Chapter 402
Chapter 402
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 402
Chapter Title: Time to Hunt Kim Il-su
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Lee Soo-hyuk could definitely feel the change in atmosphere.
It was to the point where he couldn't even lift his head and walk around outside. Had he always been this popular? Curious, Soo-hyuk turned on his stream for a moment.
A sudden live stream.
After waiting a moment, viewers flooded in.
Watching the viewer count hit 500,000 in an instant, Soo-hyuk's eyes widened round.
'Is this for real?'
Was streaming always this easy?
Soo-hyuk waved at the viewers surging past 500,000.
"S-Soo-ha."
An awkward tone, unlike his usual self.
It seemed to be because this was his first time streaming without a mask. Before, he'd been too focused on the showdown and the fight with the Heavenly Demon to notice.
To the viewers' questions, Soo-hyuk pondered what to say before speaking.
"Just turned it on to see."
"Yeah. So I'm turning it off now."
Soo-hyuk waved his hand.
"See ya, Soo-ha."
A stream that started fast and ended fast.
It began on a whim and ended on a whim. The purpose had been to gauge people's reactions anyway, so it achieved that.
Of course, the viewers probably thought, "Why the hell did this guy start a stream?"
'It's completely over now.'
Soo-hyuk had done his best to read through all the chats. There were all kinds, but not a single one doubting him.
The reactions in the restaurant and streets were the same, and so were the viewers'. People had fully accepted him as Lee Soo-hyuk.
A dead man coming back to life. Convincing everyone of that.
He'd solved that impossible puzzle.
After finishing the boisterous meal and returning to the lodging, Unhyang came running up to Soo-hyuk.
"Soo-hyuk! Where have you been?"
She looked urgent, so Soo-hyuk asked.
"Just eating. What's up?"
"The Heavenly Demon... woke up."
The Heavenly Demon, who had collapsed after fighting Soo-hyuk, had risen. Since the fight had been neck-and-neck, they had woken around the same time.
Soo-hyuk, who had been wondering when the Heavenly Demon would wake, lit up.
"Where is he now?"
The Heavenly Demon sat wrapped in bandages all over his body.
He said nothing. Was he staring at the wall, the air, or nothing at all? His eyes were unfocused, his thoughts unreadable.
With him were Si-woo and Jin-un.
Though their injuries weren't fully healed and the Heavenly Demon Sword was gone, the two didn't let their guard down.
With or without a sword, broken bones or scorched insides, the Heavenly Demon was the Heavenly Demon.
Si-woo glanced at Jin-un.
Facing the awakened Heavenly Demon, his eyes were the complete opposite.
As if he could pierce the Heavenly Demon with his gaze alone. It was impressive that the Heavenly Demon didn't even meet his eyes despite that stare.
Then, after a long silence, Jin-un spoke.
"Do you remember?"
He might not meet eyes, but he was listening.
The Heavenly Demon nodded quietly. Much was omitted, but he knew what was meant.
"You remember?"
Jin-un sneered.
"Ridiculous. I figured you'd blame it all on the Heavenly Demon Spirit and claim ignorance."
"I remember everything."
The Heavenly Demon met Jin-un's eyes for the first time.
"The Heavenly Demon Spirit and I were one. Neither ever slept. We always went together."
"Does that mean... you and the Heavenly Demon Spirit aren't separate?"
"And if I say yes? Feel a bit better?"
Kwak-.
Jin-un's hand shot out in an instant, grabbing the Heavenly Demon's throat.
His grip tightened as if to snap it any second. Jin-un's slender arm trembled.
"Is that what you say right now?!"
A lion's roar echoed.
Si-woo debated stopping Jin-un. At the same time, he watched the Heavenly Demon warily for any attack.
But.
"I'm sorry."
Unexpected words slipped from the Heavenly Demon's mouth.
"No... I apologize."
Si-woo was stunned.
It had been ages since he'd been this shocked.
The Heavenly Demon had apologized. And so politely, too.
Jin-un was just as shocked, releasing the throat and staring blankly for a moment.
"The mood's a bit heavy, huh."
Then the door opened, and Soo-hyuk entered.
"Can I come in?"
"You're already in."
"True."
Soo-hyuk looked at Jin-un, still frozen not knowing how to react.
"Just get mad. Think an apology fixes everything? That it's that easy to say? Yell, punch him, whatever."
Miming a punch, Soo-hyuk glanced at Jin-un's back.
It seemed somehow smaller. He'd longed for this moment, yet he didn't look relieved at all.
"No need to be flustered, old man. The guilty bowing his head is only natural."
Jin-un shot up from his seat.
And stormed out.
"Old man."
"Leave him be."
Soo-hyuk stopped Si-woo from following.
"He's confused. Doesn't know how to react. It's like suddenly getting an apology from Kim Il-su."
How could this be forgiven? Absolutely not.
Jin-un felt the same. Normally, he never would have forgiven the Heavenly Demon.
But because of Soo-hyuk's explanation that the Heavenly Demon Spirit and Heavenly Demon were separate egos. Because of the greater cause.
He was just holding back.
Soo-hyuk sat where Jin-un had been. The Heavenly Demon's eyes flashed red as he looked at him.
"How you feeling?"
"Not bad. No, great."
"No regret like parting with an old friend?"
"Think so?"
Indeed, the Heavenly Demon looked relieved somehow.
He'd lived half his life feeling controlled by an untamed ego. Now that unease was gone, so naturally relieved.
Soo-hyuk looked at him coldly.
"You'll pay for your sins your whole life."
"......"
"Don't think it's not your fault because it was another ego. You created it. It's all on you. For your crimes alone, you'd die a hundred times and it wouldn't be enough."
"I know."
"I spared you because living to repay is worth more than dying. Save more lives than those you killed because of you."
The Heavenly Demon nodded. More compliant than expected—good.
Thinking Soo-hyuk was done, the Heavenly Demon asked.
"What now for you all? Revenge?"
A natural question.
"Gotta wrap that up first."
"'First' means you have plans after?"
"Lots to do. One of them's what you want."
"Guardians?"
"Yeah."
At the mention of Guardians, fighting spirit boiled up from the Heavenly Demon again.
The Soo-hyuk he knew had the strongest drive to ascend. Blocking that path, the Guardians were top on his list.
"Not right now. Things to do first."
"You're busy."
"Very. So recover quick till then. Gonna need your strength for a lot."
Done with business, Soo-hyuk stood.
"Leaving already?"
"Yeah."
"Body not fully healed yet?"
Soo-hyuk had taken heavy wounds from the Heavenly Demon fight too.
"Unlike you, I got good treatment. And it doesn't matter anyway, right?"
The Heavenly Demon nodded at Soo-hyuk's dismissal of the injuries.
Leaving the room, Soo-hyuk told Si-woo.
"Gather everyone."
Everyone gathered except one.
The missing was Ye-ryeong. Si-woo explained.
"She's on watch at Blue Zone. Just in case."
The meeting spot was the first-floor living room of the lodging.
With Ye-ryeong absent, everyone else there, one person had sparkling eyes.
Kindre.
"Her eyes are shining."
"Looks like she'll eat you alive."
She was one who'd learned Soo-hyuk was the real deal from this incident.
She'd vaguely suspected before, but confirmation was different.
Kindre's gaze at Soo-hyuk was definitely changed. He deliberately ignored it and spoke.
"The atmosphere's really shifted."
Not just shifted.
It had flipped entirely.
The Tower had been unprecedentedly chaotic these past days.
Hiels had been the busiest.
Right after the Heavenly Demon fight, she'd met heads of major guilds.
And the result.
"Major guilds are issuing statements. Recognizing Lee Soo-hyuk as real. No longer acknowledging Kim Il-su and Blue Zone as Blue Eyes successors."
Runeterra, Elfrado, Tower's giants were shunning Blue Zone.
Inevitable end. But Hiels's moves sped it up hugely.
Si-woo briefly explained events while Soo-hyuk slept.
"Murim spoke first. Alliance Lord knew already, no hesitation."
First step's always hardest. But Murim's promise with Soo-hyuk made it easy.
"Blue Zone's isolated. Half the members quit already, rest just waiting."
"Natural. Blue Zone built on Lee Soo-hyuk's death. Their guild house probably stinks of rotten eggs by now?"
Unhyang summed it up.
"Blue Zone's done."
A mega guild crumbled overnight. False castle collapsed to truth.
Soo-hyuk had waited for this. And it came.
"When we founded this guild, first goal: restore honor of trampled comrades."
Soo-hyuk looked at the four uninvolved.
Jin-un, Unhyang, Hiels, Kindre.
"Thanks for helping without complaint. But from now, we'll handle it ourselves. Our business, our conclusion."
Strictly, they had no tie to dead comrades' honor.
Regretful, but they nodded.
As all four agreed, Soo-hyuk raised his voice.
"Let's go catch him."
Si-woo and Hyo-min.
Their eyes sparkled bright.
"Kim Il-su."