Chapter 1511. Extinction (21)

‘I can’t believe he still hasn’t gotten rid of that habit.’

It was like I was staring at a madman. He was completely worked up. I could say with certainty that it wasn’t an act. Bloodshot eyes, a face so angry he couldn't feel pain, and a thigh stained red. At least his clothes were covering it. If he had been wearing nothing, the entire left side of his thigh would have been a complete mess in plain view.

Of course, the sight remained disgusting.

He kept stabbing his thigh like a lunatic, and it was to the point where it was no longer just simple self-harm. Before long, his entire left pant leg was soaked red. Even though the tip of the pen was already bent and could no longer pierce his skin, he was still forcing it down to vent his anger.

The hand gripping the pen looked as though it could tear apart at any moment.

—- YOU BAAAAAAAAASTARD!!!

‘He really looks pathetic.’

Even calling it ugly wasn’t enough. Watching in real time just how low a person, who had lost their mind, could fall had its own kind of flavor.

‘It makes you watch it so eagerly.’

More than anyone else, he was probably furious at himself. In truth, he hadn’t made the wrong decision. He simply failed to anticipate a sudden variable. Of course, he wasn’t an idiot, so he had to have thought of it to some degree, but who could have expected that the variable would be Ryu Han?

Frankly speaking, even calling him a natural disaster wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

In the end, First Life Ki-Young gained nothing.

Aside from learning that, I had a telescope, and I could send messages and quests to an unspecified number of people, while he obtained no information and no profits at all.

At best, he could consider it meaningful that he recalled the troops that had been heading toward the Republic, but compared to what he had gained, the losses were far greater. This had to be his biggest failure since losing Park Deok-Gu. Since it all happened purely by chance, it was not strange that he was going mad. On top of that, he was getting hammered with the facts, so he was definitely losing his mind.

‘I’m the one who isn’t taking any damage.’

The only one taking damage is you.

‘I’ve already overcome everything.’

You’re the only one hurting, all alone. You’re the only one hurting with nothing left.

[Creating an Average-rank Forced Quest.]

[That’s a sickness, you know. Losing your temper and thrashing around like that doesn’t solve anything. Who in the world cuts themselves up like that just because things didn’t go their way? That violent streak of yours, that self-destructive tendency, all of that is probably hereditary, too. Right? (0/1)]

[Delivering the Average-rank quest to Lee Ki-Young.]

— Bullshit. You disgusting bastard.

[Creating an Average-rank Forced Quest.]

[Putting on a mask in front of others, then running around behind the scenes looking for somewhere to vent your anger, and throwing a fit like a lunatic... Even you must think that looks an awful lot like someone you know, right? (0/1)]

[Delivering the Average-rank quest to Lee Ki-Young.]

— Don’t be ridiculous.

[Creating an Average-rank Forced Quest.]

[I’m telling you, you’re trapped there for a reason. Just look at how you fall apart the moment the mask you’re wearing cracks. Even after ending up here, you’ve done nothing but stand still. You haven’t grown at all. You haven’t changed one bit. (0/1)]

[Delivering the Average-rank quest to Lee Ki-Young.]

- Shut up.

[I think I understand why you never considered regressing yourself. It wasn’t because there was some other reason. Maybe you just needed an excuse. Maybe you realized that you hadn’t grown at all and that failing to protect that pig was ultimately your own mistake.

Maybe you thought that even if you returned to the very beginning, you would make the same mistake again, so you just handed the burden off to someone else. In the end, you realized and admitted your own imperfections. Should I call that growth, or should I just call it pathetic? (0/1)]

— ...

[You must’ve decided that you’re the kind of person who can’t overcome adversity on your own, right? You pretend like it’s nothing, but where do you think that low self-esteem you built up since childhood goes?

Then again, it’s only natural that your self-esteem is low. All that puffing yourself up out of that pitiful craving for recognition, those pathetic struggles that almost make you look miserable, they’re so ugly it’s hard to even watch. (0/1)]

— ...

[Do you know why you still admired Kim Hyun-Sung, even after he backstabbed you? Do you know why you hated him, yet you were still drawn to him, you idiot? (0/1)]

— ...

[You only ever pretended to be successful, that’s why. You’ve never actually succeeded at anything. You’ve always just acted like you accomplished something, but you never truly did. When you think about it, it even makes sense why your father never treated you like a real person. Let’s be honest.

How ridiculous do you think you looked in your father’s eyes? To a man like your father, who had been through everything in life, how laughable do you think you looked wearing that mask? You know it, too. The reason our father abandoned the family... that was all because of you. (0/1)]

— ...

[You’ve never gotten back up, not even once. On the outside, you always stand straight, but inside, you’re rotten and falling apart, completely wrapped up in anxiety and fear. You’re so tangled up in stubbornness and obstinacy that just looking at you makes me sick. From your perspective, Kim Hyun-Sung probably looked pretty impressive.

In the end, he gets back up. In the end, he grows and overcomes it. He admits his mistakes and is able to take another step forward. You know better than anyone who watched Kim Hyun-Sung all this time that he’s fundamentally different from you. (0/1)]

— You’re spitting on your own face. What an idiot. Acting like you’re any different from me.

[I’m fundamentally different from you, you pathetic bastard. (0/1)]

I said it hoping he’d get a little more worked up, but...

‘Ha... damn... looks like he’s already come back to his senses.’

It seemed stabbing his thigh to cool his head had done the trick. If he had continued doing it for just a bit more time, just a little more, I would have been able to completely overturn the battle, but it seemed the Everia front was weighing on his mind as well.

The pigeons vanished from sight as quickly as they had appeared, as if they had never been there at all. Dominions had to have gathered the troops she brought and turned the army back toward Everia.

Taking Seraphim along to make up for the previous losses was the right decision, and seeing that she wasn’t returning to Mesla Castle in the Republic, it seemed she intended to focus more on the World Tree and Lindel than on the Republic side.

This probably meant...

‘He’s telling me to come, isn’t he?’

The reason the idiots of the Republic were moved to Mesla Castle in the first place was to create a forward base that made it easier to head toward the pigeons’ nest. Mesla Castle sat at the northernmost edge of the Republic, and their nest lay just beyond the Republic’s borders. There was no way First Life Ki-Young didn’t know that.

In a way, it was such an obvious trick that the goal was completely clear. If he truly wanted to block the path to the nest, he ought to have sent Dominions and Seraphim, or at least Seraphim, to Mesla Castle.

‘He definitely wants me to come find him, right?’

Rather than blocking the path to the nest, he was practically taunting us to go there. He didn’t say it outright, but it seemed like he wanted to see my face and curse me in person. It was too obvious to even feel like a trap. Obsessing over the Everia front, which would be pushed back anyway once Dominions and Seraphim rejoined them, would be a poor move.

Stabilizing Mesla Castle had to come first now. There was a high chance Kim Hyun-Sung would head toward the nest as well, so we needed to secure the fastest route there in the shortest time possible.

‘Meanwhile, these ignorant idiots are celebrating.’

Had they not realized that the war was still raging over there? If the World Tree front hadn’t been pushed back, I could guarantee that more than half of the people here right now would be dead.

“They’re gone... the pigeon bastards are gone!”

“Damn it! We did it!

Aaaaaah

! We lived!”

“Sir! Sir!!! We did it!”

“The pigeons retreated! Dominions and Seraphim ran with their tails between their legs! Damn it! This is Castle Rock!

Ptoo

!”

“We survived... We really survived!"

“Castle Rock held out again!

Hah!

Those filthy pigeon bastards!”

‘They’re hugging each other and making a whole scene.’

There was neither time nor room to mourn the dead. The joy of overcoming overwhelming odds and the relief of having survived were revealed before me. It was a scene that appeared every time after a battle.

In the middle of it all...

‘This idiot... hasn’t moved at all.’

Ryu Han caught my eye, and he was staring this way without saying a word.

Even when I looked at him again, he still showed no noticeable reaction.

‘I think... this guy might just be completely out of it.’

“This is all thanks to the Great Warrior’s grace!”

Even when the fearless Kennen grabbed the hem of his pants and excitedly raised his voice, Ryu Han didn’t even glance at him.

‘I think he’s unconscious.’

I took a small step forward, and he moved a step closer without saying anything.

‘That settles it.’

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

For whatever reason, I realized that Ryu Han wasn’t conscious. He was moving, but that was all. Whether he had no intention of waking up, or something like a damn soul reaper had stolen his soul, I couldn’t tell, but interacting with him was impossible.

One thing was certain, though—he reacted to me.

When I cautiously took another step, just as expected, Ryu Han followed me. Seeing that, Alex, Kennen, and George visibly looked flustered, but they didn’t forget their duty to protect me and moved along awkwardly.

“W-what’s going on, Alex? D-does the Great Warrior and that person know each other?” Kennen asked.

“Just keep your mouth shut for a moment, Kennen. I don’t really understand what’s going on right now either. George, what do you think?” Alex asked.

“How would I know the answer?” George said.

“I’m an idiot for even asking. I mean, I have no idea what’s even going on,” Alex said.

“...”

“...”

“D-did you just hear the voice of God, Alex?” Kennen asked.

“...”

“...”

“Yeah, I heard it, too, Kennen. Looks like we’ve gotten ourselves tangled up in something ridiculous,” Alex said.

“What about you, George?” Kennen asked.

“I heard it, too. So... what do we do?” George asked.

“What do you mean by that? Have you ever lost anything by listening to the voice of God? First, go and tell the people who were in that basement earlier. Ask them to keep what happened inside a secret,” Alex instructed.

“Do you think that’ll actually work? I mean... it’s not like only one or two people saw the Great Warrior fighting,” George asked.

“They probably heard the voice of God as well. I don’t know why, but... it feels like there must be some special reason why the existence of that Great Warrior has to remain secret. And... that person doesn’t seem like just some higher-up figure from the Republic either...” Alex explained.

“Then what is he?” Kennen asked.

“If I knew the reason, would I be standing here like this? I don’t really know, but there has to be a reason the voice of God told us to follow him! Damn it! One thing is certain, though. The gods haven’t abandoned the continent yet,” Alex said.

“And how can you be so sure of that?” Kennen asked.

“T-that’s...” Alex paused.

“...”

“...”

“George, you explain it,” Alex said.

“It’s not entirely clear, but you’re trying to say that those above us are guiding the direction, aren’t you?” George asked.

“R-right! Just the fact that we suddenly heard the voice of God proves it. Even though the situation is heading toward the worst, humanity is holding on miraculously, and heroes are appearing everywhere. I think... maybe the puzzle is starting to come together now,” Alex said.

“What kind of nonsense is that?” Kennen asked.

“Exactly what it sounds like, Kennen. A picture is being drawn, but we can't see it. The heroes who are becoming the lights of humanity right now are all pieces of the puzzle, each with their own role to play. Of course, that person as well...” Alex said.

“You mean he’s one of the puzzle pieces, too?” Kennen asked.

“I can’t say for sure. But... there must be a reason why we met him. And that Great Warrior, too. I don’t know how he ended up with the refugees of Castle Rock, but... you saw it too. The moment a puzzle piece falls into place...” Alex answered.

‘These guys are total fatalists. Well, either way, they seem gullible enough to trick.’

“Then what about us?” Kennen asked.

“People like us probably don’t have some grand role to play. At most, we’re just meant to be meat shields at the critical moment, or the ones who clean up afterward,” Alex answered.

“...”

“

Uh

... Alex...” Kennen mumbled.

“See? I told you. The voice of God... it says to head to Mesla Castle,” Alex said.

‘Simple really is best.’

— The Everia front is retreating. Even Dominions and Seraphim have returned. We’re planning to redeploy our forces here as well. Do you have a plan going forward?

It hadn’t even been half a day, yet I could already hear Commander Jin speaking to me as if nothing had happened.

"I’m going to Mesla Castle. No, more precisely, I’ll head to the nest and meet First Life Ki-Young, so you prepare as well."

— ...

"And..."

— ...

"Ryu Han is completely empty right now. Can you give me the lines you threw out during the tutorial? You can do that, can't you?"