Chapter 408
Chapter 408
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 408
Chapter Title: The Fastest Route to the Demon Realm
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Woo Seo-hyun's question about whether his business was suicide wasn't a joke or a prank.
She asked in all seriousness. She wondered if the man before her was trying to commit suicide in a way that would go down in history.
"Are you insane? Is life that hard? If so, just die quietly somewhere—why make a scene here?"
"I'm not here to commit suicide."
"What?"
"I told you, I'm not here to kill myself. I'm heading to the Demon Realm."
"That's the same damn thing..."
"Hold on a second, Commander."
One of her subordinates rushed up to the irritated Woo Seo-hyun and whispered something to her.
"That's Lee Soo-hyuk."
"Lee Soo-hyuk? The streamer?"
"He is a streamer... but he's the real Lee Soo-hyuk, too."
"What the hell does that mean? Hey! You're tickling my ear—back off and speak up."
Woo Seo-hyun, who had been standing guard day and night at the entrance to the Middle Realm to block the demons, hadn't heard the news yet. All she knew was that the streamer Lee Soo-hyuk was participating in the Counterattack War.
"You really don't know?"
"What is it?"
"How do you not know this? Commander, you're really out of touch..."
"On your face."
"On your face!"
Following the man who had blurted out nonsense and gotten nothing in return, another subordinate approached.
This one was Hong Seok-woo, the vice-commander of the subjugation force right after Woo Seo-hyun.
"He's right."
"Right about what?"
"That's the real Lee Soo-hyuk. The one who was said to have died 21 years ago."
"...What?"
With a more detailed explanation, Woo Seo-hyun finally understood and was startled.
And as time passed, her surprise only grew. Even though Hong Seok-woo wasn't one to spout nonsense, she couldn't believe it easily.
Lee Soo-hyuk? That guy?
It was hard to believe that someone reported dead had come back alive, but what came next shocked her even more.
"Not long ago, he defeated the Heavenly Demon. Even the Heavenly Demon acknowledged him as the real Lee Soo-hyuk."
"...What the hell is going on?"
"I'll explain the details later. For now, let's show some respect."
"Uh..."
Woo Seo-hyun awkwardly lowered the gun in her hand, hesitating.
Respect?
How do you even do that?
After a moment of thought, Woo Seo-hyun plastered on the biggest smile she could manage and said,
"Um... How about some tea first?"
Woo Seo-hyun's tent was large. Tall and spacious.
But for its size, it felt empty. Just a small cot, a desk, and a few chairs—that was the extent of the spartan lodging.
Chrrrp—
Woo Seo-hyun quickly boiled some water and brewed the tea herself. While the two cups steeped, Soo-hyuk fiddled with the stove inside the tent.
"Here you go."
"Thanks. I'll enjoy it."
"Sorry about earlier. I should've dropped my guard as soon as I realized you weren't a demon."
"Things have been chaotic lately. I get it. I'll enjoy the tea."
Since Soo-hyuk didn't seem offended, Woo Seo-hyun relaxed.
As he sipped the tea, she cautiously asked,
"So... you really are Lee Soo-hyuk?"
Instead of answering directly, Soo-hyuk commented on the tea.
"You brew good tea."
"Pardon?"
"You must do this often."
"Ah, yeah..."
What was she supposed to say? He wasn't even answering. As she grumbled inwardly, Soo-hyuk spoke again.
"As I said earlier, I'm here to see you, Commander, because I'm planning to head to the Demon Realm. I felt I should let you know, and I also want your help."
Woo Seo-hyun flinched at his words.
Just moments ago, she'd sarcastically asked if his goal in going to the Demon Realm was suicide. And she'd meant it.
For a player to cross into the Demon Realm was practically suicide. Everything alive there was an enemy.
But if that one person was Lee Soo-hyuk?
'It'd still be dangerous... but not completely impossible.'
Soo-hyuk hadn't ignored her question. He'd answered with something more convincing than a simple "Yes, it is me."
Woo Seo-hyun decided to believe it.
In truth, everyone in the Tower now believed it besides her.
"Sorry. I'm not really tuned into worldly affairs. News travels slow to me."
"It's not something you had to know. And honestly, that's reassuring."
"How so?"
"It means you're truly dedicated to protecting people from demons. That's why I came here believing in someone like you."
Soo-hyuk knew Woo Seo-hyun.
She was even greater than her reputation. Even before Soo-hyuk "died," she'd been fighting demons here.
A person who'd devoted most of her life as a player to blocking demons.
If there was one person the demons hated most, it wasn't the Archmage or the Heavenly Demon—it was Woo Seo-hyun.
"What do you need?"
"The fastest route into the Demon Realm."
Woo Seo-hyun's expression hardened at Soo-hyuk's request.
She'd expected it wouldn't be simple, but this was a very difficult ask.
"You know what that means, right?"
"Yes. I know it's a big request."
"That route is top-level classified. It's a path demons could use to invade at any time, and it's one we guard most heavily."
"If that route fell into demon hands, it'd only be a matter of time before our defenses crumbled."
Woo Seo-hyun felt relieved that Soo-hyuk understood the issue perfectly.
Understanding the problem meant he was someone she could reason with, at least.
"Exactly. Oh, don't misunderstand—I don't doubt you, Soo-hyuk. Especially if you're the real Lee Soo-hyuk."
"No misunderstanding."
"Good. Anyway, this isn't something I can decide alone. Especially with demons getting more active lately..."
Woo Seo-hyun's words trailed off.
Come to think of it?
'This guy's been at the center of every recent demon incident.'
Demon legion commanders slipping into Blue House. A demon division commander causing chaos at the Counterattack War.
Soo-hyuk had been at the heart of every recent demon uproar—and he'd been the one to stop them.
In a way, he'd done their job for them.
After some deliberation, Woo Seo-hyun made up her mind.
"We don't even have a route all the way to the Demon Realm. That okay?"
"Asking for that much would be greedy. Just let us use the secured route. We'll handle it from there."
"It's not as easy as it sounds... Wait. 'Us'?"
Startled, Woo Seo-hyun asked with a hunch,
"Your guildmates are going too?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Eight."
"...How many members does Blue Eyes have?"
"Eight."
"The whole guild? Oh my god!"
Soo-hyuk gave an awkward smile as Woo Seo-hyun practically screamed.
There was a slight misunderstanding.
'Not exactly one of them.'
Strictly speaking, the Heavenly Demon wasn't a guild member.
He'd expressed some interest in joining, but given his ties to Jin-un and Unhyang, they couldn't just accept him outright.
But there was no need to clear it up. Mentioning the Heavenly Demon wouldn't help.
A name that ruined even good deals—that was the Heavenly Demon.
"Absolutely not. We can't leak intel like this to an entire guild."
"Really not possible?"
"I said no. Why are you so desperate to head to the Demon Realm?"
"To render that route completely useless."
Silence fell over the tent in an instant.
She must have misheard. Woo Seo-hyun racked her brain to interpret his words.
But no matter how she spun it, there was only one meaning.
"...You serious?"
"Yes."
"You're really going to kill all the Demon Kings?"
"Among other things."
His real goal was elsewhere.
So on the way to achieve it, he'd stop by and take out the Demon Kings too.
It sounded utterly absurd. If anyone else had said it, she'd have a gun to their head in a second.
It was an insult to them, who'd spent years holding back demons.
But.
"You really do seem like the real Lee Soo-hyuk."
"I am."
"We thought you were dead."
"The Tower is full of mysteries. Even the dead come back."
Woo Seo-hyun chuckled. She took his words as a joke to lighten the mood.
But the laughter was short-lived.
Soon, her expression turned serious again as she asked,
"We've met before, haven't we?"
"You remember."
"You guys crossed over back then too. Came back a total mess."
"I was the only mess. The others returned safely."
Words only Lee Soo-hyuk could say.
Woo Seo-hyun nodded at the precise memory.
"Right. So, one last question. Do you really think this time will be different?"
"Wrong angle."
"Huh?"
"Why do you think they're coming over here?"
"Why...?"
It wasn't a question she'd never considered. She'd grumbled jokingly plenty of times: Why do these bastards keep coming over and causing shit?
But she hadn't thought deeply about it.
That was why.
Why she couldn't answer Soo-hyuk's question right away.
"You know better than anyone—they keep coming, even knowing they'll die. It's as dangerous for them here as it is for us there."
"Just... their instinct to kill humans?"
"You really think that? That they're brainless lunatics or blood-crazed beasts?"
Soo-hyuk shook his head with conviction.
"No. Demons aren't stupid—smarter than humans in some ways. So why do they keep coming, knowing they'll die?"
"...Why?"
"There's a reason. One worth risking their lives for."
Soo-hyuk paused before asking,
"Don't we have one?"
"...I don't know."
"That's why I'm going. To find out."
Woo Seo-hyun closed her eyes.
She was as stubborn as anyone usually, but this time, she listened.
Because it was Soo-hyuk speaking, and because it made sense.
As she pondered deeply,
"Commander!"
Hong Seok-woo, the subjugation force vice-commander, burst into the tent urgently.
"Demons have crossed over again. And there are too many."
At the word "demons," Woo Seo-hyun reacted instantly.
"Already? How many?"
"The earlier raid must've been recon."
"Damn it. Where?"
"Sectors 7 and 8. Could be more."
"Let's go! Brief me on the way!"
Woo Seo-hyun figured she had to block the demons first. Calling the previous attack recon meant this wave was huge.
But one sentence stopped her.
"No need to go."
Woo Seo-hyun whipped her head toward Soo-hyuk.
He answered her incredulous look.
"I said 'us,' remember?"
Soo-hyuk hadn't come alone.
Unless a Demon King was among this wave,
"It'll be handled soon."