Chapter 267: A Brief Respite
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 267: A Brief Respite
The war was over. The Blood Dagger Clan, the Goff Clan, and the Black Spear Clan had certainly suffered many casualties, but not as many as the humans from the North and the East.
War always leaves scars. It’s a truth one doesn’t fully grasp in the heat of battle, but in the aftermath, during the cleanup, all sorts of scenes come to light.
There were humans wailing over the loss of their comrades and brothers, people seething with rage at those from the West and South, and others who were simply ecstatic about the victory itself. The variety of human reactions was vast.
With the lines between ally and enemy drawn so clearly, instances of torture and abuse against prisoners of war became more frequent. Jang Ye Ri and Han So-Hye were doing their best to stop it, but it was impossible to quell the fury of the eastern and northern forces.
Of course, this phenomenon continued even after the West and South offered their unconditional surrender following the end of the great battle.
With all the key leaders who had supported the West and South now dead, they no longer had the strength to resist.
It was only natural that they judged themselves unable to fight any longer.
Separate from the humans, the Green Skins were also quite stoic. They called it an honorable death, but I wasn't the only one who felt the sorrow of losing our brothers.
The time spent drinking, shouting to extol the honor of the fallen, or simply clashing swords in silence stretched on for quite a while. Everyone acted as if nothing was wrong, and some were even satisfied with the great battle, but I’m sure we all felt the same in our hearts.
What was interesting was that several Green Skin chieftains had been watching my final battle with the Sword Saint.
The Green Goblin, the Big Ogre, the Minotaur of the Plains—it seemed they had all gathered to watch the members of the Brother's Land. When I woke up, I couldn’t help but be flustered by the pile of so-called gifts they had sent, saying they’d enjoyed the show.
The environment immediately around us had changed a great deal, but not as much as the great change that had come over the continent.
“So? It’s the same in the North, is that it?”
“Yeah. I have no fucking clue what’s going on… Shit, if you ask me, I think it has something to do with that Seat of Sin you have. It’s just a guess, though.”
“Well… that’s a possibility. Or it could be related to the continent’s population. Or maybe the continent decided the balance between humans and Green Skins has been broken…”
Choi Seulgi nodded with a very serious expression. Just when we thought it was all over, the continent had undergone a strange transformation, so her reaction was understandable.
To be precise, on the day I plunged my final sword into the Sword Saint, Ha Yuri, a great barrier had formed over the West, South, and North, excluding the East. The Raging Waves at the southern tip of the continent had vanished, as had the snowstorms that made the North’s cold weather even colder. The same went for the fog in the West.
The East and the Eastern Continent were connected, so they seemed unaffected, but we were still unable to go anywhere other than the path we had already carved out.
There were many theories, but only one thing was certain.
Someday, that barrier would disappear.
This wasn’t a guess; it was a certainty. After more time passed, the barrier would lift, and a new battle would begin. Every human and Green Skin living on the continent was sure of it.
“What’s Han So-Hye’s plan?”
“For now, she’s going to declare the entire area above the North a restricted zone and start building walls. She seems pretty convinced after seeing those undead last time.”
“What about the cleanup?”
“Of course, we’re handling the post-war cleanup. The executives from the East and the strategists from the North probably haven’t slept in days. They still haven’t even decided what to do with the South and the West… To be honest, I’m busy as hell, too. Shit… on that note, can’t you lend me that guy, Lee Wanyong?”
So that was her goal. Jang Ye Ri had recently asked me something similar, but unfortunately, Lee Wanyong was currently busy working on the Eastern Continent and couldn’t be moved. It might seem selfish of us to leave the cleanup entirely to the humans, but it couldn’t be helped. We had our own work to do.
“I already told you no.”
“Come on, just for a month… Pwease?”
It was a pathetic attempt at acting cute. But I didn’t yield.
“I already told Jang Ye Ri no, too. You have plenty of people, don’t you? Find someone suitable and use them.”
“The problem is there’s no one useful, you fucker…”
When her cutesy act failed, Choi Seulgi let out a soft sigh and spoke again.
“Fine, whatever. Keep him all to yourself. I should just move over here soon… Hoo… Anyway, is your body okay?”
“You’re not messing with me, are you? Or are you making fun of me?”
“Puhahaha. Of course not. But why’d you have to overdo it like that? It feels great that you caught that bitch Ha Yuri, but what kind of idiot fights until he can’t even move? You never would have done that in the old days.”
“I’m in better shape than some. I heard Goff is still being treated…”
I wasn’t the only one who had taken damage. Goff, who had faced the King of the South, had also suffered severe burns all over his body and was still undergoing treatment. I heard he had nearly died; apparently, he’d swallowed the guy wrong and injured his internal organs.
“That guy’s tough. He was the one who carried you back to the settlement.”
I already knew that. When I smirked, Choi Seulgi raised her hand and playfully slapped my arm. If my body was fine, I could have dodged it, but right now, unable to lift a single finger, even a light prank like that sent a sharp jolt of pain through me.
My external wounds were all healed, but I couldn’t move my body due to the strain of pushing it past its limits. Several days had passed, and it was still difficult to move, so it seemed I’d need a few more days before I could function normally.
“Anyway, you did good. Our Kim Taesung, kek.”
As Choi Seulgi playfully began to stroke my groin, the honest fellow down there reacted immediately.
“Want me to help you get one off?”
“No, thanks. It just sends a tingling jolt through me, like I’m being electrocuted.”
“You sure you’re not just excited?”
I was starting to get a little confused. As I fell silent for a moment, Choi Seulgi immediately pulled down my pants. What came into view was her dumbfounded face—a natural reaction upon seeing my perfectly customized other self.
“What the… It wasn’t like this before, was it?”
Despite her shock, I felt a strange sense of pride. It seemed my efforts had paid off.
“Things happened.”
“You bastard. You fucking bastard. I liked the old one better! How could you change something like this without consulting me? Bigger isn’t always better. Hah… you’re really a monster. A monster. I’d probably die. If you did it with this, fuck…”
“I think it has a certain majesty, don’t you?”
“Majesty my ass. Majesty is dead and gone. I knew it got a little bigger, but… when’s your next customization? Give me back the old Kim Taesung’s cute and modest little guy, right now.”
It was never exactly cute and modest before, either. Choi Seulgi’s eyes were wide, as if she truly missed the old one, and she looked like all hell would break loose if I didn’t change it back. It went without saying that I couldn’t lose this precious guy. I nodded to myself, resolving to show Choi Seulgi his true power as soon as I could move my body again.
Choi Seulgi, too, seemed curious about something, as she kept fiddling with him. The more she did, the more vigorously he showed off his power. Just as she was about to move her mouth toward him…
“You must not.”
The tent flap flew open, and Baek Ahyeon appeared.
“Sister. I have already told you that the Savior requires absolute rest.”
They must have agreed to call each other sisters after meeting so often, but despite her words, her expression was quite cold. It was just like Baek Ahyeon, who was still subtly wary of everyone except Jung Hayeon… no, even of Jung Hayeon. As the clan’s top priestess, she had stuck by my side, pouring out an absurd amount of holy power every day to return my injured body to its original state. Her efforts were commendable, but her overprotectiveness was a problem.
Of course, I couldn’t say it was completely ineffective. That was why I was quietly obeying her. There was just too much that needed to be done.
In any case, seeing the look on Choi Seulgi’s face after being caught in the act, she seemed a little embarrassed.
“What’s important right now is not the body, but his energy. That… that kind of activity could make the situation worse.”
“Alright, alright. I get it, so stop.”
Of course, her claim had no basis. But seeing me unable to move, she seemed to be nodding along. Thankfully, Choi Seulgi appeared to accept it to some degree. She didn’t think it was completely baseless.
After a sigh, Choi Seulgi spoke to me softly.
“Well, I’m going to go have a look at Ha Yuri. Get well soon.”
“Yeah.”
I nodded, and Choi Seulgi gave me a strange smile before slipping out of the tent. It seemed she was quite pleased with Ha Yuri’s tenacious life force.
“O, Savior. How is your body feeling?”
Baek Ahyeon, who had been glancing my way, spoke cautiously. Her attitude was completely different from when she had been talking to Choi Seulgi. Thanks to that, I found myself speaking to her in a different tone as well.
“I am fine.”
“Thank goodness! O, Savior.”
Naturally, Baek Ahyeon was no expert physician. She didn’t know how to check a pulse or perform a detailed examination of my condition. She just poured an enormous amount of holy power into me and observed my state based on her past experiences. It seemed she had gained a good understanding of the human body while cultivating her followers. Even so, the sight of her earnestly kneading various parts of my body was quite burdensome.
She did it under the pretext of making it easier for me to move, but the way her eyes shone was so intense it looked rather dangerous.
“Hah… hah…”
Her ragged breaths were an added bonus.
But honestly, the holy power constantly flowing into me felt good. I could definitely feel my body becoming more comfortable. I was closing my eyes, quietly feeling Baek Ahyeon’s touch, when she spoke.
“O… O, Savior. If… if you should feel the urge, I… I will take care of it for you.”
Her voice was as small as an ant. She must have been embarrassed, having just yelled that I needed absolute rest. When I looked at her with a slightly dumbfounded expression, Baek Ahyeon spoke again.
“Of… of course, it could have adverse effects, but if… if done with a professional, it could naturally serve as a form of treatment…”
“I am fine.”
I figured she didn’t even know what she was saying. Serving as a form of treatment? I’d never heard of such a thing in my life. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t tempted. But just as Baek Ahyeon herself had said, I needed to focus on my recovery. Looking disappointed, she began pouring holy power into me once more.
Even so, the gaze she cast upon me was quite peculiar, so I looked at her and spoke. Baek Ahyeon, looking thrilled that I had started a conversation, continued my words.
“How are things progressing on the Eastern Continent?”