Chapter 1189. The Demon King of Sunset’s Castle (9)

I was sure Woo Hyo-Yeol heard my memorable line.

‘I’m pretty sure this jerk is listening.’

He had put on quite the show, and it was time for him to wake up. Just as I expected, his fingers twitched, and it wasn't because of the seizure he had earlier. He was intentionally moving his fingers.

‘He's awake.’

Naturally, I unleashed an even brighter light.

Of course, I heard voices trying to stop me, but...

“Please stop. Mr. Lee Ki-Young... please stop. If you keep going...”

I continued draining my lifeforce. Flower petals fell from the wreath of light, and the light grew larger as if it were a candle burning away. I was in my purest form, embodying the very essence of the word "sacrifice," and I looked as if the light was consuming me.

Who would dare to stop me?

“

Ahh...

” Nam Goong-Seon muttered, imagining something bad, but she couldn’t decide whether to stop me or not. It was natural for her to hesitate, as I looked really desperate.

The obvious reason behind my desperation was that I didn’t want to lose any of the people whom I cared about. However, my emotions couldn’t be described with just one sentence. She couldn’t stop me because she understood my feelings behind my actions and why I was so desperate.

“

Aaaaaaaaaah!

” I screamed.

“

Cough, cough

.”

I coughed while trying to keep my trembling arms and eyes steady.

I was emanating a huge, radiant light. It was a warm light, but ironically, it was really cold for those who were at the center of the light.

The pain and fear caused me to grit my teeth. The fact that my lifeforce was slowly draining away was terrifying and unsettling, even for a twenty-three-year-old like me, but I quickly shook off that fear.

‘I have to save him.’

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

I couldn't lose people whom I cared about again.

‘I won’t let him die.’

Grandpa Bolt was someone I couldn’t protect, and one person... was enough. It was probably just me, but it felt like I could hear his voice.

My memories with him appeared like a panorama. Was it because I was becoming too emotional? If I couldn't stop thinking about his hand that often patted my head and his promise to protect me, was there something wrong with my head?

I wasn’t afraid of the fact that I was draining my lifeforce. I still couldn’t understand why Grandpa Bolt had thrown everything he had just to protect others, but at this moment, I understood how he felt when he sacrificed himself.

“Never again...” I mumbled.

“...”

“Never again!” I shouted.

For a moment, it felt like Grandpa Bolt was holding my hand—no, I was sure he was holding my hand. The holy power that exploded right after it consumed almost everything I had.

The light disappeared right afterward, but...

“Mr. Hyo-Yeol... get up,” I said.

“...”

“Get up,” I repeated.

“...” “Get up already!” I shouted.

Woo Hyo-Yeol still didn’t move.

Just then, a large gargoyle rushed toward me.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young, watch out—”

Seeing Hwang Jung-Yeon’s surprised face, it seemed like she was so focused on the battle that she couldn’t control the gargoyle that William had sent flying away.

William’s face turned pale.

‘No, this is actually better. We need scenes like this.’

I didn’t dodge. I couldn’t dodge anyway, but as if I couldn't care less about myself, I poured my weak holy power into Woo Hyo-Yeol.

“Get up! Woo Hyo-Yeol!!” I yelled.

Bam!

Woo Hyo-Yeol blocked the gargoyle.

“Mr. Hyo-Yeol?”

“Hyo-Yeol... oppa... oppa?” Lim Chae-Ryeong mumbled.

His closed wounds opened up at once, and he was instantly drenched in his own blood. Blood flowed out of his head, and his arms were in bad shape once again.

“

Whoo... whoo... whoo... whoo...

”

He repeatedly exhaled and inhaled heavily. He entered the awakening state again, continuing from his fight with Colonel Smith. Actually, it was possible that he had been maintaining that state. I felt like he had been maintaining that state all this while.

There was a dark glint in his eyes, but his mind seemed sharper than ever.

Without even checking his condition, he said, “My... blade.”

“What?” I asked.

“My blade...” Woo Hyo-Yeol repeated.

“A-Are you out of your mind? Oppa... right now—" Lim Chae-Ryeong chimed in.

“Bring... me my blade,” he interrupted her.

‘You don’t have one, you jerk. It was destroyed during your fight with Colonel Smith.’

“It doesn’t matter which one, just bring me one. Hurry.

Whoo... whoo...

” Woo Hyo-Yeol requested.

At first, Lim Chae-Ryeong looked at him, wanting to stop him, but she ended up giving him her weapon with her eyes closed.

Woo Hyo-Yeol glanced at me.

“

Whoo...

” he mumbled, exhaling heavily. “Idiot...”

“...”

“You stupid... idiotic... foolish... bastard,” he insulted me.

‘So he was listening.’

He seemed to be having mixed emotions, but he obviously didn't spit out words of comfort or gratitude. He wasn’t the type to say such embarrassing words, and his frown told me that he disliked the current situation.

After pushing me to the side, he looked at Hwang Jung-Yeon quietly. He was breathing heavily and started moving. One of the gargoyles got up and charged at Woo Hyo-Yeol, but its head was instantly chopped off.

Thud.

It was more like its head was blasted away, and it was slammed into the ground at the same time.

‘Shit, he got stronger. I’m sure he got stronger compared to when he was fighting Colonel Smith.’

I had no idea why, but I was sure that...

‘It's all coming back to him.’

Actually, I felt like he had already received it again. It all began with his one-on-one battle with Colonel Smith. The battle helped me realize how strong Woo Hyo-Yeol was in his first life and why Jupiter’s group had chosen him as the regressor. Although his perfect stats hadn't returned, at least, he acquired the same senses he had in his first life.

“

Whoo... whoo...”

He walked while tightening his grip on his sword.

Crackle.

His step was so forceful that the ground caved in, and in an instant, he stormed into the fierce battlefield.

‘That's intense.’

Rather than describing him as being agile or fast like Kim Hyun-Sung, the word "intense" was more suitable for him. He arrived in front of Hwang Jung-Yeon with just one step.

“Item 9—Aegis' Shield Fragment,” Hwang Jung-Yeon said.

Woo Hyo-Yeol's sword struck the shield fragment, generating a deafening clang. It looked like he couldn't overcome the Mythic, as he was sent flying away. However, he bounced off a wall and jumped toward Hwang Jung-Yeon once again.

Booom!

“

Ugh.

”

The mage gritted her teeth. A magic orb and a crimson flower fell on top of her, but...

“Item 2—Ruten’s Grand Clock,” Hwang Jung-Yeon summoned.

Everything around slowed down, including the crimson flower, the magic orb, the arrows, the spells, the frontline, and the priests’ holy power...

Amidst all this, Hwang Jung-Yeon mumbled, "Go.”

Countless items floated in the air. At a glance, there were dozens of them. It was safe to assume that she had brought out all the items she could use at once.

‘The last phase?’

That thought popped into my head...

The countless items attached to her made strange noises as they activated one by one.

It was a sight that I couldn’t quite describe or recognize.

It looked like they were monsters stuck in a narrow passageway during a monster wave.

A malicious wave made out of mana or some kind of transcendent power poured down.

The chaotic attack swept toward Rohen’s rays of hope.

Kaboooooooooooom!!!

Rooooooooooooooooooooar!!!

To protect the main force, Jung Ha-Yan created a giant barrier, while the other mages helped maintain it.

William watched with gnashed teeth while Woo Hyo-Yeol walked toward the enemy.

‘Haa...’

William watched as Woo Hyo-Yeol stepped forward. He had to have realized that he needed to go out there as well because he flinched, but I immediately said something to him.

"Hold your position."

William couldn’t move, and he lost his chance to do so. Hesitating once was the reason Woo Hyo-Yeol was chosen and William wasn’t. It probably wasn’t because he was afraid of death. William had experienced death many times, and he had overcome them.

The reason he stopped and looked at them was that he was trying to find a way to break through them. Obviously, that was impossible, as the sight before him exceeded the scenes he could ever imagine.

Obviously, this was the same for Woo Hyo-Yeol, but he was probably stronger than William.

I didn’t notice anything. There was no information about where he needed to go and how to break through all of that. His so-called instincts and intuition were useless when confronted with such an overwhelming, chaotic attack.

Woo Hyo-Yeol's unique habit was the reason he stepped forward.

He disliked standing still, that was all. He needed to move and struggle. There was a reason he disliked losing and why he couldn’t lose. Hesitating and staring at the massive wave of attacks wasn’t really his style.

If something was blocking his path, he would swing his sword, and if there was something he couldn’t break through, he would use magic.

He would grit his teeth whenever he thought he couldn’t win, and he moved forward first instead of assessing the situation.

“Fuuuck!!!”

He was covered in blood, and his legs were paralyzed, so he couldn't move properly. Despite that, he forced himself to move forward. His poor physical condition and his excessive bleeding weren't any issues for him.

Just like when he fought Colonel Smith, he was evolving.

‘Shit, is he part of some combat tribe or something?’

I started talking to him. I suggested a path that he could use to break through and a strategy that could help him win. I delivered information unknown to Woo Hyo-Yeol, and when I started seeing things that he couldn’t see, his face became filled with joy.

“You... monster,” he mumbled.

Without a doubt, he was talking about me.