To enter the Supreme Pavilion, one has to enter through the guard post and go through multiple formal checking procedures.
However, all the warriors who have been doing a lot of tasks around here would know a lot of ways to get around this..
Like the tunnels, how many aisles lead from outside to inside, and so on. Actually, it felt like this was designed on purpose right from the start.
However, this aisle they were walking around, it was the first time Seol-Hwi had seen the inner passage around the library.
“Not that!”
Ju Myung, who called Seol-Hwi into the building, pointed to the floor. There, Lee Suk opened the door to the place and said,
“In here!”
It seemed that they had already decided to get Seol-Hwi and the others out.
Tak
The subordinates of Seol-Hwi went in first and after Seol-Hwi went in, Ju Myung entered and Lee Suk closed the door.
Click
The wooden floor door seemed like it vanished, unseen to the naked eye.
Patpat
The tunnel was high enough for someone up to seven feet tall, and it was wide enough for three to four people to walk side by side at the same time.
Yuam was a member of Seol-Hwi’s past troop, and he was currently at the front to guide them. Even if this was a secret tunnel, there were many paths to take.
Seol-Hwi chased after his subordinates, and he slowed down as his past men asked,
“How have you been?”
“Ju Myung…”
“Everyone missed you.”
Seol-Hwi couldn’t respond to him.
Even though it had been three years since he last saw them, the past felt like yesterday.
Ju Myung, Lee Suk, and Yuam.
They were people he had been with for a long time, and there was a time when they all spoke about leaving to develop themselves on their own.
“…I am sorry.”
“Uh? No, you don’t have to.”
“You don’t have to feel guilty, if anyone gets the chance it is correct to take it immediately,”
Lee Suk said from behind.
“…”
At their words, who accepted it favorably, Seol-Hwi felt even more guilty. He abandoned them. Even though he knew they would die, he left them and went to live on his own.
Even if he could not help right then, he had the chance to go back when the situation had stabilized.
But he didn’t.
From their point of view, this could be viewed as betrayal.
“Ju Myung, Lee Suk. I….”
“Leader. Didn’t you always say it? Take the chance if you want to be strong.”
“…”
“We were the same. If anyone was given the chance we would have taken it.”
Ju Myun continued.
“The chance found you and you managed to get stronger. That is all.”
“Ju Myung. Those martial arts….”
“I know. But this is our choice. Moreover, if you learn a martial art like it and overcome the demonic nature, there shouldn’t be a problem right?”
“Demonic nature….”
It was not easy to deal with, and it had almost reached his throat, but he did say anything else.
He did not want to destroy the remaining hope they had left.
Ju Myung and Lee Suk spoke again after a pause.
“Leader, do you know of Zhejiang in Hangzhou? It is one of the Jiangan Gardens, and it is known to be an amazing splendor. This time we got assigned there.”
“Dongpo pork is delicious, you know? If Leader ends up coming there, why don’t we all meet there?”
Mission. Order.
Hearing stuff like this hurt his heart.
Fucking bastards…
The life of the people in the sect given into the hands of the Mount Hua Sect are being used in a much more haphazard manner.
This was the plan of the Supreme Pavilion Lord, so if these people went there, they would die.
“Let’s do that. If my work here ends well, I will definitely come there.”
But Seol-Hwi chose to hide his thoughts. At least for now he was.
“We are almost here!”
Said Lee Suk who ran a little further ahead, and with him came a little bright light.
Flutter
The dirt covered tent which was opened showed the outside. There was a forest which looked to be on a hill with a small stream.
Seol-Hwi realized that this passage could be a sewer.
“Leader.”
And when his subordinates all gathered, Ju Myung stood at the entrance and said,
“Leader, you should hurry up and leave with them. If you delay, they will all come up.”
“Please leave.”
“Hurry.”
Seol-Hwi lowered his head at the words of Lee Suk and Yuam.
When the situation turned to this, there was nothing to say. He felt more sorry for what he did in the past.
“Brother.”
That was when he was about to take a step.
He was called, and he was referring to the conversation he had before.
“Thank you. Didn’t you end up showing that even guys like us can be strong? I am so… proud.”
“Ju Myung. I…”
“Now hurry up and leave. Anything more is embarrassing… Kuak?!”
Ju Myung spoke with a smile, and it was then that his chest began to turn red as his body fell to the ground.
“Ju Myung!”
Time passed slowly.
Until the body fell to the floor… the time felt so long.
Seol-Hwi hurriedly ran to him. At first glance, something flashed across his vision like an arrow.
This wasn’t the end.
Swish!
In the darkness of the sewer, something flew again, But this time his subordinates reacted quickly.
“Protect the captain!”
“They aren’t stopping!”
Thanks to the training they did, they managed to respond quickly. Jeok Song was ready to shoot out his sword energy and Seo Ryeong had daggers ready.
And Yorim was ready to unleash his special skill.
Swish!
Numerous sword energies were sucked into the sewer as if they were shaking. Then a strange sound like the cry of an animal could be heard.
“Ju Myung… Ju Myung! Open your eyes!”
Seol-Hwi’s hands shook.
His emotions which had been controlled all began to move.
“Ugh… leader… what… happened….”
“Right. No big deal. Do not worry.”
Seol-Hwi hurriedly opened the toolbox and tried to take out the golden belt but—
“Eik!”
The toolbox never opens when one is between a battle. No, they could not use the belt even if the tool box did open…
Because the elixirs have been used up.
“Cough. Cough.”
“Ju Myung! Get a hold of yourself!”
The eyes of Ju Myung who coughed were losing focus.
Seol-Hwi was shocked at this. It could not be this. He did not want a reunion like this.
When he met the members of the past, he surely wanted to do something with them. Teach martial arts, have new hopes for life, but now—
A colleague he had neglected was losing his life trying to save him.
“Leader… go… from…”
“D-don’t speak.”
“From this hell… get out… please.”
“I told you to not speak!”
The blood which continued to flow made his head burn.
How could they survive here? But his head wasn’t working.
“This hell… abandon… us… and…”
Tuk
And the hand of Ju Myung fell down.
At the same time, it felt like something happened to Seol-Hwi.
“Stop!”
The subordinates were desperately trying to stop it. It was a continuous flow of countless attacks with them attempting to block them all.
It was because he knew that even if one of them managed to get through, their defense would fall.
Kwak! Swish!
It had been coming for so long. Songhwa approached Imugi who was looking for a way to retreat.
“This is a huge thing! Imugi-hyung.”
“What!”
“Look there.”
Looking at the place Songhwa was pointing at, they could see that those who guided them were also tired.
“What is it?”
“In the sewer, the demonic energy was suddenly released. Since then things got weird.”
“Demonic energy? What…!”
Imugi groaned.
Lee Suk and Yuam, the ones who were the old subordinates to their captain. They belonged to the Supreme Pavilion Lord. Moreover, they supposedly learned a new martial art.
And for a sect member demonic arts was the same as breathing.
Perhaps someone who knew that there were men of the Supreme Pavilion Lord among them was deliberately channeling demonic energy and made sure to use it.
“Songhwa. Can you block it?”
“Too late. They have already figured it out, the demonic nature is breaking out. And if we have to do it, then their body will stop breathing!”
“Eh…”
Imugi gritted his teeth.
These were people they had never met before and yet they helped them to get away from this crisis. Above all, they are the old subordinates to their captain. Yet—
“Kuaak!”
“Ack!”
Lee Suk along with Yuam screamed. Others poured in attacks too.
“These…!”
Yong Jin approached them. He wanted to end their lives at once without pain.
“NO! Do not kill them! They are the previous subordinates of the captain!”
“…!”
Yong Jin went stiff at it and turned.
“Captain! Captain!”
He called for Seol-Hwi, but he was still holding the fallen man.
“Damn it. He’s still in shock.”
“This!”
The situation was at its worst. But there was something which happened that could be considered as a nail in the coffin.
“KEKEKEK.”
“Kuak.”
Two people who seemed to have gone crazy due to the demonic nature taking over their body began to have their eyes turn yellow and—
Pat! Pat!
Imugi and Yong Jin quickly ran ahead.
-Nice to meet you. I am Ju Myung.
That was strange. Having a friend in the same situation as himself.
-Even if we don’t have a choice we need to work hard, isn’t there hope left?
Ju Myung. A quick tempered and non-meticulous personality. But he was passionate about things and a guy who always had hope for something good happening.
-Finally we got a chance?
Flying Squad was close to being a non-existent group. And sometimes it was left idle for months.
Then they caught the eye of the Supreme Pavilion Lord, and received a task from him directly. Ju Myung who heard about it was delighted like a student who had failed for decades but had finally passed.
But as if that would happen. The reality they had was different, and Seol-Hwi abandoned his subordinates. It was something he had to do to live. And still, his subordinates sacrificed their lives to save him.
The fact was that the unchanging leash around his neck was something he could not get rid of.
“Ju Myung. What good is escaping alone… I haven’t even had time to speak.”
It was still hidden.
Although the energy was gone, he was alive to speak.
“I couldn’t tell you because I escaped alone and tried to eat well and live well by myself. To say that I abandoned you and used you to get a way for myself… I couldn’t tell you.”
Tears flowed from his eyes.
He wanted to ask for forgiveness or to at least tell them to hate him.
And even when such a chance came, he hesitated.
“…?”
It was then.
Ju Myung seemed to have something to say, his feeble breath still lingered and he glowed. He seemed to be working up energy to speak his last words.
But—
<Ju Myung is on the brink of death. Choose what you want to hear from him.> ▶Pleasant memories. I will carry them ▷I want to be with you in the next life ▷I hate you
What is this?
Seol-Hwi felt his mind go cold. Unlike before, he made no choice.
He was unable to choose and just stared at the words for a long time.
5… 4…
Time passed. However, Seol-Hwi was unable to make any choice and just stared blankly.
<Automatically selected due to time out. ‘Pleasant memories. I will carry them.’>
“Pleasant memories. I will carry them.”
The same words. The words specified by the system came out of Ju Myung’s mouth.
“…”
Seol-Hwi didn’t respond to it. He just blankly looked around and raised his head.
“What. This…”
Kuaak!
He could see two who turned into crazy demons. However, it felt awkward to see those he knew turn into monsters.
A person died.
A person he cared for died helping him.
“What the hell is…”
However, even in this situation, the system intervened.
This… is obvious mockery.
It was sarcastic mockery by the ones above who trampled on the lives of others.
Like that of a pervert looking down on the death of others from a distance, and the system had helped him.
-Just. Because you seem to have a thing for romance.
Suddenly, the AI’s words passed through his mind.
They were words which made fun of their feelings, creating the true feelings and being able to enjoy them.
Like the game they made, he was being used as a character.
Testament—
The precious words Ju Myung spoke before death—
The involvement of him in the situation and to say such words when leaving—
“You fucking bastards who will tear the world apart…”
Only then did Seol-Hwi know.
Only then did he now realize the fact that his enemies were not just the enemies he could see before him.
And it was not just Jeok Myung who laughed at him, the Supreme Pavilion, or Goo Jung-myung too.
His enemies were deeper and stronger than he was, and it was then when he turned to Lee Suk.
<Lee Suk is on the brink of death. Choose what you want to hear from him.>
The System—
The name of the one who ruined his life and turned it into a game.