Chapter 307: A Single Gold Coin
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 307: A Single Gold Coin
“I’m sorry… I… I was wrong. Please… forgive me. Sob… I was wrong.”
At that moment, a flood of information poured into my mind. A quest I had been holding onto for a long time was finally complete.
[Quest - Revenge! Revenge! Revenge! on the Sword Saint!: You have long held a grudge against the Queen of the West, Sword Saint Ha Yuri. Now is the time to reap the rewards of that long-suppressed heart. Return to her exactly what was done to you. (1/1)]
[As a reward, you have gained access to the Secret Store.]
[As a reward, you gain one additional Unique Ability slot.]
[Sorrow and Despair have been extracted from Ha Yuri, the Seat of Pride. Ranking up. Please select the entity to evolve.]
[1. The Seat of Sorrow and Despair]
I had done it.
To be honest, I’d been staring at that quest for a very long time. The condition to “return to her exactly what was done to you” had always sounded incredibly vague. It was hard to tell if it meant I had to repay the emotions I felt back then or simply repay her with death. But looking at the result, it seemed the condition was to make her feel what I had felt, or in other words, to make her submit.
“Hahahahahahahahaha.”
Choi Seulgi also nodded repeatedly. She probably didn’t get as much as I did, but she must have received something.
The most important thing was gaining access to the Secret Store. I hadn't even tallied up the points from the last war, and on top of that, I still had Isaac’s items. There was no way I’d be unable to buy something due to a lack of points. But even better news was that I had gained another Unique Ability slot.
I could now have two unique abilities, something only Kim Yoora possessed.
This quest was well worth the five million points.
It wasn't that I was unhappy with my ‘Weapon Switch’ ability. On the contrary, it was excellent. But the more trump cards you have, the better. I didn't know what kind of ability would awaken, but assuming I had acquired Weapon Switch through repetitive action, I could probably obtain the ability I wanted this time intentionally.
And what’s more…
Sorrow and Despair have been extracted from Ha Yuri. I didn’t know if the conditions were the same for others, but it seemed that extracting the corresponding emotion from another Seat was incredibly efficient. I could feel a massive amount of emotion flowing into me.
That Ha Yuri was grieving and despairing. The sight of her, still pressing her forehead to the floor and apologizing, looked both humiliating and sorrowful. More than despair over the situation itself, it was a sorrow for her own state, the despair of having no hope, the desire to save Jeong Ji-young, and the fear that we might kill that man—all these emotions continued to pour in.
“I’m… sorry. Please… spare… him.”
“We’ll see how you behave.”
I answered dismissively, but it was clear Choi Seulgi’s mind was elsewhere, too. She was probably sorting through her own rewards.
I slowly looked down at Ha Yuri.
She looked so weak. Although we couldn’t know the future after our regression, it was highly likely that Ha Yuri would have unified the continent. She was strong, talented, and even possessed a Seat. She would have been able to fend off the undead, who I considered the greatest threat. Seeing that same Ha Yuri bowing her head was utterly surreal. Back then, I was of the lowest class, and she was the ruler of the city.
When no positive answer came from my side, Ha Yuri finally crawled toward me and spoke again.
“Please, spare him. If you tell me to lick your shoes, I’ll lick them. If you tell me to live as a slave, I’ll live as a slave… sob…”
She was completely broken. I looked down at her slowly and opened my mouth.
“Didn’t I already tell you I wouldn’t kill you? The two of you will continue to live. Though your way of life will be different from now on…”
“Th-Thank… Thank you. Thank you.”
My head was still throbbing and ringing. It wasn't that my desire for revenge had faded, but rather an unknown sense of accomplishment was washing over me. Right now, she was infinitely weak. I was the predator, and she was the prey. Nothing more needed to be said. I raised my sword, and seeing her flinch, I immediately swung it. The chains binding Jeong Ji-young were sliced apart in an instant, and Ha Yuri scrambled toward him.
It must have been a simple emotion at first.
The emotion called love tends to snowball before one even realizes it. For someone like Ha Yuri, who had always craved affection, it was likely even more intense. Watching her sobbing while clutching Jeong Ji-young was truly a strange sight.
I had never imagined that woman was capable of showing such emotion.
“Sob… sob… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
My excitement was fading, likely because she looked so pathetic. Choi Seulgi watched them and laughed as if it was pitiful. Of course, I also spoke to her.
“You two will live in the city we built. Like the vermin you so despised…”
I reached out my hand toward Ha Yuri and slowly destroyed her magic circuits.
“Ah… ah… ah…”
If she still had her Holy Sword, she might have been able to recover, but for the abandoned Ha Yuri, it was impossible to heal her own body. It would take a high-level priest just for her to be able to move as she once did.
The sense of loss from having everything you’ve built torn away is quite immense.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
A scream of agony erupted, but I felt nothing else. When I judged that I had wrecked her insides enough, I withdrew my magic. The amount of mana she had left was about what Choi Seulgi and I had back then. I had already finished my work on Jeong Ji-young.
In this moment, she had become a completely ordinary summoner. She might be able to use the swordsmanship she already knew, but that was it. Her mana was pitifully small, and her unhealed body would forever suffer from aftereffects. She might be able to handle a single low-level magical beast, but against three or more, she would have to fight for her life. To put it bluntly, her specs were about the same as the old Kim Taesung’s.
“From your perspective, this might be a blessing or a curse. There will be moments of happiness. We had them, too. How you live is up to you. I just hope you feel a great many things. While living with him… just how fucking shitty hope is, and how dirty you feel when you can’t reach it.”
“Yes… yes…”
“It would be best not to even think about getting back on your feet. If you bitch do anything stupid, he dies. If he does anything stupid, you die. Of course, in the latter case, I’ll make sure he’s left in a state between life and death. If anything happens, I will hold Jeong Ji-young responsible.”
“Yes…”
People like them are easier to control because they have each other. They become each other’s shackles. I said it casually, but I didn't think anything would actually happen. This wasn't arrogance; it was reality.
The underground city Lee Wanyong built is designed to frighteningly delve into the darkness of humanity. It’s literally a factory for extracting sorrow, so it’s no surprise. Just as Choi Seulgi and I lived in the factory that extracted Ha Yuri’s pride, they will now live in my factory.
To be honest, a life far more miserable than the one Choi Seulgi and I lived might be waiting for them. How they live is their freedom, but their choices are extremely limited. Just like ours were. It will be difficult for them to go out hunting, and they will struggle to find any decent work.
They will have to toil like moles in a place where the sun doesn't shine just to survive, and their relationship might not always be good. There will be times they fight, and times they suffer. Ha Yuri might even sell her body there. No, funnily enough, Jeong Ji-young might have to sell his body and live as a male prostitute. The thought of Ha Yuri’s expression if that happened made me laugh. On second thought, it might be a good idea to add that option.
Back then, I acted like it was no big deal, but it was absolutely a big deal. Seeing the person you love in someone else’s arms is more painful than you can imagine. It’s the same for both the person involved and the one forced to watch.
“Lord Blood Dagger, the preparations are complete.”
“I’ll have Choi Eunju accompany you, so I’d like you to depart for the city tomorrow.”
“Yes. As you command.”
Ignoring Ha Yuri and Jeong Ji-young, I slowly walked away. I reached for the Holy Sword, which was still stuck in the ground, silent. Ha Yuri’s expression soured, but she didn't try to stop me or say anything. She already understood the difference in our positions perfectly.
The hilt of the Holy Sword fit quite naturally in my hand.
I had a sliver of hope, but it betrayed me.
The sword wouldn't be drawn.
‘Fuck.’
I hadn't expected to get it easily, but I didn't think it would remain completely unresponsive like this. From the start, this sword and I were not a match. Being rejected was annoying, but only for a moment. There had to be someone else out there who could use this sword. Choi Seulgi also tried touching it, but she failed as well. I figured it was probably angry with us.
It had every right to be, considering we had completely ruined the master it was so obsessed with. As I clicked my tongue in annoyance, Choi Seulgi spoke to me.
“Is this the end?”
“Yes, this is the end. Whether they live there for decades, get caught up in a crime and die, or get raped, they’re completely out of my hands now.”
“Irresponsible.”
“So was she.”
“Hmm…”
We had probably tortured her to our hearts’ content before this. Even so, Choi Seulgi didn't seem satisfied, but this was the best revenge I could offer.
Living can be more painful than dying. Ha Yuri would come to understand my thinking. I smiled, and Choi Seulgi wrapped her arms around me. It felt like, after all this time, I had finally tied up a major loose end.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
As we slowly kissed, Choi Seulgi seemed to completely forget about Ha Yuri. As we left the two of them in the prison, an old memory surfaced, and I turned back.
“Why?”
“I thought a single gift would be fine. Do you have a gold coin?”
Choi Seulgi nodded at my words. Taking the coin from her, I tossed it at Ha Yuri as if giving alms.
“It will probably be hard. You might want to kill yourself, and you’ll likely live the rest of your life resenting me. It’s not much, but I hope it will be a great source of strength for you as you live. And who knows? If you work hard for the city, maybe one day you and he can live out the rest of your lives happily… That, too, is your choice, so I will permit you to struggle within your limited confines.”
“You…”
“It’s been fun. It sounds ridiculous, but while I hated you… I’m also grateful to you.”
No more words were needed. Ha Yuri stared at me blankly, her hand trembling as she held the single gold coin. I looked down at her, one corner of my mouth lifting into a smirk.
I felt more liberated than I had ever expected.