Chapter 300: An Uneasy Pause
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 300: An Uneasy Pause
"It seems everyone is gathered. I assume you've all heard why you were summoned here?"
A few people had gathered in the Black Martial Hall, a particularly secretive place even within the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Sitting arrogantly in the seat of honor at the center was the Left Dharma Protector, Samaja.
And the one who spoke was Shimmasaryong, ranked fourth in the Demonic Cult.
"We have heard. Those fools. If they had kept everyone's attention outside the Tower, our grand undertaking would have been much easier."
"To think the True Ancestor would die. I thought they were quite strong, but it ended so anticlimactically."
Chae Hong-ah and Pae Cheon-mu each added a word.
They had planned to march into the Murim immediately, sweep everything away, and even swallow the Empire. But this had put the brakes on all their plans.
Right then.
"Calm down. Regardless of their success or failure, the strength of our cult alone is more than enough to wipe out both the Murim and the Empire."
Samaja, who had been silent, stood up.
Everyone's eyes focused on him.
"Now that the Heavenly Demon has suffered internal injuries and gone into hiding, our cult has retreated into an unprecedentedly long closed-door cultivation. We watched the arrogant Murim Alliance run wild. We merely stood by as the Empire of the West defiled this land. But today, those days of humiliation are over."
An eagle with broken wings is no longer an eagle.
It is merely a legacy of the past, something to be liquidated.
In the Heavenly Demon Cult, where everything is governed by the law of might... a new Heavenly Demon would naturally be needed.
And that would be...
...himself, the Left Dharma Protector. It was time for him to make his move.
"Shimmasaryong."
"Yes, Supreme One."
Shimmasaryong bowed his head respectfully.
"How are the preparations coming along?"
"Everything has already been completed as you ordered. Would you like to check it yourself?"
"Oh? Yes. I am quite looking forward to it."
As Samaja lightly raised his hand, Shimmasaryong immediately approached a wooden pillar.
It looked like an extremely ordinary pillar, but when internal energy was injected into it, a drastic change occurred.
Rumble!
With a loud noise, the floor of the annex slowly began to open.
Soon, a staircase leading underground appeared.
"T-To think such a facility existed here..."
"What is this, Left Dharma Protector?!"
The others nearby cried out in shock.
Though they had spent their entire lives within the Heavenly Demon Cult, they had never imagined such a massive facility would be hidden beneath the annex.
"I will say it again... I have spent a long time and prepared many things for this. So, all you need to do is trust and follow me."
The corners of Samaja's mouth curled upward.
Below the stairs.
Inside the torchlit chamber, an unimaginable number of Jiangshi lay asleep, waiting for their master's command.
Not only were there Blood Jiangshi and Poison Jiangshi, but there were also Yin-Yang Jiangshi capable of dealing with peak-level masters, and even Heavenly Cold Jiangshi, one of the highest-grade Jiangshi.
These were the masters captured from the Blood Cult and the strongest Jiangshi raised through Shimmasaryong.
"Starting with Kunlun, I will seize the entire Murim within a month. Ah! But before that, we must clean house. Where are that old man, the Right Dharma Protector, and his so-called disciple right now?"
"About that... they are said to be outside the Tower right now."
"They must be consuming an immense amount of cores as offerings, yet they're taking their sweet time. No, perhaps they saved their lives because of it."
Samaja smirked.
"Shall we form a pursuit team?"
"No. Leave them be. There is nothing a man who only has the Shadow Unit can do anyway."
The Dark Emperor and his disciple could be dealt with slowly once they returned to the Murim.
With the Jiangshi and the main elites of the Heavenly Demon Cult, killing those two would be child's play.
* * *
Outside the Tower, even now, three days later, the only topic of conversation was the Outbreak.
[The Heroes Who Saved Humanity]
[Who are the Members of the Veteran Corporation? A Complete Summary of Rankers and Their Traits.]
[Collection of Personal Interviews]
[Saint of Amsterdam Teresa Proudly Reveals Her Affiliation: 'Proud to be Together']
[Kang Jinhyuk Revealed to be a Famous BJ Who Hid His Identity in the Past!]
Various articles flooded the internet and online communities.
There was plenty of clickbait and false rumors, but that only proved how much the Veteran Corporation's stock was skyrocketing.
sky: We survived thanks to Jinhyuk again.
Blank: I really thought I was going to die. Buildings collapsed, and roads were completely destroyed.
min: I thought what happened inside the Tower was someone else's business, but seeing this happen outside firsthand made me realize how serious it actually is.
Riri: Ikr. Seriously. I almost had a heart attack.
Blind Man: You guys know, right? They're broadcasting the memorial service live today.
NK: Yeah, heard about it. It's at 3 PM, so not much time left.
Nangrang: It's at the Daejeon National Cemetery, so if you're nearby, go check it out in person.
kimy: Yeah. We should watch too. Even if it's just to honor those who died.
byMiniGroom: Phew. I'm grateful, sorry, and heartbroken all at once.
jxh: It makes me think Players really deserve better treatment. They risked their lives to fight like this.
11: Exactly. They absolutely should.
Soon, a nationwide live broadcast began.
It was broadcast not through the Tower of Trials' broadcasting system, but through the official channel of the Korean Awakeners Association.
Step.
Jinhyuk, Cheon Yu-seong, and Teresa appeared, dressed in black suits.
All the spotlight focused on the three of them.
AppleJuice: Ohhh! It's Jinhyuk!
Lee Do-yeon: Even Cheon Yu-seong and Teresa are here.
Min Kyung-bu: Wow, what a star-studded lineup.
Arcazu: Jinhyuk looks so good in a suit.
las: Is it because of the bandage wrapped around his shoulder? Somehow makes him look even cooler.
kupi: A wounded man. So cool. Thrilling!
FridgeMagnet: But he could just use a healing skill, so why is he wearing a bandage?
Thousands of mourners, reporters, and the chat window on one side of the screen moved frantically.
"Look. You saved all these people, Jinhyuk."
"To say that... we lost too many people."
Jinhyuk smiled bitterly.
He had heard that the number of Players who died in Korea exceeded several thousand.
Globally, it was over tens of thousands.
Since this was just an estimate, the actual toll was likely higher, not lower.
"You did the best you could. In fact, you achieved unbelievable results. So you can hold your head high. If you only think about what you've lost, you can never move forward."
Cheon Yu-seong placed a hand on Jinhyuk's shoulder.
To think even this guy would say something like this.
Yeah. Hearing him say that actually made him feel a bit better.
The living had to live on for tomorrow.
Kyakyakya: Oh! Look over there. Takeshi from the Samurai Guild is here too.
Park Hee-soo: Ah, right. He said he came to repay his debt to Player Kang Jinhyuk.
McDoriaKetchupThief: I heard he lost over a hundred guild members this time.
Eeeee: Yeah. I heard the damage was massive.
pri: Because he fought that goat guy on the front lines to save the refugees.
Mojo: Still, he's got loyalty.
BlueGreenery: I see him in a slightly different light now.
"You have arrived? A humble human greets the great and dignified deity..."
"……!?"
Jinhyuk quickly stopped Takeshi before he could finish.
What on earth was he trying to say in front of the entire nation?
"Let's keep it down."
"Pardon?"
"Silence is golden... you know that saying, right?"
"A-Ah, I understand."
Seeing him bow his head dejectedly made Jinhyuk feel a slight pang of guilt.
He would have to tell him the truth someday.
Right then.
"Jinhyuk, come quickly. The ceremony is starting."
Teresa waved from up ahead.
"Yes. I'll be right there."
Jinhyuk walked forward, passing through the reporters and mourners.
Amidst the fluttering snowflakes.
Chrysanthemums whiter than the snow were placed before the graves.
One for the citizens who died in this Outbreak.
Another for the Players who died trying to save them.
And the last for the soldiers and police officers who plunged into the jaws of death despite having no unique abilities or skills.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A brief moment of silence followed the sound of the gun salute.
pri: At least it ended well.
Mirinae: Can we breathe a sigh of relief now?
Sage: No. It's not over.
jew: Yeah. That Gate hasn't disappeared yet.
SpaceMercury: There's someone even stronger?
him: The guy who controls those black goats is still left.
Low: The goats moved when he made that bizarre crying sound. Seeing him give orders, he must be the boss.
ButterWaffle: His mana was unmeasurable, so it's completely hopeless.
Yoon Jae-sun: If he comes out, it's going to be really dangerous this time.
kkh: I heard each guild is putting all their effort into finding a way to close the Gate.
TrustMe: Sigh. I'm really worried.
For now, voices of relief at having survived continued.
But at the same time, concerns about the Gate that had not yet fully opened were just as strong.
It was only natural.
This was merely buying a little time.
The fundamental problem had not yet been resolved.
'Do we have about a week left?'
Jinhyuk's gaze drifted into the distance.
He could still see the massive Gate floating in the sky.
Within its shimmering surface.
Thorns lined with countless teeth protruded.
As if warning that it would burst out at any moment and reduce everything to nothingness.
* * *
The next day.
At a large pension in Gapyeong, a rather bizarre gathering took place.
Under a parasol, Jinhyuk, the Dark Emperor, Alice, and Wolyeong sat on one side.
On the opposite side sat the Soul-Chasing Shadow and Cheon Yu-seong.
Teresa was scheduled to join them after helping Andrea shop for clothes to wear outside the Tower.
It had started as a modest after-party, but as one person after another joined, the gathering had grown this large.
By the way...
...to think these two prominent giants would meet.
'Just looking at them gives me goosebumps. And to think they'd meet outside the Tower... in swimsuits.'
In contrast to the brightly smiling Soul-Chasing Shadow, his master had a grumpy expression.
Though they pretended not to care, a subtle war of nerves was constantly passing between them.
Wearing an elegant cardigan and a wide-brimmed hat, the Soul-Chasing Shadow reclined on a sunbed.
Wearing sunglasses and sipping a tropical drink with floating ice cubes, she looked exactly like someone taking Instagram photos on an overseas vacation.
He had no idea how she had adapted to this world so quickly.
Did Cheon Yu-seong give her private tutoring or something?
On the other hand, his master was wearing a competitive swimmer's full-body swimsuit, though where he had gotten it was a mystery. He even wore a swim cap properly.
"Ahem. Disciple. The clothes of your world are extremely uncomfortable."
Well, of course they are.
Since the swimsuit was torn all over, unable to contain those muscles, how could it possibly be comfortable?
Just as Jinhyuk was holding back his thoughts, someone spoke.
"Oh my. I think the Dark Emperor's brain is made of muscle too, which is why the clothes can't handle it. Ignorant people always choose clothes like that without even considering their own build."
The Soul-Chasing Shadow took a sip of her drink.
"I-Ignorant? Did you just call me ignorant?"
Instantly.
Whoosh!
All the water in the pool shot up into the sky.
"Aaaah!"
"W-What is that?"
"Is it an earthquake?"
"Don't tell me another Outbreak has started..."
Guests staying at the neighboring pension screamed.
Cheon Yu-seong let out a soft sigh as he watched the two.
"This is precarious."
"I agree."
And so...
...their vacation outside the Tower began.