Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 257
Chapter Title: The Betrayer's Demise
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He ran so hard that sweat poured from his feet.
Blood was still gushing from his severed wrist.
He should have been dizzy from blood loss, but he felt none of that. It seemed there really was such a thing as superhuman mental fortitude in life-or-death situations.
“Huff, haah, haah—.”
How long had he been running?
Pik—.
“……!”
Blood sprayed from his shoulder again. He'd been sliced by a flying dagger from behind.
Tak—.
“Kuhk—.”
Lee Won-jae stumbled over a rock but gritted his teeth and broke into a full sprint again.
‘……Where should I go?’
He didn't have any particular plan.
His guildmates hadn't helped him. Realizing he'd die if he stayed, he'd started running for his life.
In truth, he already knew.
That running away was pointless.
If Ye-ryeong had wanted to, she could have killed him back then.
Ye-ryeong was still chasing him relentlessly. Fighting with this hand would be impossible, so he had to escape somehow.
Who knew?
If he kept running like this.
If Ye-ryeong let her guard down even a little.
Maybe he could get away.
‘There.’
As he kept running, a forest came into view ahead. If he could just reach it, he might be able to hide somehow.
At that moment.
“You don't get to die easily.”
Sguk—.
The sensation vanished from the leg that had been propelling him forward.
‘Huh?’
Chwaak—.
“Kuaaaak!”
Both legs were severed. His forward momentum sent his body scraping pathetically across the ground.
Having lost one hand and both legs, Lee Won-jae propped himself up with his remaining arm.
Jeobuk—.
Ye-ryeong approached.
His body trembling violently, Lee Won-jae flattened himself to the ground.
“P-Please spare me!”
Looking down at Lee Won-jae as he slammed his head into the dirt, Ye-ryeong smiled coldly.
“Spare you?”
“I'll do anything! I have some use! I-I'll help you kill Kim Il-su!”
In the face of death's terror, he felt no humiliation. At this moment, Lee Won-jae's mind was consumed only with the need to survive somehow.
Severed arms and legs? He'd figure something out. The tower's mysteries could make any miracle possible.
“I swear… I'll definitely be useful.”
“You're such a pathetic idiot.”
“I really am……”
“No, not you. Gyu-seong.”
Ye-ryeong shook her head.
“Such an idiot. Falling for a moron like you. What was that revenge worth……”
After that incident, Si-woo and Ye-ryeong had parted ways with Gyu-seong.
Half their comrades had died, and Hyo-min had been captured. Only three remained, but even among them, their desires differed.
Gyu-seong wanted revenge. That day, he'd thrown away his life for it—choosing to part from Si-woo and Ye-ryeong.
She'd resented him for a while.
Why did you leave us? Was revenge that important?
But she'd respected it. Even if they'd gone through the same ordeal, she believed his choice stemmed from how much he cared for them.
Yet he'd died.
Toying around with trash like this.
“I didn't kill you right away because I was curious. No matter how stupid Gyu-seong was, he wouldn't fall for an eel like you. I wondered if you had some appealing charm.”
Seeing Ye-ryeong lost in thought, Lee Won-jae slyly lifted his head, his eyes darting around.
Ye-ryeong, immersed in sentiment, was full of openings. And they were close enough to touch if he reached out.
‘She's let her guard down.’
Lee Won-jae lowered his head again. He'd lost both legs and one arm, but he still had one arm left.
‘Worthless camaraderie. That's your only weakness.’
His body shook uncontrollably. He didn't even need to fake fear—his body was trembling nonstop for real.
It had reached its limit.
“But it seems you have nothing special.”
As Ye-ryeong continued, Lee Won-jae flattened himself and gathered his last strength and focus.
Mana gathered at his fingertips, tensing his muscles. If he failed to pierce her throat in one strike, it was truly over.
“Guess that's it, then……”
‘Now!’
Shuuk—.
In an instant, he sprang up, his hand lunging for Ye-ryeong's throat.
But.
“……Huh?”
Gone.
His left hand, which should have been there, was missing.
Of course, Ye-ryeong's throat was unscathed.
“Are you an idiot?”
Ye-ryeong looked utterly baffled.
Sweek—.
He felt something sharp brush past his throat.
“This… where……”
But the eerie sensation was overshadowed by the mystery of his missing left hand.
Lee Won-jae's body crumpled sideways. On the face that hit the ground, separated from his body, only bewilderment remained.
“I cut it off earlier. Guess you didn't notice.”
Tsking pityingly, Ye-ryeong looked up.
The sky had grown pitch black. She now knew it wasn't the sky, but a ceiling.
She knew. She knew, but.
“I don't know where to look. You've probably met the others by now, right?”
Ye-ryeong spoke as if Gyu-seong were somewhere nearby.
“Kinda jealous. Hey, did you see? Your big sis got revenge for you. Feel a bit better?”
Today had felt endlessly long. Staring at Lee Won-jae's rolling head, the realization that it was finally over made her tension melt away.
“Think he'll hear that?”
Ye-ryeong turned her head. Unhyang, who had been chasing her, carried Hyo-min on her back, flanked by Si-woo and Soo-hyuk as escorts.
“Always moping alone.”
“Why not? He might hear.”
“He's way over there. Sure he'll hear.”
“You a T-viral fan?”
“What're you talking about?”
“Ugh, old fogey.”
Si-woo and Ye-ryeong bantered. Their snappy tone hid Si-woo's way of cheering her up, and she knew it.
But.
“Not here. Somewhere else.”
“Huh?”
Soo-hyuk, who'd been listening, spoke unexpectedly.
“I know where Gyu-seong died.”
Ye-ryeong's eyes widened. Si-woo wore the same expression.
“Not saying it's good… but he wasn't alone.”
Soo-hyuk bowed his head.
“……Sorry.”
Silence fell at Soo-hyuk's apology.
Unhyang, carrying Hyo-min, glanced around uncertainly, unaware of the gravity here.
The heavy quiet stretched until Si-woo spoke.
“Let's all go.”
He didn't say there was no need to apologize.
It was too obvious to state. Gazing at the sleeping Hyo-min on Unhyang's back, Si-woo said,
“Wake Hyo-min too. All of us.”
At those words, Soo-hyuk, who'd bowed in guilt, lifted his face.
Si-woo's words echoed what Soo-hyuk had said at Gyu-seong's grave. Maybe that's what Gyu-seong wanted most.
“……Yeah. Let's do that.”
“Enough of that. Let's just be happy today.”
Their grief for the lost ended there.
Every day had been like that, but today was different in one way.
Si-woo and Ye-ryeong approached Soo-hyuk. Hugging him from both sides, they said in unison, as if rehearsed.
“Welcome back, Soo-hyuk.”
“Welcome back, Soo-hyuk.”
To them, today was the day they'd reclaimed what was lost.
Soo-hyuk and Unhyang followed Si-woo and Ye-ryeong up the mountain.
After running half a day from Blue House and struggling over the range, they reached a well-built cabin.
Ye-ryeong, closest to Hyo-min, had insisted on carrying her from Unhyang and did so stubbornly.
Once Hyo-min was laid on the cot inside, the work felt truly done.
“Hoo—.”
Unhyang stepped outside and exhaled deeply, the breath she'd held.
Today felt like a dream.
The legends of Blue Eyes had reappeared one by one. Hwang Gyu-seong's return had surprised her, but this was on another level.
Si-woo, Ye-ryeong, and even Hyo-min.
Three legends at once. Right in front of her.
‘What the hell?’
Unhyang was baffled.
Without knowing why, she'd helped Ye-ryeong at Soo-hyuk's request. Strange enough, but they acted like they knew Soo-hyuk well.
Like old friends.
As if he were really Lee Soo-hyuk.
‘Ridiculous.’
She'd seen Soo-hyuk up close.
Not just from broadcasts. As his manager, she knew his off-camera side too—maybe better than anyone.
Soo-hyuk's skills had grown rapidly. Incredibly so, even watching from beside him.
But when they first met, he was just an ordinary player.
His control was exceptional—like peak Lee Soo-hyuk—but still.
Unhyang recalled why she'd fallen for Soo-hyuk.
‘He really seemed like Lee Soo-hyuk who'd lost his power.’
But only that.
Lee Soo-hyuk was dead. Even if he returned, restarting from floor 2 was absurd.
Jeobuk—.
Squatting in front of the cabin, Unhyang turned toward the footsteps.
It was Soo-hyuk.
“What're you doing out here alone?”
“And you, Soo-hyuk-ssi?”
Startled, she fired back, then realized her question skipped too much.
Thinking it over, Unhyang rephrased.
“I mean… now that you've reunited with your friends……”
“Not catching up?”
“Yes.”
“Busy with Hyo-min right now. Ye-ryeong's changing her clothes, washing her up. Like that.”
Soo-hyuk's face looked peaceful as he answered. Even in joy, there'd been shadows before— not today.
“We'll catch up after tending to Hyo-min. Drink like fish, talk till we're sick of it.”
Soo-hyuk's reply matched her expectations. He spoke of Hyo-min, Si-woo, and Ye-ryeong like long-lost friends.
“You knew we were friends, huh.”
Soo-hyuk had sensed this moment would come.
When?
From deciding to meet Si-woo and Ye-ryeong here?
From learning Unhyang's past?
Or from first knowing she was his fan?
“How could I not? You look so happy.”
“That obvious?”
“Yes. Extremely.”
“Guess it shows.”
Scratching his head with an awkward smile, Soo-hyuk's face held no mischief.
That expression erased any lingering doubt she'd misread.
“So Soo-hyuk-ssi really is……”
Her words trailed off, but Soo-hyuk knew what she meant.
“As you guessed, I wasn't trying to fool you with this.”
Unhyang belatedly noticed the mask in his hand.
Gazing at the mask he toyed with, Soo-hyuk continued.
“I am Lee Soo-hyuk.”
The same introduction as always.
But to Unhyang, it meant something entirely different.