Chapter 24
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Fourth Death
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The fourth Gonghyeok was a bit different from the current one.
In front of the village gate on the first floor, Gonghyeok was boiling meat stew there today as well.
In a pot brought from the village, he added water and a bit of herbs picked from around. If there had been kimchi, it could've been kimchi stew, but there was no way Babel had something like that. You could find similar pickled vegetables around the unique cities on the fifth floor, though.
"Hum hum~ Minotaur meat plop~ Canned carrots or something similar plop~"
Gonghyeok hummed a tune while stirring with the ladle. It was a stew thrown together haphazardly, but it was his ambitious creation nonetheless.
[Shadow waiting in front of the village gate confirmed. Expected to initiate action in 3 seconds.]
"Yeah yeah, got it~"
He kept humming, slowly counting the beat. His left hand caressed the large pistol at his waist.
IMI Desert Eagle, .50 caliber, a notch bigger than the .44 Magnum said to take down bears.
3
2
1
GO.
"Charge!"
Three shadows burst out from the village.
Gonghyeok didn't turn around. Only the Desert Eagle in his left hand ghosted toward the shadows.
With the correction from Master of All Martial Arts (A++) and Prediction Path (U.S), he aimed without looking. The thunderous roar of the large-caliber bullet shook the entire forest.
"Krhaak."
"Ahuaaa."
Two men stared at the massive holes blown through their bodies, plunging into despair. Escaping the village wasn't courage—it was recklessness. They couldn't escape that mad devil.
"Haa, haa, Sylph! Lighter, faster!"
Roxie, the only one who dodged the shots, pushed her speed even higher. She had to escape. Even the end of the dungeon would do. She needed to hide somewhere away from that guy. For the remaining 17 days, she'd rather face the monsters than stay in front of him...
[Puppet Strings (E) activated]
Splurt
Thud
Stab! Splurt
Stab!
"Aaah, aaaaaah!"
Nine spear blades rose from the ground, skewering her entire body. They were the spears Gonghyeok had scattered everywhere a few days ago.
The sight of nine long spears impaling one human was grotesque. Roxie writhed like a butterfly pinned to a needle, but the spears only tore her wounds wider as they shook.
"Hum~ hum~ hum hum hum~"
Gonghyeok approached her humming. In one hand, a bowl of stew; in the other, a saw.
"Mm, delicious. So delicious. You try some too."
Hot broth and chunks splashed onto Roxie's face, foaming with blood.
"Dungeon chef for 50 years, Chef Ju Gonghyeok's masterpiece. Minotaur soup. How is it, customer?"
"You're insane, you fucking bastard."
"All right. Eyes first, then."
"Aaaa..."
With a scream like wind leaking through cracks, Roxie's eyeball plopped into the stew bowl. The green pupil, forever unblinking, stared emptily into nothingness.
Slice, slice, slice.
"Hum hum hum~ So tender, so tender~ Carotid artery nice and juicy~ Adam's apple sliding back and forth~"
The saw danced to the rhythm of a work song. After skillfully handling the bones, Gonghyeok collected the remaining two heads the same way.
Gonghyeok returned to the village entrance with the three heads. Then he headed toward the structure he'd sweated over for a week.
Right in front of the gate, 151 heads were piled into a tower. Their empty black sockets faced the village, sending a message.
'That guy's insane.'
Gonghyeok grinned as he placed the 154th head on top.
"Good. Great! Just 36 more to go?"
Atop the village's tallest spire, 35 hunters watched in despair.
The Ju Gonghyeok of the fourth life.
Was the craziest of all Ju Gonghyeoks so far.
= = =
The first day 201 hunters were summoned to Sector 3349 on the first floor.
Cluesti, as usual, planned to kill one person to start the explanation.
"The pinnacle of demonic speed, me, Thunderlight Pursuer! I hate useless talk and hate it more! Let's get straight to the point!"
"What the hell is that guy..."
'Yes. That's how you should react.'
A death shockwave gathered toward the interrupting man.
Spurt!
"Huh? Uuuh. Y-you, what are you?"
"Yeah. The guy who killed you."
The man whose head should've exploded from the shockwave had his heart stabbed by Gonghyeok standing beside him out of nowhere.
Clink, clink, clink.
"Hahaha, hahahaha."
Coins spilled from the heart along with blood. Gonghyeok swept up the coins on the ground with a hollow laugh.
"Hehe, a promising talent is here. That hunter who just died had acquired..."
"Ah, human. Even if the village protection rule hasn't activated yet..."
The demon's laugh and the angel's lament.
Against that backdrop, one hunter greedily swallowed coins.
Twenty minutes later, as everyone listened to Azazel's explanation, Gonghyeok fetched a pot from a house in the village and gathered wood sorrel along the roadside.
The tougher hunters in the village gathered opinions. That guy's dangerous. We need to kill him early to secure initial safety. Not just them—the other hunters in the village tacitly agreed.
Led by Moore Jackson and Kim Seongchul, seven hunters exited the village.
"Hey, you there..."
Thud-
Before he could finish, Kim Seongchul's vision filled with dark sky.
The Desert Eagle's large-caliber bullet pierced Kim Seongchul's neck, severing his cervical spine. His sturdy neck lost strength and snapped back.
"Huh, a gun?"
"No! Kill him quick..."
Scattering blood spray. Tearing screams. That was it.
Three minutes later, the seven hunters' heads formed a pile in front of the village.
"Hunter friends. We gotta hunt and gather food too, right?"
Gonghyeok grinned wide, bloodied axe in his right hand, Desert Eagle in his left.
"If you wanna leave, try killing me."
"Ha, that crazy bastard..."
Everyone in the village ground their teeth and clicked their tongues. He was clearly a terrifyingly skilled hunter, but there were 200 people here. If they all ganged up on one, he couldn't hold out.
And that day, 63 died.
Four days after Gonghyeok camped in front of the village.
Over 150 heads piled up at the gate.
Even escaping when he was away—they couldn't escape the Observer's map. Sneaking up while he slept was useless against the Observer's alarm and Prediction Path.
Day by day, severed heads only increased.
Gonghyeok threaded them on a string, lost in pleasant imaginings.
[Title 'More Cruel than the Devil' acquired.]
[Wearing it and committing cruel acts raises all stats by 5% for 1 hour. Growth skill 'Cruel Madness (D)' usable.]
Killing all 200 without missing a single one was a first. Usually, Cluesti snatched one. Plus, ten days remained until the village murder restriction lifted. Killing them all before then would surely net over 300% miraculous overachievement.
Even if they suicided inside the village, it didn't matter. If he drove them to traps or indirectly to death without killing directly, the demons counted the numbers.
"Can't wait to get it and use it. Killing more on the second floor with that should give better rewards? Then kill even faster for super great weapons, go to the third floor with those... Anyway, I can kill them all?"
Gonghyeok muttered nonstop. Anyone could see he wasn't sane. His eyes gleamed maniacally, turning toward the hulking figure beyond the decorations.
It was Soma Sangai, standing like a totem pole in rags.
"Soma Sangai?"
He remembered clearly. He always died pathetically on the first floor, but in the previous life where he survived for the first time, he was the strongest tank.
Gonghyeok approached, waving the drawn Desert Eagle.
"Nice to meet you. Greeting shot—two rounds first."
Bang-! Bang-!
Bullets punched large holes into both of Soma's thighs.
"Won't pierce. You've been a monster since the first floor, huh."
"You..."
It was a voice cracked like a dry riverbed.
"What do you kill for?"
"Hmm? Uh..."
Gonghyeok pondered briefly. Right. Why was he killing people? Obviously for rewards! Idiot! But why get rewards? To kill more, faster.
So why? Why kill more, faster?
Gonghyeok suddenly felt pissed. Like his heart twisting. Everyone had screamed at Gonghyeok—why kill me?—but Soma's question uniquely twisted his core.
Gonghyeok jabbed Soma's chin with the pistol.
"What do you know. Don't act tough when you can barely stand."
His right-hand knife already ravaged Soma's wounds. The Desert Eagle spat fire from under Soma's chin.
[Soma Sangai enters 'Indestructible' state. Immune to all damage for 4 seconds.]
The three lead slugs from the Desert Eagle plastered flat under his chin.
Gonghyeok swiftly retreated. Indestructible lasted 4 seconds; the counter skill Revolution needed a hit to matter. Manifesting an avatar in that mangled state was unexpected, but just made it more fun.
[Puppet Strings (E) activated]
122 weapons linked by mana threads floated from all directions. Every blade tip aimed at Soma.
Soma calmly looked around, then gazed at Gonghyeok and spoke lowly.
"You can never save this world."
That stabbed the wound of Gonghyeok who failed to save the world. Thanks to it, something came to mind.
'Right. I cleared Babel once.'
"Shut up. I cleared this without trash like you."
Four seconds later, 122 weapons tore through the air.
Blood sprayed dozens of times. Soma was already an unrecognizable porcupine.
Sighs spread from the village entrance. 30 hunters watched it weeping.
His guts twisted more. What are you just staring at? If you're gonna charge, charge, you garbage bastards.
He strode forward. He yanked a spear from the porcupine Soma's body. Even a headless corpse needed one for the village spire. As he twisted the spear—
Clunk
A few weapons fell. Then a sturdy grip clamped Gonghyeok's wrist.
[Avatar Spartacus (A++) final ability '!!!Freedom!!!' awakening confirmed. All wounds heal instantly....]
[Warning! Soma Sangai activates counter '!!!Revolution!!!'....]
"Krhaaaak!"
'Revolution's' shock transmitted through his wrist. The ultimate counter returning damage several-fold. The 100-man kill reward in Gonghyeok's bosom shone.
['Numézar's Curse Doll' takes all damage instead. Doll destroyed from excess damage.]
'No way. Super recovery Freedom? If he had that, he wouldn't die on the first floor?'
The reason Prediction Path (U.S) and Gonghyeok's prediction failed was simple.
Soma had just taken the attack and awakened his final ability.
"Everyone—attack—!"
Soma's sturdy arms bound Gonghyeok. Near-C strength made his spine creak ominously. Gonghyeok gritted his teeth and jammed his remaining magazine into Soma's gut. Dozens of roars in an instant.
But even with guts shredded and eyes gouged by knives, Soma didn't budge. Then the attacks from 30-man avatar poured onto Gonghyeok.
- 0.4 seconds later, 28 attacks pierce whole body! Predicted damage: instant death!!
A chill ran down Ju Gonghyeok's spine.
= = =
Rustle rustle
The area in front of the village turned to ruins in an instant. Dozens of trees burned, no corpse intact.
"Cough, kuhuk."
Ju Gonghyeok leaned against a tree, vomiting blood.
[Humanity's first '1F 200-Man Slaughter' achievement accomplished.]
[Achievement rate 444%, miraculous....]
[Overachievement bonus....]
[Title 'Lord of Slaughter' acquired....]
[Reward: 1 blue coin and....]
[Reward: 'Odear's Greatsword of the Slaughter King'....]
[Reward: 'Mirnian's Necklace'....]
'Recovery item, recovery item...'
Right now, he needed recovery items more than any reward or weapon. But among the many rewards dropped before him, there were no recovery items.
"Lilianneeee!"
"You called, dear customer?"
At Gonghyeok's call, a succubus appeared.
"Don't need the rest. Quick, trade for recovery items..."
"Mr. Ju Gonghyeok, unfortunately, regarding recovery items..."
Lilianne glanced at Azazel overlooking from high above.
"We demons don't handle recovery items. It violates rules with the angels. Only angels manage those rewards. We demons wish esteemed customer Ju Gonghyeok a speedy recovery. Farewell."
Lilianne bowed her head and vanished. Ju Gonghyeok's eyes met Azazel floating in the air. A gaze cold as ice, devoid of any emotion. Azazel spread her wings and flew off somewhere.
"Kuhk."
[Damage summary]
- 60% full-body burns
- Skull fracture. Cracks in lumbar vertebrae 3,4,5; 8 fractured ribs, right tibia...
- Lung burns, left eye blindness, general organ damage.
"Damn, dammit!"
Even with hunter recovery and items, wounds needing months of care. No way to recuperate in brutal Babel.
This regression happened after Ha Yeonsi died to the Bronze Giant. No one to heal Gonghyeok. Even rewards or coins on the second floor—no hunters with proper healing skills.
"Soma, Somaaaa Sangaiiii!!"
Rage toward Soma who toppled him from the first floor erupted. Yes. The fourth life was utterly ruined because of Soma Sangai.
For a very brief moment, Gonghyeok felt doubt.
Ruined how? Couldn't get rewards?
No, in this state...
'I can't save the world.'
Absurdly, his mind cleared a bit afterward.
Mangled body, can't fight anymore. So how to conquer this world, Babel?
To conquer Babel, Gonghyeok revealed future info to hunters. Upcoming missions and enemies, hidden dungeons, beastmen and machine gods, holy knights and 12 demon grand dukes, Four Heavenly Kings' infighting.
He announced he returned from the future, aiming for humanity's unity.
The day he was acknowledged as regressed and headed to meet the seventh king of the unique city.
Seven archangels led by Metatron and Azazel appeared before him.
'For leaking Class-1 dimensional secrets, we sentence you to annihilation. And a message from the Dimensional God.'
'Save the world once more.'
Before understanding, his body disintegrated atom by atom and vanished, ending the fourth life's recollection.
'A life where I learned a lot in many ways.'
1. Don't go too insane.
2. Don't get too greedy. Life gets screwed.
3. Revealing regression secret gets me killed by angels and above.
Gonghyeok's expression turned wistful for a moment as Soma spoke lowly before him.
"What do you kill for?"
Same tone as the question from 200 years ago.
"Soma Sangai."
"Yes. Gonghyeok-nim."
"If you hear it, you must fight under me."
And this time, the answer was prepared.
"Are you ready to hear it?"
Soma closed his eyes briefly.
"If it's the right path, even if these two legs rot away in the storms, I must walk it."
Negotiations begin after deciding victory and defeat.
The game was already half in Gonghyeok's favor.