Chapter 52
I’ll translate the chapter into natural English and keep the HTML structure strict, with styled blocks for every system readout and special in-universe text.CHAPTER_TITLE: Chapter 52
I sat up. The moment I did, a headache slammed into me.
“Ugh.”
I winced at the throbbing pain. What was this? What hurt this much? It was a fairly severe ache.
And there was something else.
What was that memory just now?
The memory that had surfaced in my dream right before I woke up. It was the life of one man—someone who had turned back time and been granted another life.
He used that chance to achieve his revenge and his goal in life.
And at the very end.
He was struck by something incomprehensible.
They said his name was Doseong.
Seungabeok of Doseong has been created.
I remembered the last system window. Seungabeok of Doseong. That had definitely been the Rift I was in just now....
“Ah.”
At that thought, I looked around. Come to think of it, what happened to the Rift? I hurriedly scanned my surroundings.
“Where am I...?”
“You’re awake.”
It was a familiar place. The same area I’d been in before entering the Rift, where the researchers had gathered.
“Doctor! The superhuman Lee Jinwoo has awakened!”
A researcher who saw me shouted, and an individual in a doctor’s coat came running from farther away to check my condition.
“How do you feel?”
“My body... I’m fine... Ah, what about Jin Yeonhui?”
“Superhuman Jin Yeonhui is resting over there.”
“Yeonhui was badly hurt. Is she okay?”
“Ah, don’t worry. Superhuman Jin Yeonhui wasn’t injured.”
“...What?”
Not injured? I’d definitely seen Jin Yeonhui bleeding. What was that supposed to mean?
“She said her body recovered on the way out after clearing the Rift. Is Lee Jinwoo superhuman in the same condition?”
“...Something like that?”
Surprised, I checked my own body. Come to think of it—
There aren’t any injuries.
The scratches I’d gotten fighting Doseong were gone. How was that possible?
My body recovered as I came out of the Rift?
It must have been because this was my first time entering a Rift; I hadn’t known there was a side effect like that. Or maybe not.
I don’t think they taught us anything like that at school either.
Hmm. I was still thinking it over when—
Rift: Seungabeok of Doseong has been cleared.
Reward will be granted.
Would you like to confirm?
I quickly dismissed the alert. Now wasn’t the time to check it. Too many eyes were on me.
Not this.
I checked something else.
The synchronization rate had risen in my fight with Doseong. It had been an anomaly caused by meeting the God of War.
...So I really did clear the Rift.
I couldn’t remember how. How had I cleared it? The answer to that came when I looked at my skill.
Authority: Musin Descent
The power I’d gained after the synchronization rate passed 10 percent.
An Authority...
A power only those with at least an S-class past life could obtain.
I had obtained that power.
It makes sense if you consider that I’m already EX-class.
Since it was a rank that seemed higher than SS-class, it wasn’t strange that I’d gained an Authority.
But what is this?
The skill’s name itself was Musin Descent.
The description was...
"The God of War descends upon this land."
It was a simple description, exactly like the skill’s name. Why was there nothing more detailed?
Authority has been sealed.
It can be used whenever your synchronization rate rises by 5 percent.
There was a condition too. It was a power I couldn’t use whenever I wanted.
Five percent synchronization?
I was already barely surviving trying to raise it by one percent, and now they wanted five? Did Authorities always come with conditions like this?
No way.
They probably didn’t. The very existence of the God of War past life was abnormal to begin with.
What mattered was this.
I used this Authority to take down Doseong.
That much was certain. There was no other answer.
“Haa....”
Which also meant that without the Authority, I would have died then and there.
I wouldn’t have won.
Even during the Ghost Lord Festival, there’d been no answer; this time was on a completely different level.
S-class? Could I even call it S-class? Honestly, I wasn’t sure.
And besides.
I recalled Doseong’s condition. It was more like...
...he was being restrained.
It felt like he could do more, but couldn’t. That was the shape of Doseong I had seen.
What exactly was he?
What was that memory I’d seen? Was it a memory related to Doseong’s existence? If so, then...
What does a Rift even mean?
Questions about the system’s gates had begun to surface when—
“Are you all right?”
“...!”
It was Jin Cheon’s voice.
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
“You did well. Thanks to you, we were able to handle the Rift much more smoothly.”
“...Not at all.”
It hadn’t been for free, after all.
“I’d like to hear about the reward and what happened inside. Can you tell me now?”
“...Yes.”
At his direct question, I nodded.
* * *
I met Jin Yeonhui again. Just as the doctor had said, she was completely healed.
“Are you okay?”
I asked as I looked at her, and Jin Yeonhui nodded.
“Yeah. I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
“What about you?”
“Me too, as you can see.”
Since Jin Yeonhui had recovered, I was the same. Even the aftereffects from using the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword were completely gone.
“Do you remember what happened?”
At her question, I swallowed a little dryly.
“...No. I don’t remember. What about you, Jin Yeonhui?”
“You too?”
At her answer, I was slightly startled inside. You too?
So she doesn’t remember either?
If she’d collapsed from the shock at the end, then it was a relief that she didn’t remember.
“At the end, I think I used some kind of skill one more time... and maybe that’s what allowed Doseong to be taken down.”
I said it casually, and Jin Yeonhui nodded.
“...I see.”
It wasn’t certain, but the Rift had been cleared. For her, that was probably the only thing she could believe.
“Sorry to interrupt, but...”
Someone cut in. It was a man dressed neatly in a black suit. If I’d heard right, he was Chairman Jin Cheon’s secretary.
“I think we need to assess the reward from the Rift first.”
“Ah...”
“Would you please show us the reward you obtained from the Rift?”
At that, I pressed the reward acquisition button.
◈ A keepsake an unnamed person carried to avoid forgetting someone.
◈ Greatly increases resistance to mental attacks.
Something dropped onto the prepared table with a clink.
This was...
Looks like an earring?
It was a small earring. Seeing it, the secretary carefully picked it up with white gloves.
“We’ll have an enchanter examine it to determine its purpose. After we confirm the item’s ability and rank, we’ll calculate your compensation accordingly. Do you agree?”
“...Yes.”
An enchanter, huh.
Right.
Those who could identify what kind of power a reward from a Gate possessed.
Because they could determine an item’s rank and effect just by looking at it, they were called enchanters.
When you obtained an item, the usual course was to take it to them first.
...Though of course, I’m different.
Corka’s illusion has been activated.
Binding Earring (A)
Something carried by a nameless person, so they would not forget someone.
Resistance to mental attacks increases.
I could see both the earring’s rank and effect. Even after clearing an S-class Rift, it was only an A-rank item? That was a little disappointing.
“This one’s a glove.”
Jin Yeonhui checked her own reward too. What she’d obtained was a green glove.
Green Spirit Glove (A)
Greatly increases the wearer’s reaction speed.
Duration: 1 minute.
Can be used once per day.
That glove was A-rank too. Looking at it, I felt a small question rise up.
What is this? Weren’t rewards supposed to scale with the Gate’s rank?
I’d thought so, but judging from the item, that didn’t seem to be the case either.
“We’ll hand the item over to a company enchanter for assessment. As for what happened inside, please write up a report later.”
“All right.”
The secretary spoke to Jin Yeonhui, then left.
With the reward handed off, I wondered if there was anything else to do when—
“Lee Jinwoo.”
“Ah, yes. Chairman.”
Jin Cheon called me over.
“Thank you for helping in this matter. It was a dangerous job, and I appreciate you coming all this way to help. I won’t forget to compensate you properly for it.”
“...Ah, no. If anything, it was a good opportunity for me. It’s all thanks to Gyeongbeom and Jin Yeonhui.”
“...Gyeongbeom, hmm.”
Jin Cheon’s expression changed slightly.
Hero’s Super-sensory has been activated.
I could feel the atmosphere shift.
“Yes. Still, help is help, no matter what.”
“...No, I mean, where else would I get the chance to see an S-class Rift? It’s fine.”
An S-class Rift. If an S-class relic had appeared there—
That would make it a national-level relic.
An S-class Rift was the sort of place where something like that could emerge. As far as I knew—
Even a B-class Rift is worth several hundred million once it’s discovered.
Just reporting a discovery could net you several hundred million won.
But an S-class Rift?
Well.
I couldn’t even imagine the price. Having been able to go there, I didn’t think I was at a loss.
If I’d died inside, that would be another matter.
“...I’m glad you see it that way. Even so, I should give you something. It’s only right.”
“...Understood.”
He was offering that much, so there was no particular reason to refuse. It was a little burdensome, but still.
“I’ll have someone else deliver it to you later. I’ve arranged a place for you to rest outside, so you should take a break for now.”
The way he said it made it sound very much like he wanted me to step out for a moment. I turned around without hesitation.
“Understood.”
I bowed and left.
* * *
After Lee Jinwoo left the room.
Jin Cheon looked at his daughter, Jin Yeonhui, and said,
“I thought the risk was high, but it nearly turned into a disaster.”
At his words, Jin Yeonhui bit her lip.
“I agreed to indulge your stubbornness, but I had no intention of losing my daughter because of it.”
“...I’m sorry.”
Jin Yeonhui apologized without resistance. Jin Cheon looked at her and let out a sigh.
“In the end, things worked out for the better, but there won’t be a next time. This is the last time I’ll let your stubbornness slide.”
“...Yes.”
“Going off to become a knight, and everything else you’ve been doing for Lee Jinwoo—that stubbornness of yours is included.”
“...”
“How far are you planning to go? If it’s guilt, you can let some of it go now.”
“Father.”
Jin Yeonhui suddenly lifted her head, her eyes cold.
“There’s no such thing as guilt I need to let go of. There’s no one left who can forgive me anyway.”
“Yeonhui.”
Jin Cheon wore an expression of frustration.
“Then are you saying you’d even give up your life for that boy?”
“My life is something I gained thanks to him. It’s not a matter of giving it up—my life was never really mine to begin with.”
“Jin Yeonhui...!”
“Just a little longer.”
Pushing past Jin Cheon’s rebuke, Jin Yeonhui went on.
“Just a little longer. It won’t be forever, and that boy has become a superhuman too, so I’ll only do this a little longer.”
“...You.”
“That much is only right, isn’t it? You too, Chairman. No, even Dad is only letting it slide because you feel sorry toward that man, aren’t you?”
“...”
Jin Cheon fell silent. He couldn’t deny it.
“So please, let it slide a little longer.”
“...Yeonhui.”
“It was good seeing him after so long. Please send the reward through Secretary Kim. I’ll give it to Jinwoo myself.”
Having said her piece, Jin Yeonhui turned around.
Right.
She truly had no intention of dragging this out forever.
...Because those damn women keep sticking to him.
Black Night Witch, Irene.
Those women, who didn’t understand a thing, kept clinging to him, and that meant she was running out of time.
She had to settle it as quickly as possible.
No matter what form that settlement took.
* * *
While I was waiting, Jin Yeonhui came back out.
“Did you finish talking with the Chairman?”
“Yeah. Let’s head out right away.”
“Right away?”
“We should go back. You said we had to leave, didn’t you?”
“Ah, right.”
We didn’t have that much time to spare, so I nodded at her words.
“Let’s get in.”
The car was already waiting nearby. The same one we’d ridden here in.
We carefully got in, and Jin Yeonhui spoke to the driver.
“Take us back to where we came from—”
“Ah, wait a second.”
I cut in quickly.
“...Why?”
Jin Yeonhui looked at me oddly. Meeting her eyes, I said,
“Can we stop by one place before we go?”
“What are you trying to do?”
“There’s something I was asked to handle.”
“Asked...?”
“Yeah. A request.”
The reason I’d been able to come to Gwangju.
I had to go take care of the thing Irene had assigned me.