Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Best Choice (3)
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"I'll tell you about Fraus."
His confident words made his colleagues murmur.
Information on Fraus, who had never once shown herself until now. She had barely escaped from Sicarius's grasp not long ago, so how could he possibly know about her?
If it was true, though, that information would be worth its weight in gold.
"Not only simple information, but I can also tell you some countermeasures against the illusions she uses."
"...."
Was this really reliable intel? Could they trust him? What if he was a spy sent by them?
All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind in an instant.
I did feel sympathy for him, but as the one responsible for my comrades' lives, I had to judge this coldly. Every step we took on the path we chose could determine the group's very survival.
My mind heated up and spun rapidly.
And the conclusion I reached was to hear him out first. After all, I held the final say on whether to look after his wife and daughter.
"Alright. If the information checks out, it's not a request I can't grant."
"Understood. As you know, benefactor, I'm a demon. One of Fraus's demons, in fact."
"So..."
"Yes, exactly. That's why I entered her gateway too. And that's where I saw you all."
"You saw us?"
Song Dan-woo, who had been listening quietly to the unexpected remark, cut in, but I stopped him and urged the man to continue.
"Go on."
"The spiderwebs forming the hardware of the Labyrinth Garden were made by Regina, and the illusions forming the software were made by Fraus. Anyone who's been at Garak Market since Doomsday would know that."
To judge the truth of his words, I looked at Song Dan-woo and Uncle Jung Jin-ho, who nodded to confirm it.
"That's why she hides within the illusions she created, observing the entire Labyrinth Garden like it's CCTV footage. Haven't you felt something off while dealing with the apostles lately?"
"...."
"If so, then it's probably that guy's doing. More precisely, he's been closely watching you, the one who killed Sicarius, benefactor."
Learning the source of the unease I'd felt fighting the apostles today boosted my trust in him.
But a few doubts lingered in my mind, whispering that I shouldn't fully believe him yet.
And as if he knew those doubts, he soon addressed them.
"You must be wondering about now. How I didn't fall for her illusions, and why my mind hasn't been corrupted even after becoming a demon... The reason is tied to the countermeasures I mentioned earlier."
"So, what is it in the end?"
"These glasses. More precisely, the skill attached to them."
He lifted the glasses as he began his explanation.
On Doomsday, after becoming the representative of Garak Market, he'd quickly evacuated people and earned a title along with a rare-grade pair of glasses as a reward.
The skill on that item was [True Sight], which had a 'Mental Corruption Immunity' effect.
Thanks to that skill, even after becoming a demon, he hadn't been consumed by madness and had managed to hold onto his sanity until now.
"I'm at the end of my rope now. I can't buy any more time, and if Fraus finds out about my condition, I might rampage as a demon and harm my family. That's why I came to you, benefactor..."
"...."
"Once I give you these glasses, my mind will start to corrupt... When that happens, please kill me. And take good care of my family. I beg you."
"......Hic... Hic..."
As he asked to be killed, his daughter began to sob. Even so, tears like glass beads rolled down her chubby cheeks from her eyes.
They must have agreed on this beforehand; she was clearly holding back.
"Uwaaaah—!!"
In the end, the child unleashed her grief into the world. Seeing this, Seo-woo, standing behind her, seemed to recall her own past and started crying along, soon bursting into loud sobs herself.
"“....”"
In that heavy silence, only the children's cries echoed in their ears.
Was it too cruel to tell a child to endure the pain of losing her family? I'd grown up an orphan without ever feeling parental love, so I couldn't fully grasp the girl's sorrow.
But even a fragment of that emotion felt like a heavy stone in my chest, making it hard to breathe and suffocating, so I could empathize at least a little.
But that's exactly why.
I had to act.
The key to resolving this situation was in my hands.
'...Letting this drag on is torture for everyone.'
To keep my wits, I bit down hard on my cheek. A metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, cooling my head.
Slowly, I raised the greatsword.
It was the precious blade that had protected me from apostles all this time, but right now, in this moment, it felt like a brutal guillotine from a medieval execution.
Even so, I had to swing this greatsword.
Because rationally, it was the right thing to do. Because it was the best option in this situation.
Whoosh—
The jet-black greatsword flew toward the man's neck with a heavy whoosh.
That instant.
'Damn... Is this really the only way?'
The [Time Gap] skill activated naturally, and my mind began to race.
Rationally, killing Jeon Byung-chul right here was correct.
To counter Fraus, I desperately needed those glasses. Jeon Byung-chul, now a demon, had no intention of harming others just to buy more time. And above all, he wanted to remain human in his family's memories.
In the end, he was prepared to die.
Since he was going to die anyway, he wanted to trade his life to at least protect his family.
No matter how I looked at it, it was a choice that only brought benefits in the given situation.
'But.'
So, the father had to die to save the family?
No. This was wrong.
Swoosh—
The greatsword stopped precisely at his jawline.
I had to find another way.
Convincing myself this was the only option was just running from the problem.
'Think, think... There has to be a better way....'
As I agonized, a system message rang out as if answering my desperate wish.
[The user has correctly judged the rightness or wrongness of an action.]
['Proxy' has acquired one of the Four Virtues: Wisdom Virtue.]
[The title's hidden condition has been met. Accordingly, one authority is unlocked.]
['Purification' skill acquired.]
And the skill window that appeared before my eyes.
[Purification Max]: One of the authorities usable by the 'Proxy'. Purifies demon energy (魔), evil (惡), and chaos (混沌) from a target, at the cost of star power and survival time.
Reading the skill description resolved the question I'd had about the [Proxy] title from before.
The title description only said it allowed 'purifying and owning an Outer God's star' without specifics, but it had this provision hidden within.
'The Savior lives up to the name.'
Whether it would work was something I'd only know by trying, but why would the system tell me now otherwise?
Having decided to fully trust the system after the Sicarius fight, I naturally believed it would purify the demon.
The issue was how much star power level and survival time it would cost, and whether this man was worth that much to me...
I spoke casually to Jeon Byung-chul, who stared at the blade at his throat, awaiting death.
"What if there's another way besides that one?"
"...Pardon? You mean—"
"There's a way for you, Jeon Byung-chul, to escape being a demon without dying... But the cost isn't small. Since I'm taking a loss, prove you're worth it. Convince me that saving you will benefit me."
"I'll do anything. Whatever you say, I'll—... Ah! I have a useful skill. But to use it, I need at least 1,000 hours... Could you lend me some?"
His sudden demand for 1,000 hours made me laugh in disbelief, and he quickly deflated, saying, 'Yeah, this won't work,' and moved to take off the glasses.
"Fine, let's see it. What skill costs 1,000 hours?"
I grabbed his hand and transferred the requested survival time.
I'd been saving over 20,000 hours for a rare item anyway, and at this point, 1,000 hours was something I could earn back quickly.
Jeon Byung-chul received the time, muttered something, and suddenly a blank sheet of paper and pen appeared in his hand.
"It's the [Contract Creation] skill. I've never had 1,000 hours before, so I don't know if it works exactly as described, but according to the skill, you write the contract terms, and once both party A and B sign, they must absolutely uphold it. Violating it means death. Of course, since I've never used it, I haven't seen anyone die from it yet—"
"Let's do it. Contract."
"You're trusting my word?"
"No reason not to at this point."
If this whole situation was an elaborate ruse to deceive me, one that tugged at everyone's emotions this deeply.
Considering the sincerity and effort, I was willing to fall for it.
"But—"
If his words were true, though, this man would be worth it to me just for that one skill.
It was a devilishly excellent skill—practically a death pact. Anyone would think so.
I snatched the paper and pen, scribbled out the contract in one go, and presented it. It had exactly two clauses.
First, when Jeon Byung-chul ('Party B') transfers 20,000 hours to me ('Party A'), the contract expires.
Second, until expiration, all rights to the [Contract Creation] skill belong to me.
"These are the terms. Still want to contract?"
"...."
"I told you, didn't I? The cost to restore you isn't small. Okay with these conditions?"
"Yes. Anything. If I can live, what can't I do?"
Even after reading it with his own eyes, he signed without hesitation.
What was there to fear for someone prepared for death?
Once we both signed, the paper duplicated into two copies and seeped into our chests.
"Is this it?"
"Yes. My turn, then."
I immediately placed my hand on his head and activated [Purification].
Light leaked out, dyeing the surroundings pure white.