Chapter 274
Chapter 274
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 275
Chapter Title: Kwak Moo-jin's Revelation
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Lee Seo-jun couldn't hide his shock at Kwak Moo-jin's appearance.
He never imagined that Kwak Moo-jin, who had been reported missing, was hiding inside the virtual world he himself had created.
On top of that, he seemed to have achieved a degree of immortality.
"Your face shows a lot of surprise. Well, it's only natural, isn't it? Even the me from the past would have found it hard to believe."
Kwak Moo-jin spoke with an expressionless face.
His tone carried a sense of leisure, as if he had awakened to all truths.
Lee Seo-jun fell into thought for a moment before asking his question.
"What do you mean by 'half-immortality'?"
"It's exactly as it sounds. I've obtained incomplete immortality. Simply put, true immortality means gaining both eternal youth and longevity, but I haven't achieved eternal youth."
Kwak Moo-jin's face was that of a wrinkled old man.
In other words, he had gained longevity—no longer dying from the passage of time—but his body would continue to age.
At the same time, a question arose in Lee Seo-jun's mind.
Immortality without eternal youth meant living forever in an aging body.
He might have to live his entire life in pain.
Was such immortality truly meaningful?
At that moment, Kwak Moo-jin spoke.
"Don't you have more questions? I'm willing to answer as much as possible."
For some reason, Kwak Moo-jin was showing goodwill toward Lee Seo-jun.
Following his words, Lee Seo-jun decided to ask more.
". . . Then how did you obtain immortality?"
"How I obtained it . . . It's a long story. But first, I suppose I should tell you my tale."
With that, Kwak Moo-jin began his story.
In summary, while pursuing mysteries in the past, he suffered an accident that left him comatose, leading him to arrive in the Boundary World—the realm between the living world and the afterlife.
"I wandered the Boundary World to return to the living world. By chance, I discovered a mystery that could manifest a virtual world of memories."
Kwak Moo-jin continued calmly.
"That mystery spoke to me. It said that if I made a contract with it, it would help me escape the Boundary World and teach me the path to immortality. Of course, I had no choice but to accept the offer."
At the mention of a contract with a mystery, Lee Seo-jun naturally recalled Jin Cheon-woo's journal.
Similar content was written there as well.
"With the mystery's help, I escaped the Boundary World. But once outside, the mystery demanded much from me. First, it required me to draw many people into the virtual world, and to do so by spreading rumors that the method of immortality was hidden within it. Bound by the contract, I had no choice but to comply."
Kwak Moo-jin gave a wistful smile.
"But in the end, what returned was the mystery's betrayal. It went berserk and swallowed even me."
Lee Seo-jun could say nothing.
"And so, I was trapped in another unfamiliar world once more. It was like the Boundary World before, but different—this was a virtual world, altered by the mystery's manipulation."
"You couldn't find a way out of the virtual world?"
When Lee Seo-jun asked, Kwak Moo-jin shook his head.
"I already knew the way out of the virtual world. Find the mystery's true body hidden within—the 'Mystery's Crystal.' But it had created a legion of 'Predators' infused with its will to protect itself, so I had no means."
Lee Seo-jun was greatly shocked by the continually unfolding tale.
The enchanting power possessed by mysteries.
Their danger had been drilled into him at the Magic Academy. But hearing of a mystery going berserk, manipulating individuals, and building its own forces was a first.
"The Predator Legion was far too strong for a mere mystery researcher like me. Then one day, I met a man who came to the virtual world."
"That man was Jin Cheon-woo."
At Lee Seo-jun's question, Kwak Moo-jin fell silent for a moment before nodding.
". . . Yes. Even at a young age, that man already knew much. In fact, it was he who granted me half-immortality. Under the pretext of giving me power to oppose the mystery, he fused a mystery he possessed with me."
"Jin Cheon-woo did?"
"Yes. Of course, it wasn't true immortality. The material needed for true immortality is the 'body of blood kin born in the Boundary.'"
Lee Seo-jun now understood why Jin Cheon-woo had killed the pregnant Lee Yoon-kyung.
It was because the body of blood kin born in the Boundary was required for immortality.
That body was his child.
"But what that man did to me was merely an experiment. Thanks to him, I gained power akin to the mystery's, but in the end, I became an incomplete mystery—a failure."
As Lee Seo-jun fell into thought, Kwak Moo-jin stared at him intently before speaking.
"Do you want to leave this world?"
"Yes."
"As I said earlier, there's only one way out of this world. Destroy the Mystery's Crystal guarded by the Predators. If you can destroy the crystal, everyone from the outside trapped in the Boundary can return to the real world. Of course, the aftermath would kill me too, but I no longer cling to life."
Their goal was now set.
But even for Lee Seo-jun, piercing through that vast legion alone was impossible.
As Lee Seo-jun showed an uneasy expression, the mystery asked.
"It would be hard to accomplish that alone, with so many obstacles. I'll help you. I harbor resentment toward the mystery sustaining this world as well."
An unexpected ally had appeared.
"Understood. By the way, do you know the whereabouts of my friends? My friends are in this world too, but we got separated while escaping. Do you know a way to meet them again?"
". . . You mean the ones who entered with you?"
"Yes, that's right."
Kwak Moo-jin pondered for a moment.
"I know to some extent . . . But I have one question: who exactly is the man among your friends?"
". . . A man? You mean Sun-woo?"
"I'm not sure of the exact name, but if it's the man who entered with you, then yes."
"Why Sun-woo . . . ?"
". . . That's."
Kwak Moo-jin, about to say something, closed his mouth.
"It's nothing. I just asked because he felt a bit unusual to me."
"Unusual?"
"Yes, he gave off a feeling different from ordinary humans. Even I couldn't easily gauge him . . ."
Kwak Moo-jin trailed off.
Seeing this, Lee Seo-jun felt strong doubt.
. . . Kim Sun-woo is different from ordinary humans?
As Lee Seo-jun's face grew serious, Kwak Moo-jin spoke.
"Never mind. No need to worry about it. Instead, I'll use my authority to connect you with them."
In response to Choi Seo-yoon's question, I fell silent and pondered for a moment.
Why am I chasing Jin Cheon-woo?
The reason I'm pursuing Jin Cheon-woo is simple.
Because I want Lee Seo-jun to reach the ending as per the original story.
But I couldn't tell the truth, so I had to make something up.
"I'm not chasing Jin Cheon-woo—I'm helping Lee Seo-jun."
Choi Seo-yoon looked at me with eyes full of disbelief and disappointment.
". . . Isn't that too passionate for just helping? It could even be dangerous. Thinking about it, it feels like you've been helping for quite a while."
From a third party's perspective, it might indeed seem strange.
"Aside from helping Lee Seo-jun, I personally had a lot of curiosity about the person named Jin Cheon-woo."
I shrugged as if it were no big deal, and Choi Seo-yoon let out a deep sigh of resignation.
". . . Okay."
I felt unnecessarily sorry, smiling wryly.
"Alright, let's get moving."
As I stood up, Choi Seo-yoon looked up at me.
"Where are you going?"
"Where else? To find Lee Seo-jun."
"Do you even know where he is?"
If he moved via gate, he'd likely arrived at the [Temple] at the eastern edge.
It's quite a distance from here, taking about a week on foot, but running could shorten it to three days.
"I have a rough idea."
". . . Huh? How?"
It was then.
*Ding!*
My head throbbed, and a voice echoed in my mind.
[. . . Ah. Can you hear my voice?]
It was Lee Seo-jun's voice. Choi Seo-yoon and I jumped in surprise, looking around.
"Huh? Senior Lee Seo-jun?"
[Ah, you can hear me. How are you two holding up? Any injuries?]
"No, we're fine. Thanks to Senior Kim Sun-woo, we escaped well. But Senior, what's going on?"
[I got help from a mystery by a stroke of luck.]
". . . A mystery?"
Choi Seo-yoon reacted with bewilderment, but I could roughly guess the situation.
He met Kwak Moo-jin at the temple.
I just hadn't expected we'd be able to talk like this through Kwak Moo-jin's power.
[Kim Sun-woo.]
Then Lee Seo-jun called my name.
"Yeah."
[For now, I've learned about immortality and how to escape this world.]
Choi Seo-yoon's face brightened at the words that we'd found a way.
I nodded calmly and replied.
"Yeah?"
Though the sudden Predator invasion had messed up the plan, fortunately, things were proceeding smoothly up to this point.
[Then I'll explain what I heard and the plan going forward.]
Five days later, on a foggy night with pouring rain.
Choi Seo-yoon and I arrived at the massive mountain to the west, following Lee Seo-jun's instructions.
I blankly gazed up at the mountain.
This mountain was the territory inhabited by the Predators, a kind of fortress guarding the 'Mystery's Crystal' that sustained this world.
According to the original story, the mystery had created it after nearly being destroyed by Jin Cheon-woo in the past, to protect itself.
"Wow, it's huge."
Choi Seo-yoon murmured in awe as she looked up at the mountain.
I followed her gaze upward.
Though shrouded in fog, the faint silhouette revealed its immense scale.
"Yeah."
"Where could Senior Lee Seo-jun be?"
"Probably hiding somewhere around here, waiting."
Our plan was as follows.
Choi Seo-yoon and I would use magic to draw the attention of the Predator Legion.
Meanwhile, Lee Seo-jun would infiltrate the fortress, slay the Predator King, and destroy the Mystery's Crystal.
The Predator King possessed S-rank mana power, a tough opponent even for Lee Seo-jun, but with Kwak Moo-jin's blessing, he could unleash overwhelming strength against Predators specifically.
". . . The problem is we have to hold them off for at least 30 minutes."
It might sound short, but 30 minutes in battle is an eternity.
Moreover, this was the Predators' home base.
Far more Predators lurked here than the legion we'd seen in the city of the living.
It wouldn't be easy.
"Senior, what are you going to do? If we run away mid-battle, the mystery will notice Lee Seo-jun infiltrating."
"The weather's good today, so it'll be fine."
I looked up at the sky. The pouring rain soaked my face.
Ice-attribute magic grows stronger on rainy days.
Especially on days with heavy downpours like this.
In the original story too, Choi Seo-yoon had used the weather advantage to freeze the mountain, buying time as the Predators struggled to descend.
"Freeze part of the mountain first, then trap them with a barrier to drag it out as long as possible. After that, I'll blast them with a mana downpour as much as I can."
There were too many to wipe out completely with mana downpours due to limited numbers, but our goal wasn't total annihilation anyway.
"Got it!"
"Then shall we start?"
I drew up my mana.
Choi Seo-yoon needed to conserve hers for the magic she'd use later, so I'd have to draw their attention.
I extended my hand toward the sky, manifesting the largest sphere I could manage.
Woooong—!
At the same time, a massive sphere about 3 meters in diameter appeared above my head.
I wasn't used to handling such bulky magic, so I couldn't match Yu A-ra's speed in manifestation, release, or destructive power, but that was fine.
My goal was just to attract their attention.
This would be more than enough.
"Huup!"
I thrust my hand toward the fortress.
The sphere shot toward the mountain.
Fwoooosh!
KABOOM——
A massive explosion echoed from the mountain, smoke rising.
"Get ready!"
At my words, Choi Seo-yoon nodded and drew up her mana.
The enemies would now reveal themselves after the sudden ambush—
However.
"Huh?"
Even after about three seconds, nothing changed.
Normally, the Predator Legion should have surfaced, charging out . . .
What? Did I get the location wrong?
No, this is definitely it.
". . . What?"
Choi Seo-yoon, panicking too, released her mana and turned to me.
"Senior? No reaction? Did we come to the wrong place?"
"No. This is it."
"Then . . ."
It was then.
Rumble—RUMBLE—
Vibrations shook the ground behind us, accompanied by enormous sounds.
It wasn't the sound of magic colliding.
So this sound was . . .
The march of the legion.
Choi Seo-yoon and I turned around simultaneously.
Beyond the horizon, thousands of Predators—the monster legion—were advancing toward us.
". . . No way."
Why are they coming from there?
According to the original plan, we'd freeze part of the mountain to prevent them from descending easily and buy time.
But the enemies weren't on the mountain.
". . . Did they anticipate us and lie in ambush?"
"S-Senior. At this rate, we can't even escape, right?"
Choi Seo-yoon turned to me with a urgent voice.
And she wasn't wrong.
With our retreat cut off, escape was no longer an option.
Even if it were possible, we couldn't abandon Lee Seo-jun to danger.
At that moment, Choi Seo-yoon stepped forward with a resolute face, as if having made a decision.
"I'll hold them off alone as long as I can. Senior, join up with Senior Lee Seo-jun and destroy the Mystery's Crystal."
In a way, her words were the only viable path left in this situation.
If I teamed up with Lee Seo-jun, we could slay the king faster than in the original and destroy the crystal.
. . . But.
Choi Seo-yoon couldn't possibly survive that long.
No matter what, I had to prevent her from sacrificing herself.
. . . In the end, only 'that method' would work?
I grabbed Choi Seo-yoon's shoulder and stepped forward.
"I'll handle it."
". . . Senior?"
I gazed at the legion charging toward us, splashing through puddles on the horizon.
It hit me again how fortunate the rain was. Right now, I could take them all on alone.
"Huup . . . !"
I drew up my mana. At the same time, the magic circle for [Mana Downpour] manifested above my hand.
My goal wasn't just buying time—it was annihilating the legion.
A normal mana downpour wouldn't suffice, but in this rain, it was possible.
I inputted the enemies' coordinates into the magic circle.
Not densely, but to cover the widest range possible.
. . . And I infused it with lightning attribute.
I turned to Choi Seo-yoon and said.
"Keep what you see today to yourself."
". . . Pardon?"
Woooong!
As the magic circle completed, it began emitting intense light.
Mana drained from me at a rapid pace.
An enormous consumption incomparable to my usual mana downpours.
Then, a magic circle manifested in the sky, and lightning flashed.
A moment later, thunder roared.
RUMBLE!
—Kieeeek!
One Predator was struck by lightning and collapsed in flames. Then, via the rainwater, surrounding Predators were electrocuted and fell together.
". . . Huh?"
I heard Choi Seo-yoon's dazed voice from the side, but I focused on the magic circle.
RUMBLE!
As time passed, the magic circle expanded gradually.
The number of lightning bolts falling from the sky increased, soon dyeing the surroundings in white light.