Chapter 1220. The Demon King of Sunset’s Castle, the Final Story (13)

“Why... the hell are you making a big deal of it

now?

! You bastard!!!” I yelled.

"

Ha... hahahahahaha!"

“You crazy... crazy!” I shouted.

Phase three was an absolute nightmare.

"

Ha... haha! Hahahahaha!"

Kim Hyun-Sung wasn’t standing up on his own two legs. Instead, he remained sprawled out on the ground and levitated slowly, creating an overwhelming sight. The way he laughed like a maniac added to my anxiety.

If this weren't my business, I would cheer at this impressive scene. After all, this bizarre scene indicated that he was entering the third phase

Unfortunately, this was my business, and I felt despair at the sight of it.

The once slightly murky sunset glow grew even brighter. The ashen light disappeared, and the light of

real

sunset appeared. Even Woo Hyo-Yeol cast an incredulous gaze at the Monarch of Sunset.

Even though there weren’t any rules against attacking someone while they were transforming or awakening, Woo Hyo-Yeol was quietly transfixed on the Monarch of Sunset.

I quickly realized why. First of all, Woo Hyo-Yeol was all tense up. Secondly and lastly, he noticed a certain change. He was obviously bothered by how one of Kim Hyun-Sung's eyes was glowing as well.

"What is that? Why is he..."

‘I don’t know either, damn it!’

I was shocked because I had no idea why he showed himself

now

. The most reasonable assumption would be that he had no intention of leaving Rohen alone in the first place.

Clearly, Lee Ki-Young, the scum, couldn't care less about this continent’s situation.

Had he realized that there was no reason to go back despite there being a better way, or had he changed his mind in the middle of it all?

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was either one, as Lee Ki-Young was a fickle bastard.

He probably disliked the fact that Kim Hyun-Sung was getting beaten up.

Since he was getting beaten up so badly, he probably thought that someone was touching his belongings. I wouldn’t be surprised if that put him in a bad mood, causing him to blow everything up.

‘What the hell does he want me to do? Damn it... How much more do I need to do to satisfy him?’

Could it be that he wanted us to take down Kim Hyun-Sung without hurting him? Or was there something he disliked? Was this not enough?

Was he dissatisfied with Woo Hyo-Yeol's path to becoming even stronger?

There was nothing more frustrating than a client who had no idea what they wanted.

Even if he said that he was dissatisfied and just yelled at me to fix it, I would understand it.

I would feel more relieved if he said that he wanted to end our deal, but this stupid client had done something that wasn't a part of the deal, and he wasn't saying anything about it.

I believed he'd throw a fit and say that we were on the wrong path...

He could also say that he liked us or the results...

‘Maybe...’

The contract...

I wondered if something in the special clause was binding us.

Was he tied to some special condition that didn’t allow him to break the contract first?

Perhaps he simply decided not to take responsibility.

Was he thinking that he didn’t need to work with me anymore, as destroying Rohen was the easiest way? The latter was most likely, but no matter what the answer was, he was still a jerk. I felt like struggling was the only answer for me.

“That jerk...” I mumbled.

"..."

“That rotten fraud,” I said.

I saw Kim Hyun-Sung descending to the ground. Unlike before, he was smiling.

‘There’s no reason for us to fight. How about we make up now?’

'You found Lee Ki-Young, and you’re unbelievably happy right now.'

It was proven by his mirthful smile.

‘You just need to go home now...’

However, he raised his sword as if saying that he was still going to fight. His clothes were tattered, and his face was battered. Despite that, he was still smiling.

“Hyo-Yeol,” I said.

"What?"

“He’s coming,” I warned him.

Boom!

Kim Hyun-Sung sprang forward and charged. I expected this to happen, but...

‘I can’t read him.’

He was like a blank slate. His behavior, habits, and sword techniques were reset. I was sure Lee Ki-Young had ordered him not to remember anything and just charge in without thinking about anything else.

‘This doesn’t make sense.’

Kabooooooom!

I couldn’t keep up with my train of thought while the two monsters were fighting. This was a losing battle. He was able to see things I wasn’t able to see, and he was able to understand things I wasn’t able to understand. He was absorbing a lot more information than me.

It seemed like they were exchanging punches, but Kim Hyun-Sung was blocking every effective hit.

‘That’s not the only problem.’

The difference in their synchronization rate was a big part of the reason why this was a battle. It wasn’t because I was slow in sending him information. I couldn't say the exact timestamps, but anyway, my thoughts were being sent to Woo Hyo-Yeol.

It was meaningless to think about their synchronization rate with each other, but it had to be way beyond my synchronization rate with Woo Hyo-Yeol. The software, the hardware, and the device were all of better quality.

It was also running on a completely different version.

Woo Hyo-Yeol was at a clear disadvantage here.

"

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

"

Woo Hyo-Yeol attacked nonstop with his limbs, but none of the attacks could land. Kim Hyun-Sung had Lee Ki-Young as well. He had eyes that could understand attacks, routes, and intentions. I was sure that jerk Lee Ki-Young could feel everything, including the wind that blew across Kim Hyun-Sung's fist.

“Damn it... damn it!” I shouted.

"Die! You bastard!"

“You asshole! You rotten fraud!” I added.

After blocking Woo Hyo-Yeol’s tail, Kim Hyun-Sung swung his sword.

‘Shit.’

I couldn’t see any path where he could dodge, so I chose to block it. Woo Hyo-Yeol turned his arms into a shield and blocked Kim Hyun-Sung’s sword.

Boooooooom! Crack!

The impact was so powerful that the earth beneath their feet was split apart. Woo Hyo-Yeol used his fleshly body to withstand the damage. However, he had to have realized that his arms weren’t going to be enough, as he used his three tails to push the sword away.

"Whoo... whoo..."

"It’d be wise not to rely on that power too much,"

Kim Hyung-Sung remarked arrogantly, even though he was as anxious as a lost child not too long ago.

"It will gnaw away at you.

His tone, breathing, and everything else seemed to have returned to normal. What was influencing this battlefield wasn’t just Lee Ki-Young. The fact that he had come back to his senses had undoubtedly influenced this battle as well.

"Bullshit."

"I—"

"Stop it with the bullshit, you annoying bastard. You know nothing about what this is or what it means, so don’t talk so lightly about it. This is—whoo..."

‘H-Hyo-Yeol.’

"This is the final gift that my comrade left me. It’s not something I can just throw away. It was the gift he held onto for me. Whatever this power is, do you really think I can get rid of it that easily? Don’t... Don’t talk nonsense. You know nothing."

‘Y-You’re making me curl up inside.’

I was kind of happy... but it was kind of cheesy.

"Powers that are easily obtained... will disappear just as easily."

"Easily obtained? You think it was easy for me to obtain this power? Am I so pathetic that a bastard like you can run your mouth like that? You know nothing, you demon bastard."

Woo Hyo-Yeol was right. Obtaining that power was difficult for him. If we had a lot of time, I would have taken the normal evolution path and made him evolve the normal way, but the expedition team’s situation wasn’t that great.

A lot of sacrifices were made, so I had to contribute that much more to make up for it.

It was a miracle that I managed to bring a failure like Woo Hyo-Yeol this far.

Even if Lee Ki-Young disliked Woo Hyo-Yeol’s evolution path, there was nothing I could do about it.

Perhaps that was Lee Ki-Young and Kim Hyun-Sung’s story, but Woo Hyo-Yeol and I had written this story ourselves. I had no intention of changing it, and it couldn't be changed either.

Our time together was short, but it was eventually worth it. Even if he weren't efficient or there were side effects, they were things Woo Hyo-Yeol had to endure, so it had nothing to do with me.

Even if it had something to do with me, it wouldn’t really matter.

‘We have to do things our way.’

“We have to do things our way, Hyo-Yeol,” I said.

‘I don’t know if you’ll understand it though...’

Surprisingly, he and I might have some similarities.

“Let’s bring him down,” I said.

Bring him down to the ground...

Boom!

Woo Hyo-Yeol knocked Kim Hyun-Sung back, and I didn’t need to explain what happened afterward because it was pretty obvious. We were going to drag him down and then go all out. Woo Hyo-Yeol's fists flew nonstop toward Kim Hyung. He was covered in blood and was even rolling on the ground.

He was so out of breath that he wanted to vomit, but all he could do was grit his teeth and move. That was the difference between an underdog and a top dog.

There was no sport without an upset victory. Stories were always on the side of the underdog, and everything considered a miracle was also on the side of the underdog. If there really were gods instead of GENIUSES, I was sure they’d side with us.

“You can do it. You can do it,” I told him.

"I know."

“You can win, Hyo-Yeol,” I said.

"Yeah, I’m going to win. I’m going to win and bring you back to life."

‘I’m not dead yet.’

" It’s not just you. I need to bring him back as well... whoo... whoo... and bring back... Grandpa Bolt... after I defeat that Demon King... yeah... whoo..."

‘Grandpa isn’t dead yet either.’

"I want to try being a hero."

‘Are your emotions max level now? How can you say such lines while sober?’

"I’m sure... that’s what you want. It’s bothersome... but I can... give it a try. When I first came back, I didn’t think much about it... but yeah... I think it might be a good idea to try being the hero this time... I don’t know. Whoo... whoo..."

“I—”

"Don’t say anything. I’m not here to put up with your whining."

‘No, I just...’

"I just want to try."

‘Woo Hyo-Yeol, you jerk. You’ve... matured so much.’

"I want to try being a hero and save Rohen."

Kaboooooooooooom!

Based on the atmosphere, I really hoped that he would win. It’d be nice if there were a thrilling comeback at this point, but reality wasn’t so kind. All I could do was pray, cheer him on, and yell.

“Try it,” I encouraged him.

"AAAAH!"

“You can do it. You can do it. You can do it! You can do it!” I shouted.

"

AAAAH!!!

This is it! Die! You bastard!"

‘Don’t say lines that only a villain would say.’

Kim Hyun-Sung raised his sword, and a massive beam of sunset engulfed it. I thought he had no skills, but I saw Woo Hyo-Yeol gathering as much energy as possible.

He wasn't enlightened, and he hadn't obtained a new skill.

He was also reckless, and his form was lacking.

As always, all he did was roar. He gnashed his teeth, took control over his trembling muscles, and took one step forward...

‘O God... O God.’

Just like that, everything was bathed in the pure light of the sunset.

“...”

[Hey, don't you think we should talk?]

And then I heard a voice...