…Mom?

I couldn't understand it.

The mom who had proudly reclaimed Seoul from the demons' first assault and returned to the shelter. The mom I thought would surely be surrounded by people, basking in their praise.

— Mom, why are you crying…? Why was she huddled in that far-off corner, sobbing now?

Dad's expression beside her wasn't great either. What had happened?

Dad slowly pulled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her trembling shoulders into an embrace. Mom's tear-streaked face buried into his chest. The two comforted and soothed each other like that. Covered in blood.

…….

I moved forward cautiously. The sight of mom like this—something I'd never seen—scared me.

Spotting me right away, she rushed over and pulled me into a tight hug.

…Uh, Mom. Why are you crying?

…….

I asked in a trembling voice, but she didn't answer. Her arms around me just tightened a bit more.

Plip, plop. Mom's teardrops quietly trailed down my cheek.

I learned why Mom had been crying a few hours later.

And now, I was setting out to find the 'culprit' who had dared to make tears flow from Mom's eyes.

===== Advent Day - Extra =====

I arrived in Bucheon City in one shot via Dad's Mid-Range Teleport skill.

Passing through the blue portal the skill created—

Kwaaaang—!

A ferocious explosion assaulted my eardrums. Dad flinched beside me, shoulders shaking as he spoke.

"This is truly horrific…."

"……."

Dad adjusted his glasses, trembling with rage. I couldn't help but grimace at the sight unfolding before us either.

Kwaaaang—! Kwaaaang—!

The quest message that had just popped up described this place as the suspicious wilderness.

That's right. Wilderness.

Bucheon City, where Dad and I had arrived, had transformed into a vast, barren wasteland without a single building in sight.

And the relentless horrific explosions that had been going off since earlier. Red trajectories streaking down diagonally from somewhere were savagely pounding the ground.

[Kieeeek—!]

[Kaaak—!]

Demons on the wasteland were pierced by the rain of red lines and dying one after another.

Watching intently, Dad spoke up.

"Supreme Bombardment skill. It's automatically intercepting demons while avoiding our position."

"The origin of the skill is…."

"Probably over there."

We turned toward the same spot at once.

About 2km away. There, a dome in the shape of a sphere had formed.

Its surface, grand enough to see from here, bristled with countless black turrets like horns.

The red lightning that had been ravaging the ground nonstop was emanating from those turrets.

Dad narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"Deploying Guardian Barrier and Supreme Bombardment simultaneously."

"Both S-rank skills?"

"Yeah. Wide-area ones, at that. And using them together…."

"Not someone to take lightly."

Even Dad, at the pinnacle of the magic path, was impressed. A level worthy of being called a 'monster.'

And at that moment—Pajijik—!

The monster revealed himself.

"Never thought I'd see the 'S-rank couple' here. Feels like a dream."

A blue portal sparked open right in front of us, and a middle-aged man strolled out leisurely.

I let out a pfft of laughter and said his name.

"Oh Kyung-hoon."

The man who, back then, had been mentioned alongside my parents as Korea's strongest S-rank.

Oh Kyung-hoon's eyebrow twitched.

"…What's this? Calling me by name instead of 'stupid beard guy'? Not like you, Hyun-sook."

"I-I figured jokes might be in poor taste in a situation like this…?"

At this point, I was starting to wonder about Mom's personality.

Should've realized it when she teased the Association Chairman about being bald.

Ahem.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.

"How's the situation?"

"Demons show up, the whole area turns into a dungeon-like zone, and I'm the only player left who can fight? Not a fun battlefield."

Oh Kyung-hoon shrugged with a grin.

"Was hitting my limit, so I'm thrilled you guys came. Was about to request reinforcements anyway."

"Where are the survivors?"

"Players and civilians alike, all sheltered inside my Guardian Barrier. Wanna check it out?"

I nodded as he pointed toward the barrier pouring lightning.

Creak. One corner of Oh Kyung-hoon's mouth twisted up.

"Good call. Folks'll be thrilled to hear the 'S-rank couple' is here. More than ever, they need… hope right now."

Mana flowed from his hands as he turned. Planning to warp inside via Mid-Range Teleport, no doubt.

A portal gleaming with clear blue light bloomed wide on the ground.

Pooook—!

"Huh…?"

His unguarded back was pierced by my extended Sword of Salvation at that moment.

The blinding blade passed through his back and out his chest.

Spurt—!

Black blood poured from Oh Kyung-hoon's lips as they quivered in shock.

Not 'dark red' blood. Pitch black, like oil, without a hint of red.

His bloodshot eyes fixed on me.

"Wh-what is this…."

"You're not dumb enough to think you can keep bullshitting your way out, are you?"

I spat the words and yanked the sword from his back without mercy.

Splooosh—!

Black blood erupted violently from his back and mouth.

"Kuhuk…?!"

With a groan-mixed scream, Oh Kyung-hoon toppled over.

I coldly stared down at his gasping form, then glanced at the sword tip.

There….

Thump! Thump!

A pulsing 'black heart' skewered on the blade like meat.

A demon's heart.

Oh Kyung-hoon was a demon now.

From the moment Korea fell into this state, he'd sold his soul to the Destroyer.

"……."

A hundred—no, a thousand, ten thousand concessions… I could forgive other 'former humans' turned demons.

At least they had excuses. They had no choice but to succumb to the Destroyer's temptation to survive.

'But not Oh Kyung-hoon.'

He wasn't in a life-or-death pinch desperate enough to sell his soul outright, nor some powerless human craving greater strength.

Yet he'd abandoned humanity for the demonic path.

From that point, he was irredeemable trash….

"You planned to use this heart as a medium, sacrifice the people inside the Guardian Barrier to summon the Destroyer to this land, right? The Supreme Bombardment killing demons was all just a 'show.'"

"Wh-what…."

"Because of you, those people died writhing in unimaginable agony—bodies melting, lives snuffed out—without knowing why."

He'd even tried to use our parents, lured to Bucheon, as sacrifices.

Of course, Dad's Anti-Demon skill had thwarted it.

But 'the others….'

Nausea surged. Knowing it was a 'done deal' outside the gate in the real world turned my stomach.

"How much it must have hurt."

"Th-this…!"

"How terrified they must have been."

The barrage of falling lightning cut off abruptly.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

In the distance, the massive Guardian Barrier shattered noisily and vanished.

The skill caster, Oh Kyung-hoon, had taken a fatal blow.

And finally, the people hidden by the barrier came into view.

About 2km away, but Mom's superhuman eyesight from the sponsorship captured it all.

"……."

All of Bucheon City's survivors who had barely clung to life were there.

Wounded players, young civilians, an elderly person comforting the despairing, children gripping their parents' hands against the fear….

—I had to kill them all with my own hands.

The day before the Destroyer arrived. Mom had said that in front of everyone.

With empty eyes. Eyes filled with resolve to confess everything.

—People were writhing in agony. From adults to innocent kids, bleeding, limbs melting, rolling on the ground twisting in pain.

"……."

—Oh Kyung-hoon said it was the 'ritual' to fully summon the 'Destroyer' to Earth.

Even after killing Oh Kyung-hoon and the ritual-like scene ended, the sacrificed people kept wailing.

Crawling on the ground, shedding black tears….

"……."

—Bodies melted beyond recognition, over and over, yet their breathing didn't stop.

I just stood there like an idiot, mind blank at the sight… until someone grabbed my ankle.

—It was a child. Their body melting too….

"……."

—I don't want to remember the words that child screamed.

—Just recalling that child's plea to be killed….

—At that moment, my husband and I could do only one thing for them.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

—There was truly only one way to free those people from their suffering….

Crack—!

I condensed mana into the Sword of Salvation, bursting the heart on the tip.

The sword felt a bit lighter.

My right hand gripping it drooped unconsciously.

'With this….'

The ritual was gone. The medium, Oh Kyung-hoon's heart, was destroyed.

No more innocents writhing in pain, no helpless child begging to die.

At least, not here.

Excluding quest rewards, nothing in the 'Reverse Dungeon' affects reality.

"……."

I bit my lip. Blood trickled down.

The metallic tang filled my mouth vividly.

"If it's too hard, I can do it."

Dad approached quietly, hand on my shoulder.

With a calm, unsurprised expression.

No wonder. I'd explained everything before coming here.

It'd sound utterly absurd to anyone hearing it cold.

A renowned S-rank player suddenly sells his soul and sacrifices innocents for a ritual?

'But he believed me.'

Dad believed my words. Mom's words.

He spoke gently.

"You're surprisingly soft in these matters. Let me handle it."

I blinked—what?—then got it.

'He thinks I'm hesitating to kill Oh Kyung-hoon.'

This bastard was pretty close to Mom and Dad.

Close enough for Mom to casually call ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him 'stupid beard guy.'

And as Dad said, Mom was weak to sentiment. Rough mouth, rough actions, but soft-hearted deep down.

That's my mom.

But I'm different.

Shing.

The remaining Sword of Salvation slid from its sheath.

I spoke at the same time. Cold, even to my own ears.

"No. I'll do it."

"……."

Dad removed his hand from my shoulder and stepped back.

I took one step toward Oh Kyung-hoon.

"F-fuck…!"

The worm crawling on the ground spat curses.

Chest pierced, heart ripped out, yet he was still alive and kicking.

How?

"I became His— the Destroyer's— proxy! I, I…! I was carrying out a sacred mission! The sacrifices were all prepared, and the 'Descent Ritual' would've started in minutes… but…! You ruined everything!"

Destroyer's proxy, huh. Higher up than regular demons, whatever that means.

Explains surviving without a heart.

'Sacred mission…?'

Rage surged like waves. Blood rushed to my head, mana boiling.

'Gonna lose it.'

I clenched my twitching fist, desperately holding onto reason.

While reining in my churning emotions and mana, I'd let him spew his bullshit.

"If not for you, I'd have become His servant, gained power no one could touch! Then I could've ruled the world alongside Him—."

"Damn, can't take it."

"…What?"

Kwajijik—!

Sword winds whirled into a vortex. His yapping mouth—and head—were pulverized.

"Thought maybe you had some deep backstory, but that was it?"

"Guh, heuk…! Ku, rruk…!"

Flesh bubbled up like foam from the cross-section of his minced head.

Head gone, yet regenerating.

Fine then….

Grind him to dust, no traces left.

Kwajajak—!

Fierce sword strikes rained down. Black blood splattered everywhere; Oh Kyung-hoon's limbs shattered into countless pieces.

Each time, he regenerated. Flesh and muscle regrew from the stumps as arms and legs severed.

But Storm Slash pulverized his body faster than he could heal.

Reduced to scraps, Oh Kyung-hoon shed tears, screeching his final death throes.

"Kuhuk, cuk…!"

"Because of you, innocent people had to die in nightmare agony."

"A naive child had to beg, 'Please kill me'…."

"Worst of all, because of you, Mom shed tears from overwhelming guilt."

Kwagagagak—!

"You know? I despise you more than the Destroyer."

"Kwaaaaa…!"

"I hope you suffer even in death. Here and in reality."

Kwajik—!

With the last chunk of flesh crushed.

Oh Kyung-hoon met his end.

Silence fell.

I let out a weary sigh, gazing at the distant people.

Beyond the wasteland horizon, the dawn's first light began illuminating the survivors.