wake up. (Alpha)
Keuh-euh (Args)
The demon flinched slightly, then managed to raise its head up in visible agony.
So, you did manage to survive one hit. (Alpha)
I was almost extinguished just then. What an absurd power that was. (Args)
Still, it worked out as we calcted. Didnt I tell you that you wont die? (Alpha)
Dont make a mockery of this, human. I really did almost die. (Args)
You and your exaggerations. (Alpha)
Alpha flicked that ck marble into Argss mouth.
The moment Crunch! sound resounded out, vitality immediately returned to the demons body.
What a dangerous gamble this was. (Args)
Its fine since its a sess. So, go ahead and get back to your job. (Alpha)
Of course. (Args)
Alpha turned away from Args and spoke while licking his lips.
So, then. Why didnt you protect him better? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon alternated his re between Alpha and Park Seong-Chan.
Is this mind control, too? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Excuse me? (Alpha)
Alpha chuckled in dismay.
You dont seem to be the type to fail so badly at analysing the situation, so I dont understand why you asked that. After all, Mister Park Seong-Chans mind isnt so weak that it can be this easily manipted. (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon bit his lip even harder.
Then what?! Are you saying its out of his own free will?? Park Seong-Chan! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Seong-Chan shrugged his shoulders.
Dont look at me like that, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. Impletely sane-minded. (Park Seong-Chan)
Did you betray us, then?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What do you mean, betray? Ive always belonged to this side, you know. (Park Seong-Chan)
Park Seong-Chan sighed under his breath.
Its not like I dont feel guilty about this, alright? This godd*mn punk had a seriously bad mouth on him but he did treat us real well and all. But what can I do, my cause is with this side. A man should know when to forget about minor things. (Park Seong-Chan)
Stop running your sh*tty mouth, you son of a b*tch! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Seong-Chan carried on with a lonely expression.
It kinda hurts, hearing you say that. Especially when I always thought of you as a little brother and all that. I hope that you understand this, though. I didnt do this out of personal greed or anything like that. (Park Seong-Chan)
I told you to put a cork in your piehole. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Park Seong-Chan raised both of his hands and slowly retreated.
Well, whatever. Its fine. Ive no desire to keep fighting anymore, so lets call it a day, shall we? (Park Seong-Chan)
Says who?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stood up from the spot, her eyes zing in anger. She had been pressing down on Yi Ji-Hyuks chest along with Choi Jeong-Hoon up until then, so her hands were stained deeply by the crimson blood. She stared at Park Seong-Chan with a terrifying spectre-like re.
I also never viewed Yi Ji-Hyuk in a good light, but never did I think that I could stab one of myrades in the back like this. You son of a b*tch, Im gonna let you burn in the mes of hell, so reflect on your guilt while being cooked alive, okay? (Seo Ah-Young)
See, Alpha? I told you, theyll really kill me. (Park Seong-Chan)
Alpha watched all this and simply shook his head.
Why dont you just let him go? If not, Ill just hop over there and end Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks life with my own hands. (Alpha)
Try it, then! (Seo Ah-Young)
It was then, Choi Jeong-Hoon yanked Seo Ah-Youngs hand.
Let me go! (Seo Ah-Young)
Sit down! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I said, let go! (Seo Ah-Young)
I said, shut up and sit down! Cant you hear me?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young was stunned by that sudden yell and stared at him with dazed eyes.
D*mn it, all of you, stop getting on my nerves for a second and just shut the hell up! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons enraged voice was effective in shutting everyone up. None of them had ever seen him lose hisposure to this degree before.
All NDF agents, get over here! Im changing the mission! Dont even let a single ante near us! If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk dies here, then well all perish here, too! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
His voice was thick with such heavy murderous aura that not even Seo Ah-Young could say anything and did as ordered by standing guard over Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Is Jeong Hae-Min not here yet? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Shu-shushut
Almost at the same time as he finished asking that question, Jeong Hae-Min appeared with a pale face right next to them. She had imnted a mark on Yi Ji-Hyuks body and that allowed her to teleport to his side whenever it was necessary.
And back then, I thought she was just wasting a valuable mark. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt be any more grateful even if he tried right now.
Oppaaaa! (Kim Dah-Som)
Ji-Hyuk-ah! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Kim Dah-Som showed up too while holding onto Jeong Hae-Mins hand, and after seeing Yi Ji-Hyuks state, she freaked out and hurriedly rushed over to his side. Pure-white rays of light came from her hands as she pressed down on his chest.
Cough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuksplexion was getting paler and paler.
That wasnt surprising, since a regr person wouldve died ten times over by now.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched Kim Dah-Som desperately press down on Yi Ji-Hyuks chest and urgently asked her.
Can you save him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I will save him! I must! (Kim Dah-Som)
That was enough for him.
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned his head around and slowly stood up.
Ill kill you all, you bunch of trash. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha receiving that hostile gaze formed an unreadable smile.
Now that is the best praise one could ask for. I finally got the reward for all of my hard work. (Alpha)
You really outdid yourself, didnt you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This was, by no means, as easy as you think it was to pull off. The moment I heard that a person like Yi Ji-Hyuk had shown up, I began making some preparations, but when I finally met him in person, he was even more ridiculous than all the stories Ive heard. Thats why I paid especially more attention to this n. (Alpha)
Alphas tone of voice sounded as if he wanted others to understand all the hardship he had to go through.
As long as that man was around, it was quite obvious that no matter what we tried to do, itd end in failure. n A was to persuade him and make him our ally. Of course, you know how that went. n B was simpler in nature. Eliminate him or make sure he cant interfere. And as you can see, we seeded. (Alpha)
Shut up! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha wagged his finger and addressed Choi Jeong-Hoon.
No need to get so angry. In all honesty, its not an exaggeration to say that you were the enabler of this n, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Alpha)
.What?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You let him out of the cage too often. You unleashed him far too many times. So much so that I didnt really need to meet Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk personally to figure out what he was like and what kind of weaknesses he had. (Alpha)
The inside of Choi Jeong-Hoons mind nked out.
It was my fault?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ive seen several of his battles, and I noticed how weak he was against direct impact to his body. On top of this, he seemed topletely lose his wariness of needing to stay alert after Ether began strengthening his body, too. Yes, he remained wary of attacksing from the distance, but what Im saying is that he never even entertained the idea of someone close by betraying him. If I was him, Id never have done something so monumentally stupid like entrusting my own safety to others while chanting my spells, but he did it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Its as if he believed that he was an immortal who couldnt be killed no matter what. (Alpha)
Griiit.
Choi Jeong-Hoon gritted his teeth.
Its not over yet! Stop yapping as if youve won already! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course, youre right. However (Alpha)
Alpha turned his head slightly.
Args nodded its head with a smile.
Do you still have any other unresolved questions? (Alpha)
What? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Tsk, tsk. Youre a sharp person, but this event mustve shocked you a great deal. Cant you see the puzzle pieces falling into their ces? This was my n all along. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk had toe here. Dont you still get what Im trying to say here? (Alpha)
Alpha then pointed in a certain direction.
Choi Jeong-Hoon followed that finger and turned his head only to spot all those countless people.
Five million. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Chill ran down on Choi Jeong-Hoons skin.
He had forgotten.
Forgotten about what Park Yong-Hui had said.
In order to open the doorway to the demon world, a massacre was a necessity.
N-no, wait! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Toote. (Alpha)
KWA-BOOOOM! BOOOOOM!!
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched with a forlorn face as the massive explosions went off one after the other right in front of him.
The entirety of Pyongyang was crumbling down. A storm of merciless congration waspletely sweeping across the city.
Euh. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons body shivered.
Countless lives that used to live in all those buildings were blown apart in a single moment.
Alphaaaa!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He nearly lost his mind from the pure rage. If he could, hed rip that truly despicable b*stard to shreds right now.
Begin. (Alpha)
Alpha gave hismand, and Args got to work.
Very satisfactory. (Args)
The demon spread open its arms, and faint, darkish aura oozing out from Pyongyang, now resembling a devastated in burning in mes and choking smoke, streamed towards Args.
Very, very satisfactory. (Args)
The corners of what should be Argss lips curled up.
From the very beginning, it was wrong to n all of your missions and defence strategy around Yi Ji-Hyuks existence. You grew so dependent that you even forgot all about the basics of war. Well, I cant really me you for it, since its proof that your kind has fallen behind in natural evolution. (Alpha)
Alphas mocking words entered Choi Jeong-Hoons ears.
The ckish Mana streaming towards Args circled around the demon once before being shoved into a ck Gate.
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes trembled after seeing that scene.
That thing needed to be stopped.
He wasnt sure of what the hell was going on here exactly, but without a doubt, not doing anything about this unfolding situation would lead to the portal to the demon world opening up.
W-we gotta stop them! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stop them! Do whatever it takes to stop that! Hurry!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons loud yell caused everyone standing around in a dazed stupor to instantly shift their gazes over to the ck Gate.
Kill that demon first! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wuuuong!!
No one replied back. Rather, their replies came in the manner of them raising their Ether and firing intense attacks towards Args.
That wont do. (Alpha)
Alpha used both of his hands to draw a big circle in the air. Then, arge Gate suddenly appeared before him and Args.
A Gate?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its only a halfplete version. I tried to imitate him, but it was not possible, unfortunately. However, I can still do this. (Alpha)
All of the Ether attacks flying in were seemingly sucked into the pseudo-Gate Alpha had created.
They shouldvended somewhere in the world, then. Others might be too scared about the aftermaths and wouldnt dare, but well, it doesnt matter to me. (Alpha)
You crazy son of a b*tch! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to fling a few more choice words, but Alpha raised his hand and cut him off.
Its toote now. Now, behold this moment. The moment that our world changes. (Alpha)
The ck Gate began to buzz and resonate noisily.
< 389. What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! -4 > Fin.
Chapter 390: What the! Isn’t this a bit too much?! (5)
Chapter 390: What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! (5)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes began trembling.
The world was about to change?
a??...We, we need to stop that...a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, he knew the truth deep inside.
a??Thata?? couldnt be stopped.
Without Yi Ji-Hyuk, they simply did not possess the necessary power to reverse this situation. No, wait a?? before he could do that, he hadnt even fully understood what was about to transpire in the first ce.
Just what are they trying to do here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Would thepleted pathway to the demon world open up through that ck Gate?
Choi Jeong-Hoon clenched his teeth.
Just one demon king was enough to drive the entire world to the brink of annihtion. If it werent for Yi Ji-Hyuk, this world wouldve been destroyed a long time ago already.
But then, what would happen if a doorway opened up and allowed the demon kings to freelye and go as they pleased?
Itd be over.
No matter what humanity tried, they wouldnt be stopped.
Choi Jeong-Hoon opened his mouth with a determined expression.
a??Things... wont work out the way you think.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alphas expression shifted slightly as he stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon.
a??Do you have a hidden ace up your sleeve?a?? (Alpha)
a??...a??
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt bother to reply and raised the walkie-talkie.
a??You saw everything, yes?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C a??Yes.a??
a??Has it started yet?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C a??They are already on their way.a??
a??You sure informed us quickly enough.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C a??Do your best to extricate yourselves from there. Theres nothing more I can do from this side.a??
a??Understood.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smirked and tossed the walkie-talkie on the ground. He had no more need tomunicate to anyone now.
a??Prepare to evacuate!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Teleporters that apanied the group hurriedly rushed towards their respective groups.
Some hadnt escaped from Alphas mind control yet and were still aimlessly rampaging around.
a??Well, well.a?? (Alpha)
Alpha watching on slowly shook his head.
a??Looks like ballistic missiles are headed this way. I sincerely hope that you didnt see me as someone incapable of predicting this turn of events. If you did, then well, youve greatly underestimated me.a?? (Alpha)
Alpha smirked deeply and spoke, causing Choi Jeong-Hoons expression to distort.
a??Knowing and stopping it are two different things.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Ah, well... Thats true. However, heres the thing...a?? (Alpha)
Alpha lightly scratched his cheek, before breaking out into a rather innocent smile.
a??Why dont we experience this brilliant and hot sentiment together?a?? (Alpha)
It was right then.
The Chinese teleporters dashing towards their designated spots suddenly began dropping dead right where they stood.
a??W-whats wrong with them?!a??
A single round hole could be seen in each of their foreheads.
a??Snipers...a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon instantly figured out what was going on and shouted out loudly.
a??Protect Miss Jeong Hae-Min! Surround her now! Hurry!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If they lose Jeong Hae-Min here, it was inly obvious what the fate waiting for them would be like.
Thankfully, she was standing right next to Yi Ji-Hyuk, and the other NDF agents were surrounding him in a protective cordon already, so all she had to do was to simply stay right there.
Choi Jeong-Hoon gritted his teeth.
a??Mm, how should I say it...a?? (Alpha)
Alpha spoke in a slightly embarrassed tone of voice.
a??Its true that there are some people who argue that using modern firearms results in the loss of identity for ability users, just like what the religious extremists sometimes say. But Im the type to not care about the methods as long as the end results are satisfactory, so... So, Im not really opposed to using sniper rifles. Thats why I had them ready ahead of time.a?? (Alpha)
a??...You b*stard!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??You seeing me in that light is truly unfortunate. Honestly, isnt it more cheap and dirty to drop nuclear bombs on someones head and merrily go on your way? At the very least, wouldnt you say its more dramatic by staying here and protecting the world to the end even at the cost of everyone turning into ashes? Besides, who knows? If the bombs drop as they intended and the world was saved, then your name might appear in the history books in the future, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. As one of the brave heroes who saved this world.a?? (Alpha)
Alpha cackled and shook his head.
a??Of course, the current world would do its best to hide such an event from the public consciousness. After all, this is the perfect opportunity to say, North Korea blew itself up while illegally testing their nuclear arsenal, wouldnt you say? And you might be touted as the brave people who lost their lives while trying to put a stop to the Norths reckless nuclear ambition. Although the level of importance might be lower, youll still be hailed as a man who performed meritorious deeds for his nation.a?? (Alpha)
a??You sure can talk in this situation.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Its because I dont really feel the urgency.a?? (Alpha)
Alpha raised his head and stared at the sky.
a??Not sure about America, but if either China or Russia had fired their missiles, then they shouldve arrived by now... How amusing. Then again, if they had the guts to pull the trigger this easily, then our world wouldve been destroyed a long time ago. On the other hand, they cant press the switch when they need to and thats why the initiative has always rested with the Americans. Wouldnt you agree, Mister McLaren?a?? (Alpha)
Alpha cackled even louder than before.
a??Its our reunion in such a long while, so dont you think its rude to greet me in this way? Why dont you say something, at least?a?? (Alpha)
Too bad for him, no one here was insane enough to deliver a device enabling him tomunicate with Christopher McLaren in the current situation.
The surroundings remained incredibly chaotic as the teleporters continued to drop dead and those under Alphas mind control were still rampaging around.
a??ICBMs are on their way! We gotta get out of here, now!a??
Some attempts were made to organise the situation somehow, but none of them seeded.
Anxiety clouded Choi Jeong-Hoons expression.
Its not going to be easy at this rate. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Almost half of the teleporters had been sniped already. Which meant that at least a half of the group needed to stay behind.
The South Korean side with Jeong Hae-Min in their ranks could get most of their people out of here, but even she was incapable of evacuating every single NDF agent at the same time.
Seo Ah-Young chewed her words out to address Choi Jeong-Hoon.
a??For now, we need to get out of here first.a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
a??But...a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Those who need to survive must survive first. If the bombs drop while we dither about, everyone will die, right?a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
a??Yes, we will.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??So, lets not get people killed pointlessly. Get Hae-Min-unni to teleport some of our people first, then have here back next to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and take the rest away.a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head.
Jeong Hae-Min listening on from the side also nodded her head, a determined expression etched on her face.
I wanted to evacuate Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk first, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Perhaps due to Kim Dah-Soms desperate healing attempt, the gaping hole in Yi Ji-Hyuks chest had been filled back up to some degree.
Rationally speaking, Yi Ji-Hyuk shouldve been the first to be evacuated from here. But doing that meant Jeong Hae-Min would have no mark toe back to.
a??Unni, hurry!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
a??I got it!a?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min shot up and quickly moved to one side. Those protecting her continued to surround her and moved at the same time.
a??Director, go with them.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??No, Ill stay behind.a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
a??To prepare for any unexpected eventualities, you must go with them, now.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??You should go on ahead first, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon.a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
a??We dont have the time to argue! Hurry up and go, will you?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon yelled at her in anger, causing Seo Ah-Young to flinch and drop her head.
a??Okay.a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
a??...I wont die in a ce like this one. So, hurry up and leave. The longer you take, the worse my chances are of getting out of here alive.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??I said okay, didnt I?!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young dashed towards Jeong Hae-Mins location.
Thetter confirmed the former standing next to her and grabbing her hand, and only then did she activate her teleportation ability.
a??...?a??
Jeong Hae-Mins eyes quivered.
a??It, its not working?!a?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, how?
It was then, a hushed voice drifted towards them.
a??Of course it wont work.a?? (Alpha)
Alpha was wagging his finger in a truly detestable manner.
a??Ive been saying this since a while ago, but you people seriously underestimated me. Ive been nning for this event for months upon months. I already knew all of the ways youd likely respond. And quite obviously, Ive made ns for that, too. You cant teleport out of here.a?? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoons brows trembled from shock.
a??It was your weakness, your stupidity, to think that the ability users are only good for fighting against the monsters. Weve been preparing for war ever since the beginning. As far as the variety of abilities and utilisation of them are concerned, none of you cane anywhere remotely close to us.a?? (Alpha)
a??So, what are you saying? You want us to die together, you crazy son of a b*tch?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Hmm. No, its a little different.a?? (Alpha)
Alpha scratched his cheek again.
a??Im not saying we should die together right now. And I definitely dont want us to die together. Strictly speaking... Ill live, but all of you will die. Not because of the nuclear weapons, however.a?? (Alpha)
His voice was filled with undeniable certainty.
a??Although its a bit strange to say you can be rest assured, but well, none of you will die today from nuclear bombs.a?? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon failed to understand what Alpha was saying here.
What gave that man such confidence to dere his thoughts so openly to everyone?
a??McLaren must be thinking that nukes will fall just because he gave his orders. Unfortunately, such an event wont happen today. Didnt I say this? Weve been preparing for war for a long time.a?? (Alpha)
a??...Spies?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??No, no. We cant do that since they have installed ability user-specific sensors in many strategic locations. No, we went with a somewhat more old-fashioned way. We simply have taken over many of those missile silos by force. Ive also said this before that there are more people than you think who sympathise with our cause. Where do you think they are right now?a?? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was renderedpletely speechless just then.
It was at that moment that he truly understood just for how long Alpha had been nning this whole thing.
He finally realised why Alpha had been designated as the most dangerous individual on the, and why Christopher McLaren was so obsessed with his capture.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was andmine, this guy was more like a crate of TNT.
a??So, the number of fired missiles will be a lot lower than you might expect. And if its only a handful of nuclear arsenal, then... Well, Im sure we can do something about them.a?? (Alpha)
a??...Are you saying that your ability is that good?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??No, no, no. Not at all.a?? (Alpha)
Alpha cackled on.
a??Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, you dont seem to have grasped the true meaning of this doorway.a?? (Alpha)
a??...What?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??You see, this thing called the doorway? Its just a method to connect this side to that side. It doesnt end at that, however. No, the two worlds will actually synchronise, instead. You mustve been thinking that when the door opens here, all sorts of demonic beings will pour out from it, but in actual reality, this side acts more like a key. Meaning, many different ces will open up. And when this side is connected to them...a?? (Alpha)
Suddenly, the ck Gate resonating behind Alpha slowly began to balloon up. Then, it nketed the world in darkness.
a??This ce will be the demon world itself. Yes, this very spot! Hu-hahahaha!a?? (Alpha)
Alpha broke out into a maddenedughter.
However, Choi Jeong-Hoons ears didnt recognise that as aughter at all.
The ground was dyeing in the ckish brown, while the skies were being enveloped in the dark blue hue.
The moon became red...
And the stars in the sky were...
...Stars? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Some things sparkling up there were flying in towards them. And at a considerable speed, no less.
Choi Jeong-Hoon instinctively realised what those were and cried out with a pale face.
a??We, we need to get out of here!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
ICBMs were falling.
However, there was no way to escape when the option of teleportation was no longer avable.
Just as Choi Jeong-Hoon sensed the impending doom, a baritone and chill-inducing voice suddenly resounded out.
a??You humans can be quite noisy, whether its this world or Berafe.a??
He couldnt understand what was being said. It was in anguage he had never heard before, after all.
However, he could instinctively tell. He had already sensed this massive presence that suffocated him simply by being near several times before.
The demon king. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
An unidentified demon king was looking up at the sky with a creepy smile on its face.
< 390. What the! Isnt this a bit too much?! -5 > Fin.
Chapter 391: Just What Is Going On? (1)
Chapter 391: Just What Is Going On? (1)
a??W-what is the meaning of this?!a?? (Xui Feng)
Xui Feng, the leader of the Chinese ability users, got flustered by the scene of the rapidly-changing world and anxiously looked around him.
a??Something weird has happened...a?? (Xui Feng)
Indeed, the world had changed.
It didnt simply just get darker. No, the scenery hadpletely transformed from a minute or so ago.
It was as if some kind of a CGI background had been draped over the originalndscape. Thend was now reddish ck, and as if something had nketed the remaining buildings, their colours began to fade away.
This sensation of the entire world bing achromatic sent shivers down Xui Fengs backside.
Just what is going on here? (Xui Feng)
Even the air felt sticky and heavy.
This unpleasant aura mixed in among the air got sucked in deeply into his lungs before being exhaled. For a little while now, strange sensations kept assaulting him C stuff like his head getting numb and his emotions getting agitated for no reason.
Is this the demon world? (Xui Feng)
He had already heard about the reason for this operation, that the North Korean fools were trying to open a doorway to the demon world.
Although this whole thing sounded rather absurd, themands from above were absolute so he decided to do as ordered. But right now, Xui Feng came to realise that the reason given had not been wrong in the slightest.
This ce, it couldnt be called a part of Earth anymore.
Xui Feng did his best to suppress the tremor threatening to break out of his entire body and shifted his gaze towards the new absolute being appearing before him.
...The creature with thebel of the demon king.
a??Humans sure do use interesting weapons.a?? (demon king)
The moment this demon king made its entrance, Args knelt down on the spot and nted its head to the ground.
a??Im honoured by your noble presence.a?? (Args)
a??Good work. Your aplishments will not be forgotten.a?? (demon king)
a??Im eternally grateful for those words.a?? (Args)
Alpha looked at Args and sneered.
a??Its like watching a dog wag its tail.a?? (Alpha)
The demon king shifted its gaze to Alpha.
a??Are you the coborator, then?a?? (demon king)
a??Yes, yes. I certainly am he. Honoured sir demon king, I wee you to thend of humans.a?? (Alpha)
a??He is as insolent as Ive heard.a?? (demon king)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the form of this newly-emerged demon king and shuddered greatly.
The lower torso was covered in pitch-ck fur, while the upper torso was rippling with reddish muscles. Its head resembled that of a normal human being, but three horns a?? one in front, two on either sides a?? crowned the top of its head.
...Its a demon. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Quite literally, it looked like a bona fide demon.
As a matter of fact, it looked so much like your average idea of a demon that he even felt thispulsion toin about unfair stereotyping.
a??I know that this is an emotional moment, you arriving in a new world and all that, but still, shouldnt you be doing what you need to do? Everyone in this ce getting killed off so soon wouldnt be as fun to experience, wouldnt you agree?a?? (Alpha)
The demon king made a strange expression as it studied Alpha.
a??You wish to save your own life?a?? (demon king)
a??I ept that Im pathetically weak in the eyes of a demon king. However, Im seen as something of a bigshot in this world. I wont die by things of that level.a?? (Alpha)
a??I can now tell why that noble personage told me not to kill you. If it wasnt for that order, however a?? youd have been ripped to pieces by now.a?? (demon king)
a??Keuh-euh, the demon worlds fulfilment of their contracts is indeed quite professional. Im impressed.a?? (Alpha)
Alpha continued to sneer in delight, causing the demon king to frown.
Now normally, itd never allow such an insolent low lifeform to act so impudently like this, but...
But, the contract is sacred. (demon king)
As the guarantee of Alphas safety had been written into the contract, the human couldnt be killed off right now.
a??Itll be wise for you to mind your manners, oh dear contractor. We may hold the contents of every contract sacrosanct, but we also do not forget our grudges. If you dont wish to experience hell the moment the contracts effects run out, you should keep your mouth shut.a?? (demon king)
a??Its fine, since I think Ill die before that happens, anyway. You dont have to worry about me.a?? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was desperately kicking the gears in his head.
What should we do now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Teleportation was not avable. And ICBMs were currently falling on top of them. And it was rather obvious that those missiles were outfitted with nuclear warheads.
In that case, what could he do in order to ensure everyones safe return back home?
a??First of all, I shall get rid of the bothersome bugs.a?? (demon king)
While Choi Jeong-Hoon was agonising over his options, the demon king was slowly raising its arm towards the sky.
Wuuuoong
As the arm rose up, the ground began buckling as well.
Not because thend was literally moving, however. No, the ground was simply reacting to the magical energy amassing within that raised arm and automatically began rumbling. Thats how incredible the gathered energy was.
T-this, this is the real demon king? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the demon king with a distorted expression on his face. This was not his first time seeing one, yet something was different this time.
I see. Thats why. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Soon enough, he figured out the source of this disharmony.
Up until now, the demon kings had to limit their strengths before crossing over to Earth. However, there was aplete doorway currently open. Which meant that demon kings now could cross over with all of their powers intact.
A demon king suffering from limitation was still powerful enough to destroy this all by itself. So, how much stronger would a full-powered demon king crossing over to Earth be?
Wu-dudududuk.
Its arm muscles seemed to writhe in a bizarre manner, then the demon king pointed to the sky with a finger.
a??Now, lets see.a?? (demon king)
Kwa-aaaaahng!!
Crimson rays of light shooting out from the tip of the demon kings stretched finger nketed the sky.
Kwa-aaaahng!
Kwa-aaaahng!!
Along with three explosion noises, the rays flew up high into the heavens above.
And then...
a??W-whats going on?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Nothing happened.
Choi Jeong-Hoon was calcting inwardly how great the radius of the explosions would be when the magical energy fired by the demon king collided with the ICBMs in the sky, so he ended up in a sheer stupor by this turn of events.
a??What just happened?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons puzzlement was solved by the demon king opening its mouth.
a??So, those are the bombs Ive been hearing about? Causing explosions through an intermediary, I see. But, if the entire object ceases to exist before it causes an explosion, then this item called bomb loses its worth, does it not?a?? (demon king)
Alpha replied with a lengthy sigh.
a??Normal humans dont have the ability to make something cease to exist and thats why we fear nuclear weapons, you know. Having seen your actions so far, I cant get rid of this lingering question regarding whether humanitys powers will even work on you demons or not.a?? (Alpha)
a??Measly little humans dare to...a?? (demon king)
Only after he heard Alphas words did Choi Jeong-Hoon figure out what the situation was.
Cease to exist? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Talking about it was easy enough, but how could such a thing even be physically possible?
It was impossible to simply erase a missile out of existence with modern technology, and that was why governments deployed things like missile defense systems and tried to blow up the projectiles in mid-air before they had the chance to reach their targets.
a??Im beginning to wonder if it was wise to bring you guys over here or not. But well, its spilled milk by now, and if the situation bes really untenable, then well just have to believe that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk will pull through again. The job of defeating demon kings is for the brave warriors, after all. As for a stooge like me, Ill just sit back and enjoy my popcorn while spectating on the proceedings.a?? (Alpha)
a??...Yi Ji-Hyuk?a?? (demon king)
The brows of the demon king quivered.
a??Ah, now that I think about it, you two must be acquaintances. Hes right over there. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, that is.a?? (Alpha)
The demon kings re slowly shifted over in Choi Jeong-Hoons direction. Thetter shielded Yi Ji-Hyuks figure with his own body and gritted his teeth.
That son of a b*tch. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Every single demon king was hell-bent on utterly crushing Yi Ji-Hyuk. There was the lone exception of Erukana, sure a?? but it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that every single one that got summoned to Earth probably was crossing over for the express purpose of killing him.
That was why...
a??Yi Ji-Hyuk? The 99th demon king??a?? (demon king)
...Such a reaction wouldnt be strange to witness. Not at all.
The demon king confirmed Yi Ji-Hyuks current status and chuckled hollowly.
a??It is indeed none other than the 99th demon king himself.a?? (demon king)
Griiiit...
Then, the sounds of teeth gnashing resounded out clearly.
a??However, what is the matter with that pathetic sight? Where is the former glory of the 99th demon king, the true immortal and the terror of thend? How dare he end up in such a wretched state after dealing with these measly humans?! How pathetic and shameful! Where did your imposing figure that ransacked and mocked the entirety of the demon world disappear to?!a?? (demon king)
The demon king roared out with an enraged expression.
a??If youre nning to live on in such a wretched state, then just die. I, the 24th demon king, Borencha, will take upon the honourable act of ending your lengthy life today.a?? (demon king Borencha)
This is nuts. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt understand any of the words being said, but he still clearly understood the meaning behind them.
Why are all these demon kings so bloody obsessed with killing Yi Ji-Hyuk?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If this was simply hatred, then itd been easier to understand. But their emotions didnt seem to be as simple as hatred or something simr in nature.
Borencha slowly withdrew its raised hand.
a??...Oh, so you were already here.a?? (Borencha)
a??My darlings in danger, so of course I cant fool around anymore.a?? (Erukana)
Along with that familiar voice, a ckish quagmire suddenly spread on the ground, and Erukana slowly rose up from the surface.
a??Miss Erukana!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon cried out her name, feeling like he had found his saviour in this hellish adventure.
a??Calling me with such intensity is a bit troublesome for me, you know? Sorry, but I already have a man.a?? (Erukana)
Erukana smiled seductively.
Choi Jeong-Hoon got flustered by that smile, but Borencha showed not a single flicker in its expression as it spoke.
a??Are you nning to raise the g of rebellion against the demon world?a?? (Borencha)
a??Thats a strange little thing to say. Since when did the demon world develop a collective consciousness? Do whatever you want to do a?? isnt that demon worlds unbreakable mantra as well as the popr consensus? I only wish to live for my darling, you know.a?? (Erukana)
a??Fufufu, I see. Which means you and I are now enemies.a?? (Borencha)
a??You can certainly say that. As long as you dont give up on your n to harm my darling.a?? (Erukana)
Borenchas red face distorted as it shouted out.
a??Its the 99th demon king interfering with our ns to take over this world!a?? (Borencha)
a??So what?a?? *(Erukana)
a??Thats as good as any reason why we cant coexist side by side, wouldnt you say?a?? (Borencha)
a??Mm, well, fine. Sure. However... Looks like well have to call it a day here. It seems that my darlings condition isnt so hot right now.a?? (Erukana)
a??...You wish to leave?a?? (Borencha)
a??Ng.a?? (Erukana)
a??And who said youll be allowed to?a?? (Borencha)
a??Ohohohoho.a?? (Erukana)
Erukana broke out into a peal ofughter.
a??Urgh.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thisughter caused Choi Jeong-Hoon to cover his ears and topple over to the ground. A deafening roar was ringing inside his head, while it felt like all of his intestines were tumbling every which way.
He had forgotten.
He forgot that she too was a demon king.
And if the demon world and the modern Earth was connected, then shed regain all of her lost strength, as well.
a??A little punk is busy running his little mouth, isnt he? You want to stop me? Me? Someone like you?a?? (Erukana)
Reddish-ck aura suddenly enveloped Erukanas sensuous curves and began whipping about like a hellstorm.
This was the majestic aura of a true demon king.
The 13th demon king revealed her true self and the whole world was now quaking simply because she decided to unleash some of her strength.
a??Urgh.a?? (Borencha)
Even Borencha shuddered at that massive power.
a??H-hng?a?? (Erukana)
Pow!
It was right then, the aura flooding out from her figurepletely vanished as if it was cleanly wiped away.
a??Well, I do understand where youreing from. However, itll be better for you to let him go.a?? (Erukana)
a??...Why?a?? (Borencha)
a??Why dont you use your brain for a change? You think you can deal with the current situation?a?? (Erukana)
Borencha seemed to be contemting something, then nodded its head in understanding.
a??Indeed, youre correct. I hadnt thought of that. Very well, I shall retreat for today. However, do not forget this, oh the 13th demon king. The priority of the demon world will now shift towards the 99th demon king. His fate will be as good as sealed if he cant find a way to escape from this world.a?? (Borencha)
a??Thanks for the advice, but do you really think that I cant figure out what your dumb little head cane up with?a?? (Erukana)
Borencha quietly gritted its teeth, before turning around to leave.
a??I shall wait with bated breath for our reunion.a?? (Borencha)
< 391. Just What Is Going On? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 392: Just What Is Going On? (2)
Chapter 392: Just What Is Going On? (2)
A ck portal materialised right in front of Borencha. The demon king turned its head and quietly red in the general direction of Erukana and the copsed Yi Ji-Hyuk before baring its fangs in a threatening manner, then it slowly strode inside this ck portal.
Args too followed after the demon king and entered this doorway.
Huh? Well, this is awkward (Alpha)
Alpha began scratching his cheeks.
Unlike you cool demon beings, I have allies on this side, you know. I kind of expected you to coolly dere, Be my allies, and take us all in under your wings, but if you decide to just leave by yourself in this situation, then well, I cant help but feel that Im going to get beaten up to death here. Mm (Alpha)
He then shifted his gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
You werent nning to continue on with this massacre, I hope? In that case, will it be alright with you if I gather myrades and get out of this ce, too? (Alpha)
Son of a b*tch (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gritted his teeth.
If you dont want that, then I guess well have to continue fighting, but the way I see it, neither of our sides are in any shape to fight anymore. Wouldnt you agree? (Alpha)
Whatever, just undo the restriction on the teleportation already. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats already been undone. (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed at length and raised his head to look at Erukana.
We shall move back to South Korea first. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks treatment is our current priority. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Treatment? (Erukana)
Erukana stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon with a look that asked, what on earth are you talking about?
Is there a need for further treatment? (Erukana)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Feeling confused, he turned his head to look and sure enough, Yi Ji-Hyuks chest had reverted to its original state.
Huh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Up until only a second ago, it looked as if new flesh was just barely covering the gaping hole there, so how could such a grievous wound be perfectly healed like this?
Hmm. Well, I guess. I also dont want my darling to be lying on the cold hard floor, too. (Erukana)
Wuuuooong
Erukana then opened her own Gate.
Going through this will take you to your office. Ive some other matters to attend to, so take my darling and return to South Korea before me. (Erukana)
Yes, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had alreadye to grips with the fact that him being here and wasting time would not change anything. He ordered others to enter the Gate first, and while watching them shuffle inside the portal with a bitter expression, asked Erukana.
Why did he retreat without fighting back? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Who? You mean, Borencha? (Erukana)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Erukana grinned like the Cheshire Cat.
Arent you a curious little human? However, also a dumb one, too. The reason for their retreat is pretty simple. Its fear. (Erukana)
Fear, is it (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons brain kicked into gear and quickly calcted the overall level of thebat force.
Meaning, youre scary, Miss Erukana. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm. Yup, youre dumb. (Erukana)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if Im strong, its not to the extent of scaring the pants off the demon kings in the lower seats. No, what they are scared of isnt me, but my darling. (Erukana)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon found it hard to understand Erukanas words. Why would a creature on the level of demon king be scared of Yi Ji-Hyuk, currently unconscious, and beat a hasty retreat?
A human is incapable of understanding it. So, for now, why dont you focus on moving my darling first? (Erukana)
Yes, maam. Will do. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon lifted and ced Yi Ji-Hyuk up on his back. That prompted both Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Min to stick very close to his sides. While stepping across the Gate, however C he couldnt help but steal a fleeting nce behind him.
At thepletely destroyed Pyongyang, and the new world that had invaded this ce.
Its ourplete loss. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Bitterness filled his heart.
***
Everything in the world was now beneath his feet.
As long as he willed it, everything could be destroyed, or be subjects under his rule.
However, he couldnt celebrate this feat.
All he ever wanted was this one little thing. And acquiring the immense power capable of destroying the world wasnt enough for him to acquire that thing. Thats why he couldnt rejoice.
Death.
The eternal rest.
His mind, dried up like a twig in a desert through the passage of incalcble time, made himment the fact that he couldnt go insane, then made him curse his fate where he could never be insane even in the future.
The one whod bring upon destruction to the world.
The demon worlds one and true demon king.
The opposer of the gods.
Despite acquiring all those varied titles and authority, he just didnt feel like rejoicing.
Two thousand? Three? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
At this point, even the passage of time itself meant nothing to him.
He could more or less guess the amount of time he spent in this world by looking at its history. But that was about it. For one thing, all that time he spent in the demon world wasnt included in the history of this other world. The time that truly felt like an unending eternity.
In that case, just how long had he been alive for?
Every human he formed connections with all died one after the other like ants.
One moment, that person would be perfectly alive, but the next second, they were already a rotting pile of bones.
The infinite time.
And the infinite loneliness and eternal pain.
His body, and also his mind, might have been immortal, but his soul was slowly and steadily eroding away.
Inside the highest floor of the tower he had built, Yi Ji-Hyuk was simply letting the time pass him by.
While keeping his eyes shut
While stuck in the despair of not being able to do or achieve anything
You look bored, darling. (Erukana)
A demon kings whisper tickled his ears.
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head and stared at the demon king.
Erukana.
She had been by his side from the very beginning right up until the end. As she was not a human but a demonic creature, she too lived an eternal life just like him.
Unfortunately, she was a demon. A demon king, at that; an existence that fundamentally could not understand the state of his emotions.
At this rate, youll be not that much different from a corpse, you know? Of course, Ill still love you regardless of whether youre a corpse or not, darling. (Erukana)
Hmm, looks like youve lost all will to live. This is why vitality and drive are important to all living beings. Darling, I found out something really interesting recently, so You want me to tell you? (Erukana)
How bothersome.
Everything was so bothersome and meaningless to him.
Get lost, before I kill you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This tower didnt permit the entrance of any and all living beings.
A ce where the ones that could die were not allowed to taint.
The castle only for him, the one blinded by the majestic brilliance of the finitude of all things C where the eminently fair and reasonable happiness called death was granted for all living creatures.
Youre so irritable. I like bad boys, but I hear its not easy trying to live with one long term. (Erukana)
Erukana broke out into a peal ofughter and settled down above Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
Dont be such a sourpuss, darling. I really am bringing you a piece of news that youll be interested in, you know? You might even scoop me up and head straight to bed out of gratitude after listening to what Ive to say. (Erukana)
I told you to get lost, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? But youll regret it. (Erukana)
Mana began gathering on Yi Ji-Hyuks hands.
As they had been together for a very long time, he was letting many of her annoying little traits slide, but if she insisted on bothering him, then there was no more need to keep her alive.
To him, the words rtionship and connections had long lost their meanings.
Erukana sensed him gathering Mana and urgently opened her mouth.
I found it. (Erukana)
I found the way for you to return to your home world. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks closed eyes slowly reopened. His eyes, filled with nothing other than emptiness and futility, were now slowly being invaded by hints of life.
I can go back? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng, darling. Hurry and praise me already. (Erukana)
If youre lying, Ill make sure that you wont die even after being killed. Now speak, Erukana. How can I return to my home world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, well. Its a bit hard to exin, but Darling, youve been searching for a way to go back to your home world through magical powers, right? (Erukana)
Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since a sorcerer of my darlings level cant find a way even after aeons of research, we should look at it from the other side. It could mean that everything was wrong from the very beginning, right? So, what if it wasnt an issue solvable by magic, but something possible only with divinitys intervention? (Erukana)
Divinity? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Latrel. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression began distorting unsightly.
Are you saying that broad who yaps on about whatever she feels like has been stopping me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bingo. (Erukana)
Erukana pped her hands as if to say, Well done!
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly stood up from his throne. Dust that had settled on him after decades of inactivity fell down to the floor.
If thats the case, then you better speak the rest. If I rip Latrel to pieces, will that solve my problem? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-ng, I dont rmend you doing that. These existences called the gods are basically immaterial so you cant kill them physically, you see. So, Ill rather rmend that you acquire a medium of some sort that allows you to use a gods power. (Erukana)
A medium? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right. Im sure youve also heard about it, darling. The Eye of Latrel. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
The Eye of Latrel? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its Latrels divine artefact kept in Terra Latrel. I hear its a religious item containing the condensed power of Latrel, and ording to my investigation If you use that eye, you can look into other worlds beyond the dimensions. (Erukana)
I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk instantly understood what she was saying.
Dimensions were infinitely variable.
The reason why he simply didnt throw himself into the rift between dimensions was because there was a very good chance that hed end up getting lost for all eternity. No matter how mighty he was, if he got lost in a world without the supply of Mana, then he could very well end up spending an eternity unable to either live or die.
However, if he could see the world beyond the dimensional wall before crossing over? Then hed be able to choose the correct one.
So, where can I find this Eye? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I told you, its at Terra Latrel. But darling, you need to be careful. The Eye is the divine artefact of Latrel, so the whole world will try to stop you. And Latrel herself will probably also step in, too. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk broke out intoughter.
At first, it was soft, quiet. However, his chuckles soon morphed into a crazed cackle that loudly reverberated throughout his castle.
Stop me? They want to stop me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks feet began striding forward. For the first time in decades.
Tell them to try if they can. I shall simply destroy the world, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Bringer of Apocalypse slowly took a new step forward.
***
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly opened his eyes.
A ceiling? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A familiar ceiling greeted him.
It was his room, back in his house.
He shifted his head and confirmed his surroundings. Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Min were sitting on chairs dozing away, and he could feel a hand gently stroking his head.
Where have you been? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive always been by your side. (Affeldrichae)
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He looked up at Affeldrichae stroking his hair and spoke.
Im suddenly curious about something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
Why did Latrel try to stop me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From her perspective, wouldnt it have been better if I disappeared from that world even a minute sooner? I just cant understand why shed block me, even going as far as to send an oracle, of all things. All that sacrifice was too absurd just for the sake of protecting a single divine artefact, you know? Even if it was to prevent me from acquiring the Eye of Latrel. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who can guess what her true intentions were? (Affeldrichae)
You can legit im to be the closest to her than anyone alive, yet even you dont know whats up? In a certain sense, youre an existence that knows Latrels intentions better than a holy maiden or something, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The goddess doesnt exin. (Affeldrichae)
No, she simply observes. (Affeldrichae)
What bulls*t notion that is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly raised his body up from the bed.
In that case, she shouldve observed till the end. Why did she bother to interfere in the first ce? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae smiled airily.
But you still won against her will and reached this world, didnt you? Arent you satisfied with that? (Affeldrichae)
I didnt say anything. Im merely curious, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If youre so curious, why not meet her personally and ask? Im certain that she wont reject you seeking an audience with her. Will you head to Berafe, then? (Affeldrichae)
Utter nonsense. She (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before Yi Ji-Hyuk could finish his retort, the bedroom door was pushed open and Choi Jeong-Hoon strode inside.
Seeing how stiff his expression was, Yi Ji-Hyuk instantly furrowed his brows.
< 392. Just What Is Going On? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 393: Just What Is Going On? (3)
Chapter 393: Just What Is Going On? (3)
The situation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its so bad that it cant possibly get any worse, unfortunately. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, things look pretty normal, considering? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk swept his gaze around the vicinity while saying that.
Seeing how all the lights were still on, the supply of electricity probably wasnt affected, and as the surroundings were rather quiet, it didnt seem like a monster wave was happening, either.
Despite that, it was really bad?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. I know that this is not the right time to ask you this. Youve only just managed to regain your consciousness, so I can only apologise, but It seems that you need to head to the Blue House right away. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
Sure. Well, I also need to see what the situation is like, anyway. Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae gently pushed Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulders down.
Im sure you can already sense that your outside being healed doesnt equate to your inside being healed as well. If you force yourself now, you might never fully recover again. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked back at her.
Oh, so by recuperating, Ill recover back to how I was? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae couldnt reply to him. As she was unable to lie in the first ce, keeping silent was the best she could do.
Miss, I dont have any inclination to lie on my backside and wait for my death toe. While were on that subject (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chewed each and every word out.
Where are Alpha and Park Seong-Chan? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its unknown at this stage. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk rubbed his chest.
They got me real good thest time, didnt they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like what Alpha had said, Yi Ji-Hyuk did have a weakness in close-quarterbat. More specifically, he didnt have much of an aptitude in defence whether it was against long or short distance attacks, never mind overpowered abilities geared towards self-preservation. Completely in contrast to his offensive capabilities, in other words.
Why? Because he couldnt get killed in the first ce.
Since hed revert back to his original state no matter what the attack was, he stopped paying attention to his defence a long time ago. Which naturally led him to develop such a weakness.
Even then C if only Yi Ji-Hyuks physical body was plete, he wouldnt have been done in by the likes of Park Seong-Chan. Compared to back when he just arrived in this world, he managed to gather a lot more Mana now, but in turn, his physical body had deteriorated greatly in the meantime.
This was a separate issue from Ether reinforcing him.
Awareness, intuition, and instinct.
His defence mechanisms that allowed him to predict and dodge enemies attacks had be iparably shabbier than before.
Im definitely getting closer to death, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Despite the situation hed been wishing for so long creeping closer, Yi Ji-Hyuk was not in the mood to earnestly celebrate it.
The threat facing this world was far too grave for him to calmly wee his impending demise. He wanted to quietly die alone, and certainly didnt n on taking the entire Earth with him on his journey to theherworld.
For now, lets go and see. See what the heck is going on out there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What exactly does it mean for a doorway to open up? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek again while making his reply.
Think of it as assimtion. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Assimtion? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, several points of contact between dimensions will appear. Something like, various zones where you can travel between the demon world and Earth will show up all over the ce. Even if the two worlds wont actually be one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meaning, you can now travel between the two worlds through several shared locations. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Phenomena simr to what you described have already urred. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk saw that hardened expression on Choi Jeong-Hoons face and could only sigh at length.
***
Fire! I said fire! Shoot everything you have!
The Picacho Peak State Park in Arizona was currently choke-full with soldiers. However, the expressions on these peoples faces were clouded with despair and terror.
Just where did all those monsterse from?!
Monster hordes.
The endless hordes of monsters so vast that they seemingly nketed the entire world, were trudgingzily towards the human soldiers.
These brave men and women had already experienced more than their fair share of monster invasions in the past, but these new creatures were definitely different from the ones that showed up before.
First of all, monsters of the past would attack in a maddened frenzy as soon as they saw humans. However, these new creatures were maintaining their leisurely pace despite discovering the soldiers as if there was no urgency at all.
Secondly
Their numbers were in another league altogether.
Just looking at the sheer number of monsterspletely, utterly filling up the deserts endless horizon robbed the human soldiers of all desire to fight back. One couldnt help but question if using up every arsenal at their disposal would be enough to stop the advancing monsters.
And finally
Humans of this world sure do use interesting weapons. (Goldibera)
Ka-boom! Boom!
The 53rd demon king Goldibera watched the explosive shells rain down and extended its lengthy tentacles.
Is that explosive powder? How can such powder disy this level of destructive power? Truly surprising. I always thought that the talk of humans being able to suppress even the demon world if left unchecked as nothing more than pure nonsense, but now (Goldibera)
It seems that humanitys potential exceeds our estimation, my lord.
Looks that way. (Goldibera)
Goldiberan snatched up one of the flying shells.
Does it explode after receiving an impact? No matter what, I dont sense any traces of magic, so how (Goldibera)
Ka-boom!!
The shell caught in the tentacle exploded, and Goldibera formed an unreadable expression.
I guess not. (Goldibera)
Although the demon king couldnt tell how this alchemic harmony had been achieved, two things seemed certain, at least C one, humanitys technology had exceeded that of the demons, and
They wont be able to stop us with only this much. (Goldibera)
It was then, a chorus of strange noises reverberated throughout the sky.
Hunks of metal are flying in the air? (Goldibera)
Goldibera tilted its head as if it couldnt understand.
Again, no magic is involved so how can they do that? These existences called humans, they are truly bizarre, arent they? (Goldibera)
Some objects are descending, my lord.
H-hng? (Goldibera)
Ka-ka-ka-booooom! BOOOOM!!
Bombers began dropping their payload on top of the monsters from the air. As if humans wanted to change the terrain itself, an endless deluge of bombs fell to signal themencement of the war that relied on the sheer amount of supplies humans possessed.
If the enemies on the ground happened to be human troops, then they wouldve been wiped out a long time ago, but unfortunately, what received the falling bombs was not human at all.
That stings. (Goldibera)
Goldibera waved away the dense smoke and smirked deeply.
How amusing. So amusing! When I heard that wed be conquering humans, I thought itd quite a boring battle, but now, it might prove to be a good source of entertainment, instead. (Goldibera)
My lord. There are also the 13th and the 99th demon kings residing in this world. The rumour says that they oppose us.
Makes sense with the 99th, but even the 13th wants to oppose us? Hmm. Well, those two have been living together for a very long time, so its not surprising to see that her head has developed a problem or two. (Goldibera)
Goldibera observed the half of the monster horde that turned into bloody piles of ruined meat, feeling genuinely impressed.
Amazing. This level of firepower should rival a wide-area killing magic activated by an arch mage. To think that humans can actually reach so high of a level. Even without relying on magic, they can still bring out this much destructive power? Humanity is indeed a species full of surprises. (Goldibera)
My lord, isnt the 99th demon king a human as well?
That guy is excluded. Hes a bloody cmity, after all. (Goldibera)
Kwa-boom!! BOOOOM!!
As the bombardment continued, Goldiberan formed a strange little expression. Then, its tentacles suddenly began extending out.
Swooooosh!
The demon kings tentacles stretched towards the skies seemingly endlessly, before grabbing onto the bombers flying up there.
Crush!
Bombers were torn to pieces and began crashing back to the ground.
Boom! Ka-boom!
Compared to their firepower, their defensive capabilities seemcklustre. Will I even feel entertained at this rate? (Goldibera)
Goldibera turned its head, scanned the soldiers blocking its path, and began licking its lip.
Time to find out, then. (Goldibera)
***
Oh my god. (Georg Slikk)
Germanys chancellor, Georg Slikk, had no choice but to look on with a despairing expression as the city before his eyes burned away.
The military and the ability user force that imed to be the best in Europe were rendered utterly helpless against the monsters appearing in the suddenly-changed city of Munich.
As if to announce to the world that all the monsters the Germans had faced until now were nothing more than weak small fries, these new creatures, armed to the teeth with imprable steel-like carapaces and ws harder than metal, were freely ransacking and destroying this historic city.
Sir! We need to evacuate!
Evacuate? (Georg Slikk)
Georg Slikk heard the secretarys urgent words and could only chuckle.
To where, exactly?
Where could anyone evacuate to?
If those monsters were not stopped, then this world wouldnt have any ces left for humans to live. Not anymore.
Europe would be conquered, then Africa and Asia would fall to their hands next.
Should the humans cross the sea, then?
In that case, wouldnt those monsters chase after them?
And a simr event was happening in America, anyway. So, as the chancellor of Germany, should he evacuate all of his citizens to an uninhabited ind or something?
Gather all of our forces here. (Georg Slikk)
But, sir!
Request the Union for assistance. We must stop them here! (Georg Slikk)
But sir, doing that means the losses will be
You think the losses will be less if we evacuate everyone? In this situation? Right now, we should be searching for a way to ensure the continued survival of not just Germany, but Europe itself! No, beyond that, even the entire world! (Goerg Slikk)
Georg Slikks determined tone of voice caused the secretary to form a stiff expression. Thetter stood at attention and replied.
Sir. Ill do as you ordered.
We are the leader of Europe. Since we proudly im that title, we cannot turn tail and run away from the enemies. We shall stop them. (Georg Slikk)
Georg Slikk closed shut his mouth next.
I didnt expect wed be paying for our sins in this manner (Georg Slikk)
He certainly didnt think that the debt in the heart of every German citizen would be paid in this way. He didnt intend for this, so he certainly couldnt wee it with open arms.
Dam*ed demonic b*stards! Do not look down on humanity! We shall show you the true fighting spirit of the Germans! (Georg Slikk)
***
W-we need to escape.
Chengdu in Sichuan, China, was already in smouldering ruins. Not even a single trace of the city with its rich history remained C other than a massive crater in the middle, and some destroyed buildings fading away in ash colour.
Those buildings were now set alight.
H-hng. (Araksis)
The 62nd demon king, Araksis shuddered in ecstasy while watching this spectacle unfold.
You see, me? I find the moments of this thing called civilisation being destroyed really enjoyable. Taking a life erases one vestige, but wiping out entire civilisations means humanitys tracks built up over thousands, tens of thousands of years wouldpletely vanish from existence. (Araksis)
Araksis cackled as its eyes caught the sight of the approaching human army boasting a massive scale.
Hng. (Araksis)
The demon king harrumphed and turned around to face the human ability users rushing towards it.
However, I dont particrly mind personally taking lives, too. (Araksis)
Araksis licked its lips and slowly strode towards the humans.
I wasnt really nning to seek you out, but if youre seeking me out first, well, I should wee you all, then. (Araksis)
Lengthy ws extended out from Araksiss hands. These ws dyed in reddish ck hue were gleaming mysteriously under the light as if they would suck out the souls of all living humans nearby.
Scream for me. Let me hear your screams and enjoy myself. (Araksis)
Araksis shuddered in delight as it watched the human ability users and their bloodshot eyes rush in. The thick concentration of hatred and pain emitted by humans on the brink of death were like narcotics for the demons.
Although Ive been told to hold myself back (Araksis)
Araksis wanted to take it slow and enjoy the proceedings, but was there really a need to let any of these offerings leave with their lives intact when they were delivering themselves like this?
The demon king dly epted this veritable feast prepared for itself.
A feast that could be called rather special in many ways.
Doorways were opening up in various parts of the world, and demon kings as well as demonic beings, plus hordes of monsters, were crossing over.
The hour of despair had begun.
< 393. Just What Is Going On? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 394: Just What Is Going On? (4)
Chapter 394: Just What Is Going On? (4)
Wuuoong.
A ck Gate opened in the Blue House, and Yi Ji-Hyuk walked out from it first. He was followed by Choi Jeong-Hoon who was nked by the trio of Affeldrichae, Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som.
Somehow, it feels oddly quiet around here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, were in the middle of a national emergency, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Does that mean no ones in the Blue House? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think most of them are in the crisis centre at the moment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Uh? But, that shouldnt be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Shouldnt the president be in his official residence no matter what? I mean, its lunch hour now, so shouldnt he be at home eating, at least? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you even talking about? With our current situation being what it is (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Did he go there to get his hair done? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head, and Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan. It was hard to figure out what they were even talking about here.
So, he ignored Yi Ji-Hyuk and walked ahead first. He came here so frequentlytely that the Blue House now felt like his second workce.
Guards protecting the presidential residence stationed here and there didnt even try to stop the group. Instead, one of them even ran up to them to deliver a message.
Mister President and the other senior officials are currently on their way, sir. Please be on standby for a little while in the waiting room. Id like to apologise for the mistake in the itinerary.
No, its fine. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Although Choi Jeong-Hoon was the one making the reply, the messenger didnt even pay him any attention and quietly waited for Yi Ji-Hyuks answer, instead.
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Choi Jeong-Hoon before opening his mouth.
Nah, its all good. Never mind that, though. Can you get me a cup of C, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its already been prepared, sir. Well, then.
The messenger-c**-guard bowed and stepped out of the way, and Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
This is what being on top is like. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keu-heuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only lower his head at this bitter sense of defeat.
He didnt expect to be treated the same as Yi Ji-Hyuk at this point in time. No, even if it was any other time, itd still be the same story. Their level of importance was way too different, after all.
But was there really a need to so mercilessly point that out?!
Our current situation is not good enough for us to joke around, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I didnt say anything. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk whistled nonchntly.
Urgh. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head and led the group towards the waiting room. Once they stepped inside, Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the snacks and drinksid out and spoke in clear amusement.
Seeing how these things are prepared for us, Im guessing South Korea is still more or less fine? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Out of all the spots that have been identified, the North Korean one is the quietest, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head in understanding. He had already heard about what happened after he cked out. Through this spot, a demon king and a whole bunch of demonic creatures managed to enter the world, but as long as Borencha held its breath and didnt do anything, those creatures probably wouldnt dare to rampage around impudently.
*Door opening up*
Even before Yi Ji-Hyuk could reach out to the snacks, though, the waiting areas door opened and the South Korean President Yun Yeong-Min rushed inside with an urgent expression.
Youve finallye, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Im relieved to see that you are alright. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I showed you something really pathetic, didnt I. My bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not at all. Although I have many things to tell you and ask you about, this is regrettably not the correct time nor ce to discuss such things. Why dont you get briefed on the unfolding situation first? This way, please. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min quickly sorted out the situation, took charge, and spoke what needed to be said, prompting Yi Ji-Hyuk to look at the president with a slightly surprised expression.
This ahjussi His character didnt seem the type, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There were some people who were like that C people who seem a bit dumb and absent-minded, only toe alive when the situation got worse as if they went through an awakening or some such.
Yun Yeong-Min being such a type was unexpected, but from the perspective of the country as well as the world, it should be seen as something of a relief, instead. Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything and followed after the president to enter the conference room.
However, he didnt even have the chance to greet the ones already sitting and waiting inside C Song Jeong-Su and other ministers C as the light went off almost immediately after he entered, then the huge screen came to life right away.
ording to the data currently avable, a total of six doorways to the demon world have opened throughout the world. North Korea, China, India, Germany, the United States, andstly Congo. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su started the proceedings with a grave expression.
Of course, those are the ones that we know of currently. For instance, there are almost no countries in Africa that have an actual, functioning government, never mind being in contact with countries in other continents. So, its possible that there are more doorways we havent discovered yet. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
It didnt matter whether there were six or more doorways. Those six were already more than enough to destroy this world. Just one wouldve been difficult for this world to deal with, after all.
Tactical nukes are deployed to somehow weaken the one in Africa, but in other locations, there are far too many civilians so its quite difficult to resort to weapons of mass destruction. Thats where we are at the moment. (Song Jeong-Su)
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
What did Mister Christopher McLaren say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were currently connecting to him as we speak. (Song Jeong-Su)
Soon, Christopher McLarens face appeared on the side of therge screen. After experiencing quite a few events together, the Americans face came across as rather familiar now.
However, itd be the first time seeing him with that poor of an expression. Even back when Erukana charmed the American president, Christopher McLaren didnt make that sort of a face.
You lost some weight, it seems. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C At this rate, I might end up as a zombie in three days, Mister Yi. (Christopher McLaren)
That sucks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Cant you hop over to the U.S. and somehow take care of these f*cking b*stards first? The zombie crisis was indeed bad, but this one is in another realm of madness altogether. America has never suffered a direct attack on its home soil until now. Im learning first hand how my country can be so powerless when enemies attack from within. (Christopher McLaren)
Thats why prior experience is crucial. You should think of it as a valuable learning experience. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Itd be nice if we get the chance to spend that valuable experience, but we might get destroyed before that happens. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren mustve finished with his rants, because he immediately went into the main topic next.
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Id like to ask you about something. (Christopher McLaren)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Currently, weve discovered six spots. Demonic beasts, demons, and demon kings are emerging from there. (Christopher McLaren)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Is there a possibility that the situation will get worse than this? How many more demon kings will cross over? (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a contemtive moan before making his reply.
Not every one of them will cross over. They cant, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Are you sure? (Christopher McLaren)
Waging a war doesnt mean youre sending every single one of your troops to the frontlines, right? Besides, demon kings arent your average on-fieldmander or something, but in the context of this world, they are more like prime ministers or presidents, so they cant simply leave behind their territories unattended and cross over. At most, Im thinking that no more than half of them will show up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C When you say half, what level of firepower are we talking about? (Christopher McLaren)
You still remember the demon kings you saw thest time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C How can I ever forget them? (Christopher McLaren)
The majority crossing over will be at least twice as strong as those guys. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Were screwed, in other words. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren frankly voiced his analysis in an emotionless manner.
He wasnt exaggerating nor was he trying to lighten the mood. When calcting the potential end results with what Yi Ji-Hyuk said as the foundation, then one had to say that humanity realistically didnt possess the necessary strength to resist the demon kings.
Right. We dont have any normal means to fight back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Can the doorways be shut? (Christopher McLaren)
Im not sure if its that easy to exert a physical force strong enough to solve the distortion in the dimensions. Honestly, this is also my first time experiencing something like this, so Maybe if yound a nuclear strike exactly on target, it might be possible, but demon kings are protecting the doorways to begin with, so that task should be pretty difficult to pull off, I think. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I see. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren had also witnessed the demon king appearing in Pyongyang somehow magically render the ICBMs useless in an instant.
C In that case, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Id like to ask you onest question on behalf of all American people. (Christopher McLaren)
Okay, please go ahead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Is there a hope for us? (Christopher McLaren)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt answer, simply choosing to close his mouth instead. He then rummaged through his pockets to find a cigarette to stick between his lips. Choi Jeong-Hoon lit it up for him.
Yi Ji-Hyuk silently sucked in the acrid smoke deep into his lungs before exhaling it out, then finally opened his mouth.
Im not sure what you mean by hope. If youre asking me about the possibility of defeating the demon kings, then honestly I must tell you that we dont have a chance in hell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C I see. (Christopher McLaren)
However, not having a chance doesnt mean we should just quietly offer our necks and let them do whatever they please, am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C No, you are most certainly not. If we dont have a choice but to fight till the bitter end, then the correct etiquette for the rest of humanity would be to go all the way. (Christopher McLaren)
In that case, well, words like hope or possibility dont have much utility for us, wouldnt you say? We just have to go out with a bang, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Now thats what Ive been waiting to hear. We shall hand over all the info we have to your people. Right now, we need international cooperation more than ever. (Christopher McLaren)
Well assist you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Thank you. Well talk again soon after we decide on the next course of action. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens face disappeared from the screen. Yi Ji-Hyuk stubbed the cigarette out and stuck a new one between his lips.
Why are you chain smoking?
Mm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Someone was nagging at him, but too bad, he didnt think this frustration in his heart would go away without smoking something.
The crap Ive been worried about ended up happening for real. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Like a bad habit, he had been telling anyone listening that humanity would be destroyed if a doorway managed to open up. That was his version of stating his will, his desire, to stop that eventuality from taking ce. But in the end, the one thing he so desperately wanted to prevent did happen.
What about the info from the North Korean side? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Weve confirmed the demonic creaturespletely filling up Pyongyang, but for some reason, they are not making any other moves. (defense minister)
The defense minister spoke first, and Choi Jeong-Hoon added extra info afterwards.
Also, its the same story for the demon kings that appeared in other locations. The area around each spot has beenpletely destroyed, but none of them are showing any notable signs of activity after that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im sure thats the case. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied as if that was quite obvious.
Are they scheming something? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, no. Rather than that (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pondered how he should go about exining this, before eventually opening his mouth.
They are kinda like immortals, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me?
Its not like they are scheming or doing something else behind the back of everyone. No, they are still moving, alright. Its just that its happening really slowly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really slowly?
You shouldnt think that the concept of time for humans and demons are the same, when humans can only live up to one hundred years or so while for demons, they can live for well over hundreds of thousands of years. ording to their concept of time, this invasion has only just begun, you see. No one knows if theyll take another day or hundreds of years to make the next move. When us humans start an invasion, we might need a few hours to decide on the time to make our move whether thats after lunch or right away. But for them, it can even take a couple hundred years. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I cant really understand
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only smile wryly.
The time period between when the doorways opened up and until now was truly nothing more than a blip for those who lived for an eternity.
Does that mean theres a possibility that they wont make a single move for the next several hundreds of years? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Only Choi Jeong-Hoon seemed to have understood Yi Ji-Hyuks words.
That wouldve been nice, sure, but we should look back to when the demon kings descended in either Berafe or Earth. Theres probably zero chance that theyll waste time like you say. They didnt really kick back and rx in the other dimension from what I remember, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head, unable toe up with anything.
Besides, those guys canpletely blow up a continent to smithereens if they wanted to. You think you can carry on living like everythings fine when theres a ticking bomb ready to go off at any second right next to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, itll be impossible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shook his head again in defeat and asked.
In that case, what should we do next? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly broke out into a smirk.
What do you mean, what? We should be fighting back. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not only that, but properly, too.
< 394. Just What Is Going On? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 395: Just What Is Going On? (5)
Chapter 395: Just What Is Going On? (5)
The meeting to discuss the next course of action ended without any meaningful resolution.
The meeting to discuss the next course of action ended without any meaningful resolution.
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk exited from the Blue House and opened a Gate to send everyone back home, then headed back to his house on foot.
When he said he needed some time to organise his thoughts, others didnt argue and let him be by himself. They all understood that he mustve been under tremendous pressure.
Everything seems fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk studied the scenery around him and murmured his honest impression.
Even though the countdown towards the apocalypse had begun, the world didnt seem changed all that much. Neon signs still filled the avenues, and cars jam-packed the roads. The passersby were hurrying with their steps as if the end of the world was not as important to them as their own job security.
Peaceful, normal daily lives.
And a peaceful, calm world.
A rift was forming to end such an ordinary life, though.
This world would gradually get destroyed, simr to a towel with its tip submerged in water. For now, only a single portion would be wet, but soon the entire towel wouldve sucked in all the water. Ever so gradually.
Yi Ji-Hyuk engraved the scenes of the world that could very well be in its final day on his mind.
Is it because of me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He just couldnt get rid of this thought bubbling in his mind that these events were happening because he decided to return to Earth.
If it wasnt for him, would the demons even know about the existence of this world in the first ce?
He was well aware of this problem having no solutions.
Even without his presence, the rift between dimensions wouldve continued to growrger and eventually lead to the demon world ruling this ce in the future. If he returned a bitter, he couldve found himself in the situation of Earth being under the control of the demon world.
If that happened, hed have to fight like crazy again the moment he returned.
On the other hand, if he chose not to return, this world might have been able to maintain its peace.
No one will know now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Despite that, a corner of his heart remained heavy from the lingering thought that the dangers currently threatening Earth were rted to him.
And also
He did not have the confidence to solve everything by himself, like how it was in the past.
Back when he had everything, which was quite unlike his current situation, he still couldnt fight against the entirety of the demon world. So, there was no reason even to think about doing that when he was so much weaker right now.
The apocalypse, is it (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head and stared at the sky.
He used to mention that word pretty often, but after realising that that eventuality actually could happen for real, he found himself unable to do anything about his emotions getting heavier.
Darling, you dont look so happy. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sensed someone touch his shoulder and groaned grandly.
I told you not to climb up on peoples shoulders, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You did? (Erukana)
And stop climbing up on my head, too! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tch, youre no fun. (Erukana)
Erukana grumbled before smiling brightly at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Why the long face, darling? Thats not like you. (Erukana)
Not like me, is it (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That sentiment wasnt too surprising, actually.
The old version of Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt interested in the shenanigans of the world, after all. From Erukanas point of view, he wouldvee across as the ultimate self-centred man. The type that didnt give a rats a*s on anything not rted to his own business.
Were in a different world now, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that so? To me, this world doesnt seem all that different from Berafe, though? Sure, things are a bit strange here, but I still get the same old humans will always be humans vibe. (Erukana)
Not that surprising, considering. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who knows, maybe it was not Berafe rejecting him, but Yi Ji-Hyuk himself who rejected that world, instead.
He was treated like a demonic creature just because of his different skin colour and was betrayed endlessly as a result. But he did learn magic so by changing his skin colour and faking his age, he couldve blended in with the general popce and lived like a normal person.
However, he chose not to go down that route.
Yi Ji-Hyuk rejected that option with the singr Im not the denizen of this world mindset.
Its all useless at this point in time, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Erukana)
Nah, its nothing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head dismissively.
Demonic aura is overflowing. You can sense it too, cant you? (Erukana)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded his head next.
The world was changing. Even though it was not visible to the naked eye. Soon enough, though, the naked eye should be able to confirm that change.
When that b*stard starts making his move, this world will vanish in an instant, darling. You cant dy it anymore. (Erukana)
Either escape, or stay and fight You must choose between the two. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Erukana.
What will you do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Me? (Erukana)
He nodded.
This is different from you siding with me back in the demon world. That can be seen as an internal power struggle, sure, but this is a war against an outside world. If you decide to help me, they will not forgive you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana beganughing in dismay.
What are you talking about after wevee this far? Darling, do you honestly believe that Ive been helping you while caring about stuff like that? Im a demon, darling. And the demon king of desire, too. I merely do whatever I want, thats all. (Erukana)
A certain heaviness clouded Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes.
I get what youre saying, but the only thing waiting for you at the end will be extermination. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Doesnt matter. (Erukana)
Now normally, people wouldnt say that in a situation like this one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, you still have no idea. (Erukana)
About what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana smiled seductively and replied.
I am the 13th demon king. The queen of lust, no less. However, Im also surprisingly romantic at heart, you know. Without you, darling, theres no meaning in living anymore. I dont see any merit in continuing with a boring life that doesnt feature you anywhere. (Erukana)
Wait a sec. Sounds like youre dering something pretty monumental, so Im not sure whether or not you should be saying it in such a calm voice, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? Is something wrong? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned again.
Demons sure had no clue about the proper atmosphere or setting up the right mood.
Although, he did like that part about them.
So, youve decided to stay and fight? Have you seriously considered the option of escaping to Berafe? I get what you told me thest time, but surely, even you must know that you were simply making excuses. (Erukana)
Yeah, I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A few humans that you wish to save can easily be moved there. (Erukana)
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
A hero that ran away to another world along with all of his acquaintances, including his family, just as the threat of humanitys extinction loomed
Ive never heard about such a thing before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop talking to yourself and talk to me. (Erukana)
He cackled and replied.
Well, that certainly might be an option. But, Im not sure whether thats a good one or not. Let me tell you this from my personal experience, its nearly impossible for the folks of this world, who know about modern society, to adapt to the ways of the other side. It wouldnt be that different from telling them to go live in the middle of the Amazon with nothing but some leather loincloths because a pandemic is sweeping across the world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll be fine with you around, right? Darling? Theyll at least be safe from external threats, no? (Erukana)
Humans cant live without civilisation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No matter how much magic was utilised for the sake of convenience, itd not be enough to fulfil a human beings heart.
Especially with kids like Ye-Won. If you tell her to live in that world, shell go halfway crazy in no time at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, staying alive is still better, isnt it? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled aloud.
Havent you seen enough examples of what happens to those humans who simply live on without getting their desires fulfilled? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hng. (Erukana)
Erukana had no choice but to ept it. If Yi Ji-Hyuk was not cursed by the immortality of body and mind, hed have gone insane thousands of times over by now. She used to find his suffering quite difficult to understand, but now, it seemed that she had grasped some sort of clue recently.
Humans are inconvenient creatures. (Erukana)
While demons could easily live all by themselves, humans needed interaction with other humans. At the same time, humans as a species desired civilisation and culture, as well. Only after all these requirements had been satisfied could a human live like an actual human being.
So, the final conclusion is no other choice but to fight? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded his head.
Well, yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Do you feel confident? (Erukana)
Not really. Im not confident at all, but (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A vague, unreadable smile spread on Yi Ji-Hyuks lips.
It aint really my style to run away with my tail between my legs just because the demon world hase knocking. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre right. My darling is the number one in the demon world for his simple-mindedness and reckless courage, after all. (Erukana)
Why does that sound like an insult, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana grinned refreshingly.
Besides, its not like the situation is all full of bad news, is it? (Erukana)
Indeed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a smirk.
Opportunities and misfortunes are supposed to show up together. If the situation demands us to do nothing but fight back, then it has gotten so much simpler for us, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You should worry about your own bodys condition, darling. (Erukana)
I thought youd be happier if I be a demon like you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not interested in the demonic version of you, darling. I like you with your current humanity, not a demon who just so happens to wear the same face and name as my darling, you know. (Erukana)
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head, realising that she was right.
By the way, demon kings nowadays seem pretty motivated for some reason? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, youve done a lot of things to them, after all. Its not that surprising to learn that there are a whole group of demon kings with grudges against you, now is it? (Erukana)
Well, yeah. Thats kinda true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned again.
This was why a man should lead a kind, benevolent life.
He turned his head to the side and spoke up.
Why dont youe out already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke. (?)
Wuuooong!
Suddenly, the space distorted and a huge demonic creature sporting a turtle-like appearance revealed itself there.
Oh, hey. This feels really weird seeing a thing like this in the middle of a city, doesnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I found you, the 99th demon king! (?)
A talking turtle, is it Stuffing you in a zoo should make a killing, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Surely, you wont im that youve forgotten about me? (?)
Of course not. How can I forget a distinct and unique appearance such as yours? Okay, so. Your name was Uhm, it was (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks lips kept bobbing up and down while trying to say something, but in the end, they mped shut.
Argh, I cant say it. I might end up getting DMCAd. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont get what rubbish youre spewing now. Im Barasga! The 71st demon king! You have no idea how long Ive been waiting for this moment, you b*stard! (Barasga)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Did I do something to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, you did forget! (Barasga)
Barasga opened its maw filled with sharp but irregrly-sprouting fangs and roared out.
All the humiliation you inflicted upon me! All that dishonour! I have never forgotten about them. Kekeke, and now we finally meet again. After youve grown iparably weaker than your past self. (Barasga)
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sheepishly scratched his cheek.
Almost half of all that abundant Mana he had stored up had dissipated after he got injured and had healing magic poured on him. Well, healing magics Mana and dark Mana were on the opposite ends of the spectrum, after all.
The current him wouldnt even be able to deal with the demon kings that crossed over in the past. So there was no way he could deal with a demon king that crossed over with its powers fully intact.
You seem to have forgotten about me, though? (Erukana)
Barasga red at Erukana and sneered dismissively.
Surely, youre not nning to stop me, dear 13th demon king? (Barasga)
Im not supposed to? (Erukana)
If you do that, will that noble one ever forgive you? You must be thinking of getting your soul ripped to thousands of little pieces and suffer through all eternity, then. (Barasga)
Sounds like you dont have a clue (Erukana)
Erukana bared her fangs.
Without my darling around, my life wont be much different from that treatment, to begin with. (Erukana)
Stop it! Its embarrassing! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly dissuaded her and then opened a Gate.
Okay, then. Oh~ dear great and mighty demon king. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And, along with a mocking sneer
If you wish to resolve your grudge, please apany us inside this Gate. I dont want to see this ce get destroyed, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk held Erukanas hand and strode inside the Gate.
< 395. Just What Is Going On? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 396: See? I told you that the dude’s a turtle brain (1)
Chapter 396: See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain (1)
A mere dying tactic. (Barasga)
Barasga watched the two disappear inside the Gate and licked its face with its long tongue.
That Gate wasnt connected to another dimension. Meaning, it was safe to assume that no matter where that portal led to, the demon king wouldnt find itself in danger.
However, there was this one thing that got on its nerves.
If the 13th demon king did indeed betray us, then it will be dangerous for me alone. (Barasga)
Barasga raised its short arm, then switched on themunication magic.
I have located the 99th demon king. I seek assistance. (Barasga)
Currently, over ten demon kings had crossed over to this from the demon world. And at least five of them should hold bitter, unresolvable grudges against Yi Ji-Hyuk. They should still remember the horrible suffering that man inflicted upon them back when he was freely piging the entire demon world.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt stop stepping on the demon kings after getting his hands on the Core, the sacrifices wouldve been even worse.
They had no choice but to keep their mouths shut and suck it up all these years, yet the heavens saw fit to gift them this opportunity.
If this was still the same Yi Ji-Hyuk from the past, then no matter how severe your grudge was, you had no choice but to suck it up. The man called the 99th demon king as well as the Bringer of Apocalypse was not someone you could go up against even if you were also a demon king.
That was the reason why countless demon kings kept their mouths shut. Many were jealous of the fact that as a mere human he still managed to climb up to the peak of the demon world, and so they kept him at an arms length, but on the other hand, a surprising number also respected him.
It wasnt as if they had divided into factions. No, it was only natural for the demon kings to hold aplicated pool of emotions after experiencing the storm called Yi Ji-Hyuk.
As for this Barasga, he was one of the demon kings that held a burning, seething rage-filled grudge against him.
Well, then. Let us see how much preparation you have made. (Barasga)
Barasga slowly walked and pushed itsrge frame inside the Gate.
Wuuuoong
The transfer wasplete and the demon king stepped outside the portal, only to be greeted by an unexpected scenery.
Is this? (Barasga)
The sight of Earth that had transformed into demon world was weing Barasga.
Demon world transformation, is it? (Barasga)
The location that the demon world took to calling it the doorway, while humanitybelled it the spot. The space that connected Earth to the demon world.
This ce is called Pyongyang. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spoke to clear the confusion away while sucking on a cigarette.
As he stood there slowly exhaling the bluish-grey smoke, Erukana busy emitting this decadent beauty and elegance smiled seductively next to him.
Well, it no longer resembles its past self, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm??? (Barasga)
Barasga cocked itsrge head and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk. For some reason, the auraing from him seemed to have changed a little during this short period of time. The Yi Ji-Hyuk from before gave off the definite Im a human vibe despite looking exactly the same as his past self, but during the short time it took to transfer through the Gate, his aura had transformed noticeably.
I dont get it. (Barasga)
Could a human transform so much only through ones mindset?
Barasga slowly approached Yi Ji-Hyuk.
99th demon king. Its time for you to pay for your sins of piging and mocking the demon world as you pleased. (Barasga)
What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug his ear canal.
I know that turtles as animals are known to be dim-witted, but its too bad that you cant grasp the current situation at all. Other than longevity, you dont have any notable plus points, do you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All demonic beings live for a long time, darling. (Erukana)
Oh. Then the only plus point is no more? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The banter between Yi Ji-Hyuk and Erukana caused Barasgas face to burn up.
This will be yourst time being so nonchnt. (Barasga)
Wuuuoong!
Almost at the same time, crimson Gates materialised on the left and right of Barasga.
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched that, his eyes sparkling.
These Gates seemed to flicker for a little while, then two figures emerged from the portals.
Hey, I didnt know today was Christmas. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christmas? (Barasga)
Nah, its nothing. I was just surprised that three demon kings, known for theirzy a*ses, decide to show up in Korea, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began cackling away.
99th demon king!!!
The newly-appearing demon kings discovered Yi Ji-Hyuk, then began grinding their teeth.
So, this was where you were! Right here!
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek and turned towards Erukana to ask her something.
Just what exactly did I do back in the demon world for these guys to gnash their teeth until only their roots are left? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, you know what is this one thing that Im always grateful about? (Erukana)
What is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its the fact that I met you and became your buddy way before you got your powers. (Erukana)
If it werent for that, I might have ended up in the same state of those guys. We can certainly try to look past some things, but why did you go and dangle a flower on Barasgas back? Not just any, but a red flower, no less. (Erukana)
Cuz, I wanted it to evolve? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I just dont get what youre saying. (Erukana)
You wont get it even I tell you. In any case, a turtle will be stronger if you dangle a flower on its back shell, you see. I was being really generous back then, but what a shame, the guy receiving my gesture took it the wrong way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Have you ever considered the feelings of the poor demon king that had to walk around with a red flower on its back? I hear that you even threatened to kill the guy if it dared to take the flower off? (Erukana)
I did that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at Barasga with an ashamed face and spoke.
Look here, dude. Looking back, I agree that I did go a bit overboard back then. Why dont I apologise to you and call it a day? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall destroy you!!!! (Barasga)
Come on, dude! Im being honest, I was genuinely trying to be nice, you know?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The fault is with your looks, man. Your dang looks. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Who told you to look like that in the first ce? Anyone who sees arge turtle with the blue spotted pattern would want to dangle a flower on its back. At least, when viewed from the norms of this world, that is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Here was Yi Ji-Hyuk, repurposing a worldsmon sense on a whim.
I dont get what youre on about, darling. (Erukana)
Sorry. I got a bit agitated just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grandly shook his head and continued on.
In any case. Im really sorry about that. Now that I think about it, you do have a pretty good reason to hold a grudge. But what did I do to the other two? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Darling, you shouldnt sweat over stuff like that. When you hear their stories, youre going to apologise again, so its just a waste of time. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
What exactly have you been doing, the past me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Eh, well If Im to provide an excuse, my level of stress back then was so high that I needed an outlet to vent, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But darling, you were reset constantly, werent you? (Erukana)
Weeell, I needed one full day to reset, and it was hard to endure until then, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, lets stop here, darling. Its getting a bit too unsightly now. You know, humans can be so bizarre. Us demons readily ept who we are, yet humans have this need to beautify and wrap themselves up in a pretty packaging. Is it that difficult for you to ept that youre a scumbag? I mean, surely by epting that fact, your heart will be at ease, dont you think so? (Erukana)
. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why did this heartfelt advice sound more like a thinly-disguised insult?
Barasga watched Yi Ji-Hyuk looking rather tormented and gritted its teeth loudly.
This is as far as your pranks will go. Oh, 99th demon king, you truly havent changed, absurdly so. (Barasga)
Seeing how he was so carelessly running his mouth off even in front of three demon kings, it felt like the past memories wereing back to life.
Indeed, he was like this even in the past.
Although he was merely a demon king, he treated demonic creatures, demons, and even other demon kings as his ything and merrily did whatever he wanted. Just how many demon kings had to be sacrificed in that outrageous rampaging of his?
If you were nning to revive the grudge, then let me say that you have seeded brilliantly. And now, dear 99th demon king, time to wee your eternal slumber. Do not fret, for your name will forever be remembered in the demon worlds history books. (Barasga)
Mm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head as if he was troubled by something.
Hey, man. Can I ask you something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
nning to waste more time? (Barasga)
All you have in abundance is time anyway, so dont be so stingy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fine. Ask. (Barasga)
Yi Ji-Hyuk then asked as if he couldnt understand it at all.
Why do you lot keep talking like that as if my life is already in your hands? Lets get real here, the reason why you all have grudges against me is because I used to beat the living crap out of you over and over again, right? So with what balls do you think you three can fight me now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekekeke. (Barasga)
Barasga cackled and spoke in a hushed voice.
We already know that you have be much weakerpared to your past self. We know everything, that your infamous immortality is long gone, and your seemingly infinite Mana also does not exist anymore. Its a bad form to ignore the informationwork of the demon world. I alone should be sufficient enough to deal with the current you. As for my colleagues, they are here to block the 13th demon king, thats all. (Barasga)
Mm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed with a deeply agonised expression, then turned towards Erukana.
See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Agreed. (Erukana)
Erukana looked a bit embarrassed for some reason.
Demons had nearly no sense of tribalism in them, but even then, she had never ever thought that fellow demon kings would be this stupid. It seemed that, as befitting its outer appearance, this Barasga fe was a hit-first-askter type demon king and thus wascking in the cerebral department.
With a head like that, it still managed to be a demon king. Even that Borencha dude quickly understood whats going on and ran off in a hurry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What did you say? (Barasga)
Hey, didnt Borencha tell you anything? Like, you shouldnte near me or something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you even talking about? (Barasga)
It seemed that Barasga really had no idea what Yi Ji-Hyuk was saying.
Wait, could this be team kill? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a sigh.
Okay, now listen well, turtlehead. I acknowledge that the current situation is far greater in scalepared to back when a single demon king barely managed to cross over. However, there is this thing called trade-off in the world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Trade-off? (Barasga)
It mustve felt nice when the doorway opened up. You all probably thought that everything would be over if you invaded en masse. But it looks to me that, besides the high-ranking demon kings, others havent really thought about the aftermath at all. Especially so when looking at you three showing up before me without an ounce of fear. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Barasga still couldnt understand what Yi Ji-Hyuk was saying here.
What could possibly be the trade-off for the doorway to the demon world opening up?
See? I told you, that guys definitely a turtle brain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I agree with you, so stop. (Erukana)
Barasgas expression crumpled unsightly. Despite possessing the head of a turtle, the demon king still could express its emotions oh-so vividly.
No more of your pranks! Ive waited for far too long to humour your twisted whims! Now, go to hell and stay there, 99th demon king! (Barasga)
Chwa-aaaaaahk!!!
A tentacle shot out from Barasgas back and shot towards Yi Ji-Hyuk. Even if it was a bit slow in the head, this creature nevertheless was a demon king. The power contained in the tentacle was more than enough to tear apart the ground below and puncture the atmosphere itself.
However
Youre so short tempered. (Erukana)
Griiip.
Erukana snatched up the tentacle with one hand and protected Yi Ji-Hyuk.
You truly wish to betray us, 13th demon king?! (Barasga)
No, no, no. Yes, I am betraying you lot, but now isnt about that. Im just buying a little bit more time for my darling, you see. I mean, the preparations arent even over yet, so its no fun if things start too quickly. (Erukana)
Preparations?! (Barasga)
Erukana raised her free hand and pointed at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Honestly, its not stable yet, but nheless, you should all witness it. Of course, Im talking about the unveiling of the one you fear so much. The 99th demon king, the one and only Bringer of Apocalypse. (Erukana)
Go-oooooh
It was right then C the surrounding atmosphere suddenly got sucked in towards Yi Ji-Hyuks body.
Seeing this, Barasgas expression hardened to an indescribable degree.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was obviously doing something C on an incredibly humongous scale, no less.
Thend cried, and the skies screamed.
Wuuuooong
And then, Barasga saw it.
The space below Yi Ji-Hyuks feet was dyed in the pitch-ck hue, then right afterwards, a ck Gate revealed itself on the ground.
Erukana witnessed that spectacle and loudly guffawed.
Oh, my dear honoured demon kings Allow me to introduce to you the returning 99th demon king. (Erukana)
The pure-ck dark Mana rose up like evil spirits from the Gate beneath his feet, then it began to get rapidly sucked into his body.
< 396. See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain -1 > Fin.
Chapter 397: See? I told you that the dude’s a turtle brain (2)
Chapter 397: See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain (2)
a??What a living hell this is.a?? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren rubbed his eyes in fatigue while staring at the scenesing from various locations through therge monitor on the wall.
The military dispatched to Arizona had been decimated, and as for Germany, they were somehow managing to cling on, but it was only a matter of time.
There was some attempt to cover up what happened in Sichuan where the flow of information had been cut off for some time now, indicating that the Chinese government had failed to stop the events taking ce there, as well.
Was humanity this powerless...? (Christopher McLaren)
He already knew that there was a stark difference in the level of firepower. He even epted the fact that, no matter how hard humanity tried, itd still be impossible to stop the demon worlds invasion.
Only two options were avable a?? one, fight until the bitter end and get vaporised, or rain down a whole bunch of nuclear weapons on the spots and bet on the slim hope that the distorted spaces would be exterminated.
If thetter option was doable, then Christopher McLaren wouldve bravely tried it already.
Sure, a few countries would cease to exist, and several locations in the world would end up asnds of death, but the situation was too dire to worry about that.
However, the handful of ICBMs already fired at the target as a test of sorts were rendered useless quite easily.
a??Those d*mn stinking demon kings.a?? (Christopher McLaren)
After witnessing how the nuclear warheads and the intercontinental ballistic missiles, arguably the pinnacle of humanitys technological prowess, were rendered ineffective oh-so easily, Christopher McLarens emotions had fallen to the pits.
He didnt believe the reason for humanitys inability to fight against demon kings was because they werepletely useless.
No, the faulty with the direction humanity took.
The human race never tried to develop the weapons technology that specialised inbating a single powerful individual. The focus always had been on dealing with big armies and other nations.
Indeed, didnt humans ce more importance on developing weapons that could kill a bit more people than before, or destroy an even greater area?
Sons of b*tchs. (Christopher McLaren)
Many nations around the world had already begun researching and developing technology to bring down these unprecedented lifeforms called the demon kings. America was the same a?? the top scientists were sweating buckets while trying toe up with ways to fight back while an exorbitant amount of national budget was being poured into the projects.
However, Christopher McLaren was pessimistic about the efficacy of these projects. The biggest issue was with theck of time. Some sort of a tangible result would only be reached after a half of America was destroyed by the demon king that popped out from Arizonas spot. Since that would be the case, what was the point of it all?
Christopher McLaren groaned at length.
a??I told them we need to spend even more of our budget, yet those idiots...a?? (Christopher McLaren)
He learned how terrifying the existence of a demon king could be back when the first one crossed over and Yi Ji-Hyuk went on to kill it. And when he heard from the Korean that more of these demon kings would cross over in the future, he began thinking that the human race needed to find a way to fight back no matter the costs involved.
Ever since then, he strongly rmended to anyone whod listen that they needed to support the R&D departments researching ways to fight against demon kings with as much funds as possible. But the stinking politicians didnt even pretend to send any sort of meaningful budget in that direction.
Those fools could clearly see that there was a fire burning above their heads, so why did they only start panicking after that very same firended on their feet?
Christopher McLaren spat out an even lengthier groan.
The only thing the scientists managed to develop with the limited budget was the Mana sensor.
Unlike the widely-used Ether sensor, this device couldnt measure the exact amount of Mana and was only good for sensing the appearance of arge mass of Mana spreading around like a weather phenomenon while being attached to the spy satellites.
Well, at least we now know where the demon kings have made their entrances. (Christopher McLaren)
Even in that regard, the device proved to be essentially useless, since the demon kings had a tendency of letting the whole world know of their locations by absolutely destroying everything around them as soon as they crossed over.
a??Sir!a??
A loud voice calling out to him prompted Christopher McLaren to turn his head.
a??Sir, in Pyongyang! A high concentration of Mana has appeared in Pyongyang, sir!a??
a??A demon king is there, so that guy mustve shown up again.a?? (Christopher McLaren)
a??No, thats not it! There are several of them!a??
a??Mm?!a?? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens head snapped back towards the monitor.
He could now see the scene of different sets of Mana colliding against each other and distort visibly.
a??Mm, maybe they are interfering with one another...a?? (Christopher McLaren)
He was about to issue a fresh order, telling his subordinates to send the relevant information to South Korea, China and Russia, but then, his brows shot up high from shock next.
W-what the hell is that? (Christopher McLaren)
At first, the fluctuations were small.
But then, the fluctuations began sweeping up the surroundings like floodwater breaking out of the levees.
a??What the hell?! What is that sh*t?! Get me the satellite images, now! Hurry the hell up!a?? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren freaked out from the sight of the massive whirlpool of Mana threatening to fill up the monitor and jumped up from his chair. His agency had been tracking several of the demon kings already so he had a pretty good idea on how much Mana each of the demon kings emitted.
However, the Mana fluctuation shown on the monitor easily exceeded what he had be familiar with.
a??Did a great demon king cross over or something?! Goddam*it, this isnt even a d*mn cartoon, so what the hell...a?? (Christopher McLaren)
Actually, if this was a cartoon, they wouldve had a brave hero to call upon in this time of need. This was reality with no such heroes to be found anywhere.
a??The satellite is in position, sir.a??
a??Get me the feed!a?? (Christopher McLaren)
The monitor flickered noisily for a second, and when it stabilised, the resulting scene made Christopher McLaren tilt his head with a puzzled expression.
a??Y-Yi Ji-Hyuk?!a?? (Christopher McLaren)
Why was that dude even there?!
***
a??Isnt that?!a?? (Barasga)
Barasgas small eyes shot open so wide that they almost popped out of their sockets.
The ck doorway that opened below Yi Ji-Hyuks feet was, without a doubt, a Gate. And anyone could easily tell where that Gate was connected to.
a??The, the, the demon world!!!a?? (Barasga)
Transferring between dimensions was a huge ask even for the demon kings.
The task wasnt on the level of merely difficult. You needed a ton of Mana, as much as two, three demon kings exhausting every single drop of their reserves, just to open up a small Gate.
That was why they had sent Args and made sure that this side would be ready to respond when the Gate connecting to the demon world opened up.
But now?
They managed to exploit the rift in the dimensions to create semi-permanent doorways and assimted the portions of the demon world and Earth. And through these assimted spots, demon kings could now utilise Mana from the demon world as much as they pleased.
But, we shouldve also considered that this would also benefit the 99th demon king... (Barasga)
Cold sweat began gushing out of Barasgas body.
Go-oooooh...
Mana powerfully rose up from beneath Yi Ji-Hyuks feet and began licking his figure like tongues of evil spirits and got sucked inside.
He kept his eyes closed and quietly epted them all.
a??W-we need to stop that!a?? (Barasga)
Barasga urgently cried out.
At this rate, the 99th demon king would get to possess the infinite Mana again and experience a rebirth.
If the 99th demon king was to be revived, the one who had imnted a seal on the Core of the demon world to receive the infinite supply of the purest dark Mana imaginable...
From the perspective of the demon world, this would be no different to the advent of an unstoppable cmity.
Even if its now! Before he manages to absorb all these Mana strands, we need to stop him! (Barasga)
Unfortunately, Barasga couldnt carelessly pounce forward. Because the existence of Erukana protecting Yi Ji-Hyuks front proved to be too much of a hurdle.
a??The worlds greatest show is about to start, so why do you all have those panicking faces? Isnt this entertaining to watch?a?? (Erukana)
Erukana loudlyughed out.
a??Borencha, that guy at least had a brain. Too bad about you lot not having much in the brain department, though. Im actually ashamed by the idea of me being in the same category of demon kings as you.a?? (Erukana)
Barasga gnashed its teeth, but was still unable to refute what she said. Even if it could do that, the current situation didnt give the turtle-shaped demon king a lot of mental leeway to start arguing with her.
a??Even if the 99th demon king regains his former strength, this is not the demon world nor is it Berafe! We are also not the same as before, either!a?? (Barasga)
a??Is that what you all think?a?? (Erukana)
Barasga didnt reply to Erukanas sneeringment. She wasnt the most important part in this event, after all.
Da*mit. (Barasga)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was slowly opening his eyes.
His figure was gently floating up off the ground, too.
Wuuuoong...
And while resonating powerfully, ckish Mana red up like an inferno from within the Gate.
Barasga watched that spectacle and ended up recalling the memories it wanted so badly to forget. The sight that got branded deep into the demon kings psyche.
Although the attire had changed from the past, the current Yi Ji-Hyuks figure was spookily simr to back when he used to be called the 99th demon king as well as the Bringer of Apocalypse. Not just that, but even the power he was exuding now, too.
a??How dare a measly human...a?? (Barasga)
Yi J-Hyuks eyes were fully open now.
a??How do you feel, darling?a?? (Erukana)
a??How should I describe it...a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pondered his options after hearing her question and then made his considered reply.
a??Should I say something is overflowing inside of me? Its like, Mana might leak out from my eyeballs just from opening my eyes.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Thats a pretty interesting reply.a?? (Erukana)
a??Yeah, I think so, too.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The corners of Yi Ji-Hyuks lips curled up.
Definitely so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the past, he almost never experienced the shortage of Mana. His Mana acquisition ability had always remained way more advanced than the levels he managed to reach.
When he was just a rookie dark magician, Erukana supplied him with what could be seen as an endless supply of Mana when judged from his lowly standards back then. But after reaching the stage where the amount he wished to spend exceeded what she could supply, he simply stuck a straw in the demon worlds Core and connected that to his body, which led to him receiving the true infinite supply of dark Mana.
But the supply got cut off after he arrived on Earth, making him realise how bad it felt to be a magician who couldnt use Mana.
A magician without the supply of Mana was like a human who couldnt breathe, or a firefighter without ess to water or fire extinguishers.
He had finally realised what kind of roles the seemingly-endless supply of Mana did for him only after arriving back on Earth.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been put under one restriction after another. And now that all the shackles wereing undone, how could he possibly describe this feeling in mere words?
a??Hmm...a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He sensed all the Mana filling up inside his body and took a deep breath.
a??This isnt so bad.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This sense of fullness.
It had been far too long since thest time he felt this fullness.
In the past, he took it for granted. Not anymore.
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly ced his hand on his chest. He could detect the Mana throbbing wildly within his body.
a??Are you alright, darling?a?? (Erukana)
a??Yeah. Im controlling it.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana looked at him with somewhat worried eyes.
Yi Ji-Hyuk regaining all this Mana would prove to be a great help to the world, but on the other hand, it meant he now needed to take on an even bigger burden on his body.
The Bringer of Apocalypse, who was renowned for his infinite Mana as well as his immortal body. Among these two, he had recovered the first one, but thetter, the immortal body capable of subduing the adverse reaction from the former, had not been recovered.
Well, it doesnt look like itll crumble in an instant, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He managed to avoid the worst possible situation.
A regr persons body wouldve shattered into tiny molecules long before this amount of dark Mana finished entering them. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk epted it without too much issues. For now.
This was only possible due to his affinity that reached the absolute peak, his absurdly high level of control, as well as his body going through a reinforcement of sorts through Ether.
Well, d*mn. The burden on my body is nothing to scoff at, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He sensed the Mana crazily spinning within his body and clenched his teeth.
He rather liked this heady, pleasurable sensation.
However, one careless mistake and hed get swept up in this ecstasy, resulting in his body exploding to bits. This whole thing felt like he was walking on a knifes edge.
The thing was, though...
Yi Ji-Hyuk began cackling ominously even before realising it.
He had walked on edges like this one numerous times before. The only difference would be that he no longer had spare lives to fall back on, thats all.
For now, the ecstasy of knowing that he could rampage as much as he wanted was far greater than the worries of side effects and the potential dangers from epting Mana.
a??Okay, then. Now...a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply and stared at the demon kings.
a??Who wants to go first?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 397. See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain -2 > Fin.
Chapter 398: See? I told you that the dude’s a turtle brain (3)
Chapter 398: See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain (3)
The atmosphere of this ce cooled down rapidly.
The demon kings could feel through their skin just how much Mana Yi Ji-Hyuk managed to swallow up. The fluctuations transmitted through the air were so strong that the demons were automatically being pushed back.
Hes like a human condensing machine. (Barasga)
The demon kings often felt this in the past C that when he began rousing up Mana, it was as if his whole body was turning into a Mana crystal of some kind.
The quandary of how a mere human managed to control Mana of such purity when even demons couldnt do that, had not been answered to this day.
Even I would suffer the fate of my body disintegrating after epting that much Mana (Barasga)
Barasga boasted one of the toughest, sturdiest constitutions among all the demon kings, yet it knew it could not contain that much Mana within its body.
The dark Mana itself possessed the terrifying power to destroy the world. Even if demons used that energy source as their foundation, itd still prove to be fatally dangerous by epting past the bodys limit.
If they were talking about Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past, then he was capable of doing it. Because his body was immortal, after all.
The dark Mana might destroy ones body, but he couldnt be destroyed at all. More correctly, his body did get destroyed, but recovered right away so he could easily shove more Mana than he should normally be able to control.
However, he no longer had his immortality, did he?
Since he had reverted to being a frail little human, it was only right that his body would disintegrate only after epting half of a half of Mana he had absorbed just now.
Yet here he was, disying a miracle of epting the amount of Mana that even demon kings couldnt handle with a frail human body.
What an iprehensible event this is. (Barasga)
The existence of Yi Ji-Hyuk always managed to shatter theirmon sense.
It was iprehensible that he invaded the demon world and earned the title of the demon king even though he was a human being. It was iprehensible that the moment he became the lowest-seated demon king, he proceeded topletely flip the demon world on its head. None of these events could be understood by onesmon sense.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk managed to pull them off.
Now I get why the noble ones start fidgeting around when they hear the name of the 99th demon king. (Barasga)
Barasga wasnt exactly fond of the 99th demon king, true, but the wariness disyed towards Yi Ji-Hyuk by the highest-seated demon kings that truly ruled the demon world bordered on being a mental illness.
So much so that it was rather difficult to fathom why those beings possessing such power were so, so wary of one measly little man.
But now, Barasga understood it.
The truly fear-inducing point about Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt the strength he wielded. No, it was because he was a man who achieved whatever he set out to do, no matter what it was.
Even if everyone else said it was impossible, hed still go ahead and make it happen no matter what kind of hurdles were blocking his way. So, who could confidently dere that it was impossible for him to stop the demon worlds invasion by himself?
Barasgas small eyes narrowed to slits as it quietly red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Snap, burst
Its not perfect, however. (Barasga)
The pool of Mana he managed to absorb might have been great, but upon a closer inspection, the current Yi Ji-Hyuk was noticeably worse off than his past self.
The past Yi Ji-Hyuk was able to suppress other demon kings and prevent them from attacking him simply with Mana calmly circting around his figure. But the current him couldnt even reach anywhere near that level.
And also
Wu-du-duk
Yi Ji-Hyuks shoulder suddenly burst open.
He scowled deeply and rubbed his burst shoulder, then the wound was healed in an instant.
Fufufu. (Barasga)
But, of course. There was no way hed not experience any side effects.
Looks like youre struggling over there, oh 99th demon king. (Barasga)
If you get it, why dont you start fighting already? Maintaining this is a lot harder than it looks, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk openly disyed a pained look.
It was indeed true, though C he was enduring the kind of pain usually reserved for when a persons body was about to explode into tiny bits.
You think you can stop us with a body like that? (Barasga)
I think I can if youd only shut the hell up and attack me already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke. (Barasga)
Barasga raised its huge foot and mmed down on the ground. It was supposed to be a simple little demonstration.
The ripples generated from that were definitely not simple nor little, though.
Wudududuk!
Thend shook as if an earthquake had broken out, then soon enough, was loudly torn apart. Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at the ground below his feet being torn apart and let out an irritated yell.
Hey, man! Youre supposed to be a water-type! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What is that madman yapping on about now? (Barasga)
Even in the past, he used to say these iprehensible things and drove Barasga up the wall. The same thing still applied even now.
The demon king even began wondering if it should investigate exactly what those things meant in this world.
Of course, that all depended on whether it could survive this encounter or not.
Seeing that thoserdy-a*ses havent shown up here yet Youre like the advanced scouts, more or less. Well, they cant leave the demon worldpletely unattended, so yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The demon world had no need for any production-rted activity to take ce.
Humans needed funds and food when going to war, but unlike them, the demon world didnt need any personnel to manufacture and maintain their society. To put it in another way, every denizen found in the demon world was capable of transforming into abatant at the drop of a hat. A militarists wet dream, in other words.
Even then, leaving the demon world unattended was still an impossibility. Not only was the ce teeming with dangerous demonic beasts that couldnt be reined in without the presence of the demons, the demon kings were not really firm believers in the concept of solidarity and thus they had to watch their backs constantly.
Thanks to this, the highest-seat demon kings, which there were a handful of them, found it rather difficult to make a move openly.
Che. This is why politics can be such a pain. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If humans learned that politics also existed among the demon kings, they would keel over fromughing too much. But whatever the case might be, none of those demon kings could pounce on the juicy prey helplessly shivering in front of them precisely because of this reality.
That was the sole ray of hope in this situation.
While the strongest demon kings were dithering about, the number of the lower-seated demon kings had to be decreased as much as possible. If not, the destruction of the Earth would be an avoidable fate.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the ground below splitting apart like a dark, bottomless maw and shook his head.
Seriously, that turtlehead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was that dude trying to aplish by ripping the ground open against a magician like him?
Besides, he was floating in the air, wasnt he?
I can already guess how much you made the ones serving you suffer with that head of yours. Why dont you take an eternal rest now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana began gathering in Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand.
Go-ooooooh
The fluctuations from the gathering Mana swept past him and whipped up a massive storm in the surroundings. So much Mana pooled in his hand that never mind his hand dyeing in pitch-ckness, it now resembled something else entirely that was eerily see-through.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was beset with this pain of his entire arm vanishing, and began scowling unhappily. He did expect something like this to happen, but still, the rebound this time was simply too much.
Obviously, he couldnt be the same as his past self. He was no longer the past him who could fling high-ranked magic at any time he wanted while utterly disregarding the damage from the rebound such spells would inevitably cause.
And he now needed to perform all these things at the same time when wanting to fire a single spell C calcte the potential rebound from the spell and the disintegration of his body from it, then rouse up his Ether to protect his body and activate extrayers of protection with even more Mana.
I dont think the bnce patch is working right, you know! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If things were destined to turn out this way, the numbers on the other side shouldve been lowered to get the bnce right! Or strengthen the units on this side or something! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Wuuuuoooong!!!!
Mana bursting out of Yi Ji-Hyuks hand began generating a massive sphere in the air.
Barasga saw the ominous undtions of the swirling Mana and its eyes trembled from shock.
D*mmit. (Barasga)
Some folks feared the unknown. However, Barasga knew better than anyone that there was nothing more scary than the known in this world.
The demon king knew intimately just what that sphere made out of swirling Mana was capable of doing.
The level of fear that didnt befit the title of the demon king began taking over Barasgas body.
For now, eat this! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kwa-aaaaaaah!!!
Yi Ji-Hyuk flicked his finger, causing the swirling Mana to release the ck-coloured magical power all at once.
Mana flooded out like an uncontroble deluge bursting out of a dam and swept everything away in front.
Kwa-aaaaaah!!
Erukana shuddered grandly as she witnessed this spectacle.
There should be some among the demon kings capable of exhibiting this level of destructive power. Indeed, it wouldnt be so shocking to see a highest-seat demon king performing a feat simr in nature.
But she was 100% sure that no other demon king capable of this level of firepower could match the wild, uninhibited charm of her darling.
Its so ironic, isnt it. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was a magician.
Not just any, but someone who was rightfully called the greatest in humanitys history, and as far as space maniption and attack magic were concerned, he had stepped onto a realm that no one had previously ever reached.
Even if magicians and demons both used Mana to perform magic, the way each of them did so was different.
Demons used the magical energy as if it was a part of their limb. Like how humans used muscles to move, demons freely wielded magical energy and attacked with it.
However, magicians used the Runenguage as the necessary ignition of sorts, then circted the magical energy within the magic circuits like some kind of a well-oiled machine to bring about a physical result.
Higher-ranked magicians required an even more precise calction to fire their magic spells. Thats why the magicians would always be better at Mana control then regr demons.
However, the story was different with Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He was a magician, but he didnt bother to precisely calcte the expenditure of his magical energy. No, he simply shoved as much as he could.
From the get-go, he couldnt utilise magical powers like everyone else, so rather than expanding the magics efficiency through precise calctions, he pursued the path of simply shoving a near-infinite amount of Mana intoparatively-simpler magic circuits and increase the firepower in that manner.
And this was the end result.
Erukana stared at thend in front of her, now resembling the surface of an apple after someone took a rough bite out of it, and shuddered grandly once more.
Back when she firstid eyes on Yi Ji-Hyuk, trembling and shivering away all alone in a dark corner, she never, ever imagined that one day hed possess this level of power.
The symbol of apocalypse that erased everything before his eyes with the magical power more vicious and cruel than any other demon kings.
That man had finally returned.
Keuh, euh (Barasga)
Barasga moaned in pain while holding onto the utterly-destroyed lower half.
Urgh (Barasga)
The demon kings lower torso was horrendously crushed and was dangling precariously, while the remaining half was also grievously damaged as well.
Hahaha Cough, cough! Aigo, Im dying here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to mock the dying demon king, but ended upining instead after blood flooded out from his mouth like a waterfall.
Im the attacker, so why does it feel like Ive sustained more damage than the other side?! Aigooo (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out one groan after another.
The burden on his body increased at a horrifying level every time he used a high-ranking magic spell.
His biggest problem right now was that no matter how much he rested or received the treatment, he would never fully recover. The more he relied on magic, the worse off the limits of his body would be. His overall abilities would get weaker with every battle, and the disintegration of his body would gradually elerate.
You, youve be even more stronger (Barasga)
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged towards Barasga. He then squatted right next to the dying demon king, and spat out a long sigh.
I havent gotten stronger, but I was actually taking it easy on you guys in the past. If I went around killing every demon king I could find, you lot wouldve attacked me inrge groups, so thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Barasga stared back at Yi Ji-Hyuk with hollow eyes, before chuckling weakly.
You dreadful b*stard. (Barasga)
Have a nice trip. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
CRACK!
Yi Ji-Hyuks foot stomped down on Barasgas head.
< 398. See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain -3 > Fin.
Chapter 399: See? I told you that the dude’s a turtle brain (4)
Chapter 399: See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain (4)
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Barasgas intact head and muttered regrettably.
It didnt shatter? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..
The demon king looked up at him with dumbfounded eyes.
A magician wants to stomp my head and destroy it?! What crazy rubbish are you attempting to do?! (Barasga)
Ah, right. Youre really sturdy, arent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched the back of his head.
Eiii, itd have been so much cooler for your head to go st, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yup, he had seen too many movies, thats for sure.
It was here that Barasga, still under Yi Ji-Hyuks foot, urgently shouted out.
W-wait a minute! Lets make a deal! (Barasga)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the demon king with unimpressed eyes.
I wont say anything about you using your own mouth to say whatever you want, but if you can help it, you should think about the perspective of a human needing to make deals with a turtle, too (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I, Im a demon king, though? (Barasga)
Riiight, a turtle demon king. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While keeping his foot on Barasgas head, Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned his vicinity.
So fast. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One of the two extra demon kings had been exterminated without a trace, while the other one had ran away with its tail firmly tucked between its legs. You could say that causing such a scene with nothing but one single magic spell was a truly beneficial turn of events, but
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt fight back against the blood welling up his throat and spat it out, before carrying on.
Ive got nothing to gain by making a deal with you, so why should I spare you in that case? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Barasga desperately racked its brain.
The demon king had already felt Yi Ji-Hyuks intentions to kill when thetter stomped on its head. Wasting time with unnecessary words would only elerate the crushing of its head.
Barasga replied with a trembling voice.
I shall be your underling. (Barasga)
H-ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im a demon king. Being able to order around a demon king should prove to be an amazing benefit to you, wouldnt you say? (Barasga)
With an agonised expression on his face, Yi Ji-Hyuk plopped down on Barasgas head. It was slightly ufortable to sit on since the demon kings noggin was so big, but he didnt mind that and deeply contemted his options, instead.
M-m-mm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Erukana walked up and addressed him.
What are you worried about, darling? Even if this guy is a moron, an opportunity to order around a demon king is still exceptionally rare toe across. No one out there besides demons wouldve had such an honour, you know? (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled back as if to say, dont say anything if you have no clue in the first ce.
Argh, hes a dang turtle, you know! Having a turtle as your underling is just so uncool! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sometimes, darling, Id like to dissect your head to see whats inside there. (Erukana)
Feels like Ive heard that a few times before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk knocked on Barasgas head and spoke.
Hey, man. When you think about it, youll have to fight against your brethren once you be my underling, so will that be okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll be better than dying. (Barasga)
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Demons are individuals of equal opportunities. Unlike you, we dont have this sense of solidarity. (Barasga)
Well, thats an excellent mindset of a stooge, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, but, how should I put this (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Pow!
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly stood up and began mercilessly kicking Barasgas head.
But why?! Why are you doing this?! (Barasga)
Because, I got p*ssed when thinking about how the pro-Jap b*stards sold off this country with a simr mindset of yours, thats why! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive no idea what youre even on about. (Barasga)
You bloomin stooge b*stard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fell even deeper into a dilemma while looking at Barasga.
Indeed, being able to order around a demon king should be a massive boon for his causes. How much of a help have Oh-Sik alone provided so far? Being able to order around not an Ogre Lord but an actual, full-fledged demon king would prove to be a massive help in the uing battles.
However!
A turtle as my underling?! A bloody turtle?! A turtle that wont even fit inside a P** Ball?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk muttered to himself over and over again as if his pride had been damaged.
Darling, get a hold of yourself. (Erukana)
Urgh (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Out of all the countless demon kings in existence, why did it have to be a turtle? Why, of all things?
The demon kings he fought in the past all possessed this undeniable coolness to them, yet this
Tsk, who cares if you look so ugly, as long as you can fight like a champ? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not ugly. (Barasga)
Barasga simply had to lodge aint in the middle of that.
Well, I should chalk this down to my own sad little fate, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he could help it, hed have loved to lord over a menacing and cool monster, but he might as well be satisfied with what hes got since this guy wasnt the kind to get sucked into a P** Ball, in any case.
ck Mana began gathering around Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand.
N-ng?! (Barasga)
Barasga saw that and its eyes shot wide open.
A ve seal?! (Barasga)
Why are you so surprised? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A demons contract is absolute. Even if you dont do that, I will not betray you. (Barasga)
Sure, that might be true, but (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
Theres always an exception, right? Im not much of a fan of such uncertainties, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-what are you even talking about?! (Barasga)
I mean, if you werent nning to betray me, does it matter if you have the seal branded on you or not? Besides, you. You acting this way makes me think that you were nning to stab me in the backter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh (Barasga)
Barasga shuddered from indignation.
Isnt there anything like courtesy in the human world?! Im a demon king. Even if Im now your prisoner, am I not allowed the minimum level of courtesy? (Barasga)
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk resolutely shook his head.
You aint a prisoner, but my new ve. Theres this thing called the Geneva Convention for all the war prisoners, but no such things exist for a ve, unfortunately. (Barasga)
What is this Genega convention?! (Barasga)
Not Genega, Geneva. Besides, you dont need to know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk twirled his right hand. The huge ve imprinting seal materialised in the air, before it dug into Barasgas head.
Hiss, sizzle!
Sounds of flesh being cooked resounded out from the demon kings head. The creature writhed around in pain.
Urgk!!! (Barasga)
The creature whimpered, unable to withstand the pain despite being a demon king.
Oh? Hes resisting it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As expected of a demon king. It felt like the restrictions on the mind and body were not working as smoothly as it should. However, that was all. Barasgas resistance meant that itd take longer than usual, but in the end, itd not be able to win against the Seal of Obedience.
Keu-heuk. (Barasga)
Barasga used its half-severed arm to rub its head, and after feeling around the new seal now visible on its forehead, it could only sigh grandly.
To think that a day like today wille for me (Barasga)
It felt like only a second ago that Barasga stepped up full of energy to hunt down the 99th demon king, so it wanted to wallow in sadness for ending up in such a miserable state.
However, what could anyone do about it now? The milk had been spilled already, anyway.
Okay, then. Should we go for a test run? Attention! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Say that after looking at my body type! My body!! Im a turtle, so how do you expect me to stand at attention?! (Barasga)
Oh hey, he even admitted to being a turtle himself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Urgh. (Barasga)
Barasga powerfully shook its head.
To think that itd end up serving this dumb*ss as its master from now on
Maybe I shouldve just died? (Barasga)
Barasga seriously wondered if it wouldve been better to just die rather than serve Yi Ji-Hyuk as its master. Although, it couldnt even kill itself anymore after the Seal of Obedience had been imnted on it.
Okay, then. Lets hear it. You, what were your orders whening here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Barasga replied with a somewhat pouting expression.
I did not receive any orders. (Barasga)
Wasnt there a master n or something like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No. (Barasga)
.
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Since the seal was active now, Barasga wouldnt be lying to him. Which meant that this fool really did cross over from the demon world without any n whatsoever, even when no one asked it to.
Could it be that they didnt include you in the nning because youre a dimwit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kuwaaaahk!! (Barasga)
How dare you yell at me! Wanna die?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Barasga powerlessly lowered its head.
Thats not it. We really didnt receive any orders. The only thing weve heard was that, since the pathway to Earth would open, those who want to cross over should go ahead and do whatever they want. And also (Barasga)
Also? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres no rush, so we should take our time, thats what weve been told. Thats why I sought you out the first thing. (Barasga)
Whos you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My master. (Barasga)
Wasnt this guys attitude, like, a bit too rebellious?
Although imprinted with the ve seal, this creatures ego was incredibly powerful to begin with, so it seemed that its original attitude hadnt beenpletely transformed.
I guess Oh-Siks going to suffer a lot from today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk thought about Oh-Sik obediently protecting his home and could only tut. His heart even ached a little when he imagined how his little Ogre would be frightened silly after he brought home this hulking dude with a foul attitude.
Hey, you. If youy your hands on Oh-Sik, Imma beat you up real good. Got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whos Oh-Sik? (Barasga)
Youll see. Its an Ogre Lord. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre worried about a mere Ogre Lord? (Barasga)
Not because hes one of mybat forces, but because hes so cute! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
An Ogre is what? (Barasga)
Barasga tilted its head this way and that,pletely failing to understand any of whats being said.
*
S-so cute. (Barasga)
Barasga saw Oh-Sik shivering in fear inside the front yard and began trembling in unchecked emotions.
It had previously heard that Ogre cubs were adorable little things, but who wouldve thought that it was possible for one to be this cute? On top of this, the reddish fur that bordered on deep pink only enhanced the undeniable cute appeal even further.
A demon king knows about cuteness? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If were talking about appreciating art, then you humans can never stack up to us, the demonic beings. Indeed, our viewpoint on aesthetics alone will make the lives of you humans rather monotone inparison. (Barasga)
In that case, howe all of you look so hideous, dude?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kuwaaahk! Dont you know anything about rtivity of different species?! To us, you humans look more like detestable monsters! You have no fur, youre ugly as sin, and all so smooth and squidgy to boot! (Barasga)
You also dont have fur, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Urgh. (Barasga)
Barasga groaned loudly.
Fine. What do you want me to do now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The demon king looked at Yi Ji-Hyuks house, then turned its head this way and that to spot a suitable ce for it to stay.
What do you mean, what? Youll be protecting my house. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Your house? (Barasga)
Disbelief quickly filled up Barasgas eyes.
You want a demon king to simply protect your house?! Are you currently messing with me? (Barasga)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stretched his limbs and yawned in disinterest.
Dont worry, Ill have something else for you to doter. For now, though, Im going to rest so watch the house. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont have a ce toy down in this cramped garden. (Barasga)
No need to worry about that, either. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hand and stabbed a ck tentacle on Barasgas body.
M-mm?! (Barasga)
Mana suddenly got sucked out so Barasga freaked out and tried to resist. However, the demon kings body didnt even budge an inch, which waspletely different from what it wanted.
Keu-heuk!! (Barasga)
Was this the effect of the Seal of Obedience?
Barasgas hulking physique gradually shrunk down, and eventually, it became no bigger than a puppy.
Oh~. Looks like the sync rate has gone up. Its pretty simr now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head grandly as if he was feeling satisfied about something, then walked into the house next.
Im going to sleep, so watch the house, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Urgh. (Barasga)
After Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the front door and disappeared into the house, Barasga spat out a lengthy groan.
To think that Id end up in this state. (Barasga)
Although better than dying, the price for living on simply was too much.
Grrrr
Grrrr? (Barasga)
Barasga slowly turned its head to the side only to see Oh-Sik growling at it with fangs bared.
Fangs bared?
Did this measly little Ogre b*tch dare to bare its fangs at me?! (Barasgas inner monologue)
Ah, so this must be that thing. (Barasga)
Barasga remembered hearing that lower-ranked beasts needed to establish hierarchy first. The Ogre mustve thought that such a thing was probably doable now that the demon king had been miniaturised as well.
Alright,e! I shall show you what being a demon king is all about! (Barasga)
Barasgas red eyes red ominously as the demon king dashed forward, its short legs pedalling hard, prompting the poor Oh-Siks eyes to open up wide.
Whimper??
Shut up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Until Yi Ji-Hyuk got royally irritated by all themotion in the front yard, came outside and threw his shoe at the two guardian monsters, Oh-Sik had to physically experience the bitter harshness of a demon king.
No matter how much Mana it lost or miniaturised it was, a demon king was still a demon king, after all.
< 399. See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain -4 > Fin.
Chapter 400: See? I told you that the dude’s a turtle brain (5)
Chapter 400: See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk strode inside the house but then, suddenly covered his mouth.
Bleeeeergh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He crumpled to the ground and vomited out ckish blood like a gushing waterfall.
Euh Moms gonna shout at me for this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snapped his fingers.
Clean! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A simple magic spell was cast, and the blood sttered on the floorpletely vanished next.
Hey, if I cant find a jobter, maybe I should start a cleaningpany? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he used the slogan, Well break down all the dust in your home into atoms and eliminate them in his advertisements, hed surely make a killing.
Wuuuooong.
It was then, the space behind Yi Ji-Hyuk wavered and Affeldrichae revealed herself.
You know, its against humanitys etiquette to enter someones house without ringing the bell first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, this is also my house, too? (Affeldrichae)
Ah, right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chucked an unfunny joke in her direction, but her eyes were deeply locked on his body at the moment.
Its serious. (Affeldrichae)
So much so that she found it miraculous that his body was still maintaining its original shape. If this level of damage repeatedly wrecked his body after every battle, just how long would he be able to endure?
Since this was an unprecedented case, not even someone of Affeldrichaes calibre could tell exactly how long the process might take. However, even a blind man could see that itd not be that long.
She quietly bit down on her lip.
This way. (Affeldrichae)
She reached out and grabbed his arm, then began leading him towards the bedroom.
Isnt this a bit too hot-blooded when its still daytime? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, so you do want it? (Affeldrichae)
Im sorry. (Affeldrichae)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly lowered his tail, Affeldrichae could only sigh deeply.
Being able to joke around even in a situation like this was indeed one of his plus points, but sometimes, she couldnt help but get angry after thinking that he was being toockadaisical about his state.
I dont know why humans sometimes talk about things they arent interested in. (Affeldrichae)
Mm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its not like Impletely uninterested, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly swallowed back some words threatening to break out of his mouth and quietly followed after Affeldrichae to enter the bedroom.
She helped himy down on the bed, then after kneeling down near his head, began injecting Mana slowly.
Urgh (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His body began shivering.
It must hurt a lot. (Affeldrichae)
If she was asked to select just a person from every single dimension out there who was most used to being in pain, then Affeldrichae would immediately pick Yi Ji-Hyuk out. He had be far too familiar with pain while living for an incalcble length of time.
His tolerance to pain was such that hed not even c*** an eyebrow after his fingernail got pulled out and an awl was shoved in there, yet the body of someone like that was convulsing noticeably while he fought off against the intense pain rushing in.
But, for what? (Affeldrichae)
The protective barrier she had cast around his brain was broken after he overexerted himself in utilising the dark Mana.
Her job now was to push out the dark Mana hiding within his brain and filling it up with her own Mana, instead.
The event of dark Mana and the regr white Mana colliding inside ones body would always be apanied by the intense pain far worse than any torture imaginable.
However, it simply had to be done.
If left as he was, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldntst one day before transforming into a demonic being himself, thats why.
Preventing that from happening was Affeldrichaes sole reason for existing on this Earth.
Please, endure. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his palms and the resulting blood dyed the bedding below.
Wuuuooong.
Mana endlessly flooded into his head. Meanwhile, Affeldrichaesplexion was getting indescribably paler in turn.
This was a world without Mana.
Although some attribute-less Mana C not the Dark Mana C she could use, also leaked in after this world got connected to the demon world Compared to Berafe that could be described as an ocean of Mana, this amount was simply far toocking for her.
That was why this task also ced a heavy burden on her shoulders.
She barely managed to expel all the dark Mana filling up the inside of his head and reced it with a massive reserve of purer, gentler Mana, then finished up by re-casting another protective barrier around his brain. With a grave expression, she slowly stroked Yi Ji-Hyuks hair.
Hes not going tost long. (Affeldrichae)
At this rate, this world would soon witness the advent of a truly unstoppable demon king.
Affeldrichae formed a look of sadness.
As a mere human, he was cast into another dimension and had to endure all sorts of pain, and eventually managed to return home at a great cost. But to think that hed be a demonic being at the end of all that.
Its a good thing that this world doesnt have a god. (Affeldrichae)
If a deity existed in this world, then she couldve ended up shouting at it. To say that, wasnt this too cruel a treatment for one of your own creations?
Even if she was also not in a position to stand before Yi Ji-Hyuk inplete honesty, at least she felt confident that everything she did and was trying to do was all in his best interest.
Really, what are you going to do now? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk barely managed to creak open his eyelids.
Stop repeating the same things, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The you I know were never someone who wasted his time without any n whatsoever. Werent you a man who still struggled desperately even when stuck in that despairing situation? (Affeldrichae)
Did I do that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even back when you were weaker than Berafes humans, you still fiercely resisted against me. The current you isnt like the one back then who kept shouting in anger that youd tear my throat out. (Affeldrichae)
I guess I was insane back then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
To think that hed threaten a dragon like that when he was merely a human being. One had to question whether his brain had been regenerated properly or not back then.
But you let me live? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, its just that I failed to kill you. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk picked up on this deep sense of unhappiness from her tone of voice and quietly closed his eyes for a bit.
From Affeldrichaes perspective, it wouldve been like an ant busy shouting at you while saying, Imma kill you dead.
However, a million ants would be able to kill a person pretty easily. A million human beings still wouldnt be enough to deal with a bona fide dragon like her, though. Especially if those human beings were weak, powerless individuals like Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He tilted his head.
Listen, Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Affeldrichae)
Im curious about something, and Im pretty sure you can answer me honestly now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please ask. (Affeldrichae)
You Why did you look after me back then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued on as if he couldnt figure it out.
As you said, I couldnt be killed, right? Even if you leave me alone, I wouldnt have met with an unfortunate ident somewhere. So why did you go out of your way to capture me? And it wasnt as if you did that to abandon me in some weird ce, either. Just what was your reason? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I already told you. It was an order from that great being. (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
Latrel? Are you saying that rotten woman told you to protect me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
But, why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt understand it.
He was an immortal.
He couldnt die nor could he change. At least rocks would wear down from the exposure but he couldnt change no matter what.
So, why was there a need to protect him, in that case?
Well, you were an irregr in our world, after all. Every one of your actions could have brought about a great change to our world. For example, if you were only a bit smarter and decided to invent firearms, then Berafes history wouldve looked quite different by now. (Affeldrichae)
Hey, you were insulting me just now, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In any case. The knowledge you possessed posed a lot greater threat to us than you probably could have imagined. On top of this, you had the luxury of infinite time on your hands, allowing you to take your knowledge and turn it into reality eventually. So, when nicely put, we protected you, but when put not so nicely, we had you locked away. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at her with a vague, unreadable expression.
Surely, thats not the whole story? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dragons cant lie. However, that doesnt mean theyll tell you everything. Isnt that right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, thats right. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae willingly nodded her head, and Yi Ji-Hyuk promptly got up from the bed.
If you still wish to hide it even after things have reached this far, well, I guess I dont have anything else to say, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae looked at him with eyes containing vague traces of unexinable sadness.
Well, its fine. Its not important now, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His expression hardened as he looked back at her.
Time to discuss the really important topic, Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please go ahead. (Affeldrichae)
He spoke with the most serious expression hed ever put on.
Do you know a way to close the dimensional doorway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
***
Hmm
A man was staring at theputer monitor with amusement-filled eyes. The scenes from various locations around the world currently being destroyed were disyed on the screen.
So slow.
Who wouldve guessed that the demon kings were going to take their sweet time after this man and his cahoots went through so much trouble to summon them here?
Initially, he feared that the world might be destroyed far too soon, but too bad, the demon kings were neither as quick nor as violent as he thought.
Well, thats not such a bad thing from our perspective, right?
I dont get whats not so bad about this. I mean, from what I can see, this situation is as f*cked up as your head. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong looked at the man, Alpha, and sneered openly.
Oh, that much is fine, actually. (Alpha)
However, thetter rxedly punted the sneer back to Jeong Min-Seong.
Che. (Jeong Min-Seong)
The North Korean sat down on a chair in irritation after Alpha didnt take the bait.
Okay, so. Whats your n, then? (Jeong Min-Seong)
What do you mean? (Alpha)
What are you trying to achieve by doing this to the world? Sure, all of us will get to live on after our contributions have been acknowledged, but the rest will all dieter at this rate. And its not like weve been promised stable positions in the demon world too, now is it? I definitely decline the prospect of bing pets to these demons. (Jeong Min-Seong)
You dont have to worry about that. It seems that from their aesthetics point of view, we look like disgusting creatures or some such. (Alpha)
Thats not what I meant and you know it. You going deaf or something? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Kekeke. (Alpha)
Alpha shrugged his shoulders.
ns are meaningless at the end of the day. Every n ever made will always be confronted by unexpected variables. So, the important thing is to set the events in motion first. (Alpha)
Itd be nicer if what you say and what you do match up. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong spat out a lengthy groan.
They had been working together for a long time, but Alpha still remained as an unexinable quandary. It was hard to figure out just what he was thinking of.
Even then, Jeong Min-Seong had no choice but to trust him. Because he always answered all suspicions and questions through tangible results. He might not be the type to thicklyy out an exposition of his ns, but he was still fully capable of making you ept it at the end of it all.
Meaning, he had a n for this event, as well.
However, I hope it doesnt start toote for us (Jeong Min-Seong)
If Jeong Min-Seong knew the results from opening the doorways to the demon world would look like this, then hed have vigorously voiced his opposition. Even if he couldnt, hed try to not go along with the plot.
It was true that Alpha ruled over him, but hed still be able to make some moves to spoil the overall n when he was free of that mans control.
Jeong Min-Seong scowled as he stared at Alpha still looking at theputer monitor.
Look here, Alpha. (Jeong Min-Seong)
Mm? (Alpha)
You told us that youd show us a brand new world. (Jeong Min-Seong)
That I did, yes. (Alpha)
That new world youve been talking about cant be the destroyed where every single person has been killed off, I hope? If thats what youve been nning, then dont tell me, you failed to realise that theres a simpler solution of us hopping over to the demon world, and thus you decided to cause the situation to spiral out of control, instead? (Jeong Min-Seong)
Arent you a smart cookie? Why didnt you tell me that earlier? (Alpha)
You d*mn b*stard?! (Jeong Min-Seong)
Jeong Min-Seong got triggered and shot up to his feet when Alpha continued to joke around. Thetter waved his hand around.
Dont get too worked up. (Alpha)
He then slowly got up himself.
Theres no meaning to a world with no humans living in it. Obviously even I wouldnt want that. (Alpha)
Be patient. Regeneration can only take ce after destruction has urred first. You dont need to worry as we will take over this world in the end. Everything is meant to go with the natural flow of things, after all. Ku-hahahahaha! (Alpha)
Alpha began guffawing strangely, causing a faint trace of fear to seep into Jeong Min-Seongs eyes.
The me wanting to burn the world down was right here.
< 400. See? I told you that the dudes a turtle brain -5 > Fin.
Chapter 401: That’s why we’ve ended up in this state (1)
Chapter 401: Thats why weve ended up in this state (1)
The South Korean governments response to thetest unfolding crisis was unusually swift. Didnt matter what the severity of the crisis facing the nation, this government was infamous for how slow it was with their response but at least this time around, they were quick to go beyond the boundaries of the constitution and made rapid counter moves.
They quickly dered the state of emergency, and the chain ofmand was unified under the president. The preparations to engage the monsters at a moments notice waspleted very quickly. The military released the locks on the old armoury, and finished up the maintenance on all of their vehicles to ensure that regardless of when and where a situation reared its head, a sizeable force could be deployed at the snap of a finger.
As for the civilian side of things, the government came up with a newer, far moreprehensive set of evacuation protocol in order to minimise the potential casualties as much as possible.
All the hard work Song Jeong-Su had put it at the expense of his sleep turned out to be even better than his own imagination, in other words.
However, a new problem raised its ugly head next.
This isnt a pensionersmunity centre or something, so howe... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stared at the bureaucrats currently slumped over the couches in the emergency response centres main office and clicked his tongue.
He couldnt bring himself to g them off, though.
These poor folks had to forsake theforts of their own homes and had to do the proverbial overnight march since no one knew when the crisis would break out.
The thing was, though, when that march had to go on for three nights straight and nothing of note happened in the meantime, it was bound to tire out everyone involved to the extreme degree.
Why isnt there any movement? (Song Jeong-Su)
Even at this moment, the United States, China, and Germany were engaged in brutal battles. Although the old-school weapons almost didnt work at all against the monsters, they simply had no choice but to deploy ability users and regr soldiers despite the heavy sacrifice this would cost them.
But, contrary to all the events happening everywhere else, South Korea, located closest to a spot, was enjoying probably her most peaceful days in a very long time.
...Whats happening in Pyongyang? (Song Jeong-Su)
There has been no movement, sir.
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su could only stare at the giant monitor with somewhat hollow eyes.
Monsters were pouring out from the various spots in the world like water gushing out from a tap turned all the way open, yet only the one in Pyongyang waspletely silent.
No one could tell whether that was because Yi Ji-Hyuk had rampaged around there once already or because there was some other hidden agenda.
The South Korean president Yun Yeong-Min fake coughed to clear his throat and spoke up.
You know, it feels like we have a bit too much leeway at the moment. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Indeed so, sir. So much so that Im feeling a bit sorry about whats happening in the Ministry of Finance. (Song Jeong-Su)
It was as if an actual bomb had gone off in the world of finance at the moment. It was understandable, however, seeing how three nations arguably at the centre of the worlds finance were struck by the explosions of monsters. Not only were the stock markets in a free fall reminiscent of the gushing waters of the Niagara Fall, even the international export and import hade to a grinding halt, as well.
Because of this development, both Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs were kept really busy trying to secure the food supply in case something went wrong somewhere.
That side was aplete warzone thest time I was there. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su paid a visit to the rted ministries earlier to question them on the progress only to be chased out of there by the vice minister, saying they were too busy to entertain a guest right now. Remembering that spectacle, he ended up sighing grandly before asking a question.
Why arent monsters showing up? (Song Jeong-Su)
The defense minister replied with a pouting expression.
Even if you ask me that... Its not like Im the resident Gate specialist or anything... (defense minister)
Urgh. (Song Jeong-Su)
Whats even more perplexing was that, after these dimensional gateways opened up, the monster-spewing regr Gates stopped appearing altogether.
If they opened as normal, then maybe the forces currently warmed up and ready to go wouldve had a ce to vent some steam, but now that the regr Gates werent showing up at all, the KSF and the military could only stay stuck in the seemingly-meaningless standby for the time being.
Has there been any request for assistance? (Song Jeong-Su)
...No, sir. (defense minister)
Germany and the United States were currently sending nonstop SOS signals to their neighbouring countries. European nations knew that Germanys fall would mean their own destruction would be next so they chose to send all of their avable forces to the frontlines as no Gates were opening anyway. As for the U.S, they were continuously asking for reinforcements from Canada as well as their allies in Latin America.
However, none of them were asking South Korea for support.
Well, were the closest to a spot, after all. (Song Jeong-Su)
Logically speaking, the one most likely to get swept away was none other than South Korea. So, it made some sense that no one was requesting assistance from such a country.
...So, what exactly should we be doing now? (Song Jeong-Su)
I wonder about that myself. (defense minister)
Mm. (Song Jeong-Su)
Somewhat ironically, South Korea was experiencing what seemed to be her most peaceful period post-ck Monday.
*
Argh, freaking hell?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk yelled out as he watched his avatar die.
And Choi Jeong-Hoon watching this spectacle could only murmur morosely.
Whether its the fool ying aputer game in the current situation, or thepany still operating the servers in the current situation... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course, you had to make money regardless of what was happening in the world, so thepany running the servers certainly didnt deserve to be med. The one at fault had to be this fool, right here.
But, it is a bit hard to criticise him, isnt it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Because, it wasnt just Yi Ji-Hyuk alone. Every NDF agent was also dazedly staring at their monitors right now.
We really dont have anything to do, now do we? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun piped up, and Yun Hyuk-Gyu nonchntly shrugged his shoulders.
How should I frame this... Yeah, so. Back when we were being dispatched every single freaking day, I was like, this is crap and I cant stand it anymore, but now that we havent seen any action for a few days, even this is crap and I cant stand it anymore. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
You think so, too? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Wont we end up unemployed at this rate? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Choi Jeong-Hoon eavesdropped on the two mens conversation, then sneakily turned his head towards the head desk. Seo Ah-Young was sitting there with a mirror, and was currently repeating the action of putting on some make-up before rubbing it off, only to apply some more again.
...What are you doing, maam? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
She nced at Choi Jeong-Hoon, before replying nonchntly.
Im testing which make-up suits me the best. I was too busy to find it out earlier, so I might as well use this opportunity. (Seo Ah-Young)
Ah. Of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled awkwardly, then while mouthing a cigarette, walked outside the office.
I cant get used to this and its driving me nuts. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He had no problem with the agents taking it easy and doing nothing. Honestly speaking, he thought that this was a well-deserved and necessary rest for them after everything they had gone through recently. So that they would be able to endure in the uing battles without breaking down.
What Choi Jeong-Hoon had a real problem with was that he too had nothing to do right now.
Not even once during the past ten years did he have nothing to do like this. So, he simply had no clue what he should be doing when no work required his attention.
If he was a regr sryman, then hed have found out a long time ago what to do next when no work presented itself. Too bad, he was not a regr sryman at all. Hisputer was filled with nothing but work-rted stuff, too. No need to mention his phone, either.
Should I just sleep? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The sleeping quarters had been set up exactly for moments like this, but he got used to crashing in there while suffering from the extreme level of fatigue, so he didnt feel confident of falling asleep when his mind was functioning so perfectly like this.
Urgh... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just as Choi Jeong-Hoon began contemting what he should do next, the office door was flung open and Yi Ji-Hyuk making a very crumpled expression waltzed out with a cigarette stuck to his mouth, too.
Argh, gimme a freaking break. Those crazy b*stards, why are they ying games when the world is in this state, anyway?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, youre also one of those crazy b*stards, too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon knew oh-so well that this thing called truth had to be concealed if peace was to be maintained, so he quickly decided not to say whats in his mind and shatter the calm that came to visit them after such a long time.
Its not working out for you, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Only the invalids are popting the servers now so the difficulty has gone through the roof. They are a bunch of ckers with nothing better to do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, youre also one of those ckers too, arent you?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was still persisting with spitting in the air when he was lying on his back right now.
Do you know why there hasnt been any movement in Pyongyang? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why are you asking me that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, thats because youre the most knowledgeable person on this when ites to the demon world. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Why am I the expert all of a sudden? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe he inwardly agreed with Choi Jeong-Hoons assessment, because Yi Ji-Hyuk then began opening his mouth.
I also dont know the exact reason. Maybe they are scared after getting hit pretty hard thest time and decided not toe here, and if thats not it, then maybe the spots essibility isnt so good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean by essibility? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Lets say that you want to go to another ce, but one of the Gates is next to the Han River while the other one is at the top of Mount Everest. Which one do you think youre going to choose? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hadnt really thought about that.
But hang on, shouldnt they be uniformly spread out, like how it is in a manga or something? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats because a mangaka has never been to a demon world before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Wow, thats actually pretty convincing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gained a renewed appreciation on how important the act of location scouting was. Could it be that the age of mangakas needing to visit the demon world if they wanted to draw a manga had dawned upon humanity now?
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How long will this peacest? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...How can you even mouth that word when other countries are sweating blood and sh*t just to stay alive? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk stared back with this vague hint of contempt in his eyes, Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly waved his hands in denial.
W-wait! I meant our countrys peace! Our countrys! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Were supposed to be one family in the globalised world, yet this guy... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you going to keep painting me as the bad guy? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned wryly. The honest truth was, the situation in other countries werent as bad as what others were making them out to be.
The initial prediction was that monsters would flood out and sweep away everything. But in stark contrast to that earlier projection, the monsters and the demon kings were not making any notable moves at the moment.
I wonder about it myself. Like what I told you thest time, the creatures of the demon world have this weird concept of timepared to us humans, so... From their perspective, its probably like not even one hour has passed since the start of the invasion. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Meaning, their perception of time is much longerpared to ours. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, yeah... If the other side decides to mop around and waste time, then the event of us dying of old age before they start advancing could happen. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression hardened a little just then.
Should I tell the others to stop attacking? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If what Yi Ji-Hyuk said was true, then attacking the demon kings and their monster armies needlessly and agitating them could very well be hastening the destruction of mankind, instead.
Well, thats true only if were dealing with the demons, of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You know. Alpha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression crumpled instantly at that name.
This whole thing was his baby so Im guessing hes not going to sit around and do nothing when everything seems to have hit a bit of a lull. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I think youre right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Alpha Choi Jeong-Hoon saw that day was the perfect example of an intelligent psychopath. Now normally, someone that mad would more often than not act on impulse rather than reasoning. But Alpha, despite being an undeniable nutcase, only made moves after making foolproof calctions.
Meaning, he was the hardest type to fight against in the entire world.
It was hard to imagine that someone capable of putting in motion a scheme to nearly kill the one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk, wouldnt have any ns in ce after the doorways to the demon world had opened up.
By the way, just what happened to that guy that he turned into a wackjob like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats something you should ask Christopher McLaren, not me. From what I heard in passing, Alpha seems to be one of the test subjects in the ability user experiments done by the Americans. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, you mean one of those illegal human experiments? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Most likely. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted loudly.
Im telling you, those guys always pretend to be the most righteous out of everyone only to do all sorts of dirty stuff under the table. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned wryly again. Rather than anti-America, he leaned closer to being pro-America, but even then, he couldnt really refute what Yi Ji-Hyuk had said. It was the truth, after all.
In any case. It means we need to deal with Alpha first and foremost. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, yeah. If its possible, that is. That guys whereabouts always have been a mystery until now, right? So, will anyone be able to find him when its so chaotic out there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What Yi Ji-Hyuk said just now made some sense. However, Choi Jeong-Hoon held a different view on the matter.
The only reason why Alpha managed to hide until now was because his existence has been kept under the wraps. The Americans wanted to take him out, no doubt about that, but on the other hand, they also didnt want anyone else to know about him, as well. His existence is a source of great shame to them, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...And thats why weve ended up in this state. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Exactly. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Trying so hard to hide your embarrassing secret would inevitably make it blow up in your face even harder than before. It was truly unfortunate, but this was one such case where the Americans tried to hide Alphas existence only for the whole world to suffer the consequences.
...Well, Im sure the Americans will take care of it somehow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders, then walked back inside the office building.
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly stared at his departing back, and sighed softly under his breath.
< 401. Thats why weve ended up in this state -1 > Fin.
Chapter 402: That’s why we’ve ended up in this state (2)
Chapter 402: Thats why weve ended up in this state (2)
Shall we call it a day and go home? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hiiiieeek?!
What Choi Jeong-Hoon said just then caused every single agents head to snap towards the clocks in the office.
It, it, its already five in the afternoon?!
Were closing up shop at five?! Holy mother of Jesus, were going to clock out at regr office hours, just like everyone else! Oh my god how can such a thing even be possible?
I guess its all true about this being the end of the world. I never even imagined that a day like today woulde.
On top of that, its not Please go home but Shall we, instead. Wow, that means he also is going home on time, too!
A loudmotion descended in the office, and Choi Jeong-Hoon felt this cold feeling enter his chest for some reason. He only said they should go home on time for once, yet to think, hed be met with such reactions.
He could definitely tell just what kind of hell the NDF folks had been put through in the past from how they sounded right now.
I cant tell whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.
Yeah, me too.
Several so-called spots opened up after Earth harmonised with the demon world. Humanity was pushed one step closer to its annihtion, but the NDF at least was suffering from the days of unprecedented peace.
They were all in a mental dilemma, wondering if they should feel happy about earning some peace and quiet at the expense of the worlds destruction, but this didnt mean they should pretend to be upied with work, either.
Seo Ah-Young shot up from her seat and yelled out.
Lets go home!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes, maam!
Well, the director issued her order, so who were they to argue? The agents began packing up their stuff with varying levels of awkwardness on their expressions. Yi Ji-Hyuk was among them, as well.
Ji-Hyuk-ah! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min quickly trotted towards him.
Do you have anything nned forter today? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wanna go out and eat something? Everyones been thinking of having a group dinner or something. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned and took a look at the agents before shaking his head.
Nah. Imma head straight back home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, really? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min sounded dejected as she went back to her desk to get her coat. Yi Ji-Hyuk yawned and got up to leave as well. Watching others getting ready to leave for the day was making him feel a bit weird inside.
Now that he thought about it, they had never left work together before, did they?
Arent we going to have an office dinner today? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seo Ah-Young replied with a scary expression on her face.
Think about the current situation first, please. What do you think the higher-ups will say if we go out and have a grand get-together just because theres no work? Think before saying something. (Seo Ah-Young)
Eiii, but director, you make a lot of money, dont you?
Its not enough to pay for your dinner bills, you know? Feeding Park Seong (Seo Ah-Young)
She was about to say, feeding Park Seong-Chan alone was enough to bankrupt her, so she hurriedly mped her mouth shut. Others also realised what she was going to say, and this weird, awkward atmosphere quickly filled up the office.
Well, Ill be heading home first, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly waved his hand, and the other agents took it as the right opportunity to change the moods and they began bidding him goodbye in an exaggerated manner.
He stepped outside amidst the outpouring of energetic goodbyes.
*
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The weather was colder than he thought. Yi Ji-Hyuk took a turn and stepped on to the street he didnt usually take. He felt like sightseeing rather than going straight home today.
The sun is setting pretty early. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Amber light was cast across the horizon.
The sky dyed in the gentle orange hue was quite pretty to look at. He even got this feeling of, Why havent I noticed something like that before?
He leisurely walked around as if he was on a stroll, before his hearing caught onto a small noise.
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rustling noises wereing from below the thicket on the side of the road. He peeked his head under the vegetation to see whats going on.
Uh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A small kitten was hurdled there, shivering away. He reached out, and the kitten backed away in wariness, before hesitantly approaching his hand to lick it.
You hungry? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly pulled his hand back, then with quick steps walked over to a nearby convenience store. He bought a bottle of water and disposable cutlery, then a can of tuna for the kitten and walked hurriedly back to the thicket.
You still here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He looked under and spotted the kitten still shivering there.
You must be starving. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He smirked and ced the chunks of tuna on the paper te, then poured water on another one before pushing them towards the kitten.
Dig in. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The kitten observed him with somewhat wary eyes, but perhaps it couldnt win against its hunger, sneaked closer to the tes and began eating the tuna.
Thats some good appetite. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He looked on with a content expression on his face.
While smoking, he watched the meal time take its ce, and once the kitten finished all the food and water, he lightly pushed the tes away to the side.
Its really cold these days, so I hope you dont get frozen to death out here (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and the kitten, now no longer as wary, quietly epted his hand. It began purring when he gently stroked it, so the little kitten mustve been feeling rather good.
He wordlessly patted the creature for a while, before slowly standing back up. And as he leisurely headed towards a nearby park, the ck kitten peeked its head out from under the thicket and watched his departing back.
Hey, go back inside. Its chilly out here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Maybe it understood what he was saying, because the kitten meowed a couple of times before ducking beneath the bushes.
He smirked and entered the park, before finding a bench to settle down.
The hour mustve been still early, because he could see quite a lot of people out and about in the park. Young kids were either ying with their drones or with mud while sniffling away despite their mothers urging them to finish up so that they could go home already.
A few adults could be found exercising all around the parks outer perimeter, while he also saw othersing out for a stroll with their dogs on leashes.
So peaceful.
Yi Ji-Hyuk took in the unfolding sight before him and smiled quietly.
This world was beautiful.
He got to engrave that fact in his heart so, so painfully back in Berafe. Maybe it was because he was a human being but from his perspective, this called Earth with cultures and civilisations the human race had built up all living together in harmony was definitely a beautiful ce to behold.
However
Could the reason for this ce being so beautiful to him be because he existed here? What would be the point of simply continuing to exist in this world without being self aware?
He couldnt understand the notion of protecting the world through ones death. Someone dying would simply return to nothingness.
So, what did it mean for the dying folks when they protected the world through their sacrifices?
It was an idiotic thing to do.
And this world was filled with far too many idiots.
Idiots that jumped into the burning wreckage while risking their lives just to save some strangers, or morons who picked up guns so that they could protect their loved ones.
Far too many idiots were willing to sacrifice me to protect something else other than me.
What were they thinking of in their final moments?
Futility?
Or frustration?
If not, regret?
He wasnt sure about anyone else, but at least Yi Ji-Hyuk knew that hed not greet such a situation with a smile.
He was a man who lived for aeons of time.
For the longest time imaginable, he avoided building any and all rtionship with strangers, and lived like that for a length of time that could easily be described as an eternity. So, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that he was the personification of the ultimate self-attachment.
But then, sacrificing himself for this world?
Dont make meugh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The world could exist only because I was here, too.
Yi Ji-Hyuk worked hard to shake off all these useless thoughts invading his head.
This is all because I ended up hearing some useless crap. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he had to die, then itd be better to die together. But if he could survive, then obviously surviving together would be even better.
The act of someone sacrificing themselves so that some others could live on with those sacrifices as their foundation might be a nice-sounding fairy tale for the others, but itd remain as a terrible, horrible story in the end.
What are you thinking about? (Kim Dah-Som)
Aaaah?!?! What the freak?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A voice suddenlying from behind him caused Yi Ji-Hyuk to break out in spasms.
But, I even made noises while walking closer (Kim Dah-Som)
.
This girl, was she a ninja or something in her past life?
How could she approach my back without me noticing it? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Plenty of assassins in the past wanted to kill him and tried to get close only to fail and die without breaking past the one hundred metre radius. If they saw the current spectacle, they would be spinning in their graves out of sheer frustration.
Kim Dah-Som smiled refreshingly and sat down on the bench next to him.
Were you following me again? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She shook her head.
No, not this time. I actually stop by here often when Im out on a stroll. (Kim Dah-Som)
Now that he thought about it, her home wasnt too far from here.
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned and looked at her.
What were you thinking about so intently just now? I even called your name out, but you didnt respond. (Kim Dah-Som)
Really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which meant that it wasnt Kim Dah-Som who was amazing this time, but him who was acting like a dazed idiot.
I wasnt thinking about much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? (Kim Dah-Som)
He asked her back.
How are things? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which things? (Kim Dah-Som)
I mean, you know. Everyone knows that the big Gates are open now, right? What with the news reports and all. They must know by now that humanity just doesnt have enough power to stop this, so like, has anything changed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not really. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som replied as if there was nothing to worry about.
Not much has changed, you know. The subways are still packed withmuters in the mornings, teachers are still lecturing us in my school, and Ye-Won is still dozing off in sses (Kim Dah-Som)
That little punk! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She giggled and continued on.
So, yeah, nothing much has changed. Its just like every other day, really. Like what you can see right now. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with an unimpressed expression.
Is it because they havent really grasped whats going on with the rest of the world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not that. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som resolutely shook her head.
Thats not true. Everyone is aware of it. They know that its really the end. The news broadcasts have been subtly hinting that for a while now, and they even outright said that despite all the concerted efforts, we just dont have any workable solution at the moment. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows quivered.
In that case, how can anyone act as if its all okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not like they are okay with it, you know. (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The day when the first Gates opened up, the world was a sea of tears. Well, far too many people have died, after all. And then, sacrifices continued on from that day. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, so theyve be used to it, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
She resolutely shook her head again.
You can never be used to losing someone no matter how many times you experience it. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt quite figure out what she was trying to say here.
Not used to it, but still, you can be calm about it?
Kim Dah-Som quietly stared back at him, before opening her mouth.
After the first Gates opened Not just me but everyone hase to ept it. That sooner orter, a day like today will happen. (Kim Dah-Som)
The world will end someday. In that case, what should we do? The answer was pretty simple, actually. We just have to keep living. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yeah, thats true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the world was about to be destroyed tomorrow, then Ill probably stay at home and have fun. If its going to happen in a month, then Id still be having fun somewhere. But what if its in one year? What if well all be destroyed in ten years time? (Kim Dah-Som)
Mm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
The world about to get destroyed doesnt mean we must drop everything, right? Because, until the final moments, we still need to keep living our lives. Thats why we have to study even if nobody knows doing that will help anyone. Thats why we keep preparing for tomorrow. Because, no one can tell when a miracle might happen and then the lives we have given up wille back to us again. (Kim Dah-Som)
He quietly stared at her.
Has this girl always been this deep and thoughtful?
Arent you scared? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I am. Really scared. But if you keep thinking that its scary when something scary happens, itll be even scarier than before. Ive been taught that when its scary, a person needs to stand tall and confront it, instead. (Kim Dah-Som)
Who taught you that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My mom. She passed away during the ck Monday. (Kim Dah-Som)
So, thats how it was.
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned against the bench and looked up at the darkening sky above.
This world was still beautiful.
Not because of the setting sun, though.
Also, not because of the cute kitten, either.
It was beautiful because the people living their lives each day while waiting for tomorrow existed here.
Itd been so much better if I realised this a bit sooner. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Realising that what he wanted wasnt the world he knew, but a world where everyone was still living their lives.
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly got up from the bench.
Thanks, I feel lighter now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Kim Dah-Som)
Lets go. Ill take you home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He grinned refreshingly and helped her stand up as well.
Chapter 403: That’s why we’ve ended up in this state (3)
Chapter 403: Thats why weve ended up in this state (3)
Uhm, Im here to exercise, though? (Kim Dah-Som)
Nah, you dont need to. Youre still so young, so why exercise? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Ill gain weight if I dont? (Kim Dah-Som)
Its fine. Its okay to put on a bit of weight. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You like curvier girls? (Kim Dah-Som)
Well, you could say that I do lean that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, Im going home. (Kim Dah-Som)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk realised he just had a big slip of the tongue.
W-wait, I like firm, not bby! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, got it. (Kim Dah-Som)
He shuddered after seeing Kim Dah-Som looking determined about something. If she ended up, uh, bby because of what he said, then Kim Dah-Hyun might pounce on him with real intentions to kill.
N-no, hang on. I think you look the best way you are, right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Really? (Kim Dah-Som)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. Then Ill maintain my current look. (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed in relief.
Alright, so. You gonna stay and exercise? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope. (Kim Dah-Som)
Isnt that what you came here for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre on your way home now, arent you? Ill just go with you. (Kim Dah-Som)
Seeing that innocent smile on her face, he started getting this weirdly ufortable yet calming feeling.
He escorted her back home, and slowly made his way back to his own house.
I do kinda feel a bit lighter than before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
He pushed open the front gate and stepped inside, and was greeted by Barasga and Oh-Sik.
The Ogre mustve already tasted the bitterness of society, because it was standing stiffly at attention about one step behind the mini demon king to greet its master back home.
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned and looked over at Barasga.
Stop bullying him, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That wont happen anymore. (Barasga)
Youre a mere turtle, so why are you making that haughty expression?! A mere turtle dares to?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
This sense of disharmony he got from watching these two was just too extreme.
Barasga. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Speak, human. (Barasga)
Human? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please speak, master. (Barasga)
Would you look at the quick change in this little guys attitude?
Did a lot of demon kings cross over? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not really. The number of demon kings that has crossed over so far is quite small. Most likely, they are simply here to scope out the current situation first. (Barasga)
Isnt it possible for this scoping-out thing tost about a thousand years, ording to you demons perspective? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It is indeed possible, but thats not going to happen. (Barasga)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whether they hold animosity towards you or not, no demon king would want to wait quietly until you die of old age. (Barasga)
What the hell, I havent done anything too bad, so why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekeke. (Barasga)
Barasga chuckled softly.
Not only that, when the rumour of you defeating me, and you regaining about half of your original strength back makes its rounds The number of demon kings wanting to rush here should increase quite dramatically. Thats what we the demon kings are like, after all. (Barasga)
In moments like this, Yi Ji-Hyuk wished that he didnt know so much about the characteristics of the demon kings.
Fine. I got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And also, master. (Barasga)
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After my body has ended up in this state, Im beginning to feel hungry. Give me something to eat. (Barasga)
Go out and hunt for yourself, will ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Does that mean I can consume humans now? (Barasga)
Hey, man. Have you heard of a turtle stew before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm (Barasga)
Barasga yelled out.
Its impossible to hunt anything with this small body! Going somewhere, anywhere, to find a prey would take at least one full day! Is that fine with you, then?! Are you really fine with that?! (Barasga)
I cant tell whos the master here (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and headed to the storage to grab a bag of pet food, then tossed it over to Barasga.
Eat this. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And what is this? (Barasga)
Its food, dude. Food. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Barasga frowned deeply.
Humans package their foods strangely, dont they. (Barasga)
You demon kings dont even eat in the first ce, so why dont you stop criticising other dimensions eating habits and start shoving that food down your mouth already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm (Barasga)
Barasga used its maw to rip the bag wide open, then took arge gulp of the pet food contained within.
Hmm. Its quite difficult to describe the taste, but it seems that the nutrients are sufficient enough, at least. This will have to do for now, but I wish to consume a higher quality meal than this in the future. (Barasga)
Sure thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He just tossed it out there as a test, but to think that the demon king would actually eat it
Hot on the hills of an Ogre eating dog food, a demon king eating dog food has finally appeared in the world.
*
Youre home? (mom)
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He stepped inside the house to discover his mom busy preparing the family supper.
Youre a littlete than usual today. Did you stop by somewhere? (mom)
I was at the park for a little while. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see. Do wash up and lets enjoy supper. (mom)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk threw off his clothes and dumped them inside the wash basket, took a quick shower, and stepped outside.
He saw the feastid out on the dining table and had to say something.
Wow. Now thats a big feast, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its been a while since the whole family had supper together, so. (mom)
The moment mom finished her reply, one of the doors flung open and Yi Ye-Won emerged from her room in hurried steps.
Oppa! (Ye-Won)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When you get mobilised next time, cant you, like, blow up my school building by mistake or something? My insane school doesnt want to stop the sses even with all these crazy things happening everywhere! (Ye-Won)
Dont you want to contemte for a minute or two on whos the insane one in this case, my dear beloved sister? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Holy moly, do you have any other how shocked I was when they gave me homework?! Totally insane, you know?! (Ye-Won)
Your oppa is currently feeling d that someone has invented the term totally insane. If not for those two simple words, I wouldnt have any ways to describe my impression when looking at you right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head out of resignation and sat down on his spot around the dining table.
Ye-Won-ah? Would you be a dear and go fetch your dad for supper? (mom)
Okay. (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won went upstairs, and in the meantime, Yi Ji-Hyuk asked his mother.
Dads home, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Ive asked him toe home early today. I wanted all of us to have supper together. (mom)
Hmm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some reason, it felt like the atmosphere was gradually shifting towards the family meeting rather than a supper.
Once everyone found their seats, he took a look at his family sitting around the table.
The sun had set on this fine evening.
Warm food was before his eyes.
And a filled dining table, where his family was all present.
This is everything that Ive always wanted. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back in Berafe when he had been wallowing in the endless abyss of loneliness, the one thing he longed for so long, that one little thing filling up his head constantly, was the sight of this dining table with his family around it.
That one thing he so desired and longed for seemingly forever, was right here, right in front of his eyes.
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt this indescribable feeling wash over him.
Arent you hungry? (mom)
No, I am. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He confirmed his father had started eating first and only then did he pick up his own spoon, too.
The meal proceeded without any notable discussion taking ce. It was literally a normal family supper that was neither too energetic and lovey-dovey, nor too stiff and hard to breathe.
After the meal, mom took away the empty tes, prepared some sliced fruits as desserts, and brought them out to the living room. The whole family sat around the living rooms couch.
Once everything was said and done, mom quietly called out to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Ji-Hyuk-ah. (mom)
Ng, mom? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you nning to do? (mom)
She quietly stared at her son.
Youre my child, and Ive been watching you grow up for the past twenty-something years already. Your mom isnt so dimwitted that she cant see her son has made up his mind about something. (mom)
Who was dimwitted here? As far as sharp wits were concerned, no one could rival Madam Park Seon-Deok in this world.
Nah, its nothing serious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hurriedly waved his hands around, but mom kept ring at him. That prompted dad, keeping his silence until then, to finally open his mouth.
Son. (dad)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see from the news that the current situation is not looking so good. Is it as bad as they say? (dad)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded his head at dads question.
Yes, its pretty bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm (dad)
However, something like what youve been fearing wont happen right away. Its just that something none of us can stop is slowly approaching us. If only things just happened quickly and suddenly, itd been so much easier to deal with. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fair, indiscriminate death.
The only way to deal with something like that was to pray. Although, the question remained on who would listen to your prayers when no gods existed on Earth.
I see. Which means youll have to step up again. (dad)
Whenever the situation looked grim, you were always there, fighting. And every single time, you came back home injured. (dad)
For some reason, dad came off as a reliable man today.
Honestly speaking, Im not happy seeing you like that. No father in this world would want to survive at the expense of his children getting hurt like that. Do you understand what I mean? (dad)
Yes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dad slowly, thoughtfully nodded his head.
You pretend youre not, but youve always tried to behave responsibly. Even now, you must be thinking of how to save this world. But before you do anything, I want you to remember what Im about to say to you. (dad)
I definitely do not wish to live in a world saved by your sacrifice. If theres a world like that, then I might as well destroy it with my own two hands. (dad)
You dont even have any powers, so how?! (mom)
Mom tackled him out of nowhere, and dad could only fake a cough.
Keu-hmm. We all knew that a day like today woulde sooner orter. So, you dont have to be too burdened by us. (dad)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply and simply sighed.
But, of course.
For him, the prospects of living in a world without his family was no different from an extended torture session. If that wasnt the case, then he wouldnt have gone to such lengths to fight against the gods in the first ce so that he coulde back to this.
Regardless of all that, though. Living on is better than the alternative. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He got to meet his family and enjoy this world once more because he held on and survived for the countless aeons of time.
I understand what youre saying, dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Good. Happy to hear that, son. Its a little tough to convey it in words, but I believe that you now know how your father feels. (dad)
I do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mom gently patted Yi Ji-Hyuks back.
You poor child. Its not been that long since you made your way back home after going missing for so long, yet you cant even take a rest and must fight again (mom)
Euh (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body shuddered when the mood threatened to take a detour into the territory of a soap opera, so he quickly waved his hands around.
I, Imma go to my room and get some rest. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oppa! Dont forget about wrecking my school! (Ye-Won)
You better stop before I wreck your jaw instead of your school. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Che. (Ye-Won)
He cleanly rejected Yi Ye-Wons earnest request and stepped into his room, then closed the door behind him. He didnt feel sleepy as it was too early in the evening, but he stillid down on the bed while keeping the lights off.
This is nuts. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did he have something on his face?
Why was every single person he met today acting like this?
Its not like Im nning to kill myself or anything, so why (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this whole thing could be resolved in that manner, then itd actually be easier for everyone. Well, making up his mind wouldve been so much simpler, at least. However, the current problems couldnt be solved that easily.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly closed his eyes.
Sacrificing oneself to protect the world simply was not his style. And he was definitely not nning to do that, either.
However
There are no sunsets in the demon world, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And the sunsets back in Berafe were not as beautiful as the one in this world. That was why he simply couldnt let this be destroyed.
He lightly chewed on his lips before spitting out a long groan.
Talking was easy, but he just couldnt think of a way to fill the gap of the absolute, overwhelmingbat force existing between the two sides.
He did have a n a while ago, but even if that got underway, hed still not have enough of an army to fight back.
The reason why he waltzed around the demon world without any fear back then was because not only could he subdue demon kings by himself, he was also not inferior to any of them in terms of the size of his personal army, as well.
Looks like Ill have to talk to Christopher McLaren (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He figured that now was a good time to hop over to the United States of America for a bit.
He got up, took the coat off the hanger and put it on. But, before he could open up a Gate
Waaaaaail~!!!
A loud siren suddenly went off outside.
Hul. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk jogged towards the windows and peeked his head outside.
Sirens had never gone off in this ce before, at least not in his memories. Monster-spewing Gates werent opening these days, so what kind of an emergency situation necessitated the sirens to go off?
He quickly rushed into the living room and switched the TV on.
Whats going on? (mom)
Just wait for a bit, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The screen flickered to life, and mom covered her mouth in disbelief at the images being transmitted.
W-whats going on over there?! (mom)
Hah (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was right then that Yi Ji-Hyuks smartphone began ringing off the hook. He took in the sights of the famousndmark of Gwanghwamun Gate inplete rubble and could only groan deeply.
Cant you like not make mess of things, you d*mn b*stards? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt even bother to check who was calling him and simply answered the phone.
Im on my way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then, he just hung up.
Well, it was pretty obvious. Who else could it have been but Choi Jeong-Hoon?
Since he was already wearing the coat anyway, he turned around and headed to the front entrance of the house.
Ji-Hyuk-ah! (mom)
He heard moms trembling voice, turned around to face her, then smiled brightly.
Ill be back soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 403. Thats why weve ended up in this state -3 > Fin.
Chapter 404: That’s why we’ve ended up in this state (4)
Chapter 404: Thats why weve ended up in this state (4)
KWA-BOOOOM!
It was as if the whole city was being bombarded in an air raid.
A city that had not been exposed to an external attack for over half a century was now revealing its wounded flesh from the chain of explosions going off everywhere.
Waaaaail!!!
Also, the deafening sirens wailing in every direction attested to the urgency of the unfolding situation.
Mommy! Mom!
Ah, Min-Su-yah!
Buildings copsed and the paved streets were torn apart.
The citizens of Seoul were rendered powerless in front of an invasion that they never had considered before.
The pitch-ck smoke and scorching mes were viciously swallowing up their city as if to prove that humanitys civilisation had been built up on a fragile foundation.
Brigadier General, sir! The emergency services cant get here because all the roads have been blocked off!
Monsters are rushing in from sector B46!
Jeong In-Su yelled out in anger.
I know already, you idiots! (Jeong In-Su)
Blood vessels were bulging visibly on his eyes.
Godd*mmit, how are we supposed to defend ourselves when they attack us in this manner?! (Jeong In-Su)
Themon sense was this: if an enemy wanted to invade you, they had to approach from the outside. So, you simply had toe up with suitable defence tactics that guarded the borders.
However, thismon sense didnt apply to these creatures.
North Korea needed to get across the DMZ, while Japan or China would have to rely on their navy to perform a blitzkrieg. However, these d*mn monsters just suddenly appeared in the middle of the city. Without any warning whatsoever, too.
The governments defence protocols based on the assumption of other nations invading its territory was simply too inadequate to deal with the current situation.
Is this the true strength of a demon king? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su got to realise once more how dangerous these demon kings could be, the ones Yi Ji-Hyuk and the higher-ups frequently talked about.
His role was different from the NDF or Yi Ji-Hyuk, meaning he was tasked with minimising the civilian casualties and defending infrastructure at all cost, so to him, a demon king was a different type of cmity altogether.
It was an existence that could appear anywhere at random and summon demonic creatures at will. An existence capable of destroying a world all by itself. Thatmon sense-breaking mobility was basically an unstoppable cmity from the perspective of the defenders.
What am I supposed to do here?! God d*mn it!!! (Jeong In-Su)
The Gate opened by the demon king was on apletely different levelpared to all the others the KSF had been dealing with until now. The demonic creatures flooding out from it couldnt even be pushed back with firearms.
Several such Gates had opened up in the middle of the city, so the defencemand couldnt do much other than anxiously stomp the ground.
Give me a f*cking break, d*mn it!! (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su yelled out again.
Why hasnt the NDF arrived yet?! (Jeong In-Su)
They have been emergency-notified already, sir! I heard that they are on their way!
F*ck! (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su knew that the NDF wasnt at fault. They were people too, so they obviously couldnt be on standby for 24 hours straight. Besides, the Gates opened up suddenly without any prior notice, anyway.
Normally, a Gate would be located, and after the time until its opening was calcted, a mobilisation schedule would be set. So, he couldnt me them for not mobilising right away in the current situation.
Even then...
BOOOOM!
Explosions went off within the city again.
Grit.
Jeong In-Su gritted his teeth as he took in the unfolding sights.
You sons of b*tches! (Jeong In-Su)
The demonic beasts were roaming around freely within Seoul as if it was their living room. And Jeong In-Su watching that spectacle was ovee by this indescribable sense of powerlessness.
Theres nothing we can do. (Jeong In-Su)
Regr firearms couldnt kill these monsters. That didnt mean the army could start raining bombs down in the middle of Seoul to kill them, either.
In that case, what was the defencemand supposed to do here?
Whats happening with the evacuation efforts? (Jeong In-Su)
Sir. The roads are still too clogged up, and...
Son of a b*tch! Tell them to stop riding in their bloody cars and walk on their feet just like the rest of the evacuees! The subways! They are not running anymore, right? (Jeong In-Su)
Sir, yes sir! They arent!
I told you to let them know there arent any subways running right now, and send in our boys to quickly evacuate everyone out of the city limits, didnt I?! You fool, get a move on already! Dont forget that ten plus people will die in the span of a single breath you take! (Jeong In-Su)
Ill get on it right away, sir!
Jeong In-Su watched his adjutant madly rush somewhere, and held his head in despair.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The only person he could believe in this situation was Yi Ji-Hyuk.
He felt terrible for relying on that guy every single time, but now wasnt the time to sweat over something like that. People were dying in their droves right now!
The KSF has arrived, sir!
Dont deploy them in the frontlines, but in the rear! (Jeong In-Su)
Sir?
Just a few of them wont make any difference in this situation, so rather have them at the rear and help out with the evacuation efforts, instead! Its fine for the structures at the back to be destroyed, so tell them to secure the safest evacuation routes first! (Jeong In-Su)
Y-yes, sir.
Jeong In-Su quietly gritted his teeth.
Regr ability users would only serve as nothing more than cannon fodder even if they stepped up. It was better to deploy the manpower where they would be most effective.
He bit down hard on his lip.
Boom! Bang!
Uwaaahk!
Screams and gunfire dug deep into his hearing.
This was not an easy decision to make.
With the KSF now working in the rear, the ones in the frontlines blocking the enemies were his subordinates. It was definitely not easy for him to make the decision to send out the ones he considered as his own children as sacrifices just for the sake of some effectiveness.
If only he could, hed have taken up arms and rushed to the frontlines himself.
Where is the NDF?? (Jeong In-Su)
T-they say they are almost here, sir!
Those stinking b*stards! Just when will they get here! When?! (Jeong In-Su)
Argh, were already here! (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong In-Sus head snapped up towards the heavens.
Path Drifter Kim Dah-Hyun was currently dashing forward in the sky while carrying Seo Ah-Young on his back.
Hurry the hell up, will ya?! D*mn it! (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su yelled out a scream that was a mixture of happiness and rage.
Seo Ah-Young didnt bother to reply and simply whipped Kim Dah-Hyun even harder.
Over there! People are being chased over there. There! (Seo Ah-Young)
Roger! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun didntin and ran in the direction she pointed at.
So freaking many of them! (Seo Ah-Young)
She roared out like a thug.
What do you think this ce is, you trashy mobs! (Seo Ah-Young)
Even before they couldnd, she raised both of her arms.
RUUUUUMBLE!!
A massive sun made out of roiling mes suddenly rose up in the skies of Seoul.
The citizens running away momentarily forgot about the danger to their lives and dazedly stared at that overwhelming spectacle.
Die! (Seo Ah-Young)
She flung her hands forward, and the ball of mes as big as a house descended to the ground.
Kwa-aaaaaaaah!!!
The moment the mes touched the ground, it morphed into a massive vortex that swallowed up all the monsters chasing after the humans.
Ill roast you all! (Seo Ah-Young)
Argh, cant you, like, wait for a second?! Were almost there! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun freaked out from the terrifying heat right near the back of his neck, and quickly descended to the solid ground to hurriedly unload Seo Ah-Young from his back.
Rrrr...
Her smartwatch buzzed as soon as her feet touched the ground. She felt annoyed by this interruption and was about to drop the call, but after realising that the caller was Jeong In-Su, she tapped the answer icon, instead.
What is it now? (Seo Ah-Young)
C Why are only two of you here? Where are the others?! This situation isnt something only two people can stop! (Jeong In-Su)
You think were morons and dont know that?! Hold on, will you! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young ended the call, then pulled out her phone next to send a text message.
Here theye. (Seo Ah-Young)
It was then, a spot on Kim Dah-Hyuns chest started glowing softly. Along with the rustling noise, several people holding onto Jeong Hae-Mins hands appeared right before them.
...Son of a b*tch.
The new arrivals took a look around their vicinity and let out shocked gasps.
The copsed buildings; massive, roaring mes that no one knew how to deal with; the ce they called home was crumbling all around them.
Im going to get more people. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Right, thanks! Unni, please! (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong Hae-Min teleported away to bring in the remaining NDF agents. Meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young raised her voice and loudly yelled out.
Those f*cking b*stards, kill them all without mercy! (Seo Ah-Young)
...What kind of a rallying cry is that?
I like it, though?
The NDF agents, rage burning brightly in their eyes, rushed towards the monsters ahead.
All we have to do is stop them until Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk shows up!
Bullsh*t! Ill kill them all before that happens!
*
Whew-woo... (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su spat out a lengthy sigh.
The situation still didnt look good, but with the NDF on site, he could afford to sigh in relief, at least.
Still, I cant rx yet. (Jeong In-Su)
Stopping the monsters today didnt mean humans had won. What truly tormented Jeong In-Su right now was the fact that stopping them right now wouldnt be the end of their troubles.
As long as the demon kings existed, and as long as the connection to the demon world persisted, this kind of event would unfold again in the future. No ce on this was safe.
However, humanity simply didnt have the technology to deal with an event like this.
If they were to spread out the ability users and create a defensive line over arge area, then itd end up more like the case of divide and conquer, but that also didnt mean they could be on standby for 24 hours, either.
Well, they were humans, after all.
If the NDF couldnt maintain their physical condition and fail to exert their full potential, then there would only be more sacrifices and casualties. If humanitysbat potential got shaved away gradually in that manner over a time period, then sooner orter, a crisis that cannot be stopped would ur.
We need to kill the demon king. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su, after contemting the way to end his crisis, finally arrived at the conclusion.
Everything happening so far was the fault of these demon kings.
Because the creatures capable of rendering the defensive lines meaningless existed, all of humanitys defence mechanisms had be useless.
If demon kings didnt exist and this sort of Gates couldnt be opened, then monsters would have only thend or sea to invade South Korea. And if the army could confirm the invasion ahead of time, they could blow the enemies away before they reached the borders by the bombardment of missiles and bombs.
The demon king! If only we can kill the demon king...! (Jeong In-Su)
...Hmm. (?)
A hushed grunting from his rear caused Jeong In-Sus whole body to freeze up.
As I thought, you humans are truly amusing creatures. An ant would never dare to even entertain the thoughts of hunting down a dragon, yet humans are capable of doing that. No, wait. Maybe ants cant even recognise the existence of a dragon in the first ce? (?)
Jeong In-Sus head slowly turned towards the rear.
He could sense this overwhelming presence somewhere behind him.
This wasnt because of power.
What would a hamster locked in a cage feel when looking at a lion staring back at it from the outside? Itd probably remain utterly frozen even if the lion had no intentions to attack.
A being that emitted this absolute overwhelming presence simply by existing was now standing there.
Why dont you rx for a bit, human? (?)
It was a demonic being.
The first thought popping up in Jeong In-Sus mind was that this creature right before his eyes was the quintessential example of a demonic creature the humans knew.
In that case, perhaps humanity had alreadye in contact with the demon world in the past.
The second thought entering his head next was the fact that he could hear and understand what the demon king was saying.
You dont have to worry too much. I merely wish to idly chat with you. If that wasnt the case, I wouldnt even try to engage you in conversation using your customs andnguage, now would I? (?)
Jeong In-Su stiffly nodded his head.
It seems that youre the top representative of this location. To me, you humans are quite amusing creatures. The demons below the demon kings are treated as equals. However, humans still try toe up with a system of roles even when in a simr situation. Its the same story back in Berafe, too. Ive always found such a thing quite interesting. For instance, youre themander here but someone else will try to seize control the moment youve been killed off. Shall I demonstrate that for you? (?)
The demon king slowly extended its hand towards Jeong In-Su.
< 404. Thats why weve ended up in this state -4 > Fin.
Chapter 405: That’s why we’ve ended up in this state (5)
Chapter 405: Thats why weve ended up in this state (5)
Jeong In-Su couldnt offer any sort of resistance even when the demon kings hand closed in on his face. No, wait a?? rather than couldnt, there was no meaning in offering it in the first ce.
No matter what he did, the existence in front his eyes possessed enough power to treat his life like an item to be taken out from a pocket. So, what meaning was there to resist against such a creature?
Besides, even if he wanted to resist, his body simply didnt want to move, anyway.
Like a rat freezing up in front of a cat, Jeong In-Sus whole body had frozen up and he could only wait for the inevitable end toe for him.
a??Fufufu.a?? (demon king)
The demon king slowly retracted its extended hand.
a??Seeing how you can still feel fear, your defence mechanism must be still fully operational. Sometimes you humans cane across as a bunch of fearless lifeforms, you see.a?? (demon King)
Jeong In-Su so badly wanted to fall down on his butt right now.
During that short period of time when the hand approached him, he ended up experiencing dozens of the revolvingntern moments. It was to the extent that he began wondering if he aged by decades in an instant.
The demon king grinned as if his reaction was quite amusing to behold. If only that expression could be described as a smile in the first ce, that was.
a??No need to be surprised, human. Did I not say that Im merely here to converse? Unlike you humans, we dont enjoy spewing falsehoods. Besides, youre not important enough for me to feel the need to deceive you, in any case.a?? (demon king)
Jeong In-Su couldnt even get angry at what the demon king said. Because, it was all true.
From this demons perspective, he should be nothing more than the ant in front of the pack. Even if he was erased off the face of Earth now, another ant would step up to rece him. From humanitys perspective, a lot would have changed when that happened, but the demon king wouldnt see anything too different at the end of the day.
Although humiliating, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
a??What is that you want?a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??I said it already. A conversation.a?? (demon king)
a??What kind of conversation? Is there something that necessitates a conversation between you and our side?a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??Ill be the judge of that, obviously.a?? (demon king)
The demon king stared at Jeong In-Su with interested eyes.
a??The first thing I wish to ask you about is the mindset of humans. I think that humans are rather intelligent creatures, but every now and then, you cant seem to utilise that intelligence and do something quite stupid.a?? (demon king)
a??...If you know that already, why dont speak it in simpler terms for me?a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??Its the same even now. What gives you the confidence to stand tall and proud before me? You should know that if I willed it, your measly little life can be torn apart in the blink of an eye.a?? (demon king)
Jeong In-Su was doing his best to make his replies sound as unperturbed as possible. No one asked him to, but at least in this moment, he was well aware of the fact that he had be the representative of humanity.
Even if he was to die today, he emphatically did not wish to grovel before these heartless invaders.
a??Oh, if I dont stand tall, are you going to raise us as your pets or something? Id like to decline such an offer. Why dont you ask what you want to ask already? Just the mere fact of talking to you is making me sick to my stomach.a?? (Jeong In-Su)
The demon kings eyes quietly studied Jeong In-Su.
a??This is exactly what I find so interesting about humans. You wont lower your head to me no matter how much I torture you, correct?a?? (demon king)
a??So you know.a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??Kekeke. However, I can make you submit to me in an instant.a?? (demon king)
Jeong In-Su didnt retort to that and simply red at the demon king. He was silently saying, try it if you can.
a??Do not misunderstand me, human. I wonty a finger on you. Theres no need for that.a?? (demon king)
The demon king slowly raised its hand, and the jet-ck demonic aura began coalescing there.
a??You wont submit to me even if you turn into dust specks and disappear from this ce. However, what would you do if the ones to be turned into dust arent you?a?? (demon king)
The demon king then leisurely extended its hand to the side.
Jeong In-Sus eyes trembled. That hand was now pointing at the civilians still evacuating, plus his subordinates protecting them.
a??How about it, then? Do you still think the same? Do you believe that you will never bow down before me? Truly?a?? (demon king)
a??N-no, stop!a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??Kekekeke.a?? (demon king)
The demon king slightly pulled its hand back, before pushing it towards the evacuees.
a??I said, stoooooop!!!!a?? (demon king)
Jeong In-Su roared out while squeezing his eyes shut. However, no explosions could be heard, just the quiet chuckleing from the demon king.
a??This is why Ill never lose my interest in you humans.a?? (demon king)
The demonic creature slowly lowered its hand.
a??The term race denotes a certainmon characteristic. If I were to unpack that for your dimwitted brain to understand, all races have the shared consciousness. It doesnt mean the simplistic hive mind in the biological sense, but more like, you can only call yourselves the same race when you share the same end goal.a?? (demon king)
The demon king then pointed at an ant traversing on the ground.
a??The creatures living in a colony like that values the safety and prosperity of its colony far more importantly than its own life. Thats why when a battle breaks out, it participates despite knowing that itd die in the process. The colony will carry on as long as the eggs are protected and the queen emerges unscathed, after all. But an individual entity living in a colony prioritises its own life ahead of its fellow kins.a?? (demon king)
The demon kings sunken, contemtive eyes locked on Jeong In-Su.
a??However, its impossible to evaluate you humans. You are all supposed to be the same humans, yet some of you find itpletely normal to sacrifice everything else for their own satisfaction, while some others will not hesitate to rip apart their own lives for the sake ofplete strangers. Just what kind of mindset do you have? How can humans be so different despite being one species?a?? (demon king)
The creatures eyes now disyed signs of amusement next.
a??Not only that, a human would makepletely opposite decisions depending on the situation and timing. Compared to you humans, we demonic beings are very much true to ourselves. Were strictly individualistic and destructive in our nature. We only make our moves for the purpose of our pleasure and benefits. However, one human can be a butcher and a saint in one breath.a?? (demon king)
The demon king pointed behind it.
a??I watched humanitys history earlier. I had a good chuckle after learning that your historys most infamous genocidal maniac was apparently a vegetarian and a believer in animal rights. You are the chaos personified. You may hold sacred the idea of order more than any other species, but in actual truth, you couldnt be any further from order even if you tried.a?? (demon king)
Jeong In-Su grinned wryly.
a??I had no idea that Id find an intellectual demon king. Dont you want to take a course in philosophy? Im guessing youll get good grades.a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??Humanitys teachings dont really suit my style.a?? (demon king)
The demon king shrugged its shoulders.
a??Everything in this world will look different depending on ones point of view. Thats why I dont like your attempts to restrict yourselves by setting up rules and regtions of your choosing. Your philosophy is, at the end of the day, nothing more than excuses. Its more like, a??Were originally like this, therefore we are. Its strictly nothing more than thick skin. All you gotta do is admit that you cant be controlled even by your own selves, yet you try toe up with all sorts of excuses to avoid facing the truth.a?? (demon king)
a??Thank you so much for your valuable opinion, good sir. But what do we do now? Im just a dumb little soldier and stuff like this sounds pretty much the same as a stray mutt barking at a wall.a?? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su sneered back at the demon king.
But it was right then, his eyes caught a bizarre spectacle. His subordinates were slowly creeping closer to his position while holding onto their rifles.
Jeong In-Su used his eyes to dissuade them.
Dont! Stop, you insane fools! (Jeong In-Su)
With mere rifles?!
Youd have better odds of victory against a tank while wielding a toothpick than this. Against a creature that wouldnt get injured even after shoving an MG-50 in its mouth and firing indiscriminately, what meaning was there to attack it with regr firearms?
a??Mm, theres one other thing. You all im to be logical, reasonable creatures, but from what I can see, youre all quite stupid. Yourpulsions frequently overtake your reasoning. Isnt that true?a?? (demon king)
a??...Lets just call that signs of loyalty. However, the current situation for you isnt any different from ants rushing at you, am I wrong?a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??Even a human wouldnt look on favourably at a bunch of ants attacking them with naked hostility, no?a?? (demon king)
a??If theres no harm done, we sometimes let them be.a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??I see, so humans behave that way.a?? (demon king)
The corners of the demon king curled up.
a??Unfortunately for you, Im not like that.a?? (demon king)
The end began from there.
Jeong In-Su got to witness it.
Apanied by the sounds of fireworks going off, he got to see the heads of his subordinates all blowing up in an instant.
a??...a??
For a moment there, he failed toprehend what just happened. Well, it was such an unrealistic spectacle, after all.
His brain simply refused to ept this situation as reality. Unfortunately, refusing to ept wasnt going to change anything.
Jeong In-Su tried so hard to get a grip on his sanity threatening to fly away while watching his subordinates fall one by one to the ground.
He must not get agitated here.
Nothing would change even if he got agitated.
He was responsible for the defence of Seoul, and he needed to drag things out as much as he could and ensure that the demon kings attention wouldnt wander off elsewhere.
Thats why, being agitated was...
a??You son of a b*tch!!!! Ill kill you!a?? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su yanked his pistol out and pounced on the demon king. He knew this was a meaningless act. He also knew that firing something like this little gun would only end up tickling the d*mn creature.
He indeed acknowledged them all. What the demon king said was correct. No matter how much humans tried to act logically, Jeong In-Su proved that they could never truly go along with logic in the end.
The demon king grabbed the head of Jeong In-Su pouncing at it and mmed him down on the ground.
Bang!
Flesh crashed into the hard concrete and blood sttered everywhere.
Jeong In-Su clenched his teeth, trying to get a grip on his consciousness threatening to leave him. Meanwhile, the demon king lifted him up by his head.
a??Now, take a good look.a?? (demon king)
His body was slowly turned around.
a??This is the situation you find yourselves in.a?? (demon king)
The city was burning down.
The taste of being invaded was bitter than bitterness itself.
Humanity simply couldnt resist against these creatures. It was impossible to fight against an enemy with no natural weakness.
a??Its now time to pay the cost of living like kings in a world without any opposition. You humans had it too easy for far too long. You stood tall on the peak by sacrificing and trampling on the weak. What were doing isnt anything special. Were simply paying back what you have done to this world.a?? (demon king)
a??Kekeke...a?? (Jeong In-Su)
The demon kings expression shifted slightly for the first time.
Hesughing? (demon king)
In this sort of a situation?
a??...Youre so full of sh*t. What youre all doing is murdering for fun, thats all. Let me throw everything youve said back in your face. Youre killing because you want to kill, so seeing youing up with all sorts of justifications is not even funny.a?? (Jeong In-Su)
a??...Well, now. Youve hit the nail on the head.a?? (demon king)
The demon king smiled brightly, and brought Jeong In-Sus head close to its own.
a??Thats right. I hate your kind and thats why Im killing them. You better keep both of your eyes wide open and witness just how many of your kind that I kill, starting from now on. No, hang on. A human without a head wont be able to see anything, now will he?a?? (demon king)
Just before the demon king could shatter Jeong In-Sus head, though, a low, weighty voice entered the creatures ears first.
a??You squeeze that hand, and your head will go flying away, too.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??...a??
The demon king slowly turned its head back.
a??And who you might be?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The creature discovered Yi Ji-Hyuk standing there with his arms crossed, and a voice containing joy and fear leaked out from the demons mouth.
a??Good to see you, the 99th demon king.a?? (demon king)
< 405. Thats why weve ended up in this state -5 > Fin.
Chapter 406: Not like I wished for it (1)
Chapter 406: Not like I wished for it (1)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the demon king before his eyes and tilted his head.
Uh, so. Youre (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Question marks floated up around his eyes and his head constantly tilted from one side to the other, causing the demon kings expression to crumple unsightly.
It is I! Narusius!
Ehhh, mm (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk maintained his I still dont get it face, and the demon king who revealed itself as Narusius began gritting its teeth.
You rampaged so tantly in my territory, yet are you going to keep pretending that you do not remember?! (Narusius)
My bad, but uh, the territories Ive rampaged in arent just one or two, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Narusius raised its hand and strongly massaged its temples.
This d*mn human!
This human who also happened to be a demon king as well, enjoyed this unfortunate talent of driving you nuts just by talking to him.
Even Narusius, who imed to be a rational and intellectual creature, couldnt help but lose itself to the emotion of rage when talking to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I simply cannot understand the very existence of you. (Narusius)
Well, its not like I wished for it, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A human would never be able to fully understand a cat. They pretend to understand it, thats all. So, the same thing should apply to humans and demonic beings, too.
No matter how much they learn about each other, they would never be able to understand the other side. The rtionship between Erukana and Yi Ji-Hyuk wasrgely the same in that regard.
They might respect and show consideration to one another, but they couldnt understand each other on the fundamental level. Seriously now, even human men had a hard time figuring women out, so different species understanding each other would be the work of unattainable fantasy.
If demonic beings were able to understand me back then, I wouldnt have gone through that much hell in the first ce. Even Berafes humans couldnt understand me, you know? Thats why I came back to this world with people who can do exactly that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me, Im sorry to butt in during this important moment, but (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su, bleeding profusely from his head, ever so slightly raised his hand.
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think youre misunderstanding something here. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, youre too far out there even for the people of this world to understand. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was ovee by this inexplicable sense of sorrow and shifted his gaze towards the distant skies.
Just for what purpose did I go through all that hardship to get back here? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
So he says? (Narusius)
Shut up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was written in books that when the truth about a human being is exposed, they would get angry for no reason. (Narusius)
I said, shut the hell up! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see. Plenty of things to learn from the books, then. (Narusius)
Narusius still held Jeong In-Sus head and raised him up.
So, you wish to oppose us, is that it? Answer me, 99th demon king. (Narusius)
Hmm. Ill be the one to decide that. Eh My bad, but uh, which number are you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im the 17th! 17Th!!! (Narusius)
Urgh, I just cant figure out why you demons persist with using this stupid numbering system when you can just use your names. Its so annoying and stuff. If not, like, get yourselves matching jerseys and put the numbers on the back or something. I mean seriously, its not fun or cool at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What dogsh*t are you saying? Jerseys?! (Narusius)
Forget about it. You dumba*s demon who doesnt even know about sports. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su caught in the middle of this exchange was getting much more anxious inside.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?! Please tell me that you can see me still trapped in this creatures hand while youre busy provoking it. Please?! (Jeong In-Su)
But, I thought that the rtionship we enjoyed wasnt like this (Jeong In-Sus inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was busy making fun of Narusius as if he didnt care whether or not Jeong In-Su would die in the crossfire. So he could only hope that the other parties involved understood how he was currently feeling like a fowls egg being held by a young child right now.
If Narusius got too excited and squeezed just a little with his fingers, Jeong In-Sus head would go st in an instant like a fragile egg.
Excuse me, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, please think about (Jeong In-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Jeong In-Su and tutted.
Does it hurt? Youre bleeding a lot, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Right now, Im in no state to even feel the pain, actually. (Jeong In-Su)
I might die at any second here, so why should I worry about feeling the pain?! Am I wrong?! Please, do something! Please! (Jeong In-Sus inner monologue)
Dont you worry, Ill make sure to preserve your remains for a heartfelt funeral in the National Cemetery. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt know your repertoire of jokes have increased. (Jeong In-Su)
Im being serious, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su smiled brightly.
This son of b*tch, so thats how you thought of me. (Jeong In-Sus inner monologue)
Kekeke. (Narusius)
Narusius cackled and alternated its gaze between the two men.
You two know each other? But how unfortunate for you. Ive never ever heard of the 99th demon king looking after hisrades before. You have no idea how cold-hearted that man is, do you? (Narusius)
Uh, actually, thats more like a misunderstanding. Its not that I never looked afterrades, I just didnt have any until now, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, in that case, is this man yourrade? (Narusius)
Mm, well (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
Look here, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Dont you know how hard I have toiled for you? So why are you contemting your answer like that? (Jeong In-Sus inner monologue)
Judging from how much youre agonising over it, I guess this man isnt all that important to you. Well, isnt it fine to get started after getting rid of him, then? (Narusius)
You want to kill him? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked dismissively.
You dont get it, do you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Narusius quietly stared back at him.
This aint the issue of him being arade or not, dear Narusius. As long as Ive decided to show up, you cant harm anyone anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Cant harm anyone? Even the one caught in my hand? (Narusius)
Yi Ji-Hyuks insidious smile deepened.
Why do you think Im still exchanging this useless banter with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Narusius was about to make its reply without hesitation. However, Jeong In-Su beat the demon king to the punch.
Because, youre a chatterbox. (Jeong In-Su)
Narusiuss lips bobbed a bit.
As for Yi Ji-Hyuk, his lips also opened a little but shut close again after being unable to find a retort.
No, hang on (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that I think about it (Narusius)
Narusius stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with suspicion-filled eyes.
Werent you like this back in the past, too? There doesnt seem to be anything different even now? (Narusius)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head faltered, an wounded expression showing up on his face.
Im a chatterbox, is it (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su tried to console him.
Sometimes truth can hurt, but it is still necessary to face it, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Its important to own up to your nature, you see. (Jeong In-Su)
Its fine, so forget about it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Narusius groaned under its breath.
Talking to the 99th demon king always made you feel like youve lost your pace.
Thats enough. Weve talked long enough. I merely wished to speak to a different human than you, that was all. But now that youve arrived, there is no meaning in carrying this on. So this is enough of a (Narusius)
It was then, Narusiuss expression crumpled.
Its hand didnt want to move.
You (Narusius)
You idiots called the demon kings. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted loudly and walked closer towards Jeong In-Su. He then extended his hand, pried open Narusiuss fingers, lifted up the wounded general, then returned to his original position.
So, Im a chatterbox, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe, I was just going with the flow, you see. (Jeong In-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only chuckle at Jeong In-Sus super-quick about-face.
Anyways. Go hide somewhere in the rear. Dont forget to get your wounds looked at, as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su beat a very hasty retreat while Narusius stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk in sheer disbelief.
H-how did you pull this off? Even if youve regained the power from when you were at your peak, you still shouldnt be able to restrict my movements like this?! (Narusius)
I made some preparations. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Made some preparations? Since when? (Narusius)
The moment you showed up in this tent, obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Narusiuss eyes trembled.
Did that mean he had been hiding nearby all along and waited for the demon king to show up?
You you were waiting for me?! (Narusius)
Obviously, you dumba*s. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
He so badly wanted to get rid of the demonic beasts running wild in the city. However, he understood very well what his role was.
His job was not to stop the monsters and evacuate the civilians, but to subdue the demon king thatd inevitably show up here. That was why he left alone the innocent people getting killed and all the buildings crumbling down.
Some might criticise him for that, but this was the absolute best response the current Yi Ji-Hyuk coulde up with. If the preparations hadnt beenpleted, he would never have shown himself even if Jeong In-Su was killed off.
Are you telling me that you managed to draw a magic circle without me realising it? (Narusius)
You think thats a difficult thing to do? You know, you idiots take me too lightly Dont forget that Im a sorcerer, okay? Whats the matter with you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Narusius gritted its teeth.
It was true that others often forgot this crucial fact, simply because he would spam Mana like crazy-which was the same as every other demon, actually-but no one could deny that Yi Ji-Hyuk was more than qualified enough to be called the historys strongest sorcerer.
It was simply hisziness preventing him from doing it, but if he got serious, then hed be able to wield all sorts of top-ranked magical tricks that the regr sorcerers wouldnt even dream of.
Kekeke, so I got careless, indeed. But, is this everything? (Narusius)
Im telling you, you demon kings are beyond help. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his hand.
Well, allow me to satisfy your desire, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Snap!
He snapped his fingers, and a magic circle easily three hundred metres in diameter revealed itself on the ground.
The appearance of this magic circle filled with unquantifiable metaphysical letters was so bizarre and disharmonious that just looking at it made the bystanders feel like they were no longer standing on Earth.
Im sure you wont die. I mean, youre supposed to be a demon king, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kuuu-uuung!
The magic circle emitted bright light, then transformed into a gigantic hole.
You b*stard (Narusius)
And then, Narusius was slowly sucked into this ck hole.
The demon king wanted to say something, but by then it was toote and it gotpletely sucked into the hole now resembling a quagmire.
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wuuoong!
Once the demonic being disappeared into the hole, it gradually shrunk in size beforepletely vanishing from existence, too. Yi Ji-Hyuk studied the empty space where the demon king used to be, and lit up a cigarette.
I-is it over? (Jeong In-Su)
Jeong In-Su walked closer while stemming the bleeding on his head with the corner of his clothing.
I told you not toe here. Why didnt you get that looked at? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I might as well rip off my military insignia if Im going to start whining about this little injury when were still stuck in this situation. (Jeong In-Su)
Excuse me, I dont think you can call that little (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, Im fine. (Jeong In-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
But then again People were still getting killed even as they stood here, so a man in charge of the evacuation and defence couldnt really afford to vacate his spot.
Okay, fine. You get treatment for that at your own pace, but you should get out of here, at least. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Jeong In-Su)
Theres no way that a demon king would be defeated this easily, right? That dude, he might have looked really disgusting, but hes a really high-ranking demon king, you see. The dude whos been roughing it up in the demon world for that long isnt someone you can take lightly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Where did you send him? (Jeong In-Su)
Eh, well, should I call it the gap between space or dimensions? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong In-Su tilted his head in confusion, so Yi Ji-Hyuk just smirked and replied.
Well, that guy will naturallye back sooner orter, so you dont have to mind it too much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That demon king will what?! (Jeong In-Su)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was about to reply to Jeong In-Sus flustered question, but stopped and spun his head in a certain direction.
The sky was splitting apart.
As if a massive eye was opening up, the empty space seemed to split horizontally, then it ballooned up to resemble a huge sphere.
Speak of the devil. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
See? Thats why you should go over t (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He wanted to finish his exnation and turned his head around, but by then Jeong In-Su was already so far away, running for his dear life.
I did tell him to run away, but why does this moment still feel so depressing? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Well, life is lived by yourself alone, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a sigh and raised his head up.
Im sure the dudes really p*ssed off about now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He dropped the demon king in a true living hell, so no matter how strong the demon was, it mustve gone through some hardship there. And the result of all that hardship would be
Yi, Ji, Hyuuuuuuk!!!! (Narusius)
Narusius dashed out from the split space with a stupendous turn of speed. Then, it flew like a madman straight towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yup, hes p*ssed off, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He smirked deeply and slowly raised both of his hands.
But, what should we do now?
Im a sorcerer, you see. I mean, surely you should know that losing your cool against a sorcerer is a totally prohibited taboo. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and began gathering Mana in his hands.
Since the demon king decided to break the taboo, it should pay the appropriate price, no?
Mana began to stream towards the space in front of Yi Ji-Hyuks head, then another magic circle revealed itself.
< 406. Not like I wished for it -1 > Fin.
Chapter 407: Not like I wished for it (2)
Chapter 407: Not like I wished for it (2)
Goh-ooooooh!
The magic circle began sucking in the surrounding Mana and resonated loudly. Yi Ji-Hyuk watched this scene unfold and smirked deeply.
He could sense Mana permeating within the atmosphere.
One could easily call this a great upheaval. Regr people had no idea about this change at all, but to those capable of using Mana, it felt like an oxygen tank had been lowered to the depth of the sea while they were drowning and they could now finally breathe.
Especially so for Yi Ji-Hyuk C the sensation he felt was markedly different from the others.
The moment he used it, all the Mana permeating in the atmosphere rushed inside his body and he got instinctively excited by it.
This sense of omnipotence that made him feel like he could do anything, as well as the destructive instinct wanting to destroy everything before his eyes, tried to wrestle the control of my mind.
At this rate, everything of the world caught in his view might get dyed in crimson-red colour.
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the past, there was no problem to let these urges take over him. Well, his brain would revert back to how it was, after all. But now, hed not be able to go back even if he let them take over just once.
The dark magical energy waiting for an opening to invade his mind would then break through the barrier Affeldrichae had put up and dye his brain pitch-ck.
If that happened, everything would be over.
If that happened, this asion would no longer be Yi Ji-Hyuk versus a demon king, but a bloody battle between two demon kings, instead.
No matter who wins that, the world would still be finished.
A human transforming into a demonic being didnt simply mean the change in ones species. It was more like the individual called Yi Ji-Hyukpletely being reorganised beyond recognition. Everything about him, including his mentality, would change.
That would no longer be Yi Ji-Hyuk, then.
That would be an existence that retained all of his memories and powers, but was not actually Yi Ji-Hyuk. Not even himself could tell what this newly-born demon king would do next.
That was why he needed to fight against these urges.
With the descent of the demon world to Earth, Yi Ji-Hyuk gained a foothold to spread his wings, but he now also had to face an even greater danger, too.
Wuuu-ooong!
The magic circle resonated loudly and sucked out the magical energy from Yi Ji-Hyuks body. He poured way too much Mana into this circle and then extended his hand forward.
How pathetic. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had already calmed down, and was coldly eyeing Narusius flying in at him after losing its reasoning.
Others might not fully understand this, but to Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes, demon kings werent all that well versed in the art of fighting. Indeed, if you only factored in the proficiency at war, humanity was several times more proficient than the demon kings.
That was the result of necessity.
Compared to humans that had to fight each other in an almost equal footing, demons started from the moments of their birth withrge gaps in power simr to the ones existing between ants and dragons.
Low-ranked demonic beings would never catch up to the higher-ranked ones even if they dedicated their entire lives in harsh training. Not to forget, their lifespan was iparably longer than that of humans, too.
That was why low-ranked demons would be subservient towards the higher-ranked demons possessing better abilities while never even entertaining the thoughts of betraying their masters.
The same story applied to the demon kings as well.
They all possessed powers on a different scale from the moments of their birth. Although it was true that they experienced some amount of growth, their overall strength wouldnt rise significantly even after going through difficult and harsh battles.
Thanks to that, they couldnt learn from their experiences, and they didnt willingly hone their abilities.
To those who couldnt dare to offer resistance, the powers these creatures were born with were more than enough to make them tremble in fear. But to the eyes of Yi Ji-Hyuk who as a mere human managed to reach the very same peaks they stood on, they came across as something else entirely.
That was how he got to endure the demon world at the beginning of his journey despite possessing weaker strength than other demon kings.
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched Narusius unhesitantly flying in at him and formed a cruel smile on his face.
Theres no easier opponent than a boar running straight at you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Goh-oooooh...
The magic circle before him resonated loudly, then along with the explosion of ck light, thousands of vines resembling thorny bush shot out from its centre.
Ku-aaaaaah!! (Narusius)
Narusius discovered the thorny vines instantly blocking its view and tried to slow down, but its moving speed had already escaped the realm of its control so stopping its body from rushing forward was an impossibility at this point.
Crunch!
The thorns began digging into the demon kings flesh.
The body tougher than forged steel were stabbed cleanly through by therge thorns as if it was a humans body, and the demon king screamed out loudly.
It wasnt simply because of the pain, however.
The rage and humiliation of being toyed around by Yi Ji-Hyuk caused its reasoning to further erode away.
Grit, crush...
The surrounding thorny vines tightened around the demon king.
Kkeu-euh-euh-euhk. (Narusius)
The vines tightened as if they wanted to squeeze the demonic creature until it popped like a balloon.
Did he transform Mana into physical matter?! (Narusius)
This was beyond the concept of summoning.
If this was merely summoning, no thorny vines existing in this world would be able to crush a demon kings body like this regardless of which substance they were made out of.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had used his imagination to create something of this magnitude with Mana as the basis. Indeed, it was not an exaggeration tobel him as the historys greatest sorcerer.
Even the demon kings that wielded Mana as if it was a part of the body couldnt step into such a realm of control. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk had done exactly that as a mere human being.
Was it because hes a special case, or did other humans also possess the potential to reach the same heights if given the same type of conditions?
Narusius grew interested in humans after realising that point. It had begun to ept that humans were existences with potential, not just livestock-like beings only good for entertainment, to kill, and to suck out the vitality from.
Kuwaaaaaah! (Narusius)
Although rather unbing of a demon king, Narusius still screamed out desperately and began pouring out its own Mana in all directions.
The dark magical energy extending out of its body acted like its third arm and began smacking and shoving away the ck thorny vines.
Dozens upon dozens of ck arms sprouted out and pushed the vines back.
H-hng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched that and shrugged his shoulders.
It was undeniably true that demons had evolved specifically towardsbat, as seen from the current example of Narusius not relying on theplicated incantations but just its will to wield Mana however it wanted to.
Its just that, even if the hardware was faultless, the software responsible for utilising it was full of bugs.
Although, the story changes if its the true top-ranked ones... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt let down his guard and was carefully scanning the surroundings by spreading out Mana.
This is so weird. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No matter how individualistic each demon king was, itd still make more sense to establish the bare-minimummand structure when invading a new dimension. Even if they hadnt done that, they should at least exchange some information with each other.
But then, where was the reinforcement here?
What are they thinking? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The previous three demon kings couldnt deal with him and got all swept away. Half of that had to do with the fact that they underestimated him, but even if that wasnt the case, those three alone couldnt have dealt with Yi Ji-Hyuk in the end.
Yet Narusius was confronting him all alone? Even if this guy was a high-ranked demon king?
No matter how dimwitted demons could get, they still wouldnt try a tactic this foolish.
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk helplessly shook his head. It didnt matter how deeply he pondered this quandary, he just couldnt figure out what they were trying to achieve here.
Maybe they experienced a mass degeneration or something while I wasnt there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since an event of this magnitude, where demon kings crossed over to another world in big numbers, almost never happened in the demon worlds lengthy history, it was next to impossible to predict their movement patterns.
Regardless of which world it was, itd be threatened byplete destruction if just one single demon king decided to cross over. But a whole bunch of them had crossed over to Earth now, so even Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt predict what they would do next.
...Well. Ill be really happy if they alle at me in this dumb*ss fashion, thats for sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was right then, Narusius finally managed to shove aside all of Yi Ji-Hyuks ck thorny vines and revealed itself. Its entire body had been torn to shreds, and no one watching on would find a demon king not even bothering to mask its naked rage and hatred, pleasant to behold.
Im happy that you decided toe at me like this, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ck Mana slowly gushed out from Yi Ji-Hyuks surroundings. At first, it rotated slowly, but then, it suddenly exploded out.
...But, it feels like youre looking down on me too much and thats really p*ssing me off. Wouldnt you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks tongue snaked out as he licked his lips.
Unless the demon kings suffered a mass amnesia, they should all remember how much he rampaged around back in the demon world, so to see this particr oneing at him like this, their disdain of him mustve been rather deeply entrenched.
Especially so with Narusius C Yi Ji-Hyuk just couldnt figure out what gave this demon king its confidence to confront him all alone.
Hmmmm. Well, its cool, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If I cant figure it out, just ask the dude.
Should I ask after tearing off all of its limbs and leaving only the torso intact? Or should I just rip the head off and ask that?
Demons enjoy pretty tough vitality, so even if I y the dude alive, itd still continue to breathe like a fish out of water for a while. That should give me ample time to ask. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana gathered on the tip of Yi Ji-Hyuks right hand before creating lengthy ws.
Im not averse to ripping you apart while youre still alive, you know? Kekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He floated up from the spot, then flew towards Narusius.
*
Indeed, the great ones estimation was correct. (Boriel)
Boriel smiled and observed Yi Ji-Hyuk emitting frenzied aura, pouncing on Narusius.
The demon initially suspected that there mustve been some kind of an error since Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt seem all that different from his past self. But his current appearance made it a certainty.
The current Yi Ji-Hyuk was almostpletely tainted by the dark Mana. That sight alone served as the perfect evidence.
Itd be unimaginable for Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past to wrap himselfpletely in Mana and dash forward to fight hand-to-hand.
It wont be long now. (Boriel)
Just like what Boriels master had said, Yi Ji-Hyuksplete transformation wasnt too far off now. And with that, a brand new world would emerge.
Fufufufu. (Boriel)
Yourughter is really getting on my nerves, Boriel. (Erukana)
Boriel slowly turned around.
After discovering the 13th demon king floating in the air with her legs elegantly crossed, it slowly got down on its knees and bowed deeply.
Im honoured to be in your presence, 13th demon king. (Boriel)
Been a while. Is that guy doing well? (Erukana)
The great one is still the same. (Boriel)
I figured hed be the first one to cross over, what with his personality and all, but he can be surprisingly patient, I guess? (Erukana)
It is indeed so. And perhaps thats why hes been tolerating your pranks until now, wouldnt you agree? (Boriel)
...Pranks? (Erukana)
I meant by supporting the humans. More urately, just one individual, however. (Boriel)
Hng. (Erukana)
Erukana smiled seductively and opened her mouth.
I can more or less figure out what you fools are trying to achieve here, but do you really think its all going to work out? (Erukana)
Im merely the hands and feet of the great one. A hand doesnt think for its master. (Boriel)
A demonic being mouthing off about loyalty? Thats not even funny. (Erukana)
Erukana chuckled in dismay, then turned around.
As a courtesy of us being the same species, let me give you a warning. That path will simply lead you to ruin. It wont end as problems of the dimensions, nor will it end simply at you being injured, either. Do not forget the reason why Latrel was so wary and alert about my darling. He came to possess powers that exceeded demon kings when hes merely a human. So, if he bes a demonic being, then... Forget about a demon king, he might end up as something far exceeding that. (Erukana)
...I shall definitely convey your warning. (Boriel)
Boriel literally went Pop! and disappeared from the spot. Erukana slowly licked her lips.
Well, it wouldnt be so bad if that happens, anyway. (Erukana)
< 407. Not like I wished for it -2 > Fin.
Chapter 408: Not like I wished for it (3)
Chapter 408: Not like I wished for it (3)
a??Freaking hell! This is bloody nuts, man!a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun let out an angry yell. No matter how many he killed and pushed back, the number of monsters flooding in didnt seem to decrease at all. It was like the monster horde was being regenerated constantly and him being stuck in an endless loop of killing them over and over again didna??t seem to put a dent in their overall numbers.
a??What would I give for a handful of wide-area attacks right about now!a??
Kim Dah-Hyun was a speed-type ability user, so he was understandably weak againstrge monsters with tough outer shells. Didnt matter how fast he was, the actual destructive power he possessed was still limited, thats why.
When looking at physics, then that stupendous turn of speed should have tranted into proper offensive power but Kim Dah-Hyun didnt possess the physique necessary to withstand the impact. If he ran at full tilt and collided with a monster with his whole body then sure, the monster would turn into meat paste, but then so would he.
Kim Dah-Hyun would run rings around other ability users in a one-on-one fight, but against these types of mobs? He found it hard to exhibit his full power.
On the other hand...
Ruuuuuumble!!!
A massive flood of hellfire from Seo Ah-Young swallowed up the monsters.
Like some high-budget CGI scene, the roiling mes as wide and expansive as tsunami waves devoured all the monsters standing before them.
Kuwaaaah!
Kha-aaaahk!
Unlike their vicious external appearance, these mes making up the waves didnt possess any physical force. However, the power to scorch everything away was stronger than any force imaginable.
Monsters being swept up in the waves of mes turned into ashes in an instant and disappeared from the face of Earth.
a??Wow, I think I saw that in a documentary about Pompeii.a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Just like how it was with Pompeii whereva had swept everything away and the victims all turned into mummified ashes, monsters couldnt put up one iota of resistance before turning into piles of ashes as well.
a??...Seriously, thats so typical of a gold spoon, aint it?a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Even though Kim Dah-Hyun was an S-grade ability user, witnessing that spectacle made him feel that life was too unfair with how there was such a clear difference in ones abilities from birth.
a??A gold spoon? No, dude. Youre the gold spoon.a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu smirked and walked past Kim Dah-Hyun.
a??Really? What spoon is the director, then?a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??A diamond spoon, obviously.a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??............a??
a??Youre also another symbol of pure unfairness to those KSF kids over there, so... Stop whining and concentrate on what youre supposed to do, Mister Rescue.a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??I didnt train to be an ambnce driver, though.a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun groaned and turned around to leave. Yun Hyuk-Gyu watched theining younger man and could only grin wryly.
What a relief that his personality is like that. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
As a narcissist, Kim Dah-Hyun had this desire to shine brighter than anyone else. And it seemed that his ego had been wounded somewhat after being unable to put in an awesome showing so far. But from the perspective of the NDF, one could argue that he was a far more important personnel than Seo Ah-Young.
Anyone could also do the jobs performed by Seo Ah-Young or Yun Hyuk-Gyu. Sure, the firepower mightg behind and things might take longer, but there was no denying that plenty of folks could do broadly simr roles to what the two of them did.
However, there was no one else in the NDF who could take over Kim Dah-Hyuks role in his stead.
The story remained the same even now. No one could dare even try what he was doing, which was to thread through the countless monsters and search for any potential survivors and extract them.
Strictly speaking, the NDF was far closer to a search and rescue team than abat division of the army. They didnt even need to subdue the monsters if none posed threats to humans. In that sense, everyone knew the person most needed right now in this very ce was indeed Kim Dah-Hyun.
Except the man himself, of course. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Maybe he was addicted to superhero movies or something, because Kim Dah-Hyun didnt seem to get any satisfaction unless he personally stepped up to kick a*s and take names and solve everything by himself. If only he recognised the position he was in, then hed realise that bing a candidate for the next director would present no problem for him without doing that.
a??But with a personality like that...a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu tutted inwardly and gathered his hands to his front. Crimson mes began dancing within his hands next.
a??I mean, the one really suffering is me, you know.a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The strict ability ssification said that Seo Ah-Young was a me-type ability user while Yun Hyuk-Gyu was an explosion-type. Unfortunately, that explosion-type was also me-based, so from the outsiders perspective, the two of them looked like simr types of ability users.
Seriously now, someone was busy flinging around mountain-sized balls of mes every which way, yet he could only manage to cause minuscule explosions somewhere far behind, so anyone seeing this sight would think of him as an inferior copy of her.
So, realistically speaking, it was Yun Hyuk-Gyu and not Kim Dah-Hyun who got mentally damaged several times over.
C a??Stop talking rubbish and hurry up with sorting this out, please.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You see? You see??
Even Choi Jeong-Hoon cant speak so rudely to Seo Ah-Young like how hes doing to me! (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
a??Im already on it, dude! Dang it!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu grumbled unhappily and extended his hands towards the monsters.
*
Kwa-booooom!!!
Seo Ah-Young kept her eyes locked on the progress of the battle. Choi Jeong-Hoon decided that her role should be to provide assistance to the locations being pushed back by the enemies. Initially, what he meant by that was for her to provide her firepower on time whenever the defensive line created by the NDF was pushed back, but now...
a??What the hell?! Everyones being pushed back!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
There was seemingly no end to the monster horde in sight, while humans clearly had a limit to their stamina.
She continued creating balls of mes with both of her hands and chucked them to those locations needing help, then shouted into her smartwatch.
a??Still not yet?!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
C a??We got our permission! Itll start very soon.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Whats taking so bloody long?!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
This is why getting it ready ahead of time is so crucial, isna??t it! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
It had been a long time already since the enemies started their attack, yet there were just too many ces they needed to get permission from in order to mount any proper counterattack. Seo Ah-Young got royally irritated by the fact that even if the president of the nation gave his go-ahead, things still wouldnt happen immediately.
a??This is why when we got invaded by the North, they pushed us back all the way to Busan right away!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spat out all of her dissatisfaction, but just as she was about to yell out again, a loud whoosh reverberated from the skies above.
She instinctively realised what that was and cried out loudly.
a??Sweep them all away!!!a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
A bomber flew past above and began dropping its ordnance on top of the monsters.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-boooooom!
Along with the explosion noises akin to the entire world copsing, the city of Seoul was engulfed by the mes.
*
a??D*mn it.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched the me clouds rise up from the middle of Seoul and quietly gnashed his teeth. To think that hed be the one responsible for requesting a bombing raid on the capital of South Korea.
Even if the priority should be ced on human lives, the resulting cost from the destruction of property after all those buildings came down would be noughing matter.
Monsters would be gone after they were killed off, but the remaining humans would have to carry on living here. If the cycle of destruction repeated itself then even without the monsters, the current way of living would no longer be sustainable and the whole system would copse on its own.
However, they simply had no other choice.
The endless deluge of demonic beasts had long since gone past the level of being defended against human power alone. Even if each agent of the NDF could exhibit powers exceeding that of a bomber, they were still human beings at the end of the day, not some machines that could keep bombing away as long as you fuelled it up and reloaded its cargo.
Once their stamina fell and their Ether reserve emptied out, then the odds of the defensive line currently being maintained through great difficulty crumbling away were ufortably high.
a??Where are those battleships supposed toe in through the Han river?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C a??They are currently heading up north as we speak, sir.a??
a??Are they going to show up only after Seouls been levelled t?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not swearing right now was the greatest disy of patience Choi Jeong-Hoon could put on at the moment.
C a??A SCUD is heading your way.a??
a??Excuse me?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly raised his head and thought he could see something blinking in the far-off distance in the sky. It turned out to be an object flying in at his general direction with an rming turn of speed.
Holy cow, I did ask for a bombardment, but they actually fired a d*mn SCUD missile?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
It was as if the military really wanted to turn the city into a desert or something.
But...
a??What the... Why does that thing look like its headed over here...?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes shook.
Unless that particr missile was outfitted with new technology that allowed it to suddenly veer off its well-maintained flight course and drop to the ground, shouldnt he assume that the targeted area was right on top of his head?
a??Son of a b*tch, you trying to kill me or somet...a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Rustle...
It was right then, Jeong Hae-Min popped up right next to Choi Jeong-Hoon and without saying anything, grabbed the back of his cors and teleported out of there.
KWA-BOOOOOM!!!
A humongous explosion went off and the surroundings were blown away to smithereens.
a??Holy sh*t, I thought I was gonna meet my maker!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon reappeared on top of a nearby buildings rooftop, then began pouring all sorts of curses into his smartwatch.
a??What the f*ck?! You son of a b*tch, are you trying to kill me?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C a??Looks like there was an error this side.a??
a??An error?! Kiss my a*s! Who cares about that sh*t after youre dead already?! You really wanna have a go at me? Is that it?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C a??Official apologies will be provided at ater stage. For now, please focus on the current situation.a??
You son of a gun, Im going to find out who you areter. I swear. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Even as Choi Jeong-Hoon stood there trembling in rage, the situation continued to devolve into a desperate struggle.
D*mn it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No matter how many they killed, the situation still didnt want to change. A space opened up after a bunch of monsters were killed off would be filled up in an instant by another batch rushing in from behind.
a??Hasnt the artillery division arrived yet?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C a??Its proving to be too difficult to enter the city, sir. Due to the abandoned vehicles and the evacuating civilians, approaching the location is proving to be difficult at the moment.a??
a??But a K-9s attack range is over forty kilometres, isnt it?!a??
C a??Thats only the theoretical range on the spec sheet, sir. Besides, that range would lower the uracy too greatly and will result in friendly fire.a??
a??Give me a godd*mm break.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Although Choi Jeong-Hoon tried to egg them on out of sheer urgency he felt, he also knew that they were already doing their very best as well.
He should have lent his aid to us by now, so why... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The fundamental reason why the situation had reached this point was because Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnte to lend his assistance yet.
Of course, Choi Jeong-Hoon knew that Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently fighting against a demon king. The thing was, even if thetter couldnte here personally, he could at least send his monster army or even Oh-Sik which would have improved the situation greatly.
But even that was not happening, which Choi Jeong-Hoon found to be strange.
a??Is he having a hard time?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon raised his head and took a look at the distant sky. He saw mes and thorny vines seemingly made out of pitch-ck Mana far away from his current location, busy erupting with enough force topletely nket the entire skies.
Its like they are really going to blow up Seoul. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If one only looked at the scale or the size, then Seo Ah-Youngs own mes wouldnt lose out to those things. However, her attacks did not emit that feeling of ominous foreboding easily felt from those disys of abilities over yonder.
What exactly is going on over there? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt think Yi Ji-Hyuk would lose.
No, he couldnt afford to think that.
The moment Yi Ji-Hyuk lost, then all the fighting would cease, too. Humanity would be defeated by then. So, there was no point ining up with a hypothesis of Yi Ji-Hyuks defeat. Indeed, all of Choi Jeong-Hoons strategies were based around the assumption of Yi Ji-Hyuk emerging victorious against the demon king no matter what the situation was.
a??He wont lose, right?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With a concerned face, Choi Jeong-Hoon looked up towards where Yi Ji-Hyuk would be. The Yi Ji-Hyuk he knew was a tenacious b*stard who would even resort to biting chunks out of a demon king in order to win.
C a??Evacuations are almost fullyplete. Apologies, but please re-confirm that there arent any survivors left behind.a??
a??Monsters are rampaging around like that, so how do you expect our people to search for survivors?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C a??We understand its difficult, but its still our duty.a??
a??D*mn it.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that, rather than chatting to this faceless b*stard, hed much prefer to see Jeong In-Su quickly patch up his injuries and get over here right away.
It was right then, a massive explosion noise went off, one almost strong enough to even blow Choi Jeong-Hoons body away.
a??W-what was that?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He raised his head only to be greeted by a bizarre spectacle.
a??...What, what is going on over there?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He could see Yi Ji-Hyuk battling against a demon king. However, the overall look of that battle was quite different from all the others he had witnessed so far.
a??...Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A gasp of resigned helplessness leaked out of Choi Jeong-Hoons mouth.
< 408. Not like I wished for it -3 > Fin.
Chapter 409: Not like I wished for it (4)
Chapter 409: Not like I wished for it (4)
a??Ku-hahahahaha!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dashed towards the demon king Narusius with one-metre-long ws on both of his hands made out of magical power.
a??You insane fool!a?? (Narusius)
Narusius roared out and got ready to engage the human still madly rushing towards it. Even if the demon king was currently in the injured state, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a sorcerer. To think that a mere magic user dared to close the distance against a warrior. There wouldnt be a worse insult than this.
a??Yi Ji-Hyuuuuk!!!a?? (Narusius)
Narusius, a demonic aura densely emanating from its whole body, threw itself at Yi Ji-Hyuk dashing straight towards it.
Kill that man.
The demon king would definitely rip that insolent humans head off while hes still breathing.
Mana gushing out from Narusiuss body seemed to coalesce, then wrapped around the demon like some kind of an armour.
Kwa-du-du-duk!
Once that strange armour fully epassed it, Narusius began dashing at least twice as fast towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
a??Kekekeke.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thetter let out a twisted cackle while witnessing this spectacle. His eyes, scarily red after all the blood vessels in the whites began bulging and pulsing, flitted this way and that to chase after Narusiuss movements.
a??Hey, youre making me dizzy here.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Stop buzzing around like a house fly. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his right hand forward and pitch-ck tentacles shot out to pounce on Narusius.
a??Keuk?!a?? (Narusius)
The demon king saw the tentacles flying in and grandly flinched.
Should it dodge?
But, dodging them now would signify that Narusius had been forced back in the shes of the auras, or at least thats what the demon thought. It soon made up its mind and flew towards the ck tentacles while emitting demonic energy from both of its hands.
The demon king roared at the top of its lungs and punched the tentacles with its right fist. However, the tentacles acted like some kind of a mollusc and avoided the demon kings punch, then like a rearing venomous snake, their tips lunged towards Narusiuss torso.
Crunch! Crunch!
Several strands of ck tentacles stabbed into the demon kings body, but they failed to break through the armour.
However, that mustve not been their ultimate objective, because they smoothly slid across the armour to wrap around Narusiuss torso instead. The demon king smacked away the tentacles trying to crush it and roared out loudly.
a??D*mn it! Are you going to keep doing this?!a?? (Narusius)
From some time ago, Yi Ji-Hyuk was fighting in such a manner to irritate his opponent. He didnte attacking outright and continued to change directions while keeping the demon king in check.
a??Ku-aaaahk!a?? (Narusius)
Narusius roared out again and dashed towards Yi Ji-Hyuk whilepletely ignoring the tentacles.
However, it got to witness a strange sight just then.
Whats this? (Narusius)
It had been expecting Yi Ji-Hyuk to back away or use Blink to create some distance between them, but he was actually meeting the demon king head-on.
You insignificant little...! (Narusius)
A measly human wishes to confront a demon king head-on?
The demon kings would not run away from Yi Ji-Hyuk. They all knew they couldnt deal with him and shivered in fear of him, yet none acknowledged him as a high-ranked demon king.
Because, there was this thing called opportunity.
They all believed that as long as they could get close enough to Yi Ji-Hyuk, as long as they couldnd that one solid blow to his body, then hed be destroyed forever.
Regeneration?
Of course, the Yi Ji-Hyuk of the past possessed the immortality that allowed him to revert back to full health no matter what the damage was.
But so what if that was the case?
Even if its a hundred years, even a thousand, all they had to do was destroy him again and again as soon as he regenerated. That was all!
The truly amazing thing about Yi Ji-Hyuk, though, was that he never allowed such a scenario to be reality. He filled his surroundings with countless summoned creatures, demonic monsters, demons that worked as his underlings and even Erukana to buy himself enough time.
The demon kings just couldnt ovee that hurdle and ended up kneeling in defeat one after the other in front of him.
But the current Yi Ji-Hyuk was not surrounded by the army of demonic monstersrge enough to seemingly nket the entire demon world, nor was Erukana here with him.
So with what confidence was he pouncing on Narusius by himself?
The demon king was ovee with pure rage and it roared out, before firing a barrage of magic bullets towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
a??Yi, Ji, Hyuuuuuk!a?? (Narusius)
He saw all of those iing magic bullets but didnt stop his sprint forward.
a??Kuwaaaaah!a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ws of magic attached to his hands lengthened instantly and began slicing apart all the magic bullets.
KWA-BOOOOOOM!!!!
Massive explosions went off in the air. The city below already had experienced a bombardment, but these new impacts easily exceeded the previous ones.
Where?! (Narusius)
Narusius lost the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk due to the smoke from the explosions and opened its eyes wider in rm.
a??Who are you looking for?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, there was no need to search for him. His voice came from right behind the demon king, after all.
a??Kkeuk!a?? (Narusius)
Narusius immediately swung its hand behind.
STAB!
Unfortunately, Yi Ji-Hyuks stiletto-like ws were already digging deep into the demon kings back before it could even react properly.
a??Kkeu-euh-euh-euhk...a?? (Narusius)
Narusius shivered as it looked down at the five lengthy ws piercing right through its abdomen. It wasnt merely those des destroying its body, either.
Yi Ji-Hyuks own magical powers were digging deeper into the demon kings body through those ws. The horrifying pain transmitted to Narusius was akin to iron spikes being shoved deep in its body and electricity travelling through them. The demons entire body trembled from this intense pain.
a??So, is your blood blue in colour?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Slice!
Apanied by a bone-chilling noise, Yi Ji-Hyuks ws cut through Narusiuss body and exited from the side. Five bloody lines ripped across the demon kings torso and blue-coloured blood spewed out like a fountain.
a??Its so nice that I get to ask you demons what the colour of your blood is. You guys arent standardised like humans, you see.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??You, you b*sssstard!!!a?? (Narusius)
a??So noisy.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Crunch!
Yi Ji-Hyuks ws mmed into the face of Narusius busy roaring out. The demon kings vocal organ was crushed and it couldnt produce sounds anymore.
The demonic beings resilient lifeforce meant Narusius wouldnt lose its life even in this condition, but it still lost its consciousness for a moment there. Which meant it also lost its ability of flight and fell headlong towards the ground.
Yi Ji-Hyuk went along, his ws still stabbed deep into the demon kings face.
a??Kekeke.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
BOOM!
Narusiuss figure and Yi Ji-Hyuk crashed into the ground, sending out clouds of dust in all directions. Thetter yanked his ws out from the formers face, then began licking the blood on his de.
Not enough.
This was not even nearly enough.
a??Keuh-euh-euh...a?? (Narusius)
Narusiuss crushed face reverted back soon enough and the demon king regained its consciousness at the same time. It red at Yi Ji-Hyuk in anger.
Just how much magical energy was concentrated in those ws that he could tear apart a demon king like a piece of paper?
a??...Didnt you say you wanted to know more about humans?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Slice.
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly swung with his ws, and Narusiuss leg was chopped off, followed by yet another fountain of blood exploding out.
He then cut and sliced and diced again.
All four of Narusiuss limbs were cut off, and the demon king could only stare at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a deeply paleplexion.
a??I can help you with understanding how vicious a human can be, so how about it? Kekekeke.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
By now, Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes were dyedpletely ck.
Narusius saw this scene and shivered even more.
The great one did say this.
That the current Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed not even half of the powers he used to enjoy at his peak. That hed not pose any threat to them since he also lost his immortality, as well.
But now that the lid hade off, this was already beyond the level of being unfair.
No one knew what exactly he had been doing until now, but somehow Yi Ji-Hyuks close quarterbat skills had increased by several folds, while the level of his magical energy management was iparably higher than his past self, as well.
B-but, how can such a thing even be possible? (Narusius)
Even if Narusius were to fight the past version of Yi Ji-Hyuk, the demon king wouldnt have been so one-sidedly beaten up like this.
a??Looks like youre dying of curiosity.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and slowly stabbed his ws into Narusiuss abdomen.
a??Its all thanks to you lot, actually. Without the valuable experience of fighting against the demon kings using only a restricted amount of Mana, I wouldnt have been able toe this far. Back when I had everything, I really had no idea how important precision would turn out to be.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??...a??
Before Narusius could say something, Yi Ji-Hyuk cut the creatures words off.
a??I guess youre the only one who hasnt figured it out yet. Kairan probably knew about this already. That guy sent you here, didnt he?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??...a??
That was enough to shut Narusius up.
How did he know that?
a??Why do you think Kairan sent you here? To kill me? Would he not have known that youd never be my match?a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??I, I...a?? (Narusius)
a??Kekeke.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a crazed cackle and slowly began drawing a line on Narusiuss throat with his w.
a??And thats why youre going to die. Whether its the demon world or Earth, idiots like you only get used as pawns then get discarded like dead weight, you know.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
a??Kkeuh-ruruk.a?? (Narusisu)
Blood gushed out from Narusiuss mouth. The demon king tried desperately to avoid Yi Ji-Hyuks de-like ws digging into its throat. However, he pinned the demons body hard on the ground and continued to leisurely draw a bloody line on the exposed neck.
It was as if he was savouring the sensation.
a??Dont you worry, though. I shall send that guy to where youre going now soon enough. Kekekeke.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With its eyes wide open in disbelief, Narusius slowly lost its consciousness. Its body slowly hardened, then transformed into pure Mana and crumbled away.
a??Hah-aaaah...a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stabbed his hand into Narusiuss crumbling body and began greedily sucking in the abundant Mana. It was no longer difficult for him to draw in extra Mana now, but getting his hands on something of this purity through the atmosphere was still a tall order.
After sucking in all that Mana, Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered grandly and raised his head. He might have finished one demon king off, but the demonic beasts were still freely roaming around.
He slowly extended both of his hands out.
a??Get...a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wuuu-oooong!
Pitch-ck Mana gathered in his hands.
a??...Over here.a?? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His Mana rose up into the sky. And then, a massive magic circle began engraving itself into the centre of Seouls sky.
*
a??D-did he win?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon saw the ck Mana strands rapidly rising into the sky and cried out in tion. Anyone could tell that the magic circle was aimed at the monsters down below. If it was to fight against a demon king, there wouldnt be a need to draw something that massive way over there.
And as if to answer his expectation, the magic circle grew evenrger than before and started emitting pitch-ck light. A ck void was generated in the centre of this magic circle and gradually grewrger andrger.
A Gate seemingly directed to the ground below had appeared over the skies of Seoul.
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt help but tilt his head at that sight.
What is he trying to do? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He could tell that a massive-scale magic was about to be used here, but he got this strange feeling that this one would be slightly different from all the others Yi Ji-Hyuk had shown before.
Well, whenever thetter wanted to go with a kill-everything type magic, rather than open a Gate like that, he preferred to condense Mana and fire that instead.
Choi Jeong-Hoons puzzlement didntst for long, however.
a??...W-what the heck is going on?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The world suddenly began flipping on its head.
At first, small particles of dust, then small pebbles after that.
It all started with objects with low weight first a?? and soon the entire city began floating up gradually.
So, so very slowly a?? as if gravity itself had reversed, the items starting from low weight floated up slowly first and got sucked in towards the gigantic Gate in the sky.
a??I-it cant be?!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
There was no way?!
A man with a sane mind wouldnt try something like that.
Of course, Choi Jeong-Hoon knew better than anyone that Yi Ji-Hyuk was not what youd consider as normal.
a??Miss Jeong Hae-Min!!!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Y-yes?a?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
a??Teleport everyone in this ce out of here, now! Hurry!a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Got it!a?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
She didnt need a reason. Even she was aware of the severity of the current situation. If Choi Jeong-Hoon said so, then there was no doubt about it.
The ck Gate she could see in the heavens above was like the wide-open mouth of a devil, wanting to suck everything in this world.
< 409. Not like I wished for it -4 > Fin.
Chapter 410: Not like I wished for it (5)
Chapter 410: Not like I wished for it (5)
a??What is that?a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu dazedly stared at the skies above. It was as if a gigantic hole had opened up in the heavens.
And some kind of a strong gravitational force wasing from that hole. Bits of debris from the buildings strewn about on the ground slowly rose up in the air, then leisurely drifted towards the hole next.
a??...Did a ck hole show up here or something?a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Of course, if a real ck hole with that size appeared on Earth, Yun Hyuk-Gyu would no longer be with the living by now. However, if the end result was going to be the same, then this phenomenon shouldnt be treated all that differently, either.
Yun Hyuk-Gyu sensed his body beginning to get lighter and freaked out, then hurriedly pressed his whole body on the ground.
a??Holy sh*t! It cant be! It definitely cant be that, right?!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Pretty much every civilian in the vicinity had been evacuated by now, so there shouldnt be any loss of innocent lives, but...
a??Hang on a sec! We havent evacuated yet, you know!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
How could he not know who created that hole?
Anyone could tell that Yi Ji-Hyuk was responsible unless you were aplete moron.
Besides all that, our side hasnt evacuated yet, you know?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
a??What the f*ck?! D*mn it!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu felt his body be airborne, and hurriedly crawled forward as if he was swimming underwater.
Just how many people alive would get to experience this sense of weightlessness even for a brief moment?
One could say that up until this point was a remarkable, memorable experience, but too bad, the gravity situation was about to flip on its head soon.
a??Uwaaah!!!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu managed to grab onto the exterior wall of a building and pressed himself tightly against it. His eyes caught the sight ofrge chunks of debris from the wrecked buildings flying up towards the sky.
For a second there, the Gate above seemed to hum loudly, then just about everything in the world was violently sucked in towards it as if a mighty storm had descended.
No, maybe it was more apt to say that a massive tornado had begun swallowing up everything in his vicinity, instead.
a??Uwaaaaahk!!!!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu urgently shoved his hands in the deeply gouged out holes in the wall just as his feet were yanked off the ground.
a??Uwah?! Son of a b*tch!!!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
A regr person would never experience what it feels like to fall towards the sky. Lamentably, though, the situation was too precipitous for him to fully enjoy this rarer-than-rare asion.
Krrr?
The demonic beasts began looking up at the skies one by one.
It began with the smaller of the monsters.
Kurah-rararara!!!
The demonic creatures were gradually getting sucked into the skies. They screeched and howled out while iling around with their limbs but even they couldnt resist against the reversal of gravity itself. The flight-type monsters had already been devoured by the ck Gate by then.
Pow! Smash!
Monsters floating up into the sky either collided helplessly against the building debris or even against each other. The huge creatures rose up at a noticeably slower speed than them.
a??Wow...a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyus jaw dropped as he watched this spectacle unfold.
He too was in a mortal danger right now, but well, a spectacle was a spectacle regardless.
Various chunks of debris and demonic beasts got into a messy tangle to form a humongous tornado then got sucked into the Gate without any resistance.
Wu-du-duk...
It was right then, Yun Hyuk-Gyus head snapped towards the source of the noise.
a??...It cant be?a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The outer wall of the building he was clinging onto began buckling. He realised what was going on here and hisplexion paled instantly.
a??N-no! Wait!!!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
If this was some kind of a powerful physical force, then maybe he couldve offered some resistance, but such a thing was meaningless in front of gravity. Just like how a human couldnt stop their body from falling no matter how incredible they were.
The buildings outer wall was ripped out in its entirety and along with that, Yun Hyuk-Gyus body began shooting up towards the skies, too.
a??Uwaaaaah!!!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
His despair-filled eyes were now taking in the sights of the ck Gate busy sucking him in.
What could be inside of that thing?
He had no idea, but one thing was for certain.
Getting sucked in there wouldnt result in a very good end for him.
Right next to him were whale-sized demonic beasts screaming desperately while iling about ungainly.
a??S-someone, save meeeeee!!!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu also started screaming as well, but he knew the truth deep inside.
Just who could even help him in the current situation?
a??Wowsers, would you look at this guy screaming his head off?a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Ah... There is someone. (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun flew up at a rapid pace and stuck onto the torso of a huge monster getting sucked up alongside Yun Hyuk-Gyu.
a??Aww, man... Its a bit hard to control my speed here...a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??K-Kim Dah-Hyun!!!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??Ehheiii, Stop reaching out to me and be still, will ya? Dont you know that iling about when drowning will cause you to die along with the potential rescuer? Lower your hand, dude. Your hand.a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??Hey, you stupid as*hole! How can you say that in this situation?! Hurry up and save me!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??I can say it because of the situation, though.a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun shook his head and dashed behind Yun Hyuk-Gyu. He then grabbed the back of thetters neck, kicked the air and turned his body towards the ground.
a??Oh heck, this isnt going to work!a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
They seemed to go lower for a moment there, but then floated back up and got sucked in again.
a??Argh, d*mn it! Get it together, man! Or well both die!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??I never went through something like this before, so how could I have known? Seriously though, you and your exaggerations. Hang on tight, okay?a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun wrapped an arm around Yun Hyuk-Gyu and began dashing to the side. Ether exploding out from his legs began forcing the air back.
Rather than running, though, he looked like he was struggling to paddle himself out of a quagmire, and eventually, began panting breathlessly.
a??I, I dont have enough horsepower...a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??What should we do, then?!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??Fire a shot in the opposite direction!a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??Ng?a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??Dont you know the action and reaction thing? Fire one big shot in the other side with everything youve got! Ill use the rebound to get us out of here!a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??Got it!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu hurriedly nodded his head and turned towards the Gate above before gathering all of his Ether. He was nning to use up every single ounce of his reserve. If they couldnt get away from here, then theyd be dead, anyways.
a??No, not yet! Wait!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu shouted out while looking below him.
a??What are you waiting for?!a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??Here ites!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
A massive demonic beast flew towards them, and Yun Hyuk-Gyu gathered all of his Ether to fire it at this iing mass.
Kwaaa-booooom!!!
The rebound from the humongous explosion in the air caused the bodies of both Yun Hyuk-Gyu and Kim Dah-Hyun to shoot out like a fired arrow.
a??Ouch?! My back! Dont you know the concept of moderation?!a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??Didnt you tell me to fire with everything Ive got?!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
The two men finally managed to get outside the sphere of the gravitys influence. Afternding on the solid earth, they dazedly looked up at the skies once more.
The ck tornado made out of building debris and monsters were getting sucked into the Gate without a single exception.
a??Holy cow, just what is that guy thinking here?a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??Mister Yun Hyuk-Gyu! Are you alright?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was running in from a distance. Other agents mustve been gathered in one spot as well, because they too were running towards him as well.
a??...How did you all get together like this?a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??Its all thanks to Miss Jeong Hae-Mins hard work.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Does that mean only we were working our butts off?! Why didnt you rescue me first?!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
It seemed that Jeong Hae-Min didnt hear him, because she kept her gaze locked on the Gate while shivering away.
a??Excuse me, but what will happen with that?a?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
a??Im not sure.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since Yi Ji-Hyuk created that, surely he must have a n in mind but wasnt that things scale a bit too much?
Not just the monsters but even the intact buildings got dismantled as if someone was deliberately ripping them apart, and the resulting bits were getting sucked up into the air as well.
This was going beyond the mop-up operation and well into the level ofplete purification.
a??L-looks like everythings just about all sucked in?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thest remaining debris and monsters were all sucked into the ck Gate.
The Gate vibrated noisily, then began emitting thick, heavy ck-coloured demonic aura.
a??Uh?a??
The ck demonic aura exploding out from the Gate was now rushing towards a certain location. It was as if this strand was falling to the ground.
Guessing who could be found in the location where that aura headed off to was not a difficult task at all.
a??...What an awesome scale this whole thing was.a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??You almost died yet you can still say that?a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
a??Dying is one thing, but that still doesnt change the scale being awesome, now does it?a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??Hah...a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Even in the face of Kim Dah-Hyuns criticism, Yun Hyuk-Gyu remained unwavering.
Goh-oooooh!
The seemingly-endless strand of Mana slowly thinned out, and everyone could sense that the end was nigh.
Wuuu-ooong...
The Gate began resonating loudly.
a??Uhm... Excuse me?a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
It was then, Seo Ah-Young suddenly raised her hand high.
a??Whats the matter, maam?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??You know, this isnt our first time seeing the monsters getting sucked in, so I can more or less figure out whats gonna happen to them, but...a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
a??Yes?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??...But, what about the building debris?a?? (Seo Ah-Young)
At Seo Ah-Youngs question, Choi Jeong-Hoon dazedly looked up, before reverting his gaze back at her.
a??................a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A few agents with quick wits began to sneakily step back and stick rather closely to Jeong Hae-Min.
a??W-why dont we get out of here first? I think its still dangerous here.a??
a??Y-you think so, too?a?? (Jeong Hae-Min)
And right that moment...
Poooooow!
The Gate let out a screech and began ballooning up, before spitting out all the debris from the wrecked buildings in every direction like a minigun turret.
a??Uwaaaaaaah?! Kim Dah...a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu hurriedly searched for Kim Dah-Hyun, but thetter was already a small speck in the far-off distance.
a??That son of a b*tch!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Asrades, they should all live and die together, so how could he dare run away just to save his own skin?!
a??Ruuuuun!!!a??
Everyone present began running away from the Gate with every ounce of their energy.
Boom!! Ka-boom!
Chunks of concrete mmed into the ground and issued explosion noises. It was like a bombardment of small asteroids.
a??Yup, this is what they call Meteor, alright! Hes really using full-on magic now, isnt he?!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??This is already magic!a??
a??You know thats not what I meant!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Just who would get to witness the rain of building debris in their lifetime?
Yun Hyuk-Gyu inwardly thought that hes witnessing lots of rare things today for some reason and madly dashed forward. He could hear the sounds of Boom! Bang!ing from right behind his butt.
He stumbled and even had to crawl but eventually managed to escape from the firing range of the debris. He immediately copsed face-first on the dirt and panted breathlessly.
a??Argh, Im dying here. Im really dying here, man...a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
a??...Wow. This...a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun was standing next to him even before he noticed it. Yun Hyuk-Gyu tightly clenched his fists and shouted out.
a??Imma... Imma kill you for real!a?? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Kim Dah-Hyun ignored him and opened his mouth.
a??Its like, even though we won, we havent really...a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head, hisplexion gloomy.
Their eyes took in the sight of thepletely devastated city of Seoul. This was already well beyond the level of a disaster movie. All of the high-rise skyscrapers had been swept away.
All they could see were the skinny remnants of the buildings torn in half to bare their ugly, twisted steel beams.
a??...Not everythings been blown apart, but...a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
At the very least, no one would be able to live in this section of the city for a long while. The damage was far too extensive for that. The one ray of sce in this situation was that the evacuation of the civilians had been carried out at the maximum possible haste and the loss of life had been minimised greatly as a result.
Choi Jeong-Hoon held his head while scanning the spectacle before his eyes.
This is astronomical. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The overall damage would surely be impossible to even calcte.
A half of a countrys capital got levelled t as if a bulldozer shoved everything aside for the purpose of thend redevelopment.
Just like how Ennd lost all of its powers after its capital was destroyed, South Korea suffering from this sort of destruction would never be able to regain its former glory.
Just one demon king.
Not a handful of them, but just one caused an incident of such a magnitude. Although they had won, the losses were far too severe.
a??What about Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, that didnt mean he should stand here nkly the whole day. His current role was to confirm Yi Ji-Hyuks whereabouts.
a??I think hes over there.a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shifted his gaze in the direction Kim Dah-Hyun pointed at and nodded his head. As he started walking, he raised his voice.
a??Mister Kim Dah-Hyun, please focus on evacuating the injured.a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
a??Alright.a?? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Choi Jeong-Hoon waded past the broken debris of the buildings and walked forward for a while, before finally spotting Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly staring at the sky.
Whats going on? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even though he felt something was off, Choi Jeong-Hoon still called out to him.
a??Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?a?? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
His head slowly turned in Choi Jeong-Hoons direction.
Flinch.
Choi Jeong-Hoon froze up on the spot.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was silently staring at him with a pair ofpletely-red eyes.
< 410. Not like I wished for it -5 > Fin.
Chapter 411: We must ask him to keep fighting (1)
Chapter 411: We must ask him to keep fighting (1)
...Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up asking a question even before noticing that he did.
Whats different about him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He just couldnt figure it out.
This wouldnt be his first time seeing Yi Ji-Hyuk with reddened eyes. Well, thetters eyes always became bloodshot whenever he used his magical powers, thats why.
However...
Something felt different this time.
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt sense any emotions meant for him from those dead-still eyes.
Maybe Yi Ji-Hyuks expressionless face was to me, or maybe something really did change about him. However, Figuring out just what it could be was hard. Itd be practically impossible to understand what a person was thinking of from their eyes only, after all.
However, Choi Jeong-Hoons instincts were screaming at him right now.
Do not approach him.
That man is no longer the same person that you know.
Mister Yi J... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was right then, Yi Ji-Hyuks body quivered a little.
He oh-so very slowly turned around and quietly stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon with a facepletely devoid of any emotion.
...Whats wrong with him? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young standing next to Choi Jeong-Hoon also sensed that something was wrong with this scene, and couldnt approach Yi Ji-Hyuk as well.
She too had instinctively felt that getting closer to that thing standing over there would be too dangerous.
Choi Jeong-Hoon addressed her and everyone else behind him with a trembling voice.
We need to move back. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Pardon? (Seo Ah-Young)
Dont provoke him and slowly, very slowly, back away. Right now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But why? (Seo Ah-Young)
Do I really need to exin that to you now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons urgent tone of voice caused Seo Ah-Young to shut her mouth up and slowly back away. Other NDF agents heeded his warning and slowly stepped back as well.
But then...
The stone-faced Yi Ji-Hyuk began walking towards them.
One step.
Then another step.
His steps were definitely not fast, yet...
H-hey, hes actuallying over here?
...Godd*mn it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoonsplexion paled as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
If that one event he always worried about had finally happened, then not a single person present would escape from here alive.
No, wait.
This event would certainly not end with their deaths. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that humanity was now done for.
He fervently prayed that this was not that event, but Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly walking over to them was the proof enough.
Here was a guy who would never ever shut his mouth up even if he was threatened with imminent death. There couldnt have been any clearer proof than such a man suddenly bing utterly mute and unresponsive.
We, we need to escape... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dont raise a ruckus unless you want all of your pals to die. (Erukana)
Choi Jeong-Hoons iling lips mped shut from the cold voiceing from somewhere behind him.
...Youre finally here? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Heh, you somehow survived until now. (Erukana)
Erukana chuckled lightly and poked Choi Jeong-Hoons head a couple of times.
But you know, you looking at my darling as if hes some kind of a monster is really making my heart ache. Especially when both of you are humans, too. (Erukana)
She left those words behind and approached Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Only then could Choi Jeong-Hoon breathe a sigh of relief.
Erukana just now said that both of them were humans. If Yi Ji-Hyuk had turned into a demonic being, she wouldnt have said that in the first ce.
Which meant that Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt be a full-on demonic creature, and Erukana was closing on him because she felt confident of reverting him back to how he was before.
But contrary to Choi Jeong-Hoons sense of relief, Erukana was incredibly tense as she cautiously approached Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Darling, what are you doing? This doesnt suit you at all. That sort of an expression definitely doesnt suit you. (Erukana)
...
Even though she spoke to him, he showed no response.
No, he simply shifted his gaze over to her face so very slowly. As if he was studying this lifeform called Erukana approaching him.
Ah, ah. I really dont like those eyes, you know? (Erukana)
Erukana shrugged her shoulders.
Those are the absolute worst possible eyes that a husband can use to stare at his loyal wife. I prefer your usual annoyed expression, instead. I mean, even I cant sense anything from such expressionless eyes, you know? Dont you agree? (Erukana)
Erukana didnt stop her strides.
Yi Ji-Hyuk expressionlessly stared at her before changing his direction, this time towards her.
Choi Jeong-Hoon held his breath.
It wasnt as if he fully trusted Erukana, but it was also true that the most trustworthy person in this situation was none other than her. If she couldnt fix this problem, then no one could.
A bizarre situation was developing here, one where he needed to cheer on a demon king for the survival of humanity itself.
Lets go home and y some video games, okay? I mean, youve already finished what needs to be done, anyway. Am I right? (Erukana)
Erukana finally reached right next to Yi Ji-Hyuk and formed a truly bewitching smile.
I can tell that youre full of frustration from your face, so if you really want... (Erukana)
It happened then.
Yi Ji-Hyuks ws lengthened and cleanly prated through Erukanas abdomen.
Driiip...
ck blood leaked out from the corners of her mouth.
Ah, aaaah.... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons jaw helplessly fell.
It was over.
Even Erukana couldnt revert Yi Ji-Hyuk back to how he was.
She looked down at the ws stabbing through her abdomen, then grinned softly.
Your prank this time is a bit too much, dont you think? (Erukana)
...
Well,e here. Im sure youre really confused right about now. (Erukana)
Even with her belly stabbed through like that, she still took another step forward and embraced him. He didnt resist and fell into her arms.
It was then, a faint flicker of light briefly shed behind his back, only for Affeldrichae and her hardened expression to appear there. She cautiously ced her hand on Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
Erukana nodded her head, then Mana emitting blinding rays of pure light began digging into his head.
Keuh-euh-euh-euh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Behave now. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to twist his body, but Erukana held him tightly and didnt let go.
Itll be over soon. Very soon. It might hurt now, but once you wake upter, youre going to thank me for real, you know? Youre still cool after turning into a demonic being, but... I wasnt a fan. (Erukana)
Yi Ji-Hyuks convulsion seemed to be lessening gradually, then he eventually went limp. Affeldrichae used magic to lift him up in the air and sighed deeply.
There wont be next time. (Affeldrichae)
I guess so. (Erukana)
Erukana replied, sounding not that surprised by the revtion.
I agree that there wont be next time. We wont be able to revert him. But this idiot will step forward next time too, and that will really be the end. (Erukana)
Erukana furrowed her brows.
If only he was a weakling, Id have forcibly restricted him by now, but too bad, hes no longer on the level that I can do anything about. I cant subdue him anymore. (Erukana)
Choi Jeong-Hoon and his hardened face approached the two women and he cautiously asked them.
Is he alright? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ng, he sure is. His head ispletely tainted by the dark Mana, and from this point on, using even a simple magic will turn him into a demon. Thats his current state. Right now, even the simple act of breathing will cause him untold pain, but what a relief it is, hes not going to destroy the world after bing a demonic creature. From you peoples perspective, everything is perfectly alright. (Erukana)
Erukana continued on with her biting remarks.
No, hang on. Since you wont be able to exploit him anymore, I guess that doesnt qualify as being perfectly alright. So, what will you do about that, human? Since my darling hasntpletely lost his humanity, are you nning to ask him to sacrifice himself a few more times in the future, too? (Erukana)
Lady Erukana. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae tried to dissuade her, but Erukana didnt stop.
As pathetic lowly lifeforms, all you can do is cling onto someone amazing and whine like little pups. So, take a good look. Look at the end result of your whining. All thanks to you, my darling now looks like this. Do you feel satisfied now? (Erukana)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly studied Yi Ji-Hyuk, before replying with a stiff voice.
Does that mean hes no longer capable ofbat? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What if he can? (Erukana)
Then we must ask him to keep fighting for us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Human. If my darling was awake, Id have killed you with my own hands already. (Erukana)
I know full well that I deserve such a treatment, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
Ill choose the suffering of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk over that of theplete annihtion of the human race itself. Even though I hate myself for thinking about it, I have to. Besides, Im not the romanticist type that mouth dogsh*t like Youve done everything you can until now, so let the whole of humanity step forward to protect you from now on, unfortunately. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, so youre going to keep squeezing him dry, is that it? (Erukana)
Yes. That is if we can. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Erukana wordlessly red at Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Meanwhile, Seo Ah-Young was busy gathering her Ether in case she needed to make a move in an instant.
Considering the exchange between the two so far, itd not be strange to see Erukana blow away Choi Jeong-Hoons head right this second.
Even forgetting for a moment whether his deration was right or wrong, Seo Ah-Young was deeply terrified by Choi Jeong-Hoons boldness allowing him to clearly enunciate such words in front of Erukana.
Oh, so such a thing is absolutely obvious, you say? (Erukana)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon replied clearly.
Even if it wasnt Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk but me, the story would have remained the same. Its something we simply have to do. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And why is that? (Erukana)
Because we wish to survive. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...
It doesnt matter whether its us or Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, if we dont win, then well all die. We certainly cant say, You struggled so hard until now, so why dont you let go of everything and die in peace, now can we? Humans always struggle bitterly right till the end. Thats what makes us humans. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm... (Erukana)
Erukana withdrew her scary aura a little, and nodded her head in understanding.
For sure, it is worth talking to you, human. I enjoy the fact that you dont try to dress it up with flowery words. (Erukana)
Thank you for yourpliment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Unfortunately for you, though, darling cant fight for you anymore. Even if he wishes to step up and fight, you will now have to stop him at all cost. Unless you wish to hasten an even more unavoidable destruction of this world thats far worse than the demon worlds invasion, of course. (Erukana)
...Is it that bad? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ive already done some investigation on you humans. You all have this tendency to think that everything is still alright even as youre barrelling straight towards your doom. The fossil fuel, the foundation of your technological advancement, are rapidly running out yet despite all the pledges to save and preserve it, you show not one single hint of doing so. (Erukana)
...
Darlings the same as you. Thats why youve been warned countless times before. But you thought that everything would be alright somehow in the end, didnt you? Im sorry, but this really is the end for you. If darling uses any more dark Mana, then either he dies or bes a demonic being. You saw how he couldnt recognise me, someone he spent over a thousand years together. Or maybe you have a short memory span? (Erukana)
Erukana lightly tapped the holes still visible on her abdomen.
Next time, his ws wont only be directed at me. Im warning you. (Erukana)
Erukana turned around to leave, then Affeldrichae activated teleportation magic to whisk Yi Ji-Hyuk and herself away.
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked around his surroundings with a somewhat hollow expression.
The half-destroyed city of Seoul was greeting him.
...Is it over? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Youngs question elicited a helpless chuckle from Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Yes, it is over. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Humanity is.
Choi Jeong-Hoon chose not to say aloud thosest two words.
They lost Yi Ji-Hyuk, and the capital was half-gone now, too. And the achievement at the end of all that was the elimination of a single demon king out of several dozens.
If such exchanges happened a couple more times, then not a single human city would remain standing anymore.
But they now faced an even worse problem than that, and it was... humanity had lost its only method tobat the demon king threats.
As long as Yi Ji-Hyuk was in no state to fight...
Choi Jeong-Hoon continued to look around with a vacant look on his face.
What will happen to us now? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyus question urately pointed out the crux of the matter, and Choi Jeong-Hoon found himself unable to answer. Well, he couldnt reply to a question he didnt know the answer to, thats why.
For now... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spoke softly as he observed the defencemand personnel rushing over to his location from afar.
Lets go back to the HQ. Then, think hard about the future. About what we should do next. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A victory full of injuries.
There wouldnt be a more sinct phrase to describe this situation. Choi Jeong-Hoon tightly bit his lower lip.
< 411. We must ask him to keep fighting -1 > Fin.
Chapter 412: We must ask him to keep fighting (2)
Chapter 412: We must ask him to keep fighting (2)
South Koreas President Yun Yeong-Min was in a state of panic.
But the current situation was so serious that the people around him had barely noticed his state.
The old adage went that a man facing an extreme situation would rarely disy any outward signs of emotional instability, and that assertion seemed somewhat true today.
Yun Yeong-Min received the situation report, and had no choice but to ask back in a daze.
Im currently failing to fullyprehend the picture here, so is it possible for you to tell me only the salient points, instead? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The defense minister looked back at the president while wiping away the sweat off his forehead.
Of course he understood. How could he not?
Everyone present here understood full well the state of mind Yun Yeong-Min would end up in after receiving such a report. The defense ministers own position as a person tasked with delivering the unpleasant news was unenviable, to say the least.
The southern half of Seoul has been destroyedpletely, sir. The damages even extend to some portions of Gyeonggi province, as well. (defense minister)
...................
Yun Yeong-Min stared at the footage shot by the satellite and his expression hollowed out.
Half of Seoul was gone?
What kind of an unrealistic event was this?
Miraculously, the loss of life is not as severe as we initially feared, sir. However, we now have over three million refugees. Providing shelters and feeding them adequately will present a considerable challenge, sir. (defense minister)
I see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min mechanically nodded his head.
The thing was, though, not much of what the defense minister had said was registering in his brain.
What about the secondary damages? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The minister of government administration replied with a deeply tense expression.
We should receive a report from the ministry of public safety first to fully determine that, but as things have been so cleanly destroyed, there isnt much left to worry about the secondary damages, sir. Although half-destroyed buildings in precarious states maye down at any second, since the entry into the area has been restricted...
Yun Yeong-Mins nods grew progressively powerless.
Half of the countrys capital had been blown apart. This was so much more serious than simply saying that some city or rather had been destroyed.
Thankfully, some of the most important infrastructure were not caught within the range of destruction, but still, the overall damage was so extensive that calcting the cost in mary terms would be next to impossible now.
Even a war wouldnt be this bad... (Yun Yeong-Min)
While Yun Yeong-Min was chuckling hollowly to himself, Song Jeong-Su was quietly staring at the defense minister before asking him something.
Okay, so... (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes sir? (defense minister)
What happened to Yi Ji-Hyuk?
The defense minister couldnt bring himself to answer so he simply mped his mouth shut, prompting Song Jeong-Su to squeeze his eyes shut in dismay as well.
Even at the cost of losing Seoul, we shouldve protected him... (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir, hes still alive. However, participating in any further battles will... (defense minister)
In that case, its no different than dying, is it? Yi Ji-Hyuk who cant fight is nothing more than a foul-tempered brat, after all. (Song Jeong-Su)
No one could rebut Song Jeong-Sus assertion.
More correctly, though, no one here was going to argue back. They were far too absorbed in trying to imagine a situation with no Yi Ji-Hyuk in it.
...What about assistance from other nations? (Song Jeong-Su)
No one has any spare manpower, sir. (defense minister)
Im sure thats the case. You could say we paid a rtively small price this time. (Song Jeong-Su)
Other countries couldnt even deal with a single demon king and were currently hitting their enemies with everything in their arsenal. So when objectively looking at the event of killing a demon king at the cost of half of Seoul, then the Koreans had done a pretty good job overall.
As far as the battle result went, this could be seen as an excellent achievement. But no one here was celebrating it. They had lost something far too important to be in a celebratory mood right now.
And so... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus next words urately pointed out the crux of the matter.
Everything now depends on how we stop the next incursion. (Song Jeong-Su)
***
Mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gravely stared at the front gate to Yi Ji-Hyuks residence. He had walked past this doorway many times by now, but today would be his first time feeling this reluctant to go inside.
The mental shock mustve been huge. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons own mental shock had been great as well, but no one wouldve been shocked as badly as Yi Ji-Hyuk himself. Well, he now couldnt use magical energy anymore, which he considered to be his everything until now.
Wouldnt it be simr to the state of a regr persons emotions after being told that he couldnt use his arms and legs anymore?
Mmm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt bring himself to press the doorbell and he continued to sigh nonstop.
Uh-whew. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In the end, though, he shook his head hard and pressed the bell.
Ding-dong.
Too bad for him, though, there was no response.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Even after pressing the bell a couple more times, there was still no response, so he was about to press it once more, but then, along with a familiar electronic whine, the gate opened up.
...
Now normally, you wouldnt just open the door like that without confirming who was outside first. What if a robber tries to...
Choi Jeong-Hoons train of thoughts came to a crashing halt after spotting Oh-Sik and a slightly bigger turtle beyond the open gate.
Never mind a robber or a thief, nobody is crazy enough to step inside here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, hang on a sec C stepping inside wouldnt be that hard. The issue would be with getting out of here alive instead.
This house, currently protected by a demon king and an Ogre Lord, should be seen as boasting an even greater level of security than the White House at this point. You surely wouldnt find a location guarded by a demon king even back in the demon world, either.
Is this human someone you recognise? (Barasga)
...Cute. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon knew that a bona fide demon king was hiding under that turtle shell, but even then, he couldnt deny the fact that the creature was quite cute to look at. It seemed that Yi Ji-Hyuk had this hobby of capturing scary-looking monsters and turning them into adorable little things.
I came to speak to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The turtle slightly shifted his head over to Oh-Sik. The Ogre nodded his head, prompting the turtle to use its chin to point towards the house itself.
Hes inside. (Barasga)
Who would be lucky enough to experience a turtle pointing with its chin?
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that hes getting to experience so many bizarre things recently, all thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Well, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He bade a simple goodbye to the two creatures and pushed open the front door to enter the house.
Where is everyone? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For some reason, he couldnt see anyone in the living room. He took off his shoes and stepped in before heading straight towards Yi Ji-Hyuks room.
Taptaptaptap...
He could hear the sounds of a keyboard and a mouse getting furiously tapped away.
...Eii, cant be. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It just couldnt be, with the situation being what it was.
Unfortunately, reality was always crueller than ones imagination.
He opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Yi Ji-Hyuk plugging away at hisputer game.
...
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at him with a somewhat dazed expression.
Urgh, blooming hell! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His gaming session didnt seem to be going well because Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly stood right up, threw his headset on the desk and yelled out.
The enemy tower was in his tower, so why?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a long, long groan.
He just couldnt figure this man out with hismon sense.
*
...Why are you looking at me with those eyes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, thats because Ive been thinking about a few things. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Such as? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared back at Yi Ji-Hyuk sitting on the edge of the bed and spoke his earnest impression.
Firstly, my utmost respect towards the gamepany still diligently operating the servers even in the current situation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, they still have to put food on the table, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Secondly, my surprise towards you who are actually ying the game even in the current situation. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, Ive got nothing better to do, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk remained unrepentant even till the end.
Andstly, mymentation towards those human surplus scum living somewhere in our country who are actually ying the game with you even as said country is about to fall into ruin. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eiii, there are far less people yingtely. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Which means only the real, certifiable human surplus scum are left, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was happy to see Yi Ji-Hyuk not being too down-hearted at the moment, but in another sense the situation seemed really terrible and he felt rather bitter about it.
Would this countrys future really be okay at this rate?
What brings you here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I just want to see how you were doing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Arent you too busy for that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not really. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...You arent busy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, Im not busy at all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wasnt lying. He really was not busy.
The government as a whole was working overtime like a bunch of madmen, but somewhatmentably, Choi Jeong-Hoon was left with not much to do after the events had grown far too big in scale.
Besides, what could he even do when no Gates were opening anyway?
Now normally, hed bepiling reports on overall damage incurred, but even that had no meaning anymore. Half of Seoul was gone, so with what dragon-rivalling abilities would he be able to write up a report on the matter?
Not to mention, the higher-ups didnt demand anything from him, either.
I had nothing to do and got bored, so I came to see you wondering how you were doing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Heh, so curious about so many things, arent you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled wryly, and Choi Jeong-Hoon asked with a sigh.
How are you feeling? Are you alright? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk resolutely shook his head.
Obviously Im not okay since I cant use magic anymore. The shock is just too huge. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Is that why you started ying a game? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre supposed to focus on something else if the mental shock is just too great, dont you know that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Id like to hear your honest feelings, though? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
At Choi Jeong-Hoons urging, Yi Ji-Hyuk furrowed his brows as if he was in a dilemma.
Its kinda bittersweet, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bittersweet, is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that was an unexpected reply.
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked down at his own hands and continued on.
Sure, not being able to use magic really sucks, but on the other hand, I always have been thinking that itd be nice to escape from this really effed up cycle, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I think I understand, just a little. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its not like I started fighting because I like it, you know? And forget about magic or whatever, I just wanted to live like a normal person aftering back to this world. So, that dream of mine has be a reality, in a half-forced way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression hardened slightly.
But without you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, humanity wont be able to resist the demon world anymore. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yeah, that does bug me a bit, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
...I dont have a choice but to ept it and move on. Theres nothing more I can do, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...There really isnt any? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek. His fingers trembled imperceptibly just then and Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt miss that.
Im sure you already know this, but well, I have never said no to something that needed to be done even though Idin and whine and whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, thats true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon would always be grateful about those times. Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk grumbled and whined all the time, hed always be there when his presence was required.
If I could do something about it with my spirit only, then I wouldnt have backed away like this. Well, thats what my personality is like, anyway. But if I really do try to rely on my spirit now, then the event of our annihtion arriving on our doorstep will happen much sooner than youd like. So, what can I do about that, realistically speaking? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Choi Jeong-Hoon already knew this.
He had already heard all about it.
However, he couldnt let go of that lingering what-if and had toe here to find out.
Despite knowing that the contents of this conversation was indescribably cruel for Yi Ji-Hyuk, he simply couldnt stop himself.
Because if he did, everything would really be over.
But now that Yi Ji-Hyuk himself said those things, even Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt hold onto his hope anymore.
...Thank you for all your hard work until now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What Choi Jeong-Hoon said contained many different meanings.
Nah, no need to sweat it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For the time being, your status as the NDF agent will remain so. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Are you saying that I gotta go back to work soon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. If were going to survive, we should survive together, and if were to die, then we should do so together as well! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You do know that sounds a bit weird, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smirked.
You should stop thinking that just because youve lost your abilities, youll now get to escape by yourself and live a happy ever after all alone. Even if you cant fight anymore, your worth is still incalcble, you see. You were supposed to be on a sick leave, but I can see that youre fine, so pleasee to work tomorrow. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Cant I, like, quit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No can do! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With that, Choi Jeong-Hoon stood up from the chair. Its not like he had anything to do at the office by leaving early, but staring at Yi Ji-Hyuks face was tormenting him inside for some reason.
Well, then. Ill be on my way now. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I aint seeing you out. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I didnt expect you to. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned around to exit from the room, but stopped in his tracks.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You really did work hard until now. Im truly grateful for that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched Choi Jeong-Hoon leave the house, thenid down on the bed.
Worked hard, is it... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A certain lingering emotion contained in his voice seemed to drift around in the room.
< 412. We must ask him to keep fighting -2 > Fin.
Chapter 413: We must ask him to keep fighting (3)
Chapter 413: We must ask him to keep fighting (3)
I admit that we dont have a whole lot of other things to do. I really do. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyuns voice was filled to the brim with dissatisfaction.
And I also understand why we got dragged here to work, since we didnt have anything better to do, anyway. Its not like we get paid peanuts and our sriese from the taxpayers, right? And even I have enough senses to know that we shouldnt be lounging around in our office scratching our bellies just because theres no work iing. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
...Will you put a cork in your grumbling already? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu spat out a lengthy groan, but Kim Dah-Hyun showed no signs of stopping any time soon.
Even then, Im preeeetty sure that this kinda work isnt the only one we can do. So what is up with this hardbour, man...? My issue is with why we need to do stuff like this. There are plenty of other types of work avable, right? Especially so when Im a rather sensitive speedster-type, unlike you Hyuk-Gyu bro who are basically a dumb musclebrain. This kinda work just doesnt suit me, you know. It just doesnt! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Wanna find out what it feels like to get beaten up by a dumb musclebrain?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Besides all that, I aint a musclebrain, you fool! (Yun Hyuk-Gyus inner monologue)
Sure, I do wanna help, but my physical strength isnt all that different from regr people, you know? So like, Ive been getting second thoughtstely. In the past I thought Id be involved in a cool, elegant sort of work and that sounded really nice but now that I keep getting sucked into doing stuff like this, I feel like a worthless trash, you know what I mean? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
...One more word from you, and Imma beat your a*s up for real. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Che. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun still maintained his disgruntled expression, but he didnt unnecessarily open his mouth again and negatively stimte Yun Hyuk-Gyu. Thetter would not be enjoying this sort of work either, after all.
Yun Hyuk-Gyu gathered Ether in both of his hands, then aimed at a wrecked building with only its skeletal steel beams remaining, before destroying itpletely.
KWA-BOOOOM!
Argh, dude, cant you be more gentle? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Gentle, my a*s. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
These two men had been dispatched to the location where demolition of wrecked buildings were currently in full swing. If a building was in a good enough shape to be reused then it might have been rescued, but with everything here basically destroyed to the core, the higher-ups decided that itd be better for the restoration purposes to wipe everything away first.
Now normally, heavy machinery wouldve been brought in for such a job. If it was an emergency, then maybe even soldiers wouldve been deployed, too. But the brass seemed to believe that it was actually better to send in the members of the KSF and the NDF since each agent could produce a better result than an excavator.
Thanks to that, every single NDF agent had been deployed in the demolition zone to vent out their frustration.
Of course, there were some like Kim Dah-Hyun who got stressed by the task, though.
Euh-rah-cha!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
RUUUUMBLE!!!!
A massive wall of mes burned away the debris from the buildings. Although not hot enough to melt down the concrete itself, Seo Ah-Young still could disy her worth by getting rid of those building waste and bits of timber that couldnt be recycled in the first ce.
Why did this ce have to be so vast, though? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu used to think that Seoul was one big city, but now that half of it had turned into a ttened in, he could even see the distant horizon.
This task might have taken several years of intensebour if performed by regr manpower, but each and every agent of the NDF and KSF did the work of tens ofbourers and the city was rapidly being reorganised as a result.
Maybe I shouldve started in this field from the beginning? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu scratched his cheek and spoke.
I guess your aptitude is a pretty good match for it, then. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Mm... (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
He kind of enjoyed blowing stuff up like this, and when he thought about it some more, he could potentially organise a demolition site all by himself that wouldve normally required the presence of multiple cranes.
Although the sry would be far lower than what he got from the NDF... Hang on a minute, wouldnt the overall annual pay be even better if he charged by the hour?
You should forget about it since there arent that many demolition sites in the world, you know. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
I guess so. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu studied the devastated Gangnam district and spat out another groan.
Wowsers. Itspletely gone, dude. This is basically a forced wealth redistribution, aint it? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Wouldnt the government try topensate the victims? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Trying topensate them will bankrupt the nation, though. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Mm, you have a point there. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Forget about Gangnam itself, just the buildings from three boroughs of Gangnam alone wouldve been worth as much as the annual budget for a small nation, maybe even more. In other words, payingpensation is an impossible pipe dream.
Its all good and well to paypensation, but how would you do that when the country itself had no money?
Because of this crisis, corporations had all ceased operating their manufacturing facilities, while the stock market was in a literal free fall right now.
The stock markets around the world were already falling sharply with the appearances of various demon kings, but this crisis acted like a solid mortal blow and Seouls market was just about at the deaths doorstep.
It wouldnt have much meaning, anyway... (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun stared at the debris with a deeply concerned expression. This was no longer about money. Your wealth would have no meaning if you were dead, after all. The time where your survival took priority over all else was rapidly approaching.
RUUUUUMBLE!!!
That ahjumma... I guess shes got a lot of pant-up stress? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Seeing how Seo Ah-Young was shooting out mes with enough gusto to blow up a country, she mustve been feeling seriously p*ssed off at the moment.
By the way, where did Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon go? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
***
ording to his own words, hes no longer capable ofbat, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm...
Yun Yeong-Min and Song Jeong-Su both spat out a lengthy groan.
Is it really impossible? (Yun Yeong-Min)
It seems that way, sir. His personality dictates that although hed whine andin, hed never tell us lies in the first ce. So, for him to say that with his own mouth... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Christopher McLaren currently joining the conference via satellite was busy massaging his temples.
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is no longer capable of fighting... Thats the same as announcing humanitys death sentence. (Christopher McLaren)
Indeed. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Does South Korea have an alternative in ce? (Christopher McLaren)
...
Song Jeong-Su quietly stared back at Christopher McLaren. Thetter confirmed the formers response and quietly swore under his breath.
Such a thing might have been frowned upon in a diplomatic conference like this, but no one criticised him for it. Well, everyone was feeling exactly the same as him, after all.
Let us be frank here, Mister McLaren. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Please go ahead, Mister Song. (Christopher McLaren)
What kind of preparations have the Americans made so far? (Song Jeong-Su)
C When you say preparations...? (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Hoon furrowed his brows.
Everyone in the world already knows that the Americans have been secretly performing research on the ability users. The one responsible for bringing about this crisis, Alpha, was also born from that research process, was it not? (Song Jeong-Su)
Christopher McLaren didnt answer immediately and simply tapped on the desk with his finger.
Song Jeong-Su was asking him about the hiddenbat force and at the same time, craftily bringing up the Americans fault in the matter as well.
C Although, theres not much meaning in bringing that up at this point. (Christopher McLaren)
Of course it doesnt. (Song Jeong-Su)
Although Song Jeong-Su replied sarcastically, he too couldnt help but agree. Even though they were responsible, the Americans still remained the core fighting force of humanity itself. Without them, waging the anti-demon world warfare would be impossible.
Especially more so when Yi Ji-Hyuk had to retire early.
So he couldnt continue to bring up the topic of the Americans responsibility in this crisis.
If you have any hiddenbat force avable, dont you think its about time that you bring them out? If we get pushed back any further, the human kind will no longer have a future. (Song Jeong-Su)
C I agree. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren shrugged his shoulders.
What Song Jeong-Su said was correct.
At the moment, Germany had been practically wiped off the map, while China had lost one-third of their territory. One could tell how much of a profit South Korea had scored by defeating a demon king at the cost of a half-destroyed capital city from those examples.
The European Union, operating with Germany as their heart, could no longer effectively stop the demon kings army with the Germans no longer in the picture and were continuously being pushed back. As for China, they were receiving support from Russia and other neighbouring nations to wage a figuratively endless war of attrition just to halt the demon kings advance. But that was all they could do right now.
C Unfortunately, even we dont have any spare manpower. At this rate, we will really lose the eastern seaboard. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su rubbed his head.
The only reason why humanity managed to fight against the demon kings so far had been pretty simple C the demon kings advanced incredibly slowly. If they went all out and attacked then no one in this world would be able to stop them, but the demon kings were creeping forward ever so slowly as if they were armies from the past marching on foot to upy the foreign territories.
They could now fully understand the difference in time perception that Yi Ji-Hyuk mentioned earlier.
C Besides, even if we do possess something like that, I dont see a reason to reveal it to you. (Christopher McLaren)
...Christopher. (Song Jeong-Su)
C South Korea without Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is nothing more than some small country in East Asia. Its no better than Japan with its Tokyo half-destroyed. (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Sus face began trembling in rage.
Although the American wasnt wrong, he didnt quite expect that fact to be thrown straight at his face. He knew that the only reason why Christopher McLaren gave South Korea any face until now was Yi Ji-Hyuk, but to think that the American woulde out like this so soon.
C Realistically speaking, thats how it is. If the spot in Pyongyang bes active again, then South Korea will be wiped out in an instant. Right now were battling against enemy forces invading our own territory, so we cant obviously dispatch our men just to prevent South Koreas destruction, now can we? (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Su quietly stared at Christopher McLaren on the screen, before opening his mouth.
Okay, so what is it that you want? (Song Jeong-Su)
C ...What I want? (Christopher McLaren)
As you say, weve lost our fighting strength. At this rate, this country will definitely be wiped out in the blink of an eye when another demon king shows up next time. And no one can tell the level of danger a spot still presents. In that case, it is only obvious that youd abandon us to our devices. (Song Jeong-Su)
Christopher McLarens gaze grew sharper.
Unlike Yun Yeong-Min, it was not as simple to y the game of verbal chess with Song Jeong-Su. Thetter had already seen through the core of the current situation.
With the American intelligenceworks capabilities, you should already know that Yi Ji-Hyuk has lost hisbat capabilities so is there really a reason for you to hold this conference? If I was you, Id not have attended it. You must have a reason for personally chatting to us despite how crazily busy you are right now. (Song Jeong-Su)
p, p, p...
Christopher McLaren began apuding from beyond the screen.
C Id like to apologise to your president sitting next to you, but well, I honestly cant understand why you havent be a president yet. (Christopher McLaren)
You shouldnt, especially when looking at the political situation in your own country. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Well, thats true. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren smiled awkwardly.
C In that case, let me get to the main topic. We do have some hidden aces up our sleeves at the moment. They are both scientific and ability-rted. However, none of them are at the level of being ready to be unveiled to the public yet. Its still unknown whether or not we can assist not just the U.S., but even South Korea as its heavily dependent on how they are utilised. (Christopher McLaren)
Not to forget, there are already the American aircraft carrier and nuclear submarines waiting in our East Sea. (Song Jeong-Su)
C I guess South Koreas own intelligencework is nothing to scoff at. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren grinned and spoke.
C In any case, the most valuable weapon that we paid the greatest attention to is our research facility. The research performed there explores various options such as scientifically analysing the abilities of different ability users and helping regr people awaken as ability users themselves, or even extract the unique ability out from the user and attach it to a physical weapon. (Christopher McLaren)
Is it okay for you to tell us that? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Well, Im telling you all this for the sake of what Im about to say next. Because youd be able to guess what I want based on the info provided. (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Sus expression hardened. Because he indeed had figured out what Christopher McLaren wanted here.
C Our condition is rather simple. Im sure your side has already guessed it by now. (Christopher McLaren)
...No, I still dont know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon realised what was going on here and bared his fangs.
C You dont? Someone like you? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren chuckled in dismay.
C Lets not joke around here, please. Were also quite busy this side, you see. If youre nning to be uncooperative, then itll be better for us to leave and get ourselves some cheeseburgers on the way to the locations of the skirmishes, instead. So, lets not beat around the bush and be more constructive and efficient, shall we? (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon red at Christopher McLaren with murderous eyes. However, the American smiled rxedly and returned the formers gaze.
C Our demand is pretty simple, just like what youve already guessed. Hand over Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, then well protect your country. (Christopher McLaren)
< 413. We must ask him to keep fighting -3 > Fin.
Chapter 414: We must ask him to keep fighting (4)
Chapter 414: We must ask him to keep fighting (4)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shot up from his seat and red murderously at Christopher McLaren.
Why are you suggestingplete nonsense?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Although he didnt lose all semnce of decorum with how he spoke, Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes remained viciously hostile, as if hed rip the American to shreds at any given moment.
However, Christopher McLaren didnt lose his rxed demeanour.
C You should calm down, Mister Choi. (Christopher McLaren)
Calm down?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It wasnt as if he had nothing clever to say. He was just speechless from utter disbelief, thats all.
What will you do after getting your hands on Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C You arent asking me that because you dont know, now are you? (Christopher McLaren)
No, I dont, so why dont you enlighten me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Christopher McLaren chuckled hollowly at Choi Jeong-Hoons uncooperative attitude. The American cut the tip of the cigar and lit it up.
C Dont be like this, Mister Choi. You know this too, dont you. Humanity needs to do whatever it can, right now. Unless we bitterly struggle right until the end, well all get wiped out. (Christopher McLaren)
Are you suggesting that we should be celebrating the feat of surviving at the cost of our morality? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Morality? Youre still clinging onto a hopeless ideal like that even now? Why dont you ask the rest of humanity if they are willing to sacrifice one person to ensure the survival of the rest? Im pretty sure that 99% would agree. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to rebuke, but Christopher McLaren cut him off first.
C Besides all that, you dont have the qualifications or the authority to even speak against me. Being able to talk to Yi Ji-Hyuk, thats all your worth amounts to. And now that hes lost his powers, you shouldnt even be a part of this conversation. I only permitted you to be here out of old times sake, so shut up and sit your a*s down. (Christopher McLaren)
You... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Take a seat. (Song Jeong-Su)
Just before Choi Jeong-Hoon could explode in anger, a quiet but weighty voice entered his ears.
But, sir! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I said, take a seat. Now. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoons face reddened up. His lips bobbed furiously as if a curse word would jump out at any second, but eventually he mped his jaw shut. He then quietly settled down on the chair.
C Now theres a good boy. This should be better than getting chased out of here and be in the dark about whats going on. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren openly retorted sarcastically, but Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt say anything.
C Okay, then. What will you do? Mister Prime Minister? Mister President? (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Su was the first to reply to the Americans question.
I wish to confirm a few things first. (Song Jeong-Su)
C If youre going to cooperate with us, then we certainly can give you some time. Nothing is more important to humanity than this issue, after all. (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Su calmly received the worry-filled eyes of the surroundings and slowly opened his mouth.
What are you going to do after taking over Yi Ji-Hyuks custody? Please be direct. Im not interested in any amateurish attempt at beating around the bushes. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Its simple. Experiments. (Christopher McLaren)
Experiments? (Song Jeong-Su)
Christopher McLaren nodded his head.
C As you know, weve been researching Ether since the beginning. We havent yet produced the kind of results that would allow us to oppose demon kings, but surely some time down the line, we will have some that can help our cause. Unfortunately, that wont be enough for us. So, we now wish to research not only Ether, but lifeforms made out of Mana as well. Especially so when its a human who wields Mana and possesses the overwhelming power. The value of research on such a person would truly be incalcble. (Christopher McLaren)
Isnt it faster and better to get Yi Ji-Hyuks cooperation in this matter, instead? (Song Jeong-Su)
Christopher McLaren didnt reply to that. But that reaction alone spoke volumes.
What Jeong Min-Seong said was all true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gritted his teeth under his breath.
He ended up recalling the North Korean angrily asking him if he knew what kind of torture many ability users were going through in the unmarked, unnamed undergroundbs throughout the world right now.
C If you want to criticise me, go on right ahead. But one things for sure, while you raise your hands up in defeat and start criticising me, we are still doing our best to stop this cmity. So, you think you have any right to criticise our side? (Christopher McLaren)
Arent you so full of wonderful ready-made excuses? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons retort caused Christopher McLaren to furrow his brows.
Just before the atmosphere between the two men got any worse, though, Song Jeong-Su interjected first.
Theres this one thing I dont quite understand. Does your country need cooperation from our side in the first ce? If you were to send people here to kidnap Yi Ji-Hyuk, then I dont think wed have enough wherewithal to stop you. (Song Jeong-Su)
C What a sly old fox you are. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren had pretty much forgotten about decorum at this point.
C If the NDF stepped up to protect Yi Ji-Hyuk, then we would need to deploy quite a lot of ourbat forces in the operation. However, there are twin issues of distance as well as the demon kings army in the eastern seaboard, so you probably know better than anyone that itd be hard for us to mobilise enough personnel. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su nodded his head as if he finally understood the full picture.
I see. So thats how it is. (Song Jeong-Su)
Unlike him, though, Choi Jeong-Hoon was still letting his dissatisfaction be known.
What a dogsh*t rubbish that is. You really think Miss Erukana will sit idly by and do nothing? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Ah yes, her. We do have a score with that demon king b*tch, dont we. And youve been looking down on us for a while now, but... Mister Choi, you think were doing this without making an adequate n beforehand? (Christopher McLaren)
I had no idea insects had brains, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Click.
Christopher McLaren lit up a new cigar and stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon with withdrawn eyes.
C Now, look here, Mister Choi. I get that youre emotional. I also get that your bond with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk goes well beyond normal friendship. And I certainly do get your emotional response, too. (Christopher McLaren)
...
C However, theres an element of going overboard with your reactions. Youre simply throwing a tantrum right now. When you look at this objectively, Im sure you can tell who between us two are doing their best for the sake of humanity. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt say anything.
No, he couldnt even if he wanted to.
If one wanted to discuss who was more constructive between him and Christopher McLaren, then the result would be far too obvious, thats why.
C Morality? That sure is nice. Yes, a very nice ideal. However, thats not an absolute necessity for humans. We owe Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk a great deal of debt. I know full well that stabbing someone who helped us so much in the back is an action of a truly despicable b*stard. However, I dont care. I dont care if history looks back at me andbel me a son of a b*tch. Im going to save humanity even if they remember me as a human scumbag. (Christopher McLaren)
His words were in line with what Choi Jeong-Hoon had said earlier to Erukana.
For a moment there, Choi Jeong-Hoon thought about how selfish and cruel, horrible existences humanity could be. Other than the small differences of how he went about it, he too had requested Yi Ji-Hyuk to die for the sake of mankind, after all.
Whats different from that and this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The differences were the harshness of thenguage used and severity of the methods employed. If Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to fight then only aplete annihtion, even death, waited for him at the end, yet Choi Jeong-Hoon asked him to keep fighting.
In the form of an earnest request, even.
Christopher McLaren was simply dering his intentions in a far more direct manner. The premise at the end was still the same, though. Didnt Choi Jeong-Hoon also tell Erukana that no individual was more important than the whole species?
However...
Song Jeong-Su sensed that Choi Jeong-Hoon was in a confused state and took over the conversation.
I get what youre saying. However, we need time to contemte our position. You know its not that quick or simple to make decisions regarding a governments stance on anything. So I ask you for your understanding. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Mm, of course I do understand. However, I urge you to decide as soon as possible. Not just us, but quite a few other countries out there are dying to get their hands on Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk even as we speak. Were already doing our best to stop China and Russia from making their moves, you see. (Christopher McLaren)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up chuckling under his breath.
What a messed up situation this was.
I understand what youre saying. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Ill wait for your correct decision. A decision meant for the whole of humanity, not just us few. (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Sus eyes took in the sight of the screen going dark, then turning offpletely.
...Dammit. (Song Jeong-Su)
He leaned against the seat back, looking hollow. Yun Yeong-Min looked at him and asked.
What should we do in this situation? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Of course we cant! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was the first to reply.
Just how much did Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk do for us until now? We shouldnt even entertain such things in the first ce. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, what he said is also correct, isnt it? At this rate, only destruction awaits us. We need a new breakthrough. (Yun Yeong-Min)
There is no guarantee that well find any breakthroughs because we handed Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk over, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That doesnt mean we shouldnt try every avable method at hand, does it? (Yun Yeong-Min)
The re in Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes grew harsher.
Sir, does that every avable method also include serving up Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk like a guinea pig and begging the Americans to protect us? Is that something a president of a nation should even be saying? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Watch what you say, young man! (Yun Yeong-Min)
Before Yun Yeong-Min could explode in anger, Song Jeong-Su cut in first.
That isnt the problem. (Song Jeong-Su)
...
The biggest problem is this. Even if we decide to protect Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, will we be able to? Considering Christopher McLarens attitude or that of other governments, it seems quite unlikely that theyll give up just because we said no. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head. He too thought the same.
Since no one knows when the spot in Pyongyang will go live again, surely they would want to secure Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk when things are still rtively calm. If we say no, then the armed incursion would certainly be their next move. Can we even defend against that? (Song Jeong-Su)
We will, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, the NDF is powerful. But whenparing the South Korean armed forces against the Americans, the end result will be obvious. I hope youre not thinking that the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the East Sea isnt there for our protection. (Song Jeong-Su)
...We may lose out to them in the strengths of the armed forces, but this isnt a war, sir. Its an operation to procure a target. Aerones cant kidnap someone on the ground, for instance. Which means they will have to makendfall with either ability users or special forces personnel, but in that case, things would be simpler for us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That does sound logical. (Song Jeong-Su)
If the decision was to protect, then the South Koreans would have some advantages. That point had been understood, but Song Jeong-Su didnt believe that would be the end of the story.
But what will protecting Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk get us? (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon raised his voice up in anger, but Song Jeong-Su simply shook his head.
We are facing a problem that personal friendship or human rights can solve. Its also not about benefits for the nation, either. If we dont find a breakthrough no matter what it takes, then humanity will be finished. (Song Jeong-Su)
...
Are you saying that you will stay loyal even as were all annihted? What Christopher McLaren said, the thing about doing whatever we can, isnt wrong. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon got up from his seat.
What are you doing? (Song Jeong-Su)
Im leaving, sir, because this is bullsh*t and its wrong. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Look here, Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Song Jeong-Su)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat on the ground once and turned around to leave.
Please do your worst to find out what benefits we will enjoy. I shall stay loyal and face my annihtion. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you going to keep acting like a d*mn child? This is not a childs y! This is reality with six billion lives at stake! (Song Jeong-Su)
In that case, please do your best to think about that reality. The NDF... No, I will never make that kind of a choice. Why dont you step over my dead body to take him away, instead? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
m!
The door to the conference room mmed shut. Song Jeong-Su groaned deeply under his breath.
I thought he was a smart fe, so I dont know why hes being so stubbornly idiotic. (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, hes still at the age where the fire in his heart burns hotter than the one in his head. Surely even he knows that theres no other choice. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Hotter in his heart than his head, is it... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su quietly closed his eyes.
He thought that the fire in his chest mustve gone out already, seeing how he was calcting gains and losses over this matter right now.
Bloody hell. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su pulled out his cigarette and lit up, his expression remaining bitter. And for some reason, the unhealthy smoke entering in his lungs tasted iparably bitter than ever before.
< 414. We must ask him to keep fighting -4 > Fin.
Chapter 415: We must ask him to keep fighting (5)
Chapter 415: We must ask him to keep fighting (5)
F*cking geezers. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon exited from the Blue House, still fuming nonstop.
Click, click!
He clicked on the lighter several times, but for some reason it didnt want to work. He tossed the useless thing outside the drivers window of his car, then out of the blue, mmed his palm down on the steering wheel.
Uwaaaaaaah!!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The hooter and his roar resounded out loudly and he felt a little bit better afterwards.
He was fuming with rage because Christopher McLaren and Song Jeong-Su both were talking about some horsesh*t. And he simply couldnt forgive himself after his ears perked up from their nonsense.
Perked up?
No.
In all honesty, he was still debating it unconsciously even now.
Under the guise of For the sake of humanity! his brain was quickly calcting gains and losses and he just couldnt forgive himself for doing that.
A decent human being shouldnt even do this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But seeing that he couldnt let go of this lingering what if at this thing that shouldnt be done, maybe Choi Jeong-Hoon wasnt a decent human being anymore. Or maybe, he was more human than he bargained for.
He chuckled hoarsely at himself.
He thought that he was indeed very much a human being after seeing how he continued to calcte the most beneficial situation for himself even if that meant his benefactors demise. An ungrateful and selfish human being.
Unable to drive anymore, Choi Jeong-Hoon parked the car on the side of the road.
With the unlit cigarette still hanging loose between his lips, he leaned his head back against the seat. He figured that him driving in his current state would only cause an ident of some kind. Sure, the amount of traffic in the city had lessened considerably, but he wasnt confident of doing something as simple as following the lines on the road at the moment.
Im also a trash, arent I. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He closed his eyes and swore at himself, but then, his ears caught a somewhat strange noise.
Click.
It was the unmistakable noise of a lighter being lit.
He instinctively sucked on the cigarette and felt the acrid, bitter smoke enter his lungs. He slowly opened his eyes and froze up immediately on the spot.
Someone had lit his cigarette for him. He didnt think that the person would be some random passerby. It had to be someone familiar, he reasoned.
And his expectation was right on the money.
The person holding the lighter and smiling brightly was someone Choi Jeong-Hoon definitely recognised.
But why was that man even here to begin with?
Nice to see you again, Mister Choi. You dont mind me joining you, right? (?)
Joining me?
Choi Jeong-Hoon chuckled hollowly and nodded his head.
He no longer had any choice in the matter after they ran into each other on this particr stretch of the road. Even if he said no, the other party would still settle down on the passenger seat at any time they wanted anyways.
...Have you actually settled down in South Korea now? Feels like Im seeing you far too often. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, its all business rted so cant be helped. (Alpha)
The person tried to open the passenger side door but found it locked, so he lightly knocked on the window.
Choi Jeong-Hoon groaned and unlocked the door. The person climbed aboard and pulled out a cigarette for himself before lighting it.
I know its against etiquette to smoke in someone elses car, but since youre smoking too, why dont we call it even? (?)
You know, your Koreans be a lot more fluent. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im interested in the matters of South Korea at the moment, after all. So I studied thenguage a bit to hold a smoother conversation, you see. (?)
Choi Jeong-Hoon ended up smirking a little.
He just couldnt get used to this persons glib tongue. Especially more so when that nice-enough looking face belonged to the worst criminal in the entire world.
Okay, so. What do you want from me, Alpha? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha grinned brightly and stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon.
*
The riverside, is it... Pretty interesting ce, if I say so myself. (Alpha)
...Well, civilians cante here anymore, thats why. We can converse freely here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon scanned his surroundings again. Even though he drove here with all the windows rolled up, the odds of the higher-ups learning about his meeting with Alpha were well over fifty percent.
They might not know about it immediately, but there was a good chance that they would find outter down the line.
Despite the danger of being found out, he had two reasons for bringing Alpha to this location.
One, he had no choice in the matter anyway. His life was as good as in Alphas hands after meeting him in such a close proximity. His other reason was more to do with his curiosity, the desire, to find out why someone like Alpha came seeking him out in the first ce.
Okay. Lets get to the main topic. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah, before that... Here, a present for you. (Alpha)
A present? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha pulled out a small handkerchief-like something from his inner pocket and pushed it towards Choi Jeong-Hoon.
A handkerchief? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
More correctly, Alpha wasnt giving him this piece of cloth but something else wrapped in it. With a doubtful expression, he took the handkerchief and opened it.
...What the f*ck?! You insane b*stard! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon confirmed what the handkerchief was hiding and freaked out loudly.
Ehheeii~, no need to get too excited here, fe. (Alpha)
However, Alpha began cackling away as if Choi Jeong-Hoons reaction was entertaining to behold.
The handkerchief contained human fingers. Five of them, still rtively supple to the touch as if they had been severed not too long ago.
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt toss them away and wrapped the handkerchief back around them instead.
...Can these be reattachedter? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, thatll be meaningless since the owner of the hand is dead? (Alpha)
You killed... him? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yup. (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon dazedly stared at Alpha. After guessing what that stare was supposed to imply, thetter began guffawing out.
Stop looking at me like that, will you? I knew full well that you arent the type to get chuffed at receiving some fingers freshly severed from a corpse. Youre not into necrophilia, after all. Those fingers belonged to some idiot who was tailing you, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. An ability user working for an American intelligence agency, most likely. (Alpha)
An American intelligence agency, you say? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. Well, its not something to be surprised about, now is it? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon unfolded the handkerchief again. Upon a closer inspection, the fingers didnt seem to belong to an Asian. Sure, the American intelligence agency wouldnt only employ Caucasians, but still...
...Was it Christopher McLaren? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Bingo. (Alpha)
Alpha apuded theatrically. Thinking that this guy was busy mocking him right now, Choi Jeong-Hoon wordlessly rolled the window down and tossed the handkerchief outside, with the severed fingers and all.
Uh? Isnt that abandonment of human remains? (Alpha)
No cops around here, so who cares. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You really do have a decisive, manly streak about you, dont you? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a groan and opened his mouth.
Enough messing around. Ive finally begun epting that youre here right now so how about we get to the business of why youre here in the first ce? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, sure. Then again, both you and I dont have the luxury of time, dont we. (Alpha)
...Sorry, but all I have these days is time to kill. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Actually, me too. Ive had nothing much to do recently. (Alpha)
A strange sense of kinship could be felt in this part of the conversation.
Just the main points only. I learned that phrase in this country. Although, a chatterbox like me doesnt really like that idea at all. (Alpha)
I also wasnt much of a fan before, but thanks to you, I might be one soon. Okay, so what is it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, its pretty simple. A chatterbox should hang out with another chatterbox, wouldnt you say? Id like to chat to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Alpha)
Ng? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What on earth was all this about?
You want to talk to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. I called him on the phone already, but he didnt answer. I even sent him a text message, but no reply so far, either. (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared in stupor at Alpha.
You called him on the phone already? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hey, man. Despite how I look, Im a civilised man. I can call someone on the phone anytime I want. (Alpha)
How did you even get the num... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to ask a question but stopped himself. Finding out someones phone number wouldnt be a challenge for a big fish like Alpha, after all.
Urgh. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So, then. How should he interpret Alphas intentions after thetter oh-so nonchntly approached him and asked for a line to Yi Ji-Hyuk?
...Why dont you just kill me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Mister Choi. Im not some violent terrorist, you know. (Alpha)
You are not?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Murderous intent quickly filled up Choi Jeong-Hoons re.
You have any godd*mn idea how many people died because of you?! Because of you b*stard opening the doorway to the demon world, humanity is now barrelling straight towards our annihtion like an out of control freight train. Yet youre saying what now?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha smirked deeply.
Oh, so, in that case, if I havent done that thing, would humanity be enjoying unparalleled prosperity by now? (Alpha)
...
You know thats not true. Who knows how long it wouldve taken, but the doorway to the demon world was bound to open sooner orter. We might have endured it for a little while longer while gradually eating away at Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, but the end result wouldve been the same regardless. Its all thanks to me that the doorways have opened up while Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is still somewhat useful, so why dont you think about that for a second first? (Alpha)
Well, thanks for telling me your bullsh*t logic. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not at all. (Alpha)
Feeling frustrated, Choi Jeong-Hoon stuck yet another cigarette in his mouth. Just as he realised that he didnt have a lighter anymore, Alpha nonchntly lit it up for him.
So nonchnt, in fact, it was p*ssing him off.
Seriously, man. A double eff you from two different sides, eh. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was currently feeling the simr emotions from when Song Jeong-Su and Christopher McLaren were busy telling him their reasons. It sounded like pure bullcrap at first, but after mulling over it for some more, their assertion didnt sound all that wrong anymore.
Even if Alpha didnt do anything, the pathways to the demon world wouldve opened up eventually. Humanitys situation wouldnt have changed by a noticeable margin just because they bought themselves a bit of time. No, it wouldve been nothing more than dying the inevitable.
Just what is your ultimate aim? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh? What do you mean? (Alpha)
Youre human, arent you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Mm, yeah. Sure. (Alpha)
I fully get your twisted logic. And when I think about all the crap you had to go through, its not like I dont feel sorry for you, either. However, youre a human like the rest of us. So, this thing about wanting to serve up humanity to the demonic beings because the world is too f*cked up? Not even a chuuni woulde up with such a thing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I keep saying this all the time, but Im what youd call a humanitarian. A man full of love towards humanity, in other words. (Alpha)
Repeating it doesnt make it true, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hugged his head.
He suddenly felt sorrowful and depressed about his current situation of needing to chat to this insane b*stard. He shouldve stepped on the elerator and driven away back then. With what madness did he let this insane b*stard ride in the car?
Please stop thinking of me that way. Just like what you said, Im a human being too. You cant be thinking that I did this thing because I wanted to see the human race fall, now do you? No, I merely grabbed onto an opportunity when one presented itself. (Alpha)
An opportunity? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes. A heaven-sent opportunity to change everything in one shot. Excluding Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, Im probably the first one to learn about the demon world and the demonic beings. So, I merely made some preparations to counter them, thats all. (Alpha)
Opening the doorway to the demon world is a part of that?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I cant tell you everything right now, but please, believe me when I say that the process was a necessary step in my n. (Alpha)
Alpha cackled hoarsely. As if he too couldnt quite believe what had happened.
...Ill believe you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wow. I didnt think youd believe me this easily... Even the fools who are supposed to be my underlings dont really believe me, you know? (Alpha)
Fine, Ill believe you, so why dont you go now and do your own little thing? Even if Im dead, Im not going to take you to where Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats wrong? You think Ill try to kill him or something? (Alpha)
...
Alpha, his expression suddenly crumpling unsightly as if he had be someone else, leaned very close to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Ive got no interest in Yi Ji-Hyuk with no powers. Not even worth killing him, actually. If I decide to kill him, then itd only be after he regains his powers. Get my drift, my man? (Alpha)
If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk regains his powers, you think someone like you can even stands as his opponent? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah... Well, thats also true. (Alpha)
Alpha leaned back on the passenger seat with an expression of a man who got everything off his chest.
Thats why you need to get me through to him. I mean, this is for the sake of rescuing humanity, you know. (Alpha)
...Im getting even less inclined now since the whole idea is just too wacky. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, lets do it this way. (Alpha)
Mm? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He might not answer my call, but he will answer yours. So you call him and ask if its okay for you to bring me along. Dont you think this is a splendid idea? (Alpha)
Why would Mister Yi... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, you better be careful with your word choices. If its that dude, hell probably say its cool or something, right? Kekeke. (Alpha)
For a moment there, Choi Jeong-Hoon was really tempted to punch theughing Alpha in the mouth.
< 415. We must ask him to keep fighting -5 > Fin.
Chapter 416: Been a while (1)
Chapter 416: Been a while (1)
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that his own mind was going out of whack after talking to this madman.
If you swear that youll go away without a fuss after I call him and he says no then sure, why not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What, youll really believe me if I swear it? I didnt think youd be like that... Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon, youre more innocent than you look, arent you? (Alpha)
...D*mn it, I wish I could beat the living daylights out of this punk... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gnashed his teeth and pulled out his phone. He figured that rather than experiencing a verbal wrestling match with this punk here, he might as well call Yi Ji-Hyuk as soon as possible and bring about an end to this whole situation.
In the corner of his mind, he was acutely aware of his survival being dependent on the result of the call itself, but even then, he had absolutely no desire to extend this strange confrontation any longer than it had to.
If he was fated to die, then so be it.
He didnt want to pathetically limp on in this conversation just because of the looming threat of death.
After confirming Yi Ji-Hyuks number on the screen, Choi Jeong-Hoon tapped on the call icon then put the phone on speaker.
The ring tone only went on for a couple of times before the call got through.
C Hello? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Please hurry up. Im in the middle of han-ta. [1] (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Gimme a break, that d*mn game. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Before Choi Jeong-Hoon could say something else, though, Alpha shouted out first.
Wowsers, this is too much, you know?! You never answered my call, though! (Alpha)
C What the hell? Who was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shot a re at Alpha with eyes reserved for looking at a madman, but thetter replied rather nonchntly.
Its Alpha. How are you doing? (Alpha)
C Alpha? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Alpha)
C Oh, uh, so... That wacko? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Puh-euht!
Choi Jeong-Hoon snorted in an uncontrobleughter and hurriedly grabbed the steering wheel.
Yes, a cider! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It felt like all of his stress umted from dealing with Alpha got vented out in an instant.
Thats a bit too harsh, dont you think? I mean, I came all the way to Korea just to have an audience with you. (Alpha)
C Why didnt youe to my ce, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know why. The security cordon around you is water-tight and if I get found out, all those ability users lounging around in the NDF office with nothing better to do would pounce on me in frenzied excitement or something. (Alpha)
C Okay, whatever man. Get to the point, will ya. Im in the middle of han-ta, okay! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha formed a somewhat serious expression and looked over to Choi Jeong-Hoon.
What exactly is this han-ta thing? (Alpha)
...Well, that stupid game can be helpful sometimes, eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon smiled meaningfully in silence, causing Alphas confusion to get even deeper.
C Ah, bloody hell?! I died! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Im not sure what youre talking about right now. It seems that my Korean is still a bitcking. (Alpha)
C Okay so. What do you want? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha spoke up cautiously.
Id like to meet and chat to you in person. But Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon doesnt want to arrange the meeting. (Alpha)
You crazy?! Why would I take you there?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon roared out in anger, but Yi Ji-Hyuk was quite ruthless when it came to reaching the conclusion.
C Thene to my house. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The one to reply in stupor wasnt Alpha but Choi Jeong-Hoon.
C Seeing his face at least once is nothing major to begin with, anyway. Just bring him along. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon saw Alphas triumphant See, I told you so expression and felt this inexplicable sense of defeat.
Urgh. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha might be one thing, but Yi Ji-Hyuk too wasnt right in the head, thats for sure.
Im really going to take him to your house, okay? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Ah, wait. Tell that punk to bring me a present first. Its his first visit and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hey, you insane fool, thats not really important right now, is it?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
C Oh, I respawned. Im hanging up now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Click.
The call came to an unceremonious end and Choi Jeong-Hoon wordlessly stared at the phones screen.
Alpha looked at him for a second or two, before smirking deeply.
Should I drive? (Alpha)
...No, I will. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon, his eyes zing rather furiously, stomped on the elerator.
Fine, fine! Lets all die together today! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
*
Now thats a nice house, alright. (Alpha)
... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Keuh~, As I thought, having you around makes things so much easier, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. Who knew we wouldnt get stopped once in the checkpoints! If it was me alone, Id have to break through severalyers of securityworks. (Alpha)
But you would have broken through them no problem, right? (Alpha)
Well, yeah. Thats true. But if I break through like that and try to sneak into Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks house, then I might have ended up getting killed and sent to hell, you know? They say an old lion is still a lion, so if that guy sneezes in my directions, someone as weak as me might get all of his bones shattered or something. (Alpha)
Itd be wonderful if that happened for real. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan then pressed the doorbell. The front gate promptly opened so he stepped inside.
Oh-Sik greeted him first.
...Where is Mister Turtle? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh-Sik pointed towards his doghouse. Choi Jeong-Hoon spotted a turtle lying spread-eagled and snoring in the middle of the day and spat out yet another groan.
What the heck. This isnt even a petting zoo, so why... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
At this rate, more stress would umte if he wasnt careful.
He shook his head and approached the front door. After opening it, he stepped inside.
Eiii, d*mn it! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was greeted by the familiar yells of defeat as he walked towards Yi Ji-Hyuks room.
These b*stards, how can they be ying games when the whole world is in this state?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about you, you d*mn fool! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon really, really had a ton of things hed like to get off his chest but for the time being, he had to desperately rein them all in.
Its been a while. Good to see you again. (Alpha)
Alpha smiled brightly and greeted Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Thetter stared at him with a clearly-pouting face, then opened his mouth unhappily.
And wheres my present? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This is the country of courteous people, isnt it. Of course I had one prepared beforehand. (Alpha)
Alpha brought forward the hidden shopping bag from his behind and pushed it towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tracksuits. (Alpha)
...
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the tracksuits currently on Yi Ji-Hyuks body, then shifted his head over to Alpha next.
Is this the case of him having good sense or not having any senses whatsoever? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How confusing.
So, so bloody confusing, indeed.
Whenever I saw you, you were always wearing that particr style of tracksuits, so I decided to buy something simr. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
I have over dozen same tracksuit sets already, but you actually got me the exact same thing, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not! These bad boys are not the same. (Alpha)
How so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha walked up to Yi Ji-Hyuk and whispered quietly.
These are made in America. Imported from overseas, no less. (Alpha)
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dly epted the present with an ted grin on his face.
Please stop it, you insane b*stards. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon found it very strange that even though Alpha and Yi Ji-Hyuk had ended up in one room together, there hadnt been any world-ending Big Bangs so far.
Howmendable, our world. Youre enduring so well!
Seeing how Yi Ji-Hyuk was reacting as if he had ran into an old friend, Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt help but fall even deeper into a pit of confusion.
This guy, did he already forget that he nearly died from Alpha stabbing him in the back with a knife?
Well, a hand de is still technically a knife, so... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Sit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why, thank you. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of juice and ced it on the living rooms coffee table. He then even brought cups out on a tray, too.
Wow, what a wonderful hospitality this is. To think there woulde a day that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is pouring me a drink. (Alpha)
Im rather well-cultured, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was working extra hard to stop his urge of wanting to cover up his ears from taking over him. He no longer cared about the results. He just wanted to see the end to this horrible situation as soon as humanly possible.
Okay, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After finishing pouring the drinks in the cups, Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned against the couch and stared at Alpha.
What now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A question straight to the point.
Alpha scratched his head, then replied with a smile.
We arent going to exchange any pleasantries, but straight into business? (Alpha)
You look fine to me, so what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, yeah. You got a point there. (Alpha)
I need to get back to my gaming session soon, so if youve got something to say, hurry up and say it, then get lost. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Sounds like youre rather unhappy with me. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Actually, Ive gone through quite a lot of things in life before, so I dont feel much of anything towards you. Its just that Im not a fan of wasting my time on useless stuff. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuks reply caused an expression of uncertainty to float up on Alphas face.
Should Ibel this as you being dauntless or something...? Honestly, I was expecting to get beaten up by you after arriving here, you know. (Alpha)
If you keep beating around the bush and annoy me, I think I can meet your expectation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? That wont do. (Alpha)
Alpha quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk before carrying on.
How about joining hands with me? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug into his ear canals.
Why are you telling someone as busy as me this dogsh*t? Get lost. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He then got up from the couch, his expression clearly implying that he wasted time for no good reason. Alpha hurriedly got up as well and began clinging onto Yi Ji-Hyuks arm.
W-wait a minute! Hang on! Please, at least listen to what I have to say first! (Alpha)
Let me go! I said, let go! Didnt your mother teach you not to spew dogsh*t in peoples faces?! [2] (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im telling you, I have a n! A way to get out of this mess! Im sure you dont believe me now but once you listen to me, even youd end up pping your thigh and go, why didnt I think of it before. I swear! (Alpha)
You better let go before I p you instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its okay if you want to p me around. But Im being honest that I do have a n. At this rate, humanity will die without being able to do anything, wouldnt you agree? Im not the type to sit back and watch such a thing happen. (Alpha)
You caused this whole thing in the first ce, you d*mn insane b*stard! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That was all a part of my n. Do I look like someone capable of doing something like that without a n? (Alpha)
Yup, you do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
P-please, dont be like that... (Alpha)
Alpha began pleading for real now.
Youre my lone hope now, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Dont you want to try your best for the sake of humanity with us? (Alpha)
Holy cow... Its really been a long time since Ist heard bullsh*t of this calibre. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was wholeheartedly agreeing with Yi Ji-Hyuks opinion.
If it was any other person, sure, why not. But how could Alpha even mouth such things so shamelessly?!
Even if every single person on the was asked to shout out World Peace!, Alpha shouldnt be one of them.
What a shameless b*stard. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded in agreement at Choi Jeong-Hoons utterance.
Hey, man. Lets be real here. You belong to the axis of evil, dont you? Almost all the crap thats been happeningtely is your handiwork, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats a misunderstanding. (Alpha)
Which part is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Im not a part of this axis of evil or whatever. Although youre correct about recent events being mostly my handiwork. (Alpha)
Alpha replied with a refreshing grin, causing Yi Ji-Hyuk to hug his head.
You can never figure out what a human being is, no matter how deep you dig in. I mean seriously, an insane b*stard like this is also a human too, so how can anyone figure anything out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was inwardly feeling this subtle emotion.
Thats exactly how I feel. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
One could only pray that through this meeting, Yi Ji-Hyuk finally gets to understand at least one-tenth of the torture he had put other people through.
Okay, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, looking somewhat hollow, stared at Alpha.
All the crap youve done is indeed your fault, but you have a good reason for doing so? Is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Correct. (Alpha)
So, its your fault that the doorway to the demon world opened up, but you didnt do it because you wanted everyone to die together with you. No, you thought that itd actually help out humanity, instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre absolutely on point yet again. As expected of you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and grabbed the cup of juice meant for Alpha, then gulped down the cold liquid contained within in one go.
...But, uh, that was mine... (Alpha)
Got none for you, you b*stard. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head then shot a re at Alpha.
What a fresh and never-before-heard dogsh*t this is. Okay, fine. Lets say your bullcrap is for real. Even if what you said is real, thats still not a good enough reason for me to cooperate with you, now is it? Wouldnt you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, how about you do it for the sake of world peace? (Alpha)
Peace, my foot! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, my bad! My Korean is still not that great, you see. Rather than peace, its survival. Our survival! If you and Ibine our strengths, we can easily drive out the demon worlds denizens. Things might get harder if more time is wasted but since the Gates have opened sooner than expected, we still have more than enough leeway, dont we? If you agree to go along with my n, then the odds are still favourable for us. (Alpha)
...Your n? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. And its a foolproof n, too. I told you this before already, right? Youll be so shocked and moved after learning about it. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk powerlessly nodded his head.
He had already heard a lot of crap by now, so there was no reason to not listen a bit more. Wait, he might start bleeding from his ears if he heard more of this nonsense but then again, he was somewhat curious about what this insane b*stard would say next.
Okay, fine. Whats your n, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha grinned brightly, then brought a finger to his lips.
No, he wouldnt... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its a secret. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned brightly as well.
Alpha maintained his smile while looking back at him.
Get the hell out, you insane b*stard! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A cushion Yi Ji-Hyuk threw at Alpha struck thetter in the head and bounced up towards the ceiling.
< 416. Been a while -1 > Fin.
(TL: Han-ta in [1] is a Korean ng term usually associated with MOBAs like AOS and LOL. Its basically a Korean shorthand for team fight.
(TL: In [2], the OG text was How dare you spew dogsh*t after eating expensive food! but I changed it since it didnt make much sense to me personally.)
(TL: Finally, no Staind jokes, pls.)
Chapter 417: Been a while (2)
Chapter 417: Been a while (2)
No, hang on a minute! Please listen until the end first. (Alpha)
I wont! You dumb fool, Im not interested! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head in utter dismay.
Holy cow, I knew you were a nutjob, but never guessed your nuttiness would be this bad. In my long years Ive never met a wackjob on your level before. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon silently agreed as well.
He thought that he had found another wacko on theparable level to the home-grown original, but judging by what happened so far, Alpha had to take the number one spot now.
But, this is a true, bona fide top secret that must never leak out! (Alpha)
Alpha pleaded desperately.
But Yi Ji-Hyuks expression remained that of a deep pout despite all that pleading.
Okay, I got it so please get lost now. Enjoy your secret keeping among yourselves and have a happy ever after, okay? Im just gonna stick to my games and dieter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We can all survive as long as you help us, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! Why cant you understand what Im trying to say here?! Man, this is so d*mn frustrating! (Alpha)
...
So, then. The phrase, rendered utterly speechless was invented precisely for an asion such as this one, it seemed.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had lived for well over a couple of millennia.
One could just imagine how many madmen there mustve been out of all the countless people he met during his lengthy life. But this nutter in front of his eyes easily took the cake as the worst of the lot.
Without a doubt, this madman was beyond the number one in the world, even worse than the historys craziest, and probably the dimensions maddest nutter.
Okay, fine. Lets hear the rest, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Didnt the old saying go something like, a person would get rtively calmer as the situation became even crazier?
So, what am I supposed to help you out with? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Have you decided to finally help me? (Alpha)
Listen here, man. Even if I want to help, it makes sense to know first what Im supposed to help with, dont you think? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats true. (Alpha)
As you can see, Ive lost my power. So how can I help anybody in this state? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope, wrong. (Alpha)
Alpha wagged his finger.
Even if you try to fool me, its not going to work. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you havent lost all of yourbat capabilities, have you? (Alpha)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive already more or less figured out the mechanics of your magic through the demonic beings. Yes, you can no longer wield dark Mana, but that doesnt mean you have suddenly be a powerless normal person, now does it? You can just use regr Mana instead. (Alpha)
...Dude, do you know what it means to be a dark magician? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, that? Before turning 25, a man needs to be with another m... (Alpha)
What the, hold it right there, you dumb*ss! Gimme a break! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered in annoyance.
Seriously?! Holy cow. To think there woulde a day in my long life that I feel like this during a conversation.
Why did the heavens give birth to me, then to this crazy b*stard as well?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at Alpha while gaining an understanding of what Antonio Salieri was feeling at the time when he grew jealous of Mozart.
He might have trained himself for a thousand-plus years, but there was simply no way to defeat a natural-born genius, it seemed.
If I could use Mana from the beginning, why would I sign a contract with a demon, then? Think first before saying something, will ya?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope, you can use it. (Alpha)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ording to Args, the reason why you couldnt use Mana in the beginning was simply because your body didnt have any affinity with it. (Alpha)
Yeah, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The foundation of this worlds humans rested with Ether, so obviously they wouldnt have any affinity with Mana. Since he couldnt even sense it in the first ce, with what ability could Yi Ji-Hyuk umte Mana in his body?
But then, youve been using magic for well over two thousand years, havent you? (Alpha)
Uh? Wait, thats true, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head this way and that.
Wowsers, this... Why havent I thought about this before? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Doesnt that mean you can now use regr Mana no problem as well? (Alpha)
Wow... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alpha with a face of genuine surprise.
How did you evene up with this stuff? Even I havent thought about that. Hey, sounds like you know me better than myself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before we go on, Id like to first decline any future invitations from you to change my profession. (Alpha)
But I couldve changed it to that of a ghoul? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Im still declining. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to stare in surprise at Alpha for a bit, before opening his mouth.
Even if thats true, I still wont be much of a help, though? Dark Mana naturally fills up my body so the shing of natures against the regr Mana is pretty serious, you see? Which means Ill have to manipte Mana outside my body, but that would mean I wont even get ten percent output of Dark Mana. Wait, since I havent done it before, I cant be sure of it yet, but if our lucks really bad, then maybe about one percent? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks one percent, is it... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That numerical value was rather hard to imagine.
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that such a power level would be enough to join the ranks of the NDF, but then again, that much strength wasnt going to offer much help in fighting against the demon kings.
How vague. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However, Alpha kept smiling as if he knew that already.
Ah, that. Ive taken into ount such a possibility as well. The truth is, I wasnt asking for your help because of yourbat capabilities. (Alpha)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked puzzled as he stared at Alpha.
If hisbat prowess wasnt the reason for this request for help, then what else was he good for?
Well, its kind of embarrassing to say this out loud by myself, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Yes? (Alpha)
Honestly speaking, excluding fighting monsters Im practically a useless human being so I dont think I can be much of a help. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now thats a pretty powerful self awareness. Im emotionally quite moved. (Alpha)
Alpha cackled hoarsely.
What I wish to acquire from you is the ability to control Mana. (Alpha)
Mana? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are a few matters that can only be solved by manipting Mana, wouldnt you say? A few of them are minor matters and as such, dont present much of a problem but one issue remains more pertinent than all the others, doesnt it. (Alpha)
What is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha took his time a bit to build up the anticipation before opening his mouth.
The biggest problem of humanity is that our side just doesnt have any magicians. (Alpha)
...Isnt it more like your head not having any sense whatsoever, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, that also might be another problem. But thats not as important as this topic, dont you agree? If we have people who can wield Mana when fighting against Mana lifeforms, wouldnt that boost ourbat capabilities by a massive deal? (Alpha)
...
The gears inside Yi Ji-Hyuks head began turning at a rapid pace.
Once his brain,ying dormant most of the time these days, began to operate in full capacity again, it was like steam started noisily escaping from his head.
Magic? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Teaching humanity magic, is it?
Mmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In the end, though, Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
You have any idea how long it takes to create an experienced, trained magician? If we start teaching them now, then youd need at least ten solid years before they can barely kill a single mons... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Wait a minute?
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly turned his head and stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Thetter responded with an awkward expression on his face.
Now that you mention it, it feels like Mana is getting recharged automatically these days. (Choi Jeong-Hoon) [1]
...Ten years, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wouldnt it be possible to buy that much time if the prospective candidates were sent to a dimension with a suitable time difference? With other people, maybe itd be too difficult, but if its Yi Ji-Hyuk who knew how to open the Gates leading to other dimensions, it should not be so hard to buy an extra ten years or so.
Although, the question remained of who would be willing to sacrifice ten years of their lives to train in magic...
I never even entertained the idea of sending regr powerless people, actually. (Alpha)
What are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its already been established that when Mana and Ether getbined into one, the end result would be a never-before-seen synergy. You proved that for everyone to see. (Alpha)
...Well, that I did, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To put that in another way, ability users are capable of umting Mana in their bodies. Such a thing was impossible in the past because, well, we didnt have any Mana whatsoever, but now, things have changed much, hasnt it? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, now genuinely impressed, stared at Alpha.
Wow, is that how it is? Youre really smart, arent you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt that the biggest difference between you and me? (Alpha)
Aaand, you seem to be far ruder than me, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...My apologies. (Alpha)
Alpha opened his shoulders wider and continued on.
In any case. Our current situation means that you cant teach every single candidate all by yourself. So the priority should be ced on teaching the strongest ability user in existence right now. We see what kind of synergy well get by doing that, and then gradually increase the numbers of candidates afterwards. (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nervously swallowed his saliva.
This conversation was heading towards a strange direction here.
Even though this idea sounded nonsensical and unrealistic in the extreme, it also came across rather usible for some reason, as well. If the current set of ability users could also use magic, the human racesbat prowess would see a great boost overall. One only had to look at either Affeldrichae or Yi Ji-Hyuk to realise how incredible magic was, after all.
Okay, whos the human races strongest ability user, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Obviously me! (Alpha)
Alpha proudly dered, his whole posture standing straight and tall.
That is, as long as Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk remains a vegetable! (Alpha)
Calling me a vegetable is a bit... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright, then as long as Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk remains useless! (Alpha)
Hey, you punk!? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly, not just in title only, I am humanitys strongest ability user as well as the most powerful living being right now. So, who can possibly shoulder such an important responsibility other than me? (Alpha)
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk trudged towards the couch and plopped down on it.
Okay, so. Let me unpack everything youve said so far. You want me to teach an ability user who can wield Ether how to cast magic then analyse the ensuing synergy between Mana and Ether. Is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I believe its the only way. (Alpha)
Wowsers, this... Isnt this a seriously impressive dogsh*t? But why do I want to bite it? It smells like a rotten egg, yet its been rotting for a century and turned into a delicacy, hasnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hugged his head.
This Alpha, he was definitely a lunatic.
But perhaps that was why he coulde up with something no sane minded folks wouldve thought of. For now, this was simply nothing more than idle chatter, but if he got serious about it and started poking around, then things could potentially be... interesting.
Something like this wouldnt be possible in a world without Mana, but Earth was currently overflowing with the stuff right now.
With the various spots that got assimted to the demon world getting more active every single day, the level of Mana in Earths atmosphere was already reaching the simr levels found back in the demons home world. If Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow helped the others to sense the magical energy on their own in this sort of environment, then even if the ability users had no affinity they should still be able to wield Mana no problem.
He couldnt be sure about the end results, though, since no one back in Berafe were willing to lend him their services.
I shall be your guinea pig. (Alpha)
Hah, bloody hell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alpha with hollow eyes.
If only you hadnt thought up of this idea first, Id be celebrating by now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Isnt that how life operates usually? (Alpha)
Does that mean youve deliberately caused this whole situation in the first ce? Keeping me alive, enriching the in Mana, then ensuring that humanity hasntpletely lost its strength? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...No, I hadnt nned for all of those things. I simply thought that dragging things out until the end was not a real solution to anything. I looked at how Args was acting like and believed that once the assimtion started, itd only be a matter of time before humanity was wiped out. (Alpha)
I guess you caught a mouse by the oxs feet, then. (Yi ji-Hyuk) [2]
Well, catching a mouse is better than nothing, isnt it? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled bitterly.
There was no need to believe everything Alpha said here. Obviously this wouldnt be everything to his schemes, thats why.
How unfortunate it was, since what he hade up with happened to be that one clue humanity needed to fight back after being pushed to a corner.
Although Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt like the idea of Alpha being the one to carry this thing out...
Lets do it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only shrug his shoulders at Choi Jeong-Hoons impassioned cry.
Well, I do not like him one bit, but we dont have a choice, do we? Its too bad but him being the worlds strongest ability user is all true, and judging from this guys personality, he probably has made a few other preparations already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course I have. (Alpha)
See? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon replied with a bitter, unconvinced tone of voice.
Even then, this... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I also dont like the idea of giving this punk that sort of power, but what can we do? A lunatic ruling the world is still better than getting destroyed by the demons in the end, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt dissuade Yi Ji-Hyuk anymore. Because what thetter said wasnt really wrong, either.
Youve made the correct choice. In that case, I shall take it as our negotiation being sessfully concluded, and temporarily take my leave to make some other preparations beforehand. (Alpha)
I thought you were in a hurry? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even if I am, some things are unavoidable, unfortunately. (Alpha)
Alpha continued on in a subdued tone of voice.
Honestly, I didnt expect it to be this easy. I was prepared to set up a tent outside at least for three nights and four days if you said no, you see. (Alpha)
Im sure Seo Ah-Young wouldve been pleased to see that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Actually, Im rather terrified of the Insane Witch as well. In any case. Ill be leaving for a while. (Alpha)
Rustle.
Alphas figure vanished from the living room. Yi Ji-Hyuk stared up at the ceiling and muttered to himself.
Never guessed that a day like today would happen... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Yeah, me too. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The two remaining men didnt say anything for a long while.
< 417. Been a while -2 > Fin.
(TL: I think the author mixed up the names somewhere around [1], but couldnt be 100% certain, so I left the part as is.)
(TL: The weird saying in [2] is a Korean idiom, and the full one goes along the line of an ox stumbling backwards inadvertently stepped on a mouse, and it means youve somehow stumbled onto a solution by luck. Alpha took the saying literally, however.)
Chapter 418: Been a while (3)
Chapter 418: Been a while (3)
Will this really be alright? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tried his absolute best to unpack what went down just now. Sure, he hadnt done anything and this whole mess was Yi Ji-Hyuks and Alphas doing, but... For some reason, it kind of looked like he now needed to step in and take control of the situation.
Although it felt unfair to him, an event of this magnitude definitely was not an everyday urrence, either.
Not sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even the one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk was still groaning under his breath as if he too had no answers to this one.
It felt like an enticing and aromatic feast had beenid out before his eyes but it actually tasted like a rotten crap. He could understand the reasoning behind this whole thing, yet it still felt like they had been suckered into helping Alphas cause here.
In all honesty, Yi Ji-Hyuk was not a gracious, big-hearted man who would let go of his misgivings because of the noble-sounding justification of For the human race!
Even then, that didnt mean he shouldnt teach that guy anything, now did it? Especially so with the situation as it was now.
Urgh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a pained groan.
It was undoubtedly a good thing that they saw the potential light of hope at the end of a dark tunnel of despair.
He did research the synergy between Ether and Mana in order to shore up hiscking firepower after he came back to Earth. But never did he even think about informing the others about it.
First of all, this didnt have any Mana at the time he did his research, and as for why he hadnt thought up of doing that even as the situation reached this critical stage... Thats simply because he never was the type of a man to strengthen other people around him. Such a concept didnt even exist within him.
Why? Because all the problems he ran into so far got sorted out simply by his own strength, thats why.
The prospect of strengthening someone else other than himself using the information he currently held was a problem his mind couldnt understand properly.
He did train the NDF agents in the past so that he could make them work in his stead, but back then he was thinking more about avoiding any unnecessary annoyances as well as sacrifices on his part. He wasnt thinking of turning them into his ownbat force or some such.
Honestly, they werent much of a help in the first ce, anyways.
So perhaps it was unsurprising that he never thought about strengthening the others to solve the current crisis. This was the limitation of Yi Ji-Hyuks mindset after living only for himself for an unmeasurable length of time alone.
Basically, Alpha had woken him up to that fact today, but still...
Should I just... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at Choi Jeong-Hoon and smirked.
...Throw a tantrum and say Im not gonna do it anymore, since I feel like crap and all? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
For the first time ever in his life, Choi Jeong-Hoon was suddenly ovee by this urge to agree with Yi Ji-Hyuks silly little joke.
Even if it was for the sake of humanity, he just couldnt get rid of his misgivings about joining hands with Alpha.
He surely is aiming for something else, isnt he? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, thats bloody obvious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Someone like Alpha would never ever reveal everything in his mind to anyone. Even if their rtionship began on a wrong foot, theres no denying that out of everyone in both Berafe and Earth, Alpha was the only man to properly upstage and sucker-punch Yi Ji-Hyuk real good.
Even if he has an agenda... Its too bad but it doesnt look like we have any choice in the matter. The NDF can also do the same thing as what Alpha suggested, strengthening ability users by making them use magic, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt finish his sentence.
It might be possible to strengthen the overall forces with some other means. But the actual issueid with the fact that no one could rece Yi Ji-Hyuk. Even if, say, Kim Dah-Hyun or Seo Ah-Young were to be taught how to manipte Mana, it just didnt seem likely that they would be strong enough to fight against a demon king.
The only one with the highest odds was Seo Ah-Young, but even then itd still be next to impossible for her whether she learned about Mana or not. Not to forget, Yi Ji-Hyuk had already strengthened the NDF agents once before. But they couldnt reach the heights necessary to confront a single demon king.
No, they simply had to be satisfied with the role of buying time for Yi Ji-Hyuk, thats all.
Thats why someone stronger than Seo Ah-Young, who was intelligent enough to also utilise Mana separately from Ether, was needed right now.
And that someone just so happens to be Alpha. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
With this, there was no need to prove that this world had no such thing as justice. A man like Alpha being the strongest was proof enough that things like retribution oreuppance were nothing but a distant pipe dream.
Urgh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grunted unhappily as if he was thinking about the same thing.
If he didnt like it, then he could just say no.
But no matter how hard he thought about it, he just couldnt deny the fact that strengthening Alpha and the highest-level ability users surrounding the man in question were the best avable method to improving humanitys chances.
Eii. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shot up from the couch.
Where are you going? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Im going for a stroll. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and headed outside, but that caused this instinctive question to pop up in Choi Jeong-Hoons mind, instead.
Wait, is it normal to leave the guest behind in the house to go for a stroll? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh well, its Yi Ji-Hyuk Im talking about, so...
...Uh?
Wait a minute, that guy shouldnt be left alone by himself, though? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon also shot up from the couch and hurriedly chased after Yi Ji-Hyuk.
***
Christopher McLaren lit up his cigar.
Fuu-wuu... (Christopher McLaren)
Thick cigar smoke spread throughout the interior. His office didnt have good venttion but he still needed to smoke right now otherwise he wouldnt be able to sit still.
Will the Koreans listen to our suggestion, sir? (Jake)
If they dont, then what? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren asked back at his adjutant.
Listen, Jake. Were not messing around here. Tens of millions of lives are at stake right this second. What do you think will happen if they say no to my offer? This is a threat thinly veiled as an offer, my man. But to them, my offer mustve sounded like that single rescue lineing down from above. (Christopher McLaren)
The expression of Christopher McLaren remained gloomy even as he said those things.
D*mn it. (Christopher McLaren)
He was not a man without scruples.
No, he merely knew how to lower or raise the line he was willing to cross depending on his needs, thats all.
Even those deemed cold-hearted orcking in human empathy did possess some semnce of emotions. They simply were able to ignore their feelings depending on the situation.
Meaning, he certainly felt the pang of conscience digging deeply into his heart. Without Yi Ji-Hyuk, the United States of America wouldve been destroyed several times over by now.
And it was none other than Christopher McLaren himself who sought out Yi Ji-Hyuks help every single time such crises raised their ugly heads.
Sir, history will vindicate you. (Jake)
Right, as the historys worst scumbag. Probably. (Christopher McLaren)
But sir, we have no other choice, dont we? (Jake)
Jake. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren deeply sucked in the cigars pungent smoke before exhaling it out slowly. His expression crumpled as he finished his reply.
Nothing in this world is actually cant be helped, you understand? Thats simply an excuse. There is always a way out. But when that way turns out to be difficult or even annoying, people suddenly start saying crap like they dont have any other choice. (Christopher McLaren)
He let out a long, long sigh, then chewed out the rest of his words.
So, do not ever forget. And dont try to console me. As long as you remain in this profession, do not forget that the work we do is truly unforgivable, heinous, and more than enough to have you burn in hell. Those who get lost in the so-called great and justifiable causes always end up morphing into monsters. Monsters who destroy not only themselves, but the people around them, too. (Christopher McLaren)
However, isnt that also a type of self-gratification? The kind where you feel relieved about not ending up as a monster yet. (?)
Christopher McLarens head slowly shifted in the direction of that voice.
A face that was both familiar and foreign at the same time, could be found sitting there. The face that he heard about countless times, saw in countless footages and video clips and documents, but never had the chance to personally meet until now.
Codename, Alpha.
Perhaps the vilest, most insane ability user brought to life by America and Christopher McLaren was sitting on one of the empty spots in the couch, his legs crossed rxedly.
Alpha furrowed his brows then waved his hand around in front of his face.
Look, McLaren. I know its up to you whether you choose to smoke indoors or not, but its not like you guys dont have the money for it, so why dont you get yourself air freshener or something? If youre strapped for cash, then should I bring one as a souvenir next time Ie for a visit? (Alpha)
Here was the man that Christopher McLaren wanted to find so badly. And to kill, too. Alpha couldnt be located anywhere no matter what, yet he had shown up at the absolute worst timing and began grating on the Americans nerves.
Should I say, its finally a pleasure to meet you? (Christopher McLaren)
Oh, of course its a pleasure for me, too. I mean, youre that one guy who so desperately pined for me and stuff, after all. Even if youre not a woman, that kind of dedication will make anyones heart swoon. Wouldnt you say? (Alpha)
Alpha cackled softly.
Christopher McLaren didnt make any rash moves.
If he tried to call for help, then without a doubt, Alpha would make his move. Which would be bad.
Besides, there was another problem of whether or not thebat force in the vicinity could even stand up to Alphas might in the first ce.
You were capable of even teleporting? (Christopher McLaren)
Oh? Looks like you had no idea. But the info on how rubbish the American intelligence agency is at their job should be a top national secret, so is it okay for you to tell me this? When Im a criminal and all? (Alpha)
Looks like we need to add to the info that you mustvethered your glib tongue in lubricants. My people arent that strict when ites to confirming such details, you see. (Christopher McLaren)
A director who needs to personally step up and do all the work. What a sorrowful sight that is. (Alpha)
Christopher McLaren slowly stubbed his cigar on the ashtray to kill it. His actions seemed nonchnt, uncaring even, but the truth was that he did everything as slowly as possible not to negatively tick off Alpha.
That made sense, though.
Not only was this man before his eyes the worst madman in the whole world, Alpha was also the unfortunate by-product of Project Pandora that Christopher McLaren had been involved with.
If youve only killed me, then I wouldnt have to sit through this sorry asion. (Christopher McLaren)
Kekeke. A viin isnt supposed to die that easily, McLaren. And thats the reason why youre still breathing, right? (Alpha)
Thats a pretty insulting example, but Ill ept it for now. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren smirked wryly.
Fine. What do you want, then? Whats the purpose of someone as important as yourself making a trip all the way out here? Im far busier than you think, so I ask you to get to the point as soon as possible. Plenty other things besides you require my immediate attention, after all. (Christopher McLaren)
Hmm... (Alpha)
Alpha grinned as if he was mildly entertained by this exchange.
I also dont want to waste my time here, so let me get to the point. First of all, my friends arent some mole rats so why dont you release them and let them finally enjoy some sunshine on the outside? (Alpha)
That kind of bullsh*t isnt even worth listening to. (Christopher McLaren)
No, no. Dont think of it that way, McLaren. Arent they worse than insects that waste perfectly good food from your perspective? But when you do release them, they will instantly morph into wonderful warriors of humanity liberation resistance. No matter what, you will lose nothing here. (Alpha)
Ill be the judge of that. Since theres the first, whats the second? (Christopher McLaren)
I want you to find me arge enough location suited for training purposes. I dont mind you taking a look in Africa, but unfortunately, aircons over there dont seem to work properly, so... (Alpha)
It was right there that Christopher McLarens eyes narrowed to slits.
A location for training?
Okay, got it. Is there something else? (Christopher McLaren)
Of course there is. Its the most important part, too. Stop obsessing over Yi Ji-Hyuk from now on. Compared to all the others, this should be the easiest for you, right? (Alpha)
Look here, Alpha. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren smirked while pulling out another cigar, then expertly cut the tip off before lighting it carefully.
Did you grow attached while fighting him or some such? Or is this you being a noble humanitarian who doesnt want to see Yi Ji-Hyuk experience what you had to go through? I dont understand why youd want to protect that man. (Christopher McLaren)
Because, hes necessary. (Alpha)
Alphas exnation was kept to a bare minimum.
And this isnt a request but a warning. You can take it as a threat too, Christopher McLaren. All those people you had around Yi Ji-Hyuk? Right about now, they should be finding out how hot the mes of hell are, not in the demon world but in actual afterlife. And if you persist in your quest to get your hands on him, then Im more than willing to let you experience the same thing as them. (Alpha)
Alpha growled menacingly just then.
< 418. Been a while -3 > Fin.
Chapter 419: Been a while (4)
Chapter 419: Been a while (4)
I dont understand this. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren maintained his rxed demeanour despite being subjected to Alphas full-on threat to his life.
Hed not have batted an eyelid if he was dealing with somemon criminal. However, the Alpha he knew was someone incredibly difficult to predict.
Itd not be strange in the least to see Alpha blow up this building just because his feelings were hurt a little.
Out of the two categories of destructive power and hard to predict, Yi Ji-Hyuk would be someone with more points invested in the destructive power and got ssified as an S-level dangerous individual as a result, while Alpha would have his points invested in the hard to predict category with a whole heap of aggressiveness thrown in for a good measure.
Christopher McLaren knew that hed be devoured in an instant without the disy of tough exterior and thats why he continued to retort and put up a rxed front even now.
But his heart was busy withering away at the moment.
Why are you protecting Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
Didnt I say it already? Because hes necessary. (Alpha)
...And why is he necessary? Hes lost all of his powers, hasnt he? (Christopher McLaren)
Hmm, looks like youve lost a lot of your former Midas touch, McLaren. (Alpha)
Alpha cackled hoarsely.
Heres a warning for you, McLaren. It seems to me that your brain is in a bit of a decline. Now usually, a person wont be cognisant of their own judgement failing as they get older. As you grow older, a person begins to believe that the way they normally handled things in the past is the only correct way. And thats where the real problems crop up, oh my dear respected McLaren. My dear friend whos grown too old. (Alpha)
Alpha leisurely got up from the couch, then slowly approached Christopher McLaren.
The people near their director also stood up at Alphas sudden approach and tried to stand in his way, but Christopher McLaren raised his hand to stop them from moving.
As for Alpha, hepletely ignored those trying to block his path as if they didnt even exist in the first ce and got right next to Christopher McLaren.
Listen, McLaren. I rmend that you kick that failing brain of yours into high gear and think as hard as you can. You seem to have forgotten that the fate of this world depends on you making the right choices. Do you honestly think Yi Ji-Hyuk has lost all of his powers? That man, he can still easily destroy this world and then some if thats what he wants. (Alpha)
...
Its not that hes lost his powers, but more like he shouldnt use them anymore. Dont you know the difference between the two? The moment Yi Ji-Hyuk goes, f*ck it, I wont go through with this crap, then well, this will be destroyed not by the demon worlds forces, but by his hands instead. And then, the demon world will be next on his list. (Alpha)
Alpha suddenly tilted his head in the middle of his speech.
Now that I think about it... Hey, why does that sound like a happy ending? In a world where humans and demons have totally disappeared, demonic beasts and animals all lived happily ever after, that kind of thing? (Alpha)
Alpha quickly shook his head.
Well, it might be a happy ending from Mother Earths perspective, but I definitely dont want to see that happen. So, dont be like a vengeful spirit that drags other people to their doom along with you, and get some stem cells imnted in your head or something. Once some fresh new cells sprout in your brain, your utterly ruined judgement might make a much needede back, just a little bit. (Alpha)
He stopped there and turned around to walk back to the couch.
Oh, the first thing you should do is quit smoking. I hear that kills your brain cells. (Alpha)
...Thanks for your advice. Unfortunately for you, its not that my judgement has failed but simply that weve made sufficient preparations. (Christopher McLaren)
Aaand thats what those without functioning judgement usually say. Think carefully now. Think hard about whether youve made your choice based on logic or youve lost your reasoning out of frustration after you couldnt find a solution to the demonic creatures slowly but surely marching forward every single day. You see, those people who get pushed to the dead end believe that every choice they makees from a logical and reasonable ce. Because of idiots like you, human history always ends up regressing instead. (Alpha)
Alpha pointed his fingers like a gun at Christopher McLaren.
I really want to kill you right now and bring some light and peace to the world, but too bad, none of your potential recements are up to snuff, know what I mean? If it werent for that, Id have dragged you down to some undergroundb and let you experience all those fun little things I had to go through. (Alpha)
Christopher McLaren confusedly stared at Alpha.
But, arent you responsible for whats happening in the world? (Christopher McLaren)
True. However, you are simply guessing what I want, arent you? Ill tell you this one thing, then. I emphatically do not wish to see the world get destroyed. And I certainly dont want to see those disgusting demonic beings rule this world, either. (Alpha)
If so, why did you open the portal to the demon world? (Christopher McLaren)
Im not a fan of repeating myself over and over again. So, just know that thats my position. And if you really want to know more, then dont ask me but seek out Choi Jeong-Hoon, instead. Although, I wonder if hell even speak to you at this point in time. (Alpha)
Alpha cackled as he leaned back against the couch.
In any case, all of my requests will be approved, right? I mean, America has a ton of cash, so just a bit of your budget directed in my way, then boom! Ill deliver you some truly astonishing results. Who knows, the history books might end up saying that Christopher McLaren, the man of a thousand talents, has somehow tamed a crazy wild dog and utilised it to the benefit of mankind. Thatd be cool, right? This is a heaven-sent opportunity for a pot-bellied baldy uncle to be a saviour of the human race! (Alpha)
Im not bald, you son of a b*tch! (Christopher McLaren)
...Eh? Thats not a wig? (Alpha)
Shut the hell up. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren panted like an angry bull before stuffing a cigar in his mouth in irritation.
Answer me this one thing. (Christopher McLaren)
Sure, why not. (Alpha)
Just what is your true aim? I simply cant figure out what your end game is. (Christopher McLaren)
To think that youd actually ask me that. Christopher, you really have fallen to the bottom, havent you. What amentable thing this is. I mean, you used to have so much charisma in the past, too. (Alpha)
Christopher McLaren oh-so wished to put a bullet in that cheeky, snarky face of Alpha, but he did his absolute best to endure.
Well, its not a problem to say it, so here it is. What I want in the end is for us the new humans to be the hegemony. But that doesnt necessarily mean theplete annihtion of you old human types. This great Alpha is a gracious and generous person, so Im fully respectful of your right to exist. And well, you old humans have an overwhelming numbers advantage over us, so if all of you were to suddenly vanish then itd be rather difficult to maintain the civilisation with only us the new humans. (Alpha)
Mm... (Christopher McLaren)
So, stop looking at me with those eyes, please. If I wished for the destruction of everything, then I wouldnt have a need to drive the world to this point at all. Its not that hard to utterly ruin all of you, after all. My problem wouldve been facing off against the irregr named Yi Ji-Hyuk at the end of all that, but still. (Alpha)
Is that why youve rendered him powerless? (Christopher McLaren)
Ha? I did what? Stop barking like a dumb dog, please. In my n, I needed Yi Ji-Hyuk to remain active for a while longer. One of the reasons why he ended up in his current state is because you idiots ran him to the ground, is it not? (Alpha)
Thick cigar smoke wafted around in the office.
...Now that perks me up a bit. (Christopher McLaren)
This is why both democracy and legitive politics are often touted as the flowers of civilisation brought to life by humanity. A human by himself is nothing more than a stupid fool, you see. We acknowledged our own shorings of being idiots, so we came up with a system to tell us that yes, were indeed stupid fools. What a cool and excellent set-up this whole thing is. (Alpha)
Christopher McLaren bit down hard on his lip before replying.
Fine, Ill approve all of your demands. I shall make sure what you want will happen. (Christopher McLaren)
But, sir!
Shut the hell up! (Christopher McLaren)
The agents around him freaked out and stared at him, but Christopher McLaren needed to shout only once to shut them all up. He then focused his re on Alpha and nodded his head.
Itll be done. I feel like clutching at straws if I can help it, so why shouldnt I join forces with you? However, you better show me some results or else. (Christopher McLaren)
If you want results, just look at me. I managed to get this far from the very bottom, didnt I? All the while busy avoiding your bullets, too. Isnt that true, my old friend? (Alpha)
Hah, haha. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren chuckled softly and in resignation as his sign of agreement.
Here was that one man he dreaded dealing with the most, but if one flipped that sentiment on its head, then that served as a perfectly paradoxical proof of Alphas capabilities.
Give me a way to contact you. I shall inform you of the state of readiness as often as possible. (Christopher McLaren)
How kind of you. (Alpha)
Alpha stood up from his spot.
Hold on. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren gave a silent signal to the surrounding men. They all formed dissatisfied expressions, but eventually filed out of the office.
Alpha watched them vacate the office before shrugging his shoulders.
Im not into men, McLaren. (Alpha)
You seem to have enough leeway to p your gums, Alpha. Anyways, I have a question I wanted to ask. Just what are you, and even Yi Ji-Hyuk, thinking? (Christopher McLaren)
Eh? (Alpha)
Did Yi Ji-Hyuk decide to help you out? Werent you two desperately trying to kill each other only a few days ago? (Christopher McLaren)
Yeah, sure. (Alpha)
So how can you two cooperate like this as if nothing has happened between you? Even if youre supposed to cooperate in the face of amon adversary, thats not how humans operate, now is it? (Christopher McLaren)
Tsk, tsk. (Alpha)
Alpha tutted as if he couldnt understand Christopher McLarens viewpoint.
Listen here. Say you must go somewhere using a certain road, but theres a massive boulder blocking that very road. So, what will you do about it? (Alpha)
Ill break it apart. (Christopher McLaren)
There you go. Either you break it or bore a tunnel right through it. But that doesnt mean you hate or detest that boulder, right? If you seed in pushing the boulder off to the side of the road, you might use it as a roadside attraction or even as building materialter. The boulder was simply sitting there, so why should you get angry at it? (Alpha)
Hmm... (Christopher McLaren)
To me, Yi Ji-Hyuks like that. Something like a natural disaster. A man with a differing ideal stood in my path, so I merely removed him out of my way, thats all. So why should I detest and hate Yi Ji-Hyuk just because he was standing there? Now that is one antiquated mindset unsuitable for our globalised society. And thats why Ive been saying that youre too old now. (Alpha)
Fine. Fine. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren nodded his head.
I get why youre doing it. But why hasnt Yi Ji-Hyuk ripped you to tiny pieces by now? If its the case of he cant because hes lost his powers, then at least he shouldnt be willing to cooperate with you, am I wrong? (Christopher McLaren)
Simply put, Weve decided toe to apromise for the future of mankind, thats all. (Alpha)
And the real reason is? (Christopher McLaren)
Hey, man. If you get bitten a little by a dog, do you immediately put that dog down? (Alpha)
...Mm? (Christopher McLaren)
Im saying, if a dog walking by the front of your house suddenly bit you in the foot, are you going to kill that dog? No, normally youd just kick it in the a*s and chase it away. Thats how it is with him. He views the event of him falling into my trap in the simr vein. Of course, hes feeling a bit annoyed by the fact that he couldnt kick my a*s. Im sure hes waiting for a suitable opening even now. And yes, Im going to let him do it. (Alpha)
But, he almost died back then? (Christopher McLaren)
...What a stupid thing to say. The meaning of death to Yi Ji-Hyuk is not the same as ours. Just what do you know about that guy, anyway? If you think of him as another human being, then he already has experienced theplete extermination of his existence thousands of times by now. He probably has died far, far more times than you ever got bitten by a dog. (Alpha)
Christopher McLaren was rendered speechless.
None of what Alpha said made sense, yet somehow it sounded rather usible as well.
To Yi Ji-Hyuk, him nearly dying because of Alphas scheme might be a minor matter not worth losing too much sleep.
And thats why youre too dangerous. (Alpha)
Those words seemed like what Christopher McLaren should say to Alpha. But it was thetter saying it to the former, instead.
You should do your very best not to get involved in Yi Ji-Hyuks matters. Because you have not one iota of understanding of that man. You say hes dangerous, yet you dont know why hes such a dangerous individual. Heres my urgent advice, the one creature that the whole of mankind needs to be most afraid of isnt some random demon king but Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Alpha)
...Why? (Christopher McLaren)
Alpha smirked before replying.
He may look like a human being to you, but he isnt. Actually, a demon would be a lot closer to a human being than he is. Too bad, you wont get it even if I tell you why. So, just stop obsessing over him, thats all. Remember what Ive said, okay? If you dont want to destroy this world with your own hands, that is, (Alpha)
Along with those parting words, Alpha leisurely walked out of the office.
Christopher McLaren, unable to say anything else, stared at Alphas back walking out of the doorway.
< 419. Been a while -4 > Fin.
Chapter 420: Been a while (5)
Chapter 420: Been a while (5)
So thats why you are doing this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yi Ji-Hyuk found himself dragged to the demolition site by Choi Jeong-Hoon. After taking a good look at the NDF agents who had morphed into construction workers, he began cackling loudly.
Why does it look like you guys finally found your calling? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hearing that, Yun Hyuk-Gyus face contorted in displeasure.
This is harder than it looks, you know. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Ng, I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why dont you work, too? You get paid a monthly sry like us, right? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
What can I do about that when they keep paying me even though I said I dont want it? Come on now, I only wish to live like a regr dude, yet they keep involving me in this stuff so what can I do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just who brought this guy here?! (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently sitting in the passenger seat of Choi Jeong-Hoons car, leisurely sipping on the Coke can with a straw.
For Yun Hyuk-Gyu in the middle of performing hardbour while caked in all the choking dust, that sight was probably the most detestable one he could think of right now.
Vice director-nim brought him here. Did you forget already? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The window on the rear door rolled down and Kim Dah-Hyuns head poked out from the opening.
And why the heck are you in there? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Kim Dah-Hyun smiled sheepishly.
No, well, its not like Im much of a help in this situation, and I didnt have much to do anyway, so... I mean, someone like me would only be a hindrance to you all when were in a demolition site full of explosions going off all the time, right? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Get the hell out of there if you dont want to hold your funeral today. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
...Roger that. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun didnt say anything else and exited from Choi Jeong-Hoons car. If he insisted on staying inside for a bit longer, then Yun Hyuk-Gyu might have blown him away along with the car itself. If that really happened, then never mind Kim Dah-Hyun, itd be Choi Jeong-Hoon having a heart attack.
Hey, what are you guys doing over there? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young, finishing up her round of inspection just then, discovered these three men busy exchanging banters and frowned deeply.
If you have time to loiter around, do more work instead! More work, please! (Seo Ah-Young)
Im sorry, director. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Its only been a couple of days since we started this operation, yet youre alreadyzing around?! I can already imagine just how badly you mustvezed around in the sites that I didnt go to! You should at least try to give it your all after taking such a lengthy break. (Seo Ah-Young)
...Im really sorry, maam. (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Seo Ah-Young for a bit, before forming an enlightened expression.
Wow, so thats how it was. I thought that folks in directorial jobs start acting like boomers because of their age, but I was wrong. Its the position that turns people into kkondaes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What, did, you, say?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young began gnashing her teeth.
Youre merely a quartermaster, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You said youve never been drafted before, so what the hell?! (Seo Ah-Young)
When did I? Ive been drafted at least fifteen separate times, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh... (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shuddered in rage after she got pushed back by logic.
Just why did Choi Jeong-Hoon have to bring this utterly hateful guy to the demolition site?
When she told him to do something, Yi Ji-Hyuk replied oh-so glibly that I dont have powers anymore so what can these two little cute hands do to help anyway. So she told him to go over there and do some paperwork or some such instead, but then he readily countered with the excuse of Im pretty slow in the head so I dont even know half of these words.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was fiercely burning the torch of Ill never even lift a finger even if I die and waste his time goofing around.
Uh-whew, that b*stard. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young continued to grind her teeth but she didnt go out of her way to bite Yi Ji-Hyuks head off.
She knew full well how much torture he had to go through until now, and the price he had to pay towards the end of it all. Even if people called her a witch, she didnt want to demand anything else from Yi Ji-Hyuk, at least not right now.
Honestly speaking, she wanted him to rest for even longer if possible.
...As long as he was out of her sight, that was.
If he stayed out of sight and took that much-deserved break then shed be far, far more understanding of his plight. But seeing him sitting inside the car and sipping C nonchntly in the middle of an operation site like this was driving her up the proverbial wall here.
Just! Go! Over! There! In a corner somewhere! Somewhere not here!
Why did Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon park his car over here, anyway?! (Seo Ah-Youngs inner monologue)
Aaaaaahk!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young suddenly yelled out at the heavens above, then spun on her heels to leave, an utterly fed-up expression etched on her face.
Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted as he watched her departing back.
She better get hitched soon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Before her spinster hysteria went even further out of control, that was.
Not too long after that, Choi Jeong-Hoon returned and climbed into the drivers seat.
Have you been enjoying your break? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, its okay-ish in its own right, but I still cant figure out why I need to be here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Being out of sight usually leads to alienation in ones heart, you see. Besides, were all one family, arent we? We should at least see other peoples faces as often as possible, wouldnt you say? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, its not because you were jealous of me staying at home ying games while still drawing sry? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Maybe a little. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned wryly.
There were a couple of reasons why he decided to bring Yi Ji-Hyuk to this ce. Even if thetter couldnt use his abilities anymore, he was still an agent of the NDF so it was only right that he worked like everyone else. And for sure, Choi Jeong-Hoon did feel rather deeply annoyed that Yi Ji-Hyuk was ying games at home and taking it easy.
Of course, the biggest reason was...
If its here, they wont try anything too rash. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Not knowing how Christopher McLaren would act next.
Also, it was hard to tell what Song Jeong-Su and Yun Yeong-Min would choose to do if the situation continued to head down in this direction.
If a situation called for some crafty manoeuvring, these folks called politicians would be even more crafty than a venomous snake. It was practically impossible to judge such people on the foundation of friendship and the weight of all the rtionships built up until now.
Although a corner of Choi Jeong-Hoons heart kept saying, No, they wouldnt do that, itd not be such a bad idea to prepare for all contingencies, indeed.
No matter how brazen they got, they still wouldnt invade this particr location filled with the NDF agents and try to kidnap Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I need to station people around his residence, too... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course, he hadnt forgotten that Yi Ji-Hyuks house boasted two nonsensically powerful gatekeepers that even the entirety of the NDF wouldnt win against. However, the real crux of the matter wasnt about stopping any would-be intruders but ensuring that they didnt show up in the first ce.
If Yi Ji-Hyuk found out that the South Korean government made a deal with their American counterpart and tried to hand him over as a subject in some unsanctioned human experiments, then it didnt take a genius to figure out that the end result would not be good for everyone involved.
Hang on, they wouldnt try to tail Alpha, right? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon continued to go through all sorts of the Earth annihtion scenarios in his mind before roughly shaking his head.
Things surely wouldnt devolve that far, right?
You know, Im bored. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill buy you a notebook PC. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No wifi here, so what good would a notebook do for me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill also buy the mobile wifi n for you, then. And Ill even pay for the subscription fees, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Cant I, like,mute to the office or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But I literally have nothing to do here... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You didntmute because you had things to do in the office anyway, am I wrong? Just take it as the office locations been changed temporarily. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But theres noputer here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I said, Ill buy you a notebook! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dont you know that a notebook feels totally different from a regr desktop?! Besides, theres no ce for a mouse so how can I even y my game?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre on the clock, so how can you even think about yingputer games?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You said it yourself, didnt you? Ive got nothing to do at work, so I might as well y games! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, at this point he should just get kidnapped already.
Its probably for the good of this world. Goddammit. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon massaged the back of his neck and spat out a groan.
No, calm down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk behaved like this everyday, so there was no reason to get worked up here.
Urgh... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Having remembered once more just what kind of a person Yi Ji-Hyuk was, Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt stop himself from sighing nonstop over and over again.
Here he was, doing his best to protect Yi Ji-Hyuk, yet the man in question had no clue about that and continued to act like an as*hole. But if he came clean and revealed the truth of The Americans and our government are targeting you so Im trying to protect you, Choi Jeong-Hoon had this premonition that the whole country might end up getting blown up all to hell.
Feeling helpless about this situation, all he could do was to stick yet another cigarette in his mouth.
What are the demon kings doing now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Other than the ones already active, no additional demon kings have shown up so far. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So there are active ones? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The city of Los Angeles is basically half destroyed while Germany is almostpletely wiped off the map at this point. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Aigoo, I guess no more Benzes, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, thats not a problem since they have factories in other... No, hang on, thats not important here. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quickly recovered his wits and continued on.
The biggest issue is that we cant stop the demon kings. Every conceivable method is being utilised right now but none have sessfully stopped a demon king from advancing forward.
In LA, all of the citys residents have been evacuated even before the demon king got near the city and in Germany, the chancellor made the correct decision early on and had most of their citizens evacuated to other European nations.
Various armies and ability users are waging bitter battles in many fronts but when they eventually do seed in pushing the demonic beasts back, demon kings step up and flip the situation on their heads. Such events are repeating over and over again at the moment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
He wasnt all that surprised since no matter who stepped up, they wouldnt be able to stop the demon kings.
What about China? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats the weird part, actually. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Excuse me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, isnt China famous for their human sea attack strategy? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But the Chinese government has withdrawn all of their troops and is focusing on evacuating their citizens from the area. Its like they are nning topletely empty out the whole of Sichuan. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And why is that weird? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If were talking about another country, that would be the normal response but well, I figured that China would tell its men to shut up and just attack. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wait, isnt that more like Russia, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, they operate in a simr manner, dont they. Like, treating peoples lives like some worthless garbage or demanding an abnormal level of patriotism towards their nation, that kind of things. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What the heck. Feels like Ive heard that from somewhere before. Wait a minute, hey uncle, are you a Commie? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehheii! Keep it down or youll get people in trouble! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly shifted his head this way and that to scan his surroundings. For some reason, he thought he could spot a suspicious-looking Daewoo Matiz driving past in the distance. [1]
He tried quite hard to calm down all the goosebumps gently breaking out on his skin and spoke up.
In any case, its not clear what the Chinese are nning at the moment. We dont have much information to go on, either. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head a little before voicing his opinion.
You know... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong)
I think I figured out why China is acting that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes opened wider as he stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
This guy, he had this tendency of disying his intelligence sometimes and impressing everyone around him.
Okay, what could be their reason? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Isnt that because they want to blow it all away to smithereens? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Blow it all away? Blow what away? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You know, Sichuan. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Choi Jeong-Hoon became utterly stupefied just then.
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Americans obviously cant blow LA away with their own hands, and itd be the same story for Germany too, right? Besides, the fallout would extend to all of the surrounding nations so they would desperately oppose that option, I think. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...That sounds usible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But then, China wouldnt have any qualms about such things, right? If theres no answer by doing this or that, then... Wouldnt they just hit the monsters with everything theyve got while treating it like them giving away a portion of their territory or something? I mean, they arent targeting Beijing but Sichuan here, so wouldnt you say that they might as well go through with the operation? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Lets unpack what hes saying here.
Okay, so. The Chinese government is trying to do what now? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Are you suggesting that they will deploy multiple nuclear arsenal in their own territory to wipe out the demon kings army? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Doesnt it sound logical? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
B-b-but, its been proven through the Pyongyang incident that the nuclear weapons are useless against the demon kings. Am I wrong? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That was only one missile, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
You already mentioned this to me. What is China famous for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Human sea attack... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Or to put it in another way, waging the so-called material war.
What if they focused all of their nuclear arsenal in Sichuan and bombarded that ce?
...H-hey, even Im getting curious about the potential result. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Obviously every nation had already entertained the idea of using their nuclear weapons on the demon kings army. Unfortunately there were several real-life restrictions from doing that. First of all, there was that precedence of an ICBM being rendered useless after itsunch, and it was also really difficult to make that decision to deploy nuclear bombs in your own country.
Are you saying they are willing to put up with the fallout radiation?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I mean, even Japan is fine, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Fukushima... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Which of the two wouldve left a bigger impact in the respective nations C Japan losing Fukushima or China losing Sichuan?
Wouldnt they be almost finished getting ready by now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh, uh, mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons head reflexively shifted towards the west.
He then quickly yanked out his phone and dialled a number. He quietly waited for the call to go through.
C Whats going on?
Mister Minister, its Choi Jeong-Hoon speaking.
C I said, whats going on?
...If a huge cache of nuclear arsenal is about to go off in Chinas Sichuan, who should I call in order to find out about the potential ripples that could impact us? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C ...What was that?
The voiceing out from the phones speaker became rather grave.
< 420. Been a while -5 > Fin.
(TL: That Daewoo Matiz bit in [1] is a deep-cut Korean in-joke that will take forever to exin. Just know that the Koreanizens use Matiz as a ng for a government-sanctioned suicide.)
Chapter 421: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (1)
Chapter 421: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (1)
C What kind of a freshly baked dogsh*t is this? (defense minister)
Its as I said, Minister. We need to confirm the potential impact Korea will suffer if arge cache of nuclear bombs go off in Sichuan. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Which insane idiots would try to detonate nuclear bombs in China?! Unless they want tomit mutual suicide, that is. (defense minister)
The Chinese government, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Son of a b*tch. (defense minister)
No other exnation was necessary. But then again, someone with a brain that needed exnations on every little thing wouldnt have managed to climb up to the position of the Minister of Defense in the first ce.
C Okay, hold on. Hold on for a d*mn minute. So what youre saying is... They are going to shower the demon king army with nuclear missiles? (defense minister)
Very likely, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C How logical of them. (defense minister)
Choi Jeong-Hoon half-expected a barrage of profanities to fly out from the phones speaker, but the response turned out to be rather moderate in nature. The Defense Minister remained quiet for a long while before finally saying something.
C We were aware of them nning a military strategy of some kind, but never imagined that they would choose to go down that route... No, we shouldve thought about this possibility from the get-go so why didnt we do that? D*mmit. (defense minister)
Please calm down, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C For the time being, I shall make the necessary report and get the relevant info at the same time. As for the data you wanted, Ill make sure that it gets to your hands ASAP. But I think we dont need to worry too much about the fallout part. If and when we do encounter a big problem, Beijing would have turned into thend of death by then. (defense minister)
...Yes sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed softly.
The Defense Minister was right. The impact of a nuclear arsenal normally spread out in a circr pattern, whether that was the deadly radiation or whatever.
When looking at the straight-line distance, the nuclear explosions going off in Sichuan would turn the rest of China into thend of death well before affecting the Korean penins. Even if China was known for going overboard often, they wouldnt dare tomit mutual suicide here, so there didnt seem to be a reason to worry too much about this.
C I shall get in touchter. (defense minister)
Yes, sir. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The call came to an end, and Yi Ji-Hyuk asked with a pouting expression.
What did he say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Chinese side will suffer an even greater damage than us, so he thinks they wont go too much overboard this time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, yeah. Thats obvious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...But, uh, will they really resort to raining down nuclear bombs? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Theres no reason not to, right? The demons cant be stopped anyway, so might as well try every method avable at your disposal. I see it as a logical step. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But will it even work? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek.
You know, people have this tendency of mixing up the concept of being strong. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For sure, a demon king is stronger than a nuclear missile. However, that doesnt mean it can withstand the impact of being hit by one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont quite follow? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Lets say there are two people with guns. If they start shooting at each other, the one who can shoot better will win. However, that doesnt mean the victor wont die after getting hit by a bullet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aha... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A demon king possesses an overwhelming level of offensive and defensive powers. But their physical bodies arent quite sturdy enough to withstand the nuclear bombs explosion. The crux of the matter, though, is whether or not you can break through their magical defence and hit their physical bodies in the first ce... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned deeply.
The more I think about it, chucking a bunch of nukes at one wouldnt be enough to do the job. Sure, all the demonic beasts will get exterminated, but as for the demon king? I dont think so. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even then, well, Im sure all these global powerhouse nations have already done their due diligence on researching the demon kings and the monsters. So who knows, they might have an unknown ace up their sleeves or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sounds like youre overestimating humanity a bit? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...In that case, were all screwed, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks gaze shifted over to the west.
They arete. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The march of the demonic beings was slower than he expected. He figured they would take their sweet time since their concept of time flow was different, but even then, he didnt expect them to be this tardy, either.
I guess youll get busy yourself, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Once the atmosphere became a bit too heavy, Choi Jeong-Hoon tried to change the subject.
Why would I get busy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Arent you going to teach magic soon? To Alpha and his gang of miscreants. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...You know, I was thinking about that and... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since Im going to teach anyway, how about you guys also participate, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean, the NDF? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Right. I also taught you a bit about magic a while ago, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. Although the learning process was brief, theres plenty of Mana now so dont you think you can use it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression became dazed. Now that he thought about it, he did learn a little about magic in the past.
Right, he said that I can use magic after teaching me this and that. But he also said since theres no Mana I cant use magic on Earth, too. Wow, I almost literally bit his head off back then, didnt I? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Surely, Yi Ji-Hyuk did... not teach him those things in preparation for this moment, but whatever the case might have been, Choi Jeong-Hoon should be able to use some magic now, somehow.
But, uh, Ive forgotten about them. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dont worry. Getting beaten up for three days straight will refresh your memory. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall try my absolute best to recall them all by myself. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Good to hear. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded his head, his expression barely hiding his misgivings.
He didnt start this conversation for it to end here, though. This certainly went down the path he didnt anticipate.
Anyways. If we start learning magic along with Alpha and his gang, wouldnt that cause some kind of trouble? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Is this the right time to worry about that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not really. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So, well just have to do it, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded in agreement.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was right. Right now they needed to grasp at straws if that helped. At least this time, they needed to put aside their grudge or resentment or whatever and act together for the future of mankind.
The problem is, people on our side arent that generous to begin with... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Itd be even more strange for some kind of trouble to not develop.
He could unhesitatingly say that Seo Ah-Young would start chucking mansion-sized fireballs around in less than ten seconds after running into either Alpha, Jeong Min-Seong or even Park Seong-Chan.
The most important battle that could determine the fate of mankind wouldnt be the one taking ce between humans and demons, but between humans themselves. What an irony that was.
Rrrr...
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuks phone began vibrating.
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He sneaked a nce at the phones screen, then muted it before shoving it deep inside his pocket.
In any case, please get ready. I mean, teaching only those guys will leave a sour taste in my mouth, after all. Oh, and call Christopher McLaren and tell him to pick a few promising Americans worthy of some education and send them over, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, that Christopher McLaren is trying to procure you as ab rat, you know?!
I want to say that out aloud so badly but who knew that not being able to say anything would be this painful? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Got it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
For now, I should just say I understand... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
It was then, Kim Dah-Hyun hurriedly ran towards Yi Ji-Hyuk from a distance.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Seeing that mans urgent expression, Choi Jeong-Hoons own face hardened in an instant.
What happened? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Kim Dah-Hyun had a pretty mellow personality overall so for him to act like that, things mustve been rather serious.
Whats wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dah-Som says you should answer your phone! (Kim Dah-Hyun)
.....................
Right there and then, Choi Jeong-Hoon swore inwardly that hed leave that siscon behind when the time for the magic training came aroundter.
Was the NDF filled with strange people to begin with, or did its agents all be like that due to Yi Ji-Hyuks influence?
What an unsolvable mystery that was.
Eiii. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, looking clearly irritated, pulled out the phone from his pocket, its touchscreen still lit up brightly. It seemed that she had been calling him constantly until now.
What now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk answered the call with an annoyed voice.
What the...?! You want to go on a date?! Did you forget that Im at work right now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly dropped the call and continued from where he left off.
In any case, thats how it is, so please schedule it ordingly. Then give Alpha a call to let him know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When that happened, though, Kim Dah-Hyun making an unreadable expression sneaked closer to Choi Jeong-Hoon and whispered quietly.
Uhm... Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ill, uh, do Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks share of work, so is it possible for you to let him off early today? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
.................
This guy, just how did he end up like this?
***
Nukes?! (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins eyes shook violently.
Yes, sir. It seems that they are going to do it. Ive called the Americans and they knew about it already. (defense minister)
Deploying nukes on their own territory? How can they even think about using nukes without warning their neighbours?! (Yun Yeong-Min)
It seems that they already have, sir. Russia also knew about it as well. (defense minister)
After hearing that, Song Jeong-Su tutted loudly.
So, they think were not good enough to share information with. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min let out a pained groan.
With this, he felt once more just how low Koreas international acim had fallen after Yi Ji-Hyuk lost his powers. Or to put it in another way, Koreas international standing hadnt fallen but simply returned to its original position.
Indeed, Korea was rapidly reverting back to the past when it had to y tug-of-war diplomacy while stuck in between China and America.
...It seems that the good times are over for us, then. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min also came to realise once more how wonderfully cosseting his term in the office had been all thanks to Yi Ji-Hyuk. Taking one look at Chinas, and Christopher McLarens, attitude doing a sudden 180 was enough of a proof of that.
To paraphrase what they were saying all along, Korea had simply reverted back to being Asias minor nation.
Even then, how can they not inform us of their intentions to use nukes? Just how much are they nning to ignore us?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su gritted his teeth.
The Korean side basically got sucker-punched diplomatically, but too bad, they had no way of retaliating at the moment.
The demon kings showing up turned out to be a blessing in disguise... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Korea was being treated so poorly already, so it didnt take a genius to figure out what wouldve happened if Yi Ji-Hyuk lost his powers without any demon kings rampaging around.
What if Japan, currently keeping quiet, decided to suddenly throw a tantrum as well? Then the whole of South Korea wouldve ended up in an utter mess before long.
We need power. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min couldnt help but contemte. He acutely felt theck of his own abilities, but even then, he was still the president of this nation. He was the helmsman tasked with steering the country called the Republic of Korea.
If theck of power resulted in his nation falling into the pit of sorrow, then he simply had to be more powerful. If there was no method to be powerful right now, then one shouldnt hesitate to borrow the powers of someone else.
Mister Prime Minister. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, Mister President. (Song Jeong-Su)
That offer Christopher McLaren made earlier... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes? (Song Jeong-Su)
How about we ept it? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su didnt immediately reply but chose to mouth a cigarette first. Yun Yeong-Min opened the lid of the ashtray in the middle of the conference table.
Sir, we mustnt. (Song Jeong-Su)
But... (Yun Yeong-Min)
You need to be cold-hearted about this, sir. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min stared in dissatisfaction at Song Jeong-Su.
Its true that our nation owes Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk a great debt. However, were politicians at the end of the day. The fate of this nation depends on every decision we make. But isnt your judgement being clouded by the personal feelings? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir, its not me but you who has failed toe to a proper decision, Mister President. (Song Jeong-Su)
Pardon? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins eyes grew wider from that.
What kind of guarantees do we have that they will help us after handing Yi Ji-Hyuk over? No, its more natural for them to wash their hands clean off of a minor nation across the Pacific like us. Especially when that nation has nothing more to offer. Just like how we can be some shameless b*stards all for the sake of national interest, they too can im their own national interest and rip to tiny pieces our so-called agreement like toilet paper, sir. (Song Jeong-Su)
Ah... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su was right.
It seemed that Yun Yeong-Min had be too hasty and failed to even consider something so basic.
Let us not forget, we have a spot in Pyongyang right now. The Americans cant even handle the one inside their borders so its simply not feasible for them to divide their forces to deal with Pyongyangs spot. So, we should just forget about the Americans supposed help, as that wouldnt being anyway. I assure you, even if our limbs get torn off, they wouldnt care any less even if they tried. (Song Jeong-Su)
...Then, what should we do? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Sus eyes were lowered, withdrawn.
Since we ced our faith in him from the get-go, we should go all the way till the end, sir. I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Song Jeong-Su)
< 421. I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk -1 > Fin.
Chapter 422: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (2)
Chapter 422: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (2)
...Where do you want to go now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To an amusement park. (Kim Dah-Som)
Its cold enough to freeze your a*s, yet you wanna go where?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The weathers a lot bettertely, though. (Kim Dah-Som)
Oh, really now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at all the passersby thickly d in various winter clothing.
So its better, eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som poked her tongue out.
People dont go to amusement parks for their rides, though. They look at all the parades, even look at the animals, and... (Kim Dah-Som)
In that case, should I take you to Africa? Thats where youll find real wild lions roaming around, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, this and that feels different, of course. (Kim Dah-Som)
Just before he could retort to her inane remark...
Shes right, you know. Who goes to amusement parks nowadays to ride on roller coasters or something? (Jeong Hae-Min)
...But, I saw a ton of people queuing there? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When did you go to one recently? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I saw it on the news. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In. Any. Case. People dont go there to ride stuff these days. Okay? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Mins deration that didnt allow for an inch of pushback caused Yi Ji-Hyuks expression to distort.
But, but! We didnt get to do anything back then when we went to that American theme park, right? We instead got involved in some other stupid things, didnt we?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why we should go now! Its unfair that we missed out! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Shes right, you know! (Kim Dah-Som)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Min on either side of him raising their voices in unison and fell ever deeper into this fundamental question.
Since when did you two be this close? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
...
Out of everyone he knew, these two were perhaps the most intense rivals out there, so to see them putting up a united front like this? The world mustve changed a lottely, then.
Okay, fine. Fine. Are we going or not, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lets go, oppa. (Kim Dah-Som)
Sure. Were going, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since they were already outside, he figured that he might as well. If he insisted on not going then without a doubt, hed be nagged incessantly by these two for the rest of today. So it could be much better to simply go to a d*mn amusement park and get it over with.
Okay, so. Where are we going, then? America? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No can do. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon isnt here, thats why. Without him, we cant even get an entrance ticket, you know! ...Since I cant speak English. (Jeong Hae-Min)
What? You received twelve years ofpulsory education, but still cant speak a lick of English?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, and you can? (Jeong Hae-Min)
...Well, I didnt receive the full twelve years, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head faltered, but Kim Dah-Som patted his shoulders to console him.
Its okay, oppa. I also didnt get the full twelve years. (Kim Dah-Som)
Thats because you havent graduated yet! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyukined loudly before organising the situation.
Okay, so where do you want to go? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The one in Yongyin, I guess. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min was quick and ruthless in making up her mind.
Okay. When? Tomorrow? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is there a reason to wait until tomorrow, though? Cant we go today? We arent going to get on the rides all that much anyway. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded.
Honestly, the amusement park rides held little interest to him. He had experienced far too many things to feel thrilled while riding in those things, anyway. Asking Oh-Sik to shake him around would be more thrilling, in all honesty.
Okay, lets get going, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-wait a minute first! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was right then, Choi Jeong-Hoon and his utterly paleplexion ran towards the trio from a distance.
Where?! Where are you going now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...You know, this guy is acting more and more like a nanny from a kindergarten or something nowadays. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression crumpled unhappily.
Argh, seriously?! Cant you just leave me alone for a while so I can have some fun?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I dont mind you having fun! However!!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon proudly pointed at himself and shouted out.
Take me along with you too! Thats all I ask! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course, Choi Jeong-Hoons original intention was to keep an eye out at all times since he couldnt tell what the United States or the Korean government would do, but to Yi Ji-Hyuk who didnt know anything about that...
...Maybe youre feeling a bit lonely these days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..............
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly elbowed Jeong Hae-Min by her side.
Hey, you should arrange one or two blind dates for him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Blind dates? (Jeong Hae-Min)
I mean, there are lots of idols, right? You must be friends with some of them, what with how long youve been toiling away in that scene and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, yeah. I do know a few... (Jeong Hae-Min)
Its just that we never cared about it normally, but lets be real here. Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon is practically the perfect husband material, wouldnt you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoons nose ever so slightly lifted up.
He brings home a good sry, is smart with his work, and is also good looking, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Jeong Hae-Min)
And, he also doesnt go home often, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Dont forget, his work is dangerous so no one knows when he might die. And if he does die during the line of duty, hell be designated as a selfless patriot and the country will pay pension automatically, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...He really is the perfect husband material, then. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Even Jeong Hae-Min had to acknowledge that fact.
However, Choi Jeong-Hoons expression showed how unconvinced he was.
Are those things really seen as good conditions for a marriage partner? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats why he hasnt gotten married yet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Agreed. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min ended up smirking a little.
Youre right. We dont know whats waiting for us just around the corner these days, so I should help out our Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon with finding a nice girlfriend or something. Dont worry, Ill find someone cute and kind just for you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
N-no, wait a minute... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was about to say something to defend himself, only to smirk helplessly as well.
...Whats wrong? Looking forward to your blind date? (Seo Ah-Young)
It was right then, this murderously icy chill attacked him from behind. Cold sweat began trickling down Choi Jeong-Hoons forehead.
W-when did you arrive, maam? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He slowly turned his head to discover Seo Ah-Young smiling brightly behind him.
But your eyes arent smiling at all! Your eyes!!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shuddered after recalling Seo Ah-Youngs question from a second ago.
Well, I happened to eavesdrop on the news that you might go on a blind date, so I came to congratte you, thats all. Unni, youre going to introduce him to someone, werent you? (Seo Ah-Young)
N-no, hang on. When did I say that? Its just, you know, Ji-Hyuk here asked me to introduce someone so, out of courtesy, I merely said that Ill look into it, thats all. I, I wasnt seriously thinking of finding someone, you know? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Aha, I see. But wouldnt Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon be really disappointed to hear that? I mean, look at how happy he is, with his dumb looking idiot grin on his face. So how disappointed would he be if you dont introduce someone? (Seo Ah-Young)
I never smiled like an idiot, though... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Although he had a ton of excuses to get off his chest, he got this instinctive feeling that if he haphazardly opened his mouth now, hed no longer be a person named Choi Jeong-Hoon but simply a burnt-out piece of charcoal that also happened to be named Choi Jeong-Hoon.
So, he firmly mped his mouth shut.
Why arent you saying anything?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Ehhh? That wasnt it?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Seo Ah-Young red at Choi Jeong-Hoon with eyes burning hotter than the mes of hell, so Jeong Hae-Min took it upon herself to mollify this situation ASAP.
I-in that case, Ah-Young? You shoulde with us, too. Have fun together with us and vent some steam. Youll feel better afterwards. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I dont like amusement parks. (Seo Ah-Young)
Itll be fun if we hang out together. (Jeong Hae-Min)
I dont particrly feel like it. (Seo Ah-Young)
Jeong Hae-Mins head spun and even she began ring at Choi Jeong-Hoon as well. Her silent pressure telling him to do something about this situation and do it now caused even more cold sweat to rain down from his face.
...L-lets go together. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm. (Seo Ah-Young)
I think itll be at least ten times more fun if you apany us, maam. Actually, I also dont feel much like going if youre not interested. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, in that case. I dont wish to ruin this atmosphere, so Ill go with you, then. (Seo Ah-Young)
You made the correct decision, maam. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon managed to stop the situation from spiralling out of control and sneakily wiped his forehead.
Yi Ji-Hyuk staring at the unfolding spectacle quietly muttered to no one in particr.
Wow, you all are having too much fun, arent you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
***
Give him the 328th district. (Christopher McLaren)
...But, director. Isnt that...? (Brown)
Do as I say, Brown. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir. (Brown)
The man named Brown formed an extremely dissatisfied expression, but he couldnt voice his opposition to Christopher McLarens order. The charisma exuded by him was simply too overwhelming for that right now.
Even then, Brown found himself unable to fullymit to that order without presenting at least some kind of resistance. Because this issue was also rted to the soul of the United States of America as well.
Will this really be fine, sir? (Brown)
What will? (Christopher McLaren)
Quite frankly Im ufortable with the idea of joining hands with Alpha, sir. More correctly, it sickens me and makes me almost puke, sir. (Brown)
Im sure thats the case. (Christopher McLaren)
Even if its for the bigger picture, how can we cooperate with the criminal that weve been trying our hardest to track down and eliminate? What about all of our dead colleagues, killed by him and his gang? (Brown)
We also killed quite a few of their friends, too. (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, this and that are not the same. (Brown)
Christopher McLaren chuckled softly.
I cant tell the difference, though? (Christopher McLaren)
No matter what, Alpha and Christopher McLaren could never co-exist together. The moment the perceived usefulness of the other party runs out, they would immediately revert back to being bitter enemies. And they would stop at nothing to kill each other for real when that happens.
However, now was a different story.
Alpha didnt kill me, did he? (Christopher McLaren)
Despite sessfully getting close enough to touch him, Alpha didnt murder Christopher McLaren. Especially when ripping thetters head off wouldve been easier than taking candy from a baby and all.
Because, we need each other. Alpha knows that. He knows that my ability is a necessity right now in order to fight the demonic beings. (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, it feels like you sometimes forget the fact that it was Alpha who brought those demons to our world in the first ce. (Brown)
Christopher McLaren shook his head.
The number of Gates was gradually increasing. Not to mention, they were getting tougher to deal with, too. The Gates stopped appearing right after the pathway to the demon world opened up, however. The meaning behind that is crystal clear. These Gates were tears in the wall between two different dimensions. Which means that even if Alpha hadnt done anything, the pathway to the demon world wouldve opened up sooner orter. (Christopher McLaren)
Humans die when they get old, sir. That doesnt mean murderers use the defence of I killed people who are destined to die anyway so Im not guilty. Sir. (Brown)
...That reply does sting a bit, Brown. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren scratched his head.
For sure, a sizeable portion of the me for the lives currently being sacrificed rested on Alphas shoulders.
Unfortunately, this isnt a court ofw, Brown. (Christopher McLaren)
...
If you wish to uphold thew or be righteous, then I suggest you switch to being a prosecutor or maybe even a cop. But us? We need to do whatever it takes for our national interests and to protect mankind at the same time. Even if that means we need to get down on our knees and lick Alphas boots. (Christopher McLaren)
Brown could only sigh resignedly and shake his head at the unyielding tone of Christopher McLarens voice.
Understood, sir. (Brown)
So, save yourints for another time. Lets get some work done first. We can discuss Alphas elimination as much as you want after we get rid of these d*mn demon b*stards first. You get what Im saying? (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir. (Brown)
Okay, so. Whats going on with the Chinese? (Christopher McLaren)
It seems that theyll beunching their nuclear striketer today, sir. (Brown)
What a bunch of driven b*stards. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren furrowed his brows.
He felt nothing about them resorting to nuclear weapons. He already had a precedence ofunching one himself, didnt he? No, the issue here was the amount of nukes about to be deployed.
Since the nukes would be concentrated in one spot, the resulting radiation fallout wouldnt spread as badly as everyone feared, but theres no doubting that itd still end up impacting China quite badly.
Only China could havee up with this idea, and only China wouldve gone through with such an operation.
I hope they seed. (Christopher McLaren)
If this tactic produced a good result, then Christopher McLaren would seriously consider doing the same thing to LA. Losing that city would hurt badly, but itd still be a hundred times better than losing America itself, after all.
All of our avable satellites are focused on the targeted location as we speak, sir. (Brown)
Good work. I got it for now. And what about Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren quickly changed the subject.
Hes currently still in South Korea, sir. The Korean government and the NDF seem to be making some arrangements to protect him. (Brown)
Mm... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren moaned softly.
I didnt take Song Jeong-Su for a fool, but I see that he still chose the losing hand in the end. (Christopher McLaren)
Should we go in, sir? (Brown)
No. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren waved his hand dismissively.
For now, let him be. Now isnt the right time. (Christopher McLaren)
Brown found this order a little strange since Christopher McLaren wanted to procure Yi Ji-Hyuk so desperately yet he chose to step back for now. From thetters perspective, however, it was an obvious choice.
I shouldnt touch him unless I dont want to see the world get destroyed? (Christopher McLaren)
Alphas warning implied there was something about Yi Ji-Hyuk that Christopher McLaren didnt know about. While thinking that he should acquire more information on Yi Ji-Hyuk somehow, he continued with his questioning.
Okay, so... What is Yi Ji-Hyuk doing right now? (Christopher McLaren)
...Hes at an amusement park with a bevy of women, sir. (Brown)
...
Christopher McLaren wordlessly pulled out a cigar from the case, cut its tip off, then lit it up.
I really cant figure out whats inside that mans head. (Christopher McLaren)
< 422. I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk -2 > Fin.
Chapter 423: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (3)
Chapter 423: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (3)
What will speaking to Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk get us at this point in time? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su smiled brightly.
A drowning man would even grasp at straws, after all. (Song Jeong-Su)
Thats true, but... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Also... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su ever so slightly dragged out the ends of his words, before taking a small sip from the cup of lukewarm coffee resting on top of the table.
Even if Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk has lost his powers, his overall worth is still incalcble in my view. (Song Jeong-Su)
Are you thinking of doing the same thing as the Americans?! (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins tone of voice was as sharp as a de. It seemed that, despite making that suggestion earlier, he had some amount of rejection to the notion of using Yi Ji-Hyuk in a negative way.
Hes certainly not a presidential material. (Song Jeong-Su)
Somewhat ironically, Yun Yeong-Min wore this facade of an extremist fairly well, but his personality was anything but that. So much so that Song Jeong-Su often wondered why a man like him would resort to spewing those extremist-sounding derations all the time.
But it did give the man the keys to the Blue House, so there was that.
I never nned to do that, nor do we have the necessary technology. Unless its the Americans doing it, we wont get anything by performing research on Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Its unfortunate that our level of scientific advancement isnt as good as theirs, and you know that as well as anyone, Mister President. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded, his expression remaining sour. Although he didnt want to, he simply had to acknowledge that fact.
The most important thing in modern society is information. And Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk holds the most amount of information on the demon world as well as the other world among us. If we are to find a way to ovee this situation, theres a very good chance that well find it buried among his vast pool of knowledge. (Song Jeong-Su)
But if he knew something like that, hed have told us already, wouldnt he? Its not as if our rtionships are so broken that hes holding back on such vital info from us. (Yun Yeong-Min)
A man holding a treasure sometimes doesnt understand its true value, sir. I was nning to bring along numerous experts from every conceivable field out there and see if Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk can provide us with relevant information. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min weightily nodded.
He didnt think any of this would be of much help, but just like what Song Jeong-Su had said earlier, they needed to grasp at every straw they could see right now.
Its not like weve got something better to do, anyway. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min could only chuckle hollowly.
The restoration and repair works were being carried at the moment, but truth be told, running those projects was no longer his job. And other than the reorganisation of the devastated districts, he nor any of his ministers werent even able toe up with a n for the future, either.
...Because, if another demon king decided to show up after new buildings went up, then yet another hefty chunk of the nations nned budget would be thrown out the window, thats why.
Wevepletely lost the initiative, after all. (Yun Yeong-Min)
One of the biggest issues humanity currently faced was that they couldnt go on the pre-emptive strike. Just trying to deal with the demon king armies that had popped out so far alone took everything mankind had to offer.
So it was simply impossible to even think about attacking the demon world directly through the open spots or even find a way to close those gateways permanently.
...At this rate, well continuously be pushed back until werepletely and utterly annihted. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Everyone here already knows that, sir. Its just that we havent found a way out of this quagmire, thats all. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min let out a grave-sounding groan.
Others are trying out new things as we speak. Chinas attempt is one part of that. (Song Jeong-Su)
...You mean, that insane n of theirs? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su shook his head.
We shouldnt view it solely in that manner. (Song Jeong-Su)
Pardon? (Yun Yeong-Min)
If our current situation persists, the only thing waiting for us in the future will be ourplete defeat, sir. So its only logical to try anything and everything. If they manage to get rid of one spot at the cost of half of China, then itd still be a profit in the end, Mister President. Because humanity wouldve found a way to survive with that method. As long as they seed, that is... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stopped talking there and chuckled softly.
Of course, such a n is only possible because its China. Their government doesnt care much about their own citizens after all, despite their overall national strength. Even if we were to find ourselves in a simr situation as them, we wouldnt even be able to attempt something as crazy as this. (Song Jeong-Su)
That I agree with you. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min and Song Jeong-Su exchanged gazes with heavy expressions.
Its that problem that keeps popping up during all these critical moments. (Song Jeong-Su)
Democracy might have been the most logical way to govern, but it had a big w in that as a ruling system, it wasnt the most efficient one out there. In normal times, democracy certainly came across as a perfect political system but when a crisis happened, it became a massive hurdle preventing the quick formation of resolutions or making of extreme but necessary decisions.
Although all these were true, they werent something to be said out in the open. All Song Jeong-Su could do for now was to pull out another cigarette and smoke away the built-up frustration in his heart.
By the way, where is Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, and what is he doing currently? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Not sure, sir. Well, most likely... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su took into consideration Yi Ji-Hyuks style and provided the best answer he coulde up with.
Hes probably busy yingputer games. (Song Jeong-Su)
***
...Cant I, like, go and y games or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, you cant. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Why not?! I have free will, dont I?! I want to y games with my own free will, so why are you trying to stop me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Staying indoors and ying games all the time will only worsen your social skills. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ive enabled the chat function in-game and I talk to other yers, Ill have you know! We use mics to talk to each other and stuff! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although, half of what he heard so far happened to be mostly unprintable profanities.
He heard so much profanities by now that his ears had reached the realm of applying the automatic swear filter without him needing to do anything.
Im hungry. Buy me a snack. (Kim Dah-Som)
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan after seeing Kim Dah-Som cling onto his shoulders.
Since he got off work under the pretext of Kim Dah-Hyun doing his share of the work, at the very least he needed to go on this date along with her until the office hours came to an end. That would be the moral thing to do, after all.
This is one hundred times better than wasting time doing nothing on that demolition site, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although Choi Jeong-Hoon went crazy while saying No, you caaaant!!! right till the end, Yi Ji-Hyuk did manage to get out of that ce, while almost literally chucking that man out of his way in the process.
But a new problem had risen, and that was...
Hey! You better let go! Why are you clinging onto someone elses arm like that?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
What do you mean, someone elses arm? Its not your arm, unni, so its all fine, isnt it? (Kim Dah-Som)
Sure, its not my arm, but it aint yours, either. Let him go, now! (Jeong Hae-Min)
But, I dont want to? Kim Dah-Som)
...A third wheel somehow managed to attach herself.
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned grandly at the sight of Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Min starting to bicker again.
Hey, kids? May I remind you that the world is about toe to an end? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He just couldnt figure out the people of this world.
Back in Berafe, Yi Ji-Hyuks sudden re-emergence caused a world-wide emergency and every living person, be that a child or woman, pounced on him like crazy with a singr hope of stopping his relentless march.
From his perspective, such a thing was truly astonishing and bbergasting, but they seemed to be under the impression that stopping him was the only way for their future to continue and without a shred of hesitation, stood in his way to throw their lives away.
Back then, he viewed their actions as moths rushing to a me only to meet their doom, but now that he got to witness apletely contrasting scene here on Earth, he found himself rather frustrated by it as well.
...Arent you even remotely worried? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
About what? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im talking about the demon king army invading the world right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, yeah. Im worried. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min replied with a smirk.
But what will change even if I worry about it? If something did change by me worrying and stomping my feet all day, then Id have strapped on the pedometre and started running already. But thats not how it works, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We dont even know whats gonna happen so what can we do? If its a nuclear strike, we can duck into an evacuation shelter, and if its a war, we might pick up a gun and fight back, but were supposed to prepare for the demon kings who might or might not invade us soon? In that case, it doesnt matter whether we anxiously shiver away in fear or act like how we always have so far but still prepare ourselves, right? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Although what she said wasnt wrong...
Her words being agreeable no matter who heard it was causing that ugly problem to rear its head.
Thats why we should keep living as if everythings normal. Besides, I heard that theres a problem with the power stations and were going to run out of electricity soon. Theres a good chance that we wont even get to enjoy these normal things in the near future, so might as well get the most out of them while we can. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mmmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly came to understand the old saying that you couldnt win in an argument against women.
Okay, so what are we going to eat? (Kim Dah-Som)
Urgh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had experienced an absolute peak of carefree, easygoing life based on nigh-infinite time as well as his forever-regenerating body, yet even then, he couldnt win against this duo.
Then again, Im not any different, arent I. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt really feel all that motivated to do anything, and he also didnt have much to do until Alpha was done with his so-called preparations.
Excluding those countries at the forefront of the ongoing conflict against the demon kings such as America, China and Europe, the rest of humanity was in a simr situation as Yi Ji-Hyuk C busy sucking on their thumbs and waiting for something.
All of them felt the simr sentiment of wanting to provide as much assistance as possible and prevent the ripples from reaching their own nations, but that assistance not being all that helpful remained as an unfortunate fact.
Even if soldiers were sent there, they would get wiped out in an instant, and the ability users were proving to be too powerless against the demon kings and the demon king armies.
Everyone knew that providing assistance practically equalled providing more cannon fodder so it was only natural that what little assistance offered in the first ce remained as nothing more than some lip-service.
You know, theres something I wanna ask you. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Ask me what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Mins question caused Yi Ji-Hyuks head to tilt a little.
Honestly, is this all we can do? The only reason why we arent doing anything is because, objectively speaking, we dont have any way to defeat the demon kings. Am I wrong? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I mean, if we knew how to defeat a demon king, we wouldnt be this uninvolved, right? We would probably be doing our best to drive those demon kings out of here, somehow. And currently at least, you are the only one who knows how to defeat them, isnt it? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, the method itself is pretty simple, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied disinterestedly.
They arent some immaterial things like radiation or poison but actual, living creatures, so the method isnt thatplicated, you know? You just have to stomp them to death with even greater power, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were like this because thats impossible, you know?! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min yelled loudly at him.
If we were capable of using stronger force than they did, then why would we be worried in the first ce? Demon kings being stronger than us is pretty obvious, so where would we go and find an even stronger power than them? (Jeong Hae-Min)
There is, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Not every demon king is as strong as you think. I mean, plenty of them arent even tough as the dirt trapped in my toenail back in my prime, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...How does that help us? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Especially so when humanity currently was weaker than the dirt trapped in the toenail of the dirt trapped in his toenail...
As far as the destructive powers are concerned, mankind has exceeded demon kings already. No matter how strong a single demon king is, you think one attack from it can disy the destructive power greater than a nuke? If that was the case, our wouldve been destroyed a long time ago. In terms of pure firepower, no other dimension out there will exceed Earth. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then why cant we defeat demon kings? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Because, they dont want to get hit, thats why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a disinterested pout.
Sure, we might possess nuclear punches, but theres no meaning if those punches are too slow and cant hit their targets. Thats the issue with humanity right now. We might have the firepower, but we dont have a way to urately hit the demon kings. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Does that mean itll work as long as we hit them? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Theres the other issue with breaking through their magical defence, but well, itd be pretty hard to withstand such a high-energy reaction with your body no matter how many magic shields you cast on yourself. So yeah, they will end up getting hurt. Not just a little bit but really badly, too. If humanity utilises their nuclear arsenal cleverly, then its not like we dont have any chances of survival whatsoever, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It happened right then.
Waaaaaaaaail!!!
Sirens suddenly went off in all directions and the evacuation signal was red out from the loudspeakers.
Looks like its about to begin. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted loudly and continued on.
Wasting such precious weapons in this manner is akin to chucking your slim hope outta window, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked over to the west with a criticising expression on his face. Jeong Hae-Min and Kim Dah-Som could only open their eyes wider in puzzlement, since they didnt know whats going on.
< 423. I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk -3 > Fin.
Chapter 424: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (4)
Chapter 424: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (4)
The Marshal of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army, Central Military Committee, Xu Cheng, was currently staring at the giant monitor with a hardened expression.
Is everything ready? (Xu Cheng)
Yes sir, everythings wless.
M-mm... (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng watched the real-time footage of the demon king army transmitted from the spy satellite and gritted his teeth.
Stinking sons of b*tches. (Xu Cheng)
Because of those rotten b*stards, China was about to go down in history as the first nation ever to deploy several nukes in its own territory.
What did the Comrade President say? (Xu Cheng)
He said that the timing and the method of the deployment will be entrusted to you, sir.
Oh, so thats how it is? (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng powerfully mmed hismanders baton on the ground.
Let us show those savages the true power of our glorious nation. Lets teach them how unwise it was for them to enter this world. (Xu Cheng)
Indeed sir, your words are absolutely correct.
Xu Cheng raised his head to look at the wall-mounted clock to confirm the scheduledunch time.
Thirty minutes to go, is it? (Xu Cheng)
Although he was evaluated by the higher-ups as a fearless, true dyed-in-the-wool soldier, there was simply no way hed not tremble a little from what was about to happen. Just how many people in the history of mankind had the opportunity to press the nuclear missileunch button?
Anyone in the same situation would get deeply nervous. Especially more so when the nukes were aimed at ones own home country, too.
Bloody hell. (Xu Cheng)
There was one other factor contributing to Xu Chengs rage at the moment as well. And that was the small fact that he was originally from Sichuan.
Meaning, he found himself in the position to erase his birthce off the map all for the sake of his country and its citizens.
Yes, this is for my country. (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng pounded on his chest a couple of times and nodded gravely.
He didnt make this decision. No, it was made by the Central Military Committee, which included the President himself, as well. His job was to simply carry out their will. That was all.
Although he too was the member of the Central Military Committee, in all honesty this organisation merely existed to nicely package the Presidents will and deliver it to those in the lower rungs of thedder.
He also had some misgivings with why he needed to take up this role instead of, say, Combined Forces Commands Chief of Staff or the Commanding Officer of the Missile Command. But since the President said so, Xu Cheng had no choice but to do it.
Im sure he felt uneasy about entrusting so much power to soldiers like us. (Xu Cheng)
Judging from how there was still some attempt to control the power dynamics even in these times of national crisis, it seemed that humanity would never be able to let go of their lust for power no matter how much time and history pass them by.
If humanity was allowed to continue on, then even after a thousand years had passed, people would still continue with their hidden feuds and power struggles. Because that was human nature, its truest essence.
Marshal, sir.
What now? (Xu Cheng)
A call from the American side hase through the hotline, sir. Its Director Christopher McLaren.
Christopher... (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng quietly gritted his teeth.
Just how much did America, currently the de facto number one nation on Earth, try to bring down China until now?
From politics, military and even economy C itd be no exaggeration to say that China had to focus all its might in fighting back against Americas concerted pressure in every front imaginable.
Connect the call. (Xu Cheng)
No matter how badly Xu Cheng didnt want to see that man, he simply had to do it. People were currently whispering that the one man possessing the most influence in the world was not the American president but Christopher McLaren. Indeed, that man could be seen as the one holding the keys to the world in these urgent, troubled times.
Soon, Christopher McLarens face appeared on the monitor.
Its been a while. (Xu Cheng)
The American had this somewhat troubled expression as he looked at Xu Cheng.
C My apologies, but can you put me through to your President directly, please? (Christopher McLaren)
Sure, if you were the president of your nation, then Id only be too happy to rmend it. However, you are certainly not, yet you dare to have a one on one private conversation with Chinas President? (Xu Cheng)
Christopher McLaren heard the reply through an interpreter, then formed a disapproving expression next.
C I may not be the president, but I am fully authorised to make the necessary decisions. If youre also in the same position as me, then Ill dly have a chat with you, but if youre just a little puppet then I dont see any point in wasting my time here. (Christopher McLaren)
If the Marshal of Peoples Republic of China is a puppet, then everyone in this world must be a puppet, too! (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng roared out in agitation, but Christopher McLaren merely nodded his head.
C In that case, I guess it is fine to talk to you. Now listen well, Mister Marshal. What your country is about to do is nothing more than an ineffective tantrum at best. And all those nukes youre about to deploy in your ill-advised tantrum are thest bastion of mankind as well. I sincerely rmend that you stop this operation immediately. (Christopher McLaren)
There was no point in listening to you, after all. (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng cleanly and ruthlessly cut Christopher McLaren off.
Stop meddling in our affairs, McLaren. (Xu Cheng)
C If our situation was peaceful enough to consider such things, then sure, Id have epted your thinly veiled insults no problem. Unfortunately, now isnt the time to bring up rubbish notions like staying out of your so-called domestic affairs. No, were in a situation where I need to stop your idiotic operation no matter what. (Christopher McLaren)
Xu Cheng furrowed his brows.
You can only know whether its effective or not after trying. (Xu Cheng)
C If only you and I worshipped the same god, then youd also know it. (Christopher McLaren)
God, you say? (Xu Cheng)
C Humanitys god. Its science, obviously. ording to theputer simtion we ran, your method might be enough to get rid of the demon kings army but still not enough to deal with the demon king itself. And if thetter manages to survive, then it doesnt matter what happens to the army, now does it? That d*mn creature can always replenish and restock its forces at any time, after all. (Christopher McLaren)
And how can you scientifically analyse an unknown existence? Have the Americans chance upon a demon king corpse or some suchtely? (Xu Cheng)
C No, we havent. However, we do possess the data from the battles against the demon kings. (Christopher McLaren)
McLaren, why dont you y your little nerdy games back in your own country? If you know so much about the demon kings, why did you give up LA to one currently busy piging your territory? (Xu Cheng)
McLaren spat out a groan.
C Knowing when to retreat is a valid strategy especially when theres a little chance of victory. You should also know that your Ura charge tactic is not the right one. Since your country specialises in the material war, are you also nning to rain down a barrage of nukes on the target, as well? (Christopher McLaren) [1]
If you wish to be sarcastic with us, I advise you to get smarter about it. (Xu Cheng)
C We need a little more time. (Christopher McLaren)
Howid-back you are. (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng replied while gritting his teeth.
Im sick and tired of you Westerners busy boasting and showing off when no one asked for it. You lot always talk a big game but heres the deal, the times have changed. The era of you Westerners being in charge of the worlds destiny is long gone. Todays event will remain as the reminder of that change. Why? Because we shall destroy the demon king army with our own hands, the very same army none of you could do anything about. So, you just sit back and watch while sucking on your little thumb. (Xu Cheng)
C Im not even remotely interested in the power struggle between the East and the West. What Im saying right now is that we need to work together to ovee our current reality. Dont you get that? (Christopher McLaren)
No I dont, but so what? (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng sneered dismissively, and Christopher McLaren narrowed his eyes.
C Its not just me, however. If you wish to bring up the East versus West nonsense, then let me tell you this. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk has judged that the operations like yours will not produce any tangible results. And hes an Asian, just like you. (Christopher McLaren)
Are you seriously suggesting that the great nation of China must change its policy because some random Gaoli bangzi b*stard said something? You, do you have any idea what youre even saying right now? (Xu Cheng) [2]
C Surely even you should know who Yi Ji-Hyuk is? I seriously hope that youre not treating his advice as baseless nonsense because hes from another country. Does your nations standard amount to only that much? (Christopher McLaren)
You better shut your mouth, or else youll get to learn properly what our standard actually is. (Xu Cheng)
Christopher McLaren formed a troubled expression and spat out a sigh.
It felt like he was talking to a caveman here. Obviously, no constructive conversation could take ce when you were talking to someone who, forget about the arguments of low standard or whatever, had already made up their minds and only proceeded to throw around some inane, shameless remarks like this.
C Okay, so. Are you still going ahead with this operation? (Christopher McLaren)
The nation has decided on it. Of course I shall go through with it. And you know that you dont have any right to interfere with what we do, I hope? (Xu Cheng)
Christopher McLaren stared coldly at Xu Cheng.
C This was why I wanted to speak to someone with the authority to make decisions. Listen to me and listen well, Mister Marshal. Youd do well to think about what will happenter from the ripples created by what you said just now and what you are about to do. From this moment on, the United States of America will not provide any assistance whatsoever to the Peoples Republic of China. And you must resolve all of your matters with your own powers. (Christopher McLaren)
Xu Cheng sneered dismissively.
You speak as if youve helped us in the past. As far as I can remember, all you did so far was to pressure and restrict us. Itll be so much nicer if you stopped meddling in our affairs, honestly. (Xu Cheng)
C Ive clearly warned you. This transmission will remain as the irrefutable evidence. Again, youd do well to think carefully on what the history books will say about you in the future. Although, thats only when our history is allowed to continue, of course. (Christopher McLaren)
Beep.
The transmission came to an end with a soft beep.
That stinking Yankee b*stard! (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng angrily threw themanders baton at therge monitor.
Well see for how long you can keep talking big like that. (Xu Cheng)
Those American b*stards, they just couldnt be viewed in a nice light. ording to the China First n, China shouldve been exercising an even greater authority than America throughout the world by now. Xu Cheng was confident that had the ck Monday incident not urred in the first ce, China would have been in the driving seats by now.
It was an opportunity to reim the title of one true global powerhouse nation, which had been taken away by the West. Yet the sudden, unannounced change caused the flow of the worlds dynamics to freeze up. If only that incident didnt happen...
Well, it doesnt matter now. (Xu Cheng)
Todays operation would go on to be the symbol of China reiming its rightful title of the hegemon of the world.
Even the Americans couldnt do anything about the demon king army piging and burning down their own territory, so if China managed to drive out the demon king and its minions, then the leadership of the world would instantly revert to China.
Even the President agreed with that view.
Marshal, sir. Its time.
Fuu-woo. (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng nodded and slowly pushed his hand inside his inner pocket. The key the Comrade President had handed over to him earlier was sleeping in there C the keys to unlock theunch button.
Even during the times of national crisis, you needed all the keys held by three different individuals to unlock the nuclear missileunch button. However, Xu Cheng currently was in possession of all three keys.
Putting up an outward appearance for the others to see is done with this. (Xu Cheng)
The world had already entered the age of the strong preying on the weak. Treaties and alliances no longer held any meaning. And now, the only thing that mattered was which country possessed an even greater power.
Sir, a call came from the Presidential Pce.
What did it say? (Xu Cheng)
It said to go ahead ording to the schedule, sir.
Mm. (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng gravely nodded his head.
The Presidential Pce, is it...
It was somewhat dissatisfying to know that in this critical moment, the President of the nation was making a call not from theunchmand centre but from his underground bunker, instead.
Because it implied that the leader of the nation was hiding in the safest space to spectate the unfolding situation.
Well, not all generals can be brave warriors, so there. (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng told himself that thats how weighty the role of the president was, then after pulling out the keys from his inner pocket, he slotted them in the key holes below the switch.
Once all three keys were turned, the stic covering over the redunch button slowly opened up.
Fuu-woooo... (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.
All the necessary adjustments rted to theunch had beenpleted by now. With one press of this red button, a dozen-plus nukes should descend upon a target right within Chinas borders. Xu Cheng was fully aware of this fact.
His slightly trembling hand moved on top of the button. He merely ced his finger on it yet his heart was pounding away like crazy. But when considering the weight carried by this single, normal-looking button, this was a rather obvious reaction.
Fuu-wooph! (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng sucked in a deep breath, and roared out.
Prepare tounch! (Xu Cheng)
Preparing!
The concise repeat report came back to him, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
Firing! (Xu Cheng)
He thought he could feel a slight resistance against his fingertip, but then, he couldnt believe how easily the button sunk down into the recess.
...All projectiles, sessfullyunched!
Xu Chengs whole body shuddered.
It was now toote to turn back.
A total of eighteen nuclear missiles began flying towards Chinas Sichuan province.
< 424. I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk -4 > Fin.
(TL: the Ura charge in [1] refers to the Russian armed forces shouting out Ura! as they charge forward blindly at their enemies, as poprised (?) in several WW2 movies where Russian soldiers are depicted.)
(TL: the Gaoli bangzi in [2] is one of several Chinese derogatory terms they use to refer to Koreans. Kinda like Americas N word, except it doesnt have anything to do with race but nationality.)
Chapter 425: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (5)
Chapter 425: I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk (5)
They haveunched, sir.
...Insane b*stards. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren stared at the images of airborne nukes on the giant monitor and gritted his teeth.
Do they have any d*mn idea what will happen afterwards? (Christopher McLaren)
You wouldnt be able to kill a demon king just because you started raining down nukes on one. Christopher McLaren arrived at that conclusion after witnessing the advent of two demon kings with his own eyes.
No matter how powerful the weapon was, there would be no point if you couldnt hit the target in the first ce. Simr to how a cannon with a broken control lever would be useless in a fight, in other words. These sorts of weapons would be ineffective against demon kings capable of using teleportation at will.
If you were dead-set on using nukes, then you had to blow it up near their vicinity, instead.
Nukes riding on missiles would never reach the demon kings location. Either they were blown up before that, or the demon king would simply teleport out of there.
Stupid Commie b*stards. (Christopher McLaren)
Those fools always had been a bunch of pain in the neck.
Russia might cause more incidents overall, but at least the Russians had somemon sense and could be reasoned with.
The Chinese government had this tendency of lowering their heads when needed, but if they sniff an opportunity to get on top of you, then they would pounce on you like a pack of crazed dogs wanting to pay back everything ten fold or some such.
So, dealing with China would invariably leave one feeling rather deeply fatigued. The situation this time had gone beyond the level of whats eptable, though.
Sitrep. (Christopher McLaren)
Missiles have flown past the high altitude mark. Soon they shouldnd in Sichuan, sir.
Dam*it. (Christopher McLaren)
Hotlines from other countries are ringing off the hook, sir.
Understandable. Tell them to leave the missiles be, for now. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren could only groan bitterly.
ording to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, if a nation decided tounch a nuclear strike, then another country or countries had the right to strike back with their own nukes.
However, China had deployed nukes in their own territory, causing much confusion with others on whether to retaliate or not. So, after a period of hesitation, they probably wanted to find out first what Americas stance on this matter was.
They want to wreck their own home with their own nukes, so we cant really argue with them, now can we? (Christopher McLaren)
The crux of the issue was with the uncertainty over the ripples created by those nukes.
How would the demon king react after getting hit by the nukes?
If those missiles ended up as the catalyst in hastening the demon king armys march, then China would be the one responsible for destroying the world.
...Concentrate all avable satellites on the location. We need to see the progress for ourselves. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir!
Christopher McLaren ced his hand on his chest.
There was no god. He knew that much.
But at least in this moment he so dearly wished to borrow the powers of some divine being upstairs.
Please... (Christopher McLaren)
He found himself stuck in a position of praying for sess despite knowing that failure was the only possible oue. He thought that was one sad position to be in and ended up bitterly chuckling out.
*
The 62nd demon king, Araksis abruptly raised its head towards the heavens.
Hoh-oh? (Araksis)
It was feeling sleepy at the moment, yet an amusing event was about to happen soon. The creatures sensory perception that could not bepared to any human being had discovered some things approaching its position at high speed.
How amusing. (Araksis)
Araksis let out a cheery chuckle.
The demon king was almost dying of sheer boredom recently, so itd be only too happy to oblige if humans were willing to start something first.
The restriction ced on the marching speed.
That was one of themands the great one had issued to all the high-ranked demon kings dispatched to this world.
All of the demon kings were supposed to be on an equal footing, but that wasnt strictly true. In theory, they all possessed the equal amount of authority, but as the differences in strength were as clear as day, the weaker demon kings could never exercise the equal amount of authority as the stronger ones.
If the weaker demon kings didnt follow the whims of the great one, then well, someone like Araksis would no longer be able to stay as a demon king.
...The dead couldnt be a demon king, after all.
Thats why Araksis had to suppress its urges. Even now, it was doing its very hardest to suppress its urges to turn this entire world into a smouldering wreckage.
Although it was renowned for itsmentably low patience threshold even among the demon kings, the perception of time flow between demons and humans was not the same, to begin with. Araksis had at least enough patience to sit still for hundreds of years if it needed to be.
But just like pouring oil on a me, humans had oh-so kindly stepped up to scratch the demon kings itch.
What a bunch of considerate idiots. (Araksis)
Araksis stared at the sky with a deeply pleased face.
ording to humanitys time, three minutes remained until those flying things reached the ground.
Although short, from Araksiss perspective, such a length of time could also be seen as cruelly long as well. So, the demon king began to ponder seriously how it should go about responding to this attack to derive maximum enjoyment.
So, thats what humans call nukes. (Araksis)
Araksis licked its lips.
The demon kings were the invaders tasked with conquering this world using their brute strength, but the thing was, none of them were so dumb that they would ignore some basic information about the world they were invading.
Even more so when it came to demon kings;paring their intelligence to an average human would be bad manners in the extreme.
So, Araksis knew full well about the most dangerous things to look out for in this world: the nuclear weapons.
The pinnacle of weapons developed by humanity that in terms of pure destructive capabilities, its power could even exceed that of a demon king.
It was indeed a weapon that exceeded onesmon sense, making one wonder how a race as inept as humanity could havee up with such a powerful weapon in the first ce.
What if I get hit by that? (Araksis)
...Itd be an utter annihtion.
Even if not, itd suffer a level of impact that almost reached annihtion. So it must avoid getting hit by the nukes at all cost.
The thing was, though, those weapons were simply too slow and the demon king might as well take a nap if those things were to hit it in the first ce.
Dodging them would be too easy, in other words.
And theres no fun in that. (Araksis)
Araksis fell into a dilemma of sorts.
Indeed, avoiding those missiles was way too easy. And doing that would extend its boredom even further.
Weve been told to cautiously march forward, but... (Araksis)
Suddenly, a twisted little grin crept up on Araksiss face, as if it had finally thought up of a way.
Now lets see. One, two, three... eighteen of them, is it? (Araksis)
Araksis lifted one of its arms into the air. ckish liquid-like substance began trickling out from the raised arm.
This substance fell to the ground like bits of droplets then began ballooning up in size, before assuming the forms of massive birds.
Kuah-rahrahrahrahrah!!!
These monster birds, now resemblingrge wyverns, screeched out and started a loudmotion.
Araksis watched this spectacle unfold and cackled ominously.
Since I dont know how to deal with this, I better ask the rest of you, instead. Alright, so. How am I supposed to block those things? (Araksis)
The monster birds powerfully pping their wings and flying around the demon king as if to create a protective cordon, suddenly all rose up into the sky. And with the kind of speed that no living creature should be able to produce, began flying in certain directions.
So, I should eliminate this thing called a fuse, but... Mm, I dont know what that fuse thing is. As for the second method... (Araksis)
Araksis scratched its head.
I knew it. Things have be so inconvenient since that fool Narusius got himself killed. If that guy was still around, hed have sorted this problem in an instant. (Araksis)
Narusius was thought of as the most intelligent out of all the demon kings, so that fool getting killed off by Yi Ji-Hyuk proved to be a pretty sizable loss for the demon world.
Because of its massive ego, it acted like a monumentally stupid moron by attacking Yi Ji-Hyuk all on its own, but the truth was, other demon kings always thought of Narusiuss pool of knowledge and its schrly ambition as a form of a convenient encyclopedia you could carry around at all times.
But now that such a demon got itself killed, other demon kings no longer had someone to ask for advice when something they hadnt encountered before urred.
If we somehow fail here, then Narusiuss absence would have yed a big role in that. (Araksis)
Araksis spat out a groan.
Should I say, as expected of the 99th demon king? Even though hes in that pathetic state, he still knows how to stab us to cause as much pain as possible, doesnt he? (Araksis)
That event should be chalked up to Narusius making a fatal mistake in analysing Yi Ji-Hyuks and its ownbat prowess, but none could deny the fact that whatever happened back then, Yi Ji-Hyuk was still responsible for it.
Honestly, Narusius wouldnt have done something that stupid if it wasnt for Yi Ji-Hyuks existence. One should never forget that he was the irregr human capable of always producing an unexpected situation and an unexpected result.
Well, it cant be helped, then. (Araksis)
Since Araksis didnt know of any gentlemanly ways to deal with this situation, might as well go with n B.
Catch them. (Araksis)
The demon king raised its hand high up, then clenched its fist tightly.
Kah-aaaaahk!
The monster birds urately flew towards the nuclear warheads aimed at Araksis. Despite the projectiles not being fired from the same location but from throughout all of China, these ck creatures urately zeroed in on the missiles as if they enjoyed a perfect birds eye view.
Kah-aaaah!
The monster birds eventually discovered one of the missiles flying in at a tremendous speed, screeched out loudly and pounced on the weapon.
Cruuunch!
The ws of the birds tore into the sides of the missile. The mesing out from the rear violently rocked while trying to propel the weapon forward, but the flock of the monster birdstching onto the projectile didnt even budge an inch.
The creatures fixed their ws even harder on the missile then, began powerfully beating their wings.
The trajectories of every missile previously aimed at the ground began to slowly change.
And so... all the nuclear missiles initially aimed at the same spot changed their heading and began elerating again.
*
S-s-sir!! The trajectories! Theyve been altered, sir!!
What was that?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren shot up from his seat, panic clearly visible on his face.
Godd*mmit! (Christopher McLaren)
The absolute worst-case scenario imaginable had indeed happened.
He already knew this operation would end in failure. The real issue was with the method of the failure itself.
The best possible way to fail would be for the nukes tond where the demon king was, just as China had intended, and get rid of the demon king army. The next best case would have been for the missiles to blow up mid-air, like what happened back in the Pyongyang incident.
As for the worst case... itd be the trajectories of the missiles being altered and the nukesnding inpletely unintended locations.
And right now, the worst imaginable scenario was ying out before their eyes.
Godd*mmit! Hurry up and calcte their new trajectories! Do it now! Now, godd*mmit! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren shouted out while running up to the giant monitor.
Are they going to fall where civilians are?! Its not Beijing, is it? (Christopher McLaren)
If the nukes fell somewhere near Beijing, then the country called China would instantly be paralysed.
Even if America was in a politically icy rtionship with China, Christopher McLaren was not an idiot who failed to understand the importance of international cooperation during the state of the current world.
If China ended up in a no-government state of pure anarchy, then there was a real risk of East Asia, arguably one of the most important pirs supporting the world right now, falling into the gradual, rapid and irreversible decline.
D-director, sir!
Where are they headed?! Where! (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, you need to see this for yourself!
What? (Christopher McLaren)
Even before he could ask back, the image disyed on the main monitor changed to that of a map, and several red lines began stretching in all directions.
...What the hell is this? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren dazedly stared at the map.
The trajectories hadnt been simply altered. No, they were pletely changed.
The nukes fired by China and scheduled to fall within China had allpletely changed their trajectories and were now flying towards the rest of the world.
Basically, it was the same thing as nukes being fired towards every corner of the.
T-the, trajectories... (Christopher McLaren)
Even in that few seconds Christopher McLaren was staring at the map, the trajectories were being altered this way and that.
Sir, we cant determine the potential impact area!
The trajectories of missiles are being altered constantly, sir! The impact area for one projectile can be anywhere within one thousand kilometre radius!
What should we do, sir?!
Christopher McLaren was left utterly speechless by this.
W-what... what should we do now? (Christopher McLaren)
Eighteen nuclear warheads that no one could predict where they would fall next, were currently flying towards the rest of the world. And after recognising this horrifying and tragic reality, Christopher McLaren fell down on his knees.
You motherf*cking sons of biiiiii*ches!!! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens desperate cry loudly reverberated throughout themand centre.
The weapons of mass destruction often seen as a means to elerate humanitys extinction... had finally bared their fangs at humanity.
< 425. I shall go and speak to Yi Ji-Hyuk -5 > Fin.
(TL: Im getting the shades of the Fallout franchise from these past few chapters for some reason. Must be only me, though.)
(TL: Also, my bad about the cliffhanger. XD See you next week.)
Chapter 426: There’s a nuke headed this way? (1)
Chapter 426: Theres a nuke headed this way? (1)
Stop them! We must stop them, no matter what! T-thats right, shoot them down, now! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren lost almost all of his mind just then.
How could he not, though?
Knowing what nuclear weapons meant to humanity, it was only normal for anyone to suffer massive mental shock on the level of the worlding to an end after learning about nukes flying towards your country.
Sir, its impossible to shoot them down! We cant even predict their trajectories!
You stupid as*hole! Since you cant shoot it down, we should just sit back and get hit?! Is that what youre saying?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens eyes were taking in the sight of two distinctive red lines on the map heading towards the United States of America.
Knowing what those lines represented, there was no bloody way he could maintain his calm. Nukes were about to fall on top of his head soon, so how the hell could he keep his cool?
Sir! Other countries are trying to contact us! What should we say?
Tell them to take care of it themselves! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren gritted his teeth.
Those f*cking Commie b*stards, I swear Im gonna make you pay for this stupidity. (Christopher McLaren)
His rage at the Chinese government and his fear at the demon king rushed in at the same time.
Even if a demon king was capable of exercising near-miraculous abilities, rather than simply disposing of the eighteen ICBMs flying towards it... the d*mn demon chose to throw a counter at the rest of the world, instead.
How is anyone supposed to anticipate such things in the first ce?! (Christopher McLaren)
The worst of all the worst possibilities had been thought up of already, yet a scenario far worse than every single one of them happened in the end.
Shoot them down! Shoot every single missile headed this way! What about our missile defense system?! (Christopher McLaren)
S-sir, because of the uncertain trajectories...
F*ck! What do you think we should do, then?! Should we suck on our thumbs and do nothing? Call the Department of Defense, now! I dont care whether you throw thousands of res at them, dispatch fighter jets, or even you personally go there yourself, just stop those missiles fromnding in our country! And also! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren roared out as blood vessels bulged in his eyes.
Connect me to China. Get that son of b*tch, Xu Cheng or whatever his name was, on the phone and ask if those missiles can be remotely detonated! Hurry the hell up! (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir!
Christopher McLaren watched themand centre go into maddened overdrive and while tottering unsteadily, got back up on his feet.
Now wasnt the time to stare dazedly at the monitor. One mistake, and the whole world would end up suffering from a crushing blow.
Although each of those Chinese-made missiles shouldnt possess all that much destructive power, recovering from the resulting damage might be impossible depending on where they fell.
Sons of b*tches. If they wanted to act so big and mighty, they shouldve used more expensive missiles or something, at least. (Christopher McLaren)
This problem wouldnt have urred if several warheads were fired after being paired. But it seemed that the ICBMs the Chinese chose to fire were all single-use detonation-upon-impact type missiles. [1]
Oh, dear god. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren unknowingly drew a cross in front of his chest.
*
T-t-this... (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng freaked out as he stared at the monitor. All of the warheads falling to the ground suddenly flew back up into the sky, only to change their heading towards the rest of the world, instead.
W-what the hell is going on here?! What is this?! (Xu Cheng)
What should we do, Sir Marshal!
W-wait, I asked first what just happened! Tell me whats going on! (Xu Cheng)
Trajectories of all the missiles have changed, sir. The demon king b*stard mustve done something!
You think I cant see that?! (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng roared out and threw themanders baton.
Where are they headed to? Where! Tell me where! They arent falling somewhere within our borders, are they? (Xu Cheng)
O-one of them is...
What about it? (Xu Cheng)
It, its headed towards Beijing...
For a moment there, dizziness nearly took a hold of Xu Cheng.
Beijing? That Beijing?
Are you saying that a missile is headed this way? (Xu Cheng)
Yes, sir. Thats correct.
How long do we have? Tell me! (Xu Cheng)
Thankfully, the ICBM has lost much of its speed, sir. The rocket fuel has run out by now, while it has slowed down considerably from its previous high flight speed after its heading was abruptly changed, sir. However...
However, what? (Xu Cheng)
Its still near the speed of sound, sir.
Xu Chengs brain hurriedly kicked into gear.
The speed of sound should mean that the missile was flying slightly faster than a passenger ne. Considering the distance between here and Sichuan, the missile should get here in around two hours time.
What should we do? What? (Xu Cheng)
He needed to think up a way to solve this.
While Xu Cheng was desperately greasing up the gears in his head...
Sir, a call came from America. They want to know if we can remotely detonate the missiles currently flying towards the rest of the world, sir.
Remotely? (Xu Cheng)
Xu Chengs eyes flickered in a hopeful light.
Is that possible? (Xu Cheng)
...We dont know until we try, sir. Not just the impact-type, but even the ICBMs failed to detonate despite their detonation schedule having passed by, sir. I suspect that something simr to signal interference is affecting the warheads themselves.
Try it out, now! Hurry up! (Xu Cheng)
...But, Sir Marshal, if we detonate them now, all eighteen warheads will go off in Chinas airspace. Their altitudes are currently far too low, and its unknown what might happen...
Marshal Xu Chengs expression crumpled unsightly.
I see. (Xu Cheng)
The Chinese might be responsible for this slip-up, but that didnt mean they could afford to shoulder the burden all by themselves, either. Xu Cheng felt that China bearing all the consequences ofunching the missiles was simply too cruel and unfair.
For now, buy us some time by telling the Americans that signal interference is preventing us from remotely detonating the warheads. In the meantime, I shall speak to the Comrade President. (Xu Cheng)
Yes, sir!
Xu Cheng retreated to the corner of themand centre to pick up a certain phone.
A short whileter.
...Well be on standby. (Xu Cheng)
Sir Marshal?
We wait until the warhead is near Beijing. While waiting, deploy all the avable jets and have them ready in Beijings airspace. (Xu Cheng)
Yes, sir!
We will try the remote detonation when the missile heading to Beijing gets as close as we can allow it to coincide with the rest reaching a sufficient distance away from our airspace. If that doesnt work, use the fighters to directly shoot it down. Understand what Im saying here? (Xu Cheng)
Yes, sir! We understand!
If we fail, everyone in this ce will be dead. And no, I wont be the one killing you because Beijing itself will be gone without a trace. Thats why you all better keep your wits about you and get ready to deal with the warhead! (Xu Cheng)
Themand centre was soon filled with loud yells and shouts of the technicians.
Xu Cheng watched this scene unfold while wiping away the cold sweat caking his forehead.
Dam*it. (Xu Cheng)
Just how did things end up this way?
If the remote detonation attempt ends in failure, China would never regain the international standing they were currently enjoying, thats for sure.
All he could chew out were profanities and the only things trickling down were cold sweat drops.
Other than Beijing, which warhead will reach their target the soonest? (Xu Cheng)
That is... We cant predict its potentialnding target, sir.
Dont be stupid and just look whats in its radius, will ya?! At least you can tell what country it will be, cant you? (Xu Cheng)
S-sir. The country is...
The technician looking at the map let out a gasp.
Its either South Korea or Japan, sir.
Bloody hell. (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng wiped more cold sweat off his forehead.
Well, at least we should do the bare minimum required. Call Koreas and Japans governments. Tell them a nuclear warhead is headed their way. (Xu Cheng)
They mustve realised it by now, sir.
Oh, so we should keep our mouths shut since that might be the case? Dont you know what diplomacy even is?! (Xu Cheng)
S-sir, well contact them right away.
Xu Chengs zing eyes were now locked on a red line darting this way and that while heading towards South Korea.
I dont mind Japan, but Korea... Thats going to be troublesome. (Xu Cheng)
After losing half of Tokyo, Japan never did recover their nation strength of the yesteryear.
Korea too had lost almost half of its capital city, Seoul, but their army wasrgely spared from annihtion so their overall military strength was still strong. And even if Yi Ji-Hyuk had lost his powers, he remained as one of the most troublesome existences out there, too.
I pray that you stop that missile somehow. Whatever it takes. (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng could only clench his fists tightly.
***
Waaaaaaail~!
Sirens ceaselessly went off everywhere.
Kim Dah-Som looked at the utterly-nonplussed Yi Ji-Hyuk, and asked in a slightly worried face.
Shouldnt we evacuate, too? (Kim Dah-Som)
Evacuate? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
Well, yeah. You should think about evacuating... No, wait. You evacuating is a bit weird at this point, actually. If its nukesnding in China, then you should be here spectating on the fireworks going off, and if its monsters showing up, then you need to stop them, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why are the sirens going off, though? (Kim Dah-Som)
I mean, nukes are falling on a country right next to ours so if our dear president said, I didnt think theres a need for us to evacuate so I let it be, his severed head will be put on disy in front of the Gwanghwamun Gate, you know?
Kim Dah-Som nodded as if she understood it.
This event was certainly unprecedented, so no one knew how to deal with it. Since itd be a problem no matter what the higher-ups did... making up some excuses like, We did our best for the safety of the citizens, would surely work a treat in saving their skinter.
Theres no need to worry about it, though. It doesnt have much to do with us, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Still, wouldnt it be better for us to evacuate? (Kim Dah-Som)
Why? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All the stores will close up and everyone else will enter the shelters too, so we wont have anywhere left to go... Meaning well have loiter around the empty streets... (Kim Dah-Som)
Well, that is a problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Out of all the avable time in a day, why did it have to be now when they came out to have some fun?
Should I go to China and cause a scene or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously now, those Chinese werent helpful in anything whatsoever. Other than gifting the world with Jjajangmyeon, they really hadnt done much to advance humanity at all.
Ah, wait a minute. Koreans invented Jjajamyeong, didnt we?
In any case! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Oh well. I guess we should just go home, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No way! You promised to keep mepany until the end of office hours, didnt you? (Kim Dah-Som)
Hang out in my ce, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Should we? (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som smiled radiantly as if she found herself stumbling onto an unexpected fortune, and began clinging onto Yi Ji-Hyuks arm.
I told you to get off him, you leech! (Jeong Hae-Min)
If you feel envious, just say so. (Kim Dah-Som)
Kids these days, they just dont know any modesty, do they? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Im sure its nice for you after getting so old these days. Are you already thirty? (Kim Dah-Som)
Come over here, you b*tch. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan while looking at these two bickering yet again.
Surely not every woman on this was insane like these two, so why was he always surrounded by weird females only? Even an eternity wouldnt be enough to solve this mystery.
Rrrrr...
It was right then that his phone suddenly went off as if to break him out of his reverie.
...Its from the defense minister? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply dropped the call.
Does this uncle think Im 114 or something? Calling me whenever he feels bored to ask me weird things. Dont I have something like privacy? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) [2]
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned again. But before he could stop Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Mins bickering, his phone rang once more.
What the heck, this baldy uncle! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk angrily took a look at his phone, but this time the screen was proudly disying the name Choi Jeong-Hoon, not defense minister.
Urghhhh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For some reason, he just couldnt ignore any calls made by Choi Jeong-Hoon. Thinking that he somehow ended up being properly leashed by this guy, Yi Ji-Hyuk answered the phone.
What is it now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He answered with a cantankerous-sounding voice, and carried on talking while his irritation level kept going up.
I already know that. It was me who said the Chinese will use nukes, wasnt it? So, like, why are you telling me something I already know? Didnt the sirens go off because of them? Its not like Im some little kid, and... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was at this point that Yi Ji-Hyuks head cocked to one side.
Ng? What was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His voice then sounded somewhat bbergasted next.
Okay, so... The nukes they fired... Uh, okay. Uhm, so... Mm, what youre saying is... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk muttered out in a dumbfounded voice.
The nuke is headed this way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*SFX for an abrupt stop*
The mouths of the two women about to get physical with each other mped shut simultaneously. And in slow motion, their heads turned towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What the heck? Did I end up in purgatory or something? Seoul got wrecked by a demon king not too long ago, yet now its a nuke headed this way? Huhuh. Well, Ill be. This countrys gonna go down the drain if this keeps up, I tell ya. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The expressions of Kim Dah-Som and Jeong Hae-Min gradually froze stiff.
Okay, got it. Yes, yes. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk hung up and shrugged his shoulders, before turning around towards the two females.
Hey, did you hear? Apparently, theres a nuke headed this way? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Stop saying something like that with a straight face, you crazy fool! (Jeong Hae-Mins inner monologue)
Jeong Hae-Min couldnt bring herself to mutter that out and had to swallow it back in her heart.
< 426. Theres a nuke headed this way? -1 > Fin.
(TL: Although the raw text in the first half of [1] said pairing type warheads, Ive no idea what the author was trying to say. I hope I got it right.)
(TL: That 114 in [2] is the telephone number for South Koreas telephone directory.)
Chapter 427: There’s a nuke headed this way? (2)
Chapter 427: Theres a nuke headed this way? (2)
A nuke? (Kim Dah-Som)
Kim Dah-Som stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk in total confusion.
Now normally, a story should start at a beginning and end at a logical conclusion C yet Yi Ji-Hyuk was being himself once more by not providing any context whatsoever and simply saying whatever the heck he felt like.
Kim Dah-Som wouldve relied on her usual tactic of ignoring most of what he said and glossed over it, but couldnt do that this time.
What he said just now was far too terrifying for that, unfortunately.
A n-nuke is heading this way? Youre kidding, right? (Kim Dah-Som)
Well... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheek for a bit before finishing the rest of his sentence.
...Its possible that mister Choi Jeong-Hoon has this tendency to call me out of the blue to start joking around the stuff like that. While cooperating with the defense minister, no less. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, its real?! (Kim Dah-Som)
No, hang on. Its possible, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So it IS really headed over here. (Kim Dah-Som)
...Yeah, sounds like it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He nodded, and Kim Dah-Som dazedly looked up at the sky above.
A nuke was supposedly falling from somewhere up there.
W-what should we do, in that case?? (Kim Dah-Som)
Not sure... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Shouldnt we alert the public about this?! (Kim Dah-Som)
But, I think people who need to evacuate have already done that. Well, theres the question of whether or not those ces can double as nuclear shelters, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are still people staying back inside their buildings, right? Theyll die if left alone, you know? (Kim Dah-Som)
Whoa, whoa. Calm down first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly pounded on Kim Dah-Soms back. His experience told him that the best medicine for someone suffering from panic attack was a beatdown, but as she was a human underneath, he couldnt exactly open a can of whoop-a*s on her so he went with the next best thing.
The nuke might be headed to South Korea, but they didnt say itllnd here. We dont even know how powerful the nuke is, so it might be only as bad as Seoul blowing up to smithereens, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats one seriously wishful way of looking at things. (Kim Dah-Som)
Or, the nuke might get stopped before all that. If we haphazardly blurt out that a nuke is falling on top of us and cause the panicking crowd to rush underground, we might end up with even more casualties than an actual nuke going off, you know? Thats why the higher-ups arent saying anything. The government officials arent dummies, after all. I mean, they have already evacuated half of the city, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When nicely put, that sounded usible, but when not-so nicely put... There was no field manual advising people to evacuate because a nuke was falling on top of them.
Didnt matter if it was a nuke, a tsunami or even a horde of monsters, South Koreas alert system simply chose to stick to the same pattern of cramming people into shelters.
No one could tell whether that was due to the worries of mass panic or the ipleteness of the alert system itself, but no additional measures being put in ce was an undeniable fact nevertheless.
Ehh... Now lets see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly tapped his head.
Maybe because this was an unexpected situation, it felt like the gears in his head werent spinning fast enough yet. He just couldnt get a bead on what his top priority should be right now.
For now, mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He scratched his cheek.
I guess Ill help evacuate these two kids. And Ye-Won and mom... Oh, and dad, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Aftering up with a list of things to do, he was about to extend his hands to left and right only to stop himself.
By the way, where are we even supposed to escape to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
ording to Choi Jeong-Hoon, eighteen nuclear warheads were randomly targeting the rest of the world, werent they? So, where would he go and find a safe spot in the midst of all that?
The very first ce he could think of was the American nuclear shelter he stashed his family away back then, but...
D*mn. This is one of the problems of losing my powers, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If this was in the past, he could just pop in and out of there as if it was his own bedroom, but he didnt think Christopher McLaren would be so willing to open the doors for him at this stage. There was no incentive to do so, after all.
Jeong Hae-Min. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Out of all the teleportation locations youve marked down, is there anywhere that seems the safest to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh? I thought itd be okay as long as were far away from South Korea? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Eighteen warheads are targeting random locations around the world, actually. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, wouldnt heaven be the safest? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Well, I agree on that one. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
Man, what a f*cked-up situation this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he wanted to survive alone, then sure, there were figuratively thousands of ways to do that, but surviving in that manner would have absolutely no meaning.
Okay. For the time being, take this kid and head to my house. Ill join you after fetching Ye-Won and my dad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Got it. You gotta hurry, okay? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Roger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
While nodding his head, Yi Ji-Hyuk pushed Kim Dah-Som towards Jeong Hae-Min. The younger girl mustve recognised the severity of the situation since she didnt say anything and simply grasped the older girls hand.
Okay, see youter. (Jeong Hae-Min)
Poof.
After the two girls vanished from his sight, he groaned one more time and picked up his phone.
He might be really busy right now, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk expected the office to be inundated with iing and outgoing calls, but as if to mock his worries, Choi Jeong-Hoon snatched up his receiver even before the phone could ring three times.
C Yes, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How long do we have? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Somewhat humorously, we have around two hours. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Was a nuke supposed to be that slow? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Of course not. An ICBM actually breaks out of Earths atmosphere before descending on top of the target, you see. Its supposed to fall at a speed that human eyes cant see. Its rocket fuel should have been depleted by now, but the demon king mustve done something to it by the looks of things. Thetest report says the warhead is travelling at a speed simr to a regr passenger ne. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded in eptance.
I guess thats more than enough leeway, then. Can you find a location that will be safe from a nuclear strike? Surely there are bunkers even in South Korea, too? You know, like the holes dug out in some remote mountains for the higher-ups to evacuate to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes, we do. However... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
However? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Im not sure why youre looking for such ces, actually. Isnt there an underground bunker where you regrly enter like your backyard? Wouldnt that ce be the safest? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Where are you talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C The Blue House, of course. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pped his forehead after hearing that.
He believed he had gotten quite used to dangerous situations, but it seemed that he needed to change his mindset. To think that he couldnt think of something that obvious just because he found himself in a situation like this one.
Where are you now? Wait, are you still at that construction site? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Yes. We havent received any orders to move out, so were currently on standby. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In that case, give Hae-Min a call and tell her to take everyone there. Dah-Som is also with her, as well. Take everyone with you and go inside the Blue Houses bunker. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Everyone present here? But, we wont get permission for that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Who cares about some permission or whatnot when were about to die? Tell them that if they dont let you in, Im gonna show up and cause a big scene there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Understood. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and groaned yet again.
Man, what a sh*t show this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Learning about the window of two hours only ended up making him feel weirded out.
If the nuke was to fall in, say, twenty minutes time, then everyone wouldve been running around madly as if their butts were on fire, but two hours? He just couldnt figure out what he should do in the meantime.
I guess Ill take care of mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If his priorities were uncertain, then he should simply deal with the most important ones first. So, that would be his family, then.
Wait, can even I teleport, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
After Alpha showed him a new path to take, Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to practice it a bit but there was still a big question mark on whether or not he could even use a high-rank magic like teleportation.
Eiii, Im supposed to be a grand mage, arent I? Why am I hesitating, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hands left and right to gather Mana. And as this pure Mana began filling up his body, this unstoppable rush of...
Ouch ouch ouch ouch?! Aigooooo, I might die at this raaaate! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...An unstoppable rush of pain crashed into him.
Bloody hell?! It hurts to use dark Mana, but it also hurts to use white Mana, too?! What the freak do you want me to do, then?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Dark Mana was the type of energy source that destroyed the users body to begin with, so pain apanying its usage couldnt be helped. On the other hand, the regr white Mana possessed apletely opposing nature to dark Mana so unsurprisingly, it caused a serious bacsh after entering his body tainted by so much of thetter energy source.
Meaning, it didnt matter what he did because this excruciating pain would attack him either way.
Maaaan, my bodys usefulness is absolute trash! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His entire figure continued to convulse nonstop, but even then, magical power continued to diligently fill up his insides. He did his best to suppress the dark Mana in him and that allowed some amount of regr Mana to gather.
If his body was like in the past when it waspletely filled to the brim with dark Mana, then when regr Mana entered him, it would have been assimted by the former in an instant.
He closed his eyes while fighting against the intense pain. He now needed to search for his familys markers he left on them for a rainy day like today.
He then spent Mana to activate teleportation.
*
...Where did you just appear from, son? (mom)
Mom, why do you look like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk found his mother inside an evacuation shelter. The crowd was surprised by his sudden appearance in the middle of air, but as the world was filled with ability users anyway, their shock subsided pretty quickly.
I was working in the kitchen before the evacuation, you see. (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked a little after looking at his mom kitted out in an apron and a pair of rubber kitchen gloves.
At least you evacuated properly, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. We were told to evacuate so we should, right? (mom)
Got it. Anyway, mom? Pleasee with me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Go with you to where? No, we should stay put right here. Who knows what might happen by loitering outside? (mom)
Eiii, seriously? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled bitterly while lightly pushing away moms hand about to p him in the back.
What the heck? She seems to be hitting me gently, yet why does it hurt right down to my bones?! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
He grabbed moms hand and activated teleportation once more.
*
...
...
Uhm... (Ye-Won)
Furious steam began rising up from Yi Ji-Hyuks head.
Yi Ye-Won smiled awkwardly and quickly discarded the cigarette in her hand, then stubbed it out with her foot.
What the hell, you dumb little...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He groaned grandly.
I thought you got your act straight these days, yet youre still fooling around with some throwaway losers? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oiii, uncle. Did you just call us throwaway losers? Arent you being too rude here, man?
Gimme a freaking break. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A group of high school hoodlums hanging around Ye-Won began ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk with hostile eyes after hearing his reply.
Wowsers?
They are ring at me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed deeply and pulled out a cigarette of his own before lighting it up.
If Chang-Sik was here, he couldve sorted these punks out nice and easy, but these losers didnt seem to be acquainted with that boy, unfortunately.
Here he was, under the impression that he got his sister transferred to a pretty reputable school. His defeat this time came in the form of overlooking the simple fact that no matter what kind of an institution it was, youd always find these sorts of losers in it.
If only I had some spare time, I wouldve made you sh*t blood for the next few days but unfortunately, Im too busy right now so I shall turn a blind eye to... Ouchouchouchouch?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Suddenly, his head was yanked down to the side and he began screaming in pain. Madam Park Seon-Deok was currently yanking at his ear as if it was some kind of a rubber toy.
How dare you start smoking before your mother! (mom)
Aaaah?! Mom! My ear! My ear! Mom! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You fool! (mom)
With his ear caught in her vice-like grip, a powerful spikended on his back and all Yi Ji-Hyuk could do was to curl up his whole body like a grilled squid.
Hul...
The hoodlums witnessing that spectacle began shuddering from terror.
You wouldnt know the pain of that thing unless youve experienced it yourself. That thing, it was like Hells own shackles that you couldnt escape or run away from.
Imma seriously...! (mom)
Park Seon-Deok released his ear, and he reflexively raised his arms to defend against the next spike aimed at his back.
M-mom, I made a mistake. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill deal with youter. For now... Yi Ye-Won. (mom)
Y-yes! Mother! (Ye-Won)
Come over here, you fool. (mom)
...Yep. (Ye-Won)
Grab.
Park Seon-Deok grabbed a handful of Ye-Wons hair.
For now, let us get out of here. We will have a serious talk as a family after leaving, you ungrateful child. (mom)
W-were setting off, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Feeling somewhat like a taxi driver giving a ride to a bunch of armed thugs, Yi Ji-Hyuk cautiously grasped the hands of Ye-Won and mom then activated teleportation.
...What just happened?
The remaining hoodlums watched the three people disappear into thin air as their jaws slowly dropped.
< 427. Theres a nuke headed this way? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 428: There’s a nuke headed this way? (3)
Chapter 428: Theres a nuke headed this way? (3)
Poof...
After arriving at the Blue House, Yi Ji-Hyuk let go of the hands of his two family members. Mom immediately proceeded to drag Yi Ye-Won away by her hair.
Ahck?! Mom, my hair! My haaaair! (Ye-Won)
Youre noisy! Keep quiet before I pluck out all your hair! (mom)
Ahk! Mom, it really hurts! Im not lying! (Ye-Won)
One more word from you, and Ill make sure you dont have any hair to worry about for the rest of your life. So, say one more thing. I dare you! (mom)
Yi Ye-Won desperately kept her mouth shut despite suffering from this intense pain akin to her scalp being torn apart. Her mother, Madam Park Seon-Deok, was someone who really did what she said shed do.
This child, just what will she be when she grows up...?! (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shuddered while listening to the fleshy p, p noises of moms back spikesnding on his sisters back.
Her backs gonna be ruined at this rate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had to endure moms deadly back spike for almost his entire Earth life, so he could only sympathise with his sister experiencing an untold amount of pain at the moment.
How could a stranger even imagine the level of fiery pain wrecking her back? No, they couldnt.
M-mom, how about, you know... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unable to watch anymore, he stepped up to pacify his mother.
At this rate, letting a nuke fall might be a better option, because Ye-Won might get killed by the back spike long before that happened.
Dont stop me, you fool! Your little sister is busy hanging out with a bunch of high school hoodlums and smoking her life away, so why are you trying to stop me?! Besides, youre no saint, either! You smoke every single day and this child picked up that bad habit from you! (mom)
Mom, she was already smoking by the time I came back home after five years. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You even dare to talk back to me?! (mom)
...I cant win with logic here, huh. (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was reminded of that deeply obvious fact once more and could only grin.
Mom, were at the Blue House, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ng? (mom)
Mom stopped her hand from pounding on Ye-Wons back and cautiously took a look around her. And perhaps she finally became conscious of all the unfamiliar buildings around her, her grip on Ye-Wons hair weakened a little, too.
Oh my goodness. Where are we? (mom)
...
How should he put this?
Although this wasnt the first time, should he say, As expected of my mom after she grabbed her daughters hair as soon as teleporting somewhere while not even bothering to check where they were?
It was at that moment Yi Ji-Hyuk finally understood where his instincts for battle had gicallye from. Without a doubt, moms genes had been powerfully influencing his subconsciousness.
This is... the Blue House, you say? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt even need to exin it, because several bodyguard-looking types kitted out in ck suits and earpieces hurriedly ran towards them from a distance before he could open his mouth.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Yes, thats me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Weve received the call. Allow us to escort your family members to the bunker. In the meantime, Mister President requests for your presence in the second conference chamber.
Okay, got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned towards Park Seon-Deok.
Mom, please go and wait inside the bunker. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Did something serious happen? (mom)
No, well... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He lightly scratched his cheek.
Its nothing major, really. This is just, you know, for that one in a million chance, so dont worry too much about it, mom. Oh, and dad should be inside as well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright. Dont push yourself too much, son. (mom)
Yes, mom. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched his mom and sister enter an elevator along with the bodyguards, then turned around to leave.
By the way, where is this second conference chamber? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Wee back.
Nice to see you guys again. Feels like its been too long. Just a feeling, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It seems that way.
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a look at the hardened expressions of everyone present and was reminded once more of the stark reality of a nuke heading to South Korea right at this moment.
You finally came. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Including Choi Jeong-Hoon, the defense minister, and even the Army Chief of Staff... Everyone was here.
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned them once before sighing out grandly.
Not a single windless and calm day, huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, weve be numb to it by now, havent we? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wryly smiled while making his reply. From his perspective, the winds hadnt stopped blowing ever since Yi Ji-Hyuks appearance, so thetter saying such things made him kind of feel strange and awkward.
Okay, so what exactly happened? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What happened was... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
After listening to Choi Jeong-Hoons short briefing, Yi Ji-Hyuk hugged his head and plopped down on the nearby couch.
Those stupid Chinese Commie b*stards. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Christopher McLaren said something simr, too. Even muttering out *****-***** and such... (Choi Jeong-Hoon) [1]
What the heck, does that man want to get killed? Stupid racist as*hole. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...But, what you said isnt all that different, though? (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was powerfully emitting his determination of I can racially discriminate, but I wont tolerate anyone discriminating against me at the moment.
So, whats our situation like? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Take a look at the monitor, please. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pointed at the monitor and it disyed red dots spreading out from somewhere in the middle of China.
As this maps been drawn on a t ne, you should keep in mind the slight differences in the actual location or the speed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Out of all the ICBMs currently in flight, we predict that the first one willnd somewhere near Beijing. The second one will be somewhere in South Korea or Japan, and the third, somewhere in Russia. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Huh. So the demon king wants topletely wreck East Asia first, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, well... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pointed to the monitor and continued on.
Actually, even though both Korea and Japan fall within the range, theres a greater chance of the warhead falling into the East Sea, instead. As for Russia, its territory is vast so unless they are seriously unlucky, the warhead should fall on an uninhabited wastnd. We predict thending zone to be somewhere around... here, but honestly, 80% of Russia is basically an abandonednd so we think they wont suffer as big of a damage. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, the real problem is here, Beijing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon used a lengthy pointer to tap on the monitor.
Beijing as a city boasts an incredibly high poption density, not to mention its surroundings are also full of people, as well. If a warhead explodes in Beijings airspace, then China will have to contend with theplete paralysis of its capital. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, thats none of my business. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ruthlessly cut Choi Jeong-Hoons report off.
What about our side, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a sigh.
He nced at the agent in charge of the monitor, and the map on the screen zoomed in at a massive crimson circle epassing both South Korea and Japan.
This is the predictednding zone for the warhead. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Man, what the heck... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The warhead isnt flying in a conventional trajectory. On top of that, its heading is constantly changing, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats that supposed to mean? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To put it simply... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pondered what he should say, before opening his mouth.
Its like a stork is carrying a nuke this time. So its a bit difficult to scientifically predict where the stork will drop its cargo... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I got you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned grandly.
Since its not that fast, we can somehow deal with it, right? So, whats the n? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were preparing to shoot it down. (defense minister)
The defense minister chimed in.
However, its not possible to do so right now. Only when the ICBM has entered the Yellow Sea can we attempt to shoot it down. We dont know how the Chinese will react if we destroy it above their airspace, you see. (defense minister)
Now isnt a good time to worry about that, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unfortunately, we must worry. (defense minister)
The defense minister replied with a hardened expression.
Wevee to learn that international cooperation is nothing but a pure fantasy at this point. With the current situation as is, if we haphazardly attempt to shoot down a nuke in their airspace, we cant guarantee that China will take that lying down. (defense minister)
I thought protecting your own citizens takes priority above all else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The defense minister found himself unable to reply to that, so Song Jeong-Su took over the discussion from there.
Also, theres a more practical reason for not doing that. (Song Jeong-Su)
Pardon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If we attempt to shoot the missile down now, the explosion will take ce over the skies of Chinas far east. Unfortunately, there is a cluster of nuclear power stations located right in the vicinity. One slip-up from us and just one of those stations gets destroyed, then never mind the East Sea, we will have another Fukushima on our hands, this time on the Yellow Sea. (Song Jeong-Su)
Urgh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head.
Okay, so. Its impossible to shoot the nuke down until it enters the Yellow Sea, is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fell into a deep contemtion with a grave expression on his face, prompting Choi Jeong-Hoon to say something despite carrying a hardened expression of his own.
I dont think we need to be that concerned about this situation. Its not as bad as it looks from the outside, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
How so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When I first heard that eighteen ICBMs were flying towards us, I thought humanity was truly done for. But... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon coughed to clear his throat and continued on.
The biggest reason why the ICBMs are deemed so terrifying is because its nigh-on impossible to shoot one down mid-flight, you see. Not only is it incredibly fast, it can also cause much confusion on the ground as well. However, the one headed in our way is slow enough for the naked eyes to spot and prepare countermeasures, so it shouldnt be that hard to shoot it down. If we get the distance right, fighter jets should be able to shoot the warhead down ande home safe and sound. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon before making his reply.
I do get what youre trying to say. But... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats only when youre in a normal situation, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I mean, really. A nuke suddenly changing its course in the middle of flight is not normal to begin with, so you shouldnt be thinking, Oh, we can deal with it pretty easy, dont you agree? None of us can tell what kinda cheap tricks the demon king has done to the missile, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned against the couch and muttered in a low, hushed tone.
If dealing with a demon king is that easy, we wouldnt be having such a hard time like this, you know? I say, we should try everything we humanly can right now, instead of regretting bitterly after getting sucker-punched in the back of our headster. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
I guess its hard to imagine what Im on about here. Okay, so. Whats happening with the one headed to Beijing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Beijing... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked back at the map and his expression hardened even further.
...The missile has almost reached its destination. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
Sir Marshal, we cant dy it any longer.
Xu Cheng nodded gravely.
He had waited until the veryst moment for all the other warheads to leave the Chinese airspace, but the one headed to Beijing would end up exploding too close to the capital if he dyed it any further.
Initiate the remote detonation! (Xu Cheng)
Sir!
While the technicians were attempting to remote detonate the warheads, Xu Cheng felt deeply unhappy about something.
So, we must deal with the after-effects of all eighteen warheads exploding, is that it? (Xu Cheng)
Wouldnt it be better to somehow deal with that one warhead flying to Beijing, and leave the rest be?
Xu Cheng bit down hard on his lip to suppress the voice of the devil whispering in his mind.
Sometimes, this thing called patriotism could turn you into a monster.
If he was thinking of doing such a thing solely for his own benefit, then sure, he might willingly admit that that was an act of evil. However, the moment a new shield called Not for his sole benefit but for the sake of the mother nation and its citizens became avable, one would be able to now re-package that thought as a decision meant for the greater good and not as some unmentionable act of evil.
However, Xu Cheng just couldnt make that choice.
Not because he was hesitant, though. No, it was because he didnt have the authority to make such decisions in the first ce. It was simply not feasible to change a n, any n, without the express consent of the Comrade President. Even if Xu Cheng made a decision that brought about a far more favourable result than the presidents own decision, the only thing waiting for Chinas Marshal would be a bloody and swift purge under the charge of disobeying a direct order.
So, all he could do was chew incessantly on his poor lip.
Sir, were about to send out the signal to remotely detonate the warheads!
Xu Cheng heard the loud report entering his ears and clenched his fists. He half-prayed for sess but at the same time, wished for failure as well.
Sir, its a failure! Theres a signal interference!
His body went ck for a moment just then.
The cold sweat trickled down his forehead, travelled past his brows and leaked into his eyes.
Were reattempting! Failure! Its not working, sir!
Fine, stop! (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng gritted his teeth.
This is good, as well. Dispatch fighter jets to shoot down the warhead targeting Beijing, now! As for the other missiles, send the word out to other countries and inform them that the remote detonation is aplete failure, and let them handle it themselves! (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng rubbed his face, hard.
It felt like he aged ten years in this brief moment.
All we have to do now is to focus on dealing with that one warhead. Im sure theyll do something about the rest. (Xu Cheng)
His anxious eyes now shifted over to another monitor disying a map indicating the current location of the fighter jets. The ball was in their court now.
< 428. Theres a nuke headed this way? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 429: There’s a nuke headed this way? (4)
Chapter 429: Theres a nuke headed this way? (4)
What the hell are we supposed to wait for, anyway? Sh*t. (Liu Jing)
SU-35 and SU-27 fighter nes were flying above Beijing in a tight formation. These pilots had been mobilised at a short notice without any proper exnations whatsoever, causing them to anxiously grumble away.
Did a war break out or something? (Liu Jing)
Every avable fighter was being summoned to Beijings airspace. Not just those on standby in Beijings air force base either, but every single ne from Shenyang, Jinan, and even Nanjing had been dragged to this ce.
C If its a war, you think wed be summoned to Beijing like this? Think first before saying something, will ya?
Sh*t, thats what I was saying, though. (Liu Jing)
Indeed, this pilot was trying to imply that there shouldnt be any reason for all these nes to gather here when clearly no war had broken out. If this was merely a training exercise, fine, totally understandable C but when considering the cost of deploying a single fighter ne, not even the CCP would be crazy enough to start an exercise of this scale.
C Everyone, shut your traps and maintain formation.
Roger. (Liu Jing)
C Surely you can tell just by looking at how many fighters have entered the operation area, cant you? If you get a bit toox with your flight route and cause an ident, it wont only be your head rolling off your neck, got that?
Liu Jing the pilot smirked at the voiceing through the radio.
If the nes somehow crashed into one another, then there wouldnt be a need to worry about saving his neck anymore. Hed be dead by then, so why should he give a rats a*s about the higher-ups grilling him?
By the way, what are we supposed to do here? (Liu Jing)
C Be on standby.
Bloody hell. (Liu Jing)
Liu Jing already lost count how many times hed been told to be on standby. Did this country think of its people as nothing but mere cogs or something? He was simply not given any room to think for himself. Anyone could tell that this was an emergency situation, yet no one knew exactly what was going on here.
Yes, yes. (Liu Jing)
So, Liu Jing muttered some simple replies.
Seriously, though. What is going on here? (Liu Jing)
It had been over six years since he was stationed in Beijings air force base. But this would be his first time encountering a situation like this one.
Something seriously big mustve happened. (Liu Jing)
Now normally, you would carefully n out an aerial training exercise before starting one. Even if China was raking in an exorbitant sum of money from the rest of the world every single day, a fighter ne was still one of those types of goods that, when and if a problem crops up, would cause your heart to shrivel up from the sheer horror of the repair bill.
Meaning, there was no freaking way that the government higher-ups would abuse these nes as if they were somemon foot soldiers or something.
Even the fighters grounded for maintenance had been wheeled out and deployed today, so at the very minimum, an event on the level of a quasi-state of war mustve happened somewhere.
Indeed, all these nes wouldnt have been mobilised unless the demon king army located in Sichuan was rapidly closing in on Beijing.
If so, this would be a tough encounter since Chinas overall airbat capability had dropped below two-thirds of its former peak after every fighter ne dispatched to deal with the demon king got tragically shot down earlier.
Buzzzz...
Seemingly not giving a d*mn about what Liu Jing was thinking about, a scratchy voice entered his ears and interrupted his thought process.
C Okay, listen up. Heres your briefing.
Roger. (Liu Jing)
C Currently, we have an ICBM flying in from southwest. Its destination is Beijing.
Right at that moment, Liu Jing chucked hollowly.
A bloody ICBM? Why was such a thing even heading towards Beijing in the first ce? Unless there really was a war going on, such a thing shouldnt even happen.
Was it India? (Liu Jing)
The only country located southwest of China capable of firing an ICBM was India.
I guess it wasnt rted to the demon king, after all. (Liu Jing)
...No, hang on a minute. (Liu Jings inner monologue)
Liu Jing suddenly fell into a pit of confusion.
...Did he say itsing from southwest? (Liu Jing)
Wasnt an ICBM supposed to drop almost vertically at a ridiculous speed from outer space? So what did it even mean for an ICBM to fly in from southwest?
The briefing carried on whilepletely disregarding Liu Jings confusion.
C We estimate that an active nuclear warhead is mounted on the ICBM.
Son of a b*tch.
Holy sh*t.
Various colourful expletives exploded forth from the cockpits of the nes.
C Attempts to remotely detonate or shoot it down with anti-air missiles have all ended up in failure so far. The only remaining course is for us to directly shoot the missile down.
This isnt even funny anymore, you insane motherf*ckers... (Liu Jing)
If spotting an ICBM mid-flight with naked eyes and shooting it down was possible, who would be scared of nukes in the first ce? Seriously now, youd have a better chance of threading a thrown needle before it fell to the ground.
C The sole advantage to this operation is that... the ICBM is currently flying at subsonic speed at the moment.
What on earth was that about?
Liu Jing slowly shook his head.
He was not understanding any of whats being said here.
C The fate of our glorious mother nation hangs on your shoulders. Im sure you can all guess what will happen if that nuke detonates in Beijing. So, this isnt just some empty pep talk. The fate of our nation really depends on todays results.
You know, Id much have preferred you to not say stuff like that in a situation we found ourselves in. (Liu Jing)
Such pep talk would indeed work wonders in helping the listener feel proud and important in any other normal times, but to those people about to go through hell and back, those words served to only amplify the mental burden they were experiencing already.
C I shall pray for all your fortunes in war.
Once the briefinging from the headquarters came to an end, the squadron leader addressed the rest of his crew.
C You heard him, right?
The leaders voice seemed to be trembling ever so slightly. There was a lot of background noise over the radio and that made it hard to listen properly, but if Liu Jing indeed didnt mishear it, then the leader himself had no idea what was going on before getting here, either.
The higher-ups hid the details of the mission when were in a situation like this? (Liu Jing)
But, then again...
Nothing wouldve changed even if the pilots were briefed beforehand. No pilot present would have trained for an event like this one, anyway. Realistically speaking, what wouldve changed if they knew the truth beforeing here?
C Any questions?
What did they mean by the ICBM flying in at subsonic speed? (Liu Jing)
C Even I dont know exactly whats going on, other than that the ICBM isnt in the normalunch state but being forcibly moved by external forces.
Were ability users responsible, then?
If not, it mustve been the handiwork of the demon king.
Liu Jing gritted his teeth, then asked that one question he was dying to ask.
Lets say that we manage to destroy the ICBM mid-air. Wouldnt there be a good chance of the nuke onboard detonating as well? (Liu Jing)
C We should consider that event very likely.
If so, what will happen to the fighter nes that shoot down the missile from the near vicinity? (Liu Jing)
C ...It should be as you think, soldier.
Hah... (Liu Jing)
Liu Jing chuckled hollowly again.
So, the higher-ups wanted them to die.
No matter how fast a fighter ne was, itd still be impossible to escape the radius of the nuclear explosion happening right behind you.
To think that Id end up doing the same thing as those Jap b*stards. (Liu Jing)
C As such, only one squadron will approach the ICBM at any given moment. Approach the target, attack it, then get the hell out of there regardless of the results. You all understand what Im saying, dont you?
Yes, leader. (Liu Jing)
Liu Jing spat out a lengthy groan.
That patriotism thing people often talked about? It was one of those things that didnt influence Liu Jings thought process all that much.
Even then, he could tell that the situation didnt allow him to run away by himself to save his skin. Liu Jing always thought that he was the type to turn tail and run away without so much as a nce behind him, but once the terms mother nation and citizens were bandied about, he got ruthlessly suppressed by the indescribably heavy weight of responsibility.
If the price of his desertion was the destruction of Beijing itself, then would Liu Jing be able to carry on living normally for the rest of his life?
What a f*cked-up situation this is. (Liu Jing)
Profanities continued to leak out of his mouth.
He squeezed his eyes shut. Sess or failure C both scenarios presented problems. The best result he could hope for would be... him failing, then after he safely got out of the nukes range, someone else sessfully detonating it.
However, such an optimal result would be hard toe by. He was never much of a favoured child ofdy luck, after all.
C Beijing air force twelfth division, take the lead.
The twelfth division, is it... (Liu Jing)
Liu Jing chuckled hollowly again.
He was the part of that very division, so how could he not chuckle?
C Move out.
He clenched his teeth tightly at the squadron leadersmand.
Only now could Liu Jing understand why so many people throughout history could sacrifice themselves in the name of their country and fellow citizens. The moment he realised that all those lives were now waiting for the results of his actions, the absolute worst possible ending had changed for him.
Was his death the absolute worst ending for him?
Or was him surviving but thousands of others dying at his expense the worst, instead?
If it were any other normal times, then Liu Jing would obviously say that the former would be the absolute worst for him. He was definitely a selfish person and a firm believer of, Theres no point if Im dead philosophy.
But, what about now?
Even if he managed to survive through this situation, could he really say that everything will be alright?
He would always put preservation of his life above all else.
However! No one would go, Everything will be fine as long as Im the only one surviving, in these sorts of situations.
This thing called the lives of twenty million people was too huge, too unimaginable. And when taking into ount where all those twenty million were currently gathered in, which was Beijing, then youd realise that this issue transcended the mere deaths of countless people.
The destruction of Beijing signified theplete paralysis of China itself.
Would twenty million out of one-point-something billion people suddenly vanishing result in the destruction of China?
In normal circumstances, no. The country might go through great turmoil, but in the end, China would stand back up on its two feet sooner orter.
In a normal circumstance, that was.
However, now was not normal. The demon king army was still pouring out from Sichuan. They wouldnt stop their relentless march to destroy everything in China just because Beijing was wiped off from the map.
Huh, huhuhuh. (liu Jing)
Liu Jing gripped the control stick even harder.
What a truly f*cked-up event this was. Truly.
C If we seed, we shall be heroes to the people of our glorious nation. You are now blessed with such an opportunity, so you should all rejoice.
Give me a f*cking break.
Whats the point of bing a hero if youre dead? (Liu Jings inner monologue)
Liu Jing clenched his teeth hard until it hurt. All sorts of retorts and unwillingness welled up in his chest, but he couldnt turn them into actual actions. Not because he was a coward, however.
No one in their sane minds would be able to raise a voice of opposition under the current flow of events.
Fine. Lets f*cking do this. Sh*t. (Liu Jing)
Liu Jing gritted his teeth.
His squadron took the lead of the formation while his heart pounded away crazily. His field of vision narrowed and cold sweat seemed to gush out from every pore in his body.
He tried to regte his wild breathing several times and only then did it feel like he had calmed down somewhat.
And it was right then.
The thing naked eyes couldnt spot was first discovered by the radar.
The radar screen began disying an unidentified flying object headed this way. However, even a moron could tell what that object was.
Fuu-wuuuph. (Liu Jing)
Liu Jing sucked in a deep, deep breath, and clenched his teeth yet again.
C All personnel, prepare to intercept.
The squadron leaders ne right at the front of the pack elerated away. Since they were going to blow the missile up, might as well do so as far away from Beijing as possible. That would minimise the potential damage overall.
Liu Jing stuck close to the squadron leaders tail, narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows.
Prepare to fire!
Preparing!
Modern fighter jets werent all that dependent on the abilities of the pilots themselves. It was almost impossible to manually lock-on to a target moving at high speed then shooting it down mid-air, after all.
So, the job of locking on to the target was not his but theputers.
However, Liu Jing soon learned the truth.
...That this was not a simple interception mission. At all.
W-what the hell is that?! (Liu Jing)
While searching for the target through the head-up disy, Liu Jings naked eyes finally caught the sight of a certain... something. What seemed like a small dot in the distant sky gradually grew bigger and eventually revealed its bizarre, monstrous silhouette.
...Son of a b*tch. (Liu Jing)
A massive ck bird seemingly perched on top of the ICBM, with its expansive wings spread out to either sides, opened its beak wide and screeched out loudly.
Kii-aaaaaah!!!
Goosebumps broke out on Liu Jings body.
< 429. Theres a nuke headed this way? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 430: There’s a nuke headed this way? (5)
Chapter 430: Theres a nuke headed this way? (5)
A... bird? (Liu Jing)
This was an unexpected situation no one could have imagined.
Liu Jing already knew that the ICBM was flying in, but this... This wasnt even some bizarre cartoon, so why was a bird carrying a nuclear missile? Who could have even dreamed up of such a thing?
It was then, Liu Jing snapped wide awake from his stupor.
Sure, it certainly was a bizarre spectacle to behold.
Lengthy, wiggling tentacles extended from the birds ws clutching onto the missile and tightly wrapped around the weapons body. His naked eyes being able to spot that meant that the missile would soon fly past him in an instant.
Fire!
This was the reason why training was a frightening thing.
He was fully aware of the possibility of him dying without an intact corpse if he attacked the nuke at a close range and caused it to explode.
Hesitation? Of course he felt it.
However, the moment he heard the cry of Fire! ringing in his ears, his fingers were already depressing theunch button even before he had time to notice his own actions C as if he was a meticulously crafted trigger merely doing what it was supposed to do in the first ce.
Psuhhhhh....
Along with the sounds of something separating, Liu Jings eyes caught the sight of an air-to-air missile flying towards the monster bird in the distance.
I, I need to break away! (Liu Jing)
Liu Jing immediately freaked out and even before the order was issued, he jerked the control stick to the left and escaped from the area as fast as he could.
The initial order had been carried out, and the only remaining thing now was pure confusion. After the other pilotsunched their missiles, their tension briefly went haywire and the moment Liu Jing attempted to break away from the formation and leave, they all followed suit and broke away as well.
Honestly speaking, though, it was all a meaningless act.
If they were sessful, then no matter how quickly they escaped from the area, they would still die. But if the attack was a failure, then there was no need to escape, anyway. Human instincts never rarely operated that way, though.
KWA-BOOOOM! BOOOOM!!!
Loud, clear explosions rang out.
Despite Liu Jing flying quicker than the speed of sound, the explosion noises resounded out loudly which could only mean that the distance between the target and the pilots were much closer than he imagined.
And also...
We failed. (Liu Jing)
In that moment of realisation, Liu Jing felt hollow as well as greatly relieved. Indeed, being able to hear those explosion noises indicated that the mission so far was a failure. If the attack was a sess, then hed be a dead man long before he could hear or sense the explosions.
C You sons of b*tches! Maintain the formation!
The roar of the flight leader snapped Liu Jings mind back to reality.
...You want to maintain the formation in this situation? Crazy b*stard. (Liu Jing)
The mission wasnt over yet. Not just his twelfth division, but other squadrons were on standby right behind them, too.
If the squadron behind Liu Jings group seeded in the mission, then the nuke would go off and everyone would be dead. Surely the leader mustve understood that fact as well, yet seeing how he was still trying unnecessarily to maintain the formation, Liu Jing couldnt help but realise once more how being a rigid, by-the-book soldier was actually a rather inefficient beast at the core.
Well, Im not that much different, am I? (Liu Jing)
What a sorrowful thing it was, because Liu Jing was already heading towards the location of the flight leader right after hearing themand. Even before his head could think, his body ended up responding first.
C Its not over yet. Cycle to the rear of the formation and prepare for the second wave.
Wake the hell up, man! (Liu Jing)
Even if the ICBMs flight speed was abnormal, no one knew when itd detonate. Currently, well over two hundred nes had been mobilised to protect Beijings airspace, so when a squadron consisting of twelve nes took turns to attack the nuke, a quick, dirty math suggested that over fifteen rounds of attacks had to be carried out first before Liu Jing got his second turn. Yet, he needed to wait that long and attempt the second wave?
Itd be a miracle for Beijing to not get blown up in the meantime.
It wasnt as if every fighter ne rushed in at the same time to bombard the target. The tactic this time was to be on standby in consideration of the detonation radius, yet the stupid leader wanted to go back and wait?
For a moment there, Liu Jing felt thispulsion to dissect the head of the flight leader. He wanted to find out what kind of a brain youd need to say something like that.
F*ck. (Liu Jing)
Even though such thoughts filled up his head, Liu Jing felt utterly disgusted by himself after seeing how he was currently following the leading ne to return to the back of the formation.
KWA-BOOOOM!!!
More explosion noises continued to resound out.
Why am I keep hearing the explosions? (Liu Jing)
Instantly, Liu Jing realised that something was wrong.
It wasnt as if every single attack had failed since the explosions were still going off to signal that the air-to-air missiles were indeed hitting their target. The problem here was the ICBM not blowing up, obviously.
Is that monster bird blocking everything? (Liu Jing)
The one to lift up Liu Jings confusion was about to make its appearance, however.
*
Have they shot it down yet? (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng asked in an urgent voice, but the adjutant could only shake his head with a gloomy expression.
They are sessfully hitting the target, but unable to stop it, sir. Its not working at all. (adjutant)
Hit it with everything we got! (Xu Cheng)
Sir? (adjutant)
Xu Cheng roared out at the top of his voice.
Dont just rely on the fighter nes, use everything in our arsenal to stop that missile! Fire anti-air rockets or whatever! I dont care how, just stop that thing! Make the fighters charge in if they have to! (Xu Cheng)
S-sir, please calm down. (adjutant)
You think I can calm down?! (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng continued to roar out, half of his reasoning already long gone by now. Panic and fear were alternating unsightly in his expression.
If we cant stop it, well all die! Youll die! Ill die! And every single soul living in and around Beijing will die, too! Dont you understand what that even means?! (Xu Cheng)
The adjutant began trembling as well.
Beijing would be destroyed.
Those words finally sunk in. Here was an event that not even their deaths would be enough to prevent.
We shouldve listened to Christopher McLarens advice. (adjutant)
Only then did he realise how stupid it was to blindly attack an enemy with unknown abilities and also, the reason why other nations hadnt deployed nukes yet C because, this tactic wouldnt have worked in the first ce.
Unfortunately, regret would always be toote no matter how quickly it came.
W-what should we do, sir? (adjutant)
What do you mean, what?! Find and deploy every single method we have at our disposal and shoot it down! Dont you get what Im saying here?! (Xu Cheng)
Although Xu Cheng was saying all these things, he too was feeling lost as well.
Every single method?
The remote detonation didnt work. Bombardment with fighter nes also didnt work. So what other options did they have left, anyway?
The ABM! What about the ABM?! (Xu Cheng) [1]
Its impossible to target the ICBM, sir. Before the fighters intercepted the missile, we already tried to deploy the ABMs, but... (adjutant)
I told you to hit the d*mn thing with every single rocket we have! Now isnt the time not to use them just because it didnt work a second ago, you fool! Deploy all the ABMs and create an air defence or something! (Xu Cheng)
Y-yes, sir! ((adjutant)
It was right then, an urgent voice called out to them.
Sir! The target! The target is transforming!
What was that? (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng quickly turned his head towards therge monitor and saw the ck monster bird with its ws buried into the side of the ICBM, which had be a familiar sight by now. But then, the monster bird suddenly began writhing about before its body size shrunk down. And then, its silhouette morphed into that of a human.
Although not an exact facsimile of a person, it was still a lot closer whenpared to the appearance of a bird from a second ago. Maybe itd be more correct to call it a half-man, half-bird creature now.
T-t-that, isnt that...? (Xu Cheng)
It was so pitch-ck.
The half-man, half-bird creatures body maintained the ck colour, perhaps owing to the fact that it used to be thatrge ck monster bird in the first ce. However, its new silhouette happened to be something that Xu Cheng was familiar with.
Because it looked exactly the same as the demon king that appeared in Sichuan, the one filmed and confirmed many times by the satellites.
The monster bird, no, the existence that should now be referred to as the demon king, stood upright and proudly above the airborne ICBM. Then, it ever so slightly turned its head and locked eyes with Xu Cheng.
Is that demon looking back at me? (Xu Cheng)
It was unknown whether or not the demon king knew about Xu Cheng staring at it, but no doubt the creature was already fully aware of it being filmed right now.
This demon king, or more correctly the copy of the creature, was looking in the direction of the spy satellite filming from above, after all.
What was it trying to do?
Xu Cheng was merely looking at it through the monitor, yet he felt his whole body freeze up. He couldnt even think about doing something to all that cold sweat trickling down his spine.
Just what else does it want to do?! (Xu Cheng)
Xu Cheng realised immediately that no matter what the demon king was nning to do here, itd definitely not be a good thing and his heart began madly pounding away.
*
Hmm... (Araksis)
Araksis stared at all the fighter nes maintaining a huge formation with a pair of deeply intrigued eyes.
This species called humans, they really do defy ones logic, dont they? (Araksis)
This wasnt the demon kings first time witnessing the fighter nes, but it still felt quite amazed every time it saw one.
Even Berafe, boasting a highly-developed magic-based civilisation, found it extremely difficult to float things in the air using Mana. Yet the humans of this world that couldnt use any magic still somehow found a way to make those heavy lumps of steel fly in the sky.
It wasnt merely flying either, but the lumps of steel could elerate past the speed of sound and even spit out mes, too.
Humans... (Araksis)
Humans that did learn magic could never hope to even scratch a demon king. However, the fact still remained that those humans would still be stronger than humans of this world. Just one decent archmage entering this world would make him or her the strongest person here.
However, the humans of this world evolved in the direction of enhancing thebat strengths of their species rather than themselves individually. A good example would be the nuclear warhead currently trapped below the demon kings feet C this one weapon alone could exhibit the level of destructive power that no demon king could even imitate.
How amusing, indeed. For sure, humans are an amusing bunch. (Araksis)
The fact that they could develop so differently just because they found themselves in a different environment... Maybe that was the strongest point of humanity.
However... (Araksis)
It was truly unfortunate that the end of these amusing creatures had already been set in stone.
But, so what?
Just like how humans existed in Berafe as well as on this Earth, it was possible to find more signs of humanity elsewhere when searching through countless dimensions out there.
And thats why... (Araksis)
Araksis ever so slightly raised its hand forward.
Since it was currently in an assimted state with the monster bird, the demon king couldnt use all of its powers, but dealing with these mobs of trash only required one-tenth of its overall strength. No, maybe even that was still over the top.
The demon kings hand seemed to scrunch up into a sphere for a moment there, then ck shadows in the shapes of small birds suddenly exploded out from it.
Its time to show it to them. (Araksis)
...To show them how pathetic those lumps of steel with no Mana in them were. To show them that it was futile to ce their faith in these objects.
These smaller monster birds flying up from Araksiss hand scattered in every direction.
A portion of these birds paired up in twos and flew directly towards the fighter nes, while the rest descended towards the ground.
What the hell is going on here?! (Liu Jing)
Liu Jing stared at the small birds flying in towards his group with a deeply paleplexion.
These birds were small enough to be seen as adorable in some ways, but when considering where they originated from, no sane person would ever use such an adjective to describe these things.
The same thing also applied to the end result, as well.
KWA-BOOOOM!!!!!
A fighter ne colliding against the small bird was suddenly enveloped in a massive fireball.
Liu Jings brows shot up so violently that the skin nearly tore off.
This was not on the level of mere bird strikes. Even if those ck birds possessed an unimaginable level of density and impact force, a single collision shouldnt cause an explosion vicious enough to destroy a fighter ne without leaving behind any scraps of recognisable debris.
T-they are bombs?! (Liu Jing)
He couldnt fully understand how it was possible, but at this point in time, he must assume that each of these ck birds was actually a powerful explosive capable of destroying a fighter nepletely.
And these explosives were freely flying around like actual birds to approach the Chinese fighter nes.
N-no, wait a f*cking minute! (Liu Jing)
A small ck bird was also flying in towards Liu Jings ne like some kind of a miniature grim reaper. And even before he could respond somehow, the bird attached itself to the front of the ne and blew up.
KWA-BOOOOM!
< 430. Theres a nuke headed this way? -5 > Fin.
(TL: ABM in [1] refers to anti-ballistic missile.)
Chapter 431: Ah, shucks… This might not work after all? (1)
Chapter 431: Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? (1)
The entire formation is being annihted, sir.
Christopher McLaren stared dazedly at the giant monitor.
Son of a b*tch. (Christopher McLaren)
The end result for Chinas unwise choice was too horrifying to behold. However, something else proved to be even more horrifying to him. And it was the unavoidable fact that Chinas response to the situation had been a rather sensible one.
They proceeded to rain down anti-ballistic missiles at the iing ICBM, then deployed fighter nes to shoot the nuclear warhead down.
Christopher McLaren had chosen to utilise the same method against the iing ICBMs as well. It wasnt just him, though, as all the other targeted countries were preparing the same tactic, too.
However, it didnt work.
The ICBM acted like a living entity and blocked everything flying in its way. Such a thing wouldnt have happened if the demon king merely countered the nukes and changed their headings.
The demon king of Sichuan attached arge monster bird on each of the warheads. And these birds were responsible for either deflecting or interfering with the humans attempts to shoot the ICBMs down.
But that wasnt the end of the story.
The d*mn demon king even made an appearance using the monster birds body and began pouring out merciless attacks to worsen the already-deadly chaos.
The absolute worst imaginable attack thatbined the demon kings magic and humanitys technology was now tightening around the throat of humanity like a noose.
What is Beijings response to this development? (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, its unknown if they can do anything at this stage. We dont see any noticeable movement from them, either...
That made sense.
Every fighter ne deployed had been destroyed, while the anti-air missiles meant to shoot down the nuke got shot down instead. So, what else could they do, realistically speaking?
It was like being a prisoner trapped under the guillotine, waiting for the de to fall...
China, and the rest of humanity too, couldnt do anything and wait for the end.
Wait, until the ursed de fell and severed their necks.
Christopher McLaren tightly clenched his fists.
China was responsible for this blunder. He told himself that, once this crisis was sorted out somehow, hed make an example out of those fools.
However, this was not it.
There was no way hed feel happy about countless innocents losing their lives because the higher-ups made a fatal mistake in their judgements. Hed never ept this oue. And separate from the issue of ming someone, he as a fellow human being found the deaths of countless humans caused by a demon kings scheme truly unforgivable.
F*ck. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren couldnt continue staring at the monitor. His head faltered to the floor.
Thest thing he saw on that massive screen was the far-too clear image of a missile falling on top of Beijing.
...Sir, the nuke is descending.
Christopher McLaren squeezed his eyes shut.
He couldnt carry on watching anymore.
The absolute weapon of destruction that had only ever been deployed twice in human history C on Hiroshima and Nagasaki C was now falling on one of the greatest cities on Earth, Beijing, home to twenty million, maybe even as many as thirty million people.
He felt a sh of light momentarily break through his closed eyelids. Even though he kept his eyes closed, he thought he could clearly see the images currently being yed out in that giant screen.
Drip.
Blood trickled down from his lower lip as he bit down hard on it. However, he couldnt feel any pain. Rage boiled over and rushed to the top of his head, causing him to almost lose all his reasoning and not give a d*mn about some measly little pain like that.
City of Beijing, it... its... gone.
That report sounded so far away.
The voice entering his ears sounded so awkward and indistinct like badly dubbed voice-overs from a film shot in the 50s.
Director, sir.
Gimme a minute. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren raised his hand when one of his subordinates called out to him.
He knew full well that now was not the right time to be like this. Only one warhead had fallen so far. Meaning, there were seventeen others left to worry about. So, he must stop mulling about the one that had detonated already and quicklye up with another n of action.
However...
Even if people often called Christopher McLaren a cold-blooded or cold-hearted man, he still found it extremely hard to get over the shock of witnessing the deaths of thirty million lives in a single moment.
Fuu-woo-wooph. (Christopher McLaren)
He sucked in a deep breath, then raised his head.
China just proved to us that standard methods cannot stop that thing. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
We need toe up with a better solution. Is the task force ready to act yet? (Christopher McLaren)
Experts from every rted field have been dragged in, sir.
Show them that footage and tell them toe up with a n. What about the potential impact zone? Still cant figure it out yet? (Christopher McLaren)
...Apologies, sir.
No, its fine. If theres a major city within the radius of the impact, tell the task force to set that as the target ande up with a potential defensive line. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, sir.
Christopher McLaren massaged his face.
The nuke fell right in the centre of Beijing. (Christopher McLaren)
That result was far too artificial to be called purely coincidental.
Indeed, he should assume that the monster bird, or more correctly the demon kings will, was in full control of the nukes descent at this point.
Which meant that in order to shoot the ICBMs down, the demon kings defences had to be breached first. Christopher McLaren rubbed his face even harder at this exasperating development.
The next missile? (Christopher McLaren)
...Its currently headed to the East Sea.
East Sea? (Christopher McLaren)
Its an oceanic area located between South Korea and Japan, sir.
Mm... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren chewed out his next words.
Connect me to Korea. Right now. (Christopher McLaren)
*
...Beijing has been annihted. (defense minister)
A silence akin to icy hell descended in the conference chamber.
Hundreds of ABMs and fighter nes were deployed, but... (defense minister)
The defense minister sucked in a deep, deep breath.
...What are we even supposed to do now? (defense minister)
The Korean air force should have gotten the news by now. And no doubt they would be in a panicked state, too. The methods they thought of employing were tried first by the Chinese and the end result was this.
An utter annihtion.
There was a reason why the characters in horror movies repeatedly did stupid things. And that was to ensure that the audience members didnt feel any sense of helplessness while watching the film. In other words, it was to give that psychological assurance of Im not as stupid as them, so if it was me, Id not get killed like them.
Unfortunately, that assurance was denied from the people currently present in this conference chamber.
China at that moment of firing the ICBMs was at the height of its own hubris. But Chinas response to the nuke heading to Beijing was quite realistic in its approach.
But all that realistic approach turned out to be in vain, ultimately resulting in the nuke dropping on Beijing in the end.
I dont know what to say. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su quietly grabbed and squeezed his thigh.
He knew that he shouldnt be imagining this, yet the situation in Beijing seemed to be a premonition of the future waiting for them. He felt queasy and wanted to empty out his stomach.
Although, he hadnt eaten anything since yesterday and probably wouldnt be able to throw up in the first ce, anyway.
Mm, so heres the thing... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The one to break the silence was, perhaps unsurprisingly, Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Song Jeong-Su heard that unperturbed voice and two thoughts immediately popped up in his mind. One, he wondered if Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt know the meaning of being tense, and two, thetter maintaining his calm was helping the others to find somefort in this dire situation.
One things for certain, though C without Yi Ji-Hyuks presence, the level of panic in this room wouldve been far worse, regardless of what the others thought about him.
For now, I think itll be better to tell our fighter nes toe back home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, they have already arrived in the mission area... (defense minister)
Im saying, itll be better to recall all those nes that arrived in the area or whatever. You know its not going to work anyway, so telling them to stay there is no different than telling them to die a dogs death. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The defense minister lowered his head, hisplexion stiffer than ever. It was at that point that the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff replied instead.
But if we recall all of our fighters, we will no longer have a way to stop the ICBM. (chairman of the JCS)
Oh, and they can stop the missile, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But... (chairman of the JCS)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a sigh then shifted his gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon. Thetter nodded and took over from there.
I understand your sentiment of doing whatever we can even if its ultimately in vain since our country is about to get trampled on. If I was in your shoes, Id definitely try to grasp at straws if that helped. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The defense minister slowly nodded in agreement.
However, surely you know by now that thats a needless sacrifice, the proverbial dogs death. We all saw what happened, didnt we? If the demon king wanted to, it can destroy every single ne of ours in one second or less. And not to forget, there will be other events in the future that might require our air force. Theres no need to needlessly weaken our ownbat potential, sirs. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...That is, if well have a future at all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon worked hard to swallow back his real thoughts threatening to jump out of his mouth.
I understand what youre trying to say, but... Do we have an alternative response, then? (defense minister)
This time it was Choi Jeong-Hoons turn to be rendered speechless.
An alternative, he asked?
Of course there wouldnt be such a thing.
All modern day scientific methods to stop an ICBM had be useless. So what other method could there possibly be left to try?
The Americans are requesting for the hotline to be connected, sirs.
Okay, connect the call. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min sighed after Christopher McLarens hardened face showed up on therge monitor.
C Mister President. First of all, allow me to express my condolences. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, thank you for the sentiment at least, Director McLaren. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C ording to the information we have, the nukes impact zone is estimated to be South Koreas East Sea, or more correctly, somewhere between the East Sea and the southern coast. However, judging from how the missile urately fell on Beijing, were now assuming that an external force is manipting the weapons trajectory. Which means... (Christopher McLaren)
It means theres not much point to predicting the potential impact zones. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Thats what we believe as well. However... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren stopped there and seemed to be pondering something, before carrying on with the rest of his sentence.
C Although this is not an official stance of ours, if Im allowed to make a guess... taking into ount the characteristics of the demon kings as well as their behavioural patterns observed so far, there is a greater chance of the nuke falling on a major city with a lot of people living in it. Which major South Korean city falls within the radius of the projected impact zone? (Christopher McLaren)
...That will be Busan. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min spat out a long sigh.
By a stroke of pure bad luck, the city of Busan, arguably South Koreas second most important city, was located in the southern coastline.
Half of Seouls gone, so if Busan is destroyed on top of that... It wont be an exaggeration to say that Korea will lose almost all of its abilities to function as a nation. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Seouls residents had been evacuated somehow on time, but doing something simr when a nuke was falling on top of Busan would be next to impossible to carry out. How many people could realistically be crammed into the subway stations and the evacuation shelters, anyway?
Besides, there were no guarantees of their survival just because they hid down there.
C Our side has already concluded that its impossible to respond via conventional defensive measures. And this is why Im asking you this... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For a moment there, Yun Yeong-Min was ovee with a strange feeling.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt know this, but Christopher McLaren used to openly pressure the South Korean government into handing the former over for the purpose of human experiments. Yet someone like that was pretending that nothing had happened and was conversing normally with Yi Ji-Hyuk, which in turn caused this bitter aftertaste in the mouths of everyone watching this scene unfold.
C It looks like well have to request you for your help one more time, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Its impossible to stop those nukes with humanitys technology. And thats why I need to ask you. Is there any way to stop them? (Christopher McLaren)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head cocked this way and that.
His action indicated neither affirmation or denial.
Well, you can think of it as almost impossible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Is that so... (Christopher McLaren)
But that doesnt mean we must give up, right? We should try to stop them somehow. As for our odds, Ill say maybe fifty-fifty? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Fifty, you say...? (Christopher McLaren)
It was indeed a massive improvement for the percentage to shoot up from zero all the way up to 50.
C Do you have to personally step up, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Christopher McLaren)
I guess. Looks that way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christopher McLaren furrowed his brows.
He was more or less aware of how grave the situation was with Yi Ji-Hyuk thanks to Alphas warning. Wasnt he told in no uncertain terms that one wrong move could result in the destruction of humanity by Yi Ji-Hyuks hands?
Although Christopher McLaren didnt know the exact meaning of that warning, he still understood that he must do his best to discourage Yi Ji-Hyuk from exerting his powers as much as possible.
But now, Yi Ji-Hyuk had to personally step up again?
Christopher McLaren couldnt help but feel that he was inviting a lion just to stop a wolf. In the end, though, he had to ask.
C What is the method youre thinking of? (Christopher McLaren)
< 431. Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 432: Ah, shucks… This might not work after all? (2)
Chapter 432: Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? (2)
City of Busan, Nampo-dong.
Its so peaceful here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The state of emergency had been dered throughout the country and the evacuation order had been issued for the city, so it was only obvious that the streets would be peaceful, as Yi Ji-Hyuk put it.
Oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He then cackled for some reason and strode over to a nearby convenience store, then brazenly picked up an unattended piece of Korean traditional-style pancake.
Hey, there are plenty of snacks here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, thats wrong. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eii, if I dont eat them, all these snacks will go bad, anyway... So, its okay, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Although its a problem in the eyes of thew, ethically it might barely qualify as okay. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stopped talking there and entered the convenience store himself, then pulled out some cash to stick underneath the te of the pancakes.
Keuh, arent you a righteous dude? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With that, even the legal side of things have been taken care of.
Choi Jeong-Hoon sighed deeply while taking another look at the utterly unperturbed mug of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Well, hes always been like that, to begin with. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It wouldnt be such a bad thing to show just a bit of a concerned face in a situation like this, though.
But then again, if Yi Ji-Hyuk looked nervous for some reason, that might cause Choi Jeong-Hoons heart to stop beating altogether from fear. If a guy like that got so nervous that it actually showed on his face, then that would serve as the proof of a looming crisis no one could solve, now wouldnt it?
It was okay for him to remain that way, but also, maybe it was better for him to disy just a bit of tension or something... Honestly speaking, Choi Jeong-Hoons mind was aplicated mess right now.
Arent you worried in the slightest? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nothing will change even if I worry, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...True that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon always felt that Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt seem to fear death itself from the very get-go. Inferring from what he said in the past, though, it made some sense that his fear becamepletely numbed after experiencing the moments of his physical body dissipating and his consciousness falling into a nk state thousands, no, tens of thousands of times.
His new problem is that he feels numb about the deaths of other people, too... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The reason why Choi Jeong-Hoon or the other people felt so tense right now was not because of the risks to their own lives. If that had been the case, they wouldve remained tucked in nice and easy in the underground bunker of the Blue House. Indeed, there would be no reason for them to show up here in Busan to brave the dangers and stop the ICBM.
No, what they were really afraid of was making a mistake somewhere and watching the deaths of over five million people living in Busan.
Although, one could argue that they had no choice in the matter, and if the worst did happen, they couldnt really me it on a mistake, either.
Can we really stop the rocket? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I told you, its fifty-fifty. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, fifty is it... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Besides, theres no guarantee that it will fall here, right? I mean, it couldnd in Hiroshima or Osaka. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I think itll be better for Hiroshima to be spared this time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Howe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, well... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No matter what, wasnt it a bit too much for a city to get nuked for the second time? Japan might have done many wrong things throughout its history, but even then, such a punishment would be too cruel and uncalled for.
Well, its still better than the nukending in Korea, isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know, thats a really nationalistic sentiment. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats how humans operate. We always prioritise our neighbourhood, then our district, and then, our country. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hang on, your breakdown on the matter sounds suspiciously like the development process of Koreas democracy. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Still, that doesnt mean people began believing that we should treat the foreigners the same as the Korean natives, now do they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What a vague discussion this was.
You know, this is the conclusion I came to after observing people for a long time. People love to divide things. A country would be divided into two, then the two sides would be bitter enemies to wage bloody wars. You wont find a funnieredy than that anywhere. Nothing has changed other than some arbitrary line drawn on the ground, but after people finish taking sides, you only need a blink of an eye for them to be enemies. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, are you referring to North Korea now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh? I wasnt talking about them, but hey, its a pretty good analogy, aint it? Anyways, I wasnt talking about us, but when you look through the history of mankind, youll find plenty of examples. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, thats true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont particrly feel anything whenever people talk about letting go of the notion of my neighbourhood or my country or whatever and think about the bigger picture. Its humans that drew the line in the first ce, and now youre basically telling me to ignore that line again. If thats the case, you shouldnt have drawn the line to begin with. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That... soundsplicated. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This discussion seemed deep and meaningful, in a way, but it was also quite off-topic as well. Choi Jeong-Hoon knew that now wasnt the time to discuss things like this.
So, where is that thing right now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mean the nuke? Its currently passing over the Yellow Sea. It should soon enter the Korean airspace. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Man, this is a bit of a dilemma, isnt it...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be pondering something before asking a question.
It might just pass us by, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, thats possible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But if we make a move first, Im pretty sure that things gonna change its target, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Thats also possible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But then, we wont have any answers whatsoever if we leave it alone only for the dang thing to suddenly change its heading right above our heads. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With that, Choi Jeong-Hoon was now properly stuck in a pit of confusion.
If they waited, the risk factor would shoot up, but performing a pre-emptive strike first would increase the odds of the nuke falling on the Korean penins, instead. This was not a problem he could decide on.
I-I should report to the higher-ups... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont think reporting to them will be much of a help here? I mean, from what I saw earlier, those folks didnt seem mentally equipped to handle this at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Urgh. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a lengthy groan.
Weve been fighting tooth and nail against monsters and demon kings until now, but the situation like ours is a new one even for me. An actual demon king invasion would be far nicer for my heart at this stage. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Right. Also, if itsing, it should juste quickly or something. Its a dang problem that its flying so slow and wreaking havoc with everyones headspace here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, thats also true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The old saying went that it was better to get punished before the others. Waiting for their turn like this only made their innards burn away incessantly in anxiety.
Oh well. Lets just gently prod it first, see what happens after that. Saying its not gonna fall on us and we should wait is kinda problematic as a human being, wouldnt you say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yes, indeed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon had been thinking that leaving the warhead alone was not a bad idea as long as there were sufficient guarantees of it notnding this side, so his face reddened up immediately and he turned his head away after Yi Ji-Hyuk made that suggestion.
I guess I shouldnt be preaching about this subject, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A persons true nature would inevitably show up when stuck in a situation like this one. Even though he was busy mouthing something about democracy and stuff, he still couldnt escape from the limitations of a regr person.
Do we have a way to stop it, anyway? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, well. There are a few ways, but... Would you like to choose which one? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk mentioned a few ways, the NDF agents standing nearby hurriedly rushed in towards the two men.
The first one is... Mm, well, its to eliminate that demon kings servant stuck on top of the missile, then getting rid of the weapon itself. Its biggest advantage is that we can eliminate the missile for sure using this method, but theres a slight drawback. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which is? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
While attacking the servant, if our aim is a bit off, then... Bang! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It felt like the hearts of the listeners all jumped out of their mouths when Yi Ji-Hyuk went, Bang! just then.
Mm, if we go with that one, well have hold tight until the missile has reached somewhere close by... But if that happens, we should consider the possibility of everyone nearby ending up dead. No, hang on, I shouldnt put it that way, right? Everyone in Busan will be dead for sure. Ehehe. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, so well not go with that, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, its the most logical way... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No is a no! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could only smack his lips at Choi Jeong-Hoons resolute deration.
As for the next method, this one is a bit less certain... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What do you mean? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Can you find me a fighter ne and a pilot to go along? Ill ride in the back and do something about the nuke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rejected. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But why? Isnt it a pretty good idea? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a less-than-impressed expression.
Its not like this is my first rodeo riding along with you, so I can already tell what youre thinking of in just one nce. Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, lets be honest here, you might be pretty adept at wrecking everything over a wide area, but when ites to precisely aiming at something, you just dont have any talents whatsoever. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Are you a shaman or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) [1]
Thats an insult these days. In any case, I wont let you do it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its going to blow up anyway, so Ill just blow it up far away from us. Thatll be for the best for everyone, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And are you confident ofing back in one piece? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began deliberating seriously.
If I can activate teleportation at the right time, yeah, I think so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, youre no longer the past you. Am I wrong? (Choi Jeong-Hoon
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded slowly.
If this was the past version of Yi Ji-Hyuk, hed not really care whether his opponent was a nuke or not and simply blow it up over the skies of the Yellow Sea.
We simply cant go with a n that might result in your death, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Saying these things might make me a failure of a human being, but truth be told, youre far more important than the lives of five million people. Ill be upfront about this right now. If you think its not going to work out, you must just teleport out of here to Seoul. Im being serious. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Please stop. I dont want to be on the receiving end of a fellow mans ardent gaze. Im not immunised for it, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out another lengthy groan.
Yi Ji-Hyuk not losing his rxed demeanour even in a situation like this could be seen as his biggest plus point, but even then, how should one go about framing this...
When Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt bring himself to continue on, Yi Ji-Hyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
Okay, so. Heres thest method... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He scratched his cheek and finished what he wanted to say.
Honestly, I didnt want to go with it, but I guess we dont have a choice now. Since thats the case, we might as well utilise every agent present to their fullest potential. Maybe itll end up as an example to follow for other countries, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tilted his head at what Yi Ji-Hyuk said.
As an example? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
Whats the current situation? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Mister President. The ICBM is passing through the Yellow Sea. It will soon fly over the southwest of the country.
Mmm... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min stared worriedly at the map. If the ICBM remained in the current flight path, the rocket should barely skirt past the Korean peninss southern coastline.
A contingent of personnel had been deployed to Busan, but if that rocket suddenly altered its course and descended right there and then, an oue no one can prevent would ur.
Were only humans, Mister President. We cant stop everything. (Song Jeong-Su)
But... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Sus tone of voice remained resolute.
We certainly cant say that one thousand lives are worth more than one specific life. However, do not forget that we didnt send our agents to Busan simply to save a few handful of people. No, its because theres an ufortably high chance of the warhead falling on Busan. This is a wartime situation, Mister President. An emergency situation. You must not falter now. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yun Yeong-Min could only nod his head at Song Jeong-Sus firm, sharp words.
Its a good thing that this man is with us. (Yun Yeong-Min)
If Yun Yeong-Min was alone, hed be utterly lost and confused by now, unable to do anything meaningful. He only got to learn recently that he was cursed with ack of mental fortitude.
He might have surrounded himself with a hardened outer shell to protect himself but his decisiveness still remained his weakest point.
Can it be stopped? (Yun Yeong-Min)
We dont know, Mister President. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su replied with a stiff expression.
Things have already gone way past the realm of if its possible or not. Were now standing on the realm of blind faith. (Song Jeong-Su)
Faith, is it... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su quietly chewed on his lip.
They need to stop that missile. (Song Jeong-Su)
Humanitys situation was deteriorating with every passing second.
Beijings destruction would bring about a powerful, hard-to-describe shock to not just East Asia, but to the internationalmunity atrge. Never mind the economic turmoil all over the world, Beijings absence would surely cause a great chaos within China itself, and whats even more horrifying was the fact that it became next to impossible to respond against the demon king army located in Sichuan.
With China bing practically powerless, the two spots existing in Asia now needed to be dealt with by Korea, Japan and Russia.
But both Tokyo and Seoul were already half-destroyed, werent they?
We havent even damaged them properly, but ourbat potential keeps getting shaved away. (Song Jeong-Su)
Not even Song Jeong-Su could have predicted that the advent of demon kings would y out in this manner. He thought that the moment the Gates to the demon world fully opened up, humanity would be locked in an all-out war against the invading demon kings, but the reality turned out to be even more cruel than that.
Theyll wring us dry to death if this keeps up. (Song Jeong-Su)
If the oue had been decided early on, then he might have given up easily. But because the demon kings advanced rather slowly, he just couldnt discard that slim ray of hope even now.
Sirs, the ICBM has now entered the peninss airspace.
Song Jeong-Su gripped his hands tightly and squeezed his eyes shut.
Please, you need to pull through. (Song Jeong-Su)
The NDF was the only thing they could believe in now.
< 432. Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? -2 > Fin.
(TL: I wasnt sure how to trante the shaman bit at the [1], but ultimately decided to go with that. The OG term used there was Mudang, a Korean sorcerer/exorcist/shaman/psychic. Yes, a mudang does all that. The closest equivalent would be Japans onmyoji but with a bit more colourful clothing and ceremonies.)
Chapter 433: Ah, shucks… This might not work after all? (3)
Chapter 433: Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? (3)
< 433. Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? -3 >
Ah, shucks... This might not work, after all? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If there ever was one phrase capable of rapidly deting a persons enthusiasm, this one had to be it.
Yi Ji-Hyuks muttering caused every single agent of the NDF to stare at him in crestfallen expressions.
N-no, wait a second here... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But those expressions soon morphed into murderous res and Yi Ji-Hyuk had to exin himself while scratching his head in a sheepish manner.
Its not like I dont want to do it, but more like, it might not work out well, so why are you all ring at me like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seriously?! This guy...! (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young noisily gritted her teeth.
Hey, you dumb*ss! Dont you know how many lives are depending on this missions sess?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Indeed, her words made a ton of sense.
Unfortunately for her, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt someone to cave in just because you started pressing him down. No, he was the type to spring back up even harder when you pressed him, and definitely not someone whod quietly get crushed by the weight of all that logic.
I said it might not work, so what the heck do you expect from me?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kaaaaahk!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
Just before Seo Ah-Young could lose her mind and go ballistic, female NDF agents hurriedly rushed in and began dragging her away.
Let go! You better let go, or else! Were about to get killed anyway, so I might as well punch that fool in the mouth at least once! So you better let go, now! (Seo Ah-Young)
Please endure it, Miss Director!
Lets be honest here, you also want to see me sock him real good, dont you?! Dont you?? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hang on, what are you even... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Before Choi Jeong-Hoon could say, What are you even talking about? and stop her, his eyes caught a truly bizarre sight first. The female agents restraining Seo Ah-Young were ever so slightly loosening their grips on her.
Hul... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The agents met Choi Jeong-Hoons disbelieving gaze and blushed immediately before gripping onto Seo Ah-Young tightly again.
So, they really did want to see it. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
In all honesty, Choi Jeong-Hoon also wanted to see it happen badly as well. He even thought that his life would be extended for an extra decade if Seo Ah-Young could punch the living daylights out of Yi Ji-Hyuk one of these days.
However, he knew better than anyone that now wasnt the right time for this.
Why are you saying that only now? Whats the problem this time? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eh, well... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head and replied.
That missile, you said that its flying slower than the speed of sound, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, thats right. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When I heard that, I was like, Oh, thats really slow, isnt it? but now that I thought about it some more, isnt it flying at a speed close to 1,000 kilometres per hour? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Yes, uh, thats also right? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So I was thinking that catching something flying that fast wont be easy at all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...What the freaking hell?! What are we supposed to do if you only manage to think of that now?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
What should we do, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm, well. Someone needs to catch that thing for our n to work, but... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scanned his vicinity, but couldnt find anyone possessing a suitable set of abilities for what he had in mind.
Oh well, I guess it cant be helped. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I-it cant be helped? What do you mean? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stop being so scared like that. Im not giving up here, after all. For now... right, can you call someone on the phone for me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Call someone? Call who exactly? The defense ministry? Or the Americans? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nah, not those people. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
Call Alpha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Son of a b*tch. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren stared at Alpha currently sleeping inside the lounges couch and gritted his teeth.
This was no longer in the realm of whether his balls were made out of Grade A titanium or not. Unless a part of your brain waspletely, utterly, irreparably damaged, youd never even imagine doing something like this.
And to make matters even worse, the loon in question was the worlds deadliest, worst criminal but at the same time, you could very well refer to him as the lone hope for humanity as well.
Christopher McLaren pulled out a cigarette and mouthed it angrily.
Now normally, his preferenceid with cigars but he couldnt savour them if his stress level had breached a certain level so he never forgot to carry around a pack of regr cigarettes, too.
He lit it up and deeply sucked in the acrid smoke.
In all honesty, he just couldnt stand the sight of this motherf*cker treating this ce as his living room.
Alpha. (Christopher McLaren)
M-mm? (Alpha)
Give me a break. Wake the hell up, you stinking b*stard! (Christopher McLaren)
Alpha cracked open his eyelids ever so slightly and stared at Christopher McLaren, then yawned loudly and pulled the nket even tighter than before.
Yawn~~, let me sleep for five more minutes, dad. (Alpha)
You better wake your a*s up before I put a bullet hole in your mouth. (Christopher McLaren)
Oh, my. Oh~ my. (Alpha)
Alpha shook his head before pushing himself up.
What brings you, dear Mister Christopher McLaren who must be so busy with lots of important matters, to this humble ones quarters? Waking me up so early and stuff, too. Im hypoglycemic, so mornings not a good time for me, you see. (Alpha)
I dont know what constitutes a morning to you, but in terms of whats epted as the norm, the real morning hase and gone a long time ago. (Christopher McLaren)
Nope. The moment you wake up is your morning. The world revolves around me, after all. And stop ring at me like that and making me feel ufortable. Can you get me a cup of coffee, at least? Id like Espresso, ck. Ive already helped myself a few times and Im telling you, the coffee beans you guys have here are top notch. Probably because you guys have way too much budget to waste. (Alpha)
Alphas joking tone of voice only prompted Christopher McLaren to bare his fangs.
Where do you think youre right now? Answer me, Mister Worst Criminal in History? (Christopher McLaren)
I thought I was inside the American intelligence agency? (Alpha)
Alpha tilted his head this way and that.
If not, did you guys change your job title in the meantime? Ng? Like, while I wasnt looking? Surely you didnte all this way just to inform me of the change, now did you? (Alpha)
...Son of a b*tch. (Christopher McLaren)
Talking to a b*stard like this about a possible response to the iing nuke was rapidly turning out to be a hellish experience.
I dont have time to joke around with you. Those f*cking Chinese Commie b*stards finally did something truly stupid. (Christopher McLaren)
Now look here, McLaren. I always say that youre a true human trash. But that doesnt mean you should actively try to earn the extrabel of racist on top of that, too. (Alpha)
Because of those idiots, we have a nuke flying towards America right now. (Christopher McLaren)
...Oh. Well, Ill make an exception this time. Actually, Im not much of a fan of Asians, either. Youre the only person who knows this secret now, so please, keep it to yourself when out in public, okay? (Alpha)
Didnt I say we dont have time for this? A d*mn nuke ising. We need your help. (Christopher McLaren)
McLaren, Im fully aware of how much you believe in me, but Im not a military specialist so youll be better off inquiring the folks in the Pentagon about such issues, instead. (Alpha)
God d*mn it! You have no clue because you were sleeping through this emergency situation! The demon king b*stard has done something to the warhead and we cant stop it with any known physical means! (Christopher McLaren)
Uhh, is that so? Mm, so, what should we do now? (Alpha)
Why are you asking me that?! (Christopher McLaren)
Hold up, McLaren. When looking at it objectively, Im a criminal so me asking you for a way to respond rather than the other way around would be a more constructive and logical use of our time, wouldnt you say? (Alpha)
You think I dont know that?! Im only doing this because the situation itself is far too unrealistic! (Christopher McLaren)
You should calm down first. Okay, so. How about a cold ss of beer? You look really fatigued right now, you see. (Alpha)
Even though he said that, Alpha was sneakily getting up from the couch. If what Christopher McLaren had said just now was all true, then this was definitely noughing matter. One mistake and the falling nuke would indeedpletely obliterate him, too.
Even if Alpha managed to tenaciously cling to his life up until now, hed be nothing more than a handful of dust in front of a nuke, after all.
So, youre saying that a nuclear warhead that cant be dealt with by physical means is heading over here. (Alpha)
Thats right. (Christopher McLaren)
Then what are you doing, man? We should be escaping from here already. Get a ne ready. (Alpha)
The good news is, the warhead meant for here is flying in at a really slow speed. Itll only reach our position in ten hours time. (Christopher McLaren)
Oh, hey. That is indeed good news. Plenty of time to escape to another country. (Alpha)
And heres the bad news. There are a total of seventeen warheads flying towards various locations around the globe. And we cant shoot those rockets down with the methods currently at our disposal. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm, I see. In that case, cancel my ticket, please. My patriotic spirit wont let me abandon my country, it seems. (Alpha)
Son of a b*tch... (Christopher McLaren)
Seeing Christopher McLarens profanityced reaction, Alpha could really tell that none of this was a joke.
This is not something I can do anything about. How did you even verify that you cant stop it? Did you try everything? (Alpha)
Beijings been obliterated already. (Christopher McLaren)
Ah, how unfortunate. I was a big fan of our Asian friends, after all. (Alpha)
It was right then, Alphas smartphone began ringing loudly.
Thats why we need to find a way, no matter what. We tried every avable method we could think of, but the demon king is... (Christopher McLaren)
Hang on for a second, McLaren. Someones calling me, you know. (Alpha)
Answering a measly call isnt important right now! (Christopher McLaren)
You know, Id love to agree with your opinion but this call isnt some spaming from a random nobody, you see. So, wait. (Alpha)
Alpha finally silenced McLaren and answered the call.
Its been a while, Mister Choi. (Alpha)
C Yes, it indeed is. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, life certainly throws a lot of surprises in your way, doesnt it? I mean, here we are, Mister Choi of all people calling me out of the blue. (Alpha)
C I also never imagined that a day woulde where I have to call you first. This is why one should consider living a longer life. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Speaking in Korean? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren heard the fluent Koreaning out of Alphas mouth as well as a familiar-sounding voiceing out from the phones speaker, which told him that the caller had to be none other than Choi Jeong-Hoon.
Why is Choi Jeong-Hoon contacting Alpha? (Christopher McLaren)
He might have recognised the voice and thenguage being used to converse here, but itd be a stretch even for him to figure out the contents of their conversation.
Ah, is that so? Mm... (Alpha)
Alpha formed a troubled face, before nodding in affirmation.
In that case, it should be better for me to do exactly that. Okay, tell him that Ill be making my move right away. (Alpha)
Alpha ended the call and looked back at Christopher McLaren.
Hey, McLaren. (Alpha)
Yeah? (Christopher McLaren)
Ive got a business to attend to, so it looks like I gotta go to South Korea for a while. (Alpha)
What? (Christopher McLaren)
Apparently, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk is summoning me. Holy cow, that guy is actually asking for me? Dude, can you hear my heart beating faster? Its like Im in love or something. (Alpha)
What the hell are you even talking about, you crazy as*hole?! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren shouted out in dismay.
Did none of what I said register in your brain? Theres a d*mn nuke flying towards America and we need your help! (Christopher McLaren)
Thank you for your passionate sales pitch, but Yi Ji-Hyuk takes priority over a fatso like you. Sorry. (Alpha)
You insane son of a... (Christopher McLaren)
Just before Christopher McLaren could explode in rage, Alpha cut him off.
Obviously even I wont be able to do anything here. However, if I help Yi Ji-Hyuk out and prevent the nuke from falling in Korea, that might open up a way. I mean, Ill be helping him out, so surely hed be willing to help us out with stopping the nukending in America, right? (Alpha)
...
Christopher McLaren wanted so badly to shout out that Yi Ji-Hyuk had lost his powers, but couldnt bring himself to do that. Of course Alpha would know about that too, and even if that man had lost his powers, one had no choice but to agree with Alphas opinion that Yi Ji-Hyuks pool of knowledge was still an invaluable resource in a situation like this one.
In any case, Ill be back in a jiffy. Id like a steak for my dinner. Please inform the chef of my choice. Later. (Alpha)
Alpha went Poof! from the spot and disappeared. Christopher McLaren, now left alone, grabbed his hair.
Ill seriously lose all my hair at this rate! (Christopher McLaren)
A person suffering from such a high level of stress like him might either copse from a heart attack or suffer from hair loss. Or, maybe both at the same time.
He groaned helplessly and turned around to head back to his office only for this ominous foreboding to fill up his head.
By the way, what will happen if the nuke simply skips past South Korea entirely? (Christopher McLaren)
In that case, he had no choice but to wish for the nuke to fall on South Korea.
Christopher McLaren inwardly prayed that the demon king was filled with hatred towards Yi Ji-Hyuk and trudged towards the office.
Focus all of our avable satellites to Korea! I must see for myself what Yi Ji-Hyuk and Alpha are nning to do! (Christopher McLaren)
< 433. Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 434: Ah, shucks… This might not work after all? (4)
Chapter 434: Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? (4)
Choi Jeong-Hoon waited for Alphas arrival with an anxious expression.
Why is he sote? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
A nuke was flying in towards Korea right now, so how could he be sote in such an urgent situation?
...Its not like I wanted to bete, you know? (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was shocked by a voice suddenlying from somewhere behind and quickly turned around. Thats where he discovered Alpha and his slightly pouty face.
What were you expecting when you just called me out of the blue? Im not as good at teleporting as Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, you know? Plus, you shouldve also told me how to find this ce as well. If not, maybe even the address would have sufficed. (Alpha)
...Even if I told you the address, would you have been able to find this ce anyway? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh hey, long time no see. (Alpha)
Alpha smiled brightly and changed the subject.
I heard that a truly wonderful event of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk needing my help has happened, so I dropped everything just toe here as soon as possible. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with an unimpressed expression.
But, you dont look like you have anything else to do? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Correct. Ah, wait a minute. No, actually, Im quite a busy man, myself. I was merely taking a short break so that I can take a very good care of the next assignment, as it were. (Alpha)
Sure. Whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his head.
Theres something you gotta do for us. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. If you need my help, Im only happy to oblige. Okay, so. What do you want me to do? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied nonchntly.
You know that a nuke is headed this way, dont you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I heard that nukes are headed to all corners of the globe, but didnt know that there was oneing over here. As expected of China. Or should I say that, as expected of humanity?
I went through so much hoops and troubles just to open a doorway to the demon world, yet it all took one moment for humanity to scatter nukes throughout the world. And all I can say to that is, well, I raise my hands and maybe even both my feet in defeat at the grand scale the species called humanity is capable of unleashing.
After what happened, I cant help but think that maybe the doorway to the demon world has opened for the purpose of humanitys ultimate salvation instead. If we were left alone, wed have killed ourselves in this manner sooner orter. Also, I kind of feel guilty when asking myself, did I open the doorway in order to do this? Its really tormenting me deep inside. (Alpha)
...Whats this loon even talking about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alphas head faltered, his face showing how deeply hurt he was just then.
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that anyone yapping on so passionately like that would be deeply hurt when the listener responded in such a manner, and quickly spoke to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
For now, just brief him on our current situation first. We dont have much time. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, fine. Hey man, theres a nuke flying over here, so... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Alpha)
Make it stop flying. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Alpha)
You stop it, then I break it. Okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Alpha)
Alphas expression betrayed how dumbfounded he was right now.
Okay, so. Heres the thing. Honestly speaking, I can definitely, proudly say that Im the worlds strongest ability user. Sure, you can argue about whether Im the best or not, but...
Of course, if the discussion includes you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, then I cant im to be the strongest, but lets be objective here, you are not really an ability user, are you? I mean, your ability is strictly meant to support you and nothing much besides, so rather than an ability user, itll be more correct to call you a sorcerer or a caster, instead.
Getting back to our initial discussion, then. After excluding you, Im the worlds strongest sorcerer... Oops, thats a slip of my tongue. Excluding you, I can confidently say that Im the worlds strongest ability user, but that doesnt mean Im capable of doing everything and anything my heart desires.
Of course, its true that I do possess multiple excellent abilities whenpared to other ability users, but even then, I... (Alpha)
Shut up for a second, you loon! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alpha with a fed-up expression.
He certainly wouldnt lose to anyone when it came to how talkative he was. He even heard the old saying of When a loudmouth drowns, only his mouth will float up way too many times until he felt genuinely sick and tired of it.
However, Alpha was so talkative that even the one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk felt fed up by him.
What the hell, was his personality originally like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt queasy after suddenly thinking that in the past, Alpha wasnt fluent in Korean and he couldnt yap as much as he wanted.
To put that in another way, one would have no choice but to sit through this much ptrap whenever a need to deal with Alpha cropped up in the future.
Yi Ji-Hyuk finally gained some enlightenment on why people dealing with him were gritting their teeth so much until now. This was... a kind of psychological attack. He flung around attack magic with his hands while his mouth was busy flinging around psychological attacks, so how could anyone withstand thisbined assault?
Yup, I better take some pointers from him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He simply had to acknowledge that Alpha was above him when it came to psychological attacks using ones mouth. If someone else had this one good point that you didnt have, then wouldnt it be the correct stance of an intellectual being to learn and embrace it for himselfter?
Okay, so basically, you wont do it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not that I wont, but more like I cant. Please be more considerate towards the slight difference in the verbs used. In any case, this is not something I can do. (Alpha)
But, no one else but you can do it, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
And if you cant then well, everyone will die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm, please hang on for a second. You shouldve told me stuff like this sooner, you know. (Alpha)
While looking deeply troubled, Alpha crossed his arms then turned his head to look at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
When your head is in a mess, you should smoke to clear your mind. Do you have any cigarettes on you? (Alpha)
I only realised it now, but I think youre the first person to ask me for a smoke ever since I came back to this world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly, I dont really enjoy smoking but there are those times when you just need to puff away, wouldnt you say? Like right now. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt say anything else and pulled out a cigarette to pass over to Alpha. Although he thought that it was one thing or the other with this loon, what could he do anyway? The one needing something should just shut up and endure.
Ah, thanks so much. But, uh, is it OK to smoke here? Wheres the smoking area? (Alpha)
Just smoke the dang thing, will ya. Everyones been evacuated, so who cares about smoking areas and whatnot? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I may not look it, but Im actually a modelw-abiding citizen. (Alpha)
You aint even a Korean citizen, so who cares? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, youre right. I guess I can just smoke away, then. Its certainly more convenient that way, I guess. (Alpha)
Alpha replied in a joking tone of voice, then lit up his cigarette.
Okay, so. You want me to stop the iing missile, yes? Do I have to stop it temporarily, or just decrease its speed somehow? (Alpha)
Doesnt matter. Do what you think is convenient for you. Itll be fine as long as it wont make me fail during the casting and blow up the rocket inadvertently. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm... (Alpha)
Alpha sucked in the cigarette smoke deeply before nodding his head.
Hah, this... Why does it feel like Ill be in the red... Currently all of my slots are full so it means I gotta discard one. But, like, Ive grown attached to all of them, you know... Well, you guys owe me one with this. (Alpha)
What are you even yapping on about? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Its like, exining it to you is the same thing as revealing my hand too early so Im kinda reluctant to do that. But not telling you anything will probably mean that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wont appreciate how much I must sacrifice because of this event so thats gonna be a big loss on my side, either way. (Alpha)
Its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon me? Its fine? Is that something your side should be saying right now? Wait, maybe Im not totally fluent in Korean or something? (Alpha)
I aint gonna feel grateful or apologetic just because you told me about your sacrifice anyway, so its fine even if you dont tell me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, arent you a cool guy or what. (Alpha)
Alpha groaned several times in a row.
Alright, I got it. Ill make some preparations and return in five minutes, so please wait for me. This is something the main body has to get involved, you see. (Alpha)
Sure, whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright,ter. (Alpha)
Alphas body emitted bright light as he teleported away. Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the empty spot where Alpha used to be, then spoke up.
Can we even trust that guy? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Were riding in the same boat anyway, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, I still cant trust him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I think youre mistaken about something here... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Lets say that that guy changes his mind. Or maybe I do. When that happens, this will be finished for sure. In that case, everyone will end up dead, so I dont think theres a need to worry about trust or whatever. If things go sideways, well just die and that will be that. Its simply a question of whether youll die a bit earlier orter, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Thats true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course, the problem here was that humans simply couldnt do it C while it was easy to say that they would unite in front of amon, powerful enemy, humans at the end of the day were animals driven by emotions. So it wasnt really possible topletely let go of ones resentment and hatred umted for a long time and truly trust your former enemy.
Does that mean you trust Alpha? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Of course not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was quite clear on where he stood.
I dont trust him at all. However, we aint in the realm of trust but necessity right now. If we can survive by trusting, then... well, sure, why not. This is the most optimal solution avable, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon gravely nodded. Casting Alpha aside because of the bitter taste in your mouth would mean that they wouldnt be able to stop the iing nuke. As that was the case, he didnt have much of a choice but to trust Alpha.
You know, life can be so unpredictable. Who knew wed be working together with that guy. You seriously cant tell whats going to happen tomorrow, can you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You cant? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cocked his head to the side.
That guy probably had nned for this eventuality in the first ce, so why do you say that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even as he was nning to open the doorway to the demon world, he probably kept me firmly in his calctions. And thats why he brazenly showed up and asked for my cooperation. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you implying that this is what he predicted would happen? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, Im guessing that events have unfolded almost exactly as he had nned so far. Although, Im pretty sure even he didnt anticipate the current nuke crisis. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon felt creeped out and held his shoulders.
He... nned for all this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Does that mean he opened the doorway just to join hands with you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont think so. But, he mustve realised that as long as the doorway opens up, I wont have a choice but to cooperate with him. No one on this knows more about how I operate better than him, I think? Maybe he even knows about the colour of my underwear, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Why go that far, though? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not sure. Who knows? But I have my suspicions. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon quietly waited for the next part of Yi Ji-Hyuks observation.
A guy like him would never let someone else do all the work and wait for a favourable result in the end. Also, despite causing all sorts of crazy events everywhere, hes definitely not the type to wait for the demon kings to obliterate this to dust, either. No, to him, even the demon kings are nothing more than disposable means to an end. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even though the demon kings are so much stronger? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Humans dont use nukes because were stronger than an ICBM, now do we? Theres actually no point in worrying about whether your means to an end are stronger than you or not. No, whether or not you can make them act ording to your n is a thousand times more important. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon slowly nodded in understanding.
Does that mean you joined hands with Alpha despite being aware of all this? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, hes a necessity, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon narrowed his eyes.
Although I cant fully understand it, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He could instinctively tell. The amount of information about each other Alpha and Yi Ji-Hyuk gleaned while they conversed should be several times greater than what Choi Jeong-Hoon could hear and understand while listening on the sideline. Even if they sounded so... natural during the conversation, they were probably analysing each other constantly and waging a bitter psychological warfare.
This was not the realm Choi Jeong-Hoon could haphazardly interfere with.
...Well, I could be wrong, though. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Sorry? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its nothing. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon kind of thought that such a thing might be true for Alpha but maybe Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt care one way or the other.
Who knows, maybe this dude was simply thinking of killing Alpha if things got tooplicated or something. He hatedplicated things, after all.
Man, if only Affeldrichae or Erukana was here with me. I wouldnt have to work my butt off here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk grumbled with a face full of irritation.
He didnt know what they were doing these days, but it sure was getting harder to see their mugs recently.
Well, even he could tell that they were doing something on their own for the sake of this world, but since he didnt know what exactly they were doing or what their end goals were in the first ce, he just couldnt get rid of this frustration welling up in his chest.
But whos fault is it to begin with, anyway... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
All throughout his life, he took care of things with his own strength, and as such he never paid much attention to what others around him did on their own. If he hadnt lost his powers then even now he wouldnt have cared much about their absence. Which meant they wouldnt feel all thatpelled to exin what they were doing to Yi Ji-Hyuk as well.
Just as he began thinking that he should find a way to fix the state of his strange rtionships, blinding rays of lights suddenly went off and Alpha revealed himself once more.
< 434. Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 435: Ah, shucks… This might not work after all? (5)
Chapter 435: Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? (5)
...What are all these hangers-on supposed to be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned as he stared at a dozen-plus people sloppily standing around Alpha. If all these people had to be here then maybe Alpha couldve brought them in an orderly fashion or something, but no. Here were a bunch of people kitted out like homeless shelter dwellers standing around sheepishly so what little semnce of trust he had of Alpha dropped to rock bottom in an instant.
Eh, uhm... (Alpha)
Alpha coughed to clear his throat and spoke up with a huge grin.
Im not sure whether you always trying to take care of a crisis all by yourself is the fault of your personality or its an issue with how the Asian men are brought up, but as an American, I deeply value being rational at all times. (Alpha)
But dont the other Americans call you the worst criminal in history? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Its fine. I still love them. (Alpha)
Okay, so whats all this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Theres strictly no need for me to do everything alone, is there? So I selected a few folks with the kind of abilities you might be looking for. They can either cast slow and freeze on the target. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression remained unimpressed as he stared at Alpha.
And what about you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, if I showed up here with a bunch of people but hadnt prepared myself as well, you probably would have bitten my head off, now wouldnt you? (Alpha)
You know so well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha cackled as if he already knew everything.
I did entertain the idea but someone here is sooo much scarier than a mother-inw so I figured I shouldnt goof around. Dont worry, Ive made sure to get my hands on what you might need beforeing here. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head.
He might have let it slide with a nonchnt expression, but inside of his head was certainly not nonchnt, as it were.
Got his hands on it before showing up, is it...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Not too long ago, before Alpha teleported away in fact, he said he didnt have an ability to stop a nuke. But now, he did?
When you take into ount the widely-epted belief that one ability user could only possess one type of ability, then such a thing should be impossible.
Either he wields many abilities, or an ability that allows him to swap one out for another... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he carefully analysed all the abilities Alpha had used up until now, the answer should be clear, but when Yi Ji-Hyuk tried tob through his memories, he realised that this loon hadnt disyed any meaningful abilities so far.
Eii, what are you thinking so deeply about, anyway? Arent we allies now? (Alpha)
Allies who dont inform others about their powers? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Everyone has a right to their privacy, after all. I dont know about Korea, but in America, respecting ones privacy is an absolute must, you know. Of course, I wont ept the notion of, When in Rome, do as Romans do, since we arent in Rome right now. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Doesnt matter one way or the other as long as you perfectly stop the nuke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. If we dont, well all die after all. So I better bet my life and make it happen. However, Id like you to remember that we dont really have any reason to protect this country at all cost. Im doing all of this purely just for you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Alpha)
Alpha grinned slyly.
Choi Jeong-Hoon angrily confronted him.
Are you demanding some kind ofpensation from us? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, no. Its nothing like that. All Im saying is that Id like you to remember this simple fact. Anything Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk wants, Ill do my absolute best to make it happen. No matter what it is. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk facepalmed.
Sorry, but Im not into guys. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, thats unfortunate. I was so prepared to be a bi, too. (Alpha)
Get lost. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha smacked his lips looking really rueful just then, and Choi Jeong-Hoon could only spit out a lengthy groan.
To think the fate of the entire world rests in the hands of these two... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
To make matters worse, the newly-added worlds hope happened to be someone with enough insane streak to turn the original hope of the world into a seemingly normal person inparison. Not to forget, the original hope-of-the-world was himself unhinged enough to give the leaders of various nations a lot of migraine, too.
Alpha turned his head and stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon
By the way, is it okay for us to just stand around doing nothing? Shouldnt we get started already? (Alpha)
Were meandering around here because of you, you lunatic! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoon oh-so dearly wanted to pour out a bucketful of profanities but he also knew how to hold back in times like this.
Besides, even if he wanted to get the mission going, he knew nothing about it anyway so he couldnt say anything, either. Yi Ji-Hyuk came up with the mission and not him, after all.
Huh. Hang on a second. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Would this be fine? Should he actually give his consent to this?
Choi Jeong-Hoon btedly remembered that Yi Ji-Hyuk hade up with this n and couldnt help but stare at thetter with anxious eyes. Of course, it wasnt as if he had any better ideas himself, but still...
...What is it this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, I know that me saying this only now may sound quite strange, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Whats gotten into you? Making me worried and all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, its nothing major, but, uh... This n of yours, it does qualify as an actual n, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons anxiety filled voice only elicited a smirk from Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Thats obvious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If its not too much trouble, can I hear more about this n? No, hang on. Even if youre troubled, I must listen to it. This is an absolute must, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I told you, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in dismay.
Look closely, okay? These people, they are going to stop the missile. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And Ill eliminate the monster perched on top of the missile itself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Okay? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And then, all we have to do afterwards is to deal with the remaining warhead somehow. Its simple, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...No, its not simple at all. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Hey, you dumb*ss! Every freaking thing in this world will be as simple if you exin it that way!!!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul, why are you calling me names all of a sudden?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-my apologies. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon urgently covered his mouth. His illness of unnecessarily blurting out his true thoughts had gotten the better of him this time, it seemed.
You have a better idea, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
.................
If you call that utterly unrealistic-sounding n being the only option they had at the moment as Choi Jeong-Hoons misfortune, then indeed, it was a pretty massive misfortune.
Just what crimes did Imit in my past life... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dealing with one Yi Ji-Hyuk was hard enough, but now he had to witness Alpha going on a rampage too?
Yi Ji-Hyuk, who was probably the only one here capable of restraining Alpha to some degree, seemed to have decided to not interfere and watch from the sidelines.
We shouldnt be wasting time like this. Lets get ready already. (Alpha)
...
If Alpha helping out like this was making Choi Jeong-Hoon tear up in dness, just whose fault was it?
Alpha, or Choi Jeong-Hoon?
Choi Jeong-Hoon could only embrace this dilemma with no answer and sorrowfully nodded his head.
Okay. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The direction is important, so... where is iting from? (Alpha)
Its the southwest, so... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pointed in the direction.
Over there. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its flying at about 1,000 kilometres per hour, so naked eyes should be able to see it, right? Like when a ne isnding? You said its speed is about the same as an airliner. (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon let out a pained groan.
You shouldntpare it to an actual airliner, since a ne slows down drastically beforending. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Thats true. (Alpha)
But the missile is flying at its top speed, as it were. A persons eyes will have a hard time catching a car driving at 200kph, but the ICBM is flying at five times that speed right now. Without slowing down at all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha tilted his head this way and that.
Itll be easier to think this way. When an airliner extends itsnding gear and enters the runaway, its speed is somewhere between two to three hundred kilometres per hour. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wait, only that much? (Alpha)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha scratched his head at Choi Jeong-Hoons exnation.
Everyone, did you hear that? Im getting a hunch that its not gonna be easy at all. (Alpha)
Alpha turned around and addressed his group behind him, but one of them replied with a scoff.
Boss, you were the only one who didnt think that way until now. All of us have been thinking that the moment we heard him.
...Really? (Alpha)
Its notmon to see someone as thoughtless as you in this world, boss.
W-well, yeah. Thats somewhat true. (Alpha)
Alpha flinched noticeably at the straight retortnding on him, and Choi Jeong-Hoon watching this spectacle could only groan.
...What kinda soya powder family is this now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
ording to the intel he got from the American intelligence agency, Alphas followers were a tight-knit group perfectly centred around him, but this... These guys before his eyes were indeed the perfect personification of a ragtag bunch of misfits.
What should I believe more? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Should he believe his instincts or the intel handed out by the Americans? Choi Jeong-Hoon found himself swimming in this strange internal conflict.
In any case, thats how it is so please do your best catching that thing. If this ce blows up, the whole world will go up with it, too. (Alpha)
But boss, the world is already half-blown up because of you.
Doesnt mean we can afford to blow up the rest, though. (Alpha)
We arent even doing hurt them and cure themter, so what the hell...
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched the... ragtag bunch of homeless shelter dwellers grumble to themselves and ended up turning his head away.
I wont look anymore. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It would be waaaay better to notmit this scene to his visual memory.
Here was the moment that truly made him understand what the onlookers moods mustve been like when they witnessed Yi Ji-Hyuk and Seo Ah-Young (or anyone else for that matter) bickering away.
Why dont you all shut up and get ready already? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
One fortunate thing about this particr asion was that, unlike when Yi Ji-Hyuk was rampaging around, someone here was stepping up to put an end to Alphas shenanigans. The only problem being that the intervention wasing a bit toote, though.
Yessir! Well get ready right away! (Alpha)
You came to work so work, will ya? Wait, did youe to goof around, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, well... (Alpha)
When Alpha sheepishly tucked his proverbial tail between his legs, it felt like a ten-year-old heartburn in Choi Jeong-Hoons chest had been finally washed away. Alphas followers seemed to think this behaviour of their boss was pretty weird, but when he said something to them, they looked as if they had epted the exnation provided. But a new side effect in the form of the followers continuously ncing at Yi Ji-Hyuk reared its ugly head next.
Even though hes lost his powers... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Despite Yi Ji-Hyuk no longer being able to wield the Dark Mana, that one thing that practically formed his foundation, Alpha didnt seem to have lowered his evaluation of him at all.
It even felt like Alpha was treating Yi Ji-Hyuk with a greater level of respect than when they were clear enemies in the past.
Does someone on the level of Alpha see things differently? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The exact reason was unknown at this stage, but Alpha had not lost his respect towards Yi Ji-Hyuk, and thetter epted as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
What an interesting dynamic this was.
You better stop that thing properly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please dont worry. (Alpha)
I dont want to worry, but I am getting worried and thats the problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, even if the worst does happen, its just a single country blowing up, you know? If things really do get precarious, we can always escape from here. (Alpha)
No escape this time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Alpha)
Alpha asked back in a daze, so Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a refreshing grin on his face.
My countrys about to get annihted, so I certainly cant turn tail and run away, right? If nothing works and everything goes down the crapper, then Im going with myst resort. (YI Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha mustve known what thatst resort was, because he was nodding gravely with a hardened expression. Hell, one could even see determination on his face, too.
Meaning, we must seed no matter what. (Alpha)
Saying something so obvious. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon listening to this conversation and hoping to control the situation somehow, frowned slightly when his smartwatch suddenly rang noisily on his wrist.
Its Choi Jeong-Hoon speaking.
C Its almost within range. You should be able to see it with naked eyes in a few seconds.
...Understood. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Although we dont want to heap more pressure on you, do remember that we will lose far too much if you fail.
Im aware, sir. Please dont worry. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
C Well leave it in your capable hands.
Choi Jeong-Hoon turned to look at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
...So he says. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Where is it that we can supposedly see it soon? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its somewhere over there, so... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon pointed towards a certain corner of the heavens.
We should be able to spot it soon, because it... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk scowled heavily and opened his mouth.
Hang on. Didnt you say that the warhead has a massive bird or whatever perched on top? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That I did. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not a bird but a d*mn demon king is personally riding on it, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt see anything, but Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be able to, because he shielded his eyes from the sun then began hurling several choice words.
Son of a gun. We aint some bloody tourist spot or something, yet why do all these demon kings keeping here for a casual visit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eventually, even Choi Jeong-Hoons eyes could spot something.
A tiny little ck spot in the distant sky revealed itself.
That... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons whole body froze up.
< 435. Ah, shucks... This might not work after all? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 436: Wouldn’t you say that this is enough? (1)
Chapter 436: Wouldnt you say that this is enough? (1)
Did you say theres a demon king riding on the nuke? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Not its main body, but it mustve used the monster birds body as a medium to send a clone here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Id be grateful if you exin in a way that makes sense to me. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its an alt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) [1]
Ah, I see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
That exceedingly umon simple and sinct exnation from Yi Ji-Hyuk caused a satisfied smile to float up on Choi Jeong-Hoons face.
Ah, hang on a second, thats not satisfactory at all! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
In that case, how much of its original powers can a demon kings clone use? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If its forcing itself pretty hard, then I think maybe half of its powers? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Half? Surely we can do something about that much? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont see anyone even remotely capable of dealing with a demon kings 10% among us, so what are you even talking about? Its nice to be positive and all that, but there should be a limit to your positivity, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Its good to be positive, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You sound like a happiness evangelist or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned and looked back at the sky.
Is this supposed to be a demon king express or something? How so bloody thoughtful, meticulously delivering each and every nuke to their destinations. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Although Im very much a fan of responsible couriers, this is a bit... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon definitely didnt want to receive such a delivery, thats for sure.
He gritted his teeth and asked.
What will we do now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We do have a way, dont we? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk also looked rather concerned right now.
If only he could still use dark Mana, he wouldve easily blown away a clone of a demon king with a flick of his finger. It wasnt even an actual demon king, after all.
But that was asking for too much of him right now. Even the archmages, arguably the pinnacle of human existences, were nothing more than little kids in front of demon kings.
Yi Ji-Hyuks breadth and scope of knowledge on magic far surpassed any archmage, however. The old saying went somewhat like this C that time was the great equaliser, that age cant be beat. The time period any archmage could use to research and perfect their magic was only around hundred years or so at a stretch. But Yi Ji-Hyuk had lived alongside magic for dozens of times longer than that.
It was only because he felt too unmotivated to do it, but now that he decided to step up, he could easily organise the knowledge of magic stored in his brain and start a brand-new school of magic if he wanted to.
Even then...
What will happen if the strongest rabbit fights against a sick tiger? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...An instant meal? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And thats our problem right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned under his breath.
B-but, we arent only one rabbit, are we? Were like, an army of rabbits... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Wowsers, thats one reassuring observation. And in the spirit of that astute observation, can you just scoot over there and wait, Mister Ant General? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was instantly rendered speechless and eventually trudged over to a corner. Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan again and looked over to Alpha.
Okay, then. Stop that thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But... hang on for a second here. (Alpha)
Alpha replied with a tone of voice that protested how unfair this was.
No one told me that a demon king would be apanying the rocket? (Alpha)
I also didnt know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, its not like Im trying to find every single little fault, but in all honesty, isnt this a bit like a breach of contract? (Alpha)
So what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, would you listen to this guys reply? (Alphas inner monologue)
Alphas unhappiness threatened to shoot through the proverbial roof, but it wasnt as if he had any other choice right now. If he went on a strike here, then never mind South Korea, hed have to sit through the spectacle of the whole going kablooey.
Suddenly finding himself needing to protect this world from an almost out of control two-horse carriage called the demon king and Yi Ji-Hyuk, Alpha couldnt stop groaning over and over again.
I prefer to be the bad guy, you know. (Alpha)
Of course, there was nothing wrong with the position of the apostle of justice, but theres the thing about ones natural preferences, so he couldnt help but cringe at the thought of taking on the role of a good guy.
So, what are we going to do, boss? This situation is turning in a weird direction, dont you think?
Nah, its not weird. In fact, nothings changed. All we have to do is stop that thing. (Alpha)
Boss, even at a casual nce, we can tell that thing is not normal. Just whats inside the missile anyway?
A nuke. (Alpha)
Eh?
A nuke. You know, a nuclear bomb. (Alpha)
Son of a...
Only then did Alphasrades realise that they had to somehow stop a nuke, and began shaking their heads in utter disbelief.
Weeeell, the stuff our boss starts are all bat-sh*t insane anyway, so I guess we shouldnt be too shocked here.
I finally figured out what was the worst decision I made in my life. Back then when boss talked me into joining the cause, I shouldve just reported his a*s to the FBI.
Alphasrades grumbled andined unhappily but still got into position.
...Why do I get the feeling that Ive seen that scene from somewhere before? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The more one looked at that scene, the closer it resembled a certain other scene. And it seemed to shed some light on why the NDF had ended up in its current state. Indeed, the organisation didnt end up as a collection of crazies because crazies worked for it, but it was Yi Ji-Hyuk who turned them into crazies, instead.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk! (Alpha)
Alphas zing eyesnded on Yi Ji-Hyuk next.
Theres a demon king present. Can you really be able to defeat it after we seed in stopping the missile somehow? (Alpha)
Not sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Excuse me? (Alpha)
We still gotta try, anyway. Its not like we should just give up and dont even bother, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre right. So right that it sucks. (Alpha)
Alpha chuckled bitterly then shifted his gaze back to the missile, now a little more clearer in his vision.
But, uh, pre-emptive strike is a no, isnt it? (Alpha)
If he attacked a demon king directly, then that would be a clear vition of the cooperation pact. But, was it really a vition when he was attacking not even a demon king, not even its clone, but... a missile it was riding on?
It should be fine if I have a room to argue the technicalities. (Alpha)
There was still a need for him to maintain a friendly rtion with the demon kings. Without it, his life would be no more valuable than a fly to them.
Alpha licked his lips.
Yeah, I still need both camps. (Alpha)
He couldnt give up on either Yi Ji-Hyuk or the demon kings. At the bare minimum, he needed to walk the tightrope hung between the two camps if he didnt want to see this Earth get destroyed in an instant.
Well try to stop it. Its not going to be a problem, anyway. Get ready, everyone! (Alpha)
Okay!
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the group quickly creating a formation around Alpha and nodded slowly.
If they can stop the missile, thatll be good... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But if they couldnt, then hed have to precisely snipe the demon kings clone perched on top of the missile itself.
What were his odds? Maybe 10%?
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked to himself.
Seriously now, he felt like he really had be the apostle of justicetely.
All the monsters that showed up in the past were too weak and couldnt even provide him with a nutritious meal so he didnt feel nervous or felt threatened by them. He did feel some degree of danger when the demon kings started crossing over but even then, he couldnt deny that a corner of his mind always was always like, Im sure itll work out somehow.
But the story was different nowadays.
He was constantly thinking about how one wrong move could lead to the world suffering aplete destruction. Even at this very moment, humanity was continuously losing its territory.
And if Yi Ji-Hyuk failed to stop that missile today, then never mind some territory or whatever, the precarious bnce between humanity and the demon king army would be shatteredpletely.
Fire away! (Alpha)
As soon as Alpha loudly roared out, the bodies of the ability users near him began emitting bright light.
Wuuu-wooong!!!
Half of the group raised their hands up high. At the same time, a rainbow of colours began dyeing the skies brilliantly.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watched the Ether shots flying towards the missile and cried out.
Youre not attacking the warhead, are you?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Please calm down, they are merely trying to slow it down. Nobody here wishes to die after blowing the nuke up, you know! (Alpha)
Alpha retorted snarkily.
...Well, this is a bit of a problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was at this point that Yi Ji-Hyuk newly discovered an issue with the ability users. A manifested ability differed from an individual to individual. Even if Spitfire and Seo Ah-Young belonged to the same fire-type ability group, their abilities were so different that they might as well be ssified in different categories altogether.
Even if this group was trying to slow down the missile, the individual method of doing so was so different that it became harder to predict the overall result. There wasnt much of a problem when the individuals were acting on their own, but when they had to work together to achieve amon goal like now, it became so much harder to quantify and unify the method of the attack. That was the biggest drawback.
Magicians that learned magic via the same system could unify their attacks simply by chanting the same spell. But such a thing was impossible with the ability users.
One only had to take a look now.
The lights of Ether flying towards the target looked simr to each other, but the effects they caused couldnt have been more disparate even if they tried. Whitish light suddenly spread open like a spiders web to ensnare the missile and acted like a gravitational force to push it back. Another one expanded like a balloon, while another one activated unseen sticky surface tension in the air to arrest the missile.
One of the abilities even interfered with time flow, too.
They have their pros and cons. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although the abilities couldnt be unified into one muchrger, singr ability, which was a big con, there was also a positive in that as each attack was so varied and colourful, the other side should find it hard to deal with every single one of them.
But if someone asked Yi Ji-Hyuk which of the two between magic and abilities were more effective, then...
Of course, magic. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was a dyed-in-the-wool sorcerer to his core, so he couldnt make an objective assessment.
Is it slowing down? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon narrowed his eyes and asked.
The missile was so far away that he could only see it as a ck dot so it was a bit hard to analyse the current situation.
Can you tell if its slowing down at all? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why didnt you bring a speed gun to check for yourself? If you can tell while standing here, you sure youre even a human being? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon operated his smartwatch and had a short conversation with a voiceing from the device, then nodded his head rather energetically.
Its indeed slowing down. Its speed has dropped. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
By how much? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
They say its down to nine hundred from one thousand. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alpha in a decidedly less-than-impressed re.
...But, it did slow down, didnt it? (Alpha)
Changing wind direction alone would result in that much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-we havent shown our full capabilities yet, you know! (Alpha)
This is a bit disappointing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-how so? (Alpha)
You guys are the viins, right? I mean, heres an evil organisation wanting to take over the world but if you guys are this weak, then there was no need for me to worry in the first ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Euh, euh!! (Alpha)
Alpha raised his voice louder as if his ego had been bruised just now.
All of you, you heard him, right? (Alpha)
Too bad for him, though, the replies from his group remained a bit... tilted.
I dont speak Korean.
I heard him, but dunno what hes saying.
............... (Alpha)
Should he work as an interpreter, then?
But, was there a need to go that far, anyway?
Alpha gritted his teeth and shouted out.
Second line! Stop that thing, now! (Alpha)
Easier said than done, boss.
Despiteining away, the group still quickly made their move to answer Alphas orders.
Choi Jeong-Hoon watching this scene silently wiped away at the corner of his eyes.
Even though they are grumbling away, they still follow his orders to a T. Yet our own agents, our dear rotten agents dont even answer me properly... (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
The second line observing the situation got ready. They raised or extended their hands like the first group, then light began emitting from their bodies next. Some fired light projectiles, while some didnt and simply demonstrated their powers immediately.
The missile had approached so much closer now and one could see its outline much more clearly. And it was faltering and wavering around. Choi Jeong-Hoon witnessed how it bucked erratically like a car moving at a high speed hitting the speed bumps, and clenched his fist tightly.
Every time it bucked, the missiles speed slowed down enough to be noticeable by naked eye.
Wouldnt you say that this is enough? (Alpha)
Alpha shouted out, and Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in a low, grave voice.
Get ready, Alpha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger that! (Alpha)
Stop it properly. If you dont, your head will be the first to roll off. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Whistle~ now theres a scary thought. Looks like Ill have to give my all, then. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk red at the missile with dark, unreadable eyes, before slowly raising both of his hands.
This does feel strange. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk, a sorcerer who never really was one until recently, finally began circting Mana like a real sorcerer. Mana circting within his body collided with the dark Mana hidden in various parts of his body and stuttered somewhat, but he ignored that and simply forced them to move along.
As if he was a V12 running without any engine oil, his whole body began shuddering greatly. As if itd explode at any given moment.
Urgh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Blood trickled down from the corner of his lips.
< 436. Wouldnt you say that this is enough? -1 > Fin.
(TL: Just in case youre not familiar with alt in [1], its a shorthand for alternate character usually associated with MMORPGs.)
Chapter 437: Wouldn’t you say that this is enough? (2)
Chapter 437: Wouldnt you say that this is enough? (2)
Its totally out of control, isnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks body was so far out of his control now.
The dark magical energy hidden deep inside was woken up by the regr Mana circting in his body and like a wild predator about to pounce on a prey, it raised its head and howled viciously.
Up until now, the dark Mana was always under hisplete control. However, just like how you couldnt do much about the heat despite your masterful control of the mes producing it, no matter how good his control over this dark magical powers was, he still couldnt do anything about the breakdown of his body resulting from his reliance on this power.
His situation was drastically different this time, however.
The dark Mana that followed his will like a well-behaved pet suddenly disobeyed his control and bared its fangs like a wild dog to bite and tear his body apart just to swallow up the regr Mana.
He had lost his ability to control, and the truth of his body reaching its absolute limit of tolerance finally felt oh-so real to him. Things were already this bad when trying to use regr Mana, so how much worse would it be when trying to use dark Mana?
When using the absolute power as the yardstick and nothing else to exin his situation, then he had been growing weaker and weaker with every breath he took ever since returning to this world.
Are you alright? (Alpha)
Alpha mustve understood this situation as well, because he asked in a concerned tone of voice.
Yi Ji-Hyuk involuntarily chuckled at that question.
Being looked at with a worried expression by the worst, most detestable criminal in the worlds history certainly felt novel and quite refreshing. A hollow chuckle automatically left his lips, but it wasnt as if he didnt get where Alphas concern wasing from.
Its quite heavy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This sensation of knowing that he was carrying the world on his shoulders. That weight he never really was conscious of had been crushing down on him a lot more recently.
Yi Ji-Hyuk got a renewed appreciation of just how much of him the dark Mana had supported until now. Didnt matter how tough things got or how he found himself stuck in a situation with only despair aspany, he never fell into despair when he could still operate his dark Mana.
He always thought that he was born without fear but the truth was, the dark Mana mustve constantly gotten rid of what little semnce of it he had in his heart.
Sure, the current Yi Ji-Hyuk would still qualify for the title of the worlds most fearless moron, butpared to his peak days, he certainly had be a lot more fearful. Well, he was already worrying about what would happen if he failed to stop the enemy, after all. The past version of himself wouldve never cared about such things.
You done with preparations? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, Im Alpha, a man prepared for anything. I can even be a president if I want. (Alpha)
Crazy son of a... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled without even realising it.
Alpha was indeed insane, but it was also true that this b*stards antics were making this situation just a bit more bearable, as well. Without him, this whole d*mn thing wouldve been several times harder to endure.
Regardless of what hes nning, I cant deny that hes being helpful right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, he wasnt nning to forgive this b*stard.
A person would eventually die. But that didnt justify the killing of another person. And in that sense, Alphas action of opening up the doorway to the demon world would never be justified with the excuse of the demon world eventually invading Earth sooner orter even if left alone.
Without this event, all those people would have lived for several more years. Them dying was all on Alphas hands, no one else.
Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt confused at all.
He didnt even bother to open his mind, either.
Not once did he entertain the short-sighted, naive notion of pardoning Alphas sins depending on thetters achievements when they decided to work together.
Its just that, Alpha was useful to him right now.
If he had to join hands with a devil in order to save the world, then Yi Ji-Hyuk would do so with a smile on his face. And the very first thing hed do after saving the world was to beat up that devil to death.
Yi Ji-Hyuks mind was all made up and unshakeable, and Alpha too was well aware of his thoughts.
They might want to kill each other, but couldnt because they needed each other, too C indeed, one could call their current actions as somewhat bizarre but understandable.
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head and stared at the missile.
Its outline was clearly visible now. Once nothing more than a ck dot in the sky, the missile had gotten close enough to be recognisable with naked eyes. He grinned while taking in the spectacle.
I can also see that ugly mug way too clearly, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
With how close the missile was and much of its flight speed wiped out, one could clearly see Araksiss face currently attached on top of the ck clone body riding on the weapon.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply and stared at the demon king.
*
So, this is what the humans call abilities? (Araksis)
Araksis was genuinely interested in this pressure currently suppressing the clones body.
Regr magical powers wouldnt have been able to suppress it to this degree. Magic was basically a demon kings ve, after all. Low level attacks of this calibre wouldve ended up being assimted to Araksiss own power well before they could get anywhere near it.
However, these attacks felt different.
Each of the attacks were small and faint, but they still exerted clear and observable physical change without being interfered with by Araksiss magical powers.
And when various powers operating on different wavelengths began exhibiting their effects bit by bit, Araksis could no longer afford to ignore whats going on here.
The evidence of their effectiveness was with the missile carried by Araksiss ve creature rapidly losing its speed. Was it now flying at half the original speed Araksis had intended?
How amusing. (Araksis)
The demon king began thinking that if humanity used their abilities more effectively then they could prove to be rather useful. Unfortunately, humans were still unfamiliar with their own powers for now and their overall level was still pathetically low.
But if they wielded their powers properly, then maybe even demon kings would have to get tense from nervousness.
Itll take humanity several generations before learning to utilise this power properly. (Araksis)
Unfortunately, humanity simply didnt have such luxury. Not only were their lifespan short, it would take seemingly forever to pass down this power to the next generation. Meaning, it was simply too inefficient.
And no matter how leisurely the demon kings conquered this world, the invasion shouldnt take that long to finish, anyway. Not too long from now, a properly-organised invasion by the main army should start.
More than likely, this event Araksis had kick-started would serve as the fuse.
Or, should it be referred to as celebratory fireworks, instead?
Araksis cackled and looked down at the ground.
I see that youre quite deeply troubled, oh the 99th demon king. (Araksis)
It spotted Yi Ji-Hyuk ring right back down on the ground and lightly tutted away.
His powerful magical power seemed to have vanished somewhere and now he was trying to muster up some pitiful amount of Mana. This whole scene came across as rather pathetic in the extreme.
So, is this the limitation of the species called humans? (Araksis)
The amount of magical power Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently gathering was certainly not to be trifled with. He had somehow managed to amass more than even Berafes top archmage could possibly gather.
But even that was all for nought.
The 99th demon king of the past who controlled the level of magical power that even demon kings were astonished by, as if it was as natural as breathing to him; the man who possessed more than enough strength and abilities to reach the godhood with the body of a mere human.
When looking back at the scale of authoritative majesty he used to emit, the current Yi Ji-Hyuk was no more than a measly little human now. A measly, insect-like human, no less.
Demonic beings wouldnt feel sorry about other creatures, but even then, this sight would surely bring some pang of sorrow to their hearts.
Even at the cost of falling so low, do you still wish to cling to your life so desperately, oh the 99th demon king? (Araksis)
If Araksis lost all of its powers and ended up in a simr state like him, then the demon king would not be able to survive the sense of loss. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was still searching for a way to oppose Araksis and the rest of the demon world despite his current state.
And perhaps that was humanitys hidden potential.
Also, a trulymentable sight to behold, as well.
Allow me to end your insect-like life, then. (Araksis)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk began muttering something. Although the distance between them was considerable, the demon kings hearing was miraculously acute and it caught every syble of every word being spoken just then.
Whos calling who an insect here? You stinking insect. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kekekeke. (Araksis)
That was it.
Thats how the 99th demon king should behave.
Araksis shook off all the abilities that tried to restrict it and raised both of its arms up high.
It was indeed a poetic justice to punish Yi Ji-Hyuk with humanitys own weapon, but such a thing went against Araksiss sense of aesthetics.
After all, wouldnt it be only a correct etiquette to send a human like Yi Ji-Hyuk straight to hell through the demon kings own hands?
Fuu-wuwuwu... (Araksis)
Powerful magical energy rushed and gathered around the demon kings hands. Mana that burned and sizzled like ck mes began soaring into the sky.
And now, try and take this on, oh the 99th demon king. Im sure this much wont kill you, am I correct? (Araksis)
Kwa-aaaaaaaah!!!
The magical attack Araksis fired flew in towards Yi Ji-Hyuks location like aser beam.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuks brows shot up abruptly.
A pre-emptive strike?
Even he had failed to anticipate this.
Thats a crass move. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk gritted his teeth and extended his hand forward. Only him and maybe Alpha were strong enough to block that in this group. There was no guarantee that Alpha could actually be able to block that, however.
Which meant that Yi Ji-Hyuk had to block it himself.
But, if I do that... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He was no longer an existence blessed by an endless reserve of Mana. In the case of Mana he was currently using right now, the neutral Mana with no attributes, he needed a far longer time to gather it than the dark Mana. He didnt feel confident of defeating that clone of Araksis by using every bit of regr Mana in his body, so he simply couldnt afford to waste any of this valuable magical energy on defence.
But if he didnt do anything now, the only thing remaining would be death for everyone here.
...Alpha! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk loudly called out, and Alpha looked back at him with a dazed expression on his face.
Eiii, no way... (Alpha)
Stop that! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hah... (Alpha)
Alpha looked back in dismay before scowling heavily as he stepped forward.
Are you going to pay me overtime for this? If you dont pay me properlyter, Im going to report you to thebour department. (Alpha)
If you work as hard as your mouth then sure, Ill give as much bonus as you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keuh, Im so bloody grateful. (Alpha)
Despite his mouth running off at full tilt, even Alphas face was filled with an intense level of nervousness. He didnt want to know how powerful that light beam attack was but unfortunately, he already knew too well.
Can I even block something like that? (Alpha)
No, he must block it regardless of what.
Alpha gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly.
If only he had a bit more wiggle room; hed have utilised his Gate creation ability somehow, but his current level of strength couldnt deal with that much output. Things might be different if he learned more about magical energy and powers from Yi Ji-Hyuk, though.
God dam*it!!! (Alpha)
If nothing else worked, he should just use his body, then.
Bluish Ether oozed out from Alpha and created seven spheres the size of an adult head. They were condensed, focused balls of Ether.
Man, no matter how you look at this, Im taking on a big loss here... (Alpha)
Alpha nted his feet firmly on the ground before extending both of his hands forward.
The seven Ether balls shifted into position, then they exchanged Ether amongst themselves to create arge and transparent shield.
Uwaaaaaah!!! (Alpha)
And right that moment, Alphas shield and Araksiss magical attack collided head on.
Kyaaaaahk!!! (Seo Ah-Young)
The ground bucked and rumbled as if everything was breaking apart. The impact akin to the skies and earth tumbling away knocked the screaming Seo Ah-Young off her feet and flung her away.
...Did he stop it? (Seo Ah-Young)
After regaining her wits, the first thing she thought about was that she was still alive. Which meant the magic attack didnt devour her or anything like that...
She raised her head to take a look at the current situation and found Alpha still defending against the magical sh of light with his Ether shield.
Kwa-aaaaaah!!!!
While tilting the shield at an angle to deflect the attack towards the empty skies, Alpha urgently cried out.
Uwaaah! Bloody hell?! I cant hold this for long! I cant...! (Alpha)
I get it, so shut up for a second! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted angrily and hurriedly began waving his hands around.
But right at that moment...
You blocked it? (Araksis)
Araksiss expression distorted horrifyingly as the demon king increased the output of the magical light.
< 437. Wouldnt you say that this is enough? -2 > Fin.
Chapter 438: Wouldn’t you say that this is enough? (3)
Chapter 438: Wouldnt you say that this is enough? (3)
Araksis wouldnt have been this incensed if Yi Ji-Hyuk was the one stopping its attack. The thing was, the demon king didnt want to kill him; the attacks strength had been adjusted to be a little bit weaker so that Yi Ji-Hyuk would feel despair arising from his utter powerlessness after failing to defend even something on this level.
However, the story would change drastically if someone else other than him managed to block the attack.
Out of sheer rage, Araksis increased the output of its magical power.
The demon king could focus the magic power and blow the opposition away at once, but that went against its sense of aesthetics.
As if it was waiting for an insect to drown after falling into a puddle, Araksis gradually increased its magical energy output.
The resulting effect manifested itself almost instantly.
Cruuuunch.
Along with a bone-chilling noise, Alphas arms began bending at a bizarre angle.
Aigoooo! Im dying here! (Alpha)
If only it werent for that pie hole of his, hed have looked pretty heroic right about now. But for a hero opposing a demon king at the forefront of humanitys survival, Alpha was just too flippant and honest with his thoughts.
Please do something! Isnt this fine already?! Even if I get paid a mountain for my overtime, its not nearly gonna be enough at this rate! Imma file a im with thebour... (Alpha)
Man, youre so bloody talkative. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk furrowed his brows.
Alpha was brought here for the purpose of doing sundry stuff like blocking attacks, anyway. For sure, his role was supposed to somehow seal the demon kings movements, so to act as a shield was...
...Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Realising something just then, Yi Ji-Hyuk raised his head to look up.
Now that he thought about it, no matter how powerful and strong a demon king was, one wouldnt be able to protect itself or even move from the spot while emitting that much magical energy from such a distance away, now would it?
Just like how a person wouldnt be able to move elsewhere while in full swing, as it were.
Oh-hoh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although this wasnt in the n, the old saying went that the roads taken didnt matter as long as you could reach your destination, so... Alpha certainly had fulfilled his mission, then. And of course, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt going to miss out on this unexpected opportunity.
Mana ballooned up from his body next. For a moment there, he felt enough sharp pain to nearly knock him out cold, but he bit down on his tongue and woke up his fading consciousness.
Seriously, this is no bloody joke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk could confidently boast that no one in this world was as familiar with pain as him, but the level of pain hed been experiencingtely was so harsh that he felt almostpelled to revise his stance a bit.
However, he couldnt whine and b*tch about it.
Yi Ji-Hyuk dragged and gathered Mana from his whole body towards both of his hands. The pain followed the path of Manas cirction and spread around like a gue.
Man, this sucks donkey balls. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What really sucks is right here, you know! Please do something already! (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roundly ignored Alphasints and began drawing a magic circle in the air.
This is also pretty inefficient when I think about it, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unlike demonic beings who could wield Mana as naturally as breathing or waving about ones hand in the air, Yi Ji-Hyuk was a human being and in order to utilise Mana in any capacity, he had to go through the established process beforehand.
Araksis noticed arge magic circle suddenly manifesting in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk and formed an unreadable expression.
Hoh-oh? (Araksis)
The demon king had never seen a magic circle like that before.
Has he already stepped into the realm of creation, too? (Araksis)
But such a thing shouldnte as a surprise when considering that Yi Ji-Hyuk could legitimately be called the historys strongest archmage. Even if it was not his speciality, which was undoubtedly dark Mana maniption, he would still be able to easily create any magic he wished with regr Mana.
In reality, no one had taught Yi Ji-Hyuk the dark magic hed been using all his life. Indeed, he had created them himself. Which was unsurprising as well, since no other human being before him could wield dark Mana as smartly as he did.
But, that thing certainly is strange. (Araksis)
Araksis took a closer look at the magic circle Yi Ji-Hyuk had created. This circle boasted runic symbols that the demon king had never seen before and its flow of Mana couldnt even be sensed as well.
Araksis began thinking that maybe, Yi Ji-Hyuks degree of understanding in wielding Mana might have exceeded that of demon kings.
But, thats all for naught, anyway. (Araksis)
No matter how good your understanding was, there would be no point when the total amount of Mana one could use was so pathetically low, to begin with.
Araksis proceeded to pour out the maximum amount of Mana that the clone could produce and fired that out, causing Alphas figure to literally sink deeper into the ground. He was still standing upright, but his body had broken through the earth below and began going under.
Cough! (Alpha)
Alpha had no more room left to mouth off anything. In fact, blood flooding out his mouth attested to how serious his condition was right now.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk!!! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons urgent cry came from somewhere behind, but Yi Ji-Hyuk still didnt make his move.
Not yet. Its not the right time yet!
DIE! (Araksis)
And in that very moment when Yi Ji-Hyuk sensed the magical attack fired by Araksis had gotten one level stronger, he rushed in front of Alpha.
Undo the barrier! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Keuk! (Alpha)
Alpha undid the shield and copsed on his butt at the same time. And in that precise moment the shield disappeared, Yi Ji-Hyuk shoved his Mana into the magic circle.
Uwaaaaaah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The magic circle transformed instantly and created what looked like a transparent wall. The bright ray of light from Araksis mmed into this wall next.
Right after that...
Whats this?! (Araksis)
Fluster filled up Araksiss face. Because, its attack was reflected by Yi Ji-Hyuks Mana wall, thats why. Not only that, it was headed right back to the demon king, no less!
Ah?! (Araksis)
Araksis tried to increase its attack power but the clone couldnt produce any more Mana than this.
How absurd...! (Araksis)
The unstoppable ray of magical light was returning to the demon king in full.
Yi, Ji, Hyuuuuuk!!! (Araksis)
Pah-sususu...
Araksiss clone body was struck dead-centre by the light and turned to ashes in an instant.
Is it gone, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young observing the situation hurriedly cried out.
No, wait! The missile! Its still here! Thats the bigger problem! (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk mustve known that too, because he was already creating another magic circle by then.
Uuu-rah-caaaah! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This new magic circle appearing mid-air went onto create a massive Gate next. At the same time, the missile falling towards the ground got sucked into it and vanished from the view.
Fuu-woo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fell on his butt himself. Just like Alpha next to him, currently exhausted beyond his capacity and whimpering in pain, Yi Ji-Hyuk had no energy left and couldnt move a muscle right now.
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly rushed to Yi Ji-Hyuk and Alpha at his full speed.
Have you defeated it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Defeat what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The demon king! Im talking about the demon king! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I told you, that thing was like a clone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with an irritated tone of voice.
The real body wasnt affected in the slightest. Sure, for a little while the amount of Mana that demon king can use will be lower and its stamina probably has weakened a bit too, but I think itll regain its full powers in a few months. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What about the warhead, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I sent it away to some other world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ohh! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon eximed loudly after getting the feeling that things have been resolved somehow.
Thats a relief. Does that mean its over now? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, yeah. For this ce, that is. Sixteen more to go, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, what should we do about them, in that case? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Theres no need to sweat. For now that demon king, Araksis, wont be able to butt in so what we have in our hands are just sixteen nukes, thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Choi Jeong-Hoon couldnt really tell whether he should be happy about this or not. What a vague feeling this was. Of course, their situation certainly had improved by a great deal, but there were still sixteen warheads to worry about, werent there?
Can you, perhaps... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No can do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk resolutely waved his hand away.
I know now isnt the time to argue about feeling tired or whatever, but I cant gather any Mana in my current state. And even if I can gather it, Ill need a minimum of ten hours to gather an enough amount to do something simr to what I did just now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
M-mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded slowly.
Yi Ji-Hyuk certainly had done a lot today. So it was not right to egg him on to do even more.
By the way, will this guy over here even survive? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ehm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled hollowly while staring at Alpha who was intermittently convulsing away with his face rubbing against the dirt.
Well, I dont think hell die any time soon, so... Oiii, dude. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Dont talk to me. Imma sue you. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled at Alphas wretched state.
What are youughing about? (Alpha)
Ive almost never seen someone else injured worse than me after a fight, you see. But now that Ive seen one, Im beginning to get this feeling. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What feeling? (Alpha)
Alls well as long as it aint me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Alpha wriggled and struggled a bit then forced his torso up. Dirt tumbled off from his once-well-groomed hair.
If only my arms were fine, Id have... (Alpha)
Seeing both of his arms bent horrifically behind him like that, Yi Ji-Hyuk got the impression that here was an articted doll tossed aside by a kid after a particrly rough y session.
Your arms, they are going to regenerate, Im assuming? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill take care of that much. But, uh... Is it over now? (Alpha)
Yup. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, what about the nuke headed to America? (Alpha)
Cant they shoot it down since the demon king isnt interfering anymore? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well, its easier said than done. (Alpha)
Alpha seemed to be deeply pondering something before opening his mouth.
I think we have one piece of good news and one not so good. (Alpha)
...And your source is? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My brain. (Alpha)
...Wow, now thats an amazing ability to generate news in your brain, isnt it. Why dont you enlighten us, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
First of all, good news. All of the demon kings ve creatures are thankfully still alive. (Alpha)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alpha with an expression asking, what on earth are you talking about?
As for the bad news, all of the demon kings ve creatures are still alive. (Alpha)
Exin so that I can understand. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha wanted to scratch his nose but btedly realised that he couldnt use his hands and spat out a groan.
If that demon king named Araksis or whatever losing its powers caused the ve creatures to lose their powers too, then all the flying nukes would have fallen to the ground by now. If were lucky, they would have ended up as duds, but if not, all of them wouldve exploded by now. (Alpha)
Oh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth dropped a little as if he hadnt thought about that before. He almost ended up showering Earth with nukes with his own two hands just now.
Okay, so whats the bad news? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The bad news is that the ve creatures are still alive. Meaning, instead of nukes dropping down in random ces, those things are still diligently delivering the missiles to the cities with lots of people. (Alpha)
Oh, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pped as if that made sense, then replied nonchntly.
Very good. Leave those nukes to the countries in the firing line and well just go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Excuse me?! (Alpha)
Theres nothing else I can do from now on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
H-hold on, wait! What about America, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Alpha)
Not my problem. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alphas eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
What the heck?! We came all this way and worked our butts off to help you, yet South Korea is going to forsake its American allies?! (Alpha)
Since when did you be Americas representative? Spare me from your diplomatic rant, will ya?! If you want my help, ask me through the official diplomatic channels, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But then, arent you going to refuse officially in that case? (Alpha)
...You know me so well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please, dont be like this and help us out, too. If you do that, then maybe we can call off your debt or something. (Alpha)
Well, that doesnt sound so bad. So if I help you guys out this time, youll consider the favour fully paid up, got it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay! (Alpha)
Jeong Hae-Min! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk called out loudly, and Jeong Hae-Min hurriedly scurried out from among the NDF agents.
Yeah? (Jeong Hae-Min)
Lets go home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh??? (everyone)
Everyone listening on the conversation stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk in dumbfounded expressions.
What? I told you, I dont have any Mana right now. Besides, the missile will take over ten hours to get to America, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Y-yeah, thats true. (Alpha)
So, Im gonna take a nap in the meantime. Oh, by the way, if I was in Christopher McLarens shoes, Id have dispatched fighter nes by now. In that case, the nuke should go off somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But if they fail to blow the missile up for some reason and its about to reach thend, gimme a call. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly waved his hand at Alpha and grinned refreshingly.
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uh? Oh, okay! (Jeong Hae-Min)
Jeong Hae-Min grasped Yi Ji-Hyuks hand and activated teleportation. Alpha watched them disappear and dazedly muttered to no one in particr.
Wait, did I just get scammed? (Alpha)
Nah, boss. Its just what I think, but boss, youre simply dumb.
I-is that so? (Alpha)
Something like this happens all the time, anyway. We should go back, too.
M-mm. (Alpha)
Choi Jeong-Hoon stared at the flustered Alpha and abruptly began thinking that perhaps dealing with that man wasnt as hard as he feared.
< 438. Wouldnt you say that this is enough? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 439: Wouldn’t you say that this is enough? (4)
Chapter 439: Wouldnt you say that this is enough? (4)
Why do you wish to return? (Affeldrichae)
What a meaningless and empty question that was.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had forgotten a long time ago why he wanted to return. The only thing remaining was his singr desire to simply return.
Nothing would be more pitiful than looking for a reason in somethingcking in reason.
However, this d*mn lizard would never understand him. The lifeforms called dragons were basically an embodiment of rationality and logic so shed never understand a human being filled to the brim with contradictions.
But, there was no need to make her understand, anyway.
He was in the wrong, to begin with.
Most likely from her perspective, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve looked like a climber scaling a massive cliff just to kill himself. No wonder shed not understand his standpoint.
Get out of my way. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im the apostle of Latrel. You should know very well that I cant let you go on. (Affeldrichae)
Oh, so you wish to stop me? Is that it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...If ites to that. (Affeldrichae)
A low, hollow chuckle leaked out from his lips.
It was low, soft. But the chuckle grew louder and louder to eventually be a maddened cackle that filled up the now-empty and deste in.
This wouldve been a rather interesting scene to spectate from the sidelines.
Here was a massive dragon.
And here was Yi Ji-Hyuk standing tall,ing across as an insignificant little insect in front of an Ancient Dragon at least 300 metres long. Others wouldve thought that he couldnt evenpare to this mighty creature.
Even then, both Yi Ji-Hyuk and Affeldrichae knew.
Whether it was their conversation or even the current situation...
...The initiative was with him.
Youve always stood in my way. One thousand, two... I cant even remember just how many years its been at this point. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Well, Ill certainly evaluate your desire to keep sticking to that will of yours very highly, oh the one whos unfortunate in some ways. A truly pitiful lifeform who thinks shes quite logical but is unable to use her logic because of some goddesssmand. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For a moment there, some mes roused up from around her maw. What Yi Ji-Hyuk had said certainly got on her nerves.
Why do you ask, so you can learn what exactly? Your own will is already subservient to Latrel, anyway. You dont even try to think and choose for yourself, so what does your own logic even mean to you? Arent you basically trying to find the answers from someone else and not yourself? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, I...! (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae shouted out.
Its my choice to stop you. (Affeldrichae)
But why would you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
You dont have any reason to stop me, do you? Because, theres actually no reason to stop me in the first ce. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
The only reason you try to stop me is because Latrelbelled me as the bringer of apocalypse to this world. Thats the basis for all the reasons and pretext. You blindly follow such delusional crap yet you dare to mouth off some rubbish like its your choice? A dumb little lizard girl who has never actually lived out of her own free will is saying what now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks tone of voice grew more and morebative.
In the beginning, I thought that you had a valid reason to stop me. But when I learned that it was all because of some stupid little oracle, I couldnt even get angry anymore. I mean, didnt you maintain an opinion that humans are lowly creatures because they leave the important decisions to the gods in times of crisis? Listen here, you d*mn lizard woman. Humans have this thing called free will. I have no idea how highly you think of yourself, but that aint got nothing to do with me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively.
You asked me why Im trying to go back? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What was the point in asking, when the answer was so inly obvious?
The reason might not exist, but the answer certainly did.
Because, I want to go back. Thats all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A dragon that lived not through her rationality but through a set of rules would never understand that.
Yi Ji-Hyuk chuckled lightly and extended his hand in front of Affeldrichae.
And thats why you should get out of my way. Humans are fickle by nature, you see. To me, you used to be my worst, most hated enemy, but humans also have this thing called the begrudging respect. I dont want to take your life with my own two hands, so if you get out of my way now, Ill spare that worthless head of yours. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichaes golden eyes peered deeply into Yi Ji-Hyuk.
She knew very well that this seemingly small and weak-looking lifeform could rip her apart in less than one second if he wanted to. However, she simply had to stop him here.
That was the divine duty she was given. It was the oracle from the gods.
But...
...Why am I supposed to stop him? (Affeldrichae)
She couldnt help but question the motive. The Latrels Eye must never end up in Yi Ji-Hyuks hands C she knew that much. But she didnt know why he must never acquire that item.
Her goddess was someone who always, always told her what needed to be done but never why it had to be done.
If thats the case...
Because of a godly beings purported unshakeable integrity, she needed to blindly believe and follow when the reasons remained unknown? Without being able to question or suspect anything?
Golden rays of light began dyeing herrge body. Then her silhouette gradually shrunk down and eventually morphed into a humanoid to stand before Yi Ji-Hyuk.
I thought you hated the most using polymorph to be a human? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Letsbel it as a service since this might be thest time. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae quietly stared at him before continuing on.
Go on. (Affeldrichae)
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When those two totally unexpected words came out of her mouth, Yi Ji-Hyuk began staring at her with a somewhat bbergasted expression.
You want me to go on ahead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Go. (Affeldrichae)
Are you thinking of going against Latrels wishes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Who knows. I certainly am not sure. Not sure whether this is actually going against her wishes or Im answering her expectations of me in a bigger sense. (Affeldrichae)
Youre saying some iprehensible things. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You wont change your mind no matter what I say. Which means well have to say goodbye here. In the form of my death. (Affeldrichae)
...
However, the one of the orders the goddess gave me was to keep my eyes on you. I can only do that when Im still alive. (Affeldrichae)
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk chortled softly.
Wasnt this almost cheating, in a sense?
Your sophistry is pretty good. I wonder if Latrel will be just as amodating towards your sophistry like me, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began walking forward. As he brushed past her side, Affeldrichae reached out and grabbed his arm.
May I ask you one more question? (Affeldrichae)
...My service, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are going to do after returning to your home world? (Affeldrichae)
Its up to you whether you believe me or not, but well... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and replied.
...Therell be no such thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae stared at him with still confused eyes, but he didnt say anything else and strode forward.
Youd never understand.
And you cant understand, anyway.
...Even I cant understand me, so how can you understand me? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
Yi Ji-Hyuks vision was now filled with the sight of a distant spire.
On top of that tall structure was that one object he so badly wished to acquire: the Latrels Eye.
This was the moment that the Bringer of Apocalypse descended on Terra Latrel.
*
Urgh... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk twisted and contorted his whole body.
He tried to force himself to get some sleep, but couldnt. The moment he returned home andid down on the bed, his body began twisting and contorting little by little. He gasped and groaned while holding onto the sheets but in the end, he got up and rubbed his face, hard.
Bloody hell. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should he take some pain medication or something if this keeps up? This persistent pain just didnt want to lessen at all.
Im at my limit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Anyone else wouldve died thousands of times over by now. Thats how much his body had been pushed to its limit. This was no longer the issue of the pain but more to do with his body failing to maintain the status quo anymore.
He pulled out a cigarette and with some difficulty, managed to light it up.
Man, this sucks a*s. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I agree. (Affeldrichae)
A voice suddenly came from behind him, but Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt bother to turn around. There was no need.
He knew who was there, anyway.
He then sensed her arms gently embracing him around his shoulders.
...Heal me or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know that its no longer possible, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
Im sure itll lessen the pain a bit, so its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae watched his tremble softly in her embrace and bit down on her lip.
He was shaking not because of sorrow or fear. The pain was so severe that his body was trembling all on its own. Like ate-stage cancer patient that not even the narcoticsced painkillers could help, Yi Ji-Hyuk was enduring vicious pain every single day that no one else could possibly withstand.
There are other ways. (Affeldrichae)
There isnt. Not anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There are always other ways. (Affeldrichae)
White, gentle rays of light came from both of Affeldrichaes hands and dug deep into his body.
Its not good. (Affeldrichae)
She was using healing magic, but his body showed no sign of recovering at all. Healing magic basically used external Mana to stimte and maximise a persons natural recovery ability.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuks physical body was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much water was poured in, itd never fill up to the top as everything simply seeped away. His body with not even one iota of lifeforce left could not be healed by Affeldrichaes magic.
I feel better already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But it seemed effective in lessening his pain because Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a sigh of relief.
How long do I have? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Do you really wish to hear it? (Affeldrichae)
Of course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichae shivered just a little.
This man, he was always like this.
Despite suffering from intolerable pain, hed always pretend that everything was fine. Hed behave as if nothing was wrong.
Some time ago, she used to think this side of him could very well signify an existences integrity, its pleteness as it were. But now, she changed her mind. This man, he was just unable to entrust himself to someone else.
He was an existence that handled everything all by himself.
The ones he detests the most are... (Affeldrichae)
Those would be the dragons and demonic beings. Beings that lived for almost an eternity and searched for solutions by themselves while not relying on anyone else.
Yi Ji-Hyuk hated and detested them the most, yet the current him inexplicably resembled them. Maybe it was an obvious result seeing that he had lived for way too long.
...Im not sure. (Affeldrichae)
Youre not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Tomorrow... No, today. Itd not be strange for you to just stop breathing today. Honestly, I still cant figure out how youre still alive right now. (Affeldrichae)
Youre saying some scary stuff with a straight face. Youre practicallybelling me as a half-zombie or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itd be better if you were an actual zombie? (Affeldrichae)
...I see. Thanks. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got back up on his feet.
Where are you going? (Affeldrichae)
Since I heard that, I cant be sitting on my a*s anymore. Time to make some moves. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, youll die. (Affeldrichae)
Cant be helped, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You do know that there are other ways, dont you? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped in his tracks.
You told me something in the past. That Im the existence who never thought or chose for myself. (Affeldrichae)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To my eyes, youre the same right now. You may mistakenly believe that youre acting on your own volition, but the way I see it, youve simply ended up drowning in a cause. A cause of needing to protect this Earth. Whats so different about this and the oracle of the gods that you mocked so much back then? (Affeldrichae)
...
Can you give me an exact reason why you need to protect? And have you really epted that reason? Im certain you havent. Because, this is simply a task with a purpose but no reason behind it. Dont you see it? Youre mimicking exactly what I did in the past. You simply have no reason to protect this world nor burn alongside it, either. (Affeldrichae)
A soft sigh leaked out next. Yi Ji-Hyuk massaged his face, and Affeldrichae continued on with an uncharacteristically powerless voice.
If youre really a human, you should worry about yourself first like an actual human being. I thought all humans prioritised themselves over everyone else? Earth or anything else, they dont hold much meaning to you, anyway. So, you can shove aside the foolish sentiment like this world is precious or some such. Because theres no way thats true! (Affeldrichae)
Venomous anger began filling up her eyes next.
< 439. Wouldnt you say that this is enough? -4 > Fin.
Chapter 440: Wouldn’t you say that this is enough? (5)
Chapter 440: Wouldnt you say that this is enough? (5)
You know it too, dont you? You dont hold this Earth as precious as you think you do. (Affeldrichae)
...
But thats obvious. To you, this world is simply nothing more than a brief stopover that you pop in and out of. Youre now Berafes citizen. Isnt it about time you ept that fact? The dreamy emotion that used to fill you up when you first arrived on Earth, it mustve all dried up by now, am I wrong? (Affeldrichae)
Well, yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt deny it. No, he couldnt deny it.
He knew better than anyone that the stuff shes been saying was all correct.
Back then, he thought everything would be resolved after returning home to Earth. But this godd*mm thread of intertwined fates just didnt want to let him go.
No, hang on. Its not the case of not letting me go, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, the thread simply couldnt be unspooled, thats all.
The rtionships of both good and bad natures built up over thousands of years wouldnt simply vanish into thin air just because he ran off to Earth, after all.
As for the sense of liberation and happiness he felt after arriving on Earth, they were all dulled beyond recognition by now.
With that, hede to know.
Between the world where he lived for only twenty or so years, and another one where hed been living for thousands of years...
...Which one did he really belong to?
He desperately returned to Earth to escape the fetters called the outsider but even then, he still remained trapped in one even now.
The sole reason why you ce importance on Earth is because of your lingering attachment, thats all. (Affeldrichae)
I know already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you want to, you can easily return to Berafe right now. And when you do return, youll regain your strength. At same time, all the damage done to your body will revert back in the blink of an eye, too. (Affeldrichae)
That might happen, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Then what are you hesitating for? A dimensional tear has manifested in this world by now. So, if you want, transferring hundreds of people at once isnt going to present a tough challenge anymore. So, why are you still hesitating in this ce? (Affeldrichae)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked back.
Feels like Ive exined this many times to you already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its because I cant understand you. (Affeldrichae)
I dont expect you to. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He furrowed his brows.
Besides, youre wrong about one thing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I am? (Affeldrichae)
I stayed as an immortal in that world only because this Earth hadnt been destroyed. The truth was, my soul had be a fixed part of this ce when I crossed over, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah... (Affeldrichae)
If Earth is gone, so will my soul, too. Which means... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed softly.
If I cross over now, my body will be permanently stuck in its current state. If thats the case, I might as well kill myself instead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Affeldrichaes eyes trembled powerfully.
B-but, as long as theres dark Mana... (Affeldrichae)
People used to call me a sorcerer who has reached the realm of the gods. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head with a bitter expression.
But that does not mean Im a god. What cant be done cannot be done. Ive no desire to cling onto an impossibility. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, you... (Affeldrichae)
Lets just stop here, Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Although its kinda embarrassing to admit to this, but well, Im a stubborn mule. No matter what anyone else says, I would never change my mind. So, why dont we stop making each other ufortable, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youre truly incorrigible. (Affeldrichae)
You dont say. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smiled quietly and studied her.
But then, he reached out and suddenly pulled her in for an embrace. Affeldrichae was left flustered for a moment, but didnt try to push him away.
...When I think about it, youre the person that I spent the most time with in my life, isnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Should I say thank you for realising that at least? (Affeldrichae)
Its so weird. I always saw you as a little puppy in my mind, but for today, youre a bit more like a cat. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like how a human can change, so can a dragon. Especially for a dragon like me. (Affeldrichae)
It could be an unfortunate thing, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly patted her back.
Its always been one bad thing after another with you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
But even then, I kept thinking that I need to tell you this someday. Thank you, Affeldrichae. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You... (Affeldrichae)
Before she could say anything, he gently pushed her away. His expression returned to the usual Im too cool to care face as he spoke up.
Well, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly waved his hand, then exited from his room. Unable to chase after him for some reason, all Affeldrichae could do was to just stand there in a daze.
Why do you sound like well never see each other again? (Affeldrichae)
***
Theynded in the end? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon replied in a sorrowful tone of voice.
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head as if he couldnt understand it.
Hang on a second here. Weve nullified the magical defensive measures, and the warheads shouldve been flying at the speed of a tortoise, yet... no one could stop them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Its an unfortunate fact, but not every part of the world has developed at the exact same rate, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Some can stop the nuke, while some cant. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, how many havended so far, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Five warheads. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Their locations? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
India, Africa, Europe, and Russia. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But thats only four? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Two missiles fell in Africa, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What about the damage? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon sounded grave in his reply.
The damage wasnt as great as... No, wait. We dont know for sure. We cant even tally it at the moment. The nuke in Russia fell in an uninhabited part of their country, but theres still no concrete way of finding out how many exactly have died from the warheads thatnded in New Delhi and Africa. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And Europe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itnded somewhere in Turkey. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, stop. Ive heard enough. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan under his breath.
Even if he was awake, there was nothing he could have done; without any Mana, Yi Ji-Hyuk would be weaker than an S-rank ability user, anyway. India and Europe had in their midst dozens upon dozens of S-rank ability users yet they still failed to stop the warheads, so there was no way hed be able to do anything even if he went there.
He couldnt calm his boiling innards, however.
What about Alpha? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He returned to America. And just as you expected, the Americans managed to shoot down the two nukes headed to their territory over the waters of the Pacific. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Couldnt the others have done something like the Americans? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The strength exhibited by the monster birds far exceeded everyones initial expectations. We all thought that since the main body suffered some blow, the monster birds wouldve gotten weaker as well but as it turned out, shooting the warheads down with regr fighter nes and missiles still proved to be incredibly difficult. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded slowly. Itd be patently obvious to anyone that they failed to stop the warheads not because they didnt feel like doing it.
...What about the ripples, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its horrifying. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt even bother to disguise his tired, empty expression.
We need to think of China, India and Turkey aspletely paralysed now. And with China bing incapacitated, we might as well as say that our odds of restricting the two spots in East Asia are as good as dead and buried. We... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
We wont be able to stop them anymore. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pulled out a cigarette.
What did the higher-ups say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Its not as if they cane up with a silver bullet method, you know. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yeah, thats true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk silently sucked on the cigarette. He needed a bit of time to organise his chaotic mind.
Call Alpha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha? Why? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Time to give him what he needs. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...But, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stop right there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head as if to say theres no point in listening any further.
I know what you want to say, but we no longer have the luxury of time. Very soon, the b*stards that finished scouting this ce out will flood out from the spots. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, our people will have to apany you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Wait, what? You werent nning to participate? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Honestly speaking, I was feeling conflicted about it. Alphas people havent experienced hell under your tutge and thats why they can easily mouth off about learning stuff from you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Fine. Alpha said he found a good training area somewhere in America, so lets all go there, then. Pick some suitable applicants for the trip, please. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But if I pick applicants, none of them will want to go. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, if I say lets go, all of them wille. Thats how they are. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Right, thats also true. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wryly smiled.
Well, its been fun. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Sure, he had to jump through some hoops all because of the NDF, but its also true that he had fun precisely because of the NDF, too. If he were topare what he lost to what he had gained, then hed have to say that he earned a whole lot more in the end.
Okay. Lets not waste anymore time. Call everyone and we immediately cross over to America. Right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon shot up from his seat. After watching him busily move about in the office for a bit, Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his bitter, distant gaze outside the office windows.
Man, the sky is really clear today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The cloudless, pristine sky that he hadnt seen before since his return to Earth was gazing right back at him.
*
Oh, so youre leaving? (Erukana)
Yes. (Affeldrichae)
Hmph, to think that youd try to escape by yourself in this critical situation. It seems that dragons were much more spineless than I thought. (Erukana)
Im not running away. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichaes determination filled eyes locked on Erukana.
There is no more hope left in this world. That means I need to look for one somewhere else. (Affeldrichae)
Riiight, thats what youre supposed to say. Dragons cant lie, after all. However, heres the thing... (Erukana)
Erukana smiled seductively while approaching Affeldrichae. But then, she suddenly reached out to grab thetters throat.
I dont know what youre scheming, but things wont unfold the way you imagine. Listen well, you cunning lizard. Im not as kind or na?ve as my darling so I know you didnt cross over to this world with purest of intentions. What exactly did you want with my darling? (Erukana)
Thats what I want to ask you. (Affeldrichae)
...Ng? (Erukana)
Affeldrichae disyed not one hint of fear despite Erukanas hand still grabbing her throat. No, her eyes were sharply reprimanding the Subus Queen, instead.
You shoulde clean about what youre truly scheming here. Do you honestly believe that you crossed over to this world because of your love for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Affeldrichae)
What a sorrowful thing this is. A demonic being is discussing her love, yet a dragon is denying it. Is the world spinning in the wrong direction or something? (Erukana)
I dont trust any demons. Especially so when its a demon like you. (Affeldrichae)
Aha, so both of us have our own little agendas, is that it? What an amusing idea that is. Hohohoho~! (Erukana)
Erukanas nails slightly dug into Affeldrichaes throat flesh.
Do you know I havent ended your life yet? (Erukana)
No, I dont. (Affeldrichae)
Because, Im sure you are not nning to hurt my darling. (Erukana)
...
However, youd do well to remember this, oh you dumb little dragon. The thing you do for the sake of my darling can also end up strangling him, instead. (Erukana)
Do I look that foolish to you? (Affeldrichae)
Yup. (Erukana)
...Thank you for your advice. (Affeldrichae)
Wuuuuong...
Erukana let go of Affeldrichaes throat and thetter opened up a Gate. A Gate that directly led to Berafe.
Well see each other again. (Affeldrichae)
Honestly? I dont wanna see your mug ever again, though? (Erukana)
Lets say we share a simr sentiment, then. (Affeldrichae)
Affeldrichae slowly strode inside the Gate and the portal gradually closed behind her. Erukana watching this scene y out sneered softly.
Insolent b*tch. (Erukana)
These lifeforms called dragons were just too untrustworthy. Itd not be strange for her to have a fallout with them at any time, actually.
Still... it is the end of the road. (Erukana)
She did her best to prevent the Gates from expanding and spreading any further, but it was impossible to hold on for any longer now. Yi Ji-Hyuks physical state was rapidly deteriorating, while the dark Mana rushing in would soonpletely escape from her restrictions and start increasing the number of spots throughout the world.
When that happened, itd be over.
The worlds annihtion was literally just around the corner.
Ah, ah. This is no fun. (Erukana)
It certainly didnt feel so good to know that all the things she did while betting everything of hers were all in vain in the end.
...If I turn him into an undead right before he dies, I wonder if his ego would survive? (Erukana)
No, she shouldnt.
That too was a type of death, after all.
Realising that Yi Ji-Hyuks death couldnt be avoided no matter what, her shoulders slumped forward in dejection.
...No, its not toote. I shouldnt give up so soon. There are always other ways. (Erukana)
No. There are no more ways left. (?)
Suddenly, Erukanas brows shot up high.
The voiceing from somewhere behind her was far, far too familiar to her. She had to force her body trembling from fear to turn around slowly, only to discover the strongest being in existence that she knew of standing there.
...Because, Im here now. (?)
All strength abandoned Erukanas legs.
The countdown to the worlds destruction had begun.
< 440. Wouldnt you say that this is enough? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 441: That’s the only thing I can give you (1)
Chapter 441: Thats the only thing I can give you (1)
How far the preparations had gotten along was outside the scope of Yi Ji-Hyuks interests.
Its not that he didnt give a d*mn about it, but rather, he figured that leaving it to Choi Jeong-Hoon would be the most efficient way to go about it, instead. And thats why he didnt interfere as well.
But that didnt mean his boredom would go away somehow C and that was indeed a problem.
How grand is the preparation that hes taking this long, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He didnt even think about how the Americans would react to the news of South Korean ability users wanting to participate in a group training session with Americas most wanted criminal organisation. As such, he simply couldnt understand why it was taking so long to teleport a few people over there.
So weird. Hes not ipetent, so whats going on? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Despite Choi Jeong-Hoon stepping forward to handle this matter, things were still taking too long which could only mean that the situation wasnt as easy as they thought. Whatever the case might have been, Yi Ji-Hyuk had a deep trust of Choi Jeong-Hoonspetence.
...Eiii. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from the chair and headed to the kitchen. He flung open the fridges door, but then...
...Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...There was no C.
His hands trembled in shock for a bit, before he began scratching his head.
Not even a bottle of water, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He inwardly thought, Whats mom doing?! How can the fridge be empty like this! then headed to the front door while scratching his tummy next. After confirming that his wallet was indeed inside his pocket, he opened the door and exited into the sunlight. He began stretching his arms grandly and yawned.
Aw... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Now that he thought about it, he had been living like a ckertely.
After his workce that he had tomute regrly in the morning practically vanished from existence, he found himself with way too much free time on his hands. Whether it was a fortunate thing or not, even the number of people joining his favourite game had decreased so much that finding a single match online sometimes took over forty minutes, and that forced him to almost stop ying it altogether.
The TV channels were dominated entirely by emergency news bulletins, special programming and documentaries filled with despair-inducing stories, which sure as heck were no fun to watch. It seemed that the idea of entertainment had gone the way of a dodo at this point.
Just whatll happen to this world... Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Back when the spots connected to the demon world opened up, Yi Ji-Hyuk was rather puzzled by the seemingck of change disyed by the world atrge, but now the ripples were starting to show themselves.
Customers stopped visiting the diner run by his mom, while a massive bombshell dropped in his fathers tradingpany, too.
South Korea was a country that made a living through exporting stuff. So the matter of all internationalmerce grinding to a halt had a major impact on the countrys situation. The beginning might have been small but by the end, everything had ballooned to incredible proportions.
He lightly kicked away Oh-Sik dashing towards him and wiped his nose.
I cant see anyone. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The streets of the ability user residential area were a lot more quietpared to other areas to begin with, but they never were so deserted to the extent that not a single shadow could be spotted.
Wondering if this was all because its still the middle of the day, Yi Ji-Hyuk set off towards his destination only for his eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets.
Whats this? Its closed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The convenience store closest to his house had closed its doors. As if all of the shops stock had been taken out as well, the interior visible through the ss waspletely empty, too.
Man, that other store also closed down thest time, too... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He furrowed his brows.
Stores that couldnt survive the current climate were gradually growing in numbers these days. What with the economy at its historical worst, trying to keep a shop going was proving to be too much for these folks.
Do I have to go to a supermarket, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned loudly. There werent all that many convenience stores found inside the residential area. He could more or less guess the status of the remaining ones already, so it seemed wiser to just step outside the area and get his stuff elsewhere.
Yi Ji-Hyuk opened a Gate right away and strode inside.
*
...And whats the story here this time? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thankfully, therge supermarket he headed to was still in operation. If such a store had to close up shop then that would indicate South Korea needing to close shop too, so one could say that it was indeed a relief of all reliefs.
But when Yi Ji-Hyuk walked inside, he couldnt tell whether he was inside a supermarket or mistakenly walked into a furniture shop, instead.
Only the empty shelves were here to greet him, lending an atmosphere that went straight past deste and into depressingly bleak.
B-but, what about C?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He had already given up acquiring bottled water by now. There was no way such items wouldve been stocked under the current situation. Since everything from ramen to instant rice had been swept up by the masses already, there was just no freaking way that storable water wouldnt be among the very first things to be sold out.
COLA! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dashed like a lightning bolt towards the cold drinks fridges. If he couldnt get his drink here, then he might as well kiss C goodbye for a while.
With the purifier installed at home, he could do something about the water issue, but if no C could be found...
There it is! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes gleamed dangerously.
He had discovered the veryst case of C bottles nestled almost out of view right at the bottom shelf in the cold drinks section. He dashed like the wind and grabbed the box.
Actually, he tried to.
The moment he reached out...
A millisecond before his hand could touch the box, someone elses hand powerfully grasped it and dragged it away.
Hul... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks hand vainly crossed the empty air and awkwardlynded on the box. mes lit up in his eyes and he began hurriedly ring at the one holding the box.
My C! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I grabbed it first so why dont you try another supermarket? (?)
...............
Veins bulged on Yi Ji-Hyuks forehead. However, no matter how arrogant a person he was, he still possessed some modicum of morales that held him back from forcibly tearing away the stuff the other party had procured first.
Sure, hed not hesitate to murder during a fight, but hed never turn himself into a thief.
C-can you, like, gimme half? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That many? (?)
T-then, one-third? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
How much will you pay me? (?)
How about double the price? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ill think about it if youre prepared to shell out ten times the original amount. (?)
...What kind of a daylight robbery was this?!
Even if the world was on course for total destruction and securing food supply was crucial, and even though people were busy ughtering each other for food...
Ah, hang on, thats a bit too much.
In any case, I know that food supply is important, but ten times?! This fool might even hawk off the waters of Daedong river if he gets half a chance! (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue) [1]
Just before the grandly-shuddering Yi Ji-Hyuk could start his rant...
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Hey, is that you, Chang-Sik? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Hul?! H-hyung-nim?? (Chang-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly extended his hand forward.
Hand that over. Now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..........
Chang-Siks suffering was about to begin anew today, it seemed.
*
Youre working part-time now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Chang-Sik)
But, why part-time, dude? Arent you a high school senior? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hyung-nim, with the world in this state, whats the point in going to some university? Might as well jump in head first at the forefront of industry and make one more penny to get myself ahead of everyone else, you know. (Chang-Sik)
...And its not because you got no chance in hell in going to a university? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Id like to ask you to refrain from dropping fact bombs today, please. (Chang-Sik)
My bad. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Like good buddies that they were, Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Chang-Sik were chatting away with a bottle of C in their hands while sucking on cigarettes.
By the way, what happened to all the stuff in your shop? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I hear that no supplys been arrivingtely. Apparently, theres a supply shortage everywhere. (Chang-Sik)
A shortage, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Although people did panic-buy most of the stuff, to be honest we havent been receiving much supplies, to begin with. Factories all stopped running and nothing is being made now, at least from what I heard. (Chang-Sik)
Howe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, there are several reasons, you know. Ones theck of raw materials, and then theres the issue with shortage of manpower, too... People still worked despite feeling anxious initially, but more and more stopped caring as time wore on, you see. (Chang-Sik)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And I think all those nukes falling was the final clincher. I guess people think theres no more hope left. (Chang-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded his head.
Those people who couldnt do anything but look on from the sidelines mustve been feeling really terrible right about now. If it was, say, another country invading you, then you could have picked up a pitchfork or whatever to fight back, but what could a normal, powerless individual do against the demon king army that even the ability users or humanitys armies were helpless against?
Hyung-nim? (Chang-Sik)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is this really the end? (Chang-Sik)
Whose end? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The worlds, of course. (Chang-Sik)
...
Chang-Siks face was filled with anxiety.
I used to think that things will somehow work out in the end, buttely I cant help but get worried, you know? Honestly, Ive been wondering if theres any meaning in me working like this, too. I mean, if money ends up worth less than some toilet paper then all this hard work would be for nothing, right? (Chang-Sik)
Youre worried about some weird stuff, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess so. (Chang-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked back.
Hey man, listen. People wholl suffer the most when the money bes worthless are the ones with plenty of it, so you think theyll let something like that happen under their watch? Things are different from the past. Even if the country is ruined, the money wont. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...You know, that does sound rather persuasive. (Chang-Sik)
Besides, the world wont be destroyed. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes seemed to quietly simmer just then.
And even if it is somehow destroyed, everyone will die at the same time anyway, so no need to feel missed out, either. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wait, does that mean were doomed? (Chang-Sik)
I said, its not going to be destroyed, man. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a big gulp of the remaining C.
Ill make sure that doesnt happen, so live your life without cowering away. Ill create a future where you can look back to now and smile while saying, Wow, there used to be a time like that in the past, got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Can I believe in you? (Chang-Sik)
Nope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Anythings possible with words, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, hyung-nim?! (Chang-Sik)
Sure, the current situation is pretty messed-up. But well, even if the sky falls on you, theres always going to be a hole that you can rise through, am I right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...But theres no guarantee that rising up after the sky fell on me means Ill be able to live on, though? Especially when everyone else might be dead? (Chang-Sik)
Eh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the heck, this fools sharper than he looks? (Yi Ji-Hyuks inner monologue)
For a brief moment there, Yi Ji-Hyuk wondered if Chang-Sik was far smarter than he gave the kid credit for.
With this much, wouldnt this kid be a pretty good rival to Oh-Sik?
Hey, Chang-Sik? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Chang-Sik)
People have their own individual roles to y. Ill do my part, so you focus on yours. If you give up and do nothing then when hope suddenly ps you in the face, you are going to bitterly regret all the times youve wasted. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...That sounds usible. (Chang-Sik)
And in that sense, why dont you hand over the rest of the C bottles? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched how Chang-Siks hand trembled so noticeably while pushing forward the bottle of C towards him, and ended up guffawing out.
Forget it, dude. You drink themter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, let me just... (Chang-Sik)
I said, its cool. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sounded as if he was being very generous.
I can just hop over to the United States and get my stuff there, anyway. Its a pretty short trip, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..............................
Yi Ji-Hyuk let out a soft grunt and stood up from the spot, then stubbed the cigarette dead.
By the way, hows school these days? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its in the pits, of course. Some rumours made rounds that there wont be a national university entrance exam anymore so not many are attending school properly. They all kinda can tell for real that our country is going to end soon, you see. (Chang-Sik)
Well, if the high school seniors were not going to school then sure, that was a telltale sign of a country about to copse. A sign that hit far closer to home than most others, actually.
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned after sensing the severity of the situation once more.
Man, what are the government folks doing when the whole country is in this state? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In reality, Song Jeong-Su and Co., were running around everywhere until their feet were on fire while trying to de-escte various situations until they were about to lose their voices from all that persuading. Unfortunately, there was only so much the governmental interference could do.
Because, it wasnt just South Koreas problem but the whole world was facing simr issues right now.
And to make matters even worse, China losing its central governing structure caused Koreas manufacturing industry to grind to a halt as well.
Rrrr...
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuks phone went off.
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The old saying went that when you speak of a devil, one would show up so how would youbel a person that called on the phone without you even thinking about him?
Hello, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
C Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, the preparations areplete. Pleasee to the office. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay, got it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk ended the call and looked over to Chang-Sik.
This hyung is on his way to work now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Chang-Sik tossed him a brand-new bottle of C. Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly caught that and smirked a little.
Whats this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats the only thing I have that I can give you. (Chang-Sik)
Cool. Ill enjoy it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned around to leave, but Choi Chang-Sik loudly shouted out at him at thest minute.
Hyung-nim! (Chang-Sik)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its going to be alright, yes? (Chang-Sik)
Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt reply and simply waved his hand.
While trudging towards the offices, he felt this immense weight crushing down on his shoulders.
Ah, so this is what that mustve felt like. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Those people who tried to stop him in front of Terra Latel, did they feel something like this back then, too?
Even though they knew they had no chance in hell, they still stood in his path for the sake of their world. Yi Ji-Hyuk used to find them truly foolish, but now, he began to understand their hearts just a little bit more.
They werent doing it because of possibility, but because they simply had to do it.
...Because, it needs to be done. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clenched his fists tightly and opened a Gate.
< 441. Thats the only thing I can give you -1 > Fin.
(TL: Daedong river is the Korean peninss fifthrgest river and is located in North Korea. Not sure why the author decided to go with that river, but there you go.)
Chapter 442: That’s the only thing I can give you (2)
Chapter 442: Thats the only thing I can give you (2)
Whats taken you so long? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young suddenly began her mini-rant and Yi Ji-Hyuk could only scowl unhappily as his initial response.
What the? Even if your handling of the matter was messy and sloppy, we have never talked about meing here at a scheduled time anyway, and besides all that, how nonsensical is it to abruptly order me to show up immediately as soon as the preparations areplete? What are you even trying to say here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why didnt youmute to the office in the morning and wait like everyone else, then? (Seo Ah-Young)
.....
That one retort managed to soundly crush all of Yi Ji-Hyuks arguments so he could only whistle sheepishly and head towards his assigned location. As he was a sryman who shirked his own duties, he had no right to say anything in his defence anymore.
...Well, its still not enough to bite my head off, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You fool, seriously?! (Seo Ah-Young)
Please calm down. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hurriedly tried to pacify Seo Ah-Young.
This isnt the first time hes acting this way, after all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youre right. I havent seen that mug recently so I cant help but get angry at him all over again, you know. Should I just flip everything over or something? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yi Ji-Hyuk let Seo Ah-Youngs stabbing words enter one ear and leak out of the other, while booting up hisputer.
And why are you switching on yourputer? Were about to leave, dont you get that! (Seo Ah-Young)
Tsk, tsk, tsk... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young cries only elicited a loud tutting from Yi Ji-Hyuk.
This isnt my first rodeo, you know. Doesnt take a genius to see that he will start a lecture trying to educate us on the things we know to be really important already. And by the time hes done making us swear our hearts out, itd be one hourter. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I wont do that. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon was inwardly thinking of doing exactly that so he couldnt help but flinch.
B-but, if I dont say them out loud, you all are going to cause incidentster. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If he did nag, then people gged him for being a nagging superior officer. But if he didnt, people would g him for failing to prevent the incidents from happening by not educating the masses ahead of time. This was the sorrow of a man stuck in middle management.
He couldnt do anything about being at the end of all the gging, but more than that, he also couldnt do anything about hating the fool who just had to urately point that out, too.
Well, Yi Ji-Hyuk being a hateful little fool was nothing new anyway, so there was that.
Keu-hmmm. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tried to change the topic with a loud fake cough.
We have permission. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Permission? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. The Americans said we can participate in the training. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ill be the one training people, so why do you need Americas permission? I should be the one giving permission here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Huh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tilted his head.
Wasnt that true, now that he thought about it?
T-the thing is, were about to train the Americans. Plus, they are also wanted criminals, as well. And finally, were going to train in America, arent we? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I merely said to look for a ce to train, and never said anything about it needing to be in America. If they think they can y hardball with me, just call everyone over to Korea, then. Baseball games have been cancelled anyway, so we can just borrow a stadium and train everyone in there or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
That... sounded pretty good?
You couldve told me that sooner. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon hadpletely failed to think about that, and while recalling how he had to grovel before the ufortable-looking Christopher McLaren earlier, he began grumbling in unhappiness.
I thought youd be able to figure out that much by yourself, though. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Yes, its my fault. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Somehow it felt like all the ills of the world were his faulttely, but even then Choi Jeong-Hoon found it hard toe up with a proper retort right now.
Okay, fine. Lets not waste any more time and get to the main topic already. Your excessive bantering just doesnt know the right time or ce, does it? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young spoke in a brittle tone of voice and everyone around her all nodded in agreement. Choi Jeong-Hoon realised that his current position had fallen to the level of a time-wasting kkondae despite his best intentions and could only swallow back his tears of unfairness.
And this wasnt even my fault, too... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Why didnt anyone express their dissatisfaction at Yi Ji-Hyuk? No matter who saw it, it was him who kept retorting back, wasnt he?
...In any case, the Americans gave us their go-ahead. In return, they requested that the elite agents from both America and Europe be included in the training, as well. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon looked at Yi Ji-Hyuk and asked.
What will you do? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No ones gonna stop them if they want to kill themselves. Tell them toe, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
..............
Choi Jeong-Hoon was inwardly impressed by Yi Ji-Hyuks ability to turn the atmosphere in the surroundings into an icy wastnd with just one sentence. That one sentence was enough to cause the NDF agents to form totally fed-up, disgusted expressions, while various muscles on their faces twitched and quivered endlessly.
I was going to ask if anyone wanted to opt out, but now... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
It seemed a wiser move to omit that step now. If he asked that question in the current atmosphere, then potentially more than half gathered here would simply choose to leave and go home.
Unfortunately, there would always be that one fool who decide to tackle Choi Jeong-Hoons hasty change in ns head-on. Kim Dah-Hyun, renowned for his utterck of ability to discern the current mood, raised his hand high up.
Yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I have a question for Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
...Ah, is that so? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Please dont answer the question. Just say you cant be bothered. Please. (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Unlike Choi Jeong-Hoons ardent prayer, though, Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a refreshing grin on his face.
Whats up? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Theres something I was curious about, you see. How hardcore will be the training were about to go through? Is it worse than the training we got thest time? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
For a moment there, Yi Ji-Hyuk carefully contemted his answers.
Mm... Compared to the training you got thest time, this one should be much easier. Besides, you all had gone through hell once already, so what could possibly be worse than that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, really? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun sighed in relief. But too bad, Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt the type to let a fellow human being off the hook that easily.
But then again, the training you received thest time was some stuff Ive tried out already so they werent all that dangerous, to begin with... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...They werent dangerous? Wha??? (everyone)
Even though it was a miracle that everyone came back home in one piece?
So, so many times the group nearly got wiped out in the blink of an eye. Yet, none of that was dangerous?
Even though just one slip-up was enough to kill everyone back then?!
The training this time around is also new for me, so yeah, I guess you can say its gonna be a bit more dangerous. Sure, the concept of mixing Ether and magical powers has been in use already, but well, that was casting buffs on a persons body. Since were trying to use thebination as the primary way of fighting, mm, how should I put this... Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk scratched his cheeks noisily.
One slip-up, and youll blow up? Like a balloon going pop? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
............................... (everyone)
The atmosphere in the NDF office went straight past icy wastnd and into Antarctica.
Well, Im sure things wont go that far. When you die, youll still have an intact corpse left. Your bodies are pretty study, arent they? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kim Dah-Hyun smiled brightly and asked Choi Jeong-Hoon next.
Vice director? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Y-yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You remember what you said thest time? The one about those who didnt want to participate, they can opt to stay out. Is that still valid this time, too? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Im sorry, but this ship has set sail already. Everyones participating. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...F*ck. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun failed to find an escape route and dejectedly slumped in his seat. No matter how he looked at it, he was basically going there to kill himself, yet he couldnt find a way out.
Do we really have to do this? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Yun Hyuk-Gyu stared with anxious eyes, and Choi Jeong-Hoon replied with a grim, determined look on his face.
Does it matter if you die now orter? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
What dogsh*t are you talking about? (Yun Hyuk-Gyu)
Ah, that wasnt it. W-well, if you manage to ovee this danger somehow, itll be possible to prevent the worlds destruction. Isnt that true, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, thats hard to say... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...You heard him. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon almost nearly gave up just then. The person in question wasnt even being remotely helpful here, so what else could he do in the current situation?
In any case! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Choi Jeong-Hoons mental state reached the point of, I dont care anymore, Yi Ji-Hyuk opened his mouth.
Youll all be stronger than you currently are. The biggest problem ourbat force is facing right now is not that you cant fight against a demon king, its the fact that you all are too weak and you cant even properly win against the demonic beasts serving a demon king. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If its a lone individual, then youll inevitably find a way to deal with it. Doesnt matter whether you hit with everything you got, or find and exploit its weakness, whatever. However, when those individuals hide in a horde, then all potential methods to deal with them go out the window. So, if humanity wishes to fight and win against the demonic beings, we need people capable of dealing with those demonic beasts first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And that will be us, in other words. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Nope, that will be Alpha. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
All of you are, like, idental extras. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Was there any other opening speech in humanitys history that managed to sap out someones enthusiasm this quickly and so badly, too?
Choi Jeong-Hoon began thinking that maybe they were on the cusp of making history today.
Well, lets just get started, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
You arent going to lecture us? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was a ton of stuff I needed to remind you of, but I cant think of them right now. My headspletely nk at the moment, you see. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Onset of dementia, maybe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...When I think about it, its not like folks here will listen even if I remind them, so I might as well stay close and sort out whatever mess they get into when it happens. Its not like Im not going with you all, anyway. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Indeed, if one got technical here, there was no guarantee that Alphas side wouldnt be the first one to start trouble even if the Koreans managed to hold themselves back. The Korean sides people might look a bit suspect but they were actually more like the regr army, but the other side was an organisation of criminals that specialised inmitting terror and destruction.
So, if trouble happened then itd be the other side starting it first.
Lets just get going. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon replied with an exhausted, dont-care expression. Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded and replied.
Well, sure. Ah, wait. I havent said anything to my mom beforeing here, so I wonder if thatll be okay. Can I call her before leaving? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Sure thing. Knock yourself out. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
At this point, calling someone on the phone to waste even more time wouldnt matter much, anyway.
Choi Jeong-Hoon had been nning for a sombre and serious opening speech that spoke of how much humanitys future rode on their shoulders, but it was his shoulders slumping forward in dejection right now.
Seo Ah-Young lightly patted him on the shoulder.
You knew things would end up like this. (Seo Ah-Young)
Well, thats true... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The moment he got tangled up in Yi Ji-Hyuks matters, Choi Jeong-Hoon shouldve kissed goodbye to any thoughts of holding a proper opening speech. His head knew that so well, but there was little he could do about the bitter taste in his innards after experiencing it personally.
A bit more time passed under the awkward atmosphere, and Yi Ji-Hyuk eventually came back inside the office with a dissatisfied expression.
Argh, really now?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did something happen? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Mom wants me to buy some burgers on my way back! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...............
Does she think Im going on a field trip or something? Seriously! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Without a doubt, at least half of Yi Ji-Hyuks rather extraordinary mental state mustve been influenced by his mother.
But well, when you think about it, shes basically a warrioress herself, isnt she? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
If she was born as a man, shed have be a general that conquered the world. Only someone like that would be powerful enough to raise an oddball son like Yi Ji-Hyuk.
While thinking about Yi Ji-Hyuks mom who made a great contribution (?) towards humanity, Choi Jeong-Hoon spoke up.
Please open the Gate. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
***
The Koreans have said theyll participate, sir.
What about the Europeans? (Christopher McLaren)
They say theyll mobilise all avable teleporters and send over their elites. They should arrive soon.
All avable teleporters? How many are they nning to send here? (Christopher McLaren)
They lost many of their teleporters while trying to establish a defensive line around Germany, sir. Excluding the injured, they dont have a lot of avable agents, apparently.
Oh, how so bloody wonderful, then. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren stared at the giant screen with some reluctance on his face. The screen currently disyed the list of the agents hand-picked to participate in the uing training session.
And Im equally being wonderful here, too. (Christopher McLaren)
He had misgivings on whether it was the right thing or not to send Americas top elite agents, arguably the pride of the American government, and have them train alongside a criminal organisation. But now wasnt the right time to worry about the morals of that decision.
No, he needed to do whatever he could. If that meant hed have to cling shamelessly onto someones pant legs, then so be it.
Does Yi Ji-Hyuk know that we were targeting him? (Christopher McLaren)
No, sir. However, ording to Choi Jeong-Hoon, Yi Ji-Hyuk isnt the type of man to care even if he knows. As long as theres some use, he wont treat America as an enemy, sir.
Indeed. He even went and joined hands with Alpha, didnt he. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren sighed and waved his hand.
Switch on the feed. Whats happening in the training area? (Christopher McLaren)
Alpha and his people have arrived there earlier and are waiting for the Koreans to arrive, sir.
He must be feeling like hes on a godd*mn cloud nine right about now. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren gritted his teeth.
Before the spots connected to the demon world opened up, the Americans treated Alpha as the most wanted criminal currently on the run. But after the spots manifested, his status had rapidly risen until he became a true bigwig that not even the American government was willing to haphazardly cross.
He scored big properly this time. (Christopher McLaren)
Surely Alpha hadnt aimed for this result, but he still didnt forget to extract as much benefit as possible from the situation nevertheless.
Christopher McLaren continued to grit his teeth while ring at Alphas figure visible on the screen.
I swear, things wont end this way. (Christopher McLaren)
His eyes were zing white-hot right now, which was unusual even for him.
< 442. Thats the only thing I can give you -2 > Fin.
Chapter 443: That’s the only thing I can give you (3)
Chapter 443: Thats the only thing I can give you (3)
Wee. We were waiting for you. (Alpha)
One of his legs pulled back, and the hand raised up above his head gracefully drew an arc above. Alpha then lowered that hand down to his chest. Yi Ji-Hyuk watching this scene y out didnt hold back on his frank impression.
What the f*ck was that for? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, its... (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuks rather cynical reaction caused a lost, dejected expression to float up on Alphas face.
Im trying to give you a warm reception, you know. (Alpha)
Im also being tempted to give you a beating as warm as the reception, so why dont you shut up for now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alphas subordinates standing around in a rank-and-file before him and furrowed his brows.
Man, what a bloody nostalgic sight this is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He remembered waaaay back that in Berafe, the conscripted soldiers all used to stand around in the exact same manner. A group filled with attires that didnt match, sloppy and carefree postures, and finally, unmistakable confusion on what they are about to embark on written on their faces.
If there was one major difference between now and then, itd be these punks were standing around with a bit more attitude, probably?
And also...
Why the hell are these people wearing trash? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Baggy hoodies that extended down to their knees, torn and shrunken-down pants with dirty creases everywhere. Then, shoes that mustve been nicked from their dad or something, since those pairs looked at least twice as big as their feet...
Punks at the height of extreme fashion sense could be found embedded here and there. Even the ones dressed more calmly still couldnt be seen as normal-looking, either.
Its street fashion. (Alpha)
Its street fashion? You Americans walk around in broad daylight looking like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, our people enjoy a lot more freedom, you see. And besides, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. You also are a pacesetter in street fashion, too. (Alpha)
I am? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, you are. Ive not seen anyone besides you wearing that blue tracksuit so proudly in South Korea, you see. (Alpha)
...
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to Choi Jeong-Hoon and asked.
...Do I look like them to you? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...May I be frank with you this time? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
N-no, hang on. Let me prepare myself first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked in several deep breaths and nodded, prompting Choi Jeong-Hoon to ruthlessly speak of his honest impressions.
At least when you look at them, you get the feeling that, Aha, they are in their own little bubble or I see that they have paid some attention to their appearance, but Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, youre more like a local neighbourhood thug with only difference being your choice of attire. When you consider the meaning of street fashion then theoretically speaking, we have to question whether or not youre more street than they are... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Stop right there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the skies above with a sorrowful face, before swiftly regaining his original attitude and the facial scowl.
Im wearing this because itsfortable and easy to move around in! Dont you get that?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha tilted his head this way and that when Yi Ji-Hyuk insisted on his choice.
However, arent there several varieties of tracksuits including an array of colours to choose from? So when you only prefer to wear the particr type in the exact same blue colour, doesnt that reflect your personal taste? (Alpha)
...
Yi Ji-Hyuk was freshly reminded of why those who said the right things got killed off early on in the movies. Because, he was seriously tempted to sew this fools lips shut if it was at all possible right now.
I didnte here to debate my fashion sense with you so lets drop this sh*t now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? But it was you who brought up the topic of fashion first? (Alpha)
And your point being? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, lets drop it. (Alpha)
Alpha cleanly let go of the subject and backtracked, prompting Choi Jeong-Hoon to stare at the distant mountains.
Whether it was this guy or that one, they both were...
Okay, so. Are these punks the ones to get my training, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, they are all elite soldiers. Its kinda embarrassing to say this out aloud, but even now these fine folks are more than enough topletely devastate the whole of America. Although upying it would be difficult, destroying it is perfectly doable. (Alpha)
But, they all look like dumba*ses? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You mustnt judge a book by its cover, though. How should I put this, uhm... (Alpha)
Indeed, how?
This wasnt a matter of racial discrimination, but why did it feel like Alpha just witnessed something even more vicious than racism just now?
Only the absolute best among the best have been gathered here, you see. (Alpha)
There was more? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course. I havent even brought half of my people here. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuks suspicious gazended on Alpha next. Even at a casual count, there mustve been over a thousand heads here, so if this number was less than half, then that indicated over two thousand ability users had been working for Alphas cause until now.
And these punks, they seem to be around the same level as our side, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Upon a closer inspection, there didnt seem to be any underlying simrities between them C not race, simr age grouping nor gender, nothing. It certainly seemed that Alpha wandered around the world atrge searching and recruiting the truly useful people to his side. What an incredible feat this was.
Man, to think that the world was filled with such scummy viins. Wait, if I get rid of every single fool here, then does that mean I get to clean out about eighty percent of the ability user criminals in the world? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehheei, why are you saying something so scary? (Alpha)
...I wish I was joking, but honestly, its kinda tempting, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please calm down. Human scum are still better than a good guy demon, arent they? (Alpha)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, he had a point there.
I see that the fine folks from the NDF have apanied you as well. (Alpha)
How so wonderful this is to see familiar faces. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young retorted sarcastically. Her eyes were currently fixed on Park Seong-Chan, nestled among Alphas other subordinates.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Seo Ah-Young)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You said this is going to be one tough training session, didnt you? (Seo Ah-Young)
That I did. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, I guess theres no helping it if someone burns to death by ident during training, right? I mean, with a sturdy body like that, Im thinking it might burn for three days and night straight. (Seo Ah-Young)
Doesnt matter to me whether you all die or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is that so? (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young grinned refreshingly. Then her expression crumpled to resemble the Wicked Witch as she red at Park Seong-Chan.
You should be careful there, mister. This little advice is for the old times sake. (Seo Ah-Young)
Park Seong-Chan didnt retort and simply turned his head away.
Whats with that woman? Did she just threaten us?
Even if you didnt know thenguage, werent the tone or the attitude themon tongue everyone in the world spoke eloquently? Alphas subordinates began to stir up after witnessing Seo Ah-Youngs icy re.
Did that Asian b*tch lose her mind?
Should I just kill her? I guess she doesnt know who we are since she spends most of her time stuck in the rural backwoods.
I know who she is. Thats the me Witch.
Oh, so shes acting all so high and mighty out of that little fame of hers?
The atmosphere within Alphas camp worsened gradually. Yi Ji-Hyuk, not finding the situation to his liking, was about to say something but Alpha beat him to it with a quiet word or two.
Didnt I tell you not to run your mouth off in front of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Alpha)
The moment those words left his lips, the atmosphere froze uppletely.
B-but, boss.
One more word and Ill tear that mouth open ear to ear. Got it? (Alpha)
Alpha spoke with a grin etched on his face, causing his subordinates to firmly shut their mouths.
Well, that sure was something. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Despite that smile on his face, the ones listening to Alpha were all clearly terrified.
This sight was a good enough piece of evidence that Alpha had been ruling them with an unforgiving iron fist until now.
What a perfect reminder that was. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Alpha had been behaving like a helpless idiot in front of the NDF people so far. And because his actions were so unintentionally hrious, they had rxed their wariness of him. Even if thats not what they intended to do.
Obviously that cant be further from the truth. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
This guy was Alpha.
He was someone designated as the worst, biggest and most dangerous criminal in history by not just America, but the entire world C so, there was simply no way that what he chose to show was everything there to him.
If the side Alpha had shown Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co., until now was his real character, then he wouldnt have been able to amass a privatebat force that exceeded the capability of a single country and freelymand them to do his bidding.
Eii, looks like we showed you something pretty uncool. However, Id say that doing this lends that bit of human touch to the proceedings. Wouldnt you agree, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Alpha)
...Just keep quiet for a second, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Roger. (Alpha)
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk responded in the exact same manner as before as if Alphas current appearance was within his expectations.
Choi Jeong-Hoon thought that the dynamics between these two people was far too difficult for anyone to fully figure out.
So, is it here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the huge dome-like structure behind Alpha.
Yes, it is. The restricted area number 681. Its a specialboratory the American government has set up to experiment on the ability users. It doesnt even appear on any maps, you know? There was that one time G*ogle tried to upload this ce on their map only to nearly get disintegrated out of existence. (Alpha)
...Oh, really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Thepany was left alone in the end since its a good money maker, but well, they almost had to close their global map operation back then. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk studied the dome with pure-white exterior and frowned deeply.
So, this is that ce you mentioned before? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, yes. Thats correct. Of course, this isnt the only one. There are five simr facilities such as this one in America alone. And globally there should be more than one hundred of them, although not all boast a scale of this size. (Alpha)
...I guess you have a point about getting mad, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even at a casual nce, this building was bigger than a stadium holding the Superbowl. On top of that, there should be underground floors as well, so just how big exactly was this thing, anyway? The number of ability users being sacrificed in the name of research in this ce should be quite significant, then.
Its all being done rather openly, isnt it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, its a restricted area, after all. And other countries dont raise issues about this kind of stuff since they are also performing experiments of various scales themselves, you see. (Alpha)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Which meant that for the purpose of training, these guys were willingly stepping into a ce where people like them were being used as liveb rats.
What a tough mentality you all have. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Heheh, maybe its an old habit or something, but... when people go in there, they wake up real quick, you see. Its a perfect ce to train, in other words. (Alpha)
...Im sure it is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This fool was definitely a wackjob. No doubt about that.
But then again, he was no ordinary wacko and thats probably why he could open the doorway to the demon world. After reminding himself of that fact once more, Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head and changed the subject.
Okay, so. Can we go inside now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Europeans havent arrived yet. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spoke up and Yi Ji-Hyuk formed a deeply dissatisfied expression.
Fine. All we have to do now is wait for them, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The Japanese also expressed their wish to participate, but... because Chinas been half-flipped on its head, East Asia has lost much of its ability to govern itself so I cant help but wonder what little help the remaining few Japanese ability users will provide by joining us. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Oh, and its not because you dont like the Japs? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Although there will be no end in sight if you start bringing up the past grievances... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon grinned refreshingly.
Im not a cruel person who still burns the torch of revenge towards the people who are sliding even further into oblivion after Tokyos been destroyed. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Seouls been destroyed too, so whats the difference? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Eh? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now that he thought about it, wasnt that true?
Should I call them over, then? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Do what you want. Its all the same to me once we go inside anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha had been observing Yi Ji-Hyuks moods until then, and quickly snapped his fingers. When he did, a portion of his subordinates hurriedly moved and brought out a chair for Yi Ji-Hyuk to sit on, a table and a parasol.
......................
In the midst of all that, another one arrived carrying a cup of iced coffee,pleting a little vacation spot for Yi Ji-Hyuks enjoyment in the middle of this nameless desert.
...Please take a good rest here until those stinking European fools arrive. (Alpha)
Wha? I thought being stinky was exclusively an Yankee trait? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Youll swiftly change your mind after smelling a Russians body odour. (Alpha)
...I was wrong. I admit it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sipped on the cold coffee and waited, and soon enough, the European ability users began arriving one by one.
Hmm? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Unlike the NDF agents who had forgotten to bring along their fear from their homes back in Korea, the Europeans all paled the moment they saw Alphas subordinates and hurriedly avoided making eye contact.
Just like how a mutt would tuck its tail firmly between its legs after encountering a tiger, their spirit seemed to have been suppressed from the get-go.
Whats gotten into them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, they have shed against Alphas underlings way more than us so they know what kind of people they are dealing with. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Are you saying our people will end up like them if they have shed often, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nope, not even remotely possible. Our people will never stop running their mouths off even as they die. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And whos fault was it that they evolved in that manner?
While losing their fear, they gained incessant mouths, instead.
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled and finished the rest of the coffee, then stood up from the chair.
Alrighty, then. Time to get started. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He loudly pped his hands and took a look around. After making sure that everyone was paying him undivided attention, he cheerily opened his mouth.
You lot better prepare yourselves to die today. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, none of them speaks Korean. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Why didnt you say that earlier?
< 443. Thats the only thing I can give you -3 >
Chapter 444: That’s the only thing I can give you (4)
Chapter 444: Thats the only thing I can give you (4)
A quick but careful headcount indicated that there must be at least two thousand people present here.
This number might make one lose all semnce of hope when considering that they all needed to be trained, but on the flip side, this was not a high number at all when considering the important fact that these people hade from all corners of the globe.
Yeah, its actually way too low. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Another problem was the uncertainty over just how much of a help they would provide to humanity even if they became twice as strong as their current selves.
Could they deal with a demon king after getting stronger than now, for instance?
Highly doubtful.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk still had to train them up so that they could at least fight against the demon king army. That was the main point of this venture but he was not confident of them actually attaining such a level. Well, he too had never tried anything simr to what they were about to embark on, thats why.
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seeing how Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to be in some kind of dilemma, Choi Jeong-Hoon decided to say something.
Should we go inside? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
No, before that... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and replied.
Lets do something else first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
*
Hey, over there! Draw the lines properly, will ya?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
The people busy digging the ground with the equipment the teleporters had brought in began frowning quite deeply.
What the hell are we even doing?
Bloody hell.
For the sake of protecting humanity, they would receive new powers. Although this mission would be tough and difficult, as long as they could ovee the trials, they would be bestowed with powers several times stronger than right now.
...That was the exnation they were all given.
The whole world was exposed to the threats posed by the demon kings, yes, but if you asked which location had suffered the most then everyone would invariably point to Europe.
Sure, you could argue that after Beijing was nuked to oblivion and LA was turned into a city of death, Asia and North America both had lost quite a lot themselves, but that was still not as grave as Europe that had already lost Turkey and Germany.
Especially more so when the Europeans deployed almost all of their avable forces to the frontlines in the hope of saving Germany, arguably the centre of Europe itself, and suffered massive losses as a result. Unlike the Europeans, the Americans withdrew their troops early on to minimise their losses while China chose to leave the defences to the regional armies, instead.
If things continued on at the same rate, itd not be long before Europe would crumble down, never to recover. And that was why these ability users volunteered for this training session while preparing to even sacrifice their lives if it needs be, but now...
Who dares to stand up straight and not work?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
This punk wearing blue tracksuits found in the centre of everyone shouted out in Korean, which no one here could speak, then a tall and good-looking fellow next to him interpreted the shout in variousnguages and shouted out himself next.
What a f*cking polite as*hole that guy is.
Tranting into English would be enough for most people here to get the gist of the shouting, but when it got tranted into various mother tongues like that, everyone got progressively more and more unhappy.
Why are we even digging the ground like this?!
F*ck! Who the hell knows?
They all showed up with grave determinations filling up their hearts, but the mission given to them was quite literally to dig the ground like some chumps.
Michael looked down at the shovel in his hand, his expression crumpling to an unbelievable degree. Even right at this moment, his country was barrelling straight towards ruin. Half of its territory was destroyed while its citizens had be refugees that sought out shelter in the neighbouring nations.
He could barely suppress the urgency eating away at his heart right now, yet never mind training, he had to shovel dirt away like this?
F*cking hell! (Michael)
Michael threw the shovel down on the ground and stood up straight.
What are you doing?
I didnte here to do crap like this. If this is all I do here then I might as well go back to Germany, instead! Itll be better to fight and die. My countrymen are all in grave danger yet what the hell is the meaning of this stupid act?! (Michael)
Calm down, Michael. Dont you know who that guy is?
...D*mmit. (Michael)
Michael stared at the one sitting under the parasol and seeping away on a cold drink.
Yi Ji-Hyuk. A cheat-like ability user who just appeared out of nowhere and became renowned throughout the world.
This devil of a man shot past Alphas own infamy who was previously known as the most vile person on the, and became the worlds number one target to watch out for in no time at all.
Its no bloody joke. (Michael)
Just by looking at all the things the Korean had done so far, Michael could tell that he was on another dimensionpared to the rest of the ability users.
Regr people would only have a vague notion of it but ability users easily understood the monumental scale of the things Yi Ji-Hyuk had done so far. As a proof, even Alpha, understood to be next to impossible to fight against, became a well-behaved sheep in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk.
But so what?! (Michael)
Indeed, the urgency in his heart was far too great to be suppressed by some thoughts of not wanting to earn the ire of that man.
Michael strode angrily towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Look here, man! (Michael)
Choi Jeong-Hoon frowned while looking at Michael approaching them with an angrily scowl etched on his face.
Looks like a reactionary has risen up. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, there will always be brave people somewhere. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Michael couldnt understand what these two men were yapping on about, but he still red in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Why are we doing something like this? (Michael)
Whatnguage was that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Its English, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Oh. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Michael was being considerate when speaking in English, but to the definitely-not-multilingual Yi Ji-Hyuk who could only distinguish whether thenguage being spoken was Eastern or Western in nature, such a consideration was amentable waste of time, instead.
Dang it, I might as well re-activate the trantion magic or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Since he couldnt wield magic freely like back when he could rely on dark Mana, he had to cancel all the unnecessary spells cast on him, but that only ended up causing this lost-in-trantion crisis, instead.
Okay, so what is he saying? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hes asking why hes supposed to do this work. Let me interpret for you in real time, then. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Tell him that it is a necessity. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tranted, and Michaels expression crumpled once more.
I came here to learn the new technique that can supposedly fight against the demon kings. But youre telling us to dig the ground, instead? Is it to bury the dead demon kings, then? Bloody hell. What is the meaning of this?! I will not keep doing this anymore. (Michael)
Then go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk listening to the real-time trantion waved his hand dismissively, and a nk look floated up on Michaels face next.
What did you say? (Michael)
I said, go. You going deaf or something? You can go now. Bye. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk waved his hand as if to chase away a fly.
Call a teleporter over here and send this guy home. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Understood. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
When the situation started going down in an unexpected direction, Michael urgently shouted out in a fluster.
If you keep making us do this, then not just me but many others will start leaving as well! (Michael)
Then tell them to leave, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied in an unconcerned manner. The one to be speechless at his reaction was Michael, instead.
I thought you have a duty to train us? (Michael)
What did you say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk groaned deeply.
Man, some tramps wanted in on the proceedings so I let them join us out of pity, but now they are starting to get vocal with me? Hey, man. It doesnt matter to me whether youre here or not, so if all youre nning to do isin, then just get lost. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from the chair and shouted out.
Anyone wishing toin, leave now! Youre all getting on my nerves! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The crowd began stirring up from that.
After listening to Choi Jeong-Hoon tranting for them, some became flustered while some shot Yi Ji-Hyuk res filled with pure dissatisfaction. All sorts of reactions could be spied from them.
But one interesting thing to note here was that every single ability user showing some reaction came from Europe and America.
None of the people Alpha brought along or the NDF agents were paying even the slightest bit of attention to him at the moment. Except one.
Can I go home in that case? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun raised his hand and asked but Choi Jeong-Hoon silently shot him down with a familiar finger pointing gesture. Looking thoroughly dejected now, Kim Dah-Hyun picked the shovel up and started digging the ground once more.
Michael sensed that the situation had be even more weirder and opened his mouth again.
What we want are an exnation and a proper n that... (Michael)
Grab.
It was then, someone suddenly grabbed the back of Michaels neck.
Man, you are a talkative one, arent you? You must be French. (Alpha)
Michael confirmed who had grabbed his neck and instantly all colour drained out of his face.
A-Alpha. (Michael)
He felt a deathly chill creep on his skin after realising that Alpha was staring at him with his white hair dancing in the desert wind.
Yi Ji-Hyuk might be stronger than Alpha, but ording to all the stories being told, the former was an entric person while thetter was not. Alpha was a devil among all devils who would crush you underfoot like some insignificant insect without even batting an eyelid.
I, Im German. (Michael)
Oh, a refugee from the invaded nation, I see. In that case, I can sort of understand where this overreaction ising from. Which is somewhat unfortunate, because if you were French, Id have felt no qualms about killing you on the spot. (Alpha)
...........
Alpha smirked and addressed Yi Ji-Hyuk.
What should I do? I think by ripping this guys head off and hanging it up somewhere up there will take care of any dissenting individuals. Are you in favour of such a method? (Alpha)
Argh, just tell the whole lot to go home or something. Man, there are already way too many people here and thats making it harder to focus, you know? Itd been fine to have only about a hundred people or something, so why did you have to go and make a big fuss and annoy me like this? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Looks like it was all my fault. (Alpha)
Alpha sneakily avoided making eye contact with an expression that said, Oopsie.
So, you heard him, right? (Alpha)
........ (Michael)
I actually like people whoin. Because, its those types of people who eventually change the world. People satisfied by the present and simply follow the herd can never transform our world. So, a guy like you can be a revolutionary, a reformer, if things work out in your favour. I really like people like that. With me so far? (Alpha)
Michael mindlessly nodded his head.
However, youck this one crucial little thing. Wonder what that is? (Alpha)
Michael couldnt reply verbally. He had no mental leeway to.
But that made sense considering that the worlds most brutal and merciless killer was threatening him right by his side.
You dont have the strength. (Alpha)
Alpha smiled in a good-natured manner.
You need power for a revolution to seed and to reform something. When someone without the necessary strengthins, that person bes a rebel and nothing more. (Alpha)
Alphas hand gripping the back of Michaels neck tightened gradually.
No one present today is feeling chuffed about their current situation. But do you know why they are still following orders without muchints? You think youre the only smart one here who feels unhappy about their situation? (Alpha)
............
And so, what should we do now? Im extremely in favour of setting an example, so I... (Alpha)
p!
It was right then C a shoe splendidlynded on Alphas face.
Hul. (Alpha)
The shoe hitting Alphas face slowly slid down to the ground as if to re-enact a scene from a cartoon.
Stop wasting time and shovel, dude. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...But, what about my dignity in front of my people?! (Alpha)
Wanna lose more of that dignity, then?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I shall get right back to shovelling, yessir. (Alpha)
Alpha hurriedly picked up his shovel resting on the ground and trotted away, so Michael also decided to sneak away from this spot in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk as well.
Holy sh*t, that guy was the real wacko here. (Michael)
The world might be home to some of the weirdest people out there, but to think that someone would be crazy enough to hurl a shoe in Alphas face. Not even the President of the United States would dare to do something that ballsy.
Hey, you! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk called out to Michael trying to retreat from there.
Y-yes sir? (Michael)
Bring me my shoe! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, yes sir! (Michael)
Michael picked up the shoe on the ground and cautiously presented it back to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Now go finish shovelling. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes sir! (Michael)
And so, all dissatisfaction had been cleanly stitched up, just like that.
Even the ones other than Michael feeling unhappy right now became utterly silent, and the majority simply decided to swallow back their dissatisfaction.
Lets not escape from here, either.
Whether it was getting beaten up to death by Alpha or Yi Ji-Hyuk, the current atmosphere suggested that anyone foolish enough to try would end up getting beaten up severely for sure.
Those in charge of controlling their fellow ability users from their respective nations quickly and quietly spread around the current situation. Once the order to keep quiet and do as told made rounds, the rate of shovelling doubled in speed in no time at all.
Are we finally finished? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk got up from the chair.
A massive magic circle wasing together around this huge dome-like structure.
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If he was still able to use dark Mana, then he wouldnt have to rely on a method this cumbersome, but unfortunately, he was in a situation where he needed to use the least amount of Mana in the most efficient manner possible.
The best method to construct a magic circle of this nature around the dome would be to simply draw it personally, as it were.
Hey, over there! That line isnt straight, you dumba*ses! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shouted out angrily, and the NDF agents acting as the foremen rushed to the offending spot en masse to roar out at the top of their lungs, and oversaw the new operation to cover the ground up before digging it out again.
Hurry up and get it done already! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ones shouting out, and the ones urging the others on. A giant dome in the middle of a desert and ves that... oops, ability users, that continued to toil away while not being permitted to even stretch their cramped backs...
Alpha sinctly summarised this scene in one go.
So this was how the Pyramids were built, huh. (Alpha)
You also get back to work, fool! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes, yes! As you wish. (Alpha)
Alpha roughly nted his shovel into the ground below.
< 444. Thats the only thing I can give you -4 > Fin.
Chapter 445: That’s the only thing I can give you (5)
Chapter 445: Thats the only thing I can give you (5)
Yi Ji-Hyuk confirmed that the ground had been more or less dug out ording to his instruction and levitated himself high up in the air. He even levitated along with the chair as well, and after reaching some altitude to look down at the ground, began frowning deeply.
Kinda feels wrong somehow... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The ground had been dug well, sure, but thanks to so many people working together, the depths of the pits varied by quite a bit. The magic circles effects wouldve been stronger if the depths were uniform, but...
We dont have the time for that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even with so many of the human excavating machines, the ability users, toiling away, the job took this long to finish. So, even if the heavy machinery were to be brought in, they would still fail to reach the level of quality Yi Ji-Hyuk was looking for in three or four days.
He decided to let the missed opportunity be just that, missed, and gestured with his hands.
Tell everyone to get outside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon heard him and shouted out loudly to direct people outside the magic circle.
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up on the floating chair and while looking down, slowly waved his hands around. He carefully controlled the flow of Mana rushing around inside his body and directed it to the ground below.
His Mana then flowed into the magic circle perfectly encasing the massive dome.
Wow...
People witnessed a rainbow of colours flow through the magic circle and gasped out in admiration.
They did feel deeply aggrieved when thinking about how hard they had to shovel away to create the path for the Mana to travel, but separate from all that, they couldnt deny the fact that the spectacle before their eyes was still beautiful to behold.
A truly humongous magic circle that surrounded a dome as big as several American Football pitchesbined together finally revealed itself.
The circle emitted beautiful light like a dancing aurora after being charged with Yi Ji-Hyuks Mana.
Oh, ohhh!
The ability users were impressed just from the fact that all their hard work wasnt just for giggles, it seemed. None of them knew what this magic circle signified, but it certainly was doing something right now, wasnt it?
Hoh-oh. (Alpha)
Alpha observed the illuminated magic circle with eyes gleaming brightly.
Indeed, its noticeably different. (Alpha)
It wasnt that hard to figure out something was happening inside. But he couldnt figure out what that something was.
One might assume that the disparate powers wouldrgely be simr, but the truth was, Yi Ji-Hyuks magic was founded upon the usage of Mana and its framework waspletely different from the ability users powers.
Yes, this is it. (Alpha)
Alpha quietly licked his lips.
Humanity had reached a limit in the subject of abilities. Of course, with more time given, the ability users would surely find the extra room to evolve even further. Just like how the most advancedputer way back in the eighties, the Intel 286, came across as an obsolete antique that no one could quite figure out how to use nowadays.
Just twenty years of extra time, and the future ability users might be so advanced that the current crop of ability users woulde across as children fooling around to them.
However, there was no time.
The demonic beings definitely would never give humanity so much leeway to get stronger.
Now normally, for those who had reached and exceeded the nominal threshold, they would have to put in equally as much effort and dedication they had already put in to reach that point if they wanted to improve themselves by just one extra percentage point.
However, those crawling up from the very bottom didnt need a whole lot of effort to reach the threshold.
Thats exactly what Alpha was aiming for.
Rather than improving the already-existing powers of these ability users, itd be far more effective to teach them new abilities and bring about a synergisticbination of the new and old.
In Alphas estimation, the potential worth of Yi Ji-Hyuks magic exceeded that of this worlds abilities.
Although it wont be easy. (Alpha)
Alpha reminded himself of the simple mantra of nothing in this world is that simple, and silently shifted his gaze over to Yi Ji-Hyuk levitating up in the air. Thetter had his eyes closed while waving his hands about this way and that.
Mana was probably gushing out from those waving hands, no doubt.
It was right then C Yi Ji-Hyuk abruptly opened his eyes. At the same time, his fingertips seemed to glow bright white then the rainbow of coloursing from the magic circle rose up instantly to reach several dozens of metres in the air.
FLASH!
Hoh-oh? (Alpha)
Alpha continued to observe the magic circle in amazement.
The walls of light shooting out from the circle rotated and flowed like streams of water, and eventually rose up in the massive half-spherical shape topletely envelop the dome.
It was as if an even bigger dome made out of Mana had wrapped around the dome made by the humans.
I can see it. (Alpha)
Alphas eyes gleamed brightly.
He knew it existed but never could he feel or see it until today. Yet here it was, the existence known as Mana having fully materialised and visibly moving before his eyes.
How mysterious. (Alpha)
How should he go about describing this situation?
It was as if he was looking at the oxygen particles in the air dancing and fleeting about after some colour had been added to them. A type of energy Alpha had never sensed before was now fully revealed before his eyes.
Is this Mana? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly floating down from the air nodded as an answer.
Ng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did you do this so that we can see it better? (Alpha)
Not really? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk replied with a very serious face.
How should I put this... Its kinda like an unintended side effect? Or a side benefit of sorts? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Excuse me? (Alpha)
I was gathering a lot of Mana here and this special effect show is merely the consequence of different Mana types colliding against each other. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehng? (Alpha)
Alpha stared Yi Ji-Hyuk with a face that said, What are you talking about?
Simply put, you can now consider the density of Mana inside the light to be anywhere from five to ten times greater than outside. And this phenomenon is happening because that much Mana has amassed inside there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh... (Alpha)
Finally Alpha figured out the reason for their hardbour.
You know, if you informed us earlier of such a thing, none of us wouldve raised voices of objections. (Alpha)
Oh, so youre the type to inform your people before you start something, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, not at all. (Alpha)
How could he do something so bothersome like that?
Anyways, tell them to go inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yessir! (Alpha)
Alpha nodded theatrically and stepped in front of everyone.
Ladies and gentlemen! (Alpha)
Alphas voice contained this vague quality that could catch the listeners attention.
Thank you for your patience. However, now you all can finally receive the proper training you so longed for. Even those of you harbouring much dissatisfaction in your hearts, I advise you to forget about it and step right inside. (Alpha)
Alpha pointed to a section of the crowd.
Lets start from you folks. Yes, you. (Alpha)
The European ability users exchanged uncertain nces after being singled out, but eventually began walking towards the dome.
...You know, this is kinda suspicious...
Mana was oozing out from the boundaries of the magic circle like some kind of a fountain. It was as if a thin, transparent barrier had materialised in the air, or it was like looking at falling rain drops.
Anyone would feel less than enthusiastic about walking in there.
Step aside. (Michael)
When people hesitated for too long without going inside, Michael bravely stepped forward.
We dont have time to waste like this. Even now those d*mn demons are widening their territory without a rest. (Michael)
He gritted his teeth and pushed himself inside the swirling, dancing wall of Mana.
Fuu-wooph. (Michael)
He nervously sucked in a deep breath, but nothing weird happened to him.
Come inside. Theres no problem. (Michael)
Others became a bit more braver from that sight and also began stepping inside as well. Using the massive front gate, several hundreds of European ability users patiently filed into the dome.
Didnt I say they are a brave bunch of folks? (Alpha)
And you threatened to kill them all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Making an example out of someone is always a necessity, after all. Surely you also agree? (Alpha)
Sure, its a pretty good way to enhance productivity. However... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
YI Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
I dont need better productivity or efficiency from them, anyway. If they get too motivated and try harder, itll only be me getting exhausted in the end, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But dont you need to train them in order to stop the demon kings? (Alpha)
Nah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and stared straight at Alpha.
Youre talking about something weird there, dude. I came here to train only you, didnt I? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Is that how it was? (Alpha)
Im not nning to sweat over the side dishes. The only one Ill be paying close attention to will be you, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im not quite sure whether to be happy or feel despair about that. (Alpha)
Be happy after you get through this ordeal first. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha realised that Yi Ji-Hyuk wasnt joking and trembled where he stood.
This... Why do I get the feeling that we are definitely not messing around here? (Alpha)
While they chatted away, the American and European ability users all entered the dome, then Alphas underlings began entering the structure next.
Hey, boss! Well go ahead first, so enjoy your date for a bit longer!
Imma rip your pie holeter, got it? (Alpha)
Alpha replied with a straight face and looked back to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Before we get down to the serious training, theres something Ive been meaning to ask. (Alpha)
Shoot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In your estimation, do I have a chance against a demon king if I somehow master magic? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sounded dismayed while replying.
You kidding me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I thought as much. (Alpha)
Well, maybe you do if you use up all of your hidden trump cards. Yeah, then you might stand some chance. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, I dont have any hidden trump cards, you know. Ive already used them all. (Alpha)
Well, in that case we are all screwed for good, then. Theres no point in teaching anymore, I guess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Let me tell you, its a popr trend to be a man with secrets these days. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked and lightly kicked Alpha in the butt.
Go inside already, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yessir! As youmand. (Alpha)
Alpha headed inside first, and the NDF agents quickly surrounded Yi Ji-Hyuk next.
Are we also going inside?
Obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Urgh.
It was not known why this agent asked something so bloody obvious. The NDF agents trudged inside the dome next, leaving Yi Ji-Hyuk and Choi Jeong-Hoon behind.
Will this really be fine? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Well, if I say lets back off at this point, thats going to incite a riot, you know? I wasnt thinking of backing off, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I fear that you might be handing the doomsday devices key to that nutcase by doing this. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Thats an entertaining notion. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled loudly.
Im not kidding. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And does it look like I am? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon met Yi Ji-Hyuks pointed stare.
For sure, thetters eyes were not even remotely smiling right now.
Doesnt matter if its a criminal or a wacko, we gotta use every single one we can find. Well, even the doors to the prisons would be thrown wide open if your country is being invaded, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats true, but... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its no fun repeating myself, so why dont we stop here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dismissively waved his hand about and leisurely strode towards the dome.
Seriously though, there wont be any problems, I hope. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Problems? Such as? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I mean, will it be fine to iste so many able ability users inside this ce? It looks like almost all of each nationsbat force has been gathered here, you know? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Itll be fine. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon replied in a conclusive tone of voice.
Gates are no longer appearing these days, after all. Honestly, even the most useful ability users are useless in our current situation. Putting them against the demon kings would only result in their meaningless deaths, but with no Gates opening up, they cant even be put to work somewhere else, either. In other words, others not going in there wont have anything to do other than shovel some dirt somewhere else. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded.
For sure, there didnt seem to be a need to worry about a shortage of manpower when no Gates were showing up.
In that case, should I get serious and mess them up a bit? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk strode inside the dome while lightly spinning his shoulders. Choi Jeong-Hoon could only stare at him and the dome with a face filled with worries.
In a way, this ce might be humanitysst stronghold. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Since they werent nning to stage a sit-in inside the dome, calling it a stronghold was a bit awkward but there was no doubting that this dome was humanitysst hope. If Yi Ji-Hyuk failed to do something in there then the world wouldnt be able to endure for much longer.
I believe in you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon also rushed after Yi Ji-Hyuk entering the dome. For better or for worse, the end result should be determined in this ce.
By the way... Im not going to participate, right? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Now why should you sit this one out? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
This sudden desire to return to his office mushroomed quite rapidly inside Choi Jeong-Hoons heart.
< 445. Thats the only thing I can give you -5 > Fin.
Chapter 446: Is their relationship good or bad (1)
Chapter 446: Is their rtionship good or bad (1)
All personnel have entered the training area without any issues, sir.
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su received that report and his expression hardened.
Its finally begun. (Song Jeong-Su)
It all felt so much more real now.
Humanity had basically betted everything of theirs on those inside the dome.
Hope, is it. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su could only chuckle softly.
What a futile, vain hope this was.
The whole world was mouring to join in the activity that originally began as a desperatest-ditch effort to grasp at the straws. Governments with some amount of leeway were throwing tantrums or begging incessantly to have the ability users from their respective nations included in the training program.
Japan ended up being excluded in the nning stages but her government was still requesting to be included through the official diplomatic channels even now. Although the Korean side hung up the phone on them while saying, Ask the Americans!
Itll work out, yes? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min asked, but Song Jeong-Su could only sigh.
No one knows that, sir. All we can do now is ce our faith in them. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm... (Yun Yeong-Min)
It wasnt as if Yun Yeong-Min didnt know that. What he wanted to hear was some kind of constion, some words offort. However, Song Jeong-Su wouldnt be the right person to ask for such things.
And now, its up to us. (Song Jeong-Su)
Indeed. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded with a hardened expression.
Whod have known that their absence would feel thisrge? (Yun Yeong-Min)
All those inside the dome with Yi Ji-Hyuk as their lead shouldnt be able toe outside for a while. If they failed, then theplete annihtion of the human race was a certainty. It couldnt be helped either if the world was destroyed while they were getting stronger, too.
The current case was basically them betting on some blind luck in a losing gamble. If it worked, itd be the literal jackpot, but it wouldnt matter if they lost a bit quicker than expected.
They shouldnt expect any help from Yi Ji-Hyuk and the NDF, so if something happened within the Korean penins, they needed to solve it themselves.
Yun Yeong-Min was reminded of that stark fact and came to realise howrge the absence of Yi Ji-Hyuk & Co was. Also, how much easier his presidency had been all thanks to their hard work until now.
I would have preferred to be not reminded of such things. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Just as Yun Yeong-Min sighed helplessly, the inte noisily beeped at him.
What happened? (Yun Yeong-Min)
He answered the call and a swift reply came his way.
C Sir, a call from the Americans. Christopher McLaren is requesting to speak to you.
Connect him through. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Shortly afterwards, the call got connected.
C First of all, Id like to express my regret in getting in touch with you in this manner. (Christopher McLaren)
Not at all. Ill always wee your call. Alright, then. What can I do for you? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C It seems that Im the bearer of bad news today. (Christopher McLaren)
Bad news, is it? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Yes, Mister President. Its truly bad news. (Christopher McLaren)
Yun Yeong-Min spat out a lengthy groan.
If Christopher McLaren was willing to say its bad, then it should be a really bad one. The American had this dignified side to him so hed not raise a fuss over something minor.
I havent heard anything yet but it feels like my heart is ready to stop beating, Mister McLaren. Alright, so what happened? If I wait for any longer, I might really suffer from a heart attack so please be direct. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C The rate of the demon kings advancing forward has gotten faster. (Christopher McLaren)
...Mm, well. I dont think calling that bad news doesnt even adequately cover it. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su hurriedly took over from Yun Yeong-Min.
Just how much faster are we talking about?! (Song Jeong-Su)
C Over three times. (Christopher McLaren)
Son of a b*tch. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su spat out a groan and leaned against the couch.
Surely, there cant be anything worse than that. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Regrettably, Im afraid there is. (Christopher McLaren)
Please hurry up with it, then! This is no time to build up anticipation for an amazing reaction, now is it! (Song Jeong-Su)
C Gates have begun reappearing. (Christopher McLaren)
What was that?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus eyes shook powerfully.
What was he even saying? Gates were what?
But, we havent received any reports regarding that? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Gates are spreading first from Africa. And some have already opened near Europe as we speak. (Christopher McLaren)
Just how much worse will things get... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su buried his face between his knees.
If God really existed, then he must be a truly wicked viin. If thats not it, then maybe he had a horrible hobby of watching and enjoying the sights of humans falling to despair.
Seriously now, getting annihted in one go would be far more preferable than this torture. He felt like hed lose his sanity first before he died while watching humanity gradually being suffocated to death like this.
However, I cant give up yet and thats another problem in itself. Hah, hahaha... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su pulled out a cigarette and mouthed it.
...Ah, may I? (Song Jeong-Su)
Go ahead, please. Lets do something like that on our own discretion without asking for permission. This is no time to sweat over the presidents authority or whatever. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I know that now is the time to say something that respects the presidential authority, but as I dont have much energy to do so at the moment, Ill just smoke this cigarette. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su lit the cigarette up and roughly spat out the bluish smoke.
...First thing first. We must inform the KSF. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Mister President. (Christopher McLaren)
Please speak. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C With China in literal pieces right now, the sole remaining representative of Asia is South Korea. Japan has lost her influence a long time ago, and even Southeast Asia is in the midst of breaking apart as well. Meaning, Korea must step up to the te now. (Christopher McLaren)
Cant China recover at all? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Their leadership structure has beenpletely obliterated. The after-effects of Beijings destruction is much worse than we anticipated. The surviving executives of the Communist Party are doing their best to restore some semnce of order, but its still a chaotic free-for-all at the moment. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm... Your response is? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C We are aiming for a reconstruction through Taiwan, but as it turns out, the maind Chinese hate the Taiwanese guts more than they hate the Japanese. We thought itd work out since they split from the same country, but well. (Christopher McLaren)
You managed to hold on to your position with such a level of discernment? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Even if the Blue House blew up and caused the deaths of the sitting president as well as the members of the ruling party, the popce still wouldnt entrust the North Korean regime to take over the governance. And thats basically what the Americans were attempting to do here.
C Whether its the Taiwanese government or the surviving Communists, we need to support someone to sufficiently resolve the crisis, but as we need to focus all of our attention internally, Im afraid resolving this matter will be rather difficult. (Christopher McLaren)
I understand what youre trying to say. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C I see. Well, then. (Christopher McLaren)
After the sound of the call getting disconnected came through the speaker, Song Jeong-Su began to audibly tut.
America is also on the decline. (Song Jeong-Su)
If an event of this nature happened at a time where the demon kings hadnt shown up yet, then America as well as every other surrounding country wouldve done their absolute hardest to butt in. They wouldvee up with all sorts of excuses and pretexts to divide and rule China.
But doing that was impossible right now.
Rather than salivating over potential benefits from a distantnd, the uncertainty of the immediate survival took priority. America, for instance, had already recalled all of their armed forces stationed throughout the world in order to prepare for the eventual showdown with the demon king.
If they failed to defeat the demons, then itd really be the end of the world.
For now, we dont have a choice but to defend to our best abilities and pray that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk finishes their preparation as soon as possible. (Song Jeong-Su)
Mm, thats true. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su let out a grave-sounding groan and stared outside the windows.
Please hurry up, fe. (Song Jeong-Su)
***
Keuh-eeeeeeu... (Michael)
Michael was crawling on the floor.
Dust continuously got sucked in and out of his wheezing mouth, but he just didnt have the mental or physical leeway to mind all that grating particles mixed his spittle right now.
All of his attention was focused on the foreign energy sources circting inside his body.
How should he go about describing this sensation? Should he say, it feels like two snakes, one made out fire while the other ice, were wiggling and coiling all over his innards?
This sensation, and the horrifying pain that defied any attempt to describe it in mere words, ensured that he couldnt even lift a single finger at the moment.
Cough!
Eventually the energies circting inside his body calmed down. Michael coughed out some phlegm of blood andboriously pushed himself off the ground with both of his shaking arms.
He raised his head only to discover the mug of Yi Ji-Hyuk, currently sitting on a beach chair and nodding his head.
God d*mn it. (Michael)
Michael was confident of oveing any harsh training.
Because, he found his pain to be nothing to cry about afterparing it to the suffering of his fellow countrymen. He nned to follow the order even if it said not to sleep for a month, and he thought he was prepared mentally to endure and swallow whatever insults came his way.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuks method simply crushed all of his determination.
Michael thought that in order to master this thing called Mana, one at least had to be able to move something. Proactively, to boot.
But all he did after entering this dome was...
You still cant sense it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted loudly, then raised his hand up. At the same time, a cloud of Mana emitting brilliant light began forming above Michaels head.
The German ability user dazedly stared up at that cloud.
Heeeeiiik?!
No, noooo!!!!
Screams began exploding from all around Michael. His fellow ability users, all copsed to the ground with nary a hint of energy left to even lift a finger, witnessed the cloud of Mana and were trying to stagger back up to their feet.
Well, they wanted to escape from here, thats why.
Unfortunately, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt seem all that interested in their desires at the moment.
He simply drew his finger downward, and the cloud above their heads began descending on them.
Keu-heup! (Michael)
Michael clenched his teeth hard.
His back tooth mustve been broken already because he thought the teeth back there werent closing properly somehow.
He wasnt trying to endure while gritting his teeth here; if he didnt do that, he might bite his tongue off while thrashing about in this horrendous pain.
Just as he clenched his teeth, the Mana cloud nketed Michael and the others.
Kkeuh-eeeeeeeuh... (Michael)
The sensation of Mana digging into his entire body could be felt far too clearly. At the same time, his body began expanding like a balloon. This disparate energy infiltrated his flesh and began circting in his veins once more. It felt like all of his tightly-ballooning blood vessels were about to explode.
Im not asking you to endure the pain! Feel it! Feel whats inside your bodies! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Talking is cheap, you son of a b*tch! (Michaels inner monologue)
If only he could, Michael oh-so wanted to rush towards that brazen b*stard and tear his tongue out right now.
Too bad, that was impossible for him right now. He couldnt even take a single step forward, after all.
His knees eventually gave in. His face was falling towards the dirt floor again, yet his arms didnt even react. Michael literally kissed the ground and while thrashing about in pain, he groaned and grunted helplessly.
The pain wrecking his innards were so immense that despite his face being the first thing to hit the ground from the standing position, he didnt register any pain from the impact.
Such minor pain might as well didnt even exist right now. The pain felt from all corners of his innards was far greater, after all.
How long... how long am I supposed to do this? (Michael)
For how long?!
The cycle of getting hit by the Mana cloud and thrashing about on the floor repeated itself seemingly for the whole day. If this continued, then forget about sensing this Mana or whatever, they would kick the bucket first.
Yi Ji-Hyuk inwardly clicked his tongue while watching all these people rolling around on the ground.
Yeah, its difficult, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just like how it wouldnt be all that hard to guide and dweller to an ocean and say, See? This is an ocean, all these people here understood what Mana was and what kind of an existence it was, too.
But then, what if you told the samend dweller that, now they understood what an ocean was, they needed to go underwater and live like a fish?
That was basically what these people were doing right now.
...Pouring sea water non-stop in their mouths and nostrils until they developed gills.
This method sure was a barbaric and stupid way to go about it, but well, one might be allowed to im that the sole constion of this method was that you didnt need several generations for the evolution to ur.
Without a doubt, some folks here should seed in enduring against this pain and managing to grab hold of the tail of the illusive beast called Mana.
They need to sense it with their own bodies. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Exining verbally ad nauseam was pointless.
Would someone with no knowledge of fire understand what fire was just because you verbally exined it?
If the person was oblivious to the effects of fire but wished to learn more, then the fastest method would be to shove their hand inside the mes.
Although there would be some losses, the resulting effect would be crystal clear.
Unsurprisingly, Yi Ji-Hyuk was someone who chased after the absolute effectiveness while willing to risk the adverse side effects, and as a result, it was the poor ability users bearing the cost of his actions by almost half-dying right now.
At least they do have some determination, Ill give them that much. Wouldnt you agree? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shifted his gaze over to a lump of meat wiggling in front of him and smirked deeply.
Hey, Alpha? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The lump wiggled once more after being called Alpha.
< 446. Is their rtionship good or bad -1 > Fin.
Chapter 447: Is their relationship good or bad (2)
Chapter 447: Is their rtionship good or bad (2)
Alpha was stuck in the border that separated human from lump of meat.
His bodys regenerative powers exceeded a regr human beings by a huge margin. Not only that, he even overwhelmingly outpaced other ability users, as well.
Yet his body had not reverted back to how it was, not even by a little. Because, Yi Ji-Hyuk was still shoving more Mana inside Alpha even now.
I mean, people like them are giving it their all, so you might as well do even more, right? Its what you wanted, anyway. Isnt it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
As soon as Yi Ji-Hyuks words came to an end, the magic circle inscribed below Alphas figure suddenly began emitting bright light. And this light dug deep into thetters flesh.
This lump of meat that could have beenbelled as a corpse without any issues began trembling visibly next.
Not being able to scream would be a good thing for him. If his teeth remained, they wouldve been shattered by now, and he might even have bitten his tongue off, too.
You see, this thing called Mana is... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began whispering into the part he thought was Alphas ear.
...Not something we humans were supposed to use. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He continued to speak in a snarky tone.
Were lifeforms of Ether, you see? Simply put, us trying to use Mana is like... Its kinda like a tree that lives off carbon dioxide now must walk around using its roots and breathe oxygen in order to survive. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He then lightly kicked Alphas body a couple of times.
You get what Im saying? Hang on, maybe you cant even hear me? I guess I shouldve left your mouth intact, at least. My bad. This thing isnt entirely controble, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He began cackling hoarsely next.
When you came to see me, asking me to teach you magic, you probably were prepared to go through this much, am I wrong? We dont have much time left and we dont know when the demon kings would destroy the world, so I hope you werent thinking of getting a nice little private lesson in thefort of your own home or something. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon next to them stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with trembling eyes.
How should he go about describing the current Yi Ji-Hyuk...?
Although this might sound a little strange, it was like looking at a fish that found water. He was unleashing his viinous side so much that one had to wonder just how he managed to keep that all bottled up until now.
Cure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Mana gathered in Yi Ji-Hyuks hand and glowed in pure white light. Alphas body flinched this way and that.
Despite not having any eyeballs, he was reacting to Yi Ji-Hyuks hand gestures.
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Would you look at this guy?
Yi Ji-Hyuk and his amused face stared at Alpha on the ground. He figured at least a minimum of two days would be necessary, yet this fool was getting used to this treatment already.
As far as talent is concerned, I cant evenpare to him. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If it was Alpha ending up in Berafe instead of Yi Ji-Hyuk, then he wouldnt even need a hundred years beforeing back home.
In all honesty, Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt dare topare himself to Alpha as far as their innate talents were concerned. Actually, he wasnt even as good as the other ability users present here, either.
Right. None of them are average, arent they. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Every single person rolling around on the floor in pain belonged to the group of strongest people on Earth. If Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt travel to Berafe and remained here, would he have been as strong as these people?
Wow, what am I even thinking about here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He must really be losing his mind, since he began thinking that the time spent on the other side wasnt all in vain.
Indeed, the one benefiting from all those trials and tribtions Yi Ji-Hyuk had to go through in Berafe was not him but Earth. If he hadnt returned at the right time, this world wouldve been destroyed by now.
Man, Im still working my a*s off even now, too. Cure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The light shooting out from Yi Ji-Hyuks hand permeated into Alpha. At the same time, thetters body rapidly healed. No, rather than calling this process healing, it was more like restoration.
Keuh-haaat! (Alpha)
Alphas previously-crushed face was restored eventually, and with bloodshot eyes, he began looking around urgently.
Hey, Im right over here. Why, you want to hit me or something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Uhm, uh... Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, I dont think the healing thing worked properly? I still cant see anything. (Alpha)
Is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fired another round of cure in Alphas eyes. Thetter blinked several times, before grinning widely.
Aha, now I can see you. (Alpha)
Hey, dude. Stop smiling. You dont have any lips right now, so you look like a dang zombie. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh, really? (Alpha)
Alpha felt around his mouth before frowning a bit.
Im reverting back to how I was before I got messed up, so why havent my teeth grown back already? I was really chuffed thinking that I wouldnt need to spend money on imnts anymore, you know. (Alpha)
...Crazy son of a gun. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head helplessly.
Without a doubt, the little world existing in Alphas head could not be an ordinary one.
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced to the side and confirmed that the European ability users were crawling on the ground, still unable to regain their wits after getting hit by his Mana cloud. Not even a single person was an exception.
And I made sure to shove inside his body about thirty times more than them, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pain wasnt directly proportional to Mana injected so it wouldnt have been thirty times worse than what the rest felt, but still, it shouldve been iparably worse.
Now imagine how a person would react after experiencing pain severe enough for their soul to flee.
They would normally emit animosity strong enough to chew your guts out until no flesh remained, or feel so much fear that they would start convulsing the moment theyy their eyes on you.
However, Alpha was neither of those.
He had experienced the level of pain that even Yi Ji-Hyuk thought would be tough to endure, yet he didnt lose one ounce of his sense of self at all.
Well, he sure is a big fish, alright. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve tried to murder the fool responsible for making him experience that much pain the moment he regained his consciousness. However, other than pantingboriously, Alpha didnt emit a single trace of animosity in Yi Ji-Hyuks direction.
Rationally knowing it didnt mean anyone could do it. A person that could act perfectly rational at all times didnt exist, after all.
Should I praise you a little bit, then? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul? My master? (Alpha)
Shut up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted and began stomping on Alphas face as soon as thetter began panting like a dog. This fool seriously made it hard for anyone to like him.
Hmm. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk looked at his watch, then opened his mouth.
Lets eat first before carrying on. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Wow, our sole leisure time is about to begin. (Alpha)
Alpha had finished restoring most of his limbs by then, so he pushed himself off the ground. But he noticed other ability users still crawling around and furrowed his brows.
They are exaggerating a little too much, arent they? I mean, I can sort of see that their bodies are still in one piece and all. (Alpha)
Youre right about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If the European ability users heard that, they wouldve vomited blood right there and then. Fortunately enough, none of them had any mental leeway toprehend what Alpha and Yi Ji-Hyuk were yapping on about.
Whats on todays menu, I wonder? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I guess itll be burgers? (Alpha)
...Do Americans only eat burgers and nothing else? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You shouldnt underestimate us Americans. We also eat steaks. (Alpha)
Wooow, so amazing. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The two of them walked off while cackling away, and Choi Jeong-Hoon watching their distancing backs could only sigh softly under his breath.
Is their rtionship good or bad? I cant tell... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
And why am I even minding that in our current situation?
Uh-whew. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
*
Michael stared at the food ced on the dining table and chuckled hollowly.
Right now, itd be hard for him to take a sip of watery soup with a spoon yet they wanted him to eat a burger, of all things...?
He just couldnt tell what was in the minds of these crazy sons of b*tches.
Even if he was the proud son of German people capable of munching through sausages as hard as steel, he had no confidence of chewing and swallowing thisbination of meat and bread right now.
Seriously, he was in such a bad shape that hed even refuse a pint ofger so how was he supposed to eat this sh*t?
And it seemed that everyone else shared his sentiment.
They were all simply staring but not bothering to touch the food. Some among them probably couldnt even lift their hands and thats why they were not touching it in the first ce.
If this keeps up, well all die. (Michael)
Michaels body involuntarily shuddered.
Of course, it wasnt as if him and his fellow ability users were being tortured by Yi Ji-Hyuk the whole day long. The American group, the Europeans and Alphas gang took turns to train under his watch. While they were not being tortured, they were told to either meditate or do whatever it takes to sense this thing called Mana. That was pretty much the extent of their training so far.
Meaning, with the exception of sleeping hours, they were training with Yi Ji-Hyuk for only one-third of a day, but even then...
Its impossible to endure even that. (Michael)
Michael tightly clenched his fists. Even as he sat here, Germany was getting destroyed. He was prepared to eat even human flesh if that could potentially reverse the situation, but this... Forget about eating human flesh, wasnt this almost the same as him bing that human flesh, instead?
Can I really be stronger through this type of method? (Michael)
Yi Ji-Hyuks view on this matter was pretty straightforward.
If you couldnt sense Mana, you couldnt learn magic. So, he reasoned, you should forget about all else and prioritise sensing Mana first. And the best way to sense Mana was apparently to get hit by magic repeatedly.
Well, the best time to sense Manas presence was indeed when concentrated Mana entered ones body, that much was certain.
Yi Ji-Hyuks theory was only about half right, however.
The moment that cloud-like Mana created by him entered his victims, they all could vividly feel what Mana was and how it circted throughout their bodies.
But what about the other half, the wrong part?
They could sense Mana only during those moments. Once Mana seeped out from their flesh, all of the sensations they felt vanished like a fleeting nightmare.
Michael knew itd not be easy.
But he had no idea that not easy would mean this.
He was sure of being able to endure his body breaking down or being crushed under pressure. He would dly continue with the training even if his bones shattered in the process.
But what they were doing right now was far closer to research rather than actual training. Not only that, a research with no clear guidelines that no one quite knew what they were supposed to do by themselves.
Griiit...
Michael dragged his fork on the tables surface.
Dam*it. (Michael)
It was then, a white bowl was suddenly presented before Michaels face.
Mm? (Michael)
The bowl in front of him contained warm soup with steam still rising up. He turned his head to see a cool-looking Asian man smiling away.
This should be easier to eat than a burger. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Ah... (Michael)
Christopher McLaren can be rather thoughtless at times, you see. I noticed that the menu wasnt sensible at all. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The Asian man nodded slightly, then while pushing forward a cart, continued to distribute the soup to the rest of the ability users.
ng...
When Michael thought about putting the fork down, his hand just let go without any energy. He couldnt even bring himself to tidy up the discarded fork on the table and barely managed to grasp the spoon with his shaking hand.
I need to eat. (Michael)
Indeed, he had to eat this.
If he didnt, then hed not be able to endure. His stamina would continuously shave away until hed have no choice left but to give up.
Wow, you guys even had soup? Wait, why arent I getting it, too? (Alpha)
Michael watched Alpha saying something nonchntly before getting struck by a fork thrown by Yi Ji-Hyuk, and found all his worries quiteughable.
...If I give up now, theres no one left. (Michael)
Humanitys final bastions were all gathered in this ce. If they gave up then quite literally, that would be it. Michael felt that heavy burden on his heart and began mechanically shoving the soup down his mouth.
I need to get through this. (Michael)
Michael clenched his fist tighter.
Sure, he didnt have any strength to do that, but he feared that hed not be able to wake up tomorrow morning if he didnt steel himself in this manner.
Maybe because he kept shoving the soup in his mouth, his throat itched and he kept wheezing away. And maybe because of all that wheezing, his vision was getting tearier as well.
Dam*it. (Michael)
He couldnt see the bowl of soup properly and that made it harder to use his spoon. So, he just picked up the bowl itself and drank the contents in one go.
Ill definitely seed tomorrow! (Michael)
ng!
Michael put the bowl down as if he wanted to throw it away, then shot up from his chair to head straight back to the sleeping quarters.
Hng. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sneered softly while witnessing that spectacle.
Well, at least his mouth is still functioning. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But for some reason, his sneer threatened to morph into a genuine grin.
Are you actually smiling? (Alpha)
Eat your d*mn food. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yessir. (Alpha)
And so, yet another day came to a close.
< 447. Is their rtionship good or bad -2 > Fin.
Chapter 448: Is their relationship good or bad (3)
Chapter 448: Is their rtionship good or bad (3)
God d*mn it. (Michael)
Michael gritted his teeth and red at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Even though he kept hearing the advice to meditate and feel the Mana, it all sounded like barkings of a stray mutt to his ears at the moment.
Also, he could only see Yi Ji-Hyuk as a b*stard who enjoyed suppressing thousand-plus people and torment them with endless pain.
Its pretty scary when you think about it.
Michael finally began to understand why people kept bringing up the name of Yi Ji-Hyuk so much in the past.
As a matter of fact, he only needed to take one look at Alphas underlings currently crawling on the ground in front of Yi Ji-Hyuk to understand why that mans name became widely known throughout the world.
Even if they were not trying to dodge and were receiving the iing ability with their bodies, how could a single man manage to instantly incapacitate thousand-plus ability users like this?
Such a thing shouldnt even be possible. (Michael)
Indeed, something like that wouldve beenpletely impossible for a regr ability user. But Yi Ji-Hyuk was doing exactly that with a simple flick of his hand.
And that scary fact was making Michael so much more anxious in his mind.
He possesses such a powerful ability, yet he still cant fight against a demon king? (Michael)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was capable of killing a demon king, then surely none of them would have to be here, to receive this sort of training, in the first ce. They had to get stronger because even the one and only Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt win against the demon kings.
But can we really be stronger through this kind of training?
Sure, even if they were guaranteed to get stronger eventually, it had already been five whole days and most of them hadnt even begun sensing anything yet. So just when would they master this thing called Mana and be as strong as Yi Ji-Hyuk?
Michael heard that the three thousand-strong ability users needed to be at least powerful enough to deal with Yi Ji-Hyuk individually if they had any hopes of saving humanitys future. But seeing his colleagues fall like leaves from Yi Ji-Hyuks single hand flick, he couldnt help but question if such a thing would even be attainable by them.
D*mn frustrating. (Michael)
Michael might see a ray of hope and endure for longer if there was any hint of progress here but not a single one... Not just him, but no one present here disyed any signs of progressing, so it was only obvious that hed get really anxious.
That man is seriously ring at you, isnt he? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon spoke up, and Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
He sure is. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnt recall doing anything particrly harsh to that guy but he was openly expressing his hatred for a while now.
Will it be okay? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Just leave him be. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, even then... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Youll always find a person like that in a ssroom, you know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Indeed, an organisation with lots of people would inevitably have someone like that in their midst.
Someone who didnt listen to orders, always full of half-rebellious attitude and thinking of raising a voice of opposition. Someone who desperately wanted tofort themselves by believing that they were not obediently following anothersmand just by behaving in a rebellious attitude...
One special thing to note about such a person was that they would never ever cross that line.
So, if Yi Ji-Hyuk did something to Michael now, then hed end up as a small-minded fool who tormented another person just because they looked at him funny.
Of course, he wasnt the type to bat an eyelid even if others treated him that way, but still...
Nah, no need to single him out. Guys like him will never take on the risks, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Pardon? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
The ones that will really flip everything on the head are the quiet types. Because, they know how to wait. They wont go around advertising themselves. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon wasnt agreeing with everything Yi Ji-Hyuk said, but at the very least, he agreed that Michael was not the type to do something majorly bad.
If the German ability user really was nning to raise the g of rebellion, then hed not attract attention so haphazardly like this.
He cant let himself be a bad guy. (Alpha)
Alpha muttered out through his mouth C which happened to be the only intact part of his body right now.
A guy like him? Theyll grumble andin if you do something to them, but they will stillin even if you leave them alone. But just as you start thinking that they might do a bit more thanining, that turns out to be wrong, too. No, for them, the important thing is how the surroundings react to theirints... (Alpha)
Alpha tilted his maimed head.
Well, I cant see anything properly so I dont know whats happening in the surroundings, so uh, Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon? Can you describe to me whats going on? (Alpha)
You focus on what you need to do first, you insane fool. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, arent I already doing that? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
He shouldve crushed that mouth, too.
Alphas body was mangled after receiving Mana through almost every part of his flesh, but he continued to nonchntly yap away as if he was all-too familiar with this level of pain.
Man, literally only your mouth is still functioning properly. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, that. Its an old habit, you see. (Alpha)
An old habit, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alphas lips curled up into a grin.
I was basically tortured by the psycho-like Yankee scientists who wouldnt stop their experiments unless I continued giving them verbal feedback of what I was feeling during said experiments, you see. So, when Im stuck in moments like this, I get a very strong urge to keep talking as long as my mouth still functions. (Alpha)
Arent those psycho-like Yankees your beloved fellow countrymen? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Bingo. Thats correct. (Alpha)
Yet you can still mouth off being patriotic and whatnot? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii~, its uncool to judge the whole country by a handful of out-there morons living in it, you know? (Alpha)
But didnt your country construct this veryb? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And thats why I thought about killing every single one of the higher-ups. But then, a dumb*ss became our president, and with the sole exception of Christopher McLaren, eliminating the brass wouldnt be beneficial at all so I chose not to in the end. (Alpha)
What do you mean, not beneficial? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If a dumb*ss sits on top, hell automatically screw up the country by himself, so why should I go out of my way to kill the fool and have someone much smarter take over? That wont do. (Alpha)
Mm...? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You should know better than anyone that a dumb leader will royally screw up your country pretty well, right? I mean, hello? Whats happening in Korea, again? (Alpha)
Shut up. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk felt something well up in his chest so he suddenly increased the amount of Mana entering Alpha by a lot more.
Kkeuh, eeeeuh... Holy sh... This is no d*mn joke. By the way... (Alpha)
Alpha spoke in a trembling voice.
I can just continue to endure and that would be all, but are you going to be alright, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? Youre currently controlling enough Mana to suppress all these many people, after all. Wouldnt your body end up in pieces at this rate? (Alpha)
The mouse is worrying about the cat, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked nonchntly.
Still, all the magic I learned wasnt just for show, now is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was as Alpha said; Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently controlling an amount of Mana that wouldve made the jaws of Berafes top archmages fall to the floor. So much so that even he was beginning to entertain the idea of switching his ss to an actual archmage.
Of course, this level was still not even remotely close enough to oppose a demon king.
Would ten or so top archmages of Berafe be able to handle a single demon king? Nope. In ten seconds or less after the encounter, their heads would be rolling on the ground. But Yi Ji-Hyuk was currently unleashing a might only on the level of two, maybe three regr archmages.
As a magician, this would be one hell of an achievement, butpared to his original powers, this was like a drop in the ocean or some such.
In stark contrast to how others were being genuinely impressed, one would get to realise the painful truth the more ones standards improved C realise that an individual would never be able to oppose a demon king by learning regr magic.
It was simr to how a regr person would never be able to fight off a tank after attaining the absolute pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Besides, his current ability was heavily based on the magic circleid out around the dome so in a realbat situation, his power would be weaker by several folds.
Even if Affeldrichaes real body, the one capable of embarrassing an archmage with just a flick of a finger, showed up today, shed still not be able to mount any real opposition to a demon king, so Yi Ji-Hyuk confronting such demon kings in his current state was practically the same thing as him willingly falling on top of a knife.
Thats why I gotta strengthen these people, but this is... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was beginning to sense the iing headache.
He started this whole thing despite not knowing what the odds of sess was, because he thought itd be hundred times better than not doing anything. But with no tangible result to show for the past five days of hard work, even Yi Ji-Hyuk was getting frustrated here.
We gotta find a way somehow. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
To his mind, this seemed like the best avable method, but if it didnt work, then well, he had no choice but to think up another one. He simply couldnt waste time while going, itll work out somehow and make them stick to this regime.
Because, these people clearly were running out of patience and time.
The countdown to annihtion was almost over. When the demonic beings begin their invasion in earnest, humanity wont evenst a month.
Man, this is driving me nuts. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was getting antsy.
You shouldnt worry too much, though. (Alpha)
Alphas mouth seemed to be still functioning even now, because he tried tofort Yi Ji-Hyuk.
They will soon figure it out. Understand what Mana is. (Alpha)
Wouldnt it have been so much nicer if you can sense it first before saying that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, youre looking down on me a little too much. (Alpha)
Alpha ever so slightly raised his torso up.
Ive been wrecked nonstop for the past five days so of course I can feel it now. Im in the process of increasing my adaptability to it. Or, should I say my familiarity with it, instead? In any case, I can certainly agree that this is the best way to get familiarised with Mana. (Alpha)
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alphas hand. Although faint, some Mana was gathering near thetters fingertips.
Should I say thats amazing or what? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was only hoping that Alpha would learn how to sense Mana somehow. He nned to teach how tomand and control Mana after that. But Alpha had bypassed that stage and was busy mastering the control of Mana by himself.
Now that was an incredible talent, alright.
Although this method is good... Ive advice I wanna give you, if thats alright with you. (Alpha)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its kind of arrogant of me to say something about Mana and stuff, so Im feeling reluctant about it, you know? (Alpha)
Juste out and say it, will ya? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk was well aware of the fact that he had no talent in teaching people. For one thing, he couldnt even control Mana properly before he became a dark magician.
So, Alpha who had just begun sensing Mana might be a better teacher for the rest of the ability users.
My advice is pretty simple. Are you nning to kill no one, ensure everyone masters Mana, and we all sing kumbaya together around a campfire at the end of the day? (Alpha)
...
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned at Alphas low, grave tone of voice.
Is that all you wanted to say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Were in a crisis, arent we? A crisis where humanity is about to be wiped out. But if you insist on teaching these people with such a lukewarm method, then humanity will be wiped out ten times over in the meantime. (Alpha)
So? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Lets go all the way in. It wont matter if half of these people die now, anyway. Increase the amount of Mana, and push them until they are really on the brink of death. If they do die, then theres no helping it. (Alpha)
Well, your mouth is still functioning, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk did feel tempted by that suggestion.
Even he was beginning to feel that doing things this way would lead to nowhere fast.
The best proof is me beginning to sense Mana already. I mean, Ive been under the biggest baptism of Mana out of everyone here, after all. (Alpha)
I get it so shut up for a second. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk contemted it before sighing deeply.
One of the things he hated the most happened to be the concept of sacrificing a few for the sake of many. He hated it so much that no matter how extreme situations got, he didnt want to choose that option.
I agree with your suggestion that we need to change our method. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You made the right call. (Alpha)
However, that doesnt mean Im gonna do as you say. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay, then what? (Alpha)
Alpha asked with eyes containing a hint of confusion, so Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed to Alphas underlings currently copsed on the ground before his eyes.
Get rid of these guys first. And then... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk turned his head and stared at Michael.
Bring that guy over here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Oh-hoh! (Alpha)
Alpha began pping his hands.
As expected. Purging all dissatisfied rebels first under the pretext of paving a new way is probably the most-used excuse by those wielding the absolute power. Should I say, its pretty much a part of the strategy textbook? (Alpha)
You keep quiet. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at Michael, and beckoned him over.
The Germans eyes, who had been ring at Yi Ji-Hyuk until that point, couldnt help but tremble a little.
Come over here already. Its your turn. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Choi Jeong-Hoon tranted that in real time, and Michael shot up from his spot with a stiff face. He strode fearlessly towards Yi Ji-Hyuk.
After confirming Michaels grave, determined face, Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly whispered to him.
Are you prepared to face death as long as you can be stronger? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
< 448. Is their rtionship good or bad -3 > Fin.
Chapter 449: Is there relationship good or bad (4)
Chapter 449: Is there rtionship good or bad (4)
Michaels eyes began trembling powerfully.
Yi Ji-Hyuk grinned brightly at the Germans reaction.
Whats the matter? I thought you were feeling frustrated? Werent you thinking to yourself that youll never be stronger like this and you cant afford to waste anymore time? Am I wrong? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
......
After listening to Choi Jeong-Hoons real time trantion, Michaels expression contorted to that of a man who had his weakness exposed.
What the hell, what is wrong with this guy?! (Michael)
Now normally, you wouldnt say such things out aloud even if you knew them, especially in front of these many strangers. However, Yi Ji-Hyuk was opening saying them as if he wanted everyone to hear.
So? What are your thoughts? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My thoughts regarding what? (Michael)
Your thoughts on the likelihood of you bing stronger by sticking with this training. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Michael bit down hard on his lip.
This man named Yi Ji-Hyuk has proven to be an unpredictable loon. So one had to be extremely cautious with their words in front of him.
Well, theres now and order in this ce, after all. (Michael)
For instance, imagine a situation where he said something thats really out there, and Yi Ji-Hyuk decided to blow Michaels brains out after not finding what he said all that pleasing to hear. Even if such a thing happened, no person or organisation existed within this dome that would punish Yi Ji-Hyuk for his actions. Hell, everyone bearing witness to that murder would turn a blind eye and keep their mouths shut, instead.
Expressing ones honest opinion in front of a man holding the absolute power was definitely not an easy thing. Youd lose your life in an instant depending on the whims of the man in power no matter how right you were.
While Michael stood there seriously deliberating how to answer, something began boiling ever so slightly deep inside his chest.
I do not know the correct answer, but... (Michael)
Michael finally replied with a hardened expression.
But, if you want my opinion, then I think its impossible. (Michael)
Hoh-oh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks smile deepened.
Why do you think that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Because, its not been effective. (Michael)
As if to prove his point, Michael slightly turned his head and stared at Alphas underlings still copsed on the ground.
If people with this much ability gave their all yet still failed to even see a hint of possibility, then we must assume that this method isnt working. I do not know if other methods will work or not, but its impossible with our current method. (Michael)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly nodded his head.
My thoughts arent too different from yours. Itll work, but its also going to take way too long to get there. Thats what I think. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk more or less agreed with him, Michael began getting confused, instead.
What did this man want to say to him?
Okay, so. I think theres a real need to revolutionise something here. I mean, seriously, well be going nowhere at this rate, now wont we? So, thats why... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply.
Thats why I asked you if youre willing to risk death to get stronger. If I say to you that what we are about to do is far more hardcore and your chances of dying is much higher, but on the other hand, youll definitely be stronger as long as you endure it... Will you choose that option? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Michael couldnt reply right away.
Yi Ji-Hyuk was demanding a choice here. But no one alive would be able toe to an immediate decision in a matter like this.
...I think that is a meaningless question. (Michael)
Howe? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
My opinion doesnt represent everyone elses, after all. (Michael)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked derisively.
You sure know how to weasel yourself out of trouble, dont you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Michaelsplexion reddened at that clear ridicule.
What I was asking you has nothing to do with the others. I only want your opinion. So why are you bringing other people into the equation? Wait, do you want the others to decide for you whether you should risk your life or not? Hey, isnt that a bit of a sad tale? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk began chuckling like a slimy b*stard and Michael began shuddering where he stood.
But what could he even say as his retort here, realistically speaking?
Yi Ji-Hyuk then turned his head.
The ability users that finally regained their consciousness as well as those meditating away were now looking back at him.
Im sure quite a few of you idiots can understand what were talking about here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Just as Choi Jeong-Hoon began wondering whether he should trante that for everyone or not, Yi Ji-Hyuk continued to speak on regardless.
You lot decide for yourselves. I dont care anymore. You decide, and only those who want to do it, you can stay. Ill give you until the same time tomorrow. The doors will be left open. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed at the main entrance visible in the distance.
If you want to leave, go ahead. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The gazes of the crowd shifted over to the entrance.
I wont stop you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stood up and walked back to the sleeping quarters. The ones left behind in the domes za wordlessly stared at his back.
*
You sure can be so decisive. (Alpha)
...
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alphas grinning face and began figuring out why incidents of violence often urred throughout the world.
Why am I getting annoyed by that face? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It sure had been a long time since he got to experience the feeling of irritation simply because of someone elses grinning mug. Only Affeldrichaes presence from way back in the past when their rtionship had been diametrically opposed to each other could make him experience a simr feeling.
Still, it was rather amazing to behold the fact that despite him not having much resentment towards Alpha, thetter still managed to get a rise out of him to this extent.
Alpha ced a cup of Americano on the table before Yi Ji-Hyuk, then sat on a chair on the other side.
Yi Ji-Hyuk sighed under his breath and lifted the cup to take a sip of the coffee inside.
Once that bitter aroma circted around the tip of his nose, he thought his mind was finally settling down a bit.
Its indeed a good idea to filter out the rabble and the nobodies. (Alpha)
But doesnt that also include your own underlings? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eii, thats not gonna happen. No one from our side will abandon this program. Because, they all know that theres no future even if they decide to run away from here. (Alpha)
Not because they are scared of you killing them if they do run away? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No, no. Not at all. Im an advocate for peace. I dont murder someone that easily. (Alpha)
Another groan leaked out of Yi Ji-Hyuks lips automatically while staring at Alpha cackling away.
The fact that he could joke about not killing someone proved how much of a cruel, merciless individual Alpha was. Because, when a normal person jokes about a subject matter like that, it wouldnt be a joke anymore but an actual truth, thats why.
By the way... (Alpha)
Alpha then quietly stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk before opening his mouth.
I cant figure out the reason for all this lukewarm way of doing things. (Alpha)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im talking about you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Alpha)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He knew what Alpha was implying here. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk himself agreed with the fact that his actions were rather lukewarm as well.
The Yi Ji-Hyuk I know of arent this kind of a person, you see. (Alpha)
The one you know, is it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. Ive been watching you for a long time. Ive never stopped paying you attention after we ran into each other for the first time back then. (Alpha)
..........
The Yi Ji-Hyuk I know of is someone whos insensitive towards sacrifices. Also, someone who will stop at nothing in order to achieve his goals. But when I look at the current you, its like youre not Yi Ji-Hyuk but Mahatma Gandhi or something. (Alpha)
...Why do I hear that as me being a god of destruction, instead? (Yi Ji-Hyuk) [1]
Im not joking here, you know. (Alpha)
Unlike his usual self, Alphas expression was quite serious.
I cant figure out just when youve transformed into a humanitarian. Are you nning to save everyone in the world? Without making any sacrifices whatsoever? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk listened silently with a displeased expression on his face.
Thats not being brave, just being reckless. No, honestly speaking, its stupidity. Theres nothing more stupid that wasting your energy on an impossible task. (Alpha)
I know already. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats why I cant figure out why youre doing this. (Alpha)
Alpha continued on with a cold butposed face.
The reason why I respect you is because you are the key, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. If we are to ovee our current situation, you need to take the lead and guide us through it. For that purpose Im prepared to lick your boots if it needs be. Except now... (Alpha)
.......
The current you, I have to say, are no leader. (Alpha)
Alpha sounded unwavering.
Even if you have chosen to go with a method to minimise sacrifices, I wouldnt have said anything as long as you had a clear vision to lead us. The Yi Ji-Hyuk I know would do whatever it takes to reach his goal no matter how annoying it was if he thought it had to be done. He wouldnt have cared whether he needs to incite his surroundings to take action or to personally step forward to rampage around! (Alpha)
Alphas voice grew louder and more heated.
But now, what is this sorry sight? Its like youre one of those people whos obsessing over a game thats already over. Your sloppy mindset of humanity will be destroyed anyway, but its uncool to sit still so I might as well do something is clearly showing, you know. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Alpha.
Thetter had said something really impudent just now, but the fact that he urately saw through Yi Ji-Hyuks mind still couldnt be denied.
This isnt going to work. We dont know how the crisis facing us will unfold even if we pour out all of our strength, now do we? (Alpha)
I know. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You know? (Alpha)
Alpha was about to say something, but he shut his mouth then stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
So, shut your mouth and sit still for a while. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned back on his chair, then mouthed a cigarette. He leisurely lit it up, then extended his hand over Alphas cup of Americano.
aank~.
Several cubes of ice fell out of his palm next and filled up Alphas coffee cup.
Why dont you drink something cold and cool your head along the way, too? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. (Alpha)
Im saying this because if you start your rant again, I might really end up blowing you apart where you sit. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
........
Alpha didnt say anything else and took arge sip of the now-iced Americano.
Sure, I dont have anything to retort with even after I get a verbal smackdown. But... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a lengthy groan.
Just like what Alpha had been implying, it was undeniably true that he had been looking at this situation in a pessimistic light. Now that he thought about it some more, he got this feeling that he hadnt been himself for the past month or so.
Was I always this quiet and depressed? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A part of the me didy with Alpha seizing the initiative first, but the truth was, Yi Ji-Hyuk himself had sunken lower all by himself.
Theres no hope, is it... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Did he really believe that to be true?
But then again, objectively looking at the situation clearly said that itd be nearly impossible to stop the demon worlds invasion no matter what he tried. If there was any other way...
No, there isnt. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
There was no other way. The sole option he could choose was as Alpha said; teach and improve the agents inside this dome no matter what it takes, so that they could oppose the demonic beings.
...Indeed, no matter what the methods he needed to resort to.
For sure, what you said is right. I dont understand since when Ive be a humanitarian, either. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Im relieved that youve at least realised it now. (Alpha)
Its time to change my ways. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, Ill go and apprehend everyone trying to escape. (Alpha)
Nah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Let them go. Since they are already thinking of giving up now and escaping from here, they wont be able to endure whats toe, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hmm... (Alpha)
Alpha didnt seem to be totally onboard with that idea, but he was also respecting Yi Ji-Hyuks decision.
Besides all that... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alpha for a little while, before continuing on.
You, what do you really want? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha smiled awkwardly.
What do I really want? Its humanitys survival, of course. (Alpha)
Enough of that bullsh*t party line. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha shrugged his shoulders at Yi Ji-Hyuks pointed words.
It cant be helped if you dont believe me. Honestly, what Im aiming for isnt really important in our current situation, now is it? No, whats important is that your end goal and mine lines up nicely. (Alpha)
Youre still a smoother talker, arent you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats the important thing here. Seriously. (Alpha)
Alpha smiled brightly.
And lets not forget we need to survive the present first. We can discuss the future after we get that far. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk kept his gaze locked on Alpha, before murmuring in a voice low enough to be a whisper.
You think youll still be alive after this crisis is over one way or the other? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Anyone can hope for the best, cant they? (Alpha)
Their gazes collided and tangled up sharply in mid-air.
< 449. Is their rtionship good or bad -4 > Fin.
(TL: Just in case you dont get the reference in [1], the author is referring to the infamous glitch in the video game franchise, Civilization, where Gandhi would turn into a lunatic hellbent on world destruction.)
Chapter 450: Is their relationship good or bad (5)
Chapter 450: Is their rtionship good or bad (5)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Alpha who didnt cower from his re, then subtly smiled.
Seriously, you just dont know when to be scared, do you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I wouldnt have been able to chat to you if I didnt have such a fearless streak in me. (Alpha)
Your mouth is also running rampant, I see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats also another must-have trait. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked when Alpha disyed his unwillingness to lose in their verbal exchange.
Well, whatever. Its fine. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
For sure, it wasnt really important right now to learn whatever Alphas scheme could be. Yi Ji-Hyuks current situation was so bad that he had to join hands with anyone, even a devil, if thats whats necessary.
However, it looks like youll have to step up even more. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
But I have my troubles to deal with, you know? (Alpha)
Surely you know that the situation cant be resolved with just you getting stronger, right? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, yes. Thats true. (Alpha)
Alpha spat out one groan after another.
Its also true that doing that is annoying, though. (Alpha)
Its annoying for me, too. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Urgh. (Alpha)
Alpha shrugged his shoulders.
Well, sure. Why not. Since thats what you want, I guess Ill have to follow through. Just that theres this one question I wanna ask you. (Alpha)
Shoot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you really not interested in joining my team? (Alpha)
....
Yi Ji-Hyuk wordlessly stared at Alphas face.
Thetter saw the reaction of the former and began borating on his offer.
Of course, Im well aware of the fact that you dont have any interests whatsoever in political power or wealth. Youre a man with enough strength to subjugate everything in this world under your feet if thats what you want, so itd be aedy of divine proportions if you based your actions on those simple goals. However... (Alpha)
Alphas expression became quite serious again.
Im sure youve noticed it by now, too. This world is illogical. (Alpha)
You can say the same thing about every world out there. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Of course, of course. That is very true. (Alpha)
Alpha theatrically nodded his head.
Ever since humanity appeared in this world, not even once did it operate in any logical manner. Its true for this world, and also true for the other world that you used to live, too. Thats how humans as species operate, after all. (Alpha)
So you understand it well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
However, I can change all that. (Alpha)
Alphas eyes gleamed sharply.
Humanity has been striving towards a logical, rational world. Although slow, humans are gradually transforming into logical people. (Alpha)
...
To say we wont seed in the future just because we kept failing in the past is nonsense. I get why youre reluctant to throw in your lot with us, but you cant tell how itll work out unless you give it a shot, wouldnt you agree? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Alpha before opening his mouth.
If a smart fe bes powerful, it wont be all that hard to change the world, sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ehehe, well, I dont think Im the smartest guy out there. Its just that those with political power are simply dumb, thats all. (Alpha)
However, who is this change meant for, anyway? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
A society where the majority suffers while the minority is enjoying all the benefits? Can you really call something like that logical? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I had no idea that you were an utilitarian, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Hasnt thew of the jungle always been the way of our world? (Alpha)
Well, sure. Thats right. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk slowly nodded his head.
Indeed, the strong preyed on the weak in this world. That fact would not change. With humanity entering the modern age, the yardstick of the strong had shifted away from physical, martial prowess to financial and political muscle, but even then, the fundamental values that served as the basis of this worlds foundation still remained the strong prey on the weak. Even Yi Ji-Hyuk acknowledged that.
Its just that things have stalled due to a sudden invasion of amon enemy, thats all. Now that the ability users have made their appearances, its the only natural course of action for humanitys hierarchy to change. And if it was someone else and not me going on an uprising, then the bloodshed will be uncontrobly greater. (Alpha)
p!
Alpha lightly pped his hands and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
And if you decide to side with our opposition, then the resulting loss will be even greater. (Alpha)
The resulting loss will be greater? I dont think so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eiii, dont be like this now. (Alpha)
Alpha smiled good-naturedly.
Of course, if you get serious and decide to eliminate me and the people around me, then no one will be able to stop you. However, a river flows downstream, and theres no way to ultimately block that. Even if you build embankments and reservoirs, as long as you fail to stop the flow of water, then itll spill over sooner orter. And when that happens, the losses will exceed anyones imagination. (Alpha)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned his head back.
Again, those words werent wrong.
The rift between ability users and regr people had widened to such a degree that it would never be filled now.
Everyone was currently working together because the demon world came to invade Earth, but the moment they lose the external enemy to focus on, they will start baring their fangs at each other.
Even though none of this is important right now... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...It didnt mean he shouldnt think about this matter, either.
It wasmentable but the conflict between ability users and non-ability users was not something that could be resolved one way or the other with the passage of time like the race rtions. While the difference between whites and cks was nothing more than skin colour, the difference between ability users and powerless regr people was more like the one between humans and apes.
Basically, it was the advent of a new species.
Humanity has already lost power to lead. And now we should be striving towards a brand new world, instead. (Alpha)
But, Im also a regr human, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A human with abilities. I know full well that you can wield Ether by now. (Alpha)
...
As long as you help our cause, we can greatly minimise unnecessary sacrifices. How will history judge you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dug into his ear then blew away the resulting matter from his fingertip.
My bad, but Im not the type to give a rats a*s about stuff like that. Why should I care about what strangers think about me? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Besides all that, the way I see it, doesnt matter whether its you lot or the regr humans, because none of you will be much of a help to me. When you have two pet dogs and they start fighting, do you suddenly start wondering whether you should cheer on the big dog or the small one? Normally youd just discipline them both and shove them in a corner for a timeout. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Itd be nice if were the big dog in thatparison. (Alpha)
Whatever you want. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha replied unenthusiastically.
Even if you say that, I know full well that your thoughts areplicated right now. If youre not thinking of joining us, then at least dont support the other side, please. You getting involved in the flow of history is like a way too unfair cheat or something, you see. (Alpha)
By the way, I just cant understand you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
About what, exactly? (Alpha)
Im practically a powerless scarecrow now. Besides, demon kings are busy invading us and we dont even know for sure if humanity will be annihted or not, yet you want to worry about some distant future? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha spat out a sigh.
You know why, so how can you say that? (Alpha)
Alpha then pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and lightly flicked it at Yi Ji-Hyuk. Thetter caught it and lit it up before sucking in the blue-grey smoke deeply.
Those who only think about the present can never change the future. So, one should prepare for the future while still being worried about the present events. And besides... a scarecrow, is it? (Alpha)
Alpha chuckled in dismay.
Arent you still strong enough to crush the likes of me with just a finger if thats what you want? Even if one of an elephants legs is broken, you still wouldnt find a cat daring to attack that elephant. (Alpha)
But, its more like that elephant is no bigger than a rat now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
From the perspective of an ant, both a rat and an elephant is beyond its capability to handle. (Alpha)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded while making an unsatisfied expression.
Humans can be a pretty optimistic bunch, I guess. Especially so when they can think about the future under the current circumstances. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
And thats why were humans. (Alpha)
Alpha stood up from the chair.
Even if were threatened with gruesome dismemberment, as long as we can still survive, we will present our arms with a smile on our faces. And even if almost all of humanity is wiped out but that can lead to our victory, then without a doubt, we will be able to restore our current level of civilisation sooner orter. (Alpha)
...
This is a battle to see who will be left standing at the end, after all. Thats why Im saying this again to you. Please dont worry yourself to death trying to save one more person. Whether they be stronger or not, most of us will end up dying in the end, after all. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk frowned slightly.
He knew that it was inevitable, but he still didnt want to face the uing reality if he could help it. Yet, Alpha was using his own mug to make him confront it.
Most of the NDF that you care about will die, as well. Thats how the demonic beings operate, after all. Dont they? (Alpha)
Yeah, that they do. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, what are you hesitating for? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly closed his eyes.
Everything would crumble away. Everyone would vanish.
Those he knew, those he conversed with, those he shared his life with and even married to, and those he cared deeply about...
They would all vanish, and more will vanish alongside.
The only one remaining would be him.
No one, and absolutely no one in this world, would know better than Yi Ji-Hyuk on just how terrifying and frightening it was to be left all alone.
And thats why... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Excuse me? (Alpha)
If someone is left standing in the end, that should be us. I get that. I really do. But the thing is... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks expression distorted.
What meaning is there after winning like that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
It surely is aughable notion. Whats the point for me if humanity manages to survive? Once Im dead, what does it matter to me whether humanity goes down the crapper or lives happily ever after? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats a rather cynical way of looking at things. (Alpha)
If we arent going to survive together, then I dont want to survive alone. Rather than standing all alone in the end, I might as well die along with everyone else. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Abruptly, a mischievous grin began spreading on Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
In fact, his expression said all of his tightly-clogged dilemmas had been blown cleanly apart now. He lightly jumped up from his chair.
Ah, so that was why. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He stretched his limbs grandly and grinned refreshingly.
Now I get why Ive been feeling so frustratedtely. And also figured out why I wasnt acting like myself. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Excuse me? (Alpha)
Me worrying about sacrifices and who lives and dies is the weird thing here. I mean, what does it matter to me whether humanity survives or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled as if a load had been taken off his shoulders.
Right, that was it. We all die together, or survive together. Thats what I always wanted anyway, but because of this stupid situation, I ended up thinking about it in the wrong way. I aint no saviour of humanity nor itsst hope or whatever. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...N-no, hang one... (Alpha)
All I have to do is to wreak some havoc and that would be all. But man, Ive been wasting my time worrying about some other stuff. Thanks, I feel clear-headed now thanks to you. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You wanna thank me?! (Alpha)
Alpha stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with a dumbfounded expression.
How could thetter arrive at that conclusion after the conversation they had?
Now I know what I need to do. Yeah, Ive been way too serious for a while, which wasnt like me. Man, Im gonna have a good nights sleep today. Hey, see you tomorrow, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
N-no, please, hang on a minute... (Alpha)
Ah, right. I forgot about that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, Yi Ji-Hyuk suddenly spun around and proceeded to kick Alphas face.
Ouch?! (Alpha)
Alpha flew up in the air before crashing into the wall. As blood dripped down from his nose, he stared in confusion at Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked deeply before replying.
I kicked you for being a cocky b*stard. Make sure to assemble all the remaining people at the training ground tomorrow, got it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Alpha)
Later. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked on his cigarette and while humming to no one in particr, he headed to the sleeping quarters. Alpha dazedly stared at thetters departing back, then broke out into a helpless chuckle himself.
Seriously now, hes so unpredictable. (Alpha)
Whatever the case might have been, it was ultimately a good thing that Yi Ji-Hyuk had regained his vitality. The Yi Ji-Hyuk Alpha knew of simply didnt suit looking all depressed like that. No, the real Yi Ji-Hyuk was the kind of a man to continue throwing insults and get on your nerves even if he was fighting with his life on the line.
...All the pieces have more or less lined up, then. (Alpha)
Alphas expression changed to one he had not shown before until now as he slowly got up from the spot.
This long and arduous arrangement of all the pieces was finally heading towards the climax.
Is he really necessary? (Args)
A voice came from behind him, and Alpha quietly nodded his head.
Thats obvious. He will be my nsst key, after all. (Alpha)
I dont see how. (Args)
You wont get it with that dumb head of yours. Demon, all you gotta do is simply follow my orders, thats all. (Alpha)
Args furrowed its brows while staring at Alpha cackling sinisterly.
These beings called humans, they are like chaos itself. (Args)
Whether it was Yi Ji-Hyuk or Alpha... from themon sense of the demonic beings, they just defied all attempts to understand them.
But one thing was for certain.
The actions of these two men would end up greatly shaking the world to the core. Including the demon world itself, too.
Args observed Alphas back rising and falling from all that cackling before slowly turning around to leave.
< 450. Is their rtionship good or bad -5 > Fin.
Chapter 451: Well then, should we get started (1)
Chapter 451: Well then, should we get started (1)
...Im not quite sure how to describe this situation, really. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk fell into a bit of a dilemma while staring at the people currently lining up within the training hall.
Out of the original three thousand ability users, almost one-third had disappeared. That should be seen as a very disappointing turn of events, but the fact that the other two-thirds bravely chose to remain while risking their lives was indeed an encouraging thing to behold.
I guess this is still a lot of people remaining. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk muttered to himself, Choi Jeong-Hoon nodded in agreement.
When someone says you need to put your life on the line, itd normally mean that youd need to have a mindset as grim as that statement, but when its you saying the same thing, itll probably turn out to be true. Everyone here is quick witted enough to figure that out for themselves. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Is that so? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Considering that fact, it was rather amazing that these many people decided to stick around. And there was something else that deserved to be praised as even more amazing.
Looks like all of Alphas underlings are here, though? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha cackled like a hyena while making his reply.
Youre making us sad byparing us to some nobodies, you know. Our side came here with a proper determination and all. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk retorted with a pout.
Not because they are scared of dying by your hands if they run away? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Thats the determination I was talking about. (Alpha)
Alpha didnt even bother to deny anything.
In any case, shouldnt you get the ball rolling by now? (Alpha)
You dont have to rush me. I was about to do just that, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Well, looks like the folks with some courage are the only ones remaining, so shouldnt I say something to praise them? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
No. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon decisively cut Yi Ji-Hyuk off.
Itll be for the best if you dont say anything. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
But, in the interest of rousing up their fighting spirit... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If you say something, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, rather than their fighting spirit rousing up, itll drop off a cliff instead so please, dont... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...
Yi Ji-Hyuks face reddened instantly.
What the heck?! I aint going to throw a tantrum here, but promising to say something nice to them, so why would their bloody spirits go down from that as if I hurt their fragile feelings or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, please tell me whats in your mind first. Then Ill determine whether I should trante it for you or not. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Its nothing much. Okay, so. It goes like this. Im grateful that they chose to remain while risking their lives so I promise to do my absolute best to drive them all to the brink of death. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Rejected! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Howe?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Are you really asking me that because you cant tell?! Everyone can tell, so why only cant you see it?! Forget it, just dont say anything! If you can help it, dont even open your mouth! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Hul? Why the sudden abuse? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Abuse?! Whos the one abusing who here?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuks head faltered as a wounded expression washed over his face. But that only prompted Choi Jeong-Hoon to roar out with enough force to spit mes out of his mouth.
He wasnt behaving like this recently, so why the heck is he starting again?! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Forget it. Lets just get to work. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dismissively waved his hand about, and like a hunting dog sniffing out a hidden prey, immediately singled out Michael hiding among the remaining crowd.
You! Come here! Over here! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Hul... (Michael)
Michael started trembling away as he stared at the brightly-grinning Yi Ji-Hyuk calling out to him.
That narrow-minded b*stard! (Michael)
Without a doubt, that guy must be harassing Michael because he still had some animosity towards the German. That simply had to be the case, because without that, there was no way Yi Ji-Hyuk would constantly pick Michael out among all these people at every little thing!
What are you doing? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
But since he was singled out, he had no choice but to step forward. If he were to stay still and resist, he shouldve leftst night along with the other deserters, instead.
Urghhhh... (Michael)
Michael let out a pained groan and trudged forward. Others around him opened up a path while sending him gazes of pity and sympathy.
It was unknown whats in store for everyone here, but just the mere fact of Yi Ji-Hyuk calling him out was enough to earn their sympathy.
Why oh why did I have to make a scene back then? (Michael)
Michael could only groan deeply while being subjected to their pitying gazes.
But how could I have guessed that hes such a spiteful b*stard? (Michael)
Yi Ji-Hyuk had been acting like someone with a big-enough heart, so Michael figured that itd be okay to get sassy with him up to a certain degree. But the German wouldve never drawn any attention to himself if only he knew how obsessive Yi Ji-Hyuk could get with his past grudges.
Michael, resembling a cattle being led to a ughterhouse, stepped up to the slightly-elevated tform and stared at Yi Ji-Hyuk with pitiful eyes.
Why does it feel like were running into each other oftentely? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Michael started gritting his teeth right after hearing Choi Jeong-Hoons real-time trantion efforts.
Was that something he should say after calling another person out?
...I feel the same. Im sooo d to see you again. (Michael)
Mm, well, its nothing to be that d about. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders and continued on.
Actually, rather than being d, you shouldment this asion, instead. Even I also dont know whats going to happen next, you see. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He cackled ominously.
This is my first time doing this so I cant predict whats gonna happen here. However, I still warned you so dont hate me if you end up dying, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Hang on. (Michael)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Let me prepare myself first. (Michael)
Michael clutched his chest and breathed heavily, and Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head at that sight.
I thought you wanted to quickly be stronger no matter how? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Well, yes. That is true, but... (Michael)
Michaels face gradually contorted into an expression of a hero from a Shakespearean tragedy.
If its possible, Id like to be stronger as a living person. But judging from the current atmosphere, I get the feeling that I might really die today. (Michael)
Bingo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pped his hands as if his guest had correctly guessed it, then gestured to Michael toe closer.
But the figure of him beckoning with his hand resembled a grinning devil so much that Michael ended up shivering uncontrobly.
...Will I even make it out at the end? (Michael)
Eii, you think Ill go to such an extreme length? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes. (Michael)
Huh. You sure do have quick wits. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled as if he was having fun, but Michael looking at that sight could only nce behind him with a sorrowful expression. The other ability users were staring back with deeply tense faces.
Just how much worse is it going to get here? (Michael)
The so-called training he received until now could definitely not be ssified as cakewalk. No, forget about walking on some creamy cake, itd be more correct to say that he threatened to hop across the doorway between life and death several times in a day.
Wasnt it a normal reaction to call an ambnce if someone copsed with bubblesing out of their mouth? It was some sort of an unexinable miracle to see a thousand-plus people keel over with bubbles gushing out of their mouths and roll around in pain on the ground yet no one ended up really dying.
But if the things were about to be taken up a notch here, then would anyone be able to survive that?
A whole bunch of worries filled up Michaels head, but he no longer had any room to escape.
Its not like Ill die here, right? Right? (Michael)
...No, wait. Now that he thought about it, he could really die after all. Michaels mindset quickly changed from I wont die here today to You only die once, not twice, then he sucked in several deep breaths and took a step closer to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Im ready. (Michael)
Oh! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded his head as if he liked what he saw.
He figured that Michael was all talk but no trousers. However, it seemed that his quite-noticeable rebellious streak was healthily seasoned with his desire to improve himself.
Indeed, Michaels eyes were gleaming with this heroic determination as if to prove that my country, two little words that he kept mouthing off all the time, wasnt just empty talk after all.
Very good. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
Except, dont me me if you kick the bucket since Ive definitely told you that one of the two things will happen C either you die or you be stronger. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I wont. (Michael)
Michael couldnt guarantee that, though.
Yi Ji-Hyuk reached out and grabbed the Germans head.
Oh, and let me say this before we go on... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yes? (Michael)
Even if you start sensing Mana in the middle of the process, you shouldnt expect me to stop. Honestly speaking, what Im about to do is pretty hard to restart if we stop in the middle for no good reason, you see? So I gotta get to the end whether we seed or not. Got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Hang on a second here. What do you mean by that? (Michael)
Mm, well, youll see when we get there. Exining it is too much of a hassle. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
A loudmouth like Yi Ji-Hyuk refusing to exin because it was a hassle? Whod believe that excuse? It could only mean that something about the process was rather difficult to exin.
Michael felt this ominous foreboding and began wondering if he should attempt to escape from here, but trying to run now would be akin to a character assassination of himself.
Euh.... (Michael)
Michael just gave up and quietly epted Yi Ji-Hyuks hand. But his eyes remained full of distrust and anxiety as he stared at the hand resting on top of his head.
Well, then. Should we get started? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk wiggled his hand on Michaels head a little, before saying something.
You probably wont die. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What a relief to hear you say that. (Michael)
But we should seriously contemte if thats really the best thing for you. I mean, even if you arent dead, maybe youd start wishing for death anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Excuse me? (Michael)
Even if your bodys intact, you wouldnt be alive if your mind is dead, right? Well, its still a plus since you wouldnt physically be dead, so thats something. Wouldnt you say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Michael freaked out and was about to scream, but then, Mana flooded out from Yi Ji-Hyuks hand and entered through his head to dig and disperse throughout his body.
The German freaked out even more and quickly clenched his fists tightly, his eyes nervously darting about.
...Huh? Whats this? (Michael)
However, something felt off.
Unlike thest few days, he couldnt feel any pain at all despite clearly sensing Mana entering his body.
Was he... bluffing? (Michael)
Maybe not, but Michael couldnt help but think that Yi Ji-Hyuk just wanted to scare him a little.
As for the amount of Mana entering his body, even Michael could tell that it was on another levelpared to the past. Never mind Mana simply digging into his flesh, he even clearly sensed this mysterious energy flowing along with his own blood vessels.
It was simr to what youd feel after stupidly swallowing something piping hot and it slid down your oesophagus. This was a strange experience that allowed him to clearly sense something hed not consciously be aware of during normal times, such as the locations of his blood vessels.
Its... different. (Michael)
For sure, he could tell its different this time.
What Yi Ji-Hyuk had done until yesterday was nothing more than shoving Mana inside the bodies of his victims and induced as much horrifying pain as possible. But this new process was letting Michael clearly feel the pathways Mana took to travel around his body, as well as this sensation of unfamiliarity given off by Mana itself.
Just a little bit more... (Michael)
A little more, and Michael thought he could get the hang of it.
He was fully cognisant of how stupid this was. This was no different to cing his hand inside burning mes so that he could understand what fire was.
He might be able to increase his level of understanding on what fire was, yes, but hed also walk away with so much damage from this method as well.
But he thought that this was still the best method to sense Mana. However, the moment he began thinking that...
Wu-du-duk!
A really strange noise that didnt belong here suddenly resounded out.
And the only reason why Michael realised that noise came from his legs was... not because the noise came from down below, but because his torso suddenly began falling to the ground.
What was that?! (Michael)
Michael looked down and ended up seeing it.
He saw his legs that had been twisted and bent in physically impossible angles. The skin on his bent legs burst open and blood began gushing out like many little fountains.
At the same time...
Ku-aaaaaaaaaah!!! (Michael)
The pain he had never dreamed of sensing in his entire life assaulted him. In a perfect proportion to Manas flow that he could vividly sense, his physical body actually began breaking down.
You wont die. Dont you worry. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk cackled ominously and began casting several Heal spells within Michaels body.
The Germans destroyed body recovered in an instant. But at the same time, another body part ruptured in a fountain of blood.
In a matter of a few minutes, the process of his body breaking down and recovering in full repeated itself dozens of times.
Keo-huh-hurhk!!! (Michael)
Blood welled up in his throat and Michael couldnt even say a word out loud, never mind screaming out in pain.
The only thing he could feel now was pain and Mana.
Only then did Michael understand what Yi Ji-Hyuk was saying earlier.
...The one about the physical body not dying but the mind crumbling away.
His remaining consciousness began screaming loudly.
< 451. Well then, should we get started -1 > Fin.
Chapter 452: Well then, should we get started (2)
Chapter 452: Well then, should we get started (2)
This thing called pain could be rather strange.
People believed that they knew all about it but in actual truth, not many had the opportunity to truly experience real pain.
Thats why most people had no clue.
...No clue about how easily pain could reduce a person to a wretched state.
It wasnt that humans died after failing to cope with pain, but chose tomit suicide in order to escape from it. The most scary situation for any person would be their death, yet pain was so terrifying that people would willingly choose to end their own lives.
And right now, in this very moment, Michael was having this fact bitterly drilled into his mind.
Wu-du-du-duk!
His tightly-clenched teeth began shattering. The broken fragments of his teeth dropped to the floor, but he wasnt even conscious of that event.
The kind of pain that he had never imagined before was currently taking control of his entire being.
He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, and desperately cling to his torturer with tears streaming down his face but this indescribably immense pain didnt permit him from moving an inch from the spot.
All the blood vessels in his eyes burst open and his vision was dyed in a crimson hue.
His nails tucked inside his tightly-clenched fists went past tearing his skin and began breaking into bits, too.
Michael never thought that a human being would be able to experience a level of pain this extreme.
It was exactly at this point that he finally understood it.
...That Yi Ji-Hyuk hadnt been pushing the ability users at all until now.
That man, he... had been showing as much consideration towards everyone else, as it turned out.
Kkeuh-euhhhhhh... (Michael)
He couldnt tell whether he was screaming or his body was automatically making weird noises after failing to endure the pain. But what he was certain of, was that... if this pain continued on at this rate, then there was a very good chance hed die of shock eventually.
But he couldnt afford to do that.
He never wished for a dogs death like this.
Hoping to mount some resistance, he tried to tense his muscles but not even a single one listened to him.
His intestines ripped apart and bubbles of blood welled up from his throat.
He was getting wrecked to the point where he shouldve died already, yet his body was constantly being healed and he didnt die.
He couldnt die, yet he couldnt endure, either.
The only thing he could do right now was simply stay here and feel this endless pain wrecking his body thats no longer under his control.
If there really was hell, would it be like this?
Michaels still clearly-awake consciousness continued to experience a living hell.
Pain brought on even more pain and this cycle endlessly tormented him.
Ah, aaaah... (Michael)
Nothing entered his mind. It waspletely nk.
He couldnt tell whether that was due to the pain or his brain had already been fried from the shock. He was simply in a daze.
It was then, a voice entered his ears quite vividly.
Dont do anything stupid, got that? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Kkeuh-euhhhh... (Michael)
That voice belonged to Yi Ji-Hyuk.
...Anything stupid?
What did he even mean by that?
Im not even doing anything right now, am I?
It was then.
Suddenly he was awash with this vivid sensation of Mana strands rushing into his head beginning to leak out through every little pore on his skin. His body convulsed uncontrobly.
He could sense it.
Mana leaking out of him...
Mana existing all around him...
And finally...
Mana seemingly filling up this world to the brim, too...
Like air, Mana was everywhere in this world.
Rapture.
Michael discovered it amidst all the soul-wrecking pain. The sensation of Mana that he tried so hard to grasp and hold onto could now be felt so vividly.
The sheer joy of the moment even managed to dilute the pain.
I can feel it! Yes, I really can! (Michael)
When he thought about how he had to endure all the pain just to reach this moment, tears of overwhelming emotions almost began falling from his eyes.
I did it! (Michael)
The pain extreme enough to make him ck out still remained, but when he realised that he could now sense Mana precisely because of this pain, he even felt like weing some more of it.
With this, he should be able to get his hands on brand-new power.
But then...
...Why isnt he stopping already? (Michael)
The amount of Mana rushing inside his head had not decreased at all. Michael could vividly sense Mana now, so howe this torture had not ended yet?
...Ah! (Michael)
Only then did Michael remember.
What Yi Ji-Hyuk had said earlier, and the meaning behind those words.
Even if Michael could sense Mana now, Yi Ji-Hyuk had no way of knowing that. You couldnt really let others know what you were sensing without saying anything, after all. And such a thing wasnt exactly easily observable, either.
As such, Yi Ji-Hyuk didnt stop.
Even if he figured it out in the middle of the process, there was no other choice but to carry on with the already-decided method.
Michael wouldve preferred to not know this fact, however.
After realising that the pain wouldnt end, and that no one knew for how long this pain would continue on for, Michaels mind began breaking down at a rapid pace.
You could potentially endure if you didnt know.
However, knowing it only made it so much worse.
The uncertainty over how long he needed to experience this pain caused his everything to begin crumbling down.
Kkeuh-euhhhh... (Michael)
He wanted to shout out, to tell the other party to stop.
He wanted to shout out that he could sense it already, so theres no more need to go on.
However, his voice didnt want toe out. The contorted muscles and vocal cords only squeaked out moan-like screams.
An eternity-like time went by.
And out of the blue, the light at the end of the tunnel mmed into him.
Plop.
Michael rolled around on the ground as if he was sliding on ice, with only the weakest, faintest panting leaving his mouth.
Hey, you still alive? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk asked while poking at Michael with his finger.
But then...
Uwaaaaaahhhhangaaaa! (Michael)
Michael jumped up from the floor and pounced on Yi Ji-Hyuk while roaring out a bizarre cry.
I will kill yoooooou! (Michael)
The sight of Michael with tears of blood gushing down his eyes as he pounced on Yi Ji-Hyuk possessed a certain visual impact that sent shivers down ones spine. Even Alpha observing the proceedings shuddered a little from this madness-filled sight.
But that was all.
Thud!
Michael couldnt reach Yi Ji-Hyuk and along with a loud bang, copsed face first on the floor again.
Tsk, tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk lightly clicked his tongue.
Well, youre still alive. Alls good, then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You son of a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch! (Michael)
Aikoo~. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk raised both his hands as if he was taken aback. But that sight only caused more mes to erupt from Michaels eyes.
There, there. Time to cool your head now. I already warned you that you might really die. And it was you who chose to go through with this. So, dont me your choice on someone else, okay? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You...! (Michael)
Michaels agitation finally lessened a little.
Besides all that, can you sense Mana now? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Michael red at Yi Ji-Hyuk for the longest time, but began nodding his head slowly.
Then instead of worrying about how to kill me, you better devote your time in not letting that sensation slip through your fingers. I mean, by some stupid happenstance you end up forgetting that feeling, then well have to go through this again. But I guess youre cool with that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the confused and lost Michael and nailed the final point home.
If you wanna kill me, try fragging or somethingter on. If you kill me now, the ones behind you wont even get the chance to sense any Mana, right? Well, judging from your expression, youre probably thinking that thats actually a blessing, but still. (Yi Ji-Hyuk) [1]
Everyone watching on felt so vividly the severity of the pain Michael had experienced.
Sure, they couldnt feel exactly how bad the pain was, but their eyes clearly witnessed a seemingly-normal body of a person breaking down to almost resemble a slime before reverting back many times over, so there was simply no way they didnt feel frightened out of their wits right now.
No one alive would want to be subjected to such treatment.
There, there. Time to meditate on your findings. Now thats a good boy. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Michael noisily gritted his teeth before turning around to head towards an open space, then plopped down on the ground. He quietly closed his eyes.
I can sense it. (Michael)
He could oh-so vividly feel it.
It went beyond I can feel it so well and reached the realm of How could I not have sensed this substance thatspletely filling my world up?
Just like how ones view of the world would change the moment one realised oxygen had been filling up those seemingly empty-looking spaces, Michael began seeing the world in a new light after he began sensing Manas presence.
So, this was it. (Michael)
This sense of fullness welled up powerfully in his chest.
I did it! Yes, I pulled through!
He had managed to endure that motherf*cking pain and somehow made it to the end.
Tears threatened to trickle down his face for some reason. That determination of Ill be stronger even if I have to risk my life that he often mouthed? It felt like he had kept his own promise. This indescribable sense of aplishment acted like a drug and erased all remnants of pain that had been deeply engraved in his body.
Well, looks like one guy was a sess. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha asked with a less-than-impressed expression.
By the way, this new method of yours isnt all that different from what you did to me, is it not? (Alpha)
No, its exactly the same. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Why didnt you do this from the beginning, then? (Alpha)
You think using this much Mana on a single person like how I have done is simple to pull off? Besides, there are two thousand people here. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Oh, I see. (Alpha)
Alpha nodded his head in understanding.
Even he thought that the amount of Mana Yi Ji-Hyuk flooded Michael with was way too excessive. He even began wondering if it was really worth it to spend that much Mana on a single person.
But there was no helping it with this process, it seemed.
...His hand is trembling. (Alpha)
Alpha didnt miss the fact that Yi Ji-Hyuks hand was trembling ever so faintly. While constantly supplying the amount of Mana that a human body couldnt endure, he operated some more Mana with his other half and activated healing magic to recover his victims body.
Yi Ji-Hyuk had to tread the precarious tightrope over and over again.
Several times harder? No, itd be dozens of times harder than that.
I told him that sacrifices are necessary and he needs to find a sure-fire method even if that ends up killing half of the people here, but he... (Alpha)
Even though Yi Ji-Hyuk seemed to have made up his mind, he hadnt let go of his attachments to humanity.
This was so weird.
All the moments of doubt Yi Ji-Hyuk felt about humanity mustve been hundreds of times more profound and so much worse than Alphas own experiences. And the worth of a persons life to Yi Ji-Hyuk should be so cheap that even someone like Alpha would have a hard time imagining it.
But that was only obvious. Yi Ji-Hyuk had watched humanity for an incredible length of time, after all.
He probably had witnessed millions of people being born, live their lives and die by now. Maybe it was way past hundreds of millions, even.
This thing called stimtion was bound to lose its edge over such a long period of time.
When one witnessed near-endless deaths of people, it was only obvious that one would re-adjust their perceived value of human lives. After all, werent humans bound to meet the exact same end no matter what they do? So, one would begin thinking that itd be rather ineffective to invest any amount of resources to change the fate of such human beings.
Yi Ji-Hyuk probably knew this truth far better than even Alpha.
Yet, why cant he let go? (Alpha)
Letting go would certainly make it easier. The moment he let go, the number of choices Yi Ji-Hyuk could make would increase by several folds and the required effort would decrease by just as much, as well.
It would be perfectly fine to simply hit his test subjects with enough Mana and fish out only those that managed to survive, instead of doing something like this C trying to save the lives of humans worth only as much as insects by unleashing his horrifically precise Mana control.
Surely Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldve known this better than anyone in the world yet he was still doing his best to save Michaels life, and that made Alpha feel strange.
...Hes only making it harder for himself. (Alpha)
Alpha slowly shook his head.
More than likely, hed never fully understand Yi Ji-Hyuk even till his dying day. Just like how Yi Ji-Hyuk wouldnt understand Alpha.
The only reason why they looked like they were getting along was because they conversed while matching each others pace. If there was apetition to find the two most ipatible people in this world, then Yi Ji-Hyuk and Alpha would have to be in the running for the top spot. Thats how simr yet so different they were.
Well, it doesnt matter either way. (Alpha)
Ng? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Nah, its nothing. (Alpha)
Alpha lightly shook his head and stepped back. Now wasnt the time to waste his mind space worrying about stuff like that. The worlds annihtion was directly linked to how many ability users could start sensing Mana and how long that would take.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stopped looking at Alpha then surveyed the rest of the ability users lining up the training hall.
Smirk...
He then smiled refreshingly and murmured in a hushed voice, his whole demeanour now resembling a viin having a whale of time.
Okay, so. Who wants to go next? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
The atmosphere cooled down in an instant.
< 452. Well then, should we get started -2 > Fin.
(TL: In case you dont know what fragging in [1] is, heres Wikipedias exnation: Fragging is the deliberate killing or attempted killing by a soldier of a fellow soldier, usually a superior officer or nonmissioned officer.)
Chapter 453: Well then, should we get started (3)
Chapter 453: Well then, should we get started (3)
Sitrep. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su with a haggard face asked a question.
...North of Seoul is almost fully evacuated, sir. (aide)
...God d*mmit! (Song Jeong-Su)
The previously-docile spot in Pyongyang suddenly became active again. Although it wasnt as if the ones called the demon kings had appeared to lead the demon king army, the endless stream of demonic beasts pouring out from the portal still proved to be too difficult to deal with.
The void left behind by the NDF is too big. (Song Jeong-Su)
It wasnt like this in the beginning.
But along with Yi Ji-Hyuks entrance, all ability users that could be seen as Koreas elite got absorbed into the NDF.
And thats when the gap in strength began widening.
In the beginning, just a thin little line separated the lowest-ss NDF agent from the highest-ss KSF agent, but that difference had widened to resemble heaven and earth now. So much so that even if ten of the top KSF agents attacked, they still wouldnt be able to deal with one lowest-ss NDF agent.
It sure was an encouraging thing, that. A select few ability users getting stronger meant that the overallbat strength would be raised higher, after all.
But Song Jeong-Su now knew the truth. He realised just how badly South Korea had been relying on the NDF and especially on Yi Ji-Hyuk.
With both of those factors unavable right now, South Korea was basically a castle without a king. The demonic beasts rushing past the Demilitarised Zone couldnt be stopped by the army or the KSF. They did resist and fought back, but the end result didnt change.
When confronting demonic beasts boasting the level of strength that was in another realmpared to the monsters of the past, humans were proving to be too powerless to resist.
What about foreign support? What happened to the promised Japanese support? (Song Jeong-Su)
...They say itll be difficult, sir. (aide)
Dam*it! (Song Jeong-Su)
Bang!
Song Jeong-Su angrily mmed his fist down on the desk.
Theye begging whenever they need something, but now they want to pretend nothing has happened?! (Song Jeong-Su)
S-sir. They say the destruction of Tokyo has resulted in too much confusion at the state level. If Gates have not been opening, then they would have provided us with their support but they are also fighting the Gate opening up in their own territory... (aide)
We also lost half of Seoul, too! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su yelled out at the top of his lungs.
The advent of the demon king resulted in Gangnam being obliterated to bits. And now, they were about to give up on Gangbuk as well as the waves of the demonic beasts came crashing in.
Please calm down. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su heard Yun Yeong-Mins powerless voice and spat out a lengthy groan.
Nothing will change even if we get agitated. Isnt that what youve been telling me, prime minister? (Yun Yeong-Min)
...Yes, indeed. (Song Jeong-Su)
We must not blindly try to stop them. Whatever it is we can do, we still wont be able to stop their march. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Mister President... (Song Jeong-Su)
Its time to ept the reality of our situation. We wont seed in something that both America and China have failed to aplish when our forcesg well behind theirs. So what we must avoid doing is wasting our preciousbat forces by battling the monsters. No, we must give up what we can and buy as much time as possible. Until theye back, that is. (Yun Yeong-Min)
While listening to Yun Yeong-Mins calm analysis, Song Jeong-Su began chuckling bitterly to himself.
Huh, to think that a day when Im listening to this mans advice would finally arrive... (Song Jeong-Su)
It seemed that he wasnt the only one who matured in the midst of war and confusion. The atmosphere befitting a nations president was now clearly oozing out from Yun Yeong-Min.
Whats important right now is the safe evacuation of the civilians. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min finished stating his opinion and Song Jeong-Su nodded in agreement.
Where are we with the evacuation effort? (Song Jeong-Su)
Its still ongoing, with as many vehicles and trains secured to ferry out the civilians, sir. At our current rate, we should not see any losses to civilian lives and be able to set up the defensive line south of the Han river. (aide)
South of Han, is it... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su could only smile bitterly.
There was literally nothing left there, other than devastated, empty fields. It basically had reverted back to being the wild reed fields before thend development craze swept through the area.
What meaning is there in setting up a defensive line there? (Song Jeong-Su)
Indeed, itd be nothing more than just buying some time.
The battle line about to be drawn there would be different from the one against other humans. Unlike waging war against humans, where the parties involved could adjust their battle and defensive strategies based on the terrain and the weather, the demonic beasts didnt care about they of thend.
If there was a wide river, the monsters would simply crawl on the riverbed to get across. If there was a cliff, they would simply jump off. They didnt waste energy trying to scale mountains unlike humans, either.
Dam*it. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su couldnt help but be reminded of this stark fact.
The moment guns stop being effective, humans would instantly fall to the bottom of the food chain as the weakest mammal on Earth. Without a gun, a person wouldnt even be able to catch a rabbit with their bare hands. Between a human carrying a gun and some stray mutt roaming the streets, the demonic beast would find the human even easier to hunt down.
Currently, humans were somehow fighting back while relying on the offensive power of the tanks, but even that had its limit.
...Tell the military to nt as many anti-tank mines in Gangnam, at least. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, sir. (aide)
Whew-woo... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su held his face.
Just how long do we have to endure? (Song Jeong-Su)
They only just gave up on Seoul. But Song Jeong-Su knew; these demonic beasts were different from human armies. Unlike the regr warfare where a new frontline could be drawn up even after you made your hasty retreat, you showing your back to the demonic beasts signalled an endless retreat, instead.
It wouldnt be out of question to construct a defensive line south of the Han river. But if the humans were forced to retreat even from there, then just where would they draw the next line?
Has there been a contact from the NDF? (Song Jeong-Su)
No, sir. Nothing so far. (aide)
And theres no informationing from the American side? (Song Jeong-Su)
Well, the Americans did contact us earlier, but... (aide)
But? (song Jeong-Su)
The aide replied with a gloomy expression.
ording to the information provided, several agents have escaped from the training centre recently, sir. Almost one thousand ability users gave up on the training and apparently have returned to their countries. (aide)
Huh... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus facial muscles began twitching uncontrobly.
Giving up on the training?
How could they even do that? Especially when the whole of humanity had ced their faith in them, so how could they!
If it was Song Jeong-Su, hed never, ever walk out of that ce on his own volition even if it killed him. He wanted to be more understanding towards their choices, thinking that there mustve been some kind of unavoidable circumstances, but he simply couldnt stop his rage from boiling over.
Wasnt it possible that humanitys annihtion could no longer be stopped because they gave up on the training regime, when it might have been possible if they stuck to it till the end? No one could say that the odds of that were zero, now could they?
Whats going on in China? (Song Jeong-Su)
Maybe because of how their forces are dispersed per province, they are beginning to establish a system of governance within the different districts now, sir. (aide)
Well, thats a relief to hear. (Song Jeong-Su)
...However, the negative impact left behind by the destruction of themand structure is still too great, sir. On top of that, most of the missile defence systems, including ICBMs, no longer have a clearunch protocol and they are only relying on ground troops and the air force to resist the enemy. (aide)
What does that mean? (Song Jeong-Su)
...They are being mercilessly pushed back, sir. Those with some semnce of stability are the areas where the demonic beasts havent arrived yet. (aide)
Well, having arge territory is a blessing in this case. (Song Jeong-Su)
One side finding their feet again while the other side is being crushed C now that would be unimaginable in a smallndmass like the Korean penins. China being able to pull something like that off should be considered as one of their hidden strengths.
However, its still only a matter of time. (Song Jeong-Su)
The demonic beasts were not upiers in the traditional sense.
That was the biggest problem here. The demonic beasts didnt need supplies to maintain theirbat force, and they didnt shiver from cold during winter, either. More importantly, they didnt consume provisions, too.
No, they simply repeated the cycle of destroying an area and moving on before destroying some more.
It was just too unfair.
The defenders most definitely needed provisions and rest, yet the attackers, despite enjoying an even greater power, didnt face any restrictions when unleashing said power.
Whats the route the demonic beasts in China have taken? (Song Jeong-Su)
The demonic beasts that appeared from Sichuan province have crossed Beijing and are now heading north to Russia, sir. But its unknown when they will change their heading to our side. (aide)
Thats not going to happen. Theres another spot here, after all. (Song Jeong-Su)
If only they were dealing with some mindless wild beasts, they couldvee up with some ways to oppose these invaders. But then, there were demons mixed in among the demonic beasts as well, and that led to a rather horrifying event of the creatures that were clearly not a part of an army, behaving as if they had one consciousness.
We need to endure. Something will happen if we keep enduring. (Song Jeong-Su)
The situation in America or Europe wasnt any different. As for Oceania and Africa, they had already turned intonds where no human could live.
Oceania had been overrun by the monsters by now and ended up bing and of death where none could set a foot inside, while in Africa, thanks to the widendmass, humans living there hadnt gonepletely extinct but it became utterly impossible to approach the continent from the outside.
If you tried to enter it throughnd, you would end up as a snack for the demonic beasts, but if you tried to fly in, the demonic beings simply shot you down.
There was no guarantee that the areas with other open spots wont end up the same. Especially more so for Asia where two spots had opened up. Even America had basically abandoned their eastern seaboard and evacuated all the civilians away from there.
Just how much more time do we need? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su barely managed to grab a cigarette with his trembling hand and lit it up.
The current situation was too tough to simply endure while holding onto the single ray of hope named Yi Ji-Hyuk.
***
Get out of the way! I said, get the hell out!
Ah?! Cant you see the queue here?! Stop trying to cut in the line!
Get out of there, now!
It was a pure pandemonium.
Once the situation reached the absolute worst point, humans respect for other humans that somehow managed tost this long quickly vanished into thin air. They all realised that for their own survival, nows or morals were necessary and they began thinking and acting only for themselves, not for anyone else.
M-mom? (Choi Ji-Hye)
A girl named Choi Ji-Hye, who only entered the middle school recently, was currently searching for her mother as tears filled up her eyes.
There didnt seem to be an end to this ocean of people.
Buses and trucks dispatched by the government were continuously streaming in and out of a bus terminal doubling as an evacuation centre. They were here to evacuate those people who had failed to leave yet.
It certainly was a good thing that the evacuation efforts were almostpleted now, but on the other hand, that meant the people still remaining here had their evacuation dyed as much, as well.
Argh, get the hell out of the way, you dumb son of a b*tch!
What was that, you punk?!
The oppressive pressure of not knowing when the demonic beast horde would show up behind them made these people incredibly tense and hostile. Sounds of swearing and fighting could be heard from here and there.
Indeed, there already had been some casualties after fighting broke out during the evacuation.
M-mom? (Choi Ji-Hye)
Choi Ji-Hye continued searching around her vicinity in a panicked state. But no matter how hard she looked, she just couldnt spot her mother who came to the evacuation centre with her. Falling even deeper into the panicked state, she ended up freezing up on the spot.
She told me not to move if I get lost... (Choi Ji-Hye)
Her mother told her that wandering around without a n would only make her even more lost. So, she should stand still and...
Ji-Hye-yah!
Mom! (Choi Ji-Hye)
Choi Ji-Hye heard her mothers voice calling out to her, so she hurriedly picked up her luggage and dashed towards the direction of that voice.
Her mother was standing in front of a queue snaking towards the bus terminal building, and she was desperately calling out to Choi Ji-Hye.
Over here! Hurry! Here!
Mom! (Choi Ji-Hye)
Tears streamed down her face as she hurriedly ran towards her mother.
But right at that moment, someone blocked her path.
Hey, you! Where do you think youre going?
M-my moms over there? (Choi Ji-Hye)
So what?
I, I need to go to my mom... (Choi Ji-Hye)
A man with a thuggish face blocked her path and yelled angrily at her.
What the f*ck?! Cant you see all these queues here?! One of us queuing up has to die because you want to go over there? Is that what youre saying?!
E-excuse me? (Choi Ji-Hye)
Go to the back of the queue.
B-but, my mom... (Choi Ji-Hye)
You deaf? Didnt you hear me telling you to go back?! I might as well...!
Choi Ji-Hyes mom freaked out and left the queue to urgently run over to her daughter. She tightly held the girl and bowed her head several times at the man.
Im sorry, Im so sorry!
I dont give a sh*t about your apology, so go behind the line already! Before I f*cking kill you both!
...P-please, just let us through. Im her mother.
So what? You also want to go to the back of the queue, auntie?
Choi Ji-Hye could no longer handle all the tears flooding out from her eyes and plopped on the ground.
What the hell?
The man chuckled in dismay, then growled in a threatening manner.
Forget it. Just go behind the line already before I kick the living sh*t out of you. You trying to test my patience or what?!
When the mother and daughter held each other and broke down in tears, the man got clearly angry and raised his foot to kick them both.
But then...
Hey, as*hole!
< 453. Well then, should we get started -3 > Fin.
Chapter 454: Well then, should we get started (4)
Chapter 454: Well then, should we get started (4)
The man with a thuggish face chuckled wryly at the insulting from somewhere behind him.
Hah, f*ck me.
The world had gone utterly insely so the people living in it seemed to have gone insane as well. As to prove that, that insult, wasnt it directed at the thuggish face man?
Man, Ive been trying to keep calm and live a peaceful life, yet why do you people keep driving me mad, ah? Which as*hole was it?!
The man turned around to find out, only for his rage to cool down in an instant.
It was me. (?)
Hul...
After turning around, the thuggish man was greeted by another man who was at least a head taller than he was.
B-but, Im over 180 centimetres tall...
So howe he couldnt see the rest of the other guys face except for the chin?
Was he looking at a basketball yer or something?
But being a simple basketball yer wasnt enough to exin away those mountain range-like broad shoulders and incredibly sturdy arms and legs. As a matter of fact, those biceps were as thick as a womans waist.
Is he even human?!
With this sort of physique, this guy definitely couldnt have been a regr person.
And on top of that...
Im so sorry.
Before any other conversation could take ce, the thuggish man apologised first. That could not be helped, however. Anyone who took a gander at this tall guys face would feel very muchpelled to apologise right away. Even if you didnt know what youve done wrong, you probably did something bad anyway.
P-please, ept my apology. Please
The tall man who was apologised to out of the blue, the high schooler that even Yi Ji-Hyuk had acknowledged, Choi Chang-Sik distorted his expression next.
Hey, ahjussi. (Chang-Sik)
Y-yes?
Ahjussi, do you have spare bones lying around? (Chang-Sik)
...Not quite sure I follow?
Im saying, do you keep spare bones around in case someone breaks the ones inside you for some reason? (Chang-Sik)
...Regr people, uh, dont do that.
So why all this f*cking overreaction, man? (Chang-Sik)
The thuggish man instantly became a docilemb and smiled gently.
Aha, so I was overreacting. I swear, Ill never do it again.
He wasnt quite sure why, but if this tall guy said he was overreacting, then there was no doubt that that assertion was correct. If he argued that wasnt it, the atmosphere dictated that he might really need those spare bones right away.
Hey, ahjussi. (Chang-Sik)
Yes.
Even if our situation is urgent and were all getting irritated by it, we should still act like human beings, right? (Chang-Sik)
Y-yes, youre correct.
So, get to the back before I beat your a*s up. (Chang-Sik)
...To the back?
Whats wrong? You want me to send you up, instead? (Chang-Sik)
There was nothing above their heads. No, technically, there was the sky. But a living person couldnt physically get up there, so what the tall guy offered to do was pretty obvious to the thuggish mans mind.
N-no. Ill just head to the back.
Tsk. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik sessfully chased away the hooligan-like man and cautiously patted the crying Choi Ji-Hyes back.
Its alright now. This oppa took care of it, okay? (Chang-Sik)
Unfortunately, the girl took one good look at his face and began crying even louder than before. The ability to make not just little children but even a middle school student like this burst into tears with nothing but his face was Choi Chang-Siks... wonderful talent.
...Bloomin hell. (Chang-Sik)
His mood soured instantly for some reason, but even gangsters had some kind of a bottom line they wouldnt cross. He certainly hadnt fallen all the way to the bottom that hed get angry at a middle schooler. And not just any middle schooler, but a young girl like this.
I mean, if Ji-Hyuk hyung learns of itter, he might beat me up half to death... (Chang-Sik)
It was the strangest thing, but Yi Ji-Hyuk was very strict in things like that. Even though he never even thought about how he tormented other people.
Y-you see, this oppa isnt a bad guy. (Chang-Sik)
But you arent an oppa? Arent you an ahjussi?
...............
Choi Chang-Sik fell into a serious dilemma here.
Should I just risk getting beaten upter? (Chang-Sik)
If things go well, then either he died before running into Yi Ji-Hyuk, or Yi Ji-Hyuk would die first, so wouldnt it be better for his heart to simply get angry right now?
While he seriously pondered his options, Choi Ji-Hyes mother repeatedly bowed her head at him over and over again.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
N-no, well... (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik smiled like an idiot and scratched the back of his head.
He couldnt remember thest time someone thanked him earnestly like this. Sure, hed sometimes hear that while distributing cigarettes to his juniors in school or borrowing some money from the kids he spotted walking around, but none of them sounded genuine to him.
Well, this doesnt feel so bad, is it? (Chang-Sik)
He used to wonder why Yi Ji-Hyuk, famed for his rotten personality, got so obsessed about going around solving Gate crises to help people out, but now that he himself heard the genuine words of gratitude, he thought he could understand it a little bit.
Of course, what Chang-Sik did had very little inmon with Yi Ji-Hyuks feats, but still.
Please be more careful next time. Hurry and go back in the queue. (Chang-Sik)
Will we be alright?
Sorry? (Chang-Sik)
All of us... Will everyone be alright? Monsters are rushing here, arent they?
Choi Chang-Sik scratched his head again.
Why was she asking him this question?
She probably wasnt asking him because she thought Chang-Sik knew the right answer. No, she most likely couldnt endure without asking someone.
They were in a whole different scenario from a regr war, after all.
Unlike a war between nations where you could avoid the fighting using your status as a civilian, this battle would onlye to an end when either the humans or the demonic beasts were to go extinct. There would be no exception to that.
It was a dreadful fight where the final winner would also be the only one left standing.
Honestly, I cant be 100% sure, but... (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik took time to deliberate on his reply, before shrugging his shoulders.
...But I suggest you keep running away. (Chang-Sik)
Pardon?
You just have to keep evacuating on time and escaping from harm until the very end. When that happens, we will win. Then things will get peaceful for sure. (Chang-Sik)
We are going to win?
Yes. Humanity will win. (Chang-Sik)
But how? Were simply running away all the time, arent we?
Choi Chang-Sik smirked brightly.
Yes, its like that right now, but things will be differentter on. I know of this one guy who will never lose, you see. (Chang-Sik)
Sorry?
The mother seemed rather confused by that, so Choi Ji-Hye asked in her stead.
What do you mean? (Ji-Hye)
Mm, well, what Im saying is... (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik pondered again before opening his mouth.
There are plenty of wackos in this world, right? (Chang-Sik)
...Yes. (Ji-Hye)
But even among them, I know of this one decent wacko. Okay, so. I was ying this game in the arcade, right? Then this wacko sat on the opposite cab and challenged me. Of course, in the game. (Chang-Sik)
Okay? (Ji-Hye)
I think I won about a hundred times? But he was like, panting like a bull, and kept challenging me till the end. He then finally won a match. (Chang-Sik)
...Okay? (Ji-Hye)
You know what that wacko did next? (Chang-Sik)
...No? (Ji-Hye)
He just straight up switched the power off, lifted up the cab and threw it down. (Chang-Sik)
The girl stared at Chang-Sik in stupefaction.
He did that because he thought hed lose if we y again. He finished the whole thing off where he emerged as the final winner, know what I mean? The arcade owner was really p*ssed off and chased after the wacko, but guess what, the guy simply ran off whileughing in happiness. (Chang-Sik)
Sounds like hes crazy. (Ji-Hye)
Ng, he is crazy. And that crazy guy is currently fighting against the demonic beasts, you see? (Chang-Sik)
...
That guy, hell win no matter what. And hell definitely end everything with him as the final winner. That wacko is someone like that, after all. (Chang-Sik)
Choi Ji-Hye quietly nodded her head. Chang-Sik smiled brightly at her. Although that smiling face still remained scary, it did kinda feel a little less scary than before.
Okay, therees the bus. You two should get on that. (Chang-Sik)
Y-yes. (Ji-Hye)
Chang-Sik proceeded to shove aside the people in his way and guided the mother and daughter to the front of the queue. He stayed and watched the two of them get on the vehicle, then without saying anything else, returned to his original spot in the queue.
He waved his hand back when the girl peeked her head outside the buss window to wave at him. The bus soon left his sight, and Chang-Sik looked up at the distant skies.
And thats why you gotta do something, Ji-Hyuk hyung. (Chang-Sik)
For some reason, his voice sounded hollow.
***
...F*ck. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
A swear word leaked out of Yi Ji-Hyuks mouth.
The final challenger failed to stand back up in the end. Out of two thousand and sixty eight people, only one thousand eight hundred managed to survive.
It cant be helped, though. (Alpha)
Alpha and his calm face tried to console him, but Yi Ji-Hyuk was in no mood to humour him.
Get out of my sight. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Please calm down. (Alpha)
Dam*it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
He started this whole thing knowing that this was the best he could do, but it still ended up as him killing over two hundred people with his own hands in only a couple of days. No excuses would be able to deny that simple fact.
Honestly, I dont understand you. (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk furious eyes mmed straight at Alpha.
I heard that you have ughtered hundreds of thousands in the other world as if it was nothing. Compared to that, the number of people who died this time is just a little fraction, so why are you getting so upset as if you feel guilt over it? (Alpha)
...
You should acknowledge it yourself. You are probably the worst viin and a mass murderer in humanitys history. So to see you behave like this, its honestly making me flustered a little. (Alpha)
Sure, thanks for that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan.
Alpha wasnt wrong, though.
The number of people he killed during his raid on Terra Latrel alone should be well over half a million. So he shouldnt act as if he felt guilt about killing two hundred at this point in time.
That would be nothing more than being a hypocrite, after all.
Yi Ji-Hyuk tried to ept that fact, but it seemed that Choi Jeong-Hoon didnt share that sentiment at all.
How can killing a million of your enemies and killing a hundred of your allies be the same thing to you? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
...Even though they are the same humans? (Alpha)
Its not humans that died, but... your allies that died. Youre the psychopath who cant figure that out, you insane b*stard! (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoons tone of voice was colder than a sheet of ice. So much so that even Alpha had to raise his hands and back off slightly.
Whoa, whoa. Please calm down. I wasnt trying to rile you up, you know. (Alpha)
Alpha sensed an urgent need to change the topic.
Anyways, what should we do now? (Alpha)
...
Everyone currently on their feet has be familiar with Mana now. Which means its time to learn magic, so should we start memorising books on theories or something? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nced at all those standing in rank and file.
They were all ring back at him with hatred in their expressions. Their faces implied that although they understood the reasoning, they simply couldnt forget that soul-searing pain. It seemed that only the NDF agents were making more-or-less calm faces right now.
But something else was pervading the NDFs faces C anxiety.
Even Alphas tone had some hints of that, as well.
He realised that it took longer than nned for everyone to sense Mana.
However, Yi Ji-Hyuk remained rxed.
Dont rush me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Compared to how he was earlier, he certainly looked to have regained his rxed demeanour.
Things wont get as hectic from now on, anyway. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
People are dying in their droves even as we speak, so for you to say that its not going to be hectic anymore, now you sound like Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk that I know. (Alpha)
Wow, to think that you are actually worried about people dying. I guess the sun will rise from the west tomorrow morning. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk retorted and waved his hand around. Then, a massive Gate suddenly generated in front of Alpha.
...A Gate? (Alpha)
We have plenty of time. Yup, we have too much of that. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clenched his fists.
I shall train you all inside the real hell. So, you dont have to worry. We have a sh*t-load of time for you guys to go through the cycle of endless pain, after all. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Are you talking about the difference in time flow? (Alpha)
You know so well. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, why didnt you go with that from the beginning? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk dismissively waved his hand.
Heres the funny thing. Our world is probably the richest in Mana out of all the worlds out there right now. After getting connected to this little ce called the demon world where Mana concentration is ridiculously high, our ended up as the best repository of Mana that surpasses even Berafe, which is basically the greatestnd of magic that I know of, (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha slowly nodded his head.
He understood it now.
If you fail to sense Mana here, then you wont manage it anywhere else. No matter how long it takes. (Alpha)
Bingo. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk spat out a groan.
Sure, its taken longer than nned, but this much is still within the safe zone. But its now time to get to the main course. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk pointed to the Gate.
Trante for me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Okay. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk sucked in a deep breath, then began shouting out.
Go inside this thing! Theres another world beyond it! But only about half of you will manage to return alive from there! However, if you do manage to pull that off...! (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk took a moment to build up the anticipation.
...You should have acquired enough power to kill me by then. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
There was no need for more persuasion.
The ones standing at the front unhesitantly stepped inside the Gate one by one. After witnessing that scene, Alpha leaned over and whispered in Yi Ji-Hyuks ear.
Honestly, they are not entering the Gate because they want to kill you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk. Please do understand. (Alpha)
...Why, thank you so bloody much. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuks eyes as he watched them head towards a new dimension were cold and withdrawn.
< 454. Well then, should we get started -4 > Fin.
(TL: Choi Ji-Hye and Choi Chang-Sik are not rted, in case youre wondering.)
Chapter 455: Well then, should we get started (5)
Chapter 455: Well then, should we get started (5)
Were you thinking of a method like this from the beginning? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded at Alphas question. There was no need to answer, but conversely, there was no need to not reply, either.
If you dont have enough time, just stretch what little you have left. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha nodded in agreement.
He knew from Yi Ji-Hyuks case that different dimensions experienced different time flows.
But why havent I thought of that before? (Alpha)
Alpha thought of himself as a rather smart guy.
When it came to absolute intelligence and knowledge base, he was confident of not many people in the world having a better brain than him. And that confidence wasnt born out from some misguided arrogance, either. It was proven as fact to some degree through several experimentations, after all.
However, Alpha had not thought about the time differences up until now.
Maybe this guy is incredibly smart? (Alpha)
Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk couldnte close to Alpha in terms of absolute intelligence, thetter still had to wonder if the former exceeded him in terms of ones ability to sort out dangerous situations or being able to exhibit the full range of ones strengths even under tremendous pressure.
Seriously, he is still someone to be wary of. (Alpha)
Your expression says youre unhappy about something? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ah, no. Thats not it. (Alpha)
Alpha waved his hand.
Im merely feeling pleased after learning about a solution that exceeded my expectation, thats all. By the way, whats the ratio of the time difference in that other dimension? (Alpha)
I wonder? Maybe around 100 to 1? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Thats a lot. (Alpha)
I dont think its quite enough, though... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk clicked his tongue.
Itd be for the best to go somewhere with the greatest difference in time flow, but even that was not as simple as it sounded. Humans could survive in some dimensions while in some others, not so much.
Even if there was a ce with the time ratio of 1000:1, itd be pointless if it didnte with any breathable air. He needed to find a dimension where the trainees could survive and without a native intelligent species already living there so that they could avoid running into any unnecessary troubles.
It was harder than you think to satisfy those conditions.
Will the actual training get underway as soon as entering that Gate? (Alpha)
Obviously. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Its not going to be easy, is it? (Alpha)
Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Who knows? I sure dont. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
You dont? (Alpha)
Mm, well, this thing called magic has never been what youd call perfectly sorted out, so... ites with some degree of built-in dangers, you see. So, trying to learn magic is kinda like you carefully checking every step of the stone bridge you wish to cross. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
I see. (Alpha)
But if you dont have the time to check the bridges sturdiness, then youll have to cross it with all youve got even if it turns out to be a rotting wooden bridge or something. If your luck is bad, then you fall into the water below. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alpha nodded as if he understood it.
Originally there is a safer way to master magic, but... Since we dont have that luxury, you yourself cant tell how difficult it will be. Is that the gist of it? (Alpha)
Yeah. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
In that case, can I opt out now? (Alpha)
Itll be better for your health to crawl in there right now. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Eh-whew. (Alpha)
Alpha shook his head helplessly, then strode towards the Gate. His underlings waiting and observing began rushing inside the portal once their boss got close to them.
Will it be alright? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon asked Yi Ji-Hyuk in a worried tone of voice.
What will be? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If we go in there, all points of contact to this world will get cut off, isnt it? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Huh? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tilted his head.
Now that he thought about it, wasnt that true?
The absolute worst possibility will be, us returning only to find out that this world no longer exists. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Huh, that is certainly possible. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk roughly scratched his head. He had somehow overlooked that.
Should we, I dont know, leave behind some kind of a way tomunicate with people here? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Is it possible tomunicate with another dimension if we do that? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Eii, of course not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Then why did you even ask me that, you dumb*ss?! (Choi Jeong-Hoons inner monologue)
Choi Jeong-Hoons face contorted unsightly, so Yi Ji-Hyuk shrugged his shoulders.
Well, as they say, man proposes and god disposes. We can only leave it up to fate. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...........
Choi Jeong-Hoons worried eyes took in the sight of all the ability users walking into the Gate.
This is definitely not a simple matter... (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He knew it couldnt be helped, but even then, how could he not feel anxious aboutpletely cutting themselves off from this world and leaving it behind?
Choi Jeong-Hoon spat out a groan and pulled out his phone.
How long will we take? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Dunno. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Excuse me? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at Choi Jeong-Hoon with a face that said, Why are you keep asking me that question?
This isnt some kinda crash course to prepare yourself for the college entrance exams, you know? More than that, this isnt one of those situations where I teach for a while and decide whether to keep training them or not. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
W-well, yes. Thats true. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
So, whether it takes one hundred years or one thousand, we are noting back until I think we might stand a chance. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...
Choi Jeong-Hoons expression hardened.
This man, he was being dead serious.
At first, it was as if he started this thing out of, theres no other way, so let me just give this a shot mindset, but the current Yi Ji-Hyuk gave off the impression that he had bet his everything on this gamble.
If that wasnt it, then maybe he saw some kind of potential from the ones in here.
Whatever the case might have been, it was good to see Yi Ji-Hyuk stop being who cares what happens to regain his impetus to act.
Right, this guy shouldve been like this from the beginning. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He mightin all the time, get irritated by even the smallest things and not one shred of motivation could be felt from him, but Yi Ji-Hyuk was still someone whod definitely resolve whatever event that did happen before his nose.
So him re-discovering his old self again energised Choi Jeong-Hoon as well.
Dam*it, so I have been relying on him to this extent. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
He realised the truth that not only did he want Yi Ji-Hyuk to take care of the situation, Choi Jeong-Hoon also had been getting a lot of mental support from thetter up until now.
For now, Ill go contact the outside. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Okay. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk nodded, and Choi Jeong-Hoon stepped outside the dome with his phone.
Either because there was too much Mana filling up the interior of the structure, or maybe because the dome was used as a top-secret research facility, no cell signal coulde in or out of this ce.
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched Choi Jeong-Hoon going outside the dome to make a call, then turned his head back to observe the ability users entering the Gate. Before long, the NDF agents began approaching him.
When we go inside there, are we going to do the same training as thest time? (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun asked first and Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head.
Nah, we will go nowhere with that method. We muste up with a brand new method this time. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Well be half dead, then. (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Itd be a relief if its only half, though. We might really die, you know?
The NDF agents, who didnt even wince once during the process to sense Mana where everyone else was vomiting lumps of blood, began disying their fear from the prospect of training under Yi Ji-Hyuk.
Could the others be thinking that the training they got until now was the toughest thing ever?
...Thats probably it?
Its my fault for being born in Korea. If I was born in some other country, at least I couldve lived a nicer life before my untimely demise.
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at the NDF agents making a big fuss about not much and spoke up with a pout.
If you dont want to, then dont go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
F*ck me, if it was that easy, I wouldnt even say anything here. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young replied venomously.
Well only end up as the stupid as*holes if we give up now aftering this far. (Seo Ah-Young)
In that case, go inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk extended his hand and pointed at the Gate.
Fuu-woop. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young nodded her head, her eyes burning with determination.
Fine. Ill go in. Im going in, but I want to ask you something before that. (Seo Ah-Young)
Sure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
If we go in there and then make it out in one piece, can we really deal with our current situation? (Seo Ah-Young)
Hmm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk stared back at her as if it was difficult to reply right away, and that prompted Seo Ah-Young to gnash her teeth.
Heres the thing. Lets say after training like crazy until Im ready to kick the bucket, I still end up not being much of a help and as some extra to a handful of the so-called destined ones. Thats the crap I dont want to be in. If we are going to do this, then you better make us properly strong. (Seo Ah-Young)
But youre going to regret it? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Ive been regretting dozens of times every single day ever since making you join the KSF! (Seo Ah-Young)
Kekekeke. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk smirked.
Now that I think about it, didnt I say it at the beginning...? That youre going to bitterly regret hiring me. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I shouldve listened back then. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young shook her head.
Whatever, its fine. Its an undeniable fact that thanks to you, we got to protect many things up until now. (Seo Ah-Young)
Mm... (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
So, please promise us this one thing. (Seo Ah-Young)
Seo Ah-Young stared straight into Yi Ji-Hyuks face.
If we endure whats about to happen, then we will be able to protect everyone, right? (Seo Ah-Young)
...
Seo Ah-Young was the least likely person to ask something like that. But hearing her say that, the reality of this situation is definitely serious rammed home even harder than before.
What should he say here?
Yi Ji-Hyuk hated the very concept of lying to someone in order to give them hope. If he was being objective about it, then even after the ability users finished this training, itd still be difficult to stop the demon worlds invasion.
Even then...
...I promise. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...She, or the rest of the agents, probably was not asking for the truth.
Unlike the others who willingly stepped inside the Gate without knowing anything, the NSF agents had already suffered through the life of hell in another dimension once before so in order to endure the uing training regime, they needed something to hold on to.
Yi Ji-Hyuk knew this, so he had no choice but to nod his head.
You will gain power. And depending on how you use that power, it can also be the necessary strength to save the world. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Seo Ah-Young quietly stared at him for a moment or two, before nodding her head.
In that case, its fine. (Seo Ah-Young)
She turned around and stared at the rest of her agents.
Anyone want to drop out? (Seo Ah-Young)
...
If theres none, its fine. Lets go. Stop whining and lets get this thing done and over with. (Seo Ah-Young)
With Seo Ah-Young as the lead, the NDF agents all headed towards the Gate. Yi Ji-Hyuk watched them all enter the portal and quietly closed his eyes.
Whether it works or not, this is ourst shot. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It felt like he was risking everything on a gamble with low odds of sess. If they couldnt resolve the current situation with this, then no more time and no other possibilities existed for them.
Dam*it. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk quickly shook off all the worrisome thoughts trying to fill up his head. He then looked at Choi Jeong-Hoon rushing over to where he was.
What did they say? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...They say theyll hold on somehow. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon groaned during his reply.
It sounded like they were in agreement that theres no other way. They seem to have realised that we wont be able toe up with another way if they stopped us from leaving, so they simply said we must seed and return as soon as possible. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Who did you talk to? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Christopher McLaren and Prime Minister Song. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Tsk. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk tutted loudly.
What could he say here?
It was like he was watching a scene from a sci-fi disaster movie. A do-or-die suicide squad going for thatst hurrah for the sake of humanitys future, and the remaining humans that couldnt do anything but to believe in them? That kind of feeling?
Man, I hate those movies. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk and his deeply-irritated face began walking towards the Gate.
Lets go. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Alright. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Choi Jeong-Hoon walked behind him before cautiously opening his mouth.
Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yes? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
We can do this, yes? (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
I dont want to be a part of a soap opera so just go in there already. I mean, just because I say its going to work, you think something impossible will suddenly be doable? (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Even then, Id like to hear it from you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Even if its hopeless, Ill make it happen, so go inside. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...I believe in you. (Choi Jeong-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk watched Choi Jeong-Hoon looking back at him right up until he disappeared through the Gates surface, then spat out a lengthy groan.
Man, this is harder than I thought. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
His role wasnt about being someone that others could lean on and ce their faith in. He was far more familiar with being the object of hatred and fear, after all.
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly looked behind him.
What he was looking at wasnt the inside of this research facility, but the world itself.
Hold and endure. (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
...Because they were definitelying back.
He slowly stepped into another dimension aspletely different types of motivation and determination from before filled his heart.
< 455. Well then, should we get started -5 > Fin.
Chapter 456: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (1)
Chapter 456: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (1)
They say they have entered the portal, Mister President. (Song Jeong-Su)
...Has it been confirmed? (Yun Yeong-Min)
No sir, but Choi Jeong-Hoon said so before hanging up, so unless there was some other unforeseen circumstance preventing them from leaving, then all of them shouldve finished transferring by now. (Song Jeong-Su)
I see. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min leaned against the back of the couch and rested his head on his interlocked fingers.
A heavy silence filled up the conference room, but Song Jeong-Su didnt try to break it up by saying something. Because he knew how much pressure Yun Yeong-Min was under right now.
Im sure its tough. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su had been feeling ittely that every politician in South Korea owed Yi Ji-Hyuk a big deal of gratitude. They had a man who would step up to solve any situation no matter how grave it was as long as they negotiated properly with him, and that meant they didnt have to think too hard about how to deal with the end.
If other governments were figuratively making theirst stand on top of a cliff, then the South Korean politicians were standing on the same cliff but with a safety rope called Yi Ji-Hyuk tied around their waists.
But now, that rope had been severed.
Thats why it felt like they were standing before the cocked machine guns after taking off their bulletproof vests.
To think that hed not discuss a matter of such importance with us and simply informs us of his decision... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min muttered to no one in particr and raised his head away from his hands.
Well, that certainly sounds like Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk we know. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Thats true. (Song Jeong-Su)
I get that we dont have any other options left besides this one, but it wouldve been nicer if he understood that people remaining behind are regr, powerless humans and that things are getting harder to endure for us. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min spat out a long sigh.
Two thoughts popped up in his head.
One, whether it was really possible or not to defend against the demon kings onught without Yi Ji-Hyuks presence.
And the second thought was...
In a certain sense, Noahs ark has set sail, hasnt it?
When Yun Yeong-Min said that, Song Jeong-Su nodded his head with a hollow expression on his face.
Yes, thats indeed so. (Song Jeong-Su)
Now that so many ability users had been sent to another dimension, it meant that even if everyone else on Earth were to be wiped out, humanity would not be annihted in the end. There were quite a few females among the travelling ability users, after all.
In that case, isnt it fine for us to feel slightly relieved? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Actually... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su replied with a troubled tone of voice.
They are about to be trained by Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, so even though two thousand ability users went there, its unknown just how many wille back to us alive... (Song Jeong-Su)
...
Yun Yeong-Min dazedly nodded his head to indicate that he got it.
...Meaning, we might as well forget about it. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Im afraid so. (Song Jeong-Su)
Which means, we need to hold on somehow until theye back... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min gulped down a ss full of cold water.
...Mister Prime Minister. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yes, Mister President. (Song Jeong-Su)
Please be honest with me. Will we make it? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su couldnt reply right away.
...Sir, no one can answer that. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yet another heavy silence descended in the room.
Knock, knock...
Thankfully, an external factor broke this silence. A secretary with a grave-looking face opened the conference rooms door and stepped inside, before speaking up politely.
Sirs, Americans are contacting us through the hotline.
Song Jeong-Su smirked at that.
Why dont they just call us on the phone? Eavesdropping on phone calls wont do anybody any good in times like these, anyway. (Song Jeong-Su)
China was basically obliterated, while Russia was about to go down the crapper, as well. Perhaps more crucially, even if other countries listened in on the conversation about to take ce over the phone, itd serve no political or diplomatic purposes whatsoever, anyway.
Should we let the call though, sir?
Yes, go ahead. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Not too long after the secretary left the room, therge monitor began disying a familiar face.
C Should I start by saying its good to see you again, Mister President? (Christopher McLaren)
Honestly speaking, whether its us, or your side... Its not that great to see each other, isnt it? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Indeed, thats true. If Im being honest, every time I have to press the button for the hotline to South Korea, it feels like my heart is about to crash to the pit of my stomach. When I think about it, Ive never called your country with good news before. (Christopher McLaren)
And thats why we are not so keen to hear from you. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Thats unfortunate. When our current crisis is somehow resolved properly, I was thinking of retiring and visiting Korea one day, you see. If that dreames true someday, why dont we share a drink or two, Mister President? (Christopher McLaren)
Well, that sounds like a good idea. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min smirked.
He felt far closer to Christopher McLaren whenpared to his cab members that he saw every single day. That was because he felt a certain sense of kinship with the American for going through this life-or-death crisis together, and also from the fact that only they could understand what each other was going through right now.
Whether you were a puppet ruler or an actual leader of a nation, youd still be held responsible for what happens at the end. Anyone who never felt the oppressive pressureing from knowing that fact wouldnt even be able to imagine it.
C Unfortunately, the situation isnt looking at us too kindly anymore. We now have to stop those demon bastards without the help of the strongest ability users. (Christopher McLaren)
Indeed, its amentable situation. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min sighed deeply.
Could they stop the enemy?
No, wait. Its not about stopping them, but merely holding on. (Yun Yeong-Min)
This situation couldnt even be considered a war anymore. What humanity needed to do from now on was to fight a desperate defensive battle. Humans had to pour everything towards the defensive lines while treating it like an all-out warfare, but at the same time, be prepared to retreat and redraw the defensive line at any given time.
Just thinking about it gave Yun Yeong-Min a migraine. And what made the pain in his head even worse was the fact that even if they had brought together everybat force possible and did as he envisioned, the issue of whether or not they could defend against the demonic creatures still remained unanswerable.
Okay, so. Were you calling us to tell us this? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C No, not at all. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, may we get to the main topic, then? (Yun Yeong-Min)
It was then, Christopher McLarensplexion on the giant screen became even more gloomy.
C I was in a dilemma, wondering whether I should inform you all of this matter or not, but... (Christopher McLaren)
But, you wouldnt have contacted us if you decided not to tell us. Im not a fan of wasting time by beating around the bush. And even if I like doing that, we dont have the luxury of time, anyway. Please speak frankly, Mister McLaren. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C In that case, please excuse me. After learning that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and his group will be leaving us, I had my people perform a quick simtion. Its to figure out what might happen when the enemy offensive keeps up the current rate. (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Su furrowed his brows.
Why do something so useless... (Song Jeong-Su)
Sometimes it was better to not know. He understood the fact that the simtion simply had to be done at some point regardless of what, but Song Jeong-Su still didnt want to hear about the end result.
Christopher McLaren was smart enough to understand that, but he didnt stop, regardless.
C If Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks group does not return in a months time, at least 60% of the world will be destroyed beyond repair. (Christopher McLaren)
60%, is it... (Song Jeong-Su)
On one hand, that was certainly a horrifying number, but on the other hand, it was also rather a hopeful figure, as well.
Because that result didnt indicate aplete annihtion. If humanity could survive by giving up on 60% of Earth, then itd be a gain, instead. Thats how bad the current situation was.
C And if Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk doesnt return in two months, then over 80% of the will be destroyed, and in three months, it will be total destruction. (Christopher McLaren)
...
Song Jeong-Su felt his vision blurring and his head nking out for a moment there.
Three months... (Song Jeong-Su)
Less than 100 days.
One could either say that was pretty long or simply too short. But regardless of what, humanitys fate being decided in less than one hundred days seemed like a cruel, merciless thing.
Is it really that sudden? (Song Jeong-Su)
C When we first performed the simtion, there was about a minimum of one year of leeway. (Christopher McLaren)
If so, howe things have gotten this urgent? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Havent you sensed it yet? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarensplexion got much darker.
C The demons have changed their tactics to attack. Meaning, they are now finished with reconnaissance. If the situation remained the same as before, then not only one year, we might have been able to hold on for a maximum of three years. But now that they are earnestly marching forward, never mind a year, we wont evenst six months. And thats the most optimistic projection we have... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren shook his head.
C ...But that is also pointless as well. By then, almost all of the cities would be destroyed and only 5% of humanity would be left alive, busy escaping from one ce to next. In such a situation, there is no point in persisting with survival at all. (Christopher McLaren)
Hmm... (Song Jeong-Su)
C Sure, you might say wed still be alive, but if everything basically reverts back to the stone age and we have to fight back using rocks and spears... then in that case, weve already lost the battle. Our victory or defeat must be decided while our current civilisation and culture are preserved to some degree. (Christopher McLaren)
Even though half of those are already lost by now. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su could only chuckle hollowly.
Germany was thoroughly destroyed by now.
That nations legacy and history were now left in ashes and ruins. The demonic beings simply destroyed every single building, every little trace of humanity, before moving on to destroy some more. It was as if they considered destroying everything without mercy was the true victory or some such.
Since it was determined that demonic beasts were basically unintelligent, without a doubt all themands were being issued by the demons and the demon kings.
In that case, we have no choice but to struggle and survive as long as possible. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Mins voice sounded empty, hollow.
Song Jeong-Su roughly massaged his temples before opening his mouth.
Look here, McLaren. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Yes? (Christopher McLaren)
Can I ask you something? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Yes, of course. (Christopher McLaren)
Knowing how you people operate, you probably didnt simte only the numbers. You also have projections on which territories will remain. Correct? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Yes. (Christopher McLaren)
So, Im guessing that the only remaining territories will be a small portion of high-altitude regions and... North America. (Song Jeong-Su)
Christopher McLaren didnt say anything. But that was enough of an answer already.
Well, its an obvious thing, isnt it. (Song Jeong-Su)
America was in possession of at least half of the entire worldsbat forces. So, only one spot opening up in such a country was a rather unfair thing.
Which meant that the United States of America would be able to hold on until all the other nations on Earth were wiped out.
What about Korea, then? How long do we have? (Song Jeong-Su)
C And this is the reason why Ive decided to contact you. (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Sus expression crumpled instantly.
It wont be nice news, then. (Song Jeong-Su)
Objectively speaking, Korea lost its value to America a long time ago. The previous pretext of needing to keep an eye out on China went out the window the moment demon kings began showing up and the centralmand structure of China was obliterated by its own nuke.
So, America had no more reason to care about Korea now. Since that was the case, why would Christopher McLaren even bother to contact them like this?
C ording to our calctions, Korea wontst a single month. (Christopher McLaren)
...Go eat sh*t, you godd*mn Yankee son of a b*tch. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su couldnt hold back and flipped a bird almost right away, but Christopher McLaren simply shrugged his shoulders.
C Please, calm down. (Christopher McLaren)
Dam*it. (Song Jeong-Su)
How could anyone calm down in a situation like this?
C And thats why weve decided to lend our support to Korea. (Christopher McLaren)
...Support? (Song Jeong-Su)
That unexpected word prompted Song Jeong-Su to raise his head.
C Yes. Support. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren replied with a t tone of voice.
I dont understand you. Whats in it for you people to help us out? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Our reason is simple. Demonic beasts that came out from the spot in Africa are now moving towards the Middle East. (Christopher McLaren)
...
C With that, the situation has be clear. Our enemies are not here to upy. No, they wish to destroy. Once they annihte and massacre all semnce of civilisation and people living there, they move onto another area where human civilisation still exists. (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Su quietly squeezed his eyes shut.
In other words...? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Once everywhere else is destroyed, then all the demon kings and demonic beings will head to America. Honestly speaking, just one more demon king army invading ournd will finish us off. America wont survive. And itll be over. (Christopher McLaren)
Hahaha.... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus eyes suddenly flew open in anger.
So, you want to use us as meat shields, is that it? (Song Jeong-Su)
C No, not as shields. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren was gradually getting heated up.
C There are currently two active spots in East Asia. ording to the simtion, the most at risk and the first to copse will be South Korea. Once Korea is gone, what remains of Japan and China will soon follow, then the enemy forces willbine with the ones in the Middle East, which in turn will join up with the ones in Europe. When that happens, the end result will be too simple. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren spoke as if he was making a deration.
C The demon kings that destroyed Asia and Europe will then rush towards America. And itll be the end of humanity. (Christopher McLaren)
The icy-cold chill brushed past everyone in the room.
The weight of the words end of humanity feltpletely different when they came out of Christopher McLarens mouth rather than some random nobody.
Song Jeong-Su groaned softly, before tightly clenching his fists.
So, what is it that you want to do here? (Song Jeong-Su)
< 456. So, you want to use us as meat shields? -1 > Fin.
Chapter 457: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (2)
Chapter 457: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (2)
C Isnt it inly obvious what we need to do? Its to ensure that the situation bes static. (Christopher McLaren)
Static? (Song Jeong-Su)
C The moment power tilts to one side, our world will crumble down like a series of dominoes. When forces from two spots join up, Middle East, Europe where they are barely maintaining some sort of a bnce, East Asia and then the United States will crumble down in that order. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
There was no room to argue.
One of the biggest reasons why Korea still managed to hold on until now was because of its absurdly powerful ground forces that some people even referred to as Pobangbu. However, imagine what would happen if the demonic creatures in China decided to join the battlefront. [1]
Never mind humans having enough time to retreat and redraw the defensive line, the enemy would prate straight through to the city of Busan in one go.
C After going through various simtions, we concluded that the first ce we must defend is South Korea. (Christopher McLaren)
Are you implying that our situation is that precarious? (Song Jeong-Su)
C If were talking about levels of danger, then there are other ces facing even worse threat levels. However, the potential damage once Korea is overrun is the worst. Korea is already at the end of the map. Unless the demonic b*stards suddenly decide to cross the vast ocean and attack the States, they should go back the other way. Which means they will join up with Chinas spot to finish off China and India, then join up with the demon king army heading to Middle East before rushing towards Europe. (Christopher McLaren)
...End of the world, then. (Song Jeong-Su)
Surely, it must feel like ying a game of ttang-ttameok-gi. [2]
Itd also be the same while performingbat simtions.
If the two sides were simr in strengths, or a stable defensive line had been drawn up already, then what youd get was a situation where one side or the other would gain some and give up some. But the moment one location sees a breakthrough and that leads to tilting of the bnce, then itd be the start of an unstoppable snowball rolling downhill.
If you couldnt deal with the enemy forcesing together to form a bigger army, then the only thing remaining would be to run away.
What an unfortunate thing this was, though, that humans couldnt leave Earth behind.
Do we need to escape to Mars or something? (Song Jeong-Su)
C What are you talking about? (Christopher McLaren)
No, its nothing. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stared at Christopher McLaren with gloomy eyes.
He could see dark circles below the Americans eyes. That probably indicated the level of torment and stress he was in C or just a pair of small hints of it. Unlike Song Jeong-Su who only had to worry about Korea, Christopher McLaren had to sweat over the whole world, after all.
...If it was any other time, Id shout at you, demanding to know what youre nning here, but... (Song Jeong-Su)
More than likely, the American was in no position to even think about benefits for his own country right now. If he tried to extract just a little bit of benefits, itd directly destroy the world. Christopher McLaren knew that and he certainly wasnt a dummy, either.
Although you couldnt call this for the greater good, for the sake of themon goal, now was the time tobine everyones forces.
Whatever your end goal is, now is the time we nt our heads on the ground and say our thanks even if it turns out that all youre lending us was a cats paw. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Im not doing this to be thanked, honestly speaking. (Christopher McLaren)
So, whats the n? (Song Jeong-Su)
C We will be dispatching major fleets and ground forces. Fighter jets will also be loaded onto the aircraft carriers. (Christopher McLaren)
Thats more than I expected. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Also, the Japanese Self Defense Force will join us as well. (Christopher McLaren)
Self Defense Force? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus expression distorted.
Even though we requested for their assistance so many times by now, they still turned a blind eye, so why now? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Everyone wishes for the safety and security of their own nation first. But it seems that they also now understand Japan will be finished once Korea is overrun. (Christopher McLaren)
And you certainly didnt threaten to wipe Japan off the map if this crisis is averted somehow? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Noment. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren smirked.
Dam*it. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su couldnt do much about this bitter feeling.
America that started pressuring Korea ever since Yi Ji-Hyuk lost his powers suddenly was extending its hands, saying they wanted to help. The situation seemed to be changing with every passing minute.
Thats how politics work, but still. (Song Jeong-Su)
Whatever the case might be, it was still fine.
As long as it could benefit his nation, Song Jeong-Su was prepared to not just drink someones spit but even their p*ss, too. Now was the time to get rid of all qualms and brightly smile away.
In that case... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su turned to look at Yun Yeong-Min. The final decision rested with him, after all.
Mm... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min swallowed back his groan and opened his mouth.
As the representative of the Republic of Korea, I must thank the United States of America, no matter what her reason is for doing this. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Youre being too kind, Mister President. (Christopher McLaren)
And if its at all possible... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min continued on with a slightly mischievous expression.
Rather than some useless ground forces portion of the JSDF, how about getting the assistance of the Japanese navy, instead? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C The Japanese navy, you say? (Christopher McLaren)
Depending on the ships, they can go ind through the Han river and use their artillery, and if thats not possible, it will still be better to attack from the coastlines. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Thats a good option, since gates almost dont open up inside the oceans. In that case, Ill reroute all avable resources in that direction. (Christopher McLaren)
But, will Japan obediently follow our suggestion? (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Mister President. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren smirked while rubbing his unshaven jaw.
C Have you forgotten that that is my countrys specialty? (Christopher McLaren)
Thank you for a wonderful response. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Well, then. Well do our best to respond to your demands as soon as possible. (Christopher McLaren)
It was at this point that Song Jeong-Su butted in.
But if the troops take the ocean route, wouldnt it take a long time to get here? (Song Jeong-Su)
C For the time being, the seventh and eighth fleets will situate themselves on both the East Sea and the Yellow Sea. The air force already onboard should provide some help. As for the ground forces and other artilleries, Ill make sure they arrive as soon as possible. (Christopher McLaren)
Understood. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su seemed to ept it, and it was at that moment that Christopher McLaren spoke up with a hardened face.
C Id like to ask you for a favour as well. (Christopher McLaren)
A favour? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Mister Choi Jeong-Hoon gave me a list of names. Most of the people on it are Koreans. I request that you quickly locate their whereabouts. (Christopher McLaren)
Locate them? What do you mean? (Song Jeong-Su)
C They are the driving force for humanitysst bastion, if you will. (Christopher McLaren)
Humanitysst bastion?
Song Jeong-Su understood what those words meant and nodded his head.
For sure, itll be safer to have America guard them instead of us. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Thank you for your understanding. (Christopher McLaren)
Im guessing most of them are in bunkers somewhere, so it shouldnt take long. Ill have the remaining people found as soon as possible and transferred via air transport. (Song Jeong-Su)
Christopher McLaren nodded and shifted his gaze over to the list of names resting on his desk.
I didnt even think about this. (Christopher McLaren)
Without a doubt, this was an important problem. This wasnt one-dimensionally wanting to protect the acquaintances of an important individual, either.
No matter what anyone said, the people Yi Ji-Hyuk took along in his version of Noahs ark would see him as their core. And judging from his nature, just like how he had done with the NDF, there was a good chance that those ability users would have be his loyal underlings by the time they return to Earth.
So, it simply will not do for Yi Ji-Hyuks drive to hit the rock bottom. (Christopher McLaren)
If most of Yi Ji-Hyuks acquaintances had been killed by the time of his return, then the odds of his desire to protect Earth dropping off a cliff was too d*mn high as per his character as observed so far.
This was something Christopher McLaren or the leaders of the nations involved shouldve thought about first, but the one thing they missed was ably caught by Choi Jeong-Hoon.
This is why you shouldnt ignore that man, Choi Jeong-Hoon. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren lightly tapped on his desk and smiled brightly.
Watching some punk who used to be a wet-behind-the-ears hatchling maturing so quickly like this was a rather enjoyable experience that went beyond the matter of their different nationalities.
C Although saying this after we reached this point in time is a little strange... (Christopher McLaren)
An awkward expression floated up on his face next.
C It is kind of embarrassing to say this, but its no exaggeration to say that the worlds fate is now in your hands. (Christopher McLaren)
...
C Our connection began with Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, but well, I have shared many conversations with all of you. Even if we cant see each other again after today, I hope you dont forget that the United States of America will always be grateful. (Christopher McLaren)
Stop jinxing us, Mister McLaren. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su smirked.
Because, we are not going to die. (Song Jeong-Su)
C I pray that is so. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren chuckled lightly.
That gentle smile was something Song Jeong-Su had never seen before from the American.
C I truly pray that those words doe true. Well, then. (Christopher McLaren)
The monitor switched off and Song Jeong-Su groaned loudly.
Thats as long as we somehow manage to survive. (Song Jeong-Su)
Once upon a time, he spent all of his energy trying to reach the summit of this countrys political sphere. When he looked back on his life, the first thing to pop up in his mind was why he had to waste his time on something that trivial.
Even if he held all the political power, itd be meaningless, anyway.
What use was there in trying to take over the ruling authority just to satisfy his selfish desire that was so insignificant to begin with?
Im suddenly getting an urge to go on a trip somewhere. (Song Jeong-Su)
Can I go with you? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Fufufu. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su smiled brightly.
Now that I think about it, its been a long time since we shared a drink, Mister President. Once our current crisis is over, we should enjoy some good liquor, just the two of us. (Song Jeong-Su)
However, our previous asion wasnt what youd call friendly, was it. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su nodded slightly.
He was thoroughly fed-up now with all those political get-togethers where the participants were always on guard against each other and worried about how to manipte everyone else.
Itd be truly wonderful if a dayes where we can just drop everything and be ourselves. (Song Jeong-Su)
I second that. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The two leaders of South Korea stared at each other with wry expressions.
Well, we enjoyed our positions as much as we could, so its time to get back to work, it seems. (Song Jeong-Su)
Indeed. Our sries are fairlyrge, after all. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su pulled out a cigarette and mouthed it.
He was longing for a bowl of raw rice wine on a rainy day, but this would be thest time hed be swimming in the reminiscence of his past. Their current situation was too urgent for him to do that.
Now the issue remains with the frontline. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su spoke up with a hardened expression.
Our original n was to draw the line south of Han river and gradually retreat from there, but with the American and Japanese navies providing support, plus additional supplies and ground troops scheduled to arrive soon, we can potentially aim towards holding the line by the river itself even if we have to take on some casualties. (Song Jeong-Su)
Looks like we must discuss this with the defense minister. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Im sure hell agree with us. (Song Jeong-Su)
Thats how an all-out warfare was fought, after all.
One had to utilise everything at their disposal to manufacture and fight back. In order to hold on, fighting desperately at the frontlines was crucial, but to support that, the manufacturing had to be functioning properly as well.
If they get pushed back, then there was no way that Koreas internal manufacturing capacity would operate properly. The current situation was different from the Korean War of the fifties when arge amount of ammunition and provisions could be imported from other countries.
If everyone got forced back all the way to Nakdong river, then no doubt they would end up dying because of insufficient supplies and falling manufacturing capacity.
We must defend as long as we can. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yun Yeong-Min nodded with a hardened face.
Song Jeong-Su slowly let out the cigarette smoke.
This really is ourst stand. (Song Jeong-Su)
Only one thing remained C either they keep holding on until Yi Ji-Hyukes back, or fail to hold on.
Even though there was no absolute guarantee of defeating the demons after Yi Ji-Hyuk and his group came back home... That was their sole remaining ray of hope.
Fufufu. (Song Jeong-Su)
A bitter chuckle left his lips.
Whod have imagined that in the age they were living in, they had to wage a battle that determined the fate of all humans?
You know, I imagined that humanity would be destroyed by aliens or some such. (Song Jeong-Su)
Or maybe even nuclear warfare. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Whichever it is, as long as we manage to survive through this war, it will be recorded in history books. As a politician, there cant be a greater honour than that. (Song Jeong-Su)
Unfortunately, I have no need for such an honour. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su picked up the phone and called for the defense minister.
While doing so, he sighed softly.
The period until the defense minister reached the conference room would be thest time they could take a break.
Song Jeong-Su cooled hisplicated mind and closed his eyes.
Whatever the case may be... (Song Jeong-Su)
No one would hear him, but he still couldnt help but whisper out.
...Please, do your best to return as soon as possible, even if its only by a little. (Song Jeong-Su)
< 457. So, you want to use us as meat shields? -2 > Fin.
(TL: Pobangbu in [1] is a portmanteau of two different Korean words cannons and Ministry of National Defense. Its a somewhat derogatory term that points out the Korean governments obsession bordering on religious fanaticism regarding maintaining one of thergest, best equipped ground forces in the world, basically.)
(TL: ttang-ttameok-gi in [2] is a traditional Korean childrens game where you draw some lines on the ground and try to take away anothers territory by flicking your pawn into their territory.)
Chapter 458: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (3)
Chapter 458: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (3)
D +3.
Dam*it! Fire! I said, fire! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Colonel Lee Gong-Yeong in charge of the Han River defence lines upper section was roaring out loudly while ring at the distant horde of iing monsters.
Those dumb*ss leaders of mine...! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
The demonic beasts continued to rush towards the Han River like a massive pack of crazed wild dogs. Sure, the human side was also utilising a massive number ofbatants to create the defensive line and they were currently pouring out all the firepower currently avable in desperation, but all they could do for now was to barely maintain this line. Anything more would be asking for too much.
If they have brains, they wouldnt have set up a defence line here in the first ce! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
If they were fighting against human enemies then setting up the defence line by the river would have proven to be effective. No matter how many enemy soldiers showed up, one still had to take on the risk of crossing a river, and if you use ships to cross it, then it didnt take a genius to figure out that the vessels would instantly be sitting ducks.
Of course, humans were capable ofing up with clever strategies ofnding behind the enemy lines or unleashing paratroopers, but the monsters simply marched on straight ahead.
At a nce, it might seem like the defenders had found an ideal ce to hunker down and defend, but the reality turned out to be anything but.
They are going underwater! Sir, a portion of the enemies have gone underwater!
Son of a b*tch. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Lee Gong-Yeong mmed hismanders baton down.
Airstrikes are iing! We only need to hold on for a little while longer! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Bullets dont work, so how can we hold on, sir?!
Then go die or something, you as*hole! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
The adjutants pained protest was met with an angry yell from Lee Gong-Yeong. Thetter then spat out a groan with a hollow face.
Dam*it. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
A river was an obstacle that humans would have to find with a way to traverse safely, but to these demonic beasts, it didnt present any problems whatsoever.
If those beasts had some functioning instincts then they wouldve tried to swim across, giving the humans a chance to shoot them down somehow, but there was nothing to be done about the monsters walking across on the bottom of the river.
Humanitys weapons were not strong enough to pierce through the deep river water and damage the monsters sticking to the riverbed. Meaning, all that volume of water acted like a protective barrier shielding the monsters.
Even if humans could attack the monsters across the river, the moment they slipped underwater, all the previous methods of attack would instantly be useless.
F*ck! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Lee Gong-Yeong stared at the severalyers of barricades ced near the riverbanks and quivered in anger.
He felt his rage boil up while staring at the KSF agents standing behind those barricades.
Bloody hell. I never guessed that one day Id feel sorry for those ability user b*stards. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
The monsters that couldnt be stopped were trying to rise up from below the waters surface and that left humans with very little options. The best thing they could do for now was to deploy the ability users around the riverbanks and stop the demonic beasts from invading thend.
And since itd not be possible for them to fight while dodging countless bullets and shells raining down from behind, regr firearms and cannons wouldnt be able to attack the monsters makingndfall, save for a handful of sniper rifles.
Meaning, the monsters had to be stopped purely with the strength of the ability users.
Itll be hell. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Lee Gong-Yeong clenched his teeth.
If only he could, hed dearly love to capture all the brainless higher-ups who came up this stupid operation and shove them in the frontlines. It wouldve been so much better if the n was flexible enough to be changed on the whim, but unfortunately, it was toote to do anything now.
The moment humans give up on the defence line and retreat, the demonic beast clogging up the river on the other side would march forward even faster than before.
If the Korean army gave up on all the carefully-positioned barricades and this stronghold, then regrouped on a field somewhere to face off against the monsters again, then they would experience an unprecedented defeat never before seen in history.
They were caught in a rock and a hard ce. All Lee Gong-Yeong could do for now was to trust the ability users and pour out all the avable firepower on the other side of the river.
Still, there was this one thing he simply had to acknowledge, at the very least.
What about our supplies? (Lee Gong-Yeong)
We have enough, sir! We are getting a constant supply of ammunition as we speak.
...F*ck me. Not sure whether or not I can call that as one helluva impressive ability. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
It was a mystery to him that they still had a steady supply of ammunition even after firing so much at the enemies. The amount of empty cartridges generated during one day was already enough to create a mountain, yet even more bullets were being wheeled in.
They sure are working their butts off with producing the supplies, yet why did they have to go and set up our stronghold in a location like this one?! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
The Republic of Korea had entered the state of full-on war. All avable resources were devoted in manufacturing ammunition and enough provisions to feed a million-plus soldiers fighting in the frontlines. The evacuated civilians also needed to be fed as well, so basically all existing things had been converted to manufacturing provisions.
Didnt I hear that were going to get reinforcements from Japan and Southeast Asia, too? (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Even if he didnt want to, he had to acknowledge that mans diplomatic and political wherewithal.
Who wouldve guessed that Yun Yeong-Min turned out to be the most ideal president to have during a wartime situation? Lee Gong-Yeong certainly thought of him as nothing more than an empty sabre-rattler, thats all. An extreme populist, at that. But the current Yun Yeong-Min was cutting a fine figure of an astute leader, making one wonder if there would ever be another president as aplished as him even into the future.
Besides hisck of basic militarymon sense, that is. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Lee Gong-Yeong loudly yelled out in anger while looking at the demonic beasts continuously plunging into the river water.
F*ck! Keep firing! Dont stop hitting them! And tell them to hurry up with installing the anti-tank mines where the enemies arent crossing the river yet! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Yes, sir!
And wheres my airstrikes?! F*ck, did the air force b*stards trade their nes for candies or something?! How long are we supposed to wait here?! And call the b*stards at the artillery squad and tell them hurry the hell up with the bombardment, now! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
As soon as his words came to an end, mes of explosions nketed the other side of the river apanied by the deafening roars.
155mm cannons continued to spit mes out. Shells fired from a distance that eyes could not see exploded grandly on the other side, then exploded again.
...F*ck, pobangbu. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
If only the budget invested in those cannons were redirected to the foot soldiers instead; Koreas army wouldve been seen as the worlds top elite force.
But it was an undeniable fact that cannons provided more help than individual firearms in this situation. Even if the distribution of budget didnt ount for an eventuality of this nature.
The riverbank on the other side had been utterly devastated, but Lee Gong-Yeongs expression remained gloomy.
Its about time they emerge from water. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
A chill ran down his spine while staring at the rivers surface writhing ominously like that. Humans just didnt have any method to keep out these ursed demonic beasts inside the water.
Sure, they could use missiles, but their explosive power would be greatly reduced in the water. So, rather than wasting valuable firepower that way, itd be more profitable so to speak to simply hit the monsters when they came out of the water, instead. Even Lee Gong-Yeong agreed with that.
Some stupid admiral wanted to shoot torpedoes and sent miniature submarines to Han river, but all of them ended up as a bunch of scrap metal and got buried on the riverbed.
Lee Gong-Yeong had to wonder what madness drove that dumb*ss admiral to deploy submarines to a river. Especially one teeming with countless demonic beasts, too.
Dam*it! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
The Japanese Self Defense Forces navy was lending assistance, but even then, the n to have their warships travel upriver and use their artillery went out the window pretty early on. Han river had turned into a river of death a long time ago, thats why. Not even a bird could fly over the waters surface; the moment it tries tond, monsters would erupt out from beneath the water and pounce on the poor bird like a pack of crazed dogs.
F*ck... (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Finally the monsters began rising up on the riverbanks. The ability users loudly roared out and began their barrage of attacks. Ether shots of all colours and shapes emitted rays of light as pretty and spectacr as fireworks during festivals.
Bloody hell. (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Lee Gong-Yeong pulled his steel helmet down and clenched his fists tightly.
Once he got going with hisints, he wont be able to stop himself. His mouth might constantly spit out cusses and angry yells, but he knew that if they lost this ce, then the rest of Korea would also be lost as well.
Everyone defending this frontline should know that fact all too well, too.
The soldiers holding and firing their firearms until the barrels turned red-hot should all be feeling the same thing right now. If the guns they used couldnt hurt those d*mnable creatures, then they might as well use their teeth to rip and bite the enemies to secure this location!
That was their grim determination filling up the chests of everyone standing in this defence line.
Keep firing! (Lee Gong-Yeong)
Lee Gong-Yeongs yell was buried amongst the roars of the cannons firing.
*
D +5.
Jesus, theres so many. (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik was evacuated to the city of Daejeon and immediately got dispatched to work in a factory.
His job was to carry the delivered raw metal scraps inside the factory.
Majority of the manufacturing process took ce in Gwangyang and Pohang, but some posited that at least one manufacturing facility had to be located nearer the battlefield, and as a result, a st furnace had been urgently brought up from Pohang to be installed here in Daejeon.
Now normally, an operation like that wouldve taken several months but due to the reason of this being a wartime, the operation took only four days toplete.
As it was installed too hastily, there was an issue with operational safety but no one dared to mention that publicly. Even if the furnace exploded and killed all the workers, everyone silently agreed that itd still be better than insufficient supplies causing the frontline to be lost.
Urgh!
Cranes and forklifts continued to bring in steel ingots without a single break. Most of the work was being taken care of by the machinery. So, the work people like Choi Chang-Sik had to do was...
...Isnt this, like, a scrap yard? (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik stared at all the piled-up scrap metal resemblingrge hills and spat out a groan.
Is it even okay to make bullets with stuff like these? (Chang-Sik)
He asked aloud, and his question was answered by a man in his forties named Jo Gwang-Su, someone he became friends with not to long ago.
Even if its not, what can we do? (Jo Gwang-Su)
But, this whole thing involves peoples lives, so shouldnt we get proper metal somehow...? (Chang-Sik)
Where will you get those proper metal ores, though? (Jo Gwang-Su)
...Huh? (Cnag-Sik)
If the war was taking ce only in our country, then sure, we couldve imported all the steel we need, but you know that all international trade has stopped, dont you? (Jo Gwang-Su)
...Well, yeah. (Chang-Sik)
We dont even have enough electricity, and I heard that oil reserves should run out pretty soon, too. So where would we go and procure more iron ores? What our country can pump out wont even be enough. I mean, things are operating on nothing but grass already, and were really riding our luck, arent we. (Jo Gwang-Su)
Youre right. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik couldnt help but realise once more that the situation was far bleaker than he imagined.
Still, things are slightly better since they are recovering the spent shells from the frontlines. (Jo Gwang-Su)
...Dont you find that funny? (Chang-Sik)
How so? (Jo Gwang-Su)
Those older bros who have been to the army told me this. The higher-ups would lose their sh*t over some spent cartridges during training, which are things that you wouldnt have enough time to care about during the war itself. They said that if a single cartridge goes missing, the whole base is flipped on its head until its been found. (Chang-Sik)
Well, sure. That happens. (Jo Gwang-Su)
I wondered whod be stupid enough to care about things like that during wartime situations, but now that were in war and the spent cartridges are still being collected anyway. I just found that funny, you see. (Chang-Sik)
I guess you are an easily amused type, arent you? Stop with your nonsense and carry those things along already. We gotta get back to work. (Jo Gwang-Su)
Alright. (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik loaded a lot of scrap metal on the A-frame, and lifted them on his back. He carried the load to the waiting truck nearby C that was their job. Using forklifts and cranes wouldve finished this job in an instant, but the machinery was all being used on ferrying around the steel without a break at the moment.
Man, they sure are pressing out a lot of bullets. (Chang-Sik)
So much steel was entering the factory without a rest, and Chang-Sik found it amazing that all that raw material had been processed so quickly.
How are the things going over at the frontline? (Chang-Sik)
As far as I know, its apparently hell over there. (Jo Gwang-Su)
...F*ck. (Chang-Sik)
Youre still young so stop cussing, will ya? (Jo Gwang-Su)
Uncle Gwang-Su lightly kicked Chang-Sik in the butt.
Just when is that broing back? (Chang-Sik)
That bro? Who are you talking about? (Jo Gwang-Su)
...Theres this guy I know. Hes the guy who will instantly sweep away all those stinking monsters as soon as hees back. (Chang-Sik)
Are you dreaming, son? Would we be doing this if something like that is even possible? Even America couldnt hold on and had to give up on their eastern seaboard, and now I hear that they had to abandon their mid-east, too. (Jo Gwang-Su)
Not even the Americans can defeat that bro. (Chang-Sik)
Sure, sure. Ill be happy too if thats true. If only Superman or Sun Wukong was real, we wouldnt be getting ransacked like this. Bloody hell, we are somehow holding on, but not too long from now, well face shortages of food, too... I dont know whats going to happen anymore. (Jo Gwang-Su)
Choi Chang-Sik dumped the scrap metal on his back onto the waiting truck.
Please hurry up, Ji-Hyuk hyung... (Chang-Sik)
< 458. So, you want to use us as meat shields? -3 > Fin.
Chapter 459: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (4)
Chapter 459: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (4)
The reason why bour could be treated as work was because youd get paid ording to thebour performed. Most of the time, the payment would be financial in nature. Simply put, people endured andboured away to make money.
In case you couldnt make money, then people needed to receive something physical as a reward, or at the very least, some kind of satisfaction knowing that they did a good job.
A human couldnt continue doing the samebour without any reward whatsoever. In that sense, the job these people were doing belonged in the category of utterly horrifying.
Urgh, bloody hell. More metallic bits.
The workers ended up inhaling so much metallic particles in the air that they were tasting sourness in their mouths.
The difficulty of thebour was nothing tough about, yet they werent getting anything much in the way of rewards. No, the only constion they were getting at the moment was knowing the fact that theirbour helped out with the effort to repel the demon king armies in the frontlines.
Inevitably, though, there was a limit to that as well.
They couldnt erase this voice inside their heads that kept asking, How will doing this hardbour help anybody out?
Their bodies were shivering away from the cold weather every single day, so trying to shift these bone-chillingly cold scrap metal bits made it doubly tough and irritating.
Eii, screw this sh*t. I cant do this anymore. (Choi)
tter!
Someone simply chucked the load on his back away and plopped down on the ground.
However, none of the other workers med him. Even at a casual nce, this person didnt seem like someone who had performed this sort ofbour before.
Seriously, though. Give me a f*cking break. Just send me off to the frontlines, will ya? Why should I keep doing this crap, anyway? (Choi)
Mister Choi, I hear that you didnt even go to the military properly, so what would you even do at the frontlines?
What are you on about? You think you can do something against those monsters if you get proper military training? I mean, arent we just going there to be meat shields? (Choi)
...
If Im at the frontlines, at least Ill get to shoot some guns and have a nicer time than this. So what the hell am I doing here? (Choi)
Fe, you should watch what you say. How can you say the ones fighting at the frontlines are having a nicer time?
Did I say something wrong?! (Choi)
Calm down Mister Choi. Why are you suddenly getting angry?
F*ck me. Look at the situation we are in, okay? (Choi)
Mister Choi hit the ground hard and continued on.
We are all going to die, anyway! All of us, dead! (Choi)
...
Isnt our oue too obvious to see? Hey, dont you guys have functioning eyes? China couldnt stop them, and even America cant do it, so how are we supposed to do something they have all failed? Even if we waste our f*cking time doing this sh*t, were all going to die anyway, so why should I break my back in this ce? (Choi)
...Look here, Mister Choi.
What this man said was something everyone had been thinking, but too afraid to say out aloud.
Of course we can stop them. Just because the Chinese couldnt do it, we cant do it, either? Who said that? Yes, they failed, but does that mean well also fail, too?
What bullsh*t are you even talking about? (Choi)
Mister Choi spat on the ground and continued on.
F*ck me. You think we can do something that not even the Americans managed to pull off? Seriously, when that spot thing or whatever showed up, I shouldve quickly escaped to another country. (Choi)
The other people began paying more attention to what Mister Choi was saying.
Sh*t. Im telling you, all the higher-ups have fled from the country a long time ago. This dude I know works in that kind of field, and he told me that all those people with money have already fled from the country. The government is keeping everything hush since they dont want to make people worried and sh*t... (Choi)
Listen here, Mister Choi. Youre out of line.
What do you mean, Im out of line? Did I say something wrong here? (Choi)
Mister Choi didnt want to rein in his agitation and even began shouting at the top of his lungs.
They dont even feed us properly! Even the military wont feed me this bad, you know! What point is there in ving away like this with some sh*tty dog food as my reward?! (Choi)
Everyone seemed to be agreeing with him.
There was a limit to fairly distributing rations. After the mass evacuation from Seoul, the financial system of South Korea hadpletely copsed. People were not in a situation where they could independently produce something for their own consumption.
Meaning, they had no choice but to subsist with the rations provided by the government. The problem here was the fact that the government itself had never faced a situation like this one before, so it simply didnt have the power or the knowledge to feed all of the surviving citizens.
And even if such a thing was possible somehow, itd still be too much of a stretch to provide all these refugees with meals they were used to eating.
Were about to die anyway, so what is the point in enduring while toiling away like a bunch of ves?! Screw it, I quit. Ill just do whatever I want until I die. I mean, nothing will change just because this little me worked my ass off, right? You think us sending or not sending bullets from this ce will make any big difference over there? I dont think so. (Choi)
Mister Choi spoke with a confidence-filled voice.
Im going to die anyway, but they want me to ve away like some worker ant and then die? Sorry, but hell no. Im leaving. I really will, but... (Choi)
Mister Choi nced at his audience with a somewhat probing face.
...But, what about you folks? (Choi)
Ng?
Are you going to stick around and ve away while inhaling all these metal particles? If it was me, I wouldnt continue with something that stupid, you know? (Choi)
...But, weve been assigned here.
Why are you listening to the orders of a country thats about to fall? (Choi)
But, still...
Mist Choi tutted audibly.
Were all going to die, right? So why be a madman and keep doing this crap? Im leaving, so you folks, why dont you keep ving away until your dying day? (Choi)
L-look here, Mister Choi. The police officers are guarding the outside, arent they?
The police, you say? (Choi)
Mister Choi snorted derisively.
Who cares about some stupid cops when our situation is like this?! Do they even have holding cells to put people in, anyway? The police, my a*s! (Choi)
Mister Choi leapt up to his feet and asked.
Okay, so. Anyoneing with me? (Choi)
...With you?
Thats right. All of us together. I find all of you just too pitiful, you see. Instead of working like ves here, lets just get out of this stinking ce and enjoy our remaining freedom on our own terms. (Choi)
...
The workers stared at each other as hesitation floated up on their faces.
Its just that they hadnt said anything so far, but everyone here knew that their current job was basically meaningless in the grander scheme of things. Defending the frontlines was getting harder with every passing moment, and eventually, itd no longer be possible to stop the monster horde.
No matter how hard they tried not to give up, there just didnt seem anything they could ce their hope on.
None of you want toe with me? (Choi)
I...
It was then, someone opened his mouth to speak.
Oiii, uncle. (Chang-Sik)
Ng? (Choi)
Mister Choi turned around to see who had called out to him only for his eyes to widen. A young man at least a head taller than him was scowling away while ring at him.
Heres the thing. I get what you mean when you say theres no point doing this so you dont want to carry on. (Chang-Sik)
...
In that case, just leave by yourself quietly, okay? And stop inciting other people trying to do their jobs. (Chang-Sik)
Y-you... (Choi)
Now normally, Mister Choi wouldve blurted out you young punk a*s son of a b*tch first, but he operated onmon sense, andcked sufficient courage to say something like that to Chang-Siks face.
Just like what Mister Choi said, the police had already lost much of their influence these days. They didnt have any ces to lock up the offenders, so unless the situation called for a serious incarceration, the police would turn a blind eye.
With the things at this point, it was easy for Mister Choi to understand the simple fact that he should never get in the face of someone like Chang-Sik. But backing off now would hurt his pride a little too much, wouldnt it?
Did I say something wrong, then? (Choi)
No, you didnt, so leave already. And stop yapping on about useless crap. (Chang-Sik)
What was that? (Choi)
Argh, are you deaf or something? (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik strode fearlessly in front of Mister Choi and stared straight into thetters eyes.
Do you know who else said the exact same thing as you, uncle? (Chang-Sik)
...Ng? (Choi)
I heard that those Jap stooges from the colonial days said the same thing as you, uncle. (Chang-Sik)
...
They said, Korea will never be liberated anyway, so whats so bad about coborating with the Japanese? And apparently, they tried so hard to be like the Japanese, too. (Chang-Sik)
Mister Choi was unable to say anything.
Even a dumb*ss like me knows that much from history sses, but uncle, you look like someone who got a decent education, so how can you not know something so basic like that? (Chang-Sik)
W-working with the Japs arent necessarily a bad thing, so what?! (Choi)
Who said its bad? (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik waved his hand as if he was chasing a fly away.
I dont think what those Jap stooges did was particrly bad. I mean, they wish to keep surviving by doing that, so what can anyone do about that, anyway? Honestly speaking, if I was in their shoes, I might have also ended up as a Japanese stooge. Well, I wouldve probably be Nakamura or something. But then... (Chang-Sik) [1]
Chang-Siks face twitched noticeably.
At the very least, you should be aware that what youre doing is going against your morals, right? If you want tomit a sin, then do it by yourself, got that? Stop trying to drag in other people to lessen your guilt. Get my drift? (Chang-Sik)
...
The thought of a bear-like punk can sure talk up a storm popped automatically in Mister Chois mind.
So, get going already. (Chang-Sik)
You want me to go? (Choi)
Stop ruining the mood for everyone and go away already. If you want to stick around, just go around the corner over there and take a smoke break or something. If you stick around, uncle, youre just going to worsen the mood even more. So, get going. What are you waiting for? (Chang-Sik)
I-I got it. (Choi)
Mister Choi and his pouting face trudged away and disappeared from view. Chang-Sik slowly shook his head.
Seriously, what a strange guy. (Chang-Sik)
Oh, not bad, fe. Arent you surprisingly eloquent with your words?
...I am? (Chang-Sik)
He was always getting led around the nose by Yi Ye-Won, so to be praised as eloquent was...
Did my level rise up after being around that witch-like girl? (Chang-Sik)
Just as a chuckle broke out on Chang-Siks face, the site foreman rushed over to where the workers were from afar.
Wow, he is really on top of things, isnt he? (Chang-Sik)
That uncle, he probably was wasting his time goofing off somewhere and only showed up here btedly after getting the news from someone.
Chang-Sik cackled to himself and was about to pick up his A-frame, but then the foreman shouted out in a loud voice.
Excuse me, but whos Mister Choi Chang-Sik among you?
Uh? (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik turned his head at that voice searching for him.
Me? (Chang-Sik)
His face was quickly filled up with questions.
*
Im not going. (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik stared at his conversation partner with a face that asked, what on earth are you even talking about?
The person in question was a soldier with all sorts of indistinguishable medals of honour adorning his uniform. He was looking at Chang-Sik with an expression that said he couldntprehend this situation.
You dont want to go?
Yes, I aint going nowhere. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik snorted derisively.
Isnt it embarrassing for a man to get out of here alone? But, thats what youre telling me to do, right? Do you have any idea what I was talking about before you came? (Chang-Sik)
...Listen to me, student.
Nah, you can stop now. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik didnt need to listen anymore.
He was trying to get up from the chair, but the soldier grabbed his arm.
It looks like you misunderstood something here. We are not trying to do something bad to you. Im not supposed to tell you this, but the truth is, you have been ssified as an acquaintance of Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and therefore will be specially managed from now on.
No, I hear you. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik shrugged his shoulders. The government wouldnt have any other reason to seek him out, after all.
I get it, but Im still not leaving. (Chang-Sik)
...But, why not? Not just you, but all of your family members will be moved to a shelter. And the shelter is not even in Korea, but in America, no less.
Argh, seriously man. (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik disyed his annoyance.
What am I supposed to do in America when no one speaks Korean there? (Chang-Sik)
...
Besides all that, uncle, you gotta understand this one. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik lightly sucked in his breath and spoke in a determined tone of voice.
Our country is in this state, so its wrong for me to flee alone, hoping to live my life somewhere else. Especially when its someone like me, a healthy young man who can do the job of two people. If I go to a shelter and stay there for no good reason, Ji-Hyuk hyung will try to crack my skullter on, you know? So, stop wasting your time with this matter, and just secure thedies first. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik tutted as he left the office.
Dont they know how Ji-Hyuk hyung even operates? Tsk. (Chang-Sik)
< 459. So, you want to use us as meat shields? -4 > Fin.
(TL: I didnt really get the Nakamura reference in [1]. Im assuming thats a derogatory ng of some kind, or maybe Chang-Sik was simply saying that his surname might have changed to Nakamura during the Japanese upation of Korea.)
Chapter 460: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (5)
Chapter 460: So, you want to use us as meat shields? (5)
Well, Ill be d*mned. (Kang Gun-Myeong)
Colonel Kang Gun-Myeong watched Choi Chang-Sik storm out of the office and could only chuckle hollowly.
What should we do now, sir?
What do you mean, what? He says he doesnt want to go, so what can we do? You wanna kidnap him or something? (Kang Gun-Myeong)
But sir, the order came from the upstairs. Not just regr upstairs, but straight from the Blue House, no less. So, how do you expect us to write up a report that says we couldnt escort the subject because he refused toply?
Why dont YOU kidnap him, then! (Kang Gun-Myeong)
...
The adjutant could only pound his chest in frustration at this troublesome situation and left the office in order to make a call. Meanwhile, Colonel Kang Gun-Myeong mouthed a cigarette and guffawed to himself.
I thought they all would only care about their own survival. (Kang Gun-Myeong)
But to think that he would be proven so wrong.
He continued to chuckle away as if he lost his mind.
Im telling you, there are all sorts of people in this world. (Kang Gun-Myeong)
Sure, he did lose today, but he thought it mustve been a really long time that he lost so refreshingly and wonderfully like this.
The brass would surely give him a hard timeter, but for things like this, he didnt mind getting his head bitten off.
Huh. (Kang Gun-Myeong)
He lit the cigarette dangling in his lips.
Is it because hes still young? (Kang Gun-Myeong)
If he was the same age and in the same situation as Choi Chang-Sik, could he have coolly stormed out of here like that kid?
He wasnt confident of it.
No one knew just when the world would flip on its head. No, hang on C the world was already basically flipped as far as it could go right now. Yet here was a chance to guarantee ones survival until the very end, so who would be able to resolutely refuse that?
On top of that, if one went to the American shelter while designated as Yi Ji-Hyuks acquaintance, then well, one might not get to realise it, but one would receive at least ten times the better treatment than staying back here in Korea.
So for that boy to cleanly reject all that?
Whether his choice was idiotic ormendable, it was hard to tell.
Are people around Yi Ji-Hyuk all like that? (Kang Gun-Myeong)
A little whileter, the adjutant stepped back inside.
What did the brass say? (Kang Gun-Myeong)
...Sir, weve been told to let him be.
Ng? (Kang Gun-Myeong)
For a bunch of folks who issued an order to immediately locate the boy and bring him in, werent they giving up way too easily?
Whats going on here? (Kang Gun-Myeong)
Our immediate superiors did throw a tantrum, sir, but as this matter was an emergency, the report was directly sent up to the prime ministers office.
Oh? Okay, what then? (Kang Gun-Myeong)
Mister Prime Minister said we should just let the boy be. Even if hes on the list, theres nothing we can do in this kind of a situation.
Well, Ill be. (Kang Gun-Myeong)
Whether it was this side or over there, they were gobsmackingly decisive in their actions.
...What that young man has said is correct. (Kang Gun-Myeong)
What an embarrassing thing this was.
In this situation where every single citizen was doing their best to survive, going around trying to locate a handful of specific people in order to save them was not the right thing to do.
Kang Gun-Myeong was quietly following the order since the people needing to be found werent some family members of the president or the prime minister, but if the order did ask him to secretly take acquaintances of those two away, then he might have disobeyed the order altogether.
Looks like a young punk taught me a good lesson today. (Kang Gun-Myeong)
Kang Gun-Myeong stood up from his chair with a refreshed expression.
In that case, its time for me to go back to my real job. (Kang Gun-Myeong)
Indeed, it was time to return to the frontlines.
*
D+15
Mom, just where are we now? (Ye-Won)
Yi Ye-Won tightly grasped her mothers hand. The location they arrived through teleportation was a ce they had never seen before.
Im not sure, either. But dont let go of my hand. Something big might happen. (mom)
Mom making a deeply tense expression held Ye-Wons hand in one and patted her back with the other.
Looks like were in America. (mom)
...Even I can tell that much. (Ye-Won)
Kim Dah-Som was also looking concerned.
An order for them to move out of the underground bunker below the Blue House had been issued only a little while ago. Even before she had a chance to ask whats going on, things moved at a break-neck pace and before long, she and Yi Ji-Hyuks family members had all been teleported to somewhere in America.
More people besides yourselves will arrive soon, everyone.
A government representative tried to say something in order to calm their concerns.
In reality, this operation wasnt requested by our side but by the Americans.
I see, but why are we even here in the first ce? (mom)
Yi Ji-Hyuks mother, Park Seon-Deok, still didnt lower her guard at all.
The world was seemingly flipped on its head and her son couldnt be contacted at the moment, so maybe it was asking too much from her to trust some random strangers.
Its because this ce is safer than South Korea. (Christopher McLaren)
That reply came from the side.
Who? (mom)
An old Caucasian man with an affable face was walking up to the group.
He smiled and after getting close enough, began addressing them. The interpreter standing by quickly tranted what he said.
Its a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Park. My name is Christopher McLaren. Im responsible for inviting you all to the States this time. (Christopher McLaren)
...McLaren? (mom)
Park Seon-Deok tilted her head.
Didnt she hear that name from somewhere before?
Im sure you dont know who I am. You see, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and I... (Christopher McLaren)
Ah! That man whos supposed to resemble the grandpa from the KFC advert? You know, that guy Ji-Hyuk is bad mouthing all the time. (mom)
Christopher McLaren looked at the interpreter with a puzzled expression. Thetter smiled gently and tranted for him.
She says that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk often talks good things about you. (interpreter)
Ahahaha, is that so? (Christopher McLaren)
While Christopher McLaren was smiling happily away, the interpreter standing behind was silently shaking his head. When one was doing this sort of job, there would be those inevitable times when you must not trante everything being said.
Why did you bring us here? (mom)
Its as Ive told you. This location is safer than South Korea. And the Korean government does not have the necessary wherewithal to take care of you all. Thats why weve decided to bring you here. (Christopher McLaren)
...
Park Seon-Deok continued to shoot him with a suspicious gaze, so Christopher McLaren raised both of his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Youre wrong, Mrs. Park. (Christopher McLaren)
Im wrong about what? (mom)
We are definitely not trying to use you or your family members. I can tell what youre thinking about right now, and Id like to assure you that its not the case. (Christopher McLaren)
However, she still stared at him with eyes full of suspicion.
Have you heard about the matter concerning your son? (Christopher McLaren)
I know that he went somewhere to do something. (mom)
We did this so that we can all avoid the situation of his mother and the rest of his family members being dead when hees back. Meaning, we didnt do this out of the goodness of our hearts for the sake of your family, but for the rest of humanity. I hope you understand that. (Christopher McLaren)
I do not wish to be a burden to my son. (mom)
Something like that will never happen, maam. I swear that on my name. (Christopher McLaren)
Park Seon-Deok finally nodded in eptance after listening to his grave tone of voice.
Besides... I wont be able to do anything to you or your family, anyway. (Christopher McLaren)
Pardon? (mom)
...That puppy next to you. Is that Mister Yi Ji-Hyuks pet? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren flinched a little after spotting a rather cute-looking puppy busy scratching the back of its neck with its hind leg right next to Ye-Wons feet.
Yes, it is. You even know about our pet dog? (mom)
A pet dog, is it... (Christopher McLaren)
So, that is what has beenbelled as the Ogre Lord, is it... (Christopher McLarens inner monologue)
That puppy almost resembling a fuzzy ball could easily blow away every single person and ability user in this location if it wanted to. Christopher McLaren had been observing it for a while now C that Ogre Lord never, ever left the side of Yi Ji-Hyuks family members.
Theres no way that someone as meticulous as him wouldnt have made contingency ns. (Christopher McLaren)
...And what about that turtle? (Christopher McLaren)
...W-well, Im not quite sure where he came from. (mom)
So, then. That is the demon king, isnt it? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren stared at the turtle-like creature leisurely enjoying a sunbath next to Oh-Sik and could only chuckle hollowly.
Just these two alone will exceed the military might of your average country. (Christopher McLaren)
No, when he thought about it some more, maybe they exceeded his initial estimation altogether. There was no guarantee that the United States could kill a demon king even if they poured in all of the avable resources, after all.
Even if Yi Ji-Hyuk had ced some sort of restrictions on that creature, this single demon king alone would be capable of utterly demolishing half of all the United States in one go.
Two creatures of this calibre were protecting him, yet we wanted to do something to him? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren had to thank the Korean government again in his mind for refusing his earlier suggestion.
He knew about the existence of Oh-Sik, but he certainly hadnt learned about that demon kings existence at all. If the Americans made a move to forcibly secure Yi Ji-Hyuk, then well, the United States of America would have ceased to exist by now.
Weve prepared a ce for you to rest and eat something inside the building. Once you rest for a day or so, youll all be moved to an underground shelter. (Christopher McLaren)
Is it going to be the same ce as thest time we were here? (mom)
You might have to stay there for an extended period of time, so it will be a little inadequatepared to back then. However, it should be safer overall than that ce. And many more people are scheduled to join you there. (Christopher McLaren)
There will be more people? (mom)
Not just Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, but the family members of everyone who has apanied him are being searched for as we speak. Even if not all of them wille back home. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren sighed softly.
As Im pressed for time, forgive me but I cant stay for long. If you have any other questions, please ask this gentleman. He should be able to exin everything to you. Well, then. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren pushed forward an adjutant next to him, then bowed his head as his goodbye and turned around to leave. As he walked away, a secretary stuck next to him.
Make sure they have everything they ask for. There cannot be any mistake whatsoever. (Christopher McLaren)
...Even in our current situation, sir?
Do you know what our worst possible scenario is? (Christopher McLaren)
Isnt it the annihtion of mankind?
No! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren replied as if he was chewing out his words.
The worst possible scenario for us is this. We manage to resolve this crisis somehow and mankind carries on. In such a world, both Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk and I are still around. (Christopher McLaren)
...Excuse me?
But then, imagine what would happen if he learns that I didnt take good care of his family. In a peaceful world where there are no demons or monsters to worry about, he will have no more things left to do. So, do you have any idea what it means to be an enemy of such a man? (Christopher McLaren)
No, I havent thought about it before, sir. But even I can tell that its too horrific to imagine.
What a relief that at least you get it. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher replied with a hardened expression.
Dont be one of those people who b about living in the present. Your present can only exist when theres a future ahead of you. (Christopher McLaren)
...Ill make sure that they are well taken care of.
Christopher McLaren nodded his head and climbed aboard the waiting vehicle.
Honestly, itd be wonderful if we get to see that day where I receive a verbal smacking from him. (Christopher McLaren)
He could only pray fervently that Yi Ji-Hyuk and hispanye back home as soon as possible.
*
D +25.
Whats the current situation like? (Yun Yeong-Min)
...Sir. Its the absolute worst.
Yun Yeong-Min and Song Jeong-Su received the report with hardened faces.
The Middle East has fallen, sirs.
...The Middle East has what? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min tilted his head in puzzlement.
That location had been projected tost the longest out of every other region. Unlike other strategic locations, the countries found in the Middle East were great distances apart, while the developed areas were clearly separated from the not-so developed ones. Even if the enemy managed topletely wipe out one country, it shouldve taken them a long while to move to another target, so what happened there?
How did that happen? (Yun Yeong-Min)
...Sir. Initially, there seemed to be some signs of panicked mass escape, then in the blink of an eye, themand structures of the respective nations simply crumbled away. If you asked us if the area called the Middle East still exists, then technically yes, it still does, but if you asked if that area holds any meaningful relevance anymore, then no, it doesnt. Sir.
Meaning, its in a simr sort of situation to China. (Yun Yeong-Min)
At least China is in a better shape overall, sir. They have their warlords, after all. Apparently, they are holding up well even now.
...Indeed, that country is no ordinary one. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The Chinese had been asionally invaded by the others or got invaded by other nations ever since the dawn of mankind. And they were still fighting bitterly to this day.
Often, people from the other nations mocked the Chinese behaviour whenever they imed to be the central figure in the Asian continent. But at least in this moment, they were properly demonstrating that im to all who wanted to see.
Although their central power structure was gone, the individual regions absorbed any wandering armies into their folds and were busy building defensive lines centred around each provincial capital city. Even now, they were steadily building up theirbat strength. Considering the countrys hugend mass and the fact that itd be very difficult to respond to themand of the non-existing central authority, they should bemended for their excellent effort so far.
What about Europe, then? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Once Europe was brought up, this palpable tension filled up the office. Everyone present knew that the situation in Europe was really bad at the moment.
...They have begun falling like dominoes, sir.
< 460. So, you want to use us as meat shields? -5 > Fin.
Chapter 461: With something powerful and unmissable (1)
Chapter 461: With something powerful and unmissable (1)
Falling like dominoes? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, sir. The demon king army that destroyed Germany is now marching eastward. Both Austria and Pnd have already abandoned their countries and their citizens are in a mass evacuation. Meanwhile, a new frontline is being set up near the border area of Ukraine and Romania, sir. But if they fail to defend that, then the enemy will have a clear path to Russia. (chief of staff)
...What is Russia doing, then? (Song Jeong-Su)
In case the defensive line is broken, we think they will retreat to the east, sir. If the whole of Europe is lost, then even if Russia gives it their all, there still wouldnt be a way to win. (chief of staff)
Also, there are two more spots south of their border to consider, too... (Song Jeong-Su)
That is also correct, sir. (chief of staff)
Song Jeong-Su rubbed his eyes.
Russia was currently surrounded by oceans and spots at the moment. Even if they wanted to extend a begging hand to their neighbours, they had none. Even if you didnt want to understand their plight, it was hard not to.
Even if it was up to me, I wouldnt be able to lend a support to them. (Song Jeong-Su)
Because, his own countrys survival was far more important, after all.
Having argendmass meant that you now had to defend a far greater territory than other countries.
Fuu... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su groaned deeply in order to change the atmosphere a bit, then opened his mouth.
The situation is getting worse every day. (Song Jeong-Su)
The events were unfoldingrgely as Christopher McLaren had predicted. Actually, the situation was somewhat worse than what he said. So much so that Song Jeong-Su began wondering if humanity would really be able to endure for three months at this rate.
What about our own defensive line? (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir, were still holding on somehow, but... (chief of staff)
The army chief of staff blurred the ends of his sentence, before eventually carrying on.
The American support has been a great strength to us, sir. Not only that, the assistance from the JSDF ground troops has ensured that we dont have a major problem in terms ofbat personnel. (chief of staff)
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
As you know, we did face a serious crisis not too long ago but the artillery support from the battleships and an ICBM support from the Americans helped us ovee that event. To put simply, we do not have any insufficiencies in regards to firepower. However... (chief of staff)
Are they any other problems? (Song Jeong-Su)
The chief of staff sighed at length.
Our enemies do not get tired, sir. (Chief of staff)
...
As the frontline continues to remain static, resulting losses are mounting up, sir. The biggest contributing factor in this case is that the demonic beasts do not get tired and they dont care whether its the day or night. They rush in without regard to time nor ce and assault our troops to no end. If only the whole lot of them rushed in at the same time, then we might have had some kind of a palpable oue, whether that be us getting annihted or them getting levelled t, but... They are just constantly wringing us dry, so... (chief of staff)
Song Jeong-Susplexion darkened.
So, what is our current situation, then? (Song Jeong-Su)
We can safely say that its the absolute worst, sir. (chief of staff)
Absolute worst... (Song Jeong-Su)
Everyone is gradually getting fatigued, sir. We also noticed several shellshock-like symptoms from thebatants as well. Weve been doing our best to treat them somehow, but as you can guess, its not an easy problem to solve. (chief of staff)
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
Currently, the troops have been divided into two groups and they are deployed in alternate turns, but whenever the enemy forces suddenly rush in, we cant even properly maintain the rotation of personnel, sir. To top it all off, we are now reaching the limit of our reserve stock. (chief of staff)
If its the issue with the ammunition, then the support from Japan and America will soon arrive, so please wait a little while longer. (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, sir. (chief of staff)
Are there any other problems? (Song Jeong-Su)
The army chief of staff furrowed his brows.
Sir. There are just too many problems at hand and I must inform you that its hard to tell just which one needs to be addressed first. Quite frankly, even Im at a loss as to where to even begin, sir. (chief of staff)
Mmm... (Song Jeong-Su)
The biggest issue is with the ability users. (chief of staff)
Ability users? (Song Jeong-Su)
For now, the situation is more or less tolerable, but their sacrifices had been just too great, sir. They had to pay a hefty price for setting up our defensive line in the wrong ce. (chief of staff)
Song Jeong-Su sighed in regret.
I apologise. We... (Song Jeong-Su)
No, sir. We dont think that way. If we thought the n was wrong, then we wouldnt have quietly followed the orders through. No matter what happened, because we chose to set up our position at the riverside, the enemy is no longer in the position to overrun us in one go, and its quite clear to us that the knock-on effect from that decision has be the main reason why we managed to endure until now. However... (chief of staff)
However? (Song Jeong-Su)
...To try to console ourselves in that way, the losses to the KSF are simply too incalcble, sir. (chief of staff)
Hmm... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Susplexion became even graver.
The ability users ying key roles in the military had already be a global trend by now. If the issue at hand was not man vs man but man vs regr person, then the military wouldve seized the initiative, but when it came to fighting monsters, rather than relying on humans...
...No, wait. They are also humans. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su hid his face in his hands.
Since when did he start thinking this way?
He was probably the closest to the ability users among all the politicians out there yet someone like him was thinking this way. In that case, the disharmony that the others were feeling, just how much worse could it have been? He didnt even want to imagine it.
I better pull myself together. (Song Jeong-Su)
His fatigue level had gone up recently, and things like this were beginning to slip through the developing cracks.
It wasnt just the folks in the frontlines trying to withstand the torment. Song Jeong-Su couldnt remember how long he had been staying up at this point. At least his stamina was better than a youngd in his twenties and that helped him to endure it, but for Yun Yeong-Min, he was literally holding on with nothing but his mental fortitude right now.
He sure is an amazing man. (Song Jeong-Su)
The one person whose public evaluation had changed the most in the world would have to be Yun Yeong-Min. Who in their right mind would have guessed that a man simply seen as a thoughtless extremist was capable of disying this much ability in a crisis?
But then again, he was originally... (Song Jeong-Su)
At least Yun Yeong-Mins willpower and integrity were something people should learn from. If one wanted to argue about the corruption perception index, then even Song Jeong-Su would have to admit defeat, after all.
Are you alright, Mister President? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yun Yeong-Min listening to the report with a tired face took arge gulp of cold water on his table.
...I have to be alright. How can I not be alright in our current situation? (Yun Yeong-Min)
But, Mister President. (Song Jeong-Su)
At Song Jeong-Sus worried voice, Yun Yeong-Min simply waved his hand dismissively.
Its not yet the right time to whine. You know that too, dont you? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su nodded in silence.
He was right about that one.
Even as they sat here, the citizens of this country were dying in the frontlines. They shouldnt beining about their fatigue or whatever. Since young people were falling at the hands of the demonic beasts, these old men should be prepared to copse from overwork, at the very least.
Song Jeong-Su sighed softly and stared at the ceiling.
Is it still far away? (Song Jeong-Su)
Very little in the world would be as difficult as a battle without an end in sight to a person.
None of them knew when Yi Ji-Hyuks group would return. The need to endure, and then endure some more, while believing in some people who may or may not return in time was shaving away at Song Jeong-Sus mental strength.
Come back soon, will you... (Song Jeong-Su)
This was no time to pat themselves on the back for enduring for a month. He waspletely certain that if one side of the defensive line was breached, then the frontline by the Han river would crumble down in an instant, and it wouldnt take three days for the enemies to reach the city of Busan.
Their battle was all about whether they could hold the line or not. Not just the fate of Korea, but the entire world rested on that frontline right now.
How terrifying. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su closed his fatigued eyes.
*
D +45.
We arent going to get proper food? (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik groaned while listening to the ashenplexion foremans exnation.
We dont have any rice reserves? (Chang-Sik)
No, its not that we dont have any reserves, but from what I hear, they are having problems with delivering it. Obviously we have plenty of rice stocked away. (foreman)
Unfortunately, the foremans face while saying that didnt look so good.
Are we really running out of food? (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Siks ownplexion darkened.
Im telling you, thats not it. Weve only lost Seoul so far, right? Seoul doesnt produce food, so why are you worried about running out of food because we lost that city? (foreman)
Well, thats true... (Chang-Sik)
Our country has so much rice reserve that its practically rotting away even now. So you dont have to worry about the shortage of food for the time being. (foreman)
Mm... (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik nodded slowly. He didnt know anything, but still, he should just ept it as fact. What choice did he have even if he didnt want to?
Does that mean we must starve now? (Chang-Sik)
No, we do have our military rations, so take one packet for yourselves. (foreman)
Choi Chang-Sik scratched the back of his head.
But that doesnt taste so good... (Chang-Sik)
Be thankful that at least we have something to eat. (foreman)
Mm, thats also true. (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik found it hard to agree along but even he knew that he simply had to agree. Because, the people around him all had this scary glow in their eyes right now.
The moment food supply ran out, the world would instantly devolve into pandemonium. This wasnt some misguided desire to survive, either C it was fairly obvious what desperate people would do after they were forced to a dead end with the singr thought of if we dont eat, we will really die.
...Do I need to go to a supermarket or something? (Chang-Sik)
Fortunately, the Korean currency was still epted. The convenience stores and supermarkets might be having issues securing products, but they did have some stuff to sell, at least.
All thanks to the brave soldiers fighting off the monsters in the frontlines, the rest were able to keep up some semnce of a normal life. Although, no one knew how long this status quo wouldst.
Are we really going to be alright? (Choi)
A dazed voice came from somewhere behind Chang-Sik.
Mister Choi, who had grown a lot more dispirited for the past month or so, dazedly spoke up.
Wont we like, just end up dying? Like this? (Choi)
Chang-Sik sighed deeply.
Uncle, everyone dies eventually. (Chang-Sik)
But, isnt this a dogs death? (Choi)
How many people in this world do you think will get a chance to have a meaningful death? (Chang-Sik)
Mister Chois dazed eyes shifted up to the heavens above.
Just how long are we supposed to hold on like this? (Choi)
Im sure it wont be long. (Chang-Sik)
And how do you know that? (Choi)
Tsk. (Chang-Sik)
Choi Chang-Sik asked as if to say, how can anyone not know?
Seriously, uncle, dont you know about the NDF? (Chang-Sik)
Which Korean doesnt know about the NDF? Of course I know. (Choi)
And those people have gone somewhere to resolve this crisis, havent they? (Chang-Sik)
...I thought they ran away from here, though? (Choi)
F*cking hell...! (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik exploded in irritation.
I told you, the dude who took them there doesnt know what retreat is! Hes too much of a wackjob to run away! (Chang-Sik)
R-really? (Choi)
Yes, really. So, all we have to do is to endure until theye home. After they do, we will see the oue for ourselves. (Chang-Sik)
...Oue, is it? (Choi)
Well see who dies, those monster b*stards or us. (Chang-Sik)
...
Chang-Sik unhesitantly spitting out scary-sounding words stretched his limbs grandly.
We should get going. I guess we might as well eat those military ration things. Cant work with an empty stomach, after all. (Chang-Sik)
*
D +50.
The situation is not looking good, sir.
Christopher McLaren frowned deeply as he studied the map. It was currently disying the movements of the demon king armies in real time. Seeing that, he could only groan at length.
Their progress? (Christopher McLaren)
About thirty percent...
Well, were holding on better than I imagined. Its already been fifty days, yet only around 30%, is it... (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, that figure has to do with the surface area. If we look at not the area, but our overall strength, then we...
I know already. So, lets just stop there. I know that youre one hell of a smart guy, so you dont have to keep trying to prove that to me. Sometimes I wish you were a dumb*ss, instead. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes sir.
Christopher McLaren cut the tip off his cigar and slowly lit it up.
Dam*it. Here I was, thinking that Id be mindlessly busy. (Christopher McLaren)
Even though the demon king army was wreaking havoc in America, there was only so much he could do. The extent of his job at the moment entailed continuously adjusting the frontlines while retreating, then sneakily relocatingbat personnel here and there to ensure that the demon king army didnt head westward any time soon.
Still no contact? (Christopher McLaren)
No, sir.
God dam*it. If only we received a single contact, a message of some kind, then we wouldnt be feeling this frustrated... It cant be that all those idiots have died on the other side? I mean, does it sound logical to you that they hopped over to another dimension to increase their strengths? (Christopher McLaren)
Director...
Dam*it! (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens hand holding the cigar was faintly trembling.
No one could imagine just how much pressure he was under right now unless you were him.
Well reach our limit soon (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren red at the map, and with an anxious face, began biting his nails.
Our limit...! (Christopher McLaren)
He suddenly got up from his seat, then strode towards therge map on the wall and fixed his re on it.
This is unsustainable. We wont be able to hold on much longer at this rate. We need toe up with a new strategy. (Christopher McLaren)
But sir, what can we even...
What are the demon kings doing right now? (Christopher McLaren)
Sir, we havent detected them making any particr moves.
Is that so? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren furrowed his brows.
The demon kings not showing up ever since thest incident with the nukes certainly gave him some things to mule about.
In that case, lets provoke them. (Christopher McLaren)
Sir?
With something powerful and unmissable, too. (Christopher McLaren)
A grin spread on Christopher McLarens face.
< 461. With something powerful and unmissable -1 > Fin.
Chapter 462: With something powerful and unmissable (2)
Chapter 462: With something powerful and unmissable (2)
D +60.
Sir, itll be difficult to hold on any further. (defense minister)
Itll be difficult? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus face hardened at the defense ministers report.
But why? (Song Jeong-Su)
...The cumtive damage is far too extensive, sir. (defense minister)
Which section is the worst hit, then? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su asked with an annoyed face.
Normally, one could criticise the prime minister for getting annoyed by his subordinate making a reasonable report, but it wasnt possible to do that at the moment.
No one would be able to criticise him after taking one look at his face. Maybe all the continuous stream of heavy workload was to me, but whatever the case might be, Song Jeong-Sus current state couldnt be described as a normal persons.
Godd*mmit. (Song Jeong-Su)
He thought that the words werent registering properly in his head, so he abruptly stood up from his chair.
Hang on for a minute. (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir. (defense minister)
Wait for me first. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su headed to the bathroom attached to the conference room. He turned the water on and washed his face.
I might copse if Im not careful. (Song Jeong-Su)
He couldnt exert much strength with his body.
Song Jeong-Su had acquired the level of endurance iparably mightier than regr people all thanks to his experiences in the other world, but even then, the unending stream of heavy workload kept shaving away at his stamina until very little remained.
At this rate, others wont be able to hold on, either.
As he understood the differences in the level of endurance, he was able to somehow manage the workload among themselves. Yun Yeong-Mins workload was probably not even a quarter of what Song Jeong-Su had taken on, yet the formers state was almost at the doorstep of a cripple by now.
Just when was thest time I slept properly? (Song Jeong-Su)
He did take a short nap whenever chances presented themselves, but whenbining all the hours he slept for the past week or so, the figure wouldnt even reach ten hours in total. Or at least thats what it felt like. Song Jeong-Su might be able to endure that somehow, but for the others, well, the umted fatigue had basically turned them into quasi-zombies.
But the biggest issue at hand was that when ones stamina fell, their judgement would suffer alongside, as well.
Something bad might happen at this rate.
One decision could have a major impact in the current climate. The current situation called for the leaders to instantly make the best decision avable among countless choices branching out like a huge tree. So, having a muddled head could have the absolute worst consequences for everyone in the world.
Song Jeong-Su wiped away the water dripping off his face with a towel and shook his head, before exiting the bathroom.
My apologies. (Song Jeong-Su)
No, sir. Its fine. (defense minister)
Alright, lets continue from where we left off. You say itll be difficult to endure any further? (Song Jeong-Su)
Yes, sir. (defense minister)
Click.
Song Jeong-Su lit his cigarette up and asked back with some difficulty.
What exactly is our issue? (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir, it feels like finding out what isnt an issue should be our priority at this stage. (defense minister)
The defense minister sighed at length.
The issues with supplies, problems withbat personnel, dilemmas with our positioning... If this was normal warfare, Id have the army retreated immediately. Sir, its now time to make the decision. Either we retreat from the current defensive line, or all of our men will perish in that location. (defense minister)
If we do retreat, what is our alternative? (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir, we create a new defensive position by Daejeon. (defense minister)
Look here. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su was about to rebuke the defense minister, but instead sighed deeply after noticing the dark circles below thetters eyes.
Im still your superior officer, arent I? (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir? Yes, of course. (defense minister)
In that case, please go. (Song Jeong-Su)
Sir? (defense minister)
Go, and get some sleep. Three hours should suffice. (Song Jeong-Su)
...But, Mister Prime Minister? (defense minister)
Im sure you wont feel happy to hear thising from me, but my man, you are currently not in a state to make normal decisions. (Song Jeong-Su)
But sir, Im perfectly fine. (defense minister)
Im sure you are. Im not saying youve developed abnormalities, but simply that youre overworked right now. Go and sleep for three hours or so. There is a sleeping quarter next to the conference room. Were already wasting precious time like this, so go and take a nap this instant. (Song Jeong-Su)
But, sir. If Im not present, themand structure might be chaotic. (defense minister)
Direct them all to me. (Song Jeong-Su)
But, sir! (defense minister)
Enough. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su stopped the defense minister.
Im not questioning your ability. However, you seriously need to get some sleep. Do you understand what Im saying? (Song Jeong-Su)
The defense minister slowly nodded his head (defense minister).
But, how can I fall asleep in our current circumstance, sir? (defense minister)
The moment youy your head down, sleep wille to you. Because, youre at your limit already. Whether we die from getting defeated or theck of sleep will kill us first, itll still be death either way, so Im telling you to and get some sleep. Youre wasting too much precious time by standing around arguing like this. Well finish our discussion in three hours time. Understood? (Song Jeong-Su)
...Yes sir. (defense minister)
Then, go get some rest. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su watched the defense minister stagger back up to his feet and exit from the room, then spat out a long groan.
Everyones at their limit... (Song Jeong-Su)
He could only say that its a miracle for them to endure for this long. Korea was still standing and fighting back well beyond the Americans predictions. Of course, that didnt change the fact that the situation at the frontlines was still rushing headlong towards the absolute worst oue.
Cant be helped, since were all human. (Song Jeong-Su)
It wasnt just him and the fellow higher-ups fighting without a break. Thebatants at the frontlines were fighting tooth and nail for the past two months without a proper break, either.
Their endurance was indeed a serious problem, but another issue at hand was the fact that they had been exposed to a two month-long merciless ughterfest without a safety in ce. The higher-ups tried hard to provide as much counselling as possible, but there was not much point in psychological healing process when thebatants had to pick up their weapons again as soon as the counselling sessions came to an end and start fighting right away.
Incidents of fragging and friendly fire were urring frequently already.
Not only the incidents of soldiers giving themselves in to despair and firing their weapons indiscriminately urred every other day, some even madly rushed at the monsters with nothing but their own bodies, as well.
Thats why its not entirely wrong to suggest that we pull back our defensive line. (Song Jeong-Su)
It wasnt about searching for a more advantageous positioning, but to give thebatants psychological assurance of safety by escaping from that hellish location. The soldiers should all be shouldering the twin burdens of if this ce is overrun, we will all die and everyone behind us will die, too while fighting back, after all.
It seems that the losses to the KSF are getting worse by the minute. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Youvee, sir? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su raised his head to look and found Yun Yeong-Min stepping inside the conference room.
The office of the General Chief of Staff called earlier to let me know that the losses to the ability users are too extensive to maintain the battle line any further. (Yun Yeong-Min)
...Ive also heard about that as well. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su groaned helplessly.
He told the others not to call the president if they could help it, but it seemed that some punks decided to use the presidential hotline nevertheless. Although, Yun Yeong-Min did say that people should utilise the hotline as much as possible...
But, the president is still a human being. (Song Jeong-Su)
One person might be making only one report at a time, but if all those single reports arrived from everywhere and gradually piled up, then Yun Yeong-Min would have to deal with hundreds of callsing through the hotline every day. Reports that continued to flow in day and night didnt seem to understand the concept of taking a breather at all.
Song Jeong-Su had recently stopped answering the hotline, but some still insisted on calling through it. He was the type to stick to his guns rigorously, but as Yun Yeong-Min was known to allow some leeway, others began avoiding Song Jeong-Su altogether now.
We need toe up with a response. (Yun Yeong-Min)
I know that, sir. But... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su sighed grandly.
If one could think up of a response simply by agonising over it the whole day, then none of them would be suffering this badly.
I never expected the term limited resources would weigh this heavily on us. (Song Jeong-Su)
The rather obvious-sounding assertion that there was a limit to natural resources andmodities was driving itself home hard in his head.
If one suffered from the shortages ofbat personnel, then youd have to replenish them. Unfortunately, there was no spare manpower avable.
This wasnt some video game. You couldnt just start manufacturing more soldiers just because you didnt have enough. Sure, if it was the regrbat personnel, then you could potentially do something as crazy as training the civilians a little in the military basics and shoving them in the frontlines to fill up the shortage in the numbers, but the ability users could not be created by training regr people.
Korea had already reached the limits of itsbat personnel supply and had to receive support from both Japan and the United States of America. In such a situation, where would they find extra ability users?
Whats even more absurd was the fact that a portion of Chinese ability users had already been deployed to the Han river frontline. Other countries understood the significance of the Korean battlefront and they somehow managed to squeeze out some spare manpower to send them over.
The self-governing province of Shandong in China had been sending what little ability users they could spare in order to maintain the Korean battlefront.
But now, more was needed?
Just what was he supposed to do about that?
Song Jeong-Su hugged his face in frustration.
Godd*mmit, just when are theying back home?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Baaang!
Now that his anxiety had reached an extreme level, the arrow of criticism had turned towards Yi Ji-Hyuk next.
We must not me them, Mister Prime Minister. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Sir, I know. I know, but... (Song Jeong-Su)
Even right now, they should be struggling hard while bearing the heavy burden of the fate of the world on their shoulders. So how can we dare to criticise them? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Bloody hell, we aint even some upright sages or something, so why... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su spat out a lengthy groan.
He knew already. But despite knowing, it was also true that he wanted to me somebody.
While he was leaving, he didnt request us to take care of his family members. He mustve predicted what might happen to Korea during his absence yet he left without saying anything about his family. You must have understood what that signifies. (Yun Yeong-Min)
...Yes, sir. That I did. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su leaned his back on the sofa.
However, we dont have any other method left to us. (Song Jeong-Su)
They had been enduring, and had to endure some more.
They tried everything they could, and even forcibly appropriated the civilians to manufacture necessary supplies. South Korea current situation was that it had transformed all of its industrialplexes into manufacturingbat supplies in order to support the all-out war efforts.
At this rate, itll be a problem even if we win. (Song Jeong-Su)
Indeed, the various industries were as good aspletely wrecked by now. Even if the war came to an end today, itd still be hard to predict just how many decades humanity might need to regain the prosperity of the past.
The thing was, itd be nice if they could get that far.
We really need a response. A response... (Song Jeong-Su)
Yun Yeong-Min groaned deeply.
Instead of continuously whining like this, we... (Yun Yeong-Min)
It was then, someone began knocking on the conference rooms door.
Enter. (Yun Yeong-Min)
The secretary hurriedly strode in and spoke up.
Sirs, its a call from the Americans.
Connect it through. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Even before the secretary had a chance to leave, Christopher McLarens face filled up the giant screen.
C Good day to you, although I have to say, you all look like crap. (Christopher McLaren)
Right back at you. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min studied Christopher McLarens face and chuckled hollowly.
The Korean higher-ups somehow were managing to keep some semnce to living humans, but Christopher McLaren looked like he had been fermented for many years or some such.
Which isnt surprising, really. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Considering the amount of information he had to deal with, he wouldnt even have enough to time blink his eyes.
Someone like Yun Yeong-Min would never pull something like that off. Indeed, only someone on the calibre of Christopher McLaren could continue to hold on.
What can we do for you? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Too bad, pity had to wait as work was work. They even had to decrease the period of time that could be spent on useless thoughts.
C I called you today because Id like to get your permission regarding something. (Christopher McLaren)
You say... our permission? (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus face rapidly hardened.
There shouldnt be an American matter that required the Korean leaders permission, other than one thing C withdrawing the American forces currently deployed in Korea. But if they did that, the battle line set up in the Korean penins would crumble down in an instant.
The frontline was barely being maintained with the assistance from America and Japan. If it werent for the fighter nesunched from the aircraft carriers out in the oceans as well as the bombers from the Korea-America military airport set up at the rear providing bombardment, the defensive line wouldve been lost one month ago.
We wont be able to spare youbat personnel. (Song Jeong-Su)
C No, thats not it. Its unfortunate, but our situation wouldnt improve even if theye here. Sure, it might help a little if we were in a position to quickly transport them through the air, but we just dont have the necessary wherewithal to do that. (Christopher McLaren)
In that case, what do you need our permission for? Is there a matter requiring something like that in our current situation? (Song Jeong-Su)
Christopher McLaren sucked in a deep breath for a bit, then as his eyes began burning dangerously, he chewed out his next words.
C Wed like to deploy a nuclear arsenal on the Korean penins. (Christopher McLaren)
What the f*ck?! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Sus eyes quaked powerfully.
< 462. With something powerful and unmissable -2 > Fin.
Chapter 463: With something powerful and unmissable (3)
Chapter 463: With something powerful and unmissable (3)
What bullsh*t are you saying here? A nuclear arsenal? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Its as I said. (Christopher McLaren)
Are you nning to erase the Korean penins from the map? Is that it? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Please calm down first. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren raised his hand slightly in a gesture meant to calm Song Jeong-Su down. Now normally, his actions wouldvee across as rxed and even humorous, but the current him seemed to be struggling to even lift that hand up.
Have you forgotten about what happened thest time someone tried using the nukes?! Yet, you wish to deploy another one? Are you thinking of killing yourself first instead of dying at the hands of some monsters? (Song Jeong-Su)
C The current situation is quite different from back then. Im sure you have also sensed that by now? (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren borated on his suggestion.
C First of all, we havent detected the demon kings making any moves so far. If it was in the past, our fighter nes or bombers wouldve been wiped out by the demon kings the moment they approached the demonic beasts. However, no such events happened in the past two months since the war began. We have two hypotheses in regards to this development. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren cut the tip off the cigar before continuing on.
C One, all the demon kings are waiting for something. Two, they are currently unable to interfere with the current situation for some reason. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su nodded his head.
It was undeniably true that the one thing everyone was most worried about, the demon kings making a move, had not happened so far.
The scenario of the Korean penins falling in two months, then the whole world getting wiped in three months had been based on the assumption that the demon kings would do something.
When looking at things that way, its not all that hopeful, isnt it. (Song Jeong-Su)
Humans were already reaching their limit while trying to fight the demonic beasts that werent apanied by the demon kings. He wanted to praise everyone for fighting tirelessly and holding on for the past two months, but as it turned out, the truth wasnt so kind.
In that case, do you think that the demon kings wont make a move even if we attack with nukes? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Yes, we do. (Christopher McLaren)
But what if youre wrong? What if a crisis simr to thest time happens again? If that happens, humanity will really be finished. We dont have anyone to resolve the crisis this time, after all. (Song Jeong-Su)
If Yi Ji-Hyuk was still around, then maybe it was worth giving that n a shot. But he wasnt here, and one minor slip up somewhere could lead to the entire world being showered by the nukes.
C Thats why we searched for a way. The one thing we must take advantage of is that theyck the sufficient understanding of modern weapons. (Christopher McLaren)
They do? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Yes, they certainly do. They might be aware of the danger posed by the nuclear arsenal carried inside the missiles, but they dont seem to pay as much attention to regr bombing raids. In that case, we might as well revert back to the old tactic. (Christopher McLaren)
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
That made some sense.
Even now, the airspace above the Han river was filled with the bombers. However, they werent getting attacked as much as initially feared. The strangeck of flight-type monsters meant that the skies were now practically open for anyone and as a result, the bombers were having a free reign up there.
C The only nuke strike in mankinds history was done as a bomb drop. And Im suggesting that we should use that tactic once more. (Christopher McLaren)
You must be referring to the Little Boy. (Song Jeong-Su)
C Yes, thats correct. (Christopher McLaren)
Technically speaking, that was no longer the only nuclear strike in history, since all the ICBMsunched by China hadnded in various parts of the world. Although, it was a bit of stretch to call that a strike at this point.
Will it even work, though? (Song Jeong-Su)
C We believe itll be fifty-fifty. But we wontst ten days at this rate unless we do something drastic. Its not just the Korean frontline, but the situation in my own country is also not very good, as well. You already know that we wont have a future if just one frontline is lost to the enemies. (Christopher McLaren)
Yes, we do know. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su lit a cigarette up and Christopher McLaren followed suit by lighting up his cigar. Thetter failed to light it up properly though, and he could only suck on the poorly-lit cigar while making an irritated face.
Hes at his limit. (Song Jeong-Su)
It wasnt just Song Jeong-Su or Yun Yeong-Min at their mental limits. From how he looked on screen, even Christopher McLaren seemed to be this close to losing his mind, as well. The unfortunate issue at hand was that other than this crazy suggestion made by someone in that condition, they had no other response they coulde up with.
In all honesty, that suggestion sounded like the sweet, sweet rainfall after a lengthy drought to Song Jeong-Sus ears.
If it was not possible to fill the void with manpower, then the next best thing was firepower. And it didnt matter what anyone said, the greatest firepower mankind possessed right now were the nukes.
If there was a way to hurt the opposition with nuclear weapons, then itd prove to be an enormous help in the current situation.
...However, we cant allow it. (Song Jeong-Su)
C May I ask why not? (Christopher McLaren)
Because, our soldiers are fighting in the frontlines, thats why. We cant drop a nuke where our own citizens are. (Song Jeong-Su)
C No, you dont have to worry about that. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren resolutely shook his head.
C The location for the nuke isnt the frontline, but somewhere behind it. Our goal is to ensure that the affected area only extends as far as the north of the Han river. (Christopher McLaren)
But, can something like that even be possible? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Of course. First of all, as were going to drop a bomb, we can urately designate thending zone. Although there can be a slight error of one to two kilometres, such a distance will be included within the calctions in the first ce. And also... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren continued on with a rueful-sounding tone of voice.
C Realistically speaking, itll be impossible to deploy arge-scale nuke in our current situation. As thats the case, the damage wont be as extensive as you may fear. Itll only amount to nothing more than a tactical nuke. (Christopher McLaren)
Itll only be a tactical nuke, is it... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su wanted to say so many things right now, but realised that making a retort during this conversation would be too problematic. But the biggest problem was that he still didnt have a better alternative. His hands were so tied up that this insane suggestion still sounded sweet and enticing.
By the way, why do you seek our permission? (Song Jeong-Su)
C Because, we dont know for sure. (Christopher McLaren)
You dont know?
C In order to strike the demonic beasts, we have no choice but to believe that there are no survivors left in North Korea. But we dont have a clear proof that that is the case. Not being seen by our eyes doesnt necessarily mean that everyone up there is dead, after all. But the moment we deploy the nuke, all the potential survivors will be killed, and for a long while, North Korea will turn into and of death. And finally... (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLarens expression contorted.
C In all honesty, we might be able to control where the nukends, but that doesnt mean we can also control the area affected by the radiation fallout. We cant ignore the possibility of ourbat force at the frontlines suffering from higher than expected damage. (Christopher McLaren)
Huh, huhuhuh... (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su couldnt help chuckle hollowly at that.
And yet, you still wish to deploy the nuke? (Song Jeong-Su)
C However, do we have any other options left? (Christopher McLaren)
...
C We will hand over the bomb to your side. Whether to deploy or not, Ill leave the decision up to you. (Christopher McLaren)
Song Jeong-Su gritted his teeth.
Oh, so you want us to die together? (Song Jeong-Su)
If it was Christopher McLaren making the decision and carrying it out, then whether the operation ended in sess or failure, all the responsibilities wouldve been his to handle. However, he was sneakily trying to dump that responsibility on the Korean leadership.
Song Jeong-Su started hating Christopher McLaren who was trying to pass on the buck even under the current situation. On the other hand, he could more or less understand why the American was doing this, after taking a good look at himself who was unable toe to an immediate decision despite knowing the truth.
Will they survive the crisis and be the criminals remembered in history, or watch the penins get overrun by the monsters because they wanted to protect the fellow countrymen?
It was not an easy choice to make.
In that case... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min quietly listening to the conversation finally opened his mouth.
If I make the decision now, will it be carried out right away? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Mister President! (Song Jeong-Su)
C Yes, sir. That is so. (Christopher McLaren)
Yun Yeong-Min slowly nodded his head without looking at Song Jeong-Su once.
In that case, lets get started right away. (Song Jeong-Su)
But, your excellency! (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su was so shocked that a term no longer being used leapt out of his mouth all on its own. He freaked out and tried to talk Yun Yeong-Min down, but thetter was adamant with his decision.
If we have to choose between surviving in ignominy and an inescapable death, then I think surviving by whatever means necessary is the preferable option. Yes, there will be losses, but itll still be a hundred times better than ourplete annihtion. (Yun Yeong-Min)
But sir, how are you nning to deal with the ensuing condemnation? (Song Jeong-Su)
Condemnation, you say? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min smiled brightly.
There was once upon a time when I felt truly d to have been elected the president in our current era. And now, its time to pay that price. I knew nothing despite being elected as the president. If I knew that the world would change this much and that the position of the president demanded so much responsibility, then I would have never even entertained the idea of running for the office. (Yun Yeong-Min)
...
Even in practice, the actual president of South Korea isnt me but you, Mister Prime Minister. Even though I used underhanded methods and demagoguery during the election cycle, you still willingly epted me as the elected president. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Mm... (Song Jeong-Su)
So, its now time for me to repay the kindness. I must shoulder the crime of taking up this position when I wasnt really fit to hold the office. I used to think that Im quite a useless fool as a president, but now that events like this keep happening all around us, maybe thats not strictly true anymore. Especially when I can at least serve as canon fodder. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C If human history gets to continue on, then... I dont know about Korea, but sir, America will remember you as a man who made the decision that ultimately saved the world. (Christopher McLaren)
Well, that sure is a nice notion. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min faintly smiled.
In any case, thats my decision so go ahead and start the operation. If its possible, itll be better if you can try every method at your disposal. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Ill remember that, Mister President. (Christopher McLaren)
Christopher McLaren had been expecting the negotiation to take a while, so a new-found respect wormed its way into his gaze currently locked on Yun Yeong-Min after thetter proved to be stunningly decisive.
But that just went to show how scary this weapon called the nuke was.
Despite humanity inventing it, it dared not to use it after its initial deployment. The ones who could use nukes were the leaders that had climbed to the absolute peak of humanitys political power structure. Yet even people like that chose to seal away the nukes out of practical and psychological reasons until recently.
Christopher McLaren was now wielding the greatest level of authority in history of the United States of America yet even he was hesitating to use the nukes. Making a tough decision where the fellow countrymen could be affected by the end result was probably the hardest thing in the world.
C Mister President, your decision today may have saved humanity. You have my respect and gratitude, sir. (Christopher McLaren)
Thats enough of emptypliments. Now that we made the call, please get to it as soon as possible. (Yun Yeong-Min)
C Understood. We willmunicate the bombing scheduleter on. Well, then. (Christopher McLaren)
The giant screen switched off, and Yun Yeong-Min sighed softly under his breath.
Mister President... (Song Jeong-Su)
Mister Prime Minister, can you spare me a cigarette? (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su quietly stared at Yun Yeong-Min, before pulling out a cigarette from his packet. The president ced it between his lips and the prime minister lit it up for him.
It must be nearly five years since I quit, but... (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min bitterly muttered out.
...It feels like I do need to smoke today. (Yun Yeong-Min)
...Please, go ahead, sir. (Song Jeong-Su)
You dont have to look at me with those eyes. Everyone is carrying their own load and fighting on, arent we? As a person upying the highest office in Korea, its only obvious that I must carry the biggest burden. Besides, if things end up working out well for everyone, then well, itll be alright. (Yun Yeong-Min)
But sir, humans arent... (Song Jeong-Su)
I know. If things work out well, thenter on, some people will start questioning if it was really necessary to deploy the nukes, and if we have casualties, then Ill end up as the object of hatred. I knew that when making this decision. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Yun Yeong-Min dusted the ashes and settled down on the sofa.
There are times when you simply have to do it even if you know the consequences. And this is one of those times. (Yun Yeong-Min)
Song Jeong-Su quietly closed his eyes. If it was him in Yun Yeong-Mins shoes, could he have made the choice as swiftly and decisively?
No, it wouldve been impossible.
For the first time ever, Song Jeong-Su felt relieved by the fact that Yun Yeong-Min was the president, not him.
I guess the heavens werentpletely unkind to us. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su thought that a fool of a man had been elected as the president at the absolute worst timing, so he took it upon himself to be the prime minister to handle the government affairs. However, as it turned out, his thoughts were incorrect.
The biggest problem for us is that this really is our final card. If this doesnt work, or if it did work but nothing much changes, then we really will not have anything else. (Yun Yeong-Min)
...Yes, thats true. (Song Jeong-Su)
Song Jeong-Su dazedly stared outside the window.
The world visible outside the ss didnt seem to have changed all that much. But soon, everything would change.
Come on, fe. We are really at our limit. Hurry up ande back home already. (Song Jeong-Su)
The void left behind by the absence of a man named Yi Ji-Hyuk felt so incrediblyrge right now.
< 463. With something powerful and unmissable -3 > Fin.
Chapter 464
Chapter 464
D +65 .
Theres nothing left to eat? (Chang-Sik)
No, its not nothing, but just that the delivery hasnte in yet . (foreman)
Isnt that the same thing? (Chang-Sik)
...
Choi Chang-Sik could only groan while looking at the foreman struggling to answer .
Cant you, like, be honest with us? (Chang-Sik)
A-about... what? (foreman)
Whether it really is the supply issue or were running out of food . (Chang-Sik)
T-that, that is... (foreman)
The foreman instantly became hesitant . The surrounding workers were currently staring at him with sharp res .
Uncles, you should all ease up a bit, too . This isnt the foremans fault, right? If we want to know the truth, we shouldnt all behave like this . (Chang-Sik)
The people exchanged nces with each other after listening to Chang-Siks urging, then slightly lowered their heads .
Honestly, I also dont know . (foreman)
You dont know... (Chang-Sik)
All I heard was that the delivery wonte today, and itll only resume sometime tomorrow . (foreman)
Mister foreman, you also have no idea whats going on? (Chang-Sik)
Yeah . (foreman)
Mm... (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik roughly scratched his head . In that case, he couldnt just me the foreman here, even if it was unknown whether thetter was telling the truth or not .
But then again, what would he know, anyway? (Chang-Sik)
The foreman was merely in charge of managing the workers in this ce and not someone possessing up-to-date information on what was going on around the world .
Its just that Chang-Sik figured the foreman would know a little more than everyone else here since thetter was frequently in contact with the higher-ups . However, when he thought about it some more, the ones in the upper management wouldnt necessarily exin everything to a foreman of a small factory like theirs, even if he was in charge of distributing rations .
There shouldnt be a reason for the supply to be disrupted here . (Chang-Sik)
When objectively thinking about it, there was no reason for the food delivery to run into issues since it wasnt as if bombs had been dropped behind the battlelines or something .
What do you think is the problem, mister foreman? (Chang-Sik)
I told you, I dont know . (foreman)
No, Im not asking you for the truth, just your opinion . (Chang-Sik)
My opinion, is it... (foreman)
The foreman scanned the workers with a pair of deeply anxious eyes .
We wont start a riot or something like that . (Chang-Sik)
What Chang-Sik said prompted the foreman to flinch .
Logically speaking, you start a riot if theres something to forcibly take away in the first ce, right? We all know already that there arent any foodstuffs left in the supermarkets and the convenience stores, so whats the point of rioting now? Its not like we want extra soaps or shampoos, you know? (Chang-Sik)
I guess so . (foreman)
The foreman sighed under his breath .
Dunno if you noticed ittely, but the rations had been decreasing in size from a little while ago . (foreman)
Or we only get mixed grains, instead . (Chang-Sik)
Right, that too . (foreman)
The foreman continued on with a slightly trembling voice .
This is what I think... The food production hasntpletely stopped, but... Im beginning to think that the food reserve is running out . (foreman)
The reserve? (Chang-Sik)
You know, things like rice and stuff . (foreman)
Chang-Sik became somewhat stupefied as he stared at the foreman .
We ran out of rice? (Chang-Sik)
What kind of an absurd tale was this??
No, hang on . Before this crisis happened, Ive been hearing stories about rice rotting away in storage somewhere because we have too much so we gotta financially support the farmers, and also its costing billions every year just to store away the surplus and things like that, yet we ran out of rice already?! (Chang-Sik)
But that was when we still had functioning international trade . (foreman)
The foreman spat out a lengthy groan .
Back then, rice wasnt really important . Half the people usually consumed bread or noodles or something else . But now, theres nothing else to eat beside rice these days, isnt it? (foreman)
Chang-Sik became speechless .
There are some rumblings about MREs but thats the story for the folks in the frontlines... They cant really spare some to the people behind the lines . (foreman)
But, even if thats true, we only lost Seoul so far, so howe we dont have enough food? (Chang-Sik)
I told you, its just my guess . Besides, that reasoning is wrong . Its not that we dont have food because we lost Seoul, its more like the food stoppeding because the international trade has stopped . Think about it . Trade with the countries that used to export food to our country have all stopped now, right? (foreman)
Ah... (Chang-Sik)
Im sure that the food reserve hasntpletely run out yet . I mean, we did have plenty of farmers in the countryside, after all . So the food couldnt have run out in only a little over two months . (foreman)
Well, yeah . (Chang-Sik)
The real issue, though, is whether or not the folks with spare food reserves are willing to sell them . (foreman)
Why wouldnt they? (Chang-Sik)
They also need to eat, dont they? In our current situation, theres no guarantee of buying food even if you have the money, so who would be willing to sell what they have? (Chang-Sik)
...
Chang-Sik forgot what he wanted to say . He never thought about the issue that way before .
No, hang on . Ive not heard about countries going to war running out of food, you know? (Chang-Sik)
Thats because, no matter which war in history youre talking about, the whole wasnt embroiled in it, thats why . The fighting often took ce only on the frontlines and the areas behind didnt face many problems, after all . However, you know thats not how things are now . (foreman)
...
Not only the whole world is fighting to stay alive, nobody knows when the locations you think are safe will start developing problems . And besides, when the world wars broke out, they didnt rely heavily on food import like us . And finally, the government wouldnt have nned for an all-out warfare thatsted for this long, too . (foreman)
In that case, what should we do? (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik asked with an idiotic-looking face, and the foreman could only sigh .
How should I know? Except that... if the government folks have any functioning brains, they should being up with a solution soon enough . Either they forcibly appropriate food or find another way . (foreman)
...Wow, this sucks . (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik grunted helplessly .
He had been feeling it on his skin that the country was circling down the draintely . But forget about his skin, he could acutely feel it right down to his bones now .
How are we supposed to hold on without food? (Chang-Sik)
Worries crept all over Chang-Sik but he did his best to not show it on his face . He knew that people were focusing on him, thats why .
Humans had this tendency to search for someone to rely on in times of crisis . And the regr hierarchy of society would break down the worse the crisis was .
Chang-Sik wouldve been treated like some wet-behind-the-ears punk who hadnt even gone to the army yet if they were in a normally functioning society . But as things stood now, he somehow ended up as the unspoken leader of the people working in this ce .
Is it confirmed that the food supply will get going again from tomorrow? (Chang-Sik)
...I cant say its been confirmed, but thats what they told me . (foreman)
In that case, well have to wait, then . (Chang-Sik)
But, look here, Chang-Sik .
Eii . (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik waved his hand dismissively at the voice calling out to him from somewhere in the back .
I know what you want to say, but well look like a bunch of clowns if we go on a rampage today only for the food to show up tomorrow, you know? (Chang-Sik)
But, this problem concerns our livelihood .
With how the situation is, we gotta ept the cards being dealt to us for now . Even I wouldve gone straight to the principals office if the school wasnt giving me food, and tear out what little hair remained on the principals baldy head, but our current situation isnt like that, right? (Chang-Sik)
W-well, yeah . Thats true .
Other people are still working their butts off, so lets not ruin the mood for everyone else . We wait until tomorrow, and if no foodes through even then, it wont be toote to flip the table and start something . (Chang-Sik)
Everyone seemed to be in agreement .
Okay, but what about today?
Well, we all have stashed some food away, havent we? Why dont we just eat that for today? (Chang-Sik)
Quite a few people were shooting him dissatisfied res, but none seemed willing to express their unhappiness in the open .
This situation wouldnt get resolved just because they got angry and threw a tantrum, and besides, they were also scared by the possibility of the gun-toting MPs patrolling the streets outside barging in here after they caused amotion .
However, a major problem will happen if no food is distributed tomorrow... (Chang-Sik)
Everyone here was holding back because there was the hope of iing food tomorrow . But if the supply kept getting disrupted like this in the future, then itd be only a matter of time before the ticking bomb exploded .
To all these people who worked hard and continued to endure the hardship while holding onto the faint ray of hope that they might survive somehow, the notion of no food would be the same thing as telling them to die of hunger after enduring for so long .
In any case, lets go and eat something . (Chang-Sik)
But they didnt give us any food, so what can we even eat now? All the supermarkets are empty by now, too .
Ive stashed a few packets of ramen away, so lets just eat that for today . Mister foreman, do you have a burner with a good output? Cuz it looks like a lot of ramen needs to be cooked today . (Chang-Sik)
I think theres a stove for cooking stews in the kitchen . (foreman)
Then please tell them to prepare the equipment . Ill go with a few people to fetch the ramen . (Chang-Sik)
Oh, will you do that? (foreman)
Chang-Sik smirked and turned around to leave . Even before he said something, several people apanied him .
However, despite turning around all cool and the like, Chang-Siksplexion couldnt be described as bright at all .
We are really at the limit . (Chang-Sik)
He had been hearing the stories of riots breaking out from here and there . Such as, some people demonstrating in some other ce got forcibly suppressed yesterday, and earlier today, people who were forced into working in a factory a bit of a distance away had started a riot, etc...
Although it might not seem eptable, he still understood where they wereing from .
Not eptable, since the whole world was in a crisis and everyone needed to work together yet they were going on a riot, but at the same time, the rioters mustve been deeply frustrated and tired for them to riot in the first ce .
Even Chang-Sik himself got royally p*ssed off more than a couple of times already at this gradually worsening situation and the frustrating reality .
Hey, Chang-Sik . (Choi)
Yeah? (Chang-Sik)
Mister Choi next to him quietly asked him a question .
Didnt we have a ckout yesterday in the factory? (Choi)
Sure . (Chang-Sik)
How many times have it been this week? (Choi)
I think, three times? But regr households only get electricity during a short time in the evenings these days . Its not like we are living in North Korea or something, but oh well . (Chang-Sik)
...Im trying so hard to stay tough, but man, Im getting more and more worried, dude . (Choi)
Chang-Sik sighed deeply .
Me too, uncle . Me too . (Chang-Sik)
Really? So it wasnt just me whos getting worried? (Choi)
Nah . Everyones scared . But were still holding on . (Chang-Sik)
...I see . Knowing that kindaforts me a little . (Choi)
Chang-Sik watched Mister Chois shoulders slump lower and clenched his teeth .
Were really at our limit, hyung... (Chang-Sik)
People were still dying in droves by the frontlines even as he chatted away . He didnt want to be that guy who whined while doing a rtively easier job behind the line, but even he was reaching the limit of suppressing his mental exhaustion .
Even if the situation stopped getting worse and stabilised as it was now, the people enduring behind the battle lines would sooner orter reach their mental limit .
Im sure its worse at the frontlines . (Chang-Sik)
A battle that continues on for two months? Now that was something no one would be able to even imagine . Didnt it mean that youd have to live under the fear of not knowing when youd die for two months straight?
The physical pain would be one thing, but the mental trauma would truly be enormous .
Didnt you say thest time that this situation wille to an end if some guyes back? (Choi)
...Yeah, I did . (Chang-Sik)
Can I still believe in that? (Choi)
Chang-Sik nodded his head .
Yeah, hes someone like that . And hes someone wholl make it happen, too . Im sure the reason why hes taking longer is to get better prepared . (Chang-Sik)
For real, right? (Choi)
Eii, its not just me making an empty im, you know . Do you remember that time when some people from the higher-ups came to fetch me? (Chang-Sik)
Yeah, that did happen . (Choi)
Thats why we gotta hold on for a little bit longer . When we do, my hyung will surely show up . (Chang-Sik)
I will have nothing more to wish for if that happens for real... (Choi)
Mister Choi blurred the ends of his sentence .
He wasnt in no shape to encourage himself only with Chang-Siks assurance at this stage . Should he say that those words were nothing more than the faintest thread of hope that barely held everything together?
What point is there to return after everythings over? (Chang-Sik)
Chang-Sik felt his innards starting to boil when he remembered Yi Ji-Hyuks tendency to appear at the most opportune timing in the past .
He could only pray and then, pray some more, that Yi Ji-Hyuk and Co . , would arrive before everything came to an end .
< 464 . With something powerful and unmissable -4 > Fin .
Chapter 465
Chapter 465
Fire! I said fire, godd*mmit!
Du Gyeong-Sik heard the high-pitched urgent cry stabbing him in the ears and swore inwardly .
F*ck me, everyone here knows already that we gotta fire our weapons, so cant you just shut up for a second?!
They werent some rookies here, so what gives? Every single person in this ce had been fighting nonstop for the past two months while risking their lives everyday . So, some idiot trying to micromanage such soldiers was getting on Du Gyeong-Siks nerves .
F*ck .
He knew that it wasnt themanders fault . No, the fault lied with his own mind that got easily irritated and dissatisfied by every little thing .
Du Gyeong-Sik sucked in a deep breath .
The handle of the MG-50 gripped tightly in his hands felt so cold right now .
You punk, what the hell are you doing?! I told you to fire, dam*it!
Du Gyeong-Siks bloodshot eyes red at the one busy shouting at him .
What are you looking at?!
Bloody hell, stop sh*tting in your pants and start giving us propermands, will ya? Cant you see that the monsters havent even reached the riverside yet?
They are within the firing range, arent they?!
Firing at them from this distance wont even leave a scratch on them . If you are our superior officer, then calm down and act like one, alright? I mean, how can we concentrate and keep fighting when amander is too scared and cant even think straight?
What the f*ck?! Are you done with running your mouth off, you punk!?
Du Gyeong-Sik turned his head away and stared back at the battlefront . The enraged swearings kepting from somewhere behind him, but he paid no heed .
What a f*cking moron .
He understood it . He certainly could .
Everyone, including thatmander, had been stuck in this hellish battlefront for the past two months so none of them were in the right frame of mind at the moment . Du Gyeong-Sik might have spoken like he was better off than themander, but even hed lose his rationale and start firing blindly the moment those d*mn monsters reached the riverside .
How many have I killed so far?
Du Gyeong-Sik chuckled helplessly .
How many monsters did he kill so far, you ask?
Nope .
He was more worried about how many of his allies he inadvertently killed while firing his weapon blindly .
But then again, the situation was so bad that even a murderer like him had to keep holding onto the MG-50 . Manpower was in a crippling shortage at the moment, and so did their firepower .
...Now!
Du Gyeong-Sik gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger . The MG-50 might have been secured to the ground with a stand, but once it got firing like this, he couldnt help but feel his whole body shaking around alongside the recoil .
While feeling his arms shaking around, Du Gyeong-Sik roared out .
Diiiiiiiieeeee!
The MG-50 could easily prate through a steel te if you could hit it properly, yet against the monsters with thick hides, he had no choice but to feel how insufficient the weapons firepower was .
Every one of those d*mn creatures boasted the defensive capabilities exceeding an armoured personnel carrier . No one would be mad enough to use anti-aircraft firearms like MG-50s when APCs or tanks were barging in . Yet, Du Gyeong-Sik had to do exactly that .
At least, he was in a better position than some others .
Nearby him were many unfortunate souls who had to do this crazy thing while only relying on personal firearms like K-3 or K-2 . Sure, it might seem like aplete waste of energy, but when hundreds of people fired guns at a single monster, they would be able to at least stop the creature in its tracks if not outright damage it . After all, itd be hard to ignore the kic energy contained within the shower of that many bullets even if the damage inflicted was negligible at best .
And when that stopping power was demonstrated...
Piii-shung!
Along with a clean whistling noise, a shot entered into the monsters wide open maw .
Ku-aaaaaah!
Themon sense of strong skin doesnt equal strong innards also applied to the monsters to some degree . Of course, that was allparatively speaking; even the innards of the monsters werent as frail as that of Earths creatures .
Aim for the eyes! The eyes!
I know, godd*mmit!
That was easier said than done; did themander think this gun was a snipers rifle or something?
If it was that easy to aim for the monsters eyes with suchrge-sized guns, then they wouldve swept the monsters aside by now .
Du Gyeong-Sik had to suppress a tide of expletives trying to jump out of his mouth and gripped the gun hard enough to nearly break his fingers while changing his aim from here to there .
Monsters began emerging from the river water like a swarm of ants .
Never mind a few times, he had already witnessed the same sight dozens, hundreds of times by now but even then, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up every time it happened . However, that didnt mean he hadnt gotten used to it . Also, the pressure bearing down on him hadnt lost its edge yet, either C the pressure of knowing that, even if this attack was one of many that happened so far, failing to stop it would mean his life would be in a serious danger .
Uwaaaaah!
The muzzle spitting out mes towards the approaching monsters ttered against the hump set up below and didnt go down any further . The hump had been set in such a way to prevent any potential friendly fire, but his muzzle had lowered enough to hit this instation .
Dam*it!
This also indicated that the first defensive line had been broken through . It felt like a sharp de had been thrust under his chin, but he ignored this f*cked-up feeling to the best of his abilities and continued to fire away at the monsters that he could see .
All he could do for now was to believe in the others .
Lets go!
It was right then, a loud shout came from somewhere below his position .
Ability users from the KSF and other countries were now rushing out to fight the monsters off . They jumped over the barricades and dashed forward, and Du Gyeong-Sik watching them felt something well up inside his chest .
Here he was, being subjected to a maddening level of terror and pressure while doing something as basic as sitting back and firing his gun at the distant target . Yet those people were actually rushing towards the monsters with nothing but their own bodies as their weapons .
Godd*mmit .
If he was being honest, he too was one of those people who felt much disgust towards the ability users . Before his enlistment, he thought that these d*mn ability users were livingrge without much effort simply because of the powers they were randomly granted through luck .
But now that he was here, such a line of thinking had been shattered into tiny little bits .
I definitely do not want to be like them .
Fighting from the back like this was already so difficult . So difficult, in fact, that he felt the urge to turn the muzzle around to kill everyone around him and then shove the gun in his mouth before pulling the trigger many times by now .
Yet those people had to stop the monsters with their physical bodies... That wasnt something a sane-minded person could or should do .
Only they can do it .
Du Gyeong-Sik was not confident of doing something simr .
As such, all those who looked negatively at the ability users had no choice but to admit to their sacrifices . Somewhat ironically, now that a deadly crisis was upon them, the great rift between regr people and ability users was closing up .
What are they doing?!
This was almost like ying aputer game .
He was still firing away at the iing enemies as if his life depended on it, which was true, but with every passing second, the number of monsters he could stop steadily decreased . No, to be more precise, the amount of resistance he offered hadnt changed at all, but the number of monsters breaking through the defensive line he had set up was gradually growingrger .
Now normally in a game, youd run out of lives and reach the game over screen in such a situation .
Unfortunately, this wasnt a game . Not a game where after ying for a little bit, he could turn it off and tell himself, Ill do better next time . What would end wasnt some measly game but his life, and the fate of the world .
Who could even understand the pressure from knowing that?
F*ck! Well all die at this rate! What the hell are they doing!
Kwa-ka-ka-ka-booooom!
The moment he shouted out, TOT exploded on the other side of the river . A volley of shells rained down and in the blink of an eye, the opposite riverside got covered in the explosions of choking dust clouds .
And as an encore, the sonic booms of aerones resounded out above his heads along with the eardrum-shredding noise of the air being torn apart .
The bombing raid had begun .
Boom! Boooom!
Du Gyeong-Sik had felt this many times before, but whenever bombing raids got underway, it seemed like the whole world woulde to a dead stop . When those humongous explosions went off in the close-enough distance away, his ears would get numb and he couldnt catch much sounds afterwards . At the same time, he even got the feeling that the world slowed down to a crawl .
While feeling this disharmony, which he had gotten used to by now, he continued to incessantly fire his gun away .
They are always so bloodyte, useless sons of b*tches!
Even though he tried not to get angry, the situation didnt permit that . The battle had been going on two months yet not once did he witness a bombing raid or shelling happen at the correct time .
Of course he understood that the air force and the artillery division werent the same as the infantrymen like him who could immediatelyunch the attacks as soon as spotting the enemies . But they had been doing the same thing for the past two months, so shouldnt their reaction speed improve a little bit, at least?!
No! No, it cant be!
Du Gyeong-Sik cried out in despair .
He could see the monsters still moving around within the choking dust clouds . Despite all those shelling and all those bombs exploding, the number of monsters that died didnt seem all that high .
They are getting stronger .
He couldnt quite understand how, but the monsters were getting stronger day by day . The level of attacks they couldnt withstand before, they were now brushing it off with some light flesh wounds .
Thick rivers of blood flowed down and dyed thend pitch-ck, but the important part was that the monsters were still standing on such a darkened ground .
Despair filled up Du Gyeong-Siks eyes .
Just what do you want from us...?
They bombed, they shelled, they even mobilised every ability user under the sun to fight back, yet the number of monsters continued to only increase with every passing day . The spot in Pyongyang was endlessly spitting out more monsters even now .
The enemies shouldnt be manufacturing monsters in a factory somewhere, so how could so many keep showing up without an end? Just how big was the demon world supposed to be?
Even if one brought together every single wild beast found on earth in one ce, the number should still be lower than all the monsters that had shown up here so far .
To make matters worse, there were almost ten spots around the world as well .
Can we really win here?
That was the fundamental question .
His mind hadnt copsed from terror and despair . No, he was far more clear-headed than ever before . And such a clear mind was asking himself that question .
Could they really win?
They did this much, yet the situation hadnt improved at all . No, wait C the situation was steadily getting worse, instead .
For what purpose are we keep fighting back like this?
There could only be one oue .
They would keep fighting and fighting some more until losing all of their strength, then wee the bitter and inevitable defeat . Even knowing that, he was resisting against the pressure heavy enough to break his mind to keep fighting away .
Just what would they gain after the battlees to an end?
They would all die, anyway .
Maybe, getting defeated faster was a better way to lessen the pain overall?
Blood trickled down from his nose . He wiped it off with one hand and nced behind him with bloodshot eyes .
Should I just shoot everyone?
Maybe, for the sake of making things easier for him, he should just turn the gun behind him . The moment one part of the defensive line broke down, everything else would fall like dominoes, and when the line was gone for good, itd be so much easier for everyone else, too .
It was right at that moment .
Everyone, get down! Stop what youve been doing and get the f*ck down! Itsing!
Itsing?
Whatsing this time?
His confusion didntst for long, though .
He turned around to look and found the first sergeant inmand of this particr section already hunkering down on the ground while shielding his face, his elbows and tips of feet the only parts touching the floor .
It cant be?
That posture looked quite familiar . He had tried that position himself many times back in the boot camp, after all .
The beginning was a faint little sh of light .
Initially, it seemed like something was blinking in the far-off distance . It didnt look all that big or impressive .
But that was an error in judgement .
The reason for the sh of light being so faint was because the location of the light itself happened to be really far away . And in that extremely far-off distance, something began rising up rapidly into the skies above .
< 465 . With something powerful and unmissable -5 > Fin .
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