Chapter 442
Chapter 442
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 443
Chapter Title: The Rule of the Red Moon
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My body, with Mask Play activated, rushed right up to the giant spirit in an instant.
The spirit bellowed loudly and swung a fist at me. I triggered my ability right on cue.
[Activating effect, 'Lightspeed Enhancement.']
Woooong!
Light mana enveloped my body and began emitting an immense glow.
Lightspeed Enhancement.
One of Lee Seo-jun's secret spells, a technique that amplified physical abilities using light-attribute mana.
At the same time, it made the monster's movements look slow, as if I'd used [Instant Acceleration]. I then triggered Lee Seo-jun's next ability.
[Special trait 'Hundred Heavens Swordsmanship' is activated.]
Flash!
Light flashed from the sword, and the spirit's fist swinging toward me was cleanly severed.
In an eye-blink moment invisible to the naked eye, the silver sword in my hand had sliced off its arm.
[Successfully used the target's advanced ability while impersonating.]
[Your sense of self is slightly shaken.]
[Acquired adaptive trait, 'Basic Swordsmanship (E)'.]
Ignoring the messages floating before my eyes, I triggered the next ability.
[Activating effect 'Hundred Heavens Extreme Slash.']
At the same time, my upper body leaned forward.
My body's center of gravity shifted to my two hands gripping the sword, and intense light mana began pouring from the blade.
"...Hup!"
Slash!
The afterimage of the swung sword flashed horizontally in a long streak.
A massive shockwave rippled out from my body, and at the monster's center, blood burst forth alongside a brilliant white light. The spirit's mana rose into the sky.
Krrgh....
The spirit slowly dissipated.
Certain of victory, I stood still and looked up at it.
[Achievement 'Spirit Slaying' accomplished.]
[Acquired 3,000 points as reward.]
[Achievement 'Victory with the Sword' accomplished.]
[Acquired 3,000 points as reward.]
"W-Wow!"
A voice filled with astonishment came from behind me. I turned to see a black-haired woman approaching with shining eyes.
"I thought you were a manifestation wizard, but you're an enhancement wizard? Amazing!"
She scanned my body up and down before speaking again.
"Do you know her by any chance? What's your name?"
I answered naturally to her question.
"I'm Lee Seo-jun."
The moment I responded without thinking, I felt something off.
...Was my name Lee Seo-jun?
Various doubts flashed through my mind, leaving me briefly confused.
Then a sudden headache hit.
"Ugh....
[Ending evolved latent trait, 'Mask Play.']
[High comprehension of 'Lee Seo-jun' led to perfect impersonation.]
['Lee Seo-jun' assimilation rate increased by 8%.]
[The higher the assimilation rate, the more efficiently you can use the target's abilities. However, the risk of losing your sense of self increases.]
"What the hell."
For a moment, I had unconsciously thought of myself as 'Lee Seo-jun.'
If she hadn't asked my name, I might not have even noticed the anomaly.
This ability seems more dangerous than I thought.
"...Lee Seo-jun?"
At that moment, the black-haired woman murmured blankly.
"Huh? I know you! Lee Seo-jun!"
"Uh...."
At the woman's sudden words, I turned to look at her.
She was jumping up and down like she'd spotted a celebrity, her eyes sparkling.
"I heard rumors about you when you were alive! They said you were not only incredibly skilled but also ridiculously handsome! But....
The woman stroked her chin, staring at my face as if appraising it.
"...The handsome rumors seem a bit exaggerated? Or did you age and lose a bit of your looks?"
"Lost my looks?"
I admit I'm somewhat inferior(?) to Lee Seo-jun, but not by that much.
As I narrowed my eyes, she let out an awkward "Haha" as if realizing her slip.
"N-No, you're still pretty hot and fine now, but not quite the heavenly beauty from the rumors....
When I didn't respond, she finally bowed her head.
"...Sorry. You're super handsome just like the rumors. I often get told I have bad taste in looks. My apologies."
I looked at her and let out a deep sigh.
Whatever this situation is, clearing up the misunderstanding comes first.
"I'm not Lee Seo-jun."
"...Are you mad?"
Mad about what.
"I'm really not. Lee Seo-jun."
"Come on~ I saw you use light-attribute swordsmanship. I might not know Lee Seo-jun's face, but I know he's light-attribute enhancement."
She seemed completely convinced I was Lee Seo-jun.
I'd shown flawless light-attribute swordsmanship, so it was unavoidable.
To clarify for sure, I'd have to reveal I'm Kim Sun-woo.
But revealing my name to a total stranger felt iffy, so I dropped it.
"Who are you, then?"
"Oh. I'm Jung Min-ha."
She introduced herself confidently.
"Jung Min-ha?"
First time hearing the name.
Doesn't seem like a major character from the original story.
I looked at her and used [Character Insight].
Name: Jung Min-ha
Age: 20
Race: Human
Status: Calm
Mana Grade: A-
Interest: 0
The info showed she wasn't lying.
Age 20... She looks young, but we're the same age.
Her mana grade is A- for her age—that's pretty high.
Top 10 in the wizard academy, by academy standards.
Then Jung Min-ha asked.
"But when did you arrive at the Boundary? I don't recognize you."
"Just now."
"Huh? Really?"
Her eyes widened round as she asked.
I stared at her steadily, nodded, and looked around.
"Anyway. There's a village nearby, right? Mind guiding me?"
"...What? You just got here, but how'd you know about the village?"
Following her guidance, I walked the Boundary's paths. Night darkened, and monster howls echoed from somewhere.
I gripped Jung Min-ha's silver sword tightly, bracing for any potential monster attacks.
As we walked in tension, she spoke up as if something occurred to her.
"But if you're Lee Seo-jun, aren't you 20 this year?"
At her out-of-nowhere comment, I stared at the back of her head.
She whipped around with a grin and poked my side.
"Yep~ Same age as me! Nice to meet you, buddy!"
After that, she started chattering like we'd been friends forever.
From that, I gleaned some info: She'd lived in the Boundary world for about 3 years.
Spirit monsters were surging around the southern [Frozen Valley].
Manifestation wizards couldn't contribute much because of it.
"It's great a skilled enhancement wizard showed up~ Everyone will welcome you big time. They're all good people."
Before long, we arrived at the [Village] in the southwest.
Unlike the northern [City of the Living], it felt like a small rural hamlet.
Like the goblin village I'd seen from the Tower of Four Seasons.
"Village chief!"
Then Jung Min-ha waved at a white-haired old man.
His gaze turned to us, and I sensed an unusual aura from him. Like the presence of an immense powerhouse?
Not quite Kim Jin-cheol level, but close.
Feeling dubious, I used [Character Insight].
Name: Kim Jung-hee
Age: 81
Race: Human
Status: Calm
Mana Grade: S+
Interest: 0
Shockingly, the old man's mana grade was S+.
Worldwide, S+ holders were rare enough to count on one hand.
Kim Jung-hee?
...Sounds familiar. Where'd I hear it?
"It's late. What kept you out all night?"
Kim Jung-hee eyed me and Jung Min-ha as he muttered.
Jung Min-ha gave an awkward smile.
"Sorry. Suddenly chased by a spirit... Oh! This is a new friend who arrived today! Name's Lee Seo-jun!"
"...Lee Seo-jun?"
A flicker of doubt in Kim Jung-hee's eyes. Then he looked at me and said.
"Are you really Lee Seo-jun?"
"No. I'm—"
He cut me off.
"...You're alive."
Most in the Boundary are dead souls.
A tiny few living visit, like 'Kwak Mu-jin' who made a virtual world based on the Boundary, or Ja-un who visited alive for the [Seed of the Origin] in the original.
But maybe it was my imagination—his 'alive' carried a different weight.
"...A living soul?"
At Kim Jung-hee's words, Jung Min-ha looked at me in shock.
"You're a living human?!"
"Yeah. Probably."
Revived by immortality effect, so yeah, alive.
Word spread, and about 20 villagers gathered.
"Whoa, a living one? It's been ages."
"How'd you end up here?"
As endless questions flew, Kim Jung-hee stepped forward.
The crowd checked his expression and backed off.
"A living soul... I don't know why you came to the world of the dead, but unfortunate timing."
Unfortunate timing?
I eyed him questioningly, and he continued.
"Lee Seo-jun. Your goal is returning to the surface, right?"
"Yes. As a living soul, naturally....
"Living souls in the Boundary have a set time to return to the surface. When the red moon rises and the Boundary walls crumble."
What.
Boundary world info was limited even in the original—I was learning this fresh.
Never imagined such a setting.
"And the last red moon was two days ago."
"Two days ago?"
...Two days ago meant bad timing. No clue how long till the next.
Guess I'll leisurely take down the great origin spirit and go.
Feeling vexed, I asked him again.
"Then, do you know when the red moon rises next?"
To my question, Kim Jung-hee answered.
"In two years."
I doubted my ears. Did I hear wrong?
...Three days passed.
Republic of Korea, Seoul National Cemetery.
A tombstone for Kim Sun-woo stood proudly in the national cemetery, reserved only for national heroes who sacrificed for great deeds and the country.
Before it stood chief mourner Lee Seo-jun, along with Shin Young-jun, Yoon Ha-young, Lee Hyun-joo, Yoo Ah-ra, Choi Seo-yoon with dark faces. Behind them, powerhouse wizards like Kim Jin-cheol, Choi Il-hyun, Kim Duk-hyun, Yoo A-yeon stood with somber expressions.
[2015. 4. 21. ~ 2034. 1. 28]
[Grave of Kim Sun-woo]
"Sob."
Yoon Ha-young, who had been staring at Kim Sun-woo's tombstone for a long while, finally burst into tears.
Yoo Ah-ra quietly embraced her, biting her lip hard to hold back her own welling emotions.
"Sun-woo... Sun-woo is so pitiful... Waaah....
Yoon Ha-young wailed in Yoo Ah-ra's arms, repeatedly calling Kim Sun-woo pitiful.
At her heartrending words, Shin Young-jun turned his flushed face away and wiped tears, while Choi Seo-yoon silently gazed at the tombstone, tears falling.
"What do we do... Sun-woo... Sun-woooo... Hic....
Lee Seo-jun, eyes fixed on the tombstone, clenched his fist and muttered softly.
"Rest easy... I will... definitely... definitely....
Lee Seo-jun couldn't finish.
He tucked his vow deep in his heart.
Time passed, the burial ended, and all rites concluded.
As crowds of reporters dispersed, Kim Sun-woo's friends gathered on a bench in the cemetery park.
Lee Seo-jun looked around at them and said.
"You all worked hard."
"...No. You had it the worst."
At Yoo Ah-ra's words, Lee Seo-jun gave a bitter smile.
"What now?"
"Well, time to live our own lives. That's what Kim Sun-woo would want."
At Shin Young-jun's reply, Lee Seo-jun fell thoughtful.
Kim Sun-woo would want that....
In a way, true. He'd always cared for us while pretending not to.
"Yeah."
"And the Association gave us a week off. Rest when you can."
Everyone except Choi Seo-yoon was in the Special Task Force.
They'd keep meeting ahead, no big worries, but Choi Seo-yoon would be alone for a while.
Feeling needless concern, Lee Seo-jun turned to Choi Seo-yoon's vacant gaze.
"Seo-yoon. You?"
At Lee Seo-jun's call, Choi Seo-yoon turned.
"...I'm heading back home."
"Yeah?"
"Need to prep for next semester... Don't worry too much."
Choi Seo-yoon smiled.
But her sad eyes remained, filling Lee Seo-jun with deep unease.