Chapter 185
“D-don’t move!”
“If you do... you’re dead!”
“You’re surrounded!”
“Hand over ten thousand Coins, and we’ll let you live!”
“S-surrender peacefully!”
Seong-Hwi stared at the five individuals blocking his way. They were children, four boys and one girl, who were only at his waist level. Two were Asian, one was a darkish Southern American, one was Middle Eastern, and another was European.
“The hell’s with you all?” Seong-Hwi asked, looking down at the children with narrowed eyes.
They flinched from seeing his deep, black eyes underneath the hood.
“Don’t be intimidated! We’re muggers!” shouted a slender white boy, the tallest of them all, as he pointed his cricket bat at Seong-Hwi.
“A cricket bat, huh? Are you British?”
“So what if I am?! I don’t think you understand the gravity of your situation! We could kill you!”
Seong-Hwi was so amused that he couldn’t even laugh at the children, who couldn’t even exude bloodlust, talking about killing someone.
They must be lambs, he thought as he observed the children.
A boy beside the one with the cricket bat held a pencil like a knife, and a boy on the other side had an iron arrow drawn on a poor-quality bow that was surely F-rank. Behind them was a boy holding an action figure of the WWE star, Dwayne, and a girl holding a chocolate bar, shaking intensely in fear. He had never seen such terrible muggers.
“Hand over ten thousand Coins, and we’ll let you go!” shouted the boy with the cricket bat.
“Ten thousand Coins, huh?” Seong-Hwi mumbled.
He had 570 million Coins; he wouldn’t even notice if he lost ten thousand Coins. However, the extremes of wealth and poverty were no different between Earth and the Mirror World. Those children could last for months in the Mirror World with ten thousand Coins. He could just give it to them.
However, he smirked and replied, “No.”
“What?!”
“Toby! Could he be... a Baptist?”
“No, he’s bluffing! Why would a Baptist be wearing a hoodie and cargo pants?!”
“Yeah, and all he has for a weapon is a weird-looking dagger!”
So, that’s why they ambushed me, Seong-Hwi thought.
The children likely saw him as an easy target—a sacrifice, wearing clothes that did not look like items.
They’re beginners among beginners. I’m sure this is their first attempt at mugging.
An experienced mugger would never attack someone like Seong-Hwi, walking around in seemingly plain clothes. It meant the individual had a skill, a high-ranking item, or a D Weapon they could count on in this kind of situation.
“Think of Coins like dollars. That’s over ten million won, taking into account what the exchange rate was before I was Lost. Or perhaps the exchange rate has already changed.” Seong-Hwi smiled and stared at the shabby muggers. “You want to earn ten thousand dollars in ten minutes? Even highway robbery has its limits.”
“W-we have no choice! Our friend is—”
Just then, the Asian boy drawing his bow shouted, “There’s no need to tell him, Hassan! I-I will... kill him!”
He let the arrow loose, overwhelmed by the stressful situation. The arrow flew toward Seong-Hwi’s heart, and Seong-Hwi’s eyes sank, expressing indifference.
Just then, the malnourished European boy swung his cricket bat to block the arrow, shouting, “Don’t! We mustn’t kill! Oliver will be mad when he wakes up!”
“But Toby! This is to save Oliver!”
“O-oppas... Let’s stop this... If the Father finds out about this—”
“Shut it! This is the only way!”
Seong-Hwi shook his head as he listened to their conversation, thinking, It sounds like they have a reason for this.
However, he couldn’t care less. He was sure their circumstances were the same, unfortunate, and tear-jerking as those of countless others throughout the Mirror World.
Well, at the very least, I won’t kill you.
Although they were children, he would have shown no mercy for them if not for the actions of the boy with the cricket bat. However, the boy did not cross the line, which saved their lives.
[Activating Trait: Thousand-Man Killer.]
AHHH—!
The chilling screams of vengeful spirits echoed throughout the narrow alley.
“A-aaaahh...”
“Urgh...”
The children, exposed to the intense bloodlust, fainted one after another. Only the boy with the cricket bat was still conscious, on his knees.
“Argh... B-bloodlust... A Baptist! We messed with... the wrong...”
“You endured the Thousand-Man Killer? You have grit,” Seong-Hwi said as he stared at the boy.
The boy, drooling uncontrollably, dared to look up at Seong-Hwi and said, “I-if you’re this strong... Ten thousand Coins... is nothing for you!”
“Do not get the wrong idea, brat.” Seong-Hwi looked down indifferently at the boy and continued, “The five of you would already be lifeless on this narrow alley’s floor if it weren’t for me. I should be demanding a hundred thousand Coins for this inconvenience.”
“Y-you don’t know anything! The Baptists don’t know how lambs feel! W-we spend each day, wanting to die!” the boy shouted in frustration.
However, his words did not move Seong-Hwi in the slightest.
“You want to die? Sure, then die,” Seong-Hwi said as he threw the Titanic Tide Kris, which sank into the ground in front of the boy. “If you kill yourself, I will hand the ten thousand Coins to your friends. Think of it as my condolences.”
“What?”
The boy’s blue eyes widened. His gaze shifted to the Titanic Tide Kris, and its blade reflected the resolve in the boy’s eyes. He pulled out the dagger and pointed it at his carotid. The chilling sensation cooled the boy’s neck, and his pounding heart played a requiem. He was certain that the wavy dagger would end his life in an instant, but he couldn’t finish the deed. His hands didn’t move; he was afraid of death.
Tears flowed down the boy’s cheeks. “Kurgh! I-I can’t do it... Oliver... I...”
Seong-Hwi snatched the dagger from the boy’s hands and sheathed it as he replied, “If you can’t die, then live.”
It was a simple choice. One could die if they wanted to, but if they couldn’t, they should live as best as they could without looking back.
“This is the Mirror World. I’m sure you’re frustrated that you were thrown into this world without a guardian, but if you can’t survive with your own strength, you will remain a brat for the rest of your life.”
In the Mirror World, anyone, whether they be children or the elderly, could become powerful if they earned Karma, raised their stats, and obtained skills. One should stand tall and sprint forward if they had the time to fall to their knees and bawl. It was the same as a baby giraffe being targeted by hyenas or tigers if they couldn’t get on their feet.
Seong-Hwi walked past the collapsed children, toward the exit of the alley.
“Hurgh! Sniff! P-please help us... Mister! I’m begging you!” The boy’s desperate voice collided with the walls of the alley and scattered throughout the chilly night air.
However, Seong-Hwi did not stop and answered, “If you want to grasp your destiny, do it yourself.”
“Hurgh!”
The boy’s wails grew louder. Seong-Hwi’s expression, illuminated by the moonlight, was the epitome of indifference. Sympathy was like poison in the Mirror World. It was no different from the mandatory quest; people did not even think to leave the safe zone if others provided them with necessities like food and water.
Such people would die from their indolence. If they wanted to live, they needed to risk their lives by entering the forest. Taking the first step from someone else’s push eliminated any confidence they had in their choice and courage. If they wanted to live, they had to take the first step themselves.
“I think otherwise.” A deep voice echoed inside Seong-Hwi’s head. It belonged to Chok Chun-Gyong, the greatest warrior of Goryeo.
Do you think I am cold-blooded? Seong-Hwi asked inwardly.
“No, I am sure you have your own philosophy. No one can tell you it is right or wrong. It is a product of your experiences.” Chun-Gyong maintained silence momentarily and continued, “I would like to find my own way—the way of Chok Chun-Gyong, the human. The time has come for you to fulfill our promise.”
[Activating the condition of Quest: Life of Chok Chun-Gyong the Human.]
[Chok Chun-Gyong the Unfortunate Martial God takes possession of Cheon Seong-Hwi’s body for 24 hours.]
Seong-Hwi stopped in his tracks, and blue will-o'-the-wisps flashed from his eyes. The Sword of Koksan appeared on his waist. Seong-Hwi—no, Chun-Gyong turned around and returned to the alley where the boy was still crying on his knees.
“Hurgh! Oliver... Guys... I’m... so sorry... Huh?”
The boy looked up, startled by the shadow covering the moonlight. A pair of blue lights illuminated the man’s eyes, and he was smiling kindly, unlike his previous cold-hearted expression.
“Stand, boy. Cease your tears. A man only cries three times in his life: when he is born, when his parents pass away, and when he loses his country. Do you apply to any of these?”
“Pardon? What... do you...” Toby stopped crying, surprised by the man’s anachronistic speech.
Chun-Gyong smiled in satisfaction and nodded. “Good, Western boy. I am Chok Chun-Gyong, a warrior of Goryeo. State your circumstances, and I will decide for myself.”
Tony felt fear from the man’s sudden change in behavior and his incomprehensible words.
He’s... insane. Oliver, this may be it for me!
***
A bald middle-aged man in clerical clothing hummed as he walked around, holding a candle. He opened a door and saw about a dozen boys sleeping on the floor.
“Poor things,” the priest mumbled.
He was a member of the Order of Mary in Spain, and currently the chief priest of the Segura Church in Murcia, located in Middle Earth. The church was one of the establishments that accepted orphans throughout the Capital after the Lost-All phenomenon, giving them food and shelter.
“Hang in there a little longer. Someone from Clan Vatican will arrive today at dawn. Those with talent can become one of their clansmen!”
The priest placed the candle on a table and stared lovingly at the sleeping children. The flame flickered, moving the shadow around the priest’s face.
“It’s a shame that today is the last day.”
The priest kneeled and tidied the children’s blankets.
“Mmm...” A boy who felt the priest’s breath turned. Anyone could tell that he was pretending to be asleep.
It was also obvious to the priest, but he stuffed his hand inside the boy’s pants anyway without hesitation.
“Hehehe! What a shame. Truly a shame.”
He sexually harassed every boy in the room as he tidied their blankets. He was a pedophile.
“But since the streets are filled with children... I can just take more in.”
The priest smiled as he watched the boy gritting his teeth in humiliation. He knew the boys couldn’t resist because they had nowhere to go if they left the church. He had committed the same crime on Earth; it was easy to fulfill his desire using authority and to cover it up.
Even if the crime were reported, the eyes of society and pressure from the religious order would force the report to be withdrawn. Not only that, but reporting crimes was pointless in the Mirror World.
“What a wonderful world, both Earth and the Mirror World, isn’t it?”
The priest left the room and closed the door behind him. Sobs filled the room once they heard him enter another room.
“Sniff...”
“Son of a bitch...”
“I swear, I’ll kill him one day!”
“I’m scared, Mommy...”
***
“You’re not going to complain about losing one day when you’ve been using my destiny all this time, are you?” mumbled Chun-Gyong, borrowing Seong-Hwi’s body.
Seong-Hwi’s voice echoed in his head. “Well, a promise is a promise. Besides, I can’t do anything until word arrives from Elvenheim, so... A day is nothing.”
Seong-Hwi was momentarily flustered when Chun-Gyong took control of his body, but he accepted it soon enough since it was bound to happen sooner or later. After all, that was the condition Chun-Gyong had placed for letting Seong-Hwi borrow his destiny.
I’ve been saved by his destiny many times over, so losing a day is a small price to pay, he thought.
He also knew that Chun-Gyong wasn’t the kind of person to go on a killing spree throughout the Capital.
“Worry not. I will return your body in one piece. I just... want to find my value as a human, not as a tool.”
“Do as you like. This whole day is yours, but... Are you sure you want to waste it in a place like this?” Seong-Hwi asked.
Chun-Gyong looked forward and saw a sign labeled: Segura Church of the Order of Mary, Affiliated with Clan Vatican. It was a secret sanctuary erected in the darkness. Flames burst from Chun-Gyong’s eyes.
He asked, “You’re saying a Western demon, worse than the Jurchens, lives here?”
The Sword of Koksan trembled in response to his rage.
“Y-yes. His name is... Father Xavier. He should have realized by now that the five of us are missing. He’s probably getting ready... to whip us,” said Toby, who guided Chun-Gyong here, tremblingly.
Chun-Gyong smiled and patted Toby’s head. “Worry not, boy. You will not be whipped, because he won’t have the hands to.”
“Ah...”
Toby had reflexively flinched when he saw Chun-Gyong’s hand reaching for him, but was shocked by the warmth of his hand. The touch of a male adult had always been scary. Teardrops fell from Toby’s eyes.
Chun-Gyong shook his head and said, “A man only cries three times in his life—”
“I-I know. When he’s born, when his parents pass away, and when he loses his country, right?” Toby replied as he wiped away his tears.
Chun-Gyong smiled in satisfaction and nodded. “Smart boy.”