Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: People Who Have Lost Hope (6)
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This situation.
The mere fact of meeting Eileen alive had Jessica struggling to contain her overwhelming emotions.
"I... I thought you were dead. Thank you. Thank you so much for holding on like this."
It had been a full three years.
She had clung to the faint hope of an artifact, searching for Eileen every single day, but Jessica was well aware that reality wasn't kind. From the start, the odds of surviving the 'mass link' incident were slim to none, and even if she had made it, three years was more than enough time to perish without a trace.
The people remaining in Kitakyushu.
Those with circumstances like Jessica's had gradually left the hopeless city one by one as time passed.
They had given up.
Or despaired.
In one way or another, facing the harsh reality head-on, they decided they could no longer survive in this city. If even one person had returned alive from the Red Zone, the spark of hope would have spread like wildfire. But despairingly, over the past three years, there hadn't been a single survival report through conventional means. Only the early survivors with teleport scroll in hand had escaped the hell of the Red Zone.
Their wills had been broken.
Just when even the artifact no longer felt like a beacon of hope, this miracle happened: meeting Eileen alive.
She hugged her tightly.
Her tear-streaked face wept openly, heedless of prying eyes.
"I'm the one who's grateful. The fact that you came looking for me means you never gave up on me these past three years."
Embracing each other.
They showed no sign of letting go.
Jessica and Eileen both knew the other's face was gaunter and more worn than they remembered, but neither could bring themselves to mention it. They vaguely understood. Each other's years had undoubtedly been grueling, and right now, rather than sharing the pain, they wanted to savor the joy of reunion fully.
They cried for a long time.
Once their emotions settled a bit, Eileen cautiously asked.
"...But who are those people?"
Four East Asian men.
People absent from Eileen's memories.
Jessica startled.
Only then did she remember the group's situation.
"They're the ones who helped rescue you. I'm truly grateful to them. We couldn't have made it here without them."
"Hold on a second."
Eileen stood up.
She saw Kang San treating his wounds.
Knowing the dangers he had faced, she walked over to him.
"We should treat them first."
Eileen exchanged brief introductions.
Thanks to the translation artifact, she learned his name was Kang San and immediately cast a healing spell.
"Heal."
Whoosh—
Holy light flared up.
As it seeped in, gently mending the wounds, Jessica approached with a shocked expression.
"Since when could you use skills?"
"About a year after we got isolated? I don't really know how it happened. They just appeared out of nowhere one day."
The Eileen in Jessica's memory was an ordinary person.
Not only had she failed congenital awakening, but she'd also been deemed unfit for acquired awakening at age twenty.
She had lived as a civilian, entering Japan for a simple trip, not for anything grandiose like raids. Yet here she was at their reunion, awakened. Jessica knew this was unusual, but there was no need to press further.
The treatment finished.
The heal's potency was impressive; Kang San's external wounds healed rapidly.
Eileen said.
"Thank you so much. Thanks to you, my village and I are safe."
"No need. Let's sort out the situation and leave immediately. Fortunately, the teleport scroll Jessica has can handle dozens of people, so you can all escape together with the villagers."
Kang San also.
Had several spare teleport scrolls.
But since Jessica's could cover it, he planned to use hers.
A hopeful situation.
But rather than rejoicing, Eileen asked cautiously.
"Did the Japanese government send another rescue team by any chance?"
"Not that I know of. We're here on Jessica's request, independent of the Japanese government."
"Ah..."
"Is there a problem?"
"No. It's just... there are other survivors around here besides us. I don't know exactly where they are or how many, but I confirmed they were alive six months ago. Their chances of rescue are pretty slim, right?"
She wasn't asking to be saved.
She knew that was impossible, so she inquired about any additional rescue teams.
For some reason.
The moment he heard her question, Kang San's heart sank.
The ominous feeling he'd been ignoring suggested that rescuing Eileen wasn't the end of the trials.
And sure enough.
The fourth trial.
The trials were far from over.
His heart pounded.
A chill ran down his spine.
This fourth trial felt like being pushed off a cliff to certain death, given his current state.
'This trial is too dangerous.'
The first one.
The second, the third.
None of the trials had been safe.
But unlike before, when he'd held back his trump cards like Sanctuary and Glory Aura's active effect, he'd now burned through all his key skills' cooldowns. It would take 24 hours to reuse them. If he encountered forces similar to Eileen's village rescue, he had no confidence in handling three or more A-Rank monsters now. Even two would be a life-or-death struggle.
So then.
'Teleport back and bring a rescue team?'
That wouldn't work either.
The reason Kang San had been forced into relentless marches was the deliberately tight time limit.
Only two hours granted.
Even skipping return travel with a teleport scroll, retracing their path would take at least two hours. It wasn't even worth considering. In the end, he had to resolve this absurd sixteenth trial with only the forces at hand right here.
He checked on his younger comrades.
They were resting, exhausted, having used their key skills just like him.
Especially Yeon Woo-bin; his 'Spirit Summon' also had a 24-hour cooldown, making overwhelming firepower like before impossible. It was hopeless in every way. He had no idea how to handle this.
'They're really trying to kill me.'
Azmun.
Luca Bellino.
He couldn't fathom the intentions of these unknown entities pushing him this hard.
At first, he'd chalked it up to karma, but shoving his present self—unrelated to his past life—into mortal peril felt downright malicious. He took a breath. Suddenly, memories surfaced of those who had seen him off: Yeon Woo-bin's father, Jo Han-byeol's parents, even Jung Chan-woo's sister, Jung Hye-mi.
They sincerely wished for his family's safety. No—he meant his comrades'.
He knew they allowed the Japan trip because they trusted him.
'If we face danger beyond our means, I have to die alone. I can't demand greater sacrifices from them due to risks stemming from me.'
A sudden calm washed over him.
His mind cleared, sorting the chaos.
Trials couldn't be avoided anyway.
So from now on, he needed to act.
He approached his comrades.
Assuming they'd all return together, he told them something different from the plan.
"You guys go back first."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"We have to go together. It's dangerous for you alone, hyung."
Immediate pushback, as expected.
Kang San spun a plausible story unrelated to the truth but convincing enough for them.
"I'll follow right after, obviously. The issue is, like Eileen said, there are survivors nearby. If we head back now, finding them becomes unlikely. You know my special skill lets me pinpoint survivors, but once we leave, I'm not sure I can retrace our exact path. So request a rescue team as soon as you get back. I'll scout the village locations, teleport out immediately, join the team, and guide them."
"We can do that together too."
"No. Right now, we can't bring our full strength. If we're avoiding combat, going solo is safer. Protecting myself isn't hard, and if it's too risky, I just teleport out."
10% lie, 90% truth.
Everything except him scouting and returning was realistically sound.
Red Zone.
The biggest problem was pinpointing locations.
Early Japanese rescue teams with teleport scrolls entered but lost most to monsters without finding survivors, opting to retreat. Being able to navigate was a huge advantage. No one could argue against Kang San's judgment enabling that.
As always.
His comrades trusted him.
If Kang San said it, they believed it possible.
Jo Han-byeol spoke cautiously.
"...You absolutely, absolutely can't push yourself."
Once strangers.
Seeing their worried gazes, Kang San realized he'd grown attached.
Kang San smiled brightly.
"Got it. I will."
At that moment.
Nakamura Genji answered the phone with a furious expression.
"So, when the hell are those pompous Diet members going to make a decision? This isn't a tourist spot. It's not some hunting course for outsiders to casually visit. You can't even imagine how many Japanese citizens are suffering beyond the walls right now. We need a full-scale subjugation ASAP... Damn bastards. So, when exactly are you giving a firm answer! Screw you, you sons of bitches. Do you think I stayed a civil servant here just to give the answers you want?"
Crash!
He hurled the phone.
His insides boiled.
Three years ago.
Like Jessica settling in Kitakyushu, promising Japanese hunter Nakamura Genji chose to work as a civil servant. Back then, it seemed the best call. Knowing the internal situation would allow ideal rescues.
"...Fuck."
His face twisted.
His throat burned.
Gulping water, he still couldn't contain his emotions.
'Fine, one month. If no decision by then, I'll kill them all and myself.'
He swallowed his rage.
Couldn't act on impulse.
He had to compromise, secure what he needed, so he swallowed his pride as civil servant Nakamura Genji.
A figure came running from afar, out of breath.
Nakamura Genji donned his mask.
A mask of indifference, to avoid emotional responses.
People grumbled about rudeness but overlooked it as typical bureaucracy.
Same now.
Just enough for his role.
Without expending emotion.
That was the plan.
But.
"S-survivors! S-survivors from the R-Red Zone have returned!"
"What?"
An unexpected report.
A crack formed in his mask of stoicism.