Chapter 119
Chapter 119
The Beginning of Salvation - 1
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“Then please be careful.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Tae-jin and his party, each having completed their preparations, were gathered at the entrance of Cheollihyang Village.
Although the boundary between the entrance and exit had collapsed due to the Chimera raid, it was a perfect place to serve as a location for a temporary farewell.
Yu-ra looked at her brother, Tae-jin, with teary eyes.
They had been separated for a long time and had spent a short time together, but because it was long, and also because it was short, Yu-ra’s regret was deep.
Especially—because the farewell now might be an indefinite one.
Tae-jin looked at Yu-ra and smiled only with the corners of his mouth, then looked at Han-na standing next to her.
“Please take care of Yu-ra.”
Tae-jin offered Han-na a handshake.
A few days ago, Han-na had come to see Tae-jin.
And she had confessed everything truthfully.
That she had followed him because she was curious.
Because of that, Renia was captured.
That if she hadn't been there, Choi Do-han wouldn't have been able to lure Renia out alone.
But Tae-jin had comforted her, saying that he wasn’t the one who should receive the apology, and that anyone would have made the same choice in the same situation.
He had told her that if she really wanted to apologize, she should do so to Renia when she woke up.
After that, Han-na apologized to Renia and had gone to Tae-jin again to say she was sorry for creating a dangerous situation.
And last night.
The meeting led by Tae-jin had finally ended with them splitting into two teams.
It was because they had to move secretly to Gaikan, and also to prepare for the end.
《Here. These are the coordinates for Gaikan.》
Tae-jin had handed Han-na a note.
It was what Han-na, who had heard the whole plan, had requested.
Saying that she thought she had found a way to be helpful.
Thus, Han-na, Yu-ra, and Mi-hwa became one team and headed for the capital, Seoul.
And the original expedition members, Tae-jin, Renia, Na-yeon, Hye-seo, Ercia, and Roque, became one team and headed for Gaikan.
The party, which had split in two for their respective missions and duties.
“Of course. Don’t worry. Be careful.”
Han-na took Tae-jin’s hand.
“You too.”
“Yeah.”
Tae-jin, who had released the handshake, looked at Yu-ra again.
She was a younger sister he hadn't even known existed, whom he had met only a few weeks ago, but she was a kid who made him feel an unexplainable affection.
Technically, she wasn't even his real sister, but closer to a stranger, but now such a fact didn't matter.
Yu-ra, who followed him as her real brother, was his real sister.
Ruffle, ruffle—
Tae-jin roughly ruffled Yu-ra’s hair.
Normally, it was a prank that should have been met with a rough reaction, but Yu-ra was silent.
“….”
“You be careful too. And listen to Mother.”
The risk of taking Yu-ra was too great.
Because the final battle in Gaikan would be a dangerous struggle with their lives on the line.
Therefore, he had suggested that she go to the capital, Seoul, with Han-na along with their mother.
Ruffle, ruffle—
Tae-jin, who had ruffled her hair until it was a mess, removed his hand and said goodbye to his mother.
“Well then, we'll be going.”
“Alright. When you come back, this mother will make you a delicious home-cooked meal. Everyone, you must all come back together. Got it?”
““Yes.””
At Mi-hwa’s words, everyone readily replied and bowed their heads, and with that farewell, each team turned their steps in the direction they had to go.
What need was there for a special farewell?
It was enough for each to do their best in their assigned roles.
‘Hoo.’
Tae-jin, who had started walking at the rear of the group, let out his tension inwardly.
The final battle with God R'hell was finally just around the corner.
If the journey was smooth, they would arrive at the entrance of Gaikan in five days.
And, after moving to the coordinates left by Han Chang-ho and defeating God R'hell, he would have completed his mission as the one chosen by Ercia.
Because that final step had begun, the expressions of Tae-jin and all the other party members were tense.
At that moment.
“Y-Yu-ra!”
A hurried call was heard from behind, and Tae-jin smiled gently and turned his body.
She had been keeping her mouth shut, so was she going to say an affectionate farewell?
But…
Thud!
“Huh?”
What flew at the turned Tae-jin was not Yu-ra, but a mana pocket.
“Take it.”
“This? All of it?”
“You remember me explaining the devices the other day, right?”
How could he forget?
They were the first heartwarming scenes he had with his awkward younger sister.
When Tae-jin nodded his head, Yu-ra continued.
“You might need them, so take them all.”
“You need them too.”
“I think you'll need them more than me. I can just cling to Mom’s side.”
They were certainly devices and equipment that would be helpful.
Yu-ra’s skills were excellent enough to create a neural connection device in a week and share a dream world.
From daily life devices needed for the journey, to auxiliary devices needed for battle.
He knew they were all useful devices, but because he knew the effort and sweat that went into developing them, Tae-jin couldn't readily accept them.
But…
“Thank you. I'll use them well.”
But that hesitation didn't last long.
Only then did Yu-ra smile brightly.
Tae-jin attached the mana pocket to his waist.
“You have to win.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Then I’m going.”
“Yeah.”
And so, the farewell, which could be called dry if dry, and affectionate if affectionate, ended, and Tae-jin, who was watching the back of Yu-ra returning to her mother, chuckled and turned his steps.
And,
“Let’s go.”
The short journey for the final battle began.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
‘Wow… there’s a canyon like this in South Korea?’
A path between sheer cliffs.
The high cliff path, where light only shines when the sun is at its zenith, was still shrouded in dim darkness even though it had been 3 hours since dawn.
I had heard that there were places where the terrain had changed after the appearance of mana and dungeons, but to think that a beautiful canyon like this had formed in the basin country of South Korea.
If it weren't for the road to the sanctuary of villains, Gaikan, it would have been a wonderful view perfect for a tourist course.
Well, the tension that had settled over our heads was quite heavy to enjoy that view.
Crunch, crunch—
In front of us, who had been walking silently, staring only at the front, the end of the canyon slowly began to appear.
A place where an unfittingly brilliant halo of light was shining down.
“Beyond that is Gaikan.”
Hye-seo muttered grimly as she looked at that place.
It was definitely a place they would never have found without the coordinates.
The narrow cliff path split countless times, resembling a maze, and the world of nothingness, where only rocks, dirt, and cliffs could be seen, was not Gaikan, but just a desolate world of death.
It was no different from the road to the afterlife.
The path between the cliffs, where only the sound of breathing echoed in the gloomy darkness.
“The remaining distance is about 20km. Wouldn’t it be better to rest for a day before entering Gaikan?”
If I had my way, I would have wanted to escape this gloomy cliff and charge into Gaikan right away, but the closer I got to Gaikan, the stronger the feeling that I shouldn't do that became.
The dark mana in the atmosphere was getting thicker.
The moment we entered Gaikan, we would have to wear a filter to prevent poisoning, and since we had to avoid exposure as much as possible, eating would also be difficult.
In other words, it would be a wise approach to move after storing up calories and getting enough rest.
“That sounds good.”
“I also agree. Using a filter is essential from the moment we enter Gaikan.”
Na-yeon and Ercia expressed their agreement, and Renia and Hye-seo began to set up camp without any disagreement.
Roque was scouting the surroundings.
“Heave-ho.”
As we had been working together for a while, the camp construction proceeded in an orderly fashion.
We lit a bonfire with a blue mana flame, prepared food, scouted for a place to stand guard, and took out a tent from a mana pocket to make a shelter.
The party, who had put the food prepared by Renia, who had now become our exclusive chef(?), into bowls and gathered around the bonfire.
Finally, Renia sat down, and a light meal began.
Trivial stories were exchanged, and after the generally quiet meal, Na-yeon, Hye-seo, and Renia cleared the dishes and went out to scout the surroundings.
I called out to Ercia, who was continuing her meal, chewing with her mouth shut.
“Hey, Ercia.”
“Yes?”
“There’s something I’ve been curious about for a while.”
Ercia hadn't really opened her mouth except for what I asked after she revealed her identity.
Neither about the future, nor about the past.
She had only answered what I asked, and it seemed that she had decided to entrust the fate entirely to the agent of the 53rd round of the mission.
It would also be in accordance with the law that she should not ‘directly exercise’ her power regarding the mission.
Just as she finished her meal, Ercia wiped her mouth with a pure white handkerchief and answered.
“I will answer anything.”
“What kind of guy is God R'hell?”
“Hoho. As I thought, you were curious.”
“Well, everyone is suffering because of that guy.”
“To defeat God R'hell, you have to enter the tower in the center of Gaikan.”
A tower, huh. What a cliché setting.
A cliché setting where the main boss is waiting for us at the top of the tower.
But as the one who had to climb that tower, it was neither a cliché nor a trite story.
“The tower will give us a trial on each floor. One person per floor. Only when everyone passes can we finally face God R'hell.”
“I see. What kind of trial are we talking about?”
“That, I do not know. Each round was similar yet different. The general keyword would be ‘despair’. That is why I call it a trial.”
“One person has to pass a trial on each floor… Then wouldn't it be better to tell the party?”
Ercia smiled.
“If you wish, Brother, it is fine to tell them. However, you must also know that it is not a trial that can be overcome just by knowing.”
True, in a situation where we don't know what kind of trial we'll face, it would only add to the confusion.
If we're not going to know the inconvenient future properly, it's sometimes better to face it head-on and realize it.
“The Tower of Trials… It’s cliché, but it’s a fitting task to decorate the end.”
“Are you not afraid?”
“If I were afraid, I wouldn't have asked in the first place.”
Ercia looked at me with a satisfied smile.
When she stared at me with a holy face like a goddess, my gaze naturally turned away.
It was definitely more comfortable to deal with Su-ah’s form.
“By the way, what are you going to do if this round also fails?”
“Hmm… I haven't thought about it, so I don't know.”
“You’re a surprisingly optimistic apostle.”
“Hoho. If you go through 52 rounds of regression, you will become like me, Brother.”
“…That’s a scary thing to say.”
Oof!
In a novel, it's one thing to regress 52 times or 99 times, but to actually experience it would be a truly terrible thing.
That's why Ercia deserved to be praised.
I quickly erased even the bud of that possibility and asked again.
“So, God R'hell?”
“Ah. He is at the top of the Tower of Trials, and when we reach that floor, thousands of monsters summoned by God R'hell will surround Gaikan. I don't know because I've never succeeded, but the return journey probably won't be smooth.”
…Right.
She had said that knowing the future was not a pleasant thing.
We hadn't even stepped on the threshold of success yet, but my motivation was completely gone, so her words certainly had a point.
“….”
I closed my mouth, narrowed my eyes, and looked up at the sun that had already risen to its zenith.
Ah.
My eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meanwhile, while Tae-jin was having a grim conversation with Ercia.
Renia was with Na-yeon.
“Um, Professor?”
“…Call me comfortably. What’s with the Professor? But why?”
“Ah, I have something I want to talk about.”
Because she now knew exactly what the duty of [Salvation] that was tied to Tae-jin and herself meant.
So because she knew that the day of her departure was not far off.
<w:pgmar w:bottom="1440" w:top="1440" w:left="1440" w:right="1440" w:header="720" w:footer="720"><w:pgnumtype w:start="1"><w:r w:rsiddel="00000000" w:rsidr="00000000" w:rsidrpr="00000000"><w:rpr><w:sz w:val="28"><w:szcs w:val="28"><w:rtl w:val="0"><w:t xml:space="preserve">Renia was preparing to leave.