Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Resurrection
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Ju Gonghyeok's crisp declaration of surrender.
"Oppa?"
- You, really?
Ha Yeonsi and Nathaniel were taken aback.
It was because they had never seen him back down.
"It's true. If you and I combined our strength, we could easily save this world.
Coldly speaking, that's right. I've been pushing my own opinion too hard."
- My goodness, you admitting you were wrong.
Nathaniel's jaw dropped in astonishment.
Gonghyeok shrugged lightly.
"No matter how you slice it. There's no way to win."
Ha Yeonsi was strong.
Incredibly strong.
Her mana at S-rank peak of 700, plus the Vampire Princess's mana of 140, for a total of 840.
In terms of mana alone, she was on par with the Heavenly Knight Lilianne and Guardsand.
The ability stats of a Heavenly Knight that turned even simple psychokinesis into a lethal skill.
And the advantage of having evolved skills.
Angel Incarnate (SSS).
It seemed Ha Yeonsi's angel avatar was manipulating the system to freely acquire the necessary powers and perks.
'It's called SSS, but in truth, it's the absolute pinnacle among them.'
Nathaniel was uncooperative, and demon skills didn't work.
Photon Mana Cannon, coin buffs, limited Sephiroth opening—all used up fighting the progenitor weapon.
The remaining cards were 'Archangel's Dice' and 'Guardsand Full Opening'.
'Using that here would be ridiculous.'
Gonghyeok sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"I lost. I give up."
Gonghyeok stored his holy sword in his inventory and pulled out his pipe tobacco.
He casually packed the tobacco and prepared to light it.
"Oppa, you're serious?"
"If it seems like a lie, just slam me into the ground with psychokinesis and ask."
"No! That's not it! I didn't do it because I wanted to!"
Ju Gonghyeok checked his watch.
"Anyway, only 47 seconds left. No matter what I do, suppressing you is impossible. I lost this fight."
"Oppa...."
She clasped her hands tightly together.
"I didn't want to fight you, Oppa.
But still, I kept realizing it, that you'd end up regretting it...."
"Hoo~"
Ju Gonghyeok exhaled his first puff and slumped down on nearby rubble.
"Yeah. Yeonsi. Come sit over here. Chief Jeong and the kids, you all come too."
Soma bowed his head with a serious expression.
"Hmm. There was truly no way to talk you out of it."
"Soma. How do you talk someone out of that? You'd just die trying."
Ha Yeonsi, Soma, Chief Jeong, and the five surviving team members gathered.
Gonghyeok puffed out smoke leisurely.
"Honestly, Yeonsi. I was glad you became kinder and tried to stop me. I didn't hate seeing that side of you."
"Ah, no. I'm sorry for suddenly getting in your way, Oppa."
"No, no. I'm telling you, it made me happy. And Soma."
"Yes."
Gonghyeok patted Soma's broad shoulder.
"You did great this time too.
Don't get down about not keeping up. You have talent, and plenty of chances to get stronger. There's a secret shop on the 20th floor, so let's start there."
"Thank you for your concern. I feel ashamed of myself for setting my sights too high without growing stronger."
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it."
This time, he turned to Chief Jeong.
"Chief Jeong. You know our contract well, right?"
"Of course."
The chief replied curtly.
Gonghyeok grinned.
"Let me say it again.
Our contract. No backtalk, no questions, absolutely follow it."
"Hmm."
Chief Jeong let out a groan at Gonghyeok's tone.
"So, Chief Jeong."
Gonghyeok said flatly to him.
"Teleport the mark at 442-225 to 001-001."
An out-of-left-field request.
A question mark popped up in everyone's minds.
'442-225? What the hell is that?'
But Jeong Hyeondo understood immediately.
The entity at that location, and Ju Gonghyeok's reminder.
No backtalk.
No questions.
Absolutely.
"Taejong!"
Jeong Hyeondo swiftly summoned his avatar.
[Shin Haeng Taebo Taejong (A-) final ability 'Earth Shrinking Technique' activated!]
[Teleporting the entity at mark 442-225 to mark 001-001!]
Chief Jeong's avatar glowed golden.
The Earth Shrinking Technique of Shin Haeng Taebo Taejong activated.
Ha Yeonsi, who had been watching with wide eyes from the side.
Her form was engulfed in light and vanished.
"As expected of the chief. Clean work."
"....... You planned this from the start."
"No comment."
Ha Yeonsi had been 'teleported away' and disappeared.
Ju Gonghyeok strolled over leisurely with his pipe in hand.
Kwaaaaaang—!
A massive explosion roared from the farthest end of the ruined castle town.
Bursting up through the underground came Ha Yeonsi.
And what appeared in her eyes.
Was Gonghyeok lightly bringing down his pipe.
"Yep."
The walnut-sized pipe head burrowed into Cesc's skull.
Kwachik.
Incredibly, the man's head shattered into pieces.
"Ah."
Chief Jeong turned away wordlessly.
The team members were speechless at the scene before them.
Woooong—
Ha Yeonsi flew in from afar and landed in front of Cesc's corpse.
Transparent tears fell into the pool of blood.
"Oppa, why. Why again...."
"Yeonsi."
Gonghyeok took a puff from his blood-soaked pipe.
"Honestly, I wasn't going to leave you alone."
Ha Yeonsi wept quietly.
"High resistance, but if I marinated you in drugs, 'Brainwashing' skill was possible, thought about turning you back to the old you or just stealing your avatar."
He omitted 'after killing you.'
Gonghyeok bent one knee.
And wiped her tears.
"But Yeonsi. I really like you.
The fact that you've become brighter, it makes me happier than I can say.
It makes me cherish you too much to carelessly break you."
At those somehow warm words, she couldn't lift her head.
She just sniffled and spoke.
"It's my fault, right?"
"Hm?"
"It wasn't for any real reason. I just had a feeling, so I got in your way, and that was wrong, right?"
She was rationalizing it.
Her heart hurt, so better to think it was her fault.
That she was wrong for not listening to Gonghyeok.
Affirming that would make handling her easier in the future.
But.
"Yeonsi."
He pushed aside gains and future considerations.
Ju Gonghyeok spoke honestly.
"It's not your fault."
"But Oppa is always right."
'Right.'
'Wrong' and 'right' were the most distant words in Babel.
"Right or wrong, face your feelings and choices head-on."
"My choice?"
"Every time we climb a floor in Babel, how many die?
From 1st to 5th floor, out of two million starters, how many survived?"
"......"
"No matter how well you do, someone dies, you can't save everyone. Sometimes you kill to save others.
Good and evil blur, and only choices stand out clearly."
He pressed his index finger firmly to Ha Yeonsi's forehead.
"I clear Babel and save humanity.
I'll do whatever it takes. So what about you?"
The words he said when first entering Babel.
And the words when leaving Outer Mer Ashk's fate to her.
Ha Yeonsi heard them for the third time.
Gonghyeok smiled calmly.
"Stick to your choice.
Once chosen, bear the responsibility.
Everyone in Babel stakes their life on their choice and bears it with their life."
He quietly lifted the finger from her forehead.
And stroked her hair.
"No matter what choice you make, I'll respect it."
He took her hand and pulled her to her feet.
"Let's clear Babel. Follow me, or kill me, whatever.
You bear your choice. I bear mine."
Ha Yeonsi looked straight into Gonghyeok's eyes.
"Oppa, I...."
"That's how it is."
Remaining time, 0 seconds.
Dawn rose over the ruins of the castle town.
[10th floor mission has ended.]
[Survivors return to their original area.]
The sun cast its light, and survivors vanished one by one.
Wung—
In the empty ruins, a blue log window appeared.
[10th Floor 'Gradiude's Castle Town' Mission]
[Starting participants: 300]
[Deaths: 290]
[Survivors: 10]
[Compani – Ju Gonghyeok et al. 9 members]
[Unknown Society – Luke Bernstein 1 member]
《Settlement complete》
With the mission over, the organized info transferred to Babel's system.
Chijik.
For a moment, noise glitched the info.
[Survivors 10 → Survivors 11]
The corrected info was recorded in Babel.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
An echo rang in one ear.
'Comrade! Comrade who fights to save the world!'
It was someone's cry.
'Why don't you show yourself!'
'Our enemy is here! Ju□□!'
'Comrade! Come out! Fight with me!'
'I know you're here! For you facing the enemy alone, I, Damo, have come!'
Endless echoes.
The one shouting tirelessly soon collapsed.
'Comrade. You've forgotten. Why we came here.'
'.......'
He looked down at the quietly fallen man.
'Someday, if you remember. Don't forget I was here. My name is Damo. Your comrade come to defeat □□ □□hyeok.'
'Comrade?'
His final words.
'Avenge me. Kill him, save the world.'
'Avenge me. Kill him and save the world.
His name is.......'
Compani underground.
In the deepest part of the home city's underground, a few buildings stood.
Safe houses prepared by executives for emergencies.
[Mosaic Organ (Moisac Organ) activated]
['Legion Lord's Egg']
Bubble bubble.
In the most secret room of the safe house, something writhed.
Upon closer look, it was a transparent egg.
The vinyl-like eggshell tore, and a hand emerged.
"Puha! Keheok!"
A man emerged from the egg.
Around the man, several similar eggs rolled about.
"Cough cough! Heok, heok!"
The man spat out the thick mucus filling his throat and gasped for breath.
"Ju, Gonghyeok?"
His first words upon birth were one man's name.
In his mind, more than joy of birth, an explosive engraving was etched.
"Ju Gonghyeok!"
Why had he forgotten until now?
From the first time seeing him, something felt off.
He dismissed it as mere feeling, but it wasn't.
Now, with one more comrade dead.
The memory was clearer than ever.
"Comrades, the other comrades?"
[Mosaic Organ (Moisac Organ) activated]
['Fairy King's Interbrain']
One, two, faint signals caught.
Remaining members, including himself: ten.
'I felt thirteen when we first arrived here.'
Of twenty-three comrades, ten vanished during time travel.
Of the remaining thirteen, three more dropped out.
Paradoxical, but the more who dropped, the more concrete the memories became.
"Kugh!"
Newly resurfaced memories flooded his brain.
'Uwaaaaaah!'
Twenty-three children writhing and screaming.
Adults pressed down on their bodies.
'Is this even meaningful?'
'Theory says we don't know what'll vanish.'
'Weapons and gear go inside the body, right?'
'Not enough. Especially memories, tied to time, most significant. Time paradox hits there first. Must seal thoroughly.'
The adults' conversation faintly reached him.
Before his eyes, Compani from centuries ago.
Cries of undead and demon contractors.
The city burned, citizens fled or mounted scattered resistance.
Amid the chaos, security escort division gone, civilian contractors ran ragged.
Chaotic Compani.
External Affairs Director Alfred Hickston murdered, his corpse hung at the home city's gate.
On his belly: 'This is an example. Fear us. We are always with you.'
History records it.
The true culprit who assassinated External Affairs Director Alfred Hickston and plunged the city into terror was......
"Ju Gonghyeok!"
His eyes snapped open.
Now he remembered.
Why he approached the director.
He is assassinated on September 1st, during the grand apostle's execution.
By Ju Gonghyeok.
"Ju Gonghyeok, I haven't died yet."
Crack.
He snapped two fingers.
Meaning he wouldn't forget Damo and Bergoglio.
"My codename is 'C'. Damo, Bergoglio, I'll avenge you."
And kill Ju Gonghyeok to save the world.
'C' muttered like a vow.
He recalled the plan to corner him from Compani's shadows.
His name was Cesc.
Ju Gonghyeok had yet to kill him.