Chapter 362 Cha Jeong-woo (8)
Team: HH, Yahiko, thursdays
The owl of Athena spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk.
It was the most famous aphorism relating to Athena. The light that shined through darkness represented wisdom.
Strategy, tactics, courage, combative spirit, justice, wisdom, artistic skill. All of it related to the Tower.
Because of this, Athena was worshipped by countless heroes, and she protected them.
Players who climbed the Tower to prove themselves would say that she had blessed their luck and fate.
It wasn’t strange that she had read some luck and fate from his brother, who entered the Tower only on an “invitation.”
Actually, Yeon-woo had more than one or two things he was curious about Athena.
Athena had no reason to look upon him kindly. Their point of contact was Aegis, but he hadn’t done anything to have her goodwill towards him.
But if it was because of guilt she had towards his brother? Things changed.
Athena had read the luck and fate of her brother, which was why she always looked at him sadly but never showed herself. Then, when Yeon-woo appeared after his brother called him and she was trying to help him because she felt sorry.....
It made sense.
“Is that it?”
Yeon-woo revealed all his thoughts and looked at Athena’s gaze.
[Athena is silent.]
[Athena looks at you with sad eyes.]
But Athena didn’t say anything, like always.
[Athena drops her head powerlessly.]
She probably didn’t want to speak about what she did.
However, Yeon-woo felt like he knew what the luck and fate she read from his brother was. To be exact, it was his luck and fate, not Jeong-woo’s.
‘The Black King.’
Persephone said that the Black King was hated by Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades’s generation. On the other hand, she said that gods in her and Athena’s generation didn’t think too badly of him. She added on that a few of them actually admired him.
At first, Yeon-woo thought the Black King was Kronos.
The kings of Titans who fought over Olympus in the great war against Zeus’s generation and fell to his demise in the Titanomachia was Kronos.
However, despite what Persephone said about not being able to mention the Black King because of the pledge on Styx, Hades had spoken about Kronos with ease.
In fact, Kronos’s corpse was still left behind in Tartarus, being absorbed by the Titans and Giants. It was most likely that the Black King wasn’t Tartarus.
His idenityt was confusing, but the influence the Black King had over Olympus was great.
No, the power of the being who was respected by gods and demons beyond Olympus was being continued in Yeon-woo.
Like how Hermes seemed to like the Black King, it seemed lik Athena admired the Black King.
If she had seen some future related to the Black King in his brother, and that was why they were like this today, it made sense that Athena was always with him.
[Athena is silent.]
‘Just what is it?’
Yeon-woo couldn’t help but think about the Black King again.
On one side, he was annoyed. It was because he felt like his brother and he had been moving by a plot that someone had already written.
[Athena shakes her head, saying that’s not it.
Yeon-woo scoffed.
He felt grateful to her for treating him warmly all this time, but he couldn’t trust her anymore.
There was no way for her to change the luck and fate of his brother since she was trapped on the 98th floor, but he couldn’t look at her kindly considering how she hadn’t helped his brother at all.
[Athena’s shoulders droop.]
[Hermes pats her, smiling bitterly.]
[Agares giggles at the position she’s in.]
[Hermes opens his eyes widely in anger.]
[Agares snorts, asking what he’s gonna do.]
[Sparks fly between Agares and Hermes.]
[The godly society〈Olympus〉refuses to participate.]
[The demonic society〈L’Infernal〉announces they will not help Agares.]
Messages popped up about Hermes and Agares’s battle of wits, but Yeon-woo ignored it.
He needed to wake his brother up.
But how?
Although he had taken all the purple energy from the medium, the Soul, the benefit was still in progress.
He happened to see Jeong-woo close his eyes powerlessly after rubbing the pocket watch in a scene. In another corner, Jeong-woo was entering the Tutorial.
No matter how much Yeon-woo shook him or shocked him with magic power, his brother didn’t budge, his white wings wrapped around him.
Yeon-woo glared at his brother with annoyance and turned to the scenes created by the letters.
‘The only thing I can do is break the benefit.’
Muttering to himself that it was the only option, he spread his Fire Wings apart. Red and black wings that were completley different from the Sky Wings illuminated the world. He shot his Consciousness inside of it. [TN: Wings of fire will be changed to Fire Wings.]
[The synchronization is being strengthened.]
[You are being connected to player Cha Jeong-woo.]
* * *
Although I was just barely passing through the entrance of Section A, the shield I was holding was covered in arrows. My hands and feet trembled from the traps that kept on activating.
What could I do? How could I get through?
My head was blank. I couldn’t think of anything. I never would’ve come if I knew it was a place like this. I wanted to go home. I missed Mom.
But when I thought of Mom, I clenched my teeth again. My mother, who was probably bedridden in the hospital. The desire to see her smile again flamed up.
I tried to step forward again, getting a grip on myself.
Swish-
It was very small, but I heard something flying from behind me. My reaction was late all the traps had only come from the front. I was flustered, not knowing what to do.
‘......Huh?’
My body reflexively turned around and my right hand stretched out.
The arrow was sucked into my hand, and I didn’t stop there. I twisted my arm to turn the direction of the arrow away.
Clang!
It collided with an arrow that happened to be coming from the opposite side.
I had done it without even realizing it.
Looking down at my face with an unbelieving face, I whipped my head behind me.
It definitely felt like someone helped me from behind, but there was no one there. It had been a familiar feeling.
Was I deluding myself?
‘Hyung.....’
I muttered, thinking of the person who wasn’t here. I clenched my fists again. Although I had done with without realizing it, I became confident. The thought to go forward filled my head.
I got into the proper position behind my scutum and slowly marched forward again. My shaking legs were still.
One by one, the world began to change.
“They’re behind us!”
“Vieira!”
“Ice Wall!”
Walls of ice suddenly pierced up from the ground.
The attacks on us were scattered and the Scaengers who tried to attack me from behind were lost in the maze of the ice walls.
“Kuk, too!”
Thinking it was a relief, I spit roughly on the ground. If it was just a little late, everything would’ve been over.
But.....
‘Who told me?’
I wasn’t able to see when we needed to attack because of the dust clouds blinding my vision, but I was thankfully right on time because someone had said ‘now.’
The voice was..... Familiar.
It was like Hyung’s voice.
Psh.
I smirked, knowing that it wasn’t possible. How could Hyung be here, when he was on Earth?
Still, I was grateful that were were victorious thanks for the illusion that sounded like Hyung’s voice.
“You sons of b*****! You’re all dead!”
I gripped my sword and ran at them.
Everytime I thought I might die, someone was there.
Next to me.
The clan members were silent at Kun Khr’s announcement saying he wanted to leave the clan.
I slowly stood up. The gazes of the clan members followed me. Kun looked at me with a blank face, not understanding what I was trying to do.
I grinned at him.
Thwak!
And brought my fist down on his head.
“Aaaack!”
Kun Khr grabbed his head and and stumbled over his feet. His face that looked prepared to fight was now tearful.
He was looking at me questiongly, like he felt wronged.
I snorted.
“You’re looking me in the eye right now? Do you think you have the right to?”
“.......”
“Shut up, and trust me. I’ll take care of your revenge.”
“But......!”
“Tsk!”
Cutting him off, I looked at him with fierce eyes.
“You can just accept it with a thank you; why are you still talking? Shut up and follow me.”
Normally, I would’ve let him leave, since he had probably thought about his decision several times, but I felt like I would regret it someday. I didn’t want to lose someone special to me.
What would Hyung have done here?
The answer came easily.
I kneeled and looked him in the eyes. Stroking his head, I smiled warmly.
“I’ll be your lighthouse.”
There were times when I regretted my wrong choices.
I could’ve made better ones.
Why didn’t I step up during those times?
“Vieira.”
“What?”
“It was you who poisoned me.”
“What......!”
Crunch-
“Damned b****.”
All those moments changed.
“Martial King ajusssi.”
“What now? Did you come because you want to get beat up like yesterday?”
“No. I just wanted to say this to you.”
“......?”
“You should know how to be nice sometimes, hm? And give to your hoobaes. Try to tone down your temper.”
“You must really wanna die, huh?”
“I’ll die sometime anyway. S***! Whatever! If you want to kill me, go ahead! I don’t care anymore! Go! Stab me!”
If those changed moments could create a new future.
“Ananta.”
“......What?”
I smiled faintly at her, who was about to turn away with disappointment.
“Thank you. For everything.”
Could I smile at the end?
Crack-
I heard something breaking somewhere.
No.
Could I smile now?
It was the sound of a firm glass wall cracking.
The cracks spread from it like spider webs and covered the entire wall.
The world came crumbling down.
The many “mes” were connected as one. With all the vestige and information that came into my head, my head felt like it was going to splut, but I was able to realize what was happening.
Slowly, I pulled back the wings that were wrapped around me.
Beyond them, I could see a familiar face. A face that looked exactly like mine, as if I was looking into a mirror. But it was so cold that it was ugly. Yes, my face was better off than that.
“So you came, Hyung.”
Looking at me smile brightly, Hyung opened his arms with an indifferent face. Was he asking for a hug? He seemed like a robot because he was doing it with that face.
Still, my tears brimmed in his eyes because it had been a long while since we met. He was the same as ever in that his heart was warm while his face was cold.
I grinned, thinking I should hug him.
Smack!
“Aaaack!”
Hyung suddenly hit the back of my head.
My head felt like it was vibrating.